According to foreign media Wccftech today (8th), SpaceX has started investing ample funds into the expansion of the Starlink third-generation satellite constellation. According to a recent submission to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), SpaceX plans to significantly increase the launch pace of the Gen3 (V3) constellation and seek authorization to launch up to 100000 satellites.
The second-generation Starlink satellites currently in orbit provide higher capacity and lower latency than the first generation, and bring multiple capability upgrades:
Throughput increased by 20 times.
Supports direct connection to mobile phones, and second-generation satellites can be connected to unmodified cellular phones.
Equipped with stronger orbital maneuverability and autonomous collision avoidance system.
SpaceX recently announced its first dedicated satellite design for AI computing. The AI1 satellite can support a maximum computing payload of 150kW, equipped with liquid cooled radiators, micrometeorite protection, centralized computing modules, and deployable solar cell arrays. It is planned to be produced at the Gigasat factory in Texas.
The AI1 satellite has not yet been put into production, and the latest FCC documents show that SpaceX is preparing to launch large-scale production of the third-generation Starlink satellite.
The currently known Gen3 satellite information includes:
The pre deployment testing has been initiated.
Gen3 will perform underlying architecture reconstruction on the second generation, which is V2 design.
The weight of a single satellite reaches 2000 kilograms, while Gen2 weighs only 575 kilograms.
Gen3 is designed for very low Earth orbit (VLEO) with an orbital altitude of approximately 350 kilometers.
The downstream capacity has increased by 10 times, reaching 1Tbps.
The upstream capacity has increased by 22 times, reaching 160 to 200Gbps.
The total capacity of RF and laser return for a single satellite is approximately 4Tbps.
The larger central platform is equipped with advanced phased array antennas and longer solar cell arrays.
Due to a significant increase in weight, Gen3 can only be launched from a SpaceX starship.
Equipped with next-generation onboard computers and modems.
Use argon Hall thruster to maintain orbit.
The constellation adopts advanced phased array beamforming, electronic beam steering, optical inter satellite links, and dynamic power control to achieve spectrum sharing and reduce interference.
SpaceX stated in the FCC filing that the Gen3 constellation will operate in two nominal altitude ranges of 323 to 327.5 kilometers and 473 to 477.5 kilometers, with orbital inclinations covering 26 to 96.9 degrees.
The Gen3 system will use Ku, Ka, V, E, W, and D band spectra. The downlink frequency band includes 10.7 to 13.4GHz, 17.3 to 21.2GHz, and 37.5 to 42.5GHz, while the uplink frequency band includes multiple frequency bands, with the highest reaching 231.5 to 275GHz.
Due to significant changes in capacity, frequency bands, and system architecture of the Gen3 satellite, existing Starlink user terminals and antenna hardware need to be upgraded in order to fully utilize the downlink capacity and gigabit network speed of the new constellation.
Previously, SpaceX had also recently applied separately to launch up to one million satellites. However, that application is independent of the current Gen3 constellation application and currently has no direct connection.
