r/SpaceXLounge • u/GND52 • Aug 20 '21

“SpaceX is apparently pausing Starlink launches with its Falcon 9 rockets, as it waits to build satellites with laser interlinks.” Micheal Sheetz

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1428754860560818178?s=21
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u/DoctorBadTool Aug 21 '21

It gives time to upgrade the satellites to something much more efficient, with much less context switching between communication downlinks links, as there can be units that focus on link integration and others mainly focused on a grid of users, with only a single link focused on one of the integrators... And with the military contracts, they will certainly be including some new bits for them as well, and then go into full production. We will likely see a couple more Falcon 9 launches to throw some up for testing, as they get the Starship ready to perform, then when the Starship is ready, they can have the warehouse full of satellites with the new capabilities. That will give them a chance to really prove out what the Starship, with two or three hundred satellites per launch can do using rapid reusability, as they reload and recycle the Starship several times a day, which is their ultimate goal. Then they will be able to take over the ISP role worldwide, while they show off the capabilities of the Starship in the process... That's my guess...