Starlink launches constellation, improves comms latency
Date of creation: March 12, 2024, 2:39 p.m. From SITE: https://www.computerweekly.com Original page link
Original page content On 10 March, the world watched SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket take 23 Starlink communications satellites to low-Earth orbit, but perhaps what was not observed so clearly was the work the engineering teams of the satellite comms firm has been doing in improving the performance of its satellite constellation network, with the goal of delivering a service with stable 20 millisecond (ms) median latency and minimal packet loss. The world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket, the two-stage Falcon 9 was designed and manufactured by the Elon Musk-led American spacecraft manufacturer for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Reusability allows SpaceX to re-fly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn is claimed to drive down the cost of space access. The launch at 19:05 was the 11th flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and now five Starlink missions. The mission taking off at 21:09 was the 17th flight for the first-stage booster supporting the mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, Iridium OneWeb, SDA-0B, and now 12 Starlink missions. The Starlink constellations are designed to make high-speed internet available almost anywhere on Earth, but the supplier is now also focusing on quality of service in addition to footprint. In the UK, Starlink high-speed internet offers for businesses start at £96 per month, encompassing fixed sites, maritime, aviation and land mobility. The current packages offer 40-220+ Mbps download speeds, 8-25+ Mbps upload and 20-60 ms latency. Yet Starlink now says that over the past month it has “meaningfully” reduced median and worst-case latency for users around the world. Latency in the Starlink network is said to be driven by several factors, the principle ones being physical speed-of-light propagation from the user to the satellite and back to the ground; ground latency from the gateway sites to the internet connection point driven by ground network layout; and what Starlink called “dumb stuff” driven by non-physical limitations in its system, such as unneeded processing delays, unoptimised buffers or unnecessary packet drops that force retries. Read more about space communications NanoAvionics jumps on SpaceX to expand 5G, IoT space comms: Smallsat bus manufacturer and mission integrator’s craft expand two constellations with upcoming SpaceX Transporter-10 mission. 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Looking at remediations to these issues, Starlink said that while laser connectivity was essential for connecting the most remote locations on Earth and for routing around congestion in the network, it was “making strides to ensure that latency-sensitive traffic can flow over the shortest path possible”. To address ground latency from the gateway sites to the internet connection point driven by ground network layout, Starlink has committed to adding six internet points of presence in the US this year, and optimising gateway locations and planning algorithms to ensure traffic can land as close to its destination point as possible. While recognising that fronthaul latency is an inherent part of shared wireless systems, the company said there was significant room for optimisation, and as a result, this had been a major focus in the past several months. In terms of the “dumb stuff’, buffers across the Starlink network have now been amended to reduce “bufferbloat”, and queueing algorithms are said to have been improved to increase capacity on gateway links from the ground to satellites. Starlink added that since the beginning of the year, its teams have deployed and tested 193 different satellite software builds, 75 gateway software builds, 222 Starlink software builds and 57 Wi-Fi software builds. As a result, it says that already in the US alone, it has reduced median latency by more than 30%, from 48.5ms to 33ms during hours of peak usage. Worst-case peak hour latency (p99) has dropped by over 60%, from over 150ms to less than 65ms. Outside of the US, the company says it has also reduced median latency by up to 25%, and worst-case latencies by up to 35%. | After launch of 23 craft for growing satellite constellation, Elon Musk-led US spacecraft manufacturer reveals steps taken to improve quality of experience and service
Date of avatar: March 31, 2024, 6:47 p.m.
Tags: starlink, spacex, falcon 9, performance improvement, satellite constellation, quality of service, latency reduction., cost reduction, remote areas, reusable rocket, high-speed internet
Content: # Part 1: SpaceX's Starlink Constellation Continues to Improve Performance On 10 March, SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink communications satellites into low-Earth orbit, showcasing the company's commitment to expanding its satellite constellation network. While the launch itself garnered attention, the engineering teams at SpaceX have been working diligently to improve the performance of the network. Their goal is to deliver a service with stable 20 millisecond (ms) median latency and minimal packet loss. This focus on performance is crucial as SpaceX aims to provide high-speed internet access to even the most remote areas of the world. # Part 2: The Power of Reusability in SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket The Falcon 9 rocket used in the recent launch is the world's first orbital-class reusable rocket. Designed and manufactured by SpaceX, this two-stage rocket is capable of reliably and safely transporting people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. The key advantage of reusability is that it allows SpaceX to re-fly the most expensive parts of the rocket. This, in turn, helps drive down the cost of space access. The first-stage booster used in this mission had already supported 11 previous flights, showcasing the efficiency and reliability of reusable rocket technology. # Part 3: Starlink's Focus on Quality of Service and Performance While Starlink's primary goal is to provide high-speed internet access anywhere on Earth, the company is now placing a greater emphasis on quality of service. In the UK, Starlink offers high-speed internet packages for businesses starting at £96 per month. These packages provide download speeds ranging from 40-220+ Mbps, upload speeds of 8-25+ Mbps, and latency of 20-60 ms. However, Starlink has recently made significant improvements to reduce latency for users worldwide. This reduction in latency is driven by various factors, including physical speed-of-light propagation, ground latency, and system optimizations. Starlink has also made important adjustments to its network infrastructure, such as optimizing gateway locations and improving queueing algorithms, to further enhance performance. By continuously deploying and testing software builds, Starlink has achieved impressive results in latency reduction. In the US alone, median latency has been reduced by more than 30%, and worst-case peak hour latency has dropped by over 60%. Similar improvements have been made outside of the US, with median latency reduced by up to 25% and worst-case latencies improved by up to 35%. These ongoing efforts demonstrate Starlink's commitment to providing a high-quality and reliable internet service to its users worldwide.
Date of avatar: March 12, 2024, 2:46 p.m.
Tags: upload speeds, capacity increase, packet loss, spacex, internet, latency reduction, queueing algorithms, remote areas, positive results., latency, internet points of presence, traffic optimization, buffer adjustments, ground latency, satellite constellation, falcon 9 rocket, low-earth orbit, cost reduction, reusable rocket, user experience, high-speed internet, starlink, download speeds, uk
Content: Experience Faster and More Reliable Internet with Starlink's Improved Performance On March 10th, SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink communications satellites into low-Earth orbit, showcasing the incredible work of their engineering teams. While the launch itself was impressive, what went unnoticed by many was the ongoing effort to enhance the performance of Starlink's satellite constellation network. The goal is to provide users with a service that offers stable 20 millisecond (ms) median latency and minimal packet loss. The Falcon 9 rocket, the world's first orbital-class reusable rocket, was designed and manufactured by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk. Its reusability allows SpaceX to significantly reduce the cost of space access by re-flying the most expensive parts of the rocket. This launch marked the 11th flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which has previously launched various missions, including Crew-5 and several Starlink missions. Starlink's constellations are designed to bring high-speed internet to even the most remote areas of the Earth. However, the company is now focusing on improving the quality of service in addition to expanding its coverage. In the UK, Starlink offers high-speed internet packages for businesses starting at £96 per month, catering to fixed sites, maritime, aviation, and land mobility. These packages currently provide download speeds ranging from 40-220+ Mbps, upload speeds from 8-25+ Mbps, and latency from 20-60 ms. Starlink has recently made significant improvements to reduce latency for its users worldwide. Latency in the Starlink network is influenced by various factors, including the physical speed-of-light propagation, ground latency, and non-physical limitations within the system. The company has been working on addressing these issues to deliver a better user experience. To reduce latency-sensitive traffic, Starlink is striving to ensure that it can flow over the shortest path possible. It is also adding six internet points of presence in the US this year to improve ground latency. Additionally, the company has made adjustments to its buffers and queueing algorithms to minimize delays and increase capacity on gateway links. These efforts have already yielded positive results. In the US alone, Starlink has reduced median latency by more than 30%, from 48.5ms to 33ms during peak usage hours. Worst-case peak hour latency has also decreased by over 60%, from over 150ms to less than 65ms. Outside of the US, median latency has been reduced by up
Date of avatar: March 12, 2024, 2:46 p.m.
Tags: upload speeds, high-speed internet, falcon 9 rocket, median latency, download speeds, starlink satellites, latency, global, space access, satellite constellation network, packet loss, spacex, us, low-earth orbit
Content: SpaceX's recent launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit showcased the company's commitment to improving the performance of its satellite constellation network. The goal is to provide a service with stable 20 millisecond latency and minimal packet loss. SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 rocket allows the company to reduce the cost of space access by re-flying the most expensive parts of the rocket. Starlink's constellations aim to make high-speed internet available worldwide, with packages offering download speeds of 40-220+ Mbps, upload speeds of 8-25+ Mbps, and latency of 20-60 ms. Starlink has already reduced median latency by over 30% in the US and up to 25% globally.