From: tl@none.invalid   
      
   JF Mezei   wrote:   
   >> The network is not complete yet, correct?  There are still more   
   >>satellites to launch?  perhaps they are intended to fill the gaps.   
   >   
   >Only a couple of test satellites have the inter-satellite lasers, but   
   >satellites without them are still being launched.   
      
   The 10 recently launched (near) polar satellites do have laser links   
   too so it's not just the initial test satellites. And as I understand   
   it those will in fact use them for customer traffic if they don't see   
   a ground station but can reach another laser link equipped satellite   
   (it's unclear if the lower inclination test satellites did this or   
   just used theirs for testing).   
      
   At the moment only "polar" satellites will have this, Elon call them   
   "v0.9", so I guess it's a combination of wanting to improve them   
   before rolling it out where it's not strictly necessary and not   
   wanting to disrupt the production pipeline more than necessary. I'd   
   assume there's also a mass penalty (IE less satellites per launch).   
      
   But the plan was always to switch to an improved version (likely with   
   higher capacity) "soon", Musk also said that all satellites launched   
   next year (IE 2022) will have laser links so I assume the GOAL is to   
   roll out the "v2" sallite on a large scale "or or before the end of   
   the year".   
      
   And the famous Elon time seems to have be operating fairly close to   
   1:1 the last year other than for Starship (and even there the offset   
   isn't large) so I wouldn't bet against that.   
      
      
   >So coverage areas are limited to where SpaceX has base stations,   
   >currently USA only.   
      
   THey need base stations but have had limited beta testing in the south   
   of UK for a while now, it's also know that they have a link to their   
   Gigafactory in Germany (which can't be the same base station).   
      
   So at a minimum there's at least two operational base stations in   
   Europe and it's well documented that many more is getting close to   
   being brought up based on the confirmed pre-order dates and planning   
   permits and approvals (public documents).   
      
      
   >Am guessing that if you have enough satellites visible at ant point in   
   >time, the disk could be pointing upand not need to move and just use the   
   >phased array  to "Point" to a specific satellite in its field of vision.   
   >   
   >But with fewer satellites (and the fact they needed to have the motors   
   >for 2 axis movement, and lower horizon down to 25° from original 40°   
   >would mean that it does need to move to track, and if it has moved   
   >towards north east  and then needs to siwtch to a south west satellite   
   >rising, this can't be done with phased array only. So quite curious to   
   >see how much it relies on movement.   
      
   AFAIK the motor movement is only used for positioning during power-on   
   or if it detects it's been physically disturbed - basically it's used   
   to center the dish on the FoV so the electronic steering (using the   
   phase array) can reach as many satellites as possible.   
      
   As more satellites becomes available the required FoV will shrink so   
   it won't be as sensitive to obstructions near the horizon because it   
   will always be able to find a satellite "higher" than it currently can.   
      
   A number of people already reported that the glitches are very rare   
   for them (hours or days), it does currently need a very clear view of   
   the low sky or a high mounting point to have a long time between   
   glitches.   
      
   https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/01/spacex-ad   
   s-laser-links-to-starlink-satellites-to-serve-earths-polar-areas/   
      
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