Facebook Appears To Be Quietly Building Laser Satellites For Global Communications (ieee.org) 53
The snow-dusted peak of Mount Wilson in California has been home to many famous observatories. Until 1949, its 100-inch (2.5-meter) Hooker telescope was the largest aperture telescope in the world, and in 2004, its CHARA array became the world's largest optical interferometer. Now, two new observatories are being built there that, while not focused on the stars, might prove equally historic. They could house Facebook's first laser communications systems designed to connect to satellites in orbit. IEEE Spectrum reports: Construction permits issued by the County of Los Angeles show that a small company called PointView Tech is building two detached observatories on the mountain peak. PointView is the company that IEEE Spectrum revealed last year to be a previously unknown subsidiary of Facebook working on an experimental satellite called Athena. In April, PointView sought permission from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to test whether E-band radio signals could "be used for the provision of fixed and mobile broadband access in unserved and underserved areas."
That application was still pending at the FCC before the current U.S. federal government shutdown took effect, but it and other public documents and presentations now strongly suggest that PointView is planning to utilize laser technology, possibly both in Athena and future spacecraft. Facebook has long been interested in free space optical, or laser, communication technology. Lasers are able to support much higher data rates than radio transmitters for a given input power, and their signals are largely immune to interference or hacking, although clouds can be problematic. Although Facebook developed millimeter-wave E-band links for its stratospheric Aquila drones, it was also experimenting with air-to-ground laser communications before it canceled its drone program last June. The laser tests, which used technology supplied by German company Mynaric, succeeded in establishing 10-gigabit-per-second links between a ground station and a light aircraft flying overhead.
That application was still pending at the FCC before the current U.S. federal government shutdown took effect, but it and other public documents and presentations now strongly suggest that PointView is planning to utilize laser technology, possibly both in Athena and future spacecraft. Facebook has long been interested in free space optical, or laser, communication technology. Lasers are able to support much higher data rates than radio transmitters for a given input power, and their signals are largely immune to interference or hacking, although clouds can be problematic. Although Facebook developed millimeter-wave E-band links for its stratospheric Aquila drones, it was also experimenting with air-to-ground laser communications before it canceled its drone program last June. The laser tests, which used technology supplied by German company Mynaric, succeeded in establishing 10-gigabit-per-second links between a ground station and a light aircraft flying overhead.
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Indeed:
Facebook Appears To Be Quietly Building Laser Satellites For *ahem* Global Domination
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Indeed:
Facebook Appears To Be Quietly Building Laser Satellites For *ahem* Global Domination
Cambridge Analytica needs more Data! That and apparently more Ukrainian women.
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Just shoot lasers at it until the data pops out.
If works with mars, certainly will work with earth.
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Yep, Mark Chucklefuck can shove his offer back up his ass.
Sharks with Lasers (Score:2)
In a space Sharknado.
Somehow if human life were exterminated in the space laser sharkanado accident and eons late another species of arose and archaeologically revealed this epic Darwin Award extinction in pursuit of FOMO gossip then humanities role in the universe will have been fulfilled. Nothing could have been more futile.
More seriously, do we really think it's a good idea to let the mercenary Facebook "scientist" put future rubbish in space. They have proven they are incautious and will exploit any l
Fight to the death! (Score:2)
Msmash's Facebook lasers VS Beau's Facebook lasers - fight to the death!
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Is there gonna bee anything left of slashdot?
Sure. You'll have one final post saying goodbye and that slashdot is done, then a dupe of that post 2 hours later.
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Slashdot really is going downhill and seems to be in the hands of idiots.
msmash is really no worse than kdawson or samzenpus.
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It will be impossible because they won't try. There are probably dozens of users on this site alone who would be willing to do the job, but they only hire by nepotism and those people will never be offered it.
I, for one... (Score:2)
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That is why you use more powerful lasers. That way you shoot the clouds with data.
"For Global Communications" (Score:2)
Or at least, that's what Zuckerberg says they're for...
Huh? (Score:1)
and their signals are largely immune to interference or hacking, although clouds can be problematic.
So they're largely immune to interference except to one form of interference that is prevalent throughout the atmosphere?
That's as stupid as saying you make a body armor vest that is mostly immune to impacts although guns can be problematic.
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That's as stupid as saying you make a body armor vest that is mostly immune to impacts although guns can be problematic.
It's more like saying that you make a body armor vest that is mostly immune to gunshots, but it's still vulnerable to knives, or arrows. And absent a shock plate, that's precisely how modern armor is.
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I'll take that fix.
But the clouds part is pretty amusing since right now where I live the sky is completely overcast for miles. I guess I'll stick to my fiber internet that is immune to clouds.
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Of course, you have different tactics against knives, while ... uhh ... Hughsnet on cloudy days?
I am on Exede, and it suffers on the rainiest days, but it seems to work OK through pretty much any cloud cover that doesn't include lightning. It would be nice if they would throttle Prime a little less, though. They've clamped it down to the point it doesn't work right. Youtube and Netflix are OK.
That's nice. (Score:2)
It's like all the so called digital assistants that are more about helping them rather than me.
what could go wrong (Score:2)
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the biggest liars and data thieves in the world want to handle global communication?
Yes. It's called AT&T.
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That's no phone company, that's a death star!
(OSAT wrong century....)
OMCL (Score:3)
Orbital Mind Control Lasers [uncyc.org] — "We know what's on your mind - we put it there!"
(Yeah, I was an Illuminati! player. Still have my INWO cards, anyway.)
Quiet (Score:2)
Of course they are quiet. Lasers are based on light. However they wouldn't be quiet if they were sonic satellites, which they are not.
SpaceX / Virgin Orbital (Score:2)
Branson and Musk are both pursuing this. Musk has the tech advantage with low cost to orbit, and is rumored to have an assembly line for satellites in the works (test satellites are already in orbit). What could Zuck possibly bring to the table here? No tech, no brand, no trust - why are investors even behind this?
Facebook doing core communications? (Score:2)
I think this is a great idea. If Facebook controlling trunk networking isn't enough to encourage everyone to encrypt their transmissions, nothing is!
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No need to worry. Any place with regularly overcast skies won't be able to use this anyway.
SPACE LASERS (Score:2)
Sounds like either 007 or Mr. Powers will be paying him a visit soon. Possible villain dialogue:
Zuckerberg dialog: "Mr. Powers. In the vacuum of space, I believe you will find my space lasers... breathtaking. "
Zuckerberg dialog: "It seems you still don't understand your situation Mr. Bond. I knew you were coming. I know your every move. I know what everyone is doing. I know more than Santa Claus, and you have been very naughty Mr. Bond. Do you think that I don't know about you and Mrs. Claus? S
LASER! (Score:2)
Add the word "LASER" to anything makes it seem more interesting.
SPACE LASERS (Score:2)
Sounds like either 007 or Mr. Powers will be paying him a visit soon. Possible villain dialogue:
Zuckerberg dialog: "Mr. Powers. In the vacuum of space, I believe you will find my space lasers... breathtaking. [maniacal chuckle]"
Zuckerberg dialog: "It seems you still don't understand your situation Mr. Bond. I knew you were coming. I know your every move. I know what everyone is doing. I know more than Santa Claus, and you have been very naughty Mr. Bond. Do you think that I don't know about you and Mrs. Cla
What About Laser Safety, Dammit!!!! (Score:2)
Why have you all forgotten about the most important topic regarding use of lasers in public?!!!???
In case you guys are not aware, two volunteers were blinded permanently by mis-use of lasers at Burning Man two years or so ago.
That is why lasers are banned from the playa except for under very strictly controlled conditions.
Lasers above 5 millawatts are not allowed to be used outdoors except with very strict permits from the FAA and other agencies; let alone many states.
And now we want to put
Future Is Here (Score:2)
"Businessmen" trying to take over the world with high tech spying, secret underground bunkers, private space fleet launches, laser satellite networks... I never appreciated how those James Bond movies were predictions of the near future!