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> My understanding is that the SpaceX ground stations uplink the orbital parameters of other satellites and/or debris and it is mostly up to the satellites to avoid a collision.

That is almost certainly not how that is implemented. Why would they run the orbit maneuver planning in space when they could do the whole thing comfortably on a simple server PC on earth?

> But overall the Starlink operations concept is probably tailored to mostly automated operations.

I agree with that. They are most definietly not hand-flying their birds. But this autonomy is most likely implemented on the ground.




> That is almost certainly not how that is implemented. Why would they run the orbit maneuver planning in space when they could do the whole thing comfortably on a simple server PC on earth?

That's a great question, but SpaceX is, apparently, doing much of the processing onboard[1].

[1] https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1081071029897/SpaceX%20Orbital%...


Probably because the purpose of SpaceX is to build a city on Mars, and Starlink is a prototype for a communications and positioning system to be put in place around Mars before there are any facilities on the Martian surface. Remember this is an Elon Musk company.




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