Technologies

SpaceX Gets Green Light To Launch 7,500 More Starlink Satellites

The FCC order ensures many more Starlink launches for the remainder of the decade.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to more than double the number of operational satellites currently orbiting the Earth in coming years.

The FCC is allowing the company to move ahead with plans to launch 7,500 more Starlink broadband internet satellites, which is roughly one-fourth of the 29,988 additional flying routers the company had proposed adding to its nascent mega-constellation in low-Earth orbit.

On Dec. 1, the federal agency approved launching thousands of second generation (Gen2) Starlink routers while deferring action on the remaining 22,000-plus satellites in the request. The authorization permits SpaceX to use Ku and Ka-band frequencies and defers the company’s proposed use of E-band frequencies and tracking beacons.

The new order essentially replaces a previous authorization from the FCC permitting SpaceX to deploy a group of over 7,500 satellites using the V-band. The company has since abandoned that plan.

«This means our action today does not increase the total number of satellites SpaceX is authorized to deploy,» the order reads. «And in fact slightly reduces it, as compared to the total number of satellites SpaceX would potentially have deployed otherwise.»

Still, the move reaffirms the company’s plan to make orbit significantly more crowded. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, there were 5,465 operational satellites in orbit as of April 30, 2022. That is satellites from all companies, countries and organizations in operation as of that day.

Since then, SpaceX has added more than 1,000 satellites to that number, and the authorization for Gen2 satellites will more than double that total.

Several scientific organizations have expressed concern in recent years over ways the flood of satellites in low-Earth orbit may interfere with astronomical observations and pose a potential threat to operations in orbit for astronauts and other satellites.

SpaceX has responded with pledges to de-orbit the craft on a schedule and to add special coatings and technological improvements to reduce the satellites’ reflectivity.

SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Barring any future orders from the FCC, the authorization essentially ensures that we will see regular and frequent Starlink launches for the remainder of the decade. The order requires that half of the newly approved satellites be operational within six years and that the other half be launched and operational before Dec. 1, 2031.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Feb. 28

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? As is usual for Saturday, it’s pretty long, and should take you longer than the normal Mini. A bunch of three-initial terms are used in this one. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Rock’s ___ Leppard
Answer: DEF

4A clue: Cry a river
Answer: SOB

7A clue: Clean Air Act org.
Answer: EPA

8A clue: Org. that pays the Bills?
Answer: NFL

9A clue: Nintendo console with motion sensors
Answer: WII

10A clue: ___-quoted (frequently said)
Answer: OFT

11A clue: With 13-Across, narrow gap between the underside of a house and the ground
Answer: CRAWL

13A clue: See 11-Across
Answer: SPACE

14A clue: Young lady
Answer: GAL

15A clue: Ooh and ___
Answer: AAH

17A clue: Sports org. for Scottie Scheffler
Answer: PGA

18A clue: «Hey, just an F.Y.I. …,» informally
Answer: PSA

19A clue: When doubled, nickname for singer Swift
Answer: TAY

20A clue: Socially timid
Answer: SHY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Morning moisture
Answer: DEW

2D clue: «Game of Thrones» or Homer’s «Odyssey»
Answer: EPICSAGA

3D clue: Good sportsmanship
Answer: FAIRPLAY

4D clue: White mountain toppers
Answer: SNOWCAPS

5D clue: Unrestrained, as a dog at a park
Answer: OFFLEASH

6D clue: Sandwich that might be served «triple-decker»
Answer: BLT

12D clue: Common battery type
Answer: AA

14D clue: Chat___
Answer: GPT

16D clue: It’s for horses, in a classic joke punchline
Answer: HAY

Technologies

Ultrahuman Ring Pro Brings Better Battery Life, More Action and Analysis

The company’s new flagship smart ring stores more data, too. But that doesn’t really help Americans.

Sick of your smart ring’s battery not holding up? Ultrahuman’s new $479 Ring Pro smart ring, unveiled on Friday, offers up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge. The Ring Pro joins the company’s $349 Ring Air, which boosts health tracking, thanks to longer battery life, increased data storage, improved speed and accuracy and a new heart-rate sensing architecture. The ring works in conjunction with the latest Pro charging case.

Ultrahuman also launched its Jade AI, which can act as an agent based on analysis of current and historical health data. Jade can synthesize data from across the company’s products and is compatible with its Rings.

«With industry-leading hardware paired with Jade biointelligence AI, users can now take real-time actionable interventions towards their health than ever before,» said Mohit Kumar, CEO of Ultrahuman.

No US sales

That hardware isn’t available in the US, though, thanks to the ongoing ban on Ultrahuman’s Rings sales here, stemming from a patent dispute with its competitor, Oura Ring. It’s available for preorder now everywhere else and is slated to ship in March. Jade’s available globally.

Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro boosts battery life to about 15 days in Chill mode — up to 12 days in Turbo — compared to a maximum of six days for the Air. The Pro charger’s battery stores enough for another 45 days, which you top off with Qi-compatible wireless charging. In addition, the case incorporates locator technology via the app and a speaker, as well as usability features such as haptic notifications and a power LED.

The ring can also retain up to 250 days of data versus less than a week for the cheaper model. Ultrahuman redesigned the heart-rate sensor for better signal quality. An upgraded processor improves the accuracy of the local machine learning and overall speed.

It’s offered in gold, silver, black and titanium finishes, with available sizes ranging from 5 to 14.

Jade’s Deep Research Mode is the cross-ecosystem analysis feature, which aggregates data from Ring and Blood Vision and the company’s subscription services, Home and M1 CGM, to provide historical trends, offer current recommendations and flag potential issues, as well as trigger activities such as A-fib detection. Ultrahuman plans to expand its capabilities to include health-adjacent activities, such as ordering food.

Some new apps are also available for the company’s PowerPlug add-on platform, including capabilities such as tracking GLP-1 effects, snoring and respiratory analysis and migraine management tools.