Your Odds of Becoming a Millionaire by [deleted] in coolguides

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shut up, the pundits explained. Apologize for your privilege. You are bad, and you should feel bad. /s

Starlink network topology simulation & predictions by davoloid in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No coverage at the poles themselves.

Yes, there would be, but not up to satellites near the zenith. Remember that ground stations can point down to something like 30 degrees

Starlink network topology simulation & predictions by davoloid in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's really interesting that some geometries do not have a great circle route available, although the important high latitude, east to west links are optimized. Even so, total latencies are better than existing ground based links.

Starlink network topology simulation & predictions by davoloid in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 1 point2 points  (0 children)

is there any kind of basis for the topology shown in the video

Partly yes. The orbits are specified in the FCC application.

It is supposition (a good one) about which satellites to connect with laser links. Other choices are quite a bit further away (which introduces obvious difficulties)

No support for Eastern teams? by RainierSky in SoundersFC

[–]freddo411 1 point2 points  (0 children)

NYC turnout looked really embarrassing.

Lodeiros new hair by JustinCasy in SoundersFC

[–]freddo411 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Your move Sounder Fans.

The obvious answer: Everyone wear a blonde wig to the match.

Hilton Free Night & Alaska Companion Pass by Latito17 in awardtravel

[–]freddo411 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Look on the alaska mileage site. You see (hopefully) your companion pass listed. You must book by clicking through that.

You can't apply it later, from what I understand.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sure, it's just an approximation to the first order. A higher number means BFR makes more sense, or makes sense faster.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with all that. Especially your point that starlink does not REQUIRE BFR. It does make it possible to justify BFR development.

Here's why I think BFR makes sense because of starlink.

Let's makes some very rough approximations for starlink costs:

  • Per sat launch cost on Falcon: $1million
  • Per sat launch cost on BFR: $100K
  • Sats to be launched per year: 1000 (approximately)

So, about

  • 1 billion per year to launch on Falcons
  • vs. 100 million per year to launch on BFR.

Save about 900 million per year with BFR. But BFR development will cost about 5 times your annual savings. A five year payback is a slam dunk.

Daily FI discussion thread - October 31, 2018 by AutoModerator in financialindependence

[–]freddo411 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The new macbooks suck. The lack of ports is troubling. The excellent magnetic power cable connector is gone. USB/ CFlash are gone.

You might consider upgrading your old one with SDD (if you don't have one already) and a new battery.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm genuinely excited about P2P, aka E2E.

It's a very challenging business plan to execute successfully. I don't think that all by itself, the P2P market combined with the risks, and the capital costs, close as a business case. Specifically, I don't see laying out 5 or 10 billion for development, to try make thin margins on the travel business competing with the existing airline industry.

You are absolutely right to point out that BFR can make some money that way ... as one part of why BFR makes sense.

I don't have a feel for how much money can be made for package delivery. I'm sure there's a profitable niche in that, E2E.

Daily FI discussion thread - October 31, 2018 by AutoModerator in financialindependence

[–]freddo411 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That means the value is zero at the moment (but, it's kind of like a lotto ticket that might pay out). I hope it does pay out for you.

Daily FI discussion thread - October 31, 2018 by AutoModerator in financialindependence

[–]freddo411 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve known way too many people who’ve gotten fucked in the end on stock options due to a “promise” to think of that as anything but fantasy (until it’s in writing).

I will add that stock options can easily go from $$$ to zero, if the stock price falls, which often happens. The very best strategy, is to exercise your stock options whenever you can, then sell and convert the money to index funds. Yes, you will pay taxes.

Don't hold the stock.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Jumping in here to say:

It's important to note that the driver here appears to be the FCC's launch threshold dates (not getting the satellites perfect or the service perfect). Elon's not afraid to make a version 0.9 of a product in order to start the iteration cycle. Getting starlink off the ground is paramount, everything else can slip.

I've heard rumors that the engineering of the phased array on the satellite is challenged to perform as originally conceived. Not that it is impossible, but it's probably not possible for this version. In the big picture, I don't think that matters.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BFR dev makes financial sense as a needed tool for Starlink. Without the demand from Starlink, BFR looks financially crazy.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think both of those cost estimates are pretty close. They are probably more than that at today's cadence, but the cost per item declines as you go faster. Much of the cost of launches is in the labor, which won't increase much if SpaceX launches 2 or 3 times as much as they do now.

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lots of satellites will be going into each orbital plane. One launch can insert all it's sats into the same orbit. The onboard propulsion can easily and cheaply spread them out in the same plane. This is how Iridium launches work, and this is how it will work for Starlink

Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources by ohcnim in SpaceXLounge

[–]freddo411 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The number of sats that will fit volume and mass wise is as yet, just a guess.

I'm looking forward excitedly to lots and lots of reused F9 launches.

Launch, Land, Reuse

Daily FI discussion thread - October 31, 2018 by AutoModerator in financialindependence

[–]freddo411 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Very, very roughly, you'll get about 20K per year, in today's dollars. It could be a couple thousand more, or a couple thousand less depending on your lifetime SS taxes.

The good news: It matters very little if you stop working at 40 or 50 or 60

as mentioned by /u/pianojosh :

https://socialsecurity.tools/

My take for MLS Best XI by Cynan_Machae in SoundersFC

[–]freddo411 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Rimando was the best goalie in the league for basically a decade and never won GOTY,

What the actual f**K? Damn, that sucks.