hurtling into the sky.

飛馳在天空中。

And over the next few decades,

而在接下來的幾十年裡。

Elon Musk is hoping to send 42,000

埃隆-馬斯克希望將4.2萬個

of these satellites to space,

這些衛星進入空間。

15 times the number of operational

運作次數的15倍

satellites in orbit today.

今天在軌的衛星。

It's part of Starlink,

它是星際鏈接的一部分。

the expansive constellation from Musk and SpaceX

浩瀚星群

that hopes to bring the world

希望能給世界帶來

low-latency high-speed internet,

低延遲的高速互聯網。

promising no more buffering

滿口答應

and nearly instantaneous internet

和幾乎即時的互聯網

in every corner of the world.

在世界的每一個角落。

But experts worry it may come

但專家擔心它可能會出現

at a hefty cost for space exploration.

以高昂的代價進行太空探索。

Nearly half of the world's population

世界上近一半的人口

does not have access to the internet,

不能上網。

because most internet options

因為大多數互聯網選項

require an extensive track of costly underground cables,

需要大量昂貴的地下電纜軌道。

leaving many rural locations offline.

讓許多農村地區失去了聯繫。

And while satellite internet can reach those areas...

而衛星互聯網可以到達這些地區... ...

Dave Mosher: Traditional satellite internet

Dave Mosher傳統的衛星互聯網

is provided by a bus-sized spacecraft

由一個總線大小的航天器提供

that is launched 22,236 miles

發射22 236英里

into space in orbit around Earth.

進入繞地球軌道的空間。

Narrator: That distance means the satellite

旁白：這個距離意味著衛星

can reach places that cables can't.

可以到達電纜無法到達的地方。

But since that one satellite

但由於那一顆衛星

is meant to service a lot of people,

是為了服務很多人。

its data capability is limited,

其數據能力有限。

which then limits connection speeds.

然後限制了連接速度。

And that signal has to travel a long way,

而且這個信號要傳得很遠。

creating a lot of lag.

造成很大的滯後。

This is where Elon Musk and SpaceX come in.

這就是埃隆-馬斯克和SpaceX的作用。

Mosher: Starlink is a globe-encircling network

莫舍。Starlink是一個環繞地球的網絡。

of internet-beaming satellites

互聯網廣播衛星

that is trying to get you online

試圖讓你上線

no matter where you are in the world.

不管你在哪裡

Narrator: And there's a rather persuading element

旁白：還有一個相當有說服力的因素。

for SpaceX as well.

對於SpaceX來說也是如此。

Mosher: Elon Musk has said he's just trying to grab

莫舍爾。埃隆-馬斯克說他只是想抓住

a small percentage of a trillion-dollar-a-year

萬億年薪中的一小部分。

telecommunications industry around the world.

世界各地的電信業。

If SpaceX can pull this off,

如果SpaceX能夠成功。

the company could net about $30 to $50 billion a year.

該公司每年可淨賺約300億至500億美元。

Narrator: Musk and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell

旁白：馬斯克和SpaceX公司總裁Gwynne Shotwell

say that much money could single-handedly

一言九鼎

fund the development of Starlink, Starship,

資助《星際鏈接》、《星艦》的開發。

and SpaceX's Mars-launch infrastructure.

和SpaceX的火星發射基礎設施。

As of early October,

截至10月初。

SpaceX has launched more than 700 satellites into orbit,

SpaceX公司已經將700多顆衛星發射到軌道上。

with a plan to release a total of 12,000

計劃共發放12,000份。

over the next five years,

在未來五年內，。

half of them by the end of 2024.

到2024年底，其中一半。

And Musk wants to add another 30,000 to that,

而馬斯克還想在此基礎上再增加3萬人。

coming to a total of 42,000 satellites circling Earth.

來，共有4.2萬顆衛星環繞地球。

All of these satellites will also be much closer,

這些衛星也都將更加接近。

anywhere from 200 to 400 miles

縱橫四海

above the planet in low-Earth orbit.

在低地軌道的行星上方。

Mosher: This reduces the connection delay

莫舍。這樣可以減少連接延遲

that is found with traditional internet satellite.

與傳統的互聯網衛星發現。

Narrator: Once in orbit,

旁白：一旦進入軌道

these Starlink satellites will be constantly on the move,

這些星聯衛星將不斷移動。

which is why so many are necessary.

這就是為什麼需要這麼多的人。

Mosher: The problem is you have to have many satellites

莫舍爾。問題是你必須要有很多衛星

orbiting to make up for the fact that

軌道，以彌補以下事實：

you can't stay in one spot above the Earth.

你不能呆在地球上面的一個地方。

Because you need several satellites overhead

因為你需要幾顆衛星在上面

at any one time to cover many users.

在任何時候都可以覆蓋許多用戶。

Narrator: Every satellite will connect

旁白：每個衛星都會連接

with several others via laser beams,

通過激光束與其他幾個。

creating something like the network's backbone.

創建類似網絡的骨幹網。

And to actually bring this internet into your home,

而要真正把這個互聯網帶入你的家庭。

you'll need to get a pizza-sized antenna.

你需要得到一個比薩餅大小的天線。

This phased-array antenna can aim its beam

這種相控陣天線可以將其波束對準

at whatever satellite is overhead,

在任何衛星的頭頂。

which will maintain an internet signal in your home.

這將維持您家中的網絡信號。

But this scheme isn't without problems.

但這個方案也不是沒有問題。

Starlink satellites are bright.

星聯衛星很亮。

They reflect the sunlight and shine it back towards Earth,

它們反射陽光，把陽光照回地球。

so they end up looking like bright moving stars.

所以他們最終看起來像明亮的移動的星星。

As cool as it may look, that comes with problems.

雖然看起來很酷，但這也有問題。

Mosher: Starlink satellites are most visible

莫舍。Starlink衛星最明顯

in the night sky right before dawn and right after dusk,

在黎明前和黃昏後的夜空中。

which is the exact time that astronomers

這正是天文學家們

are hunting for near-Earth objects or asteroids,

正在尋找近地天體或小行星。

objects that could hit Earth and possibly harm us.

可能撞擊地球並可能傷害我們的物體。

Narrator: And as more satellites go up,

旁白：隨著越來越多的衛星升空

so does the likelihood that

所以

they'll interfere with astronomers' views.

他們會干擾天文學家的觀點。

Mosher: If Starlink continues to be a problem

莫舍。如果星聯公司繼續成為問題

for these type of sky surveys,

用於這類天空測量。

we may not have as much notice as we want

時不我待

to detect a near-Earth object

探測近地天體

and thwart it and prevent it from hitting Earth.

並挫敗它，防止它撞擊地球。

Narrator: Beyond detecting deadly asteroids,

旁白：超越了探測致命小行星的範圍

the wall of satellites could also obstruct

衛星牆也可能阻礙了

the search for new planets or even black holes.

尋找新的行星甚至黑洞。

Mosher: SpaceX realized it had to do something, and it did.

Mosher:SpaceX意識到它必須做點什麼，而且它也做了。

It created what's called a DarkSat,

它創造了所謂的DarkSat。

which is a satellite that has all of its shiny parts

衛星，它的所有部件都是閃亮的。

coated in a very black, dark material.

塗上一層很黑很黑的材料。

Narrator: It also tried adding visors

旁白：它還試著加了遮陽板

to shield those shiny parts from the ground.

來遮擋那些閃亮的部件。

But unless the satellites are cloaked

但是，除非衛星是隱形的。

like a spaceship in "Star Trek,"

就像 "星際迷航 "中的宇宙飛船一樣。

technology that does not exist,

不存在的技術。

none of this will fully solve the problem.

這些都不能完全解決這個問題。

And even if it did, there is a much bigger issue at hand.

就算是這樣，眼下還有一個更大的問題。

Mosher: There's a concern about space debris,

Mosher有一個關於空間碎片的擔憂。

because when you have so many satellites

因為當你有這麼多衛星

in the closest, tightest, densest orbits around Earth,

在繞地球最近、最緊密、最密集的軌道上。

there's a higher chance that those satellites

衛星的可能性比較大。

could collide with each other or with other satellites.

可能相互碰撞或與其他衛星碰撞。

Narrator: Those crashes would create

旁白：這些撞擊會造成...

clouds of debris that can orbit the Earth

殘雲

for years, decades, or even centuries.

幾年、幾十年、甚至幾百年。

Mosher: And that debris can then disable

Mosher:碎片會使人失去功能

or cause other satellites

或導致其他衛星

to crash into each other, creating even more debris,

互相撞擊，產生更多的碎片。

and this problem spirals out of control

愈演愈烈

in an effect called the Kessler syndrome.

在一種叫做凱斯勒綜合徵的效應中。

And if we reach that,

如果我們達到了這一點。

then essentially space is too unsafe to access.

那麼本質上空間太不安全，無法進入。

Narrator: To be clear, the risk

旁白：說白了，風險

of a runaway Kessler syndrome is very low.

逃跑的凱斯勒綜合症的發生率是非常低的。

Mosher: But the potential impacts of that are so high

莫舍。但這可能帶來的影響是如此之大

that scientists are working very hard

科學家們正在努力工作

to control such an event from ever happening.

來控制這種事件的發生。

Narrator: SpaceX has said its satellites

旁白：SpaceX已經說過它的衛星

can automatically move out of the way to avoid collisions.

可以自動讓開，避免碰撞。

But dozens of SpaceX satellites are already disabled

但幾十顆SpaceX衛星已經失效了

and can't move at all, posing a potential threat.

而且根本無法移動，構成了潛在的威脅。

And those concerned with SpaceX's plans

而那些關注SpaceX計劃的人

are lobbying the FCC to rein in the company

正在遊說聯邦通信委員會控制該公司。

and more strictly regulate low-Earth orbit.

並更加嚴格地規範低地軌道。

And that could make it more expensive

這可能會讓它變得更昂貴

and harder to deploy the planned 42,000 satellites.

和更難部署計劃中的42000顆衛星。

But it doesn't stop at Starlink.

但它並沒有停止在星聯公司。

Amazon's Kuiper project, OneWeb,

亞馬遜的Kuiper項目，OneWeb。

China's Hongyan, and other projects

中國紅巖等項目。

are looking to challenge SpaceX

正在尋求挑戰SpaceX

by launching their own global networks

通過啟動自己的全球網絡

of hundreds or thousands of satellites.

數百顆或數千顆衛星的。

If they all got their way with little to no regulation,

如果他們都能在幾乎沒有監管的情況下獲得自己的利益。

we could end up with 100,000 satellites

我們可能會有10萬顆衛星。

encasing our planet within the next 10 years,

在未來10年內將我們的地球包裹起來。

dramatically increasing the risk

大大增加了

of blocking off space for everyone.

的封鎖空間，為大家。