Satellite Launcher Turns Vision to Constellations

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Satellite Launcher Turns Vision to Constellations
Fired Up: SpaceX rocket launch.

Apparently, Elon Musk’s November wasn’t busy enough.

In addition to merging Tesla Motors with Solar City, investigating the September explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket during an attempted launch by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), and charting a trip to Mars, Musk put forward a plan on Nov. 16 to encircle the Earth with a constellation of 4,425 internet-beaming satellites.

“Once fully deployed, the SpaceX system will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth’s surface and therefore, in principle, have the ability to provide ubiquitous global service,” the Hawthorne company wrote in a proposal filed with the Federal Communication Commission. “The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental, and professional users worldwide.”

Instead of transmitting internet from one school bus-size, geostationary satellite, constellation configurations divide the work among dozens of smaller satellites orbiting the Earth in a group. Constellations have proved to be less expensive, as well as more reliable and robust, according to a research paper by the Rand Corp. of Santa Monica.

The move is somewhat of a surprise given that SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has previously questioned whether such a satellite constellation system would represent good business.

“From a technical perspective, this could get done,” she said regarding constellations at a conference in October of last year. “But can we develop the technology and roll it out with a lower-cost methodology so that we can beat the prices of existing providers like Comcast and Time Warner and other people? It’s not clear that the business case will work.”

SpaceX began tinkering with the idea last year when it opened a satellite manufacturing center in Redmond, Wash. Musk also said last year that a satellite constellation system would likely cost between $10 billion and $15 billion.

Initially, the company plans to launch 800 small satellites that would be sufficient to provide coverage to the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to its FCC filing.

A spokesman for SpaceX declined to comment on the company’s plans.

Linking Chain

Blockchain software developer Gem of Santa Monica is betting that the technology, developed as a way to track bitcoin transactions, can also be used to track patient records and automate medical reimbursements.

As part of a partnership with Capital One announced last month, Gem is planning to launch software next year designed for health care providers.

Because medical records are spread across so many different systems governed by rigid privacy laws, insurance companies often have difficulty obtaining patient health records and facilitating reimbursements.

Gem tries to smooth the process by deploying blockchain, an encrypted digital ledger, which would allow users to track changes in data over time. By connecting its blockchain software to multiple medical systems, the company is aiming to create a complete medical record that’s compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and can more easily be accessed by doctors, patients, and insurance companies.

“The blockchain’s strength is in the audit capability and the ability to track all transactions,” said David George, Gem’s chief commercial officer.

What’s more, the blockchain technology can also trigger commands when it comes across certain data, including reimbursementworthy information such as doctor visits.

“You also have the ability through software to create automated work flows,” said George. “What we are doing with Capital One is creating a work flow to do almost real-time reimbursement for medical claims. Blockchains are probably one of the largest and best document management systems available today.”

Poaching Product

While many companies offer online job-listing services to the unemployed, Santa Monica’s Comparably aims to provide something to those who already have employment.

The website is targeting the gainfully employed, so-called passive job seekers, by providing them with information on tech firms including average salaries and company culture. When a user expresses interest in a company, a notice is forwarded to a human resources staff member at the business. Should the company find that person’s background useful, it can use the platform to reach out to the candidate.

“Our vision is to build a platform that monitors the job market for millions of employees, helping them find the best careers and let them know what their market value is and what the company culture is,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Jason Nazar.

The product also aims to replace some of the labor-intensive work performed by recruiters, who often message employees, such as software engineers, on LinkedIn in order to poach them from other firms, he said.

Since launching on Nov. 1, more than 1,500 companies, mainly those in the tech industry, have signed up to use the platform, said Nazar. The website is free to use, but Comparably will eventually charge a subscription fee to companies looking to connect with potential employees.

Staff Reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 232.

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