# How satellite internet like Starlink gets you online

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv21npwj0016l206psrodl1a
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 10 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: The internet
- Technology / systems: You and your dish, Satellite in low orbit, Ground station

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **The satellite moves on and hands you to the next one** (How satellite internet like Starlink gets you online; painful): Satellites cross the sky in minutes, so handoffs never stop

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How satellite internet like Starlink gets you online

Lanes:
- You and your dish: technology / system (id `you`)
- Satellite in low orbit: technology / system (id `sat`)
- Ground station: technology / system (id `gate`)
- The internet: person / role (id `net`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Your dish points at the sky and finds a satellite** [start; You and your dish; id `k1`]
   - then You open a web page
2. **You open a web page** [task; You and your dish; id `k2`]
   - then The signal goes up to a satellite about 550 km above you
3. **The signal goes up to a satellite about 550 km above you** [task; Satellite in low orbit; id `k3`]
   - then Is a ground station in view of the satellite?
4. **Is a ground station in view of the satellite?** [decision; Satellite in low orbit; id `k4`]
   - if "Yes" go to The signal comes down to a ground station; if "No" go to The satellite relays the signal by laser to another satellite
5. **The signal comes down to a ground station** [task; Ground station; id `k5`]
   - then It joins the normal internet over fiber
6. **It joins the normal internet over fiber** [subprocess; Ground station; id `k6`], links to the published process "What happens when you load a web page" (https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpsnh004djn06c6k6oyuy; full text at https://forks.world/api/public/cmv0kpsnh004djn06c6k6oyuy/export)
   - then The web page is sent back the same way
7. **The web page is sent back the same way** [task; The internet; id `k7`]
   - then The page loads, usually in a fraction of a second
8. **The page loads, usually in a fraction of a second** [task; You and your dish; id `k8`]
   - then The satellite moves on and hands you to the next one
9. **The satellite moves on and hands you to the next one** [task; Satellite in low orbit; id `k9`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Satellites cross the sky in minutes, so handoffs never stop
   - then You open a web page
10. **The satellite relays the signal by laser to another satellite** [task; Satellite in low orbit; id `k4a`]
   - then The signal comes down to a ground station

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_you["You and your dish"]
    n_k1(["Your dish points at the sky and finds a satellite"])
    n_k2["You open a web page"]
    n_k8["The page loads, usually in a fraction of a second"]
  end
  subgraph l_sat["Satellite in low orbit"]
    n_k3["The signal goes up to a satellite about 550 km above you"]
    n_k4{"Is a ground station in view of the satellite?"}
    n_k4a["The satellite relays the signal by laser to another satellite"]
    n_k9["The satellite moves on and hands you to the next one"]
  end
  subgraph l_gate["Ground station"]
    n_k5["The signal comes down to a ground station"]
    n_k6[["It joins the normal internet over fiber"]]
  end
  subgraph l_net["The internet"]
    n_k7["The web page is sent back the same way"]
  end
  n_k1 --> n_k2
  n_k2 --> n_k3
  n_k3 --> n_k4
  n_k4 -->|"Yes"| n_k5
  n_k4 -->|"No"| n_k4a
  n_k4a --> n_k5
  n_k5 --> n_k6
  n_k6 --> n_k7
  n_k7 --> n_k8
  n_k8 --> n_k9
  n_k9 --> n_k2
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How satellite internet like Starlink gets you online",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "you",
          "name": "You and your dish",
          "type": "system"
        },
        {
          "id": "sat",
          "name": "Satellite in low orbit",
          "type": "system"
        },
        {
          "id": "gate",
          "name": "Ground station",
          "type": "system"
        },
        {
          "id": "net",
          "name": "The internet",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "k1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "you",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Your dish points at the sky and finds a satellite"
        },
        {
          "id": "k2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "you",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "You open a web page"
        },
        {
          "id": "k3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "sat",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The signal goes up to a satellite about 550 km above you"
        },
        {
          "id": "k4",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "sat",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k5",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "k4a",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Is a ground station in view of the satellite?"
        },
        {
          "id": "k4a",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "sat",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The satellite relays the signal by laser to another satellite"
        },
        {
          "id": "k5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "gate",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The signal comes down to a ground station"
        },
        {
          "id": "k6",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "gate",
          "link": {
            "id": "cmv0kpsnh004djn06c6k6oyuy",
            "scope": "public",
            "title": "What happens when you load a web page"
          },
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It joins the normal internet over fiber"
        },
        {
          "id": "k7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "net",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The web page is sent back the same way"
        },
        {
          "id": "k8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "you",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k9"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The page loads, usually in a fraction of a second"
        },
        {
          "id": "k9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "sat",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "k2"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Satellites cross the sky in minutes, so handoffs never stop",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The satellite moves on and hands you to the next one"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How satellite internet like Starlink gets you online",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```