Q. Consider the following statements.
Statement I: Starlink’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites contribute to low latency internet services primarily because the satellites are equipped with Autonomous Collision Avoidance systems.
Statement II: Unlike traditional systems, Starlink’s LEO satellites use optical inter-satellite links (ISLs) to communicate with each other, transmitting data without relying solely on local ground stations.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation: Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Statement I is incorrect: Starlink achieves low latency primarily because of the Low-Earth Orbit (~550 km) altitude, which drastically reduces the physical distance the data signal must travel compared to high-altitude Geostationary (GEO) satellites. While the Autonomous Collision Avoidance system is a feature of the satellites, it is designed for reliability and safety (avoiding orbital debris), not for reducing latency.
Statement II is correct: A key technical advantage of Starlink is the use of optical inter-satellite links (ISLs), enabling the satellites to form a constellation network and pass data between each other, thus reducing reliance on ground stations for long-distance relay.
Source: Space
