[throwaway_yy2Di]

"Distances to satellites in orbit are very long."

That's not a fundamental limit. Existing satellites have high latency, because they're sited at insanely high altitude -- ~36,000 km (6 earth radii; 120 light-milliseconds (-> 240 ms minimum round trip)). This is for engineering and economic reasons which aren't solid: one, because geostationary [0] orbits allow dumb dishes that can't track moving objects; and two, because it allows small satellite networks -- i.e. one satellite covering a whole continent -- commensurate with the small size of the market.

If instead you had a network of satellites at say 500-1,000 km (unjustified guess), the latencies could be no worse than a direct optical fiber.

edit: Here's a sophisticated diagram, https://i.imgur.com/t1SOVpZ.png

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_orbit#Geostatio...

[derekp7]

What you're describing is essentially a data version what the Iridium network provides. Iridium is a constellation of 66 satellites at 450 miles up. Unfortunately, when Iridium was launched, forward thinking wasn't part of the plan -- data is stuck at around ancient dialup modem speeds.

There were plans for similar services, such as Teledesic, which went nowhere. I guess that enough land-based internet covers the majority of the target market, so there isn't enough market left over to justify the cost of a high speed satellite data provider. Remember, in LEO orbit, the satellites have to be replaced after about 5 years or so (atmospheric drag, and they run out of booster fuel).

Lower cost to launch via Space-x reusable rockets may change the cost equations though.

[sitkack]

Solar powered boosters and spaceodynamic lifting bodies.

[mbreese]

If you're talking lasers though, don't forget to factor in the time needed to reacquire a new satellite in once the existing one goes over the horizon. The shorter the orbit, the more often you'd have to do this.

[sneak]

Fuck everything, we're doing five (simultaneous) lasers.

[esbonsa]

and we are using drones to deliver them, whether you like it or not

[throwaway_yy2Di]

I actually have zero idea how such a thing could work, which is why I'm asking here. :)