In recent years, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) mega-constellations have emerged as a promising network technology and have ushered in a new era for democratizing Internet access. The Starlink network from SpaceX stands out as the only consumer-facing LEO network with over 2M+ customers and more than 4000 operational satellites. In this paper, we conduct the first-of-its-kind extensive multi-faceted analysis of Starlink network performance leveraging several measurement sources. First, based on 19.2M crowdsourced M-Lab speed test measurements from 34 countries since 2021, we analyze Starlink global performance relative to terrestrial cellular networks. Second, we examine Starlink's ability to support real-time web-based latency and bandwidth-critical applications by analyzing the performance of (i) Zoom video conferencing, and (ii) Luna cloud gaming, comparing it to 5G and terrestrial fiber. Third, we orchestrate targeted measurements from Starlink-enabled RIPE Atlas probes to shed light on the last-mile Starlink access and other factors affecting its performance globally. Finally, we conduct controlled experiments from Starlink dishes in two countries and analyze the impact of globally synchronized "15-second reconfiguration intervals" of the links that cause substantial latency and throughput variations. Our unique analysis provides revealing insights on global Starlink functionality and paints the most comprehensive picture of the LEO network's operation to date.

翻译：近年来，低地球轨道（LEO）巨型星座已成为一种前景广阔的互联网接入网络技术，并开启了互联网接入民主化的新时代。SpaceX的星链网络是唯一面向消费者的LEO网络，拥有超过200万用户和4000余颗在轨卫星。本文首次利用多种测量源对星链网络性能进行了广泛的多维度分析。首先，基于2021年以来来自34个国家的1920万次众包M-Lab速度测试数据，我们分析了星链相对于地面蜂窝网络的全球性能。其次，通过分析（i）Zoom视频会议和（ii）Luna云游戏的实际性能，并将其与5G和地面光纤进行对比，我们评估了星链支持实时网页及延迟与带宽关键型应用的能力。第三，我们利用星链接入的RIPE Atlas探测节点进行定向测量，以揭示影响其全球性能的最后一公里星链接入及其他因素。最后，我们在两国从星链天线进行受控实验，分析了全球同步的“15秒重配置间隔”链路所导致的显著延迟和吞吐量波动。我们独特的分析揭示了星链全球功能的关键洞见，并勾勒出迄今为止最全面的LEO网络运行图景。