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）巨型星座作为一种前景广阔的网络技术崭露头角，开创了互联网接入民主化的新时代。SpaceX公司的星链网络是唯一面向消费者的低轨网络，拥有超过200万用户和4000多颗在轨卫星。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，基于自2021年以来来自34个国家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云游戏这两类应用的性能，并与5G和地面光纤进行对比，考察了星链支持实时网络延迟和带宽密集型应用的能力。第三，我们利用星链支持的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英里星链接入及其他因素。最后，我们在两个国家使用星链天线开展受控实验，分析了全球同步的“15秒重配置间隔”对链路造成显著延迟和吞吐量变化的影响。我们独特的分析揭示了星链全球运行的深刻见解，绘制了迄今为止最全面的低轨卫星网络运行图景。