Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by mrpg on Thursday January 25 2018, @08:30AM   Printer-friendly
from the grrrrrr dept.

Rocket Lab has put a highly reflective object into orbit around Earth:

US spaceflight startup Rocket Lab put three commercial satellites into orbit during its rocket launch this past weekend — but it turns out there was another satellite that hitched a ride on the vehicle too. The company's Electron rocket also put into orbit a previously undisclosed satellite made by Rocket Lab's CEO Peter Beck, called the Humanity Star. And the probe will supposedly become the "brightest thing in the night sky," the company announced today.

Shaped a bit like a disco ball, the Humanity Star is a 3-foot-wide carbon fiber sphere, made up of 65 panels that reflect the Sun's light. The satellite is supposed to spin in space, too, so it's constantly bouncing sunlight. In fact, the probe is so bright that people can see it with the naked eye. The Humanity Star's orbit also takes it all over Earth, so the satellite will be visible from every location on the planet at different times. Rocket Lab has set up a website that gives real-time updates about the Humanity Star's location. People can find out when the satellite will be closest to them, and then go outside to look for it.

The goal of the project is to create "a shared experience for all of humanity," according to Rocket Lab. "No matter where you are in the world, or what is happening in your life, everyone will be able to see the Humanity Star in the night sky," Beck said in a statement. "Our hope is that everyone looking at the Humanity Star will look past it to the vast expanse of the Universe and think a little differently about their lives, actions, and what is important for humanity." That includes coming together to solve major problems like climate change and resource shortages, Beck says.

Some astronomers are not happy about the geodesic sphere:

The only good thing about the "Humanity Star" (aka the NZ pollutes the night sky project) is that it burns up in 9 months. 9 months is way too far away IMHO.

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) January 24, 2018

Also at BBC.

Previously: Rocket Lab's Second "Electron" Rocket Launch Succeeds, Reaches Orbit


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Thursday January 25 2018, @10:40AM (2 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday January 25 2018, @10:40AM (#627621) Journal

    Maybe this sphere will unite humanity... in cooperating to destroy it before the 9 month atmospheric burn.

    --
    [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   4  
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by anubi on Thursday January 25 2018, @10:49AM

    by anubi (2828) on Thursday January 25 2018, @10:49AM (#627626) Journal

    As far as I am concerned, one is nice, and quite sufficient.

    The novelty will wear off, but so will the orbit.

    I would not vote to destroy the moon either, but I would be quite pissed if Pepsi found some way of permanently coloring the moon to their logo - but if they did it for a week, and nobody would do that again... I'd think it quite cool.

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 25 2018, @05:01PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 25 2018, @05:01PM (#627753)

    At least everybody will be grooving an dancing, the earth will become one big dance floor.