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Rocket Lab's Humanity Star Cast Out of the Heavens

posted by mrpg on Wednesday March 21 2018, @07:25AM   Printer-friendly
from the less-light-pollution dept.

takyon writes:

Humanity Star to reach fiery doom earlier than expected

Rocket Lab's Humanity Star is expected to reach a fiery doom much earlier than expected.

The 8kg carbon fibre geodesic sphere with 65 reflective panels, which resembled a disco ball, was shot into orbit from the Mahia Peninsula on January 21 on board Rocket Lab's Electron rocket.

The launch also carried small satellites into the Earth's orbit for US companies Planet Labs and Spire Global.

It was expected the Humanity Star would be one of the brightest objects in the night sky for nine months, but satellite-tracking website Satview reported on Wednesday that it will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate at 3am on Friday.

Satview.

Previously: Rocket Lab's Electron Rocket Launched "Humanity Star", a Temporary Source of Light Pollution

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Bot on Wednesday March 21 2018, @07:40AM (3 children)

    by Bot (3902) on Wednesday March 21 2018, @07:40AM (#655970) Journal

    the new tower of babel
    crosses the late winter sky
    meatbags don't learn

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by maxwell demon on Wednesday March 21 2018, @04:43PM (2 children)

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Wednesday March 21 2018, @04:43PM (#656182) Journal

    Many satellites
    much higher than this one
    still orbit Earth

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Wednesday March 21 2018, @06:25PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday March 21 2018, @06:25PM (#656267)

      One man's hubris
      Turned out mostly ignored
      Now it's gone.

    • (Score: 2) by Bot on Thursday March 22 2018, @10:47PM

      by Bot (3902) on Thursday March 22 2018, @10:47PM (#656900) Journal

      many ordinary towers too
      hold steady against the cold spring winds
      you missed the point

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