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from the the-inconceivable-has-become-commonplace dept.
SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 60 more Starlink internet relay satellites on Saturday, boosting the total number launched to date to 895 as the company builds out a planned constellation of thousands designed to provide global high-speed broadband service.
Running two days late because of an on-board camera issue, the Falcon 9's twice-flown first stage thundered to life at 11:31 a.m. EDT, pushing the 229-foot-tall rocket away from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was the California rocket builder's 19th launch so far this year and its 15th Starlink flight.
[...] With Saturday's launch, SpaceX has put 895 Starlinks into orbit, 180 of them — more satellites than any other company owns — in less than three weeks.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday October 26 2020, @08:29PM (10 children)
The mere presence of humans, pollutes the environment. Do you drive a car, ride a bus, use any sort of transportation? You're polluting even more or participating in group pollution. There is no escaping pollution. You want to talk about something that pollutes, how about every single rocket launch? Do you litter? Do you put your trash in a landfill? Do you incinerate your trash? I would hazard a guess that 90% or more of the world's population, can't even spot a satellite. What's more, that's likely to hold true, no matter the country. I would be hard pressed to point out any of the planets, even though I know some are able to be seen with the naked eye. *For some version of seen, being just another bright spot in the sky.* I find it pretty amazing at what we can achieve and support reasonable environmental conservation efforts. As the sentient beings on the top of the food chain*, it's up to us to make sure the Earth is taken care of. Instead of being irate over someone "messing with my sky", one could be glad someone might finally be able to one-up the telecom companies. While I doubt Starlink will ever replace the likes of AT&T, et al. Starlink may be able to bring 21st century connectivity to the world. For better or worse.
*Results may vary, depending on circumstances and disposition of large meat eating animals.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday October 26 2020, @10:59PM (9 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Username on Tuesday October 27 2020, @12:00AM (1 child)
So you're basically saying, whatabout whataboutism? It seems you like whataboutism as well.
What a nonsensical term.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday October 27 2020, @11:25AM
Which is also written "that's whataboutism".
The latter is shorter. Therefore it's even better than the original phrase it stands for.
If you think it's nonsensical, that's because of some mental inadequacy within your own cranium, and nothing to do with the word itself. Language evolves, get over it.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday October 27 2020, @03:23PM (6 children)
No, my comments were directly related to your comments. You just didn't like them. You're complaining about a bunch of bright lights "polluting" the sky. You know what pollutes the sky even more than that, City lights. Why do you think Astronomers, have to move to Hawaii, anger the locals, and build an observatory on the top of a sacred mountain? Or as some would say, pollute my view of the beautiful mountain, with their ugly building. Questions make you think.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday October 27 2020, @03:48PM (5 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday October 27 2020, @04:31PM (4 children)
Okay, how about, this. The general population doesn't care about your "unpolluted sky" and would like some nice internet. Also, Space is Big and you're whinging about theoretical harm to an expensive hobby. Cry me a river. You can feel wronged, if you feel like it.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday October 27 2020, @10:15PM (3 children)
How many of the "general population" now have this "nice internet" thanks to these satellites? Real numbers please, with a cite. I'd like to know what the benefits really are.
And since when has billions of dollars of international science budgets been dismissable as a "hobby"? Because it's professional scientists who are complaining about the pollution, not just a few amateurs.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday October 29 2020, @03:59PM (2 children)
The problem is a technical challenge, nothing more. SpaceX has done more than just turn a deaf ear as well. They've been working on components to reduce the brightness factor of their satellites. Which is one of the bigger complaints apparently.
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-astronomers-visibility-response.html [space.com]
Starlink represents a real possibility for those out in the boondocks to actually get modern communication services. It's a much simpler task for a place like the UK to connect every citizen via good wired infrastructure. The UK has a surface area of 242,495 km squared. While the United States has a surface area of 9,833,520 km squared. The entirety of Europe has a surface area of 10,180,000 km squared. It's much more akin to providing good wired internet service to the whole of Europe. Yet, perhaps China would be a better comparison, it being a single country with 9,596,961 km squared surface area. They've actually got real deserts there too, unlike Europe.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday October 30 2020, @01:37AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday November 02 2020, @03:43PM
'eh, the USA's troubles aren't your troubles, I get it. Neither are Africa's troubles your troubles. Perhaps, you'll care about other Non-European places at some point.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"