Prof. Sam LawlerApr 17, 2023

Once again, I'm reminded of how much the billionaire space race has absolutely destroyed my love of rockets.

10 years ago, I definitely would have been paying close attention to the current giant SpaceX launch. But because I know it's going to be used to launch hundreds of unregulated, unsafe, polluting, for-profit Starlink satellites at once, I just can't look.

Instead of being excited and awestruck by a new gigantic rocket launch, it just makes me want to puke.

Show threadPauline von HellermannApr 17, 2023
@sundogplanets i read your toot the other day about EM owning 52% of all satellites now - that is just so scary!
Show threadJonathan HendryApr 18, 2023

@pvonhellermannn @sundogplanets

Fortunately his are mostly doing dialup, so, at least so far, there isn't much of the global economy that is dependent on that 52%

Show threadPauline von HellermannApr 18, 2023
@jonhendry @sundogplanets thank you - that is good to know. To me right now that sounds onky semi-reassuring, but i really know nothing about any of this
Show threadJonathan Hendry

@pvonhellermannn @sundogplanets

As far as I know the many, many satellites he owns up there are all new ones for his own company's satellite internet product. He's been spewing them into orbit, dozens at a time, for the last few years.

Apr 18, 2023 at 10:08amWeb