Mastodawn

ΔLLICΘRN 2d ago

Reflect Orbital and SpaceX have filed proposals with the US Federal Communications Commission that threaten ground-based astronomy. We submitted replies and collaborated with the UK Royal Astronomical Society & the International Astronomical Union for their responses. 1/

#astrodon #astronomy #astrophysics #space #science

Space-X applied to launch one million satellites to act as data centres. Brightness estimates show that thousands would be visible to the naked eye, many more than visible stars. On average, each image with our Very Large Telescope would lose 10% of data due to satellite trails. 2/

Reflect Orbital plans to use a constellation of space mirrors to reflect sunlight to Earth at night. Each beam would be four times brighter than the full Moon and would also contaminate areas outside the beam. Their planned 50,000 mirrors would make the night sky three to four times brighter. 3/

Besides the obvious impact on astronomical observations, damaging the night sky threatens to collapse nocturnal ecosystems and will impact humans too. We support submissions to the FCC by other astronomical organisations, and we will follow up the eventual responses from SpaceX and Reflect Orbital. 4/4

@esoastronomy
That's insane!
I hope that the application will be denied "for the good of all of humanity"!

NicholasR😊2d ago

@fasnix @esoastronomy Very unlikely with the Trump FCC. The leader of which just threatened media broadcaster to take away their broadcast license unless they cover the Iran war in a more positive way.

#ReleaseALLTheEpsteinFilesNOW

gunstick 2d ago

@esoastronomy I propose you start building interceptor satellites. Space tugs are anyway needed. But this time go tug away the new bullshit satellites.

@esoastronomy has anyone done any serious calculations on the financial feasibility of this. I saw someone had done some quick maths, and they'd need to charge a few million dollars per minute, just to light up something like a sports stadium with the brightness of street lighting. I can't imagine they'd get many customers. Is it just an investor entrapment scheme?

Julescelt 2d ago

@guigsy @esoastronomy This company is literally calling it "Sunshine as a service".

@julescelt01 @esoastronomy technically the moon is a "sunshine service" as it also reflects sunlight.

Szescstopni 2d ago

@guigsy It is. @esoastronomy

Michael McWilliams 2d ago

@guigsy @esoastronomy It's definitely a scam. They are just looking to suck some venture capitalists dry.

@esoastronomy
Who comes up with these stupid ideas?

@Wiggler @esoastronomy Elon Musk's sleep paralysis demon

Petra van Cronenburg 2d ago

@esoastronomy do you already follow #astronomer @sundogplanets ? She's a great activist against this #pollution and #spaceDebris !

Samantaz Fox 2d ago

@NatureMC @esoastronomy @sundogplanets +1, I strongly recommend following her!

DoomsdaysCW 2d ago

@esoastronomy Tagging @sundogplanets in this thread.

#DarkSkies #Astronomy

Rob Williamson 2d ago

<joke tags>
Anti satellite technology is a developing field. IIRC, China shot down one of their own satellites, maybe a decade ago. I wonder if we can commission their anti-satellite missile capabilities?

</Not seriously suggesting that randoms hire a nation state to splat orbital debris hither and yon>

Martin Kostera 2d ago

@Rob Williamson Do you know what kind of mess the Chinese caused with just one experiment?

#^https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/23/iss-space-junk-satellite-china-us/

China’s space debris sparks worry over Kessler Syndrome ‘catastrophe’

Close calls are becoming more common as low Earth orbit becomes more and more crowded with satellites and debris.

The Washington Post

Rob Williamson 2d ago

No, but I can guess. I'm familiar with the Kessler effect and the likely effects of a missile interception of a satellite in a stable orbit. I think you're mistaking my joke about paying China to shoot down satellites for a real suggestion.

A much more expensive orbital drone that nudges satellites into decaying orbits might be something that could actually work.

Stopping the mad capitalists before they launch their hell mirror is obviously the best bet.

Rob Williamson 2d ago

Now I read my toot again, it doesn't read as a joke. In my head it was so obviously absurd that anyone would hire a nation state to take potshots at the sky - that was the humour.

Martin Kostera 2d ago

@Rob Williamson Didn't see smiley...

Rob Williamson 2d ago

@martin joke tags fix everything.

Rob Williamson 2d ago

How about this gag, "Define the Kessler effect."

"When a shotgun and a railgun have a baby, and baby wants to play with your thing in orbit. And your thing in orbit becomes just like baby. And if any of it could be on fire, it would be on fire. Also, it's like that for centuries."

@martin It's funny how noone objects to the fact that the US did it several times in the past - with ground launched missiles, F15 launched missiles, and HK space planes. It only becomes 'a catastrophe waiting to happen' when China does it.

LΞX/NØVΛ 🇪🇺2d ago

@esoastronomy We need a global END to END encrypted server constellation.

So the whole world can access the improvement of those constellation.

While maintaining security (to prevent people to spy, and limit the number of satellite).

because if we do nothing each country will want their own, so you will have 4 or 5 time the number of actual satellite.