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Of course, they did no such thing. Side note: will we ever have real journalists again? They launched a pair of temporary test satellites to prove some of the
by pjkundert 9y ago
Of course, they did no such thing. Side note: will we ever have real journalists again?
They launched a pair of temporary test satellites to prove some of the concepts they plan to use. These will remain on orbit only for a short time.
I was at Vandenberg on Wednesday morning for the scrubbed launch - drat!!
- eganist 9y ago> These will remain on orbit only for a short time. This statement is directly contradicted by the FCC filing: https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=185534&x https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=185534&x > The designed lifetime of each satellite is six months. If this lifetime is exceeded, SpaceX plans to continue operation until such time as the primary mission goals can no longer be met, at which point the spacecraft will be deorbited. The text in this particular filing, if read plainly, would indicate that SpaceX could easily let Microsat-2a and 2b stay in the air potentially through production deployment of Starlink if feasible.
- pjkundert 9y agoNowhere near the target design lifetime of the actual system satellites. No production functionality beyond test-bed. Of course they will use them as long as they can; that’s consistent with what the FCC was told.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- HappyRobot 9y ago(Comment on the side note) It's all the editors. The journalism and content is there, its the silly click-bait title (normally editors job?) that muddles the journalism.
- datguacdoh 9y agoCome on, they said this in the actual article. "But the vehicle will also have two additional satellites hitchhiking along for the ride: prototype probes built by SpaceX to test out the technology needed to beam down internet from space. Sending up these two test spacecraft — named Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b — is a big first step in SpaceX’s long-term plans to create satellite internet." Sure, headlines nowadays tend to the buzzworthy but this article seems well written otherwise.
- pjkundert 9y agoAbsolutely! The article said exactly the correct thing. The headline - something entirely different.
- pjc50 9y agoWhat are you saying is not "real journalism"?
- pjkundert 9y agoI don’t know about most things - but what I do know, almost never matches what is reported. In this case, it’s pretty minor; as others said, probably not even the journalist fault (article was good), but an over-eager editor making a click-baity headline. However, do we allow journalists to disclaim all responsibility for ensuring their good work isn’t sullied by salacious editors? I’d be pissed off,and perhaps they were. Let’s just leave it at that - we are the dumb slobs left to clean up the mess when our family and friends are misled about the state of reality by editors/journalists muddying reality...
- pbreit 9y agoHow can you say they "did no such thing" and then say they did exactly such a thing?
- pjkundert 9y agoI’m super excited about what they’re doing; but the average reader would be reasonably expected to interpret this headline as SpaceX starting their deployment. It is no such thing.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- ovrdrv3 9y agoIf I went to a friends house in Lompoc and we went down to the shore would there be a decent view of the launch from Vandenberg AFB?
- pjkundert 9y agoGood viewing area up the road past the main gate. There are instructions online to find it: “There are two viewing areas for launches at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). * Weather Station: The public viewing site for Vandenberg launches is off of Corral Road near Vandenberg's main gate. To access the area, take Highway 1 to the Santa Maria Gate and proceed on Lompoc Casmalia Road. At the barriers, turn right onto Corral Road and bear left to the top. The launch countdown net and port-o-lets are set up near the bleachers.”
- ovrdrv3 9y agoOh, awesome. Thank you for the reply!