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> I wonder how the first pioneers of aircraft would have ever gotten off the ground had they lived in a similar stringent ‘regulatory environment’ You realize
by throwawayjava 8y ago
> I wonder how the first pioneers of aircraft would have ever gotten off the ground had they lived in a similar stringent ‘regulatory environment’
You realize that satellites are not a new technology, right? There are literally thousands of them up there. Sputnik was launched in 1957.
Let's compare to mandatory pilots licensing. The first flights were in 1903 or so. Air traffic was regulated in various ways at the federal level by the 1920s. So about 20 years from first flight to regulation.
It has been over 60 years since the first satellite launch.
Also, airplanes have a distinct advantage: they are easier to track and always come down within a few minutes of breaking down. If anything, satellites should be more regulated.
The idea that putting satellites in LEO is some sort of brand new never-before-done thing that deserves wide latitude for greenfield engineering is crazy. Hell, I've owned a GPS receiver for about 20 years! Space is a frontier. LEO, however, has been a crowded commons for at least a decade or two.
> Why does reading this sound like a prequel to 1984?
Who knows, but this seems common enough that it deserved a name. I propose "1984 disease" as a new colloquialism for the act of comparing reasonable regulation to dystopian authoritarianism.
- gnode 8y ago> The idea that putting satellites in LEO is some sort of brand new never-before-done thing that deserves wide latitude for greenfield engineering is crazy. Hell, I've owned a GPS receiver for about 20 years! GPS (along with the other major navigation satellite constellations) are in Medium Earth Orbit. LEO is about to become a lot more crowded, thanks to cheaper launch costs and miniaturisation. What was previously done with MEO and GEO satellites can now be done with LEO constellations, with the advantages of being closer to earth. Some proposed constellations in LEO number in the thousands of satellites, which is unprecedented: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_constellation#Communications_satellite_constellations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_constellation#Commun...
- throwawayjava 8y ago> GPS (along with the other major navigation satellite constellations) are in Medium Earth Orbit. I'm not sure where I stated otherwise? Swarm is putting their satellites in LEO. > Some proposed constellations in LEO number in the thousands of satellites, which is unprecedented Which is much more analogous to today's highly-regulated airsplace than 1903's empty skies.