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Easier from a perspective of organization and governance, too. Energy policy can be managed with existing institutions. If you want to launch a megafleet to blo

Easier from a perspective of organization and governance, too. Energy policy can be managed with existing institutions. If you want to launch a megafleet to block the sun, who they hell do you ask for approval? The UN? How many countries do you need to sign off on it?

marcosdumay 4y ago
If the "you" here is not the all powerful US, it's a certainty that there will be a war over the project. If it's the US, it will "just" lose a lot of soft-power.
- dylan604 4y ago
  What if it's not even the US but some private company with launch capabilities that also may or may not be US based?
  - DocTomoe 4y ago
    Friendly reminder that a private company with launch capability currently is massively increasing the space junk problem and about to trigger the Kessler scenario for a quick buck and internet access without cables, while at the same time ruining surface-based astronomy. So why stop there? And as always, the Simpsons have predicted it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3LbxDZRgA4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3LbxDZRgA4
    - marcosdumay 4y ago
      Well, just to keep in mind, internet access without cables is very valuable, and possibly the most valuable use of that space we can have. It's important to control the space junk problem, of course. But not at the cost of not using the space.
    - robbomacrae 4y ago
      I'm no Musk fan but is this true? I thought Starlink was low altitude so everything would fall back down pretty quickly. And while I imagine its not great for astronomy surely it's not much work for some institution or enterprising individual to create a tool for using the known position and timing of such satellites to help remove their impact on images?
      - DocTomoe 4y ago
        Low-altitute, quick-decay orbits are fine as long as the satellite does not get damaged. Once one satellite is hit by something, the debris field will spread to all kinds of orbits, some of them pretty long-lived. [1] is a fascinating read that describes the phenomena surrounding orbital crashes. [1] https://www.universetoday.com/103650/space-debris-a-tale-of-two-satellites/ https://www.universetoday.com/103650/space-debris-a-tale-of-...
criddell 4y ago
The US will use 20 million barrels of oil today, just like yesterday. Who had to sign off on that?

marcosdumay 4y ago

If the "you" here is not the all powerful US, it's a certainty that there will be a war over the project. If it's the US, it will "just" lose a lot of soft-power.

dylan604 4y ago
What if it's not even the US but some private company with launch capabilities that also may or may not be US based?
- DocTomoe 4y ago
  Friendly reminder that a private company with launch capability currently is massively increasing the space junk problem and about to trigger the Kessler scenario for a quick buck and internet access without cables, while at the same time ruining surface-based astronomy. So why stop there? And as always, the Simpsons have predicted it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3LbxDZRgA4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3LbxDZRgA4
  - marcosdumay 4y ago
    Well, just to keep in mind, internet access without cables is very valuable, and possibly the most valuable use of that space we can have. It's important to control the space junk problem, of course. But not at the cost of not using the space.
  - robbomacrae 4y ago
    I'm no Musk fan but is this true? I thought Starlink was low altitude so everything would fall back down pretty quickly. And while I imagine its not great for astronomy surely it's not much work for some institution or enterprising individual to create a tool for using the known position and timing of such satellites to help remove their impact on images?
    - DocTomoe 4y ago
      Low-altitute, quick-decay orbits are fine as long as the satellite does not get damaged. Once one satellite is hit by something, the debris field will spread to all kinds of orbits, some of them pretty long-lived. [1] is a fascinating read that describes the phenomena surrounding orbital crashes. [1] https://www.universetoday.com/103650/space-debris-a-tale-of-two-satellites/ https://www.universetoday.com/103650/space-debris-a-tale-of-...

criddell 4y ago

The US will use 20 million barrels of oil today, just like yesterday. Who had to sign off on that?