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Just do it in space and avoid the whole atmosphere and ground based light pollution. Space is cheaper than ever now, this is a problem for amateur astronomers,
by rblatz 2y ago
Just do it in space and avoid the whole atmosphere and ground based light pollution. Space is cheaper than ever now, this is a problem for amateur astronomers, and hobbyists shouldn’t hold back progress.
- nullc 2y agoSpace imposes extraordinary costs and limitations which heavily precludes exploratory research. Instruments are built for space to achieve specific tasks which we know will be successful. Instrument development has to first occur on earth-- including the research that lets us know which things will yield results deployed in space. Astronomy aside, fleets of satellites once they turn to junk may eventually make further launching problematic.
- djao 2y agoSpaceX deliberately launches satellites into orbits which are too low to sustain on their own. Once the satellites run out of propellant, which happens after a few years of normal operation, they cannot remain in orbit indefinitely and eventually burn up in the atmosphere. On very rare occasions, a launch malfunctions in such a way that the satellites end up in unintended orbits that do turn into long-term junk, but this is not the norm.
- agos 2y ago"just do it in space" has got to be one of the best hacker news solution to other profession's issue I've ever read.
- mrguyorama 2y agoThis is equivalent to saying "Just do one percent the space science we do now" Where is SpaceX offering to put up a billion dollars worth of space observatories to offset their pollution of a public good?