3 ms·

I’m seeking funding to open up a rail gun ranch where you can sit in your lawn chair and blow satellites out of the sky.

tedd4u 4mo ago
Probably legal in Texas? If it's directly over "your land?"
- dylan604 4mo ago
  If your application says it is meant to hunt feral hogs, then they will allow it.
  - zippyman55 4mo ago
    This may be a good plan B pivot! Join now and get a free lawn chair!
  - throwup238 4mo ago
    Feral hogs IN SPAAAAACE!
ck2 4mo ago
I'm thinking of "space roombas" that glide around and bump all the sats in LEO into the atmosphere like a game of pool Only problem is they are toxic as they burn up and create a lot of pollution * https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-space-orbit-satellites-pollution/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-space-orbit-satellit... (too bad gravity is impossible to overcome cheaply or do the opposite and yeet into sun)
- dredmorbius 4mo ago
  If you have to yeet space trash to a gravitational well, Jupiter is probably the more attractive option. Lower delta-V, still a large well, and so long as you get reasonably close, orbital decay should solve the problem eventually. For de-orbiting LEO satellites, electrodynamic tethers is probably the most viable active method: "Study on electrodynamic tether system for space debris removal" <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576504002176 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00945...>
adrianN 4mo ago
Kessler‘s farm?
pfdietz 4mo ago
Lasers would probably be more practical. Maybe a whole array of lasers w. telescopes? At (say) 500 km, a 20 cm aperture would have a spot size of maybe 50 cm. So let's take that telescope array, hook a kW laser to each one, and roast some LEO satellites? (Note: this is not an actual suggestion this be done.)
- zippyman55 4mo ago
  I know you are joking on this one, as I was on mine. But with people being arrested for shining pet toy lasers at objects, best everyone stay clear of this one.
  - pfdietz 4mo ago
    It's more a thought experiment on perhaps how easily this could be done.
ninjalanternshk 4mo ago
I’m working on a DaaS startup (drone as a service) so maybe I’ll locate next to you and your customers can blow drones out of the sky and mine will keep having to replace theirs.
- zippyman55 4mo ago
  I like where you are going with this. Can you offer “hardened” drones for the advanced players?

tedd4u 4mo ago

Probably legal in Texas? If it's directly over "your land?"

dylan604 4mo ago
If your application says it is meant to hunt feral hogs, then they will allow it.
- zippyman55 4mo ago
  This may be a good plan B pivot! Join now and get a free lawn chair!
- throwup238 4mo ago
  Feral hogs IN SPAAAAACE!

ck2 4mo ago

I'm thinking of "space roombas" that glide around and bump all the sats in LEO into the atmosphere like a game of pool Only problem is they are toxic as they burn up and create a lot of pollution * https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-space-orbit-satellites-pollution/ https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-space-orbit-satellit... (too bad gravity is impossible to overcome cheaply or do the opposite and yeet into sun)

dredmorbius 4mo ago
If you have to yeet space trash to a gravitational well, Jupiter is probably the more attractive option. Lower delta-V, still a large well, and so long as you get reasonably close, orbital decay should solve the problem eventually. For de-orbiting LEO satellites, electrodynamic tethers is probably the most viable active method: "Study on electrodynamic tether system for space debris removal" <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576504002176 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00945...>

adrianN 4mo ago

Kessler‘s farm?

pfdietz 4mo ago

Lasers would probably be more practical. Maybe a whole array of lasers w. telescopes? At (say) 500 km, a 20 cm aperture would have a spot size of maybe 50 cm. So let's take that telescope array, hook a kW laser to each one, and roast some LEO satellites? (Note: this is not an actual suggestion this be done.)

zippyman55 4mo ago
I know you are joking on this one, as I was on mine. But with people being arrested for shining pet toy lasers at objects, best everyone stay clear of this one.
- pfdietz 4mo ago
  It's more a thought experiment on perhaps how easily this could be done.

ninjalanternshk 4mo ago

I’m working on a DaaS startup (drone as a service) so maybe I’ll locate next to you and your customers can blow drones out of the sky and mine will keep having to replace theirs.

zippyman55 4mo ago
I like where you are going with this. Can you offer “hardened” drones for the advanced players?