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Conversations with creators and thinkers who are charting the way forward in a tech-saturated society. In our shift to a digital future, we need alternatives to Big Tech. Homepage: techtonic.fm
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November 18, 2024: Astronomer Samantha Lawler on Musk's space junk
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Today: Astronomer Samantha Lawler on Musk's space junk
Thousands of Elon Musk's SpaceX satellites will re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the next few years, adding huge amounts of metals and chemicals to our sky. Astronomer Samantha Lawler returns to Techtonic to explain why satellite "mega-constellations" are causing havoc for astronomers and will soon affect all life on earth.
• @sundogplanets, Sam Lawler on Mastodon
• AAS Releases A Compasse-Led Statement On Atmospheric Impacts Of Spacecraft Reentries And Launches (Sep 27, 2024)
• WasteX: Environmental harms of satellite internet mega-constellations (PIRG, Aug 8, 2024)
• When Space Junk Fell on My Neighbor’s Farm, the Law Had Few Answers for Us (by Sam Lawler in Scientific American, July 11, 2024), about just one incident of space junk:
The trunk’s outer layers of woven carbon fiber billowed and unraveled as it fell, likely insulating and slowing the plummeting pieces so abruptly that friction from the atmosphere failed to destroy them as SpaceX engineers had planned.• Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race by Mary-Jane Rubenstein
Objects breaking apart high overhead often leave debris trails spanning hundreds of miles; the hefty fragments in Sawchuk’s equipment shed were a testament to many smaller ones undoubtedly generated by this event that are yet to be discovered. People will be finding additional pieces for years, if not decades.
Artist | Track | Album | Label | Images | Approx. start time | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Astronomer Samantha Lawler on Starlink space junk | ||||||||||
Tomaš Dvořák | Game Boy Tune | Machinarium Soundtrack | n/a | |||||||
Mark's intro | ||||||||||
Interview with Sam Lawler | 0:07:30 (MP3 | Pop-up) | |||||||||
Mark's comments | 0:44:11 (MP3 | Pop-up) | |||||||||
Momus | The Enshittification of Everything | Ballyhoo | American Patchwork | 0:53:53 (MP3 | Pop-up) |
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Listener comments!
ultradamno:
David (in London):
Hugo (NL):
Bas NL:
StringOFperils:
Handy Haversack:
Will thee SG OCNY:
ultradamno:
MarciB:
Handy Haversack:
ultradamno:
Spikey BXL:
Cue "Runaway collisional cascade" as a prog song or band name again.
Hi Mark, hi Sam!
Webhamster Henry:
Sam:
That’s not my department” says Werner von Braun.
The Butterman:
ultradamno:
ultradamno:
Handy Haversack:
joe mulligan:
Sam:
joe_rosevear:
MarciB:
Mark Hurst:
Webhamster Henry:
joe mulligan:
ultradamno:
Webhamster Henry:
HCF:
PaulRobeson1924:
Handy Haversack:
HCF:
Deano de los Muertos:
Sam:
Ciggy:
PaulRobeson1924:
Listener Robert:
Mark Hurst:
Noir Lover:
Edward:
I can't see 1 satellite.
I don't get it...
joe mulligan:
Mark Hurst:
Listener Robert:
StringOFperils:
chresti:
Edward:
Cancer sticks.
StringOFperils:
Sam:
Webhamster Henry:
Bas NL:
Handy Haversack:
Spikey BXL:
StringOFperils:
Handy Haversack:
Bas NL:
Dano59:
Spikey BXL:
cbunny:
me when i drink too much Kessler.
ultradamno:
Mark Hurst:
Mark Hurst:
coelacanth∅:
... but i'm sure this guy's a "genius" so...
Mark Hurst:
Dano59:
And Musk only mucks up anything that will address it. I doubt 'sustainable solutions' is in the Tesla/SpaceX vocabulary.
ultradamno:
Spikey BXL:
Mark Hurst:
Bas NL:
Sam:
Sam:
StringOFperils:
wenzo:
Franco Twinkie:
coelacanth∅:
StringOFperils:
Webhamster Henry:
Mark Hurst:
Dano59:
chresti:
Webhamster Henry:
StringOFperils:
coelacanth∅:
StringOFperils:
Handy Haversack:
wenzo:
Deano de los Muertos:
Dano59:
Spikey BXL:
PaulRobeson1924:
Hugo:
ultradamno:
Peter from Saranac Lake NY:
chresti:
wenzo:
Hugo:
Franco Twinkie:
ultradamno:
Will thee SG OCNY:
Spikey BXL:
Handy Haversack:
WORDS IN SPACE ... !
Handy Haversack:
Fishman:
Hugo:
Deano de los Muertos:
Panther:
Handy Haversack:
Hugo:
Franco Twinkie:
PaulRobeson1924:
ultradamno:
Spikey BXL:
Merci Mark
Edward:
Look out.
It sucks being victimized
ultradamno:
Webhamster Henry:
Handy Haversack:
StuartR:
Bas NL:
DjLorraine:
Edward:
It's llegal to sue them.
VantuckyEd:
PaulRobeson1924:
StringOFperils:
Toothgrinder Tom:
Toothgrinder Tom:
Franco Twinkie:
ultradamno:
PaulRobeson1924:
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ultradamno:
bleubombersune:
HCF:
Bryan:
Franco Twinkie:
Mark Hurst:
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james the gann:
Mark Hurst:
Will thee SG OCNY:
DjLorraine:
Fishman:
Roberta:
Bryan: