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Orbital Express Launches Tonight

airshowfan writes "When a geosynchronous satellite is launched into space, no human ever gets to touch it again. This means that, other than for minor software issues, there is no way to fix it if it breaks, so it has to work perfectly, almost autonomously, for 20 years non-stop. There is also no way to refuel it once it's out of thruster fuel, the reason why it can't last more than 20 years even if it gets to that mark working very well, with batteries and solar cells still going, which is often the case. If only there were a robotic spacecraft in geostationary orbit that could change broken satellite components and refuel those older satellites, then satellites would be a lot less risky and would last a lot longer. Does this robotic spacecraft mechanic sound like science fiction? It launches tonight."

6 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Orbital Express Launches Tonight by Original+Replica · · Score: 5, Funny

    where did they find the hot cyclops to pilot it?

    --
    We are all just people.
  2. Re:There is no way to fix it if it breaks? by fruity_pebbles · · Score: 5, Funny
    Someone must have missed all those Hubble missions.

    Someone must have missed that Hubble is not in geosynchronous orbit.

  3. Re:Who will refuel it? by Goaway · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh man, they must have totally forgotten about that! Good thing you caught it in time, there's still a chance to stop the launch!

  4. Re:There is no way to fix it if it breaks? by Deadstick · · Score: 4, Funny

    Roughly a 22,000 mile technicality.

    rj

  5. Re:who supplies parts to it? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    where does it get it's spares from when they run out

    Satellites from competing companies?

  6. Re:Woot by porl · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sometimes run-on sentences are not as bad as some people think, although there are definitely times when they would be correct in saying that run-on sentences are 'grotesque' or 'ambiguous' (these are, of course, both subjective terms, and should be treated as such), but these thoughts are not the only thoughts that can be had of run-on sentences, and you should not assume that everyone else believes that run-on sentences are grotesque and ambiguous, because other people have feelings too and you shouldn't assume that your opinion is more important than theirs, because they might think otherwise, and that is how arguments start.