NASA Goes Bargain Basement With New Satellite

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @07:30AM from the because-we-need-more-orbiting-space-junk dept.

coondoggie writes to tell us that NASA has announced a new low-cost satellite that could be ideal for those who wish to get into space quickly and (relatively) inexpensively. "The Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology SATellite (FASTSAT) is 39.5 inches in diameter — not much larger than an exercise ball. It is hexagonally shaped and clocks in at a little less than 200 Lbs. It can carry a payload up to 110 Lbs. [...] NASA said FASTSAT is just the right size for earth observing missions, space science missions, and technology demonstrations. 'We think we can do whole missions for less than $10 million instead of the traditional $100s of millions, and that includes the launch vehicle, the satellite, and the widget you want to test,' said Marshall Space Flight Center's Edward 'Sandy' Montgomery in a release."

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If we can't have space.... by NJVil · 2007-11-21 07:53 · Score: 0, Flamebait

Nobody can!

So, I guess that since we're pulling back from exploring space, we've decided to do the equivalent of taking our ball and leaving. Since we apparently can't afford to send more ships up, we'll leave it so polluted with obnoxious small pieces of debris that no other nation will be able to safely navigate our man-made minefield.