NASA Goes Bargain Basement With New Satellite

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."

Comments

not all rosy...

[MrAndrews]

The Russians aren't too happy about this new side to NASA... they're trying to distance themselves from the whole idea...

Re:not all rosy...

[king-manic]

That site is a new Onion.

And its not even funny.. Color me foolish. It's sort of a deep pink.

Is it just me

[COMON$]

Or did anyone else have the vision of a giant slingshot for the launch?

Re:Is it just me

[Selfbain]

I had assumed they were just going to pray and hope God launched it for them.

Oh, great

[Dripdry]

Now for a decent sized marketing budget, I can look in a telescope and see "Eat at Joe's" plastered up in the heavens?

The new unit of measurement

[michaelmalak]

39.5 inches in diameter -- not much larger than an exercise ball

When did exercise balls become the univerally known cultural unit of measurement? In the past, it would have been a yardstick, but alas that has given way to the tape measure. Actually, mentioning a yardstick would have been a tautology, and so wouldn't have even been mentioned. So really, it must be a matter of kids not knowing physical sizes due to playing with videogames instead of working with their hands. Or, rather, if there's any work to be done, it is to be done with an exercise ball.

Re:The new unit of measurement

[UbuntuDupe]

That didn't bother me as much as saying that it "clocks in" at 200 pounds. I know, I know, it's just a metaphor, but I really don't like the idea of measuring weight with a clock, given NASA's past unit conversion problems...

Nearly GNU naming

[niceone]

FASTSAT Affordable, Science and Technology SATellite (FASTSAT)

There, fixed it.

Re:Let me know when I can get one at the Dollar St

[evil agent]

Perhaps if every slashdot reader contributed $10, we could get one. The highest rated comment ideas would be placed into a slashdot poll to decide what to do with it.

I vote for geostationary orbit over Natalie Portman's house.

Re:Not as good as it seems.

[LingNoi]

You're a brit you should know the deal by now.. English build the tech, Americans take all the glory.

Re:How about 1 Meter in diameter?

[JazzLad]

Like /.'ers know the size of an exercise ball?

Re:Sentences should make sense.

[Zenaku]

It would make perfect sense if you would just spend a few parsecs thinking about it.

Re:More like cannon

[HeadlessNotAHorseman]

Yeah, but what about a cannon and a slingshot working together? A multi-stage approach: the slingshot fires the cannon into the sky, and when the cannon reaches maximum height it fires and sends the payload hurtling into space. I hear that NASA may be signing an exclusive partnership with ACME to develop this...

I believe I speak for Slashdot when I say...

[ZombieRoboNinja]

...a WHAT ball?