First Weather Satellite Launched 50 Years Ago

stinkbomb writes "Fifty years ago today, the world's first weather satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., and opened a new and exciting dimension in weather forecasting. Top leaders from NOAA and NASA hailed the milestone as an example of their agencies' strong partnership and commitment to flying the best satellites today and beyond."

Comments

Space Junk

[Taco Cowboy]

At the rate we are creating space junk, 50 years from now it would be nearly impossible for anyone to keep their bird flying up there safely.

Re:Space Junk

[DerekLyons]

At the rate we are creating space junk, 50 years from now it would be nearly impossible for anyone to keep their bird flying up there safely.

That's what urban legend, the professionally panics, and those whose livelihoods depends on getting eyeballs on column ink (electrons?) would have you believe. As usual, the reality is far different. Launchers and spacecraft today are required to minimize debris production. Separation hardware is now retained rather than being jettisoned. Spent stages vent rather than being allowed to explode. Etc. Etc..
 
Is the problem solved? No. Is progress being made? Yes, quite a bit. Statements like the one quoted above are just ill informed alarmism.
 
PS to the guy who suggested aerogel: Unless you match velocities with the debris, all you'll have is aerogel with a hole in it. Once you've matched velocities, you could capture the debris in a brown paper bag and you won't need aerogel, which is only any good for capturing debris a small fraction of the size that causes the most worries. I wish the comment about aerogel would stop getting moderated up - it's like suggesting containing a nuclear explosion by wrapping the bomb in chewing gum wrappers.

Re:"News for Nerds"?

[sortius_nod]

If you don't like it, don't read the story.

I find it interesting myself, I personally don't keep track of every milestone of science & technology waiting to celebrate the day when it hits 10, 20, 50, etc, years.

Maybe you should start your own site that purely focus' on news.

Re:"News for Nerds"?

[bmo]

Yeah, we all know how Scientific American's "50, 100, and 150 Years Ago" page detracts from the credibility of the magazine.

Crikes.

I put it to you that there are much less worthy articles on this site that actually do detract from Slashdot's credibility.

--
BMO

Re:Not a Soviet first?

[corbettw]

Strategically, letting the Soviets go first was a good move. Can you imagine how Nikita "We will bury you" Khrushchev would've responded if the US had been first to launch a satellite? He would've banged his shoe at the UN some more and whined and complained about us invading their territory. But with the Soviets going first and us not complaining about Sputnik flying over our territory, the precedent was set that satellites could go anywhere. It might not have been Ike's plan all along, but it definitely worked out better for everyone in the long run.

The great data repository

[couch_warrior]

NASA has been collecting earth-observing data for five decades now, and in spite of the current wave of interest in climate related matters, little or no effort is put into examining this historical record. A small group of scientists within the US Geological Survey have heroically attempted to preserve this enormous treasure of historical climate data at a small data center in South Dakota. But hundreds of terabytes of irreplaceable data are at risk of being lost forever because no one seems to care. There are lobbyists galore for NEW satellite systems, but in many cases you might as well pour the data into a bit bucket, we spend billions of dollars collecting data, and pennies storing and analyzing it. Instead of relying on flawed computer models and bogus prognostications, the Global Warming debate could be based on real hard data, if anyone wanted to take the time to go look at it. http://eros.usgs.gov/#/About_Us