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Drifting Satellite Could Knock Out Cable TV

Posted by kdawson on from the chance-of-heavy-snow dept.

A few days back we discussed some of the problems caused by the demise of Intelsat's Galaxy 15, including possible degradation of GPS and its WAAS refinement. Now reader crimeandpunishment writes in with another damage scenario, one which could affect vastly more people — interference with cable TV programming across the US. "A TV communications satellite is drifting out of control thousands of miles above the Earth, threatening to wander into another satellite's orbit... Galaxy 15 continues to receive and transmit satellite signals, and they will probably interfere with the second satellite, known as AMC 11, if Galaxy 15 drifts into its orbit as expected around May 23... [A spokesman] said one option would be using AMC 11's propulsion system to shift that satellite about 60 miles (100 kilometers) away to an orbit that's still within its carefully prescribed 'orbital box' but as far away as possible from Galaxy 15."

13 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Cable? by lymond01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Okay. Even I know that you can't run a cable from a satellite to my house. This whole article is fake.

    And while I'm on the Internets, I'd like to bring up the issue about birth certificates again...

    1. Re:Cable? by sahonen · · Score: 5, Funny

      *whoosh*

      --
      Make me a friend and I'll mod you up
    2. Re:Cable? by blair1q · · Score: 3, Funny

      close call. you shoulda adjusted your orbit a bit more.

    3. Re:Cable? by ozbird · · Score: 3, Funny

      In space, no one can hear you go "*whoosh*".

  2. Demographics by cosm · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, on May 23, experts are predicting the possibility of a 10 point jump in the average US citizen's IQ.

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
    1. Re:Demographics by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 2, Funny

      The monk bought lunch.

      --
      "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
  3. Fuck, this would be a disaster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    This would be a complete disaster for Americans. They might have to resort to reading, playing board games, or even going outside and playing some sports. Shit, they might even get some exercise.

  4. ham radio by FuckingNickName · · Score: 3, Funny

    Stories like this make me happy to be a ham. I don't need a complex infrastructure and global political stability to communicate with anyone, woohoo!

    1. Re:ham radio by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah but you're always watching your back because of wolves. Must be stressful.

  5. Shotgun! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I need to get me my shotgun. We're about to have zombies pouring out all over the streets!

  6. Great, now we can finally... by Nethemas+the+Great · · Score: 3, Funny

    make some progress on the orbital debris problem. Nothing like taking away an American's television to spur the democracy into action.

    --
    Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ... with negative results.
  7. Re:If only we had... by blair1q · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe we could put a 100-ton concrete dome over it...

  8. Re:If only we had... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You mean a 200-ton concrete sphere around it don't you?