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Rogue Satellite Shuts Down US Weather Services

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the ambush-backstab-vanish dept.

radioweather writes "On Sunday, the drifting rogue 'zombie' Galaxy 15 satellite with a stuck transmitter interfered with the satellite data distribution system used by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS), effectively shutting down data sharing between NWS offices nationwide, as well as weather support groups for the US Air force. This left many forecasters without data, imagery, and maps. Interference from Galaxy 15 affected transmissions of the SES-1 Satellite, which not only serves NOAA with data relay services, but also is used to feed TV programming into virtually every cable network in the US. NOAA's Network Control Facility reports that the computer system affected was NOAA's Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) used to issue forecasts and weather bulletins which uses the weather data feed. They also state the problem is likely to recur again this month before the satellite drifts out of range and eventually dies due to battery depletion."

20 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. A red satellite?!? by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Goddamn Commies finally attacked! To your bunkers, citizens!

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:A red satellite?!? by SputnikPanic · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey, stop talking about me!

  2. Rouge eh? by richy+freeway · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're putting makeup on satellites now?

    1. Re:Rouge eh? by Bigjeff5 · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!

      The satellite is the makeup!

      A bit of rouge satellite goes extremely well with some eyeliner asteroid, and you'll want to round them out with a nice, light, gamma burst lipstick to bring it all together.

      Doesn't the solar system look so pretty now?

      --
      Security is mostly a superstition... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. - Helen Keller
    2. Re:Rouge eh? by theantipop · · Score: 5, Funny

      Everyone who plays WoW knows rouges are overpowdered.

    3. Re:Rouge eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Everyone who plays WoW knows rouges are overpowdered." - only a maroon would say that.

    4. Re:Rouge eh? by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Funny

      A bit of rouge satellite goes extremely well with some eyeliner asteroid, and you'll want to round them out with a nice, light, gamma burst lipstick to bring it all together.

      Doesn't the solar system look so pretty now?

      Ummm ... I think that might be the first make-up tips I've ever seen on Slashdot.

      Now, stop it! ;-)

      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    5. Re:Rouge eh? by suomynonAyletamitlU · · Score: 3, Funny

      It only seems that way at first blush.

  3. Rouge satellite by ZaphDingbat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bet their faces are red about this one.

    1. Re:Rouge satellite by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Looks like we caught CmdrTaco Red Handed not proof reading his postings.

  4. Luke SkyPrancer - Leader of Rouge Squadron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    lol, worse every day.

  5. Nice by multipartmixed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just wait until next week when a mascara satellite knocks out the GPS network!

    --

    Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
    1. Re:Nice by Massacrifice · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just wait until next week when a mascara satellite lashes out at the GPS network!

      FTFY

      --
      -- Home is where you eat your heart out.
  6. Hasn't anyone called? by jbeaupre · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hasn't anyone called Technora yet? Space Debris Section should have been tasked to retrieve Galaxy 15 long ago.

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  7. Let the record show... by gman003 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let the record show that the first eight comments were entirely devoted to pointing out a common typo in the headline, and that every response to those comments so far has been directly related to said typo. Let it not be said that Slashdot cares not for the Queen's English.

  8. Re:Rogue satellite by ZaphDingbat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that. I red the summary this time.

  9. What's with the "editing" today? by texwtf · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Rouge satellites?

    Are the slashdot editors drunk? This is only the latest of several simple grammatical and spelling errors in the summaries today.

  10. Layman's explaination by sjames · · Score: 3, Funny

    We start with the uplink properly paying attention to it's mate in orbit and all is well. Then this painted strumpet comes sauntering by and the uplink's attention wanders. This is naturally followed by the slap to the cheek. It takes a few minutes to re-align after that.

    Intelsat is powerless to do anything about this cosmic red light district.

  11. Re:Why not use the X-37B by onkelonkel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The X-37B operates in low earth orbit about 200 miles up. The satellite is in Geosynchronous orbit at about 22,000 miles up. How do you get the X-37B to where the satellite is?

    --
    None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
  12. it's ROGUE by rgviza · · Score: 3, Funny

    it's ROGUE dammit! Rouge is makeup

    --
    Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.