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Pentagon's In-Orbit Satellite Recycling Program Moving Forward

Posted by Unknown on from the suddenly-babylon-five dept.

An anonymous reader writes with an update on DARPA's plans to rebuild satellites in orbit. "A year old DARPA program which aims to recycle satellites in orbit has started its next phase by looking for a guinea pig defunct satellite to use for evaluating the technology required. The program involves a Dr Frankensat 'complete with mechanical arms and other "unique tools"' and blank "satlets" to build upon.' Need parts! Kill the little one!" If we're ever going to build space craft and other things in orbit, this seems like a great first step.

2 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Pentagon work by SuricouRaven · · Score: 5, Informative

    DARPA runs high-risk high-payoff research. Ninety-nine out of a hundred things they try fail - but the one that actually works is revolutionary.

  2. Re:Pentagon work by MyLongNickName · · Score: 4, Informative

    Okay, let's try

    * GPS
    * Stealth Technology
    * Materials that are currently used in electronics today
    * Real-time voice to text translation
    * Advances in certain types of lasers

    Your argument is basically that spending on future tech has a high failure rate. To that I say "duh, of course it does".
     

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