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Main US Weather Satellite Fails As Hurricane Season Looms

Posted by timothy on from the ok-fellas-let's-just-stick-to-the-tornadoes dept.

First time accepted submitter Rebecka writes with bad news, quoting an IB Times report: "Just as the 2013 hurricane season is about to begin, one of the U.S.' main weather satellites failed this week. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, also known as GOES-13, reportedly ceased to operate as of Tuesday, making it impossible to predict weather patterns on the East Coast." A note at NOAA's page for the GOES family of satellites says "GOES-13 imaging and sounding operations suspended. Recovery efforts for GOES-13 continue and the spacecraft health and safety are nominal. GOES-14 is being activated." You can follow the progress on the agency's page of General Satellite Messages.

5 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Re:They saw this coming for ages... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or the trillion-plus dollars they've spent on a war in Iraq for which absolutely none of the stated reasons turned out to be true.

  2. Re:They saw this coming for ages... by ebno-10db · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And how many satellites could have been built with the $535 MILLION that the Obama Administration gave to Solyndra?

    I'm not sure, but you could have built at least 7000x as many satellites for the cost of the Iraq War. Bonus points for a lot fewer Americans killed.

  3. Re:They saw this coming for ages... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They could take money from other useless parts (like the website that the private sector has entirely covered

    Uh, where do you think "the private sector" is getting their data from?

  4. Re:They saw this coming for ages... by cayenne8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Aww. $500 million. Just imagine how many satellites could have been built from a fraction of the military budget.

    Or, even by cutting off welfare for people that ARE able bodied and can work. Or by cutting the waste from Medicare and SS, which are about the other 2/3 of the main budget chunks along with military.

    You know, if we shrunk the Federal Govt back down to more resemble what it is Constitutionally mandated to do, we could easily afford a lot more stuff.

    Hell, why don't we quit sending so much fucking money out for Foreign Aid, and spend it on satellites? Who objects to that one?

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  5. Re:They saw this coming for ages... by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Or, even by cutting off welfare for people that ARE able bodied and can work. "

    Ageed, When do we start cutting the pay to Congress?

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.