Slashdot Mirror
Ground Crew Back In Touch With LightSail Solar Spacecraft
Yesterday, we noted that the Planetary Society's solar-sail powered craft had lost radio contact with its controllers here on Earth; Engadget reports that the group has issued an update, and the news is good. From the Society's release:
"The solar sailing spacecraft test mission, a precursor to a 2016 mission, has now resumed contact after a suspected software glitch affected communications. The LightSail team will soon determine when to attempt deployment of the spacecraft’s Mylar solar sails."
It's funny, the Slashdot editors used to be aware of the Streisand effect. Apparently they still haven't learned not to try to hide something that's already been publicized widely on the internet.
How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
From a technical standpoint (and that's why we're here isn't it?) the Streisand Effect is actively trying to supress a nibble of information that wants desperately to be free. Which isn't really the case here. Here we have the editors silently ignoring an up-rated story on the firehose in the hope that if it goes away they won't get shit from their corporate overlords. They aren't filing public documents to make it so. Presumably they already have got the shit come down from on high and they don't feel that they're completely irreplaceable.
You want to stir the shit? Get the quashing story on Soylent News or wherever people with a beef hang out.
As for me, just another journalistic straw broken in my respect for the good 'ol site.
~.~
I'm a peripheral visionary.
The fault of that lies in Congress.
Spend Middle East War money on NASA and science and it goes a lot faster.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.