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."

Comments

just a though

[Pharago]

would be nice if everything works, when all the tests are done, to put the sail in a continuos orbit around the sun and get as much speed as possible and then send it to alpha centauri and let it take some pictures from there

Re:just a though

[CrystalShepard]

It would be nice. That way our descendents four or five generations from now can think "how cute!" as they pass it in the RamJets.

Re:just a though

[meerling]

Wrong Ramjet
Try checking out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet

Re:just a though

[thesupraman]

1 - as others have pointed out, you are barking up the wrong tree - these are bussard ramjets, not the type you are thinking of.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet

2 - normal ramjets are alive and well and very functional thank you very much - not even new tech.
Several countries have been using RAMJETS for some time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos

3 - what I suspect you are thinking about SCRAMjets (supersonic combustion..), while rare, are also functional now and have passed
the point of being considered a scam as they once were, for example you can watch one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_rzuSuqIg
The Russians and Indians seem quite happy with their SCRAMJETS : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BrahMos-II

SourceForge.net is spreading adware installers

[Anonymous Coward]

SourceForge, the code repository site owned by Slashdot Media, has apparently seized control of the account hosting GIMP for Windows on the service, according to e-mails and discussions amongst members of the GIMP community—locking out GIMP's lead Windows developer. And now anyone downloading the Windows version of the open source image editing tool from SourceForge gets the software wrapped in an installer replete with advertisements.

Link to original source
The GIMP developers aren't happy at all about this. They say that Sourceforge impersonated the GIMP developers, and abused the trademarks owned by the GNOME foundation.

Re:SourceForge.net is spreading adware installers

[aardvarkjoe]

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.

Re:SourceForge.net is spreading adware installers

[nadaou]

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.