Slashdot Mirror
Debris From India's Anti-Satellite Test Poses Threat To ISS, Says NASA (npr.org)
When India blew apart one of its satellites orbiting Earth last week, it created hundreds of pieces of orbital debris, and some of those pieces are large enough and high enough to pose a potential threat to the International Space Station, NASA says. "That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris in an apogee that goes above the International Space Station," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, referring to the debris' highest point in orbit. "And that kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human space flight that we need to see happen." NPR reports: In calculating the Indian test's potential impact last week, he said NASA determined that the risk of small debris hitting the space station was increased by 44 percent over a period of 10 days. "It's unacceptable, and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is," Bridenstine said, discussing space debris and India's anti-satellite test at a town hall event Monday.
As he spoke about the heightened risk, the NASA administrator also emphasized that both the space station and the astronauts aboard it are safe. The station can be maneuvered out of harm's way if needed, he added. But another danger, he said, is that "when one country does it, then other countries feel like they have to do it, as well." "The good thing is, it's low enough in Earth orbit that over time, this will all dissipate," Bridenstine said on Monday. Those pieces are expected to burn up as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere. India's intercept of its own satellite created 400 pieces of orbital debris, Bridenstine said. "What we are tracking right now -- objects big enough to track, we're talking about 10 centimeters [4 inches] or bigger -- about 60 pieces have been tracked," he said. "Of those 60, we know that 24 of them are going above the apogee of the International Space Station."
As he spoke about the heightened risk, the NASA administrator also emphasized that both the space station and the astronauts aboard it are safe. The station can be maneuvered out of harm's way if needed, he added. But another danger, he said, is that "when one country does it, then other countries feel like they have to do it, as well." "The good thing is, it's low enough in Earth orbit that over time, this will all dissipate," Bridenstine said on Monday. Those pieces are expected to burn up as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere. India's intercept of its own satellite created 400 pieces of orbital debris, Bridenstine said. "What we are tracking right now -- objects big enough to track, we're talking about 10 centimeters [4 inches] or bigger -- about 60 pieces have been tracked," he said. "Of those 60, we know that 24 of them are going above the apogee of the International Space Station."
Stop making shitting-street jokes, we have space program now!
*proceeds to shit all over the outer space*
The Indians have a problem (putting it extremely lightly) with pollution, garbage, littering, and all sorts of fun, unsanitary stuff on their streets and even in their most holy river -- in their own country. Did anyone think they'd actually respect the rest of the planet? Or even space?
44% larger is the number I've been seeing for the extra risk.
So, what's the baseline risk? 0.01% chance of being hit any given year? 44% larger then becomes 0.0144% chance of being hit with the debris of that satellite. Hardly a significant risk, really....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
Much hatred, such wow.
Listen, my anti-American friend, we learned those lessons long ago, which is why we are the way we are now. We went to school with the natives, the English, the Germans (twice in 25 years), the Soviets, and more. What we learned is that no one is to be trusted, to do the other guy in before he does you. You know, like when you discover as you leave childhood or maybe even earlier that the world is a nasty angry place full of people who wish you harm or take what you have.
So know India has a satellite killer. Message received, you are now worthy of increased scrutiny and intel gathering. As if having nukes didn't already put them on out to-watch list.
But what their littering of space really shows is that still have that retarded lack of attention to detail that also plagues their software. That shit-for-brains "oh it's good enough don't worry about it" attitude that kills in aerospace.
That's why their shit will always be shit. Not because they're Indians, but because they don't strive for perfection. In some fields perfection and precision are must-haves.
The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
Selective reading comprehension fail much?
I didn't say Indians are shit for brains. I called their attitude shit for brains. Can't see the difference? One is tarring and feathering an entire race, the other is pointing out that there's a trait that is not compatible with precision work, and they have that trait in spades.
If I tell someone "machine me a piece of bar stock to .00001 inch precision" and they deliver something hacked with a file to .1 inch precision and they tell me it's good enough, that's shit for brains.
If the project required the software to do X, and what they deliver (over budget and over time) falls well short of that and they tell me it's good enough, that's shit for brains.
And guess what? That's what I see from india all the time, in hardware and software. To the point that I refuse to buy support anything made like that, no matter where it came from.
Still think it's racist? Then you can't hear the truth for it hurts you.
I get it, going against the librul groupthink is wrong. Fuck it. Time to call bullshit where there is bullshit, and fuck the overly sensitive who can't handle it.
The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
What your proposing is exactly why India did this. They see the blanket ban coming and want to ensure they get a seat at the table of have's instead of being pushed into the have-not's and can't ever have pile.
Cheap storage VM.
I think that you need to go further back to the New Deal under FDR, the resulting 80% marginal income tax rates for the 1% and their creation of organizations and think tanks (John Birch Society, Heritage Foundation, etc...) to push for deregulation and the shifting of tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class and poor.
The constant lies and propaganda which use emotions to get people to vote against their own best interests have damaged the psyche of the entire country.