[BenLurkin]

ping

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It will, now that they’ve told the whole world about it.

[TonyinLA]

How do you fence such a thing? Can’t imagine a Craigslist ad. Maybe the CCP would be interested.

[Tennessee Nana]

Oh lets play the kids game....

I sent a telescope out in space upon a big fat rocket
Someone must have picked it up and put it in his pocket

Was it you ???

:)

[ClearCase_guy]

My first thought is that someone at NASA has arranged to sell this to China. The guy at NASA pockets $20M and passes along all of the necessary information. And then -— whoops! — pirates show up and steal that telescope. Oh noes! What a shame!

[Soul of the South]

Another extremely poor piece of journalism. No attempt to answer the obvious questions:

1) The United States and NASA have several launch facilities inside the continental United States. Why is NASA incurring the time, expense and risk of launching it halfway around the planet?

2) If it must be launched from the chosen location, is the US Navy so stretched it can’t send a destroyer to follow the cargo ship? Alternatively, has anyone considered sending some US Marines on the ship to guard the cargo and repel any attempt to hijack the ship and the cargo? After all, isn’t the purpose of the military to defend the nation and its assets?

3) Don’t we now have a military branch, the US Space Force, specifically charged with defending US space assets? Why isn’t it responsible for the security of the telescope before and after it is launched?

I hope all of these questions have been considered by NASA. If not we definitely have a major problem of competence which is another story in and of itself.

Sadly serious journalism died long ago. It seems the mission of journalism today isn’t to inform. Its only purpose seems to be eliciting an emotional reaction from readers - rage, anger, or disgust. Clearly the education system is also failing because the public seems delighted with the garbage it is being fed by the media.

[hanamizu]

I’m sorry, but isn’t NASA a branch of the U.S. Government? Doesn’t the U.S. government have seaborne assets that can easily thwart the most heavily-armed of ‘pirates’?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I was thinking why don't they arm the boat and vett the crew more, but I remembered that's racist. Anything having to do with common sense and protection today is r-a-c-i-s-t. Everything is racist today, Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato head, even a former English Prince and Princess, racist racist racist racist. I bet that big mirror is even racist, it's that big to show racism.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If they are worried, just put a platoon of armed Marines aboard. Problem solved.

[Widget Jr]

As if after 20 years and billions of dollars it will not have a USN naval escort with a lot of coast guard and marines around for the entire trip.

[Morpheus2009]

Alien pirates? Do they realize that so few humans on Earth out of billions can actually go into space to grab a satellite telescope?

[Paladin2]

Isn’t this why have Marines?

And Destroyers?

And Space Lasers?

Mercenary Aliens?

[libertylover]

Uh, don’t we still have a navy?

[Larry Lucido]

Arrrr they now?

[freedumb2003]

Wasn’t it put there by the Gideons?

[TalBlack]

Per the article, the last such thing stolen was stolen by the CAPTAIN of the ship itself. If the USA doesnt know how to get this thing from point A to point B then I just don’t know what to say.

[DesertRhino]

So send a platoon of Marines on the ship. Next problem please.

[Reno89519]

What? It’s not even being launched on an American rocket?

[UnwashedPeasant]

Space pirates.

[Chickensoup]

If they are so worried why is there a news article about it to advertise the issue?