Posted on 09/09/2017 9:28:59 PM PDT by Widget Jr
The recent failure of PT Telkom’s 18-year-old Telkom-1 satellite highlighted the risk associated with prolonged operations of aging satellites. Announced as a pointing anomaly on August 26, the incident may indeed be much more serious than initially thought. As video evidence collected by ExoAnalytic Solutions suggest, the satellite is seemingly breaking apart, leaving behind a track of reflective material...
(Excerpt) Read more at spacenews.com ...
Mr. Rossenttini's points out that Telkom-1 was 18 years old, 3 years beyond its designed lifespan before it broke up. It most likely wore out due to age, not to being shot down. Besides, there are over a thousand dead satellites in orbit that would make better targets for a weapons test.
Are there Freepers who know about the issue of using communication satellites until the wear out aganist maintaining reliable satellite commuications? Does anyone know how much if any redundancy is built into commercial communication satellite networks?
Related:
ExoAnalytic Video Shows Telkom-1 Satellite Erupting Debris
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3584580/posts
I don’t know, but I’ll imagine that there are dual redundancies where possible and feasible.
I don’t envision too many moving parts. Nozzles, Jet blasts, perhaps solenoid or two. 18 years ago is 1999. Pretty viable technology.
Things wear and tear and the vacuum is harsh.
Killer satellites were talked about during Reagan’s SDI push. Haven’t heard much about them in years.
I don’t claim or believe that this was hit by a killer satellite, but it does remind me that the next war is probably going to start with or include destroying satellites.
Geosynchronous orbit is going to need some garbage collector bots.
In other words, a worn out buggy whip compared to today's technology......
Buggy whips, riding crops and pony spankers are doing fine today. You can make six figures shoeing horses out here...
Haven't seen a horse yet in traffic..........must be a closet trade.
What does being in traffic have to do with needing shoes? Regardless, the are in traffic too, many large cities have a mounted department, plus they can use streets unless specifically prohibited like on interstates.
Off road, they still need shoeing.
BTW, What is a “closet trade”?
My comment went right over your head didn't it knucklehead?
Let me try to explain it to you,ok?
An 18 year old satellite is now considered obsolete based on current technology and the fact that the ones in question are deteriorating is not a big deal.
I simply made a comparison between the now obsolete, deteriorating satellites to the buggy whip.
It was you who advanced the dumbass comparison to "six figure" Farriers (you do know what a Farrier is don't you?) who remain a select cottage industry........Sheesh!
And my comment, douchebag, was merely a take on the overused buggywhip cliche, they are not obsolete. Did that go over your head?
And yes, I know WTF a farrier is, we use one regularly. I didn’t compare It, I was just making the point that the equine field is a lot larger than commonly thought.
Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?
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