Deadline for comments on a million SpaceX "AI data centers" and a company that wants to deliver "sunlight as a service."
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Ok well another Starlink just reentered over Canada. So yeah. Definitely writing this now.
Time to live-toot an FCC submission while completely exhausted, but also watching a pleasant anime with friends and family!
Step 1: make a pdf. I think I'm going to mash together these two articles that I co-authored in the last couple weeks about very stupid things happening in orbit with huge consequences.
Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it
Cultural, spiritual, and most environmental impacts aren’t taken into account when launching thousands of satellites.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
A new space race could turn our atmosphere into a ‘crematorium for satellites’
Planned ‘megaconstellations’ of satellites could cause unforeseen harm to the ozone layer and climate systems. Global regulation is needed before it’s too late.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Unfortunately this'll require a bit of work because the different ways of doing citations. Or maybe I'll just leave the links in? I am pretty far beyond caring about formatting.
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Step 1: make a pdf. I think I'm going to mash together these two articles that I co-authored in the last couple weeks about very stupid things happening in orbit with huge consequences.
Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it
Cultural, spiritual, and most environmental impacts aren’t taken into account when launching thousands of satellites.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
A new space race could turn our atmosphere into a ‘crematorium for satellites’
Planned ‘megaconstellations’ of satellites could cause unforeseen harm to the ozone layer and climate systems. Global regulation is needed before it’s too late.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Unfortunately this'll require a bit of work because the different ways of doing citations. Or maybe I'll just leave the links in? I am pretty far beyond caring about formatting.
@sundogplanets years ago, I read a SF story about the population permanently stressed because at night the saw the ICBM constantly moving like fireflies.
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Step 1: make a pdf. I think I'm going to mash together these two articles that I co-authored in the last couple weeks about very stupid things happening in orbit with huge consequences.
Too many satellites? Earth’s orbit is on track for a catastrophe – but we can stop it
Cultural, spiritual, and most environmental impacts aren’t taken into account when launching thousands of satellites.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
A new space race could turn our atmosphere into a ‘crematorium for satellites’
Planned ‘megaconstellations’ of satellites could cause unforeseen harm to the ozone layer and climate systems. Global regulation is needed before it’s too late.
The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Unfortunately this'll require a bit of work because the different ways of doing citations. Or maybe I'll just leave the links in? I am pretty far beyond caring about formatting.
Ok that took a little longer than I thought. Do I want it to be on letterhead? Will my university be annoyed? I *am* writing as part of my job as a researcher who requires access to dark skies, but I am not writing on behalf of my university. Will go with blank background for this one.
Now working my way through the instructions here: https://aas.org/posts/advocacy/2026/02/how-submit-comments-satellite-applications-fcc
I already have a Cores account, signed in and clicking on things...
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@sundogplanets Sunlight as a̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶i̶c̶e̶ environmental menace.
@12thRITS
A Sunlight Service, I think it's ASS.
@sundogplanets -
Ok that took a little longer than I thought. Do I want it to be on letterhead? Will my university be annoyed? I *am* writing as part of my job as a researcher who requires access to dark skies, but I am not writing on behalf of my university. Will go with blank background for this one.
Now working my way through the instructions here: https://aas.org/posts/advocacy/2026/02/how-submit-comments-satellite-applications-fcc
I already have a Cores account, signed in and clicking on things...
Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets thank you for doing this for us all.
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets Another big thank you for your efforts from Germany!
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets The future, brought to you courtesy of BnL.
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets Thank you!
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets
Le fascisme est un "fuck you" à l'ensemble de l'humanité.
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
@sundogplanets Is the above the text of your submission?
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Aw, c'mon, where's the villainy in that? You can't put a bunch of space stations into orbit without hiding giant lasers in them or something.
@argv_minus_one @glasspusher @sundogplanets Very possibly diversion and distraction, wasting the opposition’s time, another thing to stay in the news, another thing to appear to stay relevant, and just generally creating a lot of hogwash.
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@argv_minus_one @glasspusher @sundogplanets Very possibly diversion and distraction, wasting the opposition’s time, another thing to stay in the news, another thing to appear to stay relevant, and just generally creating a lot of hogwash.
Yeah but that's just garden-variety political shenanigans, not villainy. Villainy involves lasers. This plan has no lasers. Needs more lasers.
I guess the sunlight-reflecting satellites could all focus their sunlight on the same spot. That'd be pretty villainous. There was a Bond villain who did that, in fact. -
@sundogplanets Is the above the text of your submission?
@MikeH No, I save up all my swear words for social media
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Yeah but that's just garden-variety political shenanigans, not villainy. Villainy involves lasers. This plan has no lasers. Needs more lasers.
I guess the sunlight-reflecting satellites could all focus their sunlight on the same spot. That'd be pretty villainous. There was a Bond villain who did that, in fact.@argv_minus_one @breitensteinart @sundogplanets
Marlene- vis a vis Boring Company distracting from high speed rail?
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Ok that took a little longer than I thought. Do I want it to be on letterhead? Will my university be annoyed? I *am* writing as part of my job as a researcher who requires access to dark skies, but I am not writing on behalf of my university. Will go with blank background for this one.
Now working my way through the instructions here: https://aas.org/posts/advocacy/2026/02/how-submit-comments-satellite-applications-fcc
I already have a Cores account, signed in and clicking on things...
@sundogplanets Maybe, just as an example of what your work will be like if they are allowed to continue, submit another with bright yellow letters on a white paper.
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Submitted!
I am an astronomer who has asked nicely for years for SpaceX to be safer in orbit, think about ways to use fewer satellites, think about the consequences of burning up so many satellites, and think about ways to make their satellites darker. This filing proposing a million satellites is a clear "fuck you" from SpaceX to the entire astronomy community, as well as the entire planet.
So, fuck you, too, SpaceX!
Several organizations I'm part of have now submitted their comments on the incredibly fucking stupid SpaceX-million-AI-data-center filing, so now it's time to turn all my anger on the even fucking STUPIDER Reflect Orbital filing for sunlight-as-a-service.
Writing these other comments and convincing as many people as possible to also write comments is going to require an awful lot of swearing and complaining from me over the next 3 days, fediverse. I hope you're all ready for it.
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Several organizations I'm part of have now submitted their comments on the incredibly fucking stupid SpaceX-million-AI-data-center filing, so now it's time to turn all my anger on the even fucking STUPIDER Reflect Orbital filing for sunlight-as-a-service.
Writing these other comments and convincing as many people as possible to also write comments is going to require an awful lot of swearing and complaining from me over the next 3 days, fediverse. I hope you're all ready for it.
@sundogplanets While I understand the problem, I’m glad to see that the hard days have passed at least to a degree where you’re able to swear at satellites again.
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Several organizations I'm part of have now submitted their comments on the incredibly fucking stupid SpaceX-million-AI-data-center filing, so now it's time to turn all my anger on the even fucking STUPIDER Reflect Orbital filing for sunlight-as-a-service.
Writing these other comments and convincing as many people as possible to also write comments is going to require an awful lot of swearing and complaining from me over the next 3 days, fediverse. I hope you're all ready for it.
If you can throw some light on this lunacy, I won't complain!
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Several organizations I'm part of have now submitted their comments on the incredibly fucking stupid SpaceX-million-AI-data-center filing, so now it's time to turn all my anger on the even fucking STUPIDER Reflect Orbital filing for sunlight-as-a-service.
Writing these other comments and convincing as many people as possible to also write comments is going to require an awful lot of swearing and complaining from me over the next 3 days, fediverse. I hope you're all ready for it.
@sundogplanets We are ready!
