Cowboy Space (I hate their name so much) published their consolidated response a week ago but we just noticed it.
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
@sundogplanets I'm pretty sure these companies are really a grift to take investor money to line the founders pockets. Or the founders are really dumb and didn't math this out correctly.
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
@sundogplanets I'm absolutely convinced it's a scam for getting investment funding. Thats all they have now. Look at the SpaceX IPO vs today. 1/2d in 'value' and the early investors don't care cos they made out when it listed on the stock market.
It's just a super fancy version of the Nigerian Prince scam.
(See also reflect @#£%ing Orbital)
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
This company also posted an ex parte filing (which means they had a super special extra FCC meeting), their satellites are too fucking huge to even be physically possible. They just can't fucking do this.
My estimate from looking at this ridiculous sketch is 8x60x10m solar panels... that's a reflecting area of 4800 m^2. The International Space Station, the biggest thing in orbit, has a solar panel area of about 3400 m^2.
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
@sundogplanets
So they want the famous crossing parallel straight lines... -
@sundogplanets Sorry, that's probably not fair to dogs.
@ScottMGS exactly. Dogs are social animals. @sundogplanets
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Cowboy Space (I hate their name so much) published their consolidated response a week ago but we just noticed it. EDIT: It was due at 5pm EDT today. So... I guess I have to read this shit. Swearing a lot here will get me through it.
A reminder: this is the 4th company that wants to launch fucking enormous "AI data center" satellites into sun-synchronous terminator orbits, giving Earth a ring. This particular company wants 20,000 satellites in one ring.
@sundogplanets
May the Force be with you!
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This company also posted an ex parte filing (which means they had a super special extra FCC meeting), their satellites are too fucking huge to even be physically possible. They just can't fucking do this.
My estimate from looking at this ridiculous sketch is 8x60x10m solar panels... that's a reflecting area of 4800 m^2. The International Space Station, the biggest thing in orbit, has a solar panel area of about 3400 m^2.
Sure, completely untested, brand-fucking-new company that has never built or launched a satellite. You can definitely launch 20,000 of the biggest satellites ever built.
Oh apparently their first demo mission is scheduled for OCTOBER 2026? Gosh these guys are fucking unreal. The mission is listed as "power beaming demonstration"
What does that even fucking mean? Guess they're going to fry some birds and maybe some pilots? Hm. Watch for that I guess.
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
@sundogplanets This is going to turn into another Theranos-level investor scam... lots of money burned, outrageous salaries for the executives and folks involved pocketing tons of money and ultimately failing.
Unlike Theranos, the CEO of Reflect Orbital is a man so he'll get away with less scrutiny, and probably won't face consequences.
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This company also posted an ex parte filing (which means they had a super special extra FCC meeting), their satellites are too fucking huge to even be physically possible. They just can't fucking do this.
My estimate from looking at this ridiculous sketch is 8x60x10m solar panels... that's a reflecting area of 4800 m^2. The International Space Station, the biggest thing in orbit, has a solar panel area of about 3400 m^2.
@sundogplanets they probably put one of those Spinal Tap blokes in charge of the design
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@ScottMGS exactly. Dogs are social animals. @sundogplanets
@NatureMC @sundogplanets
So are people! -
@sundogplanets How much of this sort of thing (these guys, Reflect Orbital, etc.) do you think is just VCs throwing money at something they think is cool, with the companies behind it knowing it'll never work? And how much is just plain idiocy in action, with them genuinely believing it WILL work?
@andy @sundogplanets It's a tale as old as The Emperor's New Clothes. Although in that story it's the emperor who's the bad guy not the tailor taking money from a vain emperor.
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Sure, completely untested, brand-fucking-new company that has never built or launched a satellite. You can definitely launch 20,000 of the biggest satellites ever built.
Oh apparently their first demo mission is scheduled for OCTOBER 2026? Gosh these guys are fucking unreal. The mission is listed as "power beaming demonstration"
What does that even fucking mean? Guess they're going to fry some birds and maybe some pilots? Hm. Watch for that I guess.
@sundogplanets It's still insane that one national agency can approve something like that that has an effect on every country and every other human on this planet.
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Cowboy Space (I hate their name so much) published their consolidated response a week ago but we just noticed it. EDIT: It was due at 5pm EDT today. So... I guess I have to read this shit. Swearing a lot here will get me through it.
A reminder: this is the 4th company that wants to launch fucking enormous "AI data center" satellites into sun-synchronous terminator orbits, giving Earth a ring. This particular company wants 20,000 satellites in one ring.
This stuff makes no business or even physical sense.
Thus it's a psychological operation?
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After modelling this in detail, I can say that that these companies can't even do basic geometry, apparently. They want tens of thousands of satellites to have 24 hour sunlight, so sun-synchronous terminator orbits, baybeeee!
But as Hugh Lewis pointed out (I know, ew, linkedin sorry) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sun-always-shines-tv-hugh-lewis-tlkbe/ IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK unless you're above 1400km altitude. And then you're not in the *magical* low-latency low-altitude zone that these companies actually want for fast comms.
@sundogplanets they're building a summoning circle
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Sure, completely untested, brand-fucking-new company that has never built or launched a satellite. You can definitely launch 20,000 of the biggest satellites ever built.
Oh apparently their first demo mission is scheduled for OCTOBER 2026? Gosh these guys are fucking unreal. The mission is listed as "power beaming demonstration"
What does that even fucking mean? Guess they're going to fry some birds and maybe some pilots? Hm. Watch for that I guess.
Ok fine time to read the awful document.
First off, they imply they don't have to listen to any of the comments because nobody submitted "service copies, certificates of service, or affidavits" but I'm pretty sure that's just for formal petitions to deny. The American Astronomical Society did all of those things for SpaceX's million sat filing and Reflect Orbital, and it was expensive, hard, and it didn't make a fucking difference. So not doing that again.
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This company also posted an ex parte filing (which means they had a super special extra FCC meeting), their satellites are too fucking huge to even be physically possible. They just can't fucking do this.
My estimate from looking at this ridiculous sketch is 8x60x10m solar panels... that's a reflecting area of 4800 m^2. The International Space Station, the biggest thing in orbit, has a solar panel area of about 3400 m^2.
@sundogplanets The company is called "Cowboy Space" and they call their launch solution "Stampede"? I hate this timeline.
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@NatureMC @sundogplanets
So are people!@ScottMGS Not the CEOs of certain companies and certain billionaires. Many of them are pathologic narcissists or act otherwise against social behaviour. If a wolf acted like this, the pack would exclude them.
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Ok fine time to read the awful document.
First off, they imply they don't have to listen to any of the comments because nobody submitted "service copies, certificates of service, or affidavits" but I'm pretty sure that's just for formal petitions to deny. The American Astronomical Society did all of those things for SpaceX's million sat filing and Reflect Orbital, and it was expensive, hard, and it didn't make a fucking difference. So not doing that again.
Oh gosh I don't know if I can actually read this. "The United States is engaged in a race for AI dominance, and as the terrestrial electric grid is overwhelmed by the demands of new data centers this race is now a race for space dominance as well"
FUCK THIS OUTRIGHT COLONIALIST DOGSHIT. WOW.
"Very little in the record disputes Cowboy Space’s qualifications"
HAHAHA that's because you haven't fucking done ANYTHING!!!
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Oh gosh I don't know if I can actually read this. "The United States is engaged in a race for AI dominance, and as the terrestrial electric grid is overwhelmed by the demands of new data centers this race is now a race for space dominance as well"
FUCK THIS OUTRIGHT COLONIALIST DOGSHIT. WOW.
"Very little in the record disputes Cowboy Space’s qualifications"
HAHAHA that's because you haven't fucking done ANYTHING!!!
"While one commenter derides Cowboy Space’s approach to data centers as mere 'avoidance' of terrestrial environmental regulation"
Uh yep that was me (via @space_environmentalism)
The rest of that section appears to be greenwashing, IN SPAAAACE!
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Sure, completely untested, brand-fucking-new company that has never built or launched a satellite. You can definitely launch 20,000 of the biggest satellites ever built.
Oh apparently their first demo mission is scheduled for OCTOBER 2026? Gosh these guys are fucking unreal. The mission is listed as "power beaming demonstration"
What does that even fucking mean? Guess they're going to fry some birds and maybe some pilots? Hm. Watch for that I guess.
@sundogplanets bah, what's the worst that could happen...
