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(meteorobs) OT---Thoughts on Iridiums
Just a thought for all of us here. What if, as seems rather likely, the
Iridium Consortium goes bankrupt and no longer has the money to control
their satellites. While there may be some benefit for radio atronomy, can
you imagine the horror for visual satronomy with over 200 uncontolled
mirrors capable of reflecting -8 magnitude flashes anywhere in the sky for
several millenia (I don't know for sure what the deorbit time for
satellites in that high an orbit is, but I'm sure it's QUITE long). Once
they are not predictable, and no longer do any orbit keeping, they could
ruin astronomy forever (ay least as far as my lifetime is concerned.
Now that they are up there, at some time in the future, this scenario will
likely come to pass.
I am afraid....very afraid
Wayne
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