#spacepollution — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #spacepollution, aggregated by home.social.
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‘This feels fragile’: how a satellite-smashing chain reaction could spiral out of control
Today, the space around Earth can no longer be considered empty. More than 30,000 objects are in orbit, and that figure is rising exponentially
Frederick O'Brien, Ashley Kirk and Oliver Holmes
Tue 31 Mar 2026 06.15 EDT#KesslerSyndrome #KesslerEffect #SpaceXSucks #SpacePollution #LEO
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More reasons to say "No!" to #SpaceX and #Starlink (and other unnecessary satellites!).
SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium
Georgina Rannard, Science reporter, February 19, 2025
Excerpts: "When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our #atmosphere.
"Now scientists are directly linking the uncontrolled rocket re-entry to a plume of #lithium measured less than 100km above Earth.
"It is the first time researchers have drawn a direct link between a known piece of #SpaceDebris crashing to Earth and #pollution levels.
They warn that as SpaceX chief #ElonMusk pledges to launch one million satellites in the coming years, this #contamination could be the tip of the iceberg."
[...]
"Earlier research has suggested that 10% of aerosols in the atmosphere are already contaminated by space debris.
"SpaceX has not responded to emailed requests from BBC News for comment. The researchers also sent their findings to the company but did not receive a response.
"Almost 30,000 pieces of debris are calculated to be free-floating in space, created when rockets break up in space or satellites disintegrate.
"Scientists warn that the debris is congesting space and threatens collision with rockets, the International Space Station, and our planet.
"Musk's SpaceX is the world's leading company for rocket launches including for sending humans into space and maintaining a network of 10,000 Starlink internet satellites.
"Musk recently announced he has applied to launch one million satellites to support #ArtificialIntelligence (#AI) data centres in space.
"Scientists warn that as humans move more activities off-Earth, more debris will fall to Earth, polluting as it plummets."
Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd8z4eqlxno#LithiumPollution #AtmosphericPollution #NoAIInSpace #NoDatacentersInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #SpaceJunk #DarkSkies #LowerEarthOrbit #LEO #AIBullshitMachines #TechBros #xAI #Technopoly #SpacePollution
#AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews -
This #SpaceX Situation: Not Good!
by Jason Koebler, Feb 5, 2026
Excerpt: "There are many reasons that 'AI data centers in space' may be a pipe dream and may not happen, but what he is proposing is a magnitude of #SpaceJunk that no other company could plausibly promise to launch. Data centers or not, SpaceX is now dominating #LowEarthOrbit in a way no other company or country has. While Musk has been gutting the federal government, interfering in #elections, allowing people to generate #CSAM, engaging in white supremacy, planning trips to #EpsteinsIsland, implanting #chips into people’s brains, siphoning off taxpayer money to build ridiculous tunnels, giving his sperm to whoever will take it, turning his cars into experimental robot taxis, and pretending to build #HumanoidRobots, #SpaceX has somewhat (?) quietly #colonized and dominated low earth orbit.
"Musk has taken this space for his own use, concerns about #LightPollution, satellite collisions, and telecom #monopolies be damned. This has always been concerning, but explicitly intertwining the aspirations and fate of SpaceX with Musk’s CSAM generating social media website, his #AIBullshitMachines, and his right wing political project is horrifying and monopolistic. What happens next, I have no idea."
Read more:
https://www.404media.co/this-spacex-situation-not-goodArchived version:
https://archive.ph/vUubi#TechBros #Technopoly #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews #EpsteinFiles
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#SpaceX acquires #xAI, plans to launch a massive #SatelliteConstellation to power it
“This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission.”
Eric Berger – Feb 2, 2026
"SpaceX has formally acquired another one of Elon Musk’s companies, xAi, the space company announced on Monday afternoon.
“SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform,' the company said. 'This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!' [How much Special-K did you take, dude?]
"The merging of what is arguably Musk’s most successful company, SpaceX, with the more speculative xAI venture is a risk. Founded in 2023, xAI’s main products are the generative AI chatbot Grok and the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. The company aims to compete with OpenAI and other artificial intelligence firms. However, Grok has been controversial, including the sexualization of women and children through AI-generated images, as has Musk’s management of Twitter."
#USPol #WorldPol #ElonSucks #SkyNet #AISucks #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SatellitePollution #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrom
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#SpaceX gets #FCC approval to launch 7,500 more #Starlink #satellites😱
by Anthony Ha
Sat, January 10, 2026Excerpt: "The Federal Communications Commission announced Friday that it has given SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 of its second-generation Starlink satellites, for a total of 15,000 satellites worldwide.
"Beyond simply allowing SpaceX to launch more satellites and expand its high-speed internet coverage, the FCC says its decision also means Starlink satellites can operate across five frequencies to provide direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States, along with supplemental coverage in the U.S.
"Reuters reports that SpaceX had requested approval for an additional 15,000 satellites, but the FCC said it would 'defer authorization of the remaining 14,988 proposed Gen2 Starlink satellites.'
"SpaceX must launch 50% of the approved Starlink satellites by December 1, 2028, and the remaining 50% by December 2031, the FCC says."
Read more:
https://tech.yahoo.com/science/articles/spacex-gets-fcc-approval-launch-221121996.html#KesslerSyndrome #SpaceDebris #KesslerEffect #LEO
#DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution -
This will guarantee #KesslerSyndrome sooner than later!😱
As #SpaceX Works Toward 50K #Starlink Satellites, #China Eyes Deploying 200K
China's Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation submits filings for two constellations, each of which could support 96,714 satellites, for a total of 193,428.
Michael Kan, January 12, 2026
Excerpt: "To counter China, the FCC has been expediting and streamlining its satellite approvals. This includes clearing SpaceX to operate another 7,500 satellites for its second-generation constellation. The regulator has also approved plans to operate Starlink satellites at lower orbits, from 340km to 485km. Currently, Starlink has over 9,400 orbiting satellites."
#SpaceDebris #KesslerEffect #LEO
#DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution -
Well, I think this is a hyperbole -- there will still be coax (axe/coax?) and fiber and good ol' landlines. Of course, #ElonMusk is trying to cut subsidies to those projects to divert money to #Starlink access!
#KesslerSyndrome: Space debris may create a future with no internet, TV, or mobile phone
By Quamrul Haider, 19 January 2025
Excerpt: "If, indeed, satellites collide or go offline because of overcrowded LEO, critical services like internet, navigation (GPS), weather forecasts, cell phones, television and other space-based technologies could fail. Needless to say, this will cause widespread disruption to modern life. Imagine life without social media!"
#KesslerEffect #Starlink #LEO #DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution
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@sundogplanets Some scary and not very well-thought through shit (what is is new from TechBros).
#ReflectOrbital #DarkSkies #MirrorSatellites #SpaceJunk #SpacePollution #LightPollution
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Will #Musk’s #Starlink satellites lead to #KesslerSyndrome?
#SpaceWeather poses a tremendous threat to all satellites, knocking all computer systems offline. Is that a recipe for Kessler syndrome?
"Over the past 4 years, the number of active satellites in #LowEarthOrbit have increased by several thousand, with tens of thousands more planned in the coming years. The ultimate nightmare is that we’ll experience Kessler syndrome: where a runaway chain reaction of collisions litters low-Earth orbit with millions of pieces of debris, making new launches all but impossible. Currently, Starlink satellites avoid collisions through on-board #AI software that tells them how to move. If that software gets knocked offline, such as by space weather, we have no protections against this catastrophe."
Read more:
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/musk-starlink-satellites-kessler-syndrome/#KesslerEffect #StarlinkSatellites #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #LEO #Grounded
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Also, #LightPollution from #StarlinkSatellites and #SpacePollution when they become obsolete!
#SpaceX Pushes States To Scrap #Fiber Plans And Redirect All #Broadband Grants To Starlink
By The Droid Guy
August 19, 2025"The fight over America’s broadband future is heating up again, and this time SpaceX is taking direct aim at state governments. In a filing with #Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, the company argued that the state’s decision to dedicate more than 90 percent of its federal broadband grants to fiber is 'wasteful and unnecessary taxpayer spending.' Instead, SpaceX insists, the money should go to its Starlink satellite network.
SpaceX vs. Fiber: Two Competing Visions
"At the heart of the dispute lies the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (#BEAD) program, a federal initiative meant to expand high-speed internet access. Under the Trump administration, rules were rewritten to favor a 'tech-neutral' approach, allowing satellite providers like SpaceX to compete more directly with traditional wired services. Louisiana’s final proposal, however, still leans heavily on fiber infrastructure.
"Louisiana intends to spend about $499 million to connect roughly 128,000 homes and businesses, the majority through a consortium of fiber providers. Starlink, in contrast, was awarded just $7.75 million to serve 10,327 locations. SpaceX argues it could have covered nearly all households for under $100 million, claiming the state ignored the new federal rules that emphasize cost efficiency.
The Case For Fiber
"State officials remain cautious about going all-in on satellites. Fiber, though more expensive to deploy, is widely considered 'future-proof' because capacity can scale dramatically as technology improves. A single fiber line can eventually deliver multi-gigabit speeds without replacing the underlying infrastructure. It’s also immune to congestion issues that plague wireless systems.
"Louisiana’s broadband office has noted concerns about Starlink’s long-term viability, pointing out challenges such as limited spectrum, susceptibility to weather, interference from trees, and capacity strain in densely populated areas. Simply put, fiber can handle the demand of tomorrow, while satellites may hit performance ceilings."
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Grrrrr... #Starlink tries to block #Virginia’s plan to bring #FiberInternet to residents
#SpaceX wants more money, asks Trump admin to reject state's #broadband grant plan.
Jon Brodkin – Aug 14, 2025
"Starlink operator SpaceX is fighting Virginia's plan to deploy fiber Internet service to residents, claiming that federal grant money should be given to Starlink instead. SpaceX is already in line to win over $3 million in grant money in the state but is seeking $60 million.
"Starlink is poised to benefit from the Trump administration rewriting rules for the $42 billion #Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (#BEAD) grant program. While the Biden administration decided that states should prioritize #fiber in order to build more #FutureProof networks, the Trump administration ordered states to revise their plans with a 'tech-neutral approach' and lower the average cost of serving each location."
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #KesslerSyndrome #LightPollution #MoreCablesLessSatellites #BuildForTheFuture #DarkFiber #FiberOptic #ElonSucks #TrumpSucks #USPol
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Keep creating #SpaceJunk, #Elon! Maybe it's time to send up the #SpaceJanitors, eh?
The #KesslerSyndrome: Crisis in Space Intensifies as Thousands of Satellites Crowd Earth Orbit
by Micah Hanks, May 8, 2025
Excerpt: "Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… as #SpaceX’s Starlink constellation continues to raise the number of operational satellites in orbit, scientists are raising alarms about the growing threat of #SpaceDebris. In our analysis this week, we’ll be looking at 1) the potential onset of the Kessler Syndrome, 2) how a cascading chain reaction of orbital collisions could jeopardize #satellites, #SpaceStations, and critical infrastructure in space, and 3) what space agencies like NASA and the ESA are doing to mitigate risks through debris removal missions and stricter deorbiting guidelines, amid concerns over whether current efforts will be enough to prevent orbital chaos."
#Satellites #SpacePollution #KesslerEffect #Starlink #DeadSatellites #DarkSkies
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#Endangered #turtles share this #Mexican beach with #SpaceX rocket debris. The company says there’s no risk of harm [Sure. We totally believe you, Elon!]
After the recent explosion of a SpaceX rocket on June 19, the NGO reported that some large fragments appeared in Mexican territory the next morning.
By Ivonne Valdes, Max Saltman, Ana Melgar and Isa Cardona, CNN
Published Jul 2, 2025 5:35 PM EDT | Updated Jul 2, 2025 5:35 PM EDT
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#ClimateChange #SpacePollution #Starlink #Musk #ClimateCrisis #GHG
It is very important to ask three questions:
1.) How do spaceship and satellite launches impact our environment, in particular the #thermosphere?
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/113295593037140652
2.) Who is the main culprit of this unsustainable development in orbit? (see below)
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/111141586398331386
(Translation: see #AltText)
3.) How do we combat it?
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Unfortunately, I missed this protest. But good to know that #BruceGagnon and others are bringing attention to the #MilitarizationOfSpace!
Oct 24 'Maine Space Conference' protest news release
Bruce Gagnon: "The #MaineSpaceConference is promoting the militarization of space. Efforts are being made to test #hypersonic missiles at the former #LoringAirForceBase. #bluShitAerospace is receiving funding from the U.S. #SpaceForce to launch 'dual use' (military/civilian) mini-satellites into dangerously congested #LowerEarthOrbit. [#LEO].
"Promises of lots of jobs, little to no #environmental impacts, and peaceful exploration of space are the standard claims made at a myriad of potential new launch sites the #USMilitary is exploring around the world.
"The U.S. and #Israel have been blocking a #SpaceWeaponsBan treaty (#PAROS) at the United Nations for more than 25 years.
"Our nation cannot afford to pay for a new expensive arms race in outer space."https://space4peace.blogspot.com/2024/10/protest-maine-space-conference-portland.html
#NoToxicRocketsForMaine #SpaceCorporations #Pollution #ToxicRockets #SpacePollution #SpaceIndustry #PFASContamination #Maine #NoWar #Protest
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Musk's #satellites 'blocking' view of the #universe
by Georgina Rannard
September 18, 2024"#RadioWaves from #ElonMusk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
"The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with #RadioTelescopes than earlier versions, they say.
"The thousands of orbiting satellites are 'blinding' radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (#ASTRON).
"#SpaceX, which owns Starlink, has not replied to a request from BBC News for comment.
"The satellites provide broadband internet around the world, often to remote places, including challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.
"They are also used to connect remote areas of the UK to fast internet. In 2022 tests showed that Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
"But astronomers say this comes at a cost.
"'Every time more of these are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky,' Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, told BBC News."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SpaceJunk #SignalToNoise #TurnOffTheNoise #TooManySatellites #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
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Musk's #satellites 'blocking' view of the #universe
by Georgina Rannard
September 18, 2024"#RadioWaves from #ElonMusk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
"The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with #RadioTelescopes than earlier versions, they say.
"The thousands of orbiting satellites are 'blinding' radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (#ASTRON).
"#SpaceX, which owns Starlink, has not replied to a request from BBC News for comment.
"The satellites provide broadband internet around the world, often to remote places, including challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.
"They are also used to connect remote areas of the UK to fast internet. In 2022 tests showed that Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
"But astronomers say this comes at a cost.
"'Every time more of these are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky,' Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, told BBC News."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SpaceJunk #SignalToNoise #TurnOffTheNoise #TooManySatellites #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
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Musk's #satellites 'blocking' view of the #universe
by Georgina Rannard
September 18, 2024"#RadioWaves from #ElonMusk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
"The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with #RadioTelescopes than earlier versions, they say.
"The thousands of orbiting satellites are 'blinding' radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (#ASTRON).
"#SpaceX, which owns Starlink, has not replied to a request from BBC News for comment.
"The satellites provide broadband internet around the world, often to remote places, including challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.
"They are also used to connect remote areas of the UK to fast internet. In 2022 tests showed that Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
"But astronomers say this comes at a cost.
"'Every time more of these are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky,' Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, told BBC News."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SpaceJunk #SignalToNoise #TurnOffTheNoise #TooManySatellites #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
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Musk's #satellites 'blocking' view of the #universe
by Georgina Rannard
September 18, 2024"#RadioWaves from #ElonMusk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
"The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with #RadioTelescopes than earlier versions, they say.
"The thousands of orbiting satellites are 'blinding' radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (#ASTRON).
"#SpaceX, which owns Starlink, has not replied to a request from BBC News for comment.
"The satellites provide broadband internet around the world, often to remote places, including challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.
"They are also used to connect remote areas of the UK to fast internet. In 2022 tests showed that Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
"But astronomers say this comes at a cost.
"'Every time more of these are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky,' Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, told BBC News."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SpaceJunk #SignalToNoise #TurnOffTheNoise #TooManySatellites #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
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Musk's #satellites 'blocking' view of the #universe
by Georgina Rannard
September 18, 2024"#RadioWaves from #ElonMusk’s growing network of satellites are blocking scientists’ ability to peer into the universe, according to researchers in the Netherlands.
"The new generation of Starlink satellites, which provide fast internet around the world, are interfering more with #RadioTelescopes than earlier versions, they say.
"The thousands of orbiting satellites are 'blinding' radio telescopes and may be hindering astronomical research, according to Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (#ASTRON).
"#SpaceX, which owns Starlink, has not replied to a request from BBC News for comment.
"The satellites provide broadband internet around the world, often to remote places, including challenging environments like Ukraine and Yemen.
"They are also used to connect remote areas of the UK to fast internet. In 2022 tests showed that Starlink could deliver internet speeds four times faster than the average, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
"But astronomers say this comes at a cost.
"'Every time more of these are launched with these kinds of emission levels, we see less and less of the sky,' Professor Jessica Dempsey, director of ASTRON, told BBC News."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4dnr8zemgo
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #SpaceJunk #SignalToNoise #TurnOffTheNoise #TooManySatellites #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
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No Toxic Rockets for Maine
Who We Are
"#NatureLovers opposed to building #polluting #RocketLaunch sites in #Maine. We monitored & resisted the rush to pass 'emergency' legislation to create a public-private partnership for rocket launch sites in our state. In April, 2022, #LD1923 was signed into law by Gov. #JanetMills after passing the House 'under the gavel' i.e. without a voice vote.
Military Use
"LD 1923's sponsor Rep. Daughtry insists that no military uses are planned for rocket launch sites in Maine. But in every location we've studied, the same promises were made and not kept.
"In# Kodiak, #Alaska 20 years ago one launch site was built with developers claiming it was only for civilian purposes. There are now multiple sites there being used by the #Pentagon and the #IsraeliMilitary. Meanwhile, the jobs that were promised for the project never developed. Sites are staffed when launches happen by outsiders who leave after the event. Only custodial and security staff jobs are available to the local community.
"Recently a #SpaceX launch of satellites saw 40 of them fall out of the atmosphere due to a #SolarStorm. In their statement about their response to the incident, SpaceX stressed their close cooperation with the Pentagon:
"The #Starlink team commanded the satellites into a safe-mode where they would fly edge-on (like a sheet of paper) to minimize drag — to effectively 'take cover from the storm' — the #SpaceForce’s 18th Space Control Squadron and LeoLabs to provide updates on the satellites based on ground radars.
#Toxic Fallout
"When rocket launches go wrong -- as they frequently do -- #chemicals rain down on land and sea as highly toxic materials burn up.
"In case of fires at the rocket launch site, large scale storage of #PFAS foam is to be expected. Maine already has a severe #PFASContamination problem on #Agricultural land across the state."
Learn more about their mission:
https://www.notoxicrockets4me.org/#NoToxicRocketsForMaine #SpaceCorporations #Pollution #MilitarizationOfSpace #ToxicRockets #SpacePollution #SpaceIndustry
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#Protest outside & inside of #MaineSpaceConference
By Bruce Gagnon,
Published on Organising Notes, 7 November 2023"About 200 people attended the conference which was intended to ramp up the establishment of Maine’s campaign to enter ‘the space race’.
"The event began with Dr. Terry Shehata, Executive Director of the Maine Space Grant Consortium, introducing a NASA headquarters speaker who was described as ‘Our sugar daddy, we need to keep him happy’. The NASA representative talked alot about reaching students across Maine and beyond in order to build their support for everything space. After all, in just a few years these students will be taxpayers and the aerospace industry wants to ensure that their generation supports massive federal spending for Moon and Mars missions and the #militarization and #nuclearization of space.
"The aerospace industry calls it an investment. I learned this years ago at a similar conference at the #KennedySpaceCenter in Florida. In a workshop on ‘updating the center’s museum’, the director told the assembled they were retro-fitting the museum on a Mars theme. He bragged that they brought in thousands of Florida students each year that ‘would soon be taxpayers’. That is now a national NASA organizing strategy to keep the aerospace funding pipeline humming for years to come. Get to the students and sell them on the ‘wonders of space’. Let’s all be astronauts!
"Maine State Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Brunswick) led a plenary panel discussion that promoted the joys of the space gold rush by promising loads of good paying jobs, little-to-no #environmental impacts from launching rockets, and heavy emphasis on teacher and student recruitment. Daughtry was the prime sponsor of the bill in the state legislature to create the Maine Space Corporation with its 17-member board that heavily represents the aerospace industry.
"Almost all the plenary speakers talked about the wonders of #MaineWilderness that enables us to see the starry #NightSky. Sadly none of the speakers noted the irony that due to the space gold rush, launching thousands of #satellites is ruining the dark view. #Astronomers complain that it is becoming near impossible to do astronomical research because of long-strings of blinking #satellites in the night sky.
[...]
"While many of the speakers made grand claims about jobs to come from #Maine’s participation in the space gold rush, the evidence is otherwise. One of the other speakers at the conference talked about space manufacturing becoming increasingly done via robotic and computerized operations. This would increase ‘productivity’ and increase profit but reduce the need for so many workers.
"Other places where #RocketLaunch sites have been created like #KodiakIsland, #Alaska and #RocketLab in #NewZealand promised lots of jobs (which never materialized) and only civilian launches. In both those cases virtually all launches so far have been for the US Pentagon. In the case of Rocket Lab it has been taken over by #LockheedMartin.
"Many of the people attending the Maine Space Conference were investors who are eager to ride the space rocket to grab profit and notoriety. Like any gold rush the long-term truth turns out to be quite different than the original sales pitch promises.
"It is incumbent upon Maine citizens to pay attention to this issue before taxpayers in the state get handed a huge bill for costs that were never made clear during this early round of pie-in-the-sky promotion."
Read more:
https://space4peace.org/protest-outside-inside-of-maine-space-conference/#DarkSkies #Maine #SpaceIndustry #ToxicRockets #NoToxicRocketsForMaine #MilitarizationOfSpace #WaterIsLife #Wildlife #Pollution #SpacePollution