this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2025

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251

A 3-tonne, $1.5 billion satellite to watch Earth’s every move is set to launch this week (theconversation.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 92 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Speaking as a layman, I just think it's fuckin' awesome how a big chonky boi can be propelled upwards at Mach Yeet and get casually dropped off in orbit.

Even though Musk is a cunt, I still love watching SpaceX streams to see big bits of metal get put upwards by lots of fire and noise, and then fuckin' land where they started seven or eight minutes later.

Science is fuckin mint, man.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Don't quote me on this, but I've heard SpaceX itself is pretty good at keeping Musk away from the actually important things. Something about having a team dedicated to keeping him distracted.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah it's a shame that Musk is so inextricably linked with the brand. I'm quite sure SpaceX and Tesla are full of top tier talent and engineering wizards... but have a direct link to a toxic cockwomble that bankrolls them. Shame.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

And yet whenever some achievement is made, the headlines are "Musk achieves great feat"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

He likely brought a ton of capital with him.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Imagine getting a job at SpaceX thinking you're gonna build a moon base and you get put on 'Elon distraction' 😭

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I like your funny words, magic man

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago

I'm surprised I strung so many together coherently to be honest!

[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

“Mach yeet” is now added to my list of sentences I never knew I wanted to read

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago

If I could have crowbarred "moist" in there somewhere too, I'd have set the lexical tiktok on fire.

...if there is even one, don't come at me TNETENNBA fans!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

As an engineer I would like to second this motion to get "Mach Yeet" adopted as an IEC standard technical term.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Have you had a chance to play Kerbal Space Program yet? If not, I think you'd really enjoy it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I haven't, no - and you're probably right, yes.

I worry that if I start playing KSP then my other half and kids won't see me again for six months because it does sound fucking awesome and highly rewarding.

Nope, I'm a simple man. I play through a couple of Doom WADs each summer in the academic off-season and that's my gaming appetite satiated.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago

I made the mistake of thinking KSP was a game and not literal mother fucking rocket science.

There was a lot of explosions and no space.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

... I think I agree with your sentiment? honestly it's hard to tell because everything you just said is delivered in this ultra-cringe meme language. I guess this is so the average middle schooler can understand what you're saying? or is this how robots think humans communicate, so when they want to pretend they're an "average human internet user", they talk in this ridiculous idiotic meme codec? idk, whatever, it's peak cringe, but ok cool comment

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 weeks ago

ain't no harm skibidi ohio guy, don't got time fo the low-rizz crowd, no cap

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago

Which part of "chonky boi" or "mach yeet" do you need an average middle schooler to translate for you? Contextually, it's very clear what is being said for anyone that can read and speaks English.

You think you know what was said, then insulted it saying it was dumbed down for the average middle schooler. What does that say about you?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago

Wish you weren’t such a yuck of their yum, my dude.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

4, 3, 2, 1... Reverse! We have reverse!... And we're turning... Putting it on D....hit the gas pedal... All systems nominal! The vehicle is gaining speed at 25mph. Entering the 5north at 45mph in climbing... 65! We have reached max Q...honey tell the kids what max Q means....kids, maxQ is when the vehicle sees maximum hydrodynamic pressure.

Trying to avoid MECO at all costs until we park.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Just what we needed, more surveillance /s

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

Did you read the part where this is a radar satellite designed for monitoring the climate? That is, did you read anything besides the headline before you decided: "Yeah, I think I'm able to make informed commentary about this"?

[–] [email protected] 32 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Did you miss the /s?

Maybe you need a high res satellite.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I don't know why you're assuming their '/s' is alluding to sarcasm around this being surveillance versus sarcasm around needing more surveillance. "We need more surveillance (we actually don't)" seems to be indicated here, not "This is surveillance (it actually isn't)".

Especially when Reddit types are notoriously, chronically unable to read articles before they go spouting uninformed bullshit in the comments.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Why not both?

(We don't need more surveillance and this isn't actually surveillance.)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

A lot of technology has been repurposed for other uses than what they were mutually designed. What’s to stop the operators from using such a high def satellite to spy on people?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Probably because it’s too cheap and primitive? Why use something not specially used to spy on people when you already have significantly designed satellites with a bigger budget and better technology?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Like others have pointed out, It was indeed very much tongue-in-cheek.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

changes on Earth’s surface down to the centimetre

These things really fuck with nude sunbathing.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

Some of us are blessed with

They need to launch a much more expensive satellite for that.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

Hey, if they want to put themselves through looking at me in the nude, they can inflict that pain on themselves. I'd be more worried about them tracking everything else someone does day to day, and who could get their hands on that data.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

This is absolutely fucked. Bring down the all seeing eye in the sky satelite

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

"All seeing" except it's using radar to evaluate typography and biomass. What am I missing that makes this "absolutely fucked"?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Impressive that it has the resolution to identify fonts

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

I was so confused when I saw your comment until I reread my own. It really is top notch technology I guess!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

This first iteration is only capable of identifying serif fonts, still impressive though.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Aren't you a tiny blob of typography and biomass yourself?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

How did you know? Really though I was looking at the picture in the article which is from similar technology about a decade ago.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

they've had spy sats since the 1960s

its not that bad

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Scary. In whose hands will this technological marvel be?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

India

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

This is really cool.

Anyone know where can I publically find satellite data which is regularly updated, for hobby projects.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

I recall a Judas Priest song about this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Don't such satellites have a major flaw, that they revolve? Considering that earth is spherical, those satellites can only monitor some half of the earth each moment, given their sensors have such high FOV.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 weeks ago

How is that a flaw? It just sounds like a design consideration...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Yes that's how one satellite can image a lot of area.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Do you expect the satellite to see the whole earth?

You know it's night for like half of it, yea?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

What are you talking about? There's only one side. /s

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I'm not agreeing with their dumb point, but just pointing out: this satellite works on radar. I'm genuinely concerned how many people seem to be commenting without reading the article.