Rocket Labs Humanity Star, very cool

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tdgeek

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#228847 25-Jan-2018 14:30

Like ISS but it blinks, and while its teeny, its naked eye visible

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/01/how-to-see-rocket-lab-s-humanity-star.html

About and How to View

http://www.thehumanitystar.com/

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Banana?
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#1946640 25-Jan-2018 15:02

I heard a headline on the radio this morning about an astronomer who is likening RocketLab to Trump for arrogantly putting something into the night sky 'for ego' or something similar.

I sort of agreed with him at the time (I was driving to work) - a little bit arrogant putting something up there shining bright and all.

I got to work and read about it and changed my mind. It will only be there a few months before disintegrating back into the atmosphere. Pretty cool I reckon. NZs first Satellite - and it is something we can all see!

Mistenfuru

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#1946645 25-Jan-2018 15:07

I agree, Anything that increases peoples curiosity in Space and Science can never be bad.

Coil

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#1946646 25-Jan-2018 15:07

trig42:

I heard a headline on the radio this morning about an astronomer who is likening RocketLab to Trump for arrogantly putting something into the night sky 'for ego' or something similar.

I sort of agreed with him at the time (I was driving to work) - a little bit arrogant putting something up there shining bright and all.

I got to work and read about it and changed my mind. It will only be there a few months before disintegrating back into the atmosphere. Pretty cool I reckon. NZs first Satellite - and it is something we can all see!

Could be worse, Could be a nation tied up in everyone else affairs putting spy crap in the sky. Whop Dee Doo, A reflective bit of junk that will fall out of orbit very soon...

Or is that what we are supposed to think?

trig42

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#1946664 25-Jan-2018 15:10

Yes, don't look directly at it without a Tin-Foil hat and X-Ray Glasses form the back of a 70's comic book. Mind control...

freitasm

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#1946667 25-Jan-2018 15:14

Do we need more stuff in space? Sure, what is one more to add to the more of 500,000 pieces already there (as of 2013)...

If you didn't detect the sarcasm, I meant we don't need more junk up there. and when it comes back where is it going to land? Is it safe? Won't it hit any airplane or fall into someone's roof?

MurrayM

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#1946682 25-Jan-2018 15:22

freitasm:

Do we need more stuff in space? Sure, what is one more to add to the more of 500,000 pieces already there (as of 2013)...

If you didn't detect the sarcasm, I meant we don't need more junk up there. and when it comes back where is it going to land? Is it safe? Won't it hit any airplane or fall into someone's roof?

What will happen to it when it de-orbits?

The Humanity Star will burn up on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving no trace in space or on Earth.

throbb

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#1946684 25-Jan-2018 15:26

freitasm:

Do we need more stuff in space? Sure, what is one more to add to the more of 500,000 pieces already there (as of 2013)...

If you didn't detect the sarcasm, I meant we don't need more junk up there. and when it comes back where is it going to land? Is it safe? Won't it hit any airplane or fall into someone's roof?

The difference to most of the junk up there is,

This has a 3 month life span before it falls out of orbit
Its small and light weight and will totally disintegrate on re-entry

MikeAqua

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#1946691 25-Jan-2018 15:35

trig42:

I heard a headline on the radio this morning about an astronomer who is likening RocketLab to Trump for arrogantly putting something into the night sky 'for ego' or something similar.

Beck was on the AM show today. His motive for Humanity Star was that he thinks the first time a nation puts something in space it should be noticeable to mark the occasion. He talked about Sputnik outputting a radio ping, which you could only detect if you had a SW radio (in 1957).

He thought Humanity Star should be noticeable by anyone on earth. Obviously you need eyesight and clear night sky at the right time.

Mike

trig42

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#1946721 25-Jan-2018 15:42

Here is that article in NZ Herald - Ian Griffin quite angry about it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11981960

IMO, it is cool. Looking forward to seeing it.

Coil

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#1946748 25-Jan-2018 16:05

trig42:

Here is that article in NZ Herald - Ian Griffin quite angry about it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11981960

IMO, it is cool. Looking forward to seeing it.

He has a chip on his shoulder as a self proclaimed Astrology expert. He will have a reason to try and deface the company.

antoniosk

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#1946749 25-Jan-2018 16:10

freitasm:

Do we need more stuff in space? Sure, what is one more to add to the more of 500,000 pieces already there (as of 2013)...

If you didn't detect the sarcasm, I meant we don't need more junk up there. and when it comes back where is it going to land? Is it safe? Won't it hit any airplane or fall into someone's roof?

I wonder if it's aimed at the Hutt Valley specifically.... ;-)

Visible across NZ on Feb 20th, from 10pm I'm told. Whether that's reliable, who knows?

________

Antonios K

Mistenfuru

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#1946753 25-Jan-2018 16:14

antoniosk:

freitasm:

Do we need more stuff in space? Sure, what is one more to add to the more of 500,000 pieces already there (as of 2013)...

If you didn't detect the sarcasm, I meant we don't need more junk up there. and when it comes back where is it going to land? Is it safe? Won't it hit any airplane or fall into someone's roof?

I wonder if it's aimed at the Hutt Valley specifically.... ;-)

Visible across NZ on Feb 20th, from 10pm I'm told. Whether that's reliable, who knows?

Very reliable, the website has a live tracker of it's orbital trajectory too http://www.thehumanitystar.com/

geocom

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#1946772 25-Jan-2018 16:29

trig42:

Here is that article in NZ Herald - Ian Griffin quite angry about it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11981960

Some of the tweets quoted in that article are laughably bad they act like it's static and will block the view of stars.

Orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes

It will come and go very quickly from the night sky that you can observe. Now if they had put it in a geosynchronous orbit then I would be more open to their objections but it's not.

I also would not consider it space junk for the simple reason that it is not defunct is at a low orbit has a planned EOL and is on a tracked orbit uptil it reenters the earths atmosphere to die. To understand the real concern with space junk take a look at the Kessler Syndrome I would not put Humanity's star in this category.

Geoff E

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#1946786 25-Jan-2018 16:45

Some people in the comments sections on these articles really need to understand that small low earth orbit objects typically enter the Earth's atmosphere relatively quickly after they are defunct and completely burn up as I understand the issues with space junk is generally not at low orbit.

Behodar

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#1946788 25-Jan-2018 16:50

geocom: Some of the tweets quoted in that article are laughably bad

tdgeek: its naked eye visible

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