@dkmunro.bsky.social:
“The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications.”
www.propublica.org/article/faa-…
The Shitball Fuckweasel Investors:
@erikhoffner.bsky.social:
Here’s the latest on this very bad SpaceX proposal to add a million new satellites to orbit
They’re now pushing back against the huge outcry with petulance & disingenuous arguments, as usual
“The fuckweasels vehemently deny that environmental laws apply to them at all,” one astronomer says
@climatenews.bsky.social:
The term “fuckweasels” seems fitting.
@danambergstrom.bsky.social:
I like it – it’s going enter my lexicon
@crookeddick.bsky.social:
corpus christi texas is going to run out of water any day now because of spacex btw lol
@sabagrey.bsky.social:
I bet the wealthy will equip their houses with space-waste-proof roofs first.
planet4589.bsky.social:
Another proposed orbital data center megaconstellation: Blue Origin have filed a plan for “Sunrise”, 51600 satellites at 500 to 1800 km.
@witsendfr.bsky.social:
Wow, comes to something when “fuckweasels” enters the scientific language dictionary.
@stanzobrand.bsky.social:
Even ignoring the very real space junk concerns, data centers in space is an incredibly stupid idea even by elon standards
SpaceX To Start Small With 1 Million Satellite Plan, Pushes Back On Critics
The company’s rebuttal to the FCC mentions launching orbital data center constellation in phases, and studying potential atmospheric impacts. SpaceX also threw plenty of shade at Amazon.
Michael Kan, Senior Reporter, Mar 17, 2026, PC Mag
OUR EXPERT
When he’s not battling bugs and robots in Helldivers 2, Michael is reporting on AI, satellites, cybersecurity, PCs, and tech policy.
As SpaceX faces opposition to its 1 million-satellite proposal for orbiting data centers, the company has told a US regulator it plans on starting small so it can first monitor the potential atmospheric effects before a wider roll out. I expect the company will lie about any negative impacts observed, and keep polluting without consequence. Musk bought Trump after all, it seems to kill the investigations into his businesses’ dreadful practices, get Trump to massively deregulate so that Musk will get richer, and be able to abuse and pollute more freely.
On Monday, SpaceX told the Federal Communications Commission it plans on deploying the ambitious constellation in phases. The company submitted the 32-page filing as a rebuttal to the flood of comments the FCC has received about the company’s 1 million-satellite proposal, which the Commission is reviewing for possible approval.
“SpaceX understands commenters’ concerns regarding frequent launches and satellite re-entries potentially impacting Earth’s atmosphere,” the company wrote. what about abusing and polluting the communities where your fucking company launches from?
The filing then adds the company plans to coordinate with “relevant federal agencies and stakeholders to study how the Orbital Data Center system interacts with Earth’s atmosphere.”translation, Musk will remind authorities he owns Trump’s kid-raping sadistic ugly ass
“Consistent with SpaceX’s commitment tozero environmental stewardship and data-driven decision making, SpaceX also plans a phased deployment approach for this system to monitor actual atmospheric effects, validate models with real-world data, and implement any necessary adjustments as it scales.”The night sky is already far too polluted and earth is too polluted for more Musk! No more fucking spacex shit in space or on land!
(Maciej Frolow via Getty)
The filing doesn’t mention the exact number of satellites that’ll be launched during the early phase. SpaceX merely wrote: “Initial operations under this license will be limited to a significantly smaller number of satellites and re-entries than the maximum authorized, providing time to monitor actual effects, validate models with real-world data, and implement any necessary adjustments before scaling.”
The proposed constellation is so large it’ll likely require thousands of rocket flights, assuming all the satellites are launched from Earth. In addition, the same satellites are only designed to operate for several years before they’re retired. To dispose of them, SpaceX has proposed de-orbiting at least some of the satellites and letting them burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Others will be retired by sending them on a path to orbit the Sun.Fuck this company and Musk and everyone he buys off; Fuck Nazi Grok especially.
SpaceX already retires aging Starlink satellites by using fiery atmospheric re-entries to disintegrate the hardware. However, scientists have been questioning if burned-up satellites could release ozone depleting chemicals into the atmosphere, especially since SpaceX has already been retiring hundreds of Starlink satellites, a number that’s only expected to grow over time. An estimated 1,500 Starlink satellites have already been de-orbited, according to the astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
It’s a topic that scientists say demands more study, and some have urged governments to investigate. Interestingly, SpaceX’s letter to the FCC notes that the company itself has been “exploring novel experiments and assessment methods to better characterize the effects of re-entering satellites on Earth’s atmosphere,” although no further details were provided.
But in the same filing, SpaceX urged the Commission to continue rejecting calls for satellite constellations to undergo a “lengthy” environmental review under the National Environmental Protection Act. The company cites two studies from the European Space Agency that found the “atmospheric impact of spacecraft reentries is relatively low.” I am sure, this is not the case regarding the horrendously impactful greedily insane scale Musk has planned. And then, there are the cumulative harms which are gross and many.That said, both studies were first initiated back in 2019 and noted there are “still high-level uncertainties” in their modeling of the atmospheric impacts.
SpaceX sent the rebuttal when the company’s orbital data center proposal has received over 1,400 comments in the FCC’s online filing system —a staggering amount compared to a typical satellite application. In addition, much of the feedback seems to urge the FCC to deny the plan over other impacts, including interference to astronomy and light pollution concerns.
In its own filing, SpaceX said it “appreciated” the comments from the astronomy community, amateur observers and environmental advocates. But the company says it’s already working on various measures to tackle their concerns. This includes making the satellites too faint for human eyes or telescopes to see — a goal SpaceX has been trying to achieve with Starlink as well. In addition, the filing argues “orbital data centers represent the most environmentally responsible choice to meet surging AI demandbecause we cruel AI billionaire shitball fuckers have created an easy way to make $billions in profits on scumbag humans removing clothing off women and kids without their consent and creating phenomenal volumes of CSAM and other illegal porn since they’ll harness the “near-constant solar power in space rather than tapping terrestrial power grids.”AI is a fucking billionaire created child and women abusing bubble, it’s going to pop. Like frac’ing and religion, AI must be fucking criminalized, and all data centres shut down until the douche fuckers prove they have some humanity.
However, the Elon Musk company didn’t hold back its criticism of rival satellite internet companies, including Amazon, which has urged the FCC to reject the 1 million satellite proposal. SpaceX accused Amazon of “fearmongering” and even failing to properly read its proposal for the orbiting data centers.
“For example, baseless claims about harmful interference from Amazon, Viasat, and WISPA (Association for Broadband Without Boundaries) reflect a fundamental failure of reading comprehension,” SpaceX said in urging the FCC to reject the “anticompetitive arguments.”JFC, look in the god damned mirror SpaceFuckingX
The filing also pushes back on Amazon’s assertions that the 1 million-satellite constellation risks “monopolizing” orbits around Earth. “If Amazon had employed even basic math, it would realize that SpaceX’s proposed system would inhabit only 0.005% of the 1.1 trillion cubic kilometers of space across the 500–2,000 km orbits,” SpaceX shot back.
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But Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert and professor of astronautics at the University of Birmingham, says SpaceX’s “0.005% figure” is actually misleading.
“Firstly, 0.005% of the 1.1 trillion cubic kilometres is nearly 60 million cubic kilometres. That’s a huge volume of space that SpaceX is seeking to claim with its proposed ODC system. By citing a percentage of the near-total LEO (low-Earth orbit) volume, SpaceX has cleverly made the occupation seem negligible,” Lewis wrote in a LinkedIn post.
The constellation will also be full of activity as the satellites maneuver to avoid colliding, and new satellites replace the old. “Assuming some separation between these satellites, one can argue that the entire LEO volume will have some SpaceX ODC occupation,” he added.
University of Regina astronomy professor Samantha Lawler also noted that existing Starlink satellites still remain bright enough to interfere with telescopes. In a post on Mastodon, she was also doubtful SpaceX could prevent the orbiting data center satellites from producing light pollution since they’ll likely feature even larger solar panels.Think of the waste of resources, the pollution and lost water, just to let human monsters strip kids and women without their consent, and create CSAM. Cruel and wastefully stupid and potentially life destroying.
SpaceX says it’ll “coordinate with federal agencies to study atmospheric effects of reentries and in the next the fuckweasels vehemently deny that environmental laws apply to them at all,” she added in her posts.This is the most powerful and brilliant environmental impact ssessment sentence I’ve ever read!
How the FCC will rule on SpaceX’s proposal remains unclear. But the Commission’s chairman, Brendan Carr, scolded Amazon last week, saying the company should focus on its own satellite efforts, rather than criticize SpaceX.
***
Prof. Sam Lawler @sundogplanets:
SpaceX’s highly paid lawyers responded to the hundreds of comments and oppositions submitted to the FCC in one letter, that basically shows they didn’t actually read our petitions to deny. And now we astronomers and dark sky advocates who are volunteering our time have to do a shitload more work to respond to their non-response. By Friday.
Fuck you, SpaceX.
I am feeling seriously depressed about this, and also Reflect Orbital’s no doubt similarly infuriating response that’s due in a couple of days. I’m not sure what I expected, I guess I’m just not cynical enough to deal with current reality yet. Kessler Syndrome, here we come!!
Yesterday I borrowed a book off email hidden; JavaScript is required">@astrokiwi.bsky.social‘s bookshelf written by email hidden; JavaScript is required">@annaleen. Feeling slightly homesick for Saskatchewan after a few weeks in New Zealand, I was DELIGHTED to find that the book begins with “The Last Saskatchewan Pirate” and I’m totally going to channel that Saskatchewan pirate energy into the talks, writing, and meetings I have today fighting satellite pollution.
Aaaarrrr, Matey! Get it? Métis?
The Arrogant Worms – The Last Saskatchewan Pirate By daviddowns81
Fun and funny song!
Grant me the (Saskatchewan pirate?) strength to not throw my laptop out the fucking window as I try to write parts of the text for the American Astronomical Society’s response to SpaceX’s infuriating, arrogant, ignorant, irresponsible non-response.
HOLY FUCK THIS IS SO HARD IN ONE PARAGRAPH THE SHITBALLS SAY THEY’LL COORDINATE WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES TO STUDY ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS OF REENTRIES AND IN THE NEXT THE FUCKWEASELS VEHEMENTLY DENY THAT ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS APPLY TO THEM AT ALL AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
SO ANGRY
THEY SAY THEY’LL MEET MAG 7 RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN THEY HAVEN’T EVEN REACHED THIS WITH STARLINK AND THAT WOULD BE PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE WITH ISS-SIZED SOLAR PANELS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MAG 7 SATELLITES WOULD ACTUALLY COMPLETELY FUCKING DESTROY ASTRONOMY ANYWAY THESE FUCKING AWFUL FUCKWEASEL LIARS AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
Wow New Zealand takes fire drill very seriously (which is good). Back to ranting….
SO ANGRY
INFRARED!! Literally their whole response to infrared is “we’ll work with NSF” and “we’ll follow the highly successful VM7 framework” which is… I think the visual mag 7 recommendation. WHICH THEY HAVEN’T EVEN FUCKING MET WITH STARLINK SATELLITES THAT ARE WAY SMALLER THAN THESE FUCKING DATA CENTERS
SO ANGRY
DO I REALLY HAVE TO READ THE ORBITAL SAFETY SECTION? I’m not sure if it’s going to make me want to throw up or chuck my computer out the window.
SO ANGRY
WOW SOME SHADE THROWN AT COMPETITORS “In stark contrast to NASA’s productive suggestions, would-be SpaceX competitors like Viasat and Amazon recycle the same tired arguments…”
ALSO YOU FUCKING IGNORE EVERY SUGGESTION FROM ASTRONOMERS AND WE DON’T REPRESENT NASA YOU STUPID FUCKS
SO ANGRY
OH IT GETS BETTER “Some petitioners—primarily would-be competitors such as Amazon/Blue Origin and Viasat—advance their standard anticompetitive tropes trying to fearmonger about orbital congestion, operational preclusion, and potential collision risk in opposing SpaceX’s application”
This would be hilarious if I wasn’t also COMPLETELY TERRIFIED about orbital congestion and collision risks…
SO ANGRY
“If Amazon had employed even basic math, it would realize that SpaceX’s proposed system would inhabit only 0.005% of the 1.1 trillion cubic kilometers of space across the 500–2,000 km orbits”
YES BUT IT’S TRAVELLING THROUGH THAT SPACE AT 7KM PER SECOND AND YOU DON’T FUCKING KNOW HOW ORBITS WORK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Ok I need to take a break from reading this or I’m actually going to break something.
Thank you Prof Lawler, I am greatly relieved I’m not the only tremendously angry one.
Best solution, in my view:
