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FCC approves giant space mirror as astronomers warn of risks to the night sky (www.thebrighterside.news)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 59 points 3 months ago (10 children)

Not really extreme. The whole concept is bonkers. What right has a company to destroy the night huge numbers of people and not mention wildlife.

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  • [–] 19 points 3 months ago

    Don't worry it's not going to happen. They're just after investor money then they'll vanish.

    Even if they actually build this, a very small area of the planet is going to be imperceptibly brighter for 35 seconds.

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  • [+] -21 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    It's a 5km diameter target area. It's not going to be shining on random patches of wilderness.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    It’s a 50k constellation or some proportion that’s the problem. Also it’s who gets to approve such a monstrous plan? Surely not a national government as it is an international issue.

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  • [–] -3 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Also it’s who gets to approve such a monstrous plan?

    The FCC. It's in the title. There's more detail in the article if you want.

    Surely not a national government as it is an international issue.

    Satellites have always been regulated by the nation they're launched from or owned by. There are international treaties regulating some aspects of that, but treaties are implemented by their signatories - the national governments.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    My point is why the FCC? It is a US government entity and as the current US government is pretty rabid, why should they be able to inflict this sort of thing on the the rest of the world? Maybe this will be a straw too many and force change. The whole Starlink debacle is bad enough but to add huge mirrors is just madness.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (2 children)

    The article explains the answer to this very question.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    Yep, it say the FCC only looks at communications and not light pollution or congestion. That it is a US government entity and doesn’t mention anything outside the US.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 months ago

    So there you go. That answers your question.

    You may think there should be a federal agency whose job is to regulate light pollution from satellites, but there isn't one. You may think there should be some kind of international body that is able to impose decisions on all the nations of the Earth, but there isn't one - treaties are agreements between sovereign nations. And so the FCC approved this satellite, in accordance with the laws of the United States and in accordance with the treaties the United States has signed. Nothing underhanded or nefarious is happening here.

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