While I don't begrudge you your choice, I don't think this is a good defence of Starlink. It sounds too close to defence of leaded gasoline.

Someone else not solving a problem isn't a good defence for someone who creates a solution to that one problem that ends up being a net negative for humanity as a whole, and it's definitely not a defence of a second generation that makes a known problem with the technology even worse.

But they rolled out electricity, and they rolled out PSTN, so the justification was found in those cases.

Yeah, the justification was the federal government basically forcing providers to do that. Remember back in 2008 when we handed a bunch of money to telecom companies to expand their networks? Then they laughed at us and just kept the money and basically said fuck you? That also was a part of this act, or at least related to it, since broadband was added to it as an amendment in 2008.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act

Anyways, point being the companies didn't roll our electricity and pstn to rural areas out of the goodness of their heart or even a strict profit motive. It took a literal act of congress for it to happen.

I will never see fibre optic rolled out here. I can sort of understand, it’s quite expensive and needs to be balanced against income from operations to justify it. But they rolled out electricity, and they rolled out PSTN, so the justification was found in those cases.

Yeah, but you see, the electricity and telephone rollouts were done in the New Deal era or shortly thereafter. The government has been subjected to way too much regulatory capture since then to ever consider doing something that would help the public at the expense of corporate profits nowadays.

While I don't begrudge you your choice, I don't think this is a good defence of Starlink. It sounds too close to defence of leaded gasoline.

Someone else not solving a problem isn't a good defence for someone who creates a solution to that one problem that ends up being a net negative for humanity as a whole, and it's definitely not a defence of a second generation that makes a known problem with the technology even worse.

I'd rather have less space junk, not more.

I have my own suggestion of where to store him.

Honestly astronomy from space is notoriously difficult, for various reasons.

• It takes a lot of energy and infrastructure to propel a telescope into space.
• Radiation can cause issues with electronics, so they all need to be hardened.
• Typically satellites use older proven technology to make sure that they don't run into new issues, which means they're not able to be bleeding edge.
• New technology is next to impossible to add to a space telescope, meaning upgrades rarely happen, if ever. Ground telescopes can continuously upgrade with relative ease.

There's a lot of pros and cons. Neither solution is better than the other. They're only better at certain things. We need both.

The problem is radio wavelengths are much longer than visible light thus the huge size of radio telescopes on earth, which would also make a space-based one a challenge

SpaceX is in the business of launching satellites. It's in their best interest if ground-based astronomy gets harder. They should be required to pay for their negative externalities.

For how lauded the dude is as a visionary entrepreneur, I'm still wondering what one single thing he's done right to earn the title with any of his businesses. Everything he touches turns to shit even when accounting for run-of-the-mill corporate practices. The dude sucks.

*Terms and conditions apply

**Rocket may or may not be capable of reaching low earth orbit, payload fractions subject to change, not responsible for loss of equipment, habitat, or lives

It will also harm the ability to use rockets in the long time, as satellites are abandoned when decommissioned, and create debris in low earth orbit.

Google is the second largest shareholder of Space X.

Privatized networks are a crime and it should be treated legally as such.

Public network for the public.