Debris from a Space X Falcon 9 rocket lit up skies across Europe before crashing into Poland.
  • Maeve@kbin.earth
    48·
    2 days ago

    “It was supposed to renter the Earth’s atmosphere in a controlled manner and crash into the Pacific Ocean,” Harvard University astrophysicist Dr Jonathan McDowell told the BBC. "But the engine failed. We’ve seen it orbiting Earth for the past few weeks and we were anticipating an uncontrolled re-entry today, which is what people saw burning in the sky. “The debris zipped over England at around 17,000 mph, then parts of Scandinavia then parts crashed into eastern Europe at a few hundred miles an hour.”

    I can’t even begin to unpack the implications.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.world
      72·
      23 hours ago

      I can’t even begin to unpack the implications.

      You’ve probably finished unpacking them…

      Things will fall from the sky, mostly stainless steel, some carbon fiber, some ceramic tile. They could be falling in a bunch of different places, even populated ones (Though most will fall in the ocean). Most of the volatiles (propellant, pressurizing gases, hydraulic fluid, etc) have already escaped, so not much of that is coming down. It’s highly unlikely that debris will hurt anybody, but it is possible.

      Some nations will be justifiably mad and there’s a remote chance someone gets hurt. But that’s about the end of the implications.

      • tiddy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        17 hours ago

        Feels a lot like plastic bottles probably felt 40 years ago.

        Gonna be real nice 40 from now when the super companies throwing space garbage at us are still riding the legal protections from today.

      • Maeve@kbin.earth
        41·
        1 day ago

        The funny thing is, the wealthy are just things to each other, too. Imagine the lack mentality one must feel to have everything and everyone in your pocket, and still know how empty you are. The universe is an abundant place, and can provide enough for everyone, if hollow hungry ghosts didn’t consume it all, trying to fill an unfathomable abyss

        • Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          2·
          13 hours ago

          Of course. But everyone thinks, “not me” – it’s facing eating leopards eating all the way up.

          The adage is well know – “there are no good (classification)” where in this case classification is billionaires but it applies equally to police. And everyone in the classification that understands the truth of this adage appends, “except me, I’m the exception to the rule”

          However, the adage does not leave room for such exceptions. It exists solely in the domain of the magical thinking that all humans suffer from.

          No one thinks they are the problem. No one thinks they are of below average intelligence. It’s all ego up and down the socioeconomic ladder. The only way out is to let go but we cannot because society will force our hand back to the rung.

          • Maeve@kbin.earth
            1·
            13 hours ago

            There are exceptions. But they do the dirty work, of facing self and situation, with integrity and authenticity. It’s a tall order.

        • EarMaster@lemmy.world
          21·
          24 hours ago

          I’m sure Musk expects Poland to return the debris to SpaceX for free as it’s his property…

  • breadsmasher@lemmy.worldEnglish
    191·
    2 days ago

    And expect it to get significantly worse now that president muski is allowed to fire whoever investigates his companies.

    • burble@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      7·
      1 day ago

      Jokes aside, it seems like there’s a chance they want to move more in that direction through deregulation. For now, mishaps like this one (the failed deorbit burn) cause rocket fleet groundings that need investigations and corrective actions before new launch licenses get issued. The FAA is slowly getting better, but there’s no way they move as fast as SpaceX wants.