I am a 71-year-old retired civil engineer, and with so much negative news flooding in, the RO report every Sunday is a breath of fresh air. More than a breath, it is like getting out of a dirty city and taking a walk in nature! Thank you, and keep up the good work!
I echo Gordon’s sentiments—I always look forward to your emails. The way you break down complex topics without leaning on technical jargon is exactly what I appreciate. Clear communication beats clever showmanship every time, so thank you for that.
This issue is particularly compelling. The potential to detect wildfires early, before they become unmanageable, truly feels like a game-changer. I admit, the idea of transmitting energy back to Earth via laser gives me pause—but I suspect that’s more a reflection of my unfamiliarity than a genuine risk. Still, I’d love to learn more about the safeguards involved.
I must admit that I used copilot to improve my original comment.
I'm reminded of Arthur C Clarke's first proposals for geosynchronous orbiting broadcast satellites. He had proposed that only three will be necessary to provide global coverage. He also assumed they would be staffed by engineers and technicians who would maintain the equipment. Tubes burn out. When we finally did get broadcast sats into the Clarke belt they were solid state devices that were controlled by ground stations. If critical components failed they had redundancy built in. If enough systems failed it was time to de-orbit and send up replacement (with upgraded circuitry).
Back in the days of the Space Shuttle there was a lot of talk about microgravity drug processing. Some of that was pioneered on the STS and ISS. But what we get isn't space pharmacists, we get robots in orbit.
I am a 71-year-old retired civil engineer, and with so much negative news flooding in, the RO report every Sunday is a breath of fresh air. More than a breath, it is like getting out of a dirty city and taking a walk in nature! Thank you, and keep up the good work!
I’m just a regular guy, with no training.
Reading all this stuff is so exciting
I echo Gordon’s sentiments—I always look forward to your emails. The way you break down complex topics without leaning on technical jargon is exactly what I appreciate. Clear communication beats clever showmanship every time, so thank you for that.
This issue is particularly compelling. The potential to detect wildfires early, before they become unmanageable, truly feels like a game-changer. I admit, the idea of transmitting energy back to Earth via laser gives me pause—but I suspect that’s more a reflection of my unfamiliarity than a genuine risk. Still, I’d love to learn more about the safeguards involved.
I must admit that I used copilot to improve my original comment.
Who are the public companies launching these satellites?
Just a Phil Rizzuto - "Holy cow!"
You guys are great writers which makes you great salesmen. Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one?
I'm reminded of Arthur C Clarke's first proposals for geosynchronous orbiting broadcast satellites. He had proposed that only three will be necessary to provide global coverage. He also assumed they would be staffed by engineers and technicians who would maintain the equipment. Tubes burn out. When we finally did get broadcast sats into the Clarke belt they were solid state devices that were controlled by ground stations. If critical components failed they had redundancy built in. If enough systems failed it was time to de-orbit and send up replacement (with upgraded circuitry).
Back in the days of the Space Shuttle there was a lot of talk about microgravity drug processing. Some of that was pioneered on the STS and ISS. But what we get isn't space pharmacists, we get robots in orbit.
Excellent article.