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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

Reflect Orbital wants to destroy the night sky to deliver "sunlight as a service". SpaceX wants to destroy Low Earth Orbit to launch one million "AI datacentres"

The only way to formally protest these two ideas is to file a comment with the US FCC, which is horribly complicated, but the American Astronomical Society has detailed instructions posted here: https://aas.org/posts/advocacy/2026/02/how-submit-comments-satellite-applications-fcc

Comments due March 6 for SpaceX and March 9 for Reflect Orbital. Write! Write! Write!

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 hours ago

DarkSky International now has a set of (very similar) instructions on how to submit a comment on the filings above: https://darksky.org/news/two-satellite-proposals-threaten-the-night-sky-the-window-to-act-is-now/

They provide templates to help get you started (but be careful using templates, it's my understanding that the FCC will only consider "unique" comments that are submitted). But I think having a large number of individuals who are willing to jump through all the stupid hoops the FCC has set up is a pretty powerful statement in itself! Thanks, all.

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Future Sprog
Future Sprog
@futuresprog@mastodon.nzoss.nz replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 hours ago

I followed the AAS guide last night and put in a comment on both.

I made up a fairly bare bones PDF about how I’m concerned about the light pollution destroying our dark skies, as the existing SpaceX satellites do.

Took me about half an hour. The hardest part was getting the FCC user registration form to accept my completely correct details! It seems my phone number was too short.

And then also the login page is on a different domain so it didn’t autofill.

A lot of friction.

@sundogplanets

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Carolyn
Carolyn
@CStamp@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 hours ago

@sundogplanets I want to borrow that Jewish space laser.

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Petra van Cronenburg
Petra van Cronenburg
@NatureMC@mastodon.online replied  ·  activity timestamp 13 hours ago

@sundogplanets This imperialism of the USA is crazy. Space doesn't belong to them. No international regulations? Countries with other languages will have a problem with these forms.

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Ronan
Ronan
@Robo@mastodon.ie replied  ·  activity timestamp 14 hours ago

@sundogplanets I don't understand how the FCC gets to decide on satellites that cover the whole world. Why are. Musk satellites above Ireland or NZ?

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Deuchnord
Deuchnord
@deuchnord@social.deuchnord.fr replied  ·  activity timestamp 15 hours ago

@sundogplanets just discovered about this Reflect Orbital thing. What the hell?!

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Erika
Erika
@Erika@ruhr.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 15 hours ago

@sundogplanets Maybe @georgetakei is also interested in our night sky and could help to spread this important information?

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John Carlsen 🇺🇸🇳🇱🇪🇺
John Carlsen 🇺🇸🇳🇱🇪🇺
@johnlogic@sfba.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 16 hours ago

@sundogplanets

At first I had read the company's name as Rectal Orbit.

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We don't need AI. AI needs us.
We don't need AI. AI needs us.
@Imprinted@mastodon.uno replied  ·  activity timestamp 17 hours ago

@sundogplanets
Building a giant slingshot do you think can work?

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Kai Rüsberg :mastodon:
Kai Rüsberg :mastodon:
@Ruhrnalist@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 17 hours ago

@sundogplanets is it open to foreigners? I don't see that they are asking for an address?

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TaniaCr8$
TaniaCr8$
@taniacreates@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 18 hours ago

@sundogplanets can we use a template or create an online petition to bring awareness to this?

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 18 hours ago

@taniacreates DarkSky is working on a template, I'll share their instructions once it's up

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Incident Creator ❎
Incident Creator ❎
@vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz replied  ·  activity timestamp 19 hours ago

@sundogplanets
You just wait until Elon figures he wants a hand in space-based beamed power...

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persistentdreamergames
persistentdreamergames
@PersistentDreamer@mastodon.gamedev.place replied  ·  activity timestamp 19 hours ago

@sundogplanets I can't believe this is actually fucking real.

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 18 hours ago

@PersistentDreamer I know 😭

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cynthia rose is desirable
cynthia rose is desirable
@cynthiarose@sfba.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 20 hours ago

@sundogplanets
When burning ants alive with a magnifying glass makes you wish you could hear the screams….. cartoonish supervillainy shit right here, jfc

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Gia BENNETH
Gia BENNETH
@Benneth9@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 20 hours ago

@sundogplanets Hello 👋, Nice meeting you all Am New Here

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Sophie Hassfurther
Sophie Hassfurther
@sophie@hub.somaton.com replied  ·  activity timestamp 22 hours ago

@ Prof. Sam Lawler comments for US citizens only or worldwide?

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 18 hours ago

@sophie worldwide

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Craig Duncan
Craig Duncan
@craigduncan@mastodon.au replied  ·  activity timestamp 23 hours ago

@sundogplanets

Current AI: aggressively inconvenient

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Sina G.
Sina G.
@sina@mastodon.au replied  ·  activity timestamp 23 hours ago

@sundogplanets is this a real concern?

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Angela Scholder
Angela Scholder
@AngelaScholder@mastodon.energy replied  ·  activity timestamp 23 hours ago

@sundogplanets Nice! "Incompatible browser extensions or Network configuration".

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Christo. London, England
Christo. London, England
@Christo_459@mastodon.me.uk replied  ·  activity timestamp 23 hours ago

@sundogplanets
I wish we could just throw the people pushing these things , in jail

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Deborah Hartmann Preuss, pcc
Deborah Hartmann Preuss, pcc
@deborahh@cosocial.ca replied  ·  activity timestamp 24 hours ago

@sundogplanets @mayintoronto how does the US government get to make this call, for globe-encircling tech?

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Bob Blaskiewicz 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇬🇱
Bob Blaskiewicz 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇬🇱
@rjblaskiewicz@mstdn.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 24 hours ago

@sundogplanets on it!

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asdaasp
asdaasp
@asdaasp@social.vivaldi.net replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

l guess i am in mastodon now.. thanks vivaldi

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Nonya "Lethal Precision" Bidniss :CIAverified: 🇺🇸
Nonya "Lethal Precision" Bidniss :CIAverified: 🇺🇸
@Nonya_Bidniss@infosec.exchange replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets How is it that U.S. companies get to destroy space for the entire Earth?

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MimiWhiskers
MimiWhiskers
@MimiWhiskers@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets It makes zero sense to launch datacenters in space. I ain't gonna go through the technical reasons why, but you can read here where someone that actually worked at NASA and google explaining why its a bad idea... https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horrible-no-good-idea/

But if I could take a moment to poke my conspiracy brain, I think this is more for building an advanced surveillance network against the whole world. You can possibly monitor almost everything on Earth with a network like that.

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Carolyn
Carolyn
@CStamp@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets Aside from the whole night sky thing, there are going to be ecological damage done by this. Lots of flora and fauna need dark and light cycles. :(

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Tony Meredith
Tony Meredith
@Tony_Meredith@mastodon.me.uk replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets Plus. It's open for comments worldwide. Right?

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Petra van Cronenburg
Petra van Cronenburg
@NatureMC@mastodon.online replied  ·  activity timestamp 13 hours ago

@Tony_Meredith well, space doesn't belong to the USA! @sundogplanets

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 hours ago

@NatureMC @Tony_Meredith Yes, anyone can submit a comment!

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legocas
legocas
@legocas@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets this is quite outrageous. How is it possible that everything in there public domain / commons seems to be up for grabs instead being protected for its cultural and natural value. Can’t believe this stuff.

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Jennifer
Jennifer
@Jennifer@m.ai6yr.org replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets @ai6yr FYI since you have a big network!

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river
river
@river@takohs.cc replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets can I share this outside of mastodon?

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Prof. Sam Lawler
Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@river yes, share far and wide

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🤬Mr.Mark🤬
🤬Mr.Mark🤬
@markmetz@sfba.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets @river
Happy to share this, do you have any more info about the reflect plan? This sounds as bad as the Russian company that’s planning on running advertisements in space.

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Netraven
Netraven
@Netraven@hear-me.social replied  ·  activity timestamp yesterday

@sundogplanets sarcastic as hell take: Aliens are behind this.

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