Aerospace Company Irks Astronomers With Disco-Ball-Satellite
Private aerospace company, Rocket Lab, successfully delivered its first payload into orbit this January. Unfortunately, one of the three satellites placed into orbit by the New Zealand company is receiving negative feedback from those in the space industry.
Called the 'Humanity Star', the highly reflective object is about one meter in diameter and resembles a large disco-ball. It will orbit the planet every 92 minutes until October this year, when it will burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. It's visible to the naked eye from anywhere on the globe, and easiest to see at dawn and dusk.
According to Rocket Lab's website, the Humanity Star is designed “to be a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe.” Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, Peter Beck, hopes that “everyone looking up at the Humanity Star will look past it to the expanse of the universe, feel a connection to our place in it and think a little differently about their lives, actions and what is important.”
Astronomers and others in the space industry have criticized the launch of the Humanity Sphere as just more pollution of the sky. Astronomer Mike Brown described the sphere on Twitter as “intentionally bright long-term space graffiti”. Others are more worried that it will start a trend of launching useless publicity stunts into orbits already over-crowded with space junk.
The United States Strategic Command currently tracks over 17,000 artificial objects above the Earth. Only 1,419 are operational satellites, meaning the rest is potentially dangerous space debris.
The launch was only the second by Rocket Lab's 'Electron' rocket. The low-cost rocket features 3D-printed 'Rutherford' engines, and is launched from the world's first privately owned space-port.
