Rogue satellite may impact cable TV in U.S.

[Antithesis]

Rogue satellite may impact cable TV in U.S.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/TEC...lite.tv.gi.jpg

(CNN) -- A rogue satellite is floating through space, threatening to push into another satellite's orbit and interrupt cable TV programming in the United States.

But the company that owns the satellite says they've known about the problem for more than a month and that the impact on cable TV will be minimal.

Galaxy 15, a satellite that catches cable signals and beams them back to Earth, broke loose from its orbit and began a slow, out-of-control drift at about a tenth of a degree per day, according to its owners, communications company Intelsat.

At that rate, the satellite will be close enough for its signals to interfere with the other satellite's signals beginning May 23.

But Dianne VanBeber, a spokeswoman for Luxembourg-based Intelsat, said media reports over the past day or so have drastically overstated the potential impact on television viewers.

"The reality is it's not quite as sexy as it sounds," she said Wednesday. "If we did absolutely nothing, it would create confusion ... [but] we're working with the limited number of customers that are on that satellite and taking active steps to make sure any interference is limited or completely avoided."

She said the chances of avoiding perceptible interference are "pretty good." If there is interference, it would last for hours, not days, she said.

Yves Feltes, a spokesman for SES World Skies -- which owns the other satellite -- issued a statement saying his company is "doing our utmost in order to mitigate any interference into any of our traffic in close coordination with our customers and our competitor Intelstat."

Neither company would comment on which cable TV providers or channels might be affected by any interference between the orbiting satellites. The two satellites will not crash into each other, the companies said.

See NASA's tracking map of satellites orbiting Earth.

VanBeber said Intelsat lost control of the satellite, which was launched in 2005, during a solar storm on April 5. At that time, they announced the problem and began moving customers to another satellite, Galaxy 12.

Recent media reports, including a story from The Associated Press, were apparently prompted by an industry publication updating the story, she said. It prompted such dramatic headlines as "Zombie satellite terrorizes the stratosphere" and "Solar storm creates killer zombie satellite."

But VanBeber said there's no reason to scramble a team of space cowboys to blow up the satellite before chaos ensues.

"It's a very stable, predictable path," she said. "It's not out of control. It's not going to race into the Earth."

VanBeber said that Intelsat is the world's largest user of cable satellites and SES World Skies, based in the Netherlands, is second.

"It's a weird thing to say, but it couldn't have happened to two better companies because we're both very well equipped to deal with these kinds of technical issues," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/ptech/0....html?hpt=Sbin

Something about May 23...

[Mizango]

Yay for space junk. There are thousands and thousands of unused and obsolete pieces of space junk hurling above us every second, this isn't the first time and most certainly wont be the last time something like this will happen.

If only we had the capacity to think ahead...ah fuck it, lets get this money and cross that bridge when we get to it.

[Qalbert]

We will never know the ending of Lost.

[Antithesis]

We will never know the ending of Lost.

Oh! So that is what my friends were referring to when they said May 23 in a cryptic tone.

[Mizango]

We will never know the ending of Lost.

And nothing of value was..... lost?

Shit show. Its like a 12 week long Castaway movie, just minus FedEx packages and a volleyball.

[Antithesis]

That was a pretty obvious troll Mizzy. You be slipping broski.

[Mizango]

I was talking to a Lost fan that is viewing the thread, but you salted my bait

[Alleya]

Good 'ol associated press. They're always so level headed and thorough.

[Stiker]

I was talking to a Lost fan that is viewing the thread, but you salted my bait

Wasn't very good bait tbh...step up man.

[Mizango]

Of course it is now, the cat's out of the bag. Had it worked as planned there would have been Lost rage and we'd be on page 2 by now.

Good 'ol associated press. They're always so level headed and thorough.

Why isn't your science reporter comic an icon yet? That shit was cash and is become more and more relevant with each passing day.

[Elvis]

http://redriverautographs.files.word...-c10102105.jpg

u rang?

[Pharaun]

And nothing of value was..... lost?

Shit show. Its like a 12 week long Castaway movie, just minus FedEx packages and a volleyball.

The volleyball was the best thing about Castaway. He didn't have any lines and still somehow managed to steal every damn scene he was in...

[Headspace]

Obama looking like a genius now.

All NASA is good for is fucking with LOST.

[Mizango]

The volleyball was the best thing about Castaway. He didn't have any lines and still somehow managed to steal every damn scene he was in...

No kidding.

[Shojin]

Oh fuck not our cable TV! What the fuck are we supposed to do in the meantime? Exercise??

[Headspace]

Oh fuck not our cable TV! What the fuck are we supposed to do in the meantime? Exercise??

I exercise, but that only takes so long. Then the rest of it is laying around time.

[Atreides]

TRAVEL ADVISORY: Earth's orbit is riddled with debris generated by "bootstrap" space development; use of kinetic barriers is recommended at altitudes over 85 km.

[Akucaen]

I would love to see a map of things in Earth's orbit. I bet it looks like a glorified junkyard in space.

[Atreides]

http://www.theglobaleducationproject...ace-debris.gif
http://www.worldculturepictorial.com...-collision.jpg

space is fucking dirty now too, cuz of us

[Xno Kappa]

I exercise, but that only takes so long. Then the rest of it is laying around time.

LOL! Something about this post + your sig just made it that much more funnier. kudos.