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Google's first Suncatcher orbital data center test launches October 1

52 points · 96 comments · sbulaev

logancbrown · 1790368439 · focus · HN ↗
Genuine question: why are there so many people up-in-arms on orbital data centers? Like they have a personally vested interest in ensuring their opinions on failure are correct? There are many people on HN that despise it and say it will not and will never work, but here we are, they are flying them up to space and presumably, will start working soon.
1. nine_k · 1790368779 · focus · HN ↗
  Because when things are getting built that obviously should not work, in one's view of the world, it threatens that view of the world. Finding out that your common sense and understating of basic physics and economics has a sizable hole is pretty unpleasant for most people.
  But if the project fails, then the view of the world is proved correct again, which feels moderately pleasant.

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