re Znamaya
STUARTATK@aol.com
Mon, 8 Feb 1999 01:03:26 EST
Hi List,
I think my "hahaha" has been taken waaaay too seriously... I'm sorry if my
closing, flippant remark caused offence, I should have explained my position
more clearly.
I am a very devoted and ACTIVE space exploration enthusiast and supporter; I
give a talk in a different school here almost every week or so encouraging
kids to learn about space and getting them to think about their roles in
exploring it, and I am LIVING for the day we set foot on Mars... my objections
to the space mirror aren't just as an amateur astronomer frustrated by light
pollution - and we all know that if this concept works there'll be *hordes* of
the things up there one day, and then serious satellite observers will not be
able to see a *thing* for mirrors - but as someone who loves the sky dearly,
who loves sharing the sky with others...
I don't really believe that space stations and lunar bases etc will rely on
space mirrors like that - especially Russian-built ones - but that's not my
main concern. I just *know* that somewhere, in some office, there are
multinational corporation executives watching the whole mirror thing and
wondering how they can use it for advertising their products... yes, the beam
would have been small, yes the flash would have been only momentary, but look
further down the line and you can see where this might lead... and I'm sure
there aren't many on the list who would find a challenge in spotting a huge
golden "M" floating through the sky... I'd much rather read predictions here
that give accurate times, co-ordinates etc and don't just say "Oh, look up
around 7.00, you won't be able to miss it, it'll be as big as the Moon and so
bright you won't be able to see anything else..."... Yes, some are laughing
now, but I still remember reading how there were plans to do this **years**
ago, even advertise on the Moon...
So, sorry all, I didn't mean to sound like a goon... it was very early in the
morning, you know.. :-) Hope this clears things up. I am finding being on the
List invaluable and did not intend to upset anyone. It's just, as the saying
goes, when it comes to Znamaya "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Stu