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Prof. Sam Lawlersundogplanets@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 7:52 PM
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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Replies

Prof. Sam Lawlersundogplanets@mastodon.social
Feb 12, 2026, 7:01 PM
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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riverriver@takohs.cc
Feb 11, 2026, 8:19 PM
@sundogplanets can I share this outside of mastodon?
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Prof. Sam Lawlersundogplanets@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 8:26 PM
@river yes, share far and wide
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legocaslegocas@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 8:29 PM
@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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L'égrégore André ꕭꕬMabande@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 10:50 PM
@legocas @sundogplanets There's a small number of people who, if someone says "this belongs to all of us," will refuse to understand it and just goes "okay, it's mine, so I can do whatever I want with it".
Unfortunately they have an outsized influence in our society.
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legocaslegocas@mastodon.social
Feb 12, 2026, 5:13 PM
@Mabande @sundogplanets they dont understand that its a small planet and life can be better if we share it.
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MimiWhiskersMimiWhiskers@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 9:10 PM
@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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Michael Kohnemhkohne@mastodon.social
Feb 11, 2026, 11:16 PM
@MimiWhiskers @sundogplanets I believe that it's just a stupid idea, intended to inflate the stock price for the intended upcoming IPO of SpaceX. There is no serious intent to actually launch much of anything.
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fragglefraggle@social.coop
Feb 12, 2026, 2:14 AM
@MimiWhiskers @sundogplanets thank you, glad to see that someone who's an expert has written a thorough debunk. It was obvious to me that it was a terrible idea just because of the cooling but it's great to see all the other reasons laid out clearly too
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May Keable 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Keab42@kind.social
Feb 11, 2026, 9:13 PM
@sundogplanets Are they really Mr Burns-ing it?
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Tilda Moose, programmertillymoose@infosec.exchange
Feb 11, 2026, 9:23 PM
@sundogplanets
AMEN AMEN AMEN
ACT UP
May be considered as #ecocide, I wonder
Stop the bastards messing with the natural order
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Nonya BidnissNonya_Bidniss@infosec.exchange
Feb 11, 2026, 9:40 PM
@sundogplanets How is it that U.S. companies get to destroy space for the entire Earth?
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Epic NullEpic_Null@infosec.exchange
Feb 11, 2026, 10:21 PM
@Nonya_Bidniss @sundogplanets No one is stopping us. (please change that)
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ferricoxide@blahaj.zone
Feb 11, 2026, 10:00 PM
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social
LEO "datacenters" make zero sense, even less sense than persistent orbit space-based datacenters would.
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diana 🏳️‍⚧️🦋🌱dianea@lgbtqia.space
Feb 11, 2026, 10:10 PM
@sundogplanets
Sunlight as a Service from space, aka death ray upon demand. Vaporize entire neighborhoods with a small political donation.
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Bob Blaskiewicz 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇬🇱rjblaskiewicz
Feb 11, 2026, 10:13 PM
@sundogplanets on it!
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Deborah Preuss, pccdeborahh@cosocial.ca
Feb 11, 2026, 10:24 PM
@sundogplanets @mayintoronto how does the US government get to make this call, for globe-encircling tech?
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Brian JohnsonBrianJohnson@universeodon.com
Feb 11, 2026, 10:38 PM
@sundogplanets Ok, so launching one satellite every 10 minutes nonstop would take almost 20 years to launch a million satellites, and that is assuming that someone can build them and deliver them to launch pads at that rate.
Completely unrealistic. Is this really about launching that much or is it about generating hype before trying to sell something or raise money?
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Julesceltjulescelt01@universeodon.com
Feb 11, 2026, 11:05 PM
@BrianJohnson @sundogplanets Feels so much like the latter...
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Angela ScholderAngelaScholder@mastodon.energy
Feb 11, 2026, 10:39 PM
@sundogplanets Nice! "Incompatible browser extensions or Network configuration".
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Sina G.sina@mastodon.au
Feb 11, 2026, 10:57 PM
@sundogplanets is this a real concern?
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Sophie Hassfurthersophie@hub.somaton.com
Feb 12, 2026, 12:19 AM
@Prof. Sam Lawler comments for US citizens only or worldwide?
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Prof. Sam Lawlersundogplanets@mastodon.social
Feb 12, 2026, 4:08 AM
@sophie worldwide
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s0 Is Not A Sysadmins0@cathode.church
Feb 12, 2026, 1:38 AM
@sundogplanets telling my 1920s time travel companion that in 2026 the capitalists aren’t trying to privatise the night sky — they’re trying to destroy it, for imaginary gains to their bad mechanical Turk.
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croutoncrouton@aus.social
Feb 12, 2026, 1:52 AM
@sundogplanets i can't shake the image of a pacman in orbit nomming on satellites
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LunaphiedLunaphied@provably.online
Feb 12, 2026, 2:07 AM
@sundogplanets the fact that any country is just allowed to do this is so fucked
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cynthia rose is desirablecynthiarose@sfba.social
Feb 12, 2026, 2:21 AM
@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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persistentdreamergamesPersistentDreamer@mastodon.gamedev.place
Feb 12, 2026, 2:42 AM
@sundogplanets I can't believe this is actually fucking real.
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Prof. Sam Lawlersundogplanets@mastodon.social
Feb 12, 2026, 4:20 AM
@PersistentDreamer I know 😭
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Incident Creator ❎vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz
Feb 12, 2026, 3:12 AM
@sundogplanets
You just wait until Elon figures he wants a hand in space-based beamed power...
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Kai Rüsberg :mastodon:Ruhrnalist@mastodon.social
Feb 12, 2026, 4:58 AM
@sundogplanets is it open to foreigners? I don't see that they are asking for an address?
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We don't need AI. AI needs us.Imprinted@mastodon.uno
Feb 12, 2026, 5:26 AM
@sundogplanets
Building a giant slingshot do you think can work?
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John Carlsen 🇺🇸🇳🇱🇪🇺johnlogic@sfba.social
Feb 12, 2026, 5:36 AM
@sundogplanets
At first I had read the company's name as Rectal Orbit.
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Luci “Milky Princess” Teabri7@treehouse.systems
Feb 12, 2026, 6:32 AM
@sundogplanets literal supervillain shit
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Deuchnorddeuchnord@social.deuchnord.fr
Feb 12, 2026, 7:21 AM
@sundogplanets just discovered about this Reflect Orbital thing. What the hell?!
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Onirakkissonirakkiss@ioc.exchange
Feb 12, 2026, 7:45 AM
@sundogplanets
Could this be helpful? https://sunglad-lighting.com/products/strongest-handheld-ir-laser-pointer?sku=18071804815809928283600975
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Future Sprogfuturesprog@mastodon.nzoss.nz
Feb 12, 2026, 7:18 PM
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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Cycy@fedicy.us.to
Feb 12, 2026, 9:06 PM
I don't want to give the FCC my name and number and legal info so they can put me on another list, but I wish luck to anyone who does!
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Kelsonkelson@notes.kvibber.com
Mar 6, 2026, 5:25 PM
@sundogplanets Holy crap that was a convoluted process!
But I got the SpaceX comment in under the wire. I guess I'll write the Reflect Orbital one after work.
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donald_bradydonald_brady@mastodon.social
Feb 13, 2026, 3:59 AM
@sundogplanets I fucking hate paperwork but going to do this.
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Paul Walkerarafel@mas.to
Mar 5, 2026, 12:53 PM
@sundogplanets Is there any point doing this if one doesn't live in the US?
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Stateless Pressdispatch@stateless.press
Mar 5, 2026, 6:51 PM
Wow what a terrible process for commenting. Happy to fight through!
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Matilda Lovematildalove@wetdry.world
Mar 5, 2026, 10:12 PM
@sundogplanets actions speak louder than words
an angry crowd at spacex offices and facilities for example
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Carlcarl@chaos.social
Mar 5, 2026, 10:25 PM
@sundogplanets whites colonizing again, ie steal what belongs to humankind. This time, the night and the sky.
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Eric LawtonEricLawton@kolektiva.social
Mar 5, 2026, 10:25 PM
@sundogplanets
“This process is also open to those outside the United States who may be impacted by a proposed system.”
Which is everyone in the planet.
Those of us outside the US could also be asking our own governments why they are not protesting this colonisation of space.
(Other than the usual risking of economic and military warfare, of course).
@alice
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woffswoffs@fe.disroot.org
Mar 5, 2026, 10:37 PM
@sundogplanets remember SDI? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative
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Tilda Moose, citizenMattMoose@mastodon.world
Mar 5, 2026, 10:58 PM
@sundogplanets
BUMP BUMP BUMP
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rednikkirednikki@toot.boston
Mar 6, 2026, 1:20 AM
@sundogplanets Done!
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🇺🇦 haxadecimal 🚫👑brouhaha@mastodon.social
Mar 6, 2026, 5:45 AM
@sundogplanets
The sky belongs to _everyone_. Oligarchs want to take it away from us.
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Iho-aNnIhoaNn@piaille.fr
Mar 6, 2026, 7:11 AM
@sundogplanets maybe that is just the use case to use AI (and I'm realny not into AI) ?
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RachelPearceRachelPearce@mathstodon.xyz
Mar 6, 2026, 9:07 AM
@sundogplanets can non-US citizens respond?
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Sophie Hassfurthersophie@hub.somaton.com
Mar 6, 2026, 11:21 AM
@RachelPearce anyone can!
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davedavetortoise@vivaldi.net
Mar 6, 2026, 2:53 PM
@sundogplanets I feel very conflicted/sad about reflect orbital. In a sane world not powered by greed, it would be such an incredibly cool and useful technology if managed carefully and responsibly. But unfortunately the world we live in has to ruin absolutely everything.
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gdtrfb57gdtrfb57@mastodon.social
Mar 7, 2026, 1:58 AM
@sundogplanets Grifters gonna grift
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