Post #4246991

2026-07-30 16:35 UTC

As much as *scientist me* would like to think this is cool, it is not cool. We are not only letting billionaires trash our planet, but also the interstellar space surrounding our planet. A dead SpaceX rocket will crash into the lunar surface at a super high rate of speed, causing a ejecta plume that will teach us about lunar subsurface geochemistry. But this is not a planned experiment. It is the result of an accident by a private company. It is unauthorized. And more and more stories will unfold like this, including the unauthorized brightening of our night sky, as we let these billionaires do whatever they want to our resources. Humbug! #SpaceTrash #SpaceX #moon #Musk #SpaceDebris #NightSky https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/dead-spacex-rocket-slam-moon-173456998.html

Replies (7)

@n_dimension@infosec.exchange 2026-07-30 20:46

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social TBF I am impressed an orbital vehicle got enough delta-V to go to the moon

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@tompearce49@mastodon.scot 2026-07-30 16:38

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social - I am very much with @sundogplanets@mastodon.social on the abuse of space around earth, So much is being done with a scandalous disregard for any consequences by people with more money than sense.

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@cstross@wandering.shop 2026-07-30 19:25

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social @Rhube@wandering.shop Now tell me what happened to all/most of the Apollo lunar module ascent stages, the Saturn IV-B upper stages, LRO, Rangers 1-7, Lunar Orbiter 1-5, the entire early Soviet Luna program … Hint: historically not a lot of care was taken over expended stage disposal! (And more recent Falcon 9s have passivation systems to prevent this kind of mishap.)

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@jonesmurphy@mastodon.social 2026-07-31 04:44

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social 60 years ago billionaires held a far smaller percentage of national wealth than they do now. Today's billionaire class is mostly a product of incessant tax cuts and other measures taken to concentrate wealth & opportunity over the last 60 yrs. The people who caused this aren't billionaires, but racist right wing voters angry at MLK and Civil Rights.

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@ballista11@mastodon.social 2026-07-30 19:47

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social As big as the solar system is... Musk has to leave his trash just anywhere he feels like. What an @$$hole!!!

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@Photo55@mastodon.social 2026-07-30 20:05

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social Near Earth space, cis-lunar space, translunar space, interplanetary space, solar space, Oort Cloud. Interstellar space is a lot further away. One of the Apollo Saturn 3rd stages was deliberately targeted on the Moon, so as to make vibrations for the seismometers left by previous missions. I forget which one it was. Then we knew more about the Moon's internal structure, which is probably worth a crater. It doesn't seem impossible that doing it again might tell us yet more.

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@robpike@cosocial.ca 2026-07-30 21:06

@Brad_Rosenheim@climatejustice.social "high rate of speed" always makes me giggle, although I align completely with your anger.

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