back to article Drifting zombiesat could disrupt TV programming

Technicians are scrambling to keep an out-of-control satellite from interfering with US television programming as it drifts into the orbit of another satellite. Galaxy 15, operated by Luxembourg-based Intelsat, stopped responding to ground controllers last month and has gradually been drifting about a tenth of a degree per day …

COMMENTS

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  1. Adrian Esdaile
    Flame

    " interfering with US television programming"

    OH MY GOD!

    The humanity! Listeners, I just can't bear to watch, all those people without TV! Oh it's terrbile!

    1. Joe H.
      Big Brother

      How about reading a book instead of watching television?

      1984 by George Orwell for starters.

      1. Charlie Oscar
        FAIL

        WTF?

        How do you turn an article about a zombie sat into a reference about 1984? its bad enough that it is spouted every time there is an article about the police, politics or anything with even a minor hint of repression. Just how? seriously.

        1. Anonymous John

          Re WTF?

          It's a variation of Godwin's Law.

  2. Stephen Michael Kellat
    Grenade

    Hmm

    What robot could accomplish needed repairs? Right now we don't really have a way from the American end of things to get any humans up there to fiddle with the satellite...

    1. Anonymous John
      Unhappy

      Or from the Russian end.

      It's been nearly 40 years, since anyone has been able to do more than just reach low Earth orbit.

  3. Nick 6
    Grenade

    Disaster

    Slowly the knowledge that only Murdoch's stations survived begins to dawn on the doomed inhabitants below...

  4. frank ly
    Alert

    RoTM

    " ...where at least 160 other "zombiesats" already await it. .."

    It's a breeding pool !!!

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Nooooooooo......

    .....who will look after the children?

    How will they eat meals without one?

    How will they sit in a bar and drink beer?

    My GOD, they may have to TALK to each.

    Why don't you just turn off the tv and do something less boring instead (one for our older viewers there)

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Sir

      I hear you. These days it just seems to be re-runs of 70's LSD trips, otherwise known as the Night Garden.

    2. Martin Glenn
      Thumb Up

      Good Man

      A why dont you qoute , now that takes me back!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Perhaps this is a job for ......

      ...... Fireball XL5 !?! (For our REALLY older viewers)

  6. Mike Shepherd
    FAIL

    Wot? No watchdog?

    The relay system doesn't shut down after a day with no control communication?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Libration point

    Surely that's a trypo and should say libation point? I'm off to mine for a swift half for breakfast shortly.

  8. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

    Laser it?

    Blowing it up = debris in orbit = bad for other satellites, and space shuttles, etc. However, you could maybe melt the solar panels, or something - basically kill it dead. Or flip it around so it's only transmitting to outer space... hmm, perhaps another bad move. Lets aliens know that we're here. And that we're bozos.

  9. David Pollard

    White Dot

    Readers who would like to encourage alternatives to mindless TV, such as reading a book, might wish to join/support White Dot. Amongst other activities, they promote TV-turnoff week.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Dot

    http://whitedot.org/issue/fix_tvturnoffweek.asp

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Flip

    If they could flip it, they could control it...

    Auto-shutdown with loss of control signal is sensible - but what are the effects of solar storms on command/control functions normally, what would be the correct time to shutdown.

    1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      I had in mind,

      using the pressure of light to tip the thing around so it isn't pointing at Earth. But I suppose it would take quite a lot. And how accurate is a laser beam at that range...

  11. Chris Pollard
    Alien

    bah

    I for one welcome our new zombie satellite overlords

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Meh

    There's nothing good to watch anyway.

  13. Graham Marsden
    Alert

    100 channels, including Showtime, MTV, and the Food Network.

    So, critical, high quality output, then...?

  14. Tom Maddox Silver badge
    Coat

    TV?

    People still watch that, then?

  15. Oldfogey
    Black Helicopters

    @TV?

    Nope, haven't watched it for 30 or more years, except when away on holiday; sort of a booster shot to keep me innoculated against it.

    Still watch DVD's - Fireball XL5 not too long ago.

    Black helicopters from TV Licensing

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