2264: Satellite

2020-02-06T10:59:45Z

Kreedah: /* Typo correction */

{{comic
| number = 2264
| date = February 5, 2020
| title = Satellite
| image = satellite.png
| titletext = If you're going to let it burn up, make sure it happens over the deep end of the bathtub and not any populated parts of the house!
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a KESSLER SYNDROME. Incredibly stubby. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
This comic humorously compares the relationship between humans and {{w|satellites}} to the relationship between humans and {{w|pet}}s, with [[Science Girl]] "adopting" an "abandoned" satellite, and being lectured by her parents on how to properly discard it once it stops working, i.e. dies, using terms and processes normally applied to satellites. ("{{w|Graveyard orbit}}" and "{{w|Kessler syndrome}}" and the {{w|Spacecraft cemetery|bit of the sea}} that is the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area).

A graveyard orbit is an orbit far away from operational satellites, used as a cheaper alternative to de-orbiting a satellite and letting it burn up. Typically this is achieved by briefly accelerating the satellite to send it further away from Earth; thus, Science Girl's parents refer to "boosting" the satellite into a graveyard orbit.

Kessler syndrome refers to a scenario where Earth has become surrounded by so much man-made debris that cascading collisions make space activities difficult. Apparently Science Girl has recreated this scenario before in her parents' home, requiring extensive cleanup of the dining room, making it unusable for weeks.

The title text is more advice from Science Girl's parents. They tell her that if she is going to let her satellite reenter the atmosphere and burn up, she should do it above the deep end of the bathtub. This echoes how satellites in orbit can be purposefully deorbited, and are usually planned so that any debris that isn't fully destroyed lands in the ocean and do not pose a safety risk.

Abandoned satellites were in the news recently, as 2 defunct satellites [https://www.space.com/no-satellite-crash-of-space-junk-iras-ggse-4.html had a near miss] on January 29, 2020. This is becoming more of an issue, especially in Low Earth Orbit, as more and more satellites are built, and old satellites go defunct.

Humans orbited by satellites was previously featured in [[1300: Galilean Moons]]; here, of course, the satellites were natural satellites, i.e. moons.

==Transcript==
:[Science Girl is facing Cueball and Megan. A small satellite orbits her, indicated by a tilted circle around her at about neck height. The satellite is between her and her parents.]
:Science Girl: Hey, look, I found a satellite! Can I keep it? Please?
:Cueball: Sweetie, no.
:Megan: Put it back where you found it.

:[Zoom in on Science Girl who looks straight out of the panel, the satellite is wishing by her ear with the circle going behind her. The satellite is detailed in this zoom in. There is a central main part of the satellite, almost square, with a small protrusion at the "top" and two small lines (antennas) at the "bottom." Two solar panels extend on either side, each longer than the central part.]
:Science Girl: But I think it was abandoned!
:Science Girl: And it's so cute!
:Science Girl: Please?
:Science Girl: ''Pleeeease?''

:[Back to all three again, Science Girl has her arms raised above her head. The satellite is beneath her head.]
:Megan: Fine. But you have to promise to boost it to a graveyard orbit when it stops working. Don't just leave it drifting around.
:Science Girl: Yaaaay!

:[Same setting as in the first panel, so Science Girl has lowered her arms.]
:Cueball: We're serious. I am '''''not''''' cleaning up after Kessler syndrome again.
:Megan: We couldn't use the dining room for ''weeks!''
:Science Girl: I promise, I promise.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Science Girl]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Space probes]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

2264: Satellite