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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar satellite stops working |
| 2020-03-31 |
| [janes.com] The Venezuelan government has announced that its Simón Bolívar (VeneSat-1) satellite is no longer operational, without citing specific causes. The platform was an important component of the country’s defence and telecommunications sector. In 2018, then-head of Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Office (Oficina Nacional Antidrogas: ONA), General Juan Grillo stated that, “thanks to Simón Bolívar, we have connected our radars, which allows us to identify whether an aircraft is carrying out illicit activities or not.” “Due to a fault, the satellite will no longer carry out its telecommunication operations,” a brief 25 March communique by the Venezuelan Ministry of Science and Technology explained. |
| Posted by:John Frum |
| #17 What’s the big deal? Just launch another one. |
| Posted by: KBK 2020-03-31 15:40 |
| #16 All the fuses and circuits blew out from Bolivarian Rage. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2020-03-31 12:52 |
| #15 Made in China. Prematurely failed. Any surprise here? |
| Posted by: John Frum 2020-03-31 11:50 |
| #14 If you were going to takee a chance on losing an X-37 (and that's always a risk when you manoeuver a remotely piloted craft near an unpiloted satellite moving many thousands on miles per hour) you'd pick something strategic that would make waves. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-03-31 11:47 |
| #13 Maybe also to jog Bolivarians' memories of Nifty Package... |
| Posted by: Lex 2020-03-31 11:45 |
| #12 it wouldn't make sense to risk it to go after such a meaningless target. Other than to demonstrate we can. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2020-03-31 11:14 |
| #11 If you actually read about what's going on with the satellite, it's out of its intended orbit and tumbling. Could be the result of a systems failure, or impact with space junk, or, yes, intentional meddling. I don't think the X-37B is moving in the same altitude band though, and it wouldn't make sense to risk it to go after such a meaningless target. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-03-31 10:40 |
| #10 Did they try reinstalling Windows XP? |
| Posted by: Raj 2020-03-31 10:34 |
| #9 Actually, there were two intersecting carbon dioxide lasers fired from the knoll. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-03-31 08:00 |
| #8 ... an invisible carbon dioxide laser, fired from the Grassy Knoll in Dallas... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-03-31 07:33 |
| #7 This has the smell of NSA hacking all over it. |
| Posted by: Herb McCoy 2020-03-31 04:49 |
| #6 Maybe we're about to attack them. |
| Posted by: gorb 2020-03-31 02:59 |
| #5 ...maybe it was turned off... |
| Posted by: crazyhorse 2020-03-31 01:08 |
| #4 Cheap Chinese junk. |
| Posted by: Hupaiting Ulelet8252 2020-03-31 00:57 |
| #3 When radio waves don't want to work you have pretty much dis-incentivised everything. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2020-03-31 00:44 |
| #2 ^ stupidity |
| Posted by: Lex 2020-03-31 00:44 |
| #1 Is there anything socialism can't kill? |
| Posted by: gorb 2020-03-31 00:38 |