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[–] derram ago 

https://archive.is/eSkFj :

NASA – get this – just launched 8 satellites from a rocket dropped from a plane at 40,000ft • The Register

'Go CYGNSS!"Traditional wind-monitoring satellites fire signals down to Earth and then measure the strength of the echo back. '

'The birds will provide daily updates on surface wind speeds and can peer into the heart of hurricanes to measure their strength. '

'The satellites were carried by a Pegasus XL rocket that was dropped from the Stargazer – a modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar – at around 40,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. '

'I am excited (and a little exhausted) and really looking forward to diving into the engineering data in the coming days, and then into the science data in the weeks to follow. '

'Once fully operational, the satellites will be able to map global wind speeds in the tropics every few hours, as opposed to every few days. '

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[–] Jixijenga 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

I read the title while the opening to "Radar Rider" by Riggs played over my stereo and it was fucking awesome.

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[–] GIF-lLL-S0NG 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

That first 40000 ft you get the worst millage in a rocket. Once the air gets thin and cold you literally get "more bang for your buck"

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[–] ham-sandwitch ago 

Isn't it much cheaper to get it up that high using a jet anyway? If that is true, then why isn't this type of launch done nearly exclusively?

I'm truly asking, as this seems like it would be the case, but don't really have any data.

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[–] ham-sandwitch ago 

On another note, do you think people in the UK were confused at Star Wars referring to "Bothans" since it's nearly the same as "Boffins?"

And on that same note, there's no real context when this race is introduced in ROTJ, just that they lost their lives for Death Star plans or whatever. Oh, because I'm supposed to know what these things/people are with no context?