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Japan gives up on failed black hole research satellite

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"But I hope they’ll learn a lesson and do their best next time"...

I hope the 31 billion yen will be spent on more immediate needs, say, those in Kumamoto and Tohoku, rather than this funding black hole.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

The general public doesn't understand the excellence and genius that goes into space exploration. Even just the quality of image gathering is at a level the average consumer will never deal with. Just developing the technology and getting it to work before launching is an advance in knowledge. I offer no excuses for the best way to use government money. I'm amazed at how much funding goes into space research as it is. Not because of the lack of value to it, but just getting politicians to vote for it to begin with. Searching for bosons is about as esoteric as it gets, but somehow science gets the dough for the tremendously expensive particle accelerators. I'd like to hear or read what they say when they ask for dough. Could be a lesson right there for startups.

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Japan has a massive space program and has achieved successes in both scientific and commercial satellite launches while also sending astronauts on space shuttle and International Space Station missions.

That's nice and all, but why don't they put that money into earthquake research? That would really be making a contribution to the planet.

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carpboyAPR. 29, 2016 - 07:00AM JST I hope the 31 billion yen will be spent on more immediate needs, say, those in Kumamoto and Tohoku, rather than this funding black hole.

Because if there's one thing we want to teach the Japanese people, it's that if a project is hard and expensive, it isn't worth doing, amirite? Perhaps we should change the caption on that statue in Hokkaido from "Boys, be ambitious," to "Boys, be small but make sure everyone on the Internet knows how concerned you are."

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katsu78: "Because if there's one thing we want to teach the Japanese people, it's that if a project is hard and expensive, it isn't worth doing, emirate?"

Hard? no. Expensive? at a time when the government is desperate for more funds to the point where they may have to increase taxes AGAIN because their last attempt failed so badly that the future generations will be paying for their entire lives and then some? at a time when one part of the nation is still suffering from quakes 5 years ago, and another from quakes this month? Yes, I would say priorities need to be put on things at home first. When it's more affordable, then by all means do it. And I love space exploration and the possibilities. But 31 million plus the time and the extra month put in for absolutely nothing?

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

The Japanese economy is a black hole, and this ridiculous boondoggle is a great example.

Spending tons of money (three arrows, cough cough) on things that DON'T work.

I think the whole planet should take a time out from playing spaceman and figure out how to fix the economy.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This program is a real black hole. How about spending money in the north and south to rescue housing, etc. There is never a shortage of money, it is just a matter of priorities. The priorities seem to be something other than the survival of the common people who pay the taxes.

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“It’s disappointing,” read one tweet. “But I hope they’ll learn a lesson and do their best next time.”

Well, if ever they had a clue about the failure, nothing is reported into the article, I believe looking w what Japan is doing after 3/11. they will simply do again the same thing and expect for a different outcome.

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I said 31 million but meant billion, and there wasn't even a modicum of success involved.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Katsu78, I believe you missed the point of carpboy. If you and your kids are having to LIVE out of a car in Kumamoto or 5 years on in a temp home in Tohoku, how would you feel about your taxes going to space for research instead of helping the people here on earth, in YOUR country?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If you and your kids are having to LIVE out of a car in Kumamoto or 5 years on in a temp home in Tohoku, how would you feel about your taxes going to space for research instead of helping the people here on earth, in YOUR country?

I have insurance which would prevent me from having to live in my car, or live in temporary housing, it is not that expensive. I don't want to have to count on others who I don't even know pay for my support, it is not fair to them.

As for space exploration, looking for signals from black holes is pointless. There are a great many more important things which should be researched, like energy transmission, improved space propulsion systems and communications, etc.

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Ha, as a researcher I am truly saddened by most of these comments. Life us worth living beyond the point of filling your own stomach (or other immediate needs), you know. (Space) research is an easy victim of bashing for the hoi-polloi, not having the intelligence required for seeing its benefits for the decades to come. Just as a small point for the people asking why wasn't this money spent in ouhoku or Kyushu: building this telescope started decades ago, most of the money spend before the quakes...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Alex Jones - quoted, "Chinese infiltration of NASA, set a New World Order software bug to ruin the satellite. This was done to hide the fact Builderburg, Illuminati and Climatologists have shown a link to sustainable energy through the coupling of plasma energy of black holes through subspace quantum coupling." Sounds plausible to me ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

looking for signals from black holes is pointless

I wonder if people said the same in the past about researching electromagnetic radiation or even watching the stars and planets in the sky. A few days ago, JT reported that the government has allocated several hundred billion yen for relief efforts in Kyushu. These relief activities will take advantage of technology that has developed from all kinds of scientific research.

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I mean science is trials and errors but...dang!

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smithinjapanAPR. 29, 2016 - 10:20AM JST I said 31 million but meant billion, and there wasn't even a modicum of success involved.

I could have looked up in the sky and tell them what's up there for much, much less. Sky, sun, clouds moon , stars and all :) Who do I send the bill to ? :)

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Its great shame when something like this goes wrong, all of those man hours (and woman hours) are lost in space, oh well better luck next time!. now that these scientists are twiddling there thumbs now with nothing to do, my toaster is not working, any ideas guys?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That's nice and all, but why don't they put that money into earthquake research? That would really be making a contribution to the planet.

They are. Space exploration and Earth observation from space is of a incredible help for earthquake research, and disaster prevention/mitigation.

Satellites can detect slow movements or displacements of a few millimetres, gas emissions, soil humidity, etc. apart from images, almost real-time. For earthquakes, fault study, volcanos, etc. that is a really important information.

And after a disaster, you can get images from the disaster area and quickly evaluate damages, road status, etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ha, as a researcher I am truly saddened by most of these comments. Life us worth living beyond the point of filling your own stomach (or other immediate needs), you know. (Space) research is an easy victim of bashing for the hoi-polloi, not having the intelligence required for seeing its benefits for the decades to come.

Thank you. Sometimes you need to fail to know what went wrong and improve the issues. But for the many perfect people on this site, this failure is worth the condemnation of the entire program. I'm sure the same posters have amazing professional careers instead of jobs anyone can get....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Wow, people commenting here tend to forget space exploration contribute a lot in our enrichment and knowledge of planet earth as well and in the end help to understand better in research about earth and climate change. Enlightenment and scientific revolution that happen in the West possible because of that one person put the telescope to look into the sky. This exploration started decades ago and should be commended instead of spending money for weapons of destructions like other countries (ie North Korea)

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Someone observing the Montgolfier Brothers first hot air baloon flight asked what use it was, to which Benjamin Franklin reputedly replied, "What use is a newborn baby?"

Pure science like this satellite attempt can produce all kinds of benefits that may not be obvious at the time. And sometimes the failures can be just as valuable as the successes.

I'm sure North Korea's futile missile launches cost far more than this satellite.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If they can find out why the solar panels apparently "came adrift", then hopefully the next launch won't meet a similar fate. Not everything goes according to plan and some failures are epic in scale. Remember the Mars probe that faceplanted onto the Mars surface because someone forgot to convert Imperial units to Metric when sending trajectory data? You don't give up, you try again.

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Isn't the term 'Black Hole" really a misnomer?

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Isn't the term 'Black Hole" really a misnomer?

It's a colloquialism applied to singularities... because "singularity" doesn't register with most people.

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It's a colloquialism applied to singularities

Are they the same? I thought the singularity was thought to be at the center of a black hole.

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The singularity IS the "black hole". The boundary where light no longer escapes is called the "event horizon", but there's nothing between that boundary and the singularity itself except for the remains of whatever is falling into the singularity.

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But it's not really a hole, like a door or window, its super-compressed matter, so it's not like you could step thru to the other side.

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OK guys I've fixed my toaster, I banged it on the top like we use to do with the old TV,s.....You say that this satellite is not working right?. I have a cunning plan!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

sangetsu03, understand your point and totally agree but I'm talking about the months it'll take to file, get approval and receive your insurance claims.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If it wasn't for the resources spent on the space race, our satellites wouldn't be as good as they are now

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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