Space pirates? Yes, space pirates.

[Flower Milk]

Okay, to the people who think this is an actual threat that we need to combat: let's play devil's advocate here for a minute.

Let's say there is actually a threat of pirates in space. Why wouldn't the military or intelligence agencies be the ones briefing Congress about it and asking them to allocate funds into combating that threat? Why would Actual Human Being Ted Cruz need to do that for them? Could it actually be because he's full of shit and getting paid by military contractor lobbyists to make up shit to try to convince Congress to allocate more money towards the military industrial complex?

No, must be space pirates.

[lockedout]

Okay, to the people who think this is an actual threat that we need to combat: let's play devil's advocate here for a minute.

Let's say there is actually a threat of pirates in space. Why wouldn't the military or intelligence agencies be the ones briefing Congress about it and asking them to allocate funds into combating that threat? Why would Actual Human Being Ted Cruz need to do that for them? Could it actually be because he's full of shit and getting paid by military contractor lobbyists to make up shit to try to convince Congress to allocate more money towards the military industrial complex?

No, must be space pirates.

There aren't now but one day there will be.

[Thestrawman]

There aren't now but one day there will be.

Do you have any estimate of when that might be? Or why Tex Cruz would be bringing this up? The question still stands unanswered despite your retarded attempt to answer it.

Here's my question: When will lockedout admit they're full of shit? Not today but maybe someday.

[Pipebomb]

When World War 4 begins the first thing that's gonna be targeted is communication satellites. But framing the conversation with space pirates... wtf.

I do like his beard though.

[Nihilist74]

[Breccia]

When World War 4 begins the first thing that's gonna be targeted is communication satellites.

This seems highly likely.

But if it were me, I'd just set off an explosion nearby and let physics do the heavy lifting. Stealing them seems like way too much work.

[Flower Milk]

This seems highly likely.

But if it were me, I'd just set off an explosion nearby and let physics do the heavy lifting. Stealing them seems like way too much work.

Satellites are super expensive, not just to build but also to launch into space. It'd be infinitely more worthwhile to hack into them from the ground. The only thing close to "space pirates" we'd ever even see is legit just hackers, probably Russian ones since their laws are so lax for it and there's a bunch there. It's probably unlikely though because it's extremely easy to trace hacking into a satellite, they would have to want to do it as an act of aggression because we would 100% know about it and know who did it. It's so difficult to hack into a satellite, and the reason for doing it would be more worthwhile and easier from hacking into things like security cameras, phones, computer systems, etc.

We really should be investing in cyber security, particularly election security right now, not a stupid "Space Force". Unlike space pirates, cyber security is actually something the military and intelligence agencies suggest we invest more resources into.

[prostozdravo]

we should be investing in quantume computers

[Edge-]

There aren't now but one day there will be.

Explain how, then.

How will they get into space?

Where will they get the money?

The technical expertise?

How will they hijack a vehicle and force it to launch?

How will they pilot it?

Once in the atmosphere, how are they going to stay up there?

What will they go for, and how will they know what and where it is?

How will they get back down to earth without law enforcement waiting for them?

There are a lot of practical questions that should be answered first and foremost before we take the words that come out of the mouth of the back of flesh behind Ted Cruz's beard seriously. We need to quantify the threat before we respond to it, and it doesn't seem remotely quantified yet.

[Yunru]

Explain how, then.

How will they get into space?

Where will they get the money?

The technical expertise?

How will they hijack a vehicle and force it to launch?

How will they pilot it?

Once in the atmosphere, how are they going to stay up there?

What will they go for, and how will they know what and where it is?

How will they get back down to earth without law enforcement waiting for them?

There are a lot of practical questions that should be answered first and foremost before we take the words that come out of the mouth of the back of flesh behind Ted Cruz's beard seriously. We need to quantify the threat before we respond to it, and it doesn't seem remotely quantified yet.

You should watch some mobile suit gundam Edge. You can see space pirates in action there and how they work.

A lot of them were traders that due to trade limits became pirates and smugglers.

Right now they cant exist. But they will 100% in future.

[Edge-]

You should watch some mobile suit gundam Edge. You can see space pirates in action there and how they work.

A lot of them were traders that due to trade limits became pirates and smugglers.

Right now they cant exist. But they will 100% in future.

Can't tell if serious or a joke, but you realize you're referencing a fictional anime set hundreds of years in the future as evidence to support the need for a space force in the immediate...right?

[Saucexorzski]

Explain how, then.

How will they get into space?

Where will they get the money?

The technical expertise?

How will they hijack a vehicle and force it to launch?

How will they pilot it?

Once in the atmosphere, how are they going to stay up there?

What will they go for, and how will they know what and where it is?

How will they get back down to earth without law enforcement waiting for them?

There are a lot of practical questions that should be answered first and foremost before we take the words that come out of the mouth of the back of flesh behind Ted Cruz's beard seriously. We need to quantify the threat before we respond to it, and it doesn't seem remotely quantified yet.

im trying to think what exactly they could steal out there..and all i got is hijacking, not stealing, communication satellites, if you are stealing the materials of satellites in space..it begs the question of how you got there and why you need them..we are not really near the time were one would rob the ISS for..supplies such as air or edibles/water...However if this mean the US military starts claiming space i don't care what these space pirates want, we need to stop them!

- - - Updated - - -

Can't tell if serious or a joke, but you realize you're referencing a fictional anime set hundreds of years in the future as evidence to support the need for a space force in the immediate...right?

I hope you are aware of the power controlling the space around the earth would give a single nation...and understand as to why humans would want such power for their own nation and not others.

[Mayhem]

I hope you are aware of the power controlling the space around the earth would give a single nation...and understand as to why humans would want such power for their own nation and not others.

Sure, I mean, the US right now, can't control all of the oceans, but they sure as hell will be able to control all of the near space around the earth because that's just so much easier.

[Felya]

Sure, I mean, the US right now, can't control all of the oceans, but they sure as hell will be able to control all of the near space around the earth because that's just so much easier.

It is easier... How many ports are there on earth? How many space launch sites are there? Less than 10?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsa...rld/ar-BBS5LY0

Speaking of which... wouldn’t it be easier to monitor the less than 10 launch sites, instead of... ah... space?

[Edge-]

It is easier... How many ports are there on earth? How many space launch sites are there? Less than 10?

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsa...rld/ar-BBS5LY0

Speaking of which... wouldn’t it be easier to monitor the less than 10 launch sites, instead of... ah... space?

Until the pirates set up their own launch sites, without any governments noticing, and manage to successfully test launch vehicles into space, similarly without governments noticing.

Pirates are a sneaky and suspiciously well funded/technically adept bunch!

[Felya]

Until the pirates set up their own launch sites, without any governments noticing, and manage to successfully test launch vehicles into space, similarly without governments noticing.

Pirates are a sneaky and suspiciously well funded/technically adept bunch!

Even if they get in space, they can’t just get inside the space station. They have to do a lot to open the doors in space, even willingly. It’s an insane notion... even the part about targeting communication satellites doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t target them from space, it would be a cyber security concern. Not one about space... I think people watch too much TV and don’t understand how cumbersome the whole space station is. They float up there...

[Yunru]

Even if they get in space, they can’t just get inside the space station. They have to do a lot to open the doors in space, even willingly. It’s an insane notion... even the part about targeting communication satellites doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t target them from space, it would be a cyber security concern. Not one about space... I think people watch too much TV and don’t understand how cumbersome the whole space station is. They float up there...

Well they could just steal them out of orbit and ask you to pay them.

[Edge-]

Well they could just steal them out of orbit and ask you to pay them.

How are they going to get into orbit to begin with? Are they going to stow away on a manned flight...somewhere? Hijack a rocket on the pad and force a launch...somehow? Set up their own launch platform, test their own rockets, and launch themselves with magical funding and technical expertise they don't have? All without any space-faring nation noticing any of this?

This continues to be a ludicrous notion from the get-go and not something to be treated remotely seriously.

Edit: The actual threat, if you want to address is, is potential vulnerability to cyber-attacks, something that doesn't require "space pirates" to actually send anyone into space. Something that also doesn't require an armed presence in space and can be handled from our terrestrial plane.

[Adam Jensen]

This seems highly likely.

But if it were me, I'd just set off an explosion nearby and let physics do the heavy lifting. Stealing them seems like way too much work.

There's a thing called the Kessler Syndrome. If there are enough satellites in space and you blow one or two up, the debris can be enough to wipe them all out.

[Elegiac]

There's a thing called the Kessler Syndrome. If there are enough satellites in space and you blow one or two up, the debris can be enough to wipe them all out.

Jokes on you, the space pirates were trained by Sandra Bullock.