undefined | Better HN

0 pointsschiffern1y ago0 comments

>developed by the free market

>iridium

For some reason I was skeptical of this (suspiciously tidy) myth-making, and the more I look into it the more I'm convinced I was right to be skeptical.

Turns out the relevant engineers -- Ken Peterson and Ray Leopold -- both worked on military and government communications systems immediately prior to being hired at Motorola and starting the Iridium project. Peterson's bio is rather vague on timelines[0], but available information on Leopold indicates he joined Motorola in 1987[1] (directly from the Air Force Electronic Systems Division,[2] which develops communication systems), which is the same year he and Peterson started work on Iridium.[3]

This has all the hallmarks of one of those nice neat (and of course plausibly deniable) tech transfers from military/taxpayer dollars, complete with the cute official origin story featuring a C-suite executive's wife.

[0] https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/25954530/ken-peter...

[1] https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/16-886-air-transportation-system...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Systems_Center

[3] https://www.laits.utexas.edu/~anorman/long.extra/Student.F98...

0 comments

4 comments · 1 top-level

richk4491y ago· 3 in thread

Pretty much everything that has to do with space was first developed by governments for military purposes. Rockets, satellites, communications, imaging, etc.

I think your point supports the general thesis that many technologies are developed before they are economically viable.

schiffernOP1y ago

Definitely agree! Just observing that when the credit line is "some technologies are developed by the free market," people seem inclined to forget that part. Cheers

simne1y ago

> Pretty much everything that has to do with space was first developed by governments for military purposes. Rockets, satellites, communications, imaging, etc.

No. First works on rockets was conduct by free market, even British Interplanetary Society designed flight to Moon (1938) and Lunar Space Suit (1940), unfortunately these works stay plans. BIS said, this is because too strict British regulations. https://www.bis-space.com/technical-projects/

It is just coincidence, in Germany made first space scale rocket (A-4) and Soviets made first satellite.

Planned first satellite was Vanguard, born in civilian American Rocket Society and used civilian sounding rockets rather than military missiles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Vanguard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Rocket_Society

Just after Soviets demonstrate first satellite launch and huge for that time ICBM R-7, US government joined space race and participated in it until Russians shown interest fall

After Russians avoid to show something similar to Apollo program, US government cancelled next launches and switched to minimalist space program, just to support lead in space, because of military considerations.

simne1y ago

BTW Elon Musk space program was not first commercial program. Before him exists at least one program with sounding rockets and one with mega-cannon.

Unfortunately, Western governments for understandable reasons fear to accept 3rd world countries to develop such programs, because of non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons. So, when programs eventually moved to 3rd world countries (due to lack of interest in developed countries), Western governments used brute force to cancel them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTRAG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

4 comments · 1 top-level

richk4491y ago· 3 in thread

Pretty much everything that has to do with space was first developed by governments for military purposes. Rockets, satellites, communications, imaging, etc.

I think your point supports the general thesis that many technologies are developed before they are economically viable.

schiffernOP1y ago

Definitely agree! Just observing that when the credit line is "some technologies are developed by the free market," people seem inclined to forget that part. Cheers

simne1y ago

> Pretty much everything that has to do with space was first developed by governments for military purposes. Rockets, satellites, communications, imaging, etc.

It is just coincidence, in Germany made first space scale rocket (A-4) and Soviets made first satellite.

Just after Soviets demonstrate first satellite launch and huge for that time ICBM R-7, US government joined space race and participated in it until Russians shown interest fall

simne1y ago

BTW Elon Musk space program was not first commercial program. Before him exists at least one program with sounding rockets and one with mega-cannon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OTRAG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Bull

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse