Balloon Satellites

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object that has been placed into orbit. A few of these satellites are balloon satellites. These are satellites that are inflated with gas after they have been put into orbit. Other human-made objects are also called satellites, only placed at a much lower altitude and with a very different operating method. These are, in fact, regular high-altitude balloons but providing services traditionally provided by orbiting satellites.

Flat-Earthers deny satellites’ existence, and after they discovered the existence of balloon satellites, they started to use the fact as “proof” that orbiting satellites do not exist. It is a fallacy of proof by example. By the same “logic”, we can use the existence of trucks to “prove” buses do not exist.

They are two types of balloon satellites:

  • Regular orbiting satellites that are inflated with gas after it has been put into orbit.
  • High altitude balloons. These are regular high-altitude balloons that provide services conventionally provided by regular orbiting satellites.

Without the balloon part, a balloon satellite can look like a regular orbiting satellite. A few of these balloon satellites crashed, and when flat-Earthers discovered their existence, they were quick to use the “discovery” as “proof” that regular orbiting satellites do not exist. In reality, both types of satellites exist and have their own specific purposes.

By using this argument, flat-Earthers are committing the fallacy of proof by example. By the same “logic,” we can use the existence of trucks to ‘prove’ buses do not exist.

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