It was a huge sticking point because it backtracked on it's own canon. Whenever a character veered into "oooh..magic!" territory the Doctor was always quick to point out it was just technology on a different level. So to handwave that sent up a huge WTF flag. I can see him breaking the hold of the satellites by tapping into the "mind-control" energy created by a fellow Time-Lord but defying the laws of gravity by sheer good will pushed it a tiny bit too far. But there were people who were cool with the handwave so *shrug*. That's why I have a "fast forward" button. ;)