How icy outer solar system satellites may have formed
Beyond the orbit of the planet Neptune, there are a multitude of icy and rocky small bodies, smaller than planets but larger than comets. These likely formed at the same time as the Solar System, and...
View ArticleNew high-definition satellite radar can detect bridges at risk of collapse...
An early warning system to identify at-risk structures using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has been developed. The system could be applied to infrastructure projects including roads, railways and...
View ArticleMaintaining large-scale satellite constellations using logistics approach
Researchers have identified a critical hidden challenge about replacing the broken satellites in megaconstellations and proposed a unique solution with inventory control methods.
View ArticleSun's solar wind and plasma 'burps' created on Earth
A new study by physicists mimicked solar winds in the lab, confirming how they develop and providing an Earth-bound model for the future study of solar physics.
View ArticleThe Milky Way kidnapped several tiny galaxies from its neighbor
A team of astronomers has discovered that several of the small -- or 'dwarf' -- galaxies orbiting the Milky Way were likely stolen from the Large Magellanic Cloud, including several ultrafaint dwarfs,...
View ArticleSatellites are key to monitoring ocean carbon
Satellites now play a key role in monitoring carbon levels in the oceans, but we are only just beginning to understand their full potential.
View ArticleSatellite broken? Smart satellites to the rescue
Scientists are developing robotic networks that can work independently but collaboratively on a common task. The goal? To make smart satellites that can repair other satellites in space.
View ArticleNo 'clouded' judgments: Geostationary satellite an alternative to monitor...
Environmental scientists are always in search of new tools that can better characterize the Earth's surface. Researchers have now reported that Himawari-8, a new-generation geostationary satellite, was...
View ArticleFinding a killer electron hot spot in Earth's Van Allen radiation belts
JAXA and NASA satellite observations show where killer electrons are generated in the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth.
View ArticleSatellite constellations harvest energy for near-total global coverage
Scientists have discovered the right combination of factors to make a four-satellite constellation possible, which could drive advances in telecommunication, navigation and remote sensing.
View ArticleNew patented invention stabilizes, rotates satellites
Many satellites are in space to take photos. But a vibrating satellite, like a camera in shaky hands, can't get a sharp image. Pointing it at a precise location to take a photo or perform another task,...
View ArticleSpace weather model gives earlier warning of satellite-killing radiation storms
A new machine-learning computer model accurately predicts damaging radiation storms caused by the Van Allen belts two days prior to the storm, the most advanced notice to date, according to a new article.
View ArticleImpact of satellite constellations on astronomical observations
Astronomers have recently raised concerns about the impact of satellite mega-constellations on scientific research. To better understand the effect these constellations could have on astronomical...
View ArticleSafety zone saves giant moons from fatal plunge
Numerical simulations showed that the temperature gradient in the disk of gas around a young gas giant planet could play a critical role in the development of a satellite system dominated by a single...
View ArticleThe Milky Way's satellites help reveal link between dark matter halos and...
Just like we orbit the sun and the moon orbits us, the Milky Way has satellite galaxies with their own satellites. Drawing from data on those galactic neighbors, a new model suggests the Milky Way...
View ArticleSolving the space junk problem
Aging satellites and space debris crowd low-Earth orbit, and launching new satellites adds to the collision risk. The most effective way to solve the space junk problem, according to a new study, is...
View ArticleSpeed of space storms key to protecting astronauts and satellites from radiation
Measuring the speed of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as they erupt from the sun, in addition to their size, found to be crucial in providing accurate early warnings that keep astronauts and technology...
View ArticleUsing sunlight to save satellites from a fate of 'space junk'
Satellites are almost always illuminated by the sun, apart from short transitions to Earth's shadow. The light that a satellite reflects can help reveal the solution to a structural malfunction.
View ArticleThe quiet Sun is much more active than we thought
For a long time, researchers have believed that there is not much of interest going on in the Sun during the passive period, therefore not worth studying. Now this assumption is showed to be false....
View ArticleHuge ring-like structure on Ganymede's surface may have been caused by...
Image data reanalysis has revealed that ancient tectonic troughs are concentrically distributed across almost the entire surface of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Computer simulation results suggest that...
View ArticleSecret weapon to stop invasive honeysuckle: Satellites
Researchers found that satellite imagery can identify non-native and invasive Amur honeysuckle, an ornamental shrub introduced from Asia that has spread in forests across much of the United States.
View ArticleFaint orbital debris that threatens satellites not being monitored closely...
Astronomers are warning that orbital debris posing a threat to operational satellites is not being monitored closely enough, as they publish a new survey finding that over 75% of the orbital debris...
View ArticleSignals from distant stars connect optical atomic clocks across Earth for the...
Using radio telescopes observing distant stars, scientists have connected optical atomic clocks on different continents.
View ArticleStreetlights contribute less to nighttime light emissions in cities than...
When satellites take pictures of Earth at night, how much of the light that they see comes from streetlights? A team of scientists have answered this question for the first time using the example of...
View ArticleThe craters on Earth
A two-volume atlas presents and explains the impact sites of meteorites and asteroids worldwide.
View ArticleNew research on imposter stars may improve astronomical data
Quick flashes of light reflecting from satellites and debris in Earth's orbit are extremely common, according to new findings that may improve the accuracy of astronomical data. For the first time,...
View ArticlePrototype fuel gauge for orbit
Liquids aren't as well behaved in space as they are on Earth. Inside a spacecraft, microgravity allows liquids to freely slosh and float about. This behavior has made fuel quantity in satellites...
View ArticleDark coating can reduce satellite reflectivity
Observations confirmed that dark coating can reduce satellite reflectivity by half. There are concerns that numerous artificial satellites in orbit could impair astronomical observations, but these...
View Article'Space hurricane' in Earth's upper atmosphere discovered
Analysis of observations made by satellites in 2014 has revealed a long-lasting 'space hurricane' -- a swirling mass of plasma several hundred kilometers above the North Pole, raining electrons instead...
View ArticleSatellites contribute significant light pollution to night skies
Scientists reported new research results today suggesting that artificial objects in orbit around the Earth are brightening night skies on our planet significantly more than previously understood.
View ArticleRadar satellites can better protect against bushfires and floods
New research has revealed how radar satellites can improve the ability to detect, monitor, prepare for and withstand natural disasters in Australia including bushfires, floods and earthquakes.
View ArticleScientists use NASA satellite data to track ocean microplastics from space
Scientists have developed an innovative way to use NASA satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean.
View ArticleSatellite galaxies can carry on forming stars when they pass close to their...
Using sophisticated simulations of the whole of the Local Group of galaxies, including the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and their respective satellite galaxies, researchers have shown that the...
View ArticleSpotted: An exoplanet with the potential to form moons
New high-resolution observations clearly show a moon-forming region around exoplanet PDS 70c. The observations have allowed astronomers to determine the ring-shaped region's size and mass for the first...
View ArticleNew control technique uses solar panels to reach desired Mars orbit
Aerospace engineers have developed a way to use articulated solar panels to steer the satellite during aerobraking, reducing the number of passes needed, resulting in potential savings in propellant,...
View ArticleSatellites and light reflections help researchers spot coastal plastic waste
Geospatial scientists have found a way to detect plastic waste on remote beaches that are not visible in conventional satellite images, bringing us closer to global monitoring options.
View ArticleGaia space telescope rocks the science of asteroids
The European Gaia space mission has produced an unprecedented amount of new, improved, and detailed data for almost two billion objects in the Milky Way galaxy and the surrounding cosmos. The Gaia Data...
View ArticlePredicting equatorial plasma bubbles with SWARM
Changes in atmospheric density after sunset can cause hot pockets of gas called 'plasma bubbles' to form over the Earth's equator, resulting in communication disruptions between satellites and the...
View ArticleAs reflective satellites fill the skies, students are making sure astronomers...
Students have completed a comprehensive brightness study to characterize mega-constellation satellites cluttering the skies.
View ArticleCompact QKD system paves the way to cost-effective satellite-based quantum...
Researchers report an experimental demonstration of a space-to-ground quantum key distribution (QKD) network using a compact QKD terminal aboard the Chinese Space Lab Tiangong-2 and four ground...
View ArticleMICROSCOPE mission presents most precise test of general relativity's weak...
Researchers present the most precise test yet of the weak equivalence principle, a key component of the theory of general relativity. The report describes the final results from the MICROSCOPE mission,...
View ArticleLoon stratospheric balloons confirm wind data from Aeolus
ESA's novel Aeolus satellite reliably measures wind speed also in higher air layers and thus in a region of the atmosphere where other direct global wind measurements are relatively sparse. This is the...
View ArticleHow a 3 cm glass sphere could help scientists understand space weather
Space weather can interfere with spaceflight and the operation of satellites, but the phenomenon is very difficult to study on Earth because of the difference in gravity. Researchers effectively...
View ArticleImproving the performance of satellites in low Earth orbit
On-chip distributed radiation sensors and current-sharing techniques can be used to reduce the impact of radiation on the radio and power consumption of small satellites, respectively. New findings can...
View ArticleScientists report 'benchmarks' for extreme space weather
Extreme space weather threatens vital satellites orbiting the Earth, including the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt. New research has...
View ArticleSatellite security lags decades behind the state of the art
Researchers have tested the software of three satellites. And they found many standard security mechanisms missing.
View ArticleResearchers successfully train a machine learning model in outer space for...
Scientists have trained a machine learning model in outer space, on board a satellite. This achievement could revolutionize the capabilities of remote-sensing satellites by enabling real-time...
View ArticleStudy quantifies satellite brightness, challenges ground-based astronomy
The ability to have access to the Internet or use a mobile phone anywhere in the world is taken more and more for granted, but the brightness of Internet and telecommunications satellites that enable...
View ArticleSolar farms in space are possible
It's viable to produce low-cost, lightweight solar panels that can generate energy in space, according to new research.
View ArticleSatellites for quantum communications
Through steady advances in the development of quantum computers and their ever-improving performance, it will be possible in the future to crack our current encryption processes. To address this...
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