the ground. Why Space Junk Is Becoming a Real Issue More objects are falling back to Earth now than ever before. Old satellites, rocket stages, and spacecraft parts regularly reenter the atmosphere as their orbits decay. Most of these objects burn up...

Swift’s low‑Earth orbit is gradually spiraling downward as heightened solar activity speeds up atmospheric drag. Most satellites in a similar condition are eventually allowed to re‑enter the atmosphere, ending their missions. Because of Swift’s...

Satellites warn a mysterious warm Pacific water swell could trigger a far bigger 2026 climate shock than expected. NOAA announced on June 11 that sea‑surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific had stayed at least 0.5 °C above...

over time, gathering data that will shape subsequent designs. If the technology meets expectations, it could power satellites operating in harsh conditions, support robotic explorers, and enable lunar infrastructure that requires continuous low‑level...

rings, which is really exciting as we’ve never found moons or rings around any planet outside our solar system.” While no satellites or rings have yet been detected, the system is now a prime candidate for future observations with upcoming facilities....

Net May Redefine the Cost Structure of Orbital Cleanup The near‑Earth environment is increasingly cluttered with defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, collision fragments and other anthropogenic items traveling at orbital velocities. Even a modest...

Falcon 9 missions in recent years, cementing the vehicle’s reputation as a reliable workhorse for orbiting communications satellites, scientific payloads and cargo. Many of these missions occur at dawn or dusk, raising the likelihood of future...

cycle progresses. Sunspots mark regions that can unleash solar flares and coronal mass ejections, bursts that may disrupt satellites, navigation, communications and power grids on Earth. Historically, predicting how vigorous a given cycle will be has...

Andres Faza, University Communications and Marketing CubeSat Experiments Probe Plant Behavior in Microgravity Compact satellites called CubeSats provide a low‑cost platform for studying plant responses during actual spaceflight. Sensors, cameras, and...

contract, is intended to provide both communications and navigation support for upcoming exploration missions. Relay satellites are especially valuable for regions where direct line‑of‑sight to Earth is obstructed, such as the lunar South Pole—a focal...

intensification. Sharks Serve as Living Data Buoys for Storm Science The tags, known as CTD units, transmit readings to satellites each time a tagged shark breaches the surface. This satellite link enables scientists to track ocean conditions across...

investigators considered whether an external system linked to the SS‑20 could temporarily interfere with early‑warning satellites or incoming warheads. Material from 1988 also associates the “Dome of Light” label with possible protective measures for...

missions targeting the lunar poles or far side, where direct line‑of‑sight to Earth is blocked. Designers may need relay satellites or alternative architectures to preserve data flow. By integrating terrain and visibility analyses into mission models,...

astronomy. Shielded from the relentless barrage of radio noise generated by Earth-based radar, telecommunications, and satellites, this region provides a rare sanctuary of silence. However, as lunar exploration accelerates, this natural protection is...

Dyson shell continues, many theorists focus on the more feasible “Dyson swarm”—a collection of millions of independent satellites orbiting a star. These swarms would be significantly easier to construct and could manifest as periodic dips or variations...

this stationary equipment from the orbital debris that plagues Earth’s periphery. Unlike the high-speed fragments of dead satellites that threaten active missions in orbit, the equipment on Mars is inert and poses no navigational risk. Just as previous...

curiosity. Because the ionosphere is a turbulent, charged environment, it creates significant signal delays for GPS satellites, and sporadic E layers exacerbate this instability. “The biggest source of error in the GPS in your phone, for example, is...

We made history. On just our second flight, we became the first commercial space company from Europe to deliver satellites into orbit. Mission ’Onward and Upward’ successfully lifted off and deployed payloads into orbit. A new chapter for European...

studies: Constraining SN Ia progenitors from the observed Fe-peak elemental abundances in the Milky Way dwarf galaxy satellites Observational constraints on the origin of the elements. IX. 3D NLTE abundances of metals in the context of Galactic Chemical...

events. Beyond the Carrington Threshold While the Sun routinely ejects radiation and particles that can disrupt orbital satellites, GPS, and terrestrial power grids, these events typically pale in comparison to a theoretical superflare. The 1859...