satellites
Latest about satellites

US company to use giant spinning cannon to blast hundreds of pancake-like 'microsatellites' into space
By Harry Baker published
Rocket start-up SpinLaunch wants to catapult hundreds of flattened "microsatellites" into space at once, using a cannon-like machine that accelerates objects by spinning them. The first orbital demonstration is scheduled for next year.

Secretive Russian military satellites release mystery object into orbit
By Andrew Jones published
The classified Kosmos satellite trio has sparked intrigue in space-tracking circles.

Parts of San Francisco and Los Angeles are sinking into the sea — meaning sea-level rise will be even worse
By Patrick Pester published
A study led by NASA and NOAA has found that California is sinking in some areas, which means the projected sea level rise for parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco has doubled.

How much did SpaceX's Starship Flight 7 explosion pollute the atmosphere?
By Tereza Pultarova published
Scientists are not sure how much metallic dust remained in the atmosphere after the most recent SpaceX rocket 'disassembly.'

ISS dodges its 39th piece of potentially hazardous space junk. Experts say it won't be the last.
By Sascha Pare published
The ISS performed its 39th ever space junk collision avoidance maneuver on Nov. 19. Although it was the first such maneuver in 2024, it may not be the last, experts say.

Solar maximum just knocked 3 satellites out of orbit. Here's why more may be on the way.
By Kyle McMullan published
The Sun's activity is what gives us beautiful auroras — but it also has dramatic negative effects on satellites that go around Earth in a low orbit.

World's 1st wooden satellite arrives at ISS for key orbital test
By Mike Wall published
The first-ever wooden satellite, called LignoSat, arrived at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule on Nov. 5 to perform some key in-space tests.

China’s secretive new 'Thousands Sails' satellites are an astronomer's nightmare, 1st observations reveal
By Harry Baker published
The launch of the Qianfan satellites on Aug. 6 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

Newest Starlink satellites are leaking even more radiation than their predecessors — and could soon disrupt astronomy
By Harry Baker published
A new study reveals that Generation 2 Starlink satellites are leaking up to 30 times more radio waves than their predecessors. If SpaceX continues to deploy the newer versions as planned, we could reach an "inflection point" where astronomers can no longer properly study the cosmos, researchers warn.
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