One hundred twenty satellites, with their own distinct purpose, hover our Earth. How the structure of continents, the sun, human interaction and many other factors contribute to Earth’s climate and survival/evolution of life.
Category: satellites – Page 25
Vast to use Starlink for space station broadband communications
COLORADO SPRINGS — Commercial space station developer Vast will use SpaceX’s Starlink constellation to provide broadband connectivity for its Haven-1 station launching next year.
Vast announced April 9 that it will install laser intersatellite link terminals on its Haven-1 station to enable communications with Starlink satellites. The agreement between Vast and SpaceX extends to future space stations Vast plans to develop.
Max Haot, chief executive of Vast, said in an interview during the 39th Space Symposium that his company will use terminals supplied by SpaceX. Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, announced at the Satellite 2024 conference March 19 that SpaceX would sell laser terminals it developed for Starlink to other customers, a product offering she dubbed “Plug ’n’ Plaser.”
SpaceX launches Space Force weather satellite designed to take over for a program with roots to the 1960s
SpaceX launched a military weather satellite designed to replace aging satellites from a program dating back to the 1960s. The United States Space Force-62 (USSF-62) mission featured the launch of the first Weather System Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M) spacecraft.
Invention Can ‘Shield’ Quantum Computers From Magnetic Interference
PRESS RELEASE — Magnetic Shields Limited (MSL) has invented a lightweight and small-scale magnetic shielding system for cryogenic conditions.
The innovation developed by UK-based MSL in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and quantum computer developer SEEQC will revolutionise quantum computing performance and efficiency. The coil shield also has implications for satellites, where payload weight determines launch costs.
The shield is the first to integrate thin metal coils into magnetic shielding to actively cancel out magnetic field interference in temperatures near absolute zero. It eliminates the need for bulky metal housings.
South Korea launches second military spy satellite
The Koreas each launched their first spy satellites last year — North Korea in November and South Korea in December — amid heightened animosities. They said their satellites would boost their abilities to monitor each other and enhance their own missile attack capabilities.
South Korea’s second spy satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday evening local time, which was Monday morning in Seoul.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it confirmed the satellite entered orbit and communicated with an overseas ground station after separation from a rocket.
LIVE: SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base
Credit: SpaceXWatch live as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches a batch of 21 Starlink internet satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space…
Next-Gen Refueling Spacecraft to Revitalize Satellites in Geostationary Orbit
The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is developing a spacecraft named Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling (APS-R) as part of a $25.5 million project with the U.S. Space Force.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will build, integrate, and test a small demonstration spacecraft as part of a $25.5 million Space Mobility and Logistics (SML) prototyping project funded by the U.S. Space Force and led by prime contractor Astroscale U.S. The spacecraft, called the Astroscale Prototype Servicer for Refueling (APS-R), will refuel other compatible vehicles while in geostationary orbit.
“Running low on fuel is a common issue for spacecraft in Earth orbit,” said SwRI Staff Engineer Steve Thompson, the SwRI project systems engineer. “When they have expended all of their fuel, their mission ends — even though the vehicle may be in otherwise excellent health. A refueling vehicle can extend those missions, and we can get additional lifetime out of spacecraft that are already in orbit.”
Rocket Explodes Seconds After Launch
A Japanese rocket by startup Space One has exploded in spectacular fashion following a launch attempt earlier today.
It’s yet another major setback for the company, which was hoping to become Japan’s first commercial entity to launch a satellite into orbit, the New York Times reports.
Drone footage shows the dramatic scene. At first, everything appears to go fine as the solid-fuel rocket dubbed Kairos lights its engines. But it doesn’t take long for the rocket to seemingly veer off path, erupting into a massive cloud of smoke just seconds later, causing major pieces of debris to rain down on the launch pad and engulf parts of the facility and a neighboring forest in flames.
NOAA Satellites Detect Severe Solar Storm
From March 23–24, 2024, NOAA’s GOES satellites, and others operated by international partners, observed numerous flares erupt from the sun, including a powerful X-class solar flare. Additionally, a surge of extremely hot plasma, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), raced toward Earth resulting in geomagnetic storms and auroras.
This CME reached our planet at 10:37 a.m. EDT (1437 GMT) on Sunday, March 24, triggering a severe G4-class geomagnetic storm, marking the most potent solar storm since 2017. However, according to a Geomagnetic Storm Watch from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, there was no reason for the public to be alarmed.
Credits:
NOAA
NASA
CIRA
Music: “Snow and Ice” by Matthew Gee Kong Wong [ASCAP]; Chappell; Universal Production Music.