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Articles on Satellites

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NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System rocket, with the Orion capsule attached, launches at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Outer space: Rwanda and Nigeria sign an accord for more responsible exploration – why this matters

As signatories, Nigeria and Rwanda are demonstrating their commitment to safe, sustainable use of outer space. This should have multiple benefits.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites launches on Aug. 19, 2022. The Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket and its re-entry is controlled after launch, reducing debris. (Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via AP)

Airplanes face a growing risk of being hit by uncontrolled re-entries of rockets used to launch satellites

Rockets used to launch satellites fall back to Earth, and as their number grows, the risk faced by people living on the ground — or flying in airplanes — increases.
Radio observatories like the Green Bank Telescope are in radio quiet zones that protect them from interference. NRAO/AUI/NSF

Radio interference from satellites is threatening astronomy – a proposed zone for testing new technologies could head off the problem

Many telescopes use the radio spectrum to learn about the cosmos. Just as human development leads to more light pollution, increasing numbers of satellites are leading to more radio interference.
Satellite data isn’t collected and treated the same way location data are. (Shutterstock)

Satellite data: The other type of smartphone data you might not know about

Cellphones are constantly collecting location data from global satellites, but there is uncertainty about who is using these data, and for what purposes.
Workers flood a Vietnamese-flagged boat caught operating illegally off West Kalimantan, Indonesia on May 4, 2019 in order to sink it. AP Photos/William Pasaribu

When fishing boats go dark at sea, they’re often committing crimes – we mapped where it happens

Understanding when, where and why fishing vessels sometimes turn off their transponders is a key step toward curbing illegal fishing and other crimes on the high seas.
New satellite mapping techniques can quickly locate washed out and damaged areas. Ricardo Arduengo / AFP via Getty Images

New satellite mapping with AI can quickly pinpoint hurricane damage across an entire state to spot where people may be trapped

Artificial intelligence can spot differences in images from before and after a storm over wide areas in almost real time. It showed Hurricane Ian’s vast damage in Florida.

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