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Articles on Satellites

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Light trails left in the sky (photographed with a long exposure time), by Starlink satellites, seen from New Mexico, USA. Mike Lewinski/Flickr

The costly collateral damage from Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite fleet

By 2025 Elon Musk wants to launch 12,000 satellites and corner the global Internet market. What will be lost is earth-based astronomy, the idea that space belongs to us all and the beauty of a starry sky.
Two CubeSats, part of a constellation built and operated by Planet Labs Inc. to take images of Earth, were launched from the International Space Station on May 17, 2016. NASA

Hackers could shut down satellites – or turn them into weapons

SpaceX and other companies are rushing to put thousands of small, inexpensive satellites in orbit, but pressure to keep costs low and a lack of regulation leave those satellites vulnerable to hackers.
The electromagnetic spectrum we can access with current technologies is completely occupied. This means experts have to think of creative ways to meet our rocketing demands for data. NASA Johnson/Flickr

We’re using lasers and toaster-sized satellites to beam information faster through space

Free space optical communication will allow the same connectivity in space we already have on Earth. And this will provide benefits across a number of sectors.
India’s launch vehicle carrying Chandrayaan-2 lifted off from Sriharikota, India, in late July 2019. Indian Space Research Organization via AP

Indian Moon probe’s failure won’t stop an Asian space race that threatens regional security

Are India and China engaged in a new space race? India’s increasingly ambitious space ventures, including its Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission, are evidence of the country’s interest in space exploration.
Visualization of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite in space over a tropical cyclone. NASA

We use satellites to measure water scarcity

Climate change threatens the water supply of nations around the world. But it’s difficult to measure whether a region has sufficient water to satisfy the people who live there. Could satellites help?
The aftermath of the Brumadinho dam collapse, which took place on January 25, 2019, in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Vinícius Mendonça/Ibama

Eyes in the sky: How satellites can monitor infrastructure health

Population growth is creating a huge demand for infrastructure, even as environmental risks grow. To detect problems early, satellites can provide rich data to help assess infrastructure “health”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits a facility to celebrate the anniversary of the 1961 first manned space mission. Space capabilities have changed a bit since then. Alexey Nikolosky / AAP

A guide to ensure everyone plays by the same military rules in space: the Woomera Manual

India, China, the United States and Russia can now precisely target objects in space. But we currently lack appropriate rules and regulations to deal with space weapons.
Perhaps hoping for an election boost, India’s Prime Minister Modi announces that Indian scientists shot down a live satellite at a low-earth orbit. Jaipal Singh / AAP

India destroys its own satellite with a test missile, still says space is for peace

On 27 March, India announced it had successfully conducted an anti-satellite missile test, Mission Shakti. India is now the fourth country in the world displaying this capability.

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