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Articles on Satellites

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The International Space Station is a great example of how space has, for the most part, been a peaceful and collaborative international arena. NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center/Flickr

Space law hasn’t been changed since 1967 – but the UN aims to update laws and keep space peaceful

Activities in space today are far more numerous and complicated compared to 1967, before humans had landed on the moon or Elon Musk had been born. Two experts explain the need for better laws to keep space peaceful.
If a satellite is destroyed, the debris fans out in orbit and poses serious threats to other satellites or crewed spacecraft. ESA/ID&Sense/ONiRiXEL via WikimediaCommons

Russian anti-satellite weapon test: What happened and what are the risks?

Russia destroyed one of its old satellites during a successful test of an anti-satellite weapon. A space security expert explains what this weapon was and the dangers of the expanding debris field.
Thousands of the satellites orbiting Earth are small – like this cubical satellite seen here being released from the International Space Station. NASA

How many satellites are orbiting Earth?

In the past decade, the number of satellites in orbit has skyrocketed thanks to tiny electronics and cheap launches. The crowded night sky is posing problems for astronomers and astronauts.
For centuries, sailors have told tales of milky seas – huge swaths of ocean glowing on dark nights, seen in blue in this false–color satellite image. Steven D. Miller/NOAA

Scientists are using new satellite tech to find glow-in-the-dark milky seas of maritime lore

When conditions are just right in some parts of the Indian Ocean, a type of bacteria will multiply and start to glow. Satellites are helping scientists study these milky seas for the first time.
Mars northern polar cap, photographed by the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Why is there so little water left on Mars?

New results show why and how water is disappearing from Mars atmosphere.

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