ScienceDaily: Satellite News

Mapping sea salt from orbit: Building better ocean and climate models

Fri, 31 May 2013 10:17:17 EDT

Climate is greatly influenced by the flow of heat energy carried by ocean currents. But precisely quantifying the mixing between the ocean and the atmosphere is hampered by a lack of detail in models of the ocean and of the water cycle. And in both models, knowing the salt content of the water is essential.

NASA successfully launches three smartphone satellites

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:29:29 EDT

Three smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space April 21, 2013 aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corp.'s Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. The trio of "PhoneSats" is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space. The goal of NASA's PhoneSat mission is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.

For the very first time, two spacecraft will fly in formation with millimeter precision

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:42:42 EDT

A new project aims to demonstrate that two satellites can move as one single object with sub-millimeter precision. This configuration will enable the creation of enormous space telescopes with the lens and detector hundreds of meters apart.

Space race underway to create quantum satellite

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 19:46:46 EST

A new article describes how a quantum space race is under way to create the world's first global quantum-communication network.

NASA launches next-generation communications satellite

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:22:22 EST

The first of NASA's three next-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS), known as TDRS-K, launched at 8:48 p.m. EST Wednesday (Jan. 30) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The TDRS system provides tracking, telemetry, command and high-bandwidth data return services for numerous science and human exploration missions orbiting Earth. These include the International Space Station and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA beams Mona Lisa to Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter at the moon

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:34:34 EST

As part of the first demonstration of laser communication with a satellite at the moon, scientists with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter beamed an image of the Mona Lisa to the spacecraft from Earth.

NASA's robotic refueling demo set to jumpstart expanded capabilities in space

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:26:26 EST

In mid-January, NASA will take the next step in advancing robotic satellite-servicing technologies as it tests the Robotic Refueling Mission, or RRM aboard the International Space Station. The investigation may one day substantially impact the many satellites that deliver products Americans rely upon daily, such as weather reports, cell phones and television news.

CubeSats in orbit after historic space station deployment

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:03:03 EST

Typically satellites launch from Earth, requiring dedicated launch vehicles to propel them into the proper orbit. The cost for this launch scenario could be reduced considerably if there was another way to get the satellites into their optimal orbit. The Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency (JAXA) found a way to cut the costs of this activity by designing a small satellite launcher, installed recently on the International Space Station.

Planet rings could be behind the formation of solar system satellites

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 11:20:20 EST

Two researchers have recently proposed the first ever model explaining how the great majority of regular satellites in our solar system were formed out of planet rings. The model, the only one of its kind, was first tested in 2010 on Saturn's moons. It seems to account for the present distribution of “giant” planets and also explains how the satellites of the “terrestrial” planets such as Earth or Pluto came into being. These results are a major step forward in understanding and explaining the formation of planet systems across the universe.

GOCE’s second mission improving gravity map

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:55:55 EST

ESA’s GOCE gravity satellite has already delivered the most accurate gravity map of Earth, but its orbit is now being lowered in order to obtain even better results. The Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) has been orbiting Earth since March 2009, reaching its ambitious objective to map our planet’s gravity with unrivaled precision.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center supporting effort to develop satellite servicing capabilities

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:45:45 EDT

With satellites playing increasingly important roles in everyday life, NASA is developing the technology to build Earth-orbiting, roving "service stations" capable of extending the life of these spacecraft. Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are assisting the space agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., in developing the concept for bringing a high-technology gas pump, robotic mechanic and tow truck to satellites in space.

Giant impact scenario may explain the unusual moons of Saturn

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:48:48 EDT

Among the oddities of the outer solar system are the middle-sized moons of Saturn, a half-dozen icy bodies dwarfed by Saturn's massive moon Titan. According to a new model for the origin of the Saturn system, these middle-sized moons were spawned during giant impacts in which several major satellites merged to form Titan.

Focus on space debris: Envisat

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:47:47 EDT

Space debris came into focus last week at the International Astronautical Congress in Naples, Italy. Envisat, the European Space Agency's largest Earth observation satellite, ended its mission last spring and was a subject of major interest in the Space Debris and Legal session.

NASA to upgrade vital communications link

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:13:13 EDT

Technicians and engineers are completing final system checks and spacecraft inspections on the first of NASA's third-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). Boeing Space Systems will ship TDRS-K from its satellite assembly facility in El Segundo, Calif., to Cape Canaveral, Fla., in November. The December launch of TDRS-K will be aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Twin Galileo satellites fuelled and ready for launch

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:45:45 EDT

The twin Galileo satellites are now fully fuelled and mated together atop the upper stage that will haul them most of the way up to their final orbit. The launch is now planned for the evening of Oct. 12.

Space travel with a new language in tow

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:35:35 EDT

Last Friday, for the first time ever, SES, the Luxembourg-based satellite operator, has allowed an Ariane 5 rocket to transport a TV satellite into space, which is made by Astrium and runs entirely on latest generation software. Every single one of the programs used to operate the satellite was written in the new satellite language SPELL.

Sun unleashes a wide, but benign, coronal mass ejection

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 14:03:03 EDT

The sun erupted with a wide, Earth-directed coronal mass ejection on Sept. 27, 2012 at 10:25 p.m. EDT.

Starlight and 'air glow' give scientists a new way to observe nighttime weather from space

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:56:56 EDT

Researchers discovered that a combination of starlight and the upper atmosphere's own subtle glow can help satellites see Earth's clouds on moonless nights.

Peek-a-blue Moon

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 14:31:31 EDT

Europe's latest weather satellite got a glimpse of the Moon before our celestial neighbour disappeared from view behind Earth on Friday. Since its launch two months ago, MSG-3 has been working well and is on its way to entering service.

New 'microthrusters' could propel small satellites: As small as a penny, these thrusters run on jets of ion beams

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:55:55 EDT

A penny-sized rocket thruster may soon power the smallest satellites in space. The device bears little resemblance to today’s bulky satellite engines, which are laden with valves, pipes and heavy propellant tanks.

One step closer to robotic refueling demonstrations on space station

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 14:14:14 EDT

NASA completed another successful round of Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) operations on the International Space Station with the Canadian Dextre robot and RRM tools, leaving the RRM module poised for the highly-anticipated refueling demonstration scheduled for late summer 2012.

Milky Way struck 100 million years ago, still rings like a bell

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:45:45 EDT

Astronomers have discovered evidence that our Milky Way had an encounter with a small galaxy or massive dark matter structure perhaps as recently as 100 million years ago, and as a result of that encounter it is still ringing like a bell.

Compact blue dwarf can’t hide from Hubble

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:51:51 EDT

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new view of the dwarf galaxy UGC 5497, which looks a bit like salt sprinkled on black velvet in the image.

ESA declares end of mission for Envisat

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:37:37 EDT

Just weeks after celebrating its tenth year in orbit, communication with the Envisat satellite was suddenly lost on 8 April. Following rigorous attempts to re-establish contact and the investigation of failure scenarios, the end of the mission is being declared. A team of engineers has spent the last month attempting to regain control of Envisat, investigating possible reasons for the problem.

Designing the interplanetary web

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:11:11 EDT

Reliable Internet access on the Moon, near Mars or for astronauts on a space station? How about controlling a planetary rover from a spacecraft in deep space? These are just some of the pioneering technologies that ESA is working on for future exploration missions.

Getting to the moon on drops of fuel

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:18:18 EDT

The first prototype of a new, ultra-compact motor that will allow small satellites to journey beyond Earth's orbit is just making its way out of the lab. The goal of the micro motor: to drastically reduce the cost of space exploration.

Solar storm seen from inside and outside Earth's magnetosphere

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:09:09 EDT

For the first time, instrumentation aboard two NASA missions operating from complementary vantage points watched as a powerful solar storm spewed a two million-mile-per-hour stream of charged particles and interacted with the invisible magnetic field surrounding Earth.

Northern Lights: First-ever measurement of auroral turbulence using a nanosatellite radar receiver

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:03:03 EDT

Researchers have taken the first-ever measurement of naturally occurring auroral turbulence recorded using a nanosatellite radar receiver.

Large solar flares generate geomagnetic storm

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:07:07 EST

A pair of unusually large solar flares early March 7, 2012 generated a Coronal Mass Ejection that was expected to reach Earth around mid-day March 8. It will likely cause at least a strong geomagnetic storm that could affect satellites in space and trigger auroral displays. The effects at ground level are expected to be limited, but there is a good chance for some excellent auroral displays in the north.

Robotic refueling mission begins with space station robotics

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:11:11 EST

NASA's highly anticipated Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) began operations on the International Space Station with the Canadian Dextre robot and RRM tools March 7-9, 2012, marking important milestones in satellite-servicing technology and the use of the space station robotic capabilities.

Most distant dwarf galaxy detected

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:51:51 EST

Scientists have long struggled to detect the dim dwarf galaxies that orbit our own galaxy. So it came as a surprise on Jan. 18 when a team of astronomers using Keck II telescope's adaptive optics has announced the discovery of a dwarf galaxy halfway across the universe.

More accurate than Santa Claus: First Galileo satellite orbit determination with high precision

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:14:14 EST

Every year for Christmas, the North American Air Defense Command NORAD posts an animation on their website, in which the exact flight path of Santa Claus' sled led by reindeer Rudolf is precisely located. By analyzing observational data, the GFZ scientists were able to determine the orbit of satellites, which are flying at an altitude of 23222 km, for the first time to a few decimeters.

NASA's Nanosail-D 'sails' home -- mission complete

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:31:31 EST

After spending more than 240 days "sailing" around Earth, NASA's NanoSail-D -- a nanosatellite that deployed NASA's first-ever solar sail in low-Earth orbit -- has successfully completed its Earth orbiting mission. Launched to space Nov. 19, 2010 as a payload on NASA's FASTSAT, a small satellite, NanoSail-D's sail deployed on Jan. 20. The flight phase of the mission successfully demonstrated a deorbit capability that could potentially be used to bring down decommissioned satellites and space debris by re-entering and totally burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The team continues to analyze the orbital data to determine how future satellites can use this new technology.

Visual tour of Earth's fires

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:56:56 EDT

NASA has released a series of new satellite data visualizations that show tens of millions of fires detected worldwide from space since 2002.

How the Milky Way killed off nearby galaxies

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:21:21 EDT

Researchers have revealed for the first time the existence of a new signature of the birth of the first stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. More than 12 billion years ago, the intense ultraviolet light from these stars dispersed the gas of our Galaxy's nearest companions, virtually putting a halt to their ability to form stars and consigning them to a dim future. Now astronomers have explained why some galaxies were killed off, while stars continued to form in more distant objects.

Solar activity can affect re-entry of UARS satellite

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:25:25 EDT

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is headed toward Earth, but it hasn't been easy to precisely determine the path and pace of UARS because space itself changes over time -- in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun.

NRL TacSat-4 spacecraft encapsulated

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:32:32 EDT

Encapsulated into the nose cone of an Orbital Sciences Corporation Minotaur-IV+ launch vehicle, TacSat-4 is scheduled to launch from the Alaska Aerospace Corporation's Kodiak Launch Complex into a highly elliptical orbit, providing multiple combatant commanders around the globe an additional outlet for data transmission and communications on the move.

Monitoring ground-level ozone from space

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:34:34 EDT

Satellite views of the Midwestern United States show that ozone levels above 50 parts per billion along the ground could reduce soybean yields by at least 10 percent, costing more than $1 billion in lost crop production, according to scientists.

Robotic refueling module, soon to be relocated to permanent space station position

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:21:21 EDT

NASA's groundbreaking Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) will reach a key milestone in September when the International Space Station (ISS) robots transfer the module to its permanent home on space station's ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4. Robotic operations for the technology demonstration are currently slated to begin soon afterwards.

Solar flares: What does it take to be X-class? Sun emits an X-Class flare on August 9, 2011

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:20:20 EDT

Solar flares are giant explosions on the sun that send energy, light and high speed particles into space. These flares are often associated with solar magnetic storms known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The number of solar flares increases approximately every 11 years, and the sun is currently moving towards another solar maximum, likely in 2013. That means more flares will be coming, some small and some big enough to send their radiation all the way to Earth.

Lowering of ERS-2 observation satellite orbit continues

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:23:23 EDT

The orbit of ESA’s retired ERS-2 observation satellite is being lowered to reduce the risk of collision with other satellites or space debris. The goal is to leave it well below most operating polar satellites by the end of August.

NASA's Hubble discovers another moon around Pluto

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:05:05 EDT

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered a fourth moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto. The tiny, new satellite -- temporarily designated P4 -- was uncovered in a Hubble survey searching for rings around the dwarf planet.

'Dirty hack' restores Cluster mission from near loss

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:15:15 EDT

Using ingenuity and an unorthodox 'dirty hack', the European Space Agency has recovered the four-satellite Cluster mission from near loss. The drama began in March, when a crucial science package stopped responding to commands -- one of a mission controller's worst fears.

Scanning the skies for debris hazards

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:17:17 EDT

Today, orbiting satellites are threatened by over 700 000 pieces of debris. Avoiding them requires knowing where they are, and that means surveillance with radar and telescopes. The European Space Agency is designing a system to catalog debris and warn satellite operators when to take evasive action.

Stars help researchers track space junk

Fri, 27 May 2011 08:03:03 EDT

Researchers have developed a method to track the movement of geostationary objects using the position of the stars, which could help to monitor space debris. The technique can be used with small telescopes and in places that are not very dark.

Surveillance system to cut risk of space debris hitting satellites

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:20:20 EDT

The growing quantity of space debris is a serious threat to satellites and other spacecraft, which risk being damaged or even destroyed. A new European space surveillance system is being developed to ward off the danger of collisions in orbit.

First student-developed mission in which satellites orbit and communicate

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:35:35 EDT

Two satellites designed and constructed by engineering students in Texas successfully separated in space March 22, completing the most crucial goal of the mission since its Nov. 19 launch and making them the first student-developed mission in the world in which satellites orbit and communicate with each other in real-time.

Rare observation of cosmic explosion

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:58:58 EST

Astronomers have discovered a new cosmic explosion: a gamma-ray burst and its associated supernova. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful blasts in the Universe, and are thought to be created in the deaths of the most massive stars.

Satellite to examine how sun's brightness impacts climate change

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:11:11 EST

A new instrument developed to study changes in the sun's brightness and its impact on Earth's climate is one of two primary payloads on NASA's Glory mission set to launch on Feb. 23.

Cluster encounters 'natural particle accelerator' above Earth's atmosphere: How northern and southern lights are generated

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:25:25 EST

The European Space Agency's Cluster satellites have flown through a natural particle accelerator just above Earth's atmosphere. The data they collected are unlocking how most of the dramatic displays of the northern and southern lights are generated.

GOES satellites watch 2011 approach, look back at 2010

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:24:24 EST

The GOES series of satellites keep an eye on the weather happening over the continental US and eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans and had a busy time with wild weather in 2010. GOES-13 just captured one of the last images of North and South America in 2010 as the world continues to turn toward 2011.

How Saturn's moon Iapetus got its ridge

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 07:51:51 EST

Two scientists propose an explanation for the bizarre ridge belting Saturn's moon Iapetus at the equator. At one time Iapetus itself may have had a satellite, created by a giant impact with another body. The satellite's orbit, would have decayed because of tidal interactions with Iapetus, and at some point it would have been ripped apart, forming a ring of debris around Iapetus that would eventually slam into the moon near its equator.

Demise of large satellite may have led to the formation of Saturn’s rings and inner moons

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 14:52:52 EST

Simulations may explain how Saturn's majestic rings and icy inner moons formed following the collision of a Titan-sized satellite with the planet, according to a new article.

Nanosatellite successfully ejected from free-flying microsatellite in space

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:32:32 EST

On Dec. 6, 2010, NASA for the first time successfully ejected a nanosatellite from a free-flying microsatellite. NanoSail-D ejected from the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite, FASTSAT, demonstrating the capability to deploy a small cubesat payload from an autonomous microsatellite in space.

Snow from space: Satellite imagery of snow-bound UK

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:35:35 EST

Observation scientists have released stunning satellite images of the UK’s winter landscape.

Students fly in zero gravity to protect satellites from tiny meteoroids

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:25:25 EST

Researchers have completed the first successful tests in zero gravity of a canopy for CubeSats -- the tiny satellites that hitch rides on rockets sending larger satellites into orbit. The goal is gathering data on what happens when micrometeoroids slam into satellites. Such impacts often knock out electronic equipment on satellites. The encounters are poorly understood, but canopies could be a first step in eventually building "black boxes" for satellites similar to airplane flight recorders.

Space weather mystery solved: Link found between electrons trapped in space and upper atmosphere's diffuse aurora

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 13:16:16 EDT

New research has settled decades of scientific debate about a puzzling aspect of space weather. Researchers have found the final link between electrons trapped in space and the glow of light from the upper atmosphere known as the diffuse aurora. The research promises to further understanding of space weather, with benefits for the satellite, power grid and aviation industries.

New system for locating and capturing satellites in space

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:33:33 EDT

Scientists in Spain have developed a new system for docking and capturing space satellites based on robotics and computer vision technology to autonomously guide a space vehicle to dock and capture the satellites.

New solar prediction system gives time to prepare for the storms ahead

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:34:34 EDT

A new method of predicting solar storms that could help to avoid widespread power and communications blackouts costing billions of pounds has been launched by researchers in the UK.

Navigation satellites contend with stormy Sun

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:34:34 EDT

Just as we grow used to satellite navigation in everyday life, media reports argue that a coming surge in solar activity could render satnav devices useless, perhaps even frying satellites themselves. Is it true? No.