All posts tagged: satellite

Defense department cuts weather satellite data : NPR

Published by Sam

[ad_1] Hurricane Erick hit Oaxaca, Mexico, in June. Hurricane forecasters used data collected by Department of Defense satellites to monitor the storm as it intensified more rapidly than computer models had suggested it would. Such DoD data will no longer be shared with forecasters. Luis Alberto Cruz/AP hide caption toggle caption Luis Alberto Cruz/AP The U.S. Department of Defense will no longer provide satellite weather data, leaving hurricane forecasters without crucial information about storms as peak hurricane season looms in the Atlantic. For more than 40 years, the Defense Department has operated satellites that collect information about conditions in the atmosphere and ocean. A group within the Navy, called the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, processes the raw data from the satellites, and turns it over to scientists and weather forecasters who use it for a wide range of purposes including real-time hurricane forecasting and measuring sea ice in polar regions. This week, the Department of Defense announced that it would no longer provide that data, according to a notice published by the National …

What Satellite Images Reveal About the US Bombing of Iran’s Nuclear Sites

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] When the United States bombed Iran in the early hours of Sunday local time, it targeted three facilities central to the country’s nuclear ambitions: the Fordow uranium enrichment plant, the Natanz nuclear facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology center. Newly released satellite images show the impact of the attack—at least, what can be seen on the ground. The brunt of the bombing focused on Fordow, where US forces dropped a dozen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators as part of its “Midnight Hammer” operation. These 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bombs are designed to penetrate as deep as 200 feet into the earth before detonating. The Fordow complex is approximately 260 feet underground. That gap accounts for some of the uncertainty over exactly how much damage the Fordow site sustained. President Donald Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform following the attack that declared “Fordow is gone,” and later said in a televised address that “Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” His own military, however, was slightly more circumspect about the outcome in …

Dead NASA satellite unexpectedly emits powerful radio pulse

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] An illustration of NASA’s Relay 1 satellite, the precursor to Relay 2 NASA A satellite that had been dead for decades suddenly blasted out a powerful radio pulse that briefly outshone every other object in the sky. Astronomers think the flash may have been caused by a freak micrometeorite impact or a random spark. NASA’s Relay 2 satellite was one of the first functioning satellites, launched in 1964 as an experimental communications device. NASA stopped using it the following year, however, and the satellite’s onboard electronics stopped working altogether by 1967, leaving the dead metal hull to orbit Earth indefinitely. So Clancy James at Curtin University in Australia and his colleagues were perplexed when, nearly 60 years later, they detected a brief, powerful burst of radio waves coming from the satellite’s apparent location. James and his team were scanning the sky with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), an array of 36 radio telescopes in Western Australia, for signs of fast radio bursts, mysterious pulses of radiation that come from other galaxies. On …

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 are on the smaller side, featuring a limited number of new features. There’s an update to Screen Time that lets parents know when a Screen Time passcode is used on a child’s device, and there is support for carrier-provided satellite features on iPhone 13 models. Apple’s full release notes are below. This update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes: A new Pride Harmony wallpaper Parents now receive a notification when the Screen Time passcode is used on a child’s device Buy with iPhone is available when purchasing content within the Apple TV app on a 3rd party device Fixes an issue where …

HMD OffGrid Satellite Communicator Review: Fits in Your Pocket

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] The activation process is quick—you turn it on, charge it, and download the HMD OffGrid app on your phone. Once connected, the app walks you through the settings. I charged it for about an hour to get it to 100 percent, and the battery lasted from Monday through Thursday and got to about 35 percent. However, none of our outdoor excursions lasted longer than four hours, so the OffGrid probably doesn’t have enough battery life to live-track a weekend backpacking trip. (Then again, your phone doesn’t either.) The OffGrid has a few different capabilities, along with the aforementioned SOS service and live tracking. You can text via satellite messaging and check in on the HMD OffGrid app. In the Washington Cascades, it took about eight minutes to connect to satellites under tree cover, but it was a lot quicker from a lakeshore under clear skies. Screenshot courtesy of Adrienne So It’s IP68-rated and has been tested to military specs, which means you can treat it with a reasonable amount of abuse. I did kick …

Leveraging public data in the new satellite earth observation market

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] RSS-Hydro explores the emerging market for space and satellite earth observation, emphasising its reduced costs, promotion of innovation, increased competition among startups, and improved data quality for reliable insights. The new space and satellite earth observation (EO) market is witnessing unprecedented growth, driven by technological advancements, increasing demand for geospatial data, and the availability of public data sources and grants. This article delves into the advantages and disadvantages of building products and services on public data sources and publicly funded grants, focusing on the new space and satellite EO market. Opportunities and benefits Cost efficiency: A cornerstone of the new space economy Public data sources are often freely accessible, significantly reducing the cost of acquiring high-quality geospatial data. This allows companies to allocate resources towards developing innovative products and services rather than investing heavily in data acquisition. One of the most compelling advantages of leveraging public data sources in the new space and satellite earth observation market is the significant reduction in upfront costs. By utilising freely accessible datasets, companies can bypass the substantial …

NATO tests satellite internet as backup to sabotaged undersea cables

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] A satellite orbits the planet Shutterstock / Andrei Armiagov Over the past couple years, undersea cables from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean have been severed in apparent acts of sabotage. Now a NATO-backed project has shown how to quickly re-establish the most critical communications using satellites. The first demonstration of the $2.5 million HEIST project – short for Hybrid Space-submarine Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications – took place in Sweden on 16 January. This test simulated how software can swiftly match outgoing data communications with available satellite internet providers, such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Viasat. [ad_2] Source link

How Earth Observation satellite data is used to benefit society

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] The UK Space Agency outlines its role as Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) in utilising satellite data to tackle global challenges. The UK Space Agency recently assumed the Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, marking a significant milestone for the UK in the global space community. This transition positions the UK at the forefront of international efforts to enhance the utility and impact of Earth Observation (EO) data. The handover ceremony, held on 24 October at the CEOS Plenary in Montreal, saw the UK Space Agency’s Chief Executive, Dr Paul Bate, take on the role of CEOS Chair for 2025. Taking on this high-profile position underscores the UK’s commitment to leveraging space-borne observations to address some of the most pressing global challenges. As the new Chair, the UK Space Agency will lead CEOS in its mission to coordinate civil space-borne observations of the Earth, ensuring that satellite data is effectively used to benefit society. One of the primary goals of the UK Space Agency is to unlock the …

Sentinel 1C satellite launches into space

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] Sentinel 1C, a new radar satellite supported by the UK, was launched into space from French Guiana at 21:20 GMT yesterday. The Sentinel 1C satellite launched on a VEGA-C rocket and will orbit 700 km above the Earth’s surface. Part of the European Copernicus programme, it will use advanced radar technology to provide continuous imaging over land and sea, day and night, and even through cloud cover. Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “The successful launch of this new satellite will further strengthen the Copernicus programme, which continues to collect vital long-term data allowing us to better understand our planet, respond to natural disasters, and tackle global challenges like climate change.” UK industry is key to satellite development The UK’s Earth Observation industry is integral to the Sentinel 1 satellites, and the UK Space Agency supports it. Airbus Defence and Space (Portsmouth) developed the electronics subsystem of the key Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument aboard the satellite. Additionally, Enersys ABSL (Abingdon) supplied the battery for Sentinel 1C. Justin Byrne, Head of Earth Observation and Science …

An object struck a satellite in Earth’s orbit, leaving a hole

Published by skeptic

[ad_1] An unknown small object, traveling thousands of miles per hour, punctured a satellite in Earth’s orbit. The satellite company NanoAvionics released images online showing the damage to its MP42 satellite, launched in 2022 and designed to host several instruments for different customers. The source of the hole from a chickpea-sized object is uncertain, but the event underscores the growing risk to spacecraft in orbit around our planet. “Whether this impact was from a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris, the collision highlights the need for responsible space operations in orbit and makes us reflect on satellite resilience against these types of events,” the company posted online. SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills. Though natural impacts from small meteoroids — which are fragments of an asteroid — are inevitable in our solar system (a place teeming with asteroids), both space agencies and companies alike don’t want human-created space debris to increase. That would, of course, endanger everyone’s interests, and may eventually spawn a domino effect of …