Copernical Team
Astronomers sound alarm about light pollution from satellites
Astronomers on Monday warned that the light pollution created by the soaring number of satellites orbiting Earth poses an "unprecedented global threat to nature."
The number of satellites in low Earth orbit have more than doubled since 2019, when US company SpaceX launched the first "mega-constellation," which comprise thousands of satellites.
An armada of new internet constellations are planned to launch soon, adding thousands more satellites to the already congested area fewer than 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) above Earth.
Each new satellite increases the risk that it will smash into another object orbiting Earth, creating yet more debris.
This can create a chain reaction in which cascading collisions create ever smaller fragments of debris, further adding to the cloud of "space junk" reflecting light back to Earth.
Ariane 5 rocket decorated with winning Juice artwork
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A close up of an Ariane 5 rocket surrounded by scaffolding. In the centre of the Ariane 5 is the sticker showing the artwork (blue background with Jupiter, three icy moons, Earth and Juice. Earth observation supports latest UN climate report
The final instalment of the sixth assessment report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been released today. The report warns that the planet has already warmed 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels, resulting in more frequent and intense extreme weather events that are causing increasingly dangerous impacts on nature and people in every region of the world.
The report includes a greater contribution of Earth observation data than its previous iterations in providing the physical evidence of Earth’s changing climate system – from sea-level rise, growing greenhouse-gas emissions and melting sea ice.
ESA’s exoplanet missions
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More than 5000 exoplanets have been discovered to date, but what do they look like? ESA’s dedicated exoplanet missions Cheops, Plato and Ariel are on a quest to find out. Cheops will focus its search on mini-Neptunes, planets with sizes between Earth and Neptune, on short orbits around their stars. Cheops will find out how large these planets are, and may detect whether the planets have clouds. Plato will look at all kinds of exoplanets and determine their sizes and ages. Plato’s instruments are so sensitive it may discover the first Earth-like planet on an Earth-like orbit.
Space seminar at ESA's technical heart
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Space seminar at ESA's technical heart China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts to return in June
China's Shenzhou-15 crew is scheduled to return to Earth in June, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Sunday.
The space station combination is operating steadily, and the Shenzhou-15 astronauts are in good condition, said the CMSA.
China will launch three space missions for the space station application and development this year, including the cargo craft Tianzhou-6 and the cre Earth Map and users work together for an eco-friendly world
Rapid access to information is one of the largest barriers we have to deal with as a group of people in the Internet Age. Earth Map is a free application designed to be easily used and accessible to anyone with an internet connection and the desire to observe any environment at any time, with zero expertise (or travel) required.
This new tool features an intuitive point-and-click way of in Intelsat to operate air pollution monitoring space instrument
Intelsat, operator of one of the world's largest integrated satellite and terrestrial networks and leading provider of inflight connectivity (IFC), completed testing of the operational and data collection system for the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants across the North American continent every daylight hour at high resolution. The new UV-visible spectrometer, operated Adtran and Satelles partner to deliver Satellite Time and Location alternative to GNSS
Adtran, Inc and Satelles, Inc.,jave announced a strategic partnership. The collaboration will enable operators of critical infrastructure to safeguard their timing networks with Satellite Time and Location (STL) technology. By integrating Satelles' STL into its Oscilloquartz network synchronization products, Adtran will provide an alternative to GNSS systems or a way to augment them with enhance Head of Space Force testifies before Senate panel on $30B budget
U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman testified before a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday, one day after the Space Force released its $30 billion budget.
Space Force's budget request for the 2024 fiscal year is 13 percent higher than last year, with $19 billion for funding the development of satellites, ground systems, and enabling technology.
Tuesday's hearin