Week in images: 19-23 August 2024

Discover our week through the lens

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
A collaborative team of researchers from China and Brazil has developed an innovative method using a robotic dog and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and control nests of the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA), a pest that poses significant environmental and economic threats globally. The research, published in the journal *Pest Management Science*, showcases how the integration of Xiaomi's 'Cyb

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Finnish company Kuva Space has successfully launched its first commercial microsatellite, Hyperfield-1, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 smallsat rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite has established initial contact, marking the beginning of Kuva Space's expansive constellation plan. This network is set to deliver daily Earth observation by 2027 and achieve unin

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
EarthDaily Analytics ("EDA") has entered into a $1.7 million contract with MySpatial, a prominent geospatial mapping company in Malaysia that serves both government and private sectors. The agreement, which started in July 2024 and spans an initial term of four years, will grant MySpatial and its clients access to EDA's data and analytics capabilities. These resources will support various applic

Paris, France (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Launched in May, ESA's EarthCARE satellite has quickly demonstrated its capabilities, delivering initial images from three of its four scientific instruments. Attention is now focused on the atmospheric lidar, the most sophisticated instrument aboard the satellite. This advanced lidar has successfully captured intricate 20 km-high vertical profiles of atmospheric aerosols-tiny particles an

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Brice Grunert, assistant professor at Cleveland State University in Ohio, is a member of NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) validation science team. The team, called PACE Radiometry and IOPs for Novel Great Lakes Science (PRINGLS) is one of many groups participating in a campaign set out to gather data around the world to validate the accuracy of information from the PACE sa

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
TrustPoint has been awarded two Direct-to-Phase II contracts by SpaceWERX, valued at a combined $3.8 million. These contracts are aimed at advancing the company's GPS-independent ground control segment and developing an advanced position, navigation, and timing (PNT) security application to address critical challenges within the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Lab

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 21, 2024
As the number of active satellites in orbit continues to surge, with estimates from Harvard-Smithsonian's Jonathan McDowell placing the count at over 10,000 as of July, the demand for efficient satellite testing solutions has grown in parallel. The proliferation of compact CubeSats and advancements in commercial spaceflight have significantly lowered the cost of satellite deployment, fostering t

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Scientists at Sun Yat-sen University have developed a pioneering framework that integrates advanced satellite data with rice growth stages, significantly improving the accuracy of paddy rice mapping. This advancement is anticipated to enhance global food security initiatives. Published in the Journal of Remote Sensing on July 8, the research addresses the importance of precise rice mapping

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
In dryland regions, where vegetation is scarce, scientists have developed advanced "external eyes" to monitor these vital ecosystems. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have introduced a new method that integrates high-frequency near-surface camera data with satellite imagery. This approach offers an improved way to monitor and manage dry