satellites
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SpaceX and T-Mobile send the first text messages from orbiting Starlink satellites
SpaceX sent and receive its first text messages sent via T-Mobile using its D2C (direct-to-cell) Starlink satellites launched just over a week ago.
SpaceX will launch ESA navigation satellites amid delays with the EU's own rockets
SpaceX has struck a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch four of Europe's Galileo navigation satellites into orbit.
Samsung is readying its own smartphone-to-satellite communication platform
Samsung has unveiled a new standardized 5G NTN (non-terrestrial network) modem that will enable two-way communication between smartphones and satellites.
Amazon secures key FCC approval to deploy its Project Kuiper broadband satellites
Amazon secured an initial approval from the agency in 2020, but on the condition that it submits an updated orbital debris mitigation plan.
Virgin Orbit gets the licenses it needs for the UK's first space launch
Virgin Orbit is set to make the first ever space flight from UK soil, after the nation's Civil Aviation Authority approved a "historic" first launch license.
Satellites must be deorbited within five years of completing missions, FCC rules
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted new rules to address the growing risk of "space junk."
Astra's latest mission to deliver NASA weather satellites ends in failure
Rocket startup company Astra has suffered from a second launch failure this year as it failed to get to orbit with a pair of NASA satellites on board
SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm
Almost all of the Starlink internet satellites that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried beyond the atmosphere on February 3rd won't reach their intended orbit.
Rocket Lab reveals plans for reusable rocket with 8 ton payload
Rocket Lab is developing a new, larger reusable rocket called the Neutron that can carry a payload of 8 tons into low-Earth orbit.
Rocket Lab gains FAA approval to launch satellites from US soil
After successfully returning to launch following a failure in July, Rocket Lab has announced that it has received FAA clearance to launch Electron rockets in the US.
SpaceX will make its Starlink satellites less of a blight on the night sky
SpaceX's future Starlink satellites will be equipped with sunshades that reduce reflectivity. This will prevent them from disrupting astronomers' work.
Swarm gets regulatory approval to sell its satellite hardware
This has been a years-long process, during which time Swarm violated FCC rules and was forced to pay a $900,000 penalty. In 2017, the FCC denied Swarm’s application to launch its satellites, saying they could pose a safety hazard to other spacecraft.
Hitting the Books: Searching for ancient cities from space
Welcome to Hitting the Books. With less than one in five Americans reading just for fun these days, we've done the hard work for you by scouring the internet for the most interesting, thought provoking books on science and technology we can find and delivering an easily digestible nugget of their stories.
Solar-powered LightSail spacecraft is ready for its second flight
When the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches this summer, it will carry the Planetary Society's Carl Sagan-inspired LightSail 2. You may remember LightSail as a crowdfunded, experimental "solar sail." The unique craft looks something like a giant kite, and it was envisioned as a way to guide satellites around space using energy from the sun, rather than chemical fuel. The first LightSail took flight in 2015, and now the Planetary Society is ready to launch LightSail 2, which has worked out a few bugs and will provide an opportunity to further test solar sailing.
Amazon plans to launch thousands of internet satellites
Amazon wants to launch thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to offer internet connection across the planet. With Project Kuiper, it aims to deploy 3,236 satellites to cover areas where about 95 percent of the global population live. Details otherwise are scant so far, including the estimated timeline for bringing the network online or how much the project will cost. Amazon confirmed the plans after GeekWire unearthed filings for it.
SpaceX gets FCC approval to deploy thousands more internet satellites
SpaceX's plan to build a global, high-speed wireless internet network using satellites has taken another step forward. The FCC approved the company's request to deploy more than 7,000 very-low-Earth orbit satellites for its Starlink network. It follows the regulator giving SpaceX the green light in March to launch 4,425 satellites.
Bill Gates, SoftBank and Airbus back plan to livestream the Earth
Exploring the planet from the comfort of your own home is nothing new -- Google Earth has largely cornered the market on that. But what if, instead of looking at static pictures of your own house, you could explore views of the entire planet, in real time? It sounds ambitious, but that's exactly what space imaging startup EarthNow aims to achieve.
ESA plans to measure ocean plastic data from space
Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) are working on a technology that would allow them to identify from space just how much plastic there is floating around in oceans. Until now, researchers have used satellite maps to simulate the accumulation of marine trash, but the new project would use direct optical measurements to provide actual data on the scale of the issue.
Scientists want to use satellites to predict landslides
Small satellites have countless uses, including when it comes to monitoring the planet for natural disasters. Now, scientists think they've made a breakthrough on this front: They're using satellite data to map the Earth's movement. Their end goal is to develop an early warning system for communities before landslides.
Boeing is building DARPA's new hypersonic space plane
A few years ago, DARPA started work on a new experimental aircraft project called the XS-1, a vehicle designed to make launching satellites a faster, less expensive endeavor. Today, that project just took a huge leap forward: DARPA has announced that it's partnering with Boeing to build its next generation hypersonic space plane. Specifically, the aircraft manufacturer has been tapped to complete advanced design work on the XS-1 project, following up on the concept Boeing pitched to the agency during the project's early stages -- which it will now help build and test over the next several years.
