Pilots using a satellite service can now receive inflight updates on weather hazards and warn other aircraft of storms they see ahead. This Planet service is offered to regional, business and light aircraft, alerting pilots who are otherwise unaware of storms in their path. Without this, weather updates are not available during flight – all … Dowiedz się więcej
Just before NASA’s latest Moon mission ended last week, an ESA telescope received laser signals from the spacecraft, achieving data speeds like those used by many to watch movies at home via fibre-optic Internet. During an intense, three-day effort starting on 1 April, ESA’s Optical Ground Station in Spain received data signals via laser from … Dowiedz się więcej
Following its launch yesterday, Sentinel-1A has performed a carefully choreographed 10-hour dance routine to open its large radar antenna and solar wings. During the launch, the 12 m-long radar and two 10 m-long solar wings were folded up to fit into the protective Soyuz rocket fairing. After being lofted to 693 km above Earth and … Dowiedz się więcej
The largest census of dust in local galaxies has been completed using data from ESA’s Herschel space observatory, providing a huge legacy to the scientific community. Cosmic dust grains are a minor but fundamental ingredient in the recipe of gas and dust for creating stars and planets. But despite its importance, there is an incomplete … Dowiedz się więcej
Across a satellite’s working life, batteries keep the craft’s heart beating whenever it leaves sunlight. But after its mission ends, those same batteries may threaten catastrophe. Space debris mitigation rules require the complete deactivation of electrical power sources aboard a satellite on retirement, in order to guard against explosive accidents that might produce fresh debris … Dowiedz się więcej
ESA is forging ahead with the Neosat next-generation satcom platform, planning the first flights within five years. The goal is for European satellite builders to capture at least half of the world’s satcom market in 2018–30 through innovation and efficiency, generating €25 billion in sales. The contract for Phase-B of Neosat was signed today by Magali … Dowiedz się więcej