How Are Spaceflight Inc.’s Sherpa Vehicles Improving Satellite Launch?
Traditionally, satellites were simply strapped to larger rockets designed to push them into higher orbits, but this can be an incredible waste of fuel and resources. However, Spaceflight Inc.’s Sherpa vehicles may help change that. So what are Sherpa vehicles, and how are they supporting satellite launches?
Why Are Satellites So Important?
SpaceX has been launching 60 satellites at a time as part of their Starlink constellation. When complete, this network will provide high-speed, low-latency internet to the entire world. However, people have started to express concerns about the sheer number of satellites that will be orbiting the planet by 2027 — Starlink’s scheduled completion date. This project provides one example of a type of satellite orbiting at various heights above the planet’s surface. Why are satellites so essential? What Is a Satellite? Most people have heard the word “satellite” thrown around, but for those who don’t work in the industry, it is a very broad term that can mean many different…
Remote Sensing Satellite Data & Tools: Active, Passive, Microwave
We rely on remote sensing satellites every day, but what types of remote sensing are there? Check out the main tools that help us navigate, forecast weather, obtain earth surface data, keep track of natural disasters, and more.
The Great Opportunities of the Galileo Satellite Navigation
More than 2,000 satellites are orbiting the Earth at this very moment. They are used for communication and many other purposes. This article covers different aspects of satellite uses in navigation, with a strong emphasis on navigation. Then it looks into the Galileo Satellite Navigation System. Satellites and Global Navigation Systems GNSS or satellite navigation is a system that can help any electronic device determine longitude and latitude for its current geographic location. It is also used for global navigation. It is used by airplanes that need to be precise at every turn, and by ships, who use it to find their way through vast oceans. Thanks to recent technological…
Using of Satellites in Wireless Communication
Satellite refers to any object, be it artificial, manmade, or natural, that orbits around a cosmic body. Devices we are mostly interested in are manmade ones. What are satellites used for? Plenty of things. They orbit the Earth, and help in communication, relay TV and phone signals, predict different natural calamities, and so on. This article will look at what satellites are, how they operate and explains different satellite uses, along with interesting facts about satellites. How Does a Satellite Work? Communication Satellites are nothing but a buffer for transmitters and receivers scattered across many locations on Earth. Communication sats are used for distributing television signals, radio frequencies, and the…
What’s the Difference Between LEO, MEO and GEO Satellites?
As of the beginning of 2019, nearly 5,000 satellites are orbiting our planet — more, since SpaceX just launched 60 Starlink communications satellites in one monumental event. With so many orbiting bodies circling the Earth, it’s a miracle they don’t crash into each other, right? It might seem like magic, but in reality, it’s because they aren’t all orbiting at the same height. Let’s take a closer look at what LEO, MEO and GEO satellites are, and why more companies are investing in LEO and MEO satellites to support space exploration. LEO — Low Earth Orbit Satellites in low Earth orbit, or LEO, are the closest devices to Earth. They’re…
The ESA’s New Satellite Is Nearly Ready for Launch
After years of development and testing, the Aeolus satellite is almost ready for deployment. The spacecraft is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and is expected to launch in January 2018, less than two months from now. One of Five Aeolus is the fifth satellite to be launched as part of the ESA’s Earth Explorer Missions. They include the EarthCARE, Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), SWARM and CryoStat. Each satellite is tasked with a different mission to help us better understand our planet. Aeolus is an essential part of that team and will help us better understand our world — including how it’s changing and what we…
Delayed Launch: Heinrich Hertz Satellite to Launch in 2021
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) officially signed a contract with OHB Systems to develop and launch the Heinrich Hertz Satellite on June 28. It’s currently expected to be completed and ready for takeoff in 2021, after costing Germans approximately €310.5 million ($362.2 million). This is the second contract for the spacecraft, and it’s certainly the more expensive one. A previous contract for €11 million had set the craft to launch in 2016. Since that benchmark passed, changes were made to the program and the timeline was updated. Most of the delay came from a core change in the original mission assignment, protests against the manufacturer of the satellite and continual…
Communication Technologies That Have Revolutionized The World
Communication technology has improved beyond all recognition over the last couple of decades. Innovators have successfully made the world a smaller place by linking people together. It is now possible to communicate with almost anyone on the planet in a matter of seconds. So, we wanted to take a look at some of the technologies that allow that to happen. We’re going to discuss some of the innovations that have revolutionized the world for civilians and business owners. Without these advancements, the world would be a much different place today. WiFi Internet Connections During the 1990s, most people started to use the internet in their homes. That often meant plugging…
Go Away, Gravity! – The Ventures of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic
Elon Musk has a net worth of $11.9 billion while Richard Branson has a net worth of $4.8 billion. If they stacked their respective fortunes in $1 bills atop each other, the tower would reach six million miles, almost 25 times the distance between the earth and the moon. And that is, in a metaphorical way, exactly what the two plan to do.
