BIOMASS uses a fully polarimetric P-band SAR with a 70 cm wavelength to pierce through canopies and measure woody trunks where most forest carbon is stored. The 12-meter deployable reflector, shaped like an umbrella and built by L3Harris, directs radar pulses back to the sensor. The 1.25-tonne spacecraft was launched on 29 April 2025 aboard…
Read more
As of early 2024, about 9.96 million Tunisians were internet users, roughly 79.6% of the population. In January 2024, Tunisia had 16.73 million active mobile connections, equal to 133.7% of the population. 99.9% of the population is covered by mobile signals, with 4G reaching about 94.9% of inhabitants. Tunisie Telecom’s fiber backbone spans roughly 50,000…
Read more
On 1 October 2025, T-Mobile and SpaceX will enable third‑party app data for a curated list of apps (WhatsApp, X, Google, Apple, AccuWeather, AllTrails) after the commercial SMS/MMS debut on 23 July 2025. SpaceX has placed more than 650 direct‑to‑cell satellites in orbit, with 657 currently operational forming the initial U.S. mesh. U.S. coverage now…
Read more
NATO Allied Command Operations signed a multiyear agreement to receive 24/7 SAR imagery from ICEYE and feed it into the APSS Aquila constellation, announced on 24 June 2025. ICEYE’s 54-satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar fleet can be tasked within eight hours, and in some cases within one hour, for sea- and land-tracking. ICEYE satellites deliver 25…
Read more
On 23 June 2025, Iran’s Ministry of Communications warned that owning or installing a Starlink terminal is a punishable offense and asked the ITU to compel SpaceX to deactivate unauthorized devices inside Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion on 13 June, Iran’s internet blackout peaked with connectivity falling by 97 percent. In 2021 Iran filed…
Read more
Drones weighing more than 250 grams must be registered in Singapore, a rule in effect since 2020, with penalties up to S$10,000 or 6 months’ imprisonment for unregistered flights. Registration involves two steps: purchasing a S$25 registration label and completing online registration on the CAAS UA Portal, with the label uniquely tied to the aircraft…
Read more
Microwave radiometers measure brightness temperature from natural microwave emissions, enabling all-weather, day‑and‑night sensing through clouds, haze, and light rain. Oxygen absorption bands around 60 GHz (with a separate line at 118 GHz) are used for temperature sounding, while water vapor absorbs near 22.235 GHz and 183 GHz for humidity profiling. Nimbus-7 SMMR, launched in 1978,…
Read more
Iran aims to connect 20 million premises with fiber by the end of 2025 under the National Fiber Optic Plan, but rollout is behind schedule. As of early 2024, Iran had 73.1 million internet users (81.7% penetration) and 146.5 million mobile connections, indicating widespread multi-SIM use. Median download speeds were about 15 Mbps on fixed…
Read more
The Space Symposium will host its 40th edition on April 7–10, 2025 in Colorado Springs, with the 41st edition scheduled for April 13–16, 2026. SATELLITE Conference & GovSatCom will be held in Washington, DC in 2025 March 11–13 and in 2026 March 23–26. The IAC 2025 will take place in Sydney from September 29 to…
Read more
On 20 June 2025 CCTV aired footage from the National University of Defence Technology showing student Liang Hexiang balancing a micro-robot the size of a mosquito between his fingers. The insect-sized drone uses flapping leaf-shaped wings and hair-thin legs to hover, perch and crawl inside buildings for information reconnaissance on the battlefield. Analysts describe the…
Read more