Category: Satellites

The satellite industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation as ground control “goes cloud.” Between 2025 and 2030, satellite ground segment operations are shifting from hardware-centric architectures to flexible, software-defined, cloud-enabled infrastructure. This trend is driven by the explosive growth in satellite deployments and demand for real-time data services, which traditional ground systems struggle to…
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HTS Technology Overview High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) are spaceborne relays designed to deliver dramatically higher data rates than traditional wide-beam satellites. They achieve this through numerous narrow spot-beams and advanced on-board processing, allowing aggressive frequency reuse. In practice, an HTS can deliver multiple times the throughput of a legacy FSS satellite using the same spectrum assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.…
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Space weather refers to variations in the space environment between the Sun and Earth that can affect technological systems both in orbit and on the ground swpc.noaa.gov. It is generated by solar phenomena—particularly solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), high-speed solar wind streams, and solar energetic particle events—that release bursts of radiation and charged particles…
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Imagine peering down at Earth through thick clouds or the dead of night and still seeing clear images of the surface. Traditional optical satellites are blind in such conditions – in fact, at any given moment about 75% of the planet is obscured either by cloud cover or darkness, making it inaccessible to optical imaging…
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Satellites are objects that orbit a larger body, like Earth or another planet spaceplace.nasa.gov. They play many roles in modern life, from beaming TV signals and providing internet/phone connections to monitoring weather and enabling GPS navigation spaceplace.nasa.gov spaceplace.nasa.gov. Below is an extensive FAQ, grouped by topic, answering common questions about satellites and related technologies in…
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Satellites have become our planet’s orbiting guardians, silently circling Earth and gathering data that help scientists unravel the story of climate change. Using advanced sensors, these high-tech observers measure everything from global temperatures and greenhouse gas levels to shrinking ice sheets and disappearing forests. The result is a revolution in climate monitoring – a wealth…
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Definition and How Geostationary Orbit Works A geostationary orbit (GEO) is a circular orbit around Earth’s equator at approximately 35,786 km altitude (about 22,236 miles) where a satellite orbits once per sidereal day (~23 hours 56 minutes) in the same direction as Earth’s rotation en.wikipedia.org esa.int. This precise altitude and orbital period make the satellite…
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Introduction: LEO and the Rise of Small Satellites Low Earth Orbit (LEO) generally refers to orbits up to about 2,000 km above Earth’s surface nasa.gov. At these altitudes, satellites circle the globe in ~90–120 minutes, close enough for low-latency communications and high-resolution observations. In recent years, small satellites – typically massing from a few kilograms…
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Imagine sending a text from the middle of the ocean or deep in the mountains with no cell tower in sight. That’s the promise of Starlink’s new Direct-to-Cell technology – a “cell tower in space” that lets ordinary phones connect via satellite when terrestrial coverage is absent. In recent trials, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have successfully…
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