Introduction: A New Space Race for Broadband A revolution is underway above our heads. In the past year alone, companies and governments worldwide have turbocharged efforts to beam high-speed internet from space down to Earth. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation has surpassed 8,000 satellites launched since 2019, amassing over 5 million users across 125+ countries reuters.com. In…
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Introduction Israel’s space program may be modest in scale, but it has achieved outsized capabilities. In 1988, Israel became the world’s eighth nation to launch its own satellite into orbit nasaspaceflight.com, and today it remains the smallest country to develop indigenous launch vehicles and an operational space agency en.wikipedia.org. What began as a strategic effort…
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The war in Ukraine is not just being fought on land and in the skies – it’s also being waged in orbit. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, both sides have leaned heavily on military satellite services for communication, intelligence, navigation, targeting, and early warning. From SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation keeping Ukrainian forces online to…
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Satellites play a vital role in modern society, supporting communications, navigation, Earth observation, scientific discovery, and security. This comprehensive report highlights 100 of the most important currently operational satellites across five major categories: Communications, Earth Observation, Navigation/Positioning, Scientific & Exploration, and Military/Intelligence. Each entry includes the satellite’s name (and launch year), operating organization, purpose and…
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Modern militaries rely on robust communication networks to coordinate operations, from secure battlefield radios to satellites and smartphone-based systems. Precise and secure communications are the sinews of good decision-making on the battlefield – a decisive factor in warfare that enables effective command and control of forces othjournal.com. This report explores the history of military telecommunications…
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Introduction to Satellite TV Satellite television (satellite TV) is a system of delivering television programming to viewers by transmitting signals via communications satellites orbiting the Earth. In a typical setup, broadcasters send their TV feeds to a powerful uplink dish on the ground, which beams the signals up to a satellite in space. The satellite,…
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Introduction to Spy Satellites Spy satellites – officially known as reconnaissance satellites – are orbiting spacecraft used by governments to secretly monitor activities on Earth for national security purposes. They serve as high-tech “eyes in the sky,” peering down from space to collect intelligence on foreign military forces, weapons developments, missile launches, and other strategic…
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Governments worldwide are entering a “Sky Wars” satellite arms race – a contest to secure robust military satellite communications (Satcom) for the coming decade. From 2025 to 2035, defense agencies are pouring resources into Satcom as warfighters demand resilient, everywhere-connectivity. The Ukraine conflict underscored Satcom’s importance (e.g. Starlink kept forces online), spurring militaries to accelerate…
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Introduction In parts of the world, authorities are literally switching off the internet on a routine basis. Over the last five years (2020–2025), countries like Syria, Iraq, and Algeria have repeatedly imposed nationwide internet shutdowns – often timed with school exam periods – plunging millions into digital darkness for hours at a time. Governments claim…
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Missile technology forms the backbone of modern military power, from intercontinental nuclear-tipped rockets to precision-guided tactical weapons. This comprehensive country-by-country guide details the world’s missile systems – ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship and air-defense missiles, air-to-air weapons, and more – including those in service, in development, or recently retired. For each nation, we outline key…
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