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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Introduction: Modern military forces rely heavily on satellites as force multipliers and intelligence assets in space. Over the last few decades, warfare has shifted toward highly technology-driven operations, making space-based capabilities central to strategic planning nsin.us. Military satellites – once limited to Cold War-era spy missions – now form the ever-watchful “eyes in the sky,” delivering critical communications, surveillance, navigation,…
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Disasters – whether natural or man-made – often wreak havoc on local communication infrastructure. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and conflicts can topple cell towers, sever fiber-optic cables, and leave entire regions cut off. For instance, Hurricane Maria in 2017 damaged 95% of cell towers in Puerto Rico, leaving the island largely without phone service freepress.net. In such…
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When hurricanes flatten cell towers and earthquakes sever landlines, staying connected becomes a lifeline. In such dire scenarios, satellite phones emerge as critical tools to maintain communication when the grid goes dark. Unlike regular cell phones tied to terrestrial networks, satellite phones link directly to satellites orbiting above, enabling calls and messages from virtually anywhere…
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Satellite internet is revolutionizing global connectivity—from remote villages to ships at sea—but how safe are these space-age links? This report explores the ins and outs of satellite internet security, from the basics of how it works to the encryption guarding your data, real-world hacks, industry practices, regulations, and cutting-edge defenses on the horizon. Overview: How…
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Imagine a village high in the mountains or deep in the rainforest, once cut off from the online world, suddenly gaining high-speed internet from the sky. This is the promise of satellite internet. By beaming broadband connectivity from orbit, satellite networks are bridging the digital divide and transforming life in far-flung communities. In 2023, an…
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Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet has become a hotly contested “final frontier” of the telecom industry. Multiple players – notably SpaceX’s Starlink, the UK/India-backed OneWeb (now part of Eutelsat), Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and Canada’s Telesat Lightspeed – are racing to blanket the globe in affordable, high-speed internet from space. All seek to deliver broadband to…
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A Starlink user terminal installed on a riverboat in remote Brazil, reflecting the service’s reach into areas underserved by terrestrial internet reuters.com. Despite such promise, Starlink’s global expansion has repeatedly run into regulatory roadblocks in different countries. Introduction: Starlink’s Global Ambitions vs. Regulatory Reality Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, aspires to deliver…
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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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SpaceX’s Starlink has rapidly built a mega-constellation of satellites that is reshaping how the world accesses the internet. Since launching the first batch of 60 satellites in 2019, Starlink has put thousands of satellites into low-Earth orbit to blanket the planet with broadband coverage blog.telegeography.com. By late 2024, nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites were in orbit…
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