Tag Archives: communications

NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) demonstration has completed its final pass, although there is a chance the system might be reactivated in the second half of 2026. Carried aboard NASA’s Psyche mission, DSOC demonstrated how data encoded in lasers could be reliably transmitted, received, and decoded. On September 2, the final communications pass was made from a distance of …

The sun has been unusually active lately, and the increase in solar activity is raising concerns among scientists. After nearly 20 years of quiet, the sun has begun to ramp up its behavior, with powerful solar winds and intense solar storms that could affect everything from power grids to communication systems, the Daily Mail reported. A surprise change in solar …

Both Psyche and Earth are moving through space at tremendous speeds, and they are so distant from each other that the laser signal — which travels at the speed of light — can take several minutes to reach its destination. By using the precise pointing required from the ground and flight laser transmitters to close the communication link, teams at …

The latest generation of smartwatches is looking to the skies to expand their connectivity capabilities. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be the second mainstream smartwatch (not counting the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro) to support satellite communications, and the new connectivity feature is one of a few changes coming to the device. Other upgrades include the S10 chip, a slightly …

Earth is being hit by numerous solar storms that could interrupt power grids and communication systems. These storms arise from surges of plasma from the sun’s outer layer, which disturb Earth’s magnetic field for a time. The most recent geomagnetic storm, a G3, began to affect Earth late Sunday evening, followed by a G2 event on Monday, as per Daily …

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is pictured in the launch position at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, ahead of the first launch attempt of the Nusantara Lima communications satellite. Image: SpaceX Update Sept. 10, 5:55 p.m. EDT: SpaceX scrubbed the mission, targeting no earlier than Sept. 11. SpaceX scrubbed launching a …

An artist’s rendering of the Nusantara Lima satellite in gestationary Earth orbit. Graphic: Boeing Update Sept. 8, 8:08 p.m. EDT: SpaceX pushed back the T-0 liftoff time. An Indonesian company is looking to improve its space-based communications service with a state-of-the-art Boeing-built satellite bound for geostationary orbit. The spacecraft comes from Satelit Nusantara Lima (SNL), a subsidiary of Indonesia’s first …

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaks away from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to begin the USSF-36 mission with the X-37B spaceplane onboard. More than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster, tail number 1092, landed with a sonic boom at Landing Zone 2. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now Update Aug. 22, 9:47 a.m. EDT: Added quotes …

SALT LAKE CITY — Blue Origin is offering a version of its Blue Ring spacecraft as a Mars communications orbiter as it and other companies seek ways to provide commercial services for NASA at Mars. To continue reading this article: Register now and get3 free articles every month. You’ll also receive our weekly SpaceNews This Week newsletter every Friday. Opt-out …

Facebook Tweet Email Link Satellites, including those used for GPS and communications, will face greater risks in coming decades during solar-triggered geomagnetic storms because of the effect climate pollution has on Earth’s atmosphere, a new study found. The increasing volume of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere is likely to make the air less dense, while geomagnetic storms have …