The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Earth-observing radar satellite’s first images of our planet’s surface are in, and they offer a glimpse of things to come as the joint mission between NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) approaches full science operations later this year. “Launched under President Trump in conjunction with India, NISAR’s first images are a testament to …
Read More »CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s first radar images from a new Earth-mapping satellite show the Maine coast and North Dakota farmland in incredible detail. The pictures, released Thursday, are from a spacecraft that rocketed into orbit from India two months ago. The joint U.S.-Indian mission, worth $1.3 billion, will survey virtually all of the world’s land and ice masses …
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When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The landing spot of Russia’s Bion-M No. 2 descent module, on the steppes of the Orenburg region. | Credit: Roscosmos/Ivan Timoshenko They came from outer space: 75 mice, over 1,500 flies, cell cultures, microorganisms, plant seeds and more. A Russian biological research satellite …
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The big problem with Low Earth Orbit is, oddly enough, air resistance. Sure, there’s not enough air to breathe in space, but there is enough to create drag when you’re whipping around the planet at 28,000 km/h (17,000 mph) or more. Over time, that adds up to a decaying orbit. [Eager Space] recently did a video summarizing a paradoxical solution: …
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Coronagraph imagery of the partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21, 2025. (Image credit: NOAA, GOES-19 CCOR-1) On Sept. 21, while skywatchers on Earth were eagerly watching a partial solar eclipse unfold, NOAA’s space weather sentinel GOES-19 was also keeping watch from orbit. From its vantage point high above Earth, the satellite’s Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1) recorded something unusual: a natural solar …
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A striking view of the partial solar eclipse that happened on September 21 was caught not just by photographers on Earth, but also by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-19 satellite orbiting high above. The images, highlighted in a post on X, show how satellites continue to give irreplaceable perspectives on familiar wonders. What is it? The GOES-19 …
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Processes occurring deep within the Earth could be responsible for our planet’s changing gravitational field, according to new research that scoured orbital data for clues to the mystery. The shift occurred nearly two decades ago, between 2006 and 2008, but went unnoticed at the time. Only through a recent reexamination of the data were scientists able to detect gravitational variations …
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On Sept. 23, a spacecraft will launch with a clear mission — to keep a constant watch on the sun to help protect Earth from space weather. The satellite, Space Weather Follow-On L1 (SWFO-L1), is launching just in time, as scientists warn our aging fleet of solar sentinels is reaching the end of its life. “It’s extremely urgent. These satellites, …
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China claims to have turned the tables in orbit. One of its satellites recently photographed a US “surveillance” satellite allegedly observing Chinese space assets. Analysts describe it as a striking example of tit-for-tat monitoring in the fast-evolving space domain. On September 8, a Jilin-1 satellite from Chang Guang Satellite Technology captured four images of the American WorldView Legion satellite from …
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Over the next four decades, aerial images documented the steady, eastward retreat of both the Alsek Glacier and another ice mass to the south called the Grand Plateau Glacier. As both glaciers melted, Alsek Lake grew significantly, filling in the void left by the Grand Plateau Glacier and gradually overtaking the ice that once surrounded Prow Knob. This summer, NASA’s …
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