With the volume of space debris expected to grow significantly during the coming decades, U.S. Air Force Gen. William Shelton says the orbital debris problem could spiral out of control.
Improving the ESA Gravity Mission
The European Space Agency's GOCE gravity satellite already has delivered the most accurate gravity map of Earth. Now its orbit is being lowered to obtain even better results.
Tracking Kilimanjaro's Shrinking Ice
Cold, dry air at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro has sustained large ice fields for more than 10,000 years, but trends beginning more than a century ago suggest its peaks soon may be ice-free.
Satellite Imagery Helps Protect Dutch Dikes
In the Netherlands, local authorities are looking to satellite observations as a promising option for dike monitoring and to protect against dike failures.
Sandy vs. Katrina”Comparing Two Monster Storms
The scenes of devastation and wreckage that Superstorm Sandy (2012) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) left behind were tragically similar. But from a meteorological perspective, satellite data reveal the storms were very different.
European Satellite Offers Novel Superstorm Perspective
The European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission again showed its versatility by capturing unique measurements of the largest Atlantic Hurricane on record.
Hunting Fossils from Afar
Colleagues at Western Michigan University are using data from the Landsat 7 satellite's Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus instrument to find fossils.
U.K. Aerial Firm Completes Comprehensive Tree Map
Aerial mapping firm Bluesky has compiled the first countrywide 3-D map of English and Welsh trees, complete with detailed modeling of tree heights and canopy cover.
Small Drone Assists Italian Utility Company
An Aermatica small unmanned aircraft system is helping Italian utility company ENEL remotely monitor its power plants to prove to the Italian government it can be done safely and effectively.
Greenland Ice Swirls Mimic Marbled Paper
Seawater off the east coast of Greenland looked a bit like marbled paper in October 2012. The shifting swirls of white in this image were sea ice, as observed by NASA's Aqua satellite on Oct. 17, 2012.
