A Government Accountability Office report cites technical challenges and rapid acquisitions of some lighter-than-air Earth observation platforms as problematic.
Taking a Volcano's Pulse from Space
A new study from the University of Miami shows that satellite images of inflating magma balloons deep beneath the ground can help predict the eruptions of some volcanoes.
GeoEye Chief Ponders Next Move
After DigitalGlobe finalizes its acquisition of GeoEye in 2013, GeoEye CEO Matt O'Connell plans to pursue some fascinating ideas floating around and important contributions to be made.
Dead Earth Observation Satellite A Ticking Time Bomb?
An International Institute of Space Law member says if the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite damages another satellite, the agency could be held liable for gross negligence.
Scientist Aims for Better Earth Observation Tools
Carnegie Institution for Science's Greg Asner says most of today's Earth observation tools lack the richness of data needed to understand the impact that humans are having on Earth.
Looking at the Old and New at NRO
As the National Reconnaissance Office prepares to launch a top-secret cloud-computing effort, the agency recently shed new light on its Cold War Gambit and Hexagon spy satellite programs.
Earth Observation Drones Search for Missing Child
U.K. police searching for April Jones are using unmanned aircraft to look for any trace of the five-year-old, missing since Oct. 1, and say the hunt could continue beyond Christmas.
Satellites Observe Great Plains Dust in the Wind
In mid-October, severe winds blew soil and sediment across hundreds of miles in the middle of North America, closing highways and reminding long-time residents of the 1930s Dust Bowl years and severe dust storms of the 1950s.
Giant Antarctic Rift Grows Larger
When the colossal crack shown in the accompanying TerraSar-X satellite images reaches the other side of the Pine Island Glacier ice shelf, it'll send the largest iceberg in decades adrift into Pine Island Bay.
Tough Choices for Next Earth Explorer Mission
In early 2013, scientists and data users will have the opportunity to debate the merits of three competing concepts for the next Earth Explorer satellite mission.
