The European Union-funded Galileo satellite navigation system added its 13th and 14th satellites after a successful launch atop a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana on May 24, 2016. Nearly four hours after liftoff, the twin Galileos were deployed into orbit approximately 23,522 kilometers above Earth.
Complex Data Made Easy
12 May 2016 — While the growing volume information from satellites observing Earth offers a unique opportunity for science and applications, it is sometimes difficult to make sure these complex data streams are exploited to their full potential. ESA is addressing...
e2v Selected to Develop Innovative CMOS Devices for METimage Weather Satellites
e2v has won a major contract with Airbus DS GmbH to design, develop and supply bespoke Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for the advanced METimage radiometers that will be integrated in a series of three European Space Agency’s...
Antarctic Icebergs Break Free
On April 7, 2016, multiple satellites captured the birth of two large icebergs that were shed along a crack on Antarctica's Nansen Ice Shelf during persistent strong offshore winds. The icebergs currently pose no threat to shipping, but they may pose a threat to scientific instruments moored to the seafloor to monitor climate change.
Mysteries of Wobbling Earth Solved
Using satellite data on how water moves around Earth, NASA scientists solved two mysteries about wobbles in the planet’s rotation. Earth's spin axis drifts slowly around the poles; the farthest away it has wobbled since observations began is 37 feet (12 meters). These wobbles don't affect daily life, but they must be taken into account to get accurate results from GPS, Earth-observing satellites and ground-based observatories.
SkyTruth Tracking Poachers in Palau via Satellites
An article in the New York Times Magazine chronicles how data analysts, the government of Palau and a nonprofit organization called SkyTruth are using satellite data to fight fishing poachers in the nation made up of 250 separate islands.
Preparing for More Radar Vision
The Sentinel-1B satellite has arrived in French Guiana to be prepared for liftoff on 22 April. It will join its identical twin, Sentinel-1A, in orbit to provide more radar views of Earth for Europe’s Copernicus environmental monitoring effort. The satellites each...
Skybox is Now Terra Bella
Skybox Imaging, acquired by Google in 2014, is now Terra Bella. Introducing Terra Bella Seven years ago, we started Skybox Imaging with the vision of a new era in space technology. Small satellites with big capabilities are no longer a dream. Today, two years and...
DLR is Expanding Cooperation with Japan and South Korea
A DLR delegation led by Pascale Ehrenfreund visited South Korea and Japan from 21 to 27 February. The delegation cultivated and expanded the close cooperation with partner organisations. Two important partnership agreements were signed during the visits. DLR ground...
Sentinel-3: A New Window on the Changing State of Our Oceans
Climate change is much discussed, says Dr Simon Keogh of the Met Office, and to inform the conversation the Met Office uses historical scientific data including sea-surface temperature records, based on data from the Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) series of...