A Chinese reconnaissance satellite has suffered an unidentified anomaly in high-altitude orbit, breaking apart into 43 tracked debris pieces that now risk head-on collisions with other spacecraft, according to Jonathan McDowell, a former astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The Yaogan-50 (02) satellite launched on March 15, 2026, aboard a Long March 6A rocket, … Read more
The most powerful Northern Lights display in a generation exposed weaknesses and large gaps in the United Kingdom’s infrastructure, prompting experts to issue 14 targeted recommendations to safeguard power grids, satellites, and aviation against future space weather events, according to findings presented at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting in Birmingham. May 2024 Geomagnetic … Read more
According to Xinhua, a Smart Dragon-3 carrier rocket lifted off from waters off Haiyang in Shandong Province, delivering the Oriental Smart Eye hyperspectral satellites 01 and 02 into planned orbit. The launch drew international observers, including aerospace students from Beihang University, as the mission deployed advanced AI-powered imaging technology designed for agricultural and environmental monitoring … Read more
Europe is expanding its environmental monitoring network with the scheduled launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellite on 14 September 2026, according to the European Space Agency. Lift-off will take place at the European Spaceport in French Guiana aboard Avio’s Vega-C rocket, placing the spacecraft into a Sun-synchronous orbit roughly 820 kilometres above Earth to join … Read more
Wisconsin skywatchers can experience a busy lineup of celestial events starting with the Sturgeon Moon, the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, and two eclipses, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac and NASA. Clear skies over Milwaukee and across the state provide prime conditions for viewing these upcoming astronomical phenomena. Perseids Meteor Shower Peak Dates … Read more
A two-armed space robot launched by SpaceX on Tuesday on a private salvage operation to attach life-extending jetpacks to aging satellites operating thousands of miles above Earth, according to the Associated Press. The mission represents part of a growing industry push to keep existing spacecraft functioning longer and reduce orbital replacement costs for major operators … Read more
WYFF 4 will expand its local television programming to include full CBS network coverage starting August 1, 2026, bringing CBS primetime shows, sports, and news to the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market on a new digital subchannel, according to station announcements. Viewers will access the new lineup on over-the-air subchannel WYFF 4.3 while the station’s primary channel and … Read more
The US Federal Communications Commission approved a satellite launch by startup Reflect Orbital to test a thin-film reflector designed to direct sunlight toward specific locations on Earth, according to agency records. The Earendil-1 satellite aims to extend usable hours for solar cells and provide illumination for critical operations by reflecting abundant sunlight during nighttime hours, … Read more
Solar storm risks to Earth’s infrastructure may be significantly underestimated because there is no known upper limit to how the planet responds to solar wind, according to a study published in Nature. Research led by Nithin Sivadas of NASA and Maria Walach from Lancaster University suggests that previous beliefs in a “leveling off” of atmospheric … Read more
Geoneon, a Tasmanian Earth observation firm, won three categories at the 2026 Australian Space Awards, including the top Excellence Award for CEO Roxane Bandini-Maeder. The company applies satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to map climate risk and vegetation, demonstrating how downstream space technology provides actionable data for land management and infrastructure resilience. The seventh annual … Read more