Artificial satellites as a research area encompasses the scientific and engineering study of human-made objects intentionally placed into Earth or other celestial orbits for observation, communication, navigation, and experimentation. Research focuses on orbital dynamics and mission design, attitude determination and control, space environment interactions (radiation, plasma, micrometeoroids), and advanced materials and power systems for long-duration operation. It also includes development of miniaturized platforms (e.g., CubeSats), payload instrumentation for remote sensing and scientific measurements, formation flying and constellations, on-orbit servicing, autonomy and fault management, and the impacts of satellite proliferation on space traffic management and orbital debris mitigation.
High up in Earth's orbit, millions of human-made objects large and small are flying at speeds of over 15,000 miles per hour. The objects, which range from inactive satellites to fragments of equipment resulting from explosions ...
Space Exploration
Dec 4, 2025
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Light from the half a million satellites that humanity is planning to launch into Earth's orbit in the coming years could contaminate almost all the images taken by space telescopes, NASA astronomers warned Wednesday.
Astronomy
Dec 3, 2025
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NASA and industry partners will fly and operate a commercial robotic arm in low Earth orbit through the Fly Foundational Robots mission set to launch in late 2027. This mission aims to revolutionize in-space operations, a ...
Space Exploration
Dec 3, 2025
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21
On 2 December 1995, the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) blasted into space—on what was supposed to be a two-year mission.
Astronomy
Dec 2, 2025
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18
Ask someone on Earth for the time and they can give you an exact answer, thanks to our planet's intricate timekeeping system, built with atomic clocks, GPS satellites and high-speed telecommunications networks.
Astronomy
Dec 1, 2025
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Thanks to the Recovery and Resilience Facility, and through collaboration between the Greek government, the private satellite company ICEYE and the European Space Agency (ESA), two new high-resolution radar satellites have ...
Space Exploration
Dec 1, 2025
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The first private space science satellite set to study the effect of flares from stars has been launched into space and is now in orbit, the company behind it has said.
Space Exploration
Dec 1, 2025
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24
Satellite mega-constellations are quickly becoming the backbone of a number of industries. Cellular communication, GPS, weather monitoring and more are now, at least in part, reliant on the networks of thousands of satellites ...
Space Exploration
Nov 21, 2025
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29
About the size of a full-size pickup truck, a newly launched satellite by NASA and its partners will provide ocean and atmospheric information to improve hurricane forecasts, help protect infrastructure, and benefit commercial ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 17, 2025
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123
Satellite-based Earth observation provides a unique and powerful tool in tracking climate adaptation, an international study involving University of Galway researchers has shown.
Earth Sciences
Nov 14, 2025
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