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.
Seventy years ago, Earth had only one satellite: the moon. Now it has more than 15,000—about 10,000 of which are owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The world's first trillionaire plans to launch 1 million more satellites, each ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 1, 2026
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A new European Southern Observatory (ESO) study has found that current proposals to launch more than 1.7 million satellites into orbit, including extremely bright ones, would have "devastating consequences for astronomy." ...
Astronomy
Jul 1, 2026
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NASA is set to launch a daring robotic rescue mission, a long-shot bid to prevent one of its aging telescopes from vanishing into dust.
Space Exploration
Jun 30, 2026
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27
NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission.
Space Exploration
Jun 28, 2026
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80
A mission to raise the orbit of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is poised for launch no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, at 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall ...
Astronomy
Jun 26, 2026
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The European-Chinese Smile mission reached its designated science orbit on June 20, 2026. The team is now embarking on a two-month campaign to commission the spacecraft, which involves switching on and testing its toolbox ...
Space Exploration
Jun 25, 2026
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16
For decades, astronomers and policymakers have been working on plans to protect our planet from killer asteroids. But now there's a new realm to protect: the thousands of satellites we're putting in orbit.
Planetary Sciences
Jun 23, 2026
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12
SpaceX shares surged again Tuesday, lifting Elon Musk's rocket company into the world's top five in market value for most of the session as a record-breaking IPO gave way to a torrid buying frenzy.
Space Exploration
Jun 17, 2026
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12
NASA's "rapid-response" space telescope is slowly falling out of orbit, but a daring mission this summer could allow the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to continue scanning the sky for many more years to come. In the first ...
Astronomy
Jun 16, 2026
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16
We think of atomic clocks as the definitive timekeepers. They are famous for being accurate down to the picosecond. Unfortunately, they are still subject to general relativity, so if you put them on a different planet, they ...
Space Exploration
Jun 16, 2026
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