Hacker News with Generative AI: Satellites

Unprecedented Starlink Reentries (spaceweatherarchive.com)
Feb. 5, 2025 (Spaceweather.com): What goes up, must come down–which could be a problem when you’re launching thousands of satellites. Since 2018, SpaceX has placed more than 7,000 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit, and now they are starting to come down. In January alone, more than 120 Starlinks deorbited, creating a shower of fireballs.

SpaceX, Space Debris, Satellites, Astronomy

12 points by 882542F3884314B 3 days ago | 3 comments

China Rescues Stranded Lunar Satellites (ieee.org)
China has managed to deliver a pair of satellites into lunar orbit despite the spacecraft initially being stranded in low Earth orbit following a rocket failure, using a mix of complex calculations, precise engine burns, and astrodynamic ingenuity.

Space Exploration, China, Satellites

19 points by perihelions 14 days ago | 1 comments

Sky skimmers: The race to fly satellites at the lowest orbits yet (bbc.com)
High in the skies of Earth, a new space race is underway. Here, just above the boundary where space begins, companies are trying to create a new class of daring satellites.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Technology, Competition

116 points by RyanShook 26 days ago | 76 comments

Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance: Corona Satellite (2013) [pdf] (nro.gov)

National Security, Satellites, History, Government

23 points by NaOH 26 days ago | 1 comments

A tiny satellite showed it can take high-res pics from space (theverge.com)
A satellite the size of a suitcase sent back these 2.5-meter resolution photos of the Earth’s surface.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Photography, Technology

8 points by jonbaer 27 days ago | 2 comments

Carnarvon's NASA satellite dish receives first signal in almost 40 years (abc.net.au)
A 29-metre-wide satellite dish that once aided NASA missions has received its first signal since being mothballed in 1987.

Space Exploration, Satellites, History, Australia

128 points by zdw 53 days ago | 25 comments

Hypso-2 satellite monitors harmful algae from space (phys.org)
It's slightly larger than a 5-liter water bottle, and is whizzing around the Earth at a speed of 7.5 kilometers per second.

Space, Satellites, Environmental Monitoring, Algae

7 points by rbanffy 63 days ago | 1 comments

Hacking yourself a satellite – recovering BEESAT-1 [video] (media.ccc.de)
In 2013, the satellite BEESAT-1 started returning invalid telemetry, rendering it effectively unusable. Because it is projected to remain in orbit for at least another 20 years, recovering the satellite and updating the flight software would enable new experiments on the existing hardware. However, in addition to no access to telemetry, the satellite also has no functional software update feature.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Software Engineering, Hacking

182 points by Duke_Pixie 63 days ago | 15 comments

38C3: Hacker hijacks and repairs Beesat-1 satellites from the ground (heise.de)
The Beesat-1 test satellite launched into space by TU Berlin in 2009 stopped delivering data in 2013. An inventor managed to breathe new life into it.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Hacking, Technology, Germany

19 points by doener 66 days ago | 3 comments

38C3: Hacking yourself a satellite – recovering BEESAT-1 [video] (media.ccc.de)
In 2013, the satellite BEESAT-1 started returning invalid telemetry, rendering it effectively unusable. Because it is projected to remain in orbit for at least another 20 years, recovering the satellite and updating the flight software would enable new experiments on the existing hardware. However, in addition to no access to telemetry, the satellite also has no functional software update feature.

Space Exploration, Software Engineering, Hacking, Satellites

8 points by jdiez17 67 days ago | 1 comments

Using GPS satellites to detect tsunamis via ionospheric ionization waves (nasa.gov)
The GNSS-based Upper Atmospheric Realtime Disaster Information and Alert Network (GUARDIAN) aims to enhance early warning of tsunamis.

Tsunamis, GPS, Satellites, Disaster Warning, Science

126 points by Gedxx 80 days ago | 44 comments

China orbits first Guowang internet satellites, with thousands more to come (arstechnica.com)
The first batch of internet satellites for China's Guowang megaconstellation launched Monday on the country's heavy-lift Long March 5B rocket.

Space, China, Satellites, Internet

8 points by freeqaz 80 days ago | 1 comments

Geomagnetic storms cause "mass migrations" of satellites (spacenews.com)
WASHINGTON — A pair of major geomagnetic storms this year led to unprecedented “mass migrations” of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit that create new concerns about space traffic coordination.

Space, Satellites, Geomagnetic Storms, Space Traffic

5 points by radley 85 days ago | 0 comments

What One Russian Satellite Tells Us About the Future of Nuclear Warfare (nytimes.com)
U.S. military personnel at Space Command, in Colorado Springs, have kept a close eye on Cosmos 2553 ever since it reached orbit.

Russia, Nuclear Warfare, Military, Space, Satellites

11 points by Tomte 89 days ago | 6 comments

Smaller Satellite Images (marksblogg.com)
In 2009, Skybox Imaging was founded. They built and launched two satellites before being acquired by Google in 2014. Google went on to launch another five satellites before selling the firm to Planet Labs in 2017.

Space, Satellites, Imaging, Technology, Business

44 points by marklit 96 days ago | 6 comments

India's Moon orbiter moved to dodge Korean and USA craft (theregister.com)
The Indian Space Research Organisation revealed late last week that its Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter has twice maneuvered to avoid potential collisions with similar craft.

Space Exploration, India, Satellites, Korea, USA

10 points by thunderbong 105 days ago | 1 comments

Russia sabotages six European satellites, Dutch TV also affected (Translated) (nos.nl)
Achter de verstoringen van kinderzender BabyTV gaat een uitgebreid Russisch offensief op Europese satellieten schuil. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van Nieuwsuur.

Russia, Space, Satellites, News, Europe

19 points by donohoe 106 days ago | 14 comments

The Sun is more active than predicted and small satellites are paying the price (theconversation.com)
Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University’s Binar Space Program burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Solar Activity

9 points by billybuckwheat 115 days ago | 0 comments

Somebody moved UK's oldest satellite, and no-one knows who or why (bbc.com)
Someone moved the UK's oldest satellite and there appears to be no record of exactly who, when or why.

Space, Satellites, UK, Mystery, Government

4 points by alamortsubite 115 days ago | 0 comments

Skynet is not where it should be (bbc.co.uk)
Someone moved the UK's oldest satellite and there appears to be no record of exactly who, when or why.

Space Exploration, Satellites, Government, UK

11 points by lonelyasacloud 118 days ago | 0 comments

NRO chief: "You can't hide" from our new swarm of SpaceX-built spy satellites (arstechnica.com)
The director of the National Reconnaissance Office has a message for US adversaries around the world.

Space, National Security, Satellites, Surveillance, Intelligence

33 points by rbanffy 121 days ago | 12 comments

Wooden satellite heads to space in Mars exploration test (news.sky.com)
The world's first wooden satellite has been launched into space.

Space Exploration, Innovation, Materials Science, Satellites

105 points by austinallegro 122 days ago | 71 comments

Astronomers urge FCC to halt satellite megaconstellation launches (space.com)

Astronomy, Space, Regulation, Satellites

9 points by belter 122 days ago | 2 comments

Boeing-made satellite explodes in space after experiencing an "anomaly" (cbsnews.com)
The U.S. Space Force is tracking debris in space after a satellite manufactured by Boeing exploded earlier this week, the satellite's operator said.

Space, Satellites, Aerospace, Military, Accidents

18 points by arwhatever 132 days ago | 1 comments

US satellite jammer is set for delivery as flaws are fixed (bloomberg.com)
A weapon meant to jam Chinese and Russian satellites early in a conflict has overcome technical flaws and is expected to be delivered next year, more than two years later than originally scheduled, according to the US Space Force.

Military Technology, Space, Satellites, United States

55 points by JumpCrisscross 132 days ago | 45 comments

Intelsat 33e breaks up in geostationary orbit (spacenews.com)
TAMPA, Fla. — The Intelsat 33e satellite has broken up in geostationary orbit (GEO) and lost power, ceasing communications services for customers across Europe, Africa and parts of Asia Pacific.

Space, Satellites, Telecommunications

168 points by milgrim 137 days ago | 137 comments

China's Radar Detects F-22 Stealth Fighters Using BeiDou Satellite Signals (eurasiantimes.com)
Chinese scientists have reportedly developed a new radar technology that can track and detect the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, one of the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jets.

Military Technology, China, Satellites, Stealth Technology, United States

12 points by teleforce 138 days ago | 3 comments

Brightness of the Qianfan Satellites (arxiv.org)
Observed magnitudes of Qianfan spacecraft range from 4 when they are near zenith to 8 when low in the sky.

Spacecraft, Astronomy, Satellites

9 points by gnabgib 143 days ago | 0 comments

Brightness of first Chinese broadband constellation satellites alarms (spacenews.com)
WASHINGTON — The first satellites of a Chinese broadband constellation are significantly brighter than those of Western systems, posing a new challenge for astronomers.