Hacker News with Generative AI: Satellites

Parcae Ocean Surveillance Satellites (thespacereview.com)
On April 30, 1976, an Atlas F rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base carrying a new type of satellite into space.
European Gaia mapping satellite is retired but proves tough to kill (theregister.com)
The last commands have been sent to the ESA's Gaia satellite and, after a dozen years scanning the galaxy, the spacecraft is shutting down its computers and boosting out into a retirement orbit around the Sun.
Botswana launches first satellite BOTSAT-1 aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 (spaceinafrica.com)
Botswana’s first satellite, BOTSAT-1, was successfully launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9—Transporter 13 rideshare mission on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA.
China is testing experimental 'dogfighting' satellites in space, US general says (businessinsider.com)
China is testing experimental satellites capable of performing complex coordinated space maneuvers, a US Space Force general said this week.
Five Chinese satellites practiced 'dogfighting' in space, Space Force says (breakingdefense.com)
US “near peer” adversaries are “practicing dogfighting” in space to simulate orbital combat in yet another step up their wide-ranging effort to develop capabilities to deny, disrupt, degrade and/or destroy US space capabilities, the Space Force’s second in command warned today.
US Space Force warns Chinese satellites are 'dogfighting' in space (theregister.com)
China has practiced co-ordinated satellite maneuvers in space that resemble aerial combat, according to a US Space Force General.
Starlink satellite part hit a Canadian farm when it fell from orbit (newscientist.com)
A fragment of an out-of-control SpaceX Starlink satellite smashed into a farm in Canada last year, New Scientist can reveal – raising questions about the risks of de-orbiting space junk.
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) Overview (3gpp.org)
Non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are networks or segments of networks that use either Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating typically between 8 and 50km altitudes, including High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) or satellites in different constellations to carry a transmission equipment relay node or a base station:
When Europe needed it most, the Ariane 6 rocket delivered (arstechnica.com)
Europe's Ariane 6 rocket lifted off Thursday from French Guiana and deployed a high-resolution reconnaissance satellite into orbit for the French military, notching a success on its first operational flight.
Eutelsat in talks with Euro leaders as they mull Starlink replacement in Ukraine (theregister.com)
Talks are underway between European leaders and Eutelsat about a possible replacement for Starlink in Ukraine.
Ariane 6 performs first commercial flight with launch of CSO-3 satellite (arianespace.com)
The first commercial flight of Ariane 6, operated by Arianespace, placed the CSO-3 Earth observation satellite in orbit for the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) and the French space agency (CNES) for the French Air and Space Force’s Space Command (CDE).
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.
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.
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.
Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance: Corona Satellite (2013) [pdf] (nro.gov)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.