Satellites Archives

February 3, 2009December 24, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Satellite That Went ‘Splat’ Now Ready for Liftoff

Artist concept of NOAA N-Prime in orbit. Credit: NOAA

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On September 6, 2003, the NOAA N-Prime satellite fell to floor of the factory where it was being assembled, and suffered significant damage. But now, over five years later, the satellite that perhaps should have the nickname of “Phoenix” is ready to head into polar orbit around the Earth to improve weather forecasting and monitor environmental events around the world. Liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California is scheduled for early Wednesday morning (Feb. 4) at 2:22 a.m. PST (5:22 a.m. EST; 1022 GMT), on board a Delta 2 rocket. NOAA N-Prime will provide a continuity of service, as well as restoring degraded service from older weather forecasting satellites.

UPDATE: The launch of the NOAA-N Prime weather satellite was scrubbed early on Feb. 4 when a launch pad gaseous nitrogen pressurization system failed. This system maintains pressurization and purges to various systems of the Delta II rocket prior to launch. Immediate repair to this system is being undertaken.

The next launch attempt will be no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 5 at 2:22 a.m. PST., weather permitting.

The NOAA N-Prime satellite on the floor of the factory of where it was being assembled. Credit: NASA

After the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s N-Prime satellite tipped over while on a holding cart, engineers didn’t know if the satellite would be salvageable. It took several months to survey the damage and inventory spare parts to make sure the satellite could be rebuilt, according to Gary Davis, Director of the Office of Systems Development at NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, interviewed for an article in Spaceflightnow.com.

“We put together a philosophy that, without question, if we had a spare part, we would swap it out. If we didn’t have a spare part, we would attempt to fix. If we couldn’t fix, then we would have to buy new,” Davis said.

About 75 percent of the craft’s components were replaced with new or spare hardware. Engineers recertified components they decided to keep on the spacecraft, and the company that built the satellite, Lockheed Martin, disassembled the satellite and conducted vibration and thermal tests on every part engineers planned to reuse.

NOAA-N Prime is the fifth and last in the current series of five polar-orbiting satellites with improved imaging and sounding capabilities.

Watch a video about NOAA N-Prime.

The satellite will collect meteorological data and transmit the information to NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, which processes the data for input to the National Weather Service for its long-range weather and climate forecasts. Forecasters worldwide also will be able to access the satellite’s images and data.
NOAA-N Prime has sensors that will be used in the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System to monitor for distress signals around the world.

Watch the launch live on NASA TV, or follow the events on NASA’s Launch Blog.

Sources: NASA, Spaceflightnow.com

February 3, 2009February 3, 2009 by Nancy Atkinson

Iran Launches Satellite into Orbit

Iran launched its first functioning satellite into orbit late Monday using a modified long-range missile to place a home-produced research and telecommunications satellite into space. Iran now joins a small group of space-faring nations with the ability to build and launch their own satellites. In 2005, Iran used a Russian rocket to launch a satellite, and in August of 2008 Iran reported they launched a dummy satellite into orbit using their own Safir-2 rocket, but other sources said the rocket suffered a catastrophic failure. This most recent launch, however, was the country’s first success in using their own rocket and their own functional satellite, launched from Iranian territory. The launch coincided with a 10-day celebration of the 30th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution, according to the Fars news agency. On Iranian television, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the satellite was a “step toward justice and peace.”

Watch video of the launch, which includes several replays:

Continue reading “Iran Launches Satellite into Orbit”

January 22, 2009April 26, 2016 by Ian O'Neill

Top Secret: What Did That Delta IV Heavy Take into Space?

The Delta IV Heavy launch on January 17th (Chris Miller/Spaceflight Now)

[/caption]On Saturday, very little was known about the mammoth payload a Delta IV Heavy was carrying into space. Launching from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the 70 metre-high rocket blasted into the atmosphere with a mystery satellite known only as the NROL-26 mission. As the acronym suggests, the mission was carrying a National Reconnaissance Office satellite. However, a little after T+7 minutes 40 seconds, shortly after the second stage engines had fired, a media blackout prevented the world from knowing where the payload was going.

Four days on from this secretive rocket launch, what do we know about NROL-26?

The Delta IV Heavy is part of Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems division Delta IV rocket family. This monster of a launch vehicle can deliver 1.9 million pounds of thrust, carrying large payloads to geosynchronous orbit, some 22,300 miles (36,000 km) above the Earth’s surface. The Delta IV was designed with military and commercial payloads in mind.

Watching the video of Saturday’s launch, one cant help but be in awe of this rocket system. The Delta IV Heavy carried out its second fully successful flight on that day (the Delta IV Heavy first demonstration flight failed to reach the correct orbit in 2004), placing the most expensive (and most clandestine) military spacecraft into orbit. Naturally, details are rather sketchy about what the spacecraft actually is and what it is going to do, but some estimates put the total cost of the rocket plus payload at over $2 billion, so it is obviously a very important mission.

Once NROL-26 successfully reached its destination (wherever that may be), the satellite was renamed “USA 202”. We can say with some certainty that USA 202 is an advanced spy satellite of some description. According to one source, the intent of USA 202 is to act as the next generation in orbital eavesdropping technology, deploying an antenna possibly as wide as 350 feet.

According to GlobalSecurity.org (a military think-tank), USA 202 could be of an “Advanced Mentor” design. Older versions are believed to have been launched by the National Reconnaissance Office and the Central Intelligence Agency under the code name “MENTOR” from 1995 to 2003. These satellites, in geostationary orbits, collect ground-based radio emissions using very large antennae (some as wide as 100 metres). They are also thought to be very big satellites, weighing in at over five tonnes. Like USA 202, these older satellites are highly classified and there is no official word confirming or denying any of the specifications.

Last weekend’s successful Delta IV Heavy launch will come as a relief to the security services operating the top secret satellite as launches have fallen behind schedule through failures and technical challenges. These spy satellites are critical to the White House and Pentagon, as the information gathered by USA 202 aid military decisions and shape foreign policy. In this case, it is thought Saturday’s Delta IV Heavy launch will enhance the ability to intercept communications from rogue states and terrorist organizations around the planet.

Let’s hope USA 202 remains operational for its designated lifespan, as we know what happens to spy satellites that don’t behave…

Sources: Space Flight Now, Space.com, Boeing, Florida Everyone Forgot,

January 20, 2009December 24, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

The Inauguration of President Barack Obama from Space

Today's inauguration as seen from over 400 miles high (GeoEye)

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Travelling at 17,000 mph at an altitude of 423 miles, the 4,300 lb GeoEye-1 snapped a very high resolution image of Washington D.C. just before Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States. Looking like crowds of ants vying for space around Capitol Hill and the White House, hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered to watch this historic day unfold…

GeoEye-1 took this satellite photo of Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony (GeoEye)

While Washington D.C. celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the staff at the satellite imagery company GeoEye were hard at work, processing a unique view of the nation’s capital. One of the world’s most advanced imaging satellites (used by Google Maps and Google Earth) called GeoEye-1 was able to grab this incredible image from orbit, providing a view none of the cameras on the ground could experience.

GeoEye commissioned this orbital photograph in response to numerous media requests. The satellite is able to attain a resolution of 0.41 meters, although this preliminary view has been shrunk by media sources for distribution. It does however, capture a unique view of what is a historic day not only for the US but for the World.

More information about GeoEye-1:
“In August 2008, Google signed a deal with the satellite imagery company GeoEye for exclusive use of the images produced by the company’s new GeoEye-1 satellite. GeoEye-1 was launched on board a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on September 6th 2008. The satellite is currently in a Sun-synchronous orbit, over 400 miles above the surface of Earth, imaging the surface in unprecedented detail. A US government licence actually limits the resolution of available images to 0.5 metres (the camera on GeoEye-1 can attain a resolution of 0.41 metres). GeoEye-1’s competitors can resolve objects down to 0.6 metres at the smallest. The GeoEye products are currently used by Google for several projects, such as Google Earth and Google Maps.”
–Universe Today article, “Google Satellite” Will Have an Orbital View Over Obama’s Inauguration

Source: CNET

January 18, 2009December 24, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

“Google Satellite” Will Have an Orbital View Over Obama’s Inauguration

Washington D.C. from orbit. The Google Satellile GeoEye-1 will spy on Obama's inauguration (Google)

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President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on Capitol Hill will be the place-to-be on Tuesday (January 20th). According to some news sources, tickets for the event were trading for a price exceeding 5 figures (in one case, according to CNN in November, an online vendor was asking for $20,095 for a single ticket – I hope they get a “free” bottle of Champagne with that!). It would appear that ticket demand outstripped supply, making the 44th presidential inauguration one of the hottest (and most costly) events to attend in 2009.

However, there is a far cheaper (and less crowded) alternative to view Obama and Biden getting sworn into office. A satellite called GeoEye-1 will be orbiting 423 miles above Washington D.C. looking down at the vast crowd minutes before the excitement begins…

GeoEye-1 launch on September 6th 2008 (Reuters)

In August 2008, Google signed a deal with the satellite imagery company GeoEye for exclusive use of the images produced by the company’s new GeoEye-1 satellite. GeoEye-1 was launched on board a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on September 6th 2008. The satellite is currently in a Sun-synchronous orbit, over 400 miles above the surface of Earth, imaging the surface in unprecedented detail. A US government licence actually limits the resolution of available images to 0.5 metres (the camera on GeoEye-1 can attain a resolution of 0.41 metres). GeoEye-1’s competitors can resolve objects down to 0.6 metres at the smallest. The GeoEye products are currently used by Google for several projects, such as Google Earth and Google Maps.

On Tuesday, however, it is not Google that is interested in getting the ultimate birds-eye view of the festivities at Capitol Hill; GeoEye itself is commissioning a high-resolution photography run at 11:19 EST as the satellite buzzes overhead at a speed of 17,000 mph. Usually, the presidential inauguration takes place at noon, so GeoEye-1 will be able to grab a snapshot of the growing crowds of spectators 41 minutes before the new commander-in-chief takes office.

“An image of the Inauguration has been requested by many news organizations,” a GeoEye spokesperson said. “So, if the weather cooperates, the image will be distributed to news organizations and bloggers around the world. The image will be available about three hours after it’s taken.”

I for one, will be hovering over the GeoEye website, waiting for the orbital view of Washington D.C. to appear in the comfort of my office…

Source: VentureBeat

January 13, 2009December 24, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

XMM Newton Zeroes in on Zombie Star

False colour X-ray image of the sky region around SGR 1627-41 obtained with XMM-Newton. Credits: ESA/XMM-Newton/EPIC (P. Esposito et al.)

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Soft Gamma-ray Repeaters (SGRs) are strange and relatively rare objects, with only five known to exist (four in the Milky Way and one in the Large Magellanic Cloud.) Each is between 10 and 30 km across, yet contains about twice the mass of the Sun. SGRs are collapsed cores of large stars that have exploded, called neutron stars, and seemingly, they refuse to die: they will repeatedly flare up after remaining quiet for long periods. Now, ESA’s XMM-Newton spacecraft zeroed in on one of these stellar zombies, SGR 1627-41 revealing it to be extremely unique and unusual.

What sets SGRs apart from other neutron stars is that they possess magnetic fields that are up to 1000 times stronger. This has led astronomers to call them magnetars.

SGR 1627-41 was discovered in 1998 by NASA’s Compton Gamma Ray Observatory when it burst into life emitting around a hundred short flares during a six-week period. It then faded before X-ray telescopes could measure its rotation rate. Thus, SGR 1627-41 was the only magnetar with an unknown period.

But now, XMM Newton was able to determine the rotation rate for the first time: it rotates once every 2.6 seconds. “This makes it the second fastest rotating magnetar known,” says Sandro Mereghetti, INAF/Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Milan, one of the team.

Theorists are still puzzling over how these objects can have such strong magnetic fields. One idea is that they are born spinning very quickly, at 2-3 milliseconds. Ordinary neutron stars are born spinning at least ten times more slowly. The rapid rotation of a new-born magnetar, combined with convection patterns in its interior, gives it a highly efficient dynamo, which builds up such an enormous field.

With a rotation rate of 2.6 seconds, this magnetar must be old enough to have slowed down. Another clue to the magnetar’s age is that it is still surrounded by a supernova remnant. During the measurement of its rotation rate, XMM-Newton also detected X-rays coming from the debris of an exploded star, possibly the same one that created the magnetar. “These usually fade to invisibility after a few tens of thousand years. The fact that we still see this one means it is probably only a few thousand years old”, says Mereghetti.

If it flares again, the team plan to re-measure its rotation rate. Any difference will tell them how quickly the object is decelerating. There is also the chance that SGR 1627-41 will release a giant flare. Only three such events have been seen in the last 30 years, each from a different SGR, but not from SGR 1627-41.

These superflares can supply as much energy to Earth as solar flares, even though they are halfway across the Galaxy, whereas the Sun is at our celestial doorstep. “These are intriguing objects; we have much still to learn about them,” says Mereghetti.

Source: ESA

November 28, 2008December 24, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Wilkins Ice Shelf in Danger

Wilkins Ice Shelf, Credits: A. Humbert, Münster University, Germany (based on ESA Envisat images)

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Recent satellite images show new rifts have developed on the Wilkins Ice Shelf which could possibly lead to the opening of the ice bridge that has been preventing the shelf from disintegrating and breaking away from the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice bridge connects the Wilkins Ice Shelf to two islands, Charcot and Latady. As seen in the image above acquired Envisat on November 26, 2008, new rifts (denoted by different colored lines and dates of the events) have formed to the east of Latady Island and appear to be moving in a northerly direction. “These new rifts, which have joined previously existing rifts on the ice shelf (blue dotted line), threaten to break up the chunk of ice located beneath the 21 July date, which would cause the bridge to lose its stabilization and collapse,” said Dr. Angelika Humbert from the Institute of Geophysics at Münster University.

The Wilkins Ice Shelf, a broad plate of floating ice south of South America on the Antarctic Peninsula, had been stable for most of the last century before it began retreating in the 1990s. The peninsula has been experiencing extraordinary warming in the past 50 years of 2.5°C.

In the past 20 years, seven ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula have retreated or disintegrated, including the most spectacular break-up of the Larsen B Ice Shelf in 2002, which Envisat captured within days of its launch.

Map showing break-up events of Larsen-B and Wilkins ice shelves, as observed by Envisat, in Antarctica. Credits: ESA

In February 2008 an area of about 400 km² broke off from the Wilkins Ice Shelf, narrowing the ice bridge down to a 6 km strip. At the end of May 2008 an area of about 160 km² broke off, reducing the ice bridge to just 2.7 km. Between 30 May and 9 July 2008, the ice shelf experienced further disintegration and lost about 1,350 km².

If the ice shelf breaks away from the peninsula, it will not cause a rise in sea level since it is already floating. However, ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula are sandwiched by extraordinarily raising surface air temperatures and a warming ocean, making them important indicators for on-going climate change.

Source: ESA

November 23, 2008December 24, 2015 by Nicholos Wethington

NASA Satellites ‘To Serve’ in Africa Disaster Warnings

Real-time imagery of a flood-prone region near Lake Victoria will provide information in case of disaster. Image Credit: NASA

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Outside of the scientific understanding of our Universe that comes from being a spacefaring civilization, there are many benefits to our continued presence in space. Satellites, besides their obvious benefits like research and communication, also can help keep an eye on the Earth, and are valuable tools in case of disasters such as hurricanes and floods. In other words, satellites can save lives, not to mention allow you to find your own house using Google Earth.

NASA and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently announced that they will be putting the tool of satellite monitoring in the hands of African countries, giving them previously inaccessible information related to floods, climate change, and other large-scale environmental factors.

NASA and USAID recently unveiled SERVIR-Africa (servir being the Spanish word for “to serve”) in Africa, a monitoring system that provides satellite imaging of the continent using existing United States satellite missions. The project has been in use in southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean since 2005 (thus the Spanish namesake, I’m guessing).

Dan Irwin, SERVIR project director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala said, “SERVIR-Africa will benefit from the breadth and depth of valuable NASA Earth science satellite and model analyses. Science and technology are key, but ultimately it is the combination of local knowledge along with space-based observations that makes real time monitoring of Africa’s environment effective.”

SERVIR-Africa will provide satellite imaging via the internet to the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development in Nairobi, Kenya. The center is an intergovernmental organization comprised of 15 member states in eastern and southern Africa and is already a pioneer in geospatial mapping in the region.

Data acquired from NASA’s satellites will help predict whether regions of the country are flood-prone, and map regions hit by floods to aid in rescue and cleanup efforts. It’s also possible to create an early-warning tool to predict the spread of vector-borne diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, and monitor climate change on the continent to better understand impacts on many of Africa’s diverse ecosystems. Satellite information will also be used to track urbanization, create more accurate maps and more efficiently manage natural resources.

Better information on climate and flooding will likely translate to the reduction of famine due to poor crops, and will aid in the preservation of already-damaged ecosystems in Africa.

In addition to these long-term benefits, African countries will be better equipped when responding to immediate disasters. SERVIR provided real-time data that led to warnings for specific regions in Panama when heavy rainfall caused large landslides in November 2006, and currently monitors the Alantic ocean for potential hurricanes.

Source: NASA

November 14, 2008December 24, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

New Insights on Magnetars

Artists impression of a magnetar. Credits: © 2008 Sky & Telescope: Gregg Dinderman

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Neutron stars are leftovers of massive stars (10-50 times as massive as our Sun) that have collapsed under their own weight. Most are only about 20 km in diameter, but they are so compact that a teaspoon of neutron star stuff would weigh about one hundred million tons. Two other physical properties characterize a neutron star: their fast rotation and strong magnetic field. Magnetars form a class of neutron stars with ultra-strong magnetic fields, approximately a thousand times stronger than that of ordinary neutron stars, making them the strongest known magnets in the cosmos. But astronomers have been unsure exactly why magnetars shine in X-rays. Data from ESA’s XMM-Newton and Integral orbiting observatories are being used to test, for the first time, the X-ray properties of magnetars.

So far, about 15 magnetars have been found. Five of them are known as soft gamma repeaters, or SGRs, because they sporadically release large, short bursts (lasting about 0.1 s) of low energy (soft) gamma rays and hard X-rays. The rest, about 10, are associated with anomalous X-ray pulsars, or AXPs. Although SGRs and AXPs were first thought to be different objects, we now know that they share many properties and that their activity is sustained by their strong magnetic fields.

Magnetars are different from ‘ordinary’ neutron stars because their internal magnetic field is thought to be strong enough to twist the stellar crust. Like in a circuit fed by a gigantic battery, this twist produces currents in the form of electron clouds which flow around the star. These currents interact with the radiation coming from the stellar surface, producing the X-rays.

An artist's impression of XMM-Newton. Credits: ESA (Image by C. Carreau)

Until now, scientists could not test their predictions, because it is not possible to produce such ultra-strong magnetic fields in laboratories on Earth.

To understand this phenomenon, a team led by Dr Nanda Rea from the University of Amsterdam used XMM-Newton and Integral data to search for these dense electron clouds around all known magnetars, for the first time.

Rea’s team found evidence that large electron currents do actually exist, and were able to measure the electron density which is a thousand times stronger than in a ‘normal’ pulsar. They have also measured the typical velocity at which the electron currents flow. With it, scientists have now established a link between an observed phenomenon and an actual physical process, an important clue in the puzzle of understanding these celestial objects.

The team is now working hard to develop and test more detailed models on the same line, to fully understand the behavior of matter under the influence of such strong magnetic fields.

Source: ESA

October 25, 2008December 24, 2015 by Ian O'Neill

US Air Force Increases Investment in Satellite Protection Technology

Artist impression of an anti-satellite missile (Jeremy Cook/Popular Mechanics)

[/caption]What does the US, Russia and China have in common? Yes, they’ve all sent a man into space and successfully carried out spacewalks using home-made spaceships, but they have another space-based attribute in common. They are all capable of shooting down satellites in Earth orbit. What’s more, all have proven it. So, we know for a fact that the technology is out there, and although it is still an extremely hard task, satellites are becoming more and more vulnerable to attack from the ground. Experts now believe that anti-satellite technology is within reach of rogue states and some well-funded terrorist groups, using nothing more than a medium range missile, a college-level team of individuals and some crude, yet effective, technology.

The US Air Force is now highlighting their concern by investing $29 million in companies to develop space-based warning and protection systems. The “star wars” threat is still out there…

In February, the warship USS Lake Erie fired a modified Standard Missile-3 at a defunct spy satellite called USA 193. The mission was a success, anti-satellite warhead slamming into the fast-moving target. BBC Washington correspondent Jonathan Beale likened the satellite shoot-down to “trying to fire a missile through the eye of a needle.” Although difficult, the US had proven they had the technology to destroy targets in Earth orbit from the ground. This demonstration of US capabilities was widely interpreted as a response to China’s unannounced weather satellite intercept the previous year. However, the US military maintain action needed to be taken as the dead spy satellite could re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, carrying substantial quantities of toxic hydrazine fuel with it.

Regardless of the reasons for a satellite shoot-down, China and the US have shown their abilities when destroying a small target, travelling at high speed in Earth orbit. So now the concern is: what if a well-funded terrorist group or rogue state develop even the crudest anti-satellite technology? According to US military experts some serious damage can be done to military satellites, global positioning systems, weather satellites and even satellite TV systems should they be targeted. All that is needed is a medium-range missile carrying some kind of crude warhead; as long as the warhead collides with, or disrupts the satellite, the satellite will be useless. Although it is not believed there are any current plans by terrorist groups, the US Air Force wants to ensure the future safety of US interests in Earth orbit.

This signifies more investment in the Self-Awareness Space Situations Awareness (SASSA) program, hoping to develop and demonstrate an automated early warning system for space vehicles by 2010. The Air Force has provided $29 million in funds to companies such as Assurance Technologies and Lockheed Martin Space Systems to begin designing the hardware and software that will offer threat and hazard detection, assessment and notification.

The goal is to construct a payload that will identify threats to satellites and protect them from ground-based missile and laser threats.

Concern is growing for the wider use of anti-satellite weapons, so the US Air Force want to be one step ahead of any future threat to US interests orbiting the planet.

Source: Network World