Spacing Out: A Big Anniversary, Starlink Failures Plummet, Lunar Cellphones, And A Crewed Launch

After a couple of months away we’re returning with our periodic roundup of happenings in orbit, as we tear you away from Star Trek: Discovery and The Mandalorian, and bring you up to date with some highlights from the real world of space. We’ve got a launch to look …read more

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Microsoft debuts Azure Space to cater to the space industry, partners with SpaceX for Starlink datacenter broadband

Microsoft is taking its Azure cloud computing platform to the final frontier – space. It now has a dedicated business unit called Azure Space for that purpose, made up of industry heavyweights and engineers who are focused on space-sector services including simulation of space missions, gathering and interpreting satellite data to provide insights, and providing […] Continue reading Microsoft debuts Azure Space to cater to the space industry, partners with SpaceX for Starlink datacenter broadband

Emergency workers in fire-hit town tap into SpaceX’s Starlink internet

SpaceX began launching its Starlink satellites into orbit last year in a bid to eventually blanket the Earth in high-speed internet, and while the mega-constellation is far from complete, some are already tapping into the connectivity on offer. Washing… Continue reading Emergency workers in fire-hit town tap into SpaceX’s Starlink internet

Spacing Out; OneWeb Rescue, Starlink Base Stations, And Rocket Tests

Another couple of weeks, and a fresh crop of space news to run through as a quick briefing of the latest in the skies above us.

The global positioning orbits are getting pretty crowded, with GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, the EU’s Galileo, Japan’s QZSS, and now with the launch of the …read more

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Displaying HTML Interfaces And Managing Network Nodes… In Space!

The touchscreen interface aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon is just one of its many differences from past space vehicles, but those big screens make an outsized visual impact. Gone are panels filled with indicator needles in gauges, or endless rows of toggle switches. It looked much like web interaction on everyday …read more

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SpaceX launches experimental sun visor to reduce satellite visibility

SpaceX has swiftly followed last week’s historic launch of the Crew Dragon with another momentous liftoff, this time firing a further 60 high-speed internet satellites into orbit as part of its Starlink project. Among those was a prototype fitted out w… Continue reading SpaceX launches experimental sun visor to reduce satellite visibility

SpaceX will use sun visors to darken future Starlink satellites

SpaceX has announced that it will mount a sun visor on each of its Starlink satellites and have them perform controlled maneuvers, to make them less visible to members of the astronomy community making detailed observations of the night sky. SpaceX has… Continue reading SpaceX will use sun visors to darken future Starlink satellites

Thousands Of Internet-Connected Satellites Above Us, What Could Possibly Go Wrong!

Our skies are full of satellites, more full than they have been, that is, because SpaceX’s Starlink and a bevvy of other soon-to-launch operators plan to fill them with thousands of small low-earth-orbit craft to blanket the Earth with satellite Internet coverage. Astronomers are horrified at such an assault on …read more

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Satellite swarms may impact exploration of the night sky

The introduction of 26,000 new megaconstellation satellites could have a significant effect on ground-based astronomy, according to a new study commissioned by the European Southern Observatory. Twice as many satellites could be visible to the naked ey… Continue reading Satellite swarms may impact exploration of the night sky

How Does Starlink Work Anyway?

No matter what you think of Elon Musk, it’s hard to deny that he takes the dictum “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” to heart. From hurling sports cars into orbit to solar-powered roof destroyers, there’s little that Mr. Musk can’t turn into a net positive for at least …read more

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