Infrastructure
Satellites
November Space Council Meetings Could Shape Commercial Regulations
The National Space Council asked for comment on new commercial space systems and how the commercial space sector could be regulated during a pair of online meetings set for November. The council wants input from industry and the public. The move is part of a Biden Administration push to deal with issues including crowded orbits and the safety of space tourists.
Rivals Launch Military Satellites Amid U.S.-led Space Defense Drills
A flurry of military and intelligence satellite launches by rival powers this month came as the United States and two dozen partner nations wrapped up the largest global space defense wargame in history.
Russia launched what some leaders have described as a spy satellite for Iran and its own on-orbit snooping satellite Cosmos-2558, which is circling Earth in an orbit conspicuously close to a recently launched U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite, a Netherlands researcher confirmed.
2018 – Satellites
As of March 6, 2019, information was available about 38 nations that deployed and operated 465 spacecraft during 2018. The number of nations operating spacecraft grew 10% from . . .
2018 – Infrastructure: Space Infrastructure
Space infrastructure, like its terrestrial counterpart, is an invisible backbone for services used by people all over the world. Like terrestrial infrastructure, space infrastructure is increasingly relied upon for convenience, services, and . . .
2017 – Satellite Overview – Snapshot
The year 2017 was a significant one for spacecraft, with a record-setting 443 satellites deployed. This was a 96% increase from 2016 and easily broke the previous . . .
2016 – Military Satellites – Snapshot
Military satellites—spacecraft acquired, launched, and operated by a nation’s military forces—share many of the same mission types used in commercial and civilian applications. Communications, remote sensing, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) missions can seem remarkably similar to civilian … This article is for subscribers. Please sign up for a subscription or login below. Username Password…
2016 – Satellite Orbits – Snapshot
As in previous years, the most used orbit type is low Earth orbit (LEO). In 2016, 80% of the 219 spacecraft launched or deployed around the Earth were inserted into LEO. The effective range of this type of . . .
2016 – Satellite Overview – Snapshot
Traditional satellite missions, such as Earth observation, communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), continued dominating the global space industry, but other missions are coming forward. Air traffic control and ship traffic monitoring satellites are increasing as more governments and organizations recognize the usefulness of these missions. Radio occultation using…
Ground Networks
Ground stations serve as the links between Earth and space, tying together terrestrial and space infrastructure. They track satellites and spacecraft, as well as communicate with and control satellites, probes, crewed space vessels, and space stations.
How the Space Foundation characterizes satellite orbits
This is a description of the Space Foundation methodology for classifying different satellite orbits with Earth at their focus.