satellites

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, a research initiative to place machine learning infrastructure in space, using solar-powered satellites to scale AI compute beyond Earth. Google published details and early findings on its research blog. The proposal is drawing attention for its ambition and for questions about cost, thermal challenges, and whether orbital data centers are realistic.

The BBC reports that the UK military is jamming satellites belonging to other nations as a means of self-defence, according to sources it spoke to. The disclosure sheds light on British electronic warfare operations in orbit, an area usually kept secret, and raises questions about how such actions fit international rules on space and armed conflict. It is likely to fuel debate over escalating military activity in space.

Dr M G Suresh Kumar has spoken about ISRO opening its doors to the private sector, in remarks circulating in Malayalam-language discussion of India's space policy. The commentary covers what greater private participation means for India's space programme, a topic of growing attention as the government pushes to involve private companies in launches and satellite work. Viewers are engaging heavily with the discussion of the agency's shifting role.

Experts including former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe say that while a person is still more likely to be struck by lightning than by falling space debris, those odds are shifting as more objects re-enter the atmosphere. They argue governments and companies should be compelled to use materials that fully burn up on re-entry, part of a growing push for space environmentalism as satellite launches and orbital clutter accelerate.

An astronomer is tracking the gradual orbital decay of Starlink satellites to measure density changes in the upper atmosphere, effectively turning the satellite constellation into a global 'planetary barometer'. As satellites sink, the drag they experience reveals how the thin air at their altitude expands and contracts with solar activity. Space scientists are discussing the approach as a clever reuse of existing mega-constellation telemetry for atmospheric research.

The U.S. Space Force has scheduled on-orbit servicing missions for 2027 with Astroscale U.S. and Starfish Space, two companies developing spacecraft capable of refueling, repairing, or repositioning satellites in orbit. The program marks a step toward routine commercial servicing of military satellites, extending their lifespans and reducing costs.

Taliban authorities have arrested three people in Khost province, Afghanistan, over the alleged use of Starlink satellite internet terminals, according to the Kabul Tribune. The detentions highlight the Taliban's restrictions on internet access and their efforts to control unlicensed satellite communications, which bypass the country's state-controlled telecommunications infrastructure.

DARPA is developing a robotic spacecraft designed to service and repair satellites in geosynchronous orbit, roughly 36,000 kilometers above Earth. The program, profiled by IEEE Spectrum, would allow aging or malfunctioning satellites to be fixed or refueled in place, extending their working lives. Interest centers on the technical challenge of robotic operations at that altitude and what orbital servicing could mean for the satellite industry and space security.

SpaceX may be preparing a push into the US mobile market, building on its satellite connectivity ambitions, even as Elon Musk says the 'Star' branding across his companies has spread too far. Observers are watching whether the company will follow its Starlink internet service with a direct-to-consumer mobile offering, and how Musk squares that expansion with his branding comments.

Google is moving forward with its plan to test data centers in space, taking its unusual experiment beyond Earth. The idea is to run computing infrastructure on satellites, where solar power is more abundant and cooling is less constrained than on the ground. Commenters are treating it as one of the company's boldest infrastructure bets, with debate over whether orbital data centers can ever be practical or affordable.

New research from the University of Arizona analysing decades of satellite imagery finds that the world's drylands, though greening as vegetation responds to rising carbon dioxide, are increasingly locked into extreme 'boom-and-bust' cycles — rapid plant growth followed by sudden collapses. Scientists warn the pattern could destabilise ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

PeakDo is teasing a new power bank designed for the Starlink Mini portable satellite dish, built around a semi-solid-state battery. Details remain scarce beyond the teaser, but the promise of semi-solid-state cell technology points to higher energy density and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion packs. The announcement is drawing attention from satellite internet users and gadget watchers interested in longer runtimes for off-grid Starlink Mini setups.

The Kremlin said it considers the use of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service for attacks against Russia to be "dangerous", according to Italian news agency Agenzia Nova. The statement comes amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes inside Russia and questions over whether Kyiv's forces are using Elon Musk's Starlink terminals to coordinate or guide such operations.