satellites

Elon Musk not only wants to reach the Moon, he also wants to turn it into a factory for satellites launched with catapults

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What do they have in common ChinaSpaceX, Auriga Space and Electromagnetic Launch? Well, possibly several things, but one of them is that they have expressed interest in using mass cannons to launch from the Moon. Said to very roughlywant to use electromagnetic catapults loaded with satellites or construction materials to other points in space. Today, existing technologies are not optimized to launch large loads, but with so much power involved it would not be strange if it were finally achieved. The ethical implications would be many even if they only focused on science and communications. However, it could be even worse; Well, according to the analysis recently published by an expert, the arrival of the military applications It would only be a matter of time. From moon rocks to nuclear warheads. The idea of ​​the lunar mass cannon He initially proposed it a scientist named Gerard O’Neill in the 70s. His idea was to use them to extract minerals from the Moon and launch them into space to build space colonies with them. Over time, many space agencies, public and private, have become interested in its use. For this reason, the independent analyst specialized in cislunar security Andre Sonntag just published a report in which he recounts the risks that these catapults would entail. If the necessary technology is optimized to launch large payloads, they could be used to launch probes aimed at destroying satellites, inert projectiles and even ships loaded with nuclear warheads. Furthermore, if launches are made from the Moon they may be more difficult to detect by conventional early warning systems, so many attacks would go unnoticed. An ingenious design. Mass cannons are actually very interesting systems for space launch. They consist on a track in which one electromagnet is placed after another. A metal cart is circulated above and is attracted by said magnets. Each of these electromagnets is activated just when the car passes over it, giving it a new impulse, so that it accelerates more and more. The goal is to reach 2.4 kilometers per second, since this is the speed necessary to escape from the Moon. When this is achieved, the cargo on board the car is launched into space. In short, it is possible to catapult what is inside the car without having to consume propellant. Better on the Moon. This system has historically been proposed for use on the Moon for two reasons. To begin with, unlike what happens with a conventional rocketa very high speed is reached very quickly. If the process were done on Earth, the rocket would reach the atmosphere so quickly that it would catch fire due to friction when crossing it. On the other hand, there is no classical atmosphere on the Moon. On the other hand, since gravity on the Moon is much lower, a lower speed is needed than what would be needed to escape through this system on Earth. The case of Elon Musk. In his report, Sonntag has not mentioned any company or agency. However, it is well known that Elon Musk speak of the use of these mass cannons last February. He has been expressing his interest for a long time establish data centers in space and manufacture AI satellites directly on the Moon. This would avoid the energy, thermal management and launch logistics limitations that Earth poses for its ambitious plan. The vacuum of space would serve as a coolant and solar energy could be used to obtain electricity. The release waiting listIn addition, it would be much clearer than on Earth. In order not to have to carry large amounts of fuel to the Moon, their idea is to launch these satellites directly from our satellite. That is why he has already mentioned electromagnetic catapults on several occasions. There is legislation, but it is difficult to ensure. The United Nations Outer Space Treaty strictly prohibits the construction of military installations on celestial bodies. It also prohibits nuclear launches from space. However, Sonntag points out in his report that it would be quite difficult to verify. Therefore, he is concerned if these types of systems advance, given the interest of tycoons like Elon Musk. The payloads that could be launched with current technologies are minuscule. In fact, launching functional satellites directly with one of these cannons is science fiction. However, technology will advance. By then, we must be prepared, because those who have no scruples on Earth will not have them in space either. Image | SpaceX/xAI In Xataka | We knew there was water on the Moon, but not why some craters were empty. Finally we have the answer

Sudan hid hundreds of unknown tombs of a lost civilization. They have appeared thanks to satellites

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If there is a known civilization within the African continent, it is Ancient Egypt and figures like Ramses or Cleopatra. However, relatively nearby there was another kingdom studied at length by archaeology: Nubia (although less famous to the general public). And between the two, a desert to pass by, literally and figuratively. Because there is the Atbai desert, a region between the Nile and the Red Sea where an archeology team just discovered hundreds of tombs from more than 5,000 years ago arranged in a monumental way, as you can see on these lines. The discovery. An international archeology team has identified 280 stone funerary monuments scattered throughout the desert, of which only 20 were known to exist. That is, 260 are “new.” The funeral complex has been called Atbai Enclosure Burials and its construction probably dates back to between 4500 and 2500 BC. These structures consist of large circular or ovoid enclosures delimited by large walls made of local stone, whose diameters vary from five meters in the most modest examples to reaching 82 meters. Inside they have found remains of both humans and cattle, sheep and goats. The internal layout of some tombs points to a certain social inequality: in several landmarks there is a central burial that dominates the structure, with other humans and animals arranged around it. In fact, the tomb with the most grave goods contained the remains of about 18 cows. Why is it important. Because these tombs suggest that the region was not a mere passageway between civilizations, but the home where pastoral people lived. The Atbai Desert was not a no man’s land between Egypt and the Red Sea, but had its own identity. As suggests the paperthe monuments are the cultural expression of a society with social strata in which wealth was evidenced with rituals, these stone milestones and livestock, like other neighboring regions. Context. According to previous excavations and the radiocarbon used on them, these monuments were probably built during the decline of the African Humid Period, when that area located in northeastern Africa went from more humid conditions to aridity because at that time the Atbai desert was not such: it contained vegetation and water sources, even if they were seasonal. As the climate became harsher, herding cows also became a more arduous task, so they adapted their herds: sheep, goats and finally camels. How they discovered it. In a word: satellites. The team made up of archaeologists from Macquarie University, France’s HiSoMA research unit and the Polish Academy of Sciences used satellite remote sensing over the eastern Sudan desert to map 1,000 kilometers of desert in search of more clues to its history. Why would an archaeologist want to avoid digging? Basically because in Sudan there is an armed conflict which means that field work can be directly lethal. But in addition to locating the tombs, the satellite images also revealed dense networks of ancestral trails engraved in the landscape by the repeated passage of livestock between grazing areas and water sources, a direct and visible trace of livestock activity linked to the funerary sites. That is, they not only found where they buried their dead, but also the paths they traveled in life. Yes, but. The first “but” is obvious: the majority of this funerary display has only been seen on satellite and has not been excavated, which leaves basic information such as precise dating in the air. On the other hand, this discovery located in the Atbai Desert could be just the tip of the iceberg: others may have been lost due to erosion, floods or even modern mining, which is very active in the area. The authors themselves acknowledge that they do not know with certainty whether these structures are exclusive to the Atbai or if they existed in neighboring regions and simply have not survived. The million-dollar question is: if in a desert as little studied as this one, 260 monuments have just appeared at once, how much history of the pastoralist Sahara will still be hidden under the sand waiting to be discovered? In Xataka | We just discovered that a semi-legendary Nile king really existed thanks to a 17th century document found in trash In Xataka | A Spaniard claims to have solved how the Great Pyramid of Giza was built: the answer was right under our noses Cover | Atbai Enclosure Burials: Monumentalism, Pastoralism and Environmental Change in the Mid-Holocene East Nubian Deserts edited with Gemini

Cold War spy satellites

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Ander Izaguirre is the author of Return to the country of Elkano. It is a book that mixes travel chronicle with adventure narration. The story begins in Guetaria, where he returns after touring the Basque country by bicycle, taking as the backbone of history the figure of Juan Sebastián Elcano, considered the first person to complete a complete circumnavigation of the world. An idea is repeated several times in the book: the world has always been much more connected than we think. The starting point, in this case, is something that happened more than 500 years ago. What could the life of a person who crossed the planet five centuries ago be like when there are still people today who do not go beyond the borders of their country or their hometown? In its pages it talks about the connections between empires and geopolitical struggles to control trade routes. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how in those days a person could travel thousands of kilometers and metropolises could trade with each other. But, personally, I find it much more complicated to imagine JUlius Caesar traveling along the Nile or Cleopatra living in Rome on the edge of the new year count with its Julian calendar. We are talking about a handful of years prior to the supposed birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Imagine if we go back further. As much as 4,000 years. That is, around the year 2,000 BC In two leaps we have begun to ask ourselves how our world could be interconnected just 500 years ago to how it would be more than 4,000 years ago. And to that question, some archaeologists believe they have found an answer. A river highway in Mesopotamia And our colleagues Motorpassion They bring us the story of one of those discoveries that will delight history fans. For many years it has been known that mesopotamian cities They have been using an intricate system of tunnels and water management for their irrigation for thousands of years. The invention was so effective that by adding all the conduits that have been active at some point, it is believed that it may have the same distance as there is between the Earth and the Moon, according to National Geographic. These tunnels were used, as we say, to move water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers but also to serve as a refuge for the inhabitants of these cities, both from the scorching heat of the desert and from possible enemy invasions. This has been, until last year, what was thought. And using spy images and the use of LiDAR, research has continued to advance until making sense of a new use of these channels. According to the researchers who have developed Identifying the preserved network of irrigation canals in the Eridu region, southern Mesopotamia, published by the University of Cambridge, These canals would also serve as a river highway to trade between towns. In the 1960s, the United States launched a spy satellite project called CROWN. These satellites took photographs of the terrain in the middle of the Cold War and the declassified file has allowed researchers to detect subtle changes in the terrain that are impossible to detect from the ground. The photographs revealed small differences in the vegetation, which shows commercial roads and passenger traffic for millennia. But using LiDAR, researchers have also managed to bring to light some cities that were hidden, as was the case of an extension near Abarkuh where those famous canals were discovered. The great discovery, however, has been to verify that these canals were not only used to transport water through complex hydraulic systems or to cool the environment. Everything indicates according to the latter research which were also used to move goods, resources and wealth between city-states such as Ur, Uruk, Lagash or Eridu. With this discovery, it is considered that we are facing one of the oldest and most extensive logistics networks in history and the key to understanding how grain, copper, wood or precious stones were traded then thanks to flat-bottomed ships that would move through these canals and not only through the visible bed of the Tigris and Euphrates. Photo | Semhur and Ali sabih kadhim In Xataka | When there was a lunar eclipse, Babylon trembled. Texts from 4,000 years ago announced all misfortunes

Star Catcher has raised $88 million to build the first space power grid. Their plan is to recharge satellites with lasers

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As the pace of space launches increases and missions beyond Earth become more abundant and varied, it is important to look for new ways to obtain energy so that these ships can travel to their destinations. Fuel is not infinite, so there comes a point where it runs out. Therefore, there are three main proposals. One is to resupply the ships directly in orbit. Another option is to resort to nuclear energy. In fact, There are already several agencies working on it. Finally, there is the option of solar energy. Unfortunately, this has some limitations, but the American company Star Catcher wants to solve them through the world’s first energy network located in space. A good economic injection. Star Catcher just announced which has received 65 million dollars in a series A financing round. With what they already had in their coffers, the company has 88 million dollars. Enough to date its first release to the end of this year. Different ways to “squeeze” the Sun. The solar energy we are used to is obtained through plates with photovoltaic cells installed directly on the Earth. However, there are already companies that want to bring it directly from the Sun, even at night. Its goal is to use mirrors that reflect sunlight at will anywhere on Earth, whatever the time and whether the weather is good or not. The problem is that these companies They are being criticized a lot for posing risks such as great light pollution. On the other hand, what Star Catcher wants to do is slightly different. They will also take solar energy directly into space, but they will not direct it to Earth, but to the spacecraft that need it. It will be like a kind of space solar power plant. Optical beaming. Star Catcher will be based on a phenomenon known as optical beaming. This consists of extracting solar energy and using it to power a multispectral optical laser, with which it will be redirected to satellites from which it can be distributed at will to the ships that need it. To do this, they hope to be able to put a constellation of 200 satellites into low Earth orbit. Previous records. Last year, this company broke the world record for wireless electricity transmission by delivering 1.1 kW of power to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Now, they want to transmit directly to space. It also has limitations. Although this company does not have the same limitations as those that want to redirect sunlight to Earth, it involves placing an immense number of satellites in orbit, with the risk that this entails. Many experts warn that, in the same way that could happen with Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation, this type of infrastructure increases the risk of Kessler syndrome. That is, it could happen that one or more fragments of space debris collide with them, deteriorating and launching pieces into space that would become more space debris, which in turn would collide with more satellites or more debris. Thus, a very dangerous domino effect would be generated for satellites, ships and space stations that are in space at that time. Even more risks. On the other hand, the launches of the ships that will place the satellites into orbit are also a great source of pollution. In fact, recently has been published a study that warns of the large amount of polluting substances that these types of launches leave in the upper layers of the atmosphere, where, otherwise, the pollution would be residual. In short, this company will bring us great advances, but it will have to maneuver carefully so as not to bring even more problems. Image | Star Catcher In Xataka | Starlink’s dominance in space begins to move: another company already has permission for a constellation of 4,000 satellites

two satellites have come within just 3 meters and no one knows why

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Two russian satellites They have been observed carrying out very sophisticated behaviors that attract attention for two reasons. On the one hand, due to its commendable technical difficulty. On the other hand, because they could have a hidden purpose that, for the moment, has only been possible to speculate on. It’s not a coincidence. The American space monitoring company COMSPOC has been the one that has caught red-handed Russia carrying out this curious maneuver. As they have explained in your X accountOn April 28, the Russian satellites COSMOS 2581 and COSMOS 2583 approached to within 3 meters of each other. This requires great precision, but also gives a lot of food for thought. More satellites involved. Both satellites were launched together with COSMOS 2582 into low Earth orbit last February 2025. All of them participated in the maneuvers that led to the approach on April 28. Even a subsatellite called Object F was also part of this satellite dance. However, it is true that COSMOS 2582 remained in the distance, just under 100 kilometers away. In a simulation carried out by COMSPOC the entire maneuver can be seen perfectly. spying on spies. Russia launched these satellites with some secrecy. At no time was it indicated what its function could be. However, now that this curious maneuver has occurred, there are certain suspicions. And, in reality, everything is reminiscent of what COSMOS 2542 was seen doing in 2020, another Russian satellite that was detected following a US spy satellite very closely. It is not clear if these new satellites are being tested for the same purpose, but it is undeniable that there could be military objectives behind the mission. If the suspicions are corroborated, considering how much they have improved in accuracy, they would be much more dangerous in that sense. Other countries. In reality, Russia is not the only country that tries this type of maneuvers. As explained from Spaceother great powers have satellites with similar capabilities. For example, Chinese or American satellites have been seen closely following satellites or probes from other nations. Basically, spies are spied on too. Other possibilities. It should be noted that, in reality, proximity maneuvers They can also have other purposes. For example, they can be used to carry out maintenance work from one satellite to another or to remove debris. In fact, it is a very useful maneuver to being able to clean up space debris that is a bigger problem in low orbit every day. In short, we have no idea what those Russian satellites were doing. There has been a lot of room for speculation, but it could be anything from a hidden military mission to something completely harmless. Image | Bill Ingalls In Xataka | Russia wants to know how trips to Mars will affect us, so it is going to launch a thousand flies and 75 mice on a rocket

Two Spanish space giants have joined forces to take 5G defense satellites into space: PLD Space and Sateliot

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Two Spanish companies they have sealed an agreement to launch new generation satellites without depending on any other foreign company. In Europe we have been with the run run of technological sovereignty. This agreement is a perfect example of this, and also a milestone for Spain if the project ends up materializing. The agreement. PLD Space, manufacturer of the Miura 5 rocket based in Elche, and Sateliot, a telecommunications satellite operator based in Barcelona, ​​have signed a contract to launch two satellites from Sateliot’s Tritó constellation aboard the Miura 5. The launch is scheduled for the last quarter of 2027, expectedly on the fourth commercial flight of the Elche rocket, and will do so from the Kourou Space Port, in French Guiana. Each satellite weighs about 160 kilos and will be launched on a dedicated mission, without sharing space with other operators. Why is it important? This agreement is presented as the first entirely Spanish private space mission, with satellites designed, manufactured and operated in the country, launched using a rocket also of Spanish origin. And the interesting thing about the project is that it would cover the entire value chain of the sector (manufacturing, launch, operations and commercial exploitation) without foreign intermediaries. Although the European Union has been trying for years reduce your dependence on operators like SpaceXthis alliance fits directly into this context. What are Tritó satellites? The Tritó constellation is a significant evolution of the current satellites that Sateliot has, weighing 15 kg and dedicated exclusively to the Internet of Things (IoT). In this case, the new Tritó have greater capacity and will combine IoT connectivity with direct device-satellite communication (D2D), including data, voice and video through 5G. Marco Guadalupi, CTO of Sateliot, counted to El Español that one of its key points is that they will be able to “establish the connection when the device is in the pocket”, being key for emergencies, natural disasters and defense applications. The risk they assume. Guadalupi does not hide that it is “a risky mission.” The Miura 5 is a new rocket, whose first launch test is scheduled for the end of this year, and its reliability has yet to be demonstrated in real flight. “We are crazy and we know what we want,” I was joking Guadalupi himself in the interview with the media. The Sateliot team claims to have visited the PLD Space integration and testing facilities on three occasions before signing. In exchange for the risk, they get something that few options on the market offer: a dedicated mission, without competing for space, and the flexibility to adapt flight conditions to their specific needs. Review. Last November, PLD Space closed financing of 169 million euros through ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, backed almost entirely by Spain, for launch contracts and improvements to the Miura 5. Sateliot, for its part, has plans to deploy up to 100 satellites in 2028 and aims to reach revenues of 1 billion euros in 2030, according to they count from Reuters. Among its shareholders is Indra, with 4% of the capital. The agreement with PLD Space also occurs while Sateliot is opening market in India. Jaume Sanpera, CEO of the company, traveled to the Asian country coinciding with the announcement, where the company already has headquarters and sees potential for a future business in which they offer connectivity in remote areas. What’s coming Before the satellites board the Miura 5, Sateliot plans to launch a prototype of the Tritó platform in mid-2027 to validate the payload. The more capable commercial satellites would be integrated into the rocket in the final stretch of that same year. Regarding the total number of satellites they hope to put into orbit, Guadalupi counted that “there will be hundreds.” Sateliot’s intention is to centralize launches to simplify logistics, and although they do not rule out other suppliers, they aim to continue working with PLD Space. Cover image | Satellite In Xataka | A new “solar system” has just been discovered. There’s just one problem: it shouldn’t exist.

fry Starlink satellites

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Starlink is much more than a service that provides internet anywhere in the world, as demonstrated in the Ukrainian warit is also a strategic technology. For China, Starlink satellites are a threat to national security and They have been looking for ways to neutralize them with lasers for some time. Now, researchers have developed a weapon that could fry them without problem. Microwave. They tell it in South China Morning Post. Researchers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology have developed a generator for a high-power microwave weapon. Its name is TPG1000Cs and it is capable of delivering 20 gigawatts of power, plus it can run for a full minute. It represents a notable leap with respect to other systems that were only capable of operating for a few seconds, in addition to being much more voluminous. Click on the image to open the post in X Starlink in the spotlight. Elon Musk’s satellite network keeps China awake at night, to the point that academic articles proposing solutions to neutralize them They are counted by tens. The reason, as we said, is Starlink’s ability to tip the balance in a conflict, such as a hypothetical invasion of Taiwan. It already happened in the Ukrainian war: Starlink became the communications backbone of the Ukrainian armyallowing them to react quickly even if ground communications had been destroyed. lighter. In addition to offering much greater power, the TPG1000Cs is also much more compact and lighter. It measures 4 meters and weighs 5 tons, which may seem like a lot, but there are other microwave weapons such as Sinus-7 which weighs 10 tons and only works for a maximum of 3 seconds. To achieve this, they have used an aluminum alloy and have also designed the energy storage tubes in a U shape, so that the energy bounces back and forth, offering the same performance in a smaller space. This makes it more manageable when transporting it by land, sea or there is even talk of the possibility of placing it in orbit. invisible attack. The use of such a weapon It presents a series of advantages. What it does is store a large amount of energy and release it in a concentrated and very intense beam. On the one hand, the absence of a projectile prevents an explosion from occurring and generating debris, which in turn could impact other satellites. On the other hand, the fact that it is an invisible attack gives the attacker the option of denying their involvement, something that it has already happened in other cases. Effectiveness. According to researchers’ estimates, a microwave weapon with an output of one gigawatt could disrupt communications from Starlink satellites operating in lower orbits. Starlink has had to reduce the orbit of its satellites to avoid collisionsmaking them more vulnerable to ground attacks with directed energy weapons like this one. If China also places its new weapon in orbit, it would be even more lethal. In Xataka | China increasingly dominates technology on Earth. There is a place where it is still very far from the West: space Images | Starlink, Pexels

another company already has permission for a constellation of 4,000 satellites

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The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized Logos Space Services to deploy up to 4,178 satellites broadband in low Earth orbit. A few days ago we also discovered that Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, was getting on board the satellite internet race for corporate clients with the approval of some 5,408 satellites. Low Earth orbit begins a new period of competition in which, until now, starlink dominated. Why it matters. Starlink dominates the sector with approximately 9,600 operational satellites of the nearly 14,000 that currently orbit the Earth, according to data of the European Space Agency. The recent approval of Logos satellites begins to break the hegemony that Elon Musk’s company had until now. Just like account Satnews, the US regulator, under Brendan Carr, has taken a more agile approach to approving mega-constellations and maintaining US space leadership. Who is behind. Logos Space Services was founded in 2023 by Milo Medin, former project manager at NASA and former vice president of wireless services at Google, together with veteran Rama Akella. According to SpaceNewsthe company, based in Redwood City (California), last year closed a Series A financing round of $50 million led by US Innovative Technologies (USIT), the investment fund of businessman Thomas Tull that has also bet on companies such as Anduril or Stoke Space. The deployment plan. Just like point In the middle, the satellites will operate in seven different orbital layers, located between 870 and 925 kilometers in altitude, with inclinations ranging from 28 to 90 degrees. FCC regulations require Logos to launch and operate half of the constellation over the next seven years, completing full deployment by January 30, 2035. According to has declared Medin himself told SpaceNews, the company only needs about a quarter of the proposed satellites to serve its global customers. The goal is to have the first operational satellite in orbit by 2027. The key difference with Starlink. While Starlink focuses on offering home and consumer internet, Logos presents itself as a specialized alternative for business and government users, very similar to the proposal from Blue Origin. According to the company, the constellation will use high-frequency spectrum bands (V, E, Ka and Q/V), which allow extremely narrow beams that are difficult to intercept or block, ideal specifications for the war conflicts we currently have underway. Furthermore, just as point Satnews, the satellites will incorporate coherent optical links between them, reducing dependence on terrestrial infrastructure and creating a more resilient global network with lower latency. The target market. Logos is not looking to compete for home users, but rather to offer MPLS and Ethernet connectivity services with “fiber-like performance” for multinational companies, remote data centers or offshore naval vessels. This dual-use (civil and military) approach is what has attracted investors like USIT. “A secure and resilient communications infrastructure is a fundamental requirement for both global competitiveness and business operations,” declared Peter Tague, managing partner of USIT, in the statement announcing the FCC approval. Partial regulation. The authorization occurred on January 30, although the FCC partially granted the proposal: it approved operations in the K, Q and V bands under certain conditions, but deferred and denied parts of the requests at higher frequencies. Logos had presented its initial plans in 2024 for 3,960 satellites, later expanding the proposal to 4,178 after refining the design. And now what. The European Space Agency esteem that by 2030 there will be 100,000 satellites in orbit. SpaceX has requested The FCC recently gave permission to launch one million Starlink satellites, although the final figure is likely closer to the 7,500 approved in previous rounds. Cover image | Satellite In Xataka | We knew that there was water on Mars, but not how much. It turns out that 3.37 billion years ago an ocean covered half the planet

This is the impressive interactive map to see the Earth in 4K live from space and monitor satellites

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Cartographically speaking, our planet is fascinating: its evolution over time, what it’s really like taking into account the precision of physics and of course, per se: the mountain ranges, the irregularities of the coasts, the tectonic plates… all of that looks great from space. And be careful, because the space that surrounds the Earth It is full of satellites: only Starlink ones around 15,000 units. But satellites allow us to have a fabulous view of the earth. And in fact, some of the main space projects that monitor the Earth have their recordings open, without going any further, what the International Space Station “sees” either NASA events They are available to anyone. The problem is that not everyone knows it, nor do the tools shine for having a clear and intuitive interface. So to someone who loves astronomy it occurred to him to create it to follow from satellites to shooting stars or racing cars. SatellitesArg Although you can see the Earth from space live and in 4K without doing anything, it is worth setting your location for a more personalized and precise experience of everything it offers. From here, there are several ways to select a satellite to follow, some as intuitive as tapping on “Satellites” and selecting from the list (there are some as popular as Starlink or BlueWalker 3) to see, for example, the ISS live camera. However, you can also save them to your favorites. Another interesting option is “Visible Passage”, which is what happens when a satellite crosses the sky illuminated by the Sun while it is night in your location. To do this, simply select a specific satellite, open it on the map and click “Visible path”. Within “Best steps” those satellites that will be highest and brightest in the coming days are shown. Likewise, there are filters to, for example, see only the steps at dawn or dusk. The “Radar” option is used to locate a specific satellite, something especially interesting if done from a mobilesince with the help of the compass you can hunt it at some point in the sky. You can also view those that are nearby, use augmented reality to superimpose the trajectory using your phone’s camera. Although you can see in real time, you can also go back to monitor past trajectories and have access to astronomical events, the phases of the moon and even have a map of the stars in the sky. But even if you don’t take advantage of all those functions, the option to see the Earth in real time in 4K by tapping on “ISS Live Camera” It is simply spectacular. In Xataka | This map shows what the Earth will be like in 250 million years. If it comes true, Spain will be very lucky In Xataka | The Earth has moons that we don’t know about: exploring them is key to revealing the secrets of our solar system

Until now, launching satellites was the business. The US has just turned its exorbitant cost into a million-dollar opportunity

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For years, the space business has revolved around a very specific idea: launch more satellites, faster and cheaper. The race to fill low Earth orbit with large constellations has skyrocketed demand and turned takeoff into a multibillion-dollar industry, but it has also brought to the table a problem that for a long time remained in the background: what to do with these satellites when they reach the end of their useful life and continue to take up space in orbit. In this context, the United States has taken a decisive step by promoting and beginning to materialize the exorbitant market. New business on the horizon. This step forward has already resulted in a concrete contract. Starfish Space has been awarded of an agreement valued at 52.5 million dollars by the Space Development Agency (SDA) of the United States Space Force to offer a service for deorbiting satellites at the end of their useful life. The assignment includes the development, launch and operation of the otter ship in low orbit intended to deorbit satellites of the PWSA when they are no longer operational, with a first operation and the possibility of carrying out several more. The launch is planned for 2027. behind the scenes. This shift cannot be understood without the economic context that has turned space into a high-volume industry. Global space launch services market reached $21.19 billion by 2025 and, according to estimates by Precedence Researchcould climb to 70,560 million in 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.56%. A substantial portion of that revenue comes from continuous satellite deployment, driven by constellations that require frequent launches to maintain and renew their in-orbit networks. An increasingly saturated orbit. Having thousands of satellites operating at the same time is not only a question of deployment, but also of end-of-cycle management. Those responsible for large constellations must decide whether to deorbit their satellites relatively early to limit the risk of orbital debris or whether to keep them active for as long as possible to extract their full economic and operational value. This tension, without a simple solution, has become one of the main drivers that push us to search for new formulas to manage the end of life in orbit. What changes with “deorbit-as-a-service”. Starfish’s proposal is based on separating the end of life of the satellite from its design and daily operation, allowing an external spacecraft to be responsible for deorbiting without requiring prior modifications to the devices in orbit. The company maintains that this approach allows operators to maximize the useful life of their constellations and delegate the retirement of those satellites that cannot deorbit themselves. The previous step. Although the deorbit mission has not yet launched, Starfish Space comes to this point with a previous history of in-orbit demonstrations. The company launched Otter Pup 1 in June 2023 and managed to maneuver it to within 1,000 meters of a target ten months later, a relevant milestone for approach and control operations. In October, an Impulse Space Mira spacecraft used Starfish software to approach another spacecraft to within 1,250 meters, and in June 2025, Otter Pup 2 was launched with the goal of performing the first commercial docking of satellites in low orbit. The big question to answer. What is now being tested is whether satellite deorbiting can go from being an exception to becoming a recurring industrial practice. The expansion of constellations and the pressure to keep low orbit operational force us to look for solutions that do not depend solely on each individual satellite. In this context, the United States’ decision to contract this type of services offers a first sign of where the sector can evolve, although its real scope can only be measured when the first missions begin to operate. Images | Starfish Space In Xataka | Human beings have not set foot on the Moon for 54 years: the mission that aims to correct it has just entered its final phase

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