Why Space Matters: HEO Satellite Operations, Part 4–Moley, Moley, Moley, Molniya!

During the last lesson, you might have been enlightened with the information that even though the Soviets have used, and Russians do use, geosynchronous (GEO) orbits for satellites, they seem to have a special place in their vodka-filled hearts for the highly elliptical orbit (HEO). And that last lesson enumerates the reasons why they like it. For one particular […]

Spacesuits Through The Years

Special/extreme clothing supplier REI has nothing on spacesuits. Whether US, Soviet, Russian, or Chinese; whether used for space-walks, shuttle flights, capsules, or moon-walks; whether they looked like flight suits, robots, or Fat Tron, spacesuits are important to the people who wear them while working. Space.com has an excellent picture gallery of spacesuits from different spacefaring countries throughout the […]

Why Space Matters: HEO Satellite Operations, Part 3–What’s the Frequency, Komrade(th)?

The previous lesson left you hanging, maybe even perturbed, with the question of why anyone would want to use a satellite in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO). After all, a HEO satellite requires a ground station or two with a moveable (steerable) antenna to speak to it (or the satellite’s antenna has to be gimbaled […]

Why Space Matters: Satellites Can See Bad Actors

Imaging and video satellites, like the SkyBox Imaging’s SkySat-1 satellite, bring a different, almost Santa-like, perspective to world events. While they don’t necessarily see you when your sleeping, they can guess when you’re awake. They know when you are rioting in the streets, and setting fire to property because your human rights are being violated. […]

Name an ESA Space Mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) has a mission for you, should you be willing to accept, and perhaps have a creative flair. They would love for you to give their mission a name in a challenge imaginatively titled “Name That Mission.” The mission will be an ESA astronaut (shouldn’t the Europeans have a different name […]