Tag: Earth observation
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Ceres-2 Returns to Flight With Four-Satellite Launch (Video)
The Ceres-2 Y3 launch vehicle lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 7:37 a.m. Beijing Time on November 7, 2026, placing the Guanlan experimental satellite, Yunyao-1 28, North University of China-1 and Juntian-1 06A into a 535-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit. The mission was the second flight and first orbital success for Ceres-2, returning the…
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From Snapshot Surveys to Change-Driven Monitoring: How Satellite Remote Sensing Helps Track Coastal and Marine Habitat Change
A coral heat-stress map triggers an alert. That is when the truly difficult questions begin: Which reef areas may already have been affected? Where should field teams go first? Once a survey is complete, how should changes over the following weeks continue to be tracked? According to an October 13, 2026 report by the Philippine…
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China Launches Yaogan-51 Satellites 07–09 on Long March 2C (Video)
China launched three Yaogan-51 remote-sensing satellites aboard a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province at 11:58 p.m. Beijing time on November 5, 2026. The spacecraft, designated Yaogan-51 07, 08 and 09, entered their planned orbit successfully. Chinese authorities said the satellites will support scientific experiments and electromagnetic environment…
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How Satellites and AI Help Deliver Disaster Warnings 72 Hours Ahead
Disaster preparedness starts well before an emergency unfolds. The goal is to get people moving while there is still time to protect lives, crops and property. Every extra day of warning changes what can be saved. Three hours may leave time for evacuation; three days can also allow farmers to harvest crops early, reinforce greenhouses…
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How Onboard AI Can Cut Hours from Wildfire Alerts
When a wildfire starts, the earliest response window can make an enormous difference. A small fire may still be manageable with limited resources; once wind drives it across the landscape, containment becomes harder, more dangerous and more expensive. That raises a practical question: with satellites orbiting Earth every day, why have satellite-based alerts sometimes taken…
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NASA and USDA Sign Agreement to Expand Satellite Data for American Farmers
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins signed the MoU at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the latest stop on NASA’s Inspiration Tour. The deal builds on an existing partnership between the two agencies across several areas of remote sensing and data work. Under the agreement, the agencies will work together…
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Long March 4B Launches Yaogan-53 Satellites 07–09 and Yaogan-56 Satellites 19–21
China launched six remote-sensing satellites aboard a Long March 4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 3:25 a.m. Beijing Time on October 24, 2026. The rocket placed Yaogan-53 satellites 07, 08 and 09 and Yaogan-56 satellites 19, 20 and 21 into their planned orbits. The payload comprised two separately designated groups of three…
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China Launches Yaogan-50 03 Remote-Sensing Satellite on Long March 6A (Video)
China launched the Yaogan-50 03 remote-sensing satellite aboard a Long March 6A rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 6:15 p.m. Beijing Time on Oct. 23, 2026. The spacecraft entered its planned orbit, completing the 672nd launch of China’s Long March rocket family. Chinese authorities said Yaogan-50 03 will primarily support land surveys, crop…
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Hyperspectral Satellites: The Race Beyond More Bands
Two satellite systems observe the same open-pit mine and offer different answers. The multispectral satellite says: “This area appears reddish. Iron oxides may be present.” It infers material properties from differences across a handful of broad spectral bands. The hyperspectral satellite can go further: “The spectral signatures indicate hematite and goethite, with an associated alteration…
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China Launches First Wuyang Satellite for Low-Latitude Earth Observation
China launched Xiguang-4 01, also known as Wuyang Constellation Pathfinder A, on October 21, beginning in-orbit validation of a remote-sensing network designed to provide more frequent observations of low- and middle-latitude regions. The satellite lifted off at 11:39 a.m. Beijing time aboard Galactic Energy’s Ceres-1S Y8 rocket from the Dongfang Hangtiangang launch vessel in waters…