Tag: Satellite
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What are Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) for satellites?
Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) are the coordinated maneuvers and control activities that bring one spacecraft near another orbital object and manage their relative motion so that inspection, servicing, capture or other close interactions can be performed safely. Rendezvous establishes the required orbital position and relative velocity; proximity operations control the spacecraft’s movement once it…
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Successful Launch Does Not Mean Delivery Is Complete: Key Stages of In-Orbit Satellite Delivery
On September 13, during the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), Beijing Kaiyun United Information Technology Group Co., Ltd. (“Kaiyun Group”), PICC Property and Casualty Company Limited Zhejiang Branch, Beijing Hangbiao Times Testing and Certification Co., Ltd., and Sipai (Beijing) Insurance Brokerage Co., Ltd. signed a strategic cooperation agreement to develop commercial…
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What are Lunar Communication Satellites?
A lunar communications satellite is a spacecraft that orbits the Moon and relays information between the lunar surface and Earth. Rovers, landers and astronauts use compact, low-power radios to transmit data to the satellite overhead. These satellite can temporarily store the information and forward it to Earth once a communication link becomes available, with the…
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What is Satellite Thermal Intelligence?
Satellite thermal intelligence converts temperature measurements collected from orbit into actionable information. Its primary input is thermal-infrared imagery, which records emitted heat instead of reflected visible light. After processing and analysis, this data can reveal when a refinery resumed operations, whether an agricultural field may require irrigation, how a wildfire is spreading or which buildings…
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What is a Multispectral Payload?
A multispectral payload is the camera a satellite uses to photograph the Earth in several separate colours at once including colours the human eye cannot see. An ordinary phone camera records three channels: red, green and blue. Combining them and we get a picture that looks like what we would see ourselves. A multispectral payload…
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What are Satellite-to-Device (S2D) Services?
Satellite-to-Device (S2D) services, also known as direct-to-device (D2D) or direct-to-cell services, allow regular phones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and other consumer devices to connect directly to a satellite in orbit without the need for a ground tower, dish, or specialized hardware. S2D use a satellite, which is positioned hundreds of kilometers overhead rather than…
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From “Southern Rockets, Northern Satellites” to Four-District Coordination: Why Has Beijing Become a Hub for Commercial Space?
On September 3, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce released the Work Plan for the Development of China (Beijing) Pilot Free Trade Zone Linkage Development Areas. The commercial space section presents a more detailed industrial coordination map than the previous “Southern Rockets, Northern Satellites” concept: Haidian focuses on constellation R&D, Fengtai on satellite application services,…
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How High and How Inclined Should a Satellite Fly? How Orbital Altitude and Inclination Are Determined
Why do some satellites skim relatively close to Earth and complete an orbit in just over 90 minutes, while others remain above the equator and appear motionless in the sky? And why do some Earth observation satellites designed for near-global coverage deliberately use “retrograde” orbits with inclinations greater than 90 degrees? The answer lies in…
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China–Nepal Border Flood: How Satellite Intelligence Supports Disaster Response When Roads and Communications Fail
Information current as of August 28, 2026. The disaster mechanism, casualty figures, and damage estimates remain subject to revision as field investigations continue. On August 26, 2026, a devastating flood and debris-flow disaster struck the Himalayan region along the border between China’s Xizang Autonomous Region and Nepal. Fast-moving floodwater, sediment, and boulders swept through narrow…
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STARPATH GLOBAL Showcases Space and Geospatial Intelligence Capabilities at Xinjiang Aerospace and Defense Technology Expo, Exploring New Opportunities for Global Commercial Space Cooperation
Urumqi, Xinjiang, China — The 2026 Xinjiang New Quality Productive Forces and Aerospace & Defense Technology Equipment Expo was held from August 21 to 23, 2026, at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center. Under the theme “Empowering Aerospace with New Quality Productive Forces and Strengthening National Defense through Technological Innovation,” the expo focused on…