Free Republic

This past month's launch of Starlink satellites was a moment long planned Elon Musk and SpaceX. Known as a satellite constellation, the company has sent 60 of a planned 1,2000 satellites into orbit. What they did not expect, though, was backlash from International Astronomical Union and International Dark Sky Association. The Starlink constellations, it turns out, could be threatening the study of the night sky. The IAU has issued a statement saying it is "concerned" about satellite constellations and what they mean for the future of astronomy. "We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites...

Chinese meteorologists' ability to forecast typhoons will be greatly enhanced thanks to a new polar orbit satellite, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said yesterday. Formally handed over to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) yesterday, the FY-3A is one of the world's most advanced satellites of its kind, the CNSA said. It provides images of a spatial resolution of 250 m, up from 1.1 km by China's other weather forecasting satellites, Yang Jun, director of the National Satellite Meteorological Center under the CMA, said.