Satellite

Starlink isn't the only American company to offer direct-to-cell satellite connectivity. AST SpaceMobile has been at it for years and was the very first company in the world to "phone home" from space. Now it's looking to provide 100% coverage of the US.

If you've ever found yourself in a dead zone, maybe you find solace in the quiet. Or maybe you've found yourself in an emergency and help is not coming. Either way, the ability to connect if and when you need to has its merits.

If you're an avid outdoorsperson who explores nature with their dogs, the Satellai tracker could keep your pooch safe in the wilderness. This solar-powered gadget can beam your dog's location straight to your phone using satellite connectivity.

Known for its budget Android phones, HMD has launched a potentially life-saving product for adventurers. Its OffGrid accessory pairs with any smartphone and enables texting via satellite networks – so you can reach people from the middle of nowhere.

SpaceX has just launched 20 of its Starlink satellites up into Earth's orbit, enabling direct-to-cellphone connectivity anywhere on the planet. That completes the constellation's first orbital shell, following a test of six satellites back in January.

One picture taken every day of the year starting September 2023 through to September 2024 provides a pretty fascinating perspective of the twilight zone transit due to the Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt as it orbits around the Sun.

The most abundant metal known to man is iron. It's everywhere. Not just on Earth, but in space as well. Astro engineers have just figured out how to use iron – or nearly any metal for that matter – as plasma rocket fuel.

Star Catcher Industries has secured US$12.25 million in seed funding for its ambitious plan to build the first “space-based energy grid.” A network of satellites would gather and concentrate solar energy and beam it to other satellites in orbit.

A spacecraft about the size of a gas pump is being developed for the US Space Force program to refuel orbiting satellites. The goal is to extend the lifespan of craft that have run out of juice instead of simply decommissioning them.

Rocket science got a bit more science-fiction-like as RocketStar announces it has successfully demonstrated a new ion drive that incorporates nuclear fusion. It's not the sort of fusion that powers the Sun, but it does improve thrust by 50%.

In a mobile communications breakthrough, SpaceX has sent the first X post from a regular, unmodified smartphone using Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, bringing the end of cellular dead zones a step closer.

Northrop Grumman's Passive Refueling Module (PRM) has been tapped by the US Space Force as the preferred model to set the standard for Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) to refuel satellites in orbit to extend their mission life.