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Image of ClearSpace-1 from 2020, a project run by the European Space Agency to use a robotic spacecraft to remove space debris from Earth's orbit
Image: ESA/ClearSpace SAImage: ESA/ClearSpace SA

Satellites

We think of satellites as spacecraft, collecting Earth observation data or connecting us via the internet. But, in fact, anything that orbits a planet or star is a satellite, including moons, planets, and machines.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

PSLV C59 Proba-3 mission launched at Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India

India with ESA satellites launches artificial eclipse quest

India has launched two European satellites into space with the objective of creating something akin to a solar eclipse.
ScienceDecember 5, 2024
DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

Sun melts steel / CO2 removal / Ecosystems after floods / The EarthCARE observation satellite / Exoplanetary systems
ScienceNovember 15, 202426:04 min
Takao Doi holding LignoSat

World's first wooden satellite launched into space

Researchers from Japan believe that timber is a space-grade material that could on day be used to build houses on Mars.
ScienceNovember 5, 2024
Young people play Pokemon on their smartphones in Mumbai

Can satellite internet bridge India's digital divide?

Satellite broadband internet is set to give Indians in rural areas more access to e-commerce and online services.
TechnologyOctober 30, 2024
In a collage, the flags of China and the US are seen in space, above the earth, between them a flying rocket.

China or the US: Who is winning the new space race?

The US is dominating space, but China is catching up. 60,000 satellites could soon be in orbit. A new era has begun.
ScienceSeptember 23, 202417:53 min
Artwork showing a satellite constellation above a LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) for space research using low-frequency radio waves

Starlink satellites are blinding astronomers' view of space

Astronomers say radiation leaks from Starlink satellites is interfering with their research.
ScienceSeptember 20, 2024
DW Sendung | Projekt Zukunft/Tomorrow Today

Can iodine be used for rocket fuel?

In 2023, a mini-satellite powered by iodine began circling Earth. The innovative technology has many advantages.
ScienceSeptember 18, 202402:24 min
An Iranian rocket leaves a launchpad, allegedly carrying a capsule with a live space monkey

Iran's boasts successful launch of Chamran-1 satellite

Tehran says its new satellite will test maneuvering technology, but the West fears it could advance its missile program.
PoliticsSeptember 14, 2024
Symbolbild Satellit

What happens to decommissioned space satellites?

Satellites are disposed of in various ways, depending on how far away they are from Earth.
ScienceSeptember 7, 202402:27 min
DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

Tomorrow Today — The Science Show

The ancient Maya and their astounding knowledge of the stars. And the search for intelligent extraterrestrial lifeforms.
ScienceSeptember 6, 202426:04 min
View from space on the american continent.

Satellite reception in America

Here you can find all information about receiving DW Español directly via satellite in America.
August 28, 2024
ESA's Ariane 6 rocket set to fly

Ariane 6 opens new chapter for European space access

Four years later than initially planned, the European Space Agency's Ariane 6 rocket has taken off for its first flight.
ScienceJuly 9, 202402:31 min
Symbolbild I UFO

Are we prepared for an encounter with alien life?

Alien life sounds like science fiction? Many researchers are convinced that it must be out there.
ScienceJuly 8, 202404:35 min
DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today – The Science Show

Technologies of the future. Can we prepare better for extreme weather with help from satellites, sensors and AI?
ScienceJune 14, 202426:06 min
A still that appears to show the exploding rocket

North Korean spy satellite launch ends in failure

The US claimed the rocket involved technologies related to Pyongyang's ballistic missile program.
ConflictsMay 27, 2024

Azerbaijan

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April 29, 2024

Armenia

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April 29, 2024

Uzbekistan

Tune in to DW via local partners or via live stream.
April 25, 2024

Kyrgyzstan

All reception options for DW's TV content at a glance.
April 25, 2024
ENLACES / SHIFT Spanisch am 25.04.2024

Satellite data for quality urban life

Researchers analyze satellite images to improve urban life and make cities safer.
Digital WorldApril 19, 202402:48 min
Space One's Kairos

Space One: Japan's private rocket explodes after launch

Space One's Kairos exploded midair within seconds of its launch. The rocket was carrying a government satellite.
ScienceMarch 13, 2024
Picture of the ERS-2 satellite

European satellite falls back to Earth after 29 years

A satellite has broken apart and reentered the Earth's atmosphere after almost three decades in orbit.
ScienceFebruary 21, 2024
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby speaks at the White House

Russia developing anti-satellite capability, US says

White House official John Kirby said the Russian capability is concerning but has not been deployed yet.
PoliticsFebruary 15, 2024
A long-time exposure of Space X satellites streaking across a starry night sky

Starlink vital for Ukraine, but why is it so controversial?

Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite network has been providing free internet to Ukraine. How does it work? DW has more.
ScienceFebruary 13, 2024
A handout picture provided by the Iranian Defense Ministry on January 28, 2024 shows Iran's two-stage Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier lifting off at an undisclosed location

Iran launches three satellites simultaneously for first time

The Simorgh (Phoenix) rocket successfully placed three satellites in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometers.
TechnologyJanuary 28, 2024
screen grab taken from a SpaceX video shows the Falcon 9 launch of the Korea 425 Mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California

Korean space race: North, South contest satellite supremacy

Seoul and Pyongyang trade rocket launches and satellite deployments as their long-standing rivalry enters a new realm.
PoliticsJanuary 25, 2024
An Iranian woman is walking under a billboard in Tehran that is displaying an image of the Iranian Qased satellite carrier

Iran says it launched a satellite despite Western concerns

The US and its allies fear that Iran's development of space technology could also help it develop nuclear weapons.
PoliticsJanuary 20, 2024
The Aditya-L1's rocket taking off in the distance

India's Aditya-L1 satellite enters solar orbit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission as a landmark for India's space program.
ScienceJanuary 6, 2024
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Workers' Party of Korea meeting

North Korea plans to launch three satellites in 2024

Pyongyang has made a record amount of missile tests this year.
PoliticsDecember 31, 2023
Screen grab of the launch of Korea 425 Mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

South Korea deploys first military spy satellite

South Korea has been ramping up its surveillance capabilities in order to gain a strategic edge over North Korea.
PoliticsDecember 2, 2023
Illustration of the European Space Station satellite facing two planets in the distance

Cheops finds key to billion year old exoplanet system

The European satellite has revealed the secrets of a rare planetary system that's puzzled scientists for years.
ScienceNovember 29, 2023
USA | UN-Sicherheitsrat

Debate at a UN Security Council over DPRK's satellite launch

The DPRK's ambassador, backed by China and Russia, asserts that its satellite was a defensive measure against the U.S.
PoliticsNovember 28, 202302:34 min
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launghing

North Korea says satellite has images of 'target regions'

State media has reported North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, has reviewed images captured by a new spy satellite.
PoliticsNovember 25, 2023
Kim Jong Un

North Korea says spy satellite launch was self-defense

Kim Jong Un labelled the launch an "eye-opening event" amid "dangerous and aggressive" moves by hostile forces.
ConflictsNovember 24, 2023
A handout image of a North Korean satellite launch

North Korea launches spy satellite

Japan and South Korea said North Korea launched a military spy satellite using banned ballistic missile technology.
PoliticsNovember 21, 2023
Ilustrated version of a floating rocket launcher platform at sea.

Taking on SpaceX: Why Germany is building its own spaceport

To face off with SpaceX and the like, Germany is planning a North Sea launch pad. First take-offs are due to start 2024.
ScienceOctober 23, 2023
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off carrying Amazon's two prototype relay stations for a space-based internet service it calls Project Kuiper, from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida

Amazon launches test satellites to rival Musk's Starlink

Amazon has launched the first pair of prototype satellites meant for its internet-from-space service — Project Kuiper.
TechnologyOctober 7, 2023
An animation showing a hole over the ozone layer

Large ozone hole detected over Antarctica

The ozone hole over Antarctica is one of the biggest on record. Should we be concerned?
ScienceOctober 6, 2023
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a visit to the police and military academy during a graduation ceremony in Tehran, October 2022

Iran says it successfully put Noor-3 satellite into orbit

Tehran said the aerospace arm of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched the imaging satellite into space.
PoliticsSeptember 27, 2023
Collima-1 rocket, carrying the spy satellite, takes off from a launchpad in North Korea

North Korea's spy satellite fails again, US urges diplomacy

Pyongyang said the attempt failed at the third stage of the flight of the rocket and they would try again in October.
PoliticsAugust 24, 2023
Satellite image of wildfires burning on the Greek island of Rhodes

EU's Copernicus program: Tracking humans' impact on Earth

We know the planet is getting hotter because we've got Copernicus, a family of satellites and ground-based instruments.
ScienceAugust 10, 2023
A cylindrical object is seen on beach in Green Head, Australia

Australia: Mystery object washed ashore sparks curiosity

Australian authorities said the cylindrical object did not pose a risk to the public.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 18, 2023
An Ariane 5 rocket taking off in Kourou

Last launch of the Ariane 5 rocket

The Ariane 5 is taking off for the last time — the end of an era for an icon that helped build Europe's space industry.
TechnologyJuly 6, 202302:17 min
The Ariane 5 launches from the spaceport in the French Guinea on July 5

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket lifts off for final time

The European Space Agency's Ariane 5 "workhorse" rocket marked its 117th and final mission after 27 years of service.
TechnologyJuly 6, 2023
Objects salvaged by South Korea's military that are presumed to be parts of the North Korean space-launch vehicle that crashed into sea following a launch failure, are displayed at the Navy's 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek.

North Korea satellite had 'no military utility,' Seoul says

South Korea has ended a 36-day salvage operation after the North failed to launch a spy satellite in orbit.
ConflictsJuly 5, 2023
Giant loops of solar material overlying the middle of the sun over the region where the solar flare originated

Can solar flares harm Earth's technology?

Solar flares can significantly impact the functioning of technology on Earth — and our health.
ScienceJuly 4, 202302:23 min
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with members of the ruling Workers' Party

North Korea pledges second satellite launch after 'failure'

Pyongyang "bitterly criticized" those responsible for last month's failed rocket launch and vowed to try again.
PoliticsJune 19, 2023
The Miura-1 Rocket pictured near Huelva, southern Spain

Spanish startup aborts test rocket launch

The rocket launch from southern Spain would have been the first in Western Europe by a private company.
TechnologyJune 17, 2023
A TV screen shows a file image of Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during a news program

North Korea 'bitterly condemns' UN talks on satellite launch

Kim Jong Un's influential sister called the UN Security Council a "political appendage" of the United States.
PoliticsJune 4, 2023
A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's rocket launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea

North Korea to launch first military spy satellite in June

Whether the satellite is advanced enough to monitor the US and South Korean military has been debated.
PoliticsMay 30, 2023