After cooperation on SMILE mission, ESA and China chart parallel but separate paths
After cooperation on SMILE mission, ESA and China chart parallel but separate paths
👹🔴 Researchers from #Hokkaido University and the #Okinawa Institute of #Science and #Technology analyzed five auroral events over #Japan from June 2024 to March 2025, combining satellite #data with #photos from citizen skywatchers.
They found that red #auroras reached unusually high altitudes (500-800 km) during #storms previously classified as moderate, suggesting #solar activity may be stronger than standard measurements indicate. The findings have practical implications for #satellites in low #Earth orbit, because heated upper #atmosphere expands and creates extra drag on #spacecraft.
👉 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260521072359.htm
#weather #magnetosphere #science #geophysics #space #ionosphere

Mysterious red auroras spotted over Japan were found reaching astonishingly high altitudes, even during space storms considered relatively mild. The discovery suggests hidden solar activity may be stronger than scientists realized — with potential consequences for satellites orbiting Earth.
Map of the August 12, 2026, Total Solar Eclipse 🌑
#ColumbusModule #Eclipse #Falcon9Rocket #GeomagneticStorm #ISS #InternationalSpaceStation #Launch #Magnetosphere
⏩ 2 new pictures and 1 new video from NASA (SVS) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:ListFiles?limit=4&user=OptimusPrimeBot&ilshowall=1&offset=20260523125554
ESA-China SMILE mission lifts off to deliver first global images of Earth’s magnetosphere

ESA-China SMILE mission lifts off to deliver first global images of Earth's magnetosphere The SMILE mission developed jointly by the European Space Agency and China has reached orbit after more than a decade of preparations and cooperation.
#TachyonBeam #SpaceMission #ESA #China #magnetosphere #SolarWind #launch #VegaC
A few hours ago, the Smile satellite was launched from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana atop a Vega-C rocket. After about 56 minutes, the Smile satellite separated from the rocket's last stage and began maneuvers that are scheduled to last approximately 25 days.
RE: https://fosstodon.org/@AkaSci/116597943953403803
New #space mission #SMILE will launch today (May 19, 7:52 UTC). The #SolarWind #Magnetosphere #Ionosphere Link Explorer, a collaboration between #ESA and the #Chinese Academy of Sciences #CAS, will study #Earth‘s #magnetosphere in soft X-rays and #UV to better understand the dynamic interaction between both.
Joint ESA-China SMILE mission set for launch to study Earth’s magnetic shield
Russian Nuclear Blast In Space — When Kremlin Blasted 300 KT Of Warhead Over Kazakhstan, Displaying The Power Of EMP Attack
By Shubhangi Palve -
December 17, 2024
"Could nuclear warheads wipe out thousands of satellites orbiting Earth? This concept, once explored by the Soviet Union, has resurfaced amid rising geopolitical tensions, raising alarms about the dawn of a new era in space warfare.
"On February 5, 2022, Russia launched #Kosmos2553, which settled into a remote orbit 1,240 miles above Earth—higher than most operational satellites.
"While it appears unassuming, #Cosmos2553 represents a chilling advancement in Russia’s potential to threaten military and commercial satellites using nuclear blasts in space.
"Since its deployment, U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs has kept a vigilant eye on Cosmos 2553.
"In February 2024, the White House publicly acknowledged the satellite as part of a 'troubling' Russian anti-satellite weapon program. While officials clarified it posed no direct physical threat to Earth, its potential to devastate critical satellite networks has raised alarms.
Orbit Of Concern: The Graveyard
"Cosmos 2553 orbits in a region called the #GraveyardOrbit, circling Earth every two hours. Just inside the highly radioactive #VanAllenBelts, this area is sparsely populated—only about 10 defunct satellites are out there.
"Yet, U.S. officials suggest Cosmos 2553 is a testbed for a weapon capable of obliterating hundreds, if not thousands, of satellites, which could cripple global communications and defense infrastructure.
History Of Nuclear Weapons In Space
"Both the United States and the Soviet Union experimented with nuclear detonations in space during the 1960s. These tests aimed to understand how nuclear weapons behaved in the upper atmosphere and beyond, often with unforeseen and catastrophic effects.
"The U.S. conducted 11 tests under #OperationFishbowl, with the most famous, #StarfishPrime, detonating 250 miles above the Pacific Ocean in 1962. The blast knocked out radio systems and power grids in Hawaii, leaving a trail of #radiation lingering in Earth’s #magnetosphere for years.
"Meanwhile, the Soviets carried out #ProjectK, a series of nuclear tests between 1961 and 1962. These experiments further highlighted the potential for nuclear weapons to wreak havoc in orbit—generating electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) that could disable satellites and disrupt global systems.
"In this article, we examine the Soviet Project K tests in-depth, exploring how they shaped the early days of space warfare and their lasting implications for today’s emerging threats."
Read more:
https://www.eurasiantimes.com/project-k-can-nuclear-warheads-destroy-satellites-in-orbit/
#NukesInSpace #NoNukesInSpace
#LEO #KesslerEffect #KesslerSyndrome
#NoNukes #NoWar #NuclearWeapons #Satellites

Could nuclear warheads wipe out thousands of satellites orbiting Earth? This concept, once explored by the Soviet Union, has resurfaced amid rising geopolitical tensions, raising alarms about the dawn of a new era in space warfare. On February 5, 2022, Russia launched Cosmos 2553, which settled into a remote orbit 1,240 miles above Earth—higher than […]