The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved a total of $950 million to bolster broadband networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2 years after the islands sustained severe damage from Hurricanes Maria and Irma.
Why it matters: Hurricanes can wreak havoc on communications networks, making rescue and recovery efforts even more difficult.
NASA is planning to build a spacecraft designed to search the skies for asteroids not far from Earth.
Why it matters: The telescope will help NASA get a more complete sense of how many potentially dangerous asteroids there are near our planet and what harm they may pose.
Tropical Storm Karen triggered limited power outages, flooding and landslides to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as it barreled across the region early Wednesday, AP reports.
Why it matters: The islands are still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria 2 years ago.
Gathering photos of Earth from space used to be the purview of governments alone, but today, private companies are increasingly performing those operations from orbit.
Why it matters: The change has created a new commercial market and enhanced how governments are able to monitor activities on Earth from space. It's also raising questions about privacy on Earth.
A team of scientists has reconstructed the exact descent and landing of the Chinese lunar lander Chang’e-4 on the far side of the Moon, a new study in Nature Communications shows.
Why it matters:Chang’e-4’s January landing could act as a blueprint for more distant autonomous landings on other objects like asteroids in the future.
