A U.S. company has delivered antenna assemblies for U.S. military Global Positioning System satellites to detect nuclear explosions.
A California company is planning to launch a satellite that will monitor, and hopefully one day predict, the state's shakiest feature - earthquakes.
A new network of 250 Global Positioning System stations in California could provide rapid early warnings of major earthquakes. The alerts could provide enough warning to automatically shut down gas lines, slow or stop trains, warn doctors performing surgery or even prevent a nuclear reactor melt down.
A satellite network that gave advanced warning of catastrophes such as hurricanes and oil spills would save countless lives. Yet governments are letting a golden opportunity to set up such a network slip away, says a leading space scientist.