A satellite study has shown for the first time where Somali pirates are putting the proceeds of crime – and suggests where strategies against their banditry might and might not work.

Computer hackers plan to take the internet beyond the reach of censors by putting their own communication satellites into orbit.

China has switched on its own satellite navigation system, marking a big step forward for a nation eager to reduce its reliance on the West for key strategic technologies.

The largest solar flare of the current sun weather cycle erupted in a blast of energy Tuesday that probably knocked out high-frequency radio communications systems in the Mideast, according to Joe Kunches, a space scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo.

The buildup of space debris orbiting the Earth, which poses a threat to spacecraft and the environment, has reached a critical point, scientists say.

Dealing with the decades of detritus from using outer space -- human-made orbital debris -- is a global concern, but some experts are now questioning the feasibility of the wide range of "solutions" sketched out to grapple with high-speed space litter, arguing that it may be too late.

Until now, satellites orbiting around Earth have been limited by how much fuel they carry onboard but two satellite companies have announced a new deal to launch the first spacecraft designed to refuel other satellites in orbit. This will help reduce the problem of dead satellites sometimes languishing in space as uncontrollable debris that then poses the risk of colliding with other spacecraft.

Developed nations have become "dangerously over-reliant" on satellite navigation systems such as GPS, which could break down or be attacked with devastating results, British engineers said Tuesday.

NASA has devised a new tool in the battle against massive eruptions from the sun: an early warning system to protect electrical grids on Earth from extremely powerful solar storms. The new project, called Solar Shield, is designed to predict the severity of powerful sun storms at specific locations on Earth to help power companies plan responses and limit the potential damage to their equipment.

NASA has devised a new tool in the battle against massive eruptions from the sun: an early warning system to protect electrical grids on Earth from extremely powerful solar storms. The new project, called Solar Shield, is designed to predict the severity of powerful sun storms at specific locations on Earth to help power companies plan responses and limit the potential damage to their equipment.