Mengel conducted experiments by launching rockets into orbit and placing cameras on them. The first satellite images were captured back in 1947 when scientist John T. Utilizing the data from satellite images also provides a wide range of information about the Earth, from measuring plant growth to chemical deviations in the atmosphere. Images of the Earth captured by satellites not only help scientists map things like population density, but they also showcase the effects of climate change, natural disasters, and major weather fronts. While expeditions to strange new worlds sound exciting, one of the most important aspects of space exploration is that it allows scientists to study our own planet. Since then, NASA has had more than 200 successful, manned spacecraft launches and sent out more than 1,000 unmanned satellites. quickly followed with its own launch of Explorer 1 in 1958.

Russia launched the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957. As modern science expands and evolves, so too does its investigation of the cosmos-including thousands of satellites that are now orbiting the Earth. From satellite launches and manned missions to stepping on the moon and planning a visit to mars, our obsession with space exploration seems to only grow. Our fascination with space and the worlds beyond our own comes from a deep-seated human desire to better understand our place in the universe. Part of what made the Category 5 storm so devastating was it’s speed: Hurricane Dorian spent three days over the Bahamas, ratcheting up its death toll and damages. 2, 2019, was captured by NASA astronaut Christina Koch during a flyover more than 200 miles from Earth. This image of Hurricane Dorian, also from Sept. While the photo looks close enough to touch, the satellite that took this photo is actually orbiting 1 million miles away. The camera aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite caught the dark side of the moon, a part that is never visible from Earth, in this perfect moment. This 2015 animation still shows the moon crossing the Earth.

Earth view from space station