BSkyB, Britain's biggest satellite-television service, already provides 9 million customers with interactive ads.

Scholars warn that Antarctica's political drift could blur the distinction between military and civilian activities long before the continent's treaties come up for renegotiation, especially in parts of Antarctica that are ideal for intercepting ( ' , 攔截) signals from satellites or retasking satellite systems, potentially enhancing global electronic intelligence operations.

Nations are also pressing ahead with space research and satellite projects to expand their global navigation abilities.

Because they're so small and light, it costs much less to get a Cube Sat into Earth's orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite.

Having your personal satellite launched into orbit might sound like an idea straight out of science fiction.

However, as the cost of getting your own satellite in orbit drops sharply, the risks of irresponsible use grow.

In 2009 an old Russian craft slammed into a communications satellite, creating a cloud of hundreds of pieces of debris and putting other hardware at risk.

It continued the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR—a US-based group that built and launched the very first nongovernmental satellite just four years after Sputnik.

It might seem surprising to think about an item staying in space for that long, but the oldest satellite still in orbit—Vanguard 1—turned 60 in 2018.

Journalist Sarah Scoles reports that NASA currently tracks about 24,000 objects in space, and in 2016 the air Force had to issue 3,995,874 warnings to satellite owners alerting them to a potential nearby threat from another satellite or bit of debris.

Satellite observations and submarine surveys over the past few years had shown less ice in the polar region, but the recent measurements show the loss is more pronounced than previously thought.

Some "expert amateurs" in the satellite game could provide some inspiration for how to proceed responsibly.

Through satellite tracking of both the herd and the lions in the area, they will be able to determine if their psychological trickery will work to help keep farmers from shooting lions.