Most people associate the internet with satellites in space—but that’s far from reality. More than 99% of international data traffic flows through a vast network of undersea fiber-optic cables, not satellites.

How It Works:
These cables, laid along the seafloor, connect continents with blazing-fast data transmission capabilities. They’re thinner than a garden hose but carry terabits of data per second.

Global Scale:

Over 500 active submarine cables span the oceans, covering more than 1.4 million kilometers.

Tech giants like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft are investing billions into private undersea cable infrastructure to support cloud services and global connectivity.

Why Not Satellites?
While satellite internet is useful for remote areas, it suffers from higher latency, weather interference, and limited bandwidth compared to fiber cables. That’s why undersea infrastructure remains the true backbone of the digital age.

#UnderseaCables #InternetInfrastructure #TechExplained #SubmarineCables #DataTraffic

Recent studies have uncovered a striking shift in ocean visibility: more than 20% of Earth's oceans have become noticeably darker over the past two decades.

This process, termed "ocean darkening," refers to a measurable reduction in the photic zone—the sunlit upper layer of the ocean where photosynthesis occurs.

In several areas, this zone has become as much as 100 meters shallower, greatly limiting sunlight penetration.

This decline in light affects phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that form the base of the marine food chain and generate a large portion of Earth's oxygen.

With less light reaching them, phytoplankton populations are at risk, potentially triggering ecosystem imbalances, reducing biodiversity, and weakening the ocean’s role in carbon absorption and climate regulation.

The causes of ocean darkening are multifaceted. Coastal waters are especially affected by human activity, including agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and sedimentation, which increase the amount of organic matter and particles in the water.

In open ocean regions, the main drivers appear to be climate change-induced shifts in ocean currents and rising sea temperatures, which alter water mixing and light diffusion.

The implications are profound: darker oceans may lead to reduced marine productivity, altered fish populations, and disrupted climate feedback mechanisms.

Scientists are now racing to better understand this trend, as it poses both environmental and economic threats.

In a milestone moment for Chinese space tech, Beijing-based startup Space Epoch has successfully completed a vertical sea recovery test of its reusable rocket prototype. This marks one of China’s first sea-based demonstrations for reusable launch vehicles—mimicking techniques pioneered by SpaceX.

What Happened?

The test involved launching and vertically landing the rocket booster over the ocean.

It showcased the booster’s ability to hover, descend, and stabilize autonomously despite marine conditions.

Why It Matters:

Ocean-based recovery allows for flexible launch sites and reduces land-use constraints.

Reusability could cut launch costs by up to 70%, opening doors for more frequent commercial satellite deployments.

China aims to compete directly with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in the global launch market.

The successful test highlights China’s increasing focus on private-sector innovation in aerospace, with Space Epoch leading the charge in orbital reusability.

#ChinaSpace #ReusableRockets #SpaceEpoch #TechExplorers #OceanLanding #SpaceInnovation #NewSpaceRace

China is building underwater drones that glide like manta rays and coordinate in swarms — a high-tech leap that could change the future of marine robotics forever.

Silent, stealthy, and swarm-ready, these bio-inspired bots have already completed deep-sea trials and may soon be used for everything from coastal surveillance to stealth military ops.

The ocean just got smarter — and a whole lot more strategic.
Dive into the details —

#UnderwaterDrones #MantaRayTech #ChinaInnovation #MarineTech #StealthTech #BioRobotics

Mars Is Spinning Faster — Thanks to NASA’s InSight Mission

New data from NASA’s now-retired InSight lander reveals a surprising twist: Mars is gradually speeding up its rotation, shortening the Martian day by a tiny amount — about a fraction of a millisecond per year.

What's causing this?
Scientists are still investigating, but possible explanations include mass shifts at the polar ice caps or changes deep within the planet’s interior. Unlike Earth, which slows down due to the Moon’s influence on our oceans, Mars has no oceans — hinting at a completely different mechanism.

These insights come from InSight’s RISE (Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment), which tracked subtle changes in radio signals between Mars and NASA’s Deep Space Network over 900 Martian days. The variations helped scientists measure the planet’s spin with extraordinary precision.

More than just spin:
The same data also refined our understanding of Mars’ core, confirming it has a large radius of about 1,835 km and a density between 5.9 and 6.3 g/cm³. Interestingly, the planet’s nutation (wobble) suggests that its core has uneven density, raising new questions about its internal structure.

Why it matters:
Though InSight’s mission ended in December 2022, its legacy lives on. The RISE experiment is considered historic, continuing to deepen our understanding of the Red Planet and its hidden depths.

Published in: Nature (2023)
Paper: Sébastien Le Maistre et al., “Spin state and deep interior structure of Mars from InSight radio tracking”