Spy satellites leak from Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline (photo)

The effects of an imaginable act of power sabotage are visualized from space.

On Tuesday, September 27, European leaders reported the discovery of 3 separate leaks in two Baltic Sea fuel pipelines such as Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, which were built to ship herbal fuel from Russia to Germany.

The leaks sent methane fuel to the surface of the Baltic Sea, creating bright white dots that look a bit like violent hurricanes. On Monday, September 26, a small Earth satellite monitored to detect one such dramatic signature: the patch over Nord Stream. 2, which is located just southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. (The other two leaks are on the Nord Stream 1 line. )

Related: Views of Earth from Planet’s Dove Cubesats (pictures)

This satellite is a Dove, a cubesat built by Planet. The San Francisco-based company recently operates a fleet of about two hundred pigeons, the size of a shoebox, but capable of solving items as small as 10 feet (3 meters) on Earth. surface.

La Colombe probably saw evidence of sabotage, according to some European leaders (opens in a new window). It would be highly unlikely that two pipelines would cause 3 leaks with almost no human intervention, researchers and government officials said. And seismologists recorded loud explosions near the leak sites on Monday (Sept. 26), just by coincidence.

It is not yet known who is to blame for the explosions and what they intended to achieve (if they were actually intentional). Investigations are planned but will be fully conducted until the gaps are repaired, Mavens said.

Tensions between Russia and the West have been high since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The United States and other nations, numbering many in Europe, have responded to the ongoing aggression with a series of economic sanctions against Russia.

– Impacts of the invasion of Ukraine on exploration of the area: updates

The war in Ukraine highlights the growing strategic importance of satellite corporations, especially in times of conflict.

— Satellites warn of illegal fishing in Pacific Ocean

Russia is a major energy manufacturer and historically sells much of its herbal fuel to Europe. Russia had shipped herbal fuel to Europe via Nord Stream 1 but halted the shipment in August, according to Reuters (opens new window).

“The new Nord Stream 2 pipeline had not yet come into operation,” Reuters added. Plans to use it as a fuel source were abandoned in Germany days before Russia began what it calls an ‘army special operation’ in Ukraine in late February. “

Mike Wall is the one from “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated through Karl Tate), an e-book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in a new tab). Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in a new tab) or Facebook (opens in a new tab).

Join our area forums to keep talking about the area on the latest missions, the night sky, and more!And if you have a suggestion, correction or comment, please let us know at: community@area. com.

Michael Wall is a senior area in Space. com (opens in new window) and joined the team in 2010. It basically covers exoplanets, spaceflight, and military areas, but is known for its interest in the rhythm of space art. His e-book about the search for extraterrestrial life, “Out There,” was published on November 13, 2018. Prior to adapting to ScienceArray, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He holds a Ph. D. in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a Graduate Certificate in Scientific Writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his most recent assignment is, you can follow Michael in Twitter.

Mars Landing: Stay directly and fly right to make a successful landing on Mars

Photos from space: this week’s greatest amazing photos!

A strange black hole causes a jet of plasma to explode in a nearby galaxy

Get the latest local news and updates on rocket launches, air events, and more!

Thank you for signing up for Space. You’ll get verification shortly.

There’s a problem. Refresh the page and check again.

Space is a component of Future US Inc. , a leading foreign media organization and virtual publisher. Visit our company (opens in a new tab).

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *