Sentinels in the Sky: How Satellites Have Revolutionized Our Understanding of Earth and Space

Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, satellites have become the silent sentinels of our planet and the cosmos. Orbiting high above, they have changed the way we live, the way we think, and most profoundly, the way we see. In Sentinels in the Sky: How Satellites Have Revolutionized Our Understanding of Earth and Space, geologist and author James Lawrence Powell tells the remarkable story of how satellites have revolutionized science-transforming fields from geology to astronomy, meteorology to climate science, and agriculture to archaeology.What began as a Cold War contest to launch the first artificial satellite has evolved into a global enterprise in space-based observation, delivering a continuous stream of data about our planet and its place in the universe. Today's satellites measure Earth's temperature, vegetation, sea level, and ice cover with unmatched precision.They detect wildfires in remote forests, monitor hurricanes as they form, and track the movements of animals across co