NASA improves satellites and presents the most accurate record of atmospheric CO2

The week featured several scientific and news highlights. Politically, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected as President of Brazil, and Olhar Digital analyzed his government plan focused on science and technology.

On another front, the United States Department of Defense granted SpaceX access to confidential data tracking orbital objects. This agreement, signed between Elon Musk's company and the US Space Force, allowed a private entity enhanced access to the US Space Command's High Precision Catalog, which monitors bodies in orbit, sparking discussions about national security and the company's role in commercial space traffic.

In the field of scientific communication, biomedical engineer Daniel Dahis was honored with the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. He is the first Brazilian to receive this award, granted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of the United States (NASEM), with the announcement made on Monday (26).

This award aims to value professionals who make science accessible to the public. In the 2026 edition, 24 individuals were honored across eight distinct categories, encompassing researchers, journalists, and content creators. Each category has a main winner, who receives US$ 40 thousand (approximately R$ 216 thousand), in addition to two recognized recipients each receiving US$ 20 thousand (about R$ 108 thousand).

Dahis received the award in the 'Research Scientist: Early Career' category, designated for scientists in the early stages of their careers. His recognition highlights the science outreach work he conducts on social media, where he has over 750 thousand followers, sharing videos on topics such as vaccines, diseases, treatments, and recent discoveries.

Regarding astronomical phenomena, intensely bright fireballs can be observed during Halloween. This event is linked to the Taurids, an annual meteor shower that attracts astronomers due to its visual spectacle and the potential presence of larger fragments.

The Taurids are segmented into two streams: the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. The first occurs between September and November in the Southern Hemisphere, characterized by continuous activity and a low hourly rate of meteors. Its peak is predicted for Thursday (5), although observation depends on weather conditions, darkness, and the apparent position of the meteors. The second stream takes place between October and December, peaking in November, also showing a low hourly frequency but potentially surprising with very luminous fireballs.

The distinguishing feature of this shower is the fireballs, which are exceptionally bright meteors capable of surpassing the brightness of Venus and remaining visible longer than other light trails. Coinciding with the Halloween period, on October 31st, these flashes are known as Halloween fireballs.

Additionally, a report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), released on Tuesday (27), indicated that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached record levels in 2025. This accumulation of gases intensifies heat retention on the planet, contributing to global warming.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) reached 426.8 parts per million, while methane and nitrous oxide also registered historical highs. The WMO projects that CO2 concentration will continue to rise throughout 2026.

Google succeeded in running an artificial intelligence (AI) model on a satellite, receiving a response generated from outside Earth. This test marks an experimental advancement of Project Suncatcher, a corporate initiative focused on exploring the feasibility of transporting AI data centers into Earth orbit.

In a statement released on the company's blog, Google detailed that it began using Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) installed on the space equipment. During the tests, the Gemma 4 model was run directly on the satellite and received an instruction to compose a haiku about the experience of being in space.

The AI generated poems addressing Earth viewed from space, data flow, and the brilliance of the stars. Furthermore, other experiments were conducted, such as creating limericks with space themes and responding to telemetry-related commands.

Additionally, Google is working to improve communication between devices operating in orbit. After the initial testing phases, the company plans to achieve a new goal in 2027: deploying two interconnected satellites.

The purpose of this goal is to validate whether the systems are capable of performing tasks consistently and exchanging data in the space environment. Such a demonstration would be crucial in determining the practicality of establishing an orbital computing infrastructure.

Currently, the test conducted with Gemma 4 only confirms that an AI model can process commands aboard a satellite and produce responses. The realization of space data centers still requires the completion of several technical stages and the execution of more experiments.