As 2024 comes to an end, Maxar News Bureau has compiled a list of satellite images from the year’s most defining events. Here’s a look at the year as seen from space:
This satellite image taken on January 11, 2024 shows beautiful ice sculptures on display at the annual Ice Festival in Harbin, China, considered the world’s largest ice and snow festival. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on January 12, 2024 shows protesters on the streets in Yemen following airstrikes carried out by the US and Britain in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. (higher resolution here)
This infrared satellite image taken on February 28, 2024 shows an active fire line west of Miami after a massive wildfire – the largest on record for Texas – raged in the northeastern Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on February 22, 2024 shows a possible Chinese interception of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel amid tensions in the South China Sea. (higher resolution here)
A satellite image taken in March 2024 shows the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, US. The bridge collapsed on 26 March after a container ship collided with a pillar. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on April 3, 2024 shows floodwaters near the Orenburg air base in Russia. A federal emergency was declared as rising water levels in the Ural River caused flooding in the area. (higher resolution here)
The satellite image shows a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Worldview Legion satellites before launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on May 2, 2024. (higher resolution here)
Non-Earth satellite imagery – taken from a distance of hundreds of kilometers – shows Boeing’s Starliner docking at the International Space Station in June, 2024. (higher resolution here)
The satellite image shows world leaders, historians and World War II veterans at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 6, 2024, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the 1944 Allied invasion of France during World War II. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on June 28, 2024 shows a ferry – consisting of a narrow passage and a broad parking area – that was built by the US military to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. (higher resolution here)
The first satellite images taken by the Worldview Legion satellite were released on July 18, 2024, showing fine detail of San Francisco’s City Hall from space. (higher resolution here)
Satellite photos taken during July–August show a beach volleyball field in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower during a sporting event in which more than 10,000 athletes participated. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on October 7, 2024 shows debris accumulated in Lake Lure in North Carolina, a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on October 31, 2024 shows damaged roads and bridges and flooded fields after torrential rains and floods in Valencia, Spain. (higher resolution here)
Satellite images taken on January 11, 2024 capture the airport in Christchurch, New Zealand, over a three-hour period, showing aircraft movements and fuel operations in real time. (higher resolution here)
This high-resolution satellite image taken on November 23, 2024 captures a portion of the Las Vegas race circuit, with a close-up view showing the start and finish lines. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on September 1, 2024 shows the new roof and improvements to the exterior structure of Notre Dame Cathedral ahead of its mega reopening in December. The 850-year-old cathedral closed in 2019 after a devastating fire. (higher resolution here)
Satellite image taken on December 15, 2024 shows Russian military trucks and armored vehicles assembled at Syria’s Khmeimim airbase and a transport plane parked nearby, confirming the withdrawal of Russia’s military equipment after the fall of the Assad regime . (higher resolution here)
