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As the holidays approach and we get closer to 2025, we’re reminded of the valuable ways Maxar Intelligence’s News Bureau brings the news stories and defining moments of the year to life through the commercial industry’s highest resolution satellite imagery. Join us for a look back on the highlights and lowlights of a jam-packed 2024 as seen from space.

JANUARY: Harbin Ice Festival in China displays dazzling ice sculptures

Every year Harbin, China, holds a major winter festival known for its beautiful ice sculptures, sledding and snow-tubing. It is considered the largest ice and snow festival in the world. In this Maxar satellite image taken during the night of January 11, 2024, the ice sculptures can clearly be seen scattered across the icy venue.

JANUARY: U.S. and Britain conduct airstrikes on Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

On January 12, 2024, the first wave of airstrikes began in Yemen by American and British fighter jets armed with precision-guided bombs, which were dispatched from regional bases. This satellite image taken by Maxar on January 12, 2024, shares a closer view of protesters in the streets of Yemen following the airstrikes.

FEBRUARY: Wildfire causes unprecedented damage to Texas panhandle and Oklahoma

The Smokehouse Creek Fire was a massive wildfire that broke out on February 26, in the northeastern Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma. As of March 16, 2024, the fire burned more than 1 million acres before it was contained. It is considered the largest wildfire on record for Texas. This Maxar color infrared satellite image collected on February 28, 2024, shows an active fire line and burn scars west of Miami, Texas.

FEBRUARY: South Sea tensions mount between China and the Philippines

Tensions have been escalating between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, one of the world's most important trade routes. Part of the dispute involves the Second Thomas Shoal. While the Philippines claims the waterway, it also is claimed by several other countries, including China. This Maxar image shows the possible Chinese interception of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel on February 22, 2024.

MARCH: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses in Maryland

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland collapsed on March 26, 2024, after the container ship, Dali, struck one of its key support columns and tragically killed six people. The collapsed bridge blocked ships from exiting and entering the Port of Baltimore for close to two months as debris floated across the Patapsco River. This Maxar image from the day of the collision shows a closer view of the container ship and collapsed bridge.

APRIL: Orenburg Floods cause massive damage in Russia

On April 7, 2024, Russia declared the situation in the flood-hit Orenburg region a federal emergency. The floods were caused by rising water levels in the Ural River. Flooding also reached neighboring Kazakhstan, and more than 103,000 people were evacuated across the country, according to the Kazakh Emergency Situations Ministry. This April 3, 2024, image shows floodwaters near the Orenburg airbase in Russia.

MAY: First WorldView Legion satellites launch into orbit

Maxar launched the first two of its WorldView Legion satellites on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on May 2, 2024. Shortly after launch, the satellites deployed their solar arrays and began receiving and sending signals. These first-of-a-kind satellites extend the quality and capability of Maxar’s industry-leading constellation, tripling its ability to collect 30 cm-class imagery with high revisit rates and at more varied times throughout the day. This satellite image shows the Falcon 9 rocket with the WorldView Legion satellites in the fairing 11 minutes ahead of launch.

JUNE: Boeing Starliner spacecraft completes successful launch

Boeing’s Starliner took its first crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5, 2024. The launch marked the beginning of the NASA-Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) and a critical step toward NASA certification for long-duration missions. Maxar’s non-Earth imagery shows the Starliner docked to the ISS with exquisite detail. This image was taken from hundreds of kilometers away, an amazing feat of physics.

JUNE: France commemorates the 80th anniversary of D-Day

World leaders, historians, local citizens and World War II veterans converged on Normandy on June 6, 2024, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the codename for the 1944 Allied invasion of France during World War II. The invasion was the largest amphibious operation in history, involving the land, air and sea forces of the Allies. This satellite image provides a close view of the Normandy American Cemetery on June 6, 2024.

JUNE: Attempts at providing aid to Gaza hampered by pier collapse

The U.S. military built a pier as a way to get vital humanitarian aid into Gaza during the Israeli-Hamas war. Although the pier was repeatedly damaged by storms, the maritime route was maintained. The pier consists of a narrow causeway to drive aid into Gaza and a wider parking area to drop off supplies transported by ship. This Maxar satellite image from June 28, 2024, gives an overview of the pier and the aid operations near it.

JULY: First WorldView Legion images are released

On July 18, 2024, Maxar released the first images from the first WorldView Legion satellite. This high-resolution, 30 cm-class image was collected on July 16, 2024, and demonstrates the exceptional capabilities of this state-of-the-art technology. The image shows fine details of San Francisco’s City Hall.

AUGUST: Maxar images every angle of the world sporting event in Paris

Maxar satellites took images of Paris, France, for the biggest competition of the year that began on July 26, 2024 and continued through August 11, 2024. Thanks to Maxar’s Globe in 3D, it was able to create a digital twin of the “City of Love,” where more than ten thousand athletes participated in events, such as beach volleyball, swimming, water polo, fencing, taekwondo and football. This WorldView Legion image shows the beach volleyball arena in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

SEPTEMBER: Hurricanes Helene and Milton make landfall in the Southeast U.S.

Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on September 26, 2024, followed by Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm that hit Florida's west coast on October 9. The storms also impacted Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Maxar imagery shows flood debris clogging Lake Lure in North Carolina on October 7, 2024.

OCTOBER: Floods in Spain cause devastation across communities

In October 2024, a high-altitude depression hit eastern Spain, bringing severe weather, torrential rainfall and flash floods. The disaster caused widespread damage and led to more than 224 deaths. In this Maxar satellite image taken on October 31, 2024, we can see the damaged roads, bridges and flooded fields in Valencia, Spain.

NOVEMBER: First images from third and fourth WorldView Legion satellites demonstrate “dawn-to-dusk” collection

The third and fourth WorldView Legion satellites represent Maxar’s first satellites in mid-inclination orbit, meaning they orbit around Earth’s mid-latitudes, which is where 90 percent of the world’s population resides. These three images were collected by a WorldView Legion satellite on November 7, 2024, showing the airport in Christchurch, New Zealand. They were collected in a three-hour period by the same satellite, showing aircraft movement and fueling operations in near real-time.

NOVEMBER: Las Vegas Strip hosts another championship car race

This high-resolution, night-time image, collected by Maxar’s WorldView-2 satellite, shows a portion of the Las Vegas race strip circuit on November 23, 2024. The 6.2 km, 17-turn street circuit passes by landmark locations, such as Caesars Palace, the Bellagio and the Venetian. In the closer view, you can see the start and finish lines and a clear view of the course as it bends near the Sphere.

DECEMBER: Notre Dame Cathedral reopens

Since a devastating fire in April 2019, specialists have been rebuilding the 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, with the goal of restoring it within five years. On December 7, 2024, this was accomplished and Notre Dame opened its doors to visitors for the first time since the fire. In this image taken on September 1, 2024, we see the new roof and significant improvements to the external structure.

DECEMBER: Al Assad is overthrown in Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad fled the country on December 8, 2024, after an advance by rebel forces, which ended his struggle to hold onto control amidst a brutal civil war. Maxar imagery revealed that one of Syria’s key allies, Russia, was withdrawing its military vehicles and equipment from the Khmeimim airbase near Latakia. In this image from December 15, 2024, a group of military trucks, armored personnel carriers and personnel were seen assembled on the tarmac at the airbase. An Il-76 transport aircraft was parked near the equipment and several additional transport aircraft can also be seen.

Telling the world’s stories in satellite imagery

This retrospective of Maxar’s satellite imagery provides context to what's happening around the world—from the most remote regions to the largest cities—no matter when and where they occur. Through the insights enabled by our high-resolution constellation, we’re proud to play a small part in helping to make the world safer, healthier, more attainable and accessible to all.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!