From military might to nature’s wrath, these are the most memorable satellite photos of 2018

From Russian war games to lava flows on Hawaii to raging fires in California, images gathered from high above Earth by satellites in 2018 delivered a unique perspective on humanity, geopolitics, and the forces of nature that have upended lives and landscape.

Here’s a look at eight of the most striking news images captured by satellite imagery company Digital Globe – and photos made by Associated Press photographers who were on the ground:

Back to Da Nang: In a message to China, the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson docked at Da Nang bay in Vietnam on March 5.

In the first visit to a Vietnamese port by a US Navy aircraft carrier since the Vietnam war, the Vinson and its crew of more than 6,000 sent a signal from the two countries to China, which has stepped up its challenges to US supremacy in the region.

From space, the message was clear in the dozens of fighter jets on deck (see main photo).