Copernical Team
The UPV/EHU prepares to analyse material from Mars using non-destructive analytical methods
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The UPV/EHU's IBeA research group, which includes experts in Raman spectroscopy, is currently analyzing meteorites with the aim of developing non-destructive analytical strategies for upcoming explorations of Mars materials by the Perseverance rover, shortly due to arrive at the red planet. The strategies will also be used to examine materials collected by the Rosalind Franklin rover and returned to Earth following the Mars Sample Return mission, scheduled to commence in 2026.
The IBeA research group from the University of the Basque Country's Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, is participating in NASA's Mars2020 space mission, which is scheduled to touch down on Mars in February this year. Specifically, the group has participated in constructing and verifying the chemical homogeneity of the templates included on the calibration card of the SuperCam instrument mounted on the Perseverance. "We made a set of pads perfectly characterized in accordance the instruments we have here, in order to enable us to verify that the LIBS and Raman spectroscopy measurements taken by the SuperCam are correct," explains Doctor Cristina García-Florentino.
NASA creates new senior climate advisor role
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NASA announced Wednesday it was creating a new position of senior climate advisor as part of the administration of President Joe Biden's climate science objectives for the agency.
Gavin Schmidt, who currently heads up NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Science (GISS) in New York, will take the role in an acting capacity until a permanent appointment is made.
"This position will provide NASA leadership critical insights and recommendations for the agency's full spectrum of science, technology, and infrastructure programs related to climate," said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk.
NASA might be more known for its space exploration missions, but studying our home planet is also a core part of its mission.
Is this the end of the A-68A iceberg?
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Satellite images have revealed that the once colossal A-68A iceberg has had yet another shattering experience. Several large cracks were spotted in the berg last week and it has since broken into multiple pieces. These little icebergs could indicate the end of A-68A’s environmental threat to South Georgia.
Happy New Year on Mars
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Five, four, three, two, one…. FIREWORKS! The countdown to a new year is in many ways a defining moment for our lives on Earth. Our age, our seasons, filing our taxes… – all depend on the duration of Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
Propelling satellites into the future
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Propelling satellites into the future For billionaire Jared Isaacman, the space tourism era begins
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Jared Isaacman is not a professional astronaut, but by the end of the year the young billionaire will have shot around the Earth multiple times at the helm of a space mission made up entirely of tourists.
The tech entrepreneur will blast off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, in what will be the first all-civilian mission into Earth's orbit, which he will command and pay for himself.
The mission, named Inspiration4, "is the first step in a world where everybody can go and journey among the stars," Isaacman said with an enormous grin as he explained the project to AFP in front of SpaceX's headquarters in the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne.
SpaceX flies, crashes massive Starship rocket again
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SpaceX's test flight of the company's deep-space Starship rocket ended for a second time in a fiery explosion on the landing pad Tuesday in Boca Chica, Texas, after the Federal Aviation Administration modified the company's license to allow the launch.
The rocket, named SN9, ascended to a height of more than 6 miles and performed a flip manuever. But after it descended, its engines appe New rocket company Astra plans Nasdaq listing
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California-based small-rocket company Astra plans a listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange to raise up to $500 million as it tries to capture more of the growing launch business, the company announced Tuesday.
Astra is focused on building small rockets rapidly, in assembly-line fashion. The company launched a demonstration rocket into space for the first time from Alaska in December. It f Out-of-this-world wine back in Bordeaux after space station trip
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Twelve bottles of Bordeaux wine and dozens of vine shoots are back at home in southwest France after spending months on the International Space Station (ISS) for an unusual astrochemistry experiment.
The red wine and 320 mature shoots known as canes arrived Monday after their return to Earth via a Dragon capsule operated by SpaceX, the private launching company created by Elon Musk.
They Dubai creates 'space court' for out-of-this-world disputes
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Dubai announced Monday the creation of a "space court" to settle commercial disputes, as the UAE - which is also sending a probe to Mars - builds its presence in the space sector.
The tribunal will be based at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts, an independent British-inspired arbitration centre based on common law.
Space law is governed by international convention 
