Copernical Team
With its latest moon mission success, China's space program has the US in its sights
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June 25 2024 marked a new "first" in the history of spaceflight. China's robotic Chang'e 6 spacecraft delivered samples of rock back to Earth from a huge feature on the moon called the south pole–Aitken basin. After touching down on the moon's "far side," on the southern rim of the Apollo crater, Chang'e 6 came back with around 1.9kg of rock and soil, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The moon's south pole is designated as the location for the future China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This truly international endeavor has partners including Russia, Venezuela, South Africa and Egypt, and is being coordinated by an ad hoc kind of international space agency.
China has a strategic plan to build a space economy and become the world leader in this field.
Eight CubeSats lift off for NASA on Firefly Aerospace rocket
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As part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative, Firefly Aerospace launched eight small satellites on July 3 aboard the company's Alpha rocket. Named "Noise of Summer," the rocket successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:04 p.m. PDT.
The CubeSat missions were designed by universities and NASA centers and cover science that includes climate studies, satellite technology development, and educational outreach to students.
Firefly Aerospace completed its Venture-Class Launch Services Demonstration 2 contract with this launch. The agency's venture-class contracts offer launch opportunities for new providers, helping grow the commercial launch industry and leading to cost-effective competition for future NASA missions.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe completes 20th close approach to the sun
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NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed its 20th close approach to the sun on June 30, 2024, matching its own distance record by coming about 4.51 million miles (7.26 million kilometers) from the solar surface.
The close approach (known as perihelion) occurred at 3:47 UTC (11:47 p.m. EDT on June 29), with Parker Solar Probe moving 394,736 miles per hour (635,266 kilometers per hour) around the sun, again matching its own record.
On July 2, the spacecraft checked in with mission operators at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland (where the spacecraft was also designed and built), with a beacon tone indicating it was in good health and all systems were operating normally.
The milestone also marked the midpoint in the mission's 20th solar encounter, which began June 25 and continues through July 5.
Parker will fly around the sun at the same distance and speed one more time this year—on Sept.
Crew of NASA's earthbound simulated Mars habitat emerge after a year
Shenzhou XVII Crew Shares Post-Mission Insights with Media
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The astronauts of China's Shenzhou XVII mission held their first press conference on Friday, two months after returning from their space expedition.
The three crew members - Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin - are reported to be in excellent physical and mental condition. Their muscle strength, endurance, and cardiopulmonary function have largely returned to pre-flight levels. Effects of Visual and Auditory Guidance on Space Station Tasks
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Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology conducted a study examining the impact of visual and auditory instructions on procedural tasks within a simulated space station environment. The study involved 30 participants (15 men and 15 women) aged between 20 and 50, with an average age of 42. All participants were right-handed and free from significant visual or auditory impairments, mee Ovzon 3 Satellite Commences Commercial Service
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As previously communicated, Ovzon's proprietary satellite, Ovzon 3, has reached its designated position in the geostationary arc. After several weeks of final in-orbit testing, the satellite is now ready for commercial service.
The first delivery of SATCOM-as-a-Service from Ovzon 3 will be provided to the French government organization GIGN (Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie National RuggON's Vehicle-Mounted Computer Offers Global Connectivity
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RuggON, a leading provider of rugged computing solutions, has unveiled the Iridium Connected VORTEX, a robust Vehicle-Mounted Computer (VMC) designed for seamless global connectivity. Equipped with a specialized antenna and an integrated satellite-communications module, the Vortex ensures reliable data and message exchange even in the most isolated locations, beyond the reach of conventional 5G NASA's CURIE CubeSat to Study Space Weather on Ariane 6 Rocket
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NASA's CURIE (CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment) will be a rideshare payload on the ESA's (European Space Agency) first flight of the Arianespace Ariane 6 rocket, aimed at exploring the main factors influencing space weather. The launch is scheduled for July 9 from Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Designed by Dr. David Sundkvist and his team at th Quantum Detectors Poised to Reveal Dark Matter Mysteries
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A major scientific enigma may be closer to resolution as researchers harness cutting-edge quantum technology.
Approximately 80% of the universe's matter is dark, eluding direct observation but detectable through its gravitational effects. Despite ongoing efforts, these dark matter particles remain unseen.
Scientists from Lancaster University, the University of Oxford, and Royal Hollo 
