Copernical Team
Artemis 1 mission sets the stage for routine space exploration beyond Earth's orbit
Write a comment
NASA's Artemis 1 mission is poised to take a key step toward returning humans to the moon after a half-century hiatus. The launch was scheduled for the morning of Aug. 29, 2022, but was postponed due to an issue with one of the rocket's engines. The next opportunity to launch the rocket is Sept. 2, 2022. The mission is a shakedown cruise—sans crew—for NASA's Space Launch System and Orion Crew Capsule.
The spacecraft is scheduled to travel to the moon, deploy some small satellites and then settle into orbit. NASA aims to practice operating the spacecraft, test the conditions crews will experience on and around the moon, and assure everyone that the spacecraft and any occupants can safely return to Earth.
The Conversation asked Jack Burns, a professor and space scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and former member of the Presidential Transition Team for NASA, to describe the mission, explain what the Artemis program promises to do for space exploration, and reflect on how the space program has changed in the half-century since humans last set foot on the lunar surface.
Yeast bound for moon will provide clues on how radiation impacts astronauts
Write a comment
A team of researchers led by CU Boulder is sending some unexpected hitchhikers to the moon: Twelve bags filled with baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the same kind of hard-working cells that make bread rise and ferment beer and wine.
As early as Friday, a rocket taller than the Statue of Liberty is scheduled to blast off from a launch pad in Florida, carrying NASA's new Orion space capsule into Earth's orbit for the first time. From there, the spacecraft, designed to transport four astronauts, will begin a 42-day journey to the moon and back to Earth.
There aren't any humans aboard this mission, called Artemis 1. But that doesn't mean there won't be passengers. Three human mannequins, named Moonikin Campos, Helga and Zohar, will fly aboard Orion—as will four biological experiments, including one designed by a team at BioServe Space Technologies, a center in the Ann and H.J.
Tighter controls on hazardous chemicals to impact space industry
Write a comment
Revision to practices on the authorisation and restriction of hazardous chemicals in the EU and the new ‘Essential Use’ concept are set to further impact space programmes, the space sector and its supply chains.
Sol 3572: And Now for Something Completely Different? Or Not!
Write a comment
We are almost through Paraitepuy pass, an area between two large buttes that has made for tricky driving while dealing with communication challenges, sand and broken-up rocks. But the end is in sight as we near an area identified from orbit as probably containing hydrated magnesium sulfates, in contrast with the clay-bearing unit that we have been transitioning out of.
Before we get there Thermophysical properties of lunar farside regolith with in-situ temperature measurement by Chang'E-4
Write a comment
Lunar regolith is a layer of loosely-packed rocky grains deposited on the lunar surface, whose physical and chemical properties are important for deciphering the geologic history and lunar spacecraft design.
Probing the thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith has drawn a lot of attention since the Apollo era. Early measurements focused on the Apollo regolith samples, but the experimenta UCL team maps moon's surface for NASA missions
Write a comment
UCL researchers are helping NASA prepare for its Artemis programme moon missions by creating high-resolution 3D models of potential landing sites. Professor Jan-Peter Muller and PhD student Alfiah Putri (both UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory) were commissioned by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to create a 3D model and image of a possible landing site known as Aristarchus - a crater 4 Sol 3571: We'll Take a Little Bit of Everything Please!
Write a comment
Today we planned a single sol plan cramming lots of science into a small plan, before driving in the afternoon. The workspace here has flat-lying bedrock, sometimes with visible laminations or with raised ridges, with some patches of rougher textured (chaotic looking) material overlying the bedrock and lots of float rocks. So - rather than choose between them - we are doing a bit of everything! Maritime Launch to begin construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia
Write a comment
Nova Scotia is a step closer to becoming a global destination for commercial space launch as Maritime Launch Services (Nova Scotia) Ltd. (Maritime Launch or "the Company") (NEO: MAXQ, OTCQB: MAXQF) is approved to begin construction of Spaceport Nova Scotia - Canada's first commercial spaceport.
"Today is historic. Nova Scotia is the safest and most globally competitive location to launch s NASA scrubs launch of giant Moon rocket, may try again Friday
Write a comment
NASA has scrubbed a test flight of its powerful new rocket, in a setback to its plan to send humans back to the Moon and eventually to Mars, but may shoot for another launch attempt on Friday.
"We don't launch until it's right," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said after an engine issue forced a cancellation of Monday's flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"This is a very comp NASA scrubs launch of new moon rocket after engine problem
Write a comment
A fuel leak and then an engine problem during final liftoff preparations led NASA to call off the launch of its mighty new moon rocket Monday on its debut flight with three test dummies aboard.
The next launch attempt will not take place until Friday at the earliest and could be off until next month.