
Copernical Team
DECam Study Reveals Dense Galactic Clusters Around Early Universe Quasars

Astronomers catch a glimpse of a uniquely inflated and asymmetric exoplanet

Nuclear strategies tested at Sandia could avert asteroid disaster

A Striped Surprise

New Glenn second stage completes successful hotfire test ahead of November launch

China launches eight satellites using Smart Dragon 3 rocket

Draco mission made for destruction

Over the nearly 70 years of spaceflight, about 10 000 intact satellites and rocket bodies have reentered the atmosphere with many more to follow. Yet for such a ubiquitous event, we still lack a clear view on what actually happens to a satellite during its fiery last moments.
ESA is preparing the Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission that will collect unique measurements during an actual reentry and breakup of a satellite from the inside. A capsule especially designed to survive the destruction will transmit the valuable telemetry shortly after.
2 record-breaking Russians and an American who lived on space station for 6 months return to Earth

Research abounds at the International Space Station

At the International Space station, researchers are making strides in everything from Earth science to chemical properties. Here's what they're up to and why it matters.
Recently, researchers have found that eddies, or swirling wind patterns, increased moisture evaporation in an alfalfa field. A better understanding of the complex exchange of water and heat between the ground and atmosphere could improve remote sensing products and their use in agricultural water management.
The station's ECOSTRESS instrument takes high-resolution thermal infrared measurements of Earth's surface that provide data on changes in water availability, vegetation water stress, and agricultural water use. Researchers use observations from the USGS Landsat 8 and 9 satellites and ECOSTRESS to validate climate models and update data on Earth's surface energy (the amount of energy absorbed from the sun and radiated back into the atmosphere).
LUNA infographics
