Copernical Team
New Horizons is so far away, it can measure the true darkness of the universe
Just how dark is the night sky?
If you step outside during a moonless night and look up, it probably doesn't look that dark at all. Streetlights or nearby porch lights fill the air with a background glow, particularly if they happen to be bluish-white LEDs. Light pollution in your neighborhood is likely so bad that you can only see a few bright stars. Even in somewhat rural areas, our skies are so bright that the Milky Way isn't really visible. In North America and Europe, only about a quarter of children have seen the Milky Way.
To get away from all the light pollution you need to travel to a pretty remote corner of the world. One of the most remote is the Andean desert in Chile.
Scientists propose adapting a Mars ISRU system to the changing Mars environment
Human missions to Mars will require a substantial launch vehicle to ascend from Mars to rendezvous with a waiting Earth return vehicle in Mars orbit. For an ascending crew of 6, the current best estimate of oxygen propellants required for ascent is about 30 metric tons. Producing oxygen for ascent propellants and possibly life support from the indigenous CO2 on Mars, rather than bringing oxygen to Mars from Earth, is of significant benefit.
The oxygen production is accomplished through a process known generically as in situ resource utilization (ISRU). Since the Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) Project demonstrated operation of a prototype electrolysis system for converting Martian CO2 to O2 on Mars with great success, it is now appropriate to investigate scaling up this prototype to a full-scale system.
In a research paper recently published in Space: Science & Technology, Donald Rapp and Eric Hinterman modeled the performance of a full-scale Mars in situ resource utilization (ISRU) system to produce 30 metric tons of liquid O2, operated for 14 months as the Mars environment changes diurnally and seasonally.
Artemis II crew visit spacecraft
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During Artemis I the European Service Module (ESM) surpassed expectations. Now, as we set our sights on Artemis II, the European Service Module is ready to once again serve as Orion’s primary power and propulsion component and keep the spacecraft at the right temperature and on course. And this time, with real astronauts on board.
ESM-2 stands as a testament to ESA's contributions to NASA's Orion spacecraft and the Artemis programme, ensuring the crew will have the essentials – from electricity to temperature control – in the vastness of space.
Next up, ESM-2 will be connected with the crew
NASA study reveals compounding climate risks at two degrees of warming
If global temperatures keep rising and reach 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, people worldwide could face multiple impacts of climate change simultaneously. This is according to a NASA-led study that analyzed the projected impacts of such warming to understand how different climate effects might combine. A 2-degree rise in global temperatures is considered Oldest extant plant has adapted to extremes and is threatened by climate change
The rare moss Takakia has adapted over millions of years to a life at high altitudes. An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski from the University of Freiburg and Prof. Dr. Yikun He from the Capital Normal University / China has now discovered exactly how it has developed the ability to survive frost and life-threatening high UV radiation. In the renowned journal Cell, they des NASA TechRise Student Challenge tests experiments in stratosphere
On July 24, students from 30 middle and high schools selected for NASA's TechRise Student Challenge watched their experiments launch aboard a high-altitude balloon, marking the culmination of months of hard work.
Flight tests play a critical role in advancing the agency's space exploration priorities. TechRise - led by NASA's Flight Opportunities program and administered by Future Engineer HALO investigates transport of polluted air masses over the Pacific Ocean
Extreme rainfall during the Asian monsoon repeatedly causes catastrophic destruction in Southeast Asia. However, the effects of this large-scale weather system extend far beyond the Indian subcontinent. Heavily polluted air masses from the near-surface atmosphere in Southeast Asia travel as far as the lower stratosphere above Europe. From August to October 2023, a team of German research institu Deep cycling of carbon and chlorine were likely flipped in Earth's early history
New research led by Macquarie University earth scientist Dr Chunfei Chen sheds new light on geological processes from up to three billion years ago and marks a significant shift in the scientific community's understanding of the early Earth.
The research published this week in Nature gives insight into the profound impact of the planet's gradual cooling on the deep cycling of carbon and ch SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites into space
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a payload of nearly two dozen Starlink satellites into space from Florida's famed Cape Canaveral late Wednesday.
The rocket launched at 11:36 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The mission deployed 22 additional Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit where they will join a constellation of thou Umbra achieves Commercial SAR milestone with 16-cm resolution
Space technology firm Umbra has reached a significant milestone by generating a 16-cm resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image, marking the highest resolution for a commercial satellite image ever shared with the public. This breakthrough development comes as the company reveals its enhanced capability to deliver its best satellite data to customers, inclusive of intricate data with resol