Copernical Team
Apes, robots and men: The life and death of the first space chimp
On January 31, 1961, an intrepid chimpanzee called Ham was launched on a rocket from Cape Canaveral in the United States, and returned to Earth alive. In this process, he became the first hominin in space.
In the 1950s, it was unclear whether humans could survive outside Earth—both physically and mentally. The science fiction writer and warfare expert Cordwainer Smith wrote about the psychological pain of being in space.
Plants, insects and animals had been taken to high altitudes in balloons and rockets since the 18th century. The Soviet Union sent the dog Laika into orbit on Sputnik 2 in 1957. She died, but from overheating rather than the effects of space travel itself.
While the USSR focused on dogs, the US turned to chimpanzees as they were the most like humans. The stakes became higher when US President John F. Kennedy promised to land humans on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.
Biography of a non-human astronaut
Ham was born in 1957 in a rainforest in the Central African nation of Cameroon, then a French territory.
Spacewalkers complete 4 years of power upgrades for station
A pair of spacewalking astronauts completed a four-year effort to modernize the International Space Station's power grid on Monday, installing one last battery.
Apply now for the 2021 YGT opportunities!
The 2021 ESA YGT opportunities are now open for applications until 1 March. Positions are available in engineering, science, IT and business services. Find out more and apply now.
Maine company successfully launches prototype rocket
A Maine company that's developing a rocket to propel small satellites into space passed its first major test on Sunday.
Brunswick-based bluShift Aerospace launched a 20-foot (6-meter) prototype rocket, hitting an altitude of a little more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in a first run designed to test the rocket's propulsion and control systems.
It carried a science project by Falmouth High School students that will measure flight metrics such as barometric pressure, a special alloy that's being tested by a New Hampshire company—and a Dutch dessert called stroopwafel, in an homage to its Amsterdam-based parent company.
Opportunities for industry to renew Europe’s Spaceport
ESA invites European space and non-space companies to get involved in the modernisation of facilities at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. A total budget of €140 million has been allocated to finance this work over the 2020–24 period.
Waldrop leads $75M NASA mission to investigate Earth's atmosphere
University of Illinois Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Lara Waldrop has been selected by NASA to lead the development of a $75 million satellite that ultimately may help protect technology like satellite electronics, radio communication, electric power distribution, and even air travel from the dangers of solar storms. Waldrop's Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) Scienc
Test paves way for new planetary radar
The National Science Foundation's Green Bank Observatory (GBO) and National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Raytheon Intelligence and Space conducted a test in November to prove that a new radio telescope system can capture high-resolution images in near-Earth space. GBO's Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia - the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope - was outfit
NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer prepares for environmental testing
Despite COVID-19-related hurdles, NASA's newest X-ray astronomy mission is a step closer to launch. Engineers recently completed integration of the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE, at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado. Now, Ball will put the fully assembled observatory through a series of tests that simulate the harsh conditions the small spacecraft will encounter on its r
EDMO Distributors signs distribution agreement with AvMap Satellite Navigation
EDMO Distributors, a global leader in the distribution of avionics and installation supplies, has signed a distribution agreement with AvMap Satellite Navigation. The AvMap company has built a solid reputation as a value-oriented navigation system, with the first units fielded in 1994. The EKP V is a stand-alone moving map display that can be carried on or panel mounted. Customers can add
MDA extends satellite operations capability through contract award by the Canadian Space Agency
MDA will provide spacecraft health monitoring and control, operational analysis, basic system maintenance, data order handling, image quality control and data processing and archiving for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), SCISAT and NEOSSat from the CSA's Multi-Mission Control Centre in Longueuil, Quebec.
MDA has partnered with two leading Canadian space firms - Calian Advanced T