Copernical Team
China highlights major strides in moon research and exploration
China's lunar exploration initiative has seen consistent advancements across science, technology, engineering, and international partnerships, according to Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.
Speaking during the launch of an exhibition at the National Museum of China, Wu emphasized that the country has developed an expansive body of lunar geological and envi Mapping the Earth's crops
As agricultural research continues to become more entwined with technology, smart farming - a phrase that encompasses research computing tools that help farmers to better address issues like crop disease, drought and sustainability - has quickly become a ubiquitous term in Ag labs across the country. The availability of NCSA resources like Delta for researchers, both nationally and on the Univer ESA's mini weather mission exceeds expectations
Launched just seven months ago, ESA's Arctic Weather Satellite has quickly demonstrated how the fast-track New Space strategy can accelerate the delivery of missions that offer high-quality atmospheric data crucial for short-term weather forecasting.
This compact prototype, developed on a tight schedule and modest budget, has impressed experts with its ability to generate temperature and h CesiumAstro joins Taiwan's initiative to build LEO satellite network
CesiumAstro has secured a key contract with the Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) to supply advanced communications payloads and ground systems for the nation's inaugural low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. This agreement supports Taiwan's Beyond 5G (B5G) satellite initiative aimed at creating a sovereign space-based communications infrastructure.
As part of the contract, CesiumAstro w How hidden lakes threaten Antarctic Ice Sheet stability
For decades, satellites have played a crucial role in our understanding of the remote polar regions. The ongoing loss of Antarctic ice, owing to the climate crisis, is, sadly, no longer surprising. However, satellites do more than just track the accelerating flow of glaciers towards the ocean and measure ice thickness.
New research highlights how ESA’s CryoSat mission has been used to uncover the hidden impact of subglacial lakes – vast reservoirs of water buried deep under the ice – that can suddenly drain into the ocean in dramatic outbursts and affect ice loss.
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Up for space Webb snaps photographs of Asteroid 2024 YR4
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This image shows Webb’s recent observation of the asteroid 2024 YR4 using both its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Data from NIRCam shows reflected light, while the MIRI observations show thermal light.
On 8 March 2025, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope turned its watchful eye toward asteroid 2024 YR4, which we now know poses no significant threat to Earth in 2032 and beyond.
This is the smallest object targeted by Webb to date, and one of the smallest objects to have its size directly measured.
Observations were taken to study the thermal properties of 2024 YR4,
Lunar soundwave tech offers new hope for extracting Moon ice
The UK Space Agency has announced the winner of its Aqualunar Challenge, a Pounds 150,000 award recognizing pioneering technology to purify water extracted from frozen lunar soil. Gloucestershire-based Naicker Scientific claimed the top prize with its SonoChem System, an innovative device that uses high-frequency sound waves to clean water derived from lunar ice.
The prize, part of a larg Martian dust may endanger astronaut health during surface missions
New research involving the University of Colorado Boulder warns that exposure to Martian dust could pose serious health threats to astronauts on future missions. According to the study, prolonged contact with this extraterrestrial dust may result in chronic lung damage, disruptions to thyroid function, and other harmful conditions.
Published in the journal GeoHealth, the study is the first ExoMars rover to land on Mars aboard European-built platform
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Airbus the contract to design and construct the landing platform for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, marking a major step forward for the mission targeting a 2028 launch. The European-led initiative will search for traces of life, past or present, on Mars.
Airbus teams in the UK will handle development of the platform's mechanical systems, t