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Copernical Team

Wednesday, 15 November 2023 19:08

Fall into an ice giant's atmosphere

Uranus and Neptune
Neptune as seen from Voyager II in 1989. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The unique atmospheric compositions of "ice giant" planets Uranus and Neptune were recreated to simulate a plunge deep within them, using suitably adapted European shocktubes and plasma facilities.

Taking place as part of an effort to simulate the flight of proposed atmospheric probes, the test campaign achieved an equivalent speed up to 19 km/s—although further work will be needed to reach the actual velocities that probes into these gas giants would attain.

Testing took place inside the hypersonic plasma T6 Stalker Tunnel at Oxford University in the U.K., along with the University of Stuttgart's High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group's plasma wind tunnels in Germany, as shown in the video clip here.

Credit: University of Stuttgart's High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group

Whether by impacts, landings or atmospheric probes, human-made spacecraft have touched all the planets of the solar system except two: the outer gas giants Uranus and Neptune.

Now both NASA and ESA are considering future missions to this intriguing pair, almost identical in size.

moon landing
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Through Artemis, NASA plans to explore more of the moon than ever before with human and robotic missions on the lunar surface. Because future landers will be larger and equipped with more powerful engines than the Apollo landers, mission risks associated with their operation during landing and liftoff is significantly greater. With the agency's goal to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, mission planners must understand how future landers interact with the lunar surface as they touch down in unexplored moonscapes.

Landing on the moon is tricky. When missions fly crew and payloads to the , spacecraft control their descent by firing to counteract the moon's gravitational pull. This happens in an that's hard to replicate and test on Earth, namely, a combination of low gravity, no atmosphere, and the unique properties of lunar regolith—the layer of fine, loose dust and rock on the moon's .

Each time a spacecraft lands or lifts off, its engines blast supersonic plumes of hot gas toward the surface and the intense forces kick up dust and eject rocks or other debris at high speeds.

A novel system for slip prevention of unmanned rovers
Similar to how human muscles detect the traveling state of the body, the slip condition of rovers can be determined by detecting the deformation of their chassis. This technology can be used to prevent the slipping of rovers. Credit: Kojiro Iizuka from Shibaura Insititute of Technology

Given the hostile conditions of extraterrestrial environments, unmanned rovers play a critical role in the exploration of planets and moons. NASA's Mars and lunar exploration rovers have significantly contributed to our understanding of these extraterrestrial bodies. Planetary surfaces often present challenging landscapes with slopes, craters, and dunes.

Wednesday, 15 November 2023 12:00

Muninn mission name and patch explained

Video: 00:01:25

ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt explains his mission name and patch.

Marcus’s first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin – Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolise the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.

According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as mind and passion. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s mission.

Wednesday, 15 November 2023 12:00

Training for space

Video: 00:02:09

Overview of ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt’s training for his mission to space.

The Swedish astronaut will travel to the International Space Station on Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) no earlier than January 2024. He will spend up to 14 days in orbit conducting microgravity research and educational activities.

Marcus Wandt started intensive training for his mission in June 2023. Lessons on payloads and simulators take place in training facilities and space centres around the world. Each of the partners is in charge of training astronauts on the elements that they contribute to the International Space Station.

Marcus’s training in Europe

Video: 00:39:52

Watch the replay of the press conference with ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt taking place at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne (Germany) as he prepares for his first mission to the International Space Station.

He was joined by another ESA astronaut, Matthias Maurer. Marcus’s mission, called Muninn, is supported by ESA and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA).

The mission will last up to 14 days, in which Marcus will take part in microgravity research and educational outreach activities. Marcus will be a mission specialist on Ax-3 and his launch is scheduled on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier

Wednesday, 15 November 2023 13:00

Italy's Mount Etna spews lava

One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna, erupted on Sunday – spewing lava and clouds of ash high over the Mediterranean island of Sicily. This image, captured on 13 November by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, has been processed using the mission’s shortwave-infrared bands to show the lava flow at the time of acquisition. Image: One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna, erupted on Sunday – spewing lava and clouds of ash high over the Mediterranean island of Sicily. This image, captured on 13 November by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, has been processed using the mission’s shortwave-infrared bands
Boston MA (SPX) Nov 15, 2023
On Nov. 9, the SpaceX Falcon rocket streaked skyward from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket is on a commercial resupply mission dubbed CRS-2 SpX-29. In addition to providing vital provisions for astronauts, SpX-29 carries a special biological sciences payload - a collaborative experiment developed by researchers at Arizona State Universi
San Jose CA (SPX) Nov 15, 2023
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), a U.S. commercial space company that offers satellite buses, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, continues to advance in-space testing of its Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) and recently completed initial in-space testing of its Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA). The MET is the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle's (OSV) primary prop
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 15, 2023
Neuraspace, a leader in smarter space traffic management, has announced a strategic partnership with Elecnor Deimos, a renowned name in Space Surveillance and Awareness solutions. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the way space debris is tracked, significantly enhancing the safety and security of space operations. Utilizing critical data from Elecnor Deimos, Neuraspace aims to bol
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