Copernical Team
NASA seeks input for future lunar surface resource utilization demo
As NASA ushers in an exciting era of long-term exploration on the Moon with Artemis, new strategies are being formulated to determine how technology, infrastructure, and operations will function together as a cohesive and cross-cutting system.
As a sustained presence grows at the Moon, opportunities to harvest lunar resources could lead to safer, more efficient operations with less depende Curiosity rover clocks 4,000 sols on Mars
Four thousand Martian days after setting its wheels in Gale Crater on Aug. 5, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover remains busy conducting exciting science. The rover recently drilled its 39th sample then dropped the pulverized rock into its belly for detailed analysis.
To study whether ancient Mars had the conditions to support microbial life, the rover has been gradually ascending the base of 3- CNES, Pasteur Inst and SupBiotech sending "Cerebral Ageing" experiment to ISS
Scheduled for early November, the Cerebral Ageing experiment will depart for the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, inside a Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 launcher. The experiment aims firstly to create the conditions for studying complex human cellular structures in vitro over long periods in space. It subsequently seeks to analyse the effects of long-term space Early production continues on advanced upper stage for NASA moon rocket
Technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans have completed a major portion of a weld confidence article for the advanced upper stage of NASA's SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The hardware was rotated to a horizontal position and moved to another part of the facility Oct. 24.
The weld confidence article forms part of the liquid oxygen tank for the SLS rocket's exploration upper stage and is the fifth of seven weld confidence articles engineers are manufacturing for the evolved SLS Block 1B configuration of the SLS rocket. Beginning with Artemis IV, SLS will evolve to its more powerful Block 1B configuration with the advanced upper stage that gives the rocket the capability to launch 40% more to the moon along with Artemis astronauts inside NASA's Orion spacecraft.
Teams use weld confidence articles to verify welding procedures, interfaces between the tooling and hardware, and structural integrity of the welds. The dome of the liquid oxygen tank weld confidence article was first welded to its structural ring at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, using friction stir welding tooling.
Europe to hold competition to build space cargo ship
The European Space Agency announced Monday it would hold a competition between firms to build a ship to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, in a potential first step towards independent missions carrying astronauts.
The ESA's 22 member states, whose space ministers were meeting at a two-day summit in the Spanish city of Seville, also agreed to provide financial support for Euro ESA Council at ministerial level - Part 1
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Government ministers representing ESA’s Member States, Associate States and Cooperating States met for a Council meeting on 6 November 2023 during the Space Summit in Seville, Spain. They resolved together to strengthen Europe’s space ambitions to better serve European citizens. At the same time, ESA will open a new era of modernising the implementation of its programmes, responding to growing commercialisation and privatisation of space activities, in particular in the fields of space transportation and space exploration. The opening of the meeting was followed by an introduction by ESA Director General and statements by Member, Associate and
World-first Zero Debris Charter goes live
Ministers back Europe’s sustainable and competitive space ambitions
Europe will harness space for a greener future, take decisive steps in exploration, and ensure autonomous access to space while preparing a paradigm shift towards a more competitive next generation of launchers, following decisions taken today at the ESA Space Summit in Seville.
Europe to decide its future in space at Seville summit
European ministers are meeting in the Spanish city of Seville on Monday and Tuesday to decide on the continent's future in space, including potential exploration missions and an ongoing rocket launcher crisis.
With delays to its new Ariane rocket, Europe has no independent way to blast its missions into space and faces growing competition as the United States, China and India all aim for the moon.
"In space, a lot is at stake, and my question literally is where does Europe want to go?" European Space Agency (ESA) chief Joseph Aschbacher said ahead of the summit.
Does Europe want to join in on the economic boom in the space sector, or be "a customer of services that others are offering?" he asked.
The first day of the summit is devoted to a meeting of ministers from the 22 ESA member states, which includes most European Union nations as well as the UK, Switzerland and Norway.
Tuesday will be dedicated to a joint EU-ESA meeting.
The member states are expected to reaffirm their commitment to Earth observation missions that collect climate change data as a priority for future funding.
New dossier showcases how space is driving a greener future on Earth
The role that space can play in a greener future for us all is high on the agenda at today's ESA Space Summit. A new ‘green dossier’ to be released alongside the event in Seville on 6-7 November showcases how ESA’s flagship business-to-business programme is fuelling an unprecedented growth in green and sustainable space-enabled commercial activities to address the challenges of climate change.