Copernical Team
Study shows need for ITU to tighten regulations for low orbit satellites as filing numbers grow
A small team of political scientists and astronomers at the University of British Columbia has conducted a study of the number of filings to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) by entities wishing to send satellites into low orbit and has found the numbers growing so fast that soon there will not be room for new satellite deployments. In their paper is published in the journal Science.
Satellites designed for use in communications systems must be put into low Earth orbit—most of them are used for internet services. But those wishing to deploy them must file for orbital space with the ITU, a United Nations entity that has been tasked with regulating Earth orbital space.
In recent years, large entities such as Starlink have filed for multiple orbital space slots in large bunches; such slots are used by multiple small satellites that together comprise a constellation. These are needed because the satellites are deployed in a geosynchronous orbit, which means multiple satellites are needed to create networks over large geographical areas, such as countries.
Prior research has shown that as more satellites are launched into low orbit, the belt around the planet becomes more crowded—eventually, there will no longer be room for any new satellites.
Muninn mission patch explained
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Muninn mission patch explained SpaceX launch equals Space Coast record for the year
A SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday night marked the Space Coast's 57th launch of the year, equaling the record total seen in 2022.
A Falcon 9 with 22 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:36 p.m. This was the first-stage booster's 16th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.
For SpaceX it was its 53rd mission from either Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center this year while United Launch Alliance has flown three times and Relativity Space has flown once. SpaceX is the lone launch provider this year from KSC having flown 11 times while ULA, SpaceX and Relativity combined for 46 launches from Canaveral.
The majority of SpaceX launches have been for its growing Starlink constellation. This marks the 31st Starlink launch from the Space Coast.
But SpaceX has also flown all three U.S.-based crewed missions this year with Crew-6, Axiom 2 and Crew-7 all having launched from KSC. KSC has also hosted four of the Falcon Heavy launches including last week's Psyche launch, the first time NASA has used the powerhouse rocket.
DLR and NASA Collaborate to Advance Aircraft Aerodynamics Research
A collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and NASA is set to redefine our understanding of commercial aircraft aerodynamics. Through advanced wind-tunnel tests, the joint effort aims to improve the predictability of aerodynamic features for future aircraft, focusing on making them quieter, more efficient, and less damaging to the environment.
Before an aircraft ever takes t NASA makes it easier to find assistive technologies for licensing
NASA develops a variety of technologies to explore space and beyond for the benefit of humanity. One measure of its success is the impact on the daily lives of millions of people with injuries and disabilities who are assisted with innovative treatments and products developed from NASA-derived technology.
After all, it was thanks to NASA's resources that Adam Kissiah, an electronics instru Revolutionary atomic sensor redefines radio wave antenna
Physicists at the University of Otago have broken new ground by employing a glass bulb filled with atomic vapor to develop a novel type of antenna for radio waves. The research project was spearheaded by Dr. Susi Otto of the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, marking a significant advancement in the world of portable atomic radio frequency sensors.
The atomic vapor in DARPA launches TIAMAT Program to transform autonomous systems training
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is taking a novel approach to the challenges surrounding the development of autonomous systems. In a departure from traditional high-fidelity simulations, DARPA experts theorize that utilizing diverse, low-fidelity simulations can speed up the transfer of autonomy from a virtual setting to the real world. Their new program, named the Transfer Berkeley Space Center at NASA Ames to become innovation hub for new aviation, space technology
The University of California, Berkeley, is teaming up with NASA's Ames Research Center and developer SKS Partners to create research space for companies interested in collaborating with UC Berkeley and NASA scientists and engineers to generate futuristic innovations in aviation, space exploration and how we live and work in space. Announced Monday, the Berkeley Space Center aims to accommodate u Momentus to conduct in-space delivery for Polish nanosatellite maker SatRev
Momentus Inc., a U.S.-based commercial space company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol MNTS, has entered into a contractual agreement with SatRev, a Polish nanosatellite manufacturer, for orbital transportation and delivery services slated for the first quarter of 2024. The arrangement involves the SOWA-1 payload, developed by SatRev, as the primary consignment to be ferried by Momentus. Study reveals how supernovae collisions ignite the birth of stars and planets in the north celestial pole loop
In a study examining the dynamics of neutral hydrogen gas within the North Celestial Pole (NCP) Loop, scientists have uncovered an unforeseen revelation - a collision between two supernova shells has yielded the essential conditions for the genesis of cirrus dust clouds, the precursors of stars and planets as well as interstellar molecular clouds, the fundamental components of life's building bl