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Copernical Team

Copernical Team

If launched by 2028, a spacecraft could catch up with 'Oumuamua in 26 years
Artist’s impression of the Project Lyra lightsail probe rendezvousing with an interstellar object (ISO). Credit: i4is

In October 2017, the interstellar object 'Oumuamua passed through our solar system, leaving many questions in its wake. Not only was it the first object of its kind ever observed, but the limited data astronomers obtained as it shot out of our solar system left them all scratching their heads. Even today, almost five years after this interstellar visitor made its flyby, scientists are still uncertain about its true nature and origins. In the end, the only way to get real answers from 'Oumuamua is to catch up with it.

Interestingly enough, there are many proposals on the table for missions that could do just that. Consider Project Lyra, a proposal by the Institute for Interstellar Studies (i4is), which would rely on advanced propulsions technology to rendezvous with interstellar objects (ISOs) and study them.

Monday, 24 January 2022 08:00

Fitness in 360° | Cosmic Kiss

Video: 00:01:36

You’ve heard of spacewalking astronauts but how do astronauts run? Join ESA’s Matthias Maurer for a workout on the International Space Station’s T2 treadmill and explore Node 3 in 360°.

Astronauts living and working on the International Space Station exercise for around two hours a day six days a week to stay fit and healthy in orbit. This helps counteract muscle and bone loss caused by life in microgravity.

The T2 treadmill is attached to the wall in Node 3 and astronauts secure themselves using a harness and bungies. This creates a feeling like running on a treadmill on

Agenda 2025 cover

European leaders will reaffirm plans to launch Europe on a world-leading trajectory during a high-level space summit to be held on 16 February in Toulouse, France.

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Jan 20, 2022
Researchers from RIKEN and QuTech-a collaboration between TU Delft and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)- have achieved a key milestone toward the development of a fault-tolerant quantum computer. They were able to demonstrate a two-qubit gate fidelity of 99.5 percent-higher than the 99 percent considered to be the threshold for building fault-tolerant comp
Delft, Netherlands (SPX) Jan 20, 2022
Researchers at QuTech-a collaboration between the Delft University of Technology and TNO-have taken an important step for semiconductor spin qubits by surpassing the 99% barrier for two-qubit gate fidelity. They report on their findings in Nature on 19 January 2021 and are featured on the issue's cover. Two independent works from groups at UNSW Sydney and at RIKEN report similar results in the s
Saturday, 22 January 2022 11:20

Quantum computing in silicon hits 99% accuracy

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jan 20, 2022
Australian researchers have proven that near error-free quantum computing is possible, paving the way to build silicon-based quantum devices compatible with current semiconductor manufacturing technology. "Today's publication shows our operations were 99 per cent error-free," says Professor Andrea Morello of UNSW, who led the work with partners in the US, Japan, Egypt, and at UTS and the U
Saturday, 22 January 2022 11:20

PLATO clears decisive hurdle

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 19, 2022
The European Space Agency (ESA) has given the green light to build the flight models of the spacecraft and science payload for the PLATO mission to search for extrasolar planets. The Critical Milestone Review officially concluded on 11 January 2022. This means that the production of the hardware for the space telescope system can now commence. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fur L
London, UK (SPX) Jan 14, 2022
The UK Space Agency has invested 25 million pounds in innovative science for the European Space Agency mission, called Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO), ensuring UK scientists and engineers, led by the University of Warwick, will take part in all aspects of the mission. Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, said: The critical milestone rev
Trieste, Italy (SPX) Jan 19, 2022
With a new computational approach, SISSA researchers have been able to make the fascinating calculation. Moreover, according to their work, around 1% of the overall ordinary (baryonic) matter is locked up in stellar mass black holes. Their results have just been published in the prestigious 'The Astrophysical Journal'. How many black holes are out there in the Universe? This is one of the
Saturday, 22 January 2022 11:20

Worldwide coordinated search for dark matter

Mainz, Germany (SPX) Jan 21, 2022
An international team of researchers with key participation from the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz (HIM) has published for the first time comprehensive data on the search for dark matter using a worldwide network of optical magnetometers. According to the scientists, dark matter fields should produce a characteristic
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