Copernical Team
Webb placed on top of Ariane 5
On Saturday 11 December, the James Webb Space Telescope was placed on top of the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
How to see comet Leonard, according to the researcher who discovered it
Now is the best time to get a glimpse of Comet C/2021 A1, better known as Comet Leonard. It's named for its discoverer, Gregory Leonard, a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory.
Every night with clear skies, astronomers with LPL's Catalina Sky Survey scan the sky for near-Earth asteroids—space rocks with the potential of venturing close to Earth at some point.
During one such routine observation run on Jan. 3, Leonard spotted a fuzzy patch of light tracking across the starfield background in a sequence of four images taken with the 1.5-meter telescope at the summit of Mount Lemmon.
Webb and Ariane 5 – Preparing for launch
Video:
00:04:00
The world’s next generation cosmic observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, is due for launch on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Webb is a joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency and is a remarkable feat of engineering and technology. The telescope is fitted with the largest astronomical mirror ever flown in space, sophisticated new scientific instruments, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court.
Ariane 5 is one of the most reliable launch vehicles in the world and special modifications have been made for the preparation and
TEC Business to Business website
TEC Business to Business website
Software-defined OneSat ready for production
The latest type of telecommunication satellite that can respond from space to changing demands on Earth is about to start assembly of its electronic components.
Orbex begins construction of new rocket launchpad in the UK
Orbex, Europe's leading private small satellite launch services provider, has announced it has started construction of its first state-of-the-art Launch Platform, the first orbital space launchpad to be built in the UK for more than half a century.
Orbex has commissioned Motive Offshore Group, a leading Scottish company specialising in the design and manufacture of marine and lifting equip China tests hypersonic flight engine using rejected design developed in US
A team of scientists has built and successfully tested a prototype based on a novel idea created more than two decades ago by an American space agency expert of Chinese descent.
A Chinese research team has built and tested a prototype hypersonic flight engine, capable of operating in Mach 4 to Mach 8 (4,900-9,800 kph) speed conditions, based on a design cooked up in NASA but later rejected Artificial intelligence for eye health in space
Young researchers from ESA’s Spaceship EAC initiative are keeping a good eye on ocular health by using images of astronauts’ optical discs in space to train an artificially intelligent (AI) model. All going well, this model will be used to automatically detect changes in the optic nerve of astronauts, known as Space-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).
Double drop test success
Video:
00:01:30
Onboard video footage from two high-altitude drop tests of the ExoMars second stage parachute. The cameras are on the drop test vehicle and capture the moment of separation from the stratospheric balloon, the release of the pilot chute, and the extraction of the main parachute.
The footage is shown at various speeds, capturing in slow motion the inflation of the 35 m wide subsonic parachute – the largest ever to fly on Mars.
The drop tests took place in Oregon on 21 November and 3 December as part of the ongoing parachute testing to ensure the safe delivery of
ESA Highlights: images and achievements from 2021
ESA Highlights: images and achievements from 2021
ESA Highlights 2021 is available online in this interactive format, which can be read on your desktop computer, laptop, tablet or phone.