Copernical Team
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter team says goodbye—for now
The final downlink shift by the Ingenuity team was a time to reflect on a highly successful mission—and to prepare the first aircraft on another world for its new role.
Next up is launch, as Boeing's Starliner takes trek to Cape Canaveral
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, set to take its first humans on board during the Crew Flight Test mission next month, was transported from Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 10-mile trip to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
It arrived at United Launch Alliance's Vertical Integration Facility early Tuesday where it was placed atop an Atlas V rocket ahead of the planned launch from Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 41 as early as May 6. The capsule will take NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on a planned eight-day mission to the International Space Station.
Boeing completed fueling its spacecraft at the Starliner production facility adjacent to KSC's massive Vehicle Assembly Building earlier this month.
"Samples were taken and specialized tests were conducted throughout the propellent loading process to ensure the safety of the team performing the operation and the safe operation of the spacecraft on orbit," said Mark Sorensen, Starliner CFT Crew Module lead.
Before it left the building, Boeing performed a final weigh-in that also acted as the center-of-gravity check.
Estonia pioneers instrument for Comet Interceptor mission through Prodex
An ESA programme called Prodex has enabled Estonian researchers and industry to join an international mission to intercept and examine a comet entering the inner Solar System for the first time.
Calling all researchers: carry out part of your projects in ESA labs
Are you working on a space-related research project? Do you think that you would benefit from access to ESA facilities? Apply to carry out research at ESA via our latest Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP) Channel.
ESA selects four new Earth Explorer mission ideas
As humans exert greater pressure on natural processes, understanding the intricate workings of our Earth system is increasingly vital for effective action on mitigation and adaption strategies. ESA’s Earth Explorer missions yield a wealth of astonishing findings, serving as the bedrock of scientific research in this field. Now, four new concepts have been selected to undergo assessment study, one of which is destined to be the twelfth in this family of world-leading satellite missions.
Firefly Aerospace collaborates with Klepsydra Technologies for space-based edge computing
Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a comprehensive space transportation provider, has entered into a collaboration to deploy the Klepsydra Artificial Intelligence (AI) application aboard Firefly's Elytra vehicle. Scheduled for launch on the Alpha rocket later this year, Elytra aims to facilitate on-orbit, real-time data processing as an edge computing platform.
"Edge computing in space addresses the Aegis Aerospace completes key acquisition of ProXopS assets
Aegis Aerospace, Inc. has reported its acquisition of significant assets from ProXopS LLC, a Houston-based engineering services company.
Included in the acquisition are subcontracts with Jacobs (NYSE:J) associated with NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida under the Consolidated Operations, Management, Engineering and Test (COMET) contract, and at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) i Tiandu satellites enhance Earth-Moon communication with successful transmission tests
China's Tiandu 1 and Tiandu 2 satellites have recently completed critical experiments focused on Earth-Moon transmission and routing. This development was reported by China's Science and Technology Daily.
These satellites, which form part of China's ambitious space exploration initiatives, specifically aim to refine and enhance communication capabilities between Earth and lunar environment Reusable rocket engine completes major test in China
In a significant advance for China's space capabilities, a new reusable rocket engine has passed a critical test, marking a key milestone in the country's efforts to develop reusable launch vehicles.
The engine underwent a dual-ignition test last Friday at a testing facility in Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province, which confirmed its performance and functionality, as stated by the Academy of Astronaut fitness regimes critical in Tiangong Space Station
With China's ambitious plans to expand its space missions, the health of astronauts during prolonged spaceflights has become a vital concern. The state-of-the-art equipment aboard the Tiangong Space Station plays a crucial role in ensuring astronaut safety and health in the absence of gravity.
The China Manned Space Agency recently shared new footage showcasing crew members participating i