Copernical Team
Upcoming ESA–Industry events prepare for Ministerial Council 2025
The European Space Agency (ESA) invites the industrial community to several events where ESA directorates will communicate and coordinate with industry on their proposals and intentions in relation to its Council Meeting at Ministerial Level (CM25) in November.
Vega-C takes Biomass to the sky
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00:08:17
ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite has launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
In orbit, this latest Earth Explorer mission will provide vital insights into the health and dynamics of the world’s forests, revealing how they are changing over time and, critically, enhancing our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle. It is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band synthetic aperture radar for interferometric imaging. Thanks to the long wavelength of P-band, around 70 cm, the radar signal can
Vega-C liftoff in slow-mo
Video:
00:05:13
ESA’s state-of-the-art Biomass satellite launched aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The rocket lifted off on 29 April 2025 at 11:15 CEST (06:15 local time).
In orbit, this latest Earth Explorer mission will provide vital insights into the health and dynamics of the world’s forests, revealing how they are changing over time and, critically, enhancing our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle. It is the first satellite to carry a fully polarimetric P-band synthetic aperture radar for interferometric imaging. Thanks to the long wavelength of P-band, around 70 cm, the
Twin Star Systems May Hold Key to Planet Formation Insights
Astronomers have developed a new approach to studying planet formation by focusing on "twin" binary star systems, where two stars born at the same time and place orbit each other. This fresh perspective, detailed in a Yale study, suggests that certain binary systems could offer unique insights into how planetary systems form, much like comparing human twins in biological research.
Malena R New Breakthrough in High-Precision Black Hole Scattering and Gravitational Waves
A landmark study published in Nature has significantly advanced the understanding of black hole and neutron star collisions, setting a new standard for precision in gravitational wave modeling. Led by Professor Jan Plefka at Humboldt University of Berlin and Dr Gustav Mogull of Queen Mary University of London, the research marks a major step forward in characterizing these extreme cosmic events. Flavor Symmetry Anomaly Detected in High-Energy Nuclear Collisions
An international team of physicists working on the NA61/SHINE experiment has discovered a striking violation of a fundamental quark-level symmetry known as flavor symmetry during high-energy nuclear collisions. This unexpected observation, made in collisions of argon and scandium atomic nuclei, challenges long-held assumptions about the behavior of quarks under extreme conditions and may hint at What Martian Craters Reveal About Subsurface Composition
A team of planetary scientists has discovered a new approach to explore the Martian subsurface using debris layers created by impact craters. The study shows that ejecta blankets - layers of rock and other material expelled during an impact event - can reveal significant details about the subsurface composition depending on the type of material beneath the crater. This breakthrough could enhance NASA Observes First Visible-light Auroras at Mars
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover made history by detecting them for the first time from the surface of another planet, and MAVEN confirmed the detection.
On March 15, 2024, near the peak of the current solar cycle, the Sun produced a solar flare and an accompanying coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive explosion of gas and magnetic energy that carries with it large amounts of solar energeti More int'l space cooperation now that Norway is 55th Artemis Accords partner
Norway became the 55th nation to sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in Oslo Thursday, agreeing to a pact designed to promote international cooperation in space exploration.
"The United States and Norway have a longstanding relationship in space," a release from the U.S. State Department said. "Collaboration stretches back to 1962, when NASA supported the first suborbital rocket Two Earth Return Missions in Two Months Highlight Rocket Lab's Rapid Re-entry Capabilities
Rocket Lab has achieved a rapid turnaround of two Earth return missions within just two months, successfully delivering Varda Space Industries' W-3 capsule back to Earth. This marks the third overall success in Varda's W-series missions, highlighting Rocket Lab's growing expertise in hypersonic re-entry logistics.
The latest mission saw the W-3 capsule return at 02:07 a.m. UTC on May 14, f