Copernical Team
Twelve nations commit to zero debris charter
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Twelve nations have signed the Zero Debris Charter at the ESA/EU Space Council, committing to long-term sustainability in Earth orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) also signed the charter as an International Organisation (IGO).
The Zero Debris Charter aims to become debris neutral by 2030, first unveiled at the ESA Space Summit in Seville in November 2023.
For the first time, coun NASA's Psyche Thrusters Propel Spacecraft Toward Asteroid
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The Psyche spacecraft, now beyond Mars, is using ion propulsion to reach a metal-rich asteroid for orbit and data collection.
NASA's Psyche spacecraft, launched on Oct. 13, 2023, from Kennedy Space Center, passed its six-month checkup and is now using electric thrusters to speed towards its target. These thrusters, emitting a blue glow, will propel the spacecraft continuously during its jo SpaceX launches Starlink satellites in second mission of the day
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SpaceX launched another 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday, the same day the space company launched a group of U.S. spy satellites from California.
Falcon 9 lifted off one minute behind schedule, at 10:36 p.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
"Merlin engine ignition and liftoff of Falcon 9," SpaceX wrote Wed ESA's Euclid celebrates first science with sparkling cosmic views
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Today, ESA’s Euclid space mission releases five unprecedented new views of the Universe. The never-before-seen images demonstrate Euclid’s ability to unravel the secrets of the cosmos and enable scientists to hunt for rogue planets, use lensed galaxies to study mysterious matter, and explore the evolution of the Universe.
First Space Station missions for new ESA astronauts
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ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher announces the first two astronaut missions for the new ESA astronaut class of 2022 on the first day of the Space Council, held in Brussels on 22 and 23 May 2024.
ESA's most recent class of astronauts selected in 2022 includes Sophie Adenot, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Rosemary Coogan, Raphaël Liégeois, and Marco Sieber. They recently completed one year of basic training and graduated as ESA astronauts on 22 April at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Germany, making them eligible for spaceflight. During their missions aboard the International Space Station, ESA astronauts will engage
Iceberg A-83 breaks free
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An iceberg roughly the size of the Isle of Wight has broken off the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica on 20 May. French, Belgian astronauts named next Europeans to fly to ISS
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France's Sophie Adenot and Belgium's Raphael Liegeois will be the first two from a new class of European astronauts to blast off to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency said Wednesday.
Adenot will join the crew onboard the ISS, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth, in 2026 for a six-month mission, after which she will be replaced by Liegeois.
The pair were among five new European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts selected in 2022 out more than 20,000 applicants.
"I am very happy to fly first," Adenot told AFP in an interview from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The 41-year-old engineer and helicopter pilot will become the second French woman onboard the ISS, after Claudie Haignere in 2001.
NASA's Psyche fires up its sci-fi-worthy thrusters
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NASA's Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and there's no holding back now. Navigators are firing its futuristic-looking electric thrusters, which emit a blue glow, nearly nonstop as the orbiter zips farther into deep space.
The spacecraft launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on Oct. 13, 2023. After leaving our atmosphere, Psyche made the most of its rocket boost and coasted beyond the orbit of Mars.
European Space Agency selects two firms to build ISS cargo vehicle
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The European Space Agency announced Wednesday it has selected two companies to develop a vehicle to transport cargo to the International Space Station by 2028, in a potential first step towards independent missions carrying astronauts.
The agency has recently struggled to find rockets to launch its missions into space, and is following in the footsteps of NASA by purchasing services from firms rather than developing them itself.
In November, the ESA launched a competition allocating up to 75 million euros ($80 million) to a maximum of three firms to build a vehicle to take cargo to the ISS and back.
Out of seven proposals, the ESA selected those from French-German The Exploration Company and French-Italian company Thales Alenia Space, each of which will receive 25 million euros, the agency's chief Josef Aschbacher told AFP.
"The evaluation is still ongoing," he said, adding that the ESA may yet select a third proposal.
The contracts, which run until June 2026, will focus on developing the technology and structure of the vehicles.
Additional funds for the ambitious plan would need to be approved by the ESA's 22 members states in 2025.
First crewed Boeing Starliner flight delayed again
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The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station has again been delayed, according to NASA, with no new date immediately set.
"The next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed," the US space agency said in a statement Tuesday.
The postponement of the launch, which had been set for Saturday, marks the third delay this month for the highly anticipated mission, which would allow NASA to certify a second commercial vehicle to carry crews to the ISS, beyond Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Earlier this month, the Starliner launch was postponed just hours before liftoff, with the astronauts already strapped in, due to a separate technical issue.
Then last week, another delay was announced to allow teams to further assess a helium leak linked to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket.
"The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy," NASA said Tuesday. "There is still forward work in these areas."
The postponements come as the Starliner program faces years of delays and at a challenging time in general for Boeing, which is separately facing safety questions around its commercial aviation arm.