Copernical Team
Q&A: Stellar insights—the Mauve mission's journey into the cosmos
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In a quest to study the variety of stars in our galaxy, the Mauve mission has emerged to provide a stronger understanding of the characteristics of stars—including their magnetic activity, flare evolution, and influence on the habitability of neighboring exoplanets. Chuanfei Dong, an assistant professor of astronomy within Boston University's College of Arts and Sciences, is the lead Principal Investigator (PI) at BU for the Mauve mission.
"Mauve" refers to the UV satellite provided by Blue Skies Space that scientists will utilize in a multi-year collaborative survey program, which is slated to commence mission operations in 2025. The satellite will be instrumental in providing scientists with a rare chance to re-examine and analyze active stars, which have been beyond reach since observations ceased as early as 2013 with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX).
In this Q&A, Dr. Dong shares his insights on the mission's objectives, technological innovations, and the potential implications for our understanding of stars and exoplanet habitability.
What inspired you to pursue research in your field, and how does your involvement in the Mauve mission align with your research interests? What aspect of the Mauve mission are you particularly excited for?
Canada’s wildfire season begins
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Wildfire season has arrived in full force in Canada, prompting evacuation orders and alerts in several towns in British Columbia and Alberta due to the danger of uncontrolled blazes.
Hazardous smoke from the fires has also triggered air quality alerts in Canada and the northern US. Satellite technology, including the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite and ESA’s Fire Atlas, plays a crucial role in monitoring these wildfires.
Hera plus one: enter the CubeSat
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Hera plus one: enter the CubeSat Ariane 6 launches Replicator – 3D printing in open space
NASA researchers bid farewell to 'flying laboratory' at Ames Research Center
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For many NASA scientists, flying aboard a decked-out Douglas DC-8 plane provided them some unique glimpses of Earth: the Moai on Easter Island, Central Park in New York and Mount Vesuvius in Italy.
On May 15, some of the same scientists who worked on that "flying laboratory" looked on as it made one last flight over Ames Research Center in Mountain View before its retirement.
Reem Hannun, a research scientist in the atmospheric science branch, attended the flyover with her two children before taking them to school. As the twins played around the trees and commented on the big plane that flew close to the ground for them to see, she recalled how she got her start at NASA doing science and reading field measurements on the plane.
"It's just cool to see all these different measurements for atmospheric composition, and it's a great community to be a part of, and you get to travel the world doing science," Hannun said.
The plane, owned by NASA, was one of seven DC-8 planes still in operation internationally. Thomas Matthews, lead operations engineer for the aircraft and main mission director, said that NASA used the plane for 37 years, but the aging aircraft needed to be replaced as it was getting harder to sustain.
Transforming iron-based alloys into advanced thermoelectric materials with brief heat treatment
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Researchers from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and Nagoya University have developed a method to convert iron-based amorphous alloys, commonly used in soft magnets, into efficient thermoelectric materials. This conversion is achieved through a brief, three-minute heat treatment, introducing a method to manipulate materials at the microstructural level for improved energy con Magic Lane secures 3 million euro to enhance location intelligence capabilities
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Magic Lane, a leader in mapping and location services, has secured a euro 3 million investment to enhance its navigation technologies for micro-mobility and IoT applications. "With this investment, we can truly accelerate our efforts to transform the location industry," explained Raymond Alves of Magic Lane. "With our solutions, we address the evolving needs of the IoT and micro-mobility market OCCAR and MBDA begin HYDIS2 concept phase
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MBDA has signed an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the partners of the HYpersonic Defence Interceptor Study (HYDIS2) Consortium. The European Defence Fund grant agreement and a Linked Procurement Contract were signed on May 15, launching the HYDIS2 concept phase.
The European Commission selected the HYDIS2 project for funding in July 2023 Robotic "SuperLimbs" could help moonwalkers recover from falls
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Need a moment of levity? Try watching videos of astronauts falling on the moon. NASA's outtakes of Apollo astronauts tripping and stumbling as they bounce in slow motion are delightfully relatable.
For MIT engineers, the lunar bloopers also highlight an opportunity to innovate.
"Astronauts are physically very capable, but they can struggle on the moon, where gravity is one-sixth that Webb detects most distant black hole merger to date
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An international team of astronomers have used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to find evidence for an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was only 740 million years old. This marks the most distant detection of a black hole merger ever obtained and the first time that this phenomenon has been detected so early in the Universe.