Copernical Team
Boeing advances quantum communications with 2026 space test satellite
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has revealed plans for the 2026 launch of a satellite, Q4S, designed to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities in orbit. This pioneering, Boeing-funded mission is a key step toward the creation of a global quantum internet, linking quantum sensors and computers with secure, advanced communication systems. Quantum sensors, far more precise than current tech
Apollo Astronaut's Long-Lost Manuscript Explores Nuclear Threats in Space
A previously unpublished manuscript by Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, stored in a bank vault for nearly four decades, has now been made available by Pen-L Publishing. This manuscript draws critical comparisons between the growing militarization of space and present-day realities, raising concerns over the increasing potential for nuclear conflict in space. Mitchell's work explores the
Unraveling the mystery surrounding the creation of heavy elements in stars
How are stars born, and how do they die? How do they produce the energy that keeps them burning for billions of years? How do they create the elements we observe today? Definitive answers to these questions continue to elude scientists in their quest to understand the processes that shape the chemical makeup of the universe. Although the exact details of the reaction processes are unclear,
ESA concludes observations of asteroid 2024 RW1
On 4 September 2024 at 16:39 UTC (18:39 CEST), the small asteroid 2024 RW1 entered Earth's atmosphere near the Philippines, creating a bright fireball witnessed by people across the region. The event, though spectacular, was not unexpected, thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of global astronomers, including teams from ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), who tracked the
Vegetable seeds from space thrive in Shanxi county, boosting yields
Some vegetable seeds that were sent into space have now been successfully cultivated in Yanggao county, Shanxi province, a key region for vegetable production in China. The seeds, which included tomatoes, okra, eggplant, giant pumpkins, and red peppers, were grown in the greenhouses at the Hualian Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center. According to Wang Shouming, a technician at the
Trinity Capital commits $30M in funding to Slingshot Aerospace
Trinity Capital Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIN), a leader in providing financial solutions to companies focused on growth, has committed $30 million in growth capital to Slingshot Aerospace. Slingshot Aerospace is a key player in AI-driven satellite tracking, space traffic management, and space simulation technologies. Slingshot, headquartered in El Segundo, CA, specializes in building mission-critica
SpaceX launches European Galileo satellites to medium Earth orbit
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the European Commission's Galileo L13 mission Tuesday, successfully delivering its navigation satellite constellation to a medium Earth orbit, despite questionable weather earlier in the day. The mission to deliver two Galileo satellites launched on time at 6:50 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Flori
Simple shift could make low Earth orbit satellites high capacity
Low-orbit satellites could soon offer millions of people worldwide access to high-speed communications, but the satellites' potential has been stymied by a technological limitation - their antenna arrays can only manage one user at a time. The one-to-one ratio means that companies must launch either constellations of many satellites, or large individual satellites with many arrays, to prov
Two new satellites added to Galileo constellation for increased resilience
The European Galileo satellite navigation system keeps growing: a new pair of satellites has joined the constellation after a journey on a Falcon 9 rocket, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 18 September at 00:50 CEST (17 September 18:50 local time).
Sentinel-2C to Vega and orbit – fit-check to liftoff timelapse
From the arrival of Earth-obversation satellite Sentinel-2C in July 2024 and the first fit-check to launch on the from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, this timelapse shows how the third Sentinel 2 satellite was prepared for launch. The last Vega rocket, flight VV24, lifted off on 5 September at 03:50 CEST (4 September 22:50 local time).
Sentinel-2C will provide high-resolution data that is essential to Copernicus – the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme. Developed, built and operated by ESA, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission provides high-resolution optical imagery for a wide range of applications including land,