Copernical Team
Revealing the mysteries of the universe under the skin of an atomic nucleus
Massive neutron stars colliding in space are thought to be able to create precious metals such as gold and platinum. The properties of these stars are still an enigma, but the answer may lie beneath the skin of one of the smallest building blocks on Earth - an atomic nucleus of lead. Getting the nucleus of the atom to reveal the secrets of the strong force that governs the interior of neutron st Webb reveals new surprises on galaxy organic molecules near black holes
Tiny dust molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most widespread organic molecules in the universe and important astronomical tools. For instance, they are considered to be fundamental building blocks of prebiotic compounds, which may have played a key role in the origin of life. PAH molecules produce extremely bright emission bands in the infrared region when t Orbex secures 40M pounds in Series C Funding round
UK-based spaceflight company Orbex has secured 40.4 million pounds for its Series C funding round, led by a new investor, the Scottish National Investment Bank. The new round of funding will allow the company to scale up its resources as it counts down to the first vertical launch from UK soil, as well as unlocking additional funding to support future projects.
Orbex recently revealed its New Iridium Certus Service Providers to Support U.S. Government Customers
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) has announced that Iridium partners MetOcean Telematics, NAL Research, and Trace Systems are now Iridium Certus service providers for U.S. government customers, joining Satcom Direct, in this capacity.
These unique, long-term deals will allow these companies to provide Iridium's secure global satellite broadband and midband connectivity for mobile NASA awards contracts to assess near-space communications capabilities
NASA has selected two companies - Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) USA of Denver and SpaceLink Corporation of McLean, Virginia - to develop capability studies to explore and demonstrate communications and navigation services in support of Artemis missions to the Moon.
The awards, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA Eutelsat strategy update on the proposed combination with OneWeb
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has hosted a Strategic Update on the proposed combination with OneWeb, announced in July 2022.
Eutelsat and key OneWeb shareholders signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2022, with a view to combining Eutelsat and OneWeb in an all-share transaction, whereby Eutelsat and OneWeb shareholders will each hold 50% of the Eutelsat shares2. The DLR's new optical ground station inaugurated
Satellites are increasingly becoming network nodes of the internet. Terrestrial nodes are integrated via fibre optic networks, and satellites can only keep up with current developments on the ground if they are also optically networked. European Commission programmes such as the 'Secure Connectivity Initiative' depend on this technology, as do many commercial networks such as Starlink or Oneweb, Phase Four unveils game changing engine for LEO constellations
Phase Four, the creator of the radio-frequency thruster for satellite propulsion, reports that it will expand its Maxwell turn-key plasma propulsion line and offer satellite manufacturers an industry-first high performance engine using an inexpensive, domestically sourced iodine-based propellant. Max-V leverages the Maxwell Block 2 engine's innovative architecture and builds on the radio-frequen Astronaut James McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, dies at 93
James A. McDivitt, who commanded the Apollo 9 mission testing the first complete set of equipment to go to the moon, has died. He was 93.
McDivitt was also the commander of 1965's Gemini 4 mission, where his best friend and colleague Ed White made the first U.S.
First NASA asteroid sample return mission on track for fall '23 delivery
NASA's first asteroid sample return spacecraft, OSIRIS-REx, fired its thrusters for 30 seconds on Sept. 21 and nudged its trajectory toward Earth. The resulting course correction keeps the vehicle on track to deliver a sample of asteroid Bennu to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, completing a seven-year mission.
The delivery itself, however, is not a simple parcel drop on Earth's front doorstep: NASA's OSIRIS-REx—formally the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security—Regolith Explorer—must approach Earth at a precise speed and direction to deliver its sample return capsule into Earth's atmosphere. "If the capsule is angled too high, it will skip off the atmosphere," said Mike Moreau, OSIRIS-REx deputy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Angled too low, it will burn up in Earth's atmosphere."
To ensure a safe delivery, "Over the next year, we will gradually adjust the OSIRIS-REx trajectory to target the spacecraft closer to Earth," said Daniel Wibben, trajectory-and-maneuver design lead with KinetX Inc.