Copernical Team
Ariane 6 will launch 3D Printing technology into space
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Europe's newest rocket, Ariane 6, is set to launch, carrying multiple space missions. One notable mission is Replicator, a project by Orbital Matter, which will demonstrate new 3D printing technology in space.
The Replicator mission, a collaboration between Warsaw, Poland, and Berlin, Germany-based startup Orbital Matter, aims to show how 3D printing can be used in orbit, potentially enabl Hera tests CubeSat communication for asteroid mission
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The Juventas CubeSat, equipped with radar, is partially deployed from its Hera mission mothership inside ESA's Maxwell chamber for electromagnetic compatibility testing.
The foam pyramids around Hera absorb radio signals, while the Maxwell chamber's 9-m high metal walls block external radio interference. This space mimics the void of space, allowing the Hera team to validate the spacecraft Glitch hampers bepicolombo mission to mercury
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BepiColombo, the joint ESA/JAXA mission to Mercury, has experienced an issue that is preventing the spacecraft's thrusters from operating at full power.
BepiColombo consists of two scientific probes and the Mercury Transfer Module, designed to separate during the mission's Mercury orbit insertion.
The solar arrays and electric propulsion system on the Mercury Transfer Module generate NASA and ESA Collaborate on ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover
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NASA and ESA announced they signed an agreement to expand NASA's work on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, an ESA-led mission launching in 2028 to search for signs of ancient life on Mars.
With this memorandum of understanding, NASA's Launch Services Program will secure a U.S. commercial launch provider for the Rosalind Franklin rover. NASA will also supply heater units and elements of Lithuania becomes 40th nation to join NASA's Artemis Accords
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Lithuania has become the 40th nation to sign NASA's Artemis Accords, a pact that defines the peaceful exploration of space.
Aušrinė Armonaitė, Lithuania's minister of economy and innovation, signed the accords Wednesday at the Radisson Blu Lietuva hotel in the capital Vilnius, with U.S. Ambassador Kara McDonald in attendance.
"Welcome to the Artemis Accords family, Lithuania," 'Danger behind the beauty': More solar storms could be heading our way
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Tourists normally have to pay big money and brave cold climates for a chance to see an aurora, but last weekend many people around the world simply had to look up to see these colorful displays dance across the sky.
Usually banished to the poles of Earth, the auroras strayed as far as Mexico, southern Europe and South Africa on the evening of May 10, delighting skygazers and filling social media with images of exuberant pinks, greens and purples.
But for those charged with protecting Earth from powerful solar storms such as the one that caused the auroras, a threat lurks beneath the stunning colors.
"We need to understand that behind this beauty, there is danger," Quentin Verspieren, the European Space Agency's space safety program coordinator, told AFP.
First crewed flight of Boeing Starliner postponed again
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The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner to the International Space Station has been delayed again due to a technical issue, NASA said Friday.
The launch in Florida was scheduled for Tuesday but NASA said it is now planned for May 25 to allow teams to further assess a helium leak linked to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket.
Earlier this month, a Starliner launch was postponed just hours before lift-off, with the astronauts already strapped in, due to a separate technical issue.
"The additional time allows teams to further assess" the helium leak, NASA said on its website.
The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are in the meantime staying in Houston, Texas until the mission is ready.
It is another delay in the highly anticipated mission which has faced years of delays and comes at a challenging time for Boeing, as safety questions surround the century-old aerospace titan's commercial aviation arm.
NASA is banking on Starliner's success for its goal of certifying a second commercial vehicle to carry crews to the International Space Station.
'Dad's going up in a rocket!' French businessman set for launch
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He arrived in Texas, tried on his flight suit for the first time, and is now preparing to live out his childhood dream.
On Sunday, French entrepreneur Sylvain Chiron will board a Blue Origin rocket and blast off into space, joining the select group of humans who have ventured beyond Earth's bounds.
"I never thought I'd get to do this," the 52-year-old, who hails from the mountainous southeastern region of Savoy, told AFP in an interview two days before his adventure.
"We're going to be astronauts for 15 minutes, so a bit like pretend astronauts, but astronauts nonetheless!"
Blue Origin's spaceflights are brief hops just beyond the edge of space and back again—but still allow passengers to admire the curve of the Earth while free floating during a few minutes of weightlessness.
Ariane 6 launches Replicator for 3D printing in open space
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Europe's newest rocket soon launches, taking with it many space missions each with a unique objective, destination and team at home, cheering them on. Whether into Earth orbit to look back and study Earth, peer out to deep space or test important new technologies, Ariane 6's first flight will showcase the versatility and flexibility of this impressive, heavy-lift launcher.
The Replicator mission, from Warsaw, Poland, and Berlin, Germany, based startup Orbital Matter, will launch on Ariane 6 to demonstrate a new 3D printing technology in orbit, potentially opening the door to new space structures that wouldn't have been possible otherwise, made using fewer resources.
The name "Replicator" is a homage to the many forms of advanced manufacturing methods in science fiction, capable of making complex products, ready to use: Star Trek's kitchen microwave-like Replicators could synthesize meals on demand; the Von Neumann Probe is a conceptualized spacecraft capable of exponentially self-replicating; and in the Stargate series, Replicators are a highly advanced machine race capable of reproducing themselves indefinitely.
Week in images: 13-17 May 2024
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Week in images: 13-17 May 2024
Discover our week through the lens