Copernical Team
Terran Orbital Secures $15.2 Million Space Force Contract for Satellite Platforms
Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a leading innovator in satellite-based solutions for the aerospace and defense industries, has recently announced a significant milestone in its ongoing contributions to national security and space exploration efforts. The company has been awarded a $15.2 million contract by the U.S. Space Force, facilitated through Axient Corporation, to provide Ambassad Rocking robotics training
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ESA astronaut candidate Raphaël Liégeois from Belgium during a robotics session as part of his basic astronaut training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre, near Cologne, Germany. Earth from Space: Ireland
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The lush landscape of the island of Ireland and the coasts of Scotland, Wales and England, are pictured in this view from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission. Conversations with ESA Directors on International Women’s Day
For International Women's Day 2024, we're acknowledging the remarkable careers of the women in key Directorate positions at ESA: Simonetta Cheli, Geraldine Naja and Carole Mundell. Read about the impactful work, pivotal life experiences and their insights on fostering a more inclusive future.
EarthCARE bids adieu to Europe
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After years of development and a rigorous testing programme, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has left Munich, Germany, and is now on its away to SpaceX’s launch site in Vandenberg, California. Once it arrives, it will be put into storage for a few weeks until it is time to ready the satellite for liftoff – which is scheduled to launch in May on a Falcon 9 rocket.
The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, or EarthCARE for short, is the most complex Earth Explorer mission to date. The new satellite will look at the role that clouds and aerosols play in heating and
How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out in April
Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration
Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travelers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the unknown.
However, the Polaris Dawn mission, which is to include the first spacewalk organized by a private company, has been delayed. This is due to complications with the design and development of a suitable spacesuit.
Moon suits are also one of the key elements of NASA's Artemis lunar program that have yet to be delivered. A report released in November 2023 said that the contractor making the suits is having to revisit aspects of the design provided by NASA, which could introduce delays.
Yet the first spacewalk, by the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, took place in 1965. Later, 12 NASA astronauts would walk on the lunar surface, between 1969 and 1972, using technology that would be eclipsed by today's smartphones.
NASA's network of small moon-bound rovers is ready to roll
Construction and testing are complete on the CADRE rovers, which will map the lunar surface together as a tech demo to show the promise of multi-robot missions.
A trio of small rovers that will explore the moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they'll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment.
Eclipse chasers head to southern Illinois for 2nd total solar eclipse in 7 years
In 1999, Michelle Nichols saw her first total solar eclipse on a cruise in the Black Sea. It would be many years before she witnessed another one during a visit to southern Illinois in 2017.
"It seemed so far in the future," she said.
Now, Nichols, an astronomer, educator and the director of public observing at the Adler Planetarium, is planning to return to Carbondale, Illinois, where the moon will completely block out the sun for more than four minutes on April 8. It is the second time in seven years that southern Illinois has been in the path of totality, or the moon's shadow.
Rarely do these celestial bodies line up perfectly with the earth to create a total eclipse. It's even rarer for a total eclipse to plunge the same region into darkness in less than a decade.
"Any given location on Earth will see an actual, total solar eclipse on average every 375 years," Nichols said. "So you have to be at the right place, at the right time."
While Chicago is not in the path of totality again this year, the area will experience a partial eclipse, and the sky will darken.
What's the best way to pack for space?
Packing to go to space is a lot like getting ready for a plane ride with only a carry-on bag. You have to maximize the use of the space in your bag at the same time you want to make sure you have what you need.