Copernical Team
A novel system for slip prevention in unmanned rovers
Given the hostile conditions of extraterrestrial environments, unmanned rovers play a critical role in the exploration of planets and moons. NASA's Mars and lunar exploration rovers have significantly contributed to our understanding of these extraterrestrial bodies. Planetary surfaces often present challenging landscapes with slopes, craters, and dunes.
Muninn mission name and patch explained
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ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt explains his mission name and patch.
Marcus’s first mission to space, Muninn, takes its name from Norse mythology and the two raven accomplices of the god Odin – Muninn and Huginn. Together, the two symbolise the human mind. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s Space Station mission.
According to the myth, the ravens serve as messengers and advisors to their god, sharing all they see and hear. Muninn comes from the Old Norse word munr, that can be translated as mind and passion. Huginn is the name of ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s mission.
Training for space
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Overview of ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt’s training for his mission to space.
The Swedish astronaut will travel to the International Space Station on Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) no earlier than January 2024. He will spend up to 14 days in orbit conducting microgravity research and educational activities.
Marcus Wandt started intensive training for his mission in June 2023. Lessons on payloads and simulators take place in training facilities and space centres around the world. Each of the partners is in charge of training astronauts on the elements that they contribute to the International Space Station.
Marcus’s training in Europe
Press conference with ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt
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00:39:52
Watch the replay of the press conference with ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt taking place at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne (Germany) as he prepares for his first mission to the International Space Station.
He was joined by another ESA astronaut, Matthias Maurer. Marcus’s mission, called Muninn, is supported by ESA and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA).
The mission will last up to 14 days, in which Marcus will take part in microgravity research and educational outreach activities. Marcus will be a mission specialist on Ax-3 and his launch is scheduled on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft no earlier
Italy's Mount Etna spews lava
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One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna, erupted on Sunday – spewing lava and clouds of ash high over the Mediterranean island of Sicily. This image, captured on 13 November by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, has been processed using the mission’s shortwave-infrared bands Cosmic currents: Preserving water quality for astronauts during space exploration
On Nov. 9, the SpaceX Falcon rocket streaked skyward from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket is on a commercial resupply mission dubbed CRS-2 SpX-29. In addition to providing vital provisions for astronauts, SpX-29 carries a special biological sciences payload - a collaborative experiment developed by researchers at Arizona State Universi Momentus testing new spacecraft engine and solar array design
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), a U.S. commercial space company that offers satellite buses, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, continues to advance in-space testing of its Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) and recently completed initial in-space testing of its Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA).
The MET is the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle's (OSV) primary prop AI-Powered Space Situational Awareness Boosted by Neuraspace-Deimos Collaboration
Neuraspace, a leader in smarter space traffic management, has announced a strategic partnership with Elecnor Deimos, a renowned name in Space Surveillance and Awareness solutions. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the way space debris is tracked, significantly enhancing the safety and security of space operations.
Utilizing critical data from Elecnor Deimos, Neuraspace aims to bol Spire Global launches innovative constellation management platform
In a significant advancement for the satellite services industry, Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR), a frontrunner in space-based data, analytics, and space services, has unveiled its latest innovation at Space Tech Expo Europe. The newly introduced Constellation Management Platform, a web-based application, is set to streamline satellite constellation operations through its intuitive interface. T Study finds strongest evidence yet for local sources of cosmic ray electrons
A new study using data from the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) instrument on the International Space Station has found evidence for nearby, young sources of cosmic ray electrons, contributing to a greater understanding of how the galaxy functions as a whole.
The study included more than seven million data points representing particles arriving at CALET's detector since 2015, and C