Copernical Team
China's small-satellite smart manufacturing facility starts operations
China's first smart manufacturing facility for small satellites in the central city of Wuhan is ready for official production operations, with the first satellite rolling off the production line on Thursday. The first satellite is a typical product for mass production self-developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, Ltd. (CASIC). This new development demonstrates t
Beidou has grown into world-class navigation system
After decades of planning and construction, China possesses one of the world's major navigation satellite systems - the Beidou Navigation Satellite System. Beidou is currently the country's largest space-based system and one of four global navigation networks, along with the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. "Beidou is the fruit of the determinati
SEAKR Engineering uses AdaCore technologies to develop software for spacecraft systems
When SEAKR Engineering decided to upgrade its mission-critical space data recorder applications to a new hardware platform, they kept their software in Ada. SEAKR Engineering is a leading supplier of state-of-the-art spacecraft electronics and a pioneer in the development of solid-state data recorders for satellites. SEAKR's products are on the International Space Station, on satellites or
Charting the expansion history of the universe with supernovae
An international research team analyzed a database of more than 1000 supernova explosions and found that models for the expansion of the Universe best match the data when a new time dependent variation is introduced. If proven correct with future, higher-quality data from the Subaru Telescope and other observatories, these results could indicate still unknown physics working on the cosmic scale.
Researchers one step closer to developing Canada's next space telescope
Researchers at Western University and Bishop's University are the recipients of a $1.1 million contract from the Canadian Space Agency to develop what could become Canada's next space telescope mission. The contract will support the development of a telescope prototype by Stanimir Metchev, Canada Research Chair in Extrasolar Planets at Western's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, a
Project Examines How to Water Plants in Space
Ensuring that plants receive the nourishment they need through proper irrigation is an age-old challenge for farmers here on Earth. It is also a challenge in space. NASA is one step closer to determining the most effective way to provide adequate hydration and aeration for plants to grow in space after completing NASA Glenn's Plant Water Management (PWM) project. This project is part of on
NASA Invests $105 Million in US Small Business Technology Development
NASA has a long history of supporting America's entrepreneurs as they develop technologies from ideas to commercial readiness. The agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is furthering that legacy with 140 new Phase II awards to 127 U.S. small businesses that will help them move their innovations to market. The awards to these small businesses, located across 34 states a
SpaceX launches 52 Starlink satellites, two other payloads
SpaceX has launched 52 more Starlink satellites, plus payloads for two other firms, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch at 6:56 p.m. Saturday was successful, SpaceX said, with all satellites released into orbit about an hour after liftoff. This brings the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to more than 1,600, according to astronomers. The roc
Tianzhou 2, carrier rocket transported to launchpad for liftoff
China's Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft and its carrier rocket - a Long March 7 - were moved to the launchpad on Sunday morning, undergoing final tests before their planned launch in the coming days, according to the China Manned Space Agency. Preparation work before the launch has begun at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southernmost island province of Hainan, the agency said in a bri
China lands on Mars in major advance for its space ambitions
China's probe to Mars touched down on the Red Planet early Saturday to deploy its Zhurong rover, state media reported, a triumph for Beijing's increasingly bold space ambitions and a history-making feat for a nation on its first-ever Martian mission.
The lander carrying Zhurong completed the treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute to navigate the "seven minutes of terror" as it is known, aiming for a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia.