Copernical Team
Rocket Lab Prepares for Capella Space Mission Launch from New Zealand
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Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems, has scheduled its 51st Electron launch, a mission dedicated to American space tech company Capella Space ("Capella").
The mission, titled 'A Sky Full Of SARs,' will launch within a 14-day window opening on July 21 NZST / July 20 UTC from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. T Astronauts stuck on ISS 'confident' Starliner will bring them home
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A pair of US astronauts stuck waiting to leave the International Space Station said Wednesday they were confident that the problem-plagued Boeing Starliner they rode up on would soon bring them home, even as significant uncertainties remain.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off on June 5 aboard the brand new spaceship that NASA is hoping to certify to ferry crews to-and-from the orbit Astronauts confident Boeing space capsule can safely return them to Earth, despite failures
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Two astronauts who should have been back on Earth weeks ago said Wednesday that they're confident that Boeing's space capsule can return them safely, despite a string of vexing breakdowns.
NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing's new Starliner capsule early last month, the first people to ride it. Helium leaks and thruster failures almost derailed their arrival at the International Space Station, and have kept them there much longer than planned. Now the earliest they could return may be the end of July, officials said.
Using microwave sintering to produce 'space brick' for a future moon base
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The recent discovery of energy resources on the moon, such as water ice, has refocused interest on its potential as a sustainable hub for space exploration. NASA has also announced the Artemis mission, aiming for long-term human presence on the lunar surface. However, infrastructure expansion, such as lunar base construction, plays a vital role.
Yet, transporting construction materials from Earth to the lunar surface via landers incurs a significant cost of 1.2 million USD per kilogram. Weight directly translates to cost, making the transportation of construction materials from Earth to the moon nearly impossible.
To address this problem, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, has developed technology for producing construction materials using in-situ resources from the moon.
Gateway: The first lunar space station
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An interplay of light and shadows cast the docking ports for Gateway, humanity's first space station around the moon, into sharp relief.
Built by NASA commercial partner Northrup Grumman, HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), is one of four modules where international teams of astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for missions to the lunar South Pole region. The module's main structure is currently undergoing testing in Turin, Italy.
One docking port inside HALO is where a cargo spacecraft and Gateway's Lunar View module, provided by ESA (European Space Agency), will dock. The docking port outside of HALO is where the SpaceX Starship and the Blue Origin Blue Moon Human Landing Systems will dock during the Artemis IV and V missions, respectively.
Gateway will launch to lunar orbit with the Power and Propulsion Element, provided by Maxar Space Systems, and later expand with ESA's Lunar I-Hab and Lunar View modules, the Crew and Science Airlock provided by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, advanced external robotics provided by CSA (Canadian Space Agency), and critical hardware from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
Scout Space Joins DARPA's BRIDGES Consortium for Enhancing Space Defense
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Scout Space Inc., a prominent in-space observation service provider specializing in space security and comprehensive Space Domain Awareness (SDA), has announced its selection to participate in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Bringing Classified Innovation to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) Consortium.
Scout was chosen by DARPA based on its proposal focused ICEYE and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Enhance Space Defense Cooperation
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ICEYE, a global leader in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite operations for Earth Observation, has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to bolster their collaboration in remote sensing for national security and defense.
This agreement reinforces ICEYE's ongoing support for Ukraine since 2022. Under the Memorandum, ICEYE will ensure that imagery o Ariane 6 first flight highlights
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Video:
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Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered into space on 9 July 2024 from a newly built dedicated launch pad in French Guiana. Liftoff occurred at 16:00 local time (20:00 BST, 21:00 CEST).
Europe’s new rocket Ariane 6 powered Europe into space taking with it a varied selection of experiments, satellites, payload deployers and reentry demonstrations that represent thousands across Europe, from students to industry and experienced space actors.
This inaugural flight, designated VA262, is a demonstration flight to show the capabilities and prowess of Ariane 6 in escaping Earth's gravity and operating in space. Nevertheless, it had several passengers
Hubble finds evidence for rare black hole in Omega Centauri
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An international team of astronomers has used more than 500 images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope spanning two decades to detect seven fast-moving stars in the innermost region of Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster in the sky. These stars provide compelling new evidence for the presence of an intermediate-mass black hole.
Europe's Ariane 6 rocket successfully launches for first time
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Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket blasted off for the first time smoothly on Tuesday, carrying with it the continent's hopes of regaining independent access to space.
The much-delayed inaugural flight of the European Space Agency's most powerful rocket yet launched from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana at 4pm local time (1900 GMT).
Crews on the ground at the launch site, which is surrounded by jungle on the South American coast, applauded as the rocket soared into clear skies.
Ariane 6's first launch, which was originally planned for 2020, is hoped to bring an end to a difficult time for European space efforts.
Since the last flight of its workhorse predecessor, Ariane 5, a year ago, Europe has been unable to launch satellites or other missions into space without relying on rivals such as Elon Musk's US firm SpaceX.
ESA chief Josef Aschbacher said it was a "very important moment for Europe".
