
Copernical Team
China tests high-thrust rocket engine for upcoming space station missions

ISS Leaks May Be Caused by Metal Fatigue, Micrometeorite Impact, Source Says

China shows first high-def pictures of Mars taken by Tianwen 1

Planetary science intern leads study of Martian crust

China's commercial rocket SD-3 to make maiden flight in 2022

Green Run Update: Engineers Repair Valve for Mid-March Hot Fire Test

NASA prepares Dragon capsule for first reuse with astronauts

SpaceX Starship makes upright landing, but rocket explodes minutes later

Space Care

Why does ESA send missions beyond our Earth? To explore unknown worlds, and better understand our place in the Universe. But that answer only gives part of the picture. The first thing people do when they first reach space is to turn back to see our homeworld. Looking down on our planet from above allows ESA with its global partners to monitor climate, disasters and environmental changes – to work together to protect our home.
And danger comes from above as well as below: a close eye on our stormy Sun is vital to gather early warning of
Help is a long way away: The challenges of sending humans to Mars

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stepped out a lunar lander onto the surface of the moon. The landscape in front of him, which was made up of stark blacks and grays, resembled what he later called "magnificent desolation."
When it comes to desolation, however, the moon may have nothing on Mars.
The red planet circles the sun at an average distance of about 140 million miles from Earth. When people eventually visit this world—whether that's in 20 years or 50—they may face a journey lasting 1,000 days or longer. The entire Apollo 11 mission, in contrast, lasted just a little over eight days. If future Mars astronauts get lonely, or if something more serious goes wrong, help is a long way away.
For researchers who study how human bodies and minds respond to the rigors of space travel, the scenario poses a lot of unknowns.