Copernical Team
ISS Crew Conducts Historic Archaeological Survey in Space
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An archaeological strategy adapted for space used daily photos to reveal how astronauts actually use areas aboard the International Space Station - and how this differs from intended uses. Justin Walsh of Chapman University, California, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on August 7, 2024.
More than 270 people from 23 countries have visited the Intern Safran Expands US Production of Small Satellite Propulsion Systems
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Safran Electronics and Defense is ramping up its U.S. production capabilities for small satellite propulsion systems to address the rising demand in the commercial and defense markets. Announced at the 2024 Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah, this strategic move aims to support the North American small satellite market, projected to exceed $5 billion by 2030.
The "Made-in-the-USA" E Boeing Starliner astronauts might not return to Earth until next year, NASA says
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Boeing Starliner astronauts, stranded at the International Space Station after a weeklong test flight turned into a two-month stay due to thruster problems, may be forced to fly home on SpaceX in 2025, NASA has admitted.
NASA updated reporters Wednesday at a news conference, which Boeing did not attend, on the timeline for crew members Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The astronauts hav LeoLabs Secures $20M in New Contracts in H1 2024
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LeoLabs, a leader in space monitoring solutions, announced it secured over $20M in contracts during the first half of 2024. This milestone has driven a revenue growth of over 100% year-over-year, highlighting the company's growing dominance in Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Traffic Management (STM).
In early 2024, LeoLabs secured new contracts to support SDA and STM missions for a Impulse Space Introduces GEO Rideshare Program and Upgraded Mira Spacecraft
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Impulse Space, a leader in in-space transportation services, has unveiled two new offerings designed to enhance access to and maneuverability within Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and other high-energy orbits. The new initiatives include a GEO Rideshare Program for small satellites, featuring Impulse's high-performance kick stage, Helios, and an upgraded design for the Mira spacecraft, their or Firefly Aerospace secures deal with L3Harris for up to 20 Alpha launches
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Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a comprehensive space transportation company, has announced a new multi-launch agreement with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) for up to 20 launches utilizing Firefly's Alpha rocket. This agreement includes two to four missions per year from 2027 to 2031, contingent on customer requirements. This latest agreement supplements Firefly's existing contract with L3Harris for Astrobotic Wins NASA Contract for Large Lunar Solar Array Development
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Astrobotic has been chosen by NASA for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award worth about $150k to create an Extra Large Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT-XL) for the Moon. The VSAT-XL, measuring 34m in height and 12.5m in width, is set to become the largest planned lunar power infrastructure to meet increasing energy needs on the lunar surface.
Building on the 10kW lunar VS A new 'guest star' will appear in the sky in 2024 − a space scientist explains how nova events work and where to look
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The stars aren't fixed and unchanging, unlike what many ancient people thought. Once in a while, a star appears where there wasn't one before, and then it fades away in a matter of days or weeks.
The earliest record of such a "guest star," named so by ancient Chinese astronomers, is a star that suddenly appeared in skies around the world on July 4, 1054. It quickly brightened, becoming visible even during the day for the next 23 days.
Astronomers in Japan, China and the Middle East observed this event, as did the Anasazi in what is now New Mexico.
In the second half of 2024, a nova explosion in the star system called T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, will once again be visible to people on Earth.
NASA pushes Boeing Starliner return meeting to at least next week
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Despite NASA officials last week stating a return readiness review might happen this week for Boeing's Starliner, teams instead continue to go over data for the spacecraft before any decision on its departure from the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams await the decision of whether or not they will be able to climb back aboard the spacecraft for its return to Earth to complete the Crew Flight Test mission. That readiness review was pushed to next week at the earliest, according to an update from NASA.
The duo launched aboard Starliner atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station back on June 5 for what was originally planned to be about an eight-day mission to the ISS. On their way to a June 6 docking, though, the spacecraft suffered failures on five of its 28 reaction control thrusters as well as several helium leaks in the service module that houses the thrusters.
NASA and Boeing decided to perform ground tests on a similar thruster to mimic conditions on the flight up and what the thrusters would face on the way back down to Earth as well as using a former service module that was never launched to figure out the likely reason behind the helium leaks.
SpaceX lines up next 2 Space Coast launches on Friday and Saturday
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SpaceX shot up three Falcon 9 rockets from three launch pads last weekend once the Federal Aviation Administration gave its grounded rocket the OK to return to flight. Now it's set to go another round.
First up is a Falcon 9 launch of 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A during a four-hour window that opens at 12:19 a.m. Eastern Time August 2. Backup options fall to early August 3 starting at 12:19 a.m.
Space Launch Delta 45's weather squadron forecasts a 95% chance of favorable conditions, which drops to 80% in the event of a 24-hour delay.
The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 12th flight and will attempt a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic Ocean on board the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
The launch would be the 54th from the Space Coast for the year and 50th for SpaceX with United Launch Alliance responsible for the other four.
SpaceX's record pace was slowed for a couple of weeks in July after an issue with the Falcon 9's upper stage during a launch from California that was tracked to a liquid oxygen leak blamed on a sense line connected to a supply tank.
