Copernical Team
Perseverance just keeps roving across Mars
Throughout the past week, Perseverance has continued marching up the Jezero crater rim. This steep ascent through the Martian regolith (soil) can prove to be slow driving for the rover, as the wheels can slip on the steepest areas. This is like trying to run up a hill of sand on a beach - with every step forward, you also slip back a little way down the hill! This just means the Science and Engi
Shrouded axions may surround neutron stars
Physicists from the universities of Amsterdam, Princeton, and Oxford have uncovered evidence that extremely light particles, known as axions, may form large clouds around neutron stars. These particles could help explain dark matter, one of the greatest mysteries in physics, and might even be detectable with current technology. The new research, published in 'Physical Review X', builds on
US Space Force awards SpaceX over $733M for national security launch services
The US Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded SpaceX two National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 Launch Service Task Orders (LSTOs), totaling $733,566,001. These task orders are the first under an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract awarded in June 2024 and include one task order for seven Space Development Agency (SDA) launches and another for a N
IAC 2024 – Public day
Call for interest: Sentinel-1C launch media event
Call for interest: Sentinel-1C launch media event
First coherent picture of atomic nucleus structure achieved using quarks and gluons
Physicists have long understood that protons and neutrons, which make up atomic nuclei, are composed of quarks bound by gluons. However, reproducing the properties of atomic nuclei using only these subatomic components has been a challenge. Now, researchers from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow, working with the international nCTEQ collaboration, have
Rain may have helped form the first cells, kick-starting life as we know it
Billions of years of evolution have made modern cells incredibly complex. Inside cells are small compartments called organelles that perform specific functions essential for the cell's survival and operation. For instance, the nucleus stores genetic material, and mitochondria produce energy. Another essential part of a cell is the membrane that encloses it. Proteins embedded on the surface
China's underground lab seeks answer to deep scientific riddle
Far beneath the lush landscape of southern China, a sprawling subterranean laboratory aims to be the world's first to crack a deep scientific enigma. China has emerged as a science powerhouse in recent years, with the country's Communist leadership ploughing billions of dollars into advanced research to contend with the United States and other rivals. Its latest showpiece is the Jiangmen
Astroport and Orbit Fab Team Up to Drive Lunar Exploration Efforts
Astroport Space Technologies, Inc., a leader in space exploration technologies, and Orbit Fab, Inc., a specialist in in-space refueling, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the development of lunar infrastructure to support sustainable space exploration. The announcement took place at the 75th International Aeronautical Congress (IAC), attended by over 8,000 experts and
Goonhilly Expands Deep Space Communications Services
Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd (Goonhilly) has secured a new contract to provide deep space communications services for the UK Space Agency and international partners from its Cornwall-based Earth station. The agreement, announced at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan on October 16, aims to enhance the global network used for space mission communications as the demand for lunar and d