Copernical Team
Northrop Grumman advances Lunar Rail concept
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has embarked on a mission to design a lunar rail system. Commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), this project forms a part of the ambitious LunA-10 Capability Study, which seeks over the next ten years to lay the groundwork for a robust space economy through international collaboration. The proposed rail network aims to revo
DART mission alters Asteroid Dimorphos' orbit and shape
In a 'pivotal' demonstration of planetary defense techniques, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) has altered the orbit and shape of the asteroid Dimorphos, according to a recent Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) study. The DART mission, which involved a spacecraft deliberately colliding with the 170-meter (560-foot) asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022, has proven that kineti
Beyond Gravity launches space data service for enhanced satellite intelligence
Beyond Gravity, a major European space industry supplier, has unveiled its Space Situational Awareness (SSA) service. This cutting-edge platform, fueled by six years of comprehensive data accumulation, delivers unmatched precision and insights into over 10,000 satellites, aiming to improve decision-making speed for both commercial and institutional clients. Space Situational Awareness serv
Benchmark Space Systems achieves orbital deployment of Xantus Electric Propulsion System
Benchmark Space Systems has announced the successful deployment of its Xantus electric propulsion system aboard Orion Space Solutions' 12U cubesat in low Earth orbit (LEO). This development marks the first space-based operation of Benchmark's electric propulsion technology, launched via the SpaceX Transporter-10 rideshare mission. The Xantus system is now poised for a comprehensive health
After decades in space Voyager 1's conclusion nears
For nearly 50 years, NASA's Voyager 1 mission has competed for the title of deep space's little engine that could. Launched in 1977 along with its twin, Voyager 2, the spacecraft is now soaring more than 15 billion miles from Earth. On their journeys through the solar system, the Voyager spacecraft beamed startling images back to Earth-of Jupiter and Saturn, then Uranus and Neptune and the
ExoTrack enhances GEO satellite management
In a new advancement for satellite operations, ExoAnalytic Solutions unveiled ExoTrack, a new service designed to enhance the management of geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites. ExoTrack sets a new industry standard by offering unparalleled accuracy, reliability, and cost efficiency. ExoTrack has already demonstrated its value, having been tested and validated by select companies over the
Operations begin to de-ice Euclid's vision
A few layers of water ice—the width of a strand of DNA—are starting to impact Euclid's vision; a common issue for spacecraft in the freezing cold of space, but a potential problem for this highly sensitive mission that requires remarkable precision to investigate the nature of the dark universe.
NASA's Swift temporarily suspends science operations
Creeping ice clouding vision of Europe space telescope Euclid
Scientists are trying to melt a thin layer of ice that is increasingly clouding the vision of the "dark universe detective" space telescope Euclid, the European Space Agency said on Tuesday.
It is the latest of several technical setbacks for the wide-eyed telescope, which blasted off into space in July on a mission to chart a third of the sky.
By doing so, the ESA hopes Euclid will reveal out more about the nature of dark matter and dark energy, which are thought to make up 95 percent of the universe but remain shrouded in mystery.
During checks in November, the team on the ground first noticed that they were losing a little light coming into the telescope's visible light imager, Euclid instrument operations scientist Ralf Kohley told AFP.
Microgravity found to cause marked changes in gene expression rhythms in humans
Simulated effects of microgravity, created by 60 days of constant bed rest, severely disrupts rhythmic gene expression in humans, according to a new study from the University of Surrey published in iScience.
Astronauts exposed to microgravity experience changes to physiology, including immune suppression, increased inflammation, and reduced muscle mass and bone density. With the increase in human spaceflight, it is important to understand changes in the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes.
Lead author Professor Simon Archer, Professor of Molecular Biology of Sleep at the University of Surrey, said, "This unique study represents the largest longitudinal dataset of time series gene expression in humans. Human gene expression varies rhythmically over the 24-hour day, and it is important to collect time series data rather than from just single time points to get a full picture of what occurs in the body when exposed to simulated microgravity.
"It also raises questions about the impact of constant bed rest on our bodies as we have identified a dramatic effect on the temporal organization of human gene expression.