Copernical Team
SpaceX tentatively sets third Starship test flight for March 14
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SpaceX plans to launch the third test flight of its Starship rocket as early as March 14 pending regulatory approval.
SpaceX stressed that the date is likely to change, which is common when it comes to developmental testing.
SpaceX said its third test flight will try successful ascent burns on its first and second stages, open and close Starship payload doors, perform a propellan SWOT Satellite Catches Coastal Flooding During California Storms
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In the wake of a series of atmospheric rivers that bombarded California with record rainfall and hurricane-force winds in February, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission has come under the spotlight for its critical role in capturing detailed data on the resultant coastal flooding. The satellite, a joint venture between NASA and the French space agency CNES, has demonstrated its Terran Orbital Secures $15.2 Million Space Force Contract for Satellite Platforms
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Terran Orbital Corporation (NYSE: LLAP), a leading innovator in satellite-based solutions for the aerospace and defense industries, has recently announced a significant milestone in its ongoing contributions to national security and space exploration efforts. The company has been awarded a $15.2 million contract by the U.S. Space Force, facilitated through Axient Corporation, to provide Ambassad Rocking robotics training
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ESA astronaut candidate Raphaël Liégeois from Belgium during a robotics session as part of his basic astronaut training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre, near Cologne, Germany. Earth from Space: Ireland
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The lush landscape of the island of Ireland and the coasts of Scotland, Wales and England, are pictured in this view from the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission. Conversations with ESA Directors on International Women’s Day
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For International Women's Day 2024, we're acknowledging the remarkable careers of the women in key Directorate positions at ESA: Simonetta Cheli, Geraldine Naja and Carole Mundell. Read about the impactful work, pivotal life experiences and their insights on fostering a more inclusive future.
EarthCARE bids adieu to Europe
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After years of development and a rigorous testing programme, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite has left Munich, Germany, and is now on its away to SpaceX’s launch site in Vandenberg, California. Once it arrives, it will be put into storage for a few weeks until it is time to ready the satellite for liftoff – which is scheduled to launch in May on a Falcon 9 rocket.
The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, or EarthCARE for short, is the most complex Earth Explorer mission to date. The new satellite will look at the role that clouds and aerosols play in heating and
How do animals react during a total solar eclipse? Scientists plan to find out in April
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Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration
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Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travelers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the unknown.
However, the Polaris Dawn mission, which is to include the first spacewalk organized by a private company, has been delayed. This is due to complications with the design and development of a suitable spacesuit.
Moon suits are also one of the key elements of NASA's Artemis lunar program that have yet to be delivered. A report released in November 2023 said that the contractor making the suits is having to revisit aspects of the design provided by NASA, which could introduce delays.
Yet the first spacewalk, by the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, took place in 1965. Later, 12 NASA astronauts would walk on the lunar surface, between 1969 and 1972, using technology that would be eclipsed by today's smartphones.
NASA's network of small moon-bound rovers is ready to roll
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Construction and testing are complete on the CADRE rovers, which will map the lunar surface together as a tech demo to show the promise of multi-robot missions.
A trio of small rovers that will explore the moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they'll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment.
