Copernical Team
Could fiber optic cable help scientists probe the deep layers of the moon?
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With space travel comes motion sickness. These engineers want to help
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In a corner room of the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building at CU Boulder, Torin Clark is about to go for a ride.
The associate professor straps himself into what looks like an intimidating dentist's chair perched on metal scaffolding, which, in turn, rests on a circular base. The whole set up resembles a carnival attraction.
Which, in a way, it is.
"Torin, are you ready to start?" calls out graduate student Taylor Lonner from in front of a monitor displaying several views of Clark. "I'm going to go to 5 r.p.m.
SpaceX delays Crew-8 launch, but lines up Starlink launch instead
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Bad weather conditions on the launch corridor for a human spaceflight from Kennedy Space Center have prompted a two-day delay, so SpaceX took the opportunity to roll out and try and shoehorn a launch without humans from nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday.
The Crew-8 mission set to take up three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station was originally targeting a liftoff just after midnight early Friday, but because of poor offshore conditions for the flight track of the Crew Dragon Endeavour including high winds and waves along the eastern seaboard, SpaceX and NASA opted to delay the launch attempt until Saturday night.
Now the Falcon 9 with the four crew of NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos's Alexander Grebenkin is targeting 11:16 p.m. Saturday to lift off from KSC's Launch Pad 39-A.
"In the unlikely case of an abort during launch or the flight of Dragon, the wind and wave conditions must be within acceptable conditions for the safe recovery of the crew and spacecraft," reads an update posted to NASA's website.
To the moon and back: NASA's Artemis II crew rehearses splashdown
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Their mission around the moon is not expected until September 2025 at the earliest, but the four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission are already preparing for their splashdown return.
Over the past week, the three Americans and one Canadian chosen for the historic moon mission have been training at sea with the US Navy off the coast of California.
"This is crazy. This is the stuff of movies, and we're living it every day," said veteran NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, the mission's commander, Wednesday at the San Diego Naval Base.
ERS-2 reentry – how and why is it happening?
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ERS-2 reentry – how and why is it happening? Space Rider spacecraft user guide update
Goodbye, Ariane 6 test model
Rocket on the move – Ariane 6 main stage transport timelapse
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Video:
00:01:27
A timelapse of the main stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Les Mureaux, France, on 6 February 2024.
The main stage was constructed in Les Mureaux, France, at ArianeGroup’s assembly hall. After liftoff the main stage for Ariane 6 will fire its Vulcain 2.1 engine and provide steering for eight minutes on the rocket’s ascent into space.
The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport
Rocket on the move – Ariane 6 upper stage transport timelapse
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Video:
00:02:47
A timelapse of the upper stage for the first Ariane 6 rocket as it left the ArianeGroup assembly hall in Bremen, Germany on 31 January 2024.
The upper stages for Ariane 6 are assembled in Bremen where the fuel tanks, Vinci engine and unique Auxiliary Power Unit are assembled to provide fuel, pressure, electricity and propulsion to put satellites into their required orbit.
The upper and main stage form the central core of Ariane 6 and are transported to Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana by ship. The two stages are connected horizontally at before being transport the final few
Ariane 6 transport ship docking
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Video:
00:00:53
The upper stage and main stage for the first Ariane 6 launch arrived at the port of Pariacabo in Kourou, French Guiana on the novel ship, Canopée (canopy in French) on 22 February 2024. It is the first custom-built transporter to use sails, reducing emissions and saving on fuel by up to 30%, and on this trip, it has travelled for 10 days covering over 7000 km.
The hybrid-propulsion vessel is 121 m long and has 37 m tall sails. Canopée rotates continuously between stop-offs to load each Ariane 6 stage and other parts and ship them across
