Copernical Team
New Year, New images from Perseverance on Mars
Since parking at Airey Hill during Solar Conjunction back in November, Perseverance has been busy exploring. We drove north from Airey Hill to Flat Point, where we had the best views to conduct imaging using Mastcam-Z of some of the deepest parts of the Margin Unit. We then drove south-east, parallel to a ridge that shows apparent layering, and imaged targets including Burnt Island and Lil
NASA's Hubble Finds Water Vapor in Small Exoplanet's Atmosphere
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed the smallest exoplanet where water vapor has been detected in the atmosphere. At only approximately twice Earth's diameter, the planet GJ 9827d could be an example of potential planets with water-rich atmospheres elsewhere in our galaxy. "This would be the first time that we can directly show through an atmospheric detection, that th
Shrinking Moon Causing Moonquakes and Faults Near Lunar South Pole
As NASA continues to make progress toward sending astronauts to the lunar South Pole region with its Artemis campaign, data from a NASA-funded study is helping scientists better understand this strategic part of the Moon. The study presents evidence that moonquakes and faults generated as the Moon's interior gradually cools and shrinks are also found near and within some of the areas the agency
NOAA's GOES-U satellite set for April launch
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U (GOES-U), the last addition to NOAA's current generation of weather satellites, has officially touched down in Florida, marking a significant milestone in the United States' efforts to enhance its environmental monitoring and weather forecasting capabilities. This advanced satellite, part of the GOES-R Series, arrived via a United States Ai
Earth Blox prepares for growth in response to booming demand for nature and climate analytics
In a significant move to bolster its growth trajectory, Edinburgh-based Earth Blox, a prominent player in the nature and climate tech sector, has recently announced the doubling of its customer base over the past six months. This surge in clientele is attributed to the increasing demand from the finance industry and carbon markets for no-code access to extensive geospatial data, a crucial tool i
Sidus ships LizzieSat to Vandenberg for upcoming SpaceX launch
Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIDU) has reached a key moment with its LizzieSat satellite arriving at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as the company prepares for the satellite's planned launch on SpaceX' Transporter-10 mission, anticipated no earlier than March 2024. The arrival of LizzieSat at the base has set the stage for the final flight preparations before its integration with
Shenzhou 18 and 19 crews undertake intensive training for next missions
Crew members selected for China's upcoming manned space missions, Shenzhou XVIII and Shenzhou XIV, are currently engaged in rigorous training programs, as revealed by Yang Liwei, a prominent figure in the nation's space endeavors. Liwei, who earned distinction as China's first astronaut and now plays a pivotal role in the planning of the manned space program, recently shared these insights on Ch
Revolutionizing Chemistry: Over 4 Billion Early-Life Reactions Simulated via Blockchain
In a groundbreaking utilization of blockchain technology, a team of chemists has successfully repurposed the computational process typically used in cryptocurrency mining to simulate an unprecedented network of chemical reactions, potentially linked to the origins of life on Earth. This study, published in the journal Chem on January 24, marks a novel intersection of chemistry, computer science,
Lucy gears up for a busy year on route to the Jupiter Trojans
After its inaugural asteroid encounter last year, NASA's Lucy spacecraft is gearing up for pivotal events in 2024, marking significant progress in its journey to explore the enigmatic Jupiter Trojan asteroids. This ambitious mission, which seeks to unravel mysteries of the solar system's formation, is poised to enter a critical phase involving intricate deep space maneuvers and an Earth gravity
ESA Astronaut Commands Robots in Space-to-Earth Avatar Experiment
In the high-tech Mars laboratory of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, a silence of concentration prevails as a remarkable experiment unfolds, bridging the vast expanse between the International Space Station (ISS) and Earth. Swedish ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt, stationed in the Columbus module of the ISS, is at the forefront of the 'Surface Avatar' experiment, a novel