Copernical Team
Small solar sails could be the next 'giant leap' for interplanetary space exploration
Nearly 70 years after the launch of the first satellite, we still have more questions than answers about space. But a team of Berkeley researchers is on a mission to change this with a proposal to build a fleet of low-cost, autonomous spacecraft, each weighing only 10 grams and propelled by nothing more than the pressure of solar radiation. These miniaturized solar sails could potentially visit
Salad in space? New study says it's not a healthy choice
Lettuce and other leafy green vegetables are part of a healthy, balanced diet - even for astronauts on a mission. It's been more than three years since the National Aeronautics and Space Administration made space-grown lettuce an item on the menu for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Alongside their space diet staples of flour tortillas and powdered coffee, astronauts can munch
A massive cluster is born
This image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope features an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. This nebula, known as N79, is a region of interstellar atomic hydrogen that is ionised, captured here by Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI).
N79 is a massive star-forming complex spanning roughly 1630 light-years in the generally unexplored southwest region of the LMC. N79 is typically regarded as a younger version of 30 Doradus (also known as the Tarantula Nebula), another of Webb’s recent targets. Research suggests that N79 has a star formation efficiency
NASA's Roman to Search for Signs of Dark Matter Clumps
Some of the finest, smallest details in the universe - the gaps between elongated groups of stars - may soon help astronomers reveal dark matter in greater detail than ever before. After NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches, by May 2027, researchers will use its images to explore what exists between looping tendrils of stars that are pulled from globular clusters. Specifically, they
Moon rocks with unique dust found
Our Earth's Moon is almost completely covered in dust. Unlike on Earth, this dust is not smoothed by wind and weather, but is sharp-edged and also electrostatically charged. This dust has been studied since the Apollo era at the end of the 1960s. Now, an international research team led by Dr. Ottaviano Rusch from the University of Munster has for the first time discovered anomalous meter-sized r
Lightest black hole or heaviest neutron star? MeerKAT uncovers a mysterious object in Milky Way
An international team of astronomers have found a new and unknown object in the Milky Way that is heavier than the heaviest neutron stars known and yet simultaneously lighter than the lightest black holes known. Using the MeerKAT Radio Telescope, astronomers from a number of institutions including The University of Manchester and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany foun
NASA Science, Astrobotic Peregrine Mission One Concludes
The first flight of NASA's commercial lunar delivery service carrying agency science and technology, as well as other customer payloads intended for the Moon, has come to an end. After 10 days and 13 hours in space, Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One made a controlled re-entry on Earth over open water in the South Pacific at approximately 4:04 p.m. EST on Jan. 18. Astrobotic was the first
Viasat Leads Historic UK SBAS Flight Trial, Showcasing Advanced GPS Capabilities
Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global satellite communications company, has marked a significant milestone in the UK's satellite navigation capabilities by successfully demonstrating the UK Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for the first time. This test, conducted from Cranfield Airport using a Saab 340B aircraft from the National Flying Laboratory Centre, has showcased the potential of
Lynk and Telikom initiate Sat2Phone services in Papua New Guinea
Lynk Global, Inc. (Lynk), a leader in satellite-direct-to-standard-phone (sat2phone) telecommunications, in a landmark collaboration with Telikom Limited (Telikom), has announced the launch of initial Sat2Phone services for subscribers in Papua New Guinea. This innovative partnership is set to significantly improve mobile coverage throughout the country, offering unprecedented connectivity benef
LeoLabs partners with NOAA's OSC to develop advanced space traffic coordination system
In a significant development for space safety, LeoLabs has announced its partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Space Commerce (OSC). This collaboration is marked by a Consolidated Pathfinder order from the OSC for LeoLabs to contribute to the development of the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), a national, civil-led initiative.