Copernical Team
The feline frontier: NASA sends cat video from deep space
NASA on Monday announced it had used a state-of-the-art laser communication system on a spaceship 19 million miles (31 million kilometers) away from Earth - to send a high-definition cat video. The 15-second meow-vie featuring an orange tabby named Taters is the first to be streamed from deep space, and demonstrates it's possible to transmit the higher-data-rate communications needed to sup
NASA's GUSTO Prepares to Map Space Between the Stars
On a vast ice sheet in Antarctica, scientists and engineers are preparing a NASA experiment called GUSTO to explore the universe on a balloon. GUSTO will launch from the Ross Ice Shelf, near the U.S. National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station research base, no earlier than Dec. 21. GUSTO, which stands for Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory, will peer into th
Research unveils atmospheric dynamics of runaway greenhouse effect
A recent study by a team of astronomers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with CNRS laboratories in Paris and Bordeaux, has successfully simulated the entire runaway greenhouse process, marking a significant advancement in understanding planetary climates. This process, which can dramatically transform a planet's climate from conducive to life to extremely hostile, has been
Blue Origin scrubs return of New Shepard rocket flight due to technical issue
Blue Origin has scrubbed its first flight since last year's uncrewed booster mishap. Monday's launch in West Texas was called off earlier in the day, first for cold weather and then due to an unspecified "ground system issue." "We're scrubbing #NS24 today due to a ground system issue the team is troubleshooting. We'll provide a new launch target for this week soon," Blue Origin revealed
Satellite Communications Innovator Lynk Global to Go Public via Slam Corp. Merger
Lynk Global, Inc., a leader in satellite-to-phone communications, and Slam Corp. (NASDAQ: SLAM), a special purpose acquisition company, have embarked on a significant step towards merging. The two companies have signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) for a potential business combination. This move, once finalized, is set to list Lynk Global, Inc. as a publicly-traded entity under the ticker
Quantum Leap in secure communication: Teleporting images using light
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications, an international team from Wits University and ICFO- The Institute of Photonic Sciences has unveiled a novel technique for transporting patterns of light, akin to image teleportation, across a network without the physical transmission of the image itself. This research not only challenges our conventional understanding of data transfe
NASA's Tech Demo Streams First Video From Deep Space via Laser
NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications experiment beamed an ultra-high definition streaming video on Dec. 11 from a record-setting 19 million miles away (31 million kilometers, or about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance). The milestone is part of a NASA technology demonstration aimed at streaming very high-bandwidth video and other data from deep space - enabling future human missions beyond Ea
Equatorial Launch Australia Unveils Innovative ASC Advanced Launch Pad Designs
Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) has announced a significant breakthrough in launch pad technology with the completion of its Arnhem Space Centre Advanced Launch Pad (ASCALP) designs. This development marks a pivotal moment in the NewSpace sector, known for its innovative and rapidly evolving approach to space exploration and commercialization. The ASCALP, hailed as the most advanced laun
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin sets new launch attempt for Tuesday
Blue Origin said it would try again on Tuesday to launch a rocket and return to space for the first time in more than a year, after scrubbing a mission for last-minute technical reasons. Jeff Bezos' space company has not launched a rocket since an uncrewed September 2022 crash placed its program on hold while it carried out fixes and awaited regulatory approval. The company finally annou
Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin heads back to space in critical launch
Blue Origin is set Monday to launch its New Shepard rocket for the first time since an uncrewed crash more than a year ago, a mission that is critical in reviving the fortunes of Jeff Bezos' space company.
Cold weather at the launch site near Van Horn, Texas, pushed back the takeoff window, which now starts at 9:30 am local time (15H30 GMT), Blue Origin said on X, formerly Twitter.
Though the rocket will carry a payload of science experiments, not people, mission NS-24 must succeed before Blue Origin can return to taking wealthy thrill-seekers to the final frontier.
On September 12, 2022, a Blue Origin rocket became engulfed in flames shortly after launch. The capsule, fixed to the top of the rocket, successfully initiated an emergency separation sequence and floated safely to the ground on parachutes.
The accident prompted a year-long probe by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which found it was caused by the failure of an engine nozzle that experienced higher-than-expected engine operating temperatures.