Copernical Team
NASA studies solar radiation with BioSentinel as auroras dance across Earth
In May 2024, Earth experienced a spectacular geomagnetic storm that produced brilliant auroras visible across the planet. These light displays result from coronal mass ejections, which are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun, interacting with Earth's magnetic field. This natural shield protects the planet from solar radiation during such storms. As NASA prepares for crewe
This rocky planet around a white dwarf resembles Earth - 8 billion years from now
The discovery of an Earth-like planet 4,000 light years away in the Milky Way galaxy provides a preview of one possible fate for our planet billions of years in the future, when the sun has turned into a white dwarf, and a blasted and frozen Earth has migrated beyond the orbit of Mars. This distant planetary system, identified by University of California, Berkeley, astronomers after observ
Hubble finds that a black hole beam promotes stellar eruptions
In a surprise finding, astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory. The stars, called novae, are not caught inside the jet, but apparently in a dangerous neighborhood nearby. The finding is confounding researchers searching for an ex
Chinese scientists analyze Lunar Farside samples collected by Chang'e-6
A team of Chinese scientists has conducted a detailed study of the first lunar samples retrieved from the Moon's farside by the Chang'e-6 mission. These groundbreaking samples mark a key achievement in lunar exploration, offering new insights into the Moon's geological history. The research was published in the 'National Science Review' on September 17, 2024.
When manned crew lifts off for ISS this weekend, public can take part interactively
NASA on Thursday invited the public to be virtual guests to view the Crew 9 launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday morning. The launch, which will take place at Space Complex 40 in Florida, will lift NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov into space in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Hague will be the flight's commander. Live coverage
ISS Crew-9 will conduct research into genetics, cardiac health, and space farming
NASA's Crew-9 mission, part of its Commercial Crew Program, is preparing to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, September 28, 2024. During their five-month stay, the crew will conduct a range of scientific investigations, many of which are supported by the ISS National Laboratory. Crew-9 is set to launch aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft "Freedom" from Cape Canaveral S
Veteran Ventures Capital invests in Agile Space Industries
Veteran Ventures Capital (VVC), a firm focused on investing in dual-use national security technology companies led by veterans, announced a strategic investment in Agile Space Industries. Agile specializes in developing advanced chemical propulsion systems for satellites and spacecraft, including thrusters and rocket engines, which are designed, 3D printed, and tested in-house. This investment i
Sentinel-2C satellite captures detailed lunar image during calibration
On 20 September, the Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite captured a remarkable image of the Moon by executing a sideways roll. While Sentinel-2C is primarily intended for observing Earth, this particular image - part of a calibration process - surpassed expectations. With a resolution of approximately 5 km, the image highlights significant lunar features, including the Copernicus Crater, Tych
Completed experiments on International Space Station to help answer how boiling and condensation work in space
After a decade of preparation and two years of active experiments in space, a facility that Purdue University and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designed, built and tested has completed its test campaign on the International Space Station.
NASA's Artemis science instrument gets tested in moon-like sandbox
On Sept. 9 and 10, scientists and engineers tested NASA's LEMS (Lunar Environment Monitoring Station) instrument suite in a "sandbox" of simulated moon regolith at the Florida Space Institute's Exolith Lab at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Lunar regolith is a dusty, soil-like material that coats the moon's surface, and researchers wanted to observe how the material would interact with LEMS's hardware, which is being developed to fly to the moon with Artemis III astronauts in late 2026.
Designed and built at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, LEMS is one of three science payloads chosen for development for Artemis III, which will be the first mission to land astronauts on the lunar surface since 1972.
The LEMS instrument package can operate both day and night. It will carry two University of Arizona-built seismometers to the surface to perform long-term monitoring for moonquakes and meteorite impacts.
Provided by NASA