Copernical Team
ESA-DLR Lunar facility prepares for simulated exploration
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) inaugurated LUNA, a state-of-the-art lunar analogue facility, on September 25, 2024, in Cologne, Germany. The facility, located near ESA's European Astronaut Centre, is designed to simulate lunar surface conditions to support astronaut training and testing for upcoming lunar missions. LUNA will serve as a vital tool for
Crew completes simulated Mars Mission at JSC
A volunteer crew recently "returned" from a simulated 45-day mission to Mars at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. The crew completed their stay in a small habitat, contributing to research essential for future human space missions to the Moon and Mars. The HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) missions are part of NASA's effort to study how humans cope with the unique challe
SkAI Initiative aims to expand astrophysics research with AI
With a $20 million, five-year grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Simons Foundation, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is partnering with academic institutions and federal labs in the Midwest to advance AI-driven astrophysics research. The collaboration, led by Northwestern University, will establish the NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky
BlackSky prices $40M Public Offering of Common Stock
BlackSky Technology Inc. (NYSE: BKSY) has announced the pricing of its upsized public offering, where it will sell 10,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock at $4.00 per share. This offering is expected to generate gross proceeds of approximately $40 million before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and other related expenses. All shares in the offering are being sold by Bl
How special is the Milky Way Galaxy?
Is our home galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, a special place? A team of scientists started a journey to answer this question more than a decade ago. Commenced in 2013, the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey studies galaxy systems like the Milky Way. Now, the SAGA Survey just published three new research articles that provide us with new insights into the uniqueness of our own Milky Wa
Mars' missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight
Mars wasn't always the cold desert we see today. There's increasing evidence that water once flowed on the Red Planet's surface, billions of years ago. And if there was water, there must also have been a thick atmosphere to keep that water from freezing. But sometime around 3.5 billion years ago, the water dried up, and the air, once heavy with carbon dioxide, dramatically thinned, leaving only
Key negotiator Norway sees 'positive signals' ahead of plastic talks
In the single week that world leaders convened for high-level UN talks in New York, nearly 100,000 water bottles' worth of microplastics swirled through the city's air, posing known and still unknown risks to human health. "We talk a lot about plastic in the marine environment, but it's all around," Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, the Norwegian international development minister who is helping lead
NASA selects Firefly Aerospace for NOAA QuickSounder mission launch
NASA has chosen Firefly Aerospace, Inc., based in Cedar Park, Texas, to provide launch services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) QuickSounder mission. This selection falls under NASA's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. The VADR contract offers fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity awards over
US and South Korea Strengthen Aerospace Partnership
NASA and the Republic of Korea's newly established Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) have signed a joint statement of intent aimed at expanding cooperation in space exploration, science, and aeronautics. The signing ceremony took place at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., marking KASA's first official visit since its creation in May 2024. "Building on years of work together both o
China expands food options for deep-space missions
China is preparing to offer a broader variety of food for astronauts in future deep-space exploration missions, as discussed at the Second Frontier Forum of Space Medicine in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, East China. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a holiday celebrating family unity, the crew of Shenzhou XVIII aboard China's space station had a special treat of "space mooncakes" filled with