Copernical Team
Langley Research Center (LaRC)
Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, USA.
It directly borders the Langley Air Force Base. LaRC focuses primarily on aeronautical research, though the Apollo lunar lander was flight-tested at the facility and a number of high-profile space missions have been planned and designed on-site.
Google Lunar X Prize
The Google Lunar X PRIZE, abbreviated GLXP, sometimes referred to as Moon 2.0, is a space competition organized by the X Prize Foundation, and sponsored by Google.
It was announced at the Wired Nextfest on 13 September 2007. The challenge calls for privately-funded spaceflight teams to compete in successfully launching, landing, and then traveling across the surface of the Moon with a robot, while also sending back to Earth specified images and other data.
Moon Express Inc.
Moon Express, or MoonEx, is a privately held early stage company formed by a group of Silicon Valley and space entrepreneurs, with the goal of winning the Google Lunar X Prize, and ultimately mining the Moon for resources of economic value.
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) is an American organisation dedicated to Earth & space science education. It is fostering national & international cooperation in global Earth observations.
Morpheus Lander
Morpheus Lander is a NASA project to develop a vertical take off and landing test bed vehicle.
The NASA designed robotic lander can land 500 kg of cargo on the Moon. It was manufactured and assembled at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Armadillo Aerospace's facility near Dallas, USA. The prototype lander is a "spacecraft" that is about 3.0 m in diameter, weighs approximately 1,000 kg and consists of four silver spherical propellant tanks topped by avionics boxes and a web of wires.
Robonaut
A Robonaut is a dexterous humanoid robot built and designed at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA.
Robonaut differs from other current space-faring robots in that, while most current space robotic systems (such as robotic arms, cranes and exploration rovers) are designed to move large objects, Robonaut's tasks require more dexterity.
The core idea behind the Robonaut series is to have a humanoid machine work alongside astronauts.
The challenge is to build machines that can help humans work and explore in space. Working side by side with humans, or going where the risks are too great for people, Robonauts will expand our ability for construction and discovery. Central to that effort is a capability called dexterous manipulation, embodied by an ability to use one's hand to do work. The challenge is to build machines with dexterity that exceeds that of a suited astronaut.
Robonaut version R2 flew on the ISS, delivered by STS-133, in Feb 2011.
Dong Fang Hong
Dongfanghong (东方红), meaning The East is Red, is a space satellite program for the People's Republic of China.
This program started in 1970. Satellites in this series were placed in either low Earth orbit or geostationary orbit and carried out a variety of purposes: testing, remote sensing, telecommunications, meteorology, and scientific studies. While most Chinese satellites are named as part of the Dongfanghong series, others are singularly named or part of the AsiaSat or Apstar series.
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome, also called Tyuratam, is a very large space launch facility.
It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about 200 kilometres east of the Aral Sea. It is leased by the Kazakh government to Russia (as of 2012 : until 2050) and is managed jointly by the Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) and the Russian Space Forces. The shape of the area leased is an ellipse, measuring 90 kilometres east-west by 85 kilometres north-south, with the cosmodrome at the centre. It was originally built by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s as the base of operations for its space program.
China Academy of Space Technology (CAST)
The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) is an organizational unit of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
CAST designs and manufactures Dong Fang Hong satellites.
Malaysian National Space Agency (MNSA / ANGKASA)
The Malaysian National Space Agency (MNSA) is the national space agency of Malaysia. In Malay: Agensi Angkasa Negara, ANGKASA.
It was established in 2002. The Malaysian National Space Agency (ANGKASA) is responsible in leading and observing the development of space science in Malaysia through the following efforts:
- Providing leadership in the educational aspect and the research of space science.
- Assisting the government in formulating and executing the National Space Fundamentals.
- Providing quality service to customers to help achieve the above mentioned goals.