Copernical Team
We're working out how to solve crimes in space—the final frontier of forensic science
NASA's Artemis program is scheduled to return astronauts to the moon and establish a permanent orbiting laboratory by the end of the decade.
Meanwhile, private companies are making significant steps in taking paying customers further into space. As humanity's footprint expands beyond the familiar terrains of Earth to the moon and possibly beyond, an intriguing new field emerges from the final frontier: astroforensics.
This discipline, still in its infancy, is propelled by the inevitability of human nature. Space presents a unique and harsh environment for forensic investigations. Settings that present altered gravity, cosmic radiation, extremes in temperature, and the need for oxygen-providing climate systems provide a few examples of the unearthly variables that are faced by future explorers.
Unlike Earth, where gravity, a constant force, shapes many aspects of our reality, the significant reduction of gravity in space introduces novel challenges in understanding how evidence behaves. This shift is crucial for forensic sciences like bloodstain pattern analysis, which relies heavily on gravitational effects to determine the circumstances under which blood stains are formed.
The thought of gravity in space immediately conjures images of astronauts hauntingly suspended in the void of space or floating gymnastics in the International Space Station (ISS).
Astro Chat with Rosemary Coogan | ESA Explores podcast
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00:21:52
Rosemary Coogan, one of ESA’s five astronaut candidates currently undergoing basic astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, shares her journey from studying the stars to training for space travel. Join us as we discuss her experiences in astronaut training, her favorite lessons, and her excitement for the future of space exploration.
This is Episode 4 of our ESA Explores podcast series introducing the ESA astronaut class of 2022, recorded in November 2023.
Music and audio editing by Denzel Lorge. Cover art by Gaël Nadaud.
This Whispering of Huginn
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Andreas Mogensen launched on his Huginn mission in August 2023 to the International Space Station, becoming the first non-US astronaut to pilot SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Andreas became commander of the International Space Station in September 2023, becoming the longest serving European commander in January 2024. His mission was spent on more than 30 European experiments and plenty of international ones as well, ranging from water purification to studies of human physiology and thunderclouds. After 6 months on the International Space Station, Andreas will come down to Earth together with his Crew-7 crewmates Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), Satoshi
Week in images: 04-08 March 2024
Week in images: 04-08 March 2024
Discover our week through the lens
The geodetic community meets Genesis
The first Genesis science workshop brought together the ESA project team and the scientific geodesy community to establish the Genesis Scientific Exploitation Team and to set the ground for future collaboration.
Space-enabled connectivity steers self-driving cars
In one of the longest-running trials of a self-driving vehicle, collecting data over 13 000 km of autonomous travel, Darwin Innovation Group has been testing a novel driverless shuttle bus at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, in Oxford, UK; home to ESA’s European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT). The technology is funded under the ESA 5G/6G Programme with the support of the UK Space Agency.
Karman Space and Defense boosts ULA's Vulcan on Its Maiden flight
Karman Space and Defense ("Karman") has released details on its involvement in the first certification mission of United Launch Alliance's (ULA) Vulcan launch vehicle. This collaboration underscored Karman's strategic importance in the landmark debut flight of the Vulcan rocket, which occurred on Jan. 8, 2024.
The mission, known as Cert-1, carried two significant payloads: the Peregrine Lu China Reports Significant Advances in High-End Equipment and Frontier Technology Research
In an era where technological innovation serves as the backbone of economic development and national prestige, China has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of this global trend. The Government Work Report presented at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress shed light on the substantial strides made in the past year, marking a notable year for Chinese research and develo Nicole McGaa: Ensuring safe travels in space
What do meteor showers, medicine, and MIT have in common? Aerospace engineering major Nicole McGaa. The senior has long been drawn to both space and medicine. Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she would search for good hillsides for watching meteor showers with her brother and father. Meanwhile, her favorite TV shows featured doctors and healers as main characters. The "Star Trek" series w Mongolia enters the space race with first satellites
In a significant stride towards the global space arena, Mongolia marked its entry by launching its inaugural satellites, catalyzing an era of innovation and amplifying the potential for investment in its evolving tech domain.
On 4th March 2023, Space-X's Falcon-9 rocket, lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carried two Mongolian low-earth-orbit nano satellites, Ondos