Copernical Team
NASA dust detective delivers first maps from space for climate science
NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission aboard the International Space Station has produced its first mineral maps, providing detailed images that show the composition of the surface in regions of northwest Nevada and Libya in the Sahara Desert. Windy desert areas such as these are the sources of fine dust particles that, when lifted by wind into the atmospher
Orion Space Solutions to develop EO processing system for NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Orion Space Solutions a grant to build a dynamic, seamless one-stop platform to process, analyze, and visualize Earth observations using advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. The resulting system will further human understanding of environmental change on Earth, considering both current and pas
2023 Suborbital researchers conference to spotlight burgeoning rocket, balloon opportunities
As the pace of commercial and civil suborbital space missions on rockets and balloons continues to climb, so does the number and diversity of research and educational payloads and payload specialists flying on these missions. The 2023 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC-2023) will convene February 27 to March 1 in Broomfield, Colorado, bringing together hundreds of suborbital
Europe's all-new weather satellite arrives at launch site
After a two-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, the ship transporting the first Meteosat Third Generation satellite docked at Pariacabo in French Guiana and the precious cargo unloaded. Now safe and sound in one of the spaceport's cleanrooms, satellite engineers will ready it for liftoff on an Ariane 5 rocket in December. Once in geostationary orbit, this new satellite, which carries two new
Beyond Gravity to supply power electronics for Loft Orbital's satellites
Beyond Gravity, a leading space systems company, has been selected to supply equipment for Loft Orbital's Longbow spacecraft based on Airbus Arrow platform. The physical equipment is referred to as the Power Control and Distribution Unit (PCDU). The PCDU provides mission critical power supply capabilities and in-orbit configurability for "The Hub" that carries all payloads of a Loft Orbita
Climate change to increase lifetime of space pollution
Increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere will result in a long-term decline in air density at high altitudes, according to new research from British Antarctic Survey. Such decreased density will reduce drag on objects orbiting in the upper atmosphere, between 90 and 500 km altitude, extending the lifetime of space debris and elevating the risk of collisions between debris and satellite
Packing up at the Canaima drill site: Sols 3626-3627
Curiosity is focused on wrapping up the drill campaign at the Canaima site before hitting the road again. Curiosity started out with an unexpected 10% surplus in energy known as a "power gift." This two-sol plan will allow Curiosity to complete the Canaima drilling activities before driving away along the Mount Sharp Ascent Route (MSAR). One planned activity is to analyze the Canaima drill
Relativity Space to operate major rocket engine test facilities at NASA
Relativity Space, the first company to 3D print rockets and build the largest metal 3D printers in the world, has detailed its plans to operate one of the largest rocket engine test facilities in the United States. Through an agreement with NASA, Relativity is significantly expanding its facilities and infrastructure at NASA's historic Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi. T
The UK is about to have its first space launch
Virgin Orbit, a US company which provides launch services for satellites, has announced that the first orbital space mission from the UK will blast off from Cornwall. The rocket, which will carry nine satellites, along with a launch aircraft have been delivered by an RAF C-17 - a military, heavy-lift strategic transport plane. This is primed to be a new phase for the UK and its involvement
Life may have thrived on early Mars, until it drove climate change that caused its demise
If there ever was life on Mars - and that's a huge "if" - conditions during the planet's infancy most likely would have supported it, according to a study led by University of Arizona researchers. Dry and extremely cold, with a tenuous atmosphere, today's Mars is extremely unlikely to sustain any form of life at the surface. But 4 billion years ago, Earth's smaller, red neighbor may have been mu