Copernical Team
Finding moons' hidden oceans with induced magnetic fields
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In the 21st century, planetary scientists have become increasingly aware that subsurface oceans consisting of liquid water exist within objects throughout the solar system. Because water is a universal requirement for life on Earth, these bodies—mostly moons—are enticing targets in the search for extraterrestrial life.
A primary way of deducing the existence of an unseen ocean is through an induced magnetic field. These fields originate from a unique application of Faraday's law of induction, which states that a time-varying magnetic field creates an electric current when applied to a circuit. Water that is salty enough to remain liquid in cold space environments is very conductive; at the same time, a moon's orbit through a planet's rotating magnetic field exposes the moon to a field strength that varies with time.
How to talk to extraterrestrials
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In Steven Spielberg's 1977 film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," extraterrestrials communicate with humans through a catchy five-note sequence. In Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster "E.T.," a diminutive alien learns basic English from a children's TV show. More recently, in 2016's "Arrival," squid-like visitors use pictograms to make themselves understood to American scientists wielding whiteboards with words.
Team chosen to be first to make oxygen on the moon
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Inside the Columbus science lab | Cosmic Kiss (In German, English subtitles available)
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Video:
00:31:09
Join ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer on a tour of Columbus, Europe’s science laboratory on the International Space Station.
Cosmic Kiss is Matthias’s first mission to the Space Station and the Columbus module is one of his main workplaces. It is also where he sleeps in his crew quarters known as CASA.
Columbus is Europe's largest contribution to the orbital outpost and the first European laboratory for permanent, multidisciplinary research in space. It houses 16 standardised payload cabinets, known as racks, which host laboratory equipment and technical systems. This allows the facility to support research across a wide range of
Filling the GOCE data gap unearths South Pole’s geological past
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It’s very difficult to know what lies beneath a blanket of kilometres-thick ice, so it is hardly surprising that scientists have long contested the shape and geology of the ancient supercontinent from which East Antarctica formed over a billion years ago. An ESA-funded study can now lay some of this conjecture to rest. Using sensors on aircraft to measure changes in the gravity and magnetic signatures of the different rocks under the ice, scientists have discovered a huge bay the size of the UK formed part of the edge of
There's a big rock stuck inside one of Perseverance's wheels
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It looks like the Perseverance rover has an unwanted passenger, a rock stuck inside one of its wheels. The image of the stone was selected by public input as the "Image of the Week" for Week 54 (Feb. 20–26, 2022) of the Perseverance mission. Perseverance captured this image on February 25, 2022.
The rover's Front Left Hazard Avoidance Camera A captured the image. When the rover is driving, it makes periodic stops to let the Hazard Cameras survey the immediate surroundings. The Hazard Cameras help evaluate the hazards in front of and behind the rover, like large boulders, deep trenches, or dunes. The cameras create 3D views of the surroundings that help the rover make its own decisions without consulting with the rover team on Earth on every move.
The rock's been there for a few days, based on images from March 2. It's difficult to tell from the picture for sure, but it doesn't appear to be wedged in. Will it fall out during normal operations?
The rock doesn't appear to be causing any damage or hindering the rover's operations.
Team chosen to make first oxygen on the Moon
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Following a design competition, ESA has selected the industrial team that will design and build the first experimental payload to extract oxygen from the surface of the Moon. The winning consortium, led by Thales Alenia Space in the UK, has been tasked with producing a small piece of equipment that will evaluate the prospect of building larger lunar plants to extract propellant for spacecraft and breathable air for astronauts – as well as metallic raw materials for equipment.
Stonehenge served as an ancient solar calendar - new analysis
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It had long been thought that the famous site of Stonehenge served as an ancient calendar, given its alignment with the solstices. Now, research has identified how it may have worked.
New finds about the stone circle's history, along with analysis of other ancient calendar systems, prompted Professor Timothy Darvill to take a fresh look at Stonehenge. His analysis, published in the journal Technology demonstration satellite to be launched soon
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China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a major defense contractor, plans to launch a technology demonstration satellite in the coming months, according to a senior researcher overseeing the project.
"The Tiankun 2 satellite is undergoing final tests by our engineers and will be launched by a Long March rocket," said Ma Jie, Party chief of the CASIC Second Academy in Beijing, which is d Amazon rainforest is losing resilience: New evidence from satellite data analysis
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The Amazon rainforest is likely losing resilience, data analysis from high-resolution satellite images suggests. This is due to stress from a combination of logging and burning - the influence of human-caused climate change is not clearly determinable so far, but will likely matter greatly in the future.
For about three quarters of the forest, the ability to recover from perturbation has b 
