Copernical Team
In first, SpaceX to send all-civilian crew into Earth orbit
Can four people who've never been to space before spend three days spinning around Earth after only a few months of training?
That's the challenge SpaceX has set for itself when it launches its first tourism mission on Wednesday, the first time a crew of exclusively private citizens will orbit our planet.
A five-hour launch window for "Inspiration4" opens from 8:02 pm (0002 GMT Thursday).
A Falcon 9 rocket, with a Dragon capsule at its top, will blast off from the legendary launch complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Center in Florida, from where the Apollo 11 mission took off for the Moon.
The spaceship's trajectory will take it to an altitude of 575 kilometers (357 miles), deeper into space than the International Space Station (ISS).
ESA Open Day registration now open
Registration for this year's ESA Open Day is now open. This tenth annual ESA Open Day will combine an in-person visit of ESA's ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands by people with disabilities (and their carers as needed) on Saturday 2 October and a virtual event for everyone, taking place on the following day, on Sunday 3 October.
Laser solid-phase synthesis of single atom catalysts
Laser fabrication of nanoparticles offers a powerful and flexible alternative to the purely chemical approaches. In recent years, laser synthesized precious metal nanoparticles are becoming increasingly important in catalysis due to their unique surface features. In order to minimize the consumption of expensive precious metal-based materials and maximize the utilization of active species in var
Northrop Grumman supports test flight for Missile Defense Agency
Northrop Grumman in conjunction with Boeing has completed a critical non-intercept flight test (BTV-03) of the Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The flight test successfully demonstrated company-developed software that enables upgraded booster capability and enhances America's homeland defense. "This flight test demonstrated a Northrop Grumman-design
Russia calls for mechanism to prevent deployment of weapons in space
Russia calls on the international community to start negotiation on the development of a global mechanism banning the deployment of arms in space, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday. "The most important task on a global scale is to prevent an arms race in outer space. We call for the launch of negotiations on the development of an international, legally binding i
NASA provides laser for LISA mission
Finding the biggest collisions in the universe takes time, patience, and super steady lasers. In May, NASA specialists working with industry partners delivered the first prototype laser for the European Space Agency-led Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, or LISA, mission. This unique laser instrument is designed to detect the telltale ripples in gravitational fields caused by the mergers
India to revise FDI policy for space sector, says ISRO chief Sivan
India will soon come out with a new foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for the space sector, Indian Space research Organisation Chairman K. Sivan said on Monday. In his address at the International Space Conference and Exhibition, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), on the theme 'Building NewSpace in India', Sivan, who is also Secretary of the Department of Space, said
Dino-killing asteroid set the stage for evolution of modern snakes
For the majority of species living during the Cretaceous period, the asteroid responsible for Mexico's Chicxulub crater spelled doom. But for those that survived, the catastrophe offered opportunity. According to a new study, published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs triggered a period of accelerated diversification among snakes. /
Two Flight Engineers' stay extended in ISS
Two International Space Station crew members have had their stay onboard the orbiting lab extended to nearly a year. Meanwhile, space biology and life support maintenance kept the Expedition 65 crew busy on Tuesday. With the plans for Russian spaceflight participants to visit the space station as part of the Soyuz MS-19 crew in October 2021, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos cosm
NASA selects five US companies to mature Artemis Lander concepts
NASA has selected five U.S. companies to help the agency enable a steady pace of crewed trips to the lunar surface under the agency's Artemis program. These companies will make advancements toward sustainable human landing system concepts, conduct risk-reduction activities, and provide feedback on NASA's requirements to cultivate industry capabilities for crewed lunar landing missions. The