Copernical Team
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket experiences rare failure
Write a comment
SpaceX's highly reliable Falcon 9 rocket has experienced a rare failure that means the latest batch of the company's Starlink satellites won't make it into orbit, the company said Friday, as regulators opened an investigation.
The rocket, a prolific launch vehicle that propels both satellites and astronauts into orbit, blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday night, with the first stage performing well and executing its impressive yet now routine droneship landing.
But the second stage developed a liquid oxygen leak, SpaceX said in a statement, leaving it unable to complete a planned second burn.
SpaceX space junk crashed onto Saskatchewan farmland, highlighting a potential impending disaster
Write a comment
In late April, farmers in Saskatchewan stumbled upon spacecraft fragments while preparing their fields for seeding. It sounds like the beginning of a science fiction movie, but this really happened, sending a powerful warning: it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or killed by falling space junk.
The Axiom Space private astronaut mission (Ax-3) concluded safely on Feb. 9 when its SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida. Several weeks later, the Crew Dragon's cargo trunk re-entered the atmosphere over Canada after being abandoned in orbit prior to the capsule's return.
Several incidents
The Federal Aviation Administration, charged with approving commercial spaceflight launches in the United States, has claimed that such trunks typically "burn up" during their re-entry.
This is clearly incorrect. Similar fragments, likely from the trunk of a different Crew Dragon mission, were found in North Carolina in May, including a smaller piece that landed on the roof of a house.
Week in images: 08-12 July 2024
Write a comment
Week in images: 08-12 July 2024
Discover our week through the lens
Ariane 6: Thank you Space Team Europe
Write a comment
Video:
00:02:27
The first launch of Ariane 6 is a collective success for all of Europe. First flights are no easy thing, but Europe now has a heavy-lift rocket able to launch any mission into any orbit. From Earth observation satellites that monitor our changing climate, predict the weather and assist emergency responders during disasters; to communication and navigation systems that keep Europeans in touch and in the right place; to deep space telescopes and explorers expanding our understanding of the Universe and our place within it – Ariane 6 has restored Europe’s autonomous access to space.
“Thank you, not
Vivid Webb portrait of interacting galaxies Penguin and Egg
Write a comment
A duo of interacting galaxies known as Arp 142 commemorates the second science anniversary of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope.
Earth from Space: Hainan Strait
Write a comment
Image:
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over the Hainan Strait in southern China. International Law Crucial in Preventing Space Militarization
Write a comment
A recent study emphasizes the urgent need for countries and international organizations to leverage existing international law to address rising concerns about the militarization of outer space.
The militarization of space is escalating, with the potential to become a battleground. Nations are testing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, and satellites could become significant targets during con Booz Allen Invests in Quindar to Enhance Satellite Automation
Write a comment
Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) reports that its corporate venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures, LLC, has made a strategic investment in Quindar, a commercial space technology startup focused on automating satellite operations. This investment supports Booz Allen's VoLT business strategy-emphasizing velocity, leadership, and technology-and underscores the importance of integrating advanced t Astronomical Satellite Observes Multiple Gamma-Ray Bursts
Write a comment
A state-of-the-art astronomical satellite, developed through a collaboration between China and France, has successfully detected three gamma-ray bursts, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced.
The Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) detected a gamma-ray burst on the morning of June 27, shortly after its Gamma-ray Burst Monitor was activated for testing. The satellite also observed two Galactic 'Heart and Lungs' Mechanism Regulates Growth
Write a comment
A recent study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society proposes that galaxies possess a "heart and lungs" mechanism that regulates their growth and prevents them from becoming overly large. This finding sheds light on why galaxies are not as massive as previously anticipated.
The research, conducted by astrophysicists at the University of Kent, suggests that gala 
