Copernical Team
Sleeping giant surprises Gaia scientists
Write a comment
Wading through the wealth of data from ESA’s Gaia mission, scientists have uncovered a ‘sleeping giant’. A large black hole, with a mass of nearly 33 times the mass of the Sun, was hiding in the constellation Aquila, less than 2000 light-years from Earth. This is the first time a black hole of stellar origin this big has been spotted within the Milky Way. So far, black holes of this type have only been observed in very distant galaxies. The discovery challenges our understanding of how massive stars develop and evolve.
Formation-flying spacecraft could probe the solar system for new physics
Write a comment
It's an exciting time for the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology. Thanks to cutting-edge observatories, instruments, and new techniques, scientists are getting closer to experimentally verifying theories that remain largely untested. These theories address some of the most pressing questions scientists have about the universe and the physical laws governing it—like the nature of gravity, dark matter, and dark energy.
For decades, scientists have postulated that either there is additional physics at work or that our predominant cosmological model needs to be revised.
While the investigation into the existence and nature of dark matter and dark energy is ongoing, there are also attempts to resolve these mysteries with the possible existence of new physics. In a paper, a team of NASA researchers proposed how spacecraft could search for evidence of additional physical within our solar systems.
ESA accelerates the race towards clean energy from space
Write a comment
ESA accelerates the race towards clean energy from space
Planetary defenders assemble!
Write a comment
Image:
Planetary defenders assemble! OpenAI comes to Asia with new office in Tokyo
Write a comment
ChatGPT creator OpenAI opened a new office in Tokyo on Monday, the first Asian outpost for the groundbreaking tech company as it aims to ramp up its global expansion.
Thanks to the stratospheric success of its generative tools that can create text, images and even video, OpenAI has become a leader in the artificial intelligence revolution and one of the most significant tech companies in the The Incredible Adventures of the Hera mission – The Missing Puzzle Piece
Write a comment
Video:
00:02:35
Meet Hera, our very own asteroid detective. Together with two CubeSats – Milani the rock decoder and Juventas the radar visionary – Hera is off on an adventure to explore Didymos, a double asteroid system that is typical of the thousands that pose an impact risk to planet Earth.
In September 2022 NASA’s DART spacecraft tested if it was possible to divert an asteroid by giving it a shove – and found out that it was! Important knowledge, should we wish to avoid going the same way as the dinosaurs. Astronomers can observe from afar how the smaller
True Anomaly secures $30M contract for VICTUS HAZE space mission
Write a comment
True Anomaly, Inc. has been awarded a $30M contract by the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command for the VICTUS HAZE Tactically Responsive Space mission. This funding is part of a broader $60M initiative, with True Anomaly providing an equal amount of private capital.
The contract is part of the Emergent Need Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, facilitated by SSC's Space Sa Space chiefs from 18 nations convene at forum hosted by Space Force
Write a comment
On April 11, military space leaders from 18 countries convened at the invitation of U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Chance Saltzman, for the fourth annual Space Chiefs Forum in Colorado Springs. Participants included representatives from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, S Kendall emphasizes space as a key security domain amid budget constraints
Write a comment
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall highlighted the critical role of space in national security at the Space Symposium on April 10, stressing the need for the U.S. to maintain its leadership despite financial uncertainties. Kendall pointed out the delayed approval of this fiscal year's budget as a significant hurdle, with Congress finalizing it six months late, in March 2024 instead of Octo Space Force charts new path for commercial integration in space operations
Write a comment
In a significant announcement, Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, revealed the U.S. Space Force's latest strategy on April 10, aimed at integrating commercial expertise, skills, and products more closely with military operations to ensure ongoing superiority in the increasingly contested space domain.
The new Commercial Space Strategy, which has been in the works for some tim 
