Copernical Team
NASA researchers bid farewell to 'flying laboratory' at Ames Research Center
For many NASA scientists, flying aboard a decked-out Douglas DC-8 plane provided them some unique glimpses of Earth: the Moai on Easter Island, Central Park in New York and Mount Vesuvius in Italy.
On May 15, some of the same scientists who worked on that "flying laboratory" looked on as it made one last flight over Ames Research Center in Mountain View before its retirement.
Reem Hannun, a research scientist in the atmospheric science branch, attended the flyover with her two children before taking them to school. As the twins played around the trees and commented on the big plane that flew close to the ground for them to see, she recalled how she got her start at NASA doing science and reading field measurements on the plane.
"It's just cool to see all these different measurements for atmospheric composition, and it's a great community to be a part of, and you get to travel the world doing science," Hannun said.
The plane, owned by NASA, was one of seven DC-8 planes still in operation internationally. Thomas Matthews, lead operations engineer for the aircraft and main mission director, said that NASA used the plane for 37 years, but the aging aircraft needed to be replaced as it was getting harder to sustain.
Transforming iron-based alloys into advanced thermoelectric materials with brief heat treatment
Researchers from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and Nagoya University have developed a method to convert iron-based amorphous alloys, commonly used in soft magnets, into efficient thermoelectric materials. This conversion is achieved through a brief, three-minute heat treatment, introducing a method to manipulate materials at the microstructural level for improved energy con Magic Lane secures 3 million euro to enhance location intelligence capabilities
Magic Lane, a leader in mapping and location services, has secured a euro 3 million investment to enhance its navigation technologies for micro-mobility and IoT applications. "With this investment, we can truly accelerate our efforts to transform the location industry," explained Raymond Alves of Magic Lane. "With our solutions, we address the evolving needs of the IoT and micro-mobility market OCCAR and MBDA begin HYDIS2 concept phase
MBDA has signed an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the partners of the HYpersonic Defence Interceptor Study (HYDIS2) Consortium. The European Defence Fund grant agreement and a Linked Procurement Contract were signed on May 15, launching the HYDIS2 concept phase.
The European Commission selected the HYDIS2 project for funding in July 2023 Robotic "SuperLimbs" could help moonwalkers recover from falls
Need a moment of levity? Try watching videos of astronauts falling on the moon. NASA's outtakes of Apollo astronauts tripping and stumbling as they bounce in slow motion are delightfully relatable.
For MIT engineers, the lunar bloopers also highlight an opportunity to innovate.
"Astronauts are physically very capable, but they can struggle on the moon, where gravity is one-sixth that Webb detects most distant black hole merger to date
An international team of astronomers have used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to find evidence for an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was only 740 million years old. This marks the most distant detection of a black hole merger ever obtained and the first time that this phenomenon has been detected so early in the Universe.
Huge Survey vs. Tiny Space Junk
As construction continues on the Vera Rubin Observatory, the skies above its mountaintop home grow more and more crowded following every rocket launch. Astronomers, conscious of the plans for mega-constellations of new satellites in the next few years, are rightfully worried: will these satellites and the tiny bits of debris that come with every deployment and collision affect the new telescope' Iridium-Connected Drones Receive FAA BVLOS Waiver
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a global provider of voice and data satellite communications, announced a significant development for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI), an Iridium partner, received a unique waiver from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct UAS surveillance of ATT and AST SpaceMobile Sign Agreement for Satellite Broadband Network
ATT and AST SpaceMobile have finalized a commercial agreement to create a space-based broadband network for cell phones, effective until 2030. Previously, the companies collaborated under a Memorandum of Understanding. This marks significant progress towards improved connectivity for consumers and businesses nationwide.
This summer, AST SpaceMobile plans to launch its first commercial sate Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may lack an atmosphere
Astronomers at MIT, the University of Liege, and elsewhere have discovered a new planet orbiting a small cold star, a mere 55 light years away. The nearby planet is similar to Earth in its size and rocky composition, though that's where the similarities end. Because this new world is likely missing an atmosphere.
In a paper appearing in Nature Astronomy, the researchers confirm the detecti 
