Copernical Team
Rocket arrives at launch site for Tianzhou-7 cargo mission
The Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket, tasked with sending China's space station cargo craft Tianzhou-7 into orbit, was transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan on Thursday. The rocket will undergo assembly and testing together with Tianzhou-7, which arrived earlier, the China Manned Space Agency said on Thursday. At present, all testing syst
China advances space capabilities with Long March 11 Sea Launch
In a recent advancement in China's burgeoning space program, a Long March 11 carrier rocket was successfully launched from the South China Sea on Tuesday morning. This launch, which took place off the coast of Yangjiang in Guangdong province, marked a significant milestone as it sent three experimental satellites into space, as reported by the state-owned conglomerate China Aerospace Science and
Organic compounds in asteroids formed in colder regions of space
Analysis of organic compounds - called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - extracted from the Ryugu asteroid and Murchison meteorite has found that certain PAHs likely formed in the cold areas of space between stars rather than in hot regions near stars as was previously thought. The findings open new possibilities for studying life beyond Earth and the chemistry of objects in space.
Hubble watches 'Spoke Season' on Saturn
This photo of Saturn was taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on October 22, 2023, when the ringed planet was approximately 850 million miles from Earth. Hubble's ultra-sharp vision reveals a phenomenon called ring spokes. Saturn's spokes are transient features that rotate along with the rings. Their ghostly appearance only persists for two or three rotations around Saturn. During active
Astronomers detect seismic ripples in ancient galactic disk
A new snapshot of an ancient, far-off galaxy could help scientists understand how it formed and the origins of our own Milky Way. At more than 12 billion years old, BRI 1335-0417 is the oldest and furthest known spiral galaxy in our universe. Lead author Dr Takafumi Tsukui said a state-of-the-art telescope called ALMA allowed them to look at this ancient galaxy in much greater detail
RIIS joins GEO, expanding Africa's role in world's largest space partnership
The Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS) has recently marked a significant milestone by becoming a member of the GEO Group of Earth Observations Associate. GEO, esteemed as the world's largest earth observation (EO) partnership, brings together an impressive assembly of 115 governmental members globally, alongside over 150 participating international organizations. This in
NASA flies drones autonomously for Air Taxi Research
Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia recently flew multiple drones beyond visual line of sight with no visual observer. The drones successfully flew around obstacles and each other during takeoff, along a planned route, and upon landing, all autonomously without a pilot controlling the flight. This test marks an important step towards advancing self-flying capabilit
What's next for the UK National Space Strategy?
On 12 December, the MoD held its Defence Space Conference in London, organised by the Air and Space Power Association. Several armed forces leaders, industry executives and academics gathered at the conference to discuss the progress with the UK Space Command, its National Space Strategy, SMEs, attracting and retaining the workforce and other key areas pertaining to the growth of the sector. BEL
Pancake stack of films on a balloon most accurate gamma-ray telescope
A pancake stack of radioactivity-sensitive films carried through the sky by a balloon was able to take the world's most accurate picture of a neutron star's gamma ray beam. To achieve this, Kobe University researchers combined the oldest method of capturing radioactive radiation with the newest data capturing techniques and a clever time-recording device. The stars shine their light on us
Ascent Solar achieves critical spaceflight milestone with Vigoride-6 Mission
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASTI), a leader in photovoltaic (PV) technology, has recently marked a significant achievement in space technology. The company announced its successful attainment of spaceflight heritage for its space PV array products, which were part of the Momentus Vigoride-6 mission. This accomplishment showcases the capability and reliability of Ascent Solar's produ