Copernical Team
Andreas Mogensen's second mission Huginn soars high
Huginn, Andreas Mogensen's second mission to the International Space Station, is now underway. Together with Crew-7, the ESA astronaut launched aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance on 26 August 2023, at 09:27 CEST (08:27 BST).
Alongside him are NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli, Satoshi Furukawa from JAXA, and Konstantin Borisov from Roscosmos. The crew will spend approximately six months on the Space Station, 420 kilometres above Earth.
This isn't Andreas's first journey into space. In 2015, he participated in the 10-day "iriss" mission. However, Huginn marks his first launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, and his inaugural experience with
Webb captures a cosmic Whirlpool
The graceful winding arms of the grand-design spiral galaxy M51 stretch across this image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. Unlike the menagerie of weird and wonderful spiral galaxies with ragged or disrupted spiral arms, grand-design spiral galaxies boast prominent, well-developed spiral arms like the ones showcased in this image. This galactic portrait is a composite image that integrates data from Webb’s Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and the innovative Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), half of which was contributed by Europe.
In this image the dark red regions trace the filamentary warm dust permeating the medium of the galaxy. The red regions show
Droplets unite!
Dropcoal, short for Drop Coalescence, is a research project that studies how droplets form in space and on Earth. The results will grant insights into raindrop and cloud formation, fuel combustion and interactions between materials, all with broad implications for industry and academy. They also play a crucial role in administering medicine to astronauts during lengthy and far-reaching space missions.
UNIDIR and SWF Introduce the Space Security Lexicon: Bridging the Gap in Space Terminology
The intricacies of space security terminology can sometimes create barriers in international discussions. With the rapid evolution of space technology and policies, the need for a universal understanding of terms has become imperative. Recognizing this void, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Secure World Foundation (SWF) have crafted the "Space Security Lexic
NASA to demonstrate laser communications from Space Station
NASA uses the International Space Station - a football field-sized spacecraft orbiting Earth - to learn more about living and working in space. For over 20 years, the space station has provided a unique platform for investigation and research in areas like biology, technology, agriculture, and more. It serves as a home for astronauts conducting experiments, including advancing NASA's space commu
Station Hosts 11 Crewmates from Five Countries
Eleven astronauts and cosmonauts are living together aboard the International Space Station following the arrival of the SpaceX Crew-7 mission on Sunday. While the new crewmates get adapted to life in microgravity another crew is preparing for its departure this weekend. The orbital outpost's newest crew of four, representing the U.S., Denmark, Japan, and Russia, arrived on Sunday aboard t
Kremlin vows to pursue Moon race after Luna-25 crash
The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia would not give up its ambitions to land a craft on the Moon after its first lunar mission in nearly 50 years failed this month. The Luna-25 module crashed on the Moon's surface after an incident during pre-landing manoeuvres. An Indian mission days later successfully landed near the Moon's south pole. "We know that the way to the stars is through thor
Scientists zoom in on the Asian monsoon season using satellite data
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University and other institutes have studied new satellite data showing the diameter of rain droplets and the distribution of heavy ice in the atmosphere worldwide. They focused on the Asian monsoon region, finding larger droplets and more heavy ice precipitation on land before the actual monsoon season. Their findings shed new light on the features of the pre-
PAR Government shares in $900M Space Force contract
PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) reports that its wholly owned subsidiary PAR Government Systems Corporation, in close partnership with ICEYE US, the leading commercial provider of space-based radar capabilities, has signed a prime contract award for the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services initiative led by the U.S. Space Force. The contract serves as a mecha
Viasat provides status update on Inmarsat-6 F2
Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) has confirmed that its Inmarsat-6 F2 (I6 F2) satellite, which was launched on February 18, 2023, has suffered a power subsystem anomaly during its orbit raising phase. At this stage, Viasat and Airbus, the satellite's manufacturer, are working to determine the root cause of the anomaly and assess whether the satellite will be able to perform its mission. Airbus h