Copernical Team
NASA picks Lockheed Martin to develop nuclear rocket
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NASA and the US military said Wednesday they had selected defense contractor Lockheed Martin to develop a nuclear powered rocket, with a view to using the technology for missions to Mars.
The Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program may launch as soon as 2027, officials said on a call.
Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) systems could cut journey times, increase fuel efficiency, and require less propellant, meaning future spacecraft could carry larger payloads than today's best chemical rockets.
NTP works by pumping a liquid propellant, in DRACO's case cryogenic hydrogen, through a reactor core, where uranium atoms split apart through fission.
NASA's Juno is getting ever closer to Jupiter's moon Io
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The spinning, solar-powered spacecraft will take another look of the fiery Jovian moon on July 30.
When NASA's Juno mission flies by Jupiter's fiery moon Io on Sunday, July 30, the spacecraft will be making its closest approach yet, coming within 13,700 miles (22,000 kilometers) of it.
Crew-7: crew news conference
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00:46:24
On Tuesday 25 July, the four crew members of Crew-7, Jasmin Moghbeli (NASA), Andreas Mogensen (ESA), Satoshi Furukawa (JAXA) and Konstantin Borisov (Roscosmos) hosted a news conference where they talk about their upcoming mission to the International Space Station.
Aeolus reentry: the breakdown
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After a remarkable life in orbit, Aeolus is out of fuel and out of time – it’s returning to Earth this week. Planned and built before any regulations were put in place on ‘end-of-life’ disposal, the Earth Explorer was designed to naturally return through our atmosphere.
After months of detailed planning and analysis, ESA together with industrial partners has designed a complex and never-before-performed set of manoeuvres to control, as much as possible, Aeolus’ fall.
The assisted reentry attempt is built on four main phases, now begun at ESA’s mission control:
- Phase I: once Aeolus has fallen
Webb snaps detailed infrared image of actively forming stars
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Webb snaps detailed infrared image of actively forming stars Litli-Hrútur eruption seen from space
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On 10 July 2023, a volcano some 30 km from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, erupted following heightened seismic activity in the area. Satellites orbiting above us have captured the molten lava and smoke plume puffing from the Litli-Hrútur volcano.
Breakthrough in rapid proton capture process unveils new reaction rate
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In an important breakthrough for nuclear astrophysics, an international team led by HOU Suqing from the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has successfully derived a new reaction rate for a crucial component of the rapid proton capture process (rp-process). Their findings were recently published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Type I X-ray bursts, the most common AI and satellite imagery transform solar energy potential mapping in China
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China's pursuit of carbon neutrality has made a substantial advancement following a successful collaboration among leading research and meteorological organizations. The Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP/CAS), the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), and the National Satellite Meteorological Center (MSMC) of the China Meteorological Administration have collectiv China's Space Station Opens Doors to Global Scientific Community
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In a significant development for global space research, China has announced the commencement of its application system, which is open to scientists and engineers who wish to undertake space science projects at its space station. This news comes directly from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), adding a new dimension to international space exploration efforts.
The initiative represents an China's Lunar Mission targets manned landing by 2030
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China's ambitious lunar exploration program has leaped forward following the announcement of its moon landing mission by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The lunar venture aims to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, reflecting China's dedication to space exploration and its resolve to make significant headway in lunar exploration.
China's moon landing plan, as outlined by CMSA, 
