Copernical Team
NASA identifies computer problem on Hubble, says fix will take a few days
Engineers at NASA have identified the potential cause of a payload computer problem that has sidelined the Hubble Space Telescope for more than a month.
The agency said Thursday it would start a process to switch to a backup system, and that the telescope could be back to normal operations within a few days.
The payload computer, part of Hubble's Science Instrument Command and Da Juno tunes into Jovian radio triggered by Jupiter's volcanic moon Io
By listening to the rain of electrons flowing onto Jupiter from its intensely volcanic moon Io, researchers using NASA's Juno spacecraft have found what triggers the powerful radio emissions within the monster planet's gigantic magnetic field. The new result sheds light on the behavior of the enormous magnetic fields generated by gas-giant planets like Jupiter.
Jupiter has the largest, mos Zhurong rover visits parachute and backshell
The China National Space Administration published on Thursday three pictures taken recently by its Zhurong Mars rover that showed the parachute and bowl-shaped back shell used in the rover's landing.
The pictures - one color and two black-and-white - were shot by Zhurong's navigation camera on Monday as the rover was traveling southward for its scientific exploration, the administration sa NASA studies bigger, better Mars helicopter
As the Mars helicopter Ingenuity breaks interplanetary records and captures the public's attention, NASA is quietly researching a bigger, better Mars chopper to navigate the Red Planet's rough terrain.
The next aircraft sent to Mars has no budget, no confirmed design and no launch date, but researchers at NASA and various universities have studied possible destinations for such a missio Week in images: 12 - 16 July 2021
Week in images: 12 - 16 July 2021
Discover our week through the lens
Rescuing Integral: No thrust? No problem
A year ago tomorrow, a failure on the Integral spacecraft meant it fired its thrusters for likely the last time. In the days since, the spacecraft in Earth orbit has continued to shed light on the violent gamma ray Universe, and it should soon be working even more efficiently than before, as mission control teams implement an ingenious new way to control the 18-year-old spacecraft.
Satellites map floods in western Europe
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Record rainfall has caused swollen rivers to burst their banks and wash away homes and other buildings in western Europe. Data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission are being used to map flooded areas to help relief efforts. Earth from Space: Lima, Peru
Lima, the capital and largest city of Peru, is featured in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image.
ERS: 30 years of outstanding achievements
ESA’s first Earth observation mission dedicated to understanding our planet, the European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-1), was launched into orbit on 17 July 1991 – almost 30 years ago today. At the time of its launch, the ERS satellite was one of the most sophisticated spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe, paving the way for satellite technology in the areas of atmosphere, land, ocean and ice monitoring. Today, we look back at some of the mission’s key accomplishments.
18-year-old joining Blue Origin's 1st passenger spaceflight
Blue Origin said Thursday an 18-year-old paying customer will fly to space on board the company's maiden crewed spaceflight on July 20, becoming the youngest ever astronaut.
Oliver Daemen, who graduated from high school in 2020 and holds a private pilot's license, is not the winner of a $28 million auction, who has asked to remain anonymous and will fly on a future mission, the company said.
"This marks the beginning of commercial operations for New Shepard, and Oliver represents a new generation of people who will help us build a road to space," said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin.
Flying on New Shepard will fulfill a lifelong dream for Daemen, who has been fascinated by space, the Moon, and rockets since he was four, a statement said.
He plans to attend the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and innovation management this September.
Daemen joins Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Jeff's brother Mark, and Wally Funk aboard the first human flight involving the New Shepard spaceship.
At 18-years-old and 82-years-young, Daemen and Funk will be the youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space.