Copernical Team
Sławosz operating MELFI during Ignis mission
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ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski operates one of ESA’s space freezers, known as MELFI (Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS), during his stay aboard the International Space Station.
The European space freezers are used to store biological samples such as urine, blood and saliva at temperatures typically around –90°C. Astronauts must wear gloves when handling them due to the extreme cold.
Sławosz was launched to the ISS aboard the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 4 on 25 June 2025. During the 20-day Ignis mission, he carried out 13 experiments proposed by Polish companies and
Moon timelapse from the ISS during Ignis mission
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This stunning time-lapse of the Moon was captured by ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from the International Space Station during the Ignis mission.
Sławosz was launched to the ISS aboard the Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 4 on 25 June 2025. The 20-day mission, called Ignis, involved 13 experiments from Polish companies and institutions developed in cooperation with ESA, in addition to three ESA-led experiments. These covered a wide range of disciplines including human research, materials science, biology, biotechnology and technology demonstrations.
The Ax-4 mission is the second commercial human spaceflight with an ESA project
MetOp-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5 media briefing
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Watch the replay of the MetOp-SG-A1 and Copernicus Sentinel-5 pre-launch media briefing. This session provides information about these two missions. Speakers include:
- Simonetta Cheli, Director of Earth Observation Programmes at ESA
- Phil Evans, Director-General at Eumetsat
- Simon Brown, Managing Director for Products and Services at the UK Met Office
SES and Luxembourg to expand military satcom with next generation GovSat2
SES and the Luxembourg Government will co-develop and launch GovSat-2, a second military communications satellite under their joint public-private venture, LuxGovSat S.A. This new satellite will build on the capabilities of GovSat-1, expanding secure satellite connectivity services for defense and government customers across Europe and beyond.
GovSat-2, to be manufactured by Thales Alenia Rollable solar array by GalaxySpace redefines satellite compactness and power efficiency
GalaxySpace, a commercial space company based in Beijing, has introduced a pioneering rollable solar panel that dramatically reduces satellite bulk while boosting energy efficiency. Presented at a recent conference in Yibin, the new solar wing can be compacted to the size of a water bottle but unfolds in orbit to cover 20 square meters.
Xu Ming, CEO of GalaxySpace, explained that the solar One billion years of protein evolution reveals surprising design flexibility
Proteins, the molecular machines of life, are constructed from 20 amino acids in seemingly infinite combinations-up to 10^78 possible sequences for a 60-residue protein. Yet only a tiny subset fold into stable, functional shapes. A new study published in Science reveals that the rules guiding these folds may be far more forgiving than previously assumed.
Scientists from the Centre for Geno MetOp Second Generation satellite fully fuelled ahead of August launch
The MetOp Second Generation-A1 satellite has reached a significant milestone in its journey to orbit, with fuelling operations now complete at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Engineers successfully loaded 790 kg of hydrazine onto the spacecraft, paving the way for the next phase of pre-launch activities.
This satellite, MetOp-SG-A1, is the first in a series of three A-B satellite pair GovSat selects Thales Alenia Space to build secure satellite for military communications
GovSat, the public-private partnership between the Luxembourg Government and SES, has awarded Thales Alenia Space a contract to develop a new geostationary defence communications satellite, GovSat-2. The platform will deliver resilient and secure telecom services for national defense and allied missions.
The satellite will operate in X, Ka, and UHF frequency bands, supporting high-assuranc First wildfire images reveal FireSat's unmatched detection capabilities
Earth Fire Alliance, in partnership with Muon Space and Google Research, has released the first images captured by the FireSat Protoflight satellite. These visuals highlight the satellite's ability to detect wildfires in their earliest stages, including small blazes overlooked by current orbital systems, significantly enhancing response capabilities for fire-prone regions worldwide.
Among China issues new rules to elevate quality control in private space sector
China has introduced new regulations to tighten quality oversight of its growing commercial space industry. The directive, issued Monday by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), outlines comprehensive management standards intended to guide projects from initial design through final decommissioning.
The new rules assign explicit responsibilities to various stakeholders and emphasi 