Copernical Team
Lunar dust dynamics: Unveiling the charging properties and particle behavior of Chang'e-5 samples in an electric field
A study published in Engineering has shed new light on the behavior of lunar regolith particles under the influence of an external electric field, a discovery that could revolutionize space exploration and lunar resource utilization. The research, conducted by a collaborative team of scientists from the Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology, Tsinghua University, and other institutions, focuses on the charging properties and particle dynamics of lunar samples brought back by China's Chang'e-5 mission.
Scientists begin testing space thruster that could boldly go where no one has gone before
Deep space exploration might no longer be confined to sci-fi after scientists began testing a rocket thruster which promises to boldly go further than ever before.
Astro engineers from the University of Southampton are trialing a new propulsion system which can power spaceships through the stars using any type of metal as fuel.
They say this means crafts fitted with the technology could fly indefinitely by refilling their tanks using minerals harvested from asteroids or far-off moons.
Lead scientist Dr. Minkwan Kim, from the University of Southampton, has been tasked with testing the propulsion system in his labs to measure its thrust.
He said the tech could help spaceships and probes travel to regions of the universe previously thought unreachable.
Dr. Kim added, "Spacecraft have limited amounts of fuel because of the enormous cost and energy it takes to launch them into space.
"But these new thrusters are capable of being powered by any metal that can burn, such as iron, aluminum or copper.
Week in images: 23-27 September 2024
Week in images: 23-27 September 2024
Discover our week through the lens
Earth to capture a 'second moon' this weekend, NASA says
Earth will capture a miniature, "second moon" this week, according to NASA scientists.
The new moon is actually a tiny asteroid dubbed 2024 PT5. It will start orbiting the planet in a horseshoe path and stick around for a little less than two months before escaping Earth's gravitational pull and going back to its regular orbit around the sun.
"According to the latest data available from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons System, the temporary capture will start at 15:54 EDT (on Sunday) and will end at 11:43 EDT on November 25," mini-moon event expert and Universidad Complutense de Madrid professor Carlos de la Fuente Marcos told Space.com.
2024 PT5 is part of "the Arjuna asteroid belt, a secondary asteroid belt made of space rocks that follow orbits very similar to that of Earth at an average distance to the sun of about 93 million miles," Marcos said.
He added that the asteroid, which poses no threat to the planet, will travel about 2,200 miles per hour while maintaining a distance of around 2.8 million miles from Earth.
View from Hera’s Asteroid Deck
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View from Hera’s Asteroid Deck Space ISAC initiates Phase II planning to strengthen global space threat monitoring
The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Space ISAC) has announced the commencement of Phase II planning for its Operational Watch Center, an initiative that aims to enhance the industry's ability to monitor and respond to the increasing threats to global space systems. This development is being funded through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The key focus of GMV to lead development of communications hub for EU's GOVSATCOM program
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has awarded multinational technology firm GMV a key contract to lead a consortium responsible for designing, developing, and deploying the Communications Hub for the EU's GOVSATCOM programme. The consortium also includes Indra and Hisdesat as critical partners.
This contract is the culmination of a competitive bidding process that i AFRL awards $7.2M contract to Packet Digital for advanced space power systems
Packet Digital has been awarded a $7.2 million contract extension from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to develop scalable power systems for space applications. This follows an initial $8 million contract where the company successfully delivered a high-efficiency SmallSat power converter with a 98% efficiency rate. The new contract will allow Packet Digital to expand this technology to support Government faces risk of inaction in first space hostage situation, warns think tank
The Center for the Study of Space Crime, Piracy, and Governance (CSCPG), a nonpartisan research group, has released a report titled 'What Will Happen in the First Space Hostage Crisis?' that explores the United States government's likely response to a space-based hostage incident. The report raises concerns about potential government paralysis due to current military and intelligence community ( Earth from Space: Northern Territory, Australia
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This image captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission reveals the impact of severe flooding following heavy rain that hit Australia’s Northern Territory in March 2024. 
