Copernical Team
Webb team begins aligning the telescope
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This week, the three-month process of aligning the telescope began - and over the last day, Webb team members saw the first photons of starlight that traveled through the entire telescope and were detected by the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. This milestone marks the first of many steps to capture images that are at first unfocused and use them to slowly fine-tune the telescope. This UK cutting-edge space defence backed by 1.4 billion pounds
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The UK will invest 1.4 billion pounds to bolster our national interests in space, as part of the first Defence Space Strategy published this week.
Following publication of the National Space Strategy in September last year, the Defence Space Strategy (DSS) outlines how Defence will protect the UK's national interests in space in an era of ever-growing threats, stimulating growth across the ESA tests marine plastic detection in ocean wave facility
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Could satellites be able to help track and map the marine plastic waste befouling our oceans? Research teams from across Europe returned to a Netherlands-based ocean wave test facility to try and detect floating plastic. Using a suite of microwave and optical instruments, the researchers are assessing if orbital monitoring of plastic might be practical in the future.
Earth from Space: Batura Glacier
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The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Batura Glacier – one of the largest and longest glaciers in the world, outside of the polar regions.
Webb Quest: Mind-blowing mission to the early Universe
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Video:
00:48:00
Embark on a mission with ESA astronomers Mark McCaughrean and Giovanna Giardino to learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope and the early Universe. This programme is suitable for primary and secondary students. Join the quest!
Find more educational resources, videos and links about astronomy on ESA Education's Teach with Astronomy webpage.
Leftover SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage will impact the lunar surface in early March
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The moon is set to gain one more crater. A leftover SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage will impact the lunar surface in early March, marking the first time that a human-made debris item unintentionally reaches our natural satellite.
In 2015 the Falcon 9 placed NOAA's DSCOVR climate observatory around the L1 Lagrange point, one of five such gravitationally-stable points between Earth and the Sun. Having reached L1, around 1.5 million km from Earth, the mission's upper stage ended up pointed away from Earth into interplanetary space.
This rendered a deorbit burn to dispose of it in our planet's atmosphere impractical, and the upper stage also lacked sufficient velocity to escape the Earth-moon system. Instead it was left in a chaotic Sun-orbiting orbit near the two bodies.
Now credible public estimates forecast its impact with the moon on 4 March at 12:25:39 UTC at a point on the lunar far side near the equator.
Just add bubbles for cooler future spacecraft
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From soft drinks to hot tubs, people add bubbles to liquids for many different reasons. ESA engineers think bubbles produced at the verge of boiling point could help control the temperature of spacecraft in a more efficient and compact way. The main unknown is how bubbles will behave in differing gravities down to weightlessness, so researchers boarded parabolic flight aircraft for testing.
Biden-Harris administration extends space station operations through 2030
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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced today the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to extend International Space Station (ISS) operations through 2030, and to work with our international partners in Europe (ESA, European Space Agency), Japan (JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Canada (CSA, Canadian Space Agency), and Russia (State Space Corporation Roscosmos) to enable continuation of the groundbreaking research being conducted in this unique orbiting laboratory through the rest of this decade.
"The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific collaboration and for more than 20 years has returned enormous scientific, educational, and technological developments to benefit humanity. I'm pleased that the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to continuing station operations through 2030," Nelson said. "The United States' continued participation on the ISS will enhance innovation and competitiveness, as well as advance the research and technology necessary to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon under NASA's Artemis program and pave the way for sending the first humans to Mars.
Space Sustainability - It's Time for Action
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visited Astroscale's ELSA-d Mission Control Centre this afternoon, to learn more from the first private company to demonstrate a vision for the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations. His Royal Highness gathered with leading industry representatives from OneWeb and the Satellite Applications Catapult, together with M China's solar research to get boost from satellite
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China's solar observation satellite has achieved some scientific and technological feats during its ongoing in-orbit trial operation, according to a space official.
Zhao Jian, head of the China National Space Administration's Earth Observation System and Data Center, said at a news conference in Beijing on Friday that the satellite Xihe, named after the sun goddess in ancient Chinese mytho