Copernical Team
Why Figuring Out How Potassium Is Destroyed in Stars Is Important to Understanding the Universe
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If you want to know where elements come from, look to the stars. Almost every element heavier than helium is formed through nuclear reactions in stars. But which stellar processes are responsible for these elements? Can we find patterns in how much of each element we observe in different astrophysical environments, like stars, galaxies or globular clusters?
Recently, our team of NC State r Winchcombe meteorite's tumultuous space odyssey uncovered by nano-analysis
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Detailed nano-analysis has revealed the Winchcombe meteorite underwent significant transformations involving water interaction and repeated fragmentations during its journey through space, finally resting in an English pasture in 2021.
The collaborative research effort included scientists from the UK, Europe, Australia, and the USA, employing a suite of advanced analytical methods typicall Astronauts slated for repair mission on space station's NICER telescope
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NASA has scheduled a spacewalk to repair the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), an X-ray telescope aboard the International Space Station, later this year. This marks the fourth instance of astronauts servicing a science observatory in orbit.
In May 2023, the NICER team identified a significant issue-a light leak allowing sunlight to penetrate and affect the telescope's se Knot theory aids in mapping efficient space routes
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Scientists at the University of Surrey have devised a method to chart the most efficient routes for spacecraft, mirroring the way drivers use sat-nav to navigate on Earth. This new technique harnesses mathematics to outline potential paths from one orbit to another, sidestepping the need for extensive computational resources or trial-and-error approaches.
Danny Owen, from the Surrey Space NASA's Solar Sail Set for Space Voyage: Testing New Propulsion Method
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NASA is poised to launch its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System next week, utilizing a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. Scheduled for Tuesday, April 23, the mission seeks to explore solar propulsion by deploying a CubeSat into orbit approximately 600 miles above Earth, a significant ascent from the orbit of the International Space Station. Sidus Space Joins Orbital Transports Partner Program to Broaden Market Presence
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Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIDU), a diversified satellite and data service provider, has entered the Orbital Transports Partner Program, aiming to broaden its reach in the global space sector. This program unites various industry players, including suppliers and subcontractors, to address challenges in space missions, offering Sidus an enhanced distribution channel through the Orbital Transports The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth—and governments are on the hook
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A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a man's home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station.
The 700g, 10cm-long piece of hardware was expected to burn up, Nasa said. Even a relatively small piece of junk can cause considerable damage when falling from space.
This raises several important questions. Who is liable for damages caused by human-made objects that fall from the sky? Can anything be done to prevent this happening? Luckily, international treaties provide some answers to the first question, while recent developments help with the second.
A clinical decision support system for Earth-independent medical operations
Studying spaceflight atrophy with machine learning
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Even intense exercise by astronauts cannot compensate for muscle atrophy caused by microgravity. Atrophy occurs, in part, by way of an underlying mechanism that regulates calcium uptake. Recent research has shown exposure to spaceflight alters the uptake of calcium in muscles. However, the molecular mechanisms that drive these changes are not well studied.
Researchers at Ames Research Center investigated these mechanisms by applying machine learning (ML) to identify patterns in datasets on mice exposed to microgravity. ML methods are particularly effective in identifying patterns in complex biological data and are suited for space biological research where small datasets are often combined to increase statistical power.
'Tube map' around planets and moons made possible by knot theory
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Just as sat-nav did away with the need to argue over the best route home, scientists from the University of Surrey have developed a new method to find the optimal routes for future space missions without the need to waste fuel. The paper is published in the journal Astrodynamics.
The new method uses mathematics to reveal all possible routes from one orbit to another without guesswork or using enormous computer power.
Danny Owen, who developed the technique at the Surrey Space Center, said, "Previously, when the likes of NASA wanted to plot a route, their calculations relied on either brute force or guesswork.
"Our new technique neatly reveals all possible routes a spacecraft could take from A to B, as long as both orbits share a common energy level.
"This makes the task of planning missions much simpler. We think of it as a tube map for space."
In recent decades, space missions have increasingly relied on the ability to change the course of a satellite's path through space without using fuel.