
Copernical Team
Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
How students learn to fly NASA's IXPE spacecraft
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
The large wall monitor displaying a countdown shows 17 seconds when Amelia "Mia" De Herrera-Schnering tells her teammates "We have AOS," meaning "acquisition of signal."
"Copy that, thank you," Alexander Pichler replies. The two are now in contact with NASA's IXPE (Imaging X-Ray Polarimeter Explorer) spacecraft, transmitting science data from IXPE to a ground station and making sure the do

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
Milky Way navigation in dung beetles inspires advanced drone and satellite systems
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
An insect that has been navigating using the Milky Way for 130 million years is now inspiring innovations in drone, robot, and satellite navigation systems.
The dung beetle, known for its unique ability to steer using the stars, was identified in 2013 as the first species to utilize the Milky Way for nocturnal navigation. Swedish researchers made this discovery, observing that the beetles

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
UAE's first SAR satellite launched by Bayanat and Yahsat
Paris, France (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Bayanat AI PLC (ADX: BAYANAT), a leader in AI-powered geospatial solutions, and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (ADX: Yahsat), the UAE's premier satellite services provider, have successfully launched the nation's first Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite. The launch took place on August 16, 2024, in collaboration with ICEYE, a frontrunner in SAR satellite

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
Polaris Revealed to Have Spotted Surface in New Detailed Observations
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
New research conducted with Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array has unveiled intricate details about the North Star, Polaris, including a spotted surface. The findings have been published in *The Astrophysical Journal*.
Polaris, the star marking the direction of Earth's North Pole, is renowned not only as a navigation beacon but also as a s

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
Citizen scientists confirm new warm Jovian-class exoplanet
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Two teams of dedicated amateur astronomers, supported by NASA, have successfully confirmed the existence of a new exoplanet, a "warm Jupiter," using their backyard telescopes.
The teams, known as UNITE (UNISTELLAR Network Investigating TESS Exoplanets) and Exoplanet Watch, combined their efforts to validate the discovery of this exoplanet, which is now designated as TIC 393818343 b (also k

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
The evolution of the Trappist-1 planetary system
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Planets are bodies that orbit a star and have sufficient gravitational mass that they form themselves into roughly spherical shapes that, in turn, exert gravitational force on smaller objects around them, such as asteroids and moons. For most of human history, the only planets our ancestors knew of were those they could see in the night sky. But in the last 30 years, telescopes sensitive enough

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
New Antimatter Nucleus Discovery Sets Heaviest Record Yet
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) have identified the heaviest antimatter nucleus ever observed. This exotic antinucleus, named antihyperhydrogen-4, is composed of four antimatter particles: an antiproton, two antineutrons, and an antihyperon. The discovery comes from an analysis of six billion particle collisions performed at RHIC, a facility designed to recreate conditio

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
Mars and Lunar propellant production plans face complexity challenges
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
NASA's ongoing efforts to develop in situ propellant production (ISPP) technologies for the Moon and Mars involve a balance between complex engineering and practical execution. These technologies, which aim to generate fuel on the lunar and Martian surfaces using local resources, could reduce the need to transport propellants from Earth, but present significant challenges in both design and powe

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 17:36
Voyager Space joins Spaceport Nova Scotia development as key technical partner
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 22, 2024
Maritime Launch Services (Cboe CA: MAXQ, OTCQB: MAXQF) has announced the selection of Voyager Space (Voyager) as the first Owner Authorized Representative (OAR) for the next phase of Spaceport Nova Scotia's development. Voyager will provide technical support for the launch facility's infrastructure.
This partnership underscores the growing collaboration between Canada and the United States

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Wednesday, 21 August 2024 18:19
New data on radiation show missions to Jupiter's moon Europa are possible

Scientists from NASA's Juno mission have developed the first complete 3D radiation map of the Jupiter system, including characterizing the intensity of the high-energy particles near the orbit of the icy moon Europa, and how the radiation environment is sculpted by the smaller Jovian moons orbiting near Jupiter's rings.
The work relies on data collected by Juno's star camera Advanced Stellar Compass (ASC) designed and built by Technical University of Denmark, and Stellar Reference Unit (SRU), which was built by Leonardo, S.p.A. in Florence, Italy. The two datasets complement one another, helping Juno scientists characterize the radiation environment at different energies.
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