00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to ASTRONOMY Daily, your source for
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 the latest news and discoveries in space
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 exploration. I'm your host, Anna. And
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 today we have a packed episode covering
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 exciting developments from NASA's Curiosity
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 rover on Mars, recent rocket launches,
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 stunning observations from the Webb Space
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 Telescope, a terrifying cosmic scenario
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 involving black holes, and updates on NASA's
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 Artemis program. So let's get into
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 it. NASA's Curiosity
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 Mars that's sending ripples of excitement
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 through the scientific community. Researchers
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 analyzing pulverized rock samples inside the
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 rover's onboard laboratory have detected the
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 largest organic compounds found on the Red
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 Planet to date. The findings, published in
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 the Proceedings of the National Academy of
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 Sciences, reveal that Curiosity sample
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 analysis at Mars Minilab identified
00:00:54 --> 00:00:55 three significant organic
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 decane, undecane, and
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 dodecane. These aren't just any compounds.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 They contain 10, 11, and 12 carbon atoms,
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 respectively, making them substantially more
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 complex than previous organic molecules
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 discovered on Mars. Scientists believe
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 these compounds are fragments of fatty acids
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 that were preserved in the Martian rock
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 samples. This is particularly significant
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 because on Earth, fatty acids are among the
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 fundamental chemical building blocks of life.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 They're essential components in cell
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 membranes and serve various biological
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 functions in living organisms. While the
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 discovery doesn't prove the existence of past
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 or present life on Mars, it does suggest that
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 organic chemistry on the Red Planet may have
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 advanced further than previously observed.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 The size and complexity of these molecules
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 indicate that Mars may have once had
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 conditions suitable for the kind of prebiotic
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 chemistry that could potentially lead to
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 life. What makes this discovery even more
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 remarkable is that it demonstrates these
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 complex organic compounds can survive Mars
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 harsh surface conditions. The planet's
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 surface is constantly bombarded with
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 radiation and oxidizing chemicals that would
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 typically destroy such delicate organic
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 molecules over time. The fact that
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Curiosity found them intact suggests that if
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 biosignatures ever existed on Mars, they
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 might still be detectable today. This
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 discovery is particularly exciting because
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 fatty acids are fundamental chemical building
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 blocks of life as we know it on Earth. In
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 living organisms, these compounds play
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 crucial roles in forming cell membranes, the
00:02:30 --> 00:02:31 protective barriers that separate cellular
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 contents from the external environment, as
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 well as storing energy and facilitating other
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 essential biological processes.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 As Caroline Freycinet from the French
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 national center for Scientific Research put
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 it, our study proves that even today,
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 by analyzing Mars samples, we could detect
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 chemical signatures of past life if it ever
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 existed on Mars. That's a profound
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 statement about our increasing ability to
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 address one of humanity's most fundamental
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 questions. Are we alone in the universe?
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 Turning our telescopes skyward now, this has
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 been an exceptionally busy week for orbital
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 launches around the world. SpaceX kicked off
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 the action with a classified mission on
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 Monday, continuing their breakneck pace of
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 operations for 2025. The
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 European Space industry is making history
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 this week with Isar Aerospace attempting the
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 first orbital launch of a European rocket
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 from continental Europe. After a scrub on
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 Monday due to unfavorable winds, their
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 Spectrum rocket is now positioned to make the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 inaugural orbital launch from Norway's
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 andoya spaceport. This two stage vehicle
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 stands 28 meters tall with a 2 meter
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 diameter and can deliver up to 1000
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 kg to low earth orbit. What makes
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 Spectrum particularly notable is its
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 propulsion system 9.3D printed
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 Aquila engines on the first stage, burning
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 liquid propane and oxygen, offering what the
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 company calls the highest density specific
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 impulse of all carbon fuels.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 Meanwhile, Firefly Aerospace is preparing for
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 the sixth launch of its Alpha rocket from
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 This message in a booster mission will carry
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 a technology demonstrator for Lockheed
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 Martin's LM400 satellite
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 bus. The launch marks the first of up to
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 25 flights for Lockheed Martin as part of a
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 multi launch agreement spanning the next five
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 years. Not to be outdone, Rocket
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 Lab is on track for its third electron launch
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 in just two weeks, a remarkable achievement
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 in rapid launch cadence. Their mission,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 colorfully named Finding Hot Wildfires near
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 you, will deploy eight satellites for Aurora
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 Tech's Thermal Imaging Constellation, which
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 monitors wildfires globally to support faster
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 response times for protecting forests,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 communities and critical infrastructure.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 With four worldwide orbital launch attempts
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 scheduled for Wednesday alone, including a
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 Changjang 3B E launch from China carrying an
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 unknown payload, and three SpaceX Starlink
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 missions planned for the week, we're
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 witnessing a truly unprecedented era in space
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 access and utilization. SpaceX continues
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 to redefine what's possible in the commercial
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 space industry, shattering records left and
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 right in 2025. Just last week they
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 achieved a remarkable feat when Booster
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 B1088 set a new first
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 stage turnaround record of just over nine
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 days during the NR OL57 mission from
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 Vandenberg. This dramatically improves on
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 their previous record of 14 days, showcasing
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 the company's rapidly advancing reusability
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 capabilities. The records don't stop there
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 Space Force Station. SpaceX established an
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 impressive pad turnaround milestone on March
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 15. The Starlink Group 1216
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 mission launched just 2 days, 8 hours,
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 59 minutes and 40 seconds after the previous
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 Starlink mission from the same pad, slashing
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 nearly six hours off their previous record.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 Perhaps most impressively, this launch marked
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 SpaceX's third mission in a mere 12.5
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 hours following the Crew 10 and Transporter
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 13 missions. While SpaceX has
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 slightly revised its annual launch target
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 from 180 to 170 missions,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 due to some challenges with booster recovery
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 and increased refurbishment times, they're
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 still on an extraordinary trajectory.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 They've already completed 38 launches across
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 their fleet in just the first quarter of
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 2025, putting them well ahead of pace
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 to exceed their revised goal. This
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 relentless cadence is transforming our access
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 to space. With Falcon 9 now firmly
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 established as the workhorse of the
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 commercial launch industry, SpaceX is
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 demonstrating that rapid, reliable and
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 reusable space transportation isn't just a
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 futuristic concept, it's today's reality.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 The implications for satellite deployment,
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 space station resupply, and potentially even
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 human spaceflight beyond Earth orbit are
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 profound as launch constraints continue to
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 fall. Lets get a
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 JWST update.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has gifted
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 us with another breathtaking image that's
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 forcing astronomers to rethink what they
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 thought they knew about a cosmic phenomenon.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 What was once dramatically dubbed the cosmic
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 tornado by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 back in 2006 has been revealed to be
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 something even more a chance alignment
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 of two completely unrelated objects separated
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 by unfathomable distances. The
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 web's extraordinary resolution shows that
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 what we're actually seeing is Herbig Haro
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 49/50. A uh, frothy looking
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 outflow from a nearby young star perfectly
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 aligned with a colorful spiral galaxy
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 located hundreds of millions of light years
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 in the background. It's like capturing a
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 photograph of a leaf blowing in the
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 wind that just happens to perfectly frame
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 a distant mountain peak. This composite
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 image combines data from Webb's near infrared
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 camera and mid infrared instrument, providing
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 unprecedented detail of this dynamic region.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 The arc shaped features in the outflow point
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 back to their source, likely a Protostar
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 known as Cederblad110
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 IRS4, a young object only
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 tens of thousands to a million years old
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 that's still gaining mass. What makes this
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 discovery particularly striking is is how it
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 illustrates the three dimensional nature of
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 our universe projected onto the two
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 dimensional plane of the night sky. When we
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 observe space, objects that appear to be
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 interacting might actually have no
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 relationship whatsoever. Separated by vast
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 cosmic distances,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 HH4950 is relatively close to
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 us, residing in the Chamalion 1 cloud
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 complex just 625 light years away,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 practically in our cosmic backyard.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 Meanwhile, the spiral galaxy that appears to
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 be at the tip of this outflow is incredibly
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 distant, with no physical connection to the
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 nearby stellar jet. Over thousands of
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 years, as the edge of HH
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 4950 continues to move outward,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 it will eventually appear to cover up the
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 distant galaxy entirely, further changing
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 this chance cosmic alignment. Herbig haro
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 objects like HH4950 are among
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 the most dynamic and visually striking
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 phenomena in star formation. These glowing
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 nebulae form when newborn stars eject high
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 velocity jets of gas that collide violently
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 with the surrounding interstellar medium. The
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 process is rather dramatic as a young star
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 forms from a collapsing cloud of gas and
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 dust. Not all material falls directly onto
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 the protostar. Instead, some gets channeled
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 into these powerful, focused jets that blast
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 outward from the star's poles at astonishing
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 speeds, often hundreds of miles per second.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 When these jets slam into the relatively calm
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 gas around them, they create shock fronts
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 similar to sonic booms in Earth's atmosphere.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 These shock waves compress and heat the gas
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 to thousands of degrees, causing it to glow
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 brightly across multiple wavelengths. As
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 the superheated gas gradually cools, it emits
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 light that we can detect in both visible and
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 infrared spectrums, creating the distinctive
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 glowing features we observe. What makes
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 Webb's observations particularly valuable is
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 the telescope's unparalleled infrared
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 sensitivity and resolution. Previous
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 observations couldn't capture the intricate
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 details we're now seeing. Webb can clearly
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 trace the location of glowing hydrogen
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 molecules, carbon monoxide, and
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 energized dust grains as the
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 protostellar jet impacts the surrounding
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 region. These fine scale
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 observations allow astronomers to model the
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 properties of the jet with unprecedented
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 accuracy.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 In a concerning discovery, astronomers have
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 detected an erupting supermassive black hole
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 producing enormous jets bursting from a
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way. The
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 galaxy known as J2
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 3450449 is three times the size
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 of our galaxy and located
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 947 million light years away.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 Yet it's causing quite a stir in the
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 astronomical community due to its unusual
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 characteristics. What's particularly alarming
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 about this finding is the scale of these
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 jets. They stretch an astonishing 6 million
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 light years in length. To put that in
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 perspective, our entire Milky Way galaxy is
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 roughly 100 light years across,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 making these jets 60 times longer than our
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 galaxy's diameter. While larger jets
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 have been observed in the past, including one
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 named Porphyrion stretching 23 million
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 light years. Such massive emissions have
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 typically been associated with elliptical
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 galaxies, not spiral ones like
00:11:41 --> 00:11:45 J2300450449
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 and our own Milky Way. Perhaps even more
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 puzzling is the fact that
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 J23450449
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 appears remarkably tranquil despite housing
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 one of the most violent supermassive black
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 holes ever seen in a spiral galaxy.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 The Galaxy has somehow managed to maintain
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 its spiral structure, including its
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 distinctive arms, bright nuclear bar of
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 stars, and stellar ring. This
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 directly contradicts previous scientific
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 models which predicted that such powerful
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 jets would tear apart the structure of a
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 spiral galaxy. Adding to this cosmic
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 mystery, J2345
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 0449 contains 10 times
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 more dark matter than than our Milky Way and
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 is surrounded by a huge halo of superheated
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 gas. In most galaxies, this gas would be
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 cooling and condensing to form new stars.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 However, in J2345
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 0449, the Central Black hole
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 acts as a cosmic furnace, heating this gas
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 halo and preventing star formation while
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 producing intense X ray emissions, as
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 one scientist involved in the study put it.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 This discovery forces us to rethink our
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 understanding of galactic evolution and how
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 supermassive black holes grow and shape their
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 environments. It raises profound questions
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 about what this might mean for the future of
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 galaxies like our own Milky Way. This
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 discovery raises a chilling question that has
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 astronomers concerned. Could Sagittarius
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 A, the supermassive black hole lurking
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 at the center of our own Milky Way,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 experience a similar eruption? The
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 possibility is both fascinating and
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 terrifying. While Sagittarius
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 A is significantly smaller than the black
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 hole in J2345
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 0449, just 4.3
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 million solar masses compared to the distant
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 galaxy's estimated 1.4 billion solar
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 masses, size isn't the only factor
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 determining a black hole's activity.
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 Currently, our galactic center's black hole
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 is remarkably quiet. If Sagittarius
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 A were a human, astronomers estimate it would
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 be as if it sustained itself on a single
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 grain of rice every million years. That's an
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 extraordinarily modest diet for such a
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 massive cosmic object. But this peaceful
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 state could change dramatically and with
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 little warning. If Sagittarius A
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 star were to capture a large gas cloud or
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 even an entire staran event astronomers call
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 a tidal disruption event. It would suddenly
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 have an abundance of material to feed on. As
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 this stellar material falls toward the black
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14 hole, it would form a rapidly spinning
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 accretion disk, and some of this energy would
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19 be channeled into powerful jets erupting from
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 the black hole's poles. The consequences
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 of such an eruption would depend largely on
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 the jets orientation and strength. If one
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 of these jets, originating from 27
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 light years away at our galactic center,
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 happened to point directly at our solar
00:14:34 --> 00:14:37 system, the results could be catastrophic.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 The high energy particles and radiation
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 within such jets have the potential to strip
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 away planetary atmospheres, including
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 Earth's. The intense radiation could damage
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 DNA in living organisms, dramatically
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 increasing mutation rates across all life
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 forms on our planet. In a worst case
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 scenario where Earth takes a direct hit from
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 such a jet, the high energy particles could
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 severely degrade our protective ozone layer,
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 potentially triggering a mass extinction
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 event similar to those seen in Earth's
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 geological record.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 On a more hopeful note, NASA continues to
00:15:10 --> 00:15:13 make progress on its Artemis 2 mission, which
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 will be the first crewed flight of the
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 Artemis program since its inception.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 Late Saturday night, technicians at Kennedy
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 Space center in Florida reached a significant
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 milestone when they successfully moved the
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 core stage for NASA's second Space Launch
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 System rocket into position between the
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 vehicle's two solid fueled boosters.
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 Working inside the iconic vehicle assembly
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 building, which stands an impressive 52
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 stories tall, ground teams used heavy
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 duty cranes to first lift the butterscotch
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 orange core stage from its cradle. The
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 operation required meticulous precision as
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 the cranes rotated the massive structure
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 vertically before disconnecting one of the
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 cranes from the bottom of the rocket. The
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 Boeing built core stage is truly a
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 marvel of engineering. Weighing
00:16:01 --> 00:16:04 approximately 94 tons and measuring about
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 212ft tall, this massive
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 component will contain 730
00:16:09 --> 00:16:12 gallons of cryogenic propellant when the
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15 rocket lifts off. It represents the single
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 largest element for the Artemis 2 mission.
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 Once positioned, teams connected the core
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 stage to each booster at forward and aft load
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 bearing attach points. The next steps in the
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 assembly process will include stacking a cone
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 shaped adapter on top of the core stage,
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 followed by the rocket's upper stage, another
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 adapter ring, and finally the Orion
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 spacecraft that will house the four person
00:16:38 --> 00:16:41 crew during their journey. This mission
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 represents humanity's return to deep space
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 exploration as Artemis 2 will ferry four
00:16:45 --> 00:16:48 astronauts around the far side of the moon.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 If all continues according to plan, this
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 historic flight could launch as soon as next
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 year, marking the first time humans have
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 ventured beyond low Earth orbit since the
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 Apollo era ended over 50 years ago.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 Despite being years behind schedule, the
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 Artemis program continues to gain momentum.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 NASA has achieved several important
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 milestones recently, including the
00:17:09 --> 00:17:12 installation of the Orion spacecraft's solar
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 panels and completing the crucial closeouts
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 of its service module with aerodynamic panels
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 that will jettison during launch. A
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 few months ago, there was serious speculation
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 that NASA's Space Launch System might face
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 cancellation due to its high costs and
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30 delays. However, this possibility
00:17:30 --> 00:17:32 seems increasingly unlikely as alternative
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 heavy lift vehicles aren't ready for human
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 spaceflight. Both SpaceX's Starship and
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 Blue Origin's New Glenn, while promising, are
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 still years away from being certified for
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 crewed missions. Starship, though holding
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 enormous long term potential to be cheaper
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50 and more capable than SLS has faced recent
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 setbacks with back to back failures early
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 this year. The vehicle needs to demonstrate
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 reliable recovery, reuse and in orbit
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 refueling before it can be considered for
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02 human missions. Similarly, Blue
00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 Origin's New Glenn had a successful debut
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 flight in January, but its development
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 timeline suggests it won't be ready for
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 crewed flights anytime soon. These
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 circumstances have created a situation where,
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 despite its delays and budget overruns, the
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 Space Launch System remains NASA's only
00:18:19 --> 00:18:22 viable option for sending humans beyond Earth
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 orbit in the near term. This practical
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 reality, combined with the progress being
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 made on hardware assembly, makes it
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 increasingly likely that NASA will proceed
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 with Artemis 2 as planned, marking humanity's
00:18:33 --> 00:18:36 long awaited return to deep space exploration
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 that wraps up today's episode of Astronomy
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 Daily.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:43 What an incredible journey through our cosmic
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 neighborhood we've had today. From the
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 tantalizing discovery of complex organic
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 molecules on Mars, to that could point to
00:18:49 --> 00:18:52 ancient life, to the terrifying potential of
00:18:52 --> 00:18:55 galactic scale black hole eruptions, to
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 the steady progress of humanity's return to
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00 the moon, the universe continues to both
00:19:00 --> 00:19:03 inspire and humble us. I'm
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 Anna and I've been your host for Astronomy
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 Daily. If you enjoyed today's episode, you
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 can listen to all our back episodes at
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 astronomydaily, IO where we maintain a
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 complete archive of our broadcasts. And don't
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 forget to connect with us on social media.
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 Just search for Astro Daily Pod on Facebook,
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 X, YouTubeMusic, YouTubeMusic, Music,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 Instagram and TikTok. Thanks for joining me
00:19:23 --> 00:19:26 on this cosmic journey. I'll see you again
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 tomorrow as we continue to explore the
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 wonders of our universe together. In the
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 meantime, keep looking up.