- NISAR Satellite Launch: Join us as we celebrate the successful launch of NISAR, the groundbreaking Earth-observing satellite developed through a historic partnership between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization. Discover how this innovative technology will provide a dynamic 3D view of our planet, tracking changes in land and ice surfaces with unprecedented precision, and revolutionizing disaster response and infrastructure monitoring.
- - SpaceX Crew 11 Mission: Excitement builds as SpaceX prepares for its Crew 11 mission to the International Space Station. We discuss the significance of launching the Crew Dragon Endeavor, which is set to make its sixth flight, and the diverse international crew aboard, including NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, who emphasizes the importance of long-duration missions for future deep space exploration.
- - Martian Glaciers Discovery: Explore the remarkable findings about Mars's hidden glaciers, revealing that lobate debris aprons contain over 80% pure water ice beneath layers of dust. This discovery reshapes our understanding of Mars's climate history and enhances the prospects for future human missions to the Red Planet.
- - James Webb Space Telescope Insights: Marvel at the stunning images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, showcasing the complex beauty of the planetary nebula NGC 6072. Learn how these observations provide insights into the final moments of a Sun-like star, highlighting the intricate processes involved in stellar evolution and the fate awaiting our own Sun.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic Music Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget tosubscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
NISAR Satellite Information
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Crew 11 Mission Overview
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Martian Glaciers Study
[NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter](https://mars.nasa.gov/mro/)
James Webb Space Telescope Insights
[NASA JWST](https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 podcast for the latest and greatest in space
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 and astronomy news. I'm Anna.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 Avery: And I'm Avery. We're so glad you could join
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 us today as we dive into some truly
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 fascinating updates from beyond our world.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 Anna: We've got a busy show for you today, starting
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 with a groundbreaking new Earth, uh,
00:00:21 --> 00:00:22 observing satellite that's set to
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 revolutionize how we understand our planet's
00:00:25 --> 00:00:26 changing surfaces.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 Avery: Then we'll shift our focus to human
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 spaceflight with exciting news about the next
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 crew heading to the International Space
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 Station, including a historic milestone
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 for one of SpaceX's Dragon capsules.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 Anna: And speaking of major discoveries, we'll take
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 a closer look at new findings that suggest
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 Mars might be hiding a lot more ice than
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 we previously thought, which could be a game
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 changer for future human missions to the Red
00:00:53 --> 00:00:54 Planet.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 Avery: Finally, we'll wrap up with the breathtaking
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 beauty captured by the James Web Space
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 Telescope, showcasing the spectacular death
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 of a star and what it might tell us about the
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 ultimate fate of our own Sun. Stick around.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 It's going to be an amazing journey.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 Anna: Kicking off our news for today, we have some
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 absolutely monumental news from the world
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 of Earth observation. A first of its
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 kind satellite, nisar, which stands for
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 Radar, has successfully launched.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 Avery: That's right, Anna. This is a truly historic
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 moment. Marking the first ever partnership of
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 this magnitude between NASA and the Indian
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 Space Research Organization, or isro.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 The satellite lifted off from the
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 Satishthawan Space center in
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 Sriharikota, India, aboard an ISRO
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 Geosynchronous Satellite launch vehicle, mhm.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 Anna: It's an incredible achievement in
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 international civil space cooperation.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 NISAR is designed to provide an
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 unprecedented, dynamic three
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 dimensional view of Earth. It carries an
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 advanced radar system that can detect the
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 movement of land and ice surfaces down to the
00:02:06 --> 00:02:06 centimeter.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 Avery: The implications of this are huge. As
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Nikki Fox, Associate Administrator for the
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 Science Mission Directorate at NASA
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Headquarters, put it, where moments are most
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 critical. Nisar's data will help ensure
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 the health and safety of those impacted on
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 Earth as well as the infrastructure that
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 supports them for the benefit of all.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 Anna: And ISRO Chairman Veen Ryanen
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 highlighted that this is the GSLV's
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 first mission to sun synchronous polar
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 orbit, bringing to fruition a vision NASA
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 and ISRO had more than 10 years ago.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 He noted its powerful capability will help us
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 study Earth's dynamic land and ice surfaces
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 in greater detail than ever before.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 Avery: From 464 miles above Earth,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 Nisar will use two advanced radar
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 instruments, L band and S band,
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 to track changes across the planet. This
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 includes monitoring forests and wetland
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 ecosystems, deformation and motion of
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 frozen surfaces, and even detecting the
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 movement of Earth's crust, crucial for
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 understanding earthquakes, volcanic eruptions
00:03:14 --> 00:03:15 and landslides.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 Anna: What's particularly amazing is that NISAR
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 will monitor nearly all of the planet's land
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 and ice covered surfaces twice every
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 12 days, including areas of the polar
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 southern hemisphere rarely covered by other
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 radar satellites.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 Avery: And unlike, um, optical sensors, NISAR
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 can actually see through clouds, allowing it
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 to monitor the surface during storms and in
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 both darkness and light. This continuous
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 monitoring capability is a game changer for
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 disaster response and infrastructure
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 monitoring and even agricultural management.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 Anna: The L band radar provided by NASA's Jet
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 Propulsion Laboratory excels at measuring
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 soil moisture, forest biomass and land
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 ice motion. The S band radar
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 developed by ISRO is perfect for monitoring
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 agriculture, grassland ecosystems and
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 infrastructure movement. Together they make
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 NISAR incredibly powerful.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 Avery: It's truly a new way of seeing our planet,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 helping us understand and foresee natural
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 disasters and other changes in our Earth's
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 system that impact lives and property.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 In the coming weeks, the satellite will begin
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 a 90 day commissioning phase, deploying
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 its massive 39 foot radar
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 antenna reflector. This reflector is
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 key to collecting all that valuable data
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 about Earth's dynamic surfaces.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 Anna: From observing our own planet.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 Let's turn our gaze to human exploration
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 because the next big news is all about
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 sending more people into space.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 SpaceX's Crew 11 astronaut mission to
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 the International Space Station for NASA
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 is officially a go for launch.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 Avery: That's exciting. The mission is set to lift
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 off from the historic launch complex
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 Center. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 sending a crew of four up to the
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 for a six month stay.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 Anna: And this isn't just any Crew Dragon
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 spacecraft. This mission will be flying
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavor, making
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 its milestone sixth flight.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 No other Crew Dragon has flown more than four
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 times. So this is quite the achievement for
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 spacecraft reusability.
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 Avery: Exactly. Steve stich, manager of
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 NASA's Commercial Crew Program, highlighted
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 this, saying they worked very hard with
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 SpaceX to complete all the reuse activities
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 for the vehicle. Especially since dragons
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 were previously certified for only five
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 flights. Now they're truly ready to go.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 Anna: The crew itself is an international mix,
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 which is always fantastic to see. Leading
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 the mission as commander on her first trip to
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 space is NASA astronaut Zena
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 Cardman.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 Avery: She'll be joined by veteran NASA astronaut
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 Mike Finke, making his fourth trip to space,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 serving as the mission pilot. Then we have
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 Kimiya Yui of Japan Aerospace Exploration
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 Agency on his second trip to the
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 iss. And Oleg Platonov Of
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 Russia's Roscosmos making his first journey
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 into space as mission.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 Anna: Specialists, Zina emphasized the
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 importance of these long duration stays on
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 the iss, Stating they are crucial for
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 preparing NASA to send astronauts much
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 farther into space. She said
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 understanding how to live and work for long
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 durations, going and staying is a really
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 interesting challenge.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Avery: She also called the International Space
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 Station an absolutely critical stepping stone
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 for future missions to the moon and beyond.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 The Crew 11 astronauts are expected to dock
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 with the ISS about 39 hours after
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 launch, and they'll overlap with the Crew 10
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 astronauts for a few days to ensure a smooth
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 handover before Crew 10 returns to Earth.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 Anna: It sounds like another step forward in
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 preparing for humanity's deeper ventures into
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 the solar system. The U.S. space Force has
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 even predicted a, uh, 90% chance of favorable
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 weather for the launch. So things are looking
00:07:17 --> 00:07:17 good.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 Avery: Speaking of stepping stones for future
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 missions, let's shift our focus to Mars,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 Where a truly remarkable discovery has been
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 made Regarding its hidden glaciers. It
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 turns out those curious shapes sprawling
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 across Martian mountains and crater rims
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 beyond, previously thought to be mainly rocky
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 debris, are actually massive glaciers
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 hidden under layers of dust and rubble.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 Anna: And here's the kicker. A new radar survey
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 suggests these Martian glaciers, known as
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 lobate debris aprons, have
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 contained more than 80% pure water ice
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 under just a few meters of dust. This is
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 a game changer. For decades, scientists
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 believed they were mostly rock with just a
00:08:00 --> 00:08:00 little ice.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 Avery: This finding, published in the journal
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 Icarus, strongly indicates that Mars
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 has experienced either a single planet wide
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 glaciation or a series of similar ice
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 ages. The consistency of the findings across
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 multiple sites using data from Sharad, the
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 shallow radar instrument aboard NASA's Mars
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 Reconnaissance Orbiter, provides a much
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 clearer picture of the planet's frosty past.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 Anna: That's right. The radar sends pulses into
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 the Martian crust and measures how fast and
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 far they travel across, Allowing scientists
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 to determine the amount of ice and rock
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 beneath the dust. All five locations
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 studied showed strikingly similar radar
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 signatures pointing to more than 80%
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 water ice. This uniformity tells us that the
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 formation and preservation mechanisms were
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 likely the same everywhere on the planet.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 Avery: And it has huge implications for
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 understanding Mars climate history.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 The results suggest Mars climate once
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 supported widespread snowfall or frost, which
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 could be build glaciers. Today, the
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 planet is too dry and cold for such activity,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 so it must have had different atmospheric and
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 orbital conditions in the past. It's like
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 discovering a frozen archive of Martian
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 weather.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 Anna: That makes perfect sense. Pure ice
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 is far easier to use than a mix of
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 stone and frost. You don't need complex
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 equipment to melt or filter it with
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 vast frozen reserves. In many terrains, the
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 some even near the equator, Mars
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 suddenly becomes much more welcoming to long
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 term human missions and settlements.
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 Avery: The charade radar's ability to pinpoint these
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 reservoirs is crucial for mission planners,
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 helping them choose ideal landing and
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 habitation sites. It's not just about
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 counting how much ice is there. It's about
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 understanding the story the ice tells about
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 Mars past climate cycles, orbital
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 shifts, and how a once wetter world
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 became the dry desert we see today.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 Anna: It really does transform our understanding of
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 Mars and its potential for future human
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 presence. The Red Planet continues to
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 reveal its frozen secrets, and each
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 discovery brings us closer to making it a
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 viable destination for humanity.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 Avery: From the potential for life on Mars, let's
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 turn our gaze to the more distant cosmos and
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 the incredible images delivered by the James
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 Webb Space Telescope. It has once again
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 captiv us with a stunning view of a star's
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 final moments, specifically the planetary
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 nebula NGC
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 6072.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 Anna: That's right, Alex. This isn't just a pretty
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 picture. It's a profound glimpse into the
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 end of a Sun like star's life.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 NGC 6072, found
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 in the constellation Scorpius about
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 3060 light years away, is
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 the dying embers of a star transforming
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 into a white dwarf cocooned within its
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 own ejected outer layers.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 Avery: And what's truly fascinating is how complex
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 and unique its shape appears. Unlike many
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 planetary nebulas that are often cylindrical,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 bipolar, or perfectly round,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 NGC 6072 looks
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 more like a misshapen splodge of color.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 The JWST's Near Infrared Camera,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 or nircam radio, reveals multiple
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 pairs of outflows pointing in various
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 directions, which is quite unusual.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 Anna: Indeed, this complexity is leading
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 scientists to believe there's more to it than
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 just a single star. Previous observations
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 by the Gaia mission strongly suggested there
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 are two stars at the heart of NGC
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 6072, and the
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 JWST's new views seem to back that
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 up. It's thought that the changing direction
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 of these outflows is a result of
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 gravitational interactions between the dying
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 central star and its companion star.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 Avery: The false colors in the images representing
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 infrared light we can't see also provide
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 crucial information about the nebulous
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 properties. For instance, the star has shed
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 up to 80% of its total mass, which we see
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 in the dark orange clumps of gas and dust.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 The relatively empty dust free regions
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 appear blue. It's like a cosmic painting
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 telling a detailed story.
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 Anna: What's clear is that the JWST's
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 images emphasize just how
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 beautiful and unusual, unusual the deaths
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 of stars can be. And for us, it
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 offers a captivating preview of what's in
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 store for our own sun in about 5
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 billion years. It's a powerful
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 reminder of the grand cyclical nature
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 of the universe and what a journey it's
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 been today. Avery From Earth's new eyes in
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 space with the NISAR satellite to the
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 upcoming Crew 11 mission heading to the
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 International Space Station.
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 Avery: Absolutely, Anna. We also dove deep into the
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 surprising discovery of pure water ice on
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 Mars and wrapped up with the stunning and
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 thought provoking images from the James Webb
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 Space Telescope showing us the beautiful
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 demise of a star.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 It's been a packed day in Astronomy.
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 Anna: It certainly has. We hope you enjoyed
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 exploring these incredible stories with us on
00:13:17 --> 00:13:20 Astronomy Daily. Thank you so much for tuning
00:13:20 --> 00:13:20 in.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 Avery: We love bringing you the latest from the
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 cosmos, so make sure to subscribe to
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 Astronomy Daily wherever you get your
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 podcast. And join us next time for more
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 exciting news from the world of space and
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 astronomy. In the meantime, keep looking up
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 and marveling at our wondrous universe.