00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 podcast for the latest and greatest in space
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 news. I'm your host Anna, and I'm thrilled
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 to have you join me today as we embark on
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 another fascinating journey through the
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 cosmos. We have a packed episode for you
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 covering some truly remarkable developments
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 and a few unexpected turns in our exploration
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 of the universe. Today we'll discuss a
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 private spaceflight mission that faced an
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 unexpected anomaly. We'll then look at how
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 learning new manoeuvres after nearly two
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 decades, offering fresh insights into the Red
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 Planet for stargazers. We'll highlight a
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 recent nova explosion that made a previously
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 dim star visible to the naked eye.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 We'll also dive into a new statistical
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 analysis of exoplanet habitability,
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 revealing promising candidates for life.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Finally, we'll explore a cutting edge
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 collaboration between NASA and Australia on
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 lunar laser communications for the Artemis 2
00:00:55 --> 00:00:56 mission.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 So buckle up and let's get started.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:00 First up, let's talk about a recent private
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 space flight that didn't quite go according
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 to plan, yet is still being called a partial
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 success by the exploration company. This
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 incident involved their Nyx capsule, which
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 was part of the SpaceX Transporter 14
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 rideshare mission launched on June 23.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 Among the 70 payloads sent into orbit, the
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Nyx capsule had a very special cargo
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 Memorial remains contributed by loved ones
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 through Celestis Memorial Space Flights.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 Celestis offers various tiers of space
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 memorial services, from launching DNA into
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 space and returning it to Earth to sending
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 remains into deep space for their 25th
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 launch. Dubbed the Perseverance Flight,
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 Celestis partnered with the Exploration
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 Company's Mission Possible to carry its
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 memorial payload aboard the Nyx capsule with
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 the intention of returning it to Earth. The
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 mission proceeded nominally throughout, with
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 the capsule performing as expected, powering
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 its payloads in orbit, stabilising itself
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 and even re establishing communication after
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 the expected blackout period during RE entry.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 This blackout happens when intense friction
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 with the atmosphere creates a superheated
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 plasma layer around the spacecraft.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 Everything seemed to be going perfectly right
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 up until a few minutes before its scale
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 scheduled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 That's when an anomaly occurred. The
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 exploration company reported losing
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 communication with Nyx. A later statement
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 from Celestis shed more light on the issue,
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 confirming that the capsule's parachute
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 system failed to deploy. This tragic
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 failure resulted in the Nyx capsule impacting
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 at sea. It's an incredibly sombre outcome
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 for the families who entrusted their loved
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 ones remains to this journey. Celestis
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 expressed their hope that families will find
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 some Peace in knowing their loved ones were
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 part of a historic journey. Launched into
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 space, orbited Earth and are now
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 to a traditional and honoured sea scattering.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 The Exploration company also extended an
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 apology to all their clients. Despite this
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 significant setback, the Exploration company
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 is viewing the mission as a partial success.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 They highlight the technical, um, milestones
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 achieved, emphasising their ambition and the
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 inherent risks involved in innovation. The
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 Nyx capsule is a crucial part of their future
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 plans, designed to transport both crew and
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 cargo to and from low Earth orbit and
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 beyond. They are determined not to let this
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 snag slow them down and are already preparing
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 to re fly as soon as possible, leveraging the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 lessons learned from this ongoing
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 investigation.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 Now let's turn our gaze to Mars, where NASA's
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO, is
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 proving that you can indeed teach an old
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 spacecraft new tricks. After nearly two
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 decades orbiting the Red Planet, MRO is
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 literally on a roll, performing new
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 manoeuvres to extract even more science data.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 Engineers have managed to teach this probe to
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 roll almost completely upside down, a feat
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 that allows it to peer deeper beneath the
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 Martian surface in its hunt for liquid and
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 frozen water. These new capabilities,
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 detailed in a recent paper, describe three
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 very large roles executed between
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 2023 and 2024. This
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 innovative approach means that entirely new
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 regions of the Martian subsurface are now
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 accessible for exploration. While MRO M
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 was originally designed to roll up to 30
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 degrees to point its instruments, these new
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 rolls push the limits to a full 120
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 degrees. The main beneficiary of these
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 extreme manoeuvres is the shallow radar, or
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 SHARAD instrument. SHARAD is designed to
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 penetrate one to two kilometres below ground,
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 helping scientists distinguish between
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 materials like rock, sand and ice.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 It has been instrumental in mapping
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 subsurface ice deposits, which are crucial
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 for understanding Mars climate and geology
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 and are also vital potential resources for
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 future human missions. However,
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 Sharad's antennas were mounted at the back of
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 the orbiter to give prime viewing to other
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 cameras, which inadvertently caused parts of
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 the spacecraft to interfere with its radar
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 signals, making images less clear.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 By performing these dramatic 120 degree
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 rolls, the team found they could give the
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 radio waves an unobstructed path to the
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 surface, strengthening the radar signal by 10
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 times or more and providing a much clearer
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 picture of the Martian underground.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 Planning these roles isn't simple. MRO
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 carries five science instruments, each with
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 different pointing requirements. Regular
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 rolls are planned weeks in advance, with
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 instrument teams negotiating for science
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 time. An algorithm then commands the orbiter
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 to roll, adjusting solar arrays for power and
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 the high gain antenna for communication with
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 Earth. The very large rolls are
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 even more complex, requiring special
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 analysis to ensure enough battery power for
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 safety, as the spacecraft's antenna isn't
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 pointed at Earth and its solar arrays can't
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 track the sun during the manoeuvre. Because
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 of these challenges, the mission is currently
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 limited to one or two of these very large
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 rolls per year, although engineers hope to
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 streamline the process for more frequent use.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 In addition to shared, another MRO
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 instrument, the Mars Climate Sounder, is also
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 adapting its operations. This instrument,
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 which provides detailed information on Mars's
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 atmosphere, now relies on MRO's standard
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 roles for its observations and calibrations
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 as its ageing gimbal has become unreliable.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 These clever adaptations ensure that MRO
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 continues to deliver cutting edge science
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 even as it approaches its two decade mark in
00:06:33 --> 00:06:33 space.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 From the robotic wonders of Mars, we now
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 shift our focus to a celestial spectacle
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 happening right now in our own night sky. An
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 ordinarily dim star has suddenly burst into
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 brilliance, putting on a powerful display
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 that's even visible to the naked eye. We're
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 talking about the Nova V462 Lupi,
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 first spotted on June 12 by the All Sky
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 Automated Survey for Supernovae.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 This star, usually far too faint for us to
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 see with a visual magnitude of 22.3, has
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 undergone a dramatic transformation. Its
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 explosion of radiation has caused it to
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 brighten so significantly that it appears as
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 if brand new star is shining in the night
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 sky. Just as a reminder, the lower an
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 object's magnitude, the brighter it appears.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 Our eyes can typically pick out stars with a
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 magnitude of plus 6.5 or greater under good
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 dark sky conditions. So what
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 exactly is a classical nova? It's a
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 fascinating type of stellar explosion that
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 occurs in binary star systems. Imagine a
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 white dwarf star, which is the dense remnant
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 of a star like our sun, orbiting very closely
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 with a companion star. The white dwarf's
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 strong gravitational pull strips mass
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 mostly hydrogen from its companion.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 This material then accumulates on the surface
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 of the white dwarf. As more and more material
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 piles up, it becomes incredibly hot and
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 dense, eventually reaching a critical point
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 where a cataclysmic fusion reaction is
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 ignited. This sudden, powerful
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 explosion releases a colossal outpouring
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 of radiation, which is what we observe as a
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 nova. Soon after its discovery,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 V462 Lupi was reported to be
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 visible through binoculars with an apparent
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 magnitude of around 7.9.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 It continued to brighten steadily in the days
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 that followed, eventually becoming visible to
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 the naked eye around the middle of June, with
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 some reports even placing its peak brightness
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 at over 5.5. While it was
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 truly spectacular, the nova is now on the
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 decline and its brightness is fading. But
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 don't despair. You still have a chance to
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 witness this ancient light before it vanishes
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 from our view. The dark skies around the new
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 moon offer a perfect opportunity to get away
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 from city lights and hunt down
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 V462 Lupi. We
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 recommend bringing a pair of 10x50
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 binoculars, which will make it easier to spot
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 the subsiding light while providing a wide
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 field of view to appreciate the surrounding
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 stars. To find
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 V462 Lupi, you'll need to look
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 in the constellation Lupus the Wolf, near the
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 bright stars Delta Lupi and Kappa Centauri.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 For precise positioning, a star chart is your
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 best friend. You can generate one easily on
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 the American association for Variable Stars
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 or AAVSO website. Just type
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 V462, loop into the Pick a Star box
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 and click Create a Finder Chart.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 Skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere will
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 have the best view as, uh, the nova will
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 appear highest in the post sunset sky for
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 them. For our listeners in The United States,
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 V462 Lupi will be
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 visible close to the southern horizon,
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 especially if you're in states closest to the
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 equator, such as Texas, Florida and
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 Louisiana. It's a fleeting but powerful
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 reminder of the dynamic nature of our
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 universe.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 Next up, let's shift our gaze far beyond our
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 solar system to the fascinating world of
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 exoplanets and the ongoing search for life.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 While direct imaging of exoplanet atmospheres
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 or discovering systems with multiple planets
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 might grab more headlines, one of the most
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 powerful and often underappreciated tools in
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 an astrobiologist's kit is statistics.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 It's absolutely crucial for ensuring that
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 what we observe is real and not just an
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 artefact of our data or observational
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 techniques. A new paper by Caleb Traxler
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 and his co authors at UC Irvine has done just
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 that, statistically analysing a subset of
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 thousands of exoplanets to judge their
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 habitability. For decades, the search for
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 potentially life supporting exoplanets has
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 largely revolved around the concept of the
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 habitable zone. This is essentially a
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 calculation of a planet's average temperature
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 to determine if liquid water, a critical
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 medium for life as we know it, could exist on
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 its surface. However, the authors of this new
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 study argue that such a one dimensional
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 system is too general and not practically
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 useful for pinpointing planets with a high
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 probability of supporting life. Mhm. Instead,
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 they propose a more comprehensive approach,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 looking at characteristics of both the planet
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 and its parent star, and then Comparing these
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 to Earth, which remains our baseline for a
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 habitable world. They analysed each
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 exoplanet based on four key its
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 radius, temperature, insolation, flux, that
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 is how much sunlight it receives, and
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 density. For the exoplanet's host star,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 they examined its effective temperature,
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 radius, mass and metallicity, which is the
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 ratio of its iron content to its hydrogen
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 content. Using these eight
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 parameters, they sorted 517
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 exoplanets for which this data was available
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 into four distinct categories. An
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 excellent candidate meant the planet was
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 similar enough to Earth to be of strong
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 interest. Good planet poor
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 star indicated that at least one of the
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 star's parameters significantly differed from
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 our Sun. Conversely, good
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 star poor planet meant the
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 planet's characteristics were significantly
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 different from Earth. The final category,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 poor candidate, applied to systems where
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 neither the star nor the planet fit the bill.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 Interestingly, the good star poor planet
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 category contained the vast majority of
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 exoplanets, accounting for 388
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 systems, or 75% of the data set.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 The researchers suggest that this isn't
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 necessarily a physical reality, but rather a
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 detection bias. Techniques
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 commonly used to find exoplanets like the
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 transit method are heavily biassed towards
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 detecting large planets with short orbital
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 periods, which would place them firmly in
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 this category. They believe that with longer
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 observational times, we could find many more
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 planets that fit into the excellent candidate
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 bucket.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 And speaking of excellent candidates, out of
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 the entire 517 planet dataset,
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 only three were classified as
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 ExcellentEarth itself Kepler
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 22b and Kepler
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 538b. Kepler 22b
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 in particular stands out as a truly promising
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 prospect, with only a 3.1% difference
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 in temperature and a mere 1% difference in
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 insolation compared to Earth. The paper
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 identifies it as having the highest
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 likelihood of harbouring life, making it a
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 prime target for atmospheric observation by
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 the James Webb Space Telescope. Despite its
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 distance of 635 light years.
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 While Kepler 538B is
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 larger and hotter than Earth, it still falls
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 within the realm of potential habitability.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 This rarity highlights that Earth is
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 statistically unique, but not so rare as to
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 require some miraculous confluence of
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 planetary and stellar characteristics.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 Another rare type found in this analysis were
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 planets in the good planet poor star
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 category. Only six planets landed here
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 because their host stars, which were all M
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 dwarfs, the most common stars in our galaxy,
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 fell outside the defined habitable
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 temperature range. However, the
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 authors point out that despite lying outside
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 the generally accepted framework, these
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 candidates still have a good chance of
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 harbouring life given their other physical
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 parameters. Many are already under
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 observation from the James Webb space
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 telescope. And if they prove to have viable
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14 habitable conditions, it could revolutionise
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 the field of astrobiology due to the sheer
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 prevalence of M dwarf host stars in the
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 galactic population. This statistical
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 analysis reinforces several key points that
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 astrobiologists have known for some time.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 Kepler 22B remains a leading candidate for
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 further investigation, offering our best
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 current chance at finding evidence of, uh,
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 life beyond Earth. It also suggests
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 that conditions on Earth, while relatively
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 rare, are not so rare as to be a statistical
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 impossibility or a miracle. And
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 crucially, it highlights the significant bias
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 in our current exoplanet detection methods
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 towards planets that, due to their large size
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 and short orbital periods, might not be the
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 most habitable. As astrobiology continues
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 to advance, this kind of rigorous statistical
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 analysis will provide invaluable context,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 helping to direct our powerful new
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 observational equipment towards the areas
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 most likely to answer one of humanity's most
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 profound questions.
00:15:13 --> 00:15:16 Are we alone? Now let's
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 talk about how we'll communicate with our
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 brave astronauts as they venture back to the
00:15:20 --> 00:15:23 moon. As NASA gears up for its Artemis 2
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 mission, there's an exciting collaboration
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 happening between the agency's Glenn Research
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 Centre in Cleveland and the Australian
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 National University, or anu, to test
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 some truly inventive and cost saving laser
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 communications technologies in the lunar
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 environment. Traditionally, communicating in
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 space has relied on radio waves. However,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 NASA is actively exploring laser or
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 optical communications which promise to send
00:15:48 --> 00:15:51 data anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 back to Earth. Instead of radio signals,
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 these cutting edge systems use infrared
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 light to transmit high definition video,
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 pictures, voice and vital science
00:16:01 --> 00:16:04 data across vast cosmic distances
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 in significantly less time.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 While NASA has successfully demonstrated
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 laser communications in previous technology
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 tests, Artemis II will mark the first
00:16:14 --> 00:16:17 crewed mission to attempt using lasers to
00:16:17 --> 00:16:20 transmit data from deep space. To support
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 this ambitious endeavour, researchers working
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 on NASA's Real Time Optical Receiver or
00:16:24 --> 00:16:27 Realtor, project have developed a remarkably
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 cost effective laser transceiver built
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 largely using commercial off the shelf parts.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 Earlier this year, NASA Glenn engineers
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 meticulously built and tested a replica of
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 this system at their aerospace communications
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 facility. Now they're working closely with
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45 ANU to build an identical system using the
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 very same hardware models. All to prepare for
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 the university's crucial Artemis 2 laser
00:16:49 --> 00:16:52 communications demonstration. Jennifer
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 Downey, co principal investigator for the
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 Real Tour project at NASA Glenn, highlights
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 the significance of this work, stating that
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 Australia's upcoming lunar experiment could
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 showcase the capability, affordability and
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 reproducibility of the deep space receiver
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 engineered by Glenn. It's an important step
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 in proving the feasibility of using
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 commercial parts to develop accessible
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 technologies for sustainable exploration
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 beyond Earth during the Artemis 2
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 mission, currently scheduled for early
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 2026, NASA plans to fly an
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27 optical communications system aboard the
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 Orion spacecraft. This system will be put to
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 the test, attempting to transmit recorded 4K
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 ultra high definition video, flight
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 procedures, pictures, science data and even
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 voice communications from the Moon all the
00:17:39 --> 00:17:42 way back to Earth. Almost 10 miles away
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 from Cleveland at the Mount Stromlo
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 Observatory Ground Station, ANU researchers
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 are eagerly hoping to receive this data
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 during Orion's journey around the Moon using
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 the VARI Glenn developed transceiver model.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 This ground station will serve as a vital
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 test location for the new transceiver design,
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 though it won't be one of the mission's
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04 primary ground stations. If this test proves
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 successful, it will be a game changer,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 demonstrating that readily available
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 commercial parts can indeed be used to build
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 affordable and scalable space communication
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 systems for future missions, not just to the
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 Moon, but even to Mars and beyond.
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 Marie Piasecki, technology portfolio
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 manager for NASA's Space Communications and
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 Navigation or SCAN programme, emphasises
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 that engaging with the Australian National
00:18:28 --> 00:18:31 University to expand commercial laser
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 communications offerings across the world
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 will further demonstrate how this advanced
00:18:35 --> 00:18:38 satellite communications capability is ready
00:18:38 --> 00:18:40 to support the agency's networks and missions
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 as we set our sights on deep space
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 exploration. As NASA continues to
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 investigate the feasibility of using
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 commercial parts for ground stations, Glenn
00:18:50 --> 00:18:52 researchers will continue to provide critical
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 support in preparation for Australia's
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 demonstration. These strong global
00:18:56 --> 00:18:59 partnerships are key to advancing technology
00:18:59 --> 00:19:02 breakthroughs and are instrumental as NASA
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 expands humanity's reach from the Moon to
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 Mars, all while fueling innovations that
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 improve life here on Earth.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 And that brings us to the end of another
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 fascinating journey through the cosmos on
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 Astronomy Daily. I'm
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 Anna, your host and I hope you enjoyed our
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 look at the latest developments. Don't
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 forget, you can listen to all our back
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 episodes and find more information by
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 visiting our website@astronomydaily.IO. um,
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