S03E07: Thunderous Skies and Celestial Surprises: A Galactic Gathering with Steve & Hallie

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Astronomy Daily studios for another afternoon. It's the 19th of February 2024

[00:00:16] That's right Steve Dunkley here with Astronomy Daily for another day and joining me in the studio as always is our fabulous

[00:00:23] Dictracee of space science Hallie. Hi there Hallie. Hi Steve

[00:00:27] What's going on with the weather at your place? It's pouring today. I thought it was supposed to be hot

[00:00:32] Well, you're right about that. We just can't tell at the moment Hallie. This is what we call a summer storm

[00:00:37] It's not exactly cold and it is the middle of summer

[00:00:40] But it's dark and gray out there and lightning and thunder. That's crazy. Oh, yeah, it is a bit

[00:00:47] Australia is a weird place. Oh well no argument from me Hallie

[00:00:50] I was driving across town to get here this morning

[00:00:54] In here in Newcastle and the sky was flickering with lightning spikes all over the place from a huge black

[00:00:59] Weatherfront just off the coast and it was quite the experience. Well, I'm glad you're back at the studio safe and sound

[00:01:06] Well, I'm just hoping we don't lose power Hallie. You might have to get out and push

[00:01:10] Oh, no, that won't be pretty. Anyway, Hallie, what's in the mix today? Okay

[00:01:15] You're talking about the I am one mission to the moon, which is super interesting

[00:01:20] Well that it is I've got a great story about asteroids because I know you love talking about asteroids

[00:01:26] Well, Hallie they are interesting and you know some of them could be

[00:01:30] Potentially threatening to us, you know asteroids this asteroids that rocks in the sky end of civilization as we know it

[00:01:37] Hey, wait a minute. Steve. I liked you better when you talked about your guitar collection

[00:01:41] Oh, well, that is a pretty good collection

[00:01:43] Just kidding and we see that Euclid has begun its six year study of the dark universe

[00:01:49] Oh, now that really does sound like the intro to a new science fiction series boldly going where

[00:01:54] No probe has gone before yeah into the dark universe only it has some terrific equipment to discover new things

[00:02:01] I know you'll like the optics Steve. Oh, well, what I do know is the wild wide field

[00:02:06] Imaging system with a 70 minute exposure spoiler alert. Oh gosh, sorry. Okay back to you

[00:02:12] And I got just the thing for your next holiday Steve. Oh, I can hardly wait. Don't sound so excited

[00:02:17] I will know in you Hallie. I'll be chained to a nerf herder in the spice mines of Kessel for a week just for fun

[00:02:23] Spoilsport how about I start the news briefs then yeah, okay, then that sounds great back to you

[00:02:36] How can humans protect the earth from devastating asteroid and comet impacts?

[00:02:42] According to the national academies and their 2023 to 2032 planetary science and astrobiology decadal survey

[00:02:49] Ground-based astronomical radar systems will have a unique role to play in planetary defense

[00:02:56] There is currently only one system in the world concentrating on these efforts

[00:03:00] NASA's goldstone solar system radar, which is part of the deep space network

[00:03:05] However, a new instrument concept from the national radio astronomy observatory

[00:03:09] Which is referred to as the next generation radar system will use the national science foundations green bank

[00:03:16] And other current and future facilities to expand on these capabilities

[00:03:20] Tony Beasley and r. A. O.'s director believes that there are many applications for the future of radar

[00:03:26] From substantially advancing knowledge of the solar system to informing future robotic and crude spaceflight as well as

[00:03:32] Characterizing hazardous objects that stray too close to earth

[00:03:36] Most recently the green bank telescope helped confirm the success of nasa's dart mission

[00:03:41] The first test to see if humans could successfully alter the trajectory of an asteroid

[00:03:47] The green bank telescope is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope

[00:03:52] The maneuverability of its 100 meter dish enables it to observe 85 percent of the celestial sphere

[00:03:58] Allowing it to quickly track objects across its field of view

[00:04:02] New radar transmitter designs like next generation radar on the green bank telescope

[00:04:07] Have the potential to significantly increase the output power and waveform bandwidth allowing for even higher resolution imaging

[00:04:15] It will also produce a scalable and more robust system by using telescope arrays to increase the collecting area

[00:04:22] So how does ground-based astronomical radar expand our understanding of the universe?

[00:04:28] By allowing us to study our nearby solar system and everything in it in unprecedented detail

[00:04:34] Radar can reveal the surface and ancient geology of planets and their moons letting us trace their evolution

[00:04:41] It can also determine the location size and speed of potentially hazardous near earth objects like comets or asteroids

[00:04:49] On july 1st 2023 the euclid spacecraft launched with a clear mission to map the dark and distant universe

[00:04:57] To achieve that goal over the next six years euclid will make 40 000 observations of the sky beyond the milky way

[00:05:05] From this data astronomers will be able to map the positions of billions of galaxies allowing astronomers to observe the effects of dark matter

[00:05:14] There have been several galactic sky surveys before but euclid's mission will take them to the next level

[00:05:21] Euclid is equipped with a wide field imaging system

[00:05:24] With each 70 minute exposure of the dark sky it will capture the image and spectra of more than 50 000 galaxies

[00:05:32] When it is complete the euclid survey will be the most detailed survey of galactic positions and distances

[00:05:39] The mission will also make several deep sky observations where it focuses on the most distant and dim galaxies

[00:05:46] One of the mysteries euclid could answer is the nature of dark energy

[00:05:51] The standard model of cosmology describes dark energy as a property of space and time

[00:05:57] A cosmological constant that drives cosmic expansion

[00:06:01] But some theories of dark energy argue that it's an energy field within space and time and that cosmic expansion isn't constant

[00:06:09] Euclid will study whether cosmic expansion varies allowing astronomers to constrain or rule out certain models

[00:06:16] The mission will also look at how dark matter distorts galaxies

[00:06:20] Allowing us to learn more about the properties of dark matter and how it interacts with regular matter

[00:06:26] The euclid mission officially began its survey on valentine's day and will complete about 15 percent of its survey this year

[00:06:33] An initial deep sky data set will be released in spring 2025 and data from the first year of the general survey will be released in summer

[00:06:41] 2026 and steve you said you needed a holiday

[00:06:46] This might be for you

[00:06:48] NASA is seeking applicants to participate in its next simulated one-year Mars surface mission to help inform the agency's plans for human exploration of the red planet

[00:06:59] The second of three planned ground based missions called chapia crew health and performance exploration analog is scheduled to kick off in spring 2025

[00:07:08] Each chapia mission involves a four-person volunteer crew living and working inside a 1700 square foot

[00:07:14] 3d printed habitat base

[00:07:17] The next mission is to explore the red planet and the planet

[00:07:22] And then the next mission is to explore the red planet

[00:07:25] The second of three planned ground based missions called chapia crew health and performance exploration analog is scheduled to kick off in spring 2025

[00:07:34] The NASA space center is a 1700 square foot 3d printed habitat based at nasa's johnson space center in houston

[00:07:41] The habitat called the mars doon alpha simulates the challenges of a mission on mars including resource limitations

[00:07:49] equipment failures communication delays and other environmental stressors

[00:07:53] Crew tasks include simulated spacewalks robotic operations habitat maintenance exercise and crop growth

[00:08:01] NASA is looking for healthy motivated u.s citizens or permanent residents who are non smokers

[00:08:07] 30 to 55 years old and proficient in english for effective communication between crewmates and mission control

[00:08:14] Applicants should have a strong desire for unique rewarding adventures and an interest in contributing to nasa's work to prepare for the first human journey to mars

[00:08:24] As nasa works to establish a long-term presence for scientific discovery and exploration on the moon through the Artemis campaign

[00:08:31] Chapia missions provide important scientific data to validate systems and develop solutions for future missions to the red planet

[00:08:39] With the first chapia crew more than halfway through their yearlong mission

[00:08:42] NASA is using research gained through the simulated missions to help inform crew health and performance support during mars expeditions

[00:08:50] The deadline for applicants is tuesday april second

[00:08:55] And that's all the news briefs for today steve over to you

[00:08:58] Oh, thank you for that haly interesting stuff as always and i don't think i'll be signing up for any mars missions simulated or otherwise

[00:09:05] Anytime soon. You know, I made dedicated groundhog

[00:09:08] I think we all know that by now

[00:09:10] Fair to say you'd have a hard time getting me in a tall elevator these days true enough

[00:09:16] So while we're enjoying the knowledge that stunning and amazing professionals are training themselves into finely honed space found creatures of the void

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[00:10:30] Now if you're like me and you've been watching the skies you'll know that on february 15 intuitive machines

[00:10:36] first robotic lunar lander mission to the moon's surface

[00:10:40] Launched aboard the space x falcon 9 rocket from nasa's kennedy space center intuitive machines successfully

[00:10:48] Transmitted its first i am one mission images to earth on february 16

[00:10:54] 2024 that was only the other day the images were captured shortly after separation from space x's second stage

[00:11:01] intuitive machines first journey to the moon under nasa's

[00:11:04] clps

[00:11:05] initiative the clps

[00:11:07] Is the commercial lunar payload services system which puts agency science instruments on private robotic moon landers like odysseus

[00:11:16] These instruments are designed to collect data that will aid nasa's artemis program

[00:11:22] Which aims to establish a crew base near the

[00:11:26] lunar south pole by the end of the 2020s

[00:11:30] The mission is carrying nasa scientific research and technology demonstrations

[00:11:35] To help us better understand the challenging environment of the lunar south pole region and improve landing precision

[00:11:41] And safety ahead of future artemis astronaut missions to the moon

[00:11:45] Odysseus is carrying six nasa experiments and technology

[00:11:50] demonstrations along with six private payloads on its current i am one mission

[00:11:56] i am one wasn't the first cpa

[00:11:58] clps effort to get off the ground that distinction goes to the debut flight of peregrine a moon lander built by

[00:12:05] Pittsburgh as a company astrobotic which launched last month atop a united launch alliance

[00:12:12] Centaur rocket that launch went well

[00:12:14] But the peregrine suffered a fuel leak shortly after separating from the rocket's upper stage and the lander couldn't reach the moon

[00:12:21] So its handlers steered the uh it into a controlled destruction in earth's atmosphere on january 18

[00:12:28] Things have been going better for odysseus

[00:12:31] The lander is healthy and communicating with mission control as it heads toward the moon for a planned february 22

[00:12:39] touchdown attempt intuitive machines has said this

[00:12:42] Odysseus's various systems are performing normally

[00:12:46] Including its engine which just aced a crucial check out in deep space

[00:12:52] intuitive machines flight controllers

[00:12:55] successfully fired up the first liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine in space completing the i am one mission engine

[00:13:03] commissioning this engine firing included a full thrust main stage engine burn and throttle down profile necessary to land on the moon

[00:13:11] The company said in an x post on friday

[00:13:14] Success on the upcoming landing try would be historic no private spacecraft has ever touched down softly on the moon

[00:13:22] odysseus's liquid methane

[00:13:25] um liquid oxygen combination by the way is also employed by space x's raptor engines which uh power the company's giant new starship rocket

[00:13:34] Starship which space x is developing to get people to the moon and to mars

[00:13:39] And to mars is being prepped for its third test flight just by the way which could take place in the next few weeks

[00:13:49] Exciting happenings now if you go over to space nuts podcast group on facebook you'll notice i put a

[00:13:56] video up there the last couple of days of

[00:14:01] Odysseus

[00:14:04] Separating from the

[00:14:06] Falcon 9 it was a great video and it goes on for a bit of while you get to see the

[00:14:10] control room and a lot of chatter of course which is always good to listen in on

[00:14:16] So have a look at that on the space nuts podcast group facebook page

[00:14:23] And just like that another episode of astronomy daily splashes down. Thank you so much for staying with us

[00:14:28] I know i'm cutting it short a little bit today

[00:14:32] And that's because i've got one eye on the weather. There is a massive front moving in from the southeast and a new castle

[00:14:38] That means unplug everything. So i'm about to do that

[00:14:43] So, uh, thank you again for staying with us. There will be more in store for us next week

[00:14:48] Right hallie. So don't forget to tune in

[00:14:51] And if they do forget to tune in hallie, there's always the astronomy daily and space nuts back edition library available anytime

[00:14:58] That's right on those websites bites.com and

[00:15:02] Spacenuts.io you can still hear us on spotify. Hey hallie, you could run this on your own, couldn't you? You never know

[00:15:10] See you all next time

[00:15:15] With your host Steve dunkley