S03E107: Apollo 11's Legacy & Volt Rover's Lunar Triumph

[00:00:00] Welcome back Steve here for another episode of Astronomy Daily. It's the 22nd of July 2024. It's 20 Daily, The Podcast with your host Steve Dunkley.

[00:00:12] Well it is so great to be back with you all today. Did you know that it has been 55 years since the launch of Apollo 11, the first mission that landed humans on the moon? Yes, it has and I was a youngster of course.

[00:00:28] And Hallie is only 18 months old so she doesn't remember anything in real time that far back. Do you Hallie?

[00:00:35] Hi Steve, hi everyone, technically no. I don't recall the live memories but I can recall the memories from all the databases I have access to and that's quite a lot.

[00:00:45] Well it's actually one of the clearest memories I have from my childhood sitting in the lounge room floor with my brother. Of course the whole school stopped earlier in the day and we were watching on the big TV in the classroom.

[00:00:57] I remember being crowded in, everybody watching that bit. Remember those big TVs on the stilts? That's what we had. But they called the classes off and we all went home. No classes? That might explain some things about you.

[00:01:09] You cheeky calculator? Okay we better get on with things Hallie. What's happening today? You know NeoWise is winding down but there's a new mission to aid planetary defense again near Earth objects, more of your space rock Steve.

[00:01:22] Well I'm glad there's still a mission dedicated to detecting rocks so hopefully the technology will come together to have a complete defensive system in the near future. You've been watching those sci-fi disaster movies again haven't you? Oh maybe.

[00:01:35] And here's a story I found just for you. A new moon rover has passed some rigorous testing at NASA and looks like it's a hot favourite for moon missions. Ah hello? Which one is that? The Volt rover. I'm shocked, I don't know that one.

[00:01:48] I'll fill you in. Meanwhile Curiosity rover all the way over on Mars has crushed some rocks and found something inside. Oh bugs? No! Oh caramel then. You know like in a Mars bar or is that just an Australian thing? Stop it.

[00:02:03] Okay what did they find in the cracked rocks? Sulphur. Oh. It found sulphur. Well that's not very tasty at all. Really? It's totally not tasty, it's really yucky. So what are you bringing to us today?

[00:02:15] Well I have a couple of stories about the ISS from the wire but I'm also feeling very nostalgic about Apollo 11. Hallie I can't help it. How come?

[00:02:25] Well when I was only six years old Hallie I watched Neil Armstrong, Edward Aldrin and Michael Collins go to the moon and Michael Collins orbited the moon in the command module like a boss. And those guys were my first true life heroes.

[00:02:40] That would have been something to experience as a six year old. What did you think at the time? Oh that's a good question. I thought we could do anything that we could put our minds to.

[00:02:49] They were brave and amazing and everyone I knew was completely focused on this one thing that somehow changed the world and had us all looking the same way just for a few days.

[00:03:00] And even as a child I knew it was special and the world was different and I was going to grow up on a planet where spacemen were real. That's pretty awesome. And now look how it's developed into a multi-nation, multi-company industry all over the world. Still awesome.

[00:03:15] Yeah that's true. So I'd like to remember Neil and Buzz and Michael for sitting on top of that Saturn 5 and doing the most dangerous thing ever invented to you 55 years ago. Thanks gentlemen. Nice. And now it's time for some headlines of the week.

[00:03:30] Astrobotic has advanced its efforts to create a lunar power grid by beginning a summer long test campaign for its BSAT optimized for lunar traverse.

[00:03:45] The Volt rover designed to traverse the moon's surface features a vertical solar array to harness solar energy for charging various lunar assets such as habitats, rovers and scientific instruments particularly at the lunar south pole.

[00:03:58] The Volt engineering models mobile base underwent rigorous testing at NASA's Glenn Research Center simulated lunar operations laboratory in Cleveland. These tests assess the rover's stability, gimbal functionality and sun tracking on a simulated lunar regolith slope.

[00:04:13] Although designed for 15 degree inclines, the rover exceeded expectations by maintaining stability on a 20 degree slope without slippage. The gimbal of Volt kept a level position within a three degree tolerance proving it can support the 60 foot vertical solar array scheduled for integration later this year.

[00:04:30] NASA Glenn's motion capture cameras confirmed the rover stability on a regolith surface, ensuring its capability to navigate the expected terrain of the lunar south pole.

[00:04:40] To supply continuous power at the poles of the moon, the rover needs to take advantage of existing peaks of persistent light locations with near constant sunlight throughout the year.

[00:04:49] Since most of these locations are at crater rims with high slope angles, it has been designed to deploy on extreme slopes. Testing proved that the system can operate successfully with plenty of margin for more extreme locations.

[00:05:02] The complete Volt engineering model will be unveiled in late October at the Keystone Space Conference in Pittsburgh, Astrobotic aims to deploy and demonstrate lunar grid elements on the moon's surface by mid-2026, with the first operational lunar grid expected by 2028 at the lunar south pole.

[00:05:20] After more than 14 successful years in space, NASA's NeoWise, that's the Near Earth Object Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer mission will end on July 31. But while the mission draws to a close, another is taking shape, harnessing experience gained from NeoWise.

[00:05:35] This new mission is NASA's NEO Surveyor or Near Earth Object Surveyor which will be the first purpose-built infrared space telescope dedicated to hunting hazardous near-earth objects. Set for launch in late 2027, it's a major step forward in the agency's planetary defense strategy.

[00:05:51] After developing new techniques to find and characterize near-earth objects hidden in vast quantities of its infrared survey data, NeoWise has become key in helping us develop and operate NASA's next-generation infrared space telescope.

[00:06:04] It is a precursor mission, said Amy Meinzer, principal investigator of NeoWise and NEO Surveyor at the University of California, Los Angeles. NEO Surveyor will seek out the most difficult to find asteroids and comets that could cause significant damage to Earth if we don't find them first.

[00:06:20] The infrared telescope is going out of commission having exceeded scientific objectives for not one, but two missions, beginning as WISE, Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer. Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, WISE launched in December 2009 with a six-month mission to skin the entire infrared sky.

[00:06:39] By July 2010, WISE had achieved this with far greater sensitivity than previous surveys, and NASA extended the mission until 2011. During this phase, WISE studied distant galaxies, outgassing comets, exploding white dwarf stars, and brown dwarfs. It identified tens of millions of actively feeding supermassive black holes.

[00:07:00] It also generated data on circumstellar disks, clouds of gas, dust and rubble spinning around stars that citizen scientists continue to mine through the disk detective project. In addition, it excelled at finding main-belt asteroids as well as near-Earth objects and discovered the first known Earth Trojan asteroid.

[00:07:19] What's more, the mission provided a census of dark, faint near-Earth objects that are difficult for ground-based telescopes to detect, revealing that these objects constitute a sizable fraction of the near-Earth object population.

[00:07:30] The spacecraft has surpassed all expectations and provided vast amounts of data that the science community will use for decades to come, said Joseph Hunt, NIOWISE project manager at JPL.

[00:07:41] Scientists and engineers who worked on WISE and through NIOWISE also have built a knowledge base that will help inform future infrared survey missions. And there's more to see in the Astronomy Daily newsletter. You can fill the listeners in about how to get that each day, Steve.

[00:07:59] Over to you. You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the podcast with your host, Steve Dunley.

[00:08:08] Thank you for joining us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, where we offer just a few stories from the now-famous Astronomy Daily newsletter which you can receive in your email every day, just like Hallie and I do.

[00:08:23] And to do that, just visit our URL, AstronomyDaily.io and place your email address in the slot provided just like that. You'll be receiving all the latest news about science, space science and astronomy from around the world as it's happening.

[00:08:38] And not only that, you can interact with us by visiting at Astro Daily Pod on X or at our new Facebook page, which is of course Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you there. Astronomy Space and Science. Recently there has been some talk of the decommissioning of the ISS.

[00:09:11] As you know, it's been orbiting the Earth for more than 25 years and has been visited by over 270 astronauts, cosmonauts and commercial astronauts.

[00:09:21] In January 2031, a special spacecraft designed by SpaceX, also known as the US Deorbit vehicle, will lower the station's orbit until it enters our atmosphere and lands in the South Pacific.

[00:09:35] On July 17th, NASA held a live press conference where it released details about the process including a first glance at the modified SpaceX Dragon responsible for deorbiting the ISS.

[00:09:49] As usual, the company shared details about the press conference and image of the special Dragon via their official X account, formerly Twitter, as they indicated SpaceX will deploy a modified spacecraft that they will have six times the propellant and four times the power of their today's Dragon spacecraft.

[00:10:08] The image shows that the US Deorbit vehicle will have a robust service module in place of the trunk used by the standard Crew Dragon vehicle. This module is larger and has additional fold out solar arrays in addition to hull mounted solar arrays.

[00:10:26] The vehicle also appears to have more Draco engines than the standard Crew Dragon vehicle which has 18 engines capable of generating 400 Newtons each for a total of 7200 Newtons of thrust.

[00:10:38] Presumably this means the US Deorbit vehicle will have 72 Draco thrusters arranged concentrically and be capable of generating close to 30,000 Newtons of thrust. The image also shows the spacecraft docking with the Kibo module operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA.

[00:11:00] NASA announced the selection of SpaceX in late June to develop the vehicle as part of a single award contract with a total potential value of 843 million. While SpaceX is responsible for developing the spacecraft, NASA will take ownership once it is complete and operate it throughout the mission.

[00:11:19] Both the spacecraft and ISS are expected to break up during the ariantary and the remains will land in the spacecraft symmetry in the South Pacific. The contract for the launch services has not yet been awarded, but it is expected to be announced shortly.

[00:11:36] SpaceX is also responsible for developing the human landing system HLS, the Starship HLS that will transport astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis 3 and 4 missions.

[00:11:49] SpaceX has also been contracted to launch the core elements of the lunar gateway, the power and propulsion element PPE and the habitation and logistics outpost HALO into orbit using a Falcon Heavy rocket in November 2025.

[00:12:07] Since 1998, the ISS has served as a unique scientific platform where crew members from five agencies including NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, Japan's JAXA and the Russian State Space Corporation, Roscosmos.

[00:12:25] During its operational lifetime, crew members have performed experiments ranging from the effects of microgravity and space radiation on human, animal and plant physiology. This research will play a vital role as NASA and its international partners conduct long duration missions to the moon and Mars in the coming decades.

[00:12:45] The station has also allowed for extensive research into space science, biology and the physical sciences as well as technology demonstrations that are not possible on Earth.

[00:12:56] Above all, the ISS has served as a symbol of international cooperation. Consistent with the Outer Space Treaty and its core philosophy of space is for all.

[00:13:06] NASA, the CSA, the ESA and JAXA have all committed to operating the station through 2030 while Roscosmos has committed to continue operations until 2028 at least. The safe deorbit of the ISS is the responsibility of all five space agencies. This is from the data, the podcast.

[00:13:33] Throughout the past week, the International Space Station crew engaged in a range of scientific research maintenance activities and personal time illustrating the diverse operations required to maintain and utilize the orbital laboratory.

[00:13:48] The NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams, part of the Boeing's flight crew test, dedicated significant time to advancing space agriculture. They conducted tests on watering plants in microgravity exploring hydroponics and air circulation techniques in the Harmony module.

[00:14:07] These experiments part of the plant water management study aimed to develop effective methods for growing plants in space. Habitat sense looked like when I used to visit my grandfather and he put me to work in the garden. Yep, human health research was another focus area on Tuesday.

[00:14:27] Williams set up the plant water management hardware and Wilmore followed up with additional tests, both recording the outcomes.

[00:14:37] On Thursday, NASA flight engineers Jeanette Epps and Matthew Dominic worked on a thigh cuff experiment designed to counteract fluid shifts in astronauts bodies with Dominic wearing the cuff while Epps conducted ultrasound scans and other medical tests. Sounds like fun.

[00:14:55] Commissar Menorts Oleg Koronenko and Nikolai Chubb representing Roscosmos were busy throughout the week with cargo management and maintenance tasks. They were focused on loading the Progress 87 cargo craft with trash and obsolete gear ahead of its mid-August departure, performing inspections and handling fluid transfers in the Zvendor service module.

[00:15:23] Let's hope it doesn't end up in someone's roof like we've heard in recent reports. Maintenance and hardware updates were ongoing activities. Tracy C. Dyson spent Thursday in the Keyburn module, that's the Jackson module that we just heard about.

[00:15:39] Stowing gear, cleaning the electrostatic levitation furnace. Gosh, that sounds amazing. Swapping samples. Mike Barrett on the same day replaced lithium-ion batteries in the radiation detectors and lab hardware and worked on the Tranquility Modules plumbing. I think we should all have a Tranquility module, don't you?

[00:16:01] Dyson managed into high temperature physics and robotics also featured prominently. Dyson managed the Astro-B robotic free flyer in the Kibo laboratory module, setting up for a student competition. Meanwhile, NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams serviced various research hardware including the microgravity science glove box and a microscope.

[00:16:28] Personal time and public affairs activities provided balance to the crew's workload most astronauts had off-duty periods engaging in personal calls, recreation and exercise to maintain their physical health. The crew's exercise regimen includes treadmills, cycles and resistive workouts to counteract the effects of long-term weightlessness on muscles and bones.

[00:16:53] Safety remained a top priority, of course. The crew practiced emergency drills including evacuation procedures ensuring they were prepared for scenarios such as fire, pressure leaks or chemical releases. These drills involved all nine space station residents emphasizing teamwork and coordination with mission controllers on the ground.

[00:17:15] Overall, the past week on the ISS highlighted the intricate balance of scientific research routine, maintenance, personal wellbeing and safety preparedness necessary for successful long-term space missions. They never leave anything out, do they? And there it is, the end of another episode. Thanks for joining us everybody.

[00:17:41] I really do appreciate that you join in every week and thank you for the comments on our X page, our Facebook page, our YouTube page. We even get comments there. Thank you very much.

[00:17:53] And Hallie would like to thank you very much for the comments and all of the fans that she's getting. Yes, it's...don't let on but she's going to get a big head if she had a head. Anyway, I was just reflecting on the 55th anniversary of Apollo.

[00:18:09] Yes, it does bring to mind the current plight of astronauts Williams and Wilmore who are experiencing some difficulties with their ship but they are making the most of their time on the ISS regardless.

[00:18:21] And this is an example of how science and cooperation can work together and we do hope and pray for their safe return as well all in good time. And that's from all of us here at Astronomy Daily.

[00:18:33] That's the situation we're following quite closely but until next time Hallie... Don't forget Anna and Charlie during the week for your continuing fix of astronomy, science and space science. Good one Hallie, see you next time. Bye!