S03E120: China's Constellation Project and Webb's Stellar Surprise

Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dive into the latest space and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and I'm excited to take you through some fascinating updates. Today. We've got riveting stories lined up for you, from China's ambitious satellite constellation launch to rival Starlink, to a groundbreaking revelation by the James Webb Space telescope that has astronomers buzzing. Plus we'll delve into NASA's quirky but educational screaming balloon demonstration involving pennies in space. It's going to be an enlightening and funfilled journey through the Cosmos, So let's get started. A Chinese state owned enterprise has made a bold move in the realm of space technology by launching the first batch of satellites designed to rival SpaceX's Starlink. This ambitious initiative marks a pivotal step in Beijing's broader strategic objective of developing a robust broadband network to compete on a global scale, not only in commercial domains, but with significant military implications of well. The launch, which took place at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanshi Province was spearheaded by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology or SSST. This is a major milestone in ssst's thousand sales constellation project, also known as the G sixty Starlink plan, initiated last year. The plan aims to deploy over fifteen thousand low Earth orbit LEO satellites by the end of this decade. LEO satellites typically operate between three hundred kilometers and two thousand kilometers from the Earth's surface. Their lower altitude allows for cheaper deployment and more efficient data transmission compared to satellites placed in higher orbits. The first batch of satellites launched is just the beginning, with plans to deploy one hundred and eight satellites this year alone and six hundred and forty eight by the end of twenty twenty five. The ultimate goal is to achieve global network coverage by twenty twenty seven and fully deploy the fifteen thousand satellites before twenty thirty. This ambitious plan is part of a broader trend where various countries are competing to occupy Earth's lower orbits, with significant ramifications for global communications and military capabilities. Starlink, the brainchild of Elon Musk's SpaceX, has already become a significant player in this field, boasting around five thousand, five hundred satellites in orbit and serving tens of thousands of users in the United States. The comparison between Starlink and the Thousand Sales constellation is inevitable, as both aim to provide near global Internet coverage, but the competition goes beyond commercial interests. Chinese researchers within the People's Liberation Army have been studying Starlink's deployments closely, particularly its role in the Ukraine conflict. Their concern is not unfounded. The potential military applications of a vast satellite constellation could indeed influence the balance of power in any future conflicts. An op ed published in a leading PLA mouthpiece earlier this year described Starlink's deployment as a serious threat to the security of space assets of various country trees, highlighting the anxieties about how such technology could be used against China in a military context. The strategic importance of developing a competing mega constellation cannot be overstated. If successful, the Thousand Sales constellation would provide China with a similar level of connectivity and control over space based communications, thereby reducing reliance on infrastructure operated by potential rival states. The significant investment and rapid deployment timeline underscore the urgency Beaging feels inclosing the gap with SpaceX's Starlink and ensuring future technological and military parity. SST's achievement is receiving significant attention both domestically and internationally. While the company has not commented on this latest development, it's clear that the launch represents a promising start. As the initiative progresses, it will be crucial to monitor both the technological advancements and policy implications resulting from this rapidly growing network. The James Webb Space Telescopes Mid Infrared Instrument, or MIRI, has delivered a truly breathtaking discovery. What astronomers long believe to be a single star known as WL twenty S is actually a twin star system. This revelation doesn't just add a fascinating twist to our understanding of this celestial body, it opens up new avenues in the study of stellar life cycles and planetary formation. So how did this all come to light. The story begins with astronomers turning NASA's James Webb's Space telescope toward a group of young stars called WL twenty located in a star forming region of the Milky Way called Roe O Fiuci. This group of stars has been the topic of scientific scrutiny since the nineteen seventies, despite being studied by at least five different telescopes over the years. It was Webb's unprecedented resolution and specialized instruments that revealed WL twenty s to be two stars rather than one. The discovery was unveiled at the two hundred and forty fourth meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Using Mary, scientists discovered that these twin stars also possess matching jets of gas streaming from their north and south poles. Imagine their excitement. After decades of studying what they thought was a single star, they suddenly found themselves looking at not one, but two stars with intriguing features. Mary Barsony, the lead author of the new paper presenting these results, put it aptly, our jaws dropped, adding another layer to the mystery. Further observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter submillimeter array ALMA provided even more surprising findings. ALMA, with its array of over sixty radio antennas in Chile, detected disks of gas and dust encircling both stars. Given the stars age, it is highly probable that planets are forming within these disks. This means we're not just looking at a new twin star system, but potentially at a burgeoning planetary system as well. But why hadn't we seen this before? It turns out that WL twenty is hidden behind thick clouds of gas and dust, making it difficult for visible light telescopes to penetrate Web. However, detects in the infrared spectrum which can pass through these obscuring layers. MIRI, specifically designed for such observations, can detect the longest infrared wavelengths of any instruments on WEB, making it especially suited for looking into regions like WL twenty. This high powered observation means that we can now see not just the structure of these twin stars, but also their behavior. The jets of gas detected by MIRI are composed of ions atoms stripped of some electrons, which radiate at mid infrared wavelengths. These features would not be visible at the submillimeter wavelengths observed by a facility like Alma, thus highlighting the importance of having both types of telescopes working in conjunction. They say a penny doesn't go far these days, but NASA has added its own twist to that phrase by sending two pennies into space. These pennies, believe it or not, are on an extraordinary mad aboard the International Space Station, traveling millions of miles and proving that even the smallest objects can play a big role in education. On August fourth, two humble US one cent coins lifted off for the ISS aboard the SS Francis R. Dick Scobie, Northrop Grumman's twenty first Signus cargo spacecraft, named in memory of the Challenger Shuttle commander. These pennies were part of an uncrude capsule's eight two hundred pounds of cargo, launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida by a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket. What's the mission for these tiny travelers? They're part of NASA's latest demonstration, an educational project designed to engage grade school children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Michelle Hook's Education project manager for NASA's Office of Stem Engagement, explained that the pennies are crucial to an experiment called the Screaming Balloon demonstration. In this activity, one penny is inserted into a deflated balloon, which is then inflated and given a spin by an astronaut. The experiment will compare the motion of the penny to a hex nut spun inside a second balloon. What makes this all the more fascinating is the accessibility of the materials. Pennies are abundant and familiar to students, making it easy for them to replicate the experiment in their classrooms. This hands on approach brings the excitement of space right down to Earth, allowing students to draw direct connections between their everyday lives and the extraordinary work happening on the iss. But it wasn't an easy task to find the right pennies for this mission. NASA wanted pennies minted in twenty twenty four to mark the year they were sent into space, and they needed to be shiny, camera ready. Coins Hooks, along with her team, went on a penny hunt that spanned local banks and personal spare change. After checking hundreds of coins and enlisting help from bank tellers, NASA staff, and local educators, they finally collected a pair of perfect twenty four pennies. These aren't the first pennies to venture into space, though previous missions have seen pennies flown on Apollo missions and even to Mars. For instance, a penny flew aboard Apollo eleven with Neil Armstrong, and multiple coins traveled on Apollo fourteen and fifteen missions. A particularly valuable penny, a seventeen ninety three flowing haircent, even hitched a ride on Gemini seven, later selling for over eighty two thousand dollars at auction. Today, NASA has strict policies against astronauts personally flying items like coins to prevent exploitation. However, uncrude missions like the current Penny project allow a modern continuation of this tradition, and these pennies aren't just about looking good. They help carry forward NASA's long standing educational goals. The coins are set to be reused in various ways aboard the iss, maximizing their educational impact before they eventually returned to Earth. That's it for today's episode. Of Daily I'm Anna and it's been a pleasure to share these stories with you. Don't forget to visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io for all the latest news, listen to past episodes, and sign up for our newsletter. You can also find us on social media. Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x YouTube, and TikTok. See you next time.