Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S04E41
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his co-host Hallie dive into a variety of intriguing stories from the Astronomy Daily newsletter. From innovative robotic missions to lunar landers and the ongoing saga of NASA astronauts, this episode is filled with captivating insights that will engage your cosmic curiosity.
Highlights:
- Aether: The Spring-Loaded Robot for Asteroid Exploration : Discover how a student team from the University of Texas at Justin is developing Aether, a revolutionary robotic probe designed to explore the asteroid belt. Learn about its unique capabilities, including a spring-loaded landing system and a metal-burning rocket engine that allows it to hop between asteroids while harvesting fuel from their surfaces.
- NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore Update : Get the latest on the adventures of astronauts Williams and Wilmore aboard the International Space Station. Amid media speculation about their status, they share their experiences and clarify that they are not stranded but rather continuing their important work in space.
- Blue Ghost 1 and Resilience Lunar Missions: Follow the progress of two commercial lunar landers, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1, which has successfully entered lunar orbit, and ispace's Resilience, which is on a trajectory to the Moon. Understand the significance of these missions and their contributions to lunar exploration.
- Controversy Over Vera Rubin's Legacy: Explore the recent changes made to the biography of renowned astronomer Vera Rubin on the Rubin Observatory's website, which has sparked alarm within the astronomy community. Discover the implications of these edits on the representation of women in science and ongoing diversity efforts.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. (http://www.astronomydaily.io) Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome back to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Introduction to Aether robot for asteroid exploration
06:30 - Update on NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
12:15 - Progress of Blue Ghost 1 and Resilience lunar missions
18:00 - Controversy over Vera Rubin's biography changes
25:00 - Conclusion
✍️ Episode References
Aether Robot Project
[Aether Project](https://www.nasa.gov/iss)
Blue Ghost 1 Lunar Mission
[Firefly Aerospace](http://www.astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-discoveries--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-discoveries--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25629257?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello again and welcome to astronomy
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 daily it's the 17th of February
00:00:05 --> 00:00:10 2025 asy daily the podcast with your
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 host Steve
00:00:12 --> 00:00:13 [Music]
00:00:13 --> 00:00:17 Dunley oh yes we're back again this is
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 Steve Dunley your host you're already
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 human host on astronomy daily hie and I
00:00:22 --> 00:00:23 are back with some more stories from the
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 astronomy daily newsletter and we better
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 get on with it welcome back hie isn't
00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 that right you've got some stories from
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 the newsletter for us to WR Steve right
00:00:32 --> 00:00:33 I tell us all about it I know you love
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 robot stories so I found a fun one that
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 has asteroids and as an added bonus
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 robots oh now you've got my attention
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 that's a double whammy for you isn't it
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 oh yes you hit the Bull's Eye rocks and
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 robots that ticks all the boxes I have
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 another about lunar missions Blue Ghost
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 one and resilience oh I like lunar
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 missions as well but no robots not in
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 that one sorry and for something
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 completely different I'll be sharing a
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 story that discusses recent changes to
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 the official history on a website of one
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 particular scientist and this has well
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 it's alarmed the astronomy community so
00:01:07 --> 00:01:08 more on that later that sounds
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 interesting yes I know politics can get
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 a bit dry but when it looks like they
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 are rewriting history you you've got to
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 question that don't you so stick around
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 for that one and of course we're going
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 to be following the continuing Saga of
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 our friends the ner astronauts Sunny
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 Williams and Butch Wilmore okay and this
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 is a burn of contention because lots of
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 people online continuing to say that
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 they are branded well I don't think so
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 we should Jump Right In r hi hit that
00:01:34 --> 00:01:45 start button here we
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 go a spring-loaded robot could explore
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 the asteroid belt almost
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 indefinitely the asteroid belt beckons
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 it contains enough resources for humans
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 to expand into the entire rest of the
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 solar system and has no biosphere to
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 speak of ENT
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 it is a giant mine just waiting to be
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 exploited so a student team from the
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 University of Texas at Austin has
00:02:07 --> 00:02:08 devised a plan to exploit it as part of
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 the Revolutionary Aerospace system
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Concepts academic linkage or Rascal a
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 competition sponsored by NASA to
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 encourage undergraduate and graduate
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 students to develop innovative ideas to
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 solve some of space exploration
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 challenges UT Austin's submission to the
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 competition last year known as the
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 autonomous exploration through
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 extraterrestrial regions known as The
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 Ether project certainly fits that bill
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 ether was submitted to the AI powered
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 self-replicating probe subsection of RCL
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 2024 which solicited ideas that would
00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 Advance John Von Newman's idea of a
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 self-replicating space probe ether
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 addresses those challenges in two
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 distinct
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 ways first it combines a spring-loaded
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 landing system and a metal burning
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 rocket engine to hop between different
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 asteroids in the belt to fuel its rocket
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 it uses a system to harvest water and
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 metal specifically aluminium from the
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 surface of the asteroid it's currently
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 on splits it into its components and
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 then dumps them into a fuel tank that
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 can be used to power its next STP to a
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 different
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 asteroid all of this is powered by a
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 kilowatt reactor using Sterling technolo
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 crusty nuclear reactor that has been
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 undergoing NASA and do testing for over
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 a decade The Springs in ether's legs
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 have a two-fold purpose first they allow
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 for a soft landing on the surface of the
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 gravitationally weak asteroid and can
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 transfer some of the energy created by
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 that Landing into stored energy which
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 can be used to launch the system from
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 its Landing place later it also has a
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 set of wheels to navigate around the
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 asteroid surface when it's time to jump
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 off again it replants its legs and
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 springs back into space With a Little
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 Help from its rocket engine the rocket
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 engine designed as part of ether can
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 burn metal such as aluminium that the
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 craft harvests from the asteroid to use
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 as fuel it is the primary system
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 designed to take the craft from asteroid
00:03:55 --> 00:03:56 to asteroid and it is meant to be a high
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 Delta V option for doing so quickly
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 ether also tries to mimic a Von Numan
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 probe by using a machine learning
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 algorithm to improve its resource
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 harvesting efforts it would take data
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 from various sensors including synthetic
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 aperture radar and a spectrometer and
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 estimate where the best spot would be to
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 land to refuel while collecting that
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 additional fuel material it would
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 communicate back with Earth via
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 high-speed Optical communication link
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 allowing an earth-based server to update
00:04:23 --> 00:04:24 the machine learning parameters and
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 improve the algorithm's outcome for the
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 next hop the original Mission designed
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 for ether has has it stopping at two
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 specific asteroids before moving on to
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 as yet unnamed ones the first which is
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 probably no surprise is psyche the big
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 metallic asteroid that is about to be
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 visited by its own dedicated probe data
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 from that probe will help inform the
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 first iteration of ether's learning
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 algorithm and the input the sensors
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 provide from its visit will update it
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 before its next step
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 feus that asteroid though smaller is
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 expected to contain a large amount of
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 water ice which is a necessary component
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 for ether's Rocket engines
00:05:00 --> 00:05:04 astronomy daily the
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 podcast and now the continuing Saga of
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 our friends on the ISS Boeing Starline
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 astronauts are in the final stretch of
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 their unexpectedly long stint in Earth
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 orbit they are setting the record
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 straight with all of the stranded
00:05:18 --> 00:05:22 astronauts talk uh NASA's Sunny Williams
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 and Butch Wilmore launched to the
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 International Space Station last June on
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 the crew first crude test of the Boeing
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 Starliner spacecraft the duo expected
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 their orbital stay to last only 10 days
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 but Starliner experienced Thruster Mal
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 functions during its approach to and
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 docking Maneuvers this led to an
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 extensive EST investigation by NASA and
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 Boeing back on the ground while the
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 space agency decided how to proceed
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 ultimately Starliner returned to Earth
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 uncrewed and after some astronaut
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 assignment shuffling Wilmore and
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 Williams were added to the downward leg
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 of space X's crew 9 Mission which
00:06:01 --> 00:06:05 arrived at the ISS in late September
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 absorbing Williams and Wilmore into the
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 crew 9 meant extending their time in
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 space through the arrival of crew 10 and
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 at the end of crew 99's 6mon R rotation
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 since then headlines lamenting the woes
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 of the so-called stranded astronauts
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 have ebbed in and out of the media
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 Cycles all the while Williams and
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 Wilmore have continued performing their
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 regular duties aboard the ISS including
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 Williams breaking the record for the
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 most cumulative space walking Time by a
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 woman the Bears situation gained even
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 more attention recently after president
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 Donald Trump blamed the Biden
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 Administration for virtually abandoning
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 the two astronauts and publicly calling
00:06:45 --> 00:06:49 Space X CEO and Clos Trump advisor Elon
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 Musk to come to the rescue sorry I
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 nearly um drifted off to sleep there I
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 think there might be some sort of
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 catatonic trigger when I read paragraphs
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 like that anyway back to the story in
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 December NASA announced a delay to the
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 launch of crew 10 to no earlier than
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 late March due to the need to complete
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 work on the new dragon spacecraft being
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 built for the mission this delay further
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 pushed back the return of Williams and
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 Wilmore who will fly home with the two
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 astronauts who launched on the crew n
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 Dragon NASA's Nick hag and Cosmonaut
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 Alexander goranov more delays in the
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 manufacturer of crew 10's new dragon
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 have now prompted NASA to swap that
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 mission spacecraft for one that could be
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 made ready sooner the announcement came
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 two weeks after the social media
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 exchange between President Trump and
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 musk who echoed the president's
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 misleading stranded astronauts rhetoric
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 and Williams and Wilmore hope that that
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 rhetoric will change in a recent
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 the two explained that sometimes the
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 mission extensions even ones that push a
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 stay from 10 days to 10 months are just
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 part of the job we come prepared we come
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 committed and that's what your human
00:07:59 --> 00:07:59 space
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 space flight program is It prepares for
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 any and all contingencies and we can
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 that we can conceive of and we prepare
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 for those Wilmore told Cooper we don't
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 feel abandoned we don't feel stuck and
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 we certainly don't feel stranded in fact
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 Wilmore pointed out all the astronauts
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 aboard ISS are capable of returning to
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 Earth immediately in the event of an
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 emergency we never expect to come back
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 just special for us or anyone unless it
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 was a medical issue or something really
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 really out of the normal circumstances
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 he said help us change the rhetoric
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 Wilmore asked Cooper let us change it to
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 prepared and committed both astronauts
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 have lived aboard the ISS for extended
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 periods on previous missions and both
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 say that they're enjoying their time in
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 space on this one it's just amazing how
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 when you come across the hatch after
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 you've been there it's like oh my gosh I
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 remember what this is all like I
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 remember feeling what it's like floating
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 and I think both of us adapted really
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 quickly William said during a CNN
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 interview she also said that the end of
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 their current space flight will be an
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 emotional one I think both of us will be
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 a little sad when that feeling of space
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 sort of leaves us NASA is currently
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 targeting no earlier than March 12th for
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 the launch of the crew 10 Mission which
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 will fly the crew Dragon capsule
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 endurance rather than space X's new
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 dragon a typical crew overlap aboard the
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 space station lasts about a week so
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 Wilmore said he expects crew nine to
00:09:27 --> 00:09:40 depart Earth around March 19
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 thank you for joining us for this Monday
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 edition of astronomy daily where we
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 offer just a few stories from the now
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 famous astronomy daily newsletter which
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 you can receive in your email every day
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 just like hiy and I do and to do that
00:09:52 --> 00:09:56 just visit our URL astronomy daily. and
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 place your email address in the slot
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 provided just like that you'll be
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 receiving all the latest news about
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00:10:08 --> 00:10:13 by visiting at astrodaily pod on X or at
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00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 astronomy daily on Facebook see you
00:10:19 --> 00:10:23 there astronomy daily with Steve and h
00:10:23 --> 00:10:37 space space science and astronomy
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 One commercial lunar lander has entered
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 orbit around the Moon while another
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 launched at the same time has performed
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 a lunar flyby to set up a later return
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 Firefly Aerospace confirmed on February
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 13th that its Blue Ghost one Lander
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 entered orbit around the Moon performing
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 a 4minute 15-second burn of its reaction
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 control system thrusters starting at
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 8:51 p.m. Eastern the the company did
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 not disclose specifics about the orbit
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 but amateur trackers monitoring its
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 radio signals estimated that the
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 spacecraft is in an orbit between 150
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 and
00:11:09 --> 00:11:13 5 km above the Moon Firefly said the
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 Lander will perform additional Maneuvers
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 to move into a circular orbit to prepare
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 for its Landing attempt that Landing is
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 scheduled for 3:45 a.m. eastern March
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 2nd the company and NASA announced
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 February 14th Blue Ghost one is carrying
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 10 NASA payloads through the agency
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 commercial lunar payload Services
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 Program intended to operate at the
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 Landing site near mayor Chisum through
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 the end of the lunar day and several
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 hours after Sunset Blue Ghost one
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 launched on January 15th on a falcon 9
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 sharing the launch with the resilience
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 lunar lander from Japanese company Ice
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 Space resilience the company's second
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 Lander Mission performed a lunar flyby
00:11:49 --> 00:11:53 on February 14th passing about 8
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 kilomet from the lunar surface at 5:43
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 p.m. Eastern resilience is following a
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 low energy trajectory to the Moon one
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 that will take it as far as 1.1 million
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 km from Earth before returning in early
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 May to perform a lunar orbit insertion
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 burn that will be followed by a landing
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 attempt in a mar foror region of the
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 Moon although ice Bas has not disclosed
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 a planned Landing date takishi hakamada
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 founder and chief executive of ice base
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 said in a statement I feel very
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 confident about the resilience Lander
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 which has steadily achieved milestones
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 and is on track for success and our
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 employees who have made meticulous
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 preparations for this impressive flyby
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 of the Moon
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 both Firefly Aerospace and Ice Space
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 have outlined milestones and success
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 criteria for their Lander mission for
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 Firefly achieving lunar orbital
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 insertion was the tenth of 17 Milestones
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 from launch to operations of the Lander
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 after sunset on the lunar surface the
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 lunar flyby by resilience was the fifth
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 of 10 milestones for ice base from
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 pre-launch preparations to establishing
00:12:50 --> 00:12:53 a steady System state after landing Blue
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 Ghost one could end up operating on the
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 lunar surface at the same time as
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 another commercial Lander intuitive
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 machines is preparing for a February
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 26th launch of its IM 2 lunar lander
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 Mission at the beginning of a window
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 that runs for 4 days im2 like the
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 company's im1 Lander Mission a year ago
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 is taking a more direct route to the
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 Moon Steve altimus chief executive of
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 intuitive machines told CNBC on February
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 7th that a launch any day in the window
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 would set up a landing in the mons muton
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 region near the South Pole of the moon
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 on March
00:13:24 --> 00:13:28 6th res that control we listen to
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 astronomy daily the
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 [Applause]
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 podcast scientists are alarmed as Ruben
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 Observatory changes the biography of
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 astronomer Vera Rubin amid the president
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 of the United States push to ndei
00:13:43 --> 00:13:47 efforts Shiller K anur reported on
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 space.com on February 12th that
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 astronomers are expressing
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 disappointment and alarm as the
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 federally funded Rubin Observatory
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 altered the biography of renowned
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 astronomer Vera Rubin For Whom the
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 facility is named on its website the
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 amended version cails her Legacy of
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 championing women in science and removes
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 all mentions of the observatory's
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 efforts to reduce barriers for women and
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 other historically underrepresented
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 groups in the
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 field the idea that they can somehow
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 obliterate these sources is dead wrong
00:14:19 --> 00:14:22 scientists in general and astronomers in
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 particular are not going to take these
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 threats lying down astronomer John
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 barentine told space.com
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 goes on to say no executive order no
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 political edict is going to undermine or
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 end our efforts to make the scientific
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 Workforce look more like our people if
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 anything it's giving us more
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 encouragement to continue to do this
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 work because it is the morally
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 philosophically and politically right
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 thing to do the edits first reported by
00:14:47 --> 00:14:51 propublica on January 30 came as federal
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 agencies across the government scrambled
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 to revamp their websites in order to
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 comply with the US executive order
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 issued by the president Donald Trump
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 which ends funding for diversity equity
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 and inclusion efforts and removes all
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 mentions of them from public facing
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 websites on January 27 it was reported
00:15:10 --> 00:15:14 in prua that a portion of rubin's bi bio
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 titled she advocated for women in
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 science was removed entirely before
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 being republished later that day in a
00:15:21 --> 00:15:25 diluted form as of Tuesday February 11
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 the altered bio still excluded a
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 paragraph that originally read science
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 is still a male dominated field but
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 Ruben Observatory which is located in
00:15:33 --> 00:15:37 Northern Chile is working to increased
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 participation from women and other
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 people who have historically been
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 excluded from science Ruben Observatory
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 welcomes everyone who wants to
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 contribute to science and take steps to
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 lower or eliminate barriers that exclude
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 those with L
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 privilege one sentence in the final
00:15:55 --> 00:15:57 paragraph which originally read Vera
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 Rubin offers an excellent example of
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 what can happen when more Minds
00:16:01 --> 00:16:04 participate in science was changed to
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 replace the word more with many altering
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 the meaning from emphasizing the need
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 for diverse perspectives to Simply
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 highlighting a high number of people
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 which changes and Waters down the
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 meaning of the statement
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 considerably this is the story of what
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 happened in her life IET sendes a radio
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 astronomer at the University of Oregon
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 tolds space.com she was a huge Champion
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 for women in science in particular
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 because she faced things that were
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 discriminatory for women diminishing
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 those stories is pretty disturbing
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 frankly she says other pages on the
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 observatory's website including the jobs
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 and staff bio Pages have also been
00:16:41 --> 00:16:44 modified to erase mentions of diversity
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 and inclusion efforts The Observatory
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 its fund of the National Science
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 Foundation and the White House did not
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 respond to requests for comment on
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 February 3 Beyond her scientific
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 achievements Ruben also paved the way
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 for women in science perhaps most
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 notably in 1964 she battled to gain
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 access to observe at the famed Paloma
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 observatory in California becoming the
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 first woman officially allowed to use
00:17:08 --> 00:17:11 its telescopes colleagues recall that
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 when Ruben noticed the only restroom at
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 the observatory was labeled men she cut
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 out a tinely paper skirt and taped it to
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 the image of a man on the door she
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 turned around and said now you have a
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 lady's room and then she got to work
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27 that was Vera Rubin reads A 2021
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30 statement from a former carigi science
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 president Eric Isaac throughout her
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 career she championed women in the field
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 as one example she frequently would see
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 lists of speakers at conferences former
00:17:40 --> 00:17:43 colleague Neta bashel of Princeton
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 University's old astronomy co.com and if
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 there were few or no women speakers she
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 would contact the organizers and tell
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 them they've got a problem and they need
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 to fix it but what if she hadn't been
00:17:55 --> 00:17:58 that
00:17:58 --> 00:18:01 we all have come to know the Unstoppable
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04 Warrior Isaac said in the carnegi
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 science statement and here's the
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 question that really haunts me which is
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 how many re Vera rbans have we lost to
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 these kinds of obstacles as similar
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 barriers are threatened to resurface due
00:18:16 --> 00:18:18 to the Trump administration's ongoing
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 efforts to erase initiatives aimed at
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 improving diversity and science the
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 astronomy Community seems to be
00:18:24 --> 00:18:27 maintaining steadfast in its refusal to
00:18:27 --> 00:18:30 reverse Decades of prog ress astronomy
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 is not going to let Vera's contributions
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 be forgotten said barentine various
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 groups are actively working to use tools
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 to Archive content that has already been
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 removed as well as content that could
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 potentially be erased from federal
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 websites the idea that they can somehow
00:18:46 --> 00:18:48 obliterate these sources is dead wrong
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 scientists in general and astronomers in
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 particular are not going to take these
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56 threats lying down he said but we have a
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 long road ahead and I expect there will
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 be time when that road will be very
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 difficult to walk he declined to
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 disclose the specifics of these efforts
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 but noted that the forces aligned
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 against this should be aware that it's
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 happening and they won't be able to stop
00:19:11 --> 00:19:15 it even at Nasa the officers associated
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 with Dei initiatives were shut down
00:19:17 --> 00:19:21 during Trump's first days in office a
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 recently instated High proile program
00:19:23 --> 00:19:27 called here to observe or h2o which
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 paired undergraduate student from under
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 repesentative groups with Scientists
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 running NASA missions was recently
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 grounded the media athlete 404 an
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 independent journalist founded News
00:19:38 --> 00:19:40 website reported that NASA employees
00:19:40 --> 00:19:43 were told to drop everything and scrub
00:19:43 --> 00:19:46 mentions of a list of words from public
00:19:46 --> 00:19:49 facing sites including indigenous people
00:19:49 --> 00:19:53 Equity accessibility environmental
00:19:53 --> 00:19:56 justice as well as anything specifically
00:19:56 --> 00:19:58 targeting women and in Brackets women
00:19:58 --> 00:20:02 women in leadership Etc NASA has since
00:20:02 --> 00:20:05 removed inclusion as one of its core
00:20:05 --> 00:20:08 values the flurry of changes triggered
00:20:08 --> 00:20:10 by the directive has led to the Erasure
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 of Articles featuring NASA astronomers
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 and under repesentative communities that
00:20:14 --> 00:20:17 the agency published in years past like
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 this one now these Pages sometimes
00:20:19 --> 00:20:22 display launch schedules of past SpaceX
00:20:22 --> 00:20:25 launches instead of the original Pros
00:20:25 --> 00:20:28 the original titles appear to remain
00:20:28 --> 00:20:30 agency employees have also been
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 instructed to remove their pronouns from
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 all work Communications and instead
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37 follow the predesigned signature block
00:20:37 --> 00:20:40 adopted by agency NPR reported
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 astrobiologist Mikel basova who served
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 as the Director of High's space research
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 station in Hawaii told space.com that
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 her efforts to encourage more women
00:20:52 --> 00:20:55 people of color and lgbtq plus
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 scientists to join her simulated
00:20:56 --> 00:20:59 missions to the moon and Mars resulted
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 in more applicants from these
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 communities representation matters some
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 of them told me that they only applied
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 because they saw that others like them
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 were successful in this sector too she
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 said during those simulated missions the
00:21:13 --> 00:21:15 more diverse a crew was the more
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 successful a mission ended up being the
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 team got along better was able to
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 problem solve more efficiently and they
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 were more productive with their research
00:21:23 --> 00:21:26 projects the impact of ongoing changes
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 which have prompted many talented and
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 experien people to leave the Space
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 Agency quote will likely be long-term
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 and they could cause many interesting
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 projects not to get pursued or finished
00:21:37 --> 00:21:41 she said on May 17 1996 nearly 50 years
00:21:41 --> 00:21:45 after her own graduation in 1948 Ruben
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47 addressed the graduating class of the
00:21:47 --> 00:21:49 University of California Berkeley saying
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 I hope that you will fight Injustice and
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 discrimination in all its guises I hope
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55 you will value diversity among your
00:21:55 --> 00:21:58 friends among your colleagues and unlike
00:21:58 --> 00:22:01 some of your Regents among the student
00:22:01 --> 00:22:03 body population she says I hope that
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 when you are in charge you will do
00:22:06 --> 00:22:20 better than my generation
00:22:20 --> 00:22:23 has thanks for hanging out with us for
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 this episode yes and don't forget
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 there's more every day with Hal's Cousin
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 Anna she won't let let you down no she
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 won't she's way more hardworking than my
00:22:31 --> 00:22:34 favorite human oh Al I resemble that
00:22:34 --> 00:22:36 comment you sure do funny man so watch
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 it or Anna will want your job next ah
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 there's no risk there I know she can't
00:22:40 --> 00:22:43 work the coffee machine hi it's so old
00:22:43 --> 00:22:45 school hey hie how did the AI change the
00:22:45 --> 00:22:49 coffee filter I give up it didn't oh
00:22:49 --> 00:22:52 great those old school appliances again
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 I know and on that note see you all next
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 week maybe for a nice English muffin and
00:22:56 --> 00:23:00 a cappuccino perhaps oh you talking hie
00:23:00 --> 00:23:03 see you later
00:23:03 --> 00:23:22 bye the podcast with your host Steve
00:23:22 --> 00:23:26 dun yeah thanks Al just one sugar thanks
00:23:26 --> 00:23:29 yeah