00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to Astronomy Daily your source
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 for the latest news and discoveries in
00:00:03 --> 00:00:07 space exploration i'm your host Anna and
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 today we have a packed episode covering
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 exciting developments from NASA's
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 Curiosity Rover on Mars recent rocket
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 launches stunning observations from the
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 web space telescope a terrifying cosmic
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 scenario involving black holes and
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 updates on NASA's Aremis program so
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 let's get into it
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 nasa's Curiosity Rover has made a
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 groundbreaking discovery on Mars that's
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 sending ripples of excitement through
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 the scientific community researchers
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 analyzing pulverized rock samples inside
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 the rover's onboard laboratory have
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 detected the largest organic compounds
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 found on the red planet to date the
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 findings published in the proceedings of
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 the National Academy of Sciences reveal
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 that Curiosity sample analysis at Mars
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Mini Lab identified three significant
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 organic molecules
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 decay and doicane these aren't just any
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 compounds they contain 10 11 and 12
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 carbon atoms respectively making them
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 substantially more complex than previous
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 organic molecules discovered on Mars
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 scientists believe these compounds are
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 fragments of fatty acids that were
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 preserved in the Martian rock samples
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 this is particularly significant because
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 on Earth fatty acids are among the
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 fundamental chemical building blocks of
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 life they're essential components in
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 cell membranes and serve various
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 biological functions in living organisms
00:01:31 --> 00:01:32 while the discovery doesn't prove the
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 existence of past or present life on
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 Mars it does suggest that organic
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 chemistry on the red planet may have
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 advanced further than previously
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 observed the size and complexity of
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 these molecules indicate that Mars may
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 have once had conditions suitable for
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 the kind of prebiotic chemistry that
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 could potentially lead to life what
00:01:53 --> 00:01:54 makes this discovery even more
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 remarkable is that it demonstrates these
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 complex organic compounds can survive
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 Mars' harsh surface conditions the
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 planet surface is constantly bombarded
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 with radiation and oxidizing chemicals
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 that would typically destroy such
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 delicate organic molecules over time the
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 fact that Curiosity found them intact
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 suggests that if bio signatures ever
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 existed on Mars they might still be
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 detectable today this discovery is
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 particularly exciting because fatty
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 acids are fundamental chemical building
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 blocks of life as we know it on Earth in
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 living organisms these compounds play
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 crucial roles in forming cell membranes
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 the protective barriers that separate
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 cellular contents from the external
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 environment as well as storing energy
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 and facilitating other essential
00:02:37 --> 00:02:38 biological
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 processes as Caroline Fryna from the
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 French National Center for Scientific
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 Research put it "Our study proves that
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 even today by analyzing Mars samples we
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 could detect chemical signatures of past
00:02:50 --> 00:02:54 life if it ever existed on Mars." That's
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 a profound statement about our
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 increasing ability to address one of
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 humanity's most fundamental questions
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 are we alone in the
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 universe turning our telescopes skyward
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 now this has been an exceptionally busy
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 week for orbital launches around the
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 world spacex kicked off the action with
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 a classified mission on Monday
00:03:13 --> 00:03:14 continuing their break neck pace of
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 operations for
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 2025 the European space industry is
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 making history this week with ESAR
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 Aerospace attempting the first orbital
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 launch of a European rocket from
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 continental Europe after a scrub on
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 Monday due to unfavorable winds their
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Spectrum rocket is now positioned to
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 make the inaugural orbital launch from
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 Norway's Andoya Spaceport this two-stage
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 vehicle stands 28 m tall with a 2 m
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 diameter and can deliver up to 1 kg
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 to low Earth orbit what makes Spectrum
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 particularly notable is its propulsion
00:03:47 --> 00:03:51 system 93drinted Aquilla engines on the
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 first stage burning liquid propane and
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 oxygen offering what the company calls
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 the highest density specific impulse of
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 all carbon fuels
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 meanwhile Firefly Aerospace is preparing
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 for the sixth launch of its Alpha rocket
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 California this message in a booster
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 mission will carry a technology
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 demonstrator for Loheed Martin's LM 400
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 satellite bus the launch marks the first
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 of up to 25 flights for Loheed Martin as
00:04:21 --> 00:04:22 part of a multilaunch agreement spanning
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 the next 5 years not to be outdone
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 Rocket Lab is on track for its third
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 Electron launch in just 2 weeks a
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 remarkable achievement in rapid launch
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 cadence their mission colorfully named
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 finding hot wildfires near you will
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 deploy eight satellites for Aurorite's
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 thermal imaging constellation which
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 monitors wildfires globally to support
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 faster response times for protecting
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 forests communities and critical
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 infrastructure
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 with four worldwide orbital launch
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 attempts scheduled for Wednesday alone
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 including a Chang Jang 3B/E launch from
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 China carrying an unknown payload and
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 three SpaceX Starlink missions planned
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 for the week we're witnessing a truly
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 unprecedented era in space access and
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 utilization spacex continues to redefine
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 what's possible in the commercial space
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 industry shattering records left and
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 right in 2025 just last week they
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 achieved a remarkable feat when booster
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 B 1008 set a new first stage turnaround
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 record of just over 9 days during the
00:05:22 --> 00:05:26 NROL 57 mission from Vandenberg this
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 dramatically improves on their previous
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 record of 14 days showcasing the
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 company's rapidly advancing reusability
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 capabilities the records don't stop
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 there at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 Canaveral Space Force Station SpaceX
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 established an impressive pad turnaround
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 milestone on March 15th the Starlink
00:05:44 --> 00:05:48 Group 12 16 mission launched just 2 days
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 8 hours 59 minutes and 40 seconds after
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 the previous Starlink mission from the
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 same pad slashing nearly 6 hours off
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 their previous record perhaps most
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 impressively this launch marked SpaceX's
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 third mission in a mere 12.5 hours
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 following the Crew 10 and Transporter 13
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 missions while SpaceX has slightly
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 revised its annual launch target from
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 180 to 170 missions due to some
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 challenges with booster recovery and
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 increased refurbishment times they're
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 still on an extraordinary trajectory
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 they've already completed 38 launches
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 across their fleet in just the first
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 quarter of 2025 putting them well ahead
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 of pace to exceed their revised goal
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 this relentless cadence is transforming
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 our access to space with Falcon 9 now
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 firmly established as the workhorse of
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 the commercial launch industry SpaceX is
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 demonstrating that rapid reliable and
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 reusable space transportation isn't just
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 a futuristic concept it's today's
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 reality the implications for satellite
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 deployment space station resupply and
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 potentially even human space flight
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 beyond Earth orbit are profound as
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 launch constraints continue to
00:06:58 --> 00:07:02 fall let's get a JWST update nasa's
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 James Webb Space Telescope has gifted us
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 with another breathtaking image that's
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 forcing astronomers to rethink what they
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 thought they knew about a cosmic
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 phenomenon what was once dramatically
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 dubbed the cosmic tornado by NASA's
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 Spitzer Space Telescope back in 2006 has
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 been revealed to be something even more
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 fascinating a chance alignment of two
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 completely unrelated objects separated
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 by unfathomable distances the web's
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 extraordinary resolution shows that what
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 we're actually seeing is Herbig Harrow
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 4950ths a frothyl looking outflow from a
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 nearby young star perfectly aligned with
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 a colorful spiral galaxy located
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 hundreds of millions of light years in
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 the background it's like capturing a
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 photograph of a leaf blowing in the wind
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 that just happens to perfectly frame a
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 distant mountain peak this composite
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 image combines data from WEB's near
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 infrared camera and mid-infrared
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 instrument providing unprecedented
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 detail of this dynamic region the
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 ark-shaped features in the outflow point
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 back to their source likely a protoar
00:08:05 --> 00:08:09 known as Cedarblad 110 IRS4 a young
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 object only tens of thousands to a
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 million years old that's still gaining
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 mass what makes this discovery
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 particularly striking is how it
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 illustrates the three-dimensional nature
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 of our universe projected onto the
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 two-dimensional plane of the night sky
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 when we observe space objects that
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 appear to be interacting might actually
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 have no relationship whatsoever
00:08:29 --> 00:08:33 separated by vast cosmic distances
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 hh4950ths is relatively close to us
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 residing in the Chameleon onecloud
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 complex just 625 lighty years away
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 practically in our cosmic backyard
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 meanwhile the spiral galaxy that appears
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 to be at the tip of this outflow is
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 incredibly distant with no physical
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 connection to the nearby stellar jet
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 over thousands of years as the edge of
00:08:55 --> 00:08:59 HH 4950ths continues to move outward it
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 will eventually appear to cover up the
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 distant galaxy entirely further changing
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 this chance cosmic alignment herbic
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 harrow objects like
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 HH4950ths are among the most dynamic and
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 visually striking phenomena in star
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 formation these glowing nebula form when
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 newborn stars eject high velocity jets
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 of gas that collide violently with the
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 surrounding interstellar medium the
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 process is rather dramatic as a young
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 star forms from a collapsing cloud of
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 gas and dust not all material falls
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 directly onto the protoar instead some
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 gets channeled into these powerful
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 focused jets that blast outward from the
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 stars poles at astonishing speeds often
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 hundreds of miles per
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 second when these jets slam into the
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 relatively calm gas around them they
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 create shock fronts similar to sonic
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 booms in Earth's atmosphere these shock
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 waves compress and heat the gas to
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 thousands of degrees causing it to glow
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 brightly across multiple wavelengths as
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 the superheated gas gradually cools it
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 emits light that we can detect in both
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 visible and infrared spectrums creating
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 the distinctive glowing features we
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 observe what makes Web's observations
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 particularly valuable is the telescope's
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 unparalleled infrared sensitivity and
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 resolution previous observations
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 couldn't capture the intricate details
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 we're now seeing web can clearly trace
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 the location of glowing hydrogen
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 molecules carbon monoxide and energized
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 dust grains as the protostellar jet
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 impacts the surrounding
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 region these finecale observations allow
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 astronomers to model the properties of
00:10:36 --> 00:10:41 the jet with unprecedented accuracy
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 in a concerning discovery astronomers
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 have detected an erupting super massive
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 black hole producing enormous jets
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 bursting from a spiral galaxy similar to
00:10:50 --> 00:10:55 our Milky Way the galaxy known as
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 J23450449 is three times the size of our
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 galaxy and located 947 million lighty
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 years away yet it's causing quite a stir
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 in the astronomical community due to its
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 unusual characteristics what's
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 particularly alarming about this finding
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 is the scale of these jets they stretch
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 an astonishing 6 million lightyear in
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 length to put that in perspective our
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 entire Milky Way galaxy is roughly
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 100 lightyear across making these
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 jets 60 times longer than our galaxy's
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 diameter while larger jets have been
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 observed in the past including one named
00:11:31 --> 00:11:35 Pfurion stretching 23 million lightyear
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 such massive emissions have typically
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 been associated with elliptical galaxies
00:11:40 --> 00:11:44 not spiral ones like
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 J23450449 and our own Milky Way perhaps
00:11:47 --> 00:11:51 even more puzzling is the fact that
00:11:51 --> 00:11:54 J23450449 appears remarkably tranquil
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 despite housing one of the most violent
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 super massive black holes ever seen in a
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 spiral galaxy the galaxy has somehow
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 managed to maintain its spiral structure
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 including its distinctive arms bright
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 nuclear bar of stars and stellar ring
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 this directly contradicts previous
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 scientific models which predicted that
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 such powerful jets would tear apart the
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 structure of a spiral galaxy adding to
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 this cosmic mystery
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 J23450449 contains 10 times more dark
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 matter than our Milky Way and is
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 surrounded by a huge halo of superheated
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 gas in most galaxies this gas would be
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 cooling and condensing to form new stars
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 however in
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 J23450449 the central black hole acts as
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 a cosmic furnace heating this gas halo
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 and preventing star formation while
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 producing intense x-ray
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 emissions as one scientist involved in
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 the study put it "This discovery forces
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 us to rethink our understanding of
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 galactic evolution and how super massive
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 black holes grow and shape their
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 environments it raises profound
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 questions about what this might mean for
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 the future of galaxies like our own
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 Milky Way this discovery raises a
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 chilling question that has astronomers
00:13:09 --> 00:13:12 concerned could Sagittarius A star the
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 super massive black hole lurking at the
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 center of our own Milky Way experience a
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 similar eruption the possibility is both
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 fascinating and terrifying
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 while Sagittarius A star is
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 significantly smaller than the black
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 hole in
00:13:28 --> 00:13:31 J23450449 just 4.3 million solar masses
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 compared to the distant galaxy's
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 estimated 1.4 billion solar masses size
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 isn't the only factor determining a
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 black hole's activity currently our
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 galactic cent's black hole is remarkably
00:13:41 --> 00:13:45 quiet if Sagittarius A star were a human
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 astronomers estimate it would be as if
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 it sustained itself on a single grain of
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 rice every million years that's an
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 extraordinarily modest diet for such a
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 massive cosmic object but this peaceful
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 state could change dramatically and with
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 little warning if Sagittarius a star
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 were to capture a large gas cloud or
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 even an entire star an event astronomers
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 call a tidal disruption event it would
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 suddenly have an abundance of material
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 to feed on as this stellar material
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 falls toward the black hole it would
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 form a rapidly spinning accretion disc
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 and some of this energy would be
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 channeled into powerful jets erupting
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 from the black holes poles the
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 consequences of such an eruption would
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 depend largely on the jet's orientation
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 and strength if one of these jets
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 originating from 27 lighty years
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 away at our galactic center happened to
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 point directly at our solar system the
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 results could be catastrophic the high
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 energy particles and radiation within
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 such jets have the potential to strip
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 away planetary atmospheres including
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 Earth's the intense radiation could
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 damage DNA and living organisms
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 dramatically increasing mutation rates
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 across all life forms on our planet in a
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 worst case scenario where Earth takes a
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 direct hit from such a jet the high
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 energy particles could severely degrade
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 our protective ozone layer potentially
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 triggering a mass extinction event
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 similar to those seen in Earth's
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 geological record
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 on a more hopeful note NASA continues to
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 make progress on its Artemis 2 mission
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 which will be the first crude flight of
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 the Artemis program since its
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 inception late Saturday night
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 technicians at Kennedy Space Center in
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 Florida reached a significant milestone
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 when they successfully moved the core
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 stage for NASA's second space launch
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 system rocket into position between the
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 vehicle's two solidfueled boosters
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 working inside the iconic vehicle
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 assembly building which stands an
00:15:37 --> 00:15:41 impressive 52 stories tall ground teams
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 used heavyduty cranes to first lift the
00:15:43 --> 00:15:46 butterscotch orange core stage from its
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 cradle the operation required meticulous
00:15:48 --> 00:15:51 precision as the cranes rotated the
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 massive structure vertically before
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 disconnecting one of the cranes from the
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 bottom of the rocket the Boeing built
00:15:57 --> 00:16:00 core stage is truly a marvel of
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 engineering weighing approximately 94
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 tons and measuring about 212 ft tall
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 this massive component will contain
00:16:09 --> 00:16:12 730 gallons of cryogenic propellant
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 when the rocket lifts off it represents
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 the single largest element for the
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 Aremis 2 mission once positioned teams
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 connected the core stage to each booster
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 at forward and aft loadbearing attach
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 points the next steps in the assembly
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 process will include stacking a
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 cone-shaped adapter on top of the core
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 stage followed by the rocket's upper
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 stage another adapter ring and finally
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 the Orion spacecraft that will house the
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 four-person crew during their journey
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 this mission represents humanity's
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 return to deep space exploration as
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 Artemis 2 will f astronauts around the
00:16:46 --> 00:16:49 far side of the moon if all continues
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 according to plan this historic flight
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 could launch as soon as next year
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 marking the first time humans have
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 ventured beyond low Earth orbit since
00:16:56 --> 00:17:00 the Apollo era ended over 50 years ago
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 despite being years behind schedule the
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 Aremis program continues to gain
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 momentum nasa has achieved several
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 important milestones recently including
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 the installation of the Orion
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 spacecraft's solar panels and completing
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 the crucial closeouts of its service
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 module with aerodynamic panels that will
00:17:17 --> 00:17:21 jettison during launch a few months ago
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 there was serious speculation that
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 NASA's space launch system might face
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 cancellation due to its high costs and
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30 delays however this possibility seems
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 increasingly unlikely as alternative
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 heavy lift vehicles aren't ready for
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 human space flight both SpaceX's
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 while promising are still years away
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 from being certified for crude missions
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 starship though holding enormous
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 long-term potential to be cheaper and
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 more capable than SLS has faced recent
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 setbacks with back-to-back failures
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 early this year the vehicle needs to
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 demonstrate reliable recovery reuse and
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 inorbit refueling before it can be
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02 considered for human missions similarly
00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 Blue Origin's New Glenn had a successful
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 debut flight in January but its
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 development timeline suggests it won't
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 be ready for crude flights anytime soon
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 these circumstances have created a
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15 situation where despite its delays and
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 budget overruns the space launch system
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 remains NASA's only viable option for
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 sending humans beyond Earth orbit in the
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 near term this practical reality
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 combined with the progress being made on
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 hardware assembly makes it increasingly
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 likely that NASA will proceed with
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 Artemis 2 as planned marking humanity's
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 long- aaited return to deep space
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 exploration
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 that wraps up today's episode of
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 Astronomy Daily what an incredible
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 journey through our cosmic neighborhood
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 we've had today from the tantalizing
00:18:45 --> 00:18:48 discovery of complex organic molecules
00:18:48 --> 00:18:51 on Mars that could point to ancient life
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 to the terrifying potential of galactic
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56 scale black hole eruptions to the steady
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 progress of humanity's return to the
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 moon the universe continues to both
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 inspire and humble
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 us i'm Anna and I've been your host for
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 Astronomy Daily if you enjoyed today's
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 episode you can listen to all our back
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 episodes at
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 astronomyaily.io where we maintain a
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 complete archive of our broadcasts and
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 don't forget to connect with us on
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 social media just search for Astroaily
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 Pod on Facebook X YouTube YouTube Music
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 Instagram and Tik Tok thanks for joining
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 me on this cosmic journey i'll see you
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 again tomorrow as we continue to explore
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 the wonders of our universe together in
00:19:30 --> 00:19:35 the meantime keep looking up
00:19:35 --> 00:19:42 stories
00:19:42 --> 00:19:46 told stories
00:19:46 --> 00:19:50 [Music]
00:19:50 --> 00:19:54 told stories