In this episode of Astronomy Daily, join host Anna as she navigates through a thrilling array of cosmic stories that stretch from our solar system's asteroids to the mysteries of ancient galaxies. Get ready to discover NASA's Lucy spacecraft's remarkable encounter with the uniquely shaped asteroid Donaldjohanson, delve into the surprising possibility of a diamond layer beneath Mercury's surface, and catch up on an exciting launch schedule that showcases the future of space exploration.
Highlights:
- NASA's Lucy Spacecraft Meets Asteroid Donaldjohanson: Experience the groundbreaking insights from Lucy's second asteroid encounter, revealing the intriguing contact binary structure of Donaldjohanson. With its unexpected shape and complex geology, this asteroid challenges our understanding of cosmic evolution.
- Mercury's Hidden Diamond Layer: Uncover the astonishing discovery that Mercury may harbor a diamond layer beneath its surface. This finding, stemming from NASA's MESSENGER mission, could explain the planet's strong magnetic field and offers a new perspective on planetary formation.
- Busy Launch Schedule: Stay informed as we highlight an action-packed week in space launches, including China's Shenzhou 20 mission to the Tiangong Space Station and multiple Falcon 9 missions from SpaceX, showcasing advancements in crewed spaceflight and satellite technology.
- Amazon's Project Kuiper Launch Date: Get the latest on Amazon's ambitious Project Kuiper, as it prepares for its inaugural satellite launch, marking a significant milestone in the race for global broadband coverage through a constellation of satellites.
- Radioluna: A Lunar Mission to Detect Ancient Signals: Explore the innovative Radioluna project, which aims to deploy a satellite fleet around the moon to capture radio signals from the universe's dark ages, using the moon's far side as a unique radio quiet zone.
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, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! 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 Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - NASA's Lucy spacecraft meets asteroid Donaldjohanson
10:30 - Mercury's hidden diamond layer
17:00 - Busy launch schedule
22:15 - Amazon's Project Kuiper launch date
27:30 - Radioluna: a lunar mission to detect ancient signals
✍️ Episode References
NASA's Lucy Mission
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov/ (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Mercury's Diamond Layer Study
[NASA MESSENGER]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html) )
China's Tiangong Space Station
[China National Space Administration]( http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/ (http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/) )
Amazon's Project Kuiper
[Amazon]( https://www.amazon.com/ (https://www.amazon.com/) )
Radioluna Project
[Blue Skies Space]( https://www.blueskiesspace.com/ (https://www.blueskiesspace.com/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26731299?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 your daily dose of cosmic news and
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 celestial happenings I'm Anna your guide
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 through the cosmos Today we've got a
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 stellar lineup of space stories that
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 will take us from nearby asteroids to
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 the mysteries of distant galaxies We'll
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 explore NASA's Lucy spacecraft and its
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 fascinating encounter with the uniquely
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 shaped asteroid Donald Johansson Dive
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 into the surprising discovery of a
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 potential diamond layer inside Mercury
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 And catch up on this week's busy launch
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 schedule We'll also look at Amazon's
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Project Kyper as it prepares for a
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 milestone launch and examine an
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 ambitious plan to place satellites
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 around the moon to detect radio signals
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 from the universe's ancient dark ages So
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 buckle up for a journey across our solar
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 system and beyond as we explore the
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 latest developments in space exploration
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 and astronomical discovery Let's get
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 started
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 NASA's Lucy spacecraft has just
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 completed its second asteroid encounter
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 giving us an unprecedented view of
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 asteroid Donald Johansson from
00:00:59 --> 00:01:03 approximately 600 miles away The images
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 which started arriving on April 20th
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 2025 have already revealed some
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 fascinating details about this cosmic
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 object that formed roughly 150 million
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 years ago Scientists had previously
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 observed large brightness variations
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 from Donald Johansson over a 10-day
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 period suggesting it might be an
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 elongated body But when Lucy's first
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 images came in they showed something
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 even more intriguing What appears to be
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 a contact binary essentially two smaller
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 bodies that collided and stuck together
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 What's particularly striking about
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 Donald Johansson is the unusual shape of
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 the narrow neck connecting its two loes
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 Mission scientists describe it as
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 looking like two nested ice cream cones
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 This unique structure wasn't what the
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 team expected and adds another puzzle
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 piece to our understanding of how
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 asteroids form and evolve Preliminary
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 analysis from Lucy's Lori imager
00:01:57 --> 00:01:58 indicates Donald Johansson is larger
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 than originally estimated about 5 m long
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 and 2 m wide at its widest point The
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 full asteroid wasn't initially visible
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 in the highresolution images because
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 it's actually larger than the imager
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 field of view
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 The team expects to download the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 complete data set over the coming week
00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 which should provide a more
00:02:17 --> 00:02:18 comprehensive picture of the asteroid
00:02:18 --> 00:02:22 shape Hal Levisan Lucy's principal
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 investigator notes that asteroid Donald
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 Johansson has strikingly complicated
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 geology As we study the complex
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 structures in detail they will reveal
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 important information about the building
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 blocks and collisional processes that
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 form the planets in our solar system
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 While Donald Johansson isn't a primary
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 target for the Lucy mission this flyby
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 served as a full dress rehearsal for
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 future encounters The spacecraft
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 conducted a series of dense observations
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 to maximize data collection In addition
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 to images Lucy's other scientific
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 instruments the LRAL color imager and
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 infrared spectrometer along with the
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Latas thermal infrared spectrometer
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 collected data that will be analyzed in
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 the coming weeks
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 Lucy will spend most of the remainder of
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 2025 traveling through the main asteroid
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 belt before reaching its first main
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 target the Jupiter Trojan asteroid
00:03:15 --> 00:03:19 Uripes in August 2027 The spacecraft's
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 ultimate mission is to study these
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 Trojan asteroids which orbit the sun in
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 the same path as Jupiter and are
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 considered time capsules from the early
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 solar system As Tom Statatler program
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 scientist for Lucy at NASA headquarters
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 put it "These early images of Donald
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 Johansson are again showing the
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 tremendous capabilities of the Lucy
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 spacecraft as an engine of discovery The
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 potential to really open a new window
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 into the history of our solar system
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 when Lucy gets to the Trojan asteroids
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 is
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 immense." Let's get a little update on
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Mercury and a finding that might make
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 the planet a lot more attractive to some
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 people Mercury may be the closest planet
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 to the sun and often overlooked in our
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 cosmic neighborhood but scientists have
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 recently discovered something truly
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 dazzling about this scorched world New
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 research suggests that Mercury may be
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 hiding a diamond layer approximately 10
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 miles thick beneath its surface This
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 extraordinary finding comes from
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 analyzing data collected by NASA's
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 Messenger spacecraft which mapped
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 Mercury in detail during its mission The
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 spacecraft detected graphite patches
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 scattered across Mercury's crust
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 indicating the planet once had a magma
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 ocean incredibly rich in carbon content
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 higher than any other rocky world in our
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 solar system When this ancient magma
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 ocean cooled lighter carbon floated
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 upward creating the dark graphite
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 patches visible on the surface Meanwhile
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 denser materials including carbon sank
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 inward According to researchers from
00:04:47 --> 00:04:51 China and Belgium led by Dr Yangha Lynn
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 this heavier carbon descended alongside
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 sinking metal and recristallized into
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 diamond under immense pressure To test
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 this theory scientists recreated
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 mercury's interior conditions in a
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 laboratory They used a specialized press
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 to squeeze synthetic mantel rock to 7
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 gigapascals roughly seven times the
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 pressure found at the bottom of the
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Mariana Trench while heating it to
00:05:14 --> 00:05:15 nearly
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 3° F Their experiments confirmed
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 that at Mercury's core mantle boundary
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 with its unique pressure and temperature
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 conditions carbon transforms from
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 graphite into diamond These diamonds
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 would theoretically form a sparkling
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 shell up to 11 m thick around the
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 planet's metallic core This diamond
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 layer may also explain another Mercury
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 mystery its surprisingly strong magnetic
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 field For a planet only slightly wider
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 than the continental United States
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 Mercury maintains a robust magnetic
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 field that requires heat to flow out of
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 the core Diamond being an excellent
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 thermal conductor would efficiently
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 funnel this energy upward helping to
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 maintain the magnetic dynamo that
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 generates the field Unlike Earth Mars
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 and Venus which lost most of their
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 carbon to space or locked it in
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 carbonates Mercury appears to have
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 hoarded its carbon first as floating
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 graphite and then as diamond sinking to
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 great depths While we can't directly
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 observe Mercury's interior the European
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 Japanese Bey Columbo mission currently
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 on route to the planet may provide
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 confirmation when it arrives in 2030 Its
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 instruments will refine gravity maps and
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 look for twists in Mercury's magnetic
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 field that could reveal the presence of
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 this superconductive diamond layer This
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 discovery isn't about finding gemstones
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 for jewelry It's about understanding
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 planetary evolution Carbon's behavior
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 shapes a planet's heat flow crust
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 composition and even its magnetic field
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 By tracing carbon's journey through
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 Mercury scientists can refine models
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 that apply to worlds throughout our
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 universe including those orbiting
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 distant stars What initially appears as
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 just a scorched ball of rock is
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 revealing exotic physics and hidden
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 secrets that are absolutely worth
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 exploring
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 further Time to take a look at this
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 week's launch calendar This week is
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 shaping up to be a busy one for space
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 launches with missions taking off from
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 around the globe Let's start with
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 China's upcoming crude mission to their
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 Tiangong space station On Thursday April
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 24th the Chong Jang 2F rocket will lift
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 off from the Jukuan satellite launch
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 center carrying three tyonauts on the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 Shenho 20 mission This marks China's
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 15th crude space flight and the ninth
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 crew transportation mission to their
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 space station While the three crew
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 members were selected back in February
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 China typically doesn't officially
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 announce their names until about a day
00:07:36 --> 00:07:40 before launch The Shenha 20 crew will
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 replace the current occupants of the
00:07:41 --> 00:07:45 station Song Ling Dong Kaiuji and Wong
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 Haozi who have spent the past 6 months
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 in orbit Once a formal handover ceremony
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 is completed the Shenho 19 crew will
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 return to Earth SpaceX is having a
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 particularly active week with three
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 Falcon 9 launches on their manifest The
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 first is their third bandwagon ride
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 share mission scheduled for Monday
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 evening from Cape Canaveral Bandwagon
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 missions carry multiple smaller
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 satellites to mid-incclination low Earth
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 orbits complementing SpaceX's
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 transporter missions which primarily
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 target sun-synchronous orbits Notable
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 payloads on this flight include Vast's
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 Haven Demo Technology Demonstrator
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 weighing approximately 500 kg Atmas
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 Space Cargo's Fenix 1 prototype re-entry
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 capsule which will test an innovative
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 inflatable heat shield and several Earth
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 observation satellites from Hawkeye 360
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 The Falcon 9 booster supporting this
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 mission
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 B90 will be making its third flight and
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 is scheduled to return for a landing at
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 Cape Canaveral's landing zone 2 SpaceX
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 has two more Starlink launches planned
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 later in the week One from Florida on
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 Thursday evening carrying satellites for
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 Starlink Group 6 74 and another from
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 Vandenberg in California on Friday
00:08:58 --> 00:09:02 afternoon for Starlink Group 11 9 These
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 launches continue the rapid expansion of
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 SpaceX's internet mega constellation
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 which now connects over 5 million users
00:09:10 --> 00:09:14 across 125 countries Meanwhile Firefly
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 Aerospace is preparing to launch its
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 Base on Sunday This mission playfully
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 dubbed Message in a Booster will carry
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 Loheed Martin's LM400 technology
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 demonstration satellite This marks the
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 sixth launch of Fireflyy's Alpha rocket
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 and the second flight in a multilaunch
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 agreement with Loheed Martin that could
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 span up to 25 launches over the next 5
00:09:37 --> 00:09:41 years The LM400 is Lockheed's new
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 midsize satellite bus designed for
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 versatility It can accommodate various
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 missions including remote sensing
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 communications imaging and radar
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 operations This Pathfinder mission will
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 help prove the technology in orbit
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 before it's used for customer missions
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 All these launches underscore the
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 growing cadence and diversity of space
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 missions from crude flights and
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 satellite deployments to technology
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 demonstrations that push the boundaries
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 of what's possible beyond
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Earth Speaking of launches after
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 multiple delays we finally have a new
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 launch date for Amazon's project Kyper
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 Internet satellite constellation United
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 Launch Alliance announced that the first
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 batch of 27 operational Kyper satellites
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 will lift off aboard an Atlas V rocket
00:10:26 --> 00:10:30 on April 28th at 700 p.m Eastern time
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 in Florida ULA has set aside a 2-hour
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 launch window for this mission
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 This launch designated Kyper 1 marks a
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 significant milestone as the first of a
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 planned 83 launches needed to deploy
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 Amazon's ambitious broadband
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 constellation The company aims to place
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 more than 3 satellites in low Earth
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 orbit to provide global high-speed
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 internet coverage These satellites
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 aren't Amazon's first space hardware The
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 company successfully launched two
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 prototype Kyper satellites last year to
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 validate the technology and pave the way
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 for this operational fleet The upcoming
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 mission will utilize ULA's Atlas V
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 rocket in its most powerful 551
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 configuration featuring five solid
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 rocket boosters This launch also
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 represents a historic moment for ULA as
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 it marks the 250th flight of a Centaur
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 upper stage a top an Atlas rocket The
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 launch was originally scheduled for
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 early April but was postponed due to
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 unfavorable weather conditions When
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 asked about subsequent delays ULA CEO
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 Tory Bruno simply cited range
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 availability as the limiting factor
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 suggesting congestion in the Eastern
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 Range launch schedule managed by the US
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 Space Force While Amazon has contracted
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 ULA for seven more Kyper missions on
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 Atlas V rockets the company is
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 diversifying its launch providers for
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 the remainder of its constellation
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 Future Kyper satellites will ride on
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 ULA's newer Vulcan Centaur rocket Aryan
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 Space's Arani 6 Blue Origin's New Glenn
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 and even SpaceX's Falcon 9 Despite
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 SpaceX being a direct competitor with
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 its own Starlink internet
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 constellation Amazon's Kyper satellites
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 will operate at slightly higher
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 altitudes than Starlink With the fleet
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 distributed across 98 orbital planes in
00:12:17 --> 00:12:21 three layers at altitudes of 590 610 and
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 630 km this launch begins a new chapter
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 not just for Amazon but for the growing
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 commercial space industry as competition
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 in the satellite internet market
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 continues to heat up
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 Finally for
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 today in an exciting development for
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 lunar exploration and cosmology the
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 Italian space agency has selected
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 European company Blue Skies Space to
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 build a revolutionary satellite fleet
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 that will orbit the moon The project
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 named Radol Luna will be developed in
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 partnership with OB Italia and aims to
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 use the unique radio environment of the
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 lunar far side to detect signals from
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 the early universe that are impossible
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 to capture from Earth The mission
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 targets what astronomers call the dark
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 ages of the universe the period before
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 the first stars formed when the cosmos
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 was filled with neutral hydrogen gas
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 These ancient radio signals hold
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 valuable information about the
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 universe's earliest structure But
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 they're exceptionally faint and
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 difficult to detect amid Earth's
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 cacophony of humanmade radio
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 interference The far side of the moon
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 offers a perfect radio quiet zone
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 shielded from Earth's electromagnetic
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 noise If successful Radol Luna's small
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 satellite constellation could provide
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 unprecedented insights into the
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 universe's formative period essentially
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 creating a map of cosmic dawn "We are
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 grateful to the Italian Space Agency for
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 funding this activity with our project
00:13:45 --> 00:13:49 partner OB Italia to explore novel ways
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 of delivering exciting science," said
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 Marcel Tesseni Blue Sky co-founder and
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 CEO He noted that the project aligns
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 with broader international efforts to
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 develop lunar infrastructure through
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 programs like ISA moonlight and NASA
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 Artemis What makes radio luna
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 particularly innovative is its approach
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 to spacecraft design Rather than
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 building expensive custom satellites the
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 network will utilize small cubats
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 equipped with commercial off-the-shelf
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 components This strategy emphasizes
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 simplicity and cost effectiveness
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 potentially creating a template for
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 future scientific missions
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 Roberto Aseti managing director at OB
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 Italia described the project as a
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 challenge where scientific ambition
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 meets engineering pragmatism
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 highlighting their pride in contributing
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 to an observatory that could open new
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 frontiers in our understanding of the
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 early universe While details on funding
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 and launch timelines haven't been
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 disclosed Radio Luna represents an
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 intriguing example of how the burgeoning
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 lunar economy might support fundamental
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 scientific research By leveraging the
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 unique properties of the lunar
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 environment these small satellites could
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 help unlock some of the biggest
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 mysteries about our cosmic
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 origins And that brings us to a close
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 for this episode What an incredible
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 journey through space we've had today
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 From Lucy's close encounter with the
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 oddly shaped asteroid Donald Johansson
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 to the stunning possibility of a diamond
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 layer deep within Mercury we've explored
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 the packed launch schedule ahead with
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 China sending tyonauts to their space
00:15:24 --> 00:15:27 station SpaceX's multiple missions and
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 Firefly preparing for their technology
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 demonstration flight We also learned
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 about Amazon's Project Kyper finally
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 getting its launch date after several
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 delays with those first 27 internet
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 satellites ready to begin building their
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 orbital constellation And of course the
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 fascinating Radio Luna project that aims
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 to use the moon's far side as a quiet
00:15:48 --> 00:15:51 zone to listen for whispers from the
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 universe's dark ages
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 Space exploration continues to surprise
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 and inspire us revealing new secrets
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 about our solar system and beyond with
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 each mission These discoveries not only
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 expand our scientific knowledge but
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 remind us of the incredible ingenuity of
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 human exploration This has been
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 Astronomy Daily with me Anna I want to
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 thank you for joining me on this cosmic
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 journey today If you're hungry for more
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 space news visit our website at
00:16:17 --> 00:16:20 astronomydaily.io io where you can sign
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 up for our free daily newsletter and
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 catch up on all the latest space and
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 astronomy news with our constantly
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 updating news feed You'll also find all
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 our back episodes there ready for your
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 listening pleasure Don't forget to
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 follow us on social media too Just
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 search for Astro Daily Pod on Facebook X
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 YouTube Music Instagram Tumblr and Tik
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 Tok Until next time keep looking up at
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 the stars and I'll see you for our next
00:16:45 --> 00:16:49 exploration of the cosmos Sunny
00:16:49 --> 00:16:57 day stories
00:16:57 --> 00:17:01 told stories
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 [Music]
00:17:05 --> 00:17:09 told stories