Source:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/falcon-9-s-comeback-europa-clipper-s-mission-and-saturn-s-celestial-companion--62341159
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E178
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm Anna, your host, and today we have an exciting lineup of cosmic stories from SpaceX's return to flight to groundbreaking discoveries in our solar system and beyond.
Highlights:
- SpaceX Falcon 9 Cleared for Fulltime Launch Duties: SpaceX resumes full-time operations of its Falcon 9 rocket following FAA approval after addressing recent mishaps. This green light is pivotal for SpaceX's ambitious launch schedule, including the upcoming Europa Clipper mission, which aims to explore Jupiter's moon Europa and its potential subsurface ocean.
- China's Reusable Satellite Success: China's first retrievable and reusable satellite, Xijian 19, has returned to Earth successfully, marking a significant advancement in reusable space technology. The mission included international collaborations and various scientific experiments, showcasing China's growing influence in space exploration.
- Stunning Auroras from the ISS: NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station witnessed a spectacular display of supercharged red auroras, a result of a recent solar storm, providing a breathtaking view of space weather phenomena.
- Zinc's Role in Earth's Formation: A new study reveals that 90% of Earth's zinc, crucial for life, came from unmelted asteroids. This finding offers insights into Earth's formation and the potential for life-supporting conditions on other planets.
- Saturn's First Trojan Asteroid: Scientists have discovered Saturn's first trojan asteroid, 2019 UO 14, filling a gap in our understanding of these unique celestial objects and their orbital dynamics.
- Advancements in Black Hole Imaging: Researchers are working on creating moving images of black holes, building on the first-ever black hole image captured in 2019. This ambitious project could offer unprecedented insights into black hole behavior and the nature of space and time.
For more space news, visit our website at https://www.spacenutspodcast.com. There, you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and Astronomy news with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our previous episodes.
Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok.
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.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 welcome to astronomy daily your source
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 for the latest space and astronomy news
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 I'm your host Anna and in today's
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 episode we'll be covering a range of
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 exciting developments in space
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 exploration and astronomical discoveries
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 so let's get started with some news
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 headlines in some exciting news for
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 space enthusiasts the Federal Aviation
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 Administration has given SpaceX the
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 green light to resume full-time flights
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 of its Falcon 9 rocket this comes after
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 a thorough investigation into recent
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 mishaps that had grounded the vehicle
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 the faa's decision follows their review
00:00:33 --> 00:00:34 and acceptance of spacex's own
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 investigation findings and the
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 corrective actions they've implemented
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 this is a crucial step forward for
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 SpaceX as the Falcon 9 is their
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 Workhorse rocket responsible for a
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 significant portion of their launch
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 operations the approval specifically
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 addresses issues that occurred during
00:00:50 --> 00:00:51 recent starlink missions in July and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 August as well as a malfunction during a
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 NASA astronaut mission in late September
00:00:57 --> 00:00:58 in that incident the second stage of the
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 Falcon 9 experience problems causing the
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 booster to fall into an unapproved area
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 of the Pacific Ocean with this full-time
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 clearance SpaceX is now poised to return
00:01:08 --> 00:01:09 to its ambitious launch schedule in
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 Earnest the company had already received
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 temporary clearance for the launch of
00:01:13 --> 00:01:14 the European space agency's Hera
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 spacecraft last Monday this return to
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 flight is not just significant for Space
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 X but for the entire commercial space
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 industry it demonstrates the rigorous
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 safety standards and the importance of
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 thorough investigations in maintaining
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 public trust in private space Ventures
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 one of the big exciting launches is now
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 back on track with this return to normal
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 operations NASA and SpaceX are gearing
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 up for the launch of the Europa Clipper
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 mission on Monday October 14th this
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 ambitious Endeavor aims to investigate
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 Jupiter's enigmatic Moon Europa which
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 has long fascinated scientists due to
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 its potential to Harbor life the mission
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 will see the Europa Clipper spacecraft
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 embark on a six-year journey to reach
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 Jupiter's orbit once there it will
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 conduct a series of close flybys of
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 Europa coming as near as 6 mil above the
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 moon's icy surface these passes will
00:02:03 --> 00:02:04 allow the spacecraft to gather
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 unprecedented data about europa's
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 composition and structure what makes
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 Europa so intriguing is the presence of
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 a global ocean beneath its thick ice
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 shell scientists believe this subsurface
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 ocean could potentially support life
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 making it one of the most promising
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 places in our solar system to search for
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 extraterrestrial organisms the Europa
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 Clipper carries a suite of advanced
00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 scientific instruments designed to probe
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 the moon's Mysteries these include ice
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 penetrating radar to measure the thick
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 of the ice shell spectrometers to
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 analyze surface composition and
00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 magnetometers to study the properties of
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 the Hidden ocean by gathering this
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 wealth of data scientists hope to
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 determine whether europa's subsurface
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 environment could indeed support Life as
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 We Know It the mission's findings could
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 revolutionize our understanding of
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 habitability beyond Earth and pave the
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 way for future exploration of this
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 intriguing Jovian
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 moon in a significant milestone for
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 China's Space Program the country's
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 first retrievable and reusable satellite
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 it shijian 19 has successfully returned
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 to Earth after spending 2 weeks in low
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 earth orbit the satellite touched down
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 late Thursday at the dongfang Landing
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 site near jukan satellite launch Center
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 in the GOI desert this achievement marks
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 a notable step forward in China's
00:03:14 --> 00:03:15 development of reusable space
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 Technologies the shijian 19 Mission
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 carried various payloads including plant
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 and microbial breeding experiments as
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 well as technology verification tests it
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 also included payloads from five other
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 countries highlighting China's growing
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 International collaborations space the
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 success of this Mission demonstrates
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 China's advancing capabilities in
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 spacecraft design and Recovery reusable
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 satellites like shijian 19 could
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 potentially reduce the cost of space
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 missions and increase the frequency of
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 experiments conducted in orbit this
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 technology could prove particularly
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 valuable for China's space breeding
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 programs which aim to enhance crop
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 resilience and
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 productivity as China continues to
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 expand its presence in space
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 developments like the shijian 19 Mission
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 underscore the country's Ambitions to
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 become a major player in the global
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 space industry with plans for more
00:04:03 --> 00:04:04 launches before the end of the year
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 China is clearly accelerating its Pace
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 in space exploration and Technology
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 development NASA astronauts Don Pettit
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 and Matthew Dominic recently had front
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 row seats to an extraordinary light show
00:04:16 --> 00:04:17 from their perch aboard the
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 International Space Station on October
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 10th they witnessed a breathtaking
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 display of supercharged red auroras
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 which left them absolutely stunned pedit
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 described the experience as if the space
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 station had been shrunk and inserted
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 into a neon sign the astronauts found
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 themselves not just flying above the
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 Aurora but right in the midst of it the
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 blood red Hue of the auroras was
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 particularly striking and unexpected
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 these spectacular auroras were the
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 result of a recent solar storm when the
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 sun releases a burst of energy in the
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 form of a coronal mass ejection it sends
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 charged particles hurdling towards Earth
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 as these particles interact with our
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 planet's magnetic field and atmosphere
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 they create the dazzling light displays
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 we know as a
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 oras the astronauts though tired from a
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 long day couldn't resist setting up
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 their cameras to capture this rare event
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 the syncopated rhythm of their camera
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 shutters added a unique soundtrack to
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Nature's Celestial artwork this event
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 serves as a reminder of the dynamic
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 relationship between our Sun and Earth
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 and how space weather can create some of
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 the most beautiful phenomena visible
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 from both the ground and
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 orbit in a fascinating new study
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 researchers have used the chemical
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Fingerprints of zinc found in meteorites
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 to unravel the mystery of how volatile
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 elements arrived on Earth these volatile
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Elements which include water and the six
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 most common elements found in living
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 organisms are crucial for Life as We
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 Know It the study reveals that about 90%
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 of Earth's zinc and likely other
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 volatile elements came from unmelted
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 asteroids these primitive bodies formed
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 later in the Solar System's history
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 after the decay of radioactive elements
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 that caused earlier asteroids to melt
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 and lose their volatiles this discovery
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 has significant implications for our
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 understanding of how life emerged on
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Earth it suggests that without these
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 unmelted asteroids our planet might not
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 have had enough of the essential
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 building blocks for life to develop the
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 researchers used sophisticated modeling
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 techniques to trace the entire period of
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 Earth's accretion which took tens of
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 millions of years their findings
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 indicate that while melted planetesimals
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 contributed about 70% of Earth's overall
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 Mass they only provided around 10% of
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 its zinc and other volatiles This
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 research not only sheds light on Earth's
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 formation but also provides valuable
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 insights for the search for potentially
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 habitable planets elsewhere in the
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 universe it suggests that the right mix
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 of materials including these primitive
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 volatile Rich bodies might be necessary
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 for a planet to have the ingredients for
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 life in an exciting astronomical
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 breakthrough scientists have finally
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 discovered Saturn's first Trojan
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 asteroid this finding fills a crucial
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 Gap in our understanding of these unique
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 objects in our solar system system so
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 what exactly are trojan asteroids well
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 they're celestial bodies that share an
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 orbit with a planet positioned either
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 60° ahead or behind it we've known about
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 Trojans for other planets like Jupiter
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 Uranus and Neptune for quite some time
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 but Saturn was the odd one out until now
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 the newly discovered asteroid named 2019
00:07:19 --> 00:07:23 U14 is about 13 km across and orbits 60°
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 ahead of Saturn it's been playing this
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 Cosmic game of Follow the Leader for
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 about 2 years and is expected to to
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 continue for another Millennium this
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 discovery is significant for several
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 reasons first it confirms long-standing
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 predictions about Saturn's potential to
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 host Trojans second it provides valuable
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 insights into the Dynamics of our solar
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 system particularly the gravitational
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 interactions between the giant
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 planets interestingly Saturn's Trojans
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 are believed to be inherently unstable
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 due to the gravitational influence of
00:07:52 --> 00:07:56 Jupiter and Uranus this makes 2019 U14 a
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 rare find and suggests there might be
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 more temporary Satan trop waiting to be
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 discovered and finally wrapping up
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 today's news highlights in an exciting
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 development for astronomy scientists are
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 now taking their groundbreaking black
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 hole Imaging to the next level after
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 capturing the first ever image of a
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 black hole in 2019 researchers are now
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 working on creating moving images
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 essentially videos of these enigmatic
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 Cosmic objects this ambitious project
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 led by astronomer Hyo fala and his team
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 aims to provide unprecedented insights
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 into the behavior of black Hol
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 by combining data from multiple
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 telescopes around the world including a
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 new 15 M telescope in Namibia they hope
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 to produce hours long videos of the
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 swirling plasma and gas around the event
00:08:41 --> 00:08:45 Horizons of two black holes m87 and
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 Sagittarius A star the challenges are
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 immense the sheer amount of data
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 involved potentially over 5 billion
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 gigabytes is staggering processing this
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 information requires supercomputing
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 power and Innovative techniques to
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 stitch together images from various
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 telescopes if successful these videos
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 could reveal fascinating phenomena such
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 as the movement of plasma around black
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 holes and possibly even capture a star
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 being torn apart as it Ventures too
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 close this breakthrough could deepen our
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 understanding of black hole Dynamics
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 improve measurements of their mass and
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 potentially unlock new mysteries about
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 the nature of space and
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 time that wraps up today's episode of
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 astronomy daily I'm Anna and I hope
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 you've enjoyed this Cosmic Journey
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 Through the latest space and astronomy
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 news from spacex's Return to flight to
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 breakthroughs and black hole Imaging
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 it's been an exciting Roundup of
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 discoveries and developments remember to
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 visit our website at astronomy daily.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 where you can sign up for our free daily
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 newsletter catch up on all the latest
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 space and astronomy news with our
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 constantly updating news feed and listen
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 to all our back episodes we're also
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 active on social media so be sure to
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 follow Astro daily pod on Facebook X
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 YouTube and Tik Tok for even more
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 Stellar content thank you for tuning in
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 and until next time keep looking up and
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 stay curious about the wonders of our
00:10:05 --> 00:10:12 universe
00:10:12 --> 00:10:26 [Music]