Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S04E19
Welcome to another thrilling episode of Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest in space science and exploration. I'm your host, Anna, and today we're venturing into some of the most captivating stories from across the cosmos.
Highlights:
- Mysterious Fast Radio Burst : Discover the enigmatic FRB 20240209A, found in an unexpected region of an ancient elliptical galaxy, challenging our understanding of these cosmic phenomena.
- Supersonic Winds on Exoplanet: Astronomers have detected record-breaking winds on the exoplanet WASP127b, reaching an astonishing 33,000 kilometers per hour, offering new insights into alien weather systems.
- Oxygen Production in Space: China's Tiangong Space Station achieves a breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis, paving the way for sustainable long-term space missions.
- European Space Launch Milestone : German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg secures a historic license for vertical launches from mainland Europe, marking a new era in European space capability.
- Spinning Black Holes : New research reveals supermassive black holes are spinning faster than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of their growth and evolution.
- Lunar Power Innovations : Chinese researchers propose using laser wireless power transmission to sustain lunar missions during the long, dark lunar nights.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://chime-experiment.ca/
Northwestern University
European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/
Tiangong Space Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong_space_station
Rocket Factory Augsburg
SaxaVord Spaceport
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
James Webb Space Telescope
Astronomy Daily
https://www.astronomydaily.io/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25201925?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily your daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 dose of the most exciting developments
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 in space science and exploration I'm
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 your host Anna and today we've got an
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 absolutely packed show with stories from
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 across the cosmos we'll be diving into a
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 mysterious fast radio burst that's
00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 challenging everything we thought we
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 knew about these enigmatic signals and
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 we'll explore record-breaking supersonic
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 winds on a distant exoplanet that would
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 make earth strongest hurricanes look
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 like a gentle breeze we'll also look at
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 some groundbreaking achievements in
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 space technolog ology including a
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 remarkable breakthrough in oxygen
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 production aboard China space station
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 and a historic first for European space
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 launches plus we've got fascinating new
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 discoveries about rapidly spinning black
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 holes and Innovative plans for powering
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 future lunar missions so strap in as we
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 embark on this Cosmic Journey Through
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 the latest and most captivating space
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 news of the day scientists have made a
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 fascinating Discovery that's challenging
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 our understanding of one of space's most
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 mysterious phenomena fast radio burst
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 or FBS a newly detected burst designated
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 fb22
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 4209a has been found in a place we
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 wouldn't expect on the outskirts of an
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 ancient dead elliptical galaxy these FBS
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 are incredibly energetic pulses of radio
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 light that flash Across the Universe for
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 just milliseconds since their first
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 discovery in 2007 we've detected over
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 1 of them but this one is special
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 until now we've only found FBS in young
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 active galaxies where stars are still
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 being born what makes this discovery
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 particularly intriguing is that this F
00:01:36 --> 00:01:40 frb was detected in a galaxy that's 11.3
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 billion years old practically a cosmic
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 senior citizen not only that but it's
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 located in an unusual spot about 130
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 light years from the Galaxy Center in a
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 region where very few Stars exist the
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 leading theory has been that FBS come
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 from magnetars highly magnetized neutron
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 stars formed when massive stars die in
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 spectacular Supernova explosions but
00:02:06 --> 00:02:07 this new discovery doesn't fit that
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 explanation the Galaxy where this FB was
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 found is simply too old and inactive to
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 support the formation of new magnetars
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 through this process the burst was first
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 picked up in February 2024 by the
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 Canadian hydrogen intensity mapping
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 experiment and it wasn't just a one-time
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 event between February and July it
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 pulsed 21 more times giving scientists
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 plenty of opportunities to study Its
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 Behavior this discovery suggests we
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 might need to rethink our theories about
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 frbs as Northwestern universities wfi
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 Fong puts it just when we think we
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 understand an astrophysical phenomenon
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 the universe throws us a curveball it's
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 possible there could be a whole subclass
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 of FBS associated with older systems
00:02:51 --> 00:02:52 that we're only now beginning to
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 understand at just two billion light
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 years from Earth this FB is giving us a
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 front row seat to what might be an
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 entirely new category of cosmic
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 phenomena reminding us once again that
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 the Universe still has plenty of
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 surprises in store for
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 us and here's another surprising
00:03:09 --> 00:03:10 discovery for you hold on to your
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 telescopes because astronomers have just
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 discovered something extraordinary on
00:03:14 --> 00:03:18 the distant exoplanet wasp
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 127b using the European Southern
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 observatory's very large telescope in
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 Chile they've detected the fastest
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 planetary winds ever measured and we're
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 talking about speeds that make earth 's
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 most violent storms look like gentle
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 breezes these incredible winds are
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 whipping around wasp 127 B's equator at
00:03:37 --> 00:03:41 a mindboggling 33 km hour to put
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 that in perspective that's nearly six
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 times faster than the planet's rotation
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 speed even Neptune which held the
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 previous Record for fastest winds in our
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 solar system only manages speeds of
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 about 1
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 kmph wasp 127b itself is quite the
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 fascinating world
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 located about 500 light years away it's
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 slightly larger than Jupiter but much
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 less dense earning it the nickname puffy
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 Planet what makes these observations
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 even more remarkable is that scientists
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 have detected a clear pattern in these
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 supersonic winds one side of the
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 atmosphere is racing toward us while the
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 other side is moving away at the same
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 incredible speed the research team's
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 observations have revealed more than
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 just wind speeds they've confirmed the
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 presence of water vapor and carbon
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 monoxide in the planet's atmosphere and
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 discovered that its poles are cooler
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 than the rest of the planet there's even
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 a slight temperature difference between
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 its morning and evening sides showing
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 that this distant world has complex
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 weather patterns similar to what we see
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 in our own solar system this discovery
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 is particularly significant because
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 until recently astronomers could only
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 measure basic characteristics of
00:04:52 --> 00:04:56 exoplanets like their mass and radius
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 now thanks to Advanced instruments like
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 those on the very large telescope we can
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 actually map the weather on these
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 Distant Worlds and analyze their
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 atmospheres in detail this is helping us
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 better understand not just how these
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 planets formed but potentially giving us
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 insights into the origins of our own
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 solar system what's particularly
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 interesting is that this kind of
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 detailed observation can currently only
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 be done from ground-based
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 observatories even our most advanced
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 space telescopes don't yet have the
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 Velocity Precision needed for these
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 measurements but with new facilities
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 like the extremely large tele scope
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 under construction we're looking forward
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 to exploring even finer details of these
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 alien weather patterns and maybe even
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 studying the atmospheres of smaller
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 rocky
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 planets meanwhile a bit closer to Earth
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 the science goes on in a groundbreaking
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 development aboard China's tiangong
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 space station the shenzo 19 crew has
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 successfully demonstrated the world's
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 first inorbit artificial photosynthesis
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 technology this remarkable achievement
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 isn't just about growing plants in space
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 it's about creating oxygen and Rocket
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Fuel components right there in orbit
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 marking a significant Leap Forward in
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 our ability to sustain long-term space
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 missions the experiments took place in a
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 relatively simple drawer shaped device
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 where semiconductor catalysts work their
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 magic by converting carbon dioxide and
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 water into oxygen and ethylene a
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 hydrocarbon that can be used to create
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 spacecraft propellants what makes this
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 particularly impressive is that unlike
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 conventional methods that require high
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 temperatures and pressure this process
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 works efficiently at room temperature
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 and standard atmospheric pressure this
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Innovation could be a GameChanger for
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 space exploration currently the
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 International Space Station relies on
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 electrolysis for its oxygen needs a
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 process that consumes about onethird of
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 the station's total life support energy
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 while effective this method simply
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 wouldn't be practical for long duration
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 missions to the moon or Mars the new
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 Chinese technology offers a more energy
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 efficient alternative that could help
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 solve one of the big challenges in space
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 exploration how to keep astronauts
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 breathing without constantly resupplying
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 from Earth the implications go beyond
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 just producing oxygen the system is
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 cleverly designed to be upgraded while
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 in orbit allowing scientists to test
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 different catalysts and reactions by
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 adjusting the Catalyst they can produce
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 various useful products including
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 methane for propulsion or formic acid
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 that could be used to synthesized sugars
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 this flexibility could prove invaluable
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 for future space missions where
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 resources need to be carefully managed
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 and recycled this development positions
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 China at the Forefront of sustainable
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 space Technologies demonstrating a
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 crucial capability that will be
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 essential for Humanity's long-term
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 presence in space as we look toward
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 establishing permanent bases on the moon
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 and eventual missions to Mars the
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 ability to generate essential resources
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 Like Oxygen and fuel in situ could be
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 the key to making these ambitious goals
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 achievable and some news for our
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 European listeners Europe has just
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 marked a historic milestone in its space
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 exploration Journey with German startup
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 rocket Factory Augsburg securing the
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 first ever license for vertical rocket
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 launches from Mainland Europe This
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 groundbreaking authorization from the UK
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 civil aviation Authority allows them to
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 conduct launches from the sax oford
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 Spaceport located on the remote Shetland
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 Islands off Scotland's Coast the license
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 permits up to 10 launches per calendar
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 year with a maximum of two launches
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 within any given month this careful
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 regulation emphasizes both Public Safety
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 and environmental impact considerations
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 for RFA this isn't just a regulatory win
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 it's a powerful endorsement of their
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 technical capabilities and represents a
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 significant shift in European space
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 Innovation the company has already made
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 significant progress in their launch
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 preparations though they faced a setback
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 last August when a static fire test of
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 their RFA 1 Rockets first stage ended in
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 an explosion however they're now back on
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 on track focusing on building a new
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 first stage equipped with nine Helix
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 staged combustion engines the good news
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 is that other crucial components
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 including the second stage third stage
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 orbital transfer vehicle and the fairing
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 are already flight
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 qualified this development is part of a
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 broader emergence of European launch
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 startups with companies from Germany
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 Spain and the United Kingdom all working
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 to develop their own orbital Rockets the
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 sax oford Spaceport isn't alone either
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 similar facilities in Norway and Sweden
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 are also preparing to host launches
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 signaling a new era of European space
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 capability what we're witnessing is
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 nothing less than the dawn of a new
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 commercial space age in Europe after
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 Decades of relying on launches from
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 French Guana Europe is finally
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 developing the infrastructure and
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 capability to send Rockets into orbit
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 from its own soil marking a significant
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 step toward independent access to
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 space now our obligatory black hole
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 story for the day and its a beauty in a
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 fascinating Discovery that's reshaping
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 our understanding of the cosmos
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 astronomers have found that super
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 massive black holes are spinning much
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 faster than we previously believed this
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Revelation comes from an extensive
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 survey conducted by the Sloan digital
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 Sky survey's reverberation mapping
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 project which looked at black holes
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 spanning billions of years of cosmic
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 history what makes this finding
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 particularly intriguing is that these
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 rapid spin rates are telling us
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 something fundamental about how these
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 Cosmic Giants grew over time
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 the traditional view suggested that
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 super massive black holes primarily got
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 bigger through dramatic Galaxy mergers
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 however these new measurements are
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 painting a very different picture the
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 research team found that black holes
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 from about 10 billion years ago were
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 spinning particularly fast faster than
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 their more recent counterparts this
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 suggests that rather than growing
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 through violent mergers these ancient
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 Cosmic monsters built up their Mass more
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 gradually consuming nearby gas and dust
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 in a smooth controlled manner it's like
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 watching a graceful dancer rather than a
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 chaotic Mosh Pit what's even more
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 surprising is that when galaxies merge
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 it actually tends to slow down the spin
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 of their Central black
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 holes this helps explain why we see a
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 mix of different spin rates in more
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 recent times rather than the more
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 uniform rapid spins we observe in the
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 early Universe these findings are
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 opening up exciting new directions for
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 Black Hole research the James web Space
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 Telescope is continually discovering
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 more distant super massive black holes
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 for scientists to study and detailed
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 follow-up observations will help us
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 better understand how these mysterious
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 objects grew and evolved over Cosmic
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 time it's like doing Cosmic archaeology
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 piecing together the history of the
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 universe's most enigmatic objects This
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 research challenges our previous
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 assumptions about black hole formation
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 and growth reminding us once again that
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 the Universe often has surprising ways
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 of doing things that we're only just
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 beginning to
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 understand in further Chinese space news
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 today Chinese researchers have unveiled
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 an Innovative solution to one of the
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 biggest challenges in lunar exploration
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 keeping spacecraft powered during the
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 long lunar night they're exploring the
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 possibility of using laser Wireless
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 power transmission from satellites
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 orbiting the moon to supply energy to
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 surface vehicles and Equipment the
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 moon's unique rotation means that any
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 given location experiences about 14 days
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 of complete darkness with temperatures
00:12:31 --> 00:12:35 plunging to a bone chilling minus 200°
00:12:35 --> 00:12:38 C this poses a significant challenge for
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 solar powered spacecraft which need to
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 maintain some level of power just to
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 survive these extreme conditions this
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 laser system could be particularly
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 valuable for exploring permanently
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 shadowed craters near the lunar poles
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 these craters never touched by direct
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 sunlight are thought to contain valuable
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 water ice a crucial resource for future
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 lunar operations traditional Power
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 Solutions like radioisotope generators
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 have limited output and are expensive
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 while nuclear reactors though powerful
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 bring their own set of safety and
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 complexity concerns the concept works by
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 using laser beams to transmit power
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 wirelessly from orbiting satellites to
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 receivers on the lunar surface which
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 then convert the light into usable
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 electricity while promising the
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 technology still faces several hurdles
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 including improving efficiency managing
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 transmission ranges and solving various
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 operational
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 challenges This research ties into
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 China's ambitious International lunar
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 research station plans with missions
00:13:39 --> 00:13:43 planned for 2026 and 2028 to explore the
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 lunar South Pole as they work toward
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 establishing a permanent presence on the
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 moon in the
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 2030s solving the energy Supply
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 challenge will be crucial for
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 sustainable lunar exploration and
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 development while the technology is
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 still in development it represents a
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 potentially game-changing approach to
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 powering lunar missions offering
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 flexibility and scalability in the
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 vacuum of space it's another step
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 forward in Humanity's ongoing efforts to
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 establish a lasting presence on our
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 Celestial
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 neighbor well that brings us to the end
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 of another fascinating episode of
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 astronomy daily from mysterious radio
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 burst to supersonic planetary winds and
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 groundbreaking developments in space
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 technology it's been quite a journey
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 through the cosmos today if you'd like
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 to stay up to date with all the latest
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 space and astronomy news head over to
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 our website at astronomy
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 daily. there you'll find our constantly
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 updating Newsfeed and can catch up on
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 all our previous episodes and don't
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 forget to follow us across social media
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 you can find us as Astro daily pod on
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 Facebook X YouTube YouTube music Tumblr
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 and Tik Tok we love seeing your comments
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 and questions so don't be shy about
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 reaching out if you're enjoying the show
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 make sure you're subscribed wherever you
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 get your podcast whether that's Apple
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 podcast Spotify iHeart radio or your
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 favorite podcast platform that way
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 you'll never miss an episode as we
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 continue to explore the wonders of space
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 together this has been Anna with
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 astronomy daily until next time keep
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 looking up there's always something
00:15:19 --> 00:15:23 amazing happening in our universe
00:15:23 --> 00:15:31 [Music]
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 the St the
00:15:34 --> 00:15:41 [Music]

