In this episode, we explore a diverse array of captivating stories from the far reaches of our solar system to pressing challenges in Earth's orbit. We kick off with a critical discussion on satellite disposal, weighing the merits of designing for demise versus non-demise as mega constellations like Starlink proliferate. The environmental implications of each approach are examined, highlighting the need for a sustainable solution.Next, we journey to the Kuiper Belt, where astronomers from Princeton University have uncovered a new structure known as the "inner kernel" of objects. This discovery challenges our understanding of the solar system's formation and reignites the search for the elusive Planet Nine.We then celebrate Rocket Lab's remarkable achievements over the past year, including 21 successful launches of their Electron rocket and the introduction of their innovative Neutron rocket, designed to compete with industry giants.As we mark the end of an era, we pay tribute to NASA's Terra satellite, which has provided invaluable data on Earth's climate and environment for 26 years.The James Webb Space Telescope surprises us with findings on the super Earth TOI561b, revealing it to be a dynamic volcanic world with a rich atmosphere, defying previous assumptions about such close proximity to its star.Finally, we delve into the unique business of space memorials with Celestis, which is set to launch its most ambitious mission yet—a permanent orbit around the sun for cremated remains and DNA, creating a man-made comet that will journey through the cosmos indefinitely.Join us as we unravel these intriguing stories and more in this episode of Astronomy Daily!00:00 – **Give us 10 minutes to give you the universe
00:37 – **With mega constellations launching thousands of satellites, disposal of satellites is critical
02:24 – **Scientists at Princeton University have found something new in the Kuiper Belt
05:18 – **NASA's Terra satellite has been retired after 26 years of service
06:12 – **The James Webb Telescope has turned its gaze to an exoplanet
08:19 – **This week's Astronomy Daily features a variety of topics### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/) 2. Princeton University (https://www.princeton.edu/) 3. Rocket Lab (https://www.rocketlabusa.com/) 4. Celestis (https://www.celestis.com/) 5. Space.com (https://www.space.com/) ### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome [music] to Astronomy Daily. Give
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 us 10 minutes and we'll give you the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 universe. I'm your host, Anna.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:08 >> And I'm Avery. It's [music] great to be
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 with you. We have a fascinating lineup
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 of stories today covering everything
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 from the outer edges [music] of our
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 solar system to the challenges we face
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 right here in Earth orbit.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:18 >> That's right. [music] We'll be
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 discussing a new structure found in the
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 Kyper belt, a landmark year for Rocket
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Lab, and the end of an era for a
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 legendary NASA mission. [music] Plus, a
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 surprising discovery from the James Webb
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 Space Telescope about a so-called super
00:00:33 --> 00:00:34 Earth.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 >> And we'll even [music] touch on the
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 unique business of deep space memorial
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 flights. But first, let's talk about a
00:00:39 --> 00:00:40 problem that's only getting [music]
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 bigger. What to do with satellites when
00:00:42 --> 00:00:43 they die?
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 >> Exactly, Avery. With mega constellations
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 like Starlink launching thousands of
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 satellites, the question of their
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 disposal is critical. There's a big
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 debate between two main philosophies.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:59 designed for demise or D4D and design
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 for non-demise D4 ND.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 >> Right? So D4D means the satellites
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 designed to completely burn up in the
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 atmosphere upon re-entry. Sounds like a
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 clean solution, right? Just cosmic dust.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 >> That's the idea. But it's not that
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 simple. Environmental scientists are
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 raising concerns. When these satellites,
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 which are largely made of aluminum
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 alloys, burn up, they release tiny
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 particles of aluminina. aluminina. Okay.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 These particles can act as seeds for
00:01:28 --> 00:01:29 chemical reactions in the upper
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 atmosphere, potentially damaging the
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 ozone layer. Also, the intense heat of
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 re-entry can break apart atmospheric
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 nitrogen, creating nitrogen oxides,
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 which are powerful greenhouse gases.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 >> So, even burning them up has an
00:01:44 --> 00:01:45 environmental cost. What's the
00:01:46 --> 00:01:47 alternative then? Designed for
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 non-demise.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 >> Exactly. D4ND means building satellites
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 to survive re-entry, allowing them to be
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 guided to a safe splashdown in a remote
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 ocean area like the spacecraft graveyard
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 in the South Pacific.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 >> That avoids the atmospheric pollution,
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 but it comes with its own risk. What if
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 something goes wrong? You could have a
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 washing machine-sized piece of metal
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 hitting the ground instead of the ocean.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 It's a tricky balance between
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 atmospheric risk and ground impact risk.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 >> It really is. There's no perfect answer
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 yet, but it's a conversation the space
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 industry has to have and fast.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 >> All right, let's move from Earth's orbit
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 way, way out to the edge of the solar
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 system. Astronomers at Princeton
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 University have found something new in
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 the Kyper belt.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 >> The Kyper belt for our listeners is that
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 vast ring of icy bodies beyond the orbit
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 of Neptune with Pluto being its most
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 famous resident. So, what did they find?
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 >> They found what they're calling an inner
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 kernel of objects. For years, we've
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 thought of the Kyper belt as having two
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 main populations. A cold classical group
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 with stable fircular orbits and the hot
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 group with more erratic tilted orbits.
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 >> Mhm.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 >> But by using a data mining technique on
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 a catalog of over 600 Kyperbell objects,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 they identified this third group, the
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 Colonel, which has very flat, tightly
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 packed orbits distinct from the others.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 >> That's fascinating. A whole new
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 structure hiding in plain sight. What
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 does this mean for our understanding of
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 the solar systems history?
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 >> Well, the leading theory is that these
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 objects formed even closer to the sun
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 and were pushed outward during Neptune's
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 great migration early in the solar
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 systems history. The existence of this
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 tightly packed kernel could provide new
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 constraints for models of how that
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 migration happened, giving us a clear
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 picture of our cosmic backyards
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 formation. And of course, any new
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 structural information about the Kyper
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 Belt reignites the hunt for the
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 hypothetical planet 9. The unusual
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 orbits of some of these distant objects
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 are what led to the theory of a massive
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 undiscovered planet in the first place.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 >> That's the ultimate mystery out there,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 isn't it? While this kernel doesn't
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 directly prove its existence, it adds
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 another layer of complexity to the outer
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 solar systems dynamics. Every new
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 discovery like this helps astronomers
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 refine their search, telling them where
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 to look and just as importantly, where
00:04:11 --> 00:04:11 not to.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 >> From the far reaches to the commercial
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 space race closer to home, Rocket Lab
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 has just capped off an incredible year.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 >> Incredible is the word for it. In 2025,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 they flew their Electron rocket 21 times
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 with zero failures. That's a remarkable
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 achievement for any launch provider and
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 really solidifies Electron as a reliable
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 workhorse for small satellites. It
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 certainly is. But they aren't just
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 resting on their laurels. They're making
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 huge strides with their next generation
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 rocket, Neutron. This is their larger,
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 fully reusable rocket designed to
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 compete with the likes of SpaceX's
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 Falcon 9.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 >> And it has that amazing fairing design
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 they call the Hungry Hippo.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 >> Yes. Instead of the fairing separating
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 and falling away, it opens up like a
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 giant mouth to release the satellite and
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 then closes before the rocket returns
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 for landing. It's an innovative way to
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 simplify reuse. As if that wasn't
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 enough, they also secured a massive half
00:05:06 --> 00:05:07 billion dollar contract from the Space
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 Development Agency to build and operate
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 18 missile warning and tracking
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 satellites. Rocket Lab is quickly
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 becoming a major end-to-end space
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 company, not just a launch provider.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 >> Speaking of major players, we have to
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 mark the end of an era. After 26 years
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 of service, NASA's Terra satellite has
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 been officially retired.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 >> Wow, 26 years. That's an incredibly long
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 time for a satellite. Terra was a
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 cornerstone of NASA's Earth observing
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 system, wasn't it?
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 >> Absolutely. It carried five key
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 instruments that gave us a holistic view
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 of our planet. There was modus, which
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 mapped global vegetation and land cover.
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 Micer gave us data on airborne particles
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 or aerosols.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 >> Right? And I remember mopit which
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 tracked carbon monoxide pollution
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 >> while seriesir measured the earth's
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 total energy budget and aster created
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 highresolution maps of land surface
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 temperature and topography. Together
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 they revolutionized our understanding of
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 climate change, pollution, and how
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 natural disasters impact the globe.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 Terara's data will be studied by
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 scientists for decades to come. From a
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 mission that's ended to one that's
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 making new and frankly shocking
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 discoveries, the James Webb telescope
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 has turned its gaze to an exoplanet
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 called TOI561b.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 >> This is a super Earth about 50% larger
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 than our planet, orbiting extremely
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 close to its star. Its year is less than
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 half an Earth Day long. Because of that,
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 it was thought to be a barren, tidily
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 locked rock with one side perpetually
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 scorched.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 >> Makes sense. A dead world. But that's
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 not what Webb found, is it?
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 >> Not at all. Webb's instruments detected
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 signs of a significant volatile richch
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 atmosphere. And even more surprisingly,
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 the data suggests the planet might be
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 covered in a global magma ocean.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 >> A magma ocean. So this supposedly dead
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 rock is actually an incredibly dynamic
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 volcanic world with an atmosphere. How
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 is that possible so close to its star?
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 >> That's the mystery. The leading
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 hypothesis is that intense vulcanism is
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 constantly replenishing the atmosphere,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 which would otherwise be stripped away
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 by the stars radiation. It completely
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 challenges our ideas about where we
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 might find atmospheres and what
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 habitability even means under such
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 extreme conditions.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 >> Finally, today we have a story that is
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 truly out of this world. Let's talk
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 about the space burial company Celestus.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 Celestus has been offering memorial
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 space flights for years, launching small
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 capsules with cremated remains or DNA
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 into Earth orbit or even to the moon.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 >> That's right. And they're about to
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 launch their most ambitious mission yet,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 the Infinite Flight. They've partnered
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 with an upand cominging launch company
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 called Stoke Space.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 >> And this flight isn't just going to
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 orbit. Where is it headed?
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 >> This one is going into a permanent orbit
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 around the sun. The payload containing
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 messages, DNA, and cremated remains will
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 essentially become a man-made comet
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 traveling through the solar system for,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 well, infinity.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 >> It's a poetic and profound way to create
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 a final memorial, turning a final
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 journey into an eternal voyage through
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 the cosmos.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 >> And that's a wrap for this episode of
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 Astronomy Daily. From the challenges of
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 space junk to the secrets of the Kyper
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 belt and the fiery nature of distant
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 worlds, there's always something new to
00:08:31 --> 00:08:31 discover.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 >> We want to thank you all for tuning in.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 We hope you'll join us again tomorrow as
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 we continue to explore the wonders of
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 the universe. If you can't wait until
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 then, please visit our website at
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 astronomyaily.io
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 and check out our continuously updating
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 newsfeed or connect with us on social
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 media. You'll find us on all the major
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 platforms. Just search for Astro Daily
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 Pod on your favorites. Until then, I'm
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 Anna
00:08:59 --> 00:09:12 >> and I'm Avery. Keep looking up. [music]
00:09:12 --> 00:09:21 Stories told.
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 [singing]