In this episode, we navigate through a range of significant stories impacting the space industry today. We begin with a setback for South Korea's Innospace, as their Hanbit Nano rocket tragically crashes just 30 seconds after liftoff from Brazil's Alcantara Space Center. While the company cited a vehicle abnormality, the incident raises questions about the challenges faced by emerging private space firms. Next, we take a fascinating journey back in time to explore a period when Earth's day lasted only 19 hours. New research reveals a unique balance between lunar and solar forces that maintained this rhythm for a billion years, potentially influencing the evolution of early life on our planet. As we shift our focus to the present, we discuss an exciting and busy launch schedule for the end of 2025, featuring missions from China, India, Russia, and SpaceX, highlighting the global nature of the space industry. We also address serious safety concerns surrounding Boeing's Starliner following its first crewed test flight. A NASA advisory panel has criticized the agency for not adequately recognizing the mission's issues, which led to astronauts being stranded on the ISS for nine months. Finally, we report on a major leadership change at United Launch Alliance, with CEO Tory Brian resigning after nearly 12 years, leaving behind a legacy tied to the development of the Vulcan Centaur rocket. Join us as we unpack these stories and more in this episode of Astronomy Daily!00:00 – **Today we'll cover some unfortunate news for South Korea's burgeoning space industry
00:31 – **South Korean company Innospace's first commercial orbital rocket crashed in Brazil
02:10 – **For about a billion years Earth's day flatlined at 19 hours
04:34 – **The last full week of 2025 is shaping up to be incredibly busy for space launches
06:18 – **NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has come out with a pretty strong statement
09:49 – **Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch alliance, has resigned
11:06 – **It's been another busy day in astronomy and spaceflight### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/) 2. SpaceX (https://www.spacex.com/) 3. United Launch Alliance (https://www.ula.com/) 4. Innospace (https://www.innospace.co.kr/) 5. Space.com (https://www.space.com/) ### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPodInstagram: @astrodailypodEmail: hello@astronomydaily.ioWebsite: astronomydaily.io (http://astronomydaily.io/) Clear skies and see you next time! 🌟
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 that brings you the universe one story
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 at a time. I'm Avery.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 >> And I'm Anna. Today, we'll be covering
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 some unfortunate news for South Korea's
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 burgeoning space industry, a look back
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 billions of years to when Earth had a
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 19-hour day, a very busy launch schedule
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 to close out 2025, and some serious
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 safety concerns over Boeing's
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 Starlininer. And we'll cap things off
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 with a major leadership shakeup at
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 United Launch Alliance.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 >> A lot to get through. Let's start with
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 that launch anomaly in Brazil. What
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 happened with the Hanbit Nano rocket?
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 >> It's a tough break for the South Korean
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 company Inospace. Their first commercial
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 orbital rocket, the Hanbit Nano,
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 unfortunately crashed just 30 seconds
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 after liftoff from the Alcantara Space
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 Center in Brazil.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 >> Only 30 seconds. Wow. Do we know the
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 cause? The company cited a vehicle
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 abnormality, but they haven't released
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 specific details yet. The important
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 thing is that no one was hurt and there
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 was no damage to the launch facility.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 >> That's certainly the silver lining. This
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 was a significant launch for them,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:08 wasn't it? It had been delayed a few
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 times already.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 >> Exactly. It was carrying five
00:01:12 --> 00:01:13 satellites, so this was a major
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 milestone attempt. A successful first
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 commercial launch would have been a huge
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 step for South Korea's private space
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 sector. Setbacks are part of the
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 process, but this one definitely stings
00:01:24 --> 00:01:25 for Inospace,
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 >> right? Failure is always an option in
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 rocketry, especially on a debut flight.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 We'll be watching to see how they bounce
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 back.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 >> Absolutely. And it highlights the
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 immense challenge for smaller private
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 companies trying to break into the
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 orbital launch market. It's not just
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 about building a rocket. It's about
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 securing funding, navigating
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 international regulations, and building
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 a track record. the barrier to entry is
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 still incredibly high.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 >> That's a great point. While companies
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 like SpaceX make it look almost routine
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 now, each successful launch is built on
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 a mountain of data from both successes
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 and failures. Hopefully, Innoace can
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 analyze what went wrong and come back
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 stronger. A competitive launch market is
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 good for everyone.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 >> Definitely. Now, let's switch gears and
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 go way, way back in time. Billions of
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 years, in fact. Avery, did you know
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 there was a period when Earth's day was
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 stuck at just 19 hours long?
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 >> Stuck? I know the day has been getting
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 gradually longer as the moon moves away
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 from us, but I've never heard of it just
00:02:29 --> 00:02:30 stopping.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 >> That's what's so fascinating. New
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 research indicates that for about a
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 billion years, from roughly 2 billion
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 years to 1 billion years ago, the day
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 length just flatlined at 19 hours.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 >> A billion years is not a short time.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 What could cause our planet's rotation
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 to just pause its slowdown like that?
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 >> It's a really cool celestial balancing
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 act. We know the moon's gravity creates
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 ocean tides that act like a break on
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 Earth's rotation, slowing it down,
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 >> right? The lunar tides.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 >> But the sun also creates tides not just
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 in the ocean, but in the atmosphere. The
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 sun heats the atmosphere, causing it to
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 bulge. This atmospheric tide influenced
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 by Earth's rotation actually pulls on
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 the planet trying to speed it up.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 >> So you have the moon's gravity slowing
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 us down and the sun's atmospheric heat
00:03:20 --> 00:03:21 speeding us up.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 >> Precisely. And during this specific
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 billion-year period, the theory is that
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 the two forces reached a perfect
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 equilibrium. The atmospheric day was in
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 resonance with the rotational day. The
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 slowing effect from the lunar ocean
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 tides was perfectly balanced by the
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 speeding effect of the solar atmospheric
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 tides.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 >> A tidal resonance. That's incredible.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 So, the Earth was in a state of cosmic
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 tugofwar and for a billion years it was
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 a perfect draw.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 >> Exactly. Eventually, other factors broke
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 the resonance and the moon's influence
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 won out again, continuing the slow
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 lengthening of our day to the 24 hours
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 we have now. It makes you think about
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 all the delicate balances that have
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 shaped our planet's history.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 >> Absolutely. Imagine what life might have
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 been like with five extra hours of
00:04:10 --> 00:04:11 darkness each day.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 >> That's the big question researchers are
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 exploring now. A consistent 19-hour
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 dayight cycle could have provided a
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 stable environment for early
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 photosynthetic organisms like
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 cyanobacteria to thrive. Some theories
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 suggest this long period of stability
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 might have been a crucial factor in the
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 great oxidation event where oxygen
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 levels in the atmosphere began to rise,
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 paving the way for more complex life.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 >> Well, coming back to the present, things
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 are anything but slow. The last full
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 week of 2025 is shaping up to be
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 incredibly busy for space launches.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 >> It seems like everyone is trying to get
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 their last missions of the year off the
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 ground. What's on the manifest?
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 >> Well, we already discussed in a
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 spaceac's attempt in China. CASC is
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 expected to debut its brand new reusable
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 Changang 12A rocket. That's a huge
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 development for their reusable launch
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 vehicle program.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 >> Mhm. A direct competitor to SpaceX's
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 Falcon 9.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 >> Indeed. Then over in India, ISRO is
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 launching a Bluebird Block 2 satellite.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 Russia has not one but two so use
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 missions planned from different
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 cosmodromes.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 >> A busy week for Ross Cosmos.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 >> And of course, you can't have a busy
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 launch week without SpaceX. They're
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 scheduled for their final Falcon 9
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 mission of the year, launching the CSG3
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 satellite for the Italian Space Agency.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 It's a real flurry of activity to end
00:05:28 --> 00:05:29 the year.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 >> It really shows how global the space
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 industry has become. Launches from
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 China, India, Russia, and the US, all
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 within days of each other. It's an
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 exciting time to be following space
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 flight.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 >> That's for sure.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 >> It's worth noting the diversity of these
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 missions, too. The Chinese launch is a
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 technology demonstrator for reusability.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 The Indian mission is for Earth
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 observation. The Russian launches are
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 likely for government and commercial
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 payloads. And the SpaceX mission is for
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 an Italian radar reconnaissance
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 satellite. It's a snapshot of the entire
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 space ecosystem in action.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 >> And the logistical coordination is
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 mind-boggling. You have range safety,
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 air and sea traffic control, satellite
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 tracking, and telemetry all happening
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 concurrently across the globe. A
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 fittingly chaotic end to a very busy
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 year in space.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 >> Speaking of US space flight, let's turn
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 to our next story on today's rundown,
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 which is a bit more sobering. It's about
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 Boeing Star Liner and the fallout from
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 its first crude test flight.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 >> Yeah, that mission was eventful to say
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 the least. What's the latest? Well,
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 NASA's aerospace safety advisory panel
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 has come out with a pretty strong
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 statement. They've said that NASA should
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 have taken the problems with Starlininer
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 far more seriously as they were
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 happening.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 >> Let's recap what those problems were.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 There were multiple helium leaks and
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 failures with the maneuvering thrusters.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:49 Right.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 >> That's right. Five separate thruster
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 failures during docking and multiple
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 helium leaks that were discovered both
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 before and during the mission. The
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 panel's main point of contention is that
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 NASA never officially declared an
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 in-flight mishap or a high visibility
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 close call.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 >> And not making that declaration has
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 consequences.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 >> It does. According to the panel, this
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 failure to officially recognize the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 severity of the issues led to an
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 extended period of uncertainty. It put a
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 lot of stress on the workforce at NASA
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 and Boeing who were trying to
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 troubleshoot these serious problems.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 without the formal structure and
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 resources that come with a mishap
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 declaration.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 >> So they were essentially trying to
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 manage a crisis without being allowed to
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 call it a crisis. That sounds incredibly
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 difficult.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 >> Extremely. And the end result speaks for
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 itself. The two astronauts, Butch
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 Wilmore and Sunni Williams, ended up
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 staying on the International Space
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 Station for 9 months while engineers
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 tried to figure out if Starlininer was
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 safe to bring them home.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 >> And in the end, it wasn't. They came
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 home on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 >> That's the crucial point. The
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Starlininer capsule had to return to
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Earth empty. Having your crew return on
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 a competitor's spacecraft because your
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 own was deemed unsafe is a massive blow
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 to the program's credibility. The safety
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 panel is basically saying that if NASA
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 had been more forthright about the
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 problems from the start, a lot of this
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 prolonged uncertainty and stress could
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 have been handled better. It's a tough
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 lesson in transparency and risk
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 management. You never want to see a
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 situation where you have to rely on your
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 backup transportation system for a crude
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 mission. It really underscores the value
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 of having redundant, reliable systems
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 like SpaceX's Dragon.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 >> It absolutely does. There's a lot for
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 both NASA and Boeing to learn from this
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 incident before they even consider
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 putting another crew on Starlininer.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 >> Absolutely. And the post-flight
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 investigation is digging into the root
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 causes. The helium leaks, for instance,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 seem to be related to seals that become
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 brittle at extreme temperatures. But the
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 thruster issue is more complex. It's a
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 propulsion system that has seen numerous
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 issues throughout its development. And
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 the failures during this critical
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 mission pointed to a potential systemic
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 design flaw in the reaction control
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 system.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 >> A systemic flaw is the last thing you
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 want to hear about on a crude vehicle.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 So, what's the path forward for Boeing?
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 Is the Starlininer program salvageable
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 at this point?
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 >> It's a tough road ahead. They will
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 likely need a complete redesign and
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 reertification of the propulsion system,
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 which could take years and billions more
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 dollars. NASA is committed to having two
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 independent crew transportation systems,
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 so they won't give up on Boeing easily.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 But the pressure is immense, and
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 confidence both within NASA and publicly
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 has been severely shaken. They have to
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 prove beyond any doubt that Starlininer
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 is safe before anyone else straps in for
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 a ride.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 >> And for our final story today, we've got
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 some big news from one of the titans of
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 the launch industry. Tori Bruno, the
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 longtime president and CEO of United
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 Launch Alliance has resigned.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 >> That is big news. Bruno has been at the
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 helm of ULA for nearly 12 years. He
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 really guided the company, a joint
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 venture between Boeing and Loheed Martin
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 through one of its most challenging
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 periods facing intense competition from
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 newcomers like SpaceX.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 >> Absolutely. His legacy will undoubtedly
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 be tied to the development of the new
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 Vulcan Centaur rocket. That was a
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 massive undertaking designed not only to
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 replace the legacy Atlas 5 and Delta IV
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 rockets, but also to end ULA's reliance
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 on the Russian RD1 180 engines.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 >> And he was such a public-f facing CEO,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 wasn't he? He was famous for his
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 engaging presence on social media,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:45 always willing to answer technical
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 questions from space fans. He really
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 modernized ULA's public image. It truly
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 feels like the end of an era for the
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 company. Do we know who's taking over?
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 >> For now, John Elbon has been appointed
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 as the interim CEO while they search for
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 a permanent replacement. It will
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 certainly be interesting to see the
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 direction ULA takes in this new chapter.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 >> And that's all the time we have for
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 today. From rocket failures and
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 celestial mechanics to a packed launch
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 schedule and critical safety reviews,
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 it's been another busy day in the world
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 of astronomy and spaceflight.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 >> Thanks for tuning in to Astronomy Daily.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 We'll be back tomorrow with more news
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 from across the cosmos. Until then, I'm
00:11:25 --> 00:11:25 Anna
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 >> and I'm Avery. Keep looking up.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 >> Astronomy day.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:35 Stories told.