Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E235
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily dose of space and Astronomy news. I'm your host Anna, and today we've got an exciting lineup of stories for you. We'll be covering everything from mission updates and space station developments to groundbreaking astronomical discoveries.
Highlights:
- Space1's Launch Challenges: Discover the setbacks faced by Japan's Space1 after their second unsuccessful rocket launch attempt. Despite the challenges, find out how this startup aims to revolutionize space delivery services and establish a stronger presence in the commercial space sector.
- Extended Stay on the ISS: Learn about NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suny Williams, who are now facing an unprecedented mission extension on the International Space Station. Their stay highlights the complex logistics of crew scheduling and the adaptability required of astronauts.
- Record-Breaking Chinese Spacewalk : Marvel at the achievement of China's Shenzhou 19 mission astronauts, who set a new record for spacewalk duration at the Tiangong Space Station. Discover how this feat demonstrates the capabilities of their space suits and the crew's endurance.
- Mars Missions as Artifacts : Explore the intriguing debate over whether remains from Mars missions should be considered space junk or precious artifacts. Researchers argue for the preservation of these sites as they represent the archaeological evidence of humanity's first attempts to explore another world.
- STAR Lab Space Station Milestones: Get updated on NASA's Commercial Space Station program, as the STAR Lab project hits four major development milestones. This progress is a crucial step toward establishing a new presence in low Earth orbit.
- Binary Stars Near our Black Hole: Uncover the remarkable discovery of a binary star system close to the supermassive black hole at our galaxy's center. This finding challenges previous beliefs about the destructive nature of black holes and opens new possibilities for understanding extreme environments.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://www.astronomydaily.io) . Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube, YouTubeMusic, Tumblr, and TikTok . Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until tomorrow, keep looking up and stay curious about our amazing universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of space and astronomy news
00:30 - Japanese startup company Space1 has experienced their second unsuccessful rocket launch attempt
02:03 - NASA astronauts face unprecedented mission extension that will keep them on ISS until spring
03:53 - Two Chinese astronauts have set a new record for spacewalk duration
05:34 - Should we view Mars missions as space junk or precious artifacts
07:41 - STAR Lab Space Station project hits four major milestones in its development
09:30 - Astronomers find binary star system incredibly close to supermassive black hole
✍️ Episode References
Space1
[Space1](https://www.space1.com)
Taiwan Space Agency
[Taiwan Space Agency](https://www.tasa.org.tw)
Spacecubix
[Spacecubix](https://www.spacecubix.com)
Terraspace
[Terraspace](https://www.terraspace.com)
Boeing Starliner
[Boeing Starliner](https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner/)
NASA
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov)
Tiangong Space Station
[Tiangong Space Station](https://www.cmse.gov.cn)
University of Kansas
[University of Kansas](https://www.ku.edu)
Nature Astronomy
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/natastron/)
Very Large Telescope
[Very Large Telescope](https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/)
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/24685509?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily your daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 dose of space and astronomy news I'm
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 your host Anna and today we've got an
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 exciting lineup of stories for you we'll
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 be covering everything from Mission
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 updates and space station developments
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 to groundbreaking astronomical
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 discoveries coming up we'll look at the
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 latest in commercial space Ventures hear
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 about record-breaking space walks and
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 explore some fascinating new findings
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 near the center of our galaxy stay tuned
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 as we journey through today's biggest
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 space and astronomy headlines
00:00:30 --> 00:00:31 in a setback for Japan's commercial
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 space industry startup company space one
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 has experienced their second
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 unsuccessful rocket launch attempt the
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 company's chyos number two rocket an 18m
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 long solid fuel vehicle lifted off from
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 Spaceport key in kushimoto the country's
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 Only commercial Spaceport while the
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 initial stage of the launch went
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 according to plan with successful
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 separation of the first stage and
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 payload fairing the company was forced
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 to abort the mission approximately 20
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 minutes after liftoff
00:01:00 --> 00:01:01 this launch carried significant
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 importance with five satellites on board
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 from various entities including the
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 Taiwan space agency and Japanese firm
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 space cubics and teras space the mission
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 had already faced delays being postponed
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 twice due to strong winds before
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 Wednesday's attempt this marked space
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 1's second launch failure following
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 their first attempt in March where the
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 rocket exploded shortly after liftoff
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 due to incorrect propulsion calculations
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 founded in 2018 by Canon electronics and
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 ihi Aerospace Space 1 aims to
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 revolutionize space delivery services by
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 offering cost-effective and regular
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 rocket launches the company has
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 ambitious plans targeting an impressive
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 30 launches per year by the
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 2030s these setbacks come at a crucial
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 time when Global demand for satellite
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 deployment is growing rapidly space 1's
00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 goal of becoming the first private
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 Japanese company to successfully Place
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 satellites into orbit remains
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 unfulfilled but their continued efforts
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 reflect Japan's broader aspirations to
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 establish a stronger presence in the
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 commercial space
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 sector now an update on Butch and Sunni
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 who you may remember are stuck on the
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 International Space Station it appears
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 they'll now be there a little longer the
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 two NASA astronauts who expected to
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 spend just over a week in space are now
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 facing an unprecedented Mission
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 extension that will keep them aboard the
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 International Space Station until the
00:02:21 --> 00:02:25 northern spring Butch Wilmore and Sunni
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 Williams who launched on Boeing's first
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 crude Starliner Mission last June have
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 seen their original 8-day Mission
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 stretch into what will become a 10-month
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 stay in orbit the Extended Stay comes
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 after NASA made the decision to return
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 Boeing Starliner capsule empty in
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 September requiring the astronauts to
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 remain on station now their return has
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 been pushed back even further due to
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 delays in launching their Replacements
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 the next crew originally scheduled for a
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 February launch on a SpaceX capsule
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 won't lift off until late March at the
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 earliest while while NASA considered
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 using a different SpaceX capsule to
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 maintain the original schedule they
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 ultimately decided waiting for the new
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 capsule was the best option the space
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 agency prefers to have overlapping Crews
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 on the station to ensure smooth
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 transitions between missions though most
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 space station stays typically last about
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 6 months with some extending to a full
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 year this unexpected extension
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 highlights the complex Logistics of creu
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 scheduling in space operations for
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 Wilmore and Williams what started as a
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 brief test flight has transformed into
00:03:32 --> 00:03:33 one of the longer stays aboard the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 orbital Outpost their experience
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 demonstrates the flexibility required of
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 astronauts who must be prepared to adapt
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 their missions as circumstances change
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 when they finally return to Earth in
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 late March or April they'll have spent
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 nearly a year contributing to The
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Continuous human presence in low earth
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 orbit speaking of exceptional Feats in
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 space in a remarkable achievement for
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 China's Space Program two astronauts
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 from the sheno 19 Mission have set a new
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 record for spacewalk duration Commander
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 Kai shua and crewmate song lingdong
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 spent an impressive 9 hours and 6
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 minutes working outside the Chang gong
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 space station surpassing the previous
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 record of 8 hours and 56 minutes set by
00:04:17 --> 00:04:21 NASA astronauts in 2001 The Space Walk
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 began when Commander Kai wearing a red
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 marked fasan spacit exited the wentian
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 experiment module using the station's
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 robotic arm for support he gathered
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 necessary equipment while song lingdong
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 in a blue marked suit joined him about
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 an hour and a half later their third
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 crewmate Wang provided essential support
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 from inside the station's Tian module
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 during their extended time outside the
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 astronauts installed protective devices
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 designed to Shield the station's thermal
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 control equipment from space debris they
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 also conducted inspections and
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 maintenance on external equipment this
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 marks the 17th spacewalk at the tiangang
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 station and the first for the current
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 sheno 19 Mission which began in October
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 what makes this achievement particularly
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 noteworthy is that the fasan space suits
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 used by the Chinese astronauts were
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 originally designed for 8h hour
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 operations the successful completion of
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 this longer duration spacewalk
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 demonstrates both the suit's
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 capabilities and the astronaut's
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 endurance the crew will continue their
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 six-month Mission aboard Chang gong
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 conducting numerous scientific
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 experiments and additional Space Walk as
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 part of China's expanding presence in
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 space next up a philosophical problem
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 not many have considered Adventure
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 should we be viewing the remains of our
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 Mars missions as space junk that's
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 cluttering up the red planet or as
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 precious artifacts documenting
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 Humanity's first steps into Planetary
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Exploration that's the fascinating
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 question being raised by University of
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 Kansas Anthropologist Justin hulham and
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 his colleagues in a compelling news
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 study published in nature astronomy
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 these researchers argu arue that
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 everything from Crash Soviet probes to
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 NASA's retired Rovers represents
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 something far more significant than
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 debris they're the archaeological
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 evidence of Humanity's first attempts to
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 explore another world think of them as
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 the Martian equivalent of ancient tools
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 that help us track human migration
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 across earth the Mars 2 probes crash
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 site from 1971 marks the very first time
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 our species left a lasting mark on
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 another planet's surface the Pres ation
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 of these sites is becoming increasingly
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 urgent as we plan more missions to Mars
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 just as archaeologists carefully
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 preserve ancient settlements on Earth
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 these researchers say we need protocols
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 to protect these historic locations from
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 disturbance by Future missions some
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 artifacts are already facing natural
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 threats Martian dust storms and shifting
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 Sands are gradually burying sites like
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 the spirit rover the team is calling for
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 a comprehensive system to catalog
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 everything we've left on Mars from major
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 spacecraft down to smaller items like
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 broken Rover parts and the remnants of
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 the first helicopter flight on another
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 planet they argue that each piece tells
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 part of the story of our species
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 expansion into the solar system making
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 them as historically significant as the
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 first stone tools found in Africa or the
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 earliest artifacts of human settlement
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 in the Americas we're not just exploring
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 Mars we're creating an archaeological
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 record that future Generations will
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 study to understand how Humanity took
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 its first tent POS steps onto another
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 world as we continue to expand our
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 presence on Mars preserving these early
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 artifacts becomes crucial for
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 maintaining this incredible Chronicle of
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 human
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 achievement meanwhile back here on Earth
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 exciting developments are coming from
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 NASA's commercial space station program
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 with the star laab space station project
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 hitting four major milestones in its
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 development these achievements are
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 crucial steps toward establishing a new
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 presence in low earth orbit as we look
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 beyond the International Space station's
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 lifetime the station's unique design
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 calls for a single launch deployment
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 featuring a large habitation and
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 laboratory module paired with a smaller
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 service module for power and propulsion
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 earlier this year star laab space
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 conducted a detailed preliminary review
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 of their structural test article
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 essentially a full-scale engineering
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 model of the habitat module where future
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 astronauts will live and work they've
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 also completed crucial testing protocols
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 including rigorous welding inspections
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 pressure testing Beyond normal
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 operational limits and evaluations of
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 how the structure handles various
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 loads these tests are absolutely vital
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 for ensuring crew safety and station
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 longevity in the harsh environment of
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 space the team has successfully
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 completed both integration operations
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 and systems integration reviews making
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 sure all the station complex systems
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 work together seamlessly they're now
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 preparing for additional design and
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 safety reviews before Year's End
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 focusing on making sure the station
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 meets all human space flight
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 requirements while maintaining
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 acceptable risk levels this progress is
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 part of NASA's broader strategy to
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 support multiple commercial space
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 stations through various Partnerships
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 once these stations are operational NASA
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 plans to be just one of many customers
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 using these orbital facilities creating
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 a truly commercial Marketplace in low
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 earth orbit it's an exciting shift that
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 builds on Decades of space station
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 experience while opening up new
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 possibilities for scientific research
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 and Commercial activities in space
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 finally today in a remarkable Discovery
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 that's challenging what we thought
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 possible astronomers have found a binary
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 star system Incredibly Close to the
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 super massive black hole at the center
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 of our galaxy this pair of stars named
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 D9 is somehow maintaining its orbital
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 dance despite being in one of the most
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 extreme environments
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 imaginable previously scientists
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 believed that the immense gravitational
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 forces near Sagittarius A star our
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 Galaxy's Central black hole would make
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 it impossible for binary stars to exist
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 there but this discovery is proving that
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 black holes might not be quite as
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 destructive as we once thought the
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 binary system is relatively young only
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 about 2.7 million years old and is
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 surrounded by gas and dust typical signs
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 of a newly formed Stellar system while
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 the stars are managing to orbit each
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 other for now their future isn't exactly
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 bright the black hole's powerful gravity
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 is expected to force them to merge into
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 a single star in about a million years
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 making this discovery even more PR
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 precious due to its limited window of
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 existence the team found this binary
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 system while studying what's known as
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 the s-cluster a group of stars orbiting
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 close to Sagittarius A star using the
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 very large telescope they noticed that
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 one object previously thought to be a
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 single star was showing unusual
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 variations in its speed these variations
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 only made sense if they were looking at
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 two stars orbiting each other this
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 discovery could help explain other
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 mysterious objects in the same region
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 known as G objects which might be either
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 merged binary stars or binary systems
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 that haven't merged yet even more
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 excitingly the presence of this young
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 binary system suggests that planets
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 might also be able to form in this
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 extreme environment it seems that when
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 it comes to the center of our galaxy we
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 still have much to learn about what's
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 possible well that's all for today's
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 edition of astronomy daily I'm Anna and
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 I want to thank you for joining me for
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 another fascinating journey through
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 space news and discoveries if you'd like
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 to stay connected with all things space
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 in astronomy head over to astronomy
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 daily. where you can listen to all our
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 episodes keep up with the latest space
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 news on our constantly updating news
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 feed and sign up for our free daily
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00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 daily pod on Facebook X YouTube Tumblr
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00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 up and stay curious about our amazing
00:11:53 --> 00:12:05 universe
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 the St is the
00:12:08 --> 00:12:14 [Music]