Rogue Worlds and Solar Power

[00:00:00] This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 104, for broadcast on the 29th of August 2025. Coming up on Space Time, claims that giant free-floating planets may form their own planetary systems, Europe's Space Rider spacecraft completes another key test, and could we use space-based solar panels to power the Earth? All that and more coming up on Space Time. Welcome to Space Time with Stuart Gary.

[00:00:45] A new study has found that giant free-floating so-called rogue planets have the potential to form their own miniature planetary systems without the need of a host star. The findings, reported on the pre-press physics website archive.org, based on observations from the Webb Space Telescope looking at young isolated objects with masses of 5 to 10 times that of Jupiter. These objects are comparable to gas giants in their properties, but are free-floating in space, not bound to any host star, as Jupiter is to the Sun.

[00:01:14] Free-floating planets are difficult to observe, because they're very dim and they radiate mostly in the infrared. But they hold keys to important questions about astrophysics. Current research suggests that these may well be the lowest mass objects, formed like stars from the collapse of molecular gas and dust clouds. But in contrast to stars, they don't accumulate enough mass to trigger the core nuclear fusion process, which makes stars shine.

[00:01:38] Now in theory, it's also possible that some of these may have formed in a way comparable to how planets form, through the accumulation of material around a star. But they were later ejected from their home system through some sort of gravitational perturbation. To work out what's going on, scientists observed 8 of these objects, all very young, in order to learn more about their infancy. They used two instruments aboard the Webb Space Telescope to obtain detailed infrared spectroscopic observations of these objects over a period of three months.

[00:02:07] Six of these objects have excess emissions in the infrared, caused by warm dust in their immediate vicinity. And that's important, because that's a characteristic signature of disks, which are often the birthplaces of planets. The observations also showed emission lines for silicon grains in the disks. That's a clear sign of dust growth and crystallization, and typically the first steps in the formation of rocky planets. Now, silicon emissions have been found for stars and brown dwarves before,

[00:02:34] but this is the first detection in a planetary mass object. One of the study's authors, Alex Schultz from the University of St Andrews, says the new findings built on previous work, showing that disks around free-floating planetary mass objects can last several million years, which is plenty of time to form planets. Schultz says that taken together, these studies show that objects with masses comparable to those of gas giants have the potential to form their own miniature planetary systems. And those systems could be like our solar system,

[00:03:03] just scaled down by a factor of 100 or more in size. These new discoveries show that the building blocks needed for forming planets can be found even around objects that are barely larger than Jupiter and drifting alone in the darkness of space. It means that the formation of planetary systems is not exclusive to stars and brown dwarves, but may also work around lonely starless worlds as well. But whether or not such planetary systems actually exist, still remains to be seen. This is Space Time.

[00:03:33] Still to come, the European Space Agency's reusable Star Rider spacecraft completes another key test, and could we use space-based solar panels to power the Earth? All that and more still to come on Space Time.

[00:04:01] The European Space Agency's reusable Space Rider has just completed the latest phase of its development campaign with a successful qualification test of the vehicle's nose cone, the largest single component of the spacecraft's thermal protection system. This latest mission followed a successful qualification test of the vehicle's body flaps back in February. Once operational, Space Rider will provide ESA with its first orbital return to Earth and landing capability. The wet-shaped lifting body design spacecraft

[00:04:29] will be launched aboard a Vega-C rocket into low Earth orbit and will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 800 kilograms. Once in space, it'll operate as an unmanned laboratory for periods of over two months. The payload bay is environmentally controlled and provides services, including 600 watts of power for experiments, along with thermal, control, data handling, and telemetry capabilities. It'll then re-enter Earth's atmosphere and land using parasails, returning their payloads to eager engineers and scientists,

[00:04:58] and after minimal refurbishment, should be ready for its next mission with new payloads. ESA's Director of Space Transportation, Daniel Neunschwinger, says Space Rider missions will offer an array of orbital altitudes and inclinations, enabling a variety of experiments in microgravity, as well as technologies for Earth observation, science, telecommunications, and robotic exploration. It's a fact that today Europe does not have this capacity. It is also a fact that if corresponding decisions are taken

[00:05:28] at the end of the year, Europe will have it tomorrow. And in fact, at ESA, we had already a technology demonstration of a re-entry on Earth, which took place a few years ago in an experimental vehicle called IXV. And based on this experience, which was highly successful and launched by Vega, by the way, we are now developing Space Rider. During low Earth orbit operation in microgravity, the vehicle can turn,

[00:05:57] maneuver according to the mission it has. And then, at the moment in time, you start the re-entry on Earth. In fact, you have a dedicated angle of attack. You start to enter into the atmosphere. And this is what we call a lifting body, meaning there are no plane type of structures. It's just the body, which has a certain angle of attack, enters into the upper part of the atmosphere at high speed. We call it hypersonic.

[00:06:27] And then the speed is decreased through the drag. And when it starts to become subsonic, you have lowered significantly the speed. And once you have reached a certain level, you can deploy your parafoil. And once with the parafoil deployed, you can have a precision landing on the runway somewhere in Europe. We do call for opportunities and we will have different flight opportunities planned. For example, in microgravity research,

[00:06:56] so if you are coming from a university, that's for sure an opportunity, like in material sciences or pharmaceutical field, biological field at large scale. Second, we will work on commercial opportunities. And here we have already quite good exchanges, again with the pharmaceutical industry. And we will look for further in-orbit validation and demonstration of technologies which have to be tested

[00:07:25] and qualified in space before they go on big and costly missions. That's ESA's Director of Space Transportation, Daniel Neuenschwender, and that report was on ESA TV. This is Space Time. Still to come, could we use space-based solar panels to power the Earth? And later in the science report, a new study shows that dogs are more likely to react to on-screen animal characters on TV than to human TV characters. All that and more still to come

[00:07:54] on Space Time. Okay, let's take a break from our show for a word from our sponsor, Insta360, the trailblazers in 360 and action cameras pushing the boundaries of what's possible for creators everywhere. Last week, Insta360 dropped their latest game changer, the Go Ultra, a pocket-sized camera that's redefining how you capture life's adventures. Imagine it, a camera no bigger than an Oreo,

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[00:08:53] ensures your shots are always crisp and vibrant day or night. Low light scenes, no problem. The pure video mode uses AI to reduce noise and boost dynamic range, so your nighttime adventures also shine. And here's the best part. For the first 30 space-time listeners who purchased the Insta360 Go Ultra at store.insta360.com, you'll score a free StickyTabs accessory to mount your camera on anything from backpacks to winter jackets. Just use the promo code SPACETIME at the checkout.

[00:09:23] That's store.insta360.com, promo code SPACETIME. Just go to our links page for full details and descriptions. So don't miss out on this Titan over camera that's ready to capture your world like never before. That's the Insta360 Go Ultra. And now it's back to our show. Well, it may sound futuristic, but scientists believe that space-based solar panels could eventually allow humans

[00:09:53] to harvest energy from the sun almost continuously at any moment of the day. The big problem with solar panels and wind turbines, of course, is that they don't provide reliable electricity. That's because the sun doesn't shine all the time and the wind doesn't blow continuously. Also with wind turbines, their carbon footprints greatly exceed the amount of carbon they save. And both have the ongoing problem of what to do with them when they wear out in 20 years time. And that's why scientists and engineers are looking at alternatives.

[00:10:22] And one of them involved two space-based projects put solar panels in orbit. The first of the two projects, named the Innovative Heliostat Swarm, is in early development, but is the most likely to be able to continuously capture solar energy. It's a space-based solar power concept involving a large array of mirror-like reflectors or heliostats in space that direct sunlight to a central receiver, converting it into electricity and then transmitting it wirelessly down to earth, likely using either microwaves or laser technology.

[00:10:52] The design incorporates innovations like retro-directive RF transmission arrays, highly efficient PV cells, and modular structures. Overall, the model estimates that the Heliostat design will reduce total system costs by about 7% to 15%, offset up to 80% of wind and solar, and reduce battery usage by over 70%. The second concept is named the Mature Planar Array, and it's much closer to being ready. But it'll only capture solar energy around 60% of the time.

[00:11:23] Still, it's a big step from solar panels based on Earth. The array uses an arrangement of solar antenna elements in a flat, rectangular grid similar to those already used by satellites and space stations, so we know it's going to be reliable. Microwave or infrared emitters will then be used to transmit that energy down to Earth. But a report in the journal Joule warns that both current designs are still not yet cost-effective. Nevertheless, scientists hope the two systems can be honed

[00:11:49] in order to help with Earth's future net-zero needs. This is Space Time. And time now to take another brief look at some of the other stories making use in science this week with a science report. A new study claims that diets

[00:12:19] rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found predominantly in fish, may help ward off short-sightedness in kids. Meanwhile, a high intake of saturated fats found in foods such as butter, palm oil and red meat may increase the risk of short-sightedness. A report in the British Journal of Ophthalmology looked at the eyesight of around 1,000 children and compared the development of eye conditions against the results of a food frequency questionnaire. They also asked how much time the kids spent outdoors, how much time they spent reading and writing,

[00:12:47] and how much time they spent on screens. The authors found that the quarter of kids who consumed the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids also had the largest markers for the progression of short-sightedness. Meanwhile, the quarter of children who had the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had the smallest incidence of the condition. And they also found the inverse to be true for kids who consumed the highest intake of saturated fats. A new study has shown that while fans can help keep you cool in hot temperatures,

[00:13:16] in really dry hot temperatures, they'll actually make things worse. A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association subjected 58 people to various 3-hour heat exposure tests, looking at how temperature and humidity impacted the effectiveness of a fan or wetting the skin, or reducing body temperature and discomfort. The authors say that in 38 degrees Celsius heat with 60% humidity, fan use marginally improved body temperature, and participants reported feeling less warm. But in 45 degrees Celsius dry heat,

[00:13:45] they found that using a fan actually increased the participant's body temperature, as well as sweating, and made them feel far more uncomfortable. A new study has shown that dogs are more likely to react to on-screen animal characters than humans or other objects displayed on TV. The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, examine the reactions of 450 puppies. The dogs reported as excitable by their owners were more likely to follow on-screen animals as if they were real, while fearful or anxious dogs

[00:14:15] were more likely to respond to stimuli such as cars or a doorbell. The authors warned their findings may not apply to all dogs, as the survey respondents were all pet owners whose dogs regularly interacted with TV stimuli. And time now for our silliest story of the week. And it seems there's a new contender for the title of Britain's most haunted pub. The owner of the Ye Olde King's Head Hotel in Chester claims he's experienced bed covers wrapping tightly around him all by themselves, strange knocking noises,

[00:14:43] and the sounds of ghostly children running down the hallway. Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptic says it's worth pointing out the owner is developing a TV series based on his claims. There is a hotel in Chester called Ye Olde King's Head, which is the most haunted hotel in England. It's not Britain, but aren't they all? There's a lot of most haunted buildings in the UK, of whatever sort. And this one is one that's been around for a while. It's an old pub that someone bought and did it up a bit. And now suddenly there's all these sort of hauntings happening from a...

[00:15:13] It's more sort of ghost here than there is in any other haunted hotel. Roman warriors, Civil War soldiers, women and children running up and down was used as a brothel, apparently. So it sounds exciting. This fellow who's bought it recently and renovated has now put cameras in every room, which is a worry if you want to stay there. Uh-oh. Yes, I'm not saying I want to stay there with someone watching me. Apparently people don't stay there very long. They all go running away screaming because it's a haunted place. But of course, you have to also keep in mind that this is a fellow who hosts a podcast

[00:15:42] called My Haunted Project. He has several properties and this haunted project is focused on, quote, changing the paranormal and evolving it to a new level based on real evidence, eyewitness accounts and 24-7 surveillance. He also has a whole range of different displays including the Grace doll, which is a haunted or sort of cursed doll, much like the doll in the US, much the same sort of thing. Like Chester. Which has her own room and it's in a special glass case, said to be the UK's most haunted artefact. He's got a prime video program

[00:16:11] called My Haunted Hotel Series which features this year oldie King's Head Pub. He certainly has some money in this that he wants this to be true, whether he really believes in it. There's certainly promotion. It's one of the sad things that these days so many groups, so many buildings, so many organisations are putting up their premises for ghost tours. I was going to say, he's got some competition because just about every hotel in the UK is said to be haunted. Yeah, every pub, every ancient castle, every, you know what, same in America, there's so many places. I've even heard of ghost tours

[00:16:39] at the Smithsonian Museum which is a bit depressing actually and makes the money off the side. I don't think it was NASA who promoted perigee moons as being super moons. Anything to get people interested in science no matter what it takes. Yes, I find that rather sad actually that anything including pseudoscience to get people interested in science. But it's happening all over the place. You'll find so many buildings that are being promoted to get some people wandering through. But this guy obviously

[00:17:09] has quite a few runs on the board. He's quite experienced in hauntings and he's sort of made a career out of it and that always worries me a bit. That's Tim Mindham from Australian Skeptics. And that's the show for now. Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

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