Source:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/s03e160-india-s-space-projects-starship-s-next-step-and-moon-s-hidden-water--62054005
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: 21st September 2024
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an episode packed with groundbreaking stories. From India's ambitious new space projects and SpaceX's plans to catch Starship, to exciting discoveries about water on the moon, groundbreaking observations from a new X-ray telescope, and concerns about satellite interference with radio Astronomy. Let's dive right in!
Highlights:
- India's Space Ambitions: India has greenlit an ambitious slate of space projects, allocating a substantial $2.7 billion to push the boundaries of its space capabilities. At the forefront is the Chandrayaan IV mission, a bold lunar sample return effort targeting the moon's south pole. Equally exciting is the Shukrayan mission, India's first Venus orbiter, now targeted for 2028. Perhaps most ambitious is the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India's first space station module, slated for launch by the end of 2028 with full operational status expected by 2035. These projects highlight India's growing expertise and determination to become a key player in the global space arena.
- SpaceX's Starship Catching Plans: SpaceX is gearing up for another groundbreaking achievement with its upcoming Starship test flight. The company plans to catch the massive Super Heavy first stage booster using the chopstick arms of the launch tower at their Starbase facility in Texas. This ambitious maneuver, if successful, would take rocket reusability to the next level, dramatically reducing turnaround time between flights. Regulatory reviews have delayed the launch, but the FAA is expected to complete its assessment by late November.
- Chinese Reusable Rocket Technology: Chinese private space companies, Deep Blue Aerospace and Landspace, are making significant strides in developing reusable rocket technology. Both firms have conducted impressive high-altitude hop tests with their prototype vehicles, aiming to develop fully reusable orbital launchers. These tests represent significant progress for China's commercial space sector, working towards cost-effective reusable launch capabilities.
- Abundant Water on the Moon: New research reveals that water is far more abundant on the moon than previously thought. Data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper shows that water and hydroxyl molecules are widespread across the lunar surface, not just confined to the poles. This discovery opens up possibilities for more flexible mission planning and could reduce the need to transport water from Earth, making long-term lunar missions more sustainable.
- XRISM's Groundbreaking Observations: Japan's X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) has unveiled its first results, capturing stunning observations of a supermassive black hole in galaxy NGC 4151 and a supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. These observations are revolutionizing our understanding of the X-ray universe, with over 3000 proposals submitted for future studies.
- Satellite Interference with Radio Astronomy: New research reveals that SpaceX's second-generation V2 mini Starlink satellites are emitting up to 32 times more radio waves than their predecessors, posing a significant threat to radio Astronomy. This underscores the urgent need for dialogue between the Astronomy community and satellite companies to find solutions that allow both Internet access and scientific research to coexist.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily I'm your host
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 Anna today we've got a packed episode
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 covering India's ambitious new space
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 projects spacex's plans to catch
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 Starship exciting discoveries about
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 water on the moon groundbreaking
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 observations from a new x-ray telescope
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 and concerns about satellite
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 interference with radio astronomy let's
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 Dive Right In First up today India has
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 recently greenlit an ambitious slate of
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 space projects showcasing its commitment
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 to becoming a major player in space
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 exploration the Indian government has
00:00:30 --> 00:00:34 allocated a substantial $2.7 billion for
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 these Endeavors which are set to push
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 the boundaries of the nation's space
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 capabilities at the Forefront of these
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 plans is the chandron 4 Mission a bold
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 lunar sample return effort aimed at
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 collecting material from the moon's
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 South polar region this Mission Builds
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 on the success of chandron 3 and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 demonstrates India's growing expertise
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 in lunar exploration equally exciting is
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 India's approval of its first Venus
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 Orbiter Mission known as shuk on while
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 initially planned for an earlier launch
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 the mission is now targeted for 2028
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 this Venture will allow India to join
00:01:08 --> 00:01:09 the select group of Nations that have
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 sent spacecraft to our planetary
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 neighbor perhaps most ambitious is
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 India's plan to develop its first space
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 station module named the paraa anic
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 station or Bas this project signifies
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 India's aspirations for a long-term
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 human presence in Space the first module
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 is slated for launch by the end of 2028
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 with full operational status expected Ed
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 by 2035 these projects not only
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 highlight India's technological
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 advancements but also underscore its
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 determination to become a key player in
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 the global space Arena let's delve
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 deeper into India's ambitious chreon 4
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 Mission this lunar sample return
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 Endeavor is set to be a complex
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 operation involving four modules
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 launched across two separate rocket
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 flights the first launch will carry a
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 Lander and a sample collecting a sender
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 vehicle targeting the lunar South Pole
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 region the second launch will deliver a
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 transfer module and a re-entry module to
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 lunar orbit the mission's primary goal
00:02:03 --> 00:02:04 is to collect lunar samples from shiv
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 Shakti point where the chandran 3
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 spacecraft previously landed once
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 collected the Ascender will launch from
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 the moon's surface and transfer its
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Precious Cargo to the re-entry module
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 this module will then make the crucial
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 Journey back to Earth aiming for a safe
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 touchdown with the lunar samples intact
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 this ambitious project not only pushes
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 India's space capabilities but also sets
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 the stage for future crude missions to
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 the moon the technology de veloped and
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 tested during chandron 4 will be
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 critical for India's goal of Landing
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 astronauts on the lunar Surface by 2040
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 an India space Ambitions continue to
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 grow with plans now approved for the
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 country's first space station module the
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 module named bays1 is set to launch by
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 December 2028 this marks a significant
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 step for India's space program as they
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 aim to have a fully operational space
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 station by 2035 meanwhile India's Venus
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 Orbiter Mission known as shukraan has
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 faced some delay
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 originally planned for an earlier launch
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 the mission is now targeted for March
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 2028 the Orbiter will carry a suite of
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 scientific instruments to study Venus's
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 atmosphere geology and evolution these
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 projects along with the chandrian 4
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 Mission we just discussed demonstrate
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 India's commitment to becoming a major
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 player in space exploration with a
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 budget of nearly $150 million allocated
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 for the Venus Mission alone it's clear
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 that India is investing heavily in its
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 space future next up SpaceX is gearing
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 up for another groundbreaking
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 achievement in space flight history with
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 their upcoming Starship test flight the
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 company plans to attempt something truly
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 revolutionary catching the massive super
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 heavy first stage booster using the
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 Chopstick arms of the launch Tower at
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 their Star based facility in Texas this
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 ambitious maneuver if successful would
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 take rocket reusability to the next
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 level instead of landing on a ship at
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 sea or a designated pad catching the
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 booster right on the launch Mount could
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 dramatically reduce turn around time
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 between flights SpaceX has been
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 practicing with these Tower arms
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 designed to lift both stages of Starship
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 recent photos show them raising the
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 super heavy booster to the expected
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 catch height while SpaceX says they've
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 been ready for this next test flight
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 since early August regulatory reviews
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 have delayed the launch the FAA isn't
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 expected to complete its assessment
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 until late November at the earliest when
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 it does fly this will be starship's
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 fifth test flight each previous Mission
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 has shown improvement with the last one
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 reaching orbital velocity before a
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 successful splash down of both stages if
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 SpaceX can pull off this catch it would
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 be a major milestone in their quest to
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 make Starship rapidly and fully reusable
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 a key to their goals of affordable space
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 access and eventual Mars colonization
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 and let's take a look now at what's
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 going on in China Chinese private space
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 companies are making significant strides
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 in developing reusable rocket technology
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 two firms deep blue Aerospace and
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 landspace have recently conducted
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 impressive high altitude hop tests with
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 their prototype Vehicles landspace
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 achieved a notable milestone in late
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 August with its jqu 3 Hopper prototype
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 the vehicle soared to an altitude of 10
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 km during a 200se second flight that
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 included a crucial engine reignition
00:05:13 --> 00:05:17 test the single tan 12b engine performed
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 flawlessly accurately Landing just 1.2 M
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 from the center of the pad not to be
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 outdone deep blue Aros space is
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 preparing for its own high altitude test
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 their Shing Yan one first stage
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 prototype also known as nebula 1 1 is
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 being Reed for a flight between 5 and 10
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 km this follows successful lower
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 altitude tests with their subscale
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 nebula M vehicle both companies are
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 aiming to develop fully reusable orbital
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 launchers lands space's finished jk3
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 will stand taller than a falcon 9 at
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 nearly 77 M powered by nine methane
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 fueled engines deep blue's shingan 1
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 will feature nine kerosene burning
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 engines in a configuration similar to
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 the Falcon 9 these tests represent
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 significant progress for China ch's
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 commercial space sector as they work
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 towards costeffective reusable launch
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 capabilities to serve the growing demand
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 for satellite
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 deployment new research has revealed
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 that water is far more abundant on the
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 moon than previously thought a study
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 Based on data from NASA's Moon mineraly
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 mapper has shown that water and hydroxy
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 molecules are widespread across the
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 lunar surface not just confined to the
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 poles as once believed the analysis
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 found water hidden in ice deposits in
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 shaded areas and inside enriched rocks
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 interestingly hydroxy molecules which
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 are components of water form when solar
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 protons interact with oxygen in the
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 lunar regolith these findings suggest
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 that future astronauts may be able to
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 find Water Resources even near the
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 moon's equator two types of lunar rocks
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 were identified as potential water
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 sources the dark marab basalts are
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 relatively dry while the anorthosite
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 rocks found in the lunar Highlands
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 contain more water heating these rocks
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 could potentially provide a long-lasting
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 water supply for lunar missions
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 while Polar Ice deposits Remain the most
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 accessible water source this new
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 understanding of lunar water
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 distribution opens up possibilities for
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 more flexible Mission planning however
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 extracting water from rocks would
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 require significant energy expenditure
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 these discoveries are crucial for future
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 lunar exploration and potential bases as
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 they could reduce the need to transport
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 water from Earth understanding the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 moon's Water Resources is a key step in
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 making long-term lunar missions
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 sustainable Japan's x-ray Imaging
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 inspect R roscopy Mission or xrism has
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 unveiled its first results and they're
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 absolutely fascinating this Space
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 Telescope operated by jaxa with issa's
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 participation has captured stunning
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 observations of two Cosmic phenomena
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 first up xrism studied a super massive
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 black hole at the heart of Galaxy NGC
00:07:48 --> 00:07:52 4 about 62 million light years away
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 the telescope tracked super heated
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 plasma circling the black hole at
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 distances as close as
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 0 light years this unprecedented
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 view is giving astronomers new insights
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 into how these Cosmic Giants feed and
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 grow but that's not all exuism also
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 turned its gaze to a supernova Remnant
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 called N1
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 132d in our Galactic neighbor the large
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 melanic Cloud this Cosmic bubble of
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 plasma ejected from a massive star about
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 3 years ago revealed some surprises
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 instead of the expected spherical shell
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 The Remnant is more donut-shaped and
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 expanding at a mindboggling 2.6 million
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 milph even more astonishing it's
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 temperature clocks in at a scorching 18
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 billion de F these observations are
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 helping scientists better understand the
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 life cycles of massive stars and how
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 elements are distributed throughout the
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 cosmos with over 3 proposals
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 submitted for future studies it's clear
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 that xrism is just getting started in
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 revolutionizing our view of the X-ray
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 Universe while starlink satellites have
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 already raised concerns about their
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 impact on visible light astronomy new
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 research reveals they may pose an even
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 greater threat to radio astronomy recent
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 observations using the low frequency
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 array or low far have shown that
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 spacex's second generation v2o mini
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 starlink satellites are emitting up to
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 32 times more radio waves than their
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 predecessors these unintentional radio
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 emissions are astonishingly bright about
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 10 million times brighter than the
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 faintest astronomical objects loar can
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 detect this means any radio telescope
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 observing when a starlink satellite
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 passes overhead could have its data
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 completely overwhelmed as companies like
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 space X and one web plan to launch tens
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 of thousands more satellites astronomers
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 are increasingly concerned about the
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 future of radio astronomy without proper
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 regulations and cooperation from
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 satellite operators our ability to study
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 the universe through radio waves could
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 be severely compromised this underscores
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 the urgent need for dialogue between the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 astronomy community and satellite
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 companies to find solutions that allow
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 both internet access and scientific
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 research to
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 coexist and that brings us to the end of
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 today's astronomy daily I hope you've
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 enjoyed this Cosmic Journey Through the
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 latest space and astronomy news thanks
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 so much for tuning in if you're hungry
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00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 astronomy
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00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 until next time keep looking
00:10:31 --> 00:10:52 [Music]
00:10:52 --> 00:10:56 up um