Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E189
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we're exploring a range of captivating topics, from space debris solutions to black holes, espionage in space, and the burgeoning field of space tourism.
Highlights:
- Zero Debris Charter: The European Space Agency is tackling the growing issue of space debris with their innovative Zero Debris Charter, gaining over 100 international signatories, including New Zealand and Mexico. This voluntary initiative aims to foster global cooperation in mitigating space junk, emphasizing prevention, mitigation, and safe reentry practices.
- Espionage in Space : China raises concerns over foreign espionage targeting their space program, highlighting the competitive and secretive nature of global space exploration. This development underscores the delicate balance between national interests and international collaboration in the space sector.
- Unique Black Hole System : Discover the groundbreaking identification of a triple system featuring a black hole with two orbiting stars. This intriguing configuration challenges our understanding of black hole formation, suggesting a gentler process than previously thought.
- Euclid Mission's Cosmic Map : The European Space Agency's Euclid mission unveils a stunning 208-gigapixel mosaic of the southern sky, offering insights into dark energy and the universe's expansion. This is just the beginning of a six-year mission to create the most extensive 3D map of the cosmos.
- NASA Telescope Budget Relief: NASA postpones budget cuts for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, offering hope for continued groundbreaking research. The decision highlights the challenges of managing mission portfolios within budget constraints.
- Discovery of Pyrene: A significant finding in the Taurus molecular cloud reveals one of the largest carbon-based molecules, pyrene, offering clues about the origin of carbon and the potential beginnings of life.
- China's Space Tourism: Jiangsu Deep Blue Aerospace Technology enters the space tourism race, announcing pre-orders for suborbital flights with their reusable rocket, Nebula 1, set for launch in 2027. This move positions China as a competitor in the global space tourism market.
For more cosmic news, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://www.astronomydaily.io) . There, you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, explore sponsor links for great deals, and catch up on all our previous episodes.
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Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 welcome to astronomy daily your source
00:00:01 --> 00:00:04 for the latest space in astronomy news
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 I'm your host Anna and today we'll be
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 covering a range of exciting topics from
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 space debris to black holes a spy story
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 and even space tourism get ready for a
00:00:12 --> 00:00:13 cosmic Journey Through the latest
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 discoveries and developments in the
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 world of space
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 exploration let's kick things off with
00:00:19 --> 00:00:20 one of the biggest problems facing the
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 space industry today and fortunately
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 steps are being taken to address the
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 problem the European Space Agency is
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 taking significant steps to address the
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 growing issue of space debris with their
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 Innovative zero debris Charter this
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 initiative launched in November 2023
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 aims to Boost International cooperation
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 in solving Earth's escalating space junk
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 problem the charter has gained
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 impressive traction with over 100
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 signatories joining the cause at a
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 recent ceremony during the international
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 astronautical Congress in Milan 24 new
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 partners signed on including New Zealand
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 and Mexico the first countries outside
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 Europe to do so what makes this Charter
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 unique is its voluntary nature
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 it's not a regulatory document but
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 rather a collaborative effort within the
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 global space Community the charter
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 outlines goals and guiding principles
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 which will be developed into actionable
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 and measurable targets these principles
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 include preventing intentional debris
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 creation anticipating and mitigating
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 adverse effects and promoting constant
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 efforts to understand the problem the
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 charter also advocates for timely
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 removal of spacecraft from orbit at the
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 end of their missions and safe re-entry
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 practices
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 with an estimated million plus pieces of
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 debris larger than a centimeter orbiting
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 Earth this initiative couldn't be more
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 timely it's a crucial step towards
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 ensuring that space remains clean and
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 safe for future generations and ongoing
00:01:43 --> 00:01:44 space
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 operations next up this sounds like a
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 plot from a James Bond movie but it's a
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 real concern in a recent development
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 China has raised concerns about foreign
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 Espionage targeting their space program
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 the Chinese government claims that
00:01:56 --> 00:01:57 foreign spies are attempting to steal
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Secrets related to their space
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 initiatives
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 this Revelation highlights the growing
00:02:02 --> 00:02:03 tensions in the realm of space
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 exploration and Technology while details
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 are limited this accusation underscores
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 the competitive nature of space programs
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 worldwide it also raises questions about
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 International cooperation and
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 transparency in space related activities
00:02:16 --> 00:02:17 as countries like China continue to
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 advance their space capabilities the
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 potential for increased suspicion and
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 security measures could impact Global
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 space relations this situation serves as
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 a reminder of the delicate balance
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 between national interests
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 and the collaborative spirit that has
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 traditionally characterized space
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 exploration as we move forward it will
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 be crucial to monitor how these concerns
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 shape future International Space
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 Partnerships and information
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 sharing next up something making
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 headlines in the astronomy World in a
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 groundbreaking discovery astronomers
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 have identified a unique triple system
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 featuring a black hole with two orbiting
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 Stars this remarkable find described in
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 a recent paper published in nature
00:02:58 --> 00:03:02 centers around V 44 signy a black hole
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 located about 8 Lighty years from
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 Earth what makes this system
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 particularly intriguing is its
00:03:07 --> 00:03:11 configuration the first star orbits v44
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 signi every 6.5 days so close that it's
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 actually shedding material into the
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 black hole's gravitational grasp but
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 it's the second star that's caught
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 scientists attention this outer star is
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 incredibly distant from the black hole
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 orbiting once every 70 years at a
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 distance 100 times that between Pluto
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 and our sun this discovery challenges
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 our understanding of black hole
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 formation typically we believe black
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 holes form from violent Stellar
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 explosions which should disperse nearby
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 objects however the presence of this
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 distant star suggests a gentler
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 formation
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 process computer simulations indicate
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 that the most likely scenario is a
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 direct collapse where the star that
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 became the black hole simply caved in on
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 itself without a dramatic explosion this
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 method would have allowed the distant
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 star to remain gravit Ally bound to the
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 system this triple system not only
00:04:03 --> 00:04:04 provides new insights into black hole
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 formation but also helps astronomers
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 determine the age of v44 signy estimated
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 to be about 4 billion years old as we
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 continue to study this fascinating
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 Cosmic dance we're sure to uncover more
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 secrets about the nature of black holes
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 and the evolution of our
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 universe now Another Story featuring the
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 esa the European space agency's uid
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 mission has just released an incredible
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 208 G pixel Mosaic of the Southern sky
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 and it's a sight to behold this massive
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 image covers an area more than 500 times
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 larger than a full moon giving us a
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 tantalizing glimpse into the vastness of
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 our universe but uid isn't just about
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 pretty pictures this Space Telescope has
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 a crucial mission to help us understand
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 the mysterious Force known as dark
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 energy scientists believe dark energy is
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 responsible for the accelerating
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 expansion of our universe but we still
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 know very little about it to tackle this
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 Cosmic mystery uid will map billions of
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 galaxies across 10 billion light years
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 of space this preliminary data release
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 is just a small taste of what's to come
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 over the next 6 years uclid will survey
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 an area thousands of times larger
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 creating the most extensive 3D map of
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 the cosmos ever
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 constructed what's truly remarkable is
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 that this initial Mosaic representing
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 just 1% of ID's total survey area
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 already contains around 100 million
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 stars and galaxies of these about 14
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 million galaxies could be used to study
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 dark Energy's influence on the universe
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 as uclid continues its Mission it will
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 provide unprecedented insights into the
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 structure and evolution of our universe
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 potentially revolutionizing our
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 understanding of cosmology and the
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 fundamental forces that shape our
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 reality in a recent development NASA has
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 put the brakes on plans to reduce
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 operations of two major space telescopes
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 as a cost cutting measure the decision
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 regarding budget cuts for the Chandra
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 x-ray Observatory and Hubble Space
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 Telescope has has been deferred until
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 after the agency receives its final
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Appropriations for fiscal year
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 2025 this delay comes as a relief to
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 many in the scientific Community who
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 were concerned about the potential
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 impact on these vital instruments the
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 proposed Cuts were significant with
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 Chandra facing a 40% reduction in its
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 operating budget and Hubble looking at a
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 10% cut the delay allows for more time
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 to assess the situation and potentially
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 find alternative Solutions it also
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 highlights the ongoing challenges of
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 balancing a diverse portfolio of
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 missions within budget
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 constraints as we await the final budget
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 decisions the scientific Community
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 remains hopeful that these iconic
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 telescopes will continue their
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 groundbreaking work in unraveling the
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 mysteries of our
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 universe next let's turn our attention
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 to another big scientific discovery from
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 way out there in a groundbreaking
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 discovery astronomers have found one of
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 the largest carbon-based molecules ever
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 detected in deep space the molecule
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 called Pini was located with within the
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 Taurus molecular cloud about 430 light
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 years from Earth this finding is
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 significant because it provides crucial
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 clues that could help solve a
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 long-standing mystery in astrochemistry
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 the origin of carbon the building block
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 of Life Pyon is a polycyclic aromatic
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 hydrocarbon or pH made up of four fused
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 planer rings of carbon these molecules
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 are among the most abundant complex
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 molecules in the visible universe and
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 are thought to make up roughly 20% of
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 the carbon found in space what's
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 particularly intriguing about this
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 discovery is that Pini was found in an
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 extremely cold environment with
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 temperatures as low as 10 Kelvin this
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 challenges our understanding of how
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 these molecules form as on Earth they're
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 typically created through high
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 temperature
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 processes the presence of pyron in the
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 birthplace of our solar system provides
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 a direct link between the early
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 molecular clouds and the composition of
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 celestial bodies like asteroids this
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 connection offers valuable insights into
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 the chemical evolution of our Cosmic
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 neighborhood and potentially the origins
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 of life
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 itself finally today it looks like we
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 have another space tourism provider on
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 the horizon in an exciting development
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 for space enthusiasts a Chinese company
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 called jangu Deep Blue Aerospace
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 technology has announced it's now taking
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 pre-orders for suborbital space tourism
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 flights with the first launch planned
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 for 2027 the company's CEO hang shared
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 details of their commercial spacecraft
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 during a recent live broadcast deep blue
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 Aerospace is plans include a reusable
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 rocket called nebula 1 which Bears some
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 resemblance to spacex's Falcon 9 their
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 spacecraft is designed to carry six
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 passengers to an altitude of 100 km
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 crossing the Carmen line the official
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 boundary of space passengers will
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 experience about 5 minutes of
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 weightlessness during the 12-minute
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 flight this move puts China in direct
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 competition with established players in
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 the space tourism market like Virgin
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 Galactic blue origin and SpaceX while
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 these companies have already conducted
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 successful flights China's entry into
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 the field could potentially make space
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 tourism more accessible
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 globally that's all for today's episode
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 of astronomy daily I'm Anna and I hope
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 you've enjoyed this Cosmic Journey
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 Through the latest space news remember
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 to visit our website at astronomy daily.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 where you can sign up for our free daily
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00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 space and astronomy news with our
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00:09:35 --> 00:09:39 thanks for listening and keep looking up
00:09:39 --> 00:09:57 [Music]