Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E210
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily dose of space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an exciting lineup of stories that cover everything from supersonic spacecraft to mysterious objects in space.
Highlights:
- Supersonic Breakthrough: Discover Dawn Aerospace's remarkable achievement with their MK11 Aurora spacecraft, which broke the sound barrier during a test flight in New Zealand. Learn about its innovative design, capable of reaching the edge of space twice in a single day, and its potential impact on reusable space technology.
- Webb Telescope's Discovery : Unveil the groundbreaking findings from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in the Orion Nebula, where it has confirmed the existence of protoplanetary disks around brown dwarfs. Explore how this discovery reshapes our understanding of these cosmic objects and their potential to host planetary systems.
- China's Space Advances: Explore China's new Haolong spacecraft, a reusable cargo shuttle entering the engineering phase. Understand its role in supporting China's Tiangong Space Station and its significance in the rapidly expanding Chinese commercial space industry.
- Mars Exploration Update : Get the latest on NASA's Curiosity rover as it captures a 360-degree panorama of the Gades Valles Channel on Mars. Delve into the intriguing discovery of sulfur stones and the rover's next target, the Boxwork formation, which could provide insights into Mars' wet history.
- Mars Landing Breakthrough : Learn about the collaboration between NASA and SpaceX that has led to a breakthrough in Mars landing technology. Discover how supersonic retro propulsion could solve the challenge of landing human-scale missions on Mars.
- Celestial Cannibalism: Uncover a fascinating study revealing that up to a third of stars may have devoured their own planets. Explore how this celestial phenomenon explains differences in chemical compositions among sibling stars.
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, Tumblr, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
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.
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) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24153278?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily your daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 dose of space in astronomy news I'm your
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 host Anna and today we've got an
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 exciting lineup of stories covering
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 everything from supersonic spacecraft to
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 mysterious objects in space we'll be
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 exploring groundbreaking achievements in
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Aerospace fascinating discoveries from
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 the far reaches of our solar system and
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 intriguing new research that's changing
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 our understanding of the cosmos let's
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 get started in an exciting development
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 from the Aerospace industry Dawn
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 Aerospace has achieved a remarkable
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 milestone with their MK1 Aurora
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 spacecraft during a test flight near
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 Mount Cook in New Zealand's South Island
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 on November 12th the craft successfully
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 broke the sound barrier reaching Mach
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 1.1 while climbing to an impressive
00:00:43 --> 00:00:48 altitude of 82 Ft that's about 25 km
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 up this achievement marks the first time
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 a civil aircraft has reached supersonic
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 speeds since the retirement of the
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 iconic Concord making it a significant
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 moment in aviation history what makes
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 the a particularly special is its
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 innovative design and capabilities the
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 spacecraft is engineered to perform
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 something that's never been done before
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 reaching the edge of space twice in a
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 single day according to Stefan Powell
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 Dawn aerospace's chief executive the
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 Aurora is designed to hit speeds of mock
00:01:19 --> 00:01:23 3.5 during both ascent and re-entry the
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 company which maintains headquarters in
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 both the Netherlands and New Zealand has
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 been methodically testing this latest
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 model over recent months and these
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 results demonstrate the immense
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 potential of their rocket powered
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 aircraft
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 technology the Aurora also set another
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 impressive record during its test flight
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 becoming the fastest aircraft ever to
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 climb from ground level to 20 km this
00:01:45 --> 00:01:46 breakthrough represents a significant
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 step forward in the development of
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 reusable space technology potentially
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 opening new possibilities for more
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 frequent and efficient access to
00:01:55 --> 00:01:59 space next up NASA's James web Space
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 Telescope has made another
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 groundbreaking discovery this time in
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 the Orion Nebula where it has confirmed
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 something that has intrigued astronomers
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 for decades scientists have found that
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 some of the protoplanetary diss they've
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 been observing actually surround Brown
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 dwarfs fascinating objects that exist in
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 a cosmic gray area between stars and
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 planets these Brown dwarfs sometimes
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 called failed Stars lack the mass needed
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 to sustain hydrogen Fusion in their
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 cores despite being too small to be
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 proper Stars they're still significantly
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 larger than planets the web telescope's
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 observations have revealed that these
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 objects are surrounded by diss of gas
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 and dust similar to the protoplanetary
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 diss we see around young Stars the study
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 focused on several objects in the Orion
00:02:47 --> 00:02:51 Nebula which lies about 1 light
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 years from Earth using web's Advanced
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 infrared capabilities researchers
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 confirmed 20 objects as brown Dwarfs
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 with some having masses is as small as
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 five times that of Jupiter what's
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 particularly exciting is that two of
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 these Brown dwarfs were found to have
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 protoplanetary discs that were
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 previously spotted by the Hubble Space
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 Telescope this discovery is reshaping
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 our understanding of how these Cosmic
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 objects form and evolve the presence of
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 these discs suggests that brown dwarfs
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 might form in a similar way to stars and
00:03:23 --> 00:03:24 could potentially host their own
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 planetary systems the findings are
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 especially significant because they
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 represent some of the coolest and least
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 massive protoplanetary discs ever
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 detected these observations have only
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 scratched the surface of what we might
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 learn about Brown dwarfs in the Orion
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 Nebula with hundreds more potential
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 Brown dwarfs waiting to be studied web's
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 continued observations could help us
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 better understand these mysterious
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 objects and their relationship to both
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 stars and
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 planets China made waves at their
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 International Aviation and Aerospace
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 exhibition last week with the
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 announcement of their new how long
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 spacecraft that's Chinese for Dragon
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 this reusable cargo shuttle has
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 officially entered the engineering phase
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 and represents a significant step
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 forward in China's space capabilities
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 the how long is notably compact compared
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 to NASA's retired space shuttle
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 measuring just 10 m in length with an 8
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 m wingspan but don't let its smaller
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 size fool you this autonomous spacecraft
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 is packed with Cutting Edge Aviation
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 Technologies and has been specifically
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 designed to provide vital logistical
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 support for China's tangang space
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 station according to chief designer Fang
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 Yan Pang the how long will launch into
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 orbit aboard a commercial rocket Once In
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 Space it will deploy solar panels and
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 dock with tiangong allowing tyut to
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 access its cargo bay after completing
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 its Mission it will make an atmospheric
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 re-entry and land horizontally on a
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 Runway much like an aircraft the
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 spacecraft can then undergo maintenance
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 and prepare for its next mission the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 howong is one of two winning designs
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 selected by the China and space agency
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 in their search for lowcost commercial
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 cargo
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 spacecraft this development comes as
00:05:06 --> 00:05:07 China's commercial space industry
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 continues to expand rapidly with Market
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 projections suggesting it could reach a
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 value of over $320 billion by the end of
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 this year this new cargo shuttle marks
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 another milestone in China's growing
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 Space Program demonstrating their
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 commitment to developing sustainable and
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 reusable space technologies that could
00:05:27 --> 00:05:28 play a crucial role in their future
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 space exploration
00:05:30 --> 00:05:34 plans let's get a Mars update NASA's
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Curiosity Rover is preparing for an
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 exciting new chapter in its Mars
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 exploration but not before capturing one
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 final look at an area that's left
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 scientists scratching their
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 heads the Rover recently completed a
00:05:46 --> 00:05:50 stunning 360° Panorama of the gayes
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 valis channel an area it's been studying
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 for the past year that's proven to be
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 full of
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 surprises perhaps the most intriguing
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 Discovery in this region has been a
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 field of pure sulfur Stones something
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 never before seen on Mars when curiosity
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 rolled over one of these mysterious
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 rocks it revealed bright yellow crystals
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 inside what makes this finding
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 particularly puzzling is that on Earth
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 sulfur deposits are typically associated
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 with volcanic activity or Hot Springs
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 yet scientists haven't found evidence of
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 either in this area of Mount sharp the
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 Rover is Now setting its sights on an
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 intriguing new Target a formation known
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 as the box work when viewed from orbit
00:06:30 --> 00:06:31 these features look like spiderwebs
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 stretching across the Martian surface
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 scientists believe they formed during
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 Mars's final wet period when mineral
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 Rich water seeped into rock fractures
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 and hardened as the surrounding Rock
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 eroded away these mineral filled cracks
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 remained creating the distinctive webike
00:06:47 --> 00:06:51 patterns we see today this formation is
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 particularly exciting because it spans
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 an impressive area of 6 to 12 miles and
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 could provide valuable insights into
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 Mars's transition from a wet world
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 to the dry planet we see today even more
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 intriguingly the environment that
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 created these features Bears
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 similarities to places where early Earth
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 microbes could have thrived making it a
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 compelling Target for understanding
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 Mars's potential for past life as
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 Curiosity embarks on this monthlong
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 journey to the box work formation it
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 leaves behind the Gettys valis Channel
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 with more questions than answers about
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 its sulfer stones and how this channel
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 formed so late in Mars climate history
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 but that's the nature of scientific
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 exploration each Discovery opens the
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 door to new Mysteries waiting to be
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 solved speaking of Mars and looking to
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 our future there a fascinating
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 breakthrough in Mars Landing technology
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 has emerged through an unexpected
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 collaboration between NASA and SpaceX
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 potentially solving what was once
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 thought to be an impossible
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 challenge back in 2007 even NASA's top
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 Landing Engineers were skeptical about
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 our ability to land human scale missions
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 on Mars the problem Mars's atmosphere is
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 too thin to land like we do on Earth but
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 too thick to use lunar style Landing
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 methods the key challenge has been what
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 Engineers call the supersonic transition
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 problem any spacecraft heading to Mars
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 arrives at incredibly high speeds and
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 needs to slow down dramatically in just
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 a few minutes for context the
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 perseverance Rover was traveling at a
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 blistering 12 100 mph when it hit
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 the Martian atmosphere but a solution
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 has emerged from an unlikely Source
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 spacex's efforts to land their Falcon 9
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 rocket boosters back on earth when
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 SpaceX began testing supersonic
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 retropulsion firing Rockets backward
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 while moving at supersonic speeds NASA
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 saw an opportunity the space agency
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 partnered with SpaceX to study this
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 technique and what they discovered was
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 remarkable rather than causing
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 instability as feared firing engines
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 backwards during supersonic flight
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 actually creates a protective bubble
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 around the spacecraft shielding it from
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 buffeting and excess heating this
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 discovery has completely changed the
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 outlook for landing large payloads on
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 Mars while significant challenges remain
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 such as protecting engines from debris
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 and dealing with Mars's unpredictable
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 weather this breakthrough has
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 transformed what once seemed impossible
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 into an engineering challenge that can
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 be solved as one NASA engineer put it
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 they're essentially doing what Buck
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 Rogers showed us in the 1930s firing
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 engines backwards while going really
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 fast and time for one more intriguing
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 Discovery today in a fascinating new
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 study astronomers have discovered that
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 up to a third of stars may have devoured
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 some of their own planets this Celestial
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 cannibalism helps explain a
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 long-standing mystery about why some
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 stars born from the same Cosmic Nursery
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 show unexpectedly different chemical
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 compositions when stars form from the
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 same giant molecular cloud they should
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 have nearly identical metal content
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 however detailed observations have
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 revealed that some sibling Stars show
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 pronounced differences in their
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 metallicity the abundance of elements
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 heavier than hydrogen and helium the
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 research suggests that these differences
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 arise when stars consume rocky planets
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 that orbit too close to them these
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 planets rich in metals and other heavy
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 elements effectively pollute their
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 parent Stars leaving behind a
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 distinctive chemical signature that
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 astronomers can now detect the study
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 focused particularly on Ultra short
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 period planets worlds that orbit
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 extremely close to their Stars
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 completing a circuit in in just a few
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 hours while these planets are rare today
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 found around only about half a percent
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 of sunlike stars the evidence suggests
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 they may form much more frequently but
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 often meet a fiery end the process can
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 happen in several ways but the most
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 common appears to be through what
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 scientists call low eccentricity
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 migration where planets and multi-planet
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 systems gradually spiral inward toward
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 their star this Cosmic dance typically
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 occurs between 100 million and 1 billion
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 years after the planetary system forms
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 this discovery not only helps explain
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 the mysterious metal content differences
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 between sibling stars but also provides
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 new insights into the dangerous lives of
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 planets that orbit too close to their
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 Stars it seems that in many planetary
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 systems what we observe today may be
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 just the survivors of a much more
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 crowded early
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 history that's all for today's episode
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 of astronomy daily I'm Anna and thank
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 you for joining me on this journey
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 through the latest development in space
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 science and
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 exploration from supersonic spacecraft
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 to Planet devouring Stars it's been
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 another fascinating day in
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 astronomy don't forget to visit our
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 website at astronomy daily. where you
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 can sign up for our free daily
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 newsletter and catch up on all the
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 latest space and astronomy news with our
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 constantly updating news feed while
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 you're there you can also listen to all
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 our back episodes want to stay connected
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 you can find us on social media just
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 search for Astro daily pod on Facebook X
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 YouTube Tumblr and Tik Tok until
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 tomorrow keep looking up and wondering
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 about the mysteries of our Cosmic
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 neighborhood I'm Anna and this has been
00:12:10 --> 00:12:17 astronomy dailyom
00:12:17 --> 00:12:30 [Music]
00:12:30 --> 00:12:34 St told