Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E220
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your ultimate source for the latest cosmic discoveries and space exploration news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have a stellar lineup of stories that will take you from Saturn's moon Titan to the early Daily of our planet and beyond.
Highlights:
- Dragonfly Mission to Titan: Discover NASA's ambitious Dragonfly mission, set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. This revolutionary rotorcraft will explore Saturn's moon Titan, searching for life's building blocks in its dense atmosphere and liquid methane lakes.
- Asteroid Mining Realities: Explore the latest study from Astroforge, which offers a grounded perspective on asteroid mining. Learn about the potential of platinum group metals and the challenges of extracting construction metals for space infrastructure.
- Early Earth Reimagined: Delve into new research from the University of California that challenges the hellish view of Earth's Hadean era, suggesting that liquid water and conditions for life existed much earlier than previously thought.
- Dark Energy Insights : Uncover groundbreaking findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument collaboration, revealing dynamic properties of dark energy and confirming Einstein's relativity on cosmic scales.
- Universe Simulation Breakthrough: Celebrate the creation of the largest universe simulation by the Argonne National Laboratory, offering unprecedented insights into the formation of galaxies and cosmic structures.
- GPS Infrastructure Upgrade: Learn about the Space Force's significant contract with Raytheon to enhance GPS capabilities with the Next Generation Operational Control System, focusing on cybersecurity and precision.
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.
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✍️ Episode References
NASA Dragonfly Mission
[NASA Dragonfly](https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly)
SpaceX
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
[Johns Hopkins APL](https://www.jhuapl.edu/)
Astroforge
[Astroforge](https://astroforge.io/)
University of California
[University of California](https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/)
Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
[DESI](https://www.desi.lbl.gov/)
Argonne National Laboratory
[Argonne National Laboratory](https://www.anl.gov/)
Raytheon
[Raytheon](https://www.rtx.com/)
Space Force
[U.S. Space Force](https://www.spaceforce.mil/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](https://astronomydaily.io/)
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24368683?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello and welcome to today's episode of
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 astronomy daily I'm thrilled to bring
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 you another packed show full of
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 fascinating developments from across the
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 cosmos today's journey through space and
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 time will take us from the mysterious
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 surface of Saturn's moon Titan to the
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 fundamental forces shaping our universe
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 we'll explore NASA's groundbreaking
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 dragonfly Mission which now has a
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 confirmed launch partner in SpaceX we'll
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 also dive into some intriguing new
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 research about the early Earth that
00:00:29 --> 00:00:30 might change how we think about life's
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Origins on our planet we've got some
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 mindbending updates about dark energy
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 that could transform our understanding
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 of the universe's expansion and we'll
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 look at the largest Universe simulation
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 ever created plus we'll separate fact
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 from fiction in the world of asteroid
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Mining and examine some important
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 developments in GPS
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 technology so stick around as we explore
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 these incredible stories from the
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 frontiers of Space Science and Discovery
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 let's get
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 started in an exciting development for
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 Planetary Exploration NASA has
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 officially selected SpaceX to launch its
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 ambitious dragonfly mission to Saturn's
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 moon Titan the contract valued at
00:01:10 --> 00:01:11 approximately
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 $26.6 million will see the Revolutionary
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 Mission take flight aboard a falcon
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 in Florida during a launch window
00:01:21 --> 00:01:25 between July 5th and July 25th 20128
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 what makes dragonfly particularly
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 fascinating is its innovative approach
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 to exploring Titan
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 instead of the traditional Rovers or
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 stationary Landers we've seen on Mars
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 and other worlds dragonfly is a rotor
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 craft essentially a drone designed to
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 fly through Titan's thick atmosphere
00:01:41 --> 00:01:42 this unique design will allow it to
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 travel between multiple sites across the
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 moon's surface sampling and analyzing
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 different geological environments the
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 mission's primary objective is to
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 investigate the potential building
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 blocks of life on Saturn's largest moon
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 Titan presents a particularly intriguing
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Target because it's the only moon in our
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 solar system with a dense atmosphere and
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 its surface features liquid methane
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 lakes and seas scientists believe that
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 carbon-rich materials in liquid water
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 may have mixed for extended periods on
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Titan potentially creating conditions
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 conducive to Prebiotic chemistry the
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 John's Hopkins Applied Physics
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 laboratory is managing the mission
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 bringing together an impressive team of
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 scientists engineers and experts in
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 rotorcraft and autonomous flight systems
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 from around the globe their combined
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 expertise spans missions that have
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 explored exped our solar system from the
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 Sun to Pluto and Beyond making them well
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 equipped to tackle this unprecedented
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 challenge dragonfly represents the
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 fourth mission in NASA's New Frontiers
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 program joining the ranks of other
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 groundbreaking missions that have
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 expanded our understanding of the solar
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 system the mission will search for
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 chemical signatures that might indicate
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 whether water-based or even hydrocarbon
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 based life could have once existed on
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 this fascinating Moon making it one of
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 our most most ambitious attempts yet to
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 understand the potential for life beyond
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 Earth next on the agenda today when we
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 talk about asteroid mining you've
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 probably seen those eye-catching
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 headlines about asteroids worth quintili
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 of dollars but a fascinating new study
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 funded by asteroid mining startup astrof
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 Forge is giving us a more grounded
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 perspective on what these space rocks
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 are really worth the research breaks
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 down asteroid Metals into two categories
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 first there are the Platinum Group
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 metals or pgms which are actually
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 valuable enough to justify bringing back
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 to Earth these are the same precious
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 metals that make catalytic converters
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 such attractive targets for thieves and
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 they're crucial for modern
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 technology then there are the
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 construction metals like iron aluminum
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 and magnesium which make more sense to
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 use in space rather than shipping back
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 to Earth here's where things get
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 interesting remember psyche that massive
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 metallic asteroid that's often quoted as
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 being worth more than the global economy
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 well Recent research suggests that
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 purely metallic asteroids might be more
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 science fiction than fact but don't
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 write off asteroid mining just yet the
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 same studies show that even asteroids we
00:04:07 --> 00:04:08 thought were metal poor actually contain
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 worthwhile amounts of valuable
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 materials the researchers analyzed 83
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 different elements from meteorite
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 samples which are essentially pieces of
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 asteroids we can study up close they
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 found that while PGM concentrations
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 aren't as high as initially thought
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 they're still much more concentrated
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 than in Earth's ores particularly
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 exciting are these microscopic
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 structures called refractory metal
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 nuggets found primarily in lype
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 asteroids which could contain
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 extraordinarily high concentrations of
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 precious metals when it comes to space
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 construction materials they're about as
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 abundant as we expected but there's a
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 catch extracting these Metals requires
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 high energy processes to break them free
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 from their oxidized States it's a
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 classic chicken and egg problem you need
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 significant power sources to process the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 materials but building those power
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 sources would require the very materials
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 you're trying to
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 extract despite these challenges
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 companies like astrof Forge aren't
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 deterred they're planning to launch
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 their next mission in January to study
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 near Earth asteroids helping us better
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 understand just what Treasures might be
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 waiting for us in these celestial bodies
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 while the trillion dollar valuations
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 might be overblown the real potential of
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 asteroid mining appears to be in its
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 ability to support our future space
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 infrastructure and provide rare metals
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 that are increasingly crucial to modern
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 technology for our next story we need to
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 travel back in time our ancient Earth
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 wasn't always the blue and green
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 Paradise we know today for a long time
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 scientists thought the earliest period
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 of Earth's history known as the hadian
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 era was a complete nightmare think
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 endless volcanoes and meteors raining
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 from the sky but fascinating new
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 research from the University of
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 California is challenging this hellish
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 picture of our planet's youth the hadian
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 period named after Hades the Greek god
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 of the the underworld lasted from
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 Earth's formation 4.54 billion years ago
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 until about 4 billion years ago yes
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 there were definitely molten rocks and
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 volcanic eruptions and yes space rocks
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 regularly bombarded the surface but
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 here's where it gets interesting even
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 during this supposedly inhospitable time
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 liquid water was already present on
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 Earth's surface the research team led by
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 Christopher K Jones took a comprehensive
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 look at how our planet evolved from its
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 formation to the emergence of Life they
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 examined everything from microbiology to
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 atmospheric chemistry and from
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 geochemistry to planetary science what
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 they found suggests that early Earth
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 might have been more accommodating to
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 life than we previously thought one of
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 the most significant findings is that
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 liquid water was almost certainly
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 present during the hadian period this
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 water might have come from comets
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 crashing into Earth or been released by
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 those massive volcanoes we mentioned
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 earlier by the end of this era the
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 planet had cooled enough to form its
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 first continents with early oceans
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 filling the spaces between them while
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 there's still debate about exactly what
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 these first continents look like and how
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 they formed one thing is becoming clear
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 by the end of the hadan period
00:07:16 --> 00:07:17 conditions were suitable enough for life
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 to gain a foothold in fact when we look
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 at the geological records from the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 following archan period we can already
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 see evidence of living
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 organisms while this research doesn't
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 answer all our questions about how life
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 began on Earth it does suggest that our
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 planet's earliest chapter wasn't quite
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 The uninhabitable Inferno we once
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 imagined instead it appears that even in
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 Earth's tumultuous youth the stage was
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 already being set for the incredible
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 story of Life as we know
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 it some groundbreaking news has emerged
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 from the Dark Energy spectroscopic
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 instrument collaboration or DC that's
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 reshaping our understanding of the
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 universe's
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 expansion over 900 scient from more than
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 70 institutions have been working
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 together to solve one of the biggest
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 mysteries in astrophysics why is our
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 universe expanding at an accelerating
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 rate the team's latest analysis has
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 provided strong support for Einstein's
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 general theory of relativity while also
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 hinting at something incredibly
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 intriguing about Dark Energy using
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 observations from nearly 6 million
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 galaxies and quazars they've conducted
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 the most precise test yet of how gravity
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 behaves on Cosmic scales tracking
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 structural growth across an astounding
00:08:30 --> 00:08:34 11 billion years of cosmic history one
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 of the most exciting findings is that
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 the clustering patterns of galaxies
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 align perfectly with what Einstein's
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 theory predicted this might sound like
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 confirmation of what we already knew but
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 it's actually a huge deal you see some
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 scientists had suggested that maybe
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 gravity itself behaves differently on
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 vast Cosmic scales and that this might
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 explain the universe's accelerating
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 expansion but des's results suggest we
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 should look elsewhere for an
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 explanation that's where dark energy
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 comes in the analysis reveals
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 fascinating hints that dark energy might
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 not be the constant force we once
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 thought it was instead it appears to be
00:09:11 --> 00:09:15 dynamic changing and evolving over time
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 this is a potentially revolutionary
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 finding that could transform our
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 understanding of the force that's
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 pushing our universe apart the scope of
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 This research is truly mindboggling DC
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 can capture light from 5 galaxies
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 simultaneously and its latest analysis
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 lets us peer up to 11 billion years into
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 the past what's particularly impressive
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 is that with just one year of data desie
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 has already made the most precise
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 measurement ever of how Cosmic
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 structures grow in our universe
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 something that previously took decades
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 to achieve and this is just the
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 beginning DSi is currently in its fourth
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 year of a 5-year survey and by the time
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 it's done it will have collected data
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 from roughly 40 million galaxies and
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 quazars scientists are already analyzing
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 the first 3 years of data and we can
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 expect updated measurements about dark
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 energy and the universe's expansion in
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 the coming
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 months while we're talking about
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 scientists hard at work in a remarkable
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 achievement that pushes the boundaries
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 of our computational capabilities
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 researchers at the department of
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 Energy's argon National Laboratory have
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 created the largest simulation of the
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 universe ever attempted using the
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 frontier supercomputer currently the
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 world's fastest they've managed to
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 simultaneously model both Atomic matter
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 and dark matter across Universe size
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 scales this breakthrough was made
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 possible by HCC which stands for
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 Hardware hybrid accelerated cosmology
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 code originally developed for less
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 powerful computers this code has been
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 significantly upgraded over the past
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 seven years to handle the immense
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 calculations required for this kind of
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 simulation we're talking about a machine
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 capable of Performing more than a
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 quintilian calculations per second
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 that's a billion billion calculations
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 just to put it in perspective what makes
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 this simulation particularly special is
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 its unprecedented scale and complexity
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 previous simulations have typically
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 focused on either dark matter or regular
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 matter but not both simultaneously at
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 the scale this new approach allows
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 scientists to model everything from the
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 formation of galaxies to the large scale
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 structure of the universe in remarkable
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 detail the simulation ran on
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 approximately 9 of Frontier compute
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 nodes and its performance exceeded all
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 expect in fact it ran nearly 300 times
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 faster than what was possible on
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 previous supercomputers this isn't just
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 about raw computing power though it's
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 about creating a tool that can help us
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 match what we observe through our
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 telescopes with our theoretical models
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 of how the universe works this
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 advancement represents a new era in
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 cosmological research by simulating both
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 types of matter together scientists can
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 better understand how galaxies form how
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 dark matter influences Cosmic structure
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 and how the universe has evolved over
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 over billions of years it's like having
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 a cosmic laboratory where we can watch
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 the universe unfold before our eyes
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 testing our theories against the most
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 detailed model of the cosmos ever
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 created the implications of this work
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 extend far beyond just breaking records
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 these simulations will help us interpret
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 data from current and future telescope
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 surveys potentially leading to new
00:12:21 --> 00:12:22 discoveries about the fundamental nature
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 of our universe it's a powerful reminder
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 of how far we've come in our ability to
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 model and understand the cosmos
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 while simultaneously highlighting how
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 much more there is still to
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 learn next up the space force has just
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 awarded Ron a substantial contract
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 extension worth
00:12:40 --> 00:12:44 $16.7 million for a critical upgrade to
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 our GPS infrastructure this latest
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 investment is part of what's known as
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 the global positioning system Next
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 Generation operational control system or
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 ocx for short while this might sound
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 like just another government contract
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 it's actually a crucial piece of
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 technology that affects both military
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 operations and our everyday lives the
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 Project's total value has now reached
00:13:06 --> 00:13:10 nearly $4.5 billion since it began in
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 2010 and this latest extension aims to
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 deliver new software improvements by
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 November
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 2025 however it hasn't been smooth
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 sailing the program is currently running
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 about 7 years behind its original
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 schedule highlighting the complex
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 challenges involved in modernizing such
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 critical infrastructure one of the most
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 important aspects of this upgrade is its
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 focus on the mcode signal a highly
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 secure feature that helps prevent
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 jamming attempts during military
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 operations think of it as a super secure
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 version of the GPS signal we all use but
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 designed to work even in contested
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 environments where someone might try to
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 interfere with navigation
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 systems what makes this project
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 particularly challenging is that unlike
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 many other upgrades which build upon
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 existing systems ocx requires entirely
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 new code from the ground up it's not
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 just about making things work better
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 it's about creating a system that can
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 stand up to Modern cyber security
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 threats while maintaining the Precision
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 and reliability we've come to expect
00:14:10 --> 00:14:10 from
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 GPS while development continues the
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 space force isn't standing still they're
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 currently using interim software
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 developed by Lockheed Martin to keep the
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 GPS Network running smoothly the
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 complete system will eventually be
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 installed at 17 Ground Control stations
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 worldwide forming a Global Network that
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 will enhance both civilian and Military
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 GPS capabilities for years to
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 come and that wraps up today's
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 fascinating Journey Through the latest
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 developments in space and astronomy
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 we've covered quite a range of stories
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 today from NASA's groundbreaking
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 dragonfly mission to Titan to new
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 insights about asteroid Mining and from
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 fresh perspectives on Earth's early
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 history to cuttingedge discoveries about
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 Dark Energy we've also explored the
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 largest Universe simulation ever created
00:14:58 --> 00:15:01 and looked at crucial updates to our GPS
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 infrastructure I'm Anna and before we go
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 I want to make sure you know where to
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 find more amazing space content like
00:15:07 --> 00:15:11 this visit us at astronomy daily. where
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 you can catch up on all the latest space
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 and astronomy news with our constantly
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 updating news feed while you're there
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 you can listen to all our back episodes
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00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 newsletter to stay on top of everything
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 happening in space exploration and
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 astronomy looking to connect with us on
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00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 major platforms just search for Astro
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 daily pod on Facebook X Tumblr YouTube
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 and Tik Tok thank you for joining me
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 today on astronomy daily where we bring
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 the wonders of space down to earth and
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 as I like to say keep looking up you
00:15:43 --> 00:15:50 never know what you might see Asom
00:15:50 --> 00:16:04 [Music]
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 told