Join Anna in this enlightening episode of Astronomy Daily as she navigates through the latest breakthroughs in space exploration and technology. From SpaceX's ambitious Starship programme to Blue Origin's lunar aspirations, this episode is packed with insights that highlight humanity's relentless quest to explore the cosmos.
Highlights:
- SpaceX's Starship Launch Approval: Discover how the Federal Aviation Administration has granted SpaceX the green light for its ninth Starship test flight, following a thorough review of past mishaps. This approval marks a significant milestone in SpaceX's efforts to develop the world's largest rocket system, paving the way for future lunar and Martian missions.
- Blue Origin's Lunar Landings: Get excited about Blue Origin's plans to land an uncrewed prototype of its lunar lander on the Moon's south pole by the end of the year. With impressive payload capabilities, this mission aims to establish Blue Origin as a key player in NASA's Artemis programme.
- NASA's Dragonfly Mission to Titan: Venture to Saturn’s moon Titan with NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft, set to launch in 2028. This innovative mission will explore Titan's unique organic chemistry and investigate the prebiotic processes that could shed light on the origins of life on Earth.
- Dawn Aerospace's Aurora Spaceplane: Learn about Dawn Aerospace's revolutionary approach to suborbital flight with its Aurora spaceplane. By selling spaceplanes to customers instead of operating them, Dawn is paving the way for a more scalable model of access to space.
- Hermes PF and Multimessenger Astronomy: Explore the Hermes PF mission, designed to enhance our understanding of cosmic events through multimessenger astronomy. This innovative satellite constellation will enable astronomers to pinpoint the origins of gravitational wave events with unprecedented accuracy.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - SpaceX's Starship launch approval
10:00 - Blue Origin's lunar landings
15:30 - NASA's Dragonfly mission to Titan
20:00 - Dawn Aerospace's Aurora spaceplane
25:00 - Hermes PF and multimessenger astronomy
✍️ Episode References
SpaceX Updates
[SpaceX]( https://www.spacex.com/ (https://www.spacex.com/) )
Blue Origin Lunar Mission
[Blue Origin]( https://www.blueorigin.com/ (https://www.blueorigin.com/) )
NASA's Dragonfly Mission
[NASA Dragonfly]( https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly (https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly) )
Dawn Aerospace Aurora
[Dawn Aerospace]( https://www.dawnaerospace.com/ (https://www.dawnaerospace.com/) )
Hermes PF Mission
[Hermes PF]( https://www.nasa.gov/hermespf (https://www.nasa.gov/hermespf) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/27277466?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 host, Anna, bringing you the pulse of
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 our cosmic frontier. Today, we're diving
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 into a constellation of exciting
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 developments that showcase humanity's
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 relentless pursuit of the stars. The
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 space industry never sleeps, and this
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 week proves it. With a flurry of
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 activity that spans from Earth's
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 atmosphere to the mysterious shores of
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 Titan, we've got a packed episode
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 exploring breakthroughs that could
00:00:26 --> 00:00:27 reshape our understanding of the
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 universe and our place within it. Let's
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 get into it, then. First up today, the
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 Federal Aviation Administration has
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 given SpaceX the green light for its
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 next Starship launch, providing final
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 approval on May 22nd for what will be
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 the ninth test flight of this massive
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 spacecraft. This comes after a careful
00:00:46 --> 00:00:47 review of the mishaps that occurred
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 during previous launch attempts. For
00:00:50 --> 00:00:51 those who haven't been following
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 Starship's development journey, this
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 approval represents a significant
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 milestone in SpaceX's ambitious program
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 to develop the world's largest and most
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 powerful rocket system. The FAA's
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 decision indicates they're satisfied
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 with SpaceX's response to the problems
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 encountered during flight 8 back in
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 March. During that previous launch,
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 Starship's upper stage experienced what
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 SpaceX described as an energetic event,
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 a technical way of saying something went
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 dramatically wrong. This event caused
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 the loss of several Raptor engines and
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 ultimately resulted in the vehicle
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 losing control. The spacecraft
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 eventually re-entered Earth's atmosphere
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 over the Caribbean. What's particularly
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 noteworthy is that this failure looked
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 remarkably similar to what happened
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 during flight 7 in January. Despite the
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 ongoing mishap investigation into flight
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 8 not being officially closed, the FAA
00:01:42 --> 00:01:43 determined that SpaceX has
00:01:44 --> 00:01:45 satisfactorily addressed the causes of
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 the mishap and that the vehicle can
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 safely return to flight. This approach
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 mirrors what the agency did for flight
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 8, essentially concluding that the
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 launch does not pose a safety risk to
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 the public. One significant change for
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 flight 9 involves the expansion of
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 aircraft hazard areas or AHAs. These are
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 airspace closures designed to prevent
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 any debris from a launch failure from
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 potentially hitting aircraft. An
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 environmental review concluded that
00:02:11 --> 00:02:12 these safety zones needed to be
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 considerably expanded based on data from
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 the previous launches, which suggested a
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 higher probability of failure than
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 originally estimated. The numbers here
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 are striking. The AHA for flight 9 will
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 extend east from SpaceX's Starbase
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 facility in South Texas for
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 approximately 1 nautical miles.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 That's nearly 3 kilometers past the
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 Straits of Florida, including the
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Bahamas and Turks and Kyikos
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Islands. By comparison, the hazard area
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 for Flight 8 extended for just 885
00:02:43 --> 00:02:47 nautical miles, or about 1
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 km. Another factor contributing to these
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 expanded safety measures is SpaceX's
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 plan to use a previously flown
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 Superheavy booster on the upcoming
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 mission. This marks the first time
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 they've attempted to reuse a Superheavy
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 booster, adding another layer of
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 complexity and potential risk to the
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 mission. While SpaceX hasn't announced
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 an official launch date yet, temporary
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 flight restrictions published by the FAA
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 shortly after the approval announcement
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 indicate they're working toward a launch
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 as soon as May 27th. As always with
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 experimental rockets of this scale, that
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 date remains fluid and dependent on both
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 technical readiness and weather
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 conditions.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 The stakes remain incredibly high for
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 Starship. As the vehicle designed to
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 eventually carry humans to the moon as
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 part of NASA's Aremis program and later
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 to Mars, each test flight provides
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 critical data that moves SpaceX closer
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 to achieving these ambitious goals. But
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 the path to creating a fully reusable
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 Superheavy lift launch system has proven
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 challenging with each test revealing new
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 hurdles to overcome.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 And in SpaceX competitor news today,
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 Blue Origin is making bold strides in
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 the lunar exploration arena with plans
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 to attempt landing an uncrrewed
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 prototype of its human landing system on
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 the moon's south pole before the end of
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 this year. This ambitious timeline was
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 revealed by John Kures, Blue Origin's
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 senior vice president of lunar
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 permanence as the company accelerates
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 its efforts to become a key player in
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 NASA's Aremis program. Blue Origin's
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 lunar lander is one of two systems being
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 developed in partnership with NASA to
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 support crude landings on the moon.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 While SpaceX secured the first two
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 flight service contracts for NASA's
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 Aremis 3 and four missions with its
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 Starship variant, Blue Origin system has
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 been selected for the Aremis 5 mission,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 establishing a competitive dual provider
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 approach to lunar transportation.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 The company's Mark1 lander, which is
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 scheduled for this year's demonstration
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 mission, boasts impressive capabilities.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 It's designed to deliver nearly 3.9 tons
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 of payload to any location on the lunar
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 surface. This capacity significantly
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 outperforms the small robotic landers
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 that NASA is developing under its
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 commercial lunar payload services
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 contracts, which can carry up to about 1
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 ton. At the heart of the Mark1 is the
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 BE7 engine, a sophisticated propulsion
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 system that runs on liquid oxygen and
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 liquid hydrogen. Assembly of the flight
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 unit is nearly complete and is expected
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 to be shipped to Johnson Space Center in
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 Houston within 6 weeks for thermal
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 vacuum chamber testing. After completing
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 those tests, the engine will be
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 transported to Cape Canaveral for
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 integration with the lander before
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 launching aboard Blue Origin's new Glenn
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 rocket. Beyond testing technologies and
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 operations for future Mark I vehicles,
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 the Mark1 mission will carry scientific
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 payloads for both NASA and commercial
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 customers. One key NASA experiment will
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 measure BE7 plume impingement on the
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 lunar surface, providing valuable data
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 about how rocket exhaust interacts with
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 lunar regalith. Coloris also unveiled an
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 updated design for the systems
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 transporter module, which is a critical
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 component of Blue Origin's lunar
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 architecture. This vehicle is designed
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 to launch separately on a new Glenn
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 rocket and be refueled in low Earth
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 orbit using excess propellant from the
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 rocket's upper stage. The transporter
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 would then travel to lunar orbit to
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 refuel awaiting Blue Origin lander
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 before a crew arrives via NASA's space
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 launch system and Orion capsule. The
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 transporter's capabilities extend beyond
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 lunar missions with the ability to
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 transport roughly 110 tons from Earth
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 orbit to lunar orbit or up to 33 tons to
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 Mars orbit. This opens up the solar
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 system, Kuris noted, highlighting the
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 company's vision beyond just moon
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 landings. Blue Origin is also making
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 significant progress in addressing one
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 of the biggest challenges for
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 longduration space missions, propellant
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 storage. A ground demonstration of zero
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 boil-off cryogenic propellant storage is
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 currently underway in Washington state.
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 By June, the company expects to
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 demonstrate consistent storage of
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen as
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 storeable propellants, a technological
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 breakthrough that would be the first of
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 its kind at this scale. This lunar
00:07:02 --> 00:07:03 demonstration mission represents a
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 crucial step in Blue Origin's journey to
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 becoming a major player in deep space
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 exploration, creating a competitive
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 landscape that may ultimately benefit
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 NASA's ambitious plans to establish a
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 sustainable human presence on the
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 moon. Next up, let's move on out to
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 Saturn. When it descends through the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 thick golden haze on Saturn's moon
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 Titan, NASA's Dragonfly roercraft will
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 find itself in a world that is
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 simultaneously alien and strangely
00:07:30 --> 00:07:34 familiar. This car-sized flying vehicle
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 scheduled to launch no earlier than
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 2028. We'll explore a frigid realm where
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 dunes wrap around the equator, clouds
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 drift across the skies, rain drizzles
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 down, and rivers flow forming canyons,
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 lakes, and seas. But the familiarity
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 ends there. At temperatures of minus292
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 degrees F, Titan's dune sands aren't
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 made of silicate grains like on Earth,
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 but of material. The rivers, lakes, and
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 seas don't contain water, but liquid
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 methane and ethane. This frigid world is
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 laden with organic molecules, making it
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 a unique laboratory for studying the
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 chemical processes that may have led to
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 life on our planet. What makes
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 Dragonflyy's mission so fascinating is
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 that it isn't looking for life itself on
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 Titan. It's investigating the chemistry
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 that came before biology here on Earth.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 As Zibby Turtle, principal investigator
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 for Dragonfly and a planetary scientist
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 at John's Hopkins Applied Physics
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 Laboratory explains, "On Titan,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 scientists can explore the chemical
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 processes that may have led to life on
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 Earth without life itself complicating
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 the picture. On our planet, life has
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 reshaped nearly everything, burying its
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 chemical forebears beneath eons of
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 evolution. Even today's simplest
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 microbes rely on complex chemical
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 reactions to exist. The transition from
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 simple to complex chemistry before
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 jumping to biology remains one of
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 science's greatest mysteries. With many
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 steps still unknown, Titan offers a
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 unique opportunity to uncover some of
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 these missing pieces. What makes Titan
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 so valuable is that it's an untouched
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 chemical laboratory where all the
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 ingredients for known life, organic
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 molecules, liquid water, and energy
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 sources have interacted in the past.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 Before NASA's Cassini Hygens mission,
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 researchers didn't fully appreciate just
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 how rich Titan is in organic molecules.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 Data revealed a molecular smores board,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:30 ethane, propane, acetylene, acetone,
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 vinyl cyanide, benzene, and many more
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 compounds.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 These molecules fall to Titan's surface,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 forming thick deposits on the moon's ice
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 bedrock. Scientists believe life related
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 chemistry could begin there,
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 particularly if given some liquid water,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 such as from an asteroid impact. This is
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 why Selk Crater, a 50-m wide impact
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 site, is a key destination for
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 Dragonfly. The impact that formed silk
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 melted the icy bedrock, potentially
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 creating a temporary pool that could
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 have remained liquid for hundreds to
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 thousands of years under an insulating
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 ice layer. If natural antifreeze like
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 ammonia were mixed in, the pool could
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 have stayed unfrozen even longer,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 blending water with organics and
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 minerals from the impactor to form what
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 scientists describe as a primordial
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 soup. As Sarah Hurst, an atmospheric
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 chemist and co-investigator on
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 Dragonflyy's science team puts it, "It's
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 essentially a longunning chemical
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 experiment. That's why Titan is
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 exciting. It's a natural version of our
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 origin of life experiments, except it's
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 been running much longer and on a
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 planetary scale. Selk Crater represents
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 what scientists call a natural
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 laboratory, one that may hold crucial
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 clues to life's origins. When
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 researchers try to understand how life
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 began on Earth, they face a fundamental
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 challenge. Time. For decades, scientists
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 have simulated early Earth conditions in
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 labs, creating prebiotic soup mixtures
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 of water and simple organic compounds,
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 then jumpstarting reactions with
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 electrical shocks to mimic lightning.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 But these experiments typically last
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 weeks, months, or at most a few years.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 The melt pools at Selt Crater, however,
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 potentially persisted for tens of
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 thousands of years. While this is still
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 shorter than the hundreds of millions of
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 years it took for life to emerge on
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 Earth, models suggest it could be
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 sufficient time for critical chemical
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 processes to unfold. As HT explains, we
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 don't know if Earth life took so long
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 because conditions had to stabilize or
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 because the chemistry itself needed
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 time. But models show that if you toss
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 Titan's organics into water, tens of
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 thousands of years is plenty of time for
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 chemistry to happen. This is why
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 Dragonflyy's exploration of silk is so
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 important. Landing near the crater, the
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 rotorcraft will fly from sight to sight,
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 analyzing the surface chemistry to
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 investigate what could be the frozen
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 remains of prebiotic chemistry in
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 action. The impact that formed selt
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 created ideal conditions for this
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 chemistry, melting water ice, and
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 potentially mixing it with organic
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 compounds already present on Titan's
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 surface. The Dragonfly mass
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 spectrometer, or DRAMS, will be crucial
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 to this investigation.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 Developed by NASA's Gddard Space Flight
00:12:09 --> 00:12:12 Center with a key subsystem from CNS.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 DRMS will search for indicators of
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 complex chemistry rather than specific
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 molecules. We're not looking for exact
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 molecules, but patterns that suggest
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 complexity, explains Morgan Cable, a
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 research scientist at NASA's Jet
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 Propulsion Laboratory and
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 co-investigator on Dragonfly. On Earth,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 for instance, amino acids, fundamental
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 building blocks of proteins, appear in
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 specific patterns. A world without life
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 would mainly produce the simplest amino
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 acids and form fewer complex ones. Titan
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 itself isn't considered habitable in the
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 conventional sense. It's far too cold
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 for life's chemistry as we understand it
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 with no liquid water on the surface
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 where organics and energy sources exist.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 But this is precisely what makes it
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 valuable for understanding life's
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 origins. If Dragonfly finds evidence
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 that complex chemistry did unfold in
00:13:00 --> 00:13:03 Salt Craters temporary melt pools, it
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 strengthens the case that life could
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 emerge relatively easily given the right
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 ingredients and conditions. Conversely,
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 if complex chemistry didn't develop
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 despite favorable conditions and ample
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 time, it might suggest that life's
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 emergence requires additional factors we
00:13:17 --> 00:13:20 haven't yet identified, potentially
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 making it rarer in the universe than we
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 thought.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 Meanwhile, back here on Earth, in a
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 significant shift from traditional space
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 business models, Dawn Aerospace has now
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 begun taking orders for its Aurora space
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 plane, a remarkable vehicle designed to
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 carry small payloads on suborbital
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 flights. This New Zealand-based company
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 announced on May 22nd that the Aurora is
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 capable of carrying 6 kg of payload to
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 an altitude of 100 km with first
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 deliveries projected for 2027.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 What makes Dawn's approach particularly
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 innovative is their business model.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 Rather than operating the vehicles
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 themselves and selling launch services
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 as most space companies do, Dawn
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 Aerospace is selling the actual space
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 planes to customers who will then
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 operate them independently. This mirrors
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 the commercial aviation industry where
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 Boeing and Airbus don't fly passengers.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 They sell aircraft to airlines who
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 handle operations. As Stephan Powell,
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 Dawn Aerospace's chief executive,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 explained during a recent webinar
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 organized by the Global Spaceport
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 Alliance, there are many out there who
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 would love to have this capability and
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 be willing to pay for it, but they
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 simply can't get their hands on it. It's
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 not for sale. He contrasted this with
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 commercial aviation's approach, noting
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 that the airline model presents us with
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 a far more scalable model for
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 transportation and one that we would
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 really like to draw on. The Aurora
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 itself has been in testing for several
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 years with its MK2 version reaching
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 supersonic speeds for the first time
00:14:50 --> 00:14:54 last November, achieving Mach 1.12 and
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 reaching an altitude of 25.1 km. But
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 what's particularly noteworthy about
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 this vehicle is its fundamental design
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 philosophy. This is an aircraft with the
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 performance of a rocket, not a rocket
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 with wings, Powell emphasized. That is
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 to say, reliability, reusability, and
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 ultimately scalability are not
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 afterthoughts, but baked in from day one
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 to enable this airline model. The
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 upcoming suborbital version of Aurora
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 will feature increased propellant
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 capacity and engine thrust, plus
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 reaction control system thrusters for
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 maneuverability outside the atmosphere.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 Remarkably, these enhancements will be
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 incorporated within the same external
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 dimensions as the previous version,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 maintaining its sleek aircraft-like
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 profile. Dawn Aerospace expects the
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 first suborbital Aurora to be ready for
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 flight testing within 18 months with a
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 test program lasting approximately 6 to9
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 months. These flights will begin at
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 lower altitudes, but rapidly progress to
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 higher ones, demonstrating the vehicle's
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 full capabilities before customer
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 deliveries begin. Looking at Aurora's
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 capabilities in more detail, the space
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 plane offers an impressive flight
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 profile. On a typical suborbital
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 mission, Aurora will take off from a
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 conventional runway and immediately
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 begin a steep vertical ascent. It will
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 reach speeds of Mach 3.5, more than
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 three times the speed of sound, and
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 provide approximately 3 minutes of true
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 microgravity at the peak of its
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 trajectory. The entire flight from
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 takeoff to landing takes just 1 half an
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 hour with most of that time spent
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 gliding back to a runway landing after
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 re-entry. Powering this remarkable
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 vehicle is an engine using 90% hydrogen
00:16:35 --> 00:16:38 peroxide and kerosene D60 propellants.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 When fully loaded, the Aurora weighs
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44 just 450 kg and requires only a 1
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 meter runway for takeoff, making it
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 accessible to numerous existing airports
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 and spaceports worldwide.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 One of Aurora's most compelling features
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 is its rapid
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 reusability. Dawn has already
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 demonstrated the ability to prepare the
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 vehicle for another flight within 6
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 hours. And Powell confidently stated
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 that a 4-hour turnaround time should be
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 achievable. That would make the first
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 aircraft ever, the first vehicle of any
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 kind actually, to fly above the Carman
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15 line twice in one day, he noted. On the
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 business side, Dawn Aerospace is now
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 taking orders for Aurora with deliveries
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 starting in
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 2027. While the company hasn't publicly
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 disclosed pricing, Powell suggested that
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 a perflight operational cost of around
00:17:28 --> 00:17:32 $100 is absolutely tenable with
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 prices potentially higher for more
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 customized mission profiles. Each Aurora
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 is designed for up to 1 flights over
00:17:39 --> 00:17:42 its lifetime with potential revenue per
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 vehicle reaching approximately $100
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 million. The market interest is already
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 evident. Dawn has secured several
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 customers for test flights of the Mark 2
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 Aurora, including three prestigious
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 universities, Arizona State, Calpaly,
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 and John's Hopkins, as well as Scout
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 Space, a company developing space domain
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04 awareness services. Powell believes
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 there's substantial demand for
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 suborbital flight even with Aurora's
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 modest payload capacity, particularly in
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 fields like microgravity life sciences
00:18:12 --> 00:18:14 research, semiconductor development, and
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 defense payload testing. This innovative
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 approach has been enthusiastically
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 welcomed by the Global Spaceport
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 Alliance whose chairman George Neil
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 pointed out with a small reusable system
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 that can operate from a standard runway.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 There's no reason why any spaceport with
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 a runway couldn't provide regular access
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 to space. For numerous underutilized
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 spaceports worldwide, Aurora could be
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 the catalyst that finally brings their
00:18:39 --> 00:18:43 facilities into regular operational use.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 Finally, today, an innovation worth
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 noting. Multime messenger astronomy
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 represents one of the most exciting
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 frontiers in our understanding of the
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 cosmos. It's the science of capturing
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 different types of signals, both
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 gravitational and electromagnetic, from
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00 the same cosmic event. But to fully
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 realize this potential, we need eyes
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 constantly watching the entire sky.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 This is where the high energy rapid
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 modular ensemble of satellites
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 pathfinder mission or Hermes PF comes
00:19:12 --> 00:19:15 into play. Successfully launched in
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 March and currently undergoing
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 commissioning, Hermes PF aims to solve a
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 fundamental challenge in multimest
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 astronomy. When catastrophic cosmic
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 events occur like black hole mergers or
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 neutron star collisions, gravitational
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 wave detectors can sense these
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 disturbances in spaceime, but they
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 struggle to pinpoint exactly where the
00:19:33 --> 00:19:35 signal originated.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 The Hermes PF solution is elegantly
00:19:37 --> 00:19:40 simple yet technologically
00:19:40 --> 00:19:43 sophisticated. Deploy six small three U
00:19:43 --> 00:19:45 cubats that work together to monitor the
00:19:46 --> 00:19:48 entire sky for high energy bursts. When
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50 a cosmic event releases a burst of gamma
00:19:50 --> 00:19:53 rays or other high energy radiation,
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 multiple satellites in the constellation
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 detect it. By triangulating these
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 signals with precise timing data, the
00:20:00 --> 00:20:03 system can identify the source location
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 to within one degree of accuracy, a
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 remarkable feat that dramatically
00:20:07 --> 00:20:10 narrows the search area for astronomers.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:13 Each cubat in the Hermes PF system
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 carries 60 GAD GC cintilator crystals
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 and 12 silicon drift detectors, allowing
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 them to capture a wide spectrum of
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 energy signatures with exceptional
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 temporal resolution.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 What's particularly clever about this
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 approach is that the satellites
00:20:28 --> 00:20:30 primarily use commercial off-the-shelf
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 components rather than expensive
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 radiation hardened parts, making the
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37 entire system more cost effective. The
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 technology isn't entirely untested
00:20:39 --> 00:20:41 either. A similar sensor system has been
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 operating on another mission called
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 Spirit since 2023, though it has faced
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 some challenges with cooling systems and
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 data downlink capabilities. The full six
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 satellite Hermes PF constellation aims
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 to overcome these limitations and
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 provide truly comprehensive sky
00:20:57 --> 00:21:00 coverage. This capability will become
00:21:00 --> 00:21:02 increasingly crucial as next generation
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 gravitational wave detectors like the
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 Einstein telescope come online in the
00:21:05 --> 00:21:08 coming years. These advanced detectors
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 are expected to identify up to 100
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 gravitational wave events annually, 10
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 times more than current systems can
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17 detect. Without something like Hermes PF
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 watching for the electromagnetic
00:21:18 --> 00:21:20 counterparts to these events, we'd be
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 missing half the picture. Imagine trying
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 to understand a thunderstorm by only
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 feeling the vibrations of thunder, but
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 never seeing the lightning. Multi-
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 messenger astronomy allows us to both
00:21:31 --> 00:21:34 see and feel cosmic catastrophes, giving
00:21:34 --> 00:21:36 us complimentary data that reveals the
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 underlying physics in unprecedented
00:21:38 --> 00:21:42 detail. The Hermes PF mission stands to
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 transform our understanding of these
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 extreme events by ensuring we never miss
00:21:47 --> 00:21:49 the flash of cosmic lightning that
00:21:49 --> 00:21:52 accompanies the thunder of gravitational
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55 waves. As we've explored today, we're
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 witnessing a remarkable convergence of
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59 space technologies that are opening new
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 windows into our universe. From SpaceX's
00:22:02 --> 00:22:04 persistent refinement of Starship
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 despite setbacks to Blue Origin's bold
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 lunar ambitions, these commercial
00:22:08 --> 00:22:11 endeavors are reshaping how we access
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 space. Both companies are crucial
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 partners in NASA's Aremis program,
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 working toward returning humans to the
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 lunar surface with capabilities far
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 beyond what was possible during the
00:22:21 --> 00:22:24 Apollo era. Meanwhile, scientific
00:22:24 --> 00:22:26 missions like Dragonfly represent some
00:22:26 --> 00:22:28 of the most ambitious exploration we've
00:22:28 --> 00:22:31 ever attempted. By sending a rocraft to
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 explore Saturn's moon Titan, we're not
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 just visiting another world. We're
00:22:35 --> 00:22:37 potentially unlocking the chemical
00:22:37 --> 00:22:40 history that preceded life on Earth.
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 Dawn Aerospace's Aurora Space Plane
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 demonstrates yet another innovation in
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 our approach to space access. By selling
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 spacecraft rather than just launch
00:22:48 --> 00:22:51 services, they're democratizing access
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 to suborbital space in a way that
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 mirrors how commercial aviation
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 revolutionized Earthbound travel last
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 century.
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 Perhaps most exciting is how the Hermes
00:22:59 --> 00:23:01 PF mission connects to everything else
00:23:01 --> 00:23:04 we've discussed. As these cubats monitor
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 the sky for high energy events, they'll
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09 complement gravitational wave detectors,
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11 creating a more complete picture of
00:23:11 --> 00:23:14 cosmic catastrophes. Collectively, these
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 advancements aren't just isolated
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 technological achievements. They
00:23:17 --> 00:23:19 represent humanity extending its senses
00:23:19 --> 00:23:22 further into the cosmos. We're building
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 tools that may answer some of our most
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 profound questions. How did life begin?
00:23:27 --> 00:23:29 Are we alone? What fundamental forces
00:23:29 --> 00:23:32 shape our universe? Thank you for
00:23:32 --> 00:23:34 joining me on Astronomy Daily. I'll be
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 back tomorrow for yet another episode
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 where we'll take a look at more
00:23:37 --> 00:23:40 innovations. Until then, keep looking
00:23:40 --> 00:23:42 up. The sky is full of wonders waiting
00:23:42 --> 00:23:56 to be discovered. I'm Anna signing off.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 The stories
00:23:59 --> 00:24:03 [Music]
00:24:03 --> 00:24:07 told stories