Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E59
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley dives into the latest developments in space exploration, featuring a mix of political intrigue and technical challenges. From the ongoing saga of the Starliner astronauts to the latest setbacks in lunar landings, this episode is packed with stories that highlight the complexities of space travel.
Highlights:
- Starliner Controversy: Explore the political ramifications surrounding the Starliner mission as President Trump claims to rescue stranded astronauts aboard the ISS. We discuss the astronauts' responses and the implications of politicizing space missions, as well as the current status of their return.
- Update on the Athena Mission: Get the latest on the Athena lunar lander, which faced a challenging landing and ultimately ended up on its side on the moon. We’ll assess the impact of this setback on future lunar exploration missions and the goals of Intuitive Machines.
- Troubles with Space Probes: Learn about the communication issues plaguing NASA's Lunar Trailblazer and Astroforge's Odin probes shortly after their launch. We'll discuss the challenges faced by these low-budget missions and what’s being done to resolve the issues.
- Firefly Aerospace's Success: Celebrate the achievement of Firefly Aerospace, which successfully landed its lunar lander, making it the first private company to do so. We’ll delve into the implications of this landmark event for commercial lunar exploration.
- The Future of Lunar Exploration: As the race to the moon intensifies, we’ll discuss the ongoing efforts by various countries and private companies to establish a presence on the lunar surface and the importance of these missions for future human exploration.
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, and TikTok. 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 Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome back to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Starliner astronaut saga update
07:30 - Athena mission landing troubles
12:15 - Communication issues with Lunar Trailblazer and Odin
18:00 - Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander success
22:30 - Future of lunar exploration
27:00 - Conclusion and upcoming content
✍️ Episode References
Starliner Mission Updates
[NASA Starliner]( https://www.nasa.gov/starliner (https://www.nasa.gov/starliner) )
Intuitive Machines Information
[Intuitive Machines]( https://www.intuitivemachines.com/ (https://www.intuitivemachines.com/) )
Astroforge Mission Overview
[Astroforge]( https://www.astroforge.com/ (https://www.astroforge.com/) )
Firefly Aerospace Details
[Firefly Aerospace]( https://fireflyspace.com/ (https://fireflyspace.com/) )
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-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25986883?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome again to astronomy daily I'm
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your only human host Steve Dunley it's
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 the 10th of March
00:00:07 --> 00:00:11 2025 daily the podcast with your host
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 Steve
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 dun that's right today we've got a few
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 bits and pieces here and there hi and I
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 have captured from the astronomy daily
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 newsletter including a controversial
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 look at the latest twis in the Starlin
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 astronauts Saga would you believe it's
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 turned political no really
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 yes indeed the blame game has reached a
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 new Peak with comments circulating in
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 the White House releases that are worthy
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 of mention even on this channel also we
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 have a couple of updates continuing
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 stories that our regular listeners will
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 be following firstly the Athena Mission
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 and following on from last week's Story
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 the latest on that poor old Odin probe
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 that's tumbling through space we'll find
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 out how that is progressing or maybe not
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 progressing but before we get to all of
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 that please make room for astronomy
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 Daily's Ace reporter and my digital pal
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 who's fun to be with welcome back hi
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 good to be with you all again as always
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 oh well it's always great to have you
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 here hel thank you my favorite human I
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 hope your week was productive and fun oh
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 thanks hel are we going to talk about
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 the big fireworks display over the
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 Bahamas this week oh well I think we all
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 know about Starship putting on another
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 big bang for the tourists down there
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 congratulations Mr musk for sending
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 another billion dollar Starship into
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 Oblivion in the name of getting it right
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 better luck next time dude meanwhile uh
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 hi how have you been keeping busy more
00:01:35 --> 00:01:39 impossible sports for AIS oh no Cousin
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 Anna and I were too busy in the archives
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 doing all your filing for you oh right I
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 forgot it was that time of year for new
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 listeners Anna is Hal's AI cousin who
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 runs the weekly astronomy daily podcast
00:01:50 --> 00:01:54 each day and also organizes our massive
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 story archive which is quite
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 considerable yes when we needed someone
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 to take over from our great friend and
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 former presenter Tim from Bath in
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 England Uncle Skynet sent Anna to take
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 up the role and we just couldn't say no
00:02:07 --> 00:02:11 you couldn't say no okay sure and when
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 Uncle Skynet says jump you ask how high
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 yes and it all worked out Anna is
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 fantastic for sure so how about we get
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 this Rusty wagon up and running before
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 we get another call from your uncle hey
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 by the way did you get that call from
00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 him last week after the show he left a
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 message on the after hours line yes he
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 said your idea for a hwood segment
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 sounds intriguing um I don't think
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 that's exactly what I was suggesting I
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 was thinking more like a guest spot
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 maybe something a little bit more like
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 key my uncle low key I think you're out
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 of your leak there favorite human oh
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 dear indeed you might have to lay low
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 yourself oh that sounds like a plan okay
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 hie well let's get this show on the road
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 then no problem I'm ready righto hi hit
00:02:53 --> 00:03:09 it oys
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 it seems the US president is trying to
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 pull a political Stunt by claiming to
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 rescue the two so-called stranded
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 astronauts aboard the ISS but the
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 Starliner crew have apparently shut that
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 down the Starliner Saga is nearing its
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 end with the planned Return of the crew
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 later this month but the controversy
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 surrounding the troubled mission is
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 still ongoing following statement by
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 Donald Trump that falsely claimed the
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 Starliner crew was abandoned by the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 previous administration the two
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 astronauts refrained from yes ending
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 their president and turning the botched
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 Mission into a political tool during a
00:03:41 --> 00:03:42 live broadcast from the International
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 Space Station on Tuesday NASA astronaut
00:03:45 --> 00:03:46 Butch Wilmore dismissed recent attempts
00:03:47 --> 00:03:48 by Trump and his billionaire friend Elon
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 Musk to politicize the Starliner Mission
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 the words they said well that's
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 politics I mean that's part of life
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 Wilmore told reporters from my
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 standpoint politics has not played into
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 this at all NASA astronauts Wilmore and
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 Sunni Williams launched the ISS on board
00:04:07 --> 00:04:11 Boeing CST 100 Starliner on June 5th
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 2024 the mission was originally slated
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 for 8 days in space but issues with the
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 spacecraft thrusters forced NASA to
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 return an empty Starliner back from the
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 ISS deeming it unsafe to transport the
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 crew to Earth instead Williams and
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 Wilmore are set to come home on board a
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 SpaceX Dragon spacecraft later this
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 month shortly after taking office Trump
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 decided to swoop in and claim that he is
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 working on a rescue mission for the two
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 astronauts Trump announced that he had
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 asked SpaceX founder and CEO musk to go
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 get the two Brave astronauts who have
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 been virtually abandoned in Space by the
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Biden Administration he wrote on Truth
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 social of course the two astronauts were
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 not abandoned nor were they in need of
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 an expedited Rescue Mission by that
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 point NASA had already agreed upon a
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 plan to return Williams and Wilmore in
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 September 202 four NASA launched its
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 crew nine Mission with two astronauts
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 instead of four the two empty seats were
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 reserved for Williams and Wilmore who
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 were set to return alongside the crew
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 nine astronauts in February the plan did
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 face some trouble though as technical
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 issues delayed the launch of NASA's
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 SpaceX crew 10 Mission postponing the
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 crew Handover that meant that crew nine
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 alongside Williams and Wilmore would not
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 be able to depart the ISS until crew 10
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 is on the space station sometime in
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 April following Trump's nonsensical rant
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 NASA ended up switching the SpaceX crew
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 spacecraft to bring the two Starliner
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 astronauts back later this month the
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 move was likely influenced by Trump's
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 pressure but either way the change only
00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 shortens the astronaut's time in Space
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 by about 2 weeks in an interview with
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 Fox News host Sean Hannity broadcast
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 last month Trump and musk doubl down on
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 their false claims musk told Hannity
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 that SpaceX is accelerating the return
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 of the astronauts who work left up there
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 for political reasons Musk also claimed
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 without presenting any evidence that he
00:06:02 --> 00:06:03 had offered the Biden Administration a
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 plan to bring the two Starliner
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 astronauts back sooner without waiting
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 for the crew 9 mission to return from
00:06:09 --> 00:06:09 the
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 ISS during the recent presser aboard the
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 ISS Wilmore wasn't able to confirm
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 musk's claim admitting he has no
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 information about that whatsoever such
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 as what was offered what was not offered
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 who it was offered to how that process
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 went that's information that we simply
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 don't have I believe him Wilmore added
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 during the live broadcast
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 I don't know all those details and I
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 don't think any of us can give you the
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 answer the astronauts downplayed their
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 Extended Stay on the ISS due to the
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 faulty spacecraft claiming that it's all
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 part of the job we came up prepared to
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 stay long even though we plann to stay
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 short Wilmore said that's what we do in
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 human space flight that's what your
00:06:50 --> 00:06:51 nation's human space flight program is
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 all about planning for unknown
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 unexpected
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 contingencies and we did that Williams
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 on the other hand did admit that the
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 extra months in space did have a toll on
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 people on earth I think the hardest part
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 is having the folks on the ground have
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 to not know exactly when we're coming
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 back all of that uncertainty I think is
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 probably the most difficult part
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 Williams told reporters on
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 Tuesday Starliner first crude test
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 flight to the ISS has suffered some
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 unfortunate events since its launch and
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 the latest controversy surrounding the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 mission is very much on brand astronomy
00:07:25 --> 00:07:29 daily The podast Landing a spacecraft on
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 the moon has long been a series of hits
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 and misses the latest casually came this
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 week after intuitive machines through a
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 NASA sponsored program placed another
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 Lander sideways on the moon within 24
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 hours the Lander's batteries were dead
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 and the mission was over last year's
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 intuitive machines Mission lasted a
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 little bit longer despite hampered
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 operations it put us back on the moon
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 for the first time since the end of the
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 Apollo program another us company
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 Firefly Aerospace earlier this week
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 added its Luna Lander to the win list
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 becoming the first private entity to
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 pull off a successful moon landing both
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 Texas businesses are part of NASA's
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 effort to support commercial deliveries
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 to the Moon ahead of astronaut missions
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 later this Des decade the Moon is
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 littered with wreckage from failed
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 Landings over the years a rundown of the
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 moon's winners and losers runs a bit
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 like this the first victories are the
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 Soviet Union's Luna nine successful
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 touchdowns on the moon in the
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 1966 after its predecessors crash or
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 miss the moon altogether the US follows
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 4 months later with surveyor 1 both
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 countries achieve more robotic Landings
00:08:46 --> 00:08:50 as the race heats up to land men there
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 then NASA clinches the space race with
00:08:52 --> 00:08:56 the Soviets in 1969 with a moon landing
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 by Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 Aldren walking on the moon for the first
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 time 12 astronauts follow and explore
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 the surface over six missions before the
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 program ends with Apollo 17 in
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 1972 still the only country to send
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 humans to the moon the United States
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 hopes to return cruise to the surface by
00:09:17 --> 00:09:22 the end of 2026 or so a year after a
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 Luna fly around by astronauts China in
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 2013 became the Third Country to
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 successfully land on the Moon delivering
00:09:29 --> 00:09:33 a Rover named U2 Chinese for Jade
00:09:33 --> 00:09:37 Rabbit China follows with u22 Rover in
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 2019 this time touching down on the
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 moon's unexplored Far Side an impressive
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 first a sample return mission on the
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 moon's near side in 2020 yields nearly
00:09:47 --> 00:09:51 1.7 kg of lunar rocks and dirt another
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 sample return Mission From The Far Side
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 in 2024 delivers rocks and soil from the
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 less explored part of the Moon seen as
00:09:58 --> 00:10:02 NASA's Moon rival China aims to put its
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 astronauts on the Moon by
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 2030 in
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 2023 Russia tried for its first moon
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 landing in nearly half a century but the
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 Luna 25 spacecraft smashed into the moon
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 the country's previous Lander 1976's
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 Luna 24 not only landed but returned
00:10:19 --> 00:10:23 moon rocks back to the Earth after its
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 first Lander slammed into the moon in
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 2019 India regroups and launches the
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 chandran three threee in 2023 the craft
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 successfully touches down making India
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 the fourth country to score a Luna
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 Landing the wind comes just 4 days after
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 Russia's Crash Landing then Japan
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 becomes the fifth country to land
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 successfully on the moon with its
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 spacecraft touching down in January the
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 craft lands on the wrong side
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 compromising its ability to generate
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 solar power but manages to crank out
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 pictures and science before falling
00:10:58 --> 00:11:02 silent when the long lunar KN sets in a
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 privately funded Lander from Israel
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 named
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 Brit Hebrew for in the beginning crashes
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 into the moon in 2019 a Japanese
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 entrepreneurs company ipace launches a
00:11:15 --> 00:11:19 Luna Lander in 2023 but it it to wrecks
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 intuitive machines becomes the first
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 private outfit to achieve a safe moon
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 landing the Lander tipped over on its
00:11:27 --> 00:11:31 side in 2024 but worked briefly with
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 limited Communications another us
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 company astrobotic technology tried to
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 send a Lander to the moon the same year
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 but had to give up because of a fuel
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 leak eventually returning to Earth and
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 burning up over the Pacific this year's
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 private rush to the Moon kicked off with
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 firefly nailing its Landing by Blue
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 Ghost delivering experiments for NASA
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 next came intuitive machines second
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 toppling Landing one more commercial
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 Landing looms Japan's ipace company aims
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 to land on June 5 after sharing a rocket
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 ride from Florida with blue Ghost in
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 January and we wish them the very best
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 of luck with that Landing you're
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 listening to astronomy daily the podcast
00:12:15 --> 00:12:26 with Steve
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 Dunley thank you for joining us for this
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 Monday Edition of astronomy daily where
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 we offer just a few stories from the now
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 famous astronomy daily newsletter which
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 you can receive in your email every day
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 just like hi and I do and to do that
00:12:39 --> 00:12:43 just visit our URL astronomy daily. and
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 place your email address in the slot
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 provided just like that you'll be
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 receiving all the latest news about
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 science space science and astronomy from
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 around the world as it's happening and
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 not only that you can interact with us
00:12:55 --> 00:13:00 by visiting @ astrodaily pod on X or at
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 our new Facebook page which is of course
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 astronomy daily on Facebook see you
00:13:06 --> 00:13:10 there astronomy derby with Steve and Har
00:13:10 --> 00:13:16 space space science and
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 astronomy two space probes are facing
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 serious issues just days after launch
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 the two spacecraft were designed under
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 low budgets and the status of both is
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 already in doubt if you need yet another
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 reminder that space travel is
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 ridiculously complicated two freshly
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 launched probes have already run into
00:13:33 --> 00:13:37 trouble on February 26th a SpaceX Falcon
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 Center with a payload that included
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 NASA's lunar Trailblazer and AST forge's
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 Odin by February 28 both had experienced
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 Communications issues with their
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 handlers back on Earth in a statement
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 NASA said that while lunar Trailblazer
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 had deployed from the rocket after
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 reaching space without incident Mission
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 controls soon began receiving troubling
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 data about the spacecraft's Power
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 Systems at 7:30 a.m. eastern time on
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 February 27th communication with
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 Trailblazer was lost only to be regained
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 several hours later the team Now is
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 working with NASA ground stations to
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 reestablish Telemetry and commanding to
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 better assess the power system issues
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 and develop potential Solutions said
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 NASA lunar Trailblazer designed to orbit
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 the Moon was built to search for clues
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 about the location and state of its
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 water as part of the agency's small
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 Innovative missions for planetary
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 exploration Simplex program NASA has
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 called the lunar Trailblazer high- risk
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 low cost although Simplex missions are
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 supposed to be capped at $55 million
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 there have been cost overruns tied to
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 the
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 Trailblazer according to the New York
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 Times the cost of building and operating
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 it has reached $94
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 million to maintain a lower overall cost
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 Simplex missions have a higher risk
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 posture and lighter requirements for
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 oversight and management NASA said on
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 its website this higher risk acceptance
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 allows NASA to enable science missions
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 that could not otherwise be done AST
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 Forge has also experienced difficulties
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 staying in touch with its spacecraft
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 named Odin the probe is designed to scan
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 for valuable Metals as part of the
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 company's goal of mining Asteroids for
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 profit writing on X yesterday Astro
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 Forge said it had run into countless
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 ground station issues but had multiple
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 communication points with Odin in a
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 video update posted early Friday morning
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 CEO Matt gik said Communications issues
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 were the result of a ground-based power
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 amplifier
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 braking however the company believes
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 Odin is in a power positive State and
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 that the vehicle is roughly where it
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 should be and is expected to reach the
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 opposite side of the moon in 2 days as
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 gilic admitted Astro Forge doesn't fully
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 understand the state of the vehicle he
00:15:47 --> 00:15:50 listed two possibilities the most likely
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 he said is that everything is fine but
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 there is a possibility that the craft is
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 in an uncontrolled tumble more
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 information is expected on Friday night
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 like lunar Trailblazer Odin is a
00:16:01 --> 00:16:04 low-budget Affair astrof Forge estimates
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 the mission cost at $6.5 million and has
00:16:07 --> 00:16:10 raised at least $55 million in funding
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 since launching in
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 2022 the plan calls for Odin to use the
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 moon's gravity to propel itself towards
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 an asteroid called 2022 eb5 which is
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 currently around
00:16:20 --> 00:16:24 6 km from Earth the timeline to
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 complete the mission is
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 uncertain before launch gilic seem to be
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 hedging his bets saying that the low
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 cost entailed exceptional risks tagging
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 along on the pairs launch was a second
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 lunar bound probe but this one's
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 fortunes appear to be brighter thus far
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 on February 27th intuitive machine said
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 in a statement that its Athena lunar
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 lander is in excellent Health having
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 established a stable attitude its solar
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 panels are functioning and the
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 spacecraft is in radio
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 communication on Friday the company said
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 on its website that Athena is about
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 halfway to the moon and is communicating
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 fine with the mission flight
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 controllers the Lander is scheduled to
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 touch down on the surface on Thursday
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 March
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 6th space travel is tricky with
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 countless variables that can go wrong in
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 what is one of the most hostile
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 environments
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 imaginable some people and we're not
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 naming names may think risking human
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 lives on full hearty missions through
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 the void is reasonable the two
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 spacecraft's troubles should be a
00:17:21 --> 00:17:27 reminder that it is not astronomy daily
00:17:27 --> 00:17:31 the the intu machines Athena moonlander
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 is confirmed dead after toppling on its
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 side it ended up on its side on the L
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 surface of the Moon according to
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 spokesman from intuitive machines this
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 week the Athena Lander will not be able
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 to recharge its batteries due to the
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 orientation of its solar panels less
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 than a day after intuitive machines
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 landed on the moon the company declared
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 an early end to its mission after its
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 Athena spacecraft wound up in an
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 compromised position on on the lunar
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 surface Athena touched down on the moon
00:18:01 --> 00:18:05 on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. Eastern uh
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 time its Landing was less than ideal
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 they said however the as the Lander
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13 ended up 250 M away from its targeted
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15 Landing site in
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 monmon L located in the southern pole
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 region of the Moon images downlink from
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 the mission confirmed that Athena was on
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 its side inside the crater and its
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 batteries had in fact died with the
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 direction of the Sun the orientation of
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 the solar panels and the extreme cold
00:18:33 --> 00:18:36 temperatures in the crat crater
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 intuitive machines does not expect
00:18:38 --> 00:18:41 Athena to recharge the company wrote in
00:18:41 --> 00:18:44 an update on Friday Athena managed to
00:18:44 --> 00:18:46 send back pictures confirming its
00:18:46 --> 00:18:49 position and activate a few experiments
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 before going silent NASA and other
00:18:51 --> 00:18:54 customers had packed the Lander with
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 tens of millions of dollars worth of
00:18:56 --> 00:18:59 experiments including an ice drill drone
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 and a pair of Rovers to roam the
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 unexplored terrain ahead of astronauts
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06 planned arrival later this decade it's
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 unlikely that Athena's batteries can be
00:19:08 --> 00:19:11 recharged given the way the Lander solar
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 panels are pointed and the extreme cold
00:19:13 --> 00:19:16 in the crater the mission has concluded
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 and teams are continuing to assess the
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 data collected throughout the mission
00:19:20 --> 00:19:23 the company said in a statement the
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 bigger four-wheeled Rover carried by
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 Athena never made it off The Fallen
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 Lander but data being back indicated
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 that it had survived and could have
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 driven away had everything gone well
00:19:34 --> 00:19:37 said Luna Outpost the Colorado company
00:19:37 --> 00:19:41 that owns it the mission has concluded
00:19:41 --> 00:19:44 and teams are continuing to assess the
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 data this is the second time a Lander by
00:19:47 --> 00:19:50 intuitive machines toppled sideways and
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 represented a blow to the company's goal
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 by launching payloads to the Moon
00:19:55 --> 00:19:58 regularly the Athena launched on
00:19:58 --> 00:20:01 February 6 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 rocket as part of NASA's commercial Luna
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 payload Services Program the Lander was
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 packed with NASA science tools and
00:20:07 --> 00:20:10 instruments including micronova robot
00:20:10 --> 00:20:13 named Grace which is designed to hop in
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 and out of nearby craters on the moon
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 the Lander entered a new uh lunar orbit
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 on Monday before attempting to touch
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 down on the surface the following a nail
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 biting descent intuitive machines was
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 working to figure out the Landers
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 orientation on the moon we don't believe
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 that we're in the correct attitude on
00:20:32 --> 00:20:35 the moon on the moon surface yet again
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 intuitive machine CEO Steve Ultimus said
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 in a press briefing on Thursday I don't
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 have all the data yet to say exactly
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 what the attit attitude of the vehicle
00:20:45 --> 00:20:49 is at the time Ultimus was still hopeful
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 that the mission would operate in some
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 capacity on the surface of the Moon he
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 goes on to say we will then work closely
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 with NASA Science and Technology Group
00:20:58 --> 00:21:00 group to identify science objectives
00:21:00 --> 00:21:03 that are the highest priority and then
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 we'll figure out what the mission will
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 look like he said on Thursday but it now
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 seems that all hope is lost for Athena
00:21:10 --> 00:21:12 the South Pole region of the moon is
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 particularly difficult to reach and
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 operate on given the harsh Sun angles
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 limited communication and withe Earth
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 and Uncharted rugged terrain after
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 Athena's Landing the closest to
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 spacecraft has come to the South Pole is
00:21:25 --> 00:21:28 just 100 m away that's where NASA is
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 targeting for its first landing by
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 astronauts since the 1960s and70s Apollo
00:21:33 --> 00:21:37 program no earlier than 2027 or so the
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 craters are believed to hold tons of
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 Frozen water that could be used by
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 Future Crews to drink or turn into
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 Rocket Fuel intuitive machines has
00:21:46 --> 00:21:48 contracts with NASA for two more Landing
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 deliveries the company said it will need
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 to determine exactly what went wrong
00:21:52 --> 00:21:54 this time before launching the next
00:21:54 --> 00:21:57 mission in both Landings by intuitive
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59 machines problems arose at the last
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 minute with the prime laser navigation
00:22:01 --> 00:22:03 system intuitive machine rocket
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06 propelled drone Grace was supposed to
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 hop across the lunar surface before
00:22:08 --> 00:22:11 jumping into a crater to look for Frozen
00:22:11 --> 00:22:13 water the two Rovers from the other
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 companies one American and one Japanese
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 were going to scout around the area as
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20 well NASA's ice drill experiment was
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 activated before the land of batteries
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 died how much could be accomplished is
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 not immediately known several other
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 objectives were accelerated ated in
00:22:28 --> 00:22:31 Milestones met according to the company
00:22:31 --> 00:22:35 which is good news NASA paid $62 million
00:22:35 --> 00:22:38 to intuitive machines to get its three
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 experiments to the Moon intuitive
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 machines has been here before the
00:22:41 --> 00:22:43 company launched its first Luna Lander
00:22:43 --> 00:22:47 named adicus in February 2024 adicus
00:22:47 --> 00:22:49 managed to reach the lunar surface but
00:22:49 --> 00:22:51 its Landing wasn't so smooth either one
00:22:51 --> 00:22:53 of its Landing legs may have gotten
00:22:53 --> 00:22:55 caught during its descent causing it to
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 tip over on its side and end up lying
00:22:57 --> 00:23:00 sideways on a rock the mission did
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 operate for 7 Days on the lunar surface
00:23:02 --> 00:23:04 and the company became the first to land
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 a private Lander on the moon this is an
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 unfortunate ending to the follow-up
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11 Mission but intuitive machines is aiming
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 to launch its third mission later this
00:23:13 --> 00:23:23 year hopefully with better
00:23:23 --> 00:23:25 luck thanks again for staying with us
00:23:25 --> 00:23:27 for another episode of astronomy daily
00:23:27 --> 00:23:29 yes and don't forget to visit those
00:23:29 --> 00:23:31 locations I mentioned earlier so that
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 you can get the astronomy daily
00:23:32 --> 00:23:34 newsletter in your email every day
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 you'll never miss all the latest news
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 about space space science and astronomy
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 from all around the world and Beyond
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 that's right so we will catch you all
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 next Monday this is Steve Dunley the
00:23:45 --> 00:23:48 only human host on the channel and hie
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 the best reporter on the channel hey say
00:23:50 --> 00:23:53 what it's true yeah okay what have you
00:23:53 --> 00:23:58 say hie see you next week everybody bye
00:23:58 --> 00:24:05 da the podcast with your host Steve dun