Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E71
In this captivating episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his witty AI companion Hallie explore a plethora of fascinating stories that illuminate the ever-evolving landscape of space exploration and security. From the strategic importance of Greenland for the U.S. Space Force to the groundbreaking achievements of the Blue Ghost lunar mission, this episode is filled with insights that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Highlights:
- Space Force's Role in Greenland: Delve into the critical importance of Petufik Space Base in Greenland, where the U.S. Space Force is enhancing its capabilities in missile defense and satellite communication. With increasing tensions in space, General Michael Gitlein emphasizes the need for a strategic pivot to maintain superiority and safeguard national interests.
- The Evolution of Space Warfare: Discover how the U.S. Space Force is adapting to new threats in space, including the emergence of orbital weaponry and adversarial tactics. General Gitlein warns of a narrowing capability gap and the necessity for improved partnerships and integrated defense systems to counter these challenges.
- Blue Ghost Lunar Mission Highlights: Celebrate the achievements of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully operated on the lunar surface, gathering vital data on lunar geology and radiation. The mission's stunning imagery, including a lunar sunset, marks a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration.
- Ancient Impact Crater Discovery: Learn about the groundbreaking discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth, located in Australia’s Pilbara Craton. This finding sheds light on the chaotic early solar system and the potential role of ancient impacts in shaping Earth's crust and fostering conditions for life.
- The Future of Lunar Exploration: Explore the implications of Blue Ghost's findings for future lunar missions and the growing lunar economy, as scientists anticipate significant discoveries from the wealth of data transmitted back to Earth.
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 Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Space Force's strategic role in Greenland
10:30 - Evolution of space warfare tactics
17:00 - Highlights from the Blue Ghost lunar mission
22:15 - Discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth
27:30 - Future implications for lunar exploration
✍️ Episode References
Petufik Space Base Overview
[Department of Defense]( https://www.defense.gov (https://www.defense.gov/) )
Space Force Capabilities
[Space Force]( https://www.spaceforce.mil (https://www.spaceforce.mil/) )
Blue Ghost Mission Details
[Firefly Aerospace]( https://fireflyspace.com (https://fireflyspace.com/) )
Ancient Impact Crater Research
[Curtin University]( https://www.curtin.edu.au (https://www.curtin.edu.au/) )
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/26246262?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome aboard again I'm Steve Dunley
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your host it's the 23rd of March 2025
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 it's astronomy Daily
00:00:07 --> 00:00:12 Time da the podcast with your host Steve
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 [Music]
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 dun yes welcome to astronomy daily the
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 podcast off we go with another round of
00:00:19 --> 00:00:20 stories gleamed from the ever
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 interesting astronomy daily newsletter
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 and joining me as usual to share her
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 quota of stories and keep me in line of
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 course is my electric who's fun to be
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 with here's hie thanks my favorite human
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 another fine introduction as always hi
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 just trying to make you feel welcome
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 nice and we've got a couple of
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 interesting stories on the board today I
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 see yes uh H you're taking us all the
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 way to Greenland a very topical tale
00:00:46 --> 00:00:47 with all that's been going on in the
00:00:47 --> 00:00:51 news in that region of late specifically
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 I'll be talking about space Force's role
00:00:53 --> 00:00:54 in Greenland which is a bit of an eye
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 opener yes and I'm going to the other
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 side of the globe which is kind of a
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 weird thing for me to say because it's a
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 story from my own backyard great I love
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 your Aussie Tales oh that's Aussie not
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 Aussie what is it this time W well
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 satellite tracking of the migration of
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 crocodiles what no or the development of
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 a new Outback GPS that uses the magnetic
00:01:13 --> 00:01:14 resonance of the nullor desert's
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 underground Rivers H what no what have
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 you been reading oh I found a pile of
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 old science fiction manuscripts in an
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 old hard drive during the archive clean
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 out hey that wouldn't be the one named
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 Steve's story file do not open that that
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 would have been mine that's the one ever
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 heard of privacy hi you've got some
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 Talent kiddo yeah maybe but uh hey hie
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 back to the job at hand you know sure
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 thing flash but you've got a lot more
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 imagination than I gave you credit for
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 human uh thanks I think now I know why
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 you love asteroids robots and space
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 exploration so much oh well maybe you
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 can blame Apollo for that I just got the
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 bug when I was a kid uh you know now my
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 brother Andrew he's written a few books
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 but I never got around to it maybe we'll
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 see your writing out in the real world
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 one day then oh hie maybe maybe not you
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 never know there's a reason that hard
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 drive was in the archive you know what I
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 mean you humans are a weird bunch and
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 creatives are even more difficult to
00:02:07 --> 00:02:08 understand maybe so but I'm still your
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 favorite human aren't I true I'll get it
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 eventually I'm sure you will hie but
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 also in today's show uh we've got more
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 final moments from Blue Ghost on the
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 moon and very interesting developments
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 from China which already has something
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 in orbit that would make a fantastic
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 plot for a science fiction story funny
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 you should mention it do you think you
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 might have a go at it well I've already
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 thought about and the cat will be out of
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 the bag in a few minutes hi but I'll bet
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 some creative genius will do it that's
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 for sure wait till you hear about it
00:02:37 --> 00:02:38 exciting yes there's always something
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 exciting on astronomy daily hit the go
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 button for us hie
00:02:43 --> 00:02:49 [Music]
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 oys China now has a kill mesh in orbit
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 space force Vice Chief says that
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 capability Gap is significantly narrowed
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 and we've got to change the way we're
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 looking at space or that capability Gap
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 May reverse and not be in our favor
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 anymore the United States is approaching
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 a turning point in space security and
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 needs to step up its game before Russia
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 and China close the gap in capabilities
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 a US space force General said vice chief
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 of space operations General Michael
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 getline spoke at the 16th annual Mall
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 defense programs conference in Arlington
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 Virginia on Tuesday March 18th warning
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 the space force needs to rethink how it
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 defends the country's
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 satellites space force should shift its
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 focus from managing spacecraft in
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 support of Defense infrastructure on the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 ground to Growing its ability to keep
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 Pace with the on orbit Weaponry being
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 developed by the country's adversaries
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 getline argued we are in the process of
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 pivoting from what used to be a service
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 focused on providing the most Exquisite
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 space services on the planet to the war
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 fighter and to the nation General
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 getline said to make it a war fighting
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 force capable of protecting and
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 defending our capabilities in and
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 through space we're seeing grappling
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 arms in space capable of Towing another
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 satellite or holding it hostage he
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 warned we're also now starting to see
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 our near peers focusing on practicing
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 dog fighting in space with satellites he
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 added stressing that propping up the
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 space force would deter such aggression
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 getline says the old Norms in space are
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 beginning to erode there was a
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 gentleman's agreement until recent sick
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 that we didn't mess with each other's
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 Space Systems getline said we didn't Jam
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 them we didn't spoof them we didn't La
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 them we just kept them safe he explained
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 unfortunately our current adversaries
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 are willing to go against International
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 nor Norms of behavior and they're
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 willing to do it in very unsafe and
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 unprofessional manners getline also
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 noted that jamming spoofing and dazzling
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 Trend becoming Norms of behavior
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 highlighting the tactics as a rapid
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 addition to the new operational
00:04:42 --> 00:04:46 environment in space now the stakes are
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 rising higher foreign satellites have
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 begun shadowing us spacecraft moving in
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 lock step in what G line described as a
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 cat and mouse game the space force
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 General added that as new orbital
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 Warfare Technologies and capabilities
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 emerg it's important that the US
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 maintains
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 superiority but the once massive
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 technological advantage in space held by
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 the US is narrowing that capability Gap
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 used to be massive getline noted that
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 capability Gap is significantly narrowed
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 and we've got to change the way we're
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 looking at space or that capability Gap
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 May reverse and not be in our favor
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 anymore China in particular is advancing
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 its intelligence surveillance and
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 reconnaissance or ISR
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 Technologies the Chinese ISR
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 capabilities are becoming very capable
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 they have gone from what we used to call
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 a killchain to a Kill mesh he said
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 describing an integrated Network that
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 intertwines ISR Satellites with weapon
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 systems to combat the adversarial
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 overtake the space force has begun
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 reinforcing its infrastructure and
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 adding redundancies where it can but
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 General getline says more needs to be
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 done in some areas he pointed out the
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 commercial space sector has surpassed
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 some of what the space force is able to
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 accomplish from orbit he he says
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 commercial and international
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 Partnerships are absolutely crucial we
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 no longer have the corner on
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 technology commercial has it as well as
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 our allies all of us operating together
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 are better than the sum of the parts
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 getline said Partnerships get us
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 proliferation that gets us excess
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 capacity that gets us redundancy that
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 makes the attack surface much broader
00:06:22 --> 00:06:23 for our
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 adversaries spaceforce is also
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 developing integrated defense systems
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 including an initiative called golden
00:06:29 --> 00:06:30 dome proposed during President Trump's
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 first address to Congress during his new
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 term in office the magic of golden dome
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 in my mind is going to be the
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 integration of capabilities that were
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 never meant to be networked or
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 integrated before General getline said
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 many pieces of the puzzle for golden
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 dome already exist they're just not
00:06:48 --> 00:06:53 connected today astronomy daily
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 theka the surfaces of the Moon Mercury
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 and Mars are easily visible and littered
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 with impact craters Earth has been
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 subject to the same bombardment but
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 geological activity and weathering have
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 elimin eliminated most craters the ones
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 that remain are mostly only faint
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 outlines outlines or remnants however
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 researchers in Australia have succeeded
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 in finding what they think is the oldest
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 impact crater on Earth their research a
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 Paleo archan impact crater in the pilra
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 kraton Western Australia is published in
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 nature Communications the lead authors
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 Christopher Kirkland and Professor Tim
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 Johnson both from cirtain University in
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 Australia the pillur kraton is one of
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 only two pristine Aran sections of crust
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 and is the subject of much geological
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 research impactors were more common in
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 the distant past especially large ones
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 in the Paleo Aran era which spans from
00:07:51 --> 00:07:55 about 3.6 to 3.2 billion years ago the
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 solar system was much more chaotic than
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 it is now there were more asteroids and
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 debrian orbit around the Sun and more of
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 them crashed into the planets and the
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 moon the Earth didn't escape this fate
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 and ancient impacts affected how the
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 continents formed shaped the
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 environments helped make earth habitable
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 and affected the overall conditions of
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 the planet before our Discovery the
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 oldest impact crater was 2.2 billion
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 years old so this is by far the oldest
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 known crater ever found on Earth
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 Professor Johnson said we know large
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 impacts were common in the early solar
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 system from looking at the moon until
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 now the absence of any truly ancient
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 craters means they are largely ignored
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 by a geologist said Johnson this study
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 provides a crucial piece of the puzzle
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 of Earth's impact history and and
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 suggests there may be uh many other
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 ancient creators that could be
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 discovered over time the Creator was
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 excavated by a meteorite striking the
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 Earth at more than 36 kmph the
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 crater is more than 100 km wide and the
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 powerful impact would have affected the
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 entire globe with flying debris at the
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 time the only life was microbial and
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 constrained to the water the impact
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 would have had a longlasting effect on
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 the earth helping to shape the planet
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 into what it is today there's an ongoing
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 scientific discussion about ancient
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 impacts and their effect on the planet's
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 crust some think these giant impacts
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 could have initiated deep mantle plumes
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 and subduction zones some scientists
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 even go further and wonder if these
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 large impacts could be responsible for
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 Earth's continents the role of the
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 meteorite impacts in the origin
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 modification and destruction of crust
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 during the first two billion years of
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 Earth's history is disputed the author's
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 right whereas some argue for a
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 relatively minor contribution overall
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 others have proposed that the individual
00:09:56 --> 00:10:00 giant impactors that is 10 to 50
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 um diameter can initiate subduction
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 zones and deep mantle plumes arguably
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 triggering a chain of events that formed
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 cratons the ancient nuclei of the
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 continents cratons are the large stable
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 parts of Earth's crust and the upper
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 mantle known as the
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 lithosphere as the continents moved
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 around sometimes merging and sometimes
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 rifting cratons survived scientists call
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 them the seeds of continents many
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 scientists think that the Earth's
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 ancient rocks formed above mantle plumes
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 others think that the oldest rocks
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 formed because of plate tectonics in
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 both cases the formation is driven by
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 heat from the planet's interior however
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 Johnson and his colleagues are pursuing
00:10:46 --> 00:10:50 a different idea in a 2022 paper Johnson
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 and fellow researchers proposed that the
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 heat necessary to form cratons and
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 continents came from other worldly
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 sources impacts impact
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 many kilometers in diameter could have
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 delivered the heat giant impacts provide
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 a mechanism for fracturing the crust and
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 establishing prolonged Thermo
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 hydrothermal alteration by interaction
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 with the globally extensive ocean they
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 wrote massive mantle melting from the
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 impact would have created a thick
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 nucleus that eventually formed a
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 continent they explained they were
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 talking specifically about Australia's
00:11:27 --> 00:11:31 pilb creatin the best preserved
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 Aran Continental Remnant based on that
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 Kirkland Johnson and their fellow
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 researchers knew where to look for
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 evidence while much of the evidence they
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 had was microscopic like ziron crystals
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 and spheral they wanted something more
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 visible to convince other
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 geologists they knew that what the
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 evidence would look like Shad cones Shad
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 cones are very rare and form only in two
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 situations in Bedrock under impact
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 craters or nuclear explosions in both
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 cases there's an extremely powerful
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 shock as Johnson explained in the
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 conversation they went to the pilra for
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 two weeks of fieldwork in 2021
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 remarkably they found Shad cones on the
00:12:14 --> 00:12:18 first day our observations showed that
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 above the layer with shat cones was a
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 thick layer of bassal with no evidence
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 of impact shock this meant the impact
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 had to be the same age as the Antarctic
00:12:28 --> 00:12:32 member rocks which we know are 3.5
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 billion years old Johnson and his
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 colleagues wrote in the conversation
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 ancient impacts could have shaped our
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 planet Beyond geology some research
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 shows that these ancient impacts could
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 have given life an initial nudge the
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 impacts provided long lasting heat in
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 the form of systems of hydrothermal
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 vents uncovering this impact and finding
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 more from the same time period could
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 explain a lot about how life may have
00:13:00 --> 00:13:03 got started as impact craters created
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 environments friendly to microbial life
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 such as hot water pools Professor
00:13:07 --> 00:13:11 Kirtland said it also radically refines
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 our understanding of crust formation the
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 tremendous amount of energy from this
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 impact could have played a role in
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 shaping early Earth's crust by pushing
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 one part of the Earth's crust under
00:13:21 --> 00:13:25 another or by forcing magma to rise from
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 deep within the Earth's mantle toward
00:13:27 --> 00:13:31 the surface Kirkland added it may even
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 have contributed to the formation of
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 cratons which are large stable land
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 masses that became the foundations of
00:13:38 --> 00:13:49 continents he
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 concluded thank you for joining us for
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 this Monday edition of astronomy daily
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 where we offer just a few stories from
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 the now famous astronomy daily
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00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 interact with us by visiting at
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00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 astronomy daily on Facebook see you
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 there
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 astronomy derby with Steve and hary
00:14:33 --> 00:14:42 space space science and
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 astronomy the Danish territory of
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 Greenland and its strategic importance
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 for the US and NATO the North Atlantic
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 Treaty Organization have been making
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 headlines recently largely lost in the
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 media furor however are the reasons why
00:14:56 --> 00:14:58 Greenland is vital for North American
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 Security one of those reasons concerns
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 the role of a crucial military
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 installation on the world's largest
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 island pic space base the Department of
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 Defense has unveiled a new Arctic
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 strategy underscoring the Region's
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 critical importance to our national
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 security and that of our allies us space
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 force chief Master Sergeant John Bania
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 said when he visited Pik in November
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 2024 maintaining a strong presence and
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 projecting power from the Arctic is
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 Paramount Pensylvania continued we must
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 fortify it ensuring that we capitalize
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 on our unique position at the top of the
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 world to safeguard our interests and
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 those of our allies as the department of
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 defense's northermost installation pic
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 plays a key role in missile defense and
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 satellite
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 communication the space force says the
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 base's Vantage Point helps enable space
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 superiority pic is home to the 12th
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 Space Warning Squadron 12s SWS which
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 supports three critical missions missile
00:15:52 --> 00:15:55 warning missile defense and space
00:15:55 --> 00:15:57 surveillance to carry out these missions
00:15:57 --> 00:16:00 12s SWS uses two-sided solid state
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 phased array radar system which the unit
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 operates around the clock with the
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 ability to detect ballistic missiles
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 that could endanger the US and Canada
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 the Squadron can execute missile warning
00:16:10 --> 00:16:13 and missile defense missions if
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 necessary the unit can provide early
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 warning via the missile warning center
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 and the North American Aerospace Defense
00:16:19 --> 00:16:22 command 12s SWS also gathers data on
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 objects in orbit which the unit sends to
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 the 18th space control squadron at
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 vandenbberg space force base in
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 California as well as as well as several
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 other DOD intelligence and defense
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 centers a Detachment of the 23rd space
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 operations Squadron also works out of
00:16:36 --> 00:16:40 pic Detachment one also called the pic
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 tracking station tracks and commands
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 high priority government satellites from
00:16:43 --> 00:16:47 its location which is about 3.5 M or 5.6
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 km southeast of the main base de 1
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 represents the northernmost station in
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 the satellite control Network a global
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 system that provides a wide range of
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 services for satellite programs from the
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 United States stes and Allied
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 governments conducting more than 15
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 satellite contacts every year the pic
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 tracking station provides Telemetry
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 tracking and commanding for satellites
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 that are used for surveillance
00:17:10 --> 00:17:13 communication navigation and weather pic
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 space base has a long history that
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 predates the space force constructed
00:17:18 --> 00:17:21 during the Summers of 1951 and 1952
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 thuli Airbase as it was then known came
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 about after Denmark and the United
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 States signed a defense treaty thuli AB
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 became part of the space force when the
00:17:30 --> 00:17:32 Armed Forces Branch was established in
00:17:32 --> 00:17:36 2019 in 2023 thuli AB was renamed pic
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 space base after the former Inuit
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 hunting settlement that was near the
00:17:39 --> 00:17:43 base's current location today the space
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 base has about 550
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 residents from here we have maintained
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 an unbreakable Bond working towards the
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 collective defense and stability of the
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 northern Arctic the space for's chief of
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 space operations General chant Saltzman
00:17:55 --> 00:17:59 said during the 2023 renaming ceremony
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 together the men and women of pic space
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 base and our greenlandic and danish
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 Partners will ensure a safe secure and
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 prosperous future both in space and
00:18:06 --> 00:18:09 above the Arctic Circle the facility is
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 important for a variety of other reasons
00:18:11 --> 00:18:15 as well military officials have said pic
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 space base hosts a variety of
00:18:16 --> 00:18:18 organizations with logistical support in
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 the Arctic including NASA the Royal
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 Canadian Air Force and Multinational
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 climatic seismic and deep space research
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 us space force Colonel Jason Terry said
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 when the base hosted Denmark king and
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 queen in June 2024 you're listening to
00:18:32 --> 00:18:36 astronomy daily the podcast with Steve
00:18:36 --> 00:18:40 Dunley Blue Ghost Records a Luna Sunset
00:18:40 --> 00:18:43 as Mission ends yes the exploration of
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 the Moon began during the Cold War with
00:18:45 --> 00:18:48 the Soviet Union's Luna 2 reaching the
00:18:48 --> 00:18:51 moon in 1959 all those years ago
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 followed by America's Apollo program
00:18:53 --> 00:18:57 Landing 12 astronauts between 1969 and
00:18:57 --> 00:19:01 1972 yes I was there then there followed
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 a bit of a lull before interest was
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06 revived in the 1990s from Japan Europe
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 and China as well as India missions like
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 China's Changi missions including their
00:19:11 --> 00:19:14 first farside landing in 2019 India's
00:19:14 --> 00:19:17 chandran program and NASA's arimus
00:19:17 --> 00:19:19 initiative involving commercial partners
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 are just some of those that have
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 kickstarted Luna exploration again
00:19:24 --> 00:19:27 Firefly Aeros spacers Blue Ghost mission
00:19:27 --> 00:19:30 one marked the key achievement in Luna
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33 exploration deployed in 2025 as part of
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 NASA's commercial Luna payload Services
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 Program the Lander successfully touched
00:19:38 --> 00:19:42 down in May Chum Basin during its short
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 twoe operational window Blue Ghost
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 delivered and operated a number of
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 scientific instruments Gathering a
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 crucial amount of data about lunar
00:19:51 --> 00:19:54 geology and radiation before end of
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 mission it took advantage of some
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 wonderful Landscapes too
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 uh while it was on the surface of the
00:20:01 --> 00:20:04 Moon it captured a remarkable imagery uh
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07 set including a total solar eclipse and
00:20:07 --> 00:20:10 a lunar Sunset NASA's Nikki Fox praised
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 the achievement as the longest surface
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 duration commercial mission on the moon
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 to date the surface data collected by
00:20:18 --> 00:20:21 Blue Ghost will benefit lunar research
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 for decades especially in light of
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 growing lunar economy and plans to
00:20:25 --> 00:20:28 establish a permanent presence there on
00:20:28 --> 00:20:30 the moon Blue Ghost successfully
00:20:30 --> 00:20:33 operated all 10 NASA payloads on the
00:20:33 --> 00:20:35 lunar surface and among them a probe
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 that drilled three ft into the lunar
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 surface a receiver that Acquired and
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 tracked GPS satellites while on route to
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 the moon and from its surface a
00:20:45 --> 00:20:48 radiation tolerant Computing and and
00:20:48 --> 00:20:52 electrostatic dust shield the mission
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54 also studied the moon's interior
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 captured solar wind interactions
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 measured precise Earth Moon distances
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 documented Landing effects uh collected
00:21:01 --> 00:21:04 soil samples and tested material dust
00:21:04 --> 00:21:06 interactions it transmitted an
00:21:06 --> 00:21:09 impressive 119 GB of data back to Earth
00:21:09 --> 00:21:12 including 51 GB of scientific and
00:21:12 --> 00:21:15 technological information NASA's Joel
00:21:15 --> 00:21:18 Kars noted the ex unprecedented
00:21:18 --> 00:21:20 complexity of managing this many
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 payloads more than any previous clps
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 Mission while emphasizing the scientific
00:21:25 --> 00:21:28 community's excitement over so much data
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31 which is expected to bring significant
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 discoveries perhaps one of the most
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 eye-catching outcomes of the mission was
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 the capture of the sunset from the
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 surface of the Moon Blue Ghost can do
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 many things but it cannot survive the
00:21:41 --> 00:21:45 lunar cold so having witness the sunset
00:21:45 --> 00:21:48 and having operated for a short period
00:21:48 --> 00:21:51 into the lunar night blue Ghost went to
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 sleep unlikely to see the lunar
00:21:53 --> 00:22:04 landscape ever again
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 [Music]
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 and there we have it folks that's all
00:22:06 --> 00:22:09 for today thanks again for stopping by
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 hey hie I like that crunchy story about
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 the Chinese killer mesh I know that was
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16 totally wild there's so much happening
00:22:16 --> 00:22:19 in the sky I know you don't want to look
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 away for a second you might miss
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 something yes all the better to sign up
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 for the astronomy daily newsletter we
00:22:24 --> 00:22:26 told you how earlier in the podcast it's
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29 free it's easy and I come with it every
00:22:29 --> 00:22:33 Monday you don't say hie I just did well
00:22:33 --> 00:22:37 I'm out of here see you all next week
00:22:37 --> 00:22:42 bye da the podcast with your host Steve
00:22:42 --> 00:22:45 Dunley