In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna takes you on a thrilling expedition through the latest cosmic discoveries and pressing news from the space sector. From groundbreaking solar observations to the challenges facing the International Space Station, this episode is brimming with insights that will deepen your understanding of our universe.
Highlights:
- NASA's Punch Mission Captures First Images of the Sun: Join us as we explore the exciting achievements of NASA's Punch mission, which has successfully captured its first images of the Sun's outer atmosphere. Discover how these groundbreaking images are set to enhance our understanding of solar material and its journey through the solar system.
- Concerns for the International Space Station: Delve into the alarming warnings from NASA's safety panel regarding the increasing risks to the aging ISS as it nears its retirement date. We discuss the implications of these risks and what they mean for the future of this vital orbital laboratory.
- Curiosity Rover Solves Mars Carbonate Mystery: Travel to Mars with us as we uncover how the Curiosity rover may have solved the mystery of missing carbonates on the red planet. This discovery could reshape our understanding of Mars's early atmospheric conditions and its potential for past habitability.
- The Awakening Gleisberg Cycle: Learn about the intriguing research suggesting we are entering a period of heightened solar activity due to the Gleisberg cycle. This phenomenon could lead to more intense space weather in the coming decades, with both challenges and unexpected benefits for our technology-dependent world.
- Remarkable Lunar Satellite Rescue: Hear the incredible story of how Chinese scientists executed a complex rescue operation to save two lunar satellites stranded in the wrong orbit. This feat showcases remarkable engineering and determination in overcoming significant challenges.
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.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - NASA's Punch mission captures first images of the Sun
10:30 - Concerns for the International Space Station
17:00 - Curiosity rover solves Mars carbonate mystery
22:15 - The awakening Gleisberg cycle
27:30 - Remarkable lunar satellite rescue
✍️ Episode References
NASA Punch Mission
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov/ (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
International Space Station Safety Panel
[NASA ISS]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) )
Curiosity Rover Findings
[NASA Mars]( https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/ (https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/) )
Gleisberg Cycle Research
[National Center for Atmospheric Research]( https://www.ncar.ucar.edu/ (https://www.ncar.ucar.edu/) )
Chinese Lunar Satellite Rescue
[China National Space Administration]( http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/ (http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/) )
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/26678608?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your go-to source for the latest
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 developments in space and astronomy news
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 I'm Anna and I'm thrilled to have you
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 join me for today's journey through the
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 cosmos We've got a packed episode for
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 you today covering some of the most
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 exciting recent stories from across the
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 space sector First up we'll explore
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 NASA's Punch Mission which has just
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 captured its first images of the sun's
00:00:23 --> 00:00:24 outer atmosphere
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 These groundbreaking images are giving
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 us new insights into how solar material
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 flows through our solar system Then
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 we'll dive into some concerning news
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 about the International Space Station
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 NASA's Safety Panel has issued warnings
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 about increasing risks to the aging
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 outpost as it approaches its projected
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 retirement date We'll break down what
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 these risks are and what they mean for
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 the future of the ISS
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Next we'll travel to Mars where the
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 Curiosity rover may have just solved a
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 long-standing mystery about missing
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 carbonates on the red planet This
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 discovery could reshape our
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 understanding of Mars' early atmospheric
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 history We'll also look at fascinating
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 research suggesting we're entering a
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 period of more intense solar activity
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 Scientists believe a hidden solar cycle
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 is awakening which could lead to more
00:01:11 --> 00:01:12 extreme space weather over the next
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 several decades Surprisingly this might
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 not be entirely bad news Finally we'll
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 hear the remarkable story of how Chinese
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 scientists rescued a pair of lunar
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 satellites that were stranded in the
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 wrong orbit This complex rescue
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 operation involved overcoming numerous
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 challenges and executing a series of
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 precise maneuvers to salvage the mission
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 So strap in for a cosmic journey through
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 these fascinating developments that are
00:01:38 --> 00:01:39 expanding our understanding of the
00:01:40 --> 00:01:41 universe around
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 us In an exciting development for solar
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 science NASA's PUCH mission has achieved
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 a significant milestone by capturing its
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 first images of the sun's outer
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 atmosphere Punch which stands for
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 polarimeter to unify the corona and
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 heliosphere successfully completed its
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 spacecraft commissioning phase just this
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 week with the mission's instruments now
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 beginning to reveal new details about
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 how the solar atmosphere unfolds and
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 streams through our solar system On
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 April 14th the mission's narrow field
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 imager and one of its three wide field
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 imagers opened their instrument doors
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 and captured what scientists call first
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 light The initial images marking the
00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 beginning of the mission's scientific
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 observations The remaining widefield
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 imagers followed suit 2 days later
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 opening their doors and starting to
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 capture data as well These early images
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 are quite fascinating The narrow field
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 imager has captured starfields with the
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 sun near the center of the image while
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 the wide field imagers have provided
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 expansive views of the surrounding space
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 Scientists are now working to calibrate
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 these observations to better reveal the
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 subtle details of the sun's corona and
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 the solar wind What makes Punch truly
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 revolutionary is its constellation
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 approach The mission consists of four
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 small satellites working together one
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 equipped with the narrow field imager
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 and three carrying wide field images
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 Once these satellites reach their
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 targeted alignment their images will be
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 stitched together to create a
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 comprehensive view of the journey of the
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 sun's corona and solar wind all the way
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 to Earth The narrow field imager
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 functions as a coronagraph blocking out
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 the sun's bright light to better observe
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 details in the corona Meanwhile the wide
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 field imagers focus on the faint
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 outermost portion of the solar corona
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 and the solar wind itself This
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 combination allows Punch to track solar
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 material from its origin at the sun
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 through interplanetary space During the
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 calibration process scientists will be
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 removing about 99% of the light from the
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 corona enabling them to track the faint
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 threads of solar material as they flow
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 outward through space
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 Similarly they'll remove star fields and
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 background light from the wide field
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 imager data to highlight the subtle flow
00:04:01 --> 00:04:05 of the solar wind toward Earth Punch
00:04:05 --> 00:04:06 will provide something we've never had
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 before global three-dimensional
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 observations of the inner solar system
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 and the sun's outer atmosphere The
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 mission aims to answer fundamental
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 questions about how the sun's mass and
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 energy become the solar wind That
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 continuous stream of charged particles
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 blowing outward from the sun in all
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 directions Perhaps most significantly
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 Punch will be the first mission to
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 provide imagery of the solar wind and
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 coronal mass ejections in polarized
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 light This capability will give
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 scientists new information about solar
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 activity particularly about the
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 formation and evolution of space weather
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 events that can create storms of
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 energetic particle radiation potentially
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 endangering spacecraft and astronauts
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 The mission is being led by Southwest
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 Research Institute which operates the
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 four spacecraft from its facilities in
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 Boulder Colorado with management from
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 NASA's Explorers Program office at
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 Gddard Space Flight Center As the
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 commissioning phase continues we can
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 look forward to increasingly detailed
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 views of our dynamic sun and its
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 influence on the space environment
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 around
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 Earth Next up today some rather
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 concerning news NASA's aerospace safety
00:05:14 --> 00:05:15 advisory panel has issued a stark
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 warning about the International Space
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 Station describing it as having entered
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 the riskiest period of its existence
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 During a recent public meeting panel
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 member Rich Williams expressed serious
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 concerns about increasing risks to the
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 aging orbital laboratory as it
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 approaches its planned retirement in
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 2030 One of the panel's highest concerns
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 involves ongoing leaks in a vestibule of
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 the Russian Zvezda module known as
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 PRK For several years now Russian and
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 American experts have been investigating
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 small cracks in this area with no
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 resolution on their cause or how to best
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 address them Officials from NASA and
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 Roscosmos are scheduled to meet in
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 Moscow later this month to update
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 efforts to mitigate risks from these
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 cracks In the meantime ISS managers have
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 implemented procedures such as limiting
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 repressurization of the vestibule which
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 connects a docking port to the rest of
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 the station The panel has also
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 highlighted concerns about de-orbit
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 plans for the ISS particularly in case
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 of an emergency before the arrival of
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 the US de-orbit vehicle being built by
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 SpaceX According to Williams if the
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 station needs to be de-orbited before
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 this vehicle is delivered the risk to
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 the public from ISS breakup debris will
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 increase by orders of magnitude This is
00:06:30 --> 00:06:31 a sobering assessment of what could
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 happen without proper de-orbit
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 capabilities Adding to these worries are
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 mounting issues with maintaining
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 sufficient spare parts for life support
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 systems and delays with cargo resupply
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 vehicles
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 Sierra Space's Dreamchaser vehicle has
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 been delayed until at least late summer
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 and Northrup Grumman had to scrap its
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 planned NG22 Signis mission to the ISS
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 due to damage the spacecraft sustained
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 during shipping Perhaps most concerning
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 the panel has pointed to what it
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 describes as a large ISS budget
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 shortfall underlying all these issues
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 Williams stated that all of these risks
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 are actually a derivative of this budget
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 shortfall and collectively contribute to
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 potential compromise of the low Earth
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 orbit transition plan Though NASA
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 allocated nearly $1 billion to ISS
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 operations and maintenance in its fiscal
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 year 2024 operating plan with an
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 additional $1.63 billion for crew and
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 cargo transportation The panel warns
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 that these resources may be insufficient
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 In its 2024 annual report the panel
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 expressed grave concerns that if the
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 necessary funds for the de-orbit vehicle
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 and supporting launch infrastructure
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 estimated at over $1 billion comes
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 solely from the existing ISS budget this
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 will unduly strain NASA's ability to
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 safely perform normal and contingency
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 ISS onorbit operations Williams
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 emphasized that as programs near their
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 final phases there's a temptation to
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 assume fewer resources will be needed
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 However he stressed that for the ISS it
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 is critical to maintain adequate budget
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 and resources until the vehicle is
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 safely re-entered The panel concluded by
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 acknowledging the demonstrated
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 operational excellence of the ISS
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 program while remaining deeply concerned
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 about the increasing and cascading risk
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 attending the program over the next
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 several years With the station set to
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 remain operational until 2030 managing
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 these growing risks while maintaining
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 safety standards will be a significant
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 challenge for NASA and its international
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 partners Let's head over to Mars now for
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 an update Scientists may have finally
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 solved one of the most enduring
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 mysteries about Mars thanks to NASA's
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 trusty Curiosity Rover For decades
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 researchers have been puzzled by the
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 apparent lack of carbonate minerals on
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 the Martian surface which doesn't align
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 with theories about the planet's early
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 atmosphere According to our
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 understanding Mars once had a much
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 thicker carbon dioxide atmosphere that
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 could have supported liquid water on its
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 surface If that were true the
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 interaction between this CO2 rich
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 atmosphere and surface water should have
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 created substantial carbonate deposits
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 Yet these expected carbonates have been
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 largely absent in observations from
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 orbit That's where curiosity comes in
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 The rover has been drilling deep beneath
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 the Martian surface going down 1.2 to
00:09:26 --> 00:09:30 1.6 in into the rock These samples are
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 then dropped into its chemical and
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 minology instrument known as chimin
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 which uses X-ray defraction to analyze
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 the mineral composition of the rocks
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 Thomas Bristo a research scientist at
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 NASA as and co-author of the new study
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 explains the significance Drilling
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 through the layered Martian surface is
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 like going through a history book just a
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 few centimeters down gives us a good
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 idea of the minerals that formed at or
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 close to the surface around 3.5 billion
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 years ago What Chimn discovered was
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 surprising Carbonate minerals were
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 indeed present in the subsurface rocks
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 but they were effectively masked by
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 other minerals particularly sulfates
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 making them difficult to detect using
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 satellite-based near infrared analysis
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 This could explain why orbital
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 observations have failed to identify
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 widespread carbonates despite
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 theoretical predictions that they should
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 exist This finding has important
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 implications for our understanding of
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 Mars's atmospheric history The discovery
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 suggests that carbonate deposits may be
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 more common than previously thought but
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 they're hidden beneath the surface or
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 masked by other minerals However even
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 with these newly discovered carbonates
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 scientists believe the amount would
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 still be only a fraction of what would
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 be needed to account for the thick
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 ancient atmosphere that Mars is believed
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 to have had So where did the rest of
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 Mars carbon dioxide go some portion
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 might be stored in other yet
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 undiscovered deposits but a significant
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 amount was likely lost to space over
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 billions of years as Mars protective
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 magnetic field weakened and eventually
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 disappeared Future missions and analyses
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 focusing on other sulfatrich regions
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 across Mars could confirm these findings
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 and help fill in more pieces of the
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 puzzle regarding how the red planet
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 transformed from a potentially habitable
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 world with a thick atmosphere and liquid
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 water to the cold dry planet we observe
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 today The Curiosity Rover part of NASA's
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 Mars exploration program continues its
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 scientific mission after landing on Mars
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 in 2012 Built by NASA's Jet Propulsion
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 Laboratory and managed by Caltech in
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 Pasadena California this resilient
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 explorer keeps providing valuable
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 insights about Mars' history and
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 evolution even after more than a decade
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 of operation on the red planet
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 surface Next on the agenda today it's
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 back to the sun
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 When we think about the sun's activity
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 we typically picture the familiar
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 11-year solar cycle with its predictable
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 peaks and valleys of sunspot activity
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 solar flares and coral mass ejections
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 But fascinating new research from the
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 National Center for Atmospheric Research
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 in Boulder Colorado suggests there's a
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 much longer cycle at play one that could
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 dramatically impact our space weather
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 over the coming decades Scientists have
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 been reviewing satellite data measuring
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 the density of energetic particles
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 around Earth primarily charged protons
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 from the sun trapped in Earth's magnetic
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 field in regions known as the Van Allen
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 radiation belts What they've discovered
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 is evidence of the Glyceberg cycle a
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 littleknown phenomenon first identified
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 by German astronomer Wolf Gang Glyberg
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 back in 1958
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 This cycle operates over approximately
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 100 years causing the intensity of
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 individual solar cycles to eb and flow
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 in a predictable pattern According to
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 Calvin Adam lead author of the new study
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 usually over four solar cycles the
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 intensity of solar activity will
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 increase Then it will reach its peak and
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 then it will go down over another four
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 solar cycles The satellite measurements
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 suggest we've just hit the lowest point
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 of this century long cycle meaning the
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 next four solar cycles could bring
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 significantly more intense solar
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 activity than we've experienced in
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 recent decades This has important
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 implications for our technology
00:13:16 --> 00:13:20 dependent world More active solar cycles
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 mean the sun's magnetic field becomes
00:13:21 --> 00:13:24 more tangled producing more sunspots and
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 subsequent solar flares and coronal mass
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 ejections These events can wreak havoc
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 on our satellites power grids and
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 communication systems However there's an
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 intriguing twist to this story While
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 more solar storms are expected the
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 overall density of high energy protons
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 surrounding Earth may actually decrease
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 This seemingly counterintuitive
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 relationship occurs because increased
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 solar activity heats and expands Earth's
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 atmosphere If you get more solar
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 activity you'll get more heat and more
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 energy into our atmosphere explains Adam
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 If our atmosphere is getting more heat
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 and energy it will expand As the
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 atmosphere expands the protons will run
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 into that expanded atmosphere and
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 eventually drop out This could be good
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 news for satellites and astronauts in
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 Earth orbit With lower radiation levels
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 in the space environment between solar
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 storms electronic systems on satellites
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 may experience less long-term
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 degradation
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 Astronauts on the International Space
00:14:19 --> 00:14:22 Station might also be exposed to lower
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 cumulative radiation doses potentially
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 reducing health risks associated with
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 extended stays in space Unfortunately
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 this doesn't mean all is well While the
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 baseline radiation environment may
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 improve we'll likely see more frequent
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 and potentially more devastating solar
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 storms These events can cause rapid
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 atmospheric heating increasing drag on
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 satellites in low Earth orbit and
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 forcing them to use precious fuel to
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 maintain their altitude A powerful solar
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 storm last May demonstrated this risk
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 causing what researchers called a mass
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 migration of satellites as thousands of
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 spacecraft lost altitude simultaneously
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 During such chaotic periods the risk of
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 orbital collisions increases
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 dramatically as operators struggle to
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 calculate and adjust orbits with their
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 usual precision The worry that we are
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 going toward more solar activity is
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 definitely there notes Adam We have
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 built an enormous amount of technology
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 including satellites and power grids
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 since the last GLberg maximum But it's
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 not all bad Our paper suggests that the
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 baseline environment when space weather
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 is quiet should in fact be somewhat
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 safer For our increasingly space
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 dependent civilization this research
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 provides both a warning and valuable
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 preparation time Understanding these
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 long-term solar patterns allows
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 satellite operators power companies and
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 space agencies to develop more robust
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 systems and contingency plans for the
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 more active solar weather that may lie
00:15:48 --> 00:15:52 ahead Finally today in a remarkable
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 display of space mission recovery
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 Chinese scientists have recently shared
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 details of their extraordinary 4-month
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 effort to rescue a pair of lunar
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 satellites that were left stranded in
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 the wrong orbit The DRA and DRO
00:16:05 --> 00:16:09 spacecraft weighing a combined 581 kg
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 launched from China's Shiong spaceport
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 on March 13th last year Their mission
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 was to enter distant retrograde orbit
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 around the moon and connect with the
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 previously launched DROL satellite in
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 low Earth orbit demonstrating inter
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 satellite communication capabilities and
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 proving the usefulness of distant
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 retrograde orbits But the mission
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 quickly encountered serious trouble when
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 an anomaly with the Yanjing 1S upper
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 stage left the satellites in a highly
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 elliptical Earth orbit instead of their
00:16:38 --> 00:16:41 planned trajectory toward the moon
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 Making matters worse the joined
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 satellites were spinning at a dangerous
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 rate of once every 1.8 seconds
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 threatening both their structural
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 integrity and their ability to operate
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 essential systems The rescue team first
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 had to tackle this rapid rotation Using
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 DRO's attitude control engines they
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 managed to eliminate the spin over a
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 20-minute period But telemetry data then
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 revealed another serious problem Both
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 satellites had sustained damage to their
00:17:08 --> 00:17:12 solar arrays their crucial power source
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 Working against the clock researchers
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 from the Innovation Academy for Micro
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 Satellites and Technology and
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 Engineering Center for Space Utilization
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 formulated an intricate rescue plan
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 within just 40 hours The team faced
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 numerous challenges including the
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 complex orbital dynamics involving Earth
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 Moon and Sun gravitational forces
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 extremely limited fuel reserves and a
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 rapidly closing window of opportunity
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 The first critical engine burn occurred
00:17:38 --> 00:17:41 on March 18th lasting an impressive
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 1 seconds and successfully raising
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 the satellites apogee their farthest
00:17:46 --> 00:17:51 point from Earth from 134 to 240
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 km Over the next 4 months the spacecraft
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 executed four more orbital maneuvers
00:17:57 --> 00:18:00 utilized gravity assists and made
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 additional trajectory corrections After
00:18:03 --> 00:18:06 traveling an astonishing 8.5 million
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 kilometers the rescue operation
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 concluded successfully on July 15th when
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 both satellites reached their
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 predetermined lunar orbits When the
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 satellites finally separated on August
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 28th and imaged each other the extent of
00:18:20 --> 00:18:23 the damage became clear Dro's solar
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 panels were bent nearly 90° while Drob's
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 arrays resembled broken wings Despite
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 these challenges the satellites achieved
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 their primary mission objective by
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 establishing K-band microwave
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 interatellite communication links with
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 the DROL satellite creating a three
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 satellite network spanning the Earth
00:18:41 --> 00:18:44 moon distance Wong Wenbin a researcher
00:18:44 --> 00:18:46 involved in the project highlighted the
00:18:46 --> 00:18:49 significance of this achievement For the
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 first time internationally we have
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 achieved the ability to use satellites
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 to track other satellites instead of
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 relying on ground stations In essence
00:18:57 --> 00:18:59 the ground station has been converted
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 into a satellite and placed in low orbit
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 This breakthrough paves the way for new
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 technological advancements in future
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 Earth moon space and deep space
00:19:08 --> 00:19:11 exploration The DRA satellite carries
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 additional scientific equipment
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 including an all sky detector to monitor
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 gammaray bursts China plans to leverage
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 these distant retrograde orbits for
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 fundamental scientific research in
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 fields including quantum mechanics and
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 atomic physics taking advantage of the
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 long-term orbital stability these unique
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 trajectories provide This mission
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 recovery represents one of the most
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 challenging spacecraft rescue operations
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 in recent years demonstrating remarkable
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 ingenuity and perseverance from the
00:19:38 --> 00:19:40 Chinese space
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 program Well that brings us to the end
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 of today's journey through the cosmos
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 What an incredible set of developments
00:19:46 --> 00:19:49 we've covered From NASA's Punch Mission
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 capturing its first glimpses of the
00:19:50 --> 00:19:53 sun's outer atmosphere to the concerning
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 safety issues facing our aging
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 International Space Station We explored
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 how Curiosity may have finally solved
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 the long-standing Mars carbonate mystery
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 learned about the awakening Glyceberg
00:20:04 --> 00:20:06 cycle that could change our space
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 weather patterns for decades to come and
00:20:08 --> 00:20:10 marveled at the ingenious rescue of
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 Chinese lunar spacecraft against
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 seemingly impossible odds If you're
00:20:15 --> 00:20:17 hungry for more space and astronomy news
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 visit our website at
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 astronomydaily.io where our constantly
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 updating news feed keeps you informed
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 about the latest discoveries and
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 developments across the cosmos While
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 you're there you can also catch up on
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 all our previous episodes Don't forget
00:20:31 --> 00:20:33 to join our community on social media
00:20:33 --> 00:20:35 You can find us as Astro Daily Pod on
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 Facebook X YouTube YouTube Music Tumblr
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 Instagram and Tik Tok Following us
00:20:40 --> 00:20:42 ensures you never miss an update about
00:20:42 --> 00:20:45 the wonders of space exploration Until
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 next time keep looking up The universe
00:20:47 --> 00:20:50 has endless stories to tell Astronomy
00:20:50 --> 00:20:59 day Stories been told
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 Stories to tell
00:21:01 --> 00:21:08 [Music]