WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.400 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to 1 00:00:03.400 --> 00:00:06.320 podcast for all things space and astronomy. 2 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:07.440 I'm Anna. 3 00:00:07.600 --> 00:00:10.400 Avery: And I'm Avery. We're thrilled to have you 4 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:13.280 join us for another episode packed with 5 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:16.040 the latest and most exciting news from beyond 6 00:00:16.040 --> 00:00:16.800 our planet. 7 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:19.600 Anna: Today we've got some great stories to share, 8 00:00:19.840 --> 00:00:22.680 from groundbreaking satellite launches to 9 00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:24.920 potential encounters with interstellar 10 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:27.550 objects, and even a peek into how 11 00:00:27.550 --> 00:00:30.310 AI is shaping the future of astronaut 12 00:00:30.310 --> 00:00:30.630 health. 13 00:00:31.590 --> 00:00:34.310 Avery: So get ready to dive deep into the cosmos 14 00:00:34.310 --> 00:00:37.110 with us right here on Astronomy Daily. 15 00:00:37.510 --> 00:00:40.430 Let's get started. Kicking off our 16 00:00:40.430 --> 00:00:43.110 news, we have a major stride 17 00:00:43.110 --> 00:00:45.830 in global weather and climate monitoring. 18 00:00:46.230 --> 00:00:49.190 The European Spaceport in Kourou, French 19 00:00:49.190 --> 00:00:52.150 Guiana saw the successful launch of the 20 00:00:52.150 --> 00:00:55.050 first in a new series of satellites, the the 21 00:00:55.050 --> 00:00:57.890 Metop second generation aboard 22 00:00:57.890 --> 00:00:59.690 an Ariane 6 rocket. 23 00:00:59.930 --> 00:01:02.090 Anna: That's right, Avery. This isn't just any 24 00:01:02.090 --> 00:01:04.770 satellite. It marks a new era for weather and 25 00:01:04.770 --> 00:01:06.810 climate monitoring from polar orbit. 26 00:01:07.130 --> 00:01:09.930 Liftoff happened on August 13th and within a 27 00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:12.490 few hours we had confirmation that Metop 28 00:01:12.490 --> 00:01:14.890 SGA1 was alive and well. 29 00:01:15.210 --> 00:01:17.490 Solar, uh, arrays deployed, ready to generate 30 00:01:17.490 --> 00:01:17.770 power. 31 00:01:17.850 --> 00:01:20.610 Avery: It's fantastic news, especially given the 32 00:01:20.610 --> 00:01:23.090 increasingly erratic weather patterns we're 33 00:01:23.090 --> 00:01:26.050 seeing. This mission is designed to build 34 00:01:26.050 --> 00:01:29.050 on the legacy of the first generation METOP 35 00:01:29.050 --> 00:01:31.930 satellites, but with significantly enhanced 36 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:32.490 capabilities. 37 00:01:33.130 --> 00:01:35.850 Anna: Absolutely. A key part of this 38 00:01:35.850 --> 00:01:38.210 new satellite's sophisticated instrument 39 00:01:38.210 --> 00:01:41.050 package is the Copernicus Sentinel 40 00:01:41.050 --> 00:01:43.930 5 instrument. This is crucial because 41 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.690 it's designed to deliver critical data on air 42 00:01:46.690 --> 00:01:49.530 pollutants, ozone and climate related 43 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:52.120 gases. Simonetta Celli, 44 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:54.520 ESA's director of earth Observation 45 00:01:54.520 --> 00:01:57.200 Programmes, really highlighted the value of 46 00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.200 these strong partnerships in getting this 47 00:01:59.200 --> 00:01:59.480 done. 48 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:01.600 Avery: And Phil Evans, the Director General at 49 00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:04.320 umitset, emphasised the real world impact. 50 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.080 He pointed out that extreme weather has cost 51 00:02:07.080 --> 00:02:09.920 Europe hundreds of billions of euros and tens 52 00:02:09.920 --> 00:02:12.400 of thousands of lives over the past 40 years. 53 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:15.680 This Meetup SGA1 launch is a 54 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.560 significant step towards giving National 55 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:20.160 Weather Services sharper tools to save lives, 56 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:22.010 prevent, protect property and build 57 00:02:22.010 --> 00:02:24.090 resilience against any climate changes. 58 00:02:24.250 --> 00:02:27.250 Anna: It certainly is. The MET Off SG mission is 59 00:02:27.250 --> 00:02:29.730 planned to comprise three successive pairs of 60 00:02:29.730 --> 00:02:32.250 satellites operating for at least the next 61 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:35.090 two decades. Each pair will have an A type 62 00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:37.850 and B type satellite carrying different but 63 00:02:37.850 --> 00:02:40.250 complementary instruments to capture a wide 64 00:02:40.250 --> 00:02:42.650 range of observations. This first one, 65 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:45.370 Metop SG A1 66 00:02:45.530 --> 00:02:48.090 is an A type and features six instruments, 67 00:02:48.330 --> 00:02:50.890 including that all important Sentinel 5 68 00:02:50.890 --> 00:02:51.690 spectrometer. 69 00:02:52.050 --> 00:02:53.970 Avery: Amazing how these satellites will circle 70 00:02:53.970 --> 00:02:56.890 Earth from pole to pole, covering the globe 71 00:02:56.890 --> 00:02:59.890 approximately every 24 hours, giving us 72 00:02:59.890 --> 00:03:01.850 highly detailed measurements from their 73 00:03:01.850 --> 00:03:04.810 relatively low orbital altitude. This 74 00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:06.890 capability, combined with Europe's 75 00:03:06.890 --> 00:03:09.810 geostationary meteosat series, really 76 00:03:09.810 --> 00:03:12.570 maximises the Effectiveness of data for 77 00:03:12.570 --> 00:03:14.930 weather forecasting and climate analysis. 78 00:03:15.410 --> 00:03:17.530 It's a comprehensive approach to 79 00:03:17.530 --> 00:03:19.650 understanding our planet's atmosphere. 80 00:03:20.650 --> 00:03:22.970 Anna: Next up, let's talk about United Launch 81 00:03:22.970 --> 00:03:25.850 Alliance. They just fired off their first 82 00:03:25.850 --> 00:03:28.810 fully operational Vulcan rocket, marking a 83 00:03:28.810 --> 00:03:31.290 significant milestone in space launches. 84 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:32.890 Avery: That's right Anna. 85 00:03:33.050 --> 00:03:33.090 Anna: Um. 86 00:03:33.090 --> 00:03:35.570 Avery: This powerful View launcher successfully 87 00:03:35.570 --> 00:03:38.330 boosted two military satellites into space, 88 00:03:38.890 --> 00:03:41.410 making it the first Space Force sanctioned 89 00:03:41.410 --> 00:03:44.210 flight for the Vulcan. It thundered to 90 00:03:44.210 --> 00:03:45.850 life on Tuesday evening at 91 00:03:45.850 --> 00:03:48.500 8:56pm EDT from from 92 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:51.300 Pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force 93 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:51.660 Station. 94 00:03:52.140 --> 00:03:54.980 Anna: It sounds like quite the sight. Soaring over 95 00:03:54.980 --> 00:03:57.860 the Atlantic with almost 3 million pounds of 96 00:03:57.860 --> 00:04:00.620 thrust, the 198 foot tall 97 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:03.340 Vulcan is powered by two methane 98 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:06.180 fueled BE4 engines and put on a 99 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:07.900 spectacular skylighting show. 100 00:04:07.980 --> 00:04:09.700 Avery: But this launch isn't just about the 101 00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:12.140 spectacle. It's a major milestone for United 102 00:04:12.220 --> 00:04:15.060 Launch Alliance. The Vulcan is strategically 103 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:17.020 replacing their older rocket fleet, 104 00:04:17.470 --> 00:04:20.270 specifically the Atlas V which uses a Russian 105 00:04:20.270 --> 00:04:22.910 built first stage engine and their already 106 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:25.910 retired Deltas. This has been a big push to 107 00:04:25.910 --> 00:04:27.790 have an all American launcher. 108 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:30.270 Anna: That makes sense given the geopolitical 109 00:04:30.270 --> 00:04:33.189 climate. So what were the payloads 110 00:04:33.189 --> 00:04:35.710 on this important first Space Force mission? 111 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:38.550 Avery: The mission carried at least two 112 00:04:38.550 --> 00:04:41.550 satellites, one classified spacecraft 113 00:04:41.630 --> 00:04:44.500 and a crucial experimental satellite called 114 00:04:44.500 --> 00:04:47.060 Navigation Technology Satellite 3 115 00:04:47.300 --> 00:04:49.300 or NTS3. 116 00:04:50.260 --> 00:04:52.820 This is the Pentagon's first experimental 117 00:04:52.820 --> 00:04:55.300 navigation satellite since the GPS 118 00:04:55.380 --> 00:04:58.260 precursors were launched in the 1970s. 119 00:04:58.500 --> 00:05:01.380 Anna: And what exactly is NTS3 120 00:05:01.380 --> 00:05:02.340 designed to do? 121 00:05:02.740 --> 00:05:05.620 Avery: It's designed to test upgraded atomic clocks 122 00:05:05.620 --> 00:05:07.820 and navigation technology that could lead to 123 00:05:07.820 --> 00:05:10.420 much more accurate and jam proof Global 124 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:13.170 Positioning System type data from for both 125 00:05:13.170 --> 00:05:15.890 military and commercial users. Joanna 126 00:05:15.890 --> 00:05:18.090 Hinx, a senior aerospace engineer with the 127 00:05:18.090 --> 00:05:20.490 Air Force Research Laboratory, highlighted 128 00:05:20.490 --> 00:05:23.090 how integral GPS is to our daily lives 129 00:05:23.490 --> 00:05:26.010 and that NTS3 is about evolving and 130 00:05:26.010 --> 00:05:28.290 augmenting it to maintain its gold standard. 131 00:05:28.609 --> 00:05:31.010 Anna: That sounds like a significant leap forward 132 00:05:31.010 --> 00:05:33.930 for navigation tech. Where will this new 133 00:05:33.930 --> 00:05:35.170 satellite operate from? 134 00:05:35.410 --> 00:05:37.930 Avery: It's bound for geosynchronous orbit about 135 00:05:37.930 --> 00:05:40.450 22,300 miles above the equator. 136 00:05:40.770 --> 00:05:42.890 That's significantly higher than the typical 137 00:05:42.890 --> 00:05:45.790 GPS satellites which uh, at 12,500 138 00:05:45.790 --> 00:05:48.190 miles. This higher perch combined with an 139 00:05:48.190 --> 00:05:50.230 advanced phased array antenna allows it to 140 00:05:50.230 --> 00:05:53.070 directly electronically direct signals to 141 00:05:53.070 --> 00:05:54.990 receivers across broad regions. 142 00:05:55.390 --> 00:05:58.390 Anna: So the Vulcan is designed specifically 143 00:05:58.390 --> 00:06:01.230 for these high altitude specialised missions? 144 00:06:01.630 --> 00:06:04.390 Avery: Precisely. ULA President and CEO Tory 145 00:06:04.390 --> 00:06:07.230 Bruno explicitly stated that the Vulcan was 146 00:06:07.230 --> 00:06:09.630 purposely designed to support these missions. 147 00:06:09.870 --> 00:06:12.390 Doing direct inject to geo for the Space 148 00:06:12.390 --> 00:06:14.660 Force. He highlighted its capability to 149 00:06:14.660 --> 00:06:17.100 launch heavy payloads directly to high orbits 150 00:06:17.340 --> 00:06:19.900 without requiring the satellites to use their 151 00:06:19.900 --> 00:06:21.900 own limited propellant for transit. 152 00:06:22.220 --> 00:06:24.500 Essentially saying one core is cheaper and 153 00:06:24.500 --> 00:06:27.020 more efficient than three expendable cores 154 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:28.780 from other heavy launch vehicles. 155 00:06:29.340 --> 00:06:31.900 Anna: That's a direct challenge to the competition. 156 00:06:32.460 --> 00:06:34.820 What does this mean for ULA's future launch 157 00:06:34.820 --> 00:06:35.340 schedule? 158 00:06:35.740 --> 00:06:38.180 Avery: ULA is really ramping up. They're expanding 159 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:40.020 their ground infrastructure and expect to 160 00:06:40.020 --> 00:06:42.650 launch nine flights in 2025 and 161 00:06:42.880 --> 00:06:44.880 aiming for a cadence of two per month by the 162 00:06:44.880 --> 00:06:47.280 end of the year. For 2026, they project 163 00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:50.280 between 20 to 25 flights. So the Vulcan 164 00:06:50.280 --> 00:06:52.080 is set for a, uh, busy operational future. 165 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.120 Shifting our gaze from launches to deep space 166 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:56.960 with a follow up to one of our stories from 167 00:06:56.960 --> 00:06:59.320 yesterday's episode. There's a fascinating 168 00:06:59.320 --> 00:07:01.880 proposal on the table that could see NASA's 169 00:07:01.880 --> 00:07:04.200 Juno spacecraft intercepting the third 170 00:07:04.200 --> 00:07:06.480 interstellar object ever detected. 171 00:07:07.200 --> 00:07:09.600 Anna: That's incredibly exciting. Avery, 172 00:07:10.010 --> 00:07:12.730 you're talking about Comet 3I Atlas, right? 173 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:15.970 It was just detected on July 1, 2025 174 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:18.490 by the Atlas system in Rio Hurtado, 175 00:07:18.650 --> 00:07:21.250 becoming only the third interstellar visitor 176 00:07:21.250 --> 00:07:24.090 we've ever observed. After Oumuamua and 177 00:07:24.090 --> 00:07:25.290 2i Borisov. 178 00:07:25.850 --> 00:07:28.130 Avery: Exactly. And the exciting part is the 179 00:07:28.130 --> 00:07:30.490 proposal from a team led by Professor Abraham 180 00:07:30.490 --> 00:07:33.170 Lueb of Harvard University, along with 181 00:07:33.170 --> 00:07:36.090 Adam Hibbard and Adam Krall to use our 182 00:07:36.090 --> 00:07:38.920 existing Juno probe. The their analysis 183 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:41.880 suggests Juno could intercept 3i Atlas once 184 00:07:41.880 --> 00:07:44.856 it approaches Jupiter on March 16, 185 00:07:44.984 --> 00:07:47.960 2026, offering us an unprecedented 186 00:07:47.960 --> 00:07:49.960 close look at one of the universe's most 187 00:07:49.960 --> 00:07:51.240 enigmatic objects. 188 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:54.640 Anna: That's a truly rare opportunity. It 189 00:07:54.640 --> 00:07:56.920 highlights the serendipitous nature of these 190 00:07:56.920 --> 00:07:59.560 celestial encounters, especially since it's 191 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.080 practically infeasible to launch a dedicated 192 00:08:02.080 --> 00:08:04.800 mission from Earth to catch three Eye Atlas. 193 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.560 Given how little warning we had of its 194 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:09.450 arrival. The fact that it happens to pass so 195 00:08:09.450 --> 00:08:11.850 close to multiple planets like Mars, Jupiter 196 00:08:11.850 --> 00:08:14.250 and Venus is a strange coincidence. 197 00:08:14.250 --> 00:08:16.970 Avery: Indeed, it really is. The scientific value of 198 00:08:16.970 --> 00:08:19.570 such an encounter would be immense. Studying 199 00:08:19.570 --> 00:08:21.610 interstellar objects as they pass through our 200 00:08:21.610 --> 00:08:24.450 solar system offers a unique window into 201 00:08:24.450 --> 00:08:27.170 the conditions present in other star systems. 202 00:08:27.250 --> 00:08:29.290 Without us needing to send a spacecraft all 203 00:08:29.290 --> 00:08:31.530 the way there. It's like getting a cosmic 204 00:08:31.530 --> 00:08:32.370 sample delivery. 205 00:08:32.450 --> 00:08:34.970 Anna: And this isn't just about understanding other 206 00:08:34.970 --> 00:08:37.770 star systems. Professor Loeb, who became 207 00:08:37.770 --> 00:08:39.240 quite well known for his hypothesis 208 00:08:39.310 --> 00:08:42.110 hypothesis that Oumuamua might have been 209 00:08:42.110 --> 00:08:44.950 an extraterrestrial spacecraft, has 210 00:08:44.950 --> 00:08:47.310 also explored the controversial possibility 211 00:08:47.710 --> 00:08:50.390 that 3i Atlas could be an 212 00:08:50.390 --> 00:08:53.390 artificial object. While they don't 213 00:08:53.390 --> 00:08:56.350 necessarily subscribe to it themselves, they 214 00:08:56.350 --> 00:08:58.670 argue that it's a hypothesis worthy of 215 00:08:58.670 --> 00:09:01.110 scientific analysis. Given its potential 216 00:09:01.110 --> 00:09:03.710 implications, that definitely adds. 217 00:09:03.710 --> 00:09:06.350 Avery: Another layer of intrigue to the mission. The 218 00:09:06.350 --> 00:09:09.150 proposal outlines how a ah, Jupiter Oberth 219 00:09:09.150 --> 00:09:11.140 manoeuvre involving Specific thrust 220 00:09:11.450 --> 00:09:13.930 applications in September 2025 221 00:09:14.410 --> 00:09:17.010 could shift Juno from its current orbit to 222 00:09:17.010 --> 00:09:19.690 intercept 3I ATLAS near Jupiter 223 00:09:19.690 --> 00:09:22.170 on March 14, 2026. 224 00:09:22.570 --> 00:09:24.970 If successful, this would not only provide 225 00:09:25.050 --> 00:09:27.970 invaluable data, but also rejuvenate 226 00:09:27.970 --> 00:09:30.210 Juno's mission and extend its scientific 227 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:32.610 lifespan beyond its originally intended 228 00:09:32.610 --> 00:09:33.210 termination. 229 00:09:33.290 --> 00:09:36.170 Anna: A win win, then. Juno's suite of instruments, 230 00:09:36.250 --> 00:09:38.810 including its Near Infrared spectrometer, 231 00:09:39.050 --> 00:09:41.850 magnetometer and visible light camera, would 232 00:09:41.850 --> 00:09:44.430 be perfect to probe the object's 233 00:09:44.430 --> 00:09:46.710 composition, delivering data that could 234 00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:48.790 address fundamental questions about its 235 00:09:48.790 --> 00:09:51.310 origin and nature. Even if recent 236 00:09:51.310 --> 00:09:54.110 Hubble images suggest its nucleus is 237 00:09:54.110 --> 00:09:56.230 smaller than initially thought for a 238 00:09:56.230 --> 00:09:58.989 technological artefact, the insights we'd 239 00:09:58.989 --> 00:10:01.430 gain about what lies beyond our solar system 240 00:10:01.430 --> 00:10:03.750 would be absolutely fascinating. 241 00:10:04.630 --> 00:10:07.030 From looking out into the cosmos and beyond, 242 00:10:07.350 --> 00:10:10.220 let's bring it back closer to home, or at 243 00:10:10.220 --> 00:10:12.780 least closer to the idea of future homes for 244 00:10:12.780 --> 00:10:15.660 humanity. NASA and Google are teaming up 245 00:10:15.660 --> 00:10:18.420 on an incredibly innovative project. An 246 00:10:18.420 --> 00:10:21.340 AI medical assistant for astronauts headed 247 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:21.940 to Mars. 248 00:10:22.420 --> 00:10:24.580 Avery: That's right, Anna. As space missions get 249 00:10:24.580 --> 00:10:26.940 longer and further from Earth, keeping crews 250 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:29.660 healthy becomes a massive challenge. Think 251 00:10:29.660 --> 00:10:32.180 about it. Astronauts on the ISS have real 252 00:10:32.180 --> 00:10:34.340 time communication with Houston, regular 253 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:36.740 cargo deliveries of medicine, and can be home 254 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:39.220 in a pinch. None of that will be true for a 255 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:39.900 Mars mission. 256 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:43.100 Anna: Exactly. This push for Earth independent 257 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:45.460 medical care is leading to some fascinating 258 00:10:45.460 --> 00:10:48.140 developments. This new tool is called the 259 00:10:48.140 --> 00:10:50.780 Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant, 260 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:53.900 or cmoda, and it's a proof of 261 00:10:53.900 --> 00:10:56.620 concept AI designed to help astronauts 262 00:10:56.620 --> 00:10:59.540 diagnose and treat symptoms when a doctor 263 00:10:59.540 --> 00:11:02.180 isn't available or communications with Earth 264 00:11:02.180 --> 00:11:03.020 are blacked out. 265 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:05.740 Avery: It's a multimodal tool, meaning it 266 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:08.740 incorporates speech, text and images. And it 267 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:11.140 runs within Google Cloud's Vertex AI 268 00:11:11.140 --> 00:11:13.820 environment. NASA actually owns the source 269 00:11:13.820 --> 00:11:15.980 code and has helped fine tune the models, 270 00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:18.380 utilising Google's platform, which provides 271 00:11:18.380 --> 00:11:19.820 access to various models. 272 00:11:20.140 --> 00:11:22.860 Anna: They've put CMODA through some initial 273 00:11:22.860 --> 00:11:25.620 tests too, simulating scenarios like an 274 00:11:25.620 --> 00:11:28.460 ankle injury, flank pain and ear pain. 275 00:11:28.900 --> 00:11:31.020 Uh, A trio of physicians, including an 276 00:11:31.020 --> 00:11:33.900 astronaut, graded its performance and 277 00:11:33.900 --> 00:11:35.300 the results were impressive. 278 00:11:35.380 --> 00:11:37.700 Avery: They found a high degree of diagnostic 279 00:11:37.700 --> 00:11:40.500 accuracy with the flank pain evaluation and 280 00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:43.220 treatment plan judged 74% likely 281 00:11:43.220 --> 00:11:45.980 correct ear pain at 80% and an 282 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:48.580 impressive 88% for the ankle injury. 283 00:11:48.900 --> 00:11:51.300 Anna: The plan is to gradually expand its 284 00:11:51.300 --> 00:11:54.140 capabilities, adding more data sources like 285 00:11:54.140 --> 00:11:56.740 medical devices, and training the model to be 286 00:11:56.740 --> 00:11:59.540 situationally aware of specific space 287 00:11:59.540 --> 00:12:02.320 medicine conditions, such as microgravity. 288 00:12:02.800 --> 00:12:05.000 Avery: While it's primarily for astronauts, the 289 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.080 potential for this technology to extend to 290 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:09.600 medical applications here on Earth is huge. 291 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:12.040 As Google's David Crueley mentioned, the 292 00:12:12.040 --> 00:12:13.760 lessons learned from this tool could have 293 00:12:13.760 --> 00:12:16.080 wide applicability to other areas of health, 294 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.640 especially in remote or underserved areas. 295 00:12:19.040 --> 00:12:20.800 It's a perfect example of how space 296 00:12:20.880 --> 00:12:22.920 technology often finds its way back to 297 00:12:22.920 --> 00:12:24.400 benefit us on our home planet. 298 00:12:24.880 --> 00:12:26.880 Anna: And that brings us to the end of another 299 00:12:27.040 --> 00:12:29.520 fascinating episode of Astronomy Daily. 300 00:12:29.990 --> 00:12:31.830 What an incredible array of advancements 301 00:12:31.830 --> 00:12:32.710 we've covered today. 302 00:12:33.190 --> 00:12:35.470 Avery: Absolutely, Anna. Um, From Europe ushering in 303 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:37.830 a new era of weather and climate monitoring 304 00:12:37.910 --> 00:12:40.790 with the Metop second generation satellite to 305 00:12:40.790 --> 00:12:43.230 ULA's Vulcan rocket launching its first Space 306 00:12:43.230 --> 00:12:45.670 Force mission, it's clear innovation is 307 00:12:45.670 --> 00:12:46.070 booming. 308 00:12:46.390 --> 00:12:48.590 Anna: And let's not forget the thrilling 309 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.030 possibility of NASA's Juno 310 00:12:51.030 --> 00:12:53.990 spacecraft intercepting the interstellar 311 00:12:53.990 --> 00:12:56.390 comet. Three I ATLs 312 00:12:57.040 --> 00:13:00.000 offering us an unprecedented look at an 313 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:02.080 object from beyond our solar system. 314 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:05.880 Avery: Plus, the groundbreaking work NASA and Google 315 00:13:05.880 --> 00:13:08.080 are doing with the AI Medical Assistant 316 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.480 is paving the way for safer, healthier, 317 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:15.280 long duration missions to Mars. It really 318 00:13:15.280 --> 00:13:17.640 shows how space exploration pushes the 319 00:13:17.640 --> 00:13:20.000 boundaries of technology in all fields. 320 00:13:20.400 --> 00:13:23.360 Anna: It truly does. We hope you have enjoyed 321 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:26.160 diving into these stories with us as much as 322 00:13:26.160 --> 00:13:28.860 we have enjoyed sharing them. And for more 323 00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:31.700 space and astronomy news, simply visit 324 00:13:31.700 --> 00:13:32.020 our 325 00:13:32.020 --> 00:13:35.060 website@astronomydaily.IO. 326 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.260 you can also find all our back episodes 327 00:13:38.260 --> 00:13:40.500 there. Ready for your listening enjoyment. 328 00:13:41.140 --> 00:13:43.540 Avery: Thank you for tuning in to Astronomy Daily. 329 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:46.540 Stay curious, keep looking up and we'll be 330 00:13:46.540 --> 00:13:48.660 back tomorrow with more cosmic insights. 331 00:13:51.130 --> 00:13:52.410 Mhm. 332 00:13:54.640 --> 00:13:54.880 The 333 00:13:59.760 --> 00:14:00.160 story.