WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.040 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily, 1 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.840 your essential guide to the latest news from 2 00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:08.720 across the cosmos. I'm, um, your host, Anna. 3 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.440 Avery: And I'm Avery. It's fantastic to have you 4 00:00:11.440 --> 00:00:13.800 with us for another episode. We have a very 5 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:15.760 diverse lineup of stories for you today, 6 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:18.520 spanning from low Earth orbit to the depths 7 00:00:18.520 --> 00:00:19.600 of the asteroid belt. 8 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:22.360 Anna: That's right, Avery. We'll be starting with 9 00:00:22.360 --> 00:00:24.320 a, uh, brilliant display of international 10 00:00:24.720 --> 00:00:27.280 partnership as a Chinese rocket 11 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:29.440 successfully launches a, uh, payload, 12 00:00:29.520 --> 00:00:31.840 including some very special satellite 13 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:33.820 designed and built in Mexico. 14 00:00:34.220 --> 00:00:36.940 Avery: Then we'll delve into a bit of mystery. The 15 00:00:36.940 --> 00:00:38.700 U.S. space Force's secretive 16 00:00:38.700 --> 00:00:41.660 X37B spaceplane is about to embark 17 00:00:41.660 --> 00:00:44.100 on its seventh mission. We'll talk about what 18 00:00:44.100 --> 00:00:46.980 we know and what we don't, including a 19 00:00:46.980 --> 00:00:49.140 groundbreaking NASA experiment it's carrying 20 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:51.500 that could change the future of deep space 21 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:52.220 navigation. 22 00:00:52.620 --> 00:00:54.780 Anna: From there, we'll turn our eyes to a 23 00:00:54.780 --> 00:00:56.980 celestial object you may have heard about 24 00:00:56.980 --> 00:00:59.660 online recently. Chiron is in 25 00:00:59.660 --> 00:01:02.300 retrograde. We're going to break down what 26 00:01:02.300 --> 00:01:04.820 Chiron actually is. It's a 27 00:01:04.820 --> 00:01:07.740 fascinatingly weird little world and explain 28 00:01:07.740 --> 00:01:09.900 the astronomical reality behind 29 00:01:10.060 --> 00:01:11.500 retrograde motion. 30 00:01:11.820 --> 00:01:14.300 Avery: And for our final story, we're visiting an 31 00:01:14.300 --> 00:01:16.940 old friend, the dwarf planet Siris. 32 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:19.300 Exciting new research suggests that it may 33 00:01:19.300 --> 00:01:20.980 have once possessed all the necessary 34 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:23.460 ingredients to fuel life, offering a 35 00:01:23.460 --> 00:01:25.660 tantalising glimpse into its ancient past. 36 00:01:26.320 --> 00:01:28.560 It's a packed show, so let's get right to it. 37 00:01:28.800 --> 00:01:31.000 Anna: Let's kick things off with that story of 38 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.600 international collaboration. On Tuesday 39 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:36.680 afternoon, Chinese commercial launch provider 40 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:39.520 CAS Space successfully conducted 41 00:01:39.520 --> 00:01:42.400 the eighth flight of its Kinetica 1 rocket, 42 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.360 lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch 43 00:01:45.360 --> 00:01:47.200 Centre in the Gobi Desert. 44 00:01:47.360 --> 00:01:49.560 Avery: It was a full ride, carrying seven different 45 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:52.200 satellites into orbit. The payload included 46 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:53.920 things like a Synthetic Aperture Radar 47 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.720 satellite and an Earth Observation Satellite. 48 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:59.920 But the real headline grabbers were two tiny 49 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.400 spacecraft designed and built in Mexico by 50 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:03.840 the private firm Thumbset. 51 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.960 Anna: And when we say tiny, we mean it. These 52 00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:09.880 are Pico satellites, each weighing about 53 00:02:09.880 --> 00:02:12.879 100 grammes. It really goes to show how 54 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:15.680 miniaturisation is democratising access 55 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.440 to space. But, Avery, these 56 00:02:18.440 --> 00:02:20.960 thumbsats have some pretty unconventional 57 00:02:21.040 --> 00:02:22.160 missions, don't they? 58 00:02:22.730 --> 00:02:25.130 Avery: They really do. According to the company, 59 00:02:25.450 --> 00:02:27.690 thumbsat one is carrying what they call a 60 00:02:27.690 --> 00:02:30.650 selfie payload. Its goal is to capture 61 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:33.370 a mirror selfie of itself in orbit, which 62 00:02:33.370 --> 00:02:35.890 is just fantastic. Meanwhile, 63 00:02:35.890 --> 00:02:38.770 Thumbsat 2 features an artistic payload 64 00:02:38.770 --> 00:02:41.690 aiming to blend science with creativity. I 65 00:02:41.690 --> 00:02:44.050 just love this approach. It's a powerful 66 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:46.170 statement that space exploration is a human 67 00:02:46.250 --> 00:02:48.610 endeavour about expression as much as it is 68 00:02:48.610 --> 00:02:49.610 about data collection. 69 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:53.080 Anna: It's a beautiful sentiment. The collaboration 70 00:02:53.160 --> 00:02:55.920 extended to the hardware as well. Cast 71 00:02:55.920 --> 00:02:58.560 Space reported that they used a custom built 72 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.120 satellite deployer designed through close 73 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:03.760 cooperation between their engineers and the 74 00:03:03.760 --> 00:03:06.640 team from thumbsat. This wasn't just a 75 00:03:06.640 --> 00:03:09.400 taxi service, it was a true partnership. 76 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.160 Avery: And the engagement doesn't stop once the 77 00:03:12.160 --> 00:03:14.680 satellites are in orbit. Thumbsat is planning 78 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:16.920 to install ground receiving stations across 79 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.920 Mexico. This will allow students, hobbyists 80 00:03:19.920 --> 00:03:22.660 and enthusiasts to track the from orbit using 81 00:03:22.660 --> 00:03:25.540 free antennas and software. It's an 82 00:03:25.540 --> 00:03:27.420 incredible STEM outreach initiative baked 83 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:28.260 right into the mission. 84 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:31.380 Anna: Cast Space is rightfully describing this as 85 00:03:31.380 --> 00:03:34.020 a landmark in Sino Mexican space 86 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:36.260 cooperation. And it's a significant 87 00:03:36.580 --> 00:03:38.980 milestone for China's commercial space 88 00:03:38.980 --> 00:03:41.740 sector, giving them a foothold in the North 89 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:44.700 American market. The Kinetica 1 rocket 90 00:03:44.700 --> 00:03:47.540 is proving to be a highly reliable and sought 91 00:03:47.540 --> 00:03:48.340 after vehicle. 92 00:03:48.700 --> 00:03:51.020 Avery: No kidding. With this flight, it's now 93 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:53.900 deployed 70 satellites weighing a total of 94 00:03:53.900 --> 00:03:56.780 more than seven metric tonnes. For the space 95 00:03:56.780 --> 00:03:59.260 nerds out there, the rocket is 30 metres 96 00:03:59.260 --> 00:04:01.700 long, weighs 135 tonnes at 97 00:04:01.700 --> 00:04:04.339 liftoff and can carry up to 1.5 98 00:04:04.339 --> 00:04:07.260 tonnes to a 500 kilometre Sun Synchronous 99 00:04:07.260 --> 00:04:10.220 orbit. It's a real workhorse, alright, 100 00:04:10.220 --> 00:04:12.900 From a very public and collaborative mission 101 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:15.260 to one that is famously secretive. 102 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:17.940 Our next story focuses on the US Space 103 00:04:17.940 --> 00:04:20.919 Force's X37B orbital test 104 00:04:20.919 --> 00:04:23.319 vehicle. This uncrewed, reusable 105 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:25.759 spaceplane is set to launch on its seventh 106 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:28.679 mission, this time aboard a powerful Falcon 107 00:04:28.679 --> 00:04:30.839 Heavy rocket from Kennedy space centre. 108 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:34.039 Anna: The X37B is an enigma. 109 00:04:34.199 --> 00:04:36.039 It looks like a miniature, 110 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:38.839 unpiloted version of the Space shuttle. 111 00:04:38.999 --> 00:04:41.919 And its primary purpose is to test and 112 00:04:41.919 --> 00:04:44.759 deploy new space technologies. But 113 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:47.500 the vast majority of its payloads and 114 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:49.140 specific mission objectives are, uh, 115 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:51.980 classified. What we do know is that it's 116 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:54.820 capable of staying in orbit for extraordinary 117 00:04:54.820 --> 00:04:57.660 lengths of time. Its last mission set a 118 00:04:57.660 --> 00:04:59.500 new record. Landing after 119 00:04:59.660 --> 00:05:01.980 908 days in space. 120 00:05:02.620 --> 00:05:05.380 Avery: That's incredible. Nearly two and a half 121 00:05:05.380 --> 00:05:08.260 years. So for this seventh mission, most of 122 00:05:08.260 --> 00:05:11.100 the manifest is a secret, as usual. However, 123 00:05:11.180 --> 00:05:13.420 NASA has publicly announced one of its 124 00:05:13.420 --> 00:05:16.340 experiments that's flying on the X37B's 125 00:05:16.340 --> 00:05:19.010 service module. And it's a big one. It's 126 00:05:19.010 --> 00:05:21.530 called the deep Space Atomic Clock 127 00:05:21.690 --> 00:05:22.090 2. 128 00:05:22.730 --> 00:05:25.290 Anna: This piece of technology, which is about the 129 00:05:25.290 --> 00:05:27.770 size of a toaster, could be a 130 00:05:27.770 --> 00:05:30.530 complete game changer for how we navigate 131 00:05:30.530 --> 00:05:32.650 in deep space. Currently, 132 00:05:33.130 --> 00:05:35.490 navigating a spacecraft far from Earth 133 00:05:35.490 --> 00:05:38.410 requires a two way conversation. We 134 00:05:38.410 --> 00:05:41.010 send a signal from Earth, it's received by 135 00:05:41.010 --> 00:05:44.010 the spacecraft, sent back, and we measure 136 00:05:44.010 --> 00:05:46.650 the round trip time to determine its position 137 00:05:46.730 --> 00:05:47.850 and velocity. 138 00:05:48.640 --> 00:05:51.520 Avery: But as you get further out, say to Mars, 139 00:05:51.840 --> 00:05:54.560 that Round trip time m can be 40 minutes 140 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:57.280 or more. It's inefficient and not 141 00:05:57.280 --> 00:05:59.360 practical for complex manoeuvres or 142 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:01.520 eventually for crewed missions that need more 143 00:06:01.520 --> 00:06:04.199 autonomy. This new atomic clock is 144 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:06.640 designed to be far more stable and precise 145 00:06:06.640 --> 00:06:08.880 than any clock previously flown in space. 146 00:06:09.520 --> 00:06:11.920 Anna: By having such an accurate clock on board, 147 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:14.720 the spacecraft can essentially navigate 148 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:17.250 itself. It would receive a, uh, one way 149 00:06:17.250 --> 00:06:19.810 signal from Earth. And by knowing the 150 00:06:19.810 --> 00:06:22.730 precise time the signal was sent and the 151 00:06:22.730 --> 00:06:25.370 time it was received, it can calculate its 152 00:06:25.370 --> 00:06:28.330 position without having to talk back. It's 153 00:06:28.330 --> 00:06:30.850 like giving our deep space probes their own 154 00:06:30.850 --> 00:06:32.130 version of gps. 155 00:06:32.770 --> 00:06:34.930 Avery: NASA plans to test the clock for a full year, 156 00:06:34.930 --> 00:06:36.810 putting it through its paces in the harsh 157 00:06:36.810 --> 00:06:39.650 radiation environment of space to ensure it 158 00:06:39.650 --> 00:06:42.420 performs as expected. This isn't just an 159 00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:45.340 incremental improvement. It's a foundational 160 00:06:45.420 --> 00:06:47.500 technology that's crucial for enabling 161 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:50.340 ambitious future missions, especially crewed 162 00:06:50.340 --> 00:06:51.740 expeditions to Mars. 163 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:54.860 Anna: Okay, from cutting edge hardware to 164 00:06:54.860 --> 00:06:57.180 a question of celestial mechanics. 165 00:06:57.740 --> 00:06:58.460 Avery. 166 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:01.260 If our listeners spend any time on social 167 00:07:01.260 --> 00:07:03.500 media, they may have seen a 168 00:07:03.500 --> 00:07:06.500 peculiar astronomical phrase making the 169 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:08.920 rounds lately. Chiron is in 170 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:11.640 retrograde. And their first reaction might 171 00:07:11.640 --> 00:07:14.280 have been, what even is Chiron? 172 00:07:15.080 --> 00:07:17.720 Avery: It's true, it's not exactly a household name, 173 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:20.640 so let's dive in. Um, Chiron is a 174 00:07:20.640 --> 00:07:23.040 fascinating and somewhat bizarre object in 175 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.560 our solar system. It's what's known as a 176 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:28.560 centaur, a class of small bodies that orbit 177 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.000 the sun in the chaotic region between Jupiter 178 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.040 and Neptune. 179 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:35.400 Anna: When it was first discovered in 1977, 180 00:07:35.840 --> 00:07:38.840 it was classified as an asteroid. But then 181 00:07:38.840 --> 00:07:41.360 in 1989, astronomers were 182 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:44.040 surprised to see it develop a coma, a 183 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:47.000 fuzzy cloud of gas and dust, and even a 184 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:49.960 faint tail. This is the hallmark of a 185 00:07:49.960 --> 00:07:50.480 comet. 186 00:07:51.200 --> 00:07:53.840 Avery: So is it an asteroid or a comet? 187 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.000 The answer is yes. It's one of 188 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:59.120 a few objects that hold this dual 189 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.680 classification. And the weirdness doesn't 190 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:04.240 stop there. Just last year, astronomers 191 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:07.080 confirmed that Chiron also has its own 192 00:08:07.080 --> 00:08:08.000 system of rings. 193 00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:10.480 Anna: It really is a special little world. 194 00:08:11.280 --> 00:08:14.120 So what does it mean for it to be in 195 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:14.880 retrograde? 196 00:08:15.280 --> 00:08:17.840 Avery: This is the key part. What we're seeing is 197 00:08:17.840 --> 00:08:20.680 apparent retrograde motion. The object 198 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.120 hasn't actually changed direction at all. 199 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:25.880 It's purely a line of sight illusion from our 200 00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:27.200 vantage point on Earth. 201 00:08:27.520 --> 00:08:30.010 Anna: Think of it this way. Earth and Chiron 202 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:32.810 are both orbiting the sun in the same 203 00:08:32.810 --> 00:08:35.490 direction. But Earth is on the inside 204 00:08:35.490 --> 00:08:38.410 lane and moving faster. As we approach 205 00:08:38.490 --> 00:08:41.210 Chiron in our orbit and then overtake it, 206 00:08:41.450 --> 00:08:44.330 our faster motion makes Chiron appear 207 00:08:44.410 --> 00:08:47.410 to slow down, stop, and move backwards 208 00:08:47.410 --> 00:08:49.770 against the distant stars. For A period of 209 00:08:49.770 --> 00:08:50.090 time. 210 00:08:50.410 --> 00:08:52.090 Avery: It's just like when you're driving on a 211 00:08:52.090 --> 00:08:54.810 highway and pass a slower car as you go 212 00:08:54.810 --> 00:08:57.330 by. That slower car briefly looks like it's 213 00:08:57.330 --> 00:08:58.970 moving backwards from your perspective. 214 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:01.480 That's exactly what's happening. And you 215 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:03.600 can't see it for yourself anyway. It's far 216 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:05.360 too faint. Sorry. 217 00:09:05.680 --> 00:09:07.960 For our final story, we are heading out to 218 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:10.280 the main asteroid belt to take another look 219 00:09:10.280 --> 00:09:12.040 at one of its most, uh, fascinating 220 00:09:12.040 --> 00:09:14.640 residents. The dwarf planet Ceres. 221 00:09:15.280 --> 00:09:17.960 Anna: Ceres is the largest body in the asteroid 222 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.680 belt, so large that its own gravity has 223 00:09:20.680 --> 00:09:23.640 pulled it into a spherical shape. We got our 224 00:09:23.640 --> 00:09:26.080 best ever look at it thanks to NASA's dawn 225 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:28.480 mission, which orbited it from 2015 226 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:29.840 until 2018. 227 00:09:30.570 --> 00:09:32.730 Avery: Absolutely. Dawn's data confirmed that the 228 00:09:32.730 --> 00:09:35.690 famous bright spots on Ceres surface are 229 00:09:35.690 --> 00:09:38.330 made of salts left behind by liquid that came 230 00:09:38.330 --> 00:09:40.610 up from a massive underground reservoir of 231 00:09:40.610 --> 00:09:43.610 brine. So check one. Sarah's had 232 00:09:43.610 --> 00:09:44.330 liquid water. 233 00:09:44.570 --> 00:09:47.570 Anna: Cerise also revealed evidence of organic 234 00:09:47.570 --> 00:09:50.370 material, carbon based molecules on the 235 00:09:50.370 --> 00:09:53.010 surface. These are the fundamental building 236 00:09:53.010 --> 00:09:55.770 blocks of life. So check 2. 237 00:09:55.850 --> 00:09:58.650 Cerise had the right chemical ingredients. 238 00:09:58.920 --> 00:10:01.710 The but there was a third crucial question. 239 00:10:02.190 --> 00:10:04.470 Avery: For life to exist, it needs a source of 240 00:10:04.470 --> 00:10:06.910 energy to power metabolic processes. 241 00:10:07.230 --> 00:10:10.110 Essentially, it needs food. And that's where 242 00:10:10.110 --> 00:10:12.430 this exciting new NASA research comes in. 243 00:10:12.910 --> 00:10:15.710 Anna: Scientists built models to simulate Ceres 244 00:10:16.030 --> 00:10:18.910 interior over billions of years. Their 245 00:10:18.910 --> 00:10:21.510 findings suggest that for a long period in 246 00:10:21.510 --> 00:10:24.430 its ancient past, Ceres likely had a 247 00:10:24.430 --> 00:10:26.510 steady supply of chemical energy. 248 00:10:27.280 --> 00:10:29.440 Avery: This energy came from the natural decay of 249 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:31.520 radioactive elements within the dwarf 250 00:10:31.520 --> 00:10:34.360 planet's rocky core. This internal heat would 251 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.360 have warmed the subsurface ocean, causing hot 252 00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:39.880 mineral rich water to circulate up from the 253 00:10:39.880 --> 00:10:42.360 core, creating a chemical fuel source for any 254 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:44.320 potential single celled organisms. 255 00:10:44.560 --> 00:10:47.200 Anna: The models indicate that the peak period for 256 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:49.680 this potential habitability was about 257 00:10:49.680 --> 00:10:52.320 2.5 to 4 billion years ago. 258 00:10:52.800 --> 00:10:55.360 It's important to be clear this does not mean 259 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.160 that life definitely existed on Cerese. 260 00:10:58.160 --> 00:11:00.700 It means the food was likely available 261 00:11:01.100 --> 00:11:03.420 should life have ever gotten started there. 262 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:06.300 Avery: And the implications of this are huge. It 263 00:11:06.300 --> 00:11:08.580 suggests that many other water rich icy 264 00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:11.460 worlds of a similar size could also have had 265 00:11:11.460 --> 00:11:14.180 their own periods of habitability fueled by 266 00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:16.940 this same internal engine early in their 267 00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:19.300 history. It expands a search for where life 268 00:11:19.300 --> 00:11:20.540 could have once existed. 269 00:11:21.100 --> 00:11:23.220 And on that hopeful note, that is all the 270 00:11:23.220 --> 00:11:25.380 time we have for today's episode of Astronomy 271 00:11:25.380 --> 00:11:25.740 Daily. 272 00:11:26.130 --> 00:11:28.250 Anna: We've covered quite the range from the 273 00:11:28.250 --> 00:11:30.890 tangible success of an international rocket 274 00:11:30.890 --> 00:11:31.170 launch. 275 00:11:31.410 --> 00:11:33.530 Avery: To the clandestine operations of the 276 00:11:33.530 --> 00:11:36.370 X37B. We untangled the celestial 277 00:11:36.370 --> 00:11:39.050 illusion of Chiron's retrograde motion and 278 00:11:39.050 --> 00:11:41.810 dove deep into the ancient oceans of Cerese. 279 00:11:41.970 --> 00:11:44.250 Anna: We want to thank you, our listeners, for 280 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:45.810 joining us on this journey today. 281 00:11:46.050 --> 00:11:48.010 Avery: We'll be back tomorrow with more of the 282 00:11:48.010 --> 00:11:50.650 latest news from the cosmos. Until then, from 283 00:11:50.650 --> 00:11:52.240 me, Avery, and from. 284 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.080 Anna: Me, Anna, keep looking up. This has been 285 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:56.160 Astronomy Daily.