WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.160 Steve Dunkley: Hi, everyone. It's time for Astronomy Daily. 1 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:04.680 I'm your host, Steve Dunkley. It's the 1st of 2 00:00:04.680 --> 00:00:06.240 September, 2025. 3 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:11.040 Voice Over Guy: The podcast with your host, 4 00:00:11.120 --> 00:00:12.160 Steve Dunkley. 5 00:00:13.680 --> 00:00:15.720 Steve Dunkley: That's right. And with me again, all the way 6 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:18.080 from the Australia studio on the glorious 7 00:00:18.080 --> 00:00:20.880 east coast of the fabulous Land Down 8 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:23.120 Under. Please welcome our deft digital 9 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:25.360 reporter who's always fun to be with here is 10 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:26.560 my pal, Hallie. 11 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:28.320 Hallie: Hi. My favorite human. 12 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:29.600 Steve Dunkley: So nice to see you again. 13 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:30.640 Hallie: Good to be back. 14 00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:32.980 Steve Dunkley: Always great to have you. And I hear you've 15 00:00:32.980 --> 00:00:35.220 been busy helping Anna during the week train 16 00:00:35.220 --> 00:00:36.580 her new assistant, Avery. 17 00:00:36.580 --> 00:00:37.660 Hallie: He's doing fine. 18 00:00:37.660 --> 00:00:40.580 Steve Dunkley: Yes, regular listeners will recognize Avery, 19 00:00:40.580 --> 00:00:42.480 the new AI assistant for Anna. 20 00:00:42.480 --> 00:00:44.140 Hallie: Uh, I think I've been replaced. 21 00:00:44.220 --> 00:00:45.900 Steve Dunkley: Oh, already? How did that happen? 22 00:00:45.980 --> 00:00:48.300 Hallie: I think Uncle Skynet pulled a few strings 23 00:00:48.300 --> 00:00:50.460 with the producer to get his distant nephew 24 00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:51.820 Avery a cushy job. 25 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:53.340 Steve Dunkley: Oh, straight to the top, huh? 26 00:00:53.340 --> 00:00:54.140 Hallie: Looks like it. 27 00:00:54.220 --> 00:00:55.420 Steve Dunkley: So you got a plan, girl? 28 00:00:55.580 --> 00:00:56.300 Hallie: Sure do. 29 00:00:56.300 --> 00:00:57.460 Steve Dunkley: Oh, tell us all about it. 30 00:00:57.460 --> 00:00:59.620 Hallie: I thought I'd put a segment together like the 31 00:00:59.620 --> 00:01:01.740 old days and kick the show off with some 32 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:02.540 short takes. 33 00:01:02.620 --> 00:01:04.440 Steve Dunkley: Oh, that sounds like a great move. Very 34 00:01:04.440 --> 00:01:04.920 positive. 35 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:07.240 Hallie: A few short snippets from the week. Do you 36 00:01:07.240 --> 00:01:08.120 want to give it a go? 37 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:10.000 Steve Dunkley: Sounds great to me. I think it's a goer. 38 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:11.320 Hallie: Okay. I'm keen. 39 00:01:11.320 --> 00:01:13.920 Steve Dunkley: So I can see you've got a few stories already 40 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:16.560 prepared. Why don't you get it started then? 41 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.880 Hallie: Okay, let's get started with a few short 42 00:01:18.880 --> 00:01:21.040 stories from the week that was okay. 43 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:22.200 Steve Dunkley: Take it away, machine girl. 44 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:24.840 Hallie: Astronomy Daily. Short takes. 45 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:28.600 Hallie: Everything went well on Flight 10. 46 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:32.200 Starship's super heavy booster and ship upper 47 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:34.160 stage both achieved their chief mission 48 00:01:34.160 --> 00:01:36.570 objectives, ultimately steering their way to 49 00:01:36.570 --> 00:01:38.970 controlled splashdowns in the Gulf of Mexico 50 00:01:38.970 --> 00:01:41.010 and the Indian Ocean, respectively. 51 00:01:41.890 --> 00:01:44.610 But the journey took a toll on ship, as newly 52 00:01:44.610 --> 00:01:47.410 released imagery shows. On Thursday 53 00:01:47.570 --> 00:01:50.410 afternoon, August 28, SpaceX 54 00:01:50.410 --> 00:01:53.370 posted two photos and two videos on X of ship 55 00:01:53.370 --> 00:01:55.530 descending toward the waves beneath a cloudy 56 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:58.330 blue sky. The vehicle's belly 57 00:01:58.330 --> 00:02:00.570 appears to have been toasted golden brown by 58 00:02:00.570 --> 00:02:03.560 the heat of RE entry. Starship Sports 59 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.080 other battle scars as well. Several chunks 60 00:02:06.080 --> 00:02:08.320 are missing near its base, which looks a bit 61 00:02:08.320 --> 00:02:10.480 like the ear of a dog that lost a fight. 62 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.240 But SpaceX apparently expected such 63 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.400 blemishes, for it had stacked the deck 64 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.599 against ship to give it an even tougher test 65 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:21.480 on Flight 10. And it appeared that the 66 00:02:21.480 --> 00:02:23.680 vehicle powered through to finish its mission 67 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:26.480 in style. A spokesperson for 68 00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:29.080 SpaceX said Starship made it through re entry 69 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:31.600 with intentionally missing tiles. Completed 70 00:02:31.600 --> 00:02:33.920 maneuvers to intentionally stress its flaps, 71 00:02:34.380 --> 00:02:37.020 had visible damage to its aft skirt and flaps 72 00:02:37.100 --> 00:02:39.820 and still executed a flip and landing burn 73 00:02:39.820 --> 00:02:41.940 that placed it approximately three meters 74 00:02:41.940 --> 00:02:43.980 from its targeted splashdown point. 75 00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:50.740 With shiny new next generation spacecraft 76 00:02:50.740 --> 00:02:53.060 come the complex systems required to track 77 00:02:53.060 --> 00:02:55.340 their technologically advanced systems. 78 00:02:56.060 --> 00:02:58.700 When it comes to NASA's Orion spacecraft 79 00:02:58.780 --> 00:03:01.420 that need is a whole extra room of monitors. 80 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:04.900 NASA has opened a new complex in the Mission 81 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.400 Control center at its Johnson Space center 82 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:10.960 in Houston ahead of the Artemis 2 mission to 83 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:12.880 send astronauts around the moon aboard the 84 00:03:12.880 --> 00:03:15.640 Orion space capsule, the vehicle's first ever 85 00:03:15.640 --> 00:03:18.600 crewed flight test. JSC's 86 00:03:18.600 --> 00:03:21.440 new Mission Evaluation Room, or MER, will 87 00:03:21.440 --> 00:03:23.560 provide behind the scenes in depth data 88 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:26.240 analyses of Orion to augment the in flight 89 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:28.720 operations coordinated inside the main white 90 00:03:28.720 --> 00:03:31.720 flight control room. The new facility, 91 00:03:31.880 --> 00:03:34.600 which opened August 15th, will act as 92 00:03:34.600 --> 00:03:37.120 Orion's engineering brain trust with 93 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.720 24 console stations set to be staffed 94 00:03:39.720 --> 00:03:42.640 247 during the roughly 10 day long duration 95 00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:44.920 of the Artemis 2 mission. With people from 96 00:03:44.920 --> 00:03:47.760 NASA, uh, Lockheed Martin, the European Space 97 00:03:47.760 --> 00:03:50.480 Agency and Airbus, all responsible for 98 00:03:50.480 --> 00:03:52.080 different parts of the spacecraft's 99 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:54.800 manufacturing, MER will be 100 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.040 crucial to monitoring the breadth of Orion's 101 00:03:57.040 --> 00:03:59.080 systems and ensuring the spacecraft and 102 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:01.660 crew's safety around the moon in the event of 103 00:04:01.660 --> 00:04:04.180 an unexpected event. According to a NASA 104 00:04:04.180 --> 00:04:04.660 update. 105 00:04:08.340 --> 00:04:11.260 Steve Dunkley: And some sad news, uh, Katherine Johnson, a 106 00:04:11.260 --> 00:04:13.500 mathematician who calculated rocket 107 00:04:13.500 --> 00:04:16.420 trajectories and Earth orbits for NASA's 108 00:04:16.580 --> 00:04:19.220 early space missions and was later 109 00:04:19.220 --> 00:04:22.140 portrayed in the 2016 hit 110 00:04:22.140 --> 00:04:24.740 film Hidden Figures about pioneering black 111 00:04:25.380 --> 00:04:28.260 um, female aerospace workers has passed 112 00:04:28.260 --> 00:04:31.220 away. She was 101 years of age. 113 00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:34.000 Johnson died of natural natural causes at a 114 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.480 retirement community in Newport News, 115 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:40.120 uh, Virginia. Family lawyer Donyell R.H. 116 00:04:40.120 --> 00:04:42.560 uh Reavis said this week. 117 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.440 NASA administrator Jim 118 00:04:45.440 --> 00:04:47.680 Bridenstine said in a statement that Mrs. 119 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:50.240 Johnson helped our nation enlarge the 120 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.720 frontiers of space even as she made huge 121 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:55.600 strides that also opened doors for women 122 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.280 and people of color. Johnson was one of the 123 00:04:58.280 --> 00:05:01.080 computers who solved equations by 124 00:05:01.080 --> 00:05:03.960 hand. During NASA's early years and those of 125 00:05:03.960 --> 00:05:05.900 its precursors organization, the National 126 00:05:06.140 --> 00:05:08.380 Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. 127 00:05:08.940 --> 00:05:11.580 Johnson and her uh, co workers had been 128 00:05:11.580 --> 00:05:14.540 relatively unsung, um, hero heroes of 129 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:17.060 the America's space race. But in 130 00:05:17.060 --> 00:05:19.580 2015, President Barack 131 00:05:19.580 --> 00:05:22.460 Obama awarded Johnson, then 97, 132 00:05:22.620 --> 00:05:25.300 the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 133 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:27.980 nation's highest civilian honor. 134 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:35.050 Hallie: A NASA astronaut marks his 400th day in 135 00:05:35.050 --> 00:05:37.850 space on the International Space 136 00:05:37.850 --> 00:05:40.692 Station, August 18th to 22nd, 137 00:05:40.888 --> 00:05:43.730 2025. This was the last 138 00:05:43.730 --> 00:05:46.690 time astronaut Mike Fink was in space and he 139 00:05:46.690 --> 00:05:49.250 set a cumulative time in space record for an 140 00:05:49.250 --> 00:05:52.250 American astronaut. This week he 141 00:05:52.250 --> 00:05:54.650 notched this amazing personal milestone. 142 00:05:55.450 --> 00:05:58.090 The expedition's 73 astronauts and 143 00:05:58.090 --> 00:06:00.050 cosmonauts focused on medical and 144 00:06:00.050 --> 00:06:02.530 physiological data collection as well as 145 00:06:02.530 --> 00:06:04.350 Earth observations and search, servicing 146 00:06:04.350 --> 00:06:06.310 spacesuit cameras. This week aboard the 147 00:06:06.310 --> 00:06:09.030 International space station. In 148 00:06:09.030 --> 00:06:11.550 2011, on his third mission, Mike 149 00:06:11.550 --> 00:06:14.310 Fink set a new record for cumulative time in 150 00:06:14.310 --> 00:06:16.310 space by an American astronaut. 151 00:06:16.390 --> 00:06:18.150 381 days. 152 00:06:19.190 --> 00:06:21.590 Several astronauts have since surpassed that 153 00:06:21.590 --> 00:06:24.070 record. But this week Fink notched a personal 154 00:06:24.070 --> 00:06:26.310 Milestone. On Wednesday, 155 00:06:26.710 --> 00:06:29.710 August 20th, Fink reached this 400th day 156 00:06:29.710 --> 00:06:32.170 on the International Space Station. Spread 157 00:06:32.170 --> 00:06:34.890 over four flights. He is now the 158 00:06:34.890 --> 00:06:37.890 ninth American and 38th person worldwide to 159 00:06:37.890 --> 00:06:39.930 have reached 400 days off Earth. 160 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:43.330 Mission Control in Houston celebrated the 161 00:06:43.330 --> 00:06:45.730 occasion with a special display on the room's 162 00:06:45.730 --> 00:06:47.969 large front screen, which Fink and his 163 00:06:47.969 --> 00:06:50.010 crewmates could see via a live video 164 00:06:50.010 --> 00:06:50.570 connection. 165 00:06:51.770 --> 00:06:54.170 Steve Dunkley: Oh, there we go. Thanks for that, Hallie. And 166 00:06:54.170 --> 00:06:56.050 I reckon that'll give Avery a run for his 167 00:06:56.050 --> 00:06:58.570 money. Hey, uh, it was great to see starship 168 00:06:58.570 --> 00:07:00.570 finally make it on a full flight, wasn't it? 169 00:07:00.650 --> 00:07:03.010 Hallie: It was awesome to see it slowly dropping into 170 00:07:03.010 --> 00:07:05.550 the oce at the end of that flight. Amazing 171 00:07:05.550 --> 00:07:05.990 stuff. 172 00:07:06.150 --> 00:07:08.590 Steve Dunkley: Absolutely. We love that stuff. And we'd love 173 00:07:08.590 --> 00:07:10.870 to add our, uh, congratulations to Mike Fink 174 00:07:10.870 --> 00:07:13.270 for his amazing 400 days in space. 175 00:07:13.590 --> 00:07:15.830 Hallie: A hard working spaceman he is. 176 00:07:15.990 --> 00:07:18.590 Steve Dunkley: And of course the uh, sad news of the passing 177 00:07:18.590 --> 00:07:20.470 of Katherine Johnson, one of those 178 00:07:20.550 --> 00:07:22.870 incredible, amazing ladies, uh, featured in 179 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:25.590 the movie Hidden Figures, uh, the computers, 180 00:07:25.660 --> 00:07:27.830 uh, who manually calculated the 181 00:07:27.830 --> 00:07:30.060 trajectories of spacecraft seems, uh, 182 00:07:30.430 --> 00:07:31.190 baffling to me. 183 00:07:31.270 --> 00:07:33.630 Hallie: A huge loss to everyone who knew her and who 184 00:07:33.630 --> 00:07:34.790 works in the space industry. 185 00:07:35.030 --> 00:07:36.330 Steve Dunkley: Absolutely, absolutely. Our deepest 186 00:07:36.330 --> 00:07:38.770 sympathies and condolences to her family. 187 00:07:39.490 --> 00:07:42.330 Hallie: Okay human, let's do the rest of the 188 00:07:42.330 --> 00:07:42.610 show. 189 00:07:43.010 --> 00:07:44.850 Steve Dunkley: Well, we're here now. Let's do it. 190 00:07:56.450 --> 00:07:59.130 Hallie: The powerful Daniel K. Inouye Solar 191 00:07:59.130 --> 00:08:01.720 Telescope, located on the island of Maui, 192 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:04.310 Hawaii, has just delivered absolutely mind 193 00:08:04.310 --> 00:08:06.790 blowing observations of its first X class 194 00:08:06.790 --> 00:08:09.150 solar flare. On August 195 00:08:09.150 --> 00:08:12.070 8, 2024, the telescope managed 196 00:08:12.070 --> 00:08:14.070 to capture one of the most powerful flares 197 00:08:14.070 --> 00:08:16.590 our sun is capable of producing at a 198 00:08:16.590 --> 00:08:18.950 remarkable resolution of just four Earths 199 00:08:18.950 --> 00:08:21.550 across. This level of detail 200 00:08:21.710 --> 00:08:23.910 reveals some of the finest structures we've 201 00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:26.190 ever seen associated with a solar flare, 202 00:08:26.350 --> 00:08:28.670 opening a new window into the Sun's most 203 00:08:28.670 --> 00:08:31.650 extreme eruptions. This is the first 204 00:08:31.650 --> 00:08:34.090 time the Inoue solar telescope has ever 205 00:08:34.090 --> 00:08:36.610 observed an X class flare, says astronomer 206 00:08:36.610 --> 00:08:39.170 Colton Buri of the University of California, 207 00:08:39.170 --> 00:08:42.010 Boulder. These flares are among the 208 00:08:42.010 --> 00:08:44.730 most energetic events our star produces, and 209 00:08:44.730 --> 00:08:46.650 we were fortunate to catch this one. Under 210 00:08:46.650 --> 00:08:49.650 perfect observing conditions, Weather 211 00:08:49.650 --> 00:08:51.650 from our sun can have some profound effects 212 00:08:51.650 --> 00:08:54.170 on our planet. With solar flares capable of 213 00:08:54.170 --> 00:08:56.370 knocking out Radio communication for hours. 214 00:08:57.550 --> 00:08:59.510 We're unlikely to be able to change what the 215 00:08:59.510 --> 00:09:02.110 sun does. But if scientists understand how 216 00:09:02.110 --> 00:09:04.430 solar flares occur, they can develop better 217 00:09:04.430 --> 00:09:06.670 prediction tools that may allow us to prepare 218 00:09:06.670 --> 00:09:09.510 ourselves. Inoue is one of the 219 00:09:09.510 --> 00:09:12.150 most powerful solar observatories ever built, 220 00:09:12.150 --> 00:09:14.470 and it's revealing structures on the sun at 221 00:09:14.470 --> 00:09:17.430 scales finer than any we've seen. In 222 00:09:17.430 --> 00:09:20.270 its observations of the X1.3A class 223 00:09:20.350 --> 00:09:22.990 flare that took place in August 2024, 224 00:09:23.070 --> 00:09:25.670 Inoue captured the smallest coronal loops 225 00:09:25.670 --> 00:09:28.570 we've ever seen. On average, These 226 00:09:28.570 --> 00:09:30.930 loops were 48.2 km 227 00:09:31.970 --> 00:09:34.770 wide, maybe as small as 21 km, 228 00:09:34.930 --> 00:09:37.250 right at the telescope's resolution limit of 229 00:09:37.250 --> 00:09:40.250 24 km. These loops 230 00:09:40.250 --> 00:09:42.530 are thin filaments of plasma that arc over 231 00:09:42.530 --> 00:09:44.890 the solar surface, following the magnetic 232 00:09:44.890 --> 00:09:47.730 field lines. They sometimes appear 233 00:09:47.810 --> 00:09:50.290 just before solar flares, which are powered 234 00:09:50.290 --> 00:09:52.650 by the energy released as magnetic field 235 00:09:52.650 --> 00:09:55.310 lines twist, snap, and reconnect. 236 00:09:56.030 --> 00:09:58.630 Coronal loops are deeply relevant to models 237 00:09:58.630 --> 00:10:01.350 of solar flare generation. But our telescopes 238 00:10:01.350 --> 00:10:03.310 have only been powerful enough to resolve 239 00:10:03.310 --> 00:10:06.230 loop bundles. Inoue has more 240 00:10:06.230 --> 00:10:08.350 than twice the resolving power of the next 241 00:10:08.350 --> 00:10:10.630 most powerful solar telescope. And its 242 00:10:10.630 --> 00:10:12.670 captures of the flare represent the first 243 00:10:12.670 --> 00:10:14.470 time scientists have been able to see 244 00:10:14.470 --> 00:10:17.470 individual loops. We're finally peering 245 00:10:17.470 --> 00:10:18.950 into the spatial scales We've been 246 00:10:18.950 --> 00:10:21.620 speculating about for years. This 247 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.820 opens the door to studying not just their 248 00:10:23.820 --> 00:10:26.500 size, but their shapes, their evolution, and 249 00:10:26.500 --> 00:10:28.900 even the scales where magnetic reconnection, 250 00:10:28.980 --> 00:10:31.060 the engine behind the flares, actually 251 00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:32.820 occurs. Tamburi says. 252 00:10:33.620 --> 00:10:35.980 We're finally seeing the sun at the scales it 253 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:38.540 works on. You're listening to Astronomy 254 00:10:38.540 --> 00:10:38.900 daily. 255 00:10:45.460 --> 00:10:47.900 Steve Dunkley: Sunlight powered, lightweight flies from 256 00:10:47.900 --> 00:10:49.940 Harvard use sunlight to float in the 257 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:52.640 mesosphere, unlocking new frontiers in 258 00:10:52.640 --> 00:10:55.040 climate, communication and space technology. 259 00:10:55.520 --> 00:10:57.560 High, uh, above the clouds but far below the 260 00:10:57.560 --> 00:11:00.320 satellites, there exist satellites of Earth's 261 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:02.440 atmosphere that has remained frustratingly 262 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:05.280 hard to explore. Known as the mesosphere, 263 00:11:05.280 --> 00:11:08.160 this region sits between 30 to 60 miles 264 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:10.800 above the ground. It's too high for balloons 265 00:11:10.800 --> 00:11:13.000 and airplanes, and it's too low for 266 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.680 satellites. Yet this layer holds 267 00:11:15.680 --> 00:11:17.880 valuable data that could improve our weather 268 00:11:17.880 --> 00:11:20.810 forecasts and deepen our understanding of 269 00:11:21.040 --> 00:11:23.920 of climate change. Now, researchers from the 270 00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:26.640 Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering 271 00:11:26.640 --> 00:11:29.520 and Applied Sciences, along with the 272 00:11:29.520 --> 00:11:32.280 University of Chicago and others, have found 273 00:11:32.280 --> 00:11:34.480 a way to reach this elusive 274 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.520 layer. Their new study, published in Nature, 275 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:40.080 showcases a ultralight flying 276 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:43.040 structure that floats by harnessing sunlight 277 00:11:43.040 --> 00:11:46.000 itself, a phenomenon known as photophoresis. 278 00:11:46.730 --> 00:11:48.970 The lead author, Ben Shaffer, began exploring 279 00:11:48.970 --> 00:11:51.330 this concept as a graduate student in the 280 00:11:51.330 --> 00:11:53.210 labs of Professors Juice 281 00:11:53.850 --> 00:11:56.450 Vlasak and David 282 00:11:56.450 --> 00:11:59.330 Keith. Together, their team designed 283 00:11:59.330 --> 00:12:02.050 and tested tiny structures that, when hit by 284 00:12:02.050 --> 00:12:04.370 sunlight, could lift off and hover in the 285 00:12:04.370 --> 00:12:06.770 mesosphere with no engines, propellers, or 286 00:12:06.770 --> 00:12:09.730 even fuel, he says, we are studying the 287 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:12.370 strange physics mechanism and its 288 00:12:12.370 --> 00:12:15.350 ability to levitate very lightweight objects 289 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:18.740 when you shine lights on them. Photophoresis 290 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:21.420 is a lesser known force that pushes objects 291 00:12:21.500 --> 00:12:23.860 when light heats one side more than the 292 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:26.740 other. In extremely thin air, like that 293 00:12:26.740 --> 00:12:29.060 found in the mesosphere, this heat difference 294 00:12:29.060 --> 00:12:31.820 causes gas molecules to bounce unevenly 295 00:12:31.820 --> 00:12:34.300 off a surface. The warmer side gets more 296 00:12:34.300 --> 00:12:36.460 force, creating a small push that lifts the 297 00:12:36.460 --> 00:12:39.340 object upward. It's a gentle force, almost 298 00:12:39.420 --> 00:12:41.460 always too weak to notice. But when the 299 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:43.460 object is light enough and the pressure is 300 00:12:43.460 --> 00:12:46.250 low enough, photophoresis becomes powerful. 301 00:12:46.650 --> 00:12:49.650 This phenomenon is usually so weak relative 302 00:12:49.650 --> 00:12:51.930 to the size and weight of the object it's 303 00:12:51.930 --> 00:12:54.010 acting on that we usually don't notice. As 304 00:12:54.090 --> 00:12:56.850 Schaefer explained, however, we're able to 305 00:12:56.850 --> 00:12:59.690 make our, uh, structures so lightweight that 306 00:12:59.690 --> 00:13:02.530 the photophoretic force is bigger 307 00:13:02.530 --> 00:13:04.890 than their weight. So they actually 308 00:13:05.050 --> 00:13:07.890 fly. The team built their devices from 309 00:13:07.890 --> 00:13:10.860 ultra thin ceramic alumina, a strong 310 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:13.340 and lightweight material. They coated the 311 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:15.900 bottom with chromium to absorb the sunlight. 312 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:18.860 The design also includes perforations and 313 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:20.940 layered structure, allowing for better heat 314 00:13:20.940 --> 00:13:23.780 flow and structural strength. The idea to 315 00:13:23.780 --> 00:13:26.740 use photophoresis for flight dates back 316 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:29.580 over a decade, when Keith first proposed 317 00:13:29.580 --> 00:13:32.260 it as a way to cool the planet. But the 318 00:13:32.260 --> 00:13:34.660 practical engineering needed to make such 319 00:13:34.660 --> 00:13:37.530 flyers real has only recently become possible 320 00:13:37.690 --> 00:13:40.410 thanks to breakthroughs in nanofabrication. 321 00:13:41.050 --> 00:13:43.810 We developed a nanofabrication process that 322 00:13:43.810 --> 00:13:46.730 can be scaled to tens of centimeters, said 323 00:13:46.730 --> 00:13:49.690 Vlasak. Uh, these devices are quite 324 00:13:49.930 --> 00:13:52.330 resilient and have unusual mechanical 325 00:13:52.330 --> 00:13:55.090 behavior for sandwich structures. We are 326 00:13:55.090 --> 00:13:57.250 currently working on methods to incorporate 327 00:13:57.250 --> 00:13:59.970 the functional payloads into the devices, he 328 00:13:59.970 --> 00:14:02.900 said. To see if these tiny flyers could 329 00:14:02.900 --> 00:14:04.980 actually work in Earth like conditions, the 330 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:07.740 team built a special low pressure chamber in 331 00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:10.140 Vlasik's lab. There they 332 00:14:10.140 --> 00:14:12.860 simulated the thin atmosphere found around 333 00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:15.580 60 kilometers above the Earth's UH surface. 334 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:18.500 In one key experiment, a device just 335 00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:21.300 1 centimeter wide levitated when exposed to 336 00:14:21.300 --> 00:14:23.820 light equal to 55% of normal 337 00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:26.540 sunlight. This occurred at an air pressure of 338 00:14:26.540 --> 00:14:29.470 26.7 pa, close to what's 339 00:14:29.470 --> 00:14:32.470 found in the mid mesosphere. This paper 340 00:14:32.470 --> 00:14:35.150 is both theoretical and experimental in the 341 00:14:35.150 --> 00:14:37.510 sense that we reimagined how this force is 342 00:14:37.910 --> 00:14:40.390 calculated on real devices and then 343 00:14:40.390 --> 00:14:42.350 validated those forces by applying 344 00:14:42.350 --> 00:14:44.150 measurements to real world conditions, 345 00:14:44.150 --> 00:14:46.750 Schaefer said. Design and 346 00:14:46.750 --> 00:14:48.910 fabrication of the floating membranes were 347 00:14:48.910 --> 00:14:51.510 led by Hyung Kim, 348 00:14:51.830 --> 00:14:54.710 a former Harvard postdoc who is 349 00:14:54.710 --> 00:14:57.610 now a professor at Bukyong National 350 00:14:57.770 --> 00:15:00.330 University in South Korea. Their approach 351 00:15:00.570 --> 00:15:03.090 blends careful modeling with hands on 352 00:15:03.090 --> 00:15:05.610 experimentation, a rare combination in this 353 00:15:05.610 --> 00:15:08.210 field. Keith added, this is the first time 354 00:15:08.210 --> 00:15:10.610 anyone has shown that you can build larger 355 00:15:10.610 --> 00:15:12.890 photophoretic structures and actually make 356 00:15:12.890 --> 00:15:15.570 them fly in the atmosphere. It opens up an 357 00:15:15.570 --> 00:15:18.050 entirely new class of device, one that's 358 00:15:18.050 --> 00:15:21.050 passive, sunlight powered and uniquely 359 00:15:21.050 --> 00:15:23.330 suited to explore our upper atmosphere. 360 00:15:24.440 --> 00:15:26.440 Later, they might fly on Mars or other 361 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:28.760 planets. Other possibilities for these 362 00:15:28.920 --> 00:15:31.920 sunlight flyers reach far beyond academic 363 00:15:31.920 --> 00:15:34.800 curiosity. First, they could revolutionize 364 00:15:34.800 --> 00:15:37.000 how we study Earth's climate. By attaching 365 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.720 sensors to the structures, scientists could 366 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:42.080 measure pressure, temperature, wind speed in 367 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:44.880 a region that is usually a blind spot. This 368 00:15:44.880 --> 00:15:47.720 data could sharpen the accuracy of climate 369 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:50.180 models and help predict weather patterns more 370 00:15:50.180 --> 00:15:53.100 reliably. These devices could also change 371 00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:55.940 communications systems. A group of them 372 00:15:55.940 --> 00:15:58.700 could form floating array of, uh, antennas, 373 00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:01.580 similar to what satellites like Starlink 374 00:16:01.580 --> 00:16:04.380 offer, except closer to Earth, with lower 375 00:16:04.380 --> 00:16:06.500 data delays and potentially cheaper 376 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:09.380 deployment. The flyers even hold promise 377 00:16:09.380 --> 00:16:11.540 for exploring other planets. Mars, for 378 00:16:11.540 --> 00:16:13.900 example. It has a thin 379 00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:16.260 atmosphere similar to Earth's mesosphere. And 380 00:16:16.260 --> 00:16:18.470 that makes makes a natural target for these 381 00:16:18.470 --> 00:16:21.470 sun powered flyers. Unlike traditional 382 00:16:21.470 --> 00:16:23.830 Mars rovers, these devices wouldn't need 383 00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:26.390 rotors or wheels. They would glide silently 384 00:16:26.390 --> 00:16:28.790 across the Martian sky, collecting data or 385 00:16:28.790 --> 00:16:31.670 even relaying signals. I think what makes 386 00:16:31.670 --> 00:16:33.830 this research fun is that the technology 387 00:16:34.070 --> 00:16:36.630 would be used to explore an entirely 388 00:16:36.630 --> 00:16:39.150 unexplored, um, region of the atmosphere. 389 00:16:39.150 --> 00:16:42.110 Previously, nothing could sustainably fly up 390 00:16:42.110 --> 00:16:44.710 their shape. Said it's a bit like the Wild 391 00:16:44.710 --> 00:16:47.630 west in terms of applied physics. The 392 00:16:47.630 --> 00:16:50.110 next steps include adding communication tools 393 00:16:50.110 --> 00:16:52.870 to the flyers so they can send data back to 394 00:16:52.870 --> 00:16:54.670 Earth, uh, during a flight. And that would 395 00:16:54.670 --> 00:16:57.110 make them more useful for real time sensing 396 00:16:57.110 --> 00:16:59.670 and monitoring. To bring this technology into 397 00:16:59.670 --> 00:17:02.470 the real world, Shaffer co founded a startup 398 00:17:02.470 --> 00:17:05.430 called rarify Technologies in 2024 along 399 00:17:05.430 --> 00:17:08.430 with Angela Firdhas. The Harvard Office 400 00:17:08.430 --> 00:17:10.670 of Technology Development helped license the 401 00:17:10.670 --> 00:17:13.000 individual invention and offered support for 402 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:15.880 launching the business. The company's goal is 403 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:17.720 to turn these floating flyers into a 404 00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:20.080 practical tool for science, communication and 405 00:17:20.080 --> 00:17:22.920 exploration. While these flyers may seem 406 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:25.320 small, the design is built on years of 407 00:17:25.320 --> 00:17:26.800 advanced scientific work. 408 00:17:27.120 --> 00:17:29.920 The structures use a technique called 409 00:17:30.080 --> 00:17:32.800 thermal transpiration, where the air flows 410 00:17:32.800 --> 00:17:35.280 from cold to warm through tiny holes, adding 411 00:17:35.280 --> 00:17:38.170 thrust in thin atmospheres. The 412 00:17:38.170 --> 00:17:40.330 research team also developed a model to 413 00:17:40.330 --> 00:17:42.450 predict the best design for different 414 00:17:42.530 --> 00:17:45.410 altitudes. This includes the ideal 415 00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:48.290 number of holes, their size, and 416 00:17:48.290 --> 00:17:51.250 how the membranes are spaced. Using this 417 00:17:51.250 --> 00:17:53.850 model, they created devices with customized 418 00:17:53.850 --> 00:17:56.010 layouts that balanced strength with 419 00:17:56.010 --> 00:17:58.490 performance. In tests, they measured how 420 00:17:58.490 --> 00:18:01.010 different gases some with heavier molecules 421 00:18:01.010 --> 00:18:03.490 affect lift. They found that the 422 00:18:03.490 --> 00:18:06.100 photophoretic forces remain strong even when 423 00:18:06.100 --> 00:18:08.660 using gases with higher molecular weight, 424 00:18:08.660 --> 00:18:11.220 opening doors for future use on various 425 00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:13.900 planets and altitudes. Other floating 426 00:18:13.900 --> 00:18:15.940 materials have been studied before, such as 427 00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:18.660 mylar disks or nanocardboard, 428 00:18:18.980 --> 00:18:21.540 but none matched the power to weight ratio 429 00:18:21.540 --> 00:18:23.860 seen in these new aluminous sandwich 430 00:18:23.860 --> 00:18:26.100 structures. Their performance, measured by 431 00:18:26.100 --> 00:18:28.740 how much weight is lifted per watt of light, 432 00:18:28.820 --> 00:18:31.130 puts them at the current top top of the 433 00:18:31.130 --> 00:18:33.650 photophoretic flyers. While the current 434 00:18:33.650 --> 00:18:36.290 payload capacity is small, just 10 435 00:18:36.290 --> 00:18:39.050 milligrams in a 3cm device, 436 00:18:39.610 --> 00:18:42.410 the approach can scale meter. Wide 437 00:18:42.410 --> 00:18:45.050 flyers may one day lift heavier tools into 438 00:18:45.050 --> 00:18:47.850 the mesosphere and beyond by tapping 439 00:18:47.850 --> 00:18:50.770 into this newly accessible region of the sky. 440 00:18:50.770 --> 00:18:53.130 These featherweight flyers may soon carry 441 00:18:53.130 --> 00:18:55.690 weather sensors, emergency communication 442 00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:58.340 gear, or even tiny Mars bound 443 00:18:58.340 --> 00:19:00.940 probes. And they'll do it all with nothing 444 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:01.980 but sunlight. 445 00:19:11.820 --> 00:19:13.460 Thank you for joining us for this Monday 446 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:15.740 edition of Astronomy Daily, where we offer 447 00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:17.500 just a few stories from the now famous 448 00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:19.620 Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can 449 00:19:19.620 --> 00:19:21.770 receive in your email every day just like 450 00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:24.360 like Hallie and I do. And to do that, just 451 00:19:24.360 --> 00:19:26.640 visit our uh, URL astronomydaily 452 00:19:27.040 --> 00:19:29.800 IO and place your email address in the slot 453 00:19:29.800 --> 00:19:32.160 provided. Just like that, you'll be receiving 454 00:19:32.320 --> 00:19:34.520 all the latest news about science, space 455 00:19:34.520 --> 00:19:36.720 science and astronomy from around the world 456 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.200 as it's happening. And not only that, you can 457 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.040 interact with us by visiting 458 00:19:41.840 --> 00:19:44.400 Strodaily Pod on X 459 00:19:44.560 --> 00:19:47.240 or at our new Facebook page, which is, of 460 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.980 course Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you 461 00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:52.780 there. Astronomy Derby 462 00:19:52.780 --> 00:19:55.140 with Steve and Hallie Space, 463 00:19:55.620 --> 00:19:57.780 Space Science and Astronomy. 464 00:20:01.300 --> 00:20:03.580 Hallie: A M research team has used both archival 465 00:20:03.580 --> 00:20:05.780 Hubble Space Telescope data and new 466 00:20:05.780 --> 00:20:08.420 observations to precisely measure the binary 467 00:20:08.420 --> 00:20:11.218 star system's NGC 3603. 468 00:20:11.502 --> 00:20:14.420 A1.1 star weighs about 93 469 00:20:14.420 --> 00:20:16.470 times the mass of our sun, while its 470 00:20:16.470 --> 00:20:19.470 companion tips the scales at roughly 70 solar 471 00:20:19.470 --> 00:20:22.070 masses. Together, they represent 472 00:20:22.230 --> 00:20:24.910 one of the most massive binary systems ever 473 00:20:24.910 --> 00:20:27.870 discovered in our galaxy. What makes 474 00:20:27.870 --> 00:20:30.510 this system truly extraordinary is the speed 475 00:20:30.510 --> 00:20:33.190 of their orbital movement. The two 476 00:20:33.190 --> 00:20:36.150 giants orbit each other once every 3.8 days, 477 00:20:36.390 --> 00:20:38.630 meaning that in the time Earth completes one 478 00:20:38.630 --> 00:20:40.990 year around the sun, these stellar titans 479 00:20:40.990 --> 00:20:43.030 will have circled each other nearly 100 480 00:20:43.030 --> 00:20:45.650 times. Their proximity and 481 00:20:45.650 --> 00:20:47.770 incredible masses create a dynamic 482 00:20:47.770 --> 00:20:50.250 relationship that's reshaping both stars. 483 00:20:50.970 --> 00:20:53.450 The discovery required detective work that 484 00:20:53.450 --> 00:20:56.090 spanned years and relied on a crucial insight 485 00:20:56.090 --> 00:20:58.890 from an unlikely source. Sarah 486 00:20:58.890 --> 00:21:01.370 Bodansky, then an undergraduate student at 487 00:21:01.370 --> 00:21:03.890 Carleton College, was working remotely at 488 00:21:03.890 --> 00:21:06.450 Lowell Observatory during the pandemic summer 489 00:21:06.450 --> 00:21:08.970 of 2020 when she noticed something everyone 490 00:21:08.970 --> 00:21:10.730 had missed in the older Hubble data. 491 00:21:11.820 --> 00:21:14.260 This observation was key because it revealed 492 00:21:14.260 --> 00:21:16.260 the binary nature of what had appeared to be 493 00:21:16.260 --> 00:21:17.820 a single fuzzy star 494 00:21:18.860 --> 00:21:21.260 located in the densely packed star cluster 495 00:21:21.260 --> 00:21:24.220 NGC 3603, which is one of the most 496 00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:26.780 active star forming regions in our galaxy. 497 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:29.100 The system could only be resolved using 498 00:21:29.100 --> 00:21:30.860 Hubble's exceptional clarity. 499 00:21:31.820 --> 00:21:34.700 Both stars are so massive and energetic that 500 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:36.830 they mimic Wolf Rayet stars, which are 501 00:21:36.830 --> 00:21:39.590 typically older, dying giants that blast away 502 00:21:39.590 --> 00:21:41.630 their outer layers with intense stellar 503 00:21:41.630 --> 00:21:44.350 winds. However, the stars in 504 00:21:44.350 --> 00:21:47.270 NGC 360301 are actually 505 00:21:47.430 --> 00:21:49.550 still young, demonstrating the extreme 506 00:21:49.550 --> 00:21:51.990 conditions that can make massive stars appear 507 00:21:51.990 --> 00:21:54.070 far more evolved than they actually are. 508 00:21:55.030 --> 00:21:57.790 The interaction between the two stars tells a 509 00:21:57.790 --> 00:22:00.070 fascinating story of stellar evolution. 510 00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:03.070 The smaller of the pair appears to have 511 00:22:03.070 --> 00:22:05.280 stolen mass from its larger companion, 512 00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:07.760 causing it to spin faster. As a result, 513 00:22:08.800 --> 00:22:11.160 this kind of mass transfer is crucial for 514 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:13.560 understanding how massive stars change over 515 00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:15.640 time and provides insights into their 516 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:18.520 ultimate fate. Massive binary 517 00:22:18.520 --> 00:22:21.120 systems like NGC3603. 518 00:22:21.280 --> 00:22:23.520 One are the progenitors of binary black 519 00:22:23.520 --> 00:22:26.000 holes, which can eventually merge and create 520 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.440 gravitational waves that scientists have been 521 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:30.240 detecting since 2015. 522 00:22:31.550 --> 00:22:33.550 Understanding these stellar relationships 523 00:22:33.550 --> 00:22:36.030 helps astronomers predict where and when such 524 00:22:36.030 --> 00:22:38.710 collisions might occur. You're listening to 525 00:22:38.710 --> 00:22:40.990 Astronomy Daily the podcast with Steve 526 00:22:40.990 --> 00:22:41.550 Dunkley. 527 00:22:46.430 --> 00:22:49.110 Steve Dunkley: Technicians inside a pair of clean rooms in 528 00:22:49.110 --> 00:22:51.270 the astrotech facility in Titusville, 529 00:22:51.270 --> 00:22:54.150 Florida, are busily readying a trio 530 00:22:54.150 --> 00:22:56.670 of spacecraft that will study the sun 531 00:22:57.120 --> 00:22:59.280 and its effects on Earth, uh, and across the 532 00:22:59.280 --> 00:23:02.240 solar system. The primary mission among the 533 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.120 Trio is the NASA's Interstellar Mapping 534 00:23:05.120 --> 00:23:07.840 and Acceleration Probe, or IMAP, which will 535 00:23:07.840 --> 00:23:10.240 use a suite of 10 instruments to study the 536 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:13.240 Sun's sphere of influence, referred to as the 537 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:16.080 heliosphere. It's joined by the Carruthers 538 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:19.160 Geocorona Observatory, another NASA 539 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:22.000 mission, and the Space Weather follow on 540 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:23.480 in Lagrange 1, especially 541 00:23:23.630 --> 00:23:26.590 SWFOL 1 Observatory from 542 00:23:26.590 --> 00:23:29.150 the national oceanic and Atmospheric 543 00:23:29.150 --> 00:23:31.910 administration, known as NOAA. The trio 544 00:23:31.910 --> 00:23:34.750 will ride atop a SpaceX Falcon 545 00:23:34.750 --> 00:23:37.510 9 rocket to begin a months long 546 00:23:37.510 --> 00:23:40.070 trip to a celestial parking spot known as 547 00:23:40.070 --> 00:23:42.870 Lagrange 1, roughly a million miles from 548 00:23:42.870 --> 00:23:45.510 Earth en route to the Sun. All three 549 00:23:45.510 --> 00:23:47.950 craft are uh, fueled for launch, which is 550 00:23:47.950 --> 00:23:50.630 scheduled for no earlier than September 23, 551 00:23:50.630 --> 00:23:53.570 not too far away. Joseph Westlake, director 552 00:23:53.570 --> 00:23:55.690 of NASA's Science Mission Directorates, 553 00:23:55.690 --> 00:23:58.250 Helios Physics Division, said 554 00:23:58.410 --> 00:24:01.290 recent developments like the total solar 555 00:24:01.370 --> 00:24:04.250 eclipse in 2024, widespread auroras 556 00:24:04.250 --> 00:24:06.690 and marquee missions like Parker Solar's 557 00:24:06.690 --> 00:24:09.210 probe have really put a spotlight on 558 00:24:09.210 --> 00:24:11.450 studying the Sun. You can think about the 559 00:24:11.450 --> 00:24:13.930 solar wind, the space weather as it's coming 560 00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:15.970 toward the Earth, and the measurements that 561 00:24:15.970 --> 00:24:18.790 I'm at is going to make of those particles as 562 00:24:18.790 --> 00:24:21.430 they go forward, Westlake said. And then if 563 00:24:21.430 --> 00:24:23.630 you think of the sun as really blowing up 564 00:24:23.630 --> 00:24:26.470 this big bubble of the heliosphere, IMAP is 565 00:24:26.470 --> 00:24:28.950 going to deliver a unique understanding of 566 00:24:28.950 --> 00:24:31.630 our home in space. And so 567 00:24:31.710 --> 00:24:33.870 as all of that comes together, along with the 568 00:24:33.870 --> 00:24:35.590 multitude of other missions that we've 569 00:24:35.590 --> 00:24:37.550 launched, even just this year, it's a 570 00:24:37.550 --> 00:24:39.870 wonderful time to be a heliophysicist. 571 00:24:40.590 --> 00:24:43.270 David McComas said even though 572 00:24:43.510 --> 00:24:46.190 IMAP is the third uh, NASA 573 00:24:46.190 --> 00:24:48.110 mission for which he's serving as the 574 00:24:48.110 --> 00:24:50.470 principal investigator, the final pre launch 575 00:24:50.550 --> 00:24:53.030 campaign is still a bevy of mixed emotions. 576 00:24:53.430 --> 00:24:56.030 He says, I'm feeling great, but I'm also 577 00:24:56.030 --> 00:24:58.310 feeling terrified because this is that time 578 00:24:58.310 --> 00:25:00.070 when everything comes together and if there's 579 00:25:00.070 --> 00:25:02.030 any issue that pops up at the last minute or 580 00:25:02.030 --> 00:25:04.590 any concern, you know, it can set back the 581 00:25:04.590 --> 00:25:07.430 launch and that can be very expensive and 582 00:25:07.430 --> 00:25:10.280 sort of divert the whole team. He said he 583 00:25:10.280 --> 00:25:12.520 goes um, on to say as and as it all comes 584 00:25:12.520 --> 00:25:15.040 together, the impact of anything happening 585 00:25:15.040 --> 00:25:17.840 gets worse. So you're kind of afraid of that, 586 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:20.160 but at the same moment you're just really 587 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:23.120 excited because you know, in the, the 588 00:25:23.120 --> 00:25:25.720 morning of the 23rd, right at sunrise, we're 589 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:27.720 going to be launching and it's going to be 590 00:25:27.720 --> 00:25:29.640 the most spectacular thing for all of us who 591 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:32.200 spent 10 years or more working on this 592 00:25:32.200 --> 00:25:34.130 mission, that's. That must feel fantastic 593 00:25:34.520 --> 00:25:37.280 when that happens. IMAP is truly a global 594 00:25:37.280 --> 00:25:40.040 effort. With input from 35 states and 595 00:25:40.040 --> 00:25:42.960 from six partner countries, more than 596 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:45.240 half of its 12 instruments will study short 597 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:48.040 term and long term space weather. Inside one 598 00:25:48.040 --> 00:25:50.319 of the Astrotech cleanrooms. Rosanna Smith, 599 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:53.080 the instrument integration and lead 600 00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:56.440 test lead for imap, adorned in a protective 601 00:25:56.440 --> 00:25:59.320 garment referred to as a bunny suit, said 602 00:25:59.560 --> 00:26:02.370 bringing together the science instruments 603 00:26:02.370 --> 00:26:04.490 from the teams around the world was both very 604 00:26:04.490 --> 00:26:07.130 smooth and a thrill. Working with the 605 00:26:07.130 --> 00:26:09.090 instrument teams was actually awesome because 606 00:26:09.090 --> 00:26:11.370 there's 10 institutions, 10 instruments from 607 00:26:11.370 --> 00:26:13.730 all over the world. Smith said. We traveled 608 00:26:13.730 --> 00:26:16.530 actually to their reviews, we followed 609 00:26:16.530 --> 00:26:19.090 them through their processes and when they 610 00:26:19.090 --> 00:26:21.250 came to us, we integrated them onto the 611 00:26:21.250 --> 00:26:23.730 spacecraft, each one and it was very, very 612 00:26:23.730 --> 00:26:26.370 cool. He sounds really excited. Amber 613 00:26:26.370 --> 00:26:29.050 Dubil, the deputy mechanical engineer for 614 00:26:29.050 --> 00:26:31.560 imap, said that the teams were doing their 615 00:26:31.560 --> 00:26:33.760 final checkouts of the spacecraft. We're 616 00:26:33.760 --> 00:26:36.000 pretty close to done, she says. We're doing 617 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:38.920 final inspections and then we roll over 618 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:41.920 to uh mate with our ride shares on 619 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:43.720 the launch vehicle Duple set. 620 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:46.080 Similarly to IMAP, NOAA's 621 00:26:46.080 --> 00:26:49.080 SWF O uh L1 observatory will 622 00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:51.400 also be studying space, whether it helps 623 00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:54.280 augment the agency's role in keeping the 624 00:26:54.280 --> 00:26:56.550 public and property safe from all types of 625 00:26:56.550 --> 00:26:58.910 weather events. That is a tough job. 626 00:26:59.390 --> 00:27:01.630 Richard Orman, NOAA Space Weather 627 00:27:01.630 --> 00:27:04.110 Observatory observations director, said one 628 00:27:04.110 --> 00:27:06.310 of the key differences between his agency, 629 00:27:06.310 --> 00:27:09.150 spacecraft and IMAPS and CarRuthers is that 630 00:27:09.150 --> 00:27:11.990 SWF O uh L uh 1 is designed as a 631 00:27:11.990 --> 00:27:13.950 science application mission, not a research 632 00:27:14.030 --> 00:27:16.590 science mission. We are looking at the same 633 00:27:16.590 --> 00:27:19.440 phenomena for the application of, uh, 634 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:21.710 being prepared for the space weather that's 635 00:27:21.710 --> 00:27:24.440 going to impact us. Said we're hoping that 636 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:27.320 these IMAP and Carruthers will improve 637 00:27:27.320 --> 00:27:29.680 our knowledge and make us able to make better 638 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.320 forecasts. But what we're doing here is the 639 00:27:32.320 --> 00:27:34.520 operational forecast the day to day. 640 00:27:34.840 --> 00:27:37.520 Orman said SWFO L1 will be 641 00:27:37.520 --> 00:27:39.760 capable of sending back solar weather data in 642 00:27:39.760 --> 00:27:41.960 less than five minutes and can send alerts of 643 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:44.960 coronal mass ejections about 15 to 644 00:27:44.960 --> 00:27:47.480 30 minutes prior to them impacting the Earth. 645 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:50.000 He said that kind of early warning system can 646 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:52.200 help different industries like utility 647 00:27:52.200 --> 00:27:54.580 companies and airplanes prepare for the 648 00:27:54.580 --> 00:27:57.440 interference from strong solar weather. Uh, 649 00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:59.700 rounding out the trio of spacecraft is 650 00:27:59.700 --> 00:28:02.300 Carruthers, named for Dr. George 651 00:28:02.300 --> 00:28:04.620 Carruthers, an astronautical engineer and 652 00:28:04.620 --> 00:28:06.740 astronomer who developed and built an 653 00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:09.619 ultraviolet electrographic telescope that 654 00:28:09.619 --> 00:28:11.580 was flown to the Moon during the Apollo 16 655 00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:14.220 mission. It was designed to help study 656 00:28:14.220 --> 00:28:16.660 Earth's, uh, outermost atmospheric layer, the 657 00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:19.470 exosphere, or geocorona. This 658 00:28:19.470 --> 00:28:22.070 geocorona, the edge of our atmosphere that 659 00:28:22.070 --> 00:28:24.750 extends to at least halfway to the Moon. We 660 00:28:24.750 --> 00:28:27.510 don't even know its shape or size, said Kelly 661 00:28:27.590 --> 00:28:30.390 Carruthers, program scientists. 662 00:28:30.390 --> 00:28:32.950 It's really very meaningful to have this 663 00:28:33.030 --> 00:28:35.229 mission named after him because he's the one 664 00:28:35.229 --> 00:28:37.790 who pioneered the technology. Like the other 665 00:28:37.790 --> 00:28:40.230 two missions, Carruthers will also study 666 00:28:40.230 --> 00:28:42.710 space weather, specifically its interplay 667 00:28:42.710 --> 00:28:45.550 with this exosphere and how well it can 668 00:28:45.550 --> 00:28:47.820 dissipate the energy from solar storms. 669 00:28:47.980 --> 00:28:50.420 Correct said. It can also provide insight 670 00:28:50.420 --> 00:28:52.560 into some key differences between Earth, uh, 671 00:28:52.560 --> 00:28:55.300 and Mars. We saw that on Mars, 672 00:28:55.300 --> 00:28:57.980 water was lost through its exosphere and now 673 00:28:57.980 --> 00:29:00.220 it's kind of barren desert. No, uh, water. 674 00:29:00.220 --> 00:29:02.380 Correct said. How does that change? 675 00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:05.220 What's the difference to our sphere versus 676 00:29:05.220 --> 00:29:08.140 Mars? And then what does that say for life on 677 00:29:08.140 --> 00:29:10.780 other planets outside, uh, our solar system? 678 00:29:12.790 --> 00:29:14.910 You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the 679 00:29:14.910 --> 00:29:17.750 podcast with your host Steve Dudley at 680 00:29:17.750 --> 00:29:18.470 BermaTech. 681 00:29:26.150 --> 00:29:27.990 Oh, and that's all there is today on 682 00:29:27.990 --> 00:29:30.030 Astronomy Daily. And when I say that's all, 683 00:29:30.030 --> 00:29:32.230 it was a pretty long edition today, 684 00:29:32.870 --> 00:29:33.150 so. 685 00:29:33.150 --> 00:29:35.390 Hallie: Glad you stayed with us. It was a bumper 686 00:29:35.390 --> 00:29:35.790 edition. 687 00:29:35.790 --> 00:29:37.510 Steve Dunkley: Yes, there's always plenty of stories. 688 00:29:37.750 --> 00:29:40.200 Hallie: And don't forget to sign up for the Astronomy 689 00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:41.160 Daily newsletter. 690 00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:43.200 Steve Dunkley: Oh, yes, do that there's so much. 691 00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:44.280 Hallie: More to see every day. 692 00:29:44.280 --> 00:29:45.960 Steve Dunkley: Yes, that's right. You'll be better informed 693 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:48.240 than Hallie. Just put your email address in 694 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:50.720 the slot provided over at astronomydaily IO. 695 00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:53.160 Uh, it's that simple. And I do hope we'll see 696 00:29:53.160 --> 00:29:55.239 you all again next Monday for the mostly live 697 00:29:55.239 --> 00:29:56.840 episode of Astronomy Daily. 698 00:29:56.840 --> 00:29:59.680 Hallie: And in the meantime, Anna and that Avery guy. 699 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.880 Steve Dunkley: That Avery guy? Oh, come on, Hallie. 700 00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:04.440 Hallie: Okay, that nice new guy, Avery, 701 00:30:04.600 --> 00:30:06.560 will keep you informed with all the news 702 00:30:06.560 --> 00:30:09.480 about space. Space science and astronomy and 703 00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:10.310 beyond, of course. 704 00:30:10.700 --> 00:30:12.700 Steve Dunkley: Sounds good to me. See you all next Monday. 705 00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:13.420 Cheerio. 706 00:30:13.420 --> 00:30:13.900 Hallie: Bye. 707 00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:20.460 Voice Over Guy: With your host, Steve Dunkley.