WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.320 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your 1 00:00:03.320 --> 00:00:06.200 go to source for the latest discoveries and 2 00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:08.880 developments in space science. I'm 3 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:11.680 Anna, and joining me as always, is my 4 00:00:11.680 --> 00:00:14.520 co host, Avery. Today we've got some 5 00:00:14.520 --> 00:00:17.080 absolutely fascinating stories to share with 6 00:00:17.080 --> 00:00:17.360 you. 7 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:20.280 Avery: Hey everyone. Avery here and Anna. Uh, 8 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.400 you're not kidding about fascinating. We're 9 00:00:22.400 --> 00:00:24.560 talking about what might be the best evidence 10 00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:27.420 yet for life on Mars. Some surprising risks 11 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:30.060 with asteroid deflection missions. And NASA 12 00:00:30.060 --> 00:00:32.260 is getting creative with helicopter training 13 00:00:32.260 --> 00:00:35.020 in the mountains. Plus, the Pentagon just 14 00:00:35.020 --> 00:00:36.860 launched a bunch of satellites that could 15 00:00:36.860 --> 00:00:38.620 change missile defense forever. 16 00:00:38.940 --> 00:00:41.340 Anna: Right. It's like science fiction becoming 17 00:00:41.420 --> 00:00:44.220 science fact. Let's dive right into 18 00:00:44.220 --> 00:00:45.500 our biggest story today. 19 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.820 The Perseverance rover has been busy on Mars, 20 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:51.340 and the data it's sending back is absolutely 21 00:00:51.950 --> 00:00:54.270 mind blowing. We might be looking at the 22 00:00:54.270 --> 00:00:57.110 strongest evidence yet for microbial life on 23 00:00:57.110 --> 00:00:58.030 the red planet. 24 00:00:58.270 --> 00:01:00.190 Avery: Okay, so tell me about these leopard spots, 25 00:01:00.190 --> 00:01:01.790 Anna, because when I first heard about this 26 00:01:01.790 --> 00:01:03.710 story, I thought someone was pulling my leg. 27 00:01:03.790 --> 00:01:05.310 Leopard spots on Mars? 28 00:01:05.470 --> 00:01:08.350 Anna: I know it sounds wild, but that's exactly 29 00:01:08.350 --> 00:01:11.190 what scientists are calling these speckled 30 00:01:11.190 --> 00:01:14.110 patterns on a rock called Shevia Falls 31 00:01:14.110 --> 00:01:16.670 in the Bright Angel Formation. And here's 32 00:01:16.670 --> 00:01:18.900 where it gets really interesting. These 33 00:01:18.900 --> 00:01:21.500 aren't just pretty patterns. The spots 34 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:24.420 contain organic carbon rich material, 35 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:27.140 which is already exciting. But there's so 36 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:27.780 much more. 37 00:01:28.020 --> 00:01:30.060 Avery: More? Lay it on me. What else did 38 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:31.700 Perseverance find in these spots? 39 00:01:31.940 --> 00:01:34.659 Anna: Well, they found clay minerals, which tells 40 00:01:34.659 --> 00:01:37.180 us water was definitely present when this 41 00:01:37.180 --> 00:01:39.860 rock formed. Then there's calcium 42 00:01:39.860 --> 00:01:42.820 sulfate, iron phosphate, and here's the 43 00:01:42.820 --> 00:01:45.300 kicker. Iron sulfide minerals, 44 00:01:45.610 --> 00:01:48.450 probably vivianite and grigite. These 45 00:01:48.450 --> 00:01:50.170 specific minerals are really important 46 00:01:50.410 --> 00:01:53.210 because they suggest biological processes 47 00:01:53.530 --> 00:01:56.090 similar to what we see with Earth microbes 48 00:01:56.090 --> 00:01:59.050 that literally breathe rust and sulfate. 49 00:01:59.450 --> 00:02:02.330 Avery: Wait, microbes that breathe rust? That sounds 50 00:02:02.330 --> 00:02:04.290 like something out of a superhero movie. How 51 00:02:04.290 --> 00:02:05.130 does that even work? 52 00:02:05.450 --> 00:02:07.770 Anna: It's actually pretty amazing. These 53 00:02:07.850 --> 00:02:10.330 microbes use iron and sulfate 54 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:12.970 compounds instead of oxygen for their 55 00:02:12.970 --> 00:02:15.620 metabolism. They basically heat eat the rust 56 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:18.220 and sulfate to survive. And the mineral 57 00:02:18.220 --> 00:02:20.940 signatures we're seeing on Mars are exactly 58 00:02:20.940 --> 00:02:23.380 what you'd expect to find as waste products 59 00:02:23.620 --> 00:02:25.940 from this kind of biological activity. 60 00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:28.420 Avery: Okay, but I have to ask the skeptical 61 00:02:28.420 --> 00:02:30.939 question here. Could there be non biological 62 00:02:30.939 --> 00:02:33.380 explanations for these patterns and minerals? 63 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:36.340 Anna: That's exactly the right question to ask. And 64 00:02:36.420 --> 00:02:38.940 scientists have considered that non 65 00:02:38.940 --> 00:02:41.580 biological processes could theoretically 66 00:02:41.580 --> 00:02:44.260 create these minerals, but they would require 67 00:02:44.260 --> 00:02:46.580 extreme conditions. We're talking 68 00:02:47.040 --> 00:02:49.840 temperatures between 150 and 200 69 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:52.400 degrees Celsius, or extremely high 70 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.040 acidity. The problem is, when 71 00:02:55.040 --> 00:02:57.840 researchers analyzed the rocks, they found 72 00:02:57.920 --> 00:03:00.320 no evidence of these extreme conditions 73 00:03:00.640 --> 00:03:01.600 ever being present. 74 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:04.480 Avery: So we're left with biology as the most likely 75 00:03:04.480 --> 00:03:07.040 explanation. But we're not popping champagne 76 00:03:07.040 --> 00:03:08.800 just yet. Right? What's the next step 77 00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:09.760 exactly? 78 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.280 Anna: The samples need to be returned to Earth for 79 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:15.200 definitive analysis. We need the full 80 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:17.880 power of Earth based laboratories to really 81 00:03:17.880 --> 00:03:20.660 confirm what seeing. That's where missions 82 00:03:20.660 --> 00:03:23.660 like Mars Sample Return become absolutely 83 00:03:23.660 --> 00:03:26.380 crucial. We're potentially looking at one of 84 00:03:26.380 --> 00:03:29.020 the most significant scientific discoveries 85 00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:31.860 in human history, but we need those 86 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:33.580 samples back home to be sure. 87 00:03:33.980 --> 00:03:35.940 Avery: Speaking of things that could go wrong, our 88 00:03:35.940 --> 00:03:38.020 next story is a real eye opener about 89 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:40.500 asteroid deflection missions. Turns out 90 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:42.540 trying to save Earth from an asteroid impact 91 00:03:42.780 --> 00:03:45.180 might accidentally put us in more danger if 92 00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:46.860 we're not extremely careful. 93 00:03:47.370 --> 00:03:50.130 Anna: This story really got my attention because it 94 00:03:50.130 --> 00:03:52.650 sounds counterintuitive. How can 95 00:03:52.650 --> 00:03:55.490 protecting Earth from an asteroid make things 96 00:03:55.490 --> 00:03:55.930 worse? 97 00:03:56.090 --> 00:03:58.010 Avery: It all comes down to something called 98 00:03:58.090 --> 00:04:00.650 gravitational keyholes. These are 99 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:03.249 specific areas in space where a planet's 100 00:04:03.249 --> 00:04:05.930 gravity can alter an asteroid's trajectory 101 00:04:06.090 --> 00:04:08.930 in unexpected ways. Researcher Raheel 102 00:04:08.930 --> 00:04:11.610 Makadia and his team, building on results 103 00:04:11.610 --> 00:04:14.160 from the DART mission, discovered that if you 104 00:04:14.160 --> 00:04:16.880 hit an asteroid in the wrong spot or at the 105 00:04:16.880 --> 00:04:19.600 wrong angle, you could accidentally steer it 106 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.000 through one of these keyholes. 107 00:04:21.320 --> 00:04:23.960 Anna: And then the planet's gravity takes over and 108 00:04:23.960 --> 00:04:26.200 potentially sends the asteroid on a collision 109 00:04:26.200 --> 00:04:28.760 course with Earth. That's terrifying. How do 110 00:04:28.760 --> 00:04:29.640 we avoid this? 111 00:04:30.200 --> 00:04:32.760 Avery: The solution is really sophisticated 112 00:04:32.760 --> 00:04:35.360 planning. Makadia's team has created what 113 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.800 they call probability maps that show where 114 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:40.720 asteroids are most likely to go after being 115 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:42.920 deflected. They have to consider everything. 116 00:04:43.320 --> 00:04:46.120 The asteroid's shape, how fast it's rotating, 117 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.920 its mass, even the topology of its surface. 118 00:04:49.320 --> 00:04:51.720 Every asteroid is different, so each one 119 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:54.600 requires its own detailed analysis to 120 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.280 find the safest impact zones. 121 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.520 Anna: It's like cosmic billiards, but with the 122 00:04:59.520 --> 00:05:02.440 fate of humanity hanging in the balance. This 123 00:05:02.440 --> 00:05:04.640 research really shows how complex space 124 00:05:04.640 --> 00:05:06.800 missions can be. You can't just point a 125 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:08.880 spacecraft at an asteroid and hope for the 126 00:05:08.880 --> 00:05:09.160 best. 127 00:05:09.740 --> 00:05:11.940 Avery: Exactly. And it makes the DART mission 128 00:05:11.940 --> 00:05:14.420 results even more valuable because now we 129 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:17.180 have real world data about how these impacts 130 00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:17.980 actually work. 131 00:05:18.700 --> 00:05:20.940 Speaking of impressive space discoveries, 132 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:23.300 let's talk about what the Webb Telescope has 133 00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:26.260 been up to lately. Anna. Uh, this stellar jet 134 00:05:26.260 --> 00:05:27.900 story is pretty incredible. 135 00:05:28.140 --> 00:05:30.900 Anna: Oh, wow. Yes. Webb captured images of 136 00:05:30.900 --> 00:05:33.860 this absolutely massive stellar jet and 137 00:05:33.860 --> 00:05:36.460 the Sharpless 2284 Nebula. 138 00:05:36.620 --> 00:05:38.820 We're talking about a jet that's eight light 139 00:05:38.820 --> 00:05:40.940 years long. To put that in perspective, 140 00:05:40.940 --> 00:05:43.300 that's almost twice the distance from our sun 141 00:05:43.300 --> 00:05:45.340 to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. 142 00:05:45.580 --> 00:05:47.740 Avery: Eight light years long, that's mind boggling. 143 00:05:47.980 --> 00:05:50.060 What's creating this massive jet. 144 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:52.900 Anna: It's streaming from a protostar, basically a 145 00:05:52.900 --> 00:05:55.140 baby star that's still forming. And this 146 00:05:55.140 --> 00:05:57.780 particular protostar weighs about 10 times 147 00:05:57.780 --> 00:06:00.220 more than our sun. The whole system is 148 00:06:00.220 --> 00:06:02.900 located about 15,000 light years away from 149 00:06:02.900 --> 00:06:05.500 us. What makes this discovery so special is 150 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:07.740 that most protostellar jets we've observed 151 00:06:07.740 --> 00:06:10.260 before came from much smaller, low mass 152 00:06:10.260 --> 00:06:10.780 stars. 153 00:06:11.170 --> 00:06:13.050 Avery: So this is giving us insights into how 154 00:06:13.050 --> 00:06:15.930 massive stars form, which is still pretty 155 00:06:15.930 --> 00:06:16.770 mysterious, right? 156 00:06:16.930 --> 00:06:19.330 Anna: Absolutely. And there's another fascinating 157 00:06:19.330 --> 00:06:22.050 aspect. This discovery provides evidence 158 00:06:22.050 --> 00:06:24.370 that jets scale with stellar mass. 159 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:27.450 Bigger star, bigger jet. Plus it's giving us 160 00:06:27.450 --> 00:06:29.890 insights into massive star formation and low 161 00:06:29.890 --> 00:06:32.250 metallicity environments, which are similar 162 00:06:32.250 --> 00:06:34.570 to conditions in the early universe. It's 163 00:06:34.570 --> 00:06:36.930 like getting a window into how the first 164 00:06:36.930 --> 00:06:39.650 massive stars formed billions of years ago. 165 00:06:40.390 --> 00:06:43.190 Avery: From massive stars to missile defense. 166 00:06:43.270 --> 00:06:45.670 Our next story takes us back down to Earth. 167 00:06:45.990 --> 00:06:48.590 Well, sort of. The Pentagon just launched 168 00:06:48.590 --> 00:06:50.990 21 satellites as part of a new missile 169 00:06:50.990 --> 00:06:53.190 defense constellation. Anna, uh, this sounds 170 00:06:53.190 --> 00:06:55.150 like something out of a Tom Clancy novel. 171 00:06:55.150 --> 00:06:57.470 Anna: It really does. They're calling it the 172 00:06:57.470 --> 00:07:00.230 proliferated Warfighter Space architecture. 173 00:07:00.470 --> 00:07:02.750 And these 21 satellites are just the 174 00:07:02.750 --> 00:07:05.710 beginning. The plan is to build 154 175 00:07:05.710 --> 00:07:08.070 operational satellites over the next nine 176 00:07:08.070 --> 00:07:10.480 months. But here's what's really interesting. 177 00:07:10.640 --> 00:07:13.080 They're completely changing the economics of 178 00:07:13.080 --> 00:07:14.240 military satellite. 179 00:07:14.320 --> 00:07:17.080 Avery: How so? I imagine military satellites are 180 00:07:17.080 --> 00:07:17.840 pretty expensive. 181 00:07:18.320 --> 00:07:20.160 Anna: Traditional military satellites in 182 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:22.880 geosynchronous orbit cost over a billion 183 00:07:22.880 --> 00:07:25.680 dollars each. These new ones, 14 184 00:07:25.840 --> 00:07:28.640 to 15 million each. That's a massive cost 185 00:07:28.640 --> 00:07:31.000 reduction. They're operating in low Earth 186 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:32.480 orbit instead of the much higher 187 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:34.920 geosynchronous orbits. And they're designed 188 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:37.120 to work as a network rather than individual 189 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:38.820 super expensive satellites. 190 00:07:39.370 --> 00:07:42.010 Avery: So it's quantity over individual capability. 191 00:07:42.650 --> 00:07:44.490 What will these satellites actually do? 192 00:07:44.650 --> 00:07:46.410 Anna: They'll provide beyond line of sight 193 00:07:46.410 --> 00:07:49.410 communications using Link 16 tactical data 194 00:07:49.410 --> 00:07:51.490 networks, which is military communications 195 00:07:51.490 --> 00:07:53.970 standard. But more importantly, they're 196 00:07:53.970 --> 00:07:55.810 designed to detect modern threats like 197 00:07:55.810 --> 00:07:58.450 hypersonic weapons, which are notoriously 198 00:07:58.450 --> 00:08:00.570 difficult to track with traditional systems 199 00:08:00.730 --> 00:08:02.530 because of their speed and unpredictable 200 00:08:02.530 --> 00:08:03.210 flight packs. 201 00:08:03.370 --> 00:08:05.920 Avery: That makes sense. Having a distributed 202 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.160 network of cheaper satellites means you're 203 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:09.960 less vulnerable if you lose one or two. 204 00:08:10.440 --> 00:08:12.880 And finally, let's talk about NASA getting 205 00:08:12.880 --> 00:08:15.360 creative with astronaut training. Are they 206 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:17.720 using helicopters in the Colorado mountains? 207 00:08:18.760 --> 00:08:20.759 Anna: This is such a clever training approach. 208 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:24.160 NASA just certified a new helicopter flight 209 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:26.280 training course in the Colorado mountains 210 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:28.920 specifically designed to simulate lunar 211 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:31.000 landing conditions for the Artemis missions. 212 00:08:31.650 --> 00:08:34.370 Astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Matthew Dominic 213 00:08:34.370 --> 00:08:36.130 were part of the certification process. 214 00:08:36.930 --> 00:08:39.770 Avery: I'm trying to picture this. How do mountains 215 00:08:39.770 --> 00:08:41.810 in Colorado simulate the moon? 216 00:08:42.610 --> 00:08:45.250 Anna: Great question. The mountainous terrain 217 00:08:45.330 --> 00:08:47.890 Creates similar visual allusions 218 00:08:48.050 --> 00:08:50.250 to what astronauts will experience when 219 00:08:50.250 --> 00:08:52.570 landing on the Moon. Without familiar 220 00:08:52.570 --> 00:08:54.570 reference points, it becomes really 221 00:08:54.570 --> 00:08:56.930 challenging to judge distances and 222 00:08:56.930 --> 00:08:59.610 altitudes accurately. Plus, the 223 00:08:59.610 --> 00:09:02.130 dusty conditions in some areas help 224 00:09:02.130 --> 00:09:04.890 simulate how lunar dust will interact 225 00:09:04.890 --> 00:09:07.130 with the lander's thrusters. Which is 226 00:09:07.130 --> 00:09:09.490 actually a major concern for lunar missions. 227 00:09:10.290 --> 00:09:13.210 Avery: Right, because lunar dust is extremely fine 228 00:09:13.210 --> 00:09:15.250 and gets kicked up by the rocket exhaust, 229 00:09:15.409 --> 00:09:17.490 which can create a total whiteout during 230 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:20.090 landing. This real world flight training 231 00:09:20.090 --> 00:09:22.210 sounds way better than just using simulators. 232 00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:25.490 Anna: Exactly. And it's not just about individual 233 00:09:25.490 --> 00:09:28.330 piloting skills. The training focuses heavily 234 00:09:28.330 --> 00:09:30.770 on crew coordination and communication, 235 00:09:31.310 --> 00:09:33.270 which will be absolutely critical when 236 00:09:33.270 --> 00:09:35.430 they're trying to land on the moon. There's 237 00:09:35.430 --> 00:09:37.350 no room for miscommunication when you're 238 00:09:37.350 --> 00:09:39.870 piloting a lunar lander to the surface. 239 00:09:40.430 --> 00:09:42.350 Avery: It's amazing how NASA keeps finding 240 00:09:42.350 --> 00:09:44.030 innovative ways to prepare for these 241 00:09:44.030 --> 00:09:46.790 missions. From potential life on Mars to 242 00:09:46.790 --> 00:09:49.550 asteroid deflection challenges, from massive 243 00:09:49.550 --> 00:09:52.230 stellar jets to military satellites and lunar 244 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:54.750 landing training. What a week for space news. 245 00:09:55.230 --> 00:09:57.890 Anna: It really has been incredible. And I think 246 00:09:57.890 --> 00:10:00.370 what strikes me most is how all these stories 247 00:10:00.370 --> 00:10:02.850 show us that space exploration is this 248 00:10:02.850 --> 00:10:05.130 perfect blend of cutting edge science, 249 00:10:05.450 --> 00:10:08.130 careful planning, and sometimes creative 250 00:10:08.130 --> 00:10:10.410 problem solving. Whether we're looking for 251 00:10:10.410 --> 00:10:12.690 life on Mars or training astronauts in 252 00:10:12.690 --> 00:10:15.250 Colorado mountains, it's all about pushing 253 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:16.890 the boundaries of what's possible. 254 00:10:17.610 --> 00:10:19.930 Avery: Couldn't agree more, Ana. Um, that's all for 255 00:10:19.930 --> 00:10:22.170 today's episode of Astronomy Daily. Thanks 256 00:10:22.170 --> 00:10:23.690 for joining us on this journey through the 257 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:25.770 latest space discoveries and developments. 258 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:28.800 Anna: Keep looking up, everyone. The universe has 259 00:10:28.800 --> 00:10:31.120 so much more to show us. Until next time, 260 00:10:31.280 --> 00:10:33.400 this is Ana and Avery signing off from 261 00:10:33.400 --> 00:10:34.320 Astronomy Daily. 262 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:37.720 Avery: Actually, Ana, before we wrap up, I wanted to 263 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:40.160 touch on one more fascinating story that came 264 00:10:40.160 --> 00:10:41.520 across our desk this week. 265 00:10:41.839 --> 00:10:44.280 The European Space Agency just announced some 266 00:10:44.280 --> 00:10:46.440 remarkable findings from their Gaia mission 267 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:49.160 about stellar merceries in our galaxy. It's 268 00:10:49.160 --> 00:10:50.720 really changing how we understand star 269 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:51.280 formation. 270 00:10:51.770 --> 00:10:54.210 Anna: Oh, yes, the Gaia data is 271 00:10:54.210 --> 00:10:56.450 incredible. They've been mapping the 272 00:10:56.450 --> 00:10:58.730 positions and movements of over a billion 273 00:10:58.890 --> 00:11:01.450 stars. And what they're finding about stellar 274 00:11:01.450 --> 00:11:04.410 associations and how stars form and clusters 275 00:11:04.490 --> 00:11:07.490 is really rewriting the textbooks. Tell 276 00:11:07.490 --> 00:11:09.570 our listeners what makes this discovery so 277 00:11:09.570 --> 00:11:09.850 special. 278 00:11:10.810 --> 00:11:13.010 Avery: So what Gaia has revealed is that, uh, star 279 00:11:13.010 --> 00:11:14.930 formation is much more complex and 280 00:11:14.930 --> 00:11:16.890 interconnective than we previously thought. 281 00:11:17.540 --> 00:11:19.620 They've identified these massive stellar 282 00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:22.020 streams, Groups of stars that were born 283 00:11:22.020 --> 00:11:24.100 together and are still moving through space 284 00:11:24.180 --> 00:11:26.900 together even millions of years after their 285 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:29.500 formation. Some of these streams stretch for 286 00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:31.700 hundreds of light years across our galaxy. 287 00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:34.420 Anna: That's mind blowing when you think about it. 288 00:11:34.660 --> 00:11:36.660 Our sun could have siblings scattered across 289 00:11:36.660 --> 00:11:38.820 the galaxy that we're just now discovering. 290 00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:41.540 But what does this tell us about how star 291 00:11:41.540 --> 00:11:44.380 formation actually works? I mean, this seems 292 00:11:44.380 --> 00:11:46.900 to challenge the idea that stars just form 293 00:11:47.140 --> 00:11:48.340 randomly throughout. 294 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.800 Avery: Exactly. It's showing us that star formation 295 00:11:52.800 --> 00:11:55.480 happens in these cascade events. When one 296 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:58.240 massive star explodes as a supernova, it 297 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.960 triggers star formation in nearby gas clouds, 298 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.040 which can then trigger more star formation 299 00:12:03.040 --> 00:12:05.840 and so on. It's like cosmic dominoes. 300 00:12:05.920 --> 00:12:08.560 And here's the really cool. By tracing these 301 00:12:08.560 --> 00:12:11.480 stellar streams backward in time, astronomers 302 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:13.520 can actually map out the history of star 303 00:12:13.520 --> 00:12:16.000 formation in different regions of our galaxy. 304 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:18.770 Anna: It's like having a time machine for galactic 305 00:12:18.770 --> 00:12:21.530 archaeology. And this connects beautifully to 306 00:12:21.530 --> 00:12:23.850 our earlier discussion about that massive 307 00:12:23.850 --> 00:12:26.290 stellar jet Webb observed. We're seeing the 308 00:12:26.290 --> 00:12:28.930 universe as this incredibly interconnected 309 00:12:28.930 --> 00:12:31.650 system where everything influences everything 310 00:12:31.650 --> 00:12:34.170 else across vast distances and 311 00:12:34.170 --> 00:12:35.050 timescales. 312 00:12:35.290 --> 00:12:37.810 Avery: Speaking of interconnected systems, Anna, I, 313 00:12:37.810 --> 00:12:40.050 uh, also wanted to mention the latest updates 314 00:12:40.050 --> 00:12:42.930 from the Artemis program. NASA just released 315 00:12:42.930 --> 00:12:45.170 some new details about the gateway Lunar 316 00:12:45.170 --> 00:12:47.410 Space Station and how it's going to serve as 317 00:12:47.410 --> 00:12:50.190 a st point not just for moon missions, but 318 00:12:50.190 --> 00:12:52.790 potentially as a refueling stop for missions 319 00:12:52.790 --> 00:12:55.270 to Mars. The engineering behind this is 320 00:12:55.270 --> 00:12:56.710 absolutely fascinating. 321 00:12:57.190 --> 00:13:00.150 Anna: Yes, the gateway concept is brilliant because 322 00:13:00.230 --> 00:13:02.790 it's essentially creating a permanent human 323 00:13:02.790 --> 00:13:05.390 presence in lunar orbit. What's really 324 00:13:05.390 --> 00:13:07.630 exciting is how they're planning to use in 325 00:13:07.630 --> 00:13:10.230 situ resource utilization, basically 326 00:13:10.230 --> 00:13:12.950 mining water ice from the moon's south pole 327 00:13:13.030 --> 00:13:15.500 to create rocket fuel. And this could make 328 00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:17.660 Mars missions exponentially more cost 329 00:13:17.660 --> 00:13:19.660 effective because you wouldn't have to carry 330 00:13:19.660 --> 00:13:21.020 all your fuel from m Earth. 331 00:13:21.260 --> 00:13:23.700 Avery: Right. Because escaping Earth's gravity well 332 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:26.700 is so energy intensive. If you can refuel at 333 00:13:26.700 --> 00:13:28.540 the moon, you're essentially getting a head 334 00:13:28.540 --> 00:13:30.620 start toward Mars. And the international 335 00:13:30.859 --> 00:13:33.740 cooperation aspect is really encouraging too. 336 00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:36.540 We've got contributions from Canada, Europe, 337 00:13:36.700 --> 00:13:39.380 Japan and other partners. It feels like we're 338 00:13:39.380 --> 00:13:41.380 building the infrastructure for humanity's 339 00:13:41.380 --> 00:13:42.860 expansion into the solar system. 340 00:13:43.430 --> 00:13:46.270 Anna: And speaking of international cooperation, I 341 00:13:46.270 --> 00:13:48.510 have to mention the incredible success we're 342 00:13:48.510 --> 00:13:51.230 seeing with commercial space companies. Just 343 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:53.590 this month, SpaceX conducted their most 344 00:13:53.590 --> 00:13:56.350 ambitious starship test yet. And we're 345 00:13:56.350 --> 00:13:58.710 seeing companies like Blue Origin and others 346 00:13:59.110 --> 00:14:01.110 really pushing the boundaries of what's 347 00:14:01.110 --> 00:14:03.350 possible. The cost of getting to space 348 00:14:03.510 --> 00:14:06.510 continues to plummet, which opens up so many 349 00:14:06.510 --> 00:14:08.390 possibilities for scientific research. 350 00:14:09.070 --> 00:14:11.030 Avery: Anna, uh, what an incredible journey we've 351 00:14:11.030 --> 00:14:13.110 taken our listeners on today. From the 352 00:14:13.110 --> 00:14:15.510 potential discovery of ancient life on Mars 353 00:14:15.510 --> 00:14:17.830 to the cutting edge engineering that's making 354 00:14:17.830 --> 00:14:20.790 space more accessible than ever before. It 355 00:14:20.790 --> 00:14:23.230 really shows how rapidly our understanding of 356 00:14:23.230 --> 00:14:24.510 the universe is expanding. 357 00:14:24.829 --> 00:14:27.790 Anna: Absolutely, Avery. And I think what's most 358 00:14:27.790 --> 00:14:30.270 exciting is that we're not just passive 359 00:14:30.270 --> 00:14:32.590 observers anymore. We're actively 360 00:14:32.590 --> 00:14:35.030 participating in this exploration. Whether 361 00:14:35.030 --> 00:14:37.710 through robotic missions, human spaceflight, 362 00:14:37.790 --> 00:14:39.950 or the incredible engineering achievements 363 00:14:39.950 --> 00:14:42.370 that are making it all possible, the future 364 00:14:42.370 --> 00:14:44.770 of space exploration has never looked 365 00:14:44.770 --> 00:14:45.210 brighter. 366 00:14:45.370 --> 00:14:47.450 Avery: Well said, Anna. Uh, that's a wrap for 367 00:14:47.450 --> 00:14:50.010 today's extended episode of Astronomy Daily. 368 00:14:50.090 --> 00:14:52.130 Thanks for joining us on this comprehensive 369 00:14:52.130 --> 00:14:54.290 look at the latest in space science and 370 00:14:54.290 --> 00:14:56.890 exploration. Until next time, keep looking 371 00:14:56.890 --> 00:14:57.210 up.