WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.840 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your essential 1 00:00:02.840 --> 00:00:04.960 guide to the cosmos. I'm Anna. 2 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.520 Avery: And I'm Avery. We're the podcast that brings 3 00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:09.560 you the day's biggest news in space and 4 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:12.160 astronomy from our solar system and beyond. 5 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.560 Anna: We have a packed show for you today. Our 6 00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:18.280 top story, NASA's Aerospace Safety 7 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:21.200 Advisory Panel is sounding the alarm warning 8 00:00:21.200 --> 00:00:23.720 that the Artemis 3 mission to land humans on 9 00:00:23.720 --> 00:00:26.480 the moon is at high risk of delay. 10 00:00:26.560 --> 00:00:28.760 Avery: Plus, we'll check in on the extended mission 11 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:31.480 of the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, celebrate the 12 00:00:31.480 --> 00:00:34.060 recovery of a rare meteorite in Europe, and 13 00:00:34.060 --> 00:00:36.540 explore a potential gold rush for asteroid 14 00:00:36.540 --> 00:00:38.540 manners targeting Earth's mini moons. 15 00:00:38.780 --> 00:00:41.020 Anna: And later, we'll have a few quick updates on 16 00:00:41.020 --> 00:00:43.740 SpaceX, growing tea on the moon, and 17 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:46.140 finding the history of our galaxy right here 18 00:00:46.140 --> 00:00:46.860 on Earth. 19 00:00:46.940 --> 00:00:49.620 Let's get started. All right, our main story 20 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:51.660 today comes from a public meeting at the 21 00:00:51.660 --> 00:00:54.620 Johnson Space Center. NASA's Aerospace Safety 22 00:00:54.620 --> 00:00:57.420 Advisory Panel, or ASAP, issued a stark 23 00:00:57.420 --> 00:00:59.900 warning on September 18th regarding the 24 00:00:59.900 --> 00:01:01.340 timeline for the Artemis 30. 25 00:01:02.120 --> 00:01:04.090 Avery: Um, and this all centers on the human landing 26 00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:06.610 system, which is SpaceX's Starship. Right? 27 00:01:06.850 --> 00:01:08.810 The vehicle that's supposed to actually take 28 00:01:08.810 --> 00:01:10.770 the astronauts down to the lunar surface. 29 00:01:11.250 --> 00:01:14.250 Anna: Exactly. The panel is concerned that Starship 30 00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:16.330 will likely not be ready to support the 31 00:01:16.330 --> 00:01:19.010 mission in late 2026 as currently 32 00:01:19.090 --> 00:01:21.250 scheduled. They cited two key. 33 00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:24.250 SpaceX needs to get the vehicle flying 34 00:01:24.250 --> 00:01:26.890 successfully, and it needs to demonstrate 35 00:01:26.890 --> 00:01:28.610 propellant transfer in orbit. 36 00:01:29.210 --> 00:01:31.610 Avery: That first one is a pretty big hurdle. The 37 00:01:31.610 --> 00:01:33.690 first integrated test flight back in April 38 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:36.490 failed a few minutes after liftoff, and, 39 00:01:36.490 --> 00:01:38.930 well, it completely obliterated its own 40 00:01:38.930 --> 00:01:39.690 launch pad. 41 00:01:39.770 --> 00:01:42.530 Anna: It certainly did. SpaceX has made 42 00:01:42.530 --> 00:01:45.169 repairs and upgrades, but they are still 43 00:01:45.169 --> 00:01:47.730 awaiting an updated launch license from the 44 00:01:47.730 --> 00:01:50.490 Federal Aviation Administration for their 45 00:01:50.490 --> 00:01:53.090 next test flight. The chair of the 46 00:01:53.090 --> 00:01:56.090 panel, Patricia Sanders, was very direct, 47 00:01:56.570 --> 00:01:59.370 stating the current schedule has a high risk 48 00:01:59.370 --> 00:02:00.570 of delays, and. 49 00:02:00.570 --> 00:02:02.490 Avery: It'S not just a safety panel. We've heard 50 00:02:02.490 --> 00:02:04.450 similar rumblings from senior NASA officials, 51 00:02:04.930 --> 00:02:06.730 though they've also mentioned concerns about 52 00:02:06.730 --> 00:02:08.770 the development of new spacesuits and other 53 00:02:08.770 --> 00:02:11.690 lander systems. But Starship seems to be the 54 00:02:11.690 --> 00:02:13.010 longest pole in the tent. 55 00:02:13.250 --> 00:02:16.089 Anna: It is. And that second point, propellant 56 00:02:16.089 --> 00:02:18.930 transfer, is critical. Starship needs to 57 00:02:18.930 --> 00:02:21.610 be refueled in orbit for a lunar mission, and 58 00:02:21.610 --> 00:02:23.890 transferring cryogenic propellants on that 59 00:02:23.890 --> 00:02:25.730 scale has never been done before. 60 00:02:26.300 --> 00:02:28.460 Avery: So what's the backup plan if the lander has 61 00:02:28.460 --> 00:02:30.060 problems? Is there a contingency? 62 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:33.300 Anna: That's the other issue Sanders raised. NASA's 63 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:35.820 Gateway, the planned outpost in lunar orbit, 64 00:02:35.820 --> 00:02:38.220 could serve as a safe haven for astronauts, 65 00:02:38.540 --> 00:02:41.060 but the gateway itself won't be ready for 66 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:43.900 Artemis 3. It really puts all the pressure on 67 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:46.460 starship performing as planned and on 68 00:02:46.460 --> 00:02:47.020 schedule. 69 00:02:47.180 --> 00:02:49.300 Avery: It sounds like a very high stakes 70 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:51.740 development. We will certainly be watching 71 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:54.250 for news on the next test flight moving from 72 00:02:54.250 --> 00:02:55.650 the moon to the asteroids. 73 00:02:55.810 --> 00:02:57.650 Let's talk about a mission that has already 74 00:02:57.650 --> 00:02:59.864 proven to be a great successJapan's 75 00:03:00.116 --> 00:03:01.250 Hayabusa2. 76 00:03:01.570 --> 00:03:03.610 Anna: Of course, the mission that returned a 77 00:03:03.610 --> 00:03:06.290 pristine sample from the asteroid ryugu back 78 00:03:06.290 --> 00:03:08.930 in 2020. What's next for the spacecraft? 79 00:03:09.250 --> 00:03:11.730 Avery: It's on an extended mission heading to a new 80 00:03:11.730 --> 00:03:14.294 target called asteroid, uh, 1998 81 00:03:14.526 --> 00:03:17.170 KY26. And this new destination 82 00:03:17.250 --> 00:03:19.410 is a very different kind of space rock. 83 00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:20.630 Anna: Different how? 84 00:03:20.870 --> 00:03:23.430 Avery: For starters, it's very small with a diameter 85 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:25.990 of only 30 meters. It's also a fast 86 00:03:25.990 --> 00:03:28.430 rotator, spinning on its axis once every 87 00:03:28.430 --> 00:03:29.910 10.7 minutes. 88 00:03:30.310 --> 00:03:33.150 Anna: That is incredibly fast. That must give 89 00:03:33.150 --> 00:03:35.909 it a very low gravitational field, making 90 00:03:35.910 --> 00:03:38.590 any kind of landing or contact extremely 91 00:03:38.590 --> 00:03:39.030 difficult. 92 00:03:39.590 --> 00:03:41.430 Avery: You're exactly right. Because of that, 93 00:03:41.430 --> 00:03:43.870 Hayabusa2 will not be collecting a sample 94 00:03:43.870 --> 00:03:45.870 this time. Instead, it will study the 95 00:03:45.870 --> 00:03:48.070 asteroid from a distance when it arrives in 96 00:03:48.070 --> 00:03:49.350 July 2031. 97 00:03:49.670 --> 00:03:52.230 Anna: It's just fantastic that they can get more 98 00:03:52.230 --> 00:03:55.030 science out of an already completed mission. 99 00:03:55.510 --> 00:03:58.310 This extended mission will allow scientists 100 00:03:58.310 --> 00:04:00.790 to study a completely different type of 101 00:04:00.790 --> 00:04:03.550 asteroid and learn more about the early days 102 00:04:03.550 --> 00:04:06.550 of our solar system. A great example of 103 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:07.750 mission efficiency. 104 00:04:08.230 --> 00:04:11.230 Well, from visiting asteroids, we now turn 105 00:04:11.230 --> 00:04:13.430 to an asteroid that visited us 106 00:04:13.990 --> 00:04:16.870 after two years. Scientists have recovered a 107 00:04:16.870 --> 00:04:19.830 very special meteorite from a fireball that 108 00:04:19.830 --> 00:04:22.090 exploded over Europe in February 109 00:04:22.090 --> 00:04:23.010 2023. 110 00:04:23.410 --> 00:04:25.650 Avery: I think I remember seeing videos of that one 111 00:04:25.650 --> 00:04:28.050 online. It was seen by thousands of people. 112 00:04:28.610 --> 00:04:31.450 Anna: It was. The recovered meteorite has been 113 00:04:31.450 --> 00:04:34.370 named Bliskvika, which is polish for 114 00:04:34.370 --> 00:04:37.050 lightning. And it's a rare type of meteorite 115 00:04:37.050 --> 00:04:38.610 known as an Aubrite. 116 00:04:38.690 --> 00:04:41.250 Avery: An Aubrite. What makes that type of meteorite 117 00:04:41.250 --> 00:04:41.570 special? 118 00:04:42.370 --> 00:04:44.490 Anna: They're thought to originate from the main 119 00:04:44.490 --> 00:04:47.410 asteroid belt and are made of a very distinct 120 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:49.810 light colored rock. But. But what makes the 121 00:04:49.810 --> 00:04:52.450 Bliskavica meteorite so important is that 122 00:04:52.450 --> 00:04:55.290 it's the first abrite ever to be recovered 123 00:04:55.290 --> 00:04:57.930 from a fireball that was observed by so many 124 00:04:57.930 --> 00:05:00.370 people and captured on so many 125 00:05:00.370 --> 00:05:00.970 cameras. 126 00:05:01.450 --> 00:05:04.050 Avery: So all those dash cams and doorbell cameras 127 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:05.930 actually contributed to the science 128 00:05:06.330 --> 00:05:07.210 immensely. 129 00:05:07.530 --> 00:05:10.050 Anna: It allowed scientists to precisely 130 00:05:10.050 --> 00:05:12.890 calculate the meteorite's trajectory. And 131 00:05:13.210 --> 00:05:15.950 this is the crucial part, determine its pre 132 00:05:15.950 --> 00:05:18.790 impact orbit. They have actually traced 133 00:05:18.790 --> 00:05:21.150 this specific rock back to its likely 134 00:05:21.230 --> 00:05:23.390 origin point in the asteroid belt. 135 00:05:23.710 --> 00:05:26.110 Avery: That's incredible. So they don't just have 136 00:05:26.110 --> 00:05:28.430 the rock, they have its return address? 137 00:05:28.990 --> 00:05:31.950 Anna: Essentially, yes. It's being called a major 138 00:05:31.950 --> 00:05:34.870 coup for planetary science. It provides a 139 00:05:34.870 --> 00:05:37.270 unique opportunity to study a rare 140 00:05:37.270 --> 00:05:39.870 meteorite with a known origin story 141 00:05:39.950 --> 00:05:42.240 which can tell us some so much more about the 142 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:43.800 formation of our solar system. 143 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:46.600 Avery: Speaking of getting our hands on space rocks, 144 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:48.800 our next story sounds like something straight 145 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.720 out of science fiction. Apparently Earth's 146 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:54.600 next mini moon could create a gold rush for 147 00:05:54.600 --> 00:05:55.640 asteroid miners. 148 00:05:55.960 --> 00:05:58.800 Anna: A mini moon? Are we talking about a permanent 149 00:05:58.800 --> 00:05:59.640 second moon? 150 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.120 Avery: Sort of, but temporary. The official term 151 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.960 is a temporarily captured object or 152 00:06:05.960 --> 00:06:08.620 tco. These are asteroids that are 153 00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:10.900 captured by Earth's gravity, orbit, uh, our 154 00:06:10.900 --> 00:06:13.580 planet for a few months or even years and 155 00:06:13.580 --> 00:06:15.540 then get ejected back into space. 156 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:18.420 Anna: Okay, so they're transient visitors. 157 00:06:18.820 --> 00:06:20.500 Where does the gold rush come in? 158 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:23.340 Avery: A new study has found that a TCO with a 159 00:06:23.340 --> 00:06:26.140 diameter of just a few meters could 160 00:06:26.140 --> 00:06:28.980 contain billions of dollars worth of precious 161 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:31.740 metals. The authors of the study propose a 162 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:34.740 mission concept called a T class mission to 163 00:06:34.890 --> 00:06:37.490 to go out, collect the sample and bring it 164 00:06:37.490 --> 00:06:38.170 back to Earth. 165 00:06:38.490 --> 00:06:41.050 Anna: Billions of dollars in value. But 166 00:06:41.050 --> 00:06:43.330 surely the mission to retrieve it would cost 167 00:06:43.330 --> 00:06:44.010 just as much. 168 00:06:44.410 --> 00:06:46.730 Avery: That's the most exciting part. The study 169 00:06:46.730 --> 00:06:48.970 suggests such a mission could be launched for 170 00:06:48.970 --> 00:06:51.050 as little as $10 million. 171 00:06:51.770 --> 00:06:54.290 Because these TCOs are so much closer and 172 00:06:54.290 --> 00:06:56.730 easier to reach than main belt asteroids, 173 00:06:56.970 --> 00:06:58.650 they are far cheaper targets. 174 00:06:59.130 --> 00:07:02.130 Anna: That's incredible. So the authors believe 175 00:07:02.130 --> 00:07:04.770 these TCOs could be a game changer for the 176 00:07:04.770 --> 00:07:05.930 asteroid mining industry. 177 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:09.140 Avery: They do. They say TCOs could provide a 178 00:07:09.140 --> 00:07:11.740 regular, accessible and much cheaper supply 179 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:14.300 of precious metals to Earth. It turns these 180 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:16.660 fleeting visitors into potential orbiting 181 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:17.620 treasure chests. 182 00:07:18.020 --> 00:07:19.700 Alright, let's wrap up with a few quick 183 00:07:19.700 --> 00:07:22.259 updates from around the cosmos. First up, it 184 00:07:22.259 --> 00:07:24.340 was another Busy Sunday for SpaceX. 185 00:07:24.740 --> 00:07:27.460 Anna: Let me guess, more Starlink satellites? 186 00:07:27.540 --> 00:07:30.020 Avery: You got it. A Falcon 9 rocket launched 187 00:07:30.020 --> 00:07:32.540 another 22 Starlink spacecraft from Cape 188 00:07:32.540 --> 00:07:34.630 Canaveral. The first stage booster 189 00:07:34.630 --> 00:07:37.590 successfully landed for its 17th time. This 190 00:07:37.590 --> 00:07:40.150 marked the 65th orbital mission of the year 191 00:07:40.150 --> 00:07:42.590 for SpaceX. Just an incredible launch 192 00:07:42.590 --> 00:07:43.110 cadence. 193 00:07:43.430 --> 00:07:44.230 Anna: It really is. 194 00:07:44.870 --> 00:07:47.350 Now from low Earth orbit to the lunar 195 00:07:47.350 --> 00:07:50.230 surface, could future astronauts grow their 196 00:07:50.230 --> 00:07:50.870 own tea? 197 00:07:51.110 --> 00:07:53.710 Avery: It seems so. A new study found that it is 198 00:07:53.710 --> 00:07:56.350 possible to grow tea plants in a simulant of 199 00:07:56.350 --> 00:07:59.190 lunar soil. The plants were able to germinate 200 00:07:59.190 --> 00:08:01.750 and grow and they even produced catechins, 201 00:08:02.070 --> 00:08:04.550 the antioxidant compounds that make tea 202 00:08:04.550 --> 00:08:05.020 healthy. 203 00:08:05.730 --> 00:08:08.450 Anna: Being able to grow their own food, even 204 00:08:08.450 --> 00:08:11.050 something as simple as tea for a comforting 205 00:08:11.050 --> 00:08:13.730 drink, would be a huge logistical and 206 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:16.490 psychological advantage for astronauts on 207 00:08:16.490 --> 00:08:17.890 long term space missions. 208 00:08:18.450 --> 00:08:21.289 Avery: Absolutely. And for a final story, we're 209 00:08:21.289 --> 00:08:23.410 going from the small scale to the galactic 210 00:08:23.890 --> 00:08:25.930 new research suggests that signs of our 211 00:08:25.930 --> 00:08:28.410 galaxy's spiral arms may be trapped in some 212 00:08:28.410 --> 00:08:29.490 of Earth's crystals. 213 00:08:29.970 --> 00:08:31.010 Anna: How is that possible? 214 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:33.960 Avery: A study in the journal Nature analyzed 215 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:35.920 ancient crystals from our planet's crust. 216 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:38.680 They found traces of heavy elements like gold 217 00:08:38.680 --> 00:08:40.760 and platinum, which are thought to be 218 00:08:40.760 --> 00:08:43.600 produced in the supernova of massive stars. 219 00:08:43.920 --> 00:08:46.120 These supernovae are much more common in the 220 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:47.600 spiral arms of galaxies. 221 00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:50.960 Anna: So the theory is that as our solar system 222 00:08:51.040 --> 00:08:53.040 passed through these dense star forming 223 00:08:53.040 --> 00:08:56.040 spiral arms over billions of years, the Earth 224 00:08:56.040 --> 00:08:58.440 picked up this stardust which which then got 225 00:08:58.440 --> 00:08:59.560 trapped in the crust. 226 00:09:00.280 --> 00:09:02.960 Avery: Exactly. The crystals act as a geological 227 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.480 record of our planet's epic journey through 228 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:06.280 the Milky Way. 229 00:09:06.680 --> 00:09:09.160 Anna: And that is our cosmic journey for today. 230 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:11.800 From potential delays for our return to. 231 00:09:11.800 --> 00:09:14.680 Avery: The Moon to finding galactic history 232 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.640 right here in the ground beneath our feet. 233 00:09:17.880 --> 00:09:20.280 Thank you for joining us on Astronomy Daily. 234 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:22.880 Anna: You can find our show wherever you get your 235 00:09:22.880 --> 00:09:25.600 podcasts. Please be sure to subscribe so you 236 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.400 don't miss an episode and subscribe. And if 237 00:09:27.400 --> 00:09:29.480 you would like even more space and astronomy 238 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:32.000 news from around the globe, please visit our 239 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.480 website at astronomydaily IO. 240 00:09:34.640 --> 00:09:36.840 You'll find all our back episodes there as 241 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:39.240 well, plus our latest blogs. See you 242 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:39.680 tomorrow. 243 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.240 Avery: Until next time, keep looking up.