WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Avery: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, 1 00:00:02.800 --> 00:00:05.440 the podcast that brings you the universe one 2 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:08.360 story at a time. Give us 10 minutes and we'll 3 00:00:08.360 --> 00:00:10.560 give you the universe. I'm Avery. 4 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:13.520 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you. 5 00:00:13.920 --> 00:00:16.880 Today we'll be talking about SpaceX's updated 6 00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:19.440 plans for the starship Lunar Lander 7 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:22.680 and how a distant star's tantrum could 8 00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:24.800 be the key to finding alien life. 9 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:27.760 Avery: That's right, Anna. We'll also dive into a 10 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.390 massive predator previously unseen stellar 11 00:00:30.390 --> 00:00:32.670 stream discovered by the Vera Rubin 12 00:00:32.670 --> 00:00:35.630 Observatory, a tiny cubesat on a mission 13 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:38.470 to deep space, and Europe's ambitious new 14 00:00:38.470 --> 00:00:40.550 plans for reusable rockets. 15 00:00:40.710 --> 00:00:41.510 Let's get started. 16 00:00:41.910 --> 00:00:44.789 Anna: Our first story takes us to the forefront 17 00:00:44.789 --> 00:00:47.630 of lunar exploration. SpaceX has 18 00:00:47.630 --> 00:00:50.230 been under immense pressure to deliver its 19 00:00:50.310 --> 00:00:53.110 starship lander for NASA's Artemis program, 20 00:00:53.670 --> 00:00:55.670 and it seems they're adjusting their 21 00:00:55.670 --> 00:00:56.230 strategy. 22 00:00:56.540 --> 00:00:59.140 Avery: adjusting is one word for it. They've 23 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:01.180 announced they're developing a simplified 24 00:01:01.260 --> 00:01:04.140 lunar landing mission architecture. In a 25 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:06.540 statement on October 30, the company claimed 26 00:01:06.540 --> 00:01:08.780 this new approach could get astronauts to the 27 00:01:08.780 --> 00:01:11.540 lunar surface faster than the current very 28 00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:13.500 complex plan for Artemis 3. 29 00:01:14.190 --> 00:01:16.950 Anna: Faster is certainly what NASA wants to 30 00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:19.390 hear. The original plan involves a whole 31 00:01:19.390 --> 00:01:21.950 series of refueling launches in Earth 32 00:01:21.950 --> 00:01:24.510 orbit before starship can even head to the 33 00:01:24.510 --> 00:01:27.160 moon. The the complexity is a major reason 34 00:01:27.160 --> 00:01:28.120 for the delays. 35 00:01:28.440 --> 00:01:31.040 Avery: Exactly. And NASA has been very public about 36 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.560 those delays. Back in July, Lori 37 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.440 Glaze, a top official at NASA, noted that key 38 00:01:36.440 --> 00:01:38.720 milestones anticipated for this year were 39 00:01:38.720 --> 00:01:41.120 clearly slipping. SpaceX seems to be 40 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:43.480 responding to that pressure, but they've been 41 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:45.560 cagey with the details on what this 42 00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:47.800 simplified mission actually looks like. 43 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:50.520 Anna: Right. They're defending their progress while 44 00:01:50.520 --> 00:01:53.380 simultaneously changing the plan. They 45 00:01:53.450 --> 00:01:56.010 the company did give a new timeline, stating 46 00:01:56.010 --> 00:01:58.370 that the timing will be driven by upcoming 47 00:01:58.370 --> 00:02:01.130 flight tests of the new Starship V3 48 00:02:01.130 --> 00:02:03.690 architecture. They're targeting both the 49 00:02:03.690 --> 00:02:06.690 uncrewed and crewed demonstration landings to 50 00:02:06.690 --> 00:02:08.924 take place in 2026. 51 00:02:09.216 --> 00:02:11.930 Avery: 2026 is an aggressive target, 52 00:02:12.090 --> 00:02:14.250 especially with the original Artemis 3 53 00:02:14.250 --> 00:02:17.170 mission slated for late 2025, a 54 00:02:17.170 --> 00:02:19.450 date that almost everyone now agrees is 55 00:02:19.450 --> 00:02:22.060 impossible. It seems SpaceX is trying to 56 00:02:22.060 --> 00:02:24.700 reset expectations while still aiming high. 57 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:27.820 We'll be watching those V3 flight tests very 58 00:02:27.820 --> 00:02:29.260 closely indeed. 59 00:02:29.740 --> 00:02:32.380 Anna: From landing on our moon to the potential 60 00:02:32.380 --> 00:02:35.380 origins of life on other worlds, our next 61 00:02:35.380 --> 00:02:38.180 story is truly fascinating. For the 62 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:40.420 first time, astronomers have witnessed a 63 00:02:40.420 --> 00:02:43.420 coronal mass ejection on another star 64 00:02:43.420 --> 00:02:44.620 in its entirety. 65 00:02:44.780 --> 00:02:47.710 Avery: A, cme, like the solar storms our own sun 66 00:02:47.710 --> 00:02:50.510 produces. But this wasn't just any star. It 67 00:02:50.510 --> 00:02:53.170 was a young active One. And the energy this 68 00:02:53.170 --> 00:02:55.930 thing packed was immense. Scientists believe 69 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:58.170 it's enough to potentially kickstart the 70 00:02:58.170 --> 00:03:00.650 chemistry of life on any planets that might 71 00:03:00.650 --> 00:03:01.410 be orbiting it. 72 00:03:01.490 --> 00:03:04.370 Anna: It's a beautiful yet violent concept. 73 00:03:04.770 --> 00:03:07.050 We often think of these powerful stellar 74 00:03:07.050 --> 00:03:10.010 outbursts as dangerous to life, capable 75 00:03:10.010 --> 00:03:12.930 of stripping away atmospheres. But this 76 00:03:12.930 --> 00:03:15.730 research suggests that for a young lifeless 77 00:03:15.730 --> 00:03:18.660 planet, a, powerful CME could provide 78 00:03:18.660 --> 00:03:21.260 the energetic spark needed to forge 79 00:03:21.260 --> 00:03:24.240 complex molecules, the building BL of life. 80 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.990 Avery: That makes sense. It's a, cosmic chemical 81 00:03:26.990 --> 00:03:29.150 reaction. The article calls these 82 00:03:29.150 --> 00:03:31.830 observations a rare insight into the role 83 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:34.630 stars can play in the origin of life. It's 84 00:03:34.630 --> 00:03:37.070 possible our own sun did the very same thing 85 00:03:37.070 --> 00:03:39.230 for Earth four and a half billion years ago. 86 00:03:39.630 --> 00:03:42.630 Anna: Precisely. So while we search for life on 87 00:03:42.630 --> 00:03:44.870 other worlds, we might need to look for 88 00:03:44.870 --> 00:03:47.270 planets around stars that are going through 89 00:03:47.270 --> 00:03:49.470 these violent energetic phases. 90 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.880 It's a paradigm shift, seeing a stellar 91 00:03:52.880 --> 00:03:55.560 storm not just as a threat, but as a 92 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:56.640 potential creator. 93 00:03:57.040 --> 00:03:59.400 Avery: Amazing stuff. It really makes you think 94 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:02.320 about how delicate yet how resilient the 95 00:04:02.320 --> 00:04:04.480 process of life's beginning must be. 96 00:04:04.640 --> 00:04:07.080 Anna: Let's move from the beginning of life to the 97 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:09.720 ghosts of galaxies. The Vera Rubin 98 00:04:09.720 --> 00:04:12.000 Observatory hasn't even officially started 99 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.720 its main survey yet, but it's already making 100 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:16.240 incredible discoveries. 101 00:04:16.649 --> 00:04:18.369 Avery: That's the most exciting part. This was 102 00:04:18.369 --> 00:04:20.209 during its commissioning phase, basically 103 00:04:20.209 --> 00:04:22.449 just testing the camera in June of 104 00:04:22.449 --> 00:04:25.449 2025. It took what are called its Virgo 105 00:04:25.449 --> 00:04:28.089 first look images, and astronomers found 106 00:04:28.089 --> 00:04:29.369 something huge. 107 00:04:29.990 --> 00:04:32.470 Anna: An enormous stellar stream. These are the 108 00:04:32.470 --> 00:04:34.790 remnants of smaller dwarf galaxies or star 109 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:36.750 clusters that have been torn apart by the 110 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:39.030 gravity of a larger galaxy. This particular 111 00:04:39.110 --> 00:04:41.150 stream was found emanating from a galaxy 112 00:04:41.150 --> 00:04:43.830 called Messier 61 in the Virgo cluster. 113 00:04:44.211 --> 00:04:46.851 Avery: And when we say enormous, we mean it. The 114 00:04:46.851 --> 00:04:48.491 newly discovered stream is about 115 00:04:48.491 --> 00:04:51.331 163,000 light years long. 116 00:04:51.651 --> 00:04:54.291 That dwarfs most other streams we found. To 117 00:04:54.291 --> 00:04:56.531 put that in perspective, our own Milky Way 118 00:04:56.531 --> 00:04:59.251 galaxy is only about 100,000 light years 119 00:04:59.251 --> 00:04:59.571 across. 120 00:05:00.131 --> 00:05:02.251 Anna: It's just staggering. The authors of this 121 00:05:02.251 --> 00:05:04.571 study even noted how remarkable it is that a 122 00:05:04.571 --> 00:05:07.211 stream this massive went unnoticed for so 123 00:05:07.211 --> 00:05:09.091 long, Especially around a well studied 124 00:05:09.091 --> 00:05:09.971 Messier galaxy. 125 00:05:10.581 --> 00:05:12.741 Avery: Totally. It just shows how much is still 126 00:05:12.741 --> 00:05:15.221 hiding in plain sight. They conclude by 127 00:05:15.221 --> 00:05:17.581 saying they expect a treasure trove of 128 00:05:17.581 --> 00:05:19.901 substructures to be unveiled when the Rubin 129 00:05:19.901 --> 00:05:22.821 Observatory's full survey begins. If this is 130 00:05:22.821 --> 00:05:24.821 what they find just by turning the camera on, 131 00:05:25.061 --> 00:05:26.941 I can't wait to see what the full survey 132 00:05:26.941 --> 00:05:27.381 reveals. 133 00:05:27.701 --> 00:05:29.941 Anna: It will be a new era for astronomy 134 00:05:30.421 --> 00:05:32.341 now. From one of the world's largest 135 00:05:32.341 --> 00:05:34.581 telescopes to one of the smallest spacecraft, 136 00:05:34.741 --> 00:05:36.941 the European Space agency is preparing to 137 00:05:36.941 --> 00:05:39.701 launch Hennin, the first CubeSat designed to 138 00:05:39.701 --> 00:05:41.461 independently journey into deep. 139 00:05:42.271 --> 00:05:44.511 Avery: A tiny satellite with a huge mission. 140 00:05:44.751 --> 00:05:47.111 Hennon isn't just going into Earth orbit. 141 00:05:47.111 --> 00:05:49.471 It's heading out to a distant retrograde 142 00:05:49.471 --> 00:05:52.031 orbit, or DRO around the Sun. 143 00:05:52.271 --> 00:05:54.751 This is a special stable trajectory first 144 00:05:54.751 --> 00:05:57.711 proposed way back in 1969 by a 145 00:05:57.711 --> 00:06:00.031 French astronomer named Michel Henon. 146 00:06:00.271 --> 00:06:02.471 Anna: Right. And from this unique vantage point, 147 00:06:02.471 --> 00:06:04.751 Henon will act as an early warning system. 148 00:06:04.991 --> 00:06:07.111 Its instruments are designed to detect solar 149 00:06:07.111 --> 00:06:09.431 storms hours before they reach Earth. This 150 00:06:09.431 --> 00:06:11.191 could be a game changer for protecting our 151 00:06:11.191 --> 00:06:12.311 satellites and power grids. 152 00:06:12.861 --> 00:06:15.661 Avery: A big one. Currently, our best warning times 153 00:06:15.661 --> 00:06:18.541 for a solar storm are under an hour. Henon 154 00:06:18.541 --> 00:06:20.621 could potentially increase that warning time 155 00:06:20.621 --> 00:06:23.221 to as much as six hours. That's a lot of 156 00:06:23.221 --> 00:06:24.541 extra time to prepare critical 157 00:06:24.541 --> 00:06:25.261 infrastructure. 158 00:06:25.341 --> 00:06:28.101 Anna: It really is. This mission is a milestone for 159 00:06:28.101 --> 00:06:30.821 small satellite technology. If Henin can 160 00:06:30.821 --> 00:06:33.061 demonstrate this capability, it will pave the 161 00:06:33.061 --> 00:06:34.941 way for a future constellation of small, 162 00:06:35.181 --> 00:06:37.781 relatively inexpensive spacecraft that can 163 00:06:37.781 --> 00:06:40.501 keep a constant watch on the sun, giving us a 164 00:06:40.501 --> 00:06:42.741 much more robust defense against dangerous 165 00:06:42.741 --> 00:06:43.421 space weather. 166 00:06:43.851 --> 00:06:46.531 Avery: That autonomy is absolutely key. It 167 00:06:46.531 --> 00:06:48.531 demonstrates that small, relatively cost 168 00:06:48.531 --> 00:06:51.371 effective platforms can now perform complex, 169 00:06:51.691 --> 00:06:54.291 high stakes deep space missions that were 170 00:06:54.291 --> 00:06:56.931 once the exclusive domain of large billion 171 00:06:56.931 --> 00:06:57.771 dollar probes. 172 00:06:58.011 --> 00:07:00.611 Anna: This really opens up a new paradigm for solar 173 00:07:00.611 --> 00:07:02.531 system exploration and especially for 174 00:07:02.531 --> 00:07:04.571 building resilient constellations for space 175 00:07:04.571 --> 00:07:06.811 weather monitoring. Giving us eyes on the sun 176 00:07:06.811 --> 00:07:07.931 from multiple angles. 177 00:07:08.331 --> 00:07:11.251 Avery: A tiny sentinel standing guard millions of 178 00:07:11.251 --> 00:07:12.641 miles away. I love it. 179 00:07:12.961 --> 00:07:15.001 Anna: Finally, for our last story, we turn our 180 00:07:15.001 --> 00:07:17.241 attention back to Earth, specifically to the 181 00:07:17.241 --> 00:07:19.761 launch pads of Europe. Ariane Group is making 182 00:07:19.761 --> 00:07:22.321 a serious push to develop its own reusable 183 00:07:22.321 --> 00:07:23.041 rocket technology. 184 00:07:23.601 --> 00:07:25.761 Avery: This is a big deal for them. For years, 185 00:07:25.761 --> 00:07:28.240 Europe has relied on expendable rockets like 186 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:30.681 the Ariane 5. But with companies like 187 00:07:30.681 --> 00:07:32.721 SpaceX dominating the launch market with 188 00:07:32.721 --> 00:07:35.041 reusable boosters, they know they need to 189 00:07:35.041 --> 00:07:37.561 catch up. This new effort is built around an 190 00:07:37.561 --> 00:07:39.101 engine called Prometheus. 191 00:07:39.471 --> 00:07:42.171 Anna: Mm, that's right. Prometheus is a reusable, 192 00:07:42.171 --> 00:07:45.011 high thrust but low cost engine that burns 193 00:07:45.011 --> 00:07:47.211 methane and liquid oxygen. It's the 194 00:07:47.211 --> 00:07:48.891 powerhouse that will drive a series of 195 00:07:48.891 --> 00:07:51.011 demonstrator vehicles designed to test the 196 00:07:51.011 --> 00:07:53.291 technologies needed for vertical landing and 197 00:07:53.291 --> 00:07:53.851 recovery. 198 00:07:54.091 --> 00:07:56.451 Avery: The roadmap is ambitious. They're aiming for 199 00:07:56.451 --> 00:07:58.651 a full stage recovery demonstration around 200 00:07:58.651 --> 00:08:01.411 2027 or 2028. If 201 00:08:01.411 --> 00:08:03.971 that's successful, an operational reusable 202 00:08:03.971 --> 00:08:06.091 rocket could follow in their early 2000s, 203 00:08:06.621 --> 00:08:08.381 assuming they continue to get funding from 204 00:08:08.381 --> 00:08:10.461 the European Space Agency and other partners. 205 00:08:10.781 --> 00:08:13.781 Anna: And the goal here is clear. Ariane 206 00:08:13.781 --> 00:08:16.421 Group states that the program aims to boost 207 00:08:16.421 --> 00:08:18.941 European autonomous access to space. 208 00:08:19.501 --> 00:08:21.381 They don't want to be reliant on other 209 00:08:21.381 --> 00:08:23.351 countries or, companies for launching their 210 00:08:23.351 --> 00:08:24.591 critical satellites. 211 00:08:25.071 --> 00:08:27.791 Avery: Sovereign capability. It's a race not just 212 00:08:27.791 --> 00:08:30.071 for commercial advantage, but for strategic 213 00:08:30.071 --> 00:08:32.941 independence in space. It will be exciting to 214 00:08:32.941 --> 00:08:35.501 see if Prometheus can help Europe leapfrog 215 00:08:35.501 --> 00:08:36.901 into the reusable era. 216 00:08:37.541 --> 00:08:40.381 Anna: Leapfrog is the perfect word for it. They 217 00:08:40.381 --> 00:08:43.341 aren't just trying to copy existing reusable 218 00:08:43.341 --> 00:08:46.061 designs. The Prometheus engine is being 219 00:08:46.061 --> 00:08:48.661 designed from the ground up for extreme 220 00:08:48.741 --> 00:08:51.061 low cost and rapid production, 221 00:08:51.381 --> 00:08:54.101 using advanced manufacturing techniques like 222 00:08:54.101 --> 00:08:56.581 3D printing for many of its core 223 00:08:56.581 --> 00:08:59.551 components. If they succeed, they could 224 00:08:59.551 --> 00:09:02.271 create a rocket that's not only reusable, 225 00:09:02.591 --> 00:09:05.391 but also significantly cheaper and faster 226 00:09:05.391 --> 00:09:06.831 to build in the first place. 227 00:09:07.391 --> 00:09:09.631 Avery: And that kind of robust competition is 228 00:09:09.631 --> 00:09:11.911 fantastic for the entire global space 229 00:09:11.911 --> 00:09:14.511 industry. It drives down launch costs for 230 00:09:14.511 --> 00:09:16.831 everyone. It fosters rapid innovation, 231 00:09:17.151 --> 00:09:19.591 and ultimately, it gives humanity more 232 00:09:19.591 --> 00:09:22.231 affordable and reliable access to space for 233 00:09:22.231 --> 00:09:24.351 science, commerce, and exploration. 234 00:09:25.251 --> 00:09:27.651 A strong competitive and independent European 235 00:09:27.651 --> 00:09:30.211 launch capability is a benefit to the entire 236 00:09:30.211 --> 00:09:31.491 international space community. 237 00:09:32.051 --> 00:09:34.651 Anna: It really shows the incredible breadth of 238 00:09:34.651 --> 00:09:36.691 what's happening in space exploration. Right 239 00:09:36.691 --> 00:09:39.411 now. We have public private partnerships 240 00:09:39.411 --> 00:09:42.171 pushing the boundaries of lunar travel, While 241 00:09:42.171 --> 00:09:44.371 fundamental science is rewriting our 242 00:09:44.371 --> 00:09:46.531 understanding of how life might begin. 243 00:09:47.091 --> 00:09:50.051 The scale of it all is just breathtaking. 244 00:09:50.881 --> 00:09:53.441 Avery: It is. And at the same time, we're developing 245 00:09:53.441 --> 00:09:56.361 new tools. From giant observatories to tiny 246 00:09:56.361 --> 00:09:58.441 satellites that are giving us a clearer 247 00:09:58.441 --> 00:10:01.321 picture of both the distant cosmos and our 248 00:10:01.321 --> 00:10:03.841 own solar neighborhood, Every story we cover 249 00:10:03.841 --> 00:10:06.440 today is a piece of that larger puzzle of 250 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:08.721 discovery. It's a very exciting time. 251 00:10:09.041 --> 00:10:11.441 Anna: And that brings us to the end of our episode. 252 00:10:11.681 --> 00:10:14.401 From revised moon missions and life giving 253 00:10:14.401 --> 00:10:17.191 stellar storms to galactic ghosts, 254 00:10:17.421 --> 00:10:20.101 tiny sentinels and the race for reusable 255 00:10:20.101 --> 00:10:22.821 rockets, it's been another busy week in the 256 00:10:22.821 --> 00:10:23.421 cosmos. 257 00:10:23.821 --> 00:10:26.221 Avery: It certainly has. Thanks so much for joining 258 00:10:26.221 --> 00:10:28.861 us on Astronomy Daily. We hope you'll tune in 259 00:10:28.861 --> 00:10:30.501 next time for another journey through the 260 00:10:30.501 --> 00:10:32.901 latest news from our universe. Until then, 261 00:10:32.901 --> 00:10:33.562 I'm, Avery. 262 00:10:33.882 --> 00:10:36.202 Anna: And I'm Anna. Keep looking up. 263 00:10:43.422 --> 00:10:43.662 Love.