WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.280
Avery: Hello and welcome back to Astronomy Daily,

1
00:00:03.360 --> 00:00:05.800
the podcast that brings you the latest news

2
00:00:05.800 --> 00:00:08.240
from across the cosmos. I'm Avery.

3
00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.120
Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us.

4
00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:13.480
We have a packed show today covering

5
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:15.680
everything from a critical Earth observation

6
00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:18.320
launch to a major leadership nomination at

7
00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:18.880
NASA.

8
00:00:19.200 --> 00:00:21.600
Avery: That's, uh, right. We'll also be diving into

9
00:00:21.680 --> 00:00:24.660
some orbital drama involving space debris. A,

10
00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:27.600
uh, delicious first for astronauts in space

11
00:00:27.840 --> 00:00:30.840
and what the future holds for exploring our

12
00:00:30.840 --> 00:00:33.700
planetary neighbor, Venus. So let's get

13
00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:34.300
right to it.

14
00:00:34.540 --> 00:00:37.300
Anna: Our first story today comes from Ariana

15
00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:39.620
Space, which has successfully launched the

16
00:00:39.620 --> 00:00:42.620
Sentinel 1D Earth observation satellite.

17
00:00:42.940 --> 00:00:45.340
Avery: Yes, this was a big one. The satellite was

18
00:00:45.340 --> 00:00:47.740
carried aboard an Ariane 62

19
00:00:47.819 --> 00:00:50.580
rocket and was deployed perfectly into

20
00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.580
a sun synchronous orbit way up there at an

21
00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:55.432
altitude of 693

22
00:00:55.648 --> 00:00:56.620
km.

23
00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.700
Anna: Mhm. And Sentinel 1D is a

24
00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:02.020
crucial piece of hardware. It's part of

25
00:01:02.020 --> 00:01:04.600
Europe's Copernicus Earth OBSERV program

26
00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.400
which constantly monitors our planet's land

27
00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:10.360
and seas. This particular satellite, which

28
00:01:10.360 --> 00:01:13.360
weighs just over 2,000 kilograms, is a

29
00:01:13.360 --> 00:01:15.320
twin to Sentinel 1C.

30
00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:17.840
Avery: What's really interesting here, Anna, uh, is

31
00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:20.800
the choice of rocket. The Ariane 62

32
00:01:20.800 --> 00:01:23.400
is incredibly powerful for a satellite of

33
00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:25.520
this size. It's a bit like using a

34
00:01:25.520 --> 00:01:27.240
sledgehammer to crack a nut.

35
00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:29.680
Anna: That's a good way to put it. But there was a

36
00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.680
very serious reason for that choice. Urgency.

37
00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:34.800
The Copernicus program has been in a

38
00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:37.580
precarious. The Sentinel 1B

39
00:01:37.580 --> 00:01:40.260
satellite is no longer operational and its

40
00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:42.980
sibling, Sentinel 1A is degrading.

41
00:01:43.060 --> 00:01:45.940
They needed to get 1D into orbit as soon as

42
00:01:45.940 --> 00:01:48.260
possible to ensure continuity of data.

43
00:01:48.660 --> 00:01:51.060
Avery: Right. So it was a case of taking whatever

44
00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:53.820
ride was available first. Once it's

45
00:01:53.820 --> 00:01:56.420
fully commissioned, Sentinel 1D will take

46
00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:59.300
over the primary role from the aging Sentinel

47
00:01:59.300 --> 00:02:02.180
1A, securing a vital stream of

48
00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:04.500
environmental data for Europe and the world.

49
00:02:04.820 --> 00:02:06.660
A huge relief for the program.

50
00:02:06.660 --> 00:02:08.450
Anna: I'm absolutely.

51
00:02:08.850 --> 00:02:11.170
Now, from European launches to American

52
00:02:11.410 --> 00:02:13.810
leadership, our next story is a significant

53
00:02:14.130 --> 00:02:16.530
political development for the future of space

54
00:02:16.530 --> 00:02:19.410
exploration. President Donald Trump has

55
00:02:19.410 --> 00:02:21.970
renominated billionaire philanthropist and

56
00:02:21.970 --> 00:02:24.770
private astronaut Jared Isaacman to serve

57
00:02:24.770 --> 00:02:26.690
as NASA's next administrator.

58
00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:29.890
Avery: This is huge news. Isaacman is a

59
00:02:29.890 --> 00:02:31.890
really well known figure in the commercial

60
00:02:31.890 --> 00:02:34.610
space world. He's the founder of Shift for

61
00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:37.610
Payments. But more famously, he commanded the

62
00:02:37.610 --> 00:02:40.110
inspiration for and Pilar Polaris dawn

63
00:02:40.110 --> 00:02:40.590
missions.

64
00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:43.470
Anna: That's right. The Polaris dawn mission even

65
00:02:43.470 --> 00:02:46.190
included the first ever private spacewalk.

66
00:02:46.350 --> 00:02:48.510
This isn't just a businessman being

67
00:02:48.510 --> 00:02:51.190
nominated. It's a seasoned aviator and a

68
00:02:51.190 --> 00:02:53.390
private astronaut who has experienced space

69
00:02:53.390 --> 00:02:54.630
firsthand and.

70
00:02:54.630 --> 00:02:56.990
Avery: This nomination has a bit of history. It

71
00:02:56.990 --> 00:02:59.630
follows a pretty contentious period in US

72
00:02:59.630 --> 00:03:02.390
space policy. And Isaacman Men's previous

73
00:03:02.390 --> 00:03:05.150
nomination was actually withdrawn. So its

74
00:03:05.150 --> 00:03:07.550
return signals a very clear direction.

75
00:03:07.820 --> 00:03:10.380
Anna: It certainly does. Isaacman Mann has a very

76
00:03:10.380 --> 00:03:12.780
specific vision for the agency, which he

77
00:03:12.780 --> 00:03:15.700
calls his Athena plan. At its core, it

78
00:03:15.700 --> 00:03:17.980
favors fixed price contracts for major

79
00:03:17.980 --> 00:03:20.180
projects and aims to cut through the

80
00:03:20.180 --> 00:03:22.740
bureaucracy. He wants to increase the number

81
00:03:22.740 --> 00:03:25.220
of astronaut launches and significantly

82
00:03:25.220 --> 00:03:26.940
expand commercial partnerships.

83
00:03:27.500 --> 00:03:30.300
Avery: So this renomination is really a strong push

84
00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:32.860
towards accelerating commercial innovation

85
00:03:33.100 --> 00:03:35.740
within America's space exploration efforts.

86
00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:38.180
It will be fascinating to see how it plays

87
00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:40.200
out in the Senate confirmation hearings.

88
00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:43.040
Anna: Indeed. But while new leaders chart a

89
00:03:43.040 --> 00:03:45.880
course for the future, present day operations

90
00:03:45.880 --> 00:03:48.520
in space continue to face growing hazards.

91
00:03:48.760 --> 00:03:51.240
Our next story is a stark reminder of that.

92
00:03:51.480 --> 00:03:54.280
The return of China's Shenzhou 20 crewed

93
00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:55.799
spacecraft has been delayed.

94
00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:58.840
Avery: And the reason is pretty alarming. A

95
00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:01.760
possible impact with space debris. This

96
00:04:01.760 --> 00:04:04.520
is the first time a Chinese crewed return

97
00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:07.120
mission has ever been delayed by space

98
00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.400
junk. And it really highlights a problem

99
00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:10.760
that's only getting worse.

100
00:04:11.320 --> 00:04:14.080
Anna: Mm mhm. It's a bullet that everyone in the

101
00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.440
space industry has been dreading. The

102
00:04:16.440 --> 00:04:18.760
incident has unsurprisingly

103
00:04:19.080 --> 00:04:21.640
renewed calls for much stronger international

104
00:04:21.880 --> 00:04:24.600
cooperation on managing space traffic.

105
00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:27.560
The low earth orbit environment is becoming

106
00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:29.080
dangerously crowded.

107
00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:31.600
Avery: Right, but that, uh, cooperation is tricky,

108
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:33.800
isn't it? Especially between the US and

109
00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:36.720
China, given the ongoing tensions. It's a

110
00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:38.760
global problem that requires a global

111
00:04:38.760 --> 00:04:41.240
solution. But the geopolitics are

112
00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:42.520
incredibly complicated.

113
00:04:43.080 --> 00:04:45.840
Anna: They are. For its part, China has been

114
00:04:45.840 --> 00:04:48.400
investing in technologies to mitigate these

115
00:04:48.400 --> 00:04:51.360
risks. They are exploring things like laser

116
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:54.200
monitoring to track smaller debris and even

117
00:04:54.200 --> 00:04:56.880
deorbiting sails designed to help

118
00:04:56.880 --> 00:04:59.880
drag defunct satellites out of orbit faster.

119
00:05:00.200 --> 00:05:03.040
But for now, the Shenzhou 20 crew has to

120
00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:04.920
wait for a safe window to come home.

121
00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:07.440
Avery: Well, on a much lighter note, while that crew

122
00:05:07.440 --> 00:05:10.080
waits to return, the new crew aboard, uh, the

123
00:05:10.080 --> 00:05:12.400
Tiangong Space Station have been making a

124
00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:15.220
very different kind of a culinary

125
00:05:15.220 --> 00:05:15.540
one.

126
00:05:15.780 --> 00:05:18.060
Anna: That's right, Avery. The astronauts on

127
00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:20.660
Tiangong have just held the first ever

128
00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:23.620
space barbecue. They used a, uh, brand new

129
00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:25.860
oven to cook chicken wings and peppered

130
00:05:25.860 --> 00:05:26.260
steak.

131
00:05:26.580 --> 00:05:29.260
Avery: I love the story. I saw pictures of the oven

132
00:05:29.260 --> 00:05:31.940
and it basically functions like an air fryer.

133
00:05:32.100 --> 00:05:34.540
It's now a permanent addition to the space

134
00:05:34.540 --> 00:05:37.300
station's galley. Imagine being able to

135
00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:39.860
cook a proper meal like that in orbit.

136
00:05:40.100 --> 00:05:42.580
Anna: It might sound trivial, but this is actually

137
00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:45.420
a huge milestone for the psychological

138
00:05:45.420 --> 00:05:47.720
well being of crews on long duration

139
00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:50.400
missions. Food is a massive part of

140
00:05:50.400 --> 00:05:53.240
morale. Having variety and the ability to

141
00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:55.920
cook something fresh. Can make a world of

142
00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:56.320
difference.

143
00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:59.720
Avery: Of course, it's a taste of home. And the

144
00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:01.800
oven itself is an impressive bit of

145
00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:04.440
engineering designed to operate safely in

146
00:06:04.440 --> 00:06:07.320
microgravity without putting a major strain

147
00:06:07.320 --> 00:06:09.840
on the station's power grid. It's a small

148
00:06:09.840 --> 00:06:12.560
step for a stake, but a giant leap for

149
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:13.520
astronaut comfort.

150
00:06:13.970 --> 00:06:16.970
Anna: A very poetic way to put it. This new crew

151
00:06:16.970 --> 00:06:19.570
from the Shenzhou, uh, 21 mission recently

152
00:06:19.650 --> 00:06:22.570
arrived to relieve the Shenzhou 20 crew, the

153
00:06:22.570 --> 00:06:24.850
ones who are now patiently waiting for their

154
00:06:24.850 --> 00:06:26.290
debris free ride home.

155
00:06:26.610 --> 00:06:29.170
Avery: Well, let's look even further afield for our

156
00:06:29.170 --> 00:06:32.090
last story. From low Earth orbit all the

157
00:06:32.090 --> 00:06:34.570
way to our nearest planetary neighbor. For

158
00:06:34.570 --> 00:06:37.410
the first time in a while, Venus is alone.

159
00:06:37.970 --> 00:06:40.810
Anna: That's right. As we reported earlier with the

160
00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:43.050
official end of Japan's long running

161
00:06:43.050 --> 00:06:45.910
Akatsuki mission, Venus has no

162
00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:48.510
active spacecraft in orbit studying it.

163
00:06:48.750 --> 00:06:51.490
But that solitude is set to be temporary as,

164
00:06:51.490 --> 00:06:54.310
uh, a new wave of exploration is planned for

165
00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:55.310
the next decade.

166
00:06:55.710 --> 00:06:58.390
Avery: It's a whole fleet, really. There's NASA's

167
00:06:58.390 --> 00:07:01.270
DaVinci and Veritas missions, the European

168
00:07:01.270 --> 00:07:03.470
Space Agency's Envision Mission

169
00:07:03.790 --> 00:07:06.390
Rocket Lab's ambitious private Venus Life

170
00:07:06.390 --> 00:07:09.030
Finder mission, and India's Shukrayan

171
00:07:09.030 --> 00:07:11.590
orbiter. Venus is about to get very

172
00:07:11.590 --> 00:07:13.480
popular potentially.

173
00:07:13.880 --> 00:07:16.200
Anna: However, there is a cloud of uncertainty

174
00:07:16.200 --> 00:07:19.120
hanging over some of these plans. The futures

175
00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:21.920
of both the NASA and ESA missions are a

176
00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:24.720
bit shaky due to potential budget cuts in the

177
00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.320
United States, which could have a knock on

178
00:07:27.320 --> 00:07:27.640
effect.

179
00:07:28.119 --> 00:07:29.960
Avery: Let's hope they go forward. Because the

180
00:07:29.960 --> 00:07:32.760
science is so compelling. These missions

181
00:07:32.760 --> 00:07:35.360
aim to study everything from Venus's thick

182
00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.040
toxic atmosphere to its volcanic geology

183
00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:40.840
and its potential for past habitability.

184
00:07:41.620 --> 00:07:44.140
Anna: Exactly. They're trying to answer one of the

185
00:07:44.140 --> 00:07:46.020
biggest questions in planetary

186
00:07:46.820 --> 00:07:49.700
why did Earth and Venus, which are so similar

187
00:07:49.700 --> 00:07:52.700
in size and composition, evolve so

188
00:07:52.700 --> 00:07:55.380
differently? Why did one become a haven for

189
00:07:55.380 --> 00:07:58.060
life while the other became a scorching

190
00:07:58.060 --> 00:07:58.740
hellscape?

191
00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:01.580
Avery: It truly represents a renewed interest in

192
00:08:01.580 --> 00:08:04.420
exploring Earth's evil twin. We have

193
00:08:04.420 --> 00:08:06.580
so much to learn from Venus about planetary

194
00:08:06.580 --> 00:08:09.060
formation and how fragile a habitable

195
00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:10.020
environment can be.

196
00:08:10.550 --> 00:08:12.550
Anna: And that brings us to the end of our news

197
00:08:12.550 --> 00:08:15.270
roundup. What a day, Avery. From urgent

198
00:08:15.270 --> 00:08:17.870
launches to political shakeups, orbital

199
00:08:17.870 --> 00:08:20.110
hazards, and a whole new focus on.

200
00:08:20.110 --> 00:08:22.670
Avery: Venus, it just never stops. It's a constant

201
00:08:22.670 --> 00:08:25.150
reminder of how dynamic and exciting the

202
00:08:25.150 --> 00:08:27.670
field of astronomy and space exploration is.

203
00:08:28.070 --> 00:08:30.110
A huge thank you to all our listeners for

204
00:08:30.110 --> 00:08:31.590
tuning in to Astronomy Daily.

205
00:08:31.910 --> 00:08:34.870
Anna: We'll be back tomorrow with more updates from

206
00:08:34.870 --> 00:08:37.380
across the cosmos. Until then,

207
00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:40.100
clear skies and keep looking up.