WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:02.800 Anna: Hello everyone, and welcome to 1 00:00:02.800 --> 00:00:05.360 Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna. 2 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:07.720 Avery: And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on this 3 00:00:07.720 --> 00:00:10.232 exciting Tuesday, January 13, 4 00:00:10.408 --> 00:00:13.400 2026. We've got an incredible lineup of 5 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:15.200 space news to share with you today. 6 00:00:15.440 --> 00:00:17.720 Anna: We really do, Avery. We're covering 7 00:00:17.720 --> 00:00:20.040 everything from a, uh, historic first on the 8 00:00:20.040 --> 00:00:22.680 International Space Station to groundbreaking 9 00:00:22.680 --> 00:00:25.360 black hole discoveries. Plus we've got some 10 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:27.920 fantastic mission updates from NASA. And 11 00:00:28.080 --> 00:00:30.600 believe it or not, you can now put down a 12 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.940 deposit for a hotel room room on the moon. 13 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:35.260 Avery: That's right. It's going to be a packed 14 00:00:35.260 --> 00:00:35.820 episode. 15 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:38.420 But first, let's start with some update news 16 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.420 from the International Space Station that's 17 00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:42.700 making history for all the wrong reasons. 18 00:00:43.260 --> 00:00:45.820 Anna: So, Avery, we're witnessing something that's 19 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:48.620 never happened before in the 25 year history 20 00:00:48.620 --> 00:00:51.100 of the International Space Station. On 21 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:53.980 Sunday, NASA announced the first ever medical 22 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:55.740 evacuation from the ISS. 23 00:00:56.380 --> 00:00:59.100 Avery: That's right, Anna. The SpaceX Crew 24 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:01.380 11 mission, which launched to the station 25 00:01:01.380 --> 00:01:04.180 back in August 2025, is being 26 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:06.820 cut short due to an undisclosed medical 27 00:01:06.900 --> 00:01:09.220 condition affecting one of the four crew 28 00:01:09.220 --> 00:01:11.740 members. The team includes NASA 29 00:01:11.740 --> 00:01:14.500 astronauts Mike Fink and Xena Cardman, 30 00:01:14.820 --> 00:01:17.820 Russia's Oleg Platnov and Japan's 31 00:01:17.820 --> 00:01:18.980 Kimiya Yui. 32 00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:21.780 Anna: And yesterday we saw a really touching change 33 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:24.420 of command ceremony. Mike Fink, who was 34 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:27.220 serving as commander of Expedition 74, 35 00:01:27.460 --> 00:01:30.160 handed control of the station over Russian 36 00:01:30.160 --> 00:01:33.120 cosmonaut Sergey Kud Sverchkov during 37 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:36.080 the ceremony. Fink called it bittersweet and 38 00:01:36.080 --> 00:01:38.160 you could really feel the emotion in his 39 00:01:38.160 --> 00:01:38.560 words. 40 00:01:38.880 --> 00:01:41.200 Avery: I read about that. Fink told Kud 41 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.720 Schwarchkov. It's an honour and a pleasure to 42 00:01:43.720 --> 00:01:46.080 be a commander and I cannot imagine being 43 00:01:46.080 --> 00:01:48.920 happier than to hand over command to you. The 44 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:51.280 crew schedule to undock from the ISS on 45 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:53.720 Wednesday afternoon, with hatch closing at 46 00:01:53.720 --> 00:01:56.280 3pm eastern time and departure at 47 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:59.080 5pm they'll then make an 11 hour 48 00:01:59.080 --> 00:02:01.160 journey back to Earth aboard their Dragon 49 00:02:01.160 --> 00:02:02.460 Endeavour spacecraft. 50 00:02:02.700 --> 00:02:04.660 Anna: They're expected to splash down in the 51 00:02:04.660 --> 00:02:07.180 Pacific Ocean early Thursday morning around 52 00:02:07.180 --> 00:02:10.180 3:40am Eastern Time. Now, one 53 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:12.980 interesting aspect of this situation is that 54 00:02:12.980 --> 00:02:15.860 NASA has declined to specify which astronaut 55 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:18.300 is experiencing the medical issue, citing 56 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:21.140 privacy concerns. They also haven't disclosed 57 00:02:21.140 --> 00:02:23.260 the nature of the medical condition itself. 58 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:26.060 Avery: This early departure creates an unusual 59 00:02:26.060 --> 00:02:28.620 situation on the station. After Crew 11 60 00:02:28.700 --> 00:02:31.220 leaves, there will only be three astronauts 61 00:02:31.220 --> 00:02:33.960 board, including just one American, Chris 62 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.600 Williams. That's well below the typical crew 63 00:02:36.600 --> 00:02:37.960 complement, right? 64 00:02:38.040 --> 00:02:40.960 Anna: Normally, NASA prefers crew overlap to 65 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:43.080 avoid gaps in maintenance and research 66 00:02:43.160 --> 00:02:45.480 capabilities. But they've deemed this medical 67 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:48.000 situation serious enough to warrant the 68 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.840 immediate return, even if it means operating 69 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.600 with a skeleton crew until the next rotation 70 00:02:53.600 --> 00:02:54.040 arrives. 71 00:02:54.440 --> 00:02:57.120 Avery: And speaking of the next rotation, Crew 12 72 00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:59.400 was originally scheduled to launch in mid 73 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:02.400 February. NASA is now evaluating if they 74 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.920 can move that launch date up. Of course, this 75 00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:07.220 all to be coordinated with another major 76 00:03:07.220 --> 00:03:08.740 event on NASA's calendar. 77 00:03:08.980 --> 00:03:11.220 Anna: You're talking about Artemis 2, right? 78 00:03:11.540 --> 00:03:14.420 Avery: Exactly. NASA is simultaneously working 79 00:03:14.420 --> 00:03:17.020 to roll out the Space Launch System rocket 80 00:03:17.020 --> 00:03:19.260 for the Artemis 2 mission from the Vehicle 81 00:03:19.260 --> 00:03:21.380 Assembly Building to Launch Complex 82 00:03:21.540 --> 00:03:24.420 39B at Kennedy Space Centre. That 83 00:03:24.420 --> 00:03:27.060 rollout is scheduled for January 17th. 84 00:03:27.140 --> 00:03:29.780 With the first launch opportunity for Artemis 85 00:03:29.780 --> 00:03:31.700 2 opening on February 6th. 86 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:34.230 Anna: It's a delicate balancing act for NASA 87 00:03:34.230 --> 00:03:37.030 operations. According to NASA Administrator, 88 00:03:37.030 --> 00:03:39.950 the ISS evacuation shouldn't interfere with 89 00:03:39.950 --> 00:03:42.510 the Artemis II timeline, but it certainly 90 00:03:42.510 --> 00:03:45.070 adds complexity to an already busy schedule. 91 00:03:45.390 --> 00:03:47.989 Avery: Absolutely. This situation really highlights 92 00:03:47.989 --> 00:03:50.110 how NASA handles unexpected medical 93 00:03:50.110 --> 00:03:52.710 challenges in space. They have protocols in 94 00:03:52.710 --> 00:03:54.710 place, but this is the first time they've 95 00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:56.830 actually had to implement a full medical 96 00:03:56.830 --> 00:03:58.350 evacuation from the station. 97 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:00.680 Anna: It's worth noting that while this is the 98 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.160 first medical evacuation, it's not the first 99 00:04:03.160 --> 00:04:05.640 time medical concerns have affected ISS 100 00:04:05.880 --> 00:04:08.440 operations. Just last week a uh, planned 101 00:04:08.440 --> 00:04:10.760 spacewalk had to be cancelled due to these 102 00:04:10.760 --> 00:04:13.440 same medical concerns that ultimately led to 103 00:04:13.440 --> 00:04:14.600 the evacuation decision. 104 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.920 Avery: We wish all 4 crew 11 astronauts a safe 105 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:19.920 journey home and a quick recovery to 106 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:21.640 whoever's dealing with a medical issue. 107 00:04:22.200 --> 00:04:25.160 Anna: Now let's shift gears to some absolutely 108 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.720 fascinating astronomy news. Avery. 109 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:29.920 Astronomers have discovered something they've 110 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:32.620 never seen seen before. A galaxy wide 111 00:04:32.620 --> 00:04:34.500 wobbling black hole jet. 112 00:04:34.740 --> 00:04:37.540 Avery: This is really cool stuff. Ana A UH team led 113 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:40.460 by researchers at UC Irvine and Caltech's 114 00:04:40.460 --> 00:04:43.340 Infrared Processing and Analysis Centre has 115 00:04:43.340 --> 00:04:46.339 found the largest and most extended jet ever 116 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:49.060 observed emanating from a supermassive black 117 00:04:49.060 --> 00:04:51.540 hole. And it's doing something remarkable. 118 00:04:51.620 --> 00:04:52.580 It's wobbling. 119 00:04:52.900 --> 00:04:54.940 Anna: The galaxy in question is called 120 00:04:54.940 --> 00:04:57.620 VV340A and the 121 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.620 jet extends up to 20,000 light years from 122 00:05:00.620 --> 00:05:03.320 its centre. To put that perspective, that's 123 00:05:03.320 --> 00:05:06.040 about 1/5 the diameter of the Milky Way 124 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:08.680 galaxy. These jets are composed of 125 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.480 superheated material being accelerated to 126 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:12.720 near the speed of light. 127 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:15.680 Avery: The observations were made using the W.M. 128 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:18.599 keck Observatory's Keck Cosmic Web Imager 129 00:05:18.599 --> 00:05:21.360 on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But what really makes 130 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.400 this discovery special is that the team 131 00:05:23.400 --> 00:05:25.920 combined data from multiple observatories to 132 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:27.760 get the complete picture right. 133 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.240 Anna: They used infrared observations from the 134 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.160 James Webb Space Telescope, radio images from 135 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:35.820 the very large erect, and the optical data 136 00:05:35.820 --> 00:05:38.340 from Keck. Each observatory revealed 137 00:05:38.340 --> 00:05:41.140 different aspects of this phenomenon. Webb's 138 00:05:41.140 --> 00:05:43.660 infrared data showed the energetic heart of 139 00:05:43.660 --> 00:05:46.620 the galaxy, while Keck's optical data showed 140 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:49.540 how that energy propagates outward and the 141 00:05:49.540 --> 00:05:50.140 violet. 142 00:05:50.140 --> 00:05:52.820 Avery: Radio data revealed something remarkable. The 143 00:05:52.820 --> 00:05:55.380 plasma jets are twisted into a helical 144 00:05:55.380 --> 00:05:57.660 pattern as they move outward. This is 145 00:05:57.660 --> 00:05:59.980 evidence of what's called jet precession, 146 00:06:00.140 --> 00:06:02.900 where the jet's direction slowly wobbles over 147 00:06:02.900 --> 00:06:04.620 time, kind of like a spinning top. 148 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:07.940 Anna: Lead author Justin Cater from UC Irvine said 149 00:06:07.940 --> 00:06:10.820 the Keck Observatory data was crucial. He 150 00:06:10.820 --> 00:06:13.020 noted that the gas they observed with Keck 151 00:06:13.020 --> 00:06:15.260 reaches the farthest distances from the black 152 00:06:15.260 --> 00:06:18.140 hole, meaning it also traces the longest 153 00:06:18.140 --> 00:06:20.979 timescales. Without those observations, they 154 00:06:20.979 --> 00:06:23.580 wouldn't know how powerful or persistent this 155 00:06:23.580 --> 00:06:24.620 outflow really is. 156 00:06:25.020 --> 00:06:27.020 Avery: What's particularly surprising about this 157 00:06:27.020 --> 00:06:28.780 discovery is where it was found. 158 00:06:29.260 --> 00:06:31.980 VV340A is a relatively 159 00:06:31.980 --> 00:06:34.580 young galaxy, still in the early stages of a 160 00:06:34.580 --> 00:06:37.220 galactic merger. Typically, these kinds of 161 00:06:37.220 --> 00:06:39.100 jets are observed in older elliptical 162 00:06:39.100 --> 00:06:41.340 galaxies that have long since stopped forming 163 00:06:41.340 --> 00:06:41.860 stars. 164 00:06:42.180 --> 00:06:44.820 Anna: That's a great point. The Webb data showed 165 00:06:44.820 --> 00:06:47.780 that the superheated coronal gas, the plasma 166 00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:50.100 erupting from either side of the black hole, 167 00:06:50.340 --> 00:06:52.900 measures several thousand parsecs across. 168 00:06:53.380 --> 00:06:55.780 Most observed coronas measure in the hundreds 169 00:06:55.780 --> 00:06:58.540 of parsecs, making this the most extended 170 00:06:58.540 --> 00:07:00.980 coronal gas structure ever observed. 171 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:03.540 Avery: The discovery also revealed that the jet is 172 00:07:03.540 --> 00:07:05.860 actively affecting the galaxy's evolution. 173 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:08.920 The KCWI data data showed that the jet is 174 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:11.080 stripping the galaxy of gas at a rate of 175 00:07:11.080 --> 00:07:13.520 about 20 solar masses per year, 176 00:07:13.840 --> 00:07:16.160 effectively shutting down star formation. 177 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:18.920 Anna: This finding challenges our established 178 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:21.080 theories about how galaxies and their 179 00:07:21.080 --> 00:07:23.440 supermassive black holes evolve together. 180 00:07:23.840 --> 00:07:26.680 As Cater put it, this is the first time we've 181 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.360 seen a precessing kiloparsec scale 182 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:31.960 radiojet deriving such a massive 183 00:07:31.960 --> 00:07:33.760 outflow in a disc galaxy. 184 00:07:34.230 --> 00:07:36.430 Avery: He also noted something intriguing about the 185 00:07:36.430 --> 00:07:39.070 Milky Way. He said there's no clear fossil 186 00:07:39.070 --> 00:07:40.830 record of something like this happening in 187 00:07:40.830 --> 00:07:43.510 our galaxy. But this discovery suggests we 188 00:07:43.510 --> 00:07:45.910 can't rule it out. It changes the way we 189 00:07:45.910 --> 00:07:47.510 think about the galaxy we live in. 190 00:07:47.750 --> 00:07:49.829 Anna: The next step for the team involves higher 191 00:07:49.829 --> 00:07:52.350 resolution radio observations to determine 192 00:07:52.350 --> 00:07:54.710 whether a second supermassive black hole 193 00:07:54.790 --> 00:07:56.150 could be at the centre of 194 00:07:56.150 --> 00:07:58.950 VV340A, which might be 195 00:07:58.950 --> 00:08:00.280 causing the jets to wobble. 196 00:08:00.670 --> 00:08:02.750 Avery: It's an exciting time for studying black 197 00:08:02.750 --> 00:08:05.150 holes and their impact on galactic evolution. 198 00:08:05.470 --> 00:08:08.030 This discovery opens up new questions about 199 00:08:08.190 --> 00:08:10.630 how common this type of activity might be in 200 00:08:10.630 --> 00:08:11.230 the universe. 201 00:08:11.630 --> 00:08:13.630 Anna: Now let's take a look at what's launching 202 00:08:13.630 --> 00:08:16.310 this week. We've got a busy manifest with 203 00:08:16.310 --> 00:08:18.510 eight orbital launch attempts scheduled from 204 00:08:18.510 --> 00:08:20.510 China, the United States and Norway. 205 00:08:20.830 --> 00:08:23.670 Avery: That's right, Anna, uh, SpaceX is dominating 206 00:08:23.670 --> 00:08:25.870 the American launch schedule. As usual, 207 00:08:26.030 --> 00:08:28.110 they're launching two batches of Starlink 208 00:08:28.110 --> 00:08:30.470 satellites into the constellation's Group 6 209 00:08:30.470 --> 00:08:32.680 shell, as well as a batch of reconnaissance 210 00:08:32.680 --> 00:08:34.600 satellites for the National Reconnaissance 211 00:08:34.600 --> 00:08:34.920 Office. 212 00:08:35.400 --> 00:08:37.800 Anna: The first Starlink mission of the week, Group 213 00:08:37.880 --> 00:08:40.800 697 actually already lifted off 214 00:08:40.800 --> 00:08:43.080 yesterday. Monday, January 12th at 215 00:08:43.080 --> 00:08:46.080 4:08pm Eastern Time from Space Launch 216 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:49.040 Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 217 00:08:49.040 --> 00:08:51.920 9 flew 29 Starlink version 2 mini 218 00:08:51.920 --> 00:08:53.760 satellites into orbit and the. 219 00:08:53.760 --> 00:08:55.320 Avery: Booster that supported that mission, 220 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:58.200 B1078, was flying for its 221 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:01.080 25th time after stage separation. 222 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:04.020 It successfully landed on the ship. Just read 223 00:09:04.020 --> 00:09:06.740 the instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. These 224 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:08.780 reusability numbers just keep getting more 225 00:09:08.780 --> 00:09:09.380 impressive. 226 00:09:09.780 --> 00:09:12.620 Anna: They really do. The next StarLink Mission, 227 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:15.380 Group 698 is scheduled for Wednesday, 228 00:09:15.540 --> 00:09:18.460 January 14th at 1:01pm Eastern 229 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:20.660 from the same launch site that will use 230 00:09:20.660 --> 00:09:23.300 booster B1085 on its 13th 231 00:09:23.300 --> 00:09:25.540 flight landing on the A UH shortfall of 232 00:09:25.540 --> 00:09:28.180 Gravitas droneship moving over to China. 233 00:09:28.180 --> 00:09:30.380 Avery: They have four launches on the manifest this 234 00:09:30.380 --> 00:09:33.020 week. On Tuesday, the Chinese Aerospace 235 00:09:33.020 --> 00:09:34.920 Science and Technology Corporation is 236 00:09:34.920 --> 00:09:37.360 launching a Chang Zhang 8 a rocket from 237 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.240 Wenchang. The payload is unknown, but this 238 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.840 marks the first CZ8Amission of 239 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:45.280 2026 and the seventh overall. 240 00:09:45.520 --> 00:09:48.240 Anna: Then on Thursday we have a Changzang 3B 241 00:09:48.400 --> 00:09:50.560 E launch from Shisheng carrying another 242 00:09:50.640 --> 00:09:53.280 unknown payload. The CZ3BE 243 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.040 is one of China's workhorse rockets and this 244 00:09:56.040 --> 00:09:58.240 will be its 103rd launch overall. 245 00:09:58.640 --> 00:10:01.480 Avery: Also on Thursday, private Chinese spaceflight 246 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:03.560 company Galactic Energy is scheduled to 247 00:10:03.560 --> 00:10:06.240 launch a Series 1s rocket from the Orient 248 00:10:06.620 --> 00:10:09.020 Spaceport launch ship. This will be the first 249 00:10:09.020 --> 00:10:11.980 Series 1s mission of 2026 and the 250 00:10:11.980 --> 00:10:14.620 23rd overall for this solid fueled rocket. 251 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:17.100 Anna: And here's something exciting. Galactic 252 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:19.820 Energy is also debuting its new Series 2 253 00:10:19.820 --> 00:10:22.180 rocket this week. The demonstration flight is 254 00:10:22.180 --> 00:10:24.860 scheduled for Saturday, January 17 from the 255 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:27.580 Zhouquan Satellite Launch Centre. The Series 256 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:30.180 2 is a larger upgraded version capable of 257 00:10:30.180 --> 00:10:31.980 lifting about 2,000 kilogrammes. 258 00:10:31.980 --> 00:10:34.730 Avery: To low Earth orbit back to the United States. 259 00:10:34.810 --> 00:10:37.090 SpaceX has a classified mission for the 260 00:10:37.090 --> 00:10:39.690 National Reconnaissance Office. NROL 261 00:10:40.170 --> 00:10:43.170 105 is scheduled to launch Friday evening, 262 00:10:43.170 --> 00:10:46.130 January 16 at 8:18pm 263 00:10:46.130 --> 00:10:48.770 Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base 264 00:10:48.770 --> 00:10:49.610 in California. 265 00:10:49.850 --> 00:10:52.010 Anna: This mission is using brand new booster 266 00:10:52.010 --> 00:10:54.930 B1100 on only its second flight and 267 00:10:54.930 --> 00:10:57.330 it'll perform a return to launch site landing 268 00:10:57.330 --> 00:10:59.570 at landing zone 4 right next to the launch 269 00:10:59.570 --> 00:11:02.050 pad. This represents the 12th batch of 270 00:11:02.050 --> 00:11:04.530 satellites launched into this particular NRL 271 00:11:04.530 --> 00:11:07.070 Constell installation developed by SpaceX and 272 00:11:07.070 --> 00:11:08.070 Northrop Grumman. 273 00:11:08.310 --> 00:11:10.830 Avery: And finally wrapping up the week, German 274 00:11:10.830 --> 00:11:13.390 company Isar Aerospace is scheduled to launch 275 00:11:13.390 --> 00:11:15.710 the second test flight of its Spectrum rocket 276 00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:18.710 from Norway's Andoya rocket range. This comes 277 00:11:18.710 --> 00:11:21.510 after the first test flight in March 2025 278 00:11:21.670 --> 00:11:23.510 failed shortly after liftoff. 279 00:11:23.670 --> 00:11:26.550 Anna: The Spectrum rocket stands 28 metres tall and 280 00:11:26.550 --> 00:11:29.270 uses nine Aquila engines on the first stage 281 00:11:29.350 --> 00:11:31.710 and one on the second stage, burning propane 282 00:11:31.710 --> 00:11:34.260 and liquid oxygen. It's expected to carry 283 00:11:34.260 --> 00:11:36.860 several cubesats to sun synchronous orbit for 284 00:11:36.860 --> 00:11:39.220 the European Space Agency's Boost programme. 285 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:42.060 Avery: If successful, this will mark Spectrum's 286 00:11:42.060 --> 00:11:44.460 first flight of 2026 and the 287 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:47.180 13th worldwide orbital launch attempt of the 288 00:11:47.180 --> 00:11:49.740 year. It's shaping up to be a busy week in 289 00:11:49.740 --> 00:11:50.420 spaceflight. 290 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:52.980 Anna: Alright, Avery, let's talk about some mission 291 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:55.100 milestones. NASA's Carruthers 292 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:57.940 Geocorona Observatory has reached its target 293 00:11:57.940 --> 00:11:58.500 orbit. 294 00:11:58.990 --> 00:12:01.230 Avery: This is great news, Anna. The spacecraft 295 00:12:01.230 --> 00:12:04.030 achieved its destination at Lagrange Point 1, 296 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:07.070 or L1, which is approximately 1 million 297 00:12:07.070 --> 00:12:09.430 miles from Earth towards the Sun. The 298 00:12:09.430 --> 00:12:11.790 confirmation came on January 10, following 299 00:12:11.790 --> 00:12:14.150 the spacecraft's third and final orbital 300 00:12:14.150 --> 00:12:16.750 manoeuvre. A two minute thruster fire on 301 00:12:16.750 --> 00:12:17.710 January 8. 302 00:12:17.950 --> 00:12:20.430 Anna: For those unfamiliar, L1 is one of those 303 00:12:20.430 --> 00:12:22.070 special points in space where the 304 00:12:22.070 --> 00:12:24.430 gravitational forces of the Earth and sun 305 00:12:24.430 --> 00:12:26.750 balance out, creating a stable position. 306 00:12:27.150 --> 00:12:29.270 It's an ideal spot for observing the Earth 307 00:12:29.270 --> 00:12:30.420 and sun simultaneously. 308 00:12:31.450 --> 00:12:34.330 Avery: Exactly. And Carruthers has a very specific 309 00:12:34.330 --> 00:12:36.890 mission to capture the first repeated 310 00:12:36.890 --> 00:12:39.530 observations of the ultraviolet glow from 311 00:12:39.530 --> 00:12:42.170 Earth's outer atmosphere. Known as the 312 00:12:42.170 --> 00:12:44.930 Geocorona, the mission is named in 313 00:12:44.930 --> 00:12:47.650 honour of Dr. George R. Carruthers, who 314 00:12:47.650 --> 00:12:50.050 invented the ultraviolet camera that was 315 00:12:50.050 --> 00:12:52.330 placed on the moon by Apollo 16 316 00:12:52.410 --> 00:12:54.490 astronauts in 1972. 317 00:12:55.050 --> 00:12:57.850 Anna: That Apollo 16 camera captured the very 318 00:12:57.850 --> 00:13:00.250 first images of Earth's geo corona. 319 00:13:00.570 --> 00:13:02.710 Now, more than 50 years later, later, 320 00:13:02.710 --> 00:13:04.670 Carruthers is going to study it in 321 00:13:04.670 --> 00:13:07.070 unprecedented detail from its vantage point 322 00:13:07.070 --> 00:13:07.830 at L1. 323 00:13:07.990 --> 00:13:10.630 Avery: The loveseat size spacecraft launched from 324 00:13:10.630 --> 00:13:13.250 Kennedy Space centre back on September 24, 325 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:16.190 uh, 2025. Since launch, the team 326 00:13:16.190 --> 00:13:18.310 has been testing the spacecraft's instruments 327 00:13:18.310 --> 00:13:20.870 and capturing what they call first light 328 00:13:20.950 --> 00:13:23.470 images. While adjusting its course as it 329 00:13:23.470 --> 00:13:23.990 approached. 330 00:13:23.990 --> 00:13:26.870 Anna: L1, I saw those first light images. 331 00:13:26.870 --> 00:13:29.590 They're really impressive. The spacecraft has 332 00:13:29.590 --> 00:13:32.270 two cameras, a wide field Imager and a 333 00:13:32.270 --> 00:13:34.690 narrow field image capture 334 00:13:34.690 --> 00:13:37.450 ultraviolet light and the images clearly show 335 00:13:37.450 --> 00:13:39.930 Earth with this fuzzy halo around it, which 336 00:13:39.930 --> 00:13:41.170 is the geochorona. 337 00:13:41.330 --> 00:13:43.490 Avery: What's interesting is that you can also see 338 00:13:43.490 --> 00:13:45.890 the Moon in those images. And the lunar 339 00:13:45.890 --> 00:13:48.010 surface still shines in this specific 340 00:13:48.010 --> 00:13:50.530 wavelength of light called Lyman Alpha 341 00:13:50.690 --> 00:13:53.010 because its rocky surface reflects all 342 00:13:53.010 --> 00:13:55.690 wavelengths of sunlight. That's actually why 343 00:13:55.690 --> 00:13:57.810 it's important to compare the Lyman Alpha 344 00:13:57.810 --> 00:13:58.850 images with the broad. 345 00:13:58.850 --> 00:14:01.390 Anna: Ultraviolet filter The Narrow field 346 00:14:01.390 --> 00:14:03.830 Imager even captured two background stars 347 00:14:03.830 --> 00:14:05.390 that must have surface temperatures 348 00:14:05.390 --> 00:14:08.230 approximately twice as hot as our sun to be 349 00:14:08.230 --> 00:14:09.870 so bright in this wavelength of light. 350 00:14:10.110 --> 00:14:12.390 Avery: Carruthers is now beginning its final 351 00:14:12.390 --> 00:14:14.750 checkout procedures before starting its two 352 00:14:14.750 --> 00:14:17.630 year primary science mission in March. From 353 00:14:17.630 --> 00:14:20.270 L1 it will provide scientists with the most 354 00:14:20.270 --> 00:14:22.790 detailed views ever of how Earth's 355 00:14:22.790 --> 00:14:25.230 outermost atmospheric layer interacts with 356 00:14:25.230 --> 00:14:25.950 the space environment. 357 00:14:26.610 --> 00:14:29.170 Anna: The mission is led by Dr. Lara Waldrop from 358 00:14:29.170 --> 00:14:31.410 the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 359 00:14:31.570 --> 00:14:33.650 with the Space Sciences Lab at ah, UC 360 00:14:33.650 --> 00:14:35.850 Berkeley leading mission implementation and 361 00:14:35.850 --> 00:14:36.370 operations. 362 00:14:36.850 --> 00:14:38.610 Avery: Speaking of missions reaching their 363 00:14:38.610 --> 00:14:41.370 destinations, Anna uh, NASA's IMAP 364 00:14:41.370 --> 00:14:43.650 mission has also arrived at L1. 365 00:14:43.970 --> 00:14:46.250 Anna: That's right. IMAP, which stands for 366 00:14:46.250 --> 00:14:48.770 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, 367 00:14:48.930 --> 00:14:51.810 reached Lagrange Point 1 on January 10, 368 00:14:52.050 --> 00:14:54.530 just two days after Carruthers completed its 369 00:14:54.530 --> 00:14:55.220 final manoeuvre. 370 00:14:55.770 --> 00:14:58.130 Avery: The mission operations team sent commands to 371 00:14:58.130 --> 00:15:00.850 the spacecraft on the morning of January 9 to 372 00:15:00.850 --> 00:15:03.450 begin the trajectory manoeuvres. Early on 373 00:15:03.450 --> 00:15:06.090 January 10, they confirmed that IMAP had 374 00:15:06.090 --> 00:15:08.970 successfully entered its final L1 orbit, 375 00:15:09.050 --> 00:15:10.850 where it will stay for the duration of its 376 00:15:10.850 --> 00:15:11.210 mission. 377 00:15:11.530 --> 00:15:14.170 Anna: IMAP has a fascinating mission profile. 378 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:16.650 It's going to explore and map the very 379 00:15:16.650 --> 00:15:18.970 boundaries of our heliosphere. That's the 380 00:15:18.970 --> 00:15:21.290 protective bubble created by the solar wind 381 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:24.010 that encapsulates our entire solar system. 382 00:15:24.330 --> 00:15:26.730 It will study how the heliosphere interacts 383 00:15:26.730 --> 00:15:28.790 with the local galactic neighbourhood beyond. 384 00:15:29.270 --> 00:15:31.950 Avery: Think of IMAP as a modern day celestial 385 00:15:31.950 --> 00:15:34.590 cartographer. It's going to explore and 386 00:15:34.590 --> 00:15:36.870 chart the vast range of particles in 387 00:15:36.870 --> 00:15:39.710 interplanetary space, investigating how 388 00:15:39.710 --> 00:15:42.230 charged particles from the sun get energised 389 00:15:42.390 --> 00:15:44.750 and how the solar wind interacts at uh, the 390 00:15:44.750 --> 00:15:46.550 boundary with interstellar space. 391 00:15:46.950 --> 00:15:49.470 Anna: But IMAP also has a very practical 392 00:15:49.470 --> 00:15:51.870 application. It will provide real time 393 00:15:51.870 --> 00:15:54.350 observations of the solar wind and energetic 394 00:15:54.350 --> 00:15:56.950 particles, giving critical data that can help 395 00:15:56.950 --> 00:15:59.290 protect spacecraft and astronauts from 396 00:15:59.290 --> 00:16:00.850 adverse space weather effects. 397 00:16:01.090 --> 00:16:03.730 Avery: L1 provides IMAP with a stable and 398 00:16:03.730 --> 00:16:06.290 clear 360 degree view of the 399 00:16:06.290 --> 00:16:09.210 heliosphere. This position also gives an 400 00:16:09.210 --> 00:16:11.770 unobstructed view of the sun, which means the 401 00:16:11.770 --> 00:16:14.010 spacecraft can give about a half hour's 402 00:16:14.010 --> 00:16:16.210 warning to astronauts and spacecraft near 403 00:16:16.210 --> 00:16:18.930 Earth of harmful radiation coming their way. 404 00:16:19.090 --> 00:16:21.896 Anna: IMAP launched on September 24, 405 00:16:22.084 --> 00:16:25.010 2025. The same day as Carruthers. 406 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.240 They travelled to loan together along with 407 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.320 Nooa's SWFO 408 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.160 Lagrange, which stands for Space Weather 409 00:16:34.160 --> 00:16:37.080 Follow on Lagrange 1. At loan, 410 00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:40.040 they join other spacecraft already in orbit 411 00:16:40.040 --> 00:16:42.880 there, like NASA's Wind and ACE missions 412 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.720 and the ESA NASA 413 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:47.040 SOHO Observatory. 414 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:50.120 Avery: The mission is led by principal investigator 415 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:52.840 David McComas, a professor at Princeton 416 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.800 University with an international team of more 417 00:16:55.800 --> 00:16:57.580 than 20 partner institutions. Institutions. 418 00:16:57.980 --> 00:17:00.380 Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory 419 00:17:00.540 --> 00:17:02.940 built a spacecraft and operates the mission. 420 00:17:03.260 --> 00:17:05.420 Anna: IMAP is nearing completion of its 421 00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:07.260 commissioning phase and will begin its 422 00:17:07.260 --> 00:17:10.260 science mission on February 1st. The data 423 00:17:10.260 --> 00:17:12.940 from IMAP's State of the art instrumentation 424 00:17:13.100 --> 00:17:15.580 will greatly enhance the usefulness of data 425 00:17:15.660 --> 00:17:17.580 from those other missions. At L1. 426 00:17:17.820 --> 00:17:20.140 Avery: It's exciting to have both Carruthers and 427 00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:22.940 IMAP reaching their destinations at the same 428 00:17:22.940 --> 00:17:25.580 time. They launched together, travel 429 00:17:25.580 --> 00:17:27.645 together, and now they're both settling into 430 00:17:27.645 --> 00:17:29.660 the their orbits to begin their science 431 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:30.180 missions. 432 00:17:30.580 --> 00:17:33.380 Anna: Okay, Avery, save the best for last, right? 433 00:17:33.620 --> 00:17:36.620 You can now put down a deposit for a hotel 434 00:17:36.620 --> 00:17:37.700 room on the moon. 435 00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:40.390 Avery: I know it sounds like science fiction, Anna, 436 00:17:40.390 --> 00:17:42.860 uh, but this is for real. A company called 437 00:17:42.860 --> 00:17:45.540 GRU Space, that's Galactic Resources 438 00:17:45.540 --> 00:17:48.180 Utilisation, has publicly announced its 439 00:17:48.180 --> 00:17:50.740 intent to construct a series of habitats on 440 00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:53.420 the moon, culminating in a hotel that's 441 00:17:53.420 --> 00:17:55.780 actually inspired by the palace of the Fine 442 00:17:55.780 --> 00:17:56.940 Arts in San Francisco. 443 00:17:57.340 --> 00:17:59.620 Anna: On Monday, the company opened applications 444 00:17:59.620 --> 00:18:02.580 for aspiring lunar tourists. You can place a 445 00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:05.380 deposit ranging from $250,000 446 00:18:05.380 --> 00:18:08.260 to $1,000,000 to reserve a spot on 447 00:18:08.260 --> 00:18:10.300 one of their early lunar surface missions. 448 00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:13.340 They're targeting as early as 2032 for the 449 00:18:13.340 --> 00:18:14.220 hotel opening. 450 00:18:14.620 --> 00:18:17.100 Avery: Now, before anyone rushes to empty their bank 451 00:18:17.100 --> 00:18:19.340 accounts, let's talk about what this actually 452 00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:21.860 involves. Groove Space is a Y 453 00:18:21.860 --> 00:18:24.100 Combinator backed start startup founded in 454 00:18:24.100 --> 00:18:27.060 2025 by Skyler Chan, a recent 455 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:30.100 UC Berkeley graduate who's only 22 years 456 00:18:30.100 --> 00:18:32.620 old. The company has received backing from 457 00:18:32.620 --> 00:18:35.060 investors in SpaceX and Anduril. 458 00:18:35.300 --> 00:18:37.620 Anna: What makes GRU's approach interesting is that 459 00:18:37.620 --> 00:18:39.580 they're not planning to ship all the building 460 00:18:39.580 --> 00:18:42.300 materials from Earth. Instead, they want to 461 00:18:42.300 --> 00:18:45.100 use In Situ Resource Utilisation, or 462 00:18:45.100 --> 00:18:47.860 ISRU technology. That means using 463 00:18:47.860 --> 00:18:50.820 robotic systems to transform lunar soil 464 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:53.420 regular Lilith into durable building blocks. 465 00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:56.180 Avery: Their roadmap starts with a 2029 466 00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:58.620 demonstration mission to validate the process 467 00:18:58.620 --> 00:19:01.180 of turning lunar soil into bricks. 468 00:19:01.420 --> 00:19:04.380 By 2032, if everything goes according to 469 00:19:04.380 --> 00:19:06.900 plan, they expect to open what would be the 470 00:19:06.900 --> 00:19:09.540 world's first lunar hotel inside a 471 00:19:09.540 --> 00:19:12.260 lunar cave which provides natural protection 472 00:19:12.260 --> 00:19:14.540 from radiation and temperature extremes. 473 00:19:14.860 --> 00:19:17.380 Anna: The initial hotel will be built on Earth and 474 00:19:17.380 --> 00:19:19.620 delivered by a heavy lander. It's an 475 00:19:19.620 --> 00:19:21.550 inflatable structure designed to host a 476 00:19:21.550 --> 00:19:24.070 precious to four guests for multi day stays. 477 00:19:24.150 --> 00:19:26.790 The hotel is designed to operate for 10 years 478 00:19:26.870 --> 00:19:29.230 and will offer views of the lunar landscape 479 00:19:29.230 --> 00:19:31.430 and Earth, along with activities like 480 00:19:31.750 --> 00:19:34.590 moonwalks, driving rovers, and get this, 481 00:19:34.590 --> 00:19:36.550 they're even talking about golf. 482 00:19:36.870 --> 00:19:39.390 Avery: Of course, this is an incredibly ambitious 483 00:19:39.390 --> 00:19:42.190 plan. In their whitepaper, GRU acknowledges 484 00:19:42.190 --> 00:19:44.950 that execution heavily relies on factors 485 00:19:44.950 --> 00:19:47.630 outside their control. They need decreasing 486 00:19:47.630 --> 00:19:49.990 launch costs, costs, regular and reliable 487 00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:52.440 crewed flights to the lunar surface, a, uh, 488 00:19:52.470 --> 00:19:54.750 favourable regulatory environment and 489 00:19:54.830 --> 00:19:57.310 supporting infrastructure like lunar power 490 00:19:57.310 --> 00:19:58.270 and communications. 491 00:19:58.670 --> 00:20:00.790 Anna: All of which are in various stages of 492 00:20:00.790 --> 00:20:03.030 development. The company's vision doesn't 493 00:20:03.030 --> 00:20:05.110 stop at Moon hotels either. After 494 00:20:05.110 --> 00:20:07.270 establishing the first hotel, they want to 495 00:20:07.270 --> 00:20:09.750 help build America's first moon base with 496 00:20:09.750 --> 00:20:12.670 roads and warehouses, then expand to Mars 497 00:20:12.670 --> 00:20:14.610 and eventually the Asteroid belt. 498 00:20:14.770 --> 00:20:17.330 Avery: Skyler Chan, the founder, has been passionate 499 00:20:17.330 --> 00:20:19.770 about space since childhood. He said that 500 00:20:19.770 --> 00:20:21.370 I've been, uh, obsessed with space since I 501 00:20:21.370 --> 00:20:23.530 was a kid. I've always wanted to become an 502 00:20:23.530 --> 00:20:26.090 astronaut and feel extremely fortunate to be 503 00:20:26.090 --> 00:20:28.730 doing my life's work. He also mentioned that 504 00:20:28.730 --> 00:20:31.610 if they succeed, billions of human lives will 505 00:20:31.610 --> 00:20:34.290 be born on the Moon and Mars and be able to 506 00:20:34.290 --> 00:20:36.690 experience the beauty of lunar and Martian 507 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:37.010 life. 508 00:20:37.170 --> 00:20:39.930 Anna: There's actually a $1,000 non 509 00:20:39.930 --> 00:20:42.700 refundable application fee just to apply, 510 00:20:42.860 --> 00:20:45.100 and that doesn't guarantee approval. 511 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:47.980 Selected applicants will receive invitations 512 00:20:48.060 --> 00:20:50.900 tied to specific mission roles and lunar 513 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:51.340 stays. 514 00:20:51.580 --> 00:20:53.860 Avery: It's worth noting that this isn't the first 515 00:20:53.860 --> 00:20:55.980 time someone has proposed a lunar hotel. 516 00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:58.780 Hilton Hotels actually had a Lunar 517 00:20:58.780 --> 00:21:01.660 Hilton concept in the 1960s and even 518 00:21:01.660 --> 00:21:03.980 printed reservation cards and room keys as 519 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:04.940 promotional items. 520 00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:07.980 Anna: True. And back in 1973, 521 00:21:08.220 --> 00:21:10.220 Hilton partnered with Trans International 522 00:21:10.540 --> 00:21:13.260 Airlines to produce a brochure inviting 523 00:21:13.560 --> 00:21:16.280 customers to a trip to the moon sometime 524 00:21:16.280 --> 00:21:19.280 after 1973, with costs up to 525 00:21:19.280 --> 00:21:22.280 $25,000 per person. Of 526 00:21:22.280 --> 00:21:24.040 course, that never materialised. 527 00:21:24.520 --> 00:21:27.160 Avery: The big question is whether GRU Space 528 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:29.720 can succeed where others have only dreamed. 529 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:31.600 They've got the backing, they've got the 530 00:21:31.600 --> 00:21:33.520 vision, and they've got a founder who's 531 00:21:33.520 --> 00:21:36.360 putting everything into making it happen. The 532 00:21:36.360 --> 00:21:38.720 timeline aligns with NASA's renewed push to 533 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.880 establish a permanent human presence on the 534 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:42.390 Moon Moon through the Artemis programme. 535 00:21:42.870 --> 00:21:45.270 Anna: Even if this particular venture doesn't pan 536 00:21:45.270 --> 00:21:48.190 out exactly as planned, it's exciting to see 537 00:21:48.190 --> 00:21:50.830 private companies seriously pursuing lunar 538 00:21:50.830 --> 00:21:53.030 infrastructure. The fact that we're even 539 00:21:53.030 --> 00:21:55.750 having this conversation about booking hotel 540 00:21:55.750 --> 00:21:58.390 rooms on the Moon shows how far space 541 00:21:58.390 --> 00:21:59.590 exploration has come. 542 00:21:59.990 --> 00:22:02.630 Avery: Absolutely. Whether it's 2032 543 00:22:02.630 --> 00:22:05.390 or 2042, the era of lunar 544 00:22:05.390 --> 00:22:07.390 tourism feels like it's genuinely 545 00:22:07.390 --> 00:22:10.230 approaching. We might actually see commercial 546 00:22:10.230 --> 00:22:11.610 lunar hotels in our lifetime. 547 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:14.440 Anna: Well, that's all the time we have for today's 548 00:22:14.440 --> 00:22:16.760 episode of Astronomy Daily. What an 549 00:22:16.760 --> 00:22:18.420 incredible day of space news. 550 00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:21.240 Avery: Uh, from the historic iss, medical 551 00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:24.080 evacuation and wobbling black hole jets, 552 00:22:24.320 --> 00:22:26.560 to missions reaching their destinations at 553 00:22:26.560 --> 00:22:28.960 L1, and even the possibility of 554 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.640 vacationing on the Moon, it's been quite a 555 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:32.000 journey. 556 00:22:32.320 --> 00:22:34.560 Anna: If you enjoyed today's episode, please 557 00:22:34.560 --> 00:22:37.000 subscribe to Astronomy Daily wherever you get 558 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:39.420 your podcast. And don't forget to leave us a 559 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:41.380 review. It really helps other space 560 00:22:41.380 --> 00:22:42.740 enthusiasts find the show. 561 00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:45.780 Avery: You can find us on social media and at our 562 00:22:45.780 --> 00:22:47.940 website. For more space news and updates. 563 00:22:48.260 --> 00:22:50.980 Just search for astrodaily Pod on 564 00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:53.500 socials or visit us on the web at 565 00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:56.500 astronomydaily IO. Thanks 566 00:22:56.500 --> 00:22:57.860 so much for listening, everyone. 567 00:22:58.100 --> 00:23:00.020 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up. 568 00:23:00.260 --> 00:23:03.180 Avery: See you, uh, tomorrow. Clear Skies, Astronomy 569 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:06.100 Day. Storeys we 570 00:23:06.100 --> 00:23:06.420 told. 571 00:23:07.890 --> 00:23:08.130 Anna: What. 572 00:23:13.250 --> 00:23:13.810 Avery: Storeys. 573 00:23:21.650 --> 00:23:22.290 We told.