Astronomical Advances: Roman Telescope's Vision, Kuiper's Internet Revolution

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host Anna,

0:04 Speaker 1: bringing you the most fascinating developments from the Cosmos right

0:07 Speaker 1: to your earbuds. Today, we've got a stellar lineup of

0:10 Speaker 1: space news to share with you. We'll explore NASA's ambitious

0:13 Speaker 1: plans for the Roman Space Telescope, check in on Amazon's

0:16 Speaker 1: Project Kuyper satellite launches, and learn about the ESA's groundbreaking

0:20 Speaker 1: biomass satellite that's set to study Earth's forests from space.

0:24 Speaker 1: We'll also look at a potential new spaceport collaboration between

0:27 Speaker 1: China and Malaysia. And here about astronaut Don Pettitt, who

0:31 Speaker 1: recently celebrated his seventieth birthday in quite the extraordinary way

0:35 Speaker 1: returning from space. So settle in for your daily dose

0:38 Speaker 1: of astronomical wonders as we journey through today's space headlines.

0:42 Speaker 1: The NASA team behind the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

0:46 Speaker 1: has just shared exciting designs for the mission's three core surveys,

0:50 Speaker 1: set to launch in twenty twenty seven. This revolutionary telescope

0:54 Speaker 1: represents a significant leap forward in our ability to study

0:58 Speaker 1: the Cosmos. What makes home and truly special is its

1:01 Speaker 1: unprecedented field of view, a staggering one hundred times greater

1:06 Speaker 1: than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. This panoramic capability

1:10 Speaker 1: will allow scientists to capture vast regions of space in

1:13 Speaker 1: extraordinary detail, opening new frontiers in astronomical research. According to Gaelzasowski,

1:20 Speaker 1: an associate professor at the University of Utah and co

1:23 Speaker 1: chair of the ROMAN Observations Time Allocation Committee, the telescope's

1:27 Speaker 1: primary mission is to answer fundamental questions about dark energy,

1:31 Speaker 1: dark matter, and planets beyond our Solar system, But perhaps

1:35 Speaker 1: more importantly, it aims to equip space researchers with powerful

1:39 Speaker 1: new tools and data for scientific investigation. The three survey

1:43 Speaker 1: designs will account for about seventy five percent of roman's

1:46 Speaker 1: observations during its five year primary mission. The largest of

1:49 Speaker 1: these is the High Latitude Wide Area Survey, which will

1:52 Speaker 1: reveal more than a billion galaxies across the lifetime of

1:55 Speaker 1: the universe. By studying the distribution and shape of these

1:59 Speaker 1: gaps galaxies, scientists hope to better understand dark energy, the

2:03 Speaker 1: mysterious force behind our universe's accelerating expansion. The second core survey,

2:09 Speaker 1: the High Latitude Time Domain survey will repeatedly observe the

2:13 Speaker 1: same region of space to track how celestial objects change

2:16 Speaker 1: over time. This will help scientists study phenomena like black

2:20 Speaker 1: hole formations, stars falling into black holes, and other variable

2:24 Speaker 1: celestial events. Unlike the outward looking surveys, the third core project,

2:29 Speaker 1: the Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey, will peer directly into

2:33 Speaker 1: the heart of our own Milky Way galaxy. This deep,

2:36 Speaker 1: detailed view will allow astronomers to monitor hundreds of millions

2:39 Speaker 1: of stars, including those potentially harboring habitable worlds. Julie McKenny Romans,

2:45 Speaker 1: senior project scientist at NASA Goddard, notes that these survey

2:49 Speaker 1: designs represent the culmination of two years of input from

2:52 Speaker 1: over one thousand scientists across more than three hundred and

2:55 Speaker 1: fifty institutions worldwide. The mission promises to dramatically advance our

3:00 Speaker 1: understanding of the universe and deliver new insights into some

3:04 Speaker 1: of astronomy's most profound mysteries. Moving on now to a

3:09 Speaker 1: launch that has successfully happened. Amazon has officially taken a

3:12 Speaker 1: major step into the satellite Internet arena with the successful

3:15 Speaker 1: launch of twenty seven Project Kuiper Broadband spacecraft on April

3:19 Speaker 1: twenty eighth, a United Launch Alliance at Las V rocket

3:22 Speaker 1: blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at

3:26 Speaker 1: seven oh one pm Eastern Time, carrying these satellites toward

3:29 Speaker 1: their new home in low Earth orbit. This marks just

3:33 Speaker 1: the beginning of a massive deployment plan. Amazon will need

3:37 Speaker 1: more than eighty planned launches to fully build out the

3:40 Speaker 1: Project Kuyper Mega constellation, which will eventually comprise over three thousand,

3:45 Speaker 1: two hundred satellites orbiting approximately three hundred ninety two miles

3:49 Speaker 1: above Earth's surface. While impressive, this number still falls short

3:54 Speaker 1: of SpaceX's Starlink network, which already has more than seven

3:58 Speaker 1: thy two hundred operational saturlles and continues to expand rapidly.

4:02 Speaker 1: The competition between these tech giants is intensifying. In fact,

4:07 Speaker 1: SpaceX launched its own Starlink mission less than three hours

4:10 Speaker 1: before Amazon's launch, with another following just hours afterward. This

4:14 Speaker 1: pace highlights the aggressive expansion of the satellite internet market,

4:18 Speaker 1: with multiple companies racing to secure their position in Earth's

4:21 Speaker 1: increasingly crowded orbital highways. For Amazon, this operational milestone comes

4:27 Speaker 1: after an initial test launch last October when two prototype

4:31 Speaker 1: satellites were sent into orbit to validate the company's technology.

4:35 Speaker 1: The satellites' launch now represents significant improvements over those early prototypes,

4:40 Speaker 1: with enhanced performance across all systems, including phased array antennas, processors,

4:45 Speaker 1: solar arrays, propulsion systems, and optical intersatellite links. The company

4:50 Speaker 1: has also addressed concerns from the astronomical community by coding

4:54 Speaker 1: the satellites with a unique dielectric mirror film that scatters

4:58 Speaker 1: reflected sunlight make them less visible to ground based observers.

5:03 Speaker 1: This demonstrates Amazon's awareness of the growing concerns about satellite

5:06 Speaker 1: constellations interfering with astronomical observations. If all proceeds according to plan,

5:12 Speaker 1: the Atlas V rocket will deploy these twenty seven satellites

5:16 Speaker 1: at an altitude of two hundred eighty miles, after which

5:19 Speaker 1: they'll use their own propulsion systems to reach their final

5:22 Speaker 1: operational orbit. Amazon expects to begin providing initial coverage to

5:26 Speaker 1: customers later this year as the constellation takes shape. The

5:30 Speaker 1: majority of the remaining launches will be handled by ULA's

5:33 Speaker 1: Atlas V and its successor, the Vulcan Centaur rocket. Amazon

5:38 Speaker 1: has also diversified its launch partners by signing deals with

5:41 Speaker 1: Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin SpaceX and France based Ariane Space,

5:46 Speaker 1: ensuring multiple pathways to orbit as this ambitious project moves forward.

5:51 Speaker 1: Next up, in a significant milestone for Earth observation science,

5:55 Speaker 1: the European Space Agency has successfully launched its groundbreaking Biomas satellite,

6:01 Speaker 1: designed to revolutionize our understanding of the world's forests and

6:04 Speaker 1: their critical role in Earth's carbon cycle. The satellite lifted

6:08 Speaker 1: off aboard a Vegas Sea rocket from Europe's spaceport in

6:11 Speaker 1: French Guiana on April twenty ninth at eleven fifteen Central

6:14 Speaker 1: European summertime. Less than an hour after the dramatic lift off,

6:19 Speaker 1: the satellite separated from the rocket's upper stage as planned.

6:23 Speaker 1: Mission controllers at ESA's European Space Operation Center in Germany

6:26 Speaker 1: received the crucial first signal at twelve twenty eight cust

6:30 Speaker 1: confirming that Biomass is functioning properly in orbit. This signal,

6:34 Speaker 1: relayed via the Troll ground station in Antarctica, marked the

6:38 Speaker 1: beginning of the satellite's operational life. Over the coming days,

6:42 Speaker 1: controllers will focus on the launch and early orbit phase,

6:45 Speaker 1: meticulously verifying all systems and executing a series of intricate

6:49 Speaker 1: maneuvers to deploy the satellite's impressive twelve meter wide mesh reflector,

6:54 Speaker 1: which is supported by a seven point five meter boom.

6:58 Speaker 1: This delicate unfolding process is critical to the mission's success.

7:03 Speaker 1: What makes Biomass truly revolutionary is its P band synthetic

7:06 Speaker 1: aperture radar. The first of its kind in space. This

7:10 Speaker 1: specialized instrument can penetrate forest canopies to measure woody biomass,

7:14 Speaker 1: the trunks, branches, and stems where most forest carbon is stored.

7:18 Speaker 1: These measurements will serve as a proxy for carbon storage,

7:21 Speaker 1: allowing scientists to track how much carbon is being stored

7:24 Speaker 1: in forests worldwide. Forests play an absolutely vital role in

7:29 Speaker 1: Earth's carbon cycle by absorbing and storing vast amounts of

7:32 Speaker 1: carbon dioxide, helping to regulate our planet's temperature. Often referred

7:37 Speaker 1: to as Earth's green lungs, forests absorb approximately eight billion

7:41 Speaker 1: tons of carbon dioxide annually. However, deforestation and degradation, particularly

7:46 Speaker 1: in tropical regions, are releasing this stored carbon back into

7:49 Speaker 1: the atmosphere. One of the major challenges scientists and policy

7:53 Speaker 1: makers face is the current lack of accurate data on

7:57 Speaker 1: forest carbon storage and how these stocks are changing due

8:00 Speaker 1: to rising temperatures, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, and human driven

8:05 Speaker 1: land use changes. Biomass aims to fill this critical knowledge gap.

8:10 Speaker 1: The data collected by this mission will significantly reduce uncertainties

8:14 Speaker 1: in carbon stock and flux estimates, including those related to

8:17 Speaker 1: land use change, forest loss and regrowth. Beyond carbon monitoring,

8:22 Speaker 1: BIOMASS will also enable mapping of subsurface geology in deserts,

8:26 Speaker 1: ice sheet structures and forest floor topography, providing a multifaceted

8:31 Speaker 1: view of our planet that has never before been possible

8:34 Speaker 1: from space. Developed by a consortium of over fifty companies

8:38 Speaker 1: led by Airbus UK, the Biomass mission represents a new

8:42 Speaker 1: frontier in Earth observation technology, one that promises to enhance

8:46 Speaker 1: our understanding of forest's roles in the carbon cycle and

8:49 Speaker 1: climate system for years to come. China is exploring the

8:53 Speaker 1: establishment of its first overseas launch site with a proposed

8:57 Speaker 1: equatorial spaceport in Malaysia, a move that can carry's significant strategic, economic,

9:02 Speaker 1: and geopolitical implications. The China Great Wall Industry Corporation has

9:06 Speaker 1: signed a letter of intent with the Pahang State Development

9:09 Speaker 1: Corporation and Lestari Aankasa, a Malaysian private company actively involved

9:15 Speaker 1: in the country's space sector. The Malaysian state government has

9:18 Speaker 1: agreed to a one year feasibility study for the proposed

9:21 Speaker 1: spaceport in Pahung. If approved, this ambitious project, named the

9:26 Speaker 1: Pahung International Spaceport, could be completed within the next three

9:30 Speaker 1: to five years and create more than two thousand job opportunities,

9:34 Speaker 1: along with substantial spillover economic benefits in tourism, research, and

9:39 Speaker 1: technology sectors. What makes this location particularly valuable is its

9:44 Speaker 1: near equatorial position, situated at approximately three to four degrees

9:48 Speaker 1: north latitude. Launching rockets near the equator allows them to

9:52 Speaker 1: benefit from Earth's rotational speed, enabling heavier payloads and more

9:56 Speaker 1: efficient fuel usage. This natural advantage could signific enhance China's

10:01 Speaker 1: launch capabilities and reduce costs. A delegation from the Malaysian

10:05 Speaker 1: organizations is expected to visit Wenchang Space City in Hainan,

10:10 Speaker 1: South China in May to further discuss the project. China

10:14 Speaker 1: Great Wall Industry Corporation, which operates under the state owned

10:18 Speaker 1: space contractor CASSI, is the sole commercial organization authorized by

10:23 Speaker 1: the Chinese government to provide satellites, commercial launch services, and

10:27 Speaker 1: carry out international space cooperation. While the Pahang International Spaceport

10:33 Speaker 1: remains in an early tentative phase, experts note several potential

10:37 Speaker 1: benefits for China. New launch facilities could help ease a

10:40 Speaker 1: bottleneck in China's access to space, particularly in terms of

10:44 Speaker 1: launch frequency. The spaceport could provide options for commercial and

10:48 Speaker 1: civil missions, though more sensitive missions would likely remain within

10:52 Speaker 1: China's borders. For Malaysia, hosting the first spaceport in Southeast

10:56 Speaker 1: Asia would represent a significant leap forward in the country's

11:00 Speaker 1: technological capabilities and regional standing. During Chinese President Shi Jinping's

11:05 Speaker 1: recent state visit to Malaysia in mid April, the two

11:08 Speaker 1: countries issued a joint statement recognizing the great potential for

11:12 Speaker 1: strengthening cooperation in the space sector, aiming to jointly enhance

11:16 Speaker 1: space capabilities, cultivate the space economy, promote technological progress, and

11:21 Speaker 1: safeguard national security. There are challenges to consider, including geographical

11:26 Speaker 1: issues related to airline flight paths, shipping lanes, and overflight

11:30 Speaker 1: of neighboring countries, particularly Indonesia. Regional dynamics also come into

11:35 Speaker 1: play as Indonesia has been making its own space policy

11:38 Speaker 1: moves lately, highlighting the traditional rivalry between these Southeast Asian nations.

11:43 Speaker 1: If successful, this project would symbolize China's growing global ambitions

11:47 Speaker 1: in space, extending their launch infrastructure beyond mainland China for

11:52 Speaker 1: the first time and potentially reshaping the regional balance of

11:55 Speaker 1: space capabilities in Southeast Asia today. A celebration with a difference.

12:02 Speaker 1: Not many people celebrate their birthday by burning a fiery

12:05 Speaker 1: arc through the atmosphere, pulling four point four g's in

12:08 Speaker 1: free fall back to Earth, thudding into the ground, and

12:11 Speaker 1: emptying their stomach on the steps of Kazakhstan. But that's

12:15 Speaker 1: exactly how NASA astronaut Don Pettit marked his seventieth birthday,

12:20 Speaker 1: making him the oldest person to endure such a physically

12:23 Speaker 1: demanding return from a long duration mission. Pettit recently completed

12:28 Speaker 1: two hundred and twenty days aboard the International Space Station,

12:31 Speaker 1: adding to his impressive career total of five hundred ninety

12:34 Speaker 1: days in space, the third most all time among NASA astronauts.

12:39 Speaker 1: Just over a week after his dramatic return, Pettitt met

12:43 Speaker 1: with reporters at Johnson Space Center to share his experiences.

12:47 Speaker 1: It's good to be back on planet Earth, he said.

12:50 Speaker 1: As much as I love exploring space, going into the

12:53 Speaker 1: frontier and making observations, you do reach a time when

12:56 Speaker 1: it's time to come home. Pettit, who I first ventured

13:00 Speaker 1: to space at age forty seven, noted that while he

13:03 Speaker 1: has some creaks and groans in his body, he feels

13:06 Speaker 1: much the same as he did twenty years ago. The

13:08 Speaker 1: most challenging aspect of returning to Earth isn't the strain

13:11 Speaker 1: on major muscle groups, but rather the smaller muscles that

13:15 Speaker 1: go unused during extended periods in microgravity. A week ago,

13:19 Speaker 1: I was on station doing really heavy squats and dead lifts.

13:23 Speaker 1: I could float around with the greatest of ease, even

13:26 Speaker 1: though I had no trapezes. I was at the peak

13:29 Speaker 1: of my game, Pettit explained, and then you come back

13:31 Speaker 1: to Earth and it's like I can't even get up

13:33 Speaker 1: from the floor anymore. It's humbling. Interestingly, Pettit found that

13:37 Speaker 1: microgravity actually provided relief from some of the typical aches

13:41 Speaker 1: and pains associated with aging. I love being in space.

13:45 Speaker 1: When you're sleeping, you're just floating, and your body all

13:48 Speaker 1: those little aches and pains hel up. You feel like

13:50 Speaker 1: you're thirty years old again and free of pain, free

13:53 Speaker 1: of everything. Having visited the space station on all four

13:56 Speaker 1: of his space flights, Pettit expressed strong sentiments about NASA's

14:00 Speaker 1: plans to deorbit the facility in twenty thirty. I'm a

14:03 Speaker 1: firm believer we don't need to dump the space station

14:05 Speaker 1: in the ocean if we don't want to, he said,

14:08 Speaker 1: comparing the potential longevity of the ISS to that of

14:11 Speaker 1: the B fifty two bomber, which will have been flying

14:14 Speaker 1: for nearly a century before retirement. As for his own

14:18 Speaker 1: future in space exploration, Pettit hasn't ruled out another mission.

14:22 Speaker 1: When the flight docs say I'm ready to go back,

14:24 Speaker 1: I'm ready to do it. John Glenn flew at age

14:26 Speaker 1: seventy six, and I'm only seventy, so I've got a

14:29 Speaker 1: few more good years left. I could see getting another

14:32 Speaker 1: flight or two in before I'm ready to hang up

14:33 Speaker 1: my rocket nozzles. Pettitt described what he calls the explorer's paradox.

14:39 Speaker 1: When you're in civilization, you long for wilderness, When in

14:43 Speaker 1: the wilderness you miss your family. It's a sentiment that

14:46 Speaker 1: has likely existed for as long as humanity has had

14:50 Speaker 1: people who go off into the wilderness, and one that

14:53 Speaker 1: captures the unique calling of those who venture beyond our atmosphere. Well,

15:00 Speaker 1: that wraps up another fascinating episode of Astronomy Daily. From

15:03 Speaker 1: NASA's Roman Space Telescope with its panoramic view of space

15:06 Speaker 1: one hundred times greater than Hubble, to Amazon launching the

15:10 Speaker 1: first satellites in its massive project Kuyper Internet Constellation. We've

15:14 Speaker 1: explored ESA's groundbreaking biomass satellite that will help us understand

15:17 Speaker 1: forest carbon storage like never before, and China's potential first

15:21 Speaker 1: overseas launch site in Malaysia which could revolutionize equatorial launches.

15:26 Speaker 1: And who could forget astronaut Don Pettitt celebrating his seventieth

15:30 Speaker 1: birthday with perhaps the most dramatic return to Earth imaginable.

15:34 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Anna, and

15:37 Speaker 1: if you enjoyed today's episode, I'd love for you to

15:40 Speaker 1: visit our website at Astronomydaily dot io, where you can

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16:04 Speaker 1: looking up and stay curious about our cosmic neighborhood. Sunny

16:07 Speaker 1: Day Star is so Star is Star