Cosmic Mysteries Unveiled: Firefly's Lunar Leap, SpaceX's Satellite Surge, and Hidden Black Holes: S04E13

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space

0:02 Speaker 1: in astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we have

0:05 Speaker 1: an incredible show lined up for you. Today. We're diving

0:08 Speaker 1: into some fascinating developments across the cosmos, from groundbreaking Moon

0:12 Speaker 1: missions to mysterious black holes lurking in the early universe.

0:16 Speaker 1: We'll explore Firefly Aerospace's ambitious lunar mission, discover why there's

0:20 Speaker 1: about to be a tiny Swedish house on the Moon,

0:23 Speaker 1: and learn about SpaceX's latest record breaking satellite deployment. We'll

0:27 Speaker 1: also check in on China's historic You two two rover

0:30 Speaker 1: as it reaches a potential end to its remarkable journey,

0:33 Speaker 1: and uncover new findings about super massive black holes that

0:36 Speaker 1: might be hiding in plain sight. Plus, we're diving into

0:39 Speaker 1: a fascinating revelation from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Stay

0:44 Speaker 1: with us as we journey through these remarkable stories that

0:46 Speaker 1: continue to expand our understanding of the universe around us.

0:50 Speaker 1: Let's get underway. Firefly Aerospace is making history with their

0:54 Speaker 1: first ever mission to the Moon, set to launch on

0:56 Speaker 1: a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center

1:00 Speaker 1: very shortly. Their Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, aptly nicknamed Ghost

1:04 Speaker 1: Riders in the Sky, carries an impressive payload of ten

1:07 Speaker 1: NASA experiments, more than any previous commercial lunar payload services mission.

1:12 Speaker 1: The mission will conduct crucial research at every stage of

1:14 Speaker 1: its journey from Earth orbit all the way to the

1:17 Speaker 1: lunar surface. Before even reaching the Moon, the lander will

1:21 Speaker 1: measure solar wind particles and test radiation resistant computer hardware,

1:26 Speaker 1: while also experimenting with using Earth's GPS satellites for lunar navigation.

1:32 Speaker 1: Once Blue Ghost touches down in Marechrisium, the real work begins.

1:36 Speaker 1: The landing site was specifically chosen for its smooth, dusty terrain,

1:40 Speaker 1: perfect for studying one of the Moon's most challenging features,

1:43 Speaker 1: lunar regolith. This fine, powder like dust caused numerous headaches

1:47 Speaker 1: for Apollo astronauts, from obscuring their visors to grinding inside

1:51 Speaker 1: their spacesuits and compromising equipment seals. Several experiments will focus

1:56 Speaker 1: on tackling this dusty dilemma. The regolith adherence characterization experiment

2:01 Speaker 1: will test how different materials react to long term exposure

2:05 Speaker 1: to lunar dust, while the electrodynamic dust shield will attempt

2:08 Speaker 1: to clear away dust build up using electrical currents, technology

2:12 Speaker 1: that could prove vital for future lunar bases and solar panels.

2:16 Speaker 1: The mission will also probe beneath the Moon's surface, with

2:19 Speaker 1: the Lister experiment drilling up to nine feet deep to

2:22 Speaker 1: measure heat flow, potentially revealing new insights about lunar resources

2:26 Speaker 1: and formation. Meanwhile, the next generation Lunar retro reflector will

2:31 Speaker 1: use lasers to measure the precise distance between Earth and

2:34 Speaker 1: the Moon, building upon similar experiments first conducted during the

2:38 Speaker 1: Apollo era. Blue Goose sixty day mission will conclude with

2:42 Speaker 1: a spectacular finale as it witnesses both a lunar solar

2:46 Speaker 1: eclipse and an intriguing phenomenon where lunar dust appears to

2:51 Speaker 1: levitate at sunset, a fitting end for a mission that

2:55 Speaker 1: could help pave the way for humanity's sustainable return to

2:58 Speaker 1: the Moon. Of things going to the Moon that you

3:01 Speaker 1: didn't see this coming, the Moon is about to receive

3:04 Speaker 1: its first tiny house, and it's not just any ordinary dwelling.

3:09 Speaker 1: It's an iconic Swedish red house with white corners. This

3:13 Speaker 1: miniature architectural marvel is heading to the lunar surface aboard

3:17 Speaker 1: Icepace's Resilience mission, representing the culmination of artist Mikhail Genberg's

3:22 Speaker 1: twenty five year dream. While Genberg initially envisioned a self

3:26 Speaker 1: unfolding structure standing eight feet tall, the final Moon House

3:29 Speaker 1: has been scaled down considerably to just three inches high,

3:33 Speaker 1: four inches wide, and two point five inches deep. Despite

3:37 Speaker 1: its diminutive size, the structure has undergone rigorous engineering to

3:41 Speaker 1: ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of space travel

3:45 Speaker 1: and the lunar environment. The symbolic red color of the

3:48 Speaker 1: house carries deep historical significance, dating back to a sixteen

3:53 Speaker 1: the century paint derived from Sweden's fallun copper mine. For Genberg,

3:57 Speaker 1: this isn't just about placing a structure on the Moon.

4:00 Speaker 1: It's about creating a universal symbol that speaks to humanity's

4:03 Speaker 1: eternal quest to explore the unknown. This isn't the first

4:07 Speaker 1: time Genberg has sent a version of the Moonhouse into space.

4:11 Speaker 1: In two thousand and nine, Swedish astronaut Christer Fugelsang carried

4:15 Speaker 1: a fold out card stock model to the International Space Station,

4:19 Speaker 1: where it was filmed floating freely in microgravity. But now

4:23 Speaker 1: After decades of preparation, the Moonhouse is finally headed for

4:27 Speaker 1: its intended destination. The tiny house will travel aboard I

4:31 Speaker 1: Space's Resilience Lander, targeting a landing site in mare Frigoris,

4:35 Speaker 1: or the Sea of Cold in the Moon's northern hemisphere.

4:39 Speaker 1: After a four month journey through space, this small piece

4:42 Speaker 1: of Sweden will become a permanent artistic installation on our

4:44 Speaker 1: celestial neighbor, serving as what Genberg hopes will be a

4:47 Speaker 1: symbol of humanity's endless drive to push boundaries and gain

4:51 Speaker 1: new perspectives on our world. Moving on now to the

4:55 Speaker 1: company that continues to push boundaries, SpaceX has just achieved

4:58 Speaker 1: another milestone into democratizing access to space with their latest

5:02 Speaker 1: Transport twelve ride share mission. Launching from Vandenberg Space Force

5:06 Speaker 1: Base in California, the Falcon nine rocket successfully deployed an

5:10 Speaker 1: impressive array of one hundred and thirty one satellites into

5:14 Speaker 1: sun synchronous orbit. Planet Labs dominated the passenger manifest with

5:18 Speaker 1: thirty six of their Dove Imaging Cube SATs and their

5:21 Speaker 1: second Pelican high resolution satellite. But what makes this mission

5:24 Speaker 1: particularly fascinating is the diverse range of payloads sharing the

5:28 Speaker 1: ride The United Arab Emirates contributed their MBZ SAT, weighing

5:33 Speaker 1: in its seven hundred and fifty kilograms and serving as

5:35 Speaker 1: the mission's largest single payload. Among the more intriguing passengers

5:40 Speaker 1: was the debut of Pixel's first three Firefly hyperspectral satellites.

5:44 Speaker 1: This Indian startup, fresh off a twenty four million dollars

5:48 Speaker 1: funding round, aims to build out an eighteen satellite constellation

5:51 Speaker 1: for advanced Earth observation and analytics. The mission also carried

5:56 Speaker 1: some groundbreaking experimental vehicles. Varda Space Industries launched their second

6:00 Speaker 1: mission W two, carrying a pharmaceutical reactor and payloads for

6:05 Speaker 1: NASA and the US Air Force. Meanwhile, Inversion Space tested

6:09 Speaker 1: their first mission called Ray, designed to splash down off

6:12 Speaker 1: the California coast as a demonstration of precision re entry technology.

6:16 Speaker 1: Perhaps the most unique payload was SATGUS, a twelve U

6:20 Speaker 1: cube SAT featuring a video screen that people can upload

6:22 Speaker 1: images to. This selfie satellite takes pictures of the screen

6:26 Speaker 1: with Earth in the background, creating a novel way to

6:29 Speaker 1: engage the public with space exploration. I just might give

6:32 Speaker 1: that a go myself. SpaceX's transporter program has now launched

6:37 Speaker 1: over one thoy one hundred payloads to orbit, proving that reliable,

6:41 Speaker 1: affordable access to space is no longer just a dream.

6:45 Speaker 1: While this has been transformative for many startups and organizations,

6:49 Speaker 1: it's worth noting that some launch companies have raised concerns

6:52 Speaker 1: about SpaceX's pricing strategy, suggesting it may be designed to

6:56 Speaker 1: eliminate competition. Nevertheless, the success of Transporter twelve demonstrates how

7:01 Speaker 1: far we've come in making space accessible to a broader

7:04 Speaker 1: range of participants, from established space agencies to innovative startups,

7:09 Speaker 1: pushing the boundaries of what's possible beyond our atmosphere. After

7:13 Speaker 1: over five years of groundbreaking exploration on the far side

7:16 Speaker 1: of the Moon, it appears China's U two two rover

7:20 Speaker 1: has finally reached the end of its remarkable journey. NASA's

7:23 Speaker 1: Lunar Reconnaissance orbiter images reveal the rover has remained stationary

7:27 Speaker 1: since March twenty twenty four, likely marking the conclusion of

7:30 Speaker 1: what has become the longest operating lunar rover in history.

7:34 Speaker 1: The mission began with a historic achievement when Chang A

7:38 Speaker 1: four and U two two became the first spacecraft to

7:41 Speaker 1: successfully land on the Moon's far side in January twenty nineteen.

7:45 Speaker 1: Throughout its operational life, U two two covered an impressive

7:49 Speaker 1: distance of one thousand, six hundred and thirteen meters across

7:52 Speaker 1: the Von Carmen Crater, surpassing the previous longevity record held

7:56 Speaker 1: by the Soviet Union's Luna Cood one. The rover's final

7:59 Speaker 1: movements tell a story of gradual decline. In early twenty

8:03 Speaker 1: twenty three, its typical drives of forty meters per lunar

8:06 Speaker 1: day dropped dramatically to just eight or ten meters. By October,

8:11 Speaker 1: these shortened further to mere one or two meter crawls,

8:13 Speaker 1: before the rover finally came to rest near a small

8:16 Speaker 1: ten meter crater, where it has remained since. Despite facing

8:20 Speaker 1: the harsh lunar environment of extreme temperatures, radiation, and abrasive moondust,

8:25 Speaker 1: U two two has made significant scientific contributions. The rover

8:29 Speaker 1: discovered materials potentially from the Moon's mantle, provided insights into

8:34 Speaker 1: the composition of the ancient South Pole eight Kin basin,

8:37 Speaker 1: and used ground penetrating radar to study the lunar subsurface.

8:42 Speaker 1: Perhaps most importantly, this mission demonstrated the feasibility of far

8:46 Speaker 1: side lunar operations through the use of a relay satellite,

8:50 Speaker 1: paving the way for future missions, including China's successful Changi

8:54 Speaker 1: six sample return mission. While U two two may have

8:58 Speaker 1: reached its final resting place, its legacy as a pioneering

9:02 Speaker 1: explorer of the Moon's mysterious far side will endure in

9:05 Speaker 1: the annals of space exploration. Our universe might be hiding

9:10 Speaker 1: far more cosmic monsters than we previously imagined. New research

9:14 Speaker 1: presented at the American Astronomical Society meeting suggests that astronomers

9:19 Speaker 1: could be missing between thirty percent to fifty percent of

9:23 Speaker 1: actively feeding super massive black holes throughout the cosmos. These

9:27 Speaker 1: aren't your average black holes. We're talking about cosmic giants

9:31 Speaker 1: with masses millions or even billions of times that of

9:33 Speaker 1: our Sun. To put their scale into perspective, comparing one

9:36 Speaker 1: of these supermassive black holes to its host galaxy is

9:40 Speaker 1: like comparing a pee to the entire Earth. Yet, despite

9:43 Speaker 1: their relatively small size, these cosmic behemoths wield tremendous influence

9:47 Speaker 1: over their surroundings. When these black holes feed, they can

9:51 Speaker 1: blast material away from their centers at speeds reaching a

9:54 Speaker 1: third of the speed of light. These powerful jets can

9:58 Speaker 1: push away the very gas and dust that galaxies need

10:01 Speaker 1: to form new stars, essentially putting the brakes on star

10:04 Speaker 1: formation throughout entire galaxies. The reason we're missing so many

10:09 Speaker 1: of these feeding giants they're hiding behind the very material

10:12 Speaker 1: they're consuming. Picture it like a cosmic doughnut of gas

10:16 Speaker 1: and dust surrounding the black hole. Depending on our viewing

10:19 Speaker 1: angle from Earth, this material can completely obscure our view

10:23 Speaker 1: of the feeding frenzy happening at the center. Using infrared

10:27 Speaker 1: data from NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, researchers have now

10:31 Speaker 1: created the first detailed census of these growing black holes.

10:35 Speaker 1: While these objects may be invisible to our traditional telescopes,

10:39 Speaker 1: the surrounding dust absorbs and re emits their intense light

10:43 Speaker 1: as infrared radiation, revealing their presence. This discovery could revolutionize

10:48 Speaker 1: our understanding of how galaxies evolve. As one researcher noted,

10:53 Speaker 1: if our eyes could detect X rays, the night sky

10:55 Speaker 1: would be dotted with countless feeding, supermassive black holes, each

11:00 Speaker 1: which one shaping the destiny of its host galaxy. Finally, today,

11:04 Speaker 1: let's get a JWST update. The James Web Space Telescope

11:08 Speaker 1: or JWST, has been turning heads with its remarkable ability

11:11 Speaker 1: to peer into the depths of our universe. Recently, it

11:14 Speaker 1: captured an image of Herbig Harrow forty six forty sevens,

11:18 Speaker 1: a pair of actively forming stars located about one four

11:21 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy light years away in the Vela constellation.

11:25 Speaker 1: These stars are in their infancy, and the surrounding scene

11:28 Speaker 1: is a cosmic masterpiece. Imagine a vibrant tapestry of colors

11:33 Speaker 1: and shapes. The stars are enveloped in a disc of

11:35 Speaker 1: gas and dust, which fuels their growth. As they gather material,

11:40 Speaker 1: they also eject jets of energized gas in opposite directions.

11:44 Speaker 1: When these jets collide with surrounding gas and dust at

11:46 Speaker 1: high speeds, they create shock waves, illuminating the interstellar medium

11:50 Speaker 1: with striking hues of pink and orange. What's truly captivating

11:54 Speaker 1: is the intricate layering of this interstellar material. The image

11:58 Speaker 1: reveals multiple ejections over time, suggesting that these stellar infants

12:02 Speaker 1: have been undergoing repeated outbursts. Each layer tells a story

12:06 Speaker 1: of past interactions, providing astronomers with a timeline of stellar formation. Activities.

12:12 Speaker 1: The level of detail in this image is unprecedented. Web's

12:15 Speaker 1: Near infrared camera near CAM allows scientists to observe these

12:20 Speaker 1: phenomena with exceptional clarity, offering insights into the early stages

12:24 Speaker 1: of star development. By studying objects like Herbig Harrow forty

12:28 Speaker 1: six forty sevenths, researchers can better understand the processes that

12:32 Speaker 1: have shaped our own sun and solar system. It's worth

12:35 Speaker 1: noting that Herbig Harrow objects like forty six forty sevenths

12:39 Speaker 1: are relatively short lived in astronomical terms, lasting only a

12:43 Speaker 1: few thousand years. This makes capturing such detailed images all

12:47 Speaker 1: the more significant, as they provide a fleeting glimpse into

12:50 Speaker 1: a critical phase of stellar evolution. The James Web Space

12:54 Speaker 1: Telescope continues to exceed expectations, shedding light on the complexities

12:58 Speaker 1: of our universe and bringing out closer to understanding the

13:01 Speaker 1: origins of stars and planets as it explores the cosmos.

13:05 Speaker 1: Who knows what other wonders it will uncover That brings

13:10 Speaker 1: us to the end of another fascinating journey through the cosmos.

13:13 Speaker 1: I'm Anna, and I want to thank you for joining

13:16 Speaker 1: me today on Astronomy Daily. If you're hungry for more

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