Galactic Updates: Firefly's Alpha Failure, Kiwi Space Defense, and Shenzhou 19's Safe Landing

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your window to the Cosmos,

0:03 Speaker 1: where we bring you the latest developments in space exploration

0:07 Speaker 1: and astronomical discoveries. I'm Anna, and today we've got a

0:11 Speaker 1: packed episode with some fascinating stories from around the globe.

0:14 Speaker 1: Coming up, we'll dive into the details of Firefly Aerospace's

0:18 Speaker 1: recent Alpha rocket failure, which unfortunately resulted in a Lockheed

0:22 Speaker 1: Martin satellite crashing into the Pacific Ocean. We'll also explore

0:25 Speaker 1: New Zealand's surprising announcement about establishing a new space squadron,

0:29 Speaker 1: signaling their increasing commitment to space based defense. In addition,

0:34 Speaker 1: we'll cover China's Sheenzo nineteen spacecraft, which has successfully returned

0:38 Speaker 1: to Earth after its crew completed their mission aboard the

0:41 Speaker 1: Chengong Space Station. We'll also look at the busy launch

0:44 Speaker 1: schedule for this week, including multiple starlink missions from SpaceX

0:48 Speaker 1: and the successful deployment of ESA's Biomass satellite. And finally,

0:53 Speaker 1: we'll tell you about an intriguing new podcast series focused

0:56 Speaker 1: on Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon,

0:59 Speaker 1: which promises to reveal the personal struggles behind the famous

1:03 Speaker 1: astronaut's public persona, So sit back, look up, and let's

1:07 Speaker 1: journey through today's space news together. In a significant setback

1:11 Speaker 1: for the commercial space industry, Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket experienced

1:17 Speaker 1: a critical failure during its sixth flight on Tuesday. The

1:20 Speaker 1: incident occurred approximately two minutes after liftoff from Vandenberg Space

1:24 Speaker 1: Force Space in California, when the engine nozzle on Alpha's

1:27 Speaker 1: upper stage broke off in space. The dramatic moment happened

1:31 Speaker 1: just after the rocket attempted to separate from its core

1:34 Speaker 1: booster as designed. According to Firefly, this malfunction substantially reduced

1:40 Speaker 1: the engine's thrust, although the rocket continued to function longer

1:44 Speaker 1: than you might expect in such circumstances. Unlike typical rocket

1:48 Speaker 1: failures that result in immediate explosions or automatic shutdown sequences,

1:53 Speaker 1: the Alpha's upper stage continued firing for several minutes. The

1:57 Speaker 1: rocket actually managed to reach an altitude of about three

2:00 Speaker 1: hundred twenty kilometers or two hundred miles. However, it failed

2:05 Speaker 1: to achieve the velocity needed to maintain orbit and was

2:08 Speaker 1: eventually pulled back into Earth's atmosphere by gravity. Live stream

2:13 Speaker 1: footage of the flight revealed several pieces of debris visibly

2:16 Speaker 1: breaking off from the rocket during its ascent. In what's

2:19 Speaker 1: often a telltale sign of trouble during rocket launches, The

2:23 Speaker 1: on screen altitude and speed data disappeared from the broadcast

2:26 Speaker 1: earlier than expected. Firefly later confirmed that both the upper

2:30 Speaker 1: stage and its payload, a Lockheed Martin satellite called the

2:34 Speaker 1: LM four hundred Technology Demonstrator, safely impacted the Pacific Ocean

2:40 Speaker 1: in a cleared zone north of Antarctica. This controlled ocean landing,

2:45 Speaker 1: while not the intended outcome, at least prevented any potential

2:48 Speaker 1: hazards from debris falling over populated areas. This mission held

2:53 Speaker 1: particular significance as it was the first launch under an

2:56 Speaker 1: ambitious agreement between Firefly and Lockheed Martin that could have

2:59 Speaker 1: includ uoed up to twenty five flights through twenty twenty nine.

3:03 Speaker 1: The satellite itself was self funded by Lockheed Martin and

3:06 Speaker 1: designed to test technologies intended for future military and civilian applications.

3:11 Speaker 1: Despite the failure, Lockheed Martin maintained a positive outlook, with

3:16 Speaker 1: a spokesperson noting that navigating risk and going fast are

3:19 Speaker 1: part of these self funded demonstrations. They added that insights

3:23 Speaker 1: gained during the satellite's production will still benefit future customers.

3:27 Speaker 1: This latest incident brings Firefly's success rate to a concerning level.

3:31 Speaker 1: Four failures out of six alpha flights since twenty twenty one.

3:36 Speaker 1: The company's journey has been tumultuous, to say the least.

3:39 Speaker 1: Founded in twenty fourteen, Firefly filed for bankruptcy in twenty seventeen,

3:43 Speaker 1: underwent an ownership change due to US national security concerns

3:47 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty two, and faced leadership turmoil when its

3:50 Speaker 1: CEO was ousted in twenty twenty four following an inappropriate relationship.

3:55 Speaker 1: Despite these challenges, the company achieved a remarkable success just

3:59 Speaker 1: one month ago with a breakthrough moon landing. Firefly is

4:03 Speaker 1: one of several smaller aerospace companies competing to establish themselves

4:07 Speaker 1: in a launch market dominated by SpaceX. In the wake

4:10 Speaker 1: of Tuesday's failure, Firefly announced its working closely with Lockheed Martin,

4:15 Speaker 1: the US Space Force, and the Federal Aviation Administration to

4:18 Speaker 1: determine the root cause of the mishap and prevent similar

4:21 Speaker 1: incidents in future launches. In a noteworthy development for our

4:26 Speaker 1: southern Hemisphere neighbors, the New Zealand Air Force has announced

4:29 Speaker 1: plans to establish a dedicated space squadron. What makes this

4:33 Speaker 1: particularly interesting is the squadron's modest size. Just fifteen personnel

4:38 Speaker 1: will staff this new military space unit, making it one

4:41 Speaker 1: of the smallest specialized space units among nations with military

4:44 Speaker 1: space programs. This move signals New Zealand's growing commitment to

4:49 Speaker 1: space based defense and international security initiatives. Despite the relatively

4:54 Speaker 1: small footprint, military experts suggest that even with limited personnel,

4:59 Speaker 1: the squad udron could play a significant role in space

5:02 Speaker 1: situational awareness, satellite communications, and coordination with allied space forces.

5:09 Speaker 1: New Zealand's strategic position in the South Pacific makes it

5:12 Speaker 1: an ideal location for certain types of space monitoring and

5:16 Speaker 1: operations that complement the capabilities of larger allies like Australia

5:21 Speaker 1: and the United States. The country has already been developing

5:25 Speaker 1: its commercial space sector, with rocket labs launch facilities on

5:28 Speaker 1: the Mahia Peninsula, establishing New Zealand as one of the

5:31 Speaker 1: few nations with orbital launch capabilities. A senior military official

5:36 Speaker 1: indicated that while small in size, the space squadron represents

5:40 Speaker 1: a meaningful evolution in New Zealand's defense posture. Acknowledging the

5:44 Speaker 1: increasing importance of space as a domain for national security.

5:48 Speaker 1: The squadron is expected to focus on developing expertise in

5:51 Speaker 1: space domain awareness, tracking potential threats to satellites, and supporting

5:56 Speaker 1: multinational space operations. This development comes at a time when

6:01 Speaker 1: many nations are reassessing their military space capabilities in response

6:05 Speaker 1: to growing concerns about the vulnerability of space based assets

6:09 Speaker 1: that support critical infrastructure, communications, and navigation systems. For New Zealand,

6:15 Speaker 1: which has traditionally maintained modest defense forces, establishing a dedicated

6:20 Speaker 1: space squadron represents a significant strategic shift that aligns with

6:24 Speaker 1: broader trends in modern military planning. The timeline for the

6:28 Speaker 1: squadron's full operational capability has not been publicly disclosed, but

6:33 Speaker 1: defense analysts expect it will integrate closely with New Zealand's

6:37 Speaker 1: existing intelligence and communications infrastructure to maximize its effectiveness despite

6:43 Speaker 1: its limited size. And we can chalk up another successful

6:47 Speaker 1: mission today, China's Shenzo nineteen crude spacecraft has successfully touched

6:51 Speaker 1: down in northern China, marking the end of a mission

6:54 Speaker 1: that began back in October of last year. The landing,

6:57 Speaker 1: which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, was delayed by a

7:00 Speaker 1: day due to unfavorable weather conditions at the landing site.

7:04 Speaker 1: The spacecraft carried a crew of three Chinese astronauts who

7:07 Speaker 1: had spent nearly six months aboard China's Tiangong space station.

7:11 Speaker 1: The team consisted of two male astronauts, ages forty eight

7:14 Speaker 1: and thirty four, along with China's third female astronaut, who

7:18 Speaker 1: was thirty five years old. For the two younger crew members,

7:22 Speaker 1: this mission represented their first journey into space. All three

7:26 Speaker 1: astronauts are members of China's military Air Force, highlighting the

7:29 Speaker 1: close connection between China's space program and its military capabilities.

7:34 Speaker 1: During their extended stay on the space station, the crew

7:37 Speaker 1: conducted a series of scientific experiments with a particular focus

7:41 Speaker 1: on technologies related to potential human habitats beyond Earth. One

7:46 Speaker 1: of the most intriguing experiments involved testing bricks made from

7:49 Speaker 1: simulated lunar soil in the space environment. This research could

7:54 Speaker 1: prove crucial for China's ambitious lunar plans, as these materials

7:58 Speaker 1: might eventually be used in the construction of a permanent

8:00 Speaker 1: research station on the Moon. China has stated its intention

8:04 Speaker 1: to establish such a lunar base by twenty thirty five,

8:07 Speaker 1: and successful materials testing represents an important step toward that goal.

8:11 Speaker 1: The Shenzho nineteen mission is part of China's regular rotation

8:15 Speaker 1: of cruise to the Tiangong Space Station, which was officially

8:18 Speaker 1: completed in November twenty twenty two. These missions typically involved

8:22 Speaker 1: three astronauts at a time, with six month deployment periods

8:26 Speaker 1: and brief overlap periods during crew transitions, allowing for proper

8:30 Speaker 1: handover of station operations. China's rapidly advancing space program has

8:35 Speaker 1: become a point of national pride for the country and

8:38 Speaker 1: a source of concern for some international observers, particularly the

8:41 Speaker 1: United States. The Chinese Space Agency has been making remarkable

8:46 Speaker 1: progress in recent years, with increasingly ambitious goals, including a

8:50 Speaker 1: crude lunar landing targeted for twenty thirty The safe return

8:53 Speaker 1: of the Shenzho nineteen crew underscores China's growing capabilities in

8:58 Speaker 1: human spaceflight operations. With each successful mission, China strengthens its

9:03 Speaker 1: position as one of the world's major spacefaring nations, establishing

9:07 Speaker 1: itself as a significant player in what many are calling

9:09 Speaker 1: the second space race. Time to take a look at

9:13 Speaker 1: this week's launch roster. SpaceX's launch cadence continues to break records,

9:18 Speaker 1: with the company having already completed fifty launches in twenty

9:21 Speaker 1: twenty five alone. This milestone includes their two fifty dedicated

9:26 Speaker 1: Starlink mission, which they celebrated just last week, a remarkable

9:31 Speaker 1: achievement for a program that began just a few years ago.

9:34 Speaker 1: As of the beginning of this week, SpaceX has launched

9:37 Speaker 1: a total of eight thousand, three hundred sixty seven Starlink

9:40 Speaker 1: satellites into orbit. Of these, one thousand, one hundred three

9:44 Speaker 1: have re entered Earth's atmosphere, leaving seven thousand, two hundred

9:48 Speaker 1: sixty four still in orbit. This impressive constellation includes six

9:53 Speaker 1: hundred direct to sell satellites, with approximately four hundred currently

9:57 Speaker 1: providing active service to users on the ground. The most

10:00 Speaker 1: recent addition to the Starlink fleet took place on Monday,

10:04 Speaker 1: when a Falcon nine rocket carrying Starlink Group twelve ten

10:07 Speaker 1: lifted off from Launch Complex three nine A at Kennedy

10:10 Speaker 1: Space Center in Florida. The mission launched at ten thirty

10:13 Speaker 1: four pm Eastern daylight time, delivering a mixed payload of

10:17 Speaker 1: V two mini satellites and direct to sell satellites into

10:21 Speaker 1: low Earth orbit. This particular mission is believed to have

10:25 Speaker 1: used Booster B one thousand, ninety four on its maiden flight,

10:28 Speaker 1: though SpaceX has not officially confirmed this. Following a southeasterly trajectory,

10:33 Speaker 1: the rocket placed its payload into an orbit inclined forty

10:36 Speaker 1: three degrees at a nominal altitude of five hundred fifty

10:39 Speaker 1: nine kilometers. After stage separation, the booster made a successful

10:44 Speaker 1: landing on SpaceX's autonomous drone ship, a shortfall of Gravitas,

10:49 Speaker 1: which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Bahamas.

10:53 Speaker 1: Looking ahead, SpaceX has an ambitious launch schedule for the

10:56 Speaker 1: remainder of the week, with up to four more Starlink

11:00 Speaker 1: missions planned from both Florida and California. These include Starlink

11:04 Speaker 1: Group six seventy five launching from Cape Canaveral, Starlink Group

11:09 Speaker 1: fifteen to three from Vandenberg Space Force Space, and two

11:12 Speaker 1: additional missions, Starlink Group six eighty four and Starlink Group

11:16 Speaker 1: six ninety three, both launching from Florida on Sunday alone.

11:21 Speaker 1: If all these launches precede as planned, SpaceX will have

11:24 Speaker 1: conducted fifty four missions by the end of this week,

11:27 Speaker 1: putting the company on track to potentially double last year's

11:30 Speaker 1: already impressive launch total. The rapid expansion of the Starlink

11:34 Speaker 1: constellation reflects SpaceX's commitment to building a global broadband Internet

11:38 Speaker 1: network capable of reaching even the most remote locations on Earth,

11:42 Speaker 1: while the reusability of their Falcon nine boosters continues to

11:46 Speaker 1: revolutionize the economics of space access. In other launch news,

11:50 Speaker 1: the European Space Agency successfully deployed its newest Earth observation

11:55 Speaker 1: satellite this week. On Tuesday, the first Vegacy rocket of

11:59 Speaker 1: twenty two twenty five lifted off from the Guiana Space

12:02 Speaker 1: Center in Koru, French Guiana, at zero nine fifteen UTC.

12:07 Speaker 1: The rocket carried the highly anticipated Biomass satellite, which represents

12:12 Speaker 1: a significant advancement in environmental monitoring technology. Biomass is the

12:17 Speaker 1: seventh in the Essay's Earth Explorer mission series and weighs

12:20 Speaker 1: in at one thousand, one hundred seventy kilograms. What makes

12:23 Speaker 1: the satellite truly groundbreaking is that it carries the first

12:26 Speaker 1: satellite mounted P band synthetic aperture radar ever deployed in orbit.

12:31 Speaker 1: This specialized radar operates at longer wavelengths than previous systems,

12:35 Speaker 1: allowing its signals to penetrate through dense forest canopies rather

12:38 Speaker 1: than simply bouncing off the top. This capability will enable

12:42 Speaker 1: scientists to measure not just the surface area of forests,

12:46 Speaker 1: but also their three dimensional structure and biomass density. Since

12:50 Speaker 1: biomass serves as a direct proxy for stored carbon, this

12:53 Speaker 1: data will be invaluable for climate research, helping scientists better

12:57 Speaker 1: understand the role forests play in the carbon cycle. Beyond

13:01 Speaker 1: forest monitoring, the Biomass satellite has several additional applications. It

13:06 Speaker 1: will map subsurface geology in desert regions, analyze the internal

13:09 Speaker 1: structure of ice sheets, and even generate detailed topographical maps

13:13 Speaker 1: of forest floors, all capabilities that were previously impossible from space.

13:19 Speaker 1: The satellite features an impressive twelve meter diameter fine mesh

13:22 Speaker 1: reflector supported by a seven point five meter long boom.

13:27 Speaker 1: This delicate structure must be deployed carefully once in orbit,

13:30 Speaker 1: with the reflector unfurling through an umbrella like mechanism in

13:34 Speaker 1: a process that takes about twenty minutes. However, this can

13:38 Speaker 1: only happen after the boom is fully extended a meticulous

13:41 Speaker 1: operation that requires three days to complete as each segment

13:45 Speaker 1: extends sequentially. The Vagacy rocket that carried Biomass to its

13:50 Speaker 1: six hundred sixty kilometers sun synchronous orbit is itself an

13:54 Speaker 1: upgraded version of the original Vaga launcher. It features larger

13:58 Speaker 1: first and second stages, upgrades to the third and fourth stages,

14:02 Speaker 1: and a wider payload faring. The rocket's first stage is

14:06 Speaker 1: powered by a P one hundred twenty C solid rocket motor,

14:09 Speaker 1: the same booster that will be used on the new

14:12 Speaker 1: Ariani six rocket, creating cost saving commonality across Arianni Space's

14:17 Speaker 1: launch fleet. The Biomass mission is expected to operate for

14:21 Speaker 1: at least five years, providing critical data that will enhance

14:24 Speaker 1: our understanding of Earth's forests and their role in regulating

14:28 Speaker 1: our planet's climate. Finally, today, space enthusiasts and history buffs

14:34 Speaker 1: will soon have a new podcast to add to their

14:35 Speaker 1: listening queue. A dramatic new audio series titled Buzz is

14:39 Speaker 1: set to launch on May sixth, featuring acclaimed actor John

14:42 Speaker 1: Lithgow portraying Apollo eleven astronaut Buzz Aldrin. While most of

14:47 Speaker 1: us know the story of Aldrin as the second man

14:49 Speaker 1: to walk on the Moon alongside Neil Armstrong. This podcast

14:52 Speaker 1: promises to delve much deeper, as Lithgow narrates in the trailer,

14:57 Speaker 1: that's the story you think you know, This is the

14:59 Speaker 1: story you don't. Written by Stephen Cronish, known for his

15:03 Speaker 1: work on the television series twenty four, the podcast is

15:07 Speaker 1: described as a riveting human drama that examines both the

15:10 Speaker 1: Apollo eleven mission and the personal struggles Aldren faced throughout

15:14 Speaker 1: his life. The series will explore how Aldron confronted his

15:17 Speaker 1: own frailties, overcame generational demons, worked to repair fractured relationships,

15:23 Speaker 1: and ultimately triumphed over addiction. The production features an impressive cast,

15:28 Speaker 1: with Lithgow portraying Aldren in his later years and Jeffrey

15:32 Speaker 1: Arrand playing the astronaut during the Apollo eleven era. Director

15:36 Speaker 1: John Scott Dryden highlighted that the podcast puts listeners at

15:40 Speaker 1: the heart of the action in what he calls an

15:43 Speaker 1: immersive space drama in audio. While Aldrin himself now ninety five,

15:48 Speaker 1: wasn't directly involved in the production, the series draws from

15:51 Speaker 1: the extensive writings and interviews he's given over the years.

15:55 Speaker 1: Through four published memoirs. Between nineteen seventy three and twenty sixteen,

16:00 Speaker 1: Aldron has been remarkably candid about the immense pressure from

16:03 Speaker 1: his parents, his complex relationships with fellow astronauts, his failed marriages,

16:08 Speaker 1: and his battle with alcoholism. The podcast aims to reveal

16:12 Speaker 1: a more complete picture of Aldren's story, not just celebrating

16:15 Speaker 1: him for his historic moonwalk, but for the perhaps more

16:18 Speaker 1: difficult journey he undertook after returning to Earth. As Lithgow

16:22 Speaker 1: explains in the trailer, Aldrin became a true hero not

16:26 Speaker 1: because he conquers space, but because he conquers himself. Buzz

16:29 Speaker 1: represents a collaboration between iHeart Podcasts and Thoroughbred Studios, with

16:34 Speaker 1: production by Goldhawk Productions. The series is part of a

16:37 Speaker 1: broader initiative to reimagine significant moments in American history through

16:41 Speaker 1: high quality audio storytelling, and that brings us to the

16:46 Speaker 1: end of another action packed episode of Astronomy Daily. What

16:50 Speaker 1: a week in space It's been. From the unfortunate failure

16:53 Speaker 1: of Firefly's Alpha rocket sending Lockheed Martin's satellite into the

16:57 Speaker 1: Pacific instead of orbit, to New Zealandan's modest but significant

17:01 Speaker 1: step into military space operations. With their new fifteen person squadron.

17:06 Speaker 1: We've tracked China's Schenzo nineteen spacecraft and its crew safely

17:10 Speaker 1: returning to Earth after their six month mission aboard the

17:13 Speaker 1: Chiangong space Station, where they've been conducting fascinating experiments, including

17:18 Speaker 1: testing those lunar soil bricks that could one day help

17:21 Speaker 1: build humanity's first moon base. Space X continues its relentless pace,

17:27 Speaker 1: with multiple Starlink launches planned this week alone, adding to

17:30 Speaker 1: the more than seven thousand satellites already in orbit, and

17:34 Speaker 1: of course, the successful launch of ESA's groundbreaking Biomass satellite,

17:37 Speaker 1: which will give us unprecedented insights into our planet's forests

17:40 Speaker 1: and carbon storage. I'm particularly looking forward to that new

17:44 Speaker 1: Buzz podcast about Aldrin. It's always fascinating to look beyond

17:47 Speaker 1: the iconic moments in space history and understand the very

17:51 Speaker 1: human stories behind them. Thanks so much for joining me

17:54 Speaker 1: today on Astronomy Daily. I'm anna, and I'll be back

17:57 Speaker 1: soon with more stories from beyond our atmosphere. In the meantime,

18:01 Speaker 1: why not visit us at Astronomy Daily dot io, where

18:04 Speaker 1: you can sign up for our free daily newsletter catch

18:06 Speaker 1: up on all the latest space and astronomy news with

18:08 Speaker 1: our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our back

18:12 Speaker 1: episodes whenever the cosmic curiosity strikes you. Until next time,

18:16 Speaker 1: keep looking up Star Star Story