India's Docking Delay, Toyota's Space Leap, and Pluto's Gentle Dance: S04E06

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of space and

0:03 Speaker 1: astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we have an

0:06 Speaker 1: absolutely packed show for you. Today. We'll be diving into

0:09 Speaker 1: an unexpected delay in India's space program, exploring a major

0:13 Speaker 1: new partnership in the private space sector, and keeping you

0:16 Speaker 1: updated on some thrilling upcoming launches. We'll also take a

0:19 Speaker 1: look at some fascinating celestial events you won't want to miss,

0:23 Speaker 1: plus some groundbreaking discoveries about Pluto and a mysterious space

0:26 Speaker 1: object that's got scientists scratching their heads. Let's jump right in.

0:31 Speaker 1: The Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO, has announced a

0:35 Speaker 1: brief postponement of its highly anticipated space docking experiment, Originally

0:40 Speaker 1: slated for January seventh. This mission aims to position India

0:43 Speaker 1: as the fourth nation to achieve successful InOrbit docking, a

0:47 Speaker 1: critical capability for future deep space explorations. ISRO cited the

0:52 Speaker 1: need for additional ground simulations after identifying an abort scenario

0:56 Speaker 1: during pretest procedures. This cautious approach underscores the complexity and

1:00 Speaker 1: precision required for docking maneuvers, which are essential for satellite servicing,

1:05 Speaker 1: space station operations, and interplanetary Missions. The mission commenced on

1:10 Speaker 1: December thirtieth, launching from India's primary spaceport. Beyond the docking experiment,

1:16 Speaker 1: it carries various payloads, including a fascinating study on plant

1:20 Speaker 1: growth in microgravity. Eight cowpie seeds were sent into space,

1:24 Speaker 1: successfully germinating and sprouting, leaves a promising development for future

1:29 Speaker 1: long duration space travel and extraterrestrial agriculture. This delay, though unexpected,

1:35 Speaker 1: highlights ISO's commitment to thorough validation and safety. As India

1:39 Speaker 1: continues to expand its presence in both commercial and exploratory

1:43 Speaker 1: space sectors, mastering docking technology will be a pivotal milestone.

1:48 Speaker 1: Next up, in some exciting news from the private space sector,

1:52 Speaker 1: Japanese startup Interstellar Technologies has just secured a major investment

1:56 Speaker 1: that could reshape their future in the space industry. Woven

2:00 Speaker 1: by Toyota, the automobile giant's mobility technology arm, has invested

2:05 Speaker 1: seven billion yen that's about forty four million dollars into

2:09 Speaker 1: the space company. This isn't just about money, though, it's

2:13 Speaker 1: a strategic partnership that could revolutionize how rockets and satellites

2:17 Speaker 1: are manufactured. Interstellar Technologies, which was originally known for developing

2:23 Speaker 1: the Zero Rocket, is looking to establish a vertically integrated

2:27 Speaker 1: satellite launch, manufacturing, and communications business, similar to what SpaceX

2:32 Speaker 1: has done with Starlink. Toyota's involvement actually dates back to

2:36 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, when their personnel began working with Interstellar to

2:40 Speaker 1: reduce manufacturing costs and streamlined production processes. Now, with this

2:45 Speaker 1: formal partnership, Interstellar will be able to tap into Toyota's

2:49 Speaker 1: extensive manufacturing expertise to improve their production methods and strengthen

2:54 Speaker 1: their supply chain. What makes this partnership particularly interesting is

2:58 Speaker 1: Toyota's broader vision for the future of mobility. At the

3:02 Speaker 1: recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toyota's chairman Akio

3:07 Speaker 1: Toyota made it clear that they see space as the

3:09 Speaker 1: next frontier for mobility, stating that the future of mobility

3:13 Speaker 1: shouldn't be limited to just Earth, or just one car

3:16 Speaker 1: company for that matter. This investment is part of Interstellar's

3:20 Speaker 1: Series F funding round, with additional funding expected from Toyota

3:25 Speaker 1: by June. The partnership also goes beyond just financial investment.

3:29 Speaker 1: A Woven by Toyota representative will be joining Interstellar's board

3:33 Speaker 1: of directors, suggesting a deep level of strategic collaboration between

3:36 Speaker 1: the two companies. Let's take a look at this week's

3:40 Speaker 1: launch schedule. The space industry is hitting the ground running

3:43 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five with an absolutely packed launch schedule.

3:47 Speaker 1: This week, multiple missions are lined up from both the

3:50 Speaker 1: United States and China, but there are two launches in

3:54 Speaker 1: particular that space enthusiasts should be especially excited about. First

3:58 Speaker 1: up is the potential debut flow of Blue Origin's long

4:01 Speaker 1: awaited new Glen rocket. This is a massive milestone that's

4:05 Speaker 1: been nearly a decade in the making. The two stage

4:08 Speaker 1: heavy lift vehicle, named after astronaut John Glenn, is scheduled

4:12 Speaker 1: to lift off from Launch Complex thirty six at Cape

4:14 Speaker 1: Canaveral Space Force Station on January tenth. It will be

4:18 Speaker 1: carrying the Dark Sky one Blue Ring Pathfinder, a prototype

4:21 Speaker 1: platform designed to refuel satellites and transport them to different orbits.

4:26 Speaker 1: What makes this launch particularly interesting is that Blue Origin

4:30 Speaker 1: is attempting to recover the first stage booster. The fifty

4:33 Speaker 1: seven meter tall booster, nicknamed so you're telling me there's

4:36 Speaker 1: a chance, will attempt to land on their vessel Jacklin

4:40 Speaker 1: out in the Atlantic Ocean. If successful, this would be

4:43 Speaker 1: a major step forward for blue origins reusability goals. Also

4:47 Speaker 1: on the schedule is SpaceX's Starship Flight seven, targeting lift

4:51 Speaker 1: off from Starbase in Texas. This will be another suborbital

4:55 Speaker 1: test flight, but with some exciting new objectives. Not only

4:58 Speaker 1: will they attempt to catch Booster for four fourteen with

5:00 Speaker 1: the launch tower's mechanical arms, but Ship thirty three will

5:04 Speaker 1: also test deploying Starlink satellites and perform an engine restart

5:08 Speaker 1: in space. The week kicked off with China's first launch

5:11 Speaker 1: of the year from the Shchung Satellite Launch Center, sending

5:15 Speaker 1: up the shijiin twenty five refueling demonstrator mission. SpaceX also

5:19 Speaker 1: has multiple Falcon nine launches planned, including Starlink missions from

5:23 Speaker 1: Florida and a National Reconnaissance Office payload launching from California.

5:28 Speaker 1: What's particularly remarkable about this intense launch cadence is that

5:32 Speaker 1: it's just the first full week of twenty twenty five.

5:36 Speaker 1: If this is any indication of what's to come, we're

5:39 Speaker 1: in for an incredibly busy year in spaceflight. These missions

5:42 Speaker 1: represent major steps forward in rocket reusability, satellite deployment capabilities,

5:48 Speaker 1: and the overall commercialization of space access. Next something to

5:53 Speaker 1: look for in our skies and coming days. January's full moon,

5:57 Speaker 1: known traditionally as the wolf moon, will grace our skies

6:01 Speaker 1: on January thirteenth, bringing with it a spectacular series of

6:04 Speaker 1: celestial events that make this an exceptional time for stargazing.

6:09 Speaker 1: The wolf moon gets its name from Native American traditions,

6:12 Speaker 1: referring to the packs of wolves that would howl outside

6:15 Speaker 1: villages during the cold winter nights. But this year's wolf

6:18 Speaker 1: moon is especially significant as it coincides with a dramatic

6:22 Speaker 1: Mars opposition, when the red planet will be directly opposite

6:26 Speaker 1: the Sun as seen from Earth, making it appear at

6:29 Speaker 1: its brightest and largest for twenty twenty five. For viewers

6:32 Speaker 1: across most of North America will be treated to a

6:35 Speaker 1: remarkable sight as the full moon passes directly in front

6:38 Speaker 1: of Mars, an event known as a lunar occultation. The

6:42 Speaker 1: timing varies by location, but from Washington, d C. Mars

6:45 Speaker 1: will disappear behind the Moon around nine to sixteen PM

6:49 Speaker 1: and dramatically reappear about an hour and fifteen minutes later.

6:53 Speaker 1: The evenings around the full moon will also showcase an

6:55 Speaker 1: impressive array of planets. Venus will be unmissible in the

6:59 Speaker 1: southwestern scis, appearing as a bright crescent through telescopes. Jupiter

7:03 Speaker 1: will dominate the eastern sky, and if you have a telescope,

7:06 Speaker 1: you might catch glimpses of its four largest moons. Saturn

7:10 Speaker 1: will be visible near Venus, though its famous rings will

7:12 Speaker 1: appear unusually thin as their nearly edge on to Earth.

7:16 Speaker 1: This wolf moon also holds special significance in various cultural traditions.

7:20 Speaker 1: In the Hindu calendar, it marks the start of the

7:23 Speaker 1: forty four day Prayag Kummela festival, one of the largest

7:27 Speaker 1: religious gatherings in the world. For Buddhists in Sri Lanka,

7:31 Speaker 1: this full moon, known as Duruthupoya, commemorates Buddha's first visit

7:35 Speaker 1: to their country. Whether you're an experienced astronomer or just

7:39 Speaker 1: enjoy gazing at the night sky, this month's full moon

7:43 Speaker 1: period offers something for everyone. Just remember to dress warmly

7:46 Speaker 1: and if possible, find a location away from city lights

7:50 Speaker 1: for the best viewing experience. Scientists have recently uncovered a

7:55 Speaker 1: fascinating new theory about how Pluto and its largest moon, Karen,

7:59 Speaker 1: came to be and it's quite different from what we've

8:02 Speaker 1: believed for decades. While we've long thought that these bodies

8:05 Speaker 1: formed through a violent collision, similar to how Earth's moon

8:08 Speaker 1: was created, the new research suggests a much gentler cosmic dance.

8:14 Speaker 1: The traditional theory about our own moon's formation involves a

8:17 Speaker 1: Mars sized object called Thea dramatically smashing into Earth, with

8:22 Speaker 1: the resulting debris eventually forming our lunar companion. But Pluto

8:26 Speaker 1: and Karen appear to have taken a different path, and

8:29 Speaker 1: it all comes down to their unique composition. Unlike the

8:33 Speaker 1: Earth Moon system, Pluto and Karen are smaller, colder, and

8:37 Speaker 1: primarily made of rock and ice. When researchers at the

8:40 Speaker 1: University of Arizona simulated their formation using these actual materials,

8:44 Speaker 1: they discovered something unexpected. Instead of stretching and deforming like

8:49 Speaker 1: putty during a collision, these icy bodies briefly stuck together

8:53 Speaker 1: in what they're calling a kiss and capture scenario, picture,

8:56 Speaker 1: if you will, a cosmic snowman, temporarily forming as these

8:59 Speaker 1: two bodies made contact. Rather than violently breaking apart, they

9:04 Speaker 1: gently separated while remaining gravitationally bound to each other. What's

9:08 Speaker 1: particularly compelling about this new model is that it explains

9:12 Speaker 1: both how Karen was captured and why it ended up

9:15 Speaker 1: in its current orbit. This gentler formation process also helps

9:19 Speaker 1: explain why Pluto and Karen retained most of their original composition.

9:24 Speaker 1: The heat generated from this kiss and the subsequent tidal

9:27 Speaker 1: forces may have played a crucial role in shaping Pluto's

9:30 Speaker 1: surface features, including the possible formation of a subsurface ocean.

9:35 Speaker 1: This discovery not only changes our understanding of how these

9:38 Speaker 1: distant worlds formed, but also provides new insights into how

9:42 Speaker 1: other planetary bodies might have come together in the early

9:45 Speaker 1: days of our Solar System. It's a reminder that sometimes

9:48 Speaker 1: the most profound celestial relationships begin not with a bang,

9:52 Speaker 1: but with a kiss. In another exciting new discovery, the

9:56 Speaker 1: James Webb Space Telescope has given us an unprecedented look

10:00 Speaker 1: at one of our Solar System's most enigmatic objects, a

10:03 Speaker 1: celestial body known as Chiron, named after the mythological centaur.

10:08 Speaker 1: This fascinating object truly lives up to its namesake by

10:11 Speaker 1: displaying characteristics of both an asteroid and a comet. Researchers

10:16 Speaker 1: at the University of Central Florida have identified something remarkable

10:19 Speaker 1: on Chiron's surface the presence of carbon dioxide and carbon

10:23 Speaker 1: monoxide ices, along with carbon dioxide and methane gases in

10:27 Speaker 1: its surrounding coma. This is the first time we've detected

10:31 Speaker 1: these materials on an object of this type, and it's

10:34 Speaker 1: particularly noteworthy given Chiron's distance from the Sun. What makes

10:38 Speaker 1: Kiron especially intriguing is that we can observe both its

10:41 Speaker 1: surface composition and its coma, that ghostly envelope of dust

10:46 Speaker 1: and gas that surrounds it. This dual nature provides scientists

10:50 Speaker 1: with a unique opportunity to study processes we can't typically

10:53 Speaker 1: observe in other celestial objects. Most trans Neptunian objects are

10:57 Speaker 1: too cold and distant to show such activity, while asteroids

11:00 Speaker 1: lack the necessary ice and traditional comets are usually obscured

11:04 Speaker 1: by their thick comas when closer to the Sun. The

11:07 Speaker 1: discovery of these various ices and gases on Chiron, particularly

11:11 Speaker 1: when it's near its farthest point from the Sun, is

11:14 Speaker 1: helping scientists piece together a better understanding of our solar

11:18 Speaker 1: system's earliest days. Chiron appears to be something of an

11:21 Speaker 1: odd ball, even among its centaur companions, displaying periodic comet

11:26 Speaker 1: like behavior sporting rings of material and potentially harboring and

11:30 Speaker 1: orbiting debris field. This celestial wanderer originated in the outer

11:34 Speaker 1: Solar System and has been on quite a journey, occasionally

11:37 Speaker 1: experiencing close encounters with giant planets that have altered its path.

11:42 Speaker 1: In fact, its current location is just a temporary stop.

11:45 Speaker 1: In about a million years, it will likely either be

11:48 Speaker 1: ejected into a new orbit or return to its original

11:51 Speaker 1: neighborhood among the trans Neptunian objects. These findings are opening

11:55 Speaker 1: new frontiers in our understanding of these hybrid objects and

11:58 Speaker 1: reminding us that even after billions of years, our Solar

12:01 Speaker 1: system still holds fascinating secrets waiting to be uncovered. That's

12:06 Speaker 1: all for today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna and

12:10 Speaker 1: I've enjoyed bringing you these fascinating stories from across the cosmos.

12:14 Speaker 1: From mysterious centaurs to lunar formation theories, the universe never

12:18 Speaker 1: ceases to amaze us with its wonders. Remember to visit

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12:58 Speaker 1: about our cosmic neighborhoods. Y day Star is the Tall,

13:10 Speaker 1: The Star is the Toll. Star is the