Parker Probe Triumphs, Europa's Secrets, and China's Space Ambitions: S04E03

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily.

0:01 Speaker 2: I'm excited to bring you another packed episode of space

0:04 Speaker 2: and astronomy news. We've got some incredible stories lined up

0:07 Speaker 2: for you today that showcase humanity's ongoing exploration of the cosmos.

0:11 Speaker 2: We'll start with an update on NASA's Parker Solar Probe's

0:14 Speaker 2: remarkable Christmas Eve achievement, as it made its closest approach

0:18 Speaker 2: ever to our Sun while becoming the fastest human made

0:21 Speaker 2: object in history. Then we'll explore China's ambitious plans for

0:25 Speaker 2: new rocket launches in twenty twenty five, which could reshape

0:28 Speaker 2: their space capabilities. We'll also dive into some fascinating research

0:33 Speaker 2: about icy worlds like Europa, examine a recent software glitch

0:36 Speaker 2: that affected satellite communications, and look ahead to some spectacular

0:41 Speaker 2: celestial events coming our way.

0:43 Speaker 1: The universe keeps surprising us.

0:45 Speaker 2: With new discoveries, and I can't wait to share them

0:47 Speaker 2: all with you.

0:48 Speaker 1: Let's get into today's news.

0:51 Speaker 2: On Christmas Eve, NASA's Parker Solar Probe achieved an extraordinary feat,

0:56 Speaker 2: skimming closer to the Sun than any human made object

0:59 Speaker 2: has ever entered at precisely six fifty three am Eastern

1:03 Speaker 2: Time on December twenty fourth, the spacecraft passed within just

1:06 Speaker 2: six point one million kilometers of the Sun's surface, shattering

1:10 Speaker 2: its own previous record of seven point two six million

1:13 Speaker 2: kilometers set earlier in twenty twenty three. But that wasn't

1:16 Speaker 2: the only record broken that day. During its closest approach,

1:20 Speaker 2: the probe became the fastest object ever created by humans,

1:24 Speaker 2: reaching a mind boggling speed of six hundred ninety two

1:27 Speaker 2: thousand kilometers per hour. To put that incredible velocity into perspective,

1:32 Speaker 2: At that speed, you could travel from Philadelphia to Washington,

1:35 Speaker 2: d C. In about one second. This remarkable achievement marks

1:39 Speaker 2: the culmination of six years in space for the Parker

1:42 Speaker 2: Solar Probe. Since its launch in twenty eighteen, the spacecraft

1:46 Speaker 2: has been on a complex journey to study the Sun's

1:49 Speaker 2: outer atmosphere or corona from the inside. Due to the

1:53 Speaker 2: Sun's powerful gravitational pull, the probe couldn't simply fly straight

1:57 Speaker 2: to its destination. Instead, it has been perform warming an

2:00 Speaker 2: intricate orbital dance, using Venus's gravity to gradually adjust its

2:04 Speaker 2: path closer to the Sun. Through twenty one increasingly narrow flybys,

2:10 Speaker 2: the mission reached a crucial milestone on November six, when

2:13 Speaker 2: the final Venus flyby positioned the probe into its optimal orbit.

2:18 Speaker 2: This carefully calculated position allows the spacecraft to study the

2:21 Speaker 2: Sun's processes up close while remaining just far enough away

2:25 Speaker 2: to avoid destruction. During its closest approach, the probe was

2:29 Speaker 2: completely out of contact with Earth for about a week.

2:31 Speaker 2: The tension finally broke just before midnight on December twenty seventh,

2:35 Speaker 2: when scientists received a beacon signal confirming the spacecraft had

2:39 Speaker 2: survived its daring encounter. Three days later, on New Year's Day,

2:43 Speaker 2: more detailed data arrived, showing the probe was healthy and

2:47 Speaker 2: had successfully collected scientific measurements during its record breaking flyby.

2:52 Speaker 2: Mission controllers must have breathed a huge sigh of relief.

2:55 Speaker 2: The probe will maintain this new orbit for at least

2:58 Speaker 2: nine months, with two more equally close passes planned for

3:01 Speaker 2: March and June before its primary mission concludes in September

3:05 Speaker 2: twenty twenty five. These repeated close encounters promised to reveal

3:10 Speaker 2: unprecedented details about our star's behavior and help us better

3:13 Speaker 2: understand the forces that shape our solar system. Next up today,

3:19 Speaker 2: Utelsat recently reported a significant disruption to their one Web

3:22 Speaker 2: satellite network that left users without service for two days.

3:26 Speaker 2: The outage, which began on December thirty first, was traced

3:29 Speaker 2: back to a rather familiar culprit in the computing world,

3:33 Speaker 2: a leap year software bug in their ground segment systems.

3:37 Speaker 2: The timing couldn't have been more ironic, as the system

3:40 Speaker 2: failed to properly account for twenty twenty four being a

3:42 Speaker 2: leap year. Services were only partially restored after thirty six hours,

3:47 Speaker 2: with full functionality returning shortly thereafter. This incident highlights just

3:52 Speaker 2: how complex modern satellite networks are and how even seemingly

3:56 Speaker 2: simple oversights can have far reaching consequences. And what makes

4:00 Speaker 2: this particularly noteworthy is that one Web had just recently

4:04 Speaker 2: achieved the capability for worldwide coverage in twenty twenty three.

4:08 Speaker 2: The company has been steadily working to expand its services

4:11 Speaker 2: across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with plans to launch

4:15 Speaker 2: full services for government and enterprise customers, including aviation, this spring.

4:21 Speaker 2: The good news is that utlsat's multi orbit capabilities should

4:25 Speaker 2: provide better network resilience in the future. The company operates

4:29 Speaker 2: both the one Web constellation in low Earth orbit and

4:32 Speaker 2: a fleet of thirty five geostationary satellites. This dual system

4:36 Speaker 2: approach is part of their strategy to compete with industry

4:39 Speaker 2: leader Starlink, allowing them to supplement one Web services with

4:42 Speaker 2: geostationary capacity in high demand areas. Looking ahead. UTLSAT isn't

4:48 Speaker 2: letting this set back slow their momentum. They've already ordered

4:51 Speaker 2: one hundred new one Web satellites from Airbus Defense in

4:54 Speaker 2: Space to ensure the constellation remains robust as the current

4:58 Speaker 2: satellites reach the end of their DESI lives in twenty

5:01 Speaker 2: twenty seven and twenty twenty eight. Next we head on

5:05 Speaker 2: over to a country that's fast becoming a major space

5:08 Speaker 2: force to be reckoned with. China is gearing up for

5:11 Speaker 2: an exciting year in space, with twenty twenty five set

5:15 Speaker 2: to see the debut of several new rockets from both

5:17 Speaker 2: state owned enterprises and commercial companies. These new launchers represent

5:22 Speaker 2: a significant leap forward in China's space capabilities, particularly in

5:27 Speaker 2: the realm of reusable technology. Leading the charge is the

5:31 Speaker 2: Long March eight A, an upgraded version of the existing

5:34 Speaker 2: Long March eighth rocket. This new variant features a more

5:38 Speaker 2: powerful second stage that boosts its payload capacity to seven

5:41 Speaker 2: thousand kilograms to Sun synchronous orbit. What's particularly interesting is

5:46 Speaker 2: that they're incorporating a larger five dot two dash meter

5:50 Speaker 2: dash diameter payload firing, giving them more flexibility for future missions.

5:55 Speaker 2: Another notable development is the Long March twelve A, which

5:59 Speaker 2: is taking a paide from SpaceX's playbook by implementing vertical

6:03 Speaker 2: takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. This marks China's first serious

6:07 Speaker 2: venture into reusable rocket technology at the state level. The

6:11 Speaker 2: commercial sector is equally ambitious. Land Space is preparing their

6:15 Speaker 2: jw K three rocket, a massive stainless steel launcher that

6:18 Speaker 2: will stand seventy six meters tall inexpendable configuration, it will

6:23 Speaker 2: be capable of lifting twenty one thousand kilograms to low

6:26 Speaker 2: Earth orbit or eighteen thouy three hundred kilograms when recovering

6:30 Speaker 2: the first stage downrange. This impressive capability puts it in

6:35 Speaker 2: direct competition with some of the most powerful rockets currently operating.

6:40 Speaker 2: We're also seeing several other commercial players entering the field.

6:43 Speaker 2: Galactic Energy is developing both the Palace one, designed for

6:47 Speaker 2: eventual reusability, and the upgraded Series two solid rocket cast

6:52 Speaker 2: space a spinoff from the Chinese Academy of Sciences is

6:56 Speaker 2: working on their Kinnetica two rocket, which aims to serve

6:59 Speaker 2: China's growth growing commercial space sector. These new rockets aren't

7:03 Speaker 2: just about showing technological prowess, they serve a practical purpose.

7:08 Speaker 2: They'll be competing for contracts to launch satellites for China's

7:11 Speaker 2: ambitious mega constellation projects, space station cargo missions, and commercial payloads.

7:17 Speaker 2: This expansion in launch capabilities is essential for China's growing

7:20 Speaker 2: space program and could potentially attract international customers, though geopolitical

7:25 Speaker 2: challenges remain a consideration. The influx of new launch vehicles,

7:29 Speaker 2: particularly those incorporating reusability, signals China's commitment to developing a

7:34 Speaker 2: robust and competitive space industry. While some of these companies

7:37 Speaker 2: will be competing for limited domestic contracts, the end result

7:41 Speaker 2: will likely be a more capable and cost effective space

7:43 Speaker 2: launch sector for China. Exciting new research has emerged that

7:48 Speaker 2: could revolutionize our understanding of icy ocean worlds like Jupiter's

7:52 Speaker 2: moon Europa. Scientists have introduced a novel concept called the Senatectic,

7:57 Speaker 2: which helps us understand how liquid water can remain stable

7:59 Speaker 2: and or extreme conditions on these distant worlds. The research

8:03 Speaker 2: published in Nature Communications, comes from a fascinating collaboration between

8:07 Speaker 2: doctor Matt Powell Palm from Texas AA and DM University,

8:12 Speaker 2: and planetary scientist doctor Baptiste Journau from the University of Washington.

8:17 Speaker 2: Their work couldn't be more timely as NASA's Europa Clipper

8:21 Speaker 2: mission prepares for its journey to Jupiter's mysterious ice covered moon.

8:25 Speaker 2: But what exactly is the Senatectic. It's essentially the absolute

8:29 Speaker 2: lowest temperature at which liquid water can remain stable under

8:33 Speaker 2: different pressures and concentrations. Think of it as a thermodynamic

8:37 Speaker 2: boundary that helps us determine where liquid water might exist

8:40 Speaker 2: on these icy moons, even under seemingly impossible conditions. What

8:45 Speaker 2: makes this research particularly intriguing is how it bridges two

8:48 Speaker 2: very different fields. Powell Palm's expertise in cryobiology, originally focused

8:54 Speaker 2: on medical applications like organ preservation, combines with Journau's knowledge

8:58 Speaker 2: of planetary science to create a powerful new framework for

9:01 Speaker 2: understanding these alien environments. With NASA's Europa Clipper mission representing

9:07 Speaker 2: the largest planetary exploration mission ever launched, this research couldn't

9:11 Speaker 2: come at a better time. The mission will help us

9:14 Speaker 2: understand how deep Europa's ocean is and what it's made of.

9:17 Speaker 2: When combined with these new laboratory findings about liquid stability,

9:21 Speaker 2: we'll be able to better assess just how habitable these cold,

9:25 Speaker 2: deep oceans might be. The implications are profound. This research

9:29 Speaker 2: doesn't just help us understand Europa. It could apply to

9:32 Speaker 2: numerous other icy worlds throughout our Solar system. As we

9:36 Speaker 2: continue to search for potential habitats for life beyond Earth,

9:39 Speaker 2: understanding these fundamental properties of water under extreme conditions becomes

9:43 Speaker 2: increasingly crucial. This work represents another step forward in our

9:49 Speaker 2: quest to understand these fascinating worlds and their potential to

9:52 Speaker 2: harbor life, demonstrating how breakthroughs in seemingly unrelated fields can

9:57 Speaker 2: come together to unlock the mysteries of our cosmic neighborhood.

10:03 Speaker 2: Now something to look forward to. Space enthusiasts and skywatchers

10:07 Speaker 2: are in for a treat in twenty twenty five, with

10:09 Speaker 2: four spectacular eclipses on the calendar. While we won't see

10:13 Speaker 2: any total solar eclipses this year, we'll be treated to

10:16 Speaker 2: two total lunar eclipses, something we haven't experienced since twenty

10:20 Speaker 2: twenty two. The first major event comes on March fourteenth,

10:24 Speaker 2: with a total lunar eclipse that's perfectly timed for viewers

10:27 Speaker 2: across North and South America. If you're in the contiguous

10:31 Speaker 2: United States, Mexico, or Canada, you'll be able to witness

10:34 Speaker 2: the entire show, from the first shadow crossing the Moon's

10:37 Speaker 2: face to the last. During totality, which lasts for sixty

10:40 Speaker 2: six minutes, keep an eye on the Moon's northern edge.

10:44 Speaker 2: It should appear slightly brighter than the rest of the

10:46 Speaker 2: shadow disc. Two weeks later, on March twenty ninth, we'll

10:50 Speaker 2: see the year's first partial solar eclipse. While Europe and

10:53 Speaker 2: Northwest Africa will get a good view, the best location

10:56 Speaker 2: will actually be in Quebec near Hudson Bay, where Absuer

11:00 Speaker 2: can witness up to ninety three percent of the Sun's

11:02 Speaker 2: disc covered at sunrise. September brings our second pair of eclipses,

11:07 Speaker 2: starting with another total lunar eclipse on the seventh. This

11:11 Speaker 2: one favors the eastern hemisphere, making it a perfect evening

11:14 Speaker 2: show for Europe and Africa, while Asia and Australia will

11:18 Speaker 2: catch it in the early morning hours of September eighth.

11:21 Speaker 2: The eclipse's totality will last and impressive eighty two minutes.

11:25 Speaker 2: The year's final eclipse occurs on September twenty first, with

11:28 Speaker 2: a partial solar eclipse that will be primarily visible from

11:32 Speaker 2: the South Pacific and Southern Oceans.

11:34 Speaker 1: New Zealand will get the.

11:35 Speaker 2: Best populated area of view, with up to seventy three

11:38 Speaker 2: percent of the Sun's disc covered from the country's southern regions.

11:43 Speaker 2: While this might seem like a relatively quiet year for eclipses,

11:47 Speaker 2: it's setting us up for some truly spectacular events in

11:50 Speaker 2: twenty twenty six, including a total solar eclipse visible from

11:54 Speaker 2: Spain in August, something eclipse chasers are already eagerly anticipating.

12:01 Speaker 2: That wraps up today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna,

12:05 Speaker 2: and I want to thank you for joining me on

12:07 Speaker 2: this journey through the latest developments in space and astronomy.

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12:19 Speaker 2: from across the Cosmos.

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12:33 Speaker 2: Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about

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