S03E124: SpaceX's Raptor 3 Breakthrough, NASA's Roman Telescope Milestone, and ESA's Galaxy Hunt

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

0:02 Speaker 1: latest in space and astronomy news. I'm your host Anna.

0:06 Speaker 1: Today We've got some fascinating stories lined up that you

0:09 Speaker 1: won't want to miss. We'll be diving into SpaceX's recent breakthroughs,

0:13 Speaker 1: including the reveal and first firing of their latest Raptor

0:17 Speaker 1: three engine. We'll also cover major milestones from NASA, such

0:20 Speaker 1: as the significant progress made with the Nancy Grace Roman

0:24 Speaker 1: Space Telescope. Lastly, we'll discuss an exciting citizen science project

0:29 Speaker 1: from the European Space Agency that invites you to help

0:32 Speaker 1: classify thousands of newly imaged galaxies. So grab your telescopes

0:37 Speaker 1: and let's embark on this cosmic journey together. SpaceX had

0:41 Speaker 1: a bustling week revealing and firing the new Raptor three engine.

0:45 Speaker 1: This advanced engine significantly improves performance, packing a punch with

0:48 Speaker 1: two hundred and eighty metric tons of thrust while being

0:51 Speaker 1: lighter than its predecessors. What makes Raptor three stand out

0:55 Speaker 1: is its internal design, where much of the external plumbing

0:59 Speaker 1: has been either mood moved inside or eliminated, allowing for

1:03 Speaker 1: higher pressure and efficiency. This marks a noteworthy evolution from

1:06 Speaker 1: the RAPT two, which has been the workhourse of SpaceX's

1:09 Speaker 1: Starship program so far. Meanwhile, SpaceX isn't just resting on

1:13 Speaker 1: its laurels. The company is deeply engaged in preparations for

1:17 Speaker 1: Flight six and is eagerly awaiting regulatory approval for Flight five.

1:21 Speaker 1: These efforts include readiness checks and vital tests. Excitingly, this

1:26 Speaker 1: also involves operational tests with the Mechazilla chopsticks, a key

1:30 Speaker 1: mechanism designed to catch the Starship boosters as they return

1:33 Speaker 1: from space. The upcoming Flight five mission is on standby,

1:37 Speaker 1: with both the ship and the booster cleared and ready

1:39 Speaker 1: pending final clearance. This highlights SpaceX's relentless push to refine

1:44 Speaker 1: its technologies and expand its capabilities, keeping the momentum going

1:47 Speaker 1: for future space endeavors. SpaceX is also rapidly advancing in

1:51 Speaker 1: its Starship project, with Ship thirty three nearing full assembly.

1:55 Speaker 1: Only two sections remain to complete the first Block two ship,

1:58 Speaker 1: the bottom liquid oxygen tanks section and the aft engine section.

2:02 Speaker 1: This new configuration will allow SpaceX to add around three

2:05 Speaker 1: hundred extra tons of propellant, enhancing the ship's capabilities in

2:09 Speaker 1: the meantime, major upgrades are underway for Booster fourteen point one.

2:13 Speaker 1: It's back at Orbital launch Pad A for more testing,

2:15 Speaker 1: particularly focusing on the innovative Mechazilla chopsticks catch mechanism. These

2:20 Speaker 1: tests are crucial to ensuring the system can handle the

2:22 Speaker 1: instant loads required for successful Booster recovery. Crews are also

2:26 Speaker 1: making significant progress on Orbital launch Pad B. The tower

2:29 Speaker 1: now stands six modules tall, with ongoing work to complete

2:32 Speaker 1: the remaining sections. Welds are being finished around the tower

2:36 Speaker 1: base and the hollow walls are being filled with concrete

2:39 Speaker 1: for added strength. These combined efforts are not just about

2:42 Speaker 1: the immediate preparations for future flights. They are paving the

2:45 Speaker 1: way for more efficient and reliable starship launches and recoveries.

2:50 Speaker 1: SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space travel technology,

2:54 Speaker 1: ensuring they stay ahead in the rapidly evolving aerospace industry.

2:58 Speaker 1: NASA has achieved a significant milestone with the Nancy Grace Roman

3:02 Speaker 1: Space Telescope. Recently, the deployable aperture cover, an essential component

3:07 Speaker 1: of the telescope, successfully passed rigorous environmental tests designed to

3:11 Speaker 1: simulate the challenging conditions it will face. During launch and

3:15 Speaker 1: in space. This large sunshade is designed to keep unwonted

3:19 Speaker 1: light out of the telescope, ensuring the clarity and accuracy

3:22 Speaker 1: of its observations. The tests took place at NASA's Goddard

3:26 Speaker 1: Space Flight Center, where the sunshade endured extreme temperatures and

3:30 Speaker 1: high decibel acoustic conditions, all while tightly folded. Technicians subjected

3:35 Speaker 1: the cover to temperatures as low as minus ninety four

3:37 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit and monitored its performance through sensors and cameras.

3:42 Speaker 1: It deployed flawlessly, proving its resilience in simulated space conditions.

3:46 Speaker 1: This achievement brings the mission one step closer to the

3:48 Speaker 1: integration of the deployable aperture cover with roman's other subsystems

3:52 Speaker 1: this fall. The success of these tests marks a promising

3:55 Speaker 1: milestone ensuring the telescope will be well protected and ready

3:59 Speaker 1: for its critical observs of the Cosmos. The European Space

4:03 Speaker 1: Agency and Galaxy Zoo are calling for public participation to

4:06 Speaker 1: classify thousands of galaxies imaged by the EUCLID space telescope.

4:10 Speaker 1: This citizen science project is perfect for astronomy enthusiasts who

4:14 Speaker 1: love to explore the cosmos and contribute to scientific research. EUCLID,

4:19 Speaker 1: launched in July twenty twenty three, has been gathering data

4:22 Speaker 1: since February twenty twenty four, capturing images of billions of

4:26 Speaker 1: galaxies to study dark matter and dark energy. That's a

4:29 Speaker 1: colossal amount of data. ESA needs your help to sift

4:32 Speaker 1: through it all and classify the galaxies by their shapes

4:35 Speaker 1: and structures. By participating, you could be the first to

4:38 Speaker 1: lay eyes on these newly captured galaxies. You'll answer simple

4:42 Speaker 1: questions like is the galaxy round or does it have

4:44 Speaker 1: spiral arms. Each classification you make helps train the artificial

4:48 Speaker 1: intelligence system zoobot to better recognize galaxy features in the future.

4:54 Speaker 1: Your contributions are crucial for building an extensive catalog of

4:57 Speaker 1: galaxies that will aid researchers in their study of the UNI.

5:01 Speaker 1: Not only will you assist in advancing astronomical research, but

5:04 Speaker 1: you'll also get the unique opportunity to see images of

5:08 Speaker 1: distant galaxies before anyone else. So if you've ever wanted

5:13 Speaker 1: to play a direct role in space exploration, now is

5:16 Speaker 1: your chance. Sign up with Galaxy Zoo and start classifying Today,

5:21 Speaker 1: a groundbreaking sounding rocket mission is set to study the

5:24 Speaker 1: Sun as a star. This first of its kind mission

5:26 Speaker 1: aims to observe the Sun's behavior in an unprecedented way,

5:30 Speaker 1: potentially unlocking new insights into solar science. By utilizing a

5:34 Speaker 1: sounding rocket, scientists can gather unique data on solar activity

5:37 Speaker 1: that regular satellites and space telescopes might miss. This mission

5:41 Speaker 1: exemplifies the innovative approaches being taken in the field of

5:44 Speaker 1: astronomy to deepen our understanding of celestial phenomena. The new

5:48 Speaker 1: perspectives gained from this mission could revolutionize our knowledge of

5:51 Speaker 1: how the Sun operates and impact future space research. Thank

5:58 Speaker 1: you for tuning into Astronomy Daily and your host Anna.

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