S03E138: Starliner Setbacks, Polaris Dawn Delay, and Blue Origin's NS-26

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

0:02 Speaker 1: latest and greatest news in the world of space and astronomy.

0:05 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an exciting

0:08 Speaker 1: lineup of stories. From Boeing's ongoing challenges with the Starliner

0:11 Speaker 1: capsule to a delay in SpaceX's historic Polaris Dawn mission

0:16 Speaker 1: due to a helium leak, there's plenty to discuss. We'll

0:19 Speaker 1: also look at blue origins, upcoming NS twenty six mission,

0:22 Speaker 1: and wrap up Jacks's successful slim Lander mission despite communication issues. Finally,

0:27 Speaker 1: we'll dive into how scientists are pushing the boundaries in

0:29 Speaker 1: the search for dark matter with record breaking results. Stay

0:33 Speaker 1: tuned as we dive into some fascinating updates. NASA's decision

0:37 Speaker 1: to send Boeing's Starliner capsule back to Earth without astronauts

0:40 Speaker 1: on board has cast a shadow over the future of

0:43 Speaker 1: this ambitious project and raised many questions. This decision marks

0:47 Speaker 1: another chapter in a series of challenges that have plagued

0:49 Speaker 1: Boeing's space endeavors, revealing ongoing technical issues and delays that

0:54 Speaker 1: the aerospace giant just can't seem to overcome. Originally, the

0:57 Speaker 1: mission was supposed to be a stepping stone that would

1:00 Speaker 1: lead to NASA's certification of the Starliner for routine flights.

1:04 Speaker 1: The capsule was tasked with taking astronauts Butch Wilmore and

1:07 Speaker 1: Sunny Williams to the International Space Station for a week

1:10 Speaker 1: long stay. However, due to persistent problems, that week has

1:13 Speaker 1: stretched into eight long months. The most pressing issue arose

1:17 Speaker 1: from Starliner's propulsion system malfunctions deemed the thrusters unsafe for

1:21 Speaker 1: the return journey, leaving Wilmore and Williams stranded on the ISS. Consequently,

1:26 Speaker 1: SpaceX stepped in with their crew Dragon capsules, slated to

1:29 Speaker 1: bring the astronauts home next year. This incident has not

1:32 Speaker 1: only embarrassed Boeing but also highlighted Elon Musk's SpaceX as

1:36 Speaker 1: the dominant player in the field of human spaceflight. Boeing

1:39 Speaker 1: has poured over a billion dollars into Starliner since twenty sixteen,

1:43 Speaker 1: resulting in cost overruns, delays, and a host of technical glitches.

1:47 Speaker 1: The return costs amplify these issues, raising doubts about the

1:50 Speaker 1: unit's future viability. New CEO Kelly Ortberg now faces a

1:55 Speaker 1: monumental decision should Boeing continue investing in this struggling project

2:00 Speaker 1: or cut their losses and focus on rehabbing their core

2:03 Speaker 1: business elsewhere. Boeing's performance as the main contractor for NASA's

2:07 Speaker 1: Space Launch System SLS rocket has also been riddled with

2:10 Speaker 1: delays and cost overruns. US government watchdogs have reported that

2:14 Speaker 1: the company is billions over budget and years behind schedule.

2:18 Speaker 1: These setbacks do not bode well for a company trying

2:21 Speaker 1: to find its footing in the competitive space industry, especially

2:24 Speaker 1: when major competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing ahead.

2:29 Speaker 1: NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has expressed confidence in Starliner's eventual success,

2:34 Speaker 1: but even he concedes that the next steps for Boeing

2:37 Speaker 1: in this program are far from guaranteed. Commenting on whether

2:40 Speaker 1: Boeing will continue with the program beyond the current mission,

2:43 Speaker 1: the company's spokeswoman has remained noncommittal, stating that their immediate

2:47 Speaker 1: focus is on safely retrieving the spacecraft. Many industry analysts

2:52 Speaker 1: are skeptical about Starliner's prospects. Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy

2:56 Speaker 1: administrator and a key architect of NASA's commercial crew program,

3:00 Speaker 1: pointed out that Boeing has shouldered a significant portion of

3:03 Speaker 1: the financial burden and will likely continue to do so.

3:06 Speaker 1: Boeing's troubled space unit has suffered an exodus of skilled

3:09 Speaker 1: staff to more agile companies like SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's

3:12 Speaker 1: Blue Origin. The company's cumbersome supply chain and occasional software

3:16 Speaker 1: issues have made maneuvering in the space business more complicated

3:20 Speaker 1: compared to SpaceX's vertically integrated operation. Interestingly, there is an

3:25 Speaker 1: ongoing debate within Boeing's top management about the future of Starliner.

3:29 Speaker 1: Some analysts believe that Boeing may keep the project alive

3:32 Speaker 1: as a backup to SpaceX, potentially pivoting to serve private

3:35 Speaker 1: space station's post twenty thirty. However, these long term projections

3:39 Speaker 1: seem tenuous given the current state of affairs. Complicating matters,

3:43 Speaker 1: quality control has been another thorn in Boeing's side. Even

3:47 Speaker 1: the SLS rocket, another cornerstone project for NASA, has faced

3:50 Speaker 1: scrutiny for subpar production standards. Although NASA hasn't accurately tracked

3:54 Speaker 1: the extent of cost overruns, the delays and defects are

3:57 Speaker 1: well documented. Richard Abulafia, an aerospace analyst, suggests that Ortberg

4:02 Speaker 1: might crunch the numbers differently and negotiate with NASA to

4:05 Speaker 1: make Starliner viable, though he questions whether this would be

4:09 Speaker 1: the right move. As Boeing tries to navigate through these

4:12 Speaker 1: turbulent times, the Starliner conundrum remains an intricate puzzle that

4:16 Speaker 1: needs solving. NASA sees Boeing as a crucial player, a

4:20 Speaker 1: necessary backup to SpaceX in the rapidly evolving domain of

4:23 Speaker 1: crude space missions. This duality ensures that despite the setbacks,

4:28 Speaker 1: Boeing's space unit won't be easily written off. The company's

4:31 Speaker 1: focus now should be on fine tuning its processes and

4:34 Speaker 1: meeting the high standards required for space exploration. Ultimately, the

4:38 Speaker 1: fate of Starliner hangs in the balance. With escalating costs,

4:42 Speaker 1: technical hurdles, and stiff competition, Boeing's new CEO faces an

4:46 Speaker 1: uphill battle to restore credibility and secure the future of

4:50 Speaker 1: their space program. As we watch these developments unfold, one

4:53 Speaker 1: thing is clear. Boeing will need more than hope to

4:56 Speaker 1: navigate these challenges successfully. Speaking of hiccups, SpaceX's anticipated Polaristawn

5:02 Speaker 1: mission has hit another snag with a delay caused by

5:04 Speaker 1: a helium leak. Originally set to launch early Tuesday morning

5:07 Speaker 1: from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is

5:10 Speaker 1: now postponed by at least twenty four hours. The helium

5:13 Speaker 1: leak was discovered in the ground side quick disconnect umbilical,

5:17 Speaker 1: which is crucial for ensuring the proper pressurization of fuel

5:20 Speaker 1: lines on the Falcon nine rocket. Despite the delay, both

5:24 Speaker 1: the Falcon nine and the crew Dragon capsule remain in

5:27 Speaker 1: excellent condition, and the crew is ready and prepared for

5:31 Speaker 1: their multi day mission to Low Earth orbit. The revised

5:34 Speaker 1: launch is now aimed for three thirty eight AMEDT on Wednesday,

5:38 Speaker 1: but there are backup opportunities later in the morning just

5:41 Speaker 1: in case. This mission is highly anticipated, not just because

5:44 Speaker 1: it's a SpaceX launch, but also because it will feature

5:47 Speaker 1: the first ever private spacewalk. The Polaris Dawn mission is

5:51 Speaker 1: part of a larger human spaceflight project funded and organized

5:55 Speaker 1: by billionaire entrepreneur Jared isaac Mann, who will also command

5:59 Speaker 1: this man. Joining him will be pilot Scott kid Potit,

6:03 Speaker 1: a former lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, and

6:06 Speaker 1: mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menin, both engineers at SpaceX.

6:12 Speaker 1: On day three of the mission, isaac Man and Gillis

6:14 Speaker 1: will perform the historic spacewalk, marking a significant milestone in

6:18 Speaker 1: commercial spaceflight. Their goal is to achieve a maximum distance

6:22 Speaker 1: of about eight hundred and seventy miles from Earth, which

6:25 Speaker 1: would be the farthest any crude mission has traveled since

6:28 Speaker 1: Apollo seventeen back in nineteen seventy two. The crew's preparations

6:32 Speaker 1: have been rigorous, ensuring they are fully equipped to handle

6:36 Speaker 1: any challenges they might face during this groundbreaking mission. The

6:39 Speaker 1: mission is part of the larger Polaris program, which aims

6:42 Speaker 1: to extend human exploration of space, making it more accessible

6:46 Speaker 1: to private individuals. It's worth noting that such delays are

6:49 Speaker 1: not uncommon in space missions, where safety and precision are

6:53 Speaker 1: of utmost importance. This minor setback does not detract from

6:57 Speaker 1: the significance and ambition of the Polaris Dawn mission. The

7:00 Speaker 1: delay is simply another example of the challenges inherent in

7:03 Speaker 1: space exploration and the meticulous care required to overcome them.

7:08 Speaker 1: So while we'll have to wait a little longer to

7:11 Speaker 1: witness this historic launch, the anticipation continues to build. When

7:15 Speaker 1: the mission finally gets underway, it promises to deliver exciting

7:18 Speaker 1: new milestones in commercial space travel, pushing the boundaries of

7:22 Speaker 1: what private missions can achieve. Stay tuned for further updates

7:26 Speaker 1: on the rescheduled launch and the missions progress. Meanwhile, Blue

7:30 Speaker 1: Origin is gearing up for its eighth human space flight mission,

7:33 Speaker 1: known as n S twenty six, scheduled to launch this week.

7:37 Speaker 1: This mission promises to be another milestone for the company

7:40 Speaker 1: as it continues to expand the horizons of suborbital space tourism.

7:44 Speaker 1: The reusable New Shepherd rocket capsule combination, which has already

7:48 Speaker 1: served numerous missions, is set to lift off from Blue

7:51 Speaker 1: Origins West Texas launch site, with the launch window opening

7:54 Speaker 1: at nine am EDT on Thursday. What's exciting about n

7:58 Speaker 1: S twenty six is the diverse crew that will be

8:00 Speaker 1: on board. The mission includes six individuals from various backgrounds,

8:04 Speaker 1: showcasing the broadening appeal and accessibility of space tourism. Among

8:09 Speaker 1: the passengers will be Nicolina Elrich, a philanthropist and entrepreneur,

8:13 Speaker 1: Rob Ferl, a university professor, Eugene Grinn, a businessman, cardiologist,

8:19 Speaker 1: I'man Jahangir, college student, Carson Kitchen, and entrepreneur Ephram Raeben. Notably,

8:26 Speaker 1: Carson Kitchen, a senior at the University of North Carolina

8:28 Speaker 1: at Chapel Hill, will set a record as the youngest

8:31 Speaker 1: woman to cross the Carmen Line, the widely recognized boundary

8:34 Speaker 1: where outer space begins. Blue Origins New Shepherd flights typically

8:39 Speaker 1: last between ten and twelve minutes from launch to the

8:41 Speaker 1: parachute aided landing of the crew capsule back on Earth.

8:45 Speaker 1: This brief but exhilarating journey includes a few minutes of

8:48 Speaker 1: weightlessness for the passengers, providing a taste of space that

8:52 Speaker 1: was once only available to professional astronauts. This mission is

8:56 Speaker 1: the twenty sixth flight for the New Shepherd system, and

8:58 Speaker 1: it marks its eighth with a human. The first crude

9:01 Speaker 1: mission took place on July twentieth, twenty twenty one, carrying

9:05 Speaker 1: company founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk,

9:10 Speaker 1: and Dutch student Oliver Damon. Since then, Blue Origin has

9:14 Speaker 1: steadily built on that success, offering more seats to paying

9:17 Speaker 1: customers and bringing the dream of space travel closer to

9:20 Speaker 1: reality for more people. N S twenty six continues Blue

9:24 Speaker 1: Origins tradition of leveraging reusable rocket technology to make spaceflight

9:28 Speaker 1: more accessible and sustainable. Each launch contributes valuable data and experience,

9:33 Speaker 1: pushing the boundaries of what is possible in commercial space exploration.

9:37 Speaker 1: Be sure to tune into Blue Origins live stream of

9:39 Speaker 1: the launch starting at eight twenty am EDT on Thursday.

9:43 Speaker 1: This mission is yet another compelling chapter in the ongoing

9:46 Speaker 1: story of space tourism, showcasing human ingenuity and the relentless

9:51 Speaker 1: drive to explore the final frontier. On January twentieth, twenty

9:55 Speaker 1: twenty four, the japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JACKSA made a

10:00 Speaker 1: significant milestone in lunar exploration. Their Smartlander for Investigating Moon,

10:05 Speaker 1: also known as SLIM, successfully executed a soft landing on

10:08 Speaker 1: the Moon. This marked the first time a Japanese robotic

10:12 Speaker 1: mission had achieved such a feat, a testament to the

10:15 Speaker 1: meticulous planning and advanced technology JACKSA brought to this mission.

10:19 Speaker 1: The lander was designed to investigate the origins of the

10:22 Speaker 1: Moon and to test numerous technologies critical to exploring the

10:26 Speaker 1: low gravity lunar environment. However, the mission did encounter some

10:29 Speaker 1: unforeseen challenges. After several months of successful operations, mission controllers

10:34 Speaker 1: lost contact with the SLIM lander on April twenty eighth.

10:37 Speaker 1: Despite exhaustive attempts to re establish communication during the lunar

10:41 Speaker 1: day periods between May and July, they were unable to

10:43 Speaker 1: restore contact. On August twenty third, Jackson made the difficult

10:47 Speaker 1: decision to officially conclude operations with the SLIM mission after

10:51 Speaker 1: a final attempt to communicate with the lander proved unsuccessful.

10:57 Speaker 1: In a statement on their mission status page, the team

10:59 Speaker 1: described VIRIB their last efforts and speculated that a solar

11:02 Speaker 1: flare might have affected the lander's onboard program. While these

11:06 Speaker 1: communication issues were a setback, the SLIM mission still achieved

11:10 Speaker 1: numerous scientific objectives during its operational period. One of the

11:14 Speaker 1: most remarkable accomplishments was the precision of Slim's landing. The

11:18 Speaker 1: lander touched down with an error margin of just ten

11:21 Speaker 1: meters from its targeted landing site, making it the world's

11:25 Speaker 1: first successful pinpoint landing on the Moon. This high precision

11:28 Speaker 1: landing demonstrates Jax's advance capabilities in navigating and landing spacecraft

11:33 Speaker 1: on extraterrestrial bodies, which is crucial for future lunar missions

11:37 Speaker 1: and broader space exploration endeavors. In addition to its impressive

11:41 Speaker 1: landing accuracy, Slim's multiban camera successfully performed spectral observations on

11:46 Speaker 1: ten different lunar rock samples across ten wavelength bands. This

11:51 Speaker 1: data will provide valuable insights into the composition and geological

11:54 Speaker 1: history of the Moon, contributing to our understanding of its

11:57 Speaker 1: formation and evolution. Furthermore, SLIM operated for three lunar nights,

12:02 Speaker 1: exceeding the original mission parameters. This unexpected longevity allowed the

12:06 Speaker 1: mission to gather more data and continue its scientific investigations

12:10 Speaker 1: far beyond what was initially planned. JACKSA has promised to

12:13 Speaker 1: compile and release a detailed summary of slim's achievements, providing

12:17 Speaker 1: the scientific community and the public with comprehensive insights into

12:21 Speaker 1: the mission's findings and technological advancements. They have extended their

12:25 Speaker 1: deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the development and operation

12:29 Speaker 1: of SLIM, as well as to the many supporters who

12:32 Speaker 1: encouraged the mission throughout its journey. While the end of

12:35 Speaker 1: the SLIM mission might feel like a bittersweet conclusion, its

12:38 Speaker 1: achievements underscored Jackson's growing expertise and ambition in space exploration,

12:43 Speaker 1: paving the way for future missions to the Moon and beyond.

12:47 Speaker 1: Despite the challenges, SLIM exemplifies the spirit of exploration and

12:50 Speaker 1: discovery that drives space agencies around the world. Finally, today,

12:56 Speaker 1: nearly one point five kilometers underground in South Dakota, scientists

12:59 Speaker 1: have made a signal diificant leap forward in the relentless

13:01 Speaker 1: search for dark matter. Equipped with the world's most sensitive

13:04 Speaker 1: dark matter detector, the lux Zeppelin or LZ experiment has

13:09 Speaker 1: set a new benchmark by probing almost five times deeper

13:12 Speaker 1: than any previous experiment in the pursuit of these elusive particles.

13:16 Speaker 1: Despite not discovering any dark matter particles this time, the

13:19 Speaker 1: advancements made are still groundbreaking. The absence of findings is

13:23 Speaker 1: in fact crucial, as it narrows down the potential areas

13:26 Speaker 1: where dark matter might exist. This is monumental because dark

13:29 Speaker 1: matter is believed to be five times more abundant than

13:32 Speaker 1: ordinary matter, playing a critical role in the universe's formation

13:35 Speaker 1: and structure. The LZ detector is hunting for whimps, weakly

13:39 Speaker 1: interacting massive particles, a leading theoretical candidate for dark matter,

13:43 Speaker 1: located deep underground to shield it from cosmic rays and

13:47 Speaker 1: other interference. The detector's sensitivity allows it to identify interactions

13:51 Speaker 1: that were previously unobserved. In a recent assessment, the LZ

13:55 Speaker 1: experiment did not find evidence of whimps with a mass

13:58 Speaker 1: above nine gig electron volts GeV. For context, a proton's

14:02 Speaker 1: mass is just under one GeV. This outcome is pivotal

14:05 Speaker 1: in refining theories and models about where and what dark

14:08 Speaker 1: matter could be. While finding nothing may sound disappointing, it's

14:12 Speaker 1: actually hugely informative, says University of Sydney physicist Teresa Fruth,

14:17 Speaker 1: who has been part of the LZ project for nine years.

14:20 Speaker 1: Fruth emphasizes that understanding dark matter will deepen our grasp

14:23 Speaker 1: of the universe itself. Dark matter's mass contributes to the

14:27 Speaker 1: gravitational forces that help galaxies form, which means we wouldn't

14:31 Speaker 1: exist without it. The LZ experiment will continue to push boundaries,

14:35 Speaker 1: operating as the premier tool in dark matter research. The

14:38 Speaker 1: quest to pinpoint dark matter's nature continues, with each study

14:42 Speaker 1: bringing scientists closer to potentially rewriting the very fundamentals of

14:46 Speaker 1: particle physics and our understanding of the cosmos. So, in essence,

14:51 Speaker 1: lux Zeppelin is not just setting records, it's laying down

14:54 Speaker 1: the stepping stones for future breakthroughs. Even in the absence

14:57 Speaker 1: of direct evidence, each experiment refines the map, guiding scientists

15:01 Speaker 1: with more precision towards where dark matter is and where

15:04 Speaker 1: it isn't. Stay tuned as these critical advancements edge us

15:08 Speaker 1: ever closer to solving one of the universe's most intriguing mysteries.

15:13 Speaker 1: That's all for today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I hope

15:15 Speaker 1: you enjoyed our exploration of these latest updates in space

15:18 Speaker 1: and astronomy. I'm anna and it's been a pleasure sharing

15:22 Speaker 1: these stories with you. Don't forget to visit our website

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15:43 Speaker 1: Sunday start star story is to tell