S03E164: Artemis Radiation Study, Heart Cells in Space, and SETI's Galactic Hunt

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, Anna,

0:03 Speaker 1: bringing you the latest and most fascinating space in astronomy news. Today,

0:07 Speaker 1: We've got an exciting lineup of stories that span from

0:10 Speaker 1: Earth's orbit all the way.

0:11 Speaker 2: To distant galaxies.

0:13 Speaker 1: We'll be delving into some groundbreaking research on spaceflight radiation exposure,

0:18 Speaker 1: which could help keep our astronauts safer on long journeys.

0:21 Speaker 1: Then we'll explore how low gravity affects heart cells, a

0:24 Speaker 1: crucial factor for extended space missions. Next up, we'll discuss

0:28 Speaker 1: an unprecedented SETI study that's searching for alien technology in

0:31 Speaker 1: thousands of galaxies. We'll also take a closer look at

0:34 Speaker 1: our cosmic neighborhood with new insights into what makes.

0:37 Speaker 2: Our Milky Way unique.

0:39 Speaker 1: And finally, we'll unravel the mystery of Mars missing atmosphere.

0:43 Speaker 1: Could the answer have been right under our noses all along?

0:46 Speaker 1: So buckle up and get ready for a thrilling journey

0:48 Speaker 1: through the cosmos. Let's dive in. In a groundbreaking study

0:52 Speaker 1: conducted during NASA's Artemis one mission, scientists have gathered crucial

0:57 Speaker 1: data on radiation exposure for astronauts using innovative methods. The

1:01 Speaker 1: research team employed mannequins named Helga and Zohar, along with

1:05 Speaker 1: advanced sensors placed inside the spacecraft to measure radiation levels

1:09 Speaker 1: throughout the twenty five day uncrude journey around the Moon

1:11 Speaker 1: and back to Earth. This data is vital for understanding

1:15 Speaker 1: and mitigating the risks associated with long duration space travel

1:18 Speaker 1: beyond Earth's protective magnetic field. Radiation exposure poses significant health

1:23 Speaker 1: concerns for astronauts, including increased cancer risk, radiation sickness, and

1:28 Speaker 1: potential impacts on the central nervous system. The study revealed

1:32 Speaker 1: that areas within the capsule designed with enhanced radiation shielding,

1:36 Speaker 1: including a designated storm shelter for astronauts during solar events,

1:40 Speaker 1: provided up to four times more protection than less shielded areas.

1:45 Speaker 1: This finding validates the spacecraft's design for future missions and

1:49 Speaker 1: highlights the importance of strategic shielding placement. Interestingly, the orientation

1:54 Speaker 1: of the Orion spacecraft during flight also affected radiation exposure levels.

1:58 Speaker 1: When the craft made a ninety degree tis while passing

2:01 Speaker 1: the inner Van Allen Belt, radiation exposure dropped by half,

2:05 Speaker 1: demonstrating the directional nature of space radiation and the potential

2:09 Speaker 1: for mitigating exposure through careful spacecraft positioning and while on

2:14 Speaker 1: the subject of astronaut health. In a fascinating study, scientists

2:18 Speaker 1: have uncovered new insights into how low gravity affects heart

2:21 Speaker 1: muscle cells during space travel. Researchers sent human bioengineered heart

2:25 Speaker 1: tissue samples to the International Space Station for thirty days

2:29 Speaker 1: to observe the effects of microgravity on cardiac function. The

2:32 Speaker 1: results were striking. The heart tissues exposed to low gravity

2:36 Speaker 1: conditions showed significant weakening compared to their earth bound counterparts.

2:40 Speaker 1: More alarmingly, the spacefaring samples experienced disruptions in their normal

2:44 Speaker 1: rhythmic beating patterns. This research provides crucial information about the

2:48 Speaker 1: potential health risks astronauts face during extended missions beyond Earth's

2:52 Speaker 1: protective magnetic field. As we look towards long term space

2:56 Speaker 1: exploration and possible missions to Mars, understanding and mitigating these

3:00 Speaker 1: effects on the human body becomes increasingly important. The study

3:05 Speaker 1: also offers potential applications for heart research here on Earth,

3:08 Speaker 1: providing new models for studying muscle aging and developing therapeutics

3:12 Speaker 1: as we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration.

3:15 Speaker 1: This research underscores the need for innovative solutions to protect

3:19 Speaker 1: astronaut health in the challenging environment of outer space. Next up,

3:23 Speaker 1: the search goes on. In a groundbreaking study, scientists have

3:27 Speaker 1: taken the search for extraterrestrial intelligence to new heights, or

3:30 Speaker 1: rather new distances. The SETI Institute, Berkeley SETI Research Center,

3:35 Speaker 1: and the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research have joined

3:38 Speaker 1: forces to conduct the first ever search for alien technology

3:42 Speaker 1: beyond our own galaxy. Using the powerful Murchison wide Field

3:45 Speaker 1: array in Western Australia, researchers were able to observe an

3:49 Speaker 1: astounding two thoy eight hundred galaxies in a single session.

3:54 Speaker 1: This unprecedented scope allows scientists to cast a much wider

3:57 Speaker 1: net in their hunt for signs of advanced civilization. The

4:00 Speaker 1: study targeted low radio frequencies around one hundred megahertz, a

4:05 Speaker 1: range that could potentially reveal techno signatures telltale signs of

4:09 Speaker 1: alien technology. While no definitive evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence was

4:14 Speaker 1: found in this initial search, the research has opened up

4:18 Speaker 1: exciting new possibilities for future SETI efforts. This innovative approach

4:22 Speaker 1: marks a significant leap forward in our quest to answer

4:25 Speaker 1: one of humanity's most profound questions, are we alone in

4:28 Speaker 1: the universe. By expanding the search beyond the confines of

4:31 Speaker 1: the Milky Way, we're increasing our chances of detecting any

4:35 Speaker 1: potential cosmic neighbors that might be out there. Now, let's

4:38 Speaker 1: take a look at our own neighborhood, The Satellites around

4:41 Speaker 1: Galactic Analog Survey or SAGA for short, has recently completed

4:45 Speaker 1: an extensive study of one hundred and one satellite systems

4:48 Speaker 1: similar to our own Milky Way. This groundbreaking research provides

4:52 Speaker 1: fascinating new insights into just how unique our galactic neighborhood

4:56 Speaker 1: might be. The survey focused on identifying and characterizing satelle

5:00 Speaker 1: l galaxies orbiting around host galaxies with similar mass to

5:03 Speaker 1: the Milky Way. These smaller galaxies captured by the gravitational

5:07 Speaker 1: pull of their larger hosts, can tell us a lot

5:10 Speaker 1: about galactic evolution and structure. One of the most intriguing

5:13 Speaker 1: findings is that the number of satellite galaxies in these

5:16 Speaker 1: systems varies widely, ranging from zero to thirteen. Our Milky Way,

5:21 Speaker 1: with its four known satellite galaxies, falls somewhere in the

5:24 Speaker 1: middle of this range. However, when considering the presence of

5:28 Speaker 1: the large Magellanic cloud, our galaxy appears to be somewhat

5:32 Speaker 1: of an outlier. The study suggests that systems with a

5:36 Speaker 1: massive satellite like the LMC tend to have a higher

5:39 Speaker 1: total number of satellites. This makes our Milky ways relatively

5:43 Speaker 1: low satellite count even more puzzling, hinting at a potentially

5:46 Speaker 1: unique history or characteristics of our galactic system. These findings

5:50 Speaker 1: not only shed light on the Milky Way's place in

5:53 Speaker 1: the cosmic neighborhood, but also provide valuable data for improving

5:57 Speaker 1: our models of galaxy formation and evolution. And we couldn't

6:01 Speaker 1: let an episode go by without a Mars story, so

6:03 Speaker 1: here's today's. In a fascinating twist to the mystery of

6:07 Speaker 1: Mars's vanished atmosphere, new research suggests it might not be

6:11 Speaker 1: lost to space after all, but rather hiding in plain

6:14 Speaker 1: sight right on the planet's surface. Scientists now believe that

6:18 Speaker 1: the red planet's atmosphere may have been absorbed by minerals

6:20 Speaker 1: in Martian clays over billions of years. This groundbreaking theory

6:24 Speaker 1: offers a potential explanation for how Mars transformed from a

6:28 Speaker 1: world potentially capable of supporting life to the cold, barren

6:32 Speaker 1: planet we see today. The process involves a series of

6:35 Speaker 1: chemical reactions where water trickled through certain rock types, setting

6:39 Speaker 1: off a chain of events that essentially sucked carbon dioxide

6:42 Speaker 1: out of the atmosphere. What's particularly intriguing is that this

6:45 Speaker 1: carbon dioxide might have been converted into methane and locked

6:49 Speaker 1: up in the clay surface of Mars. If true, this

6:52 Speaker 1: could mean that the atmosphere is still present, just in

6:54 Speaker 1: a different form. It's an exciting prospect that not only

6:57 Speaker 1: solves a long standing puzzle, but also this is the

7:00 Speaker 1: possibility of utilizing this trapped methane as a potential energy

7:04 Speaker 1: source for future Mars missions. And that wraps up today's

7:08 Speaker 1: episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm your host Anna. If you

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7:33 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening, and I'll catch you next

7:35 Speaker 1: time for more exciting space discoveries and astronomical wonders.

7:38 Speaker 2: And remember keep looking.

7:39 Speaker 3: Up Sunday Star starz

8:00 Speaker 1: So