S03E169: Barnard's New Planet, SpaceX Anomaly, and China's Moon Ambitions

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host Anna. Today we're

0:03 Speaker 1: diving into some exciting space and astronomy news. We'll explore

0:06 Speaker 1: a newly discovered planet orbiting our nearest stellar neighbor, investigate

0:10 Speaker 1: a SpaceX launch anomaly, examine lunar samples from the far

0:13 Speaker 1: side of the Moon, and unveil China's ambitious plans for

0:17 Speaker 1: future Moon missions. Stay tuned for these stories and more

0:20 Speaker 1: on today's episode of Astronomy Daily. Kicking things off today,

0:24 Speaker 1: some exciting news from the world of exoplanet discovery. Astronomers

0:28 Speaker 1: using the European Southern Observatory's very large telescope have made

0:31 Speaker 1: a groundbreaking find right in our cosmic backyard. They've detected

0:35 Speaker 1: a new planet orbiting Barnard Star, which is the closest

0:38 Speaker 1: single star to our Sun, just six light years away.

0:42 Speaker 1: This newly discovered exoplanet, dubbed Barnard B, is truly remarkable.

0:46 Speaker 1: It's one of the lowest mass exoplanets we've ever found,

0:49 Speaker 1: with at least half the mass of Venus. What's even

0:51 Speaker 1: more fascinating is its incredibly short orbital period. Barnard B

0:55 Speaker 1: whips around at star in just three point one five

0:57 Speaker 1: Earth days. To put that in perspective, a year on

1:00 Speaker 1: this planet is shorter than a week here on Earth.

1:03 Speaker 1: The planet's proximity to Barnard's Star means it's far too

1:06 Speaker 1: hot for liquid water to exist on its surface, with

1:09 Speaker 1: temperatures reaching around one hundred and twenty five degrees celsius.

1:13 Speaker 1: While this rules out the possibility of life as we

1:16 Speaker 1: know it, the discovery is still incredibly valuable for our

1:19 Speaker 1: understanding of planetary formation and the diversity of worlds in

1:23 Speaker 1: our galaxy. But the excitement doesn't stop there. The research

1:27 Speaker 1: team has also uncovered tantalizing hints of three more exoplanet

1:30 Speaker 1: candidates orbiting Barnard's Star. While these potential planets still need

1:34 Speaker 1: to be confirmed with additional observations, the discovery suggests that

1:37 Speaker 1: our cosmic backyard might be teeming with low mass planets

1:41 Speaker 1: we've yet to detect. This finding aligns with other recent

1:44 Speaker 1: discoveries like the planets around Proxima Centauri, painting a picture

1:49 Speaker 1: of a local galactic neighborhood bustling with planetary activity. It's

1:52 Speaker 1: a thrilling prospect that challenges our understanding of planetary formation

1:56 Speaker 1: and distribution in the universe. Let's move on to an

2:00 Speaker 1: update to a story we brought you a couple of

2:01 Speaker 1: days ago. In a recent development, the US Federal Aviation Administration,

2:06 Speaker 1: or FAA, has mandated an investigation into an anomaly that

2:10 Speaker 1: occurred during the SpaceX Crew nine mission launch. The issue

2:15 Speaker 1: arose after the Falcon nine rocket successfully deployed the Crew

2:18 Speaker 1: Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronaut Nick Haig and Russian cosmonaut

2:22 Speaker 1: Alexander Gorbanov towards the International Space Station. According to SpaceX,

2:26 Speaker 1: the Falcon nine's upper stage experienced what they termed an

2:29 Speaker 1: off nominal deorbit burn. This unexpected event resulted in the

2:33 Speaker 1: upper stage landing in the ocean outside of its designated

2:36 Speaker 1: disposal area. While the primary mission objective of delivering the

2:40 Speaker 1: astronauts to orbit was achieved, this deviation from the planned

2:44 Speaker 1: disposal procedure has raised concerns. The FAA has made it

2:48 Speaker 1: clear that this investigation is not optional, emphasizing the importance

2:52 Speaker 1: of understanding and addressing any irregularities in spaceflight operations. As

2:57 Speaker 1: space missions become more frequent, ensuring the safety and precision

3:01 Speaker 1: of every aspect of these launches is paramount. This pause

3:05 Speaker 1: in SpaceX launches could have significant ripple effects across their

3:08 Speaker 1: busy schedule. While the company investigates the upper stage anomaly,

3:12 Speaker 1: several high profile missions are now in a holding pattern,

3:15 Speaker 1: most notably NASA's Europa Clipper mission may face delays. This

3:19 Speaker 1: crucial mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa is currently slated

3:23 Speaker 1: for an October launch aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. Given

3:26 Speaker 1: that the Falcon Heavy uses the same upper stage as

3:29 Speaker 1: the Falcon nine, it's unclear if this launch will proceed

3:33 Speaker 1: as planned. SpaceX's typically rapid launch cadence means even a

3:37 Speaker 1: short delay could impact multiple missions. The length of this

3:40 Speaker 1: hiatus remains uncertain, leaving many in the space community eagerly

3:43 Speaker 1: awaiting updates on when launches might resume. Time now to

3:48 Speaker 1: visit our old friend, the Moon. Chinese scientists have made

3:51 Speaker 1: a significant breakthrough in lunar research with their analysis of

3:54 Speaker 1: the first ever samples collected from the far side of

3:57 Speaker 1: the Moon. These samples, brought back by the Changai six mission,

4:01 Speaker 1: are shedding new light on the Moon's evolution and the

4:03 Speaker 1: differences in volcanic activity between its near and far sides.

4:08 Speaker 1: The study, published in the National Science Review, reveals that

4:12 Speaker 1: the samples are a mixture of local basaltic material and

4:15 Speaker 1: non mare material from other parts of the Moon. This

4:18 Speaker 1: composition offers valuable insights into the lunar farsides's volcanic history

4:22 Speaker 1: and the composition of the lunar Highland crust. These findings

4:26 Speaker 1: are particularly exciting because they provide a unique perspective on

4:30 Speaker 1: the Moon's geological diversity. Until now, all lunar samples had

4:34 Speaker 1: come from the near side, leaving scientists with an incomplete

4:37 Speaker 1: picture of our celestial neighbour's history and composition. The Changai

4:41 Speaker 1: six samples are helping to fill in these gaps, potentially

4:45 Speaker 1: leading to new theories about the Moon's origin and evolution.

4:48 Speaker 1: They may even refine our understanding of how terrestrial planets

4:51 Speaker 1: in our Solar system developed. Now more exciting news to

4:55 Speaker 1: report today. First up, NASA's web Space Telescope has made

4:58 Speaker 1: an exciting discovery Karen, Pluto's largest moon. For the first time,

5:02 Speaker 1: scientists have detected traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide

5:06 Speaker 1: on its surface. This finding is significant because it gives

5:09 Speaker 1: us new insights into Karen's composition and how it may

5:11 Speaker 1: have formed. Previously, we knew that Karen's surface was covered

5:15 Speaker 1: in water ice thanks to observations from NASA's New Horizon

5:18 Speaker 1: spacecraft in twenty fifteen, but the Web telescope's advance capabilities

5:22 Speaker 1: have allowed us to see chemicals that were previously hidden

5:25 Speaker 1: from view. Scientists believe the hydrogen peroxide might have formed

5:28 Speaker 1: when radiation interacted with water molecules on Karen's surface. As

5:33 Speaker 1: for the carbon dioxide, it's thought that it could be

5:35 Speaker 1: emerging from beneath the surface, possibly due to impacts. This

5:39 Speaker 1: discovery is not just important for understanding Karen itself, it

5:43 Speaker 1: could also help scientists learn more about the formation and

5:46 Speaker 1: makeup of other distant moons and planets in our Solar system. Next,

5:51 Speaker 1: in a groundbreaking achievement, esay's Juice mission has captured the

5:55 Speaker 1: sharpest ever image of Earth's radiation belts. This remarkable feat

5:59 Speaker 1: occurred during the spacecraft's recent lunar earth flyby a crucial

6:03 Speaker 1: maneuver in its journey to Jupiter. The image was taken

6:06 Speaker 1: by NASA's Jenny instrument on board Juice, showcasing the power

6:09 Speaker 1: of international collaboration in space exploration. What makes this image

6:13 Speaker 1: truly special is its unparalleled clarity, revealing the vast ring

6:17 Speaker 1: of hot plasma encircling our planet in unprecedented detail. This

6:21 Speaker 1: accomplishment isn't just a pretty picture. It's a vital dry

6:24 Speaker 1: run for Juice's future observations of Jupiter. The data gathered

6:28 Speaker 1: during this flyby will help scientists fine tune their instruments

6:31 Speaker 1: and strategies for studying the complex magnetosphere of the gas giant.

6:35 Speaker 1: The success of this imaging test has sparked excitement among researchers,

6:39 Speaker 1: who are now even more eager to see what Juice

6:41 Speaker 1: will reveal when it reaches Jupiter in twenty thirty one.

6:45 Speaker 1: It's a promising sign that we're on track to uncover

6:47 Speaker 1: new secrets about our Solar System's largest planet. Finally, today,

6:52 Speaker 1: China has taken a significant step forward in its lunar

6:54 Speaker 1: exploration ambitions by unveiling its new moon landing space suit.

6:58 Speaker 1: The design, which draws inspiration from traditional Chinese armour, was

7:02 Speaker 1: showcased in a recent ceremony in Chongqing. This cutting edge

7:06 Speaker 1: suit is tailored specifically for China's planned lunar missions, set

7:10 Speaker 1: to commence by twenty thirty. The spacesuit's design beautifully merges

7:13 Speaker 1: functionality with cultural heritage. It features a rugged and resolute appearance,

7:18 Speaker 1: reminiscent of ancient Chinese armour, while incorporating modern elements like ribbons,

7:24 Speaker 1: a staple in Chinese spacesuit design. During the demonstration, a

7:27 Speaker 1: technician put the suit through its paces showcasing its flexibility

7:31 Speaker 1: and range of motion, even climbing ladder rungs with ease.

7:35 Speaker 1: This new lunar suit is an evolution of China's Facian

7:37 Speaker 1: spacesuit used for low Earth orbit missions. Unlike its predecessor,

7:42 Speaker 1: the moon landing suit is designed to be lightweight and flexible,

7:45 Speaker 1: catering to the unique demands of a low gravity environment.

7:48 Speaker 1: It allows for a wider range of movements, including squatting

7:51 Speaker 1: and bending, crucial for lunar surface activities. The suit's advanced

7:55 Speaker 1: features include a protective fabric to shield against extreme temperatures

7:59 Speaker 1: and lunar dust, a panoramic glareproof visor, and side mounted

8:03 Speaker 1: cameras for video recording. A multifunctional control console on the

8:07 Speaker 1: chest enhances operational efficiency. As China races to join the

8:11 Speaker 1: select group of nations capable of crude lunar missions, this

8:14 Speaker 1: spacesuit unveiling marks a significant milestone in their space exploration journey.

8:21 Speaker 1: And that wraps up our cosmic journey for today. I'm Anna,

8:24 Speaker 1: your host for Astronomy Daily. If you're hungry for more

8:27 Speaker 1: space and astronomy news, head over to our website at

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