S03E198: SpaceX's Astrobeat, Australia's Launch Leap, and Parker's Venus Dance

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello everybody here we are again Welcome to Astronomy Daily,

0:03 Speaker 1: your daily dose of space and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna,

0:07 Speaker 1: and today we have an exciting lineup of stories from

0:09 Speaker 1: across the Cosmos. We'll be diving into SpaceX's latest mission

0:13 Speaker 1: to the International Space Station, exploring groundbreaking discoveries about Mars

0:17 Speaker 1: and Venus, and catching up with several other fascinating developments

0:21 Speaker 1: in space exploration, from commercial spaceflight to planetary science. We've

0:27 Speaker 1: got an incredible show ahead, so let's get started. SpaceX

0:30 Speaker 1: has kicked off the week with another successful launch to

0:33 Speaker 1: the International Space Station, marking their thirty first commercial resupply mission.

0:38 Speaker 1: The Dragon spacecraft lifted off Monday night from NASA's Kennedy

0:42 Speaker 1: Space Center in Florida, carrying more than six thousand pounds

0:45 Speaker 1: of vital supplies and fascinating new scientific experiments to our

0:50 Speaker 1: orbiting laboratory. Among the cargo are several groundbreaking experiments that

0:55 Speaker 1: could shape the future of space exploration. One particularly innovative

0:59 Speaker 1: project will test a new way to repair spacecraft hulls

1:03 Speaker 1: from the inside out, called astrobeat. This experiment will explore

1:07 Speaker 1: cold welding in microgravity, potentially leading to revolutionary repair methods

1:11 Speaker 1: that don't require heat, a crucial advancement for future deep

1:15 Speaker 1: space missions. The mission also includes the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment

1:20 Speaker 1: or CODEX, which will help us better understand solar wind formation.

1:24 Speaker 1: Using a special instrument called a coronagraph to block out

1:28 Speaker 1: most of the Sun's light, scientists will be able to

1:31 Speaker 1: study the solar corona in unprecedented detail. In what could

1:36 Speaker 1: be a glimpse into future space farming, researchers are sending

1:39 Speaker 1: Antarctic moss to test how well it handles the combined

1:43 Speaker 1: effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity. This research could be

1:47 Speaker 1: vital for identifying plants suitable for long duration space missions.

1:52 Speaker 1: The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain docked at the

1:54 Speaker 1: station until December, when it will return to Earth with

1:57 Speaker 1: research samples and cargo, splash down off the Florida coast.

2:02 Speaker 1: This mission represents another step forward in our ongoing efforts

2:05 Speaker 1: to maintain and utilize the International Space Station as our

2:09 Speaker 1: premier orbital research platform, now one for our listeners down under.

2:15 Speaker 1: Australia's space industry has just achieved a remarkable milestone that

2:19 Speaker 1: marks a new chapter in the country's space exploration capabilities.

2:23 Speaker 1: Gilmore Space Technologies has been awarded Australia's first ever orbital

2:27 Speaker 1: launch permit, clearing the way for their Airis rocket to

2:30 Speaker 1: make its maiden flight from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in

2:33 Speaker 1: North Queensland. This historic permit was granted by the Minister

2:37 Speaker 1: for Industry and Science and the Australian Space Agency under

2:40 Speaker 1: the Space Launches and Returns Act. The legislation requires that

2:44 Speaker 1: any objects launched from Australian soil reaching altitudes above one

2:48 Speaker 1: hundred kilometers must meet strict safety and operational conditions, including

2:54 Speaker 1: providing a thirty day notice before launch. The company's journey

2:57 Speaker 1: to this point has been impressive. Since beginning their rocket

3:01 Speaker 1: program in twenty fifteen, Gilmore Space has grown to employ

3:04 Speaker 1: over two hundred people and built a network of more

3:07 Speaker 1: than three hundred Australian suppliers. They've already completed crucial pre

3:11 Speaker 1: launch testing, including a successful wet dress rehearsal that brought

3:14 Speaker 1: their Aris rocket to within ten seconds of launch. The

3:18 Speaker 1: Bowen Orbital Spaceport, which opened its doors in April after

3:21 Speaker 1: receiving its license in March, stands as Australia's first orbital

3:25 Speaker 1: launch facility. It's one of only a handful of private

3:29 Speaker 1: orbital launch sites worldwide positioned to support launches into low

3:32 Speaker 1: and mid inclination orbits. This development isn't just about reaching space,

3:37 Speaker 1: it's about creating opportunities right here on Earth. The project

3:41 Speaker 1: has already generated significant economic impact across the region, with

3:45 Speaker 1: rockets being designed on the Gold Coast and launched from

3:48 Speaker 1: North Queensland. It's a perfect example of how space industry

3:52 Speaker 1: development can drive local innovation and create high value jobs

3:56 Speaker 1: in multiple regions. Next up, let's head back to the Sun.

4:01 Speaker 1: NASA's Parker Solar Probe is gearing up for a pivotal

4:04 Speaker 1: moment in its groundbreaking mission. On November sixth, the spacecraft

4:09 Speaker 1: will execute its final Venus Gravity Assist maneuver, swooping within

4:13 Speaker 1: just two hundred and thirty three miles of the planet's surface.

4:17 Speaker 1: This carefully choreographed celestial dance will set the stage for

4:20 Speaker 1: an unprecedented achievement in space exploration. The Venus flyby will

4:25 Speaker 1: adjust Parker's trajectory into its final orbital configuration, ultimately bringing

4:30 Speaker 1: it closer to our Star than any human made object

4:33 Speaker 1: has ever ventured. On December twenty fourth, the probe will

4:37 Speaker 1: skim just three point eight six million miles from the

4:39 Speaker 1: solar surface, literally touching the outer corona of our Sun.

4:44 Speaker 1: What's particularly fascinating about these Venus flybys is how they've

4:48 Speaker 1: yielded unexpected scientific treasures. The probe's Wide Field Imager, or WHISPER,

4:54 Speaker 1: made a remarkable discovery during a previous Venus encounter. When

4:58 Speaker 1: scientists pointed the instrument at Venus hoping to study its

5:01 Speaker 1: cloud cover, they found it could actually see through the

5:04 Speaker 1: planet's thick atmosphere right down to the surface, which glows

5:08 Speaker 1: in near infrared light due to its scorching temperature of

5:11 Speaker 1: eight sixty nine degrees fahrenheit. This final flyby has been

5:15 Speaker 1: carefully planned to help solve some intriguing mysteries from previous passes.

5:19 Speaker 1: The WHISPER images have shown puzzling bright patterns that don't

5:23 Speaker 1: quite match what we expected from earlier radar mapping missions.

5:27 Speaker 1: Scientists hope this last close approach will help them determine

5:30 Speaker 1: whether these variations are due to different surface materials or

5:34 Speaker 1: perhaps areas where more recent volcanic activity has left its mark.

5:38 Speaker 1: After completing this Venus maneuver, Parker will be primed for

5:41 Speaker 1: its historic solar approach. At this extreme proximity, it will

5:45 Speaker 1: pass through plasma still physically connected to the Sun and

5:48 Speaker 1: potentially weather solar eruptions from inside them, much like a

5:52 Speaker 1: surfer diving beneath a breaking wave. It's a testament to

5:55 Speaker 1: modern engineering that we've built something capable of withstanding such

5:59 Speaker 1: extreme conditions. Next up, why is the surface of Mars

6:02 Speaker 1: so crusty? I'll answer that question right after a quick

6:05 Speaker 1: word from a sponsor. Now let's head off to Mars.

6:10 Speaker 1: In a fascinating breakthrough, scientists have finally unraveled one of

6:12 Speaker 1: mars enduring mysteries, why its soil forms such a distinctive,

6:16 Speaker 1: crusty layer. This discovery comes from an unexpected source, NASA's

6:22 Speaker 1: Insight mission, which landed on the red planet back in

6:24 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen. While the mission's heat flow and Physical properties package,

6:29 Speaker 1: nicknamed the Martian Mole, didn't reach its intended depth, it

6:33 Speaker 1: still provided invaluable data about the planet's surface composition. The

6:38 Speaker 1: instrument managed to penetrate just sixteen inches into the Martian soil,

6:43 Speaker 1: encountering what scientists now understand is a remarkably complex layer

6:47 Speaker 1: of material. The German Aerospace Center team analyzing The data

6:51 Speaker 1: found that the top forty centimeters of Martian soil experiences

6:56 Speaker 1: dramatic temperature swings. While the surface temperature fluctuates by a

7:01 Speaker 1: staggering one hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty

7:03 Speaker 1: degrees celsius during a Martian day, just beneath the surface,

7:08 Speaker 1: these variations decrease to only five to seven degrees. This

7:12 Speaker 1: sophisticated temperature dance creates perfect conditions for a fascinating chemical process.

7:18 Speaker 1: During winter and spring, when there is sufficient moisture in

7:21 Speaker 1: the atmosphere, salty brines form in the soil for about

7:24 Speaker 1: ten hours each day. As these brines solidify, they create

7:28 Speaker 1: a natural cement that hardens the soil into what scientists

7:31 Speaker 1: call duricrust. This process explains why Mars has such a

7:35 Speaker 1: characteristic hardened surface layer extending about eight inches deep. The

7:40 Speaker 1: soil itself has proven to be an excellent insulator, with

7:43 Speaker 1: properties similar to basaltic sand. Below the crusty surface layer,

7:48 Speaker 1: scientists found material comparable to consolidated sand mixed with coarser

7:52 Speaker 1: basalt fragments. One scientist compared the mechanical properties to floral foam,

7:58 Speaker 1: light weight and porous, but with a distinctive structure. This

8:02 Speaker 1: discovery isn't just academically interesting, it has significant implications for

8:07 Speaker 1: future Mars exploration. Understanding the soil's properties and behavior is

8:12 Speaker 1: crucial for planning future missions, especially when considering human exploration

8:16 Speaker 1: of the Red planet. The way the soil forms and

8:19 Speaker 1: behaves will impact everything from construction projects to potential resource

8:23 Speaker 1: utilization on Mars. Finally, today we need to say goodbye

8:28 Speaker 1: to an old friend of planet Earth's. After fifteen years

8:31 Speaker 1: of dedicated service, NASA's Neowiz spacecraft has completed its final

8:35 Speaker 1: mission in dramatic fashion, burning up in Earth's atmosphere on

8:39 Speaker 1: November first. This veteran space telescope, which has been one

8:42 Speaker 1: of our most successful asteroid hunters, leaves behind an impressive

8:46 Speaker 1: legacy of discovery and scientific advancement. Originally launched as WISE

8:51 Speaker 1: the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer in December two thousand

8:54 Speaker 1: and nine, the spacecraft began its journey with a different

8:57 Speaker 1: mission altogether. It was initially tasked with study being the

9:00 Speaker 1: universe in infrared wavelengths, where it excelled at finding luminous

9:04 Speaker 1: galaxies and hidden black holes. But it was when the

9:07 Speaker 1: spacecraft got its second chance at life as Neowise that

9:11 Speaker 1: it truly made its mark in planetary defense. When its

9:14 Speaker 1: original coolant supply ran out in twenty eleven, engineers found

9:18 Speaker 1: they could repurpose the spacecraft for a new mission hunting

9:21 Speaker 1: Near Earth objects. This twist of fate proved remarkably successful,

9:26 Speaker 1: as Neowise went on to identify and track over three

9:29 Speaker 1: thousand Near Earth objects during its extended mission. The spacecraft's

9:34 Speaker 1: eventual demise was not unexpected. Its low Earth orbit, combined

9:38 Speaker 1: with the current solar maximum a period of increased solar

9:41 Speaker 1: activity sealed its fate. As the Sun's heightened activity caused

9:45 Speaker 1: Earth's atmosphere to expand, Neowise, lacking any propulsion system, was

9:50 Speaker 1: gradually pulled down until its final plunge. But this isn't

9:54 Speaker 1: the end of NASA's asteroid hunting efforts. The Torch will

9:57 Speaker 1: be passed to Neo Surveyor, scheduled for launch in twenty

10:00 Speaker 1: twenty seven. This new spacecraft will be the first space

10:04 Speaker 1: telescope specifically designed for hunting Near Earth objects in infrared wavelengths,

10:09 Speaker 1: carrying forward Neowis's crucial mission of planetary defense with even

10:13 Speaker 1: more advanced capabilities. Well, that's all for today's episode of

10:18 Speaker 1: Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna, and I want to thank you

10:21 Speaker 1: for joining me on this journey through the latest developments

10:24 Speaker 1: in space exploration and astronomical discoveries. If you'd like to

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10:58 Speaker 1: about the mysteries of our universe. This is Anna signing

11:01 Speaker 1: off a star day, starless Stars, the Stars