SpaceX Ax-4 Mission Delay, Satellite Paint Breakthroughs, and James Webb's Breathtaking Revelations

0:00 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, Anna. Today we've got a, fascinating lineup of stories from across the cosmos, ranging from launch delays and exciting advancements in mitigating light pollution, to stunning images of alien worlds and groundbreaking orbital refuelling tests. So buckle up as we dive into the latest happenings in space and astronomy. First up, we have some news regarding a slight delay to the SpaceX AXE 4 mission to the International Space Station. The launch, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, has been postponed due to a liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9 rocket.

0:37 Now, liquid oxygen, or LOX, is one of the two propellants that the Falcon 9 uses to power its Merlin engines, the other being rocket grade kerosene. SpaceX discovered the leak after conducting a static fire test, which is a pretty standard pre launch procedure where they briefly ignite the rocket's engines while it's still anchored to the launch pad. According to Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's VP of Build and Flight Reliability, this particular Falcon 9 first stage has actually flown once before and they'd noticed a similar leak during its re entry into Earth's atmosphere on that mission.

1:12 Turns out they hadn't fully repaired it during refurbishment. Or as he put it, they didn't find the leak and didn't get it corrected. SpaceX is currently working on installing a purge system that should mitigate the leak, even if it continues on launch day. The AXE 4 mission is the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS organised by Axiom Space. The mission is commanded by Peggy Whitson, a record breaking former NASA astronaut who is now Axiom's Director of Human Spaceflight. The crew includes pilot Shubanshu Shukla from India, mission specialist Slawash Usnanski Wisniewski from Poland and the European Space Agency, and Hungarian mission specialist Tibor Kapu.

1:54 It's interesting to note that no astronaut from any of these three countries has ever visited the ISS before. The AXE4 astronauts are scheduled to spend about two weeks living and working aboard the orbiting Lab, conducting around 60 different science experiments before returning to Earth with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Moving on from the Axe 4 mission, there's a whole bunch of other launch activity to keep an eye on this week. SpaceX has been super busy as always. They recently celebrated the 500th launch of a Falcon rocket with the Starlink 1219 mission.

2:28 Can you believe that's also their 70th launch this year? And get this, they managed, a whopping 17 launches in May alone. That included 16 Falcon 9 launches and the ninth test flight of Starship. So, yeah, pretty busy. Speaking of Starlink, there are several more Starlink missions lined up. Just recently they launched another batch of 23 Starlink satellites, a mix of the V2 mini and direct to cell variants. Rocket Lab is also in the mix. They're planning to launch another batch of imaging satellites for their customer, IQPS of Japan.

3:02 IQPS wants to build a 36 satellite constellation to monitor the Earth. Oh, and remember Amazon's Project Kuiper? Well, the launch of their second batch of satellites has been pushed back a bit due to weather delays. And just to recap on that Axiom mission four that we talked about earlier, it's going to be the seventh private Dragon mission and the 18th crewed launch for SpaceX. Besides Peggy Whitson, the crew includes Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavash Usnansky Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

3:33 Dragon will be docked at the ISS for up to 14 days and the crew will be doing around 60 science experiments focusing on human health, plant and microbial biology, and the effects of microgravity. Now let's talk about something that could really help clean up our night skies. It's about this new super black paint called Vantablack 310 and how it might just be a game changer in the fight against satellite light pollution. You know, all those mega constellations of satellites orbiting Earth, they can really mess with astronomical observations.

4:06 Vantablack 310 can reduce the amount of light reflected by satellites down to as little as 2% of what's reflected by uncoded satellites. That's a massive difference. This is especially important for observatories like the Vera Rubin Observatory, which, when it's fully operational, could have up to 40% of its images affected by satellite streaks. That's a huge problem. The paint itself is made from a special blend of carbon black, sort of like soot mixed with binders that make it tough enough to handle the harsh conditions of space.

4:37 And the best part, it's easy to apply, so satellite manufacturers can use it in their own facilities. What's really impressive is how durable this stuff is. Tests have shown that it can withstand about three years in orbit with almost no change, while other space paints erode pretty quickly. Plus, it doesn't seem to cause the same overheating issues that earlier dark paints did. This new paint could make satellites virtually invisible to the naked eye. This is a big improvement, and hopefully it means that we can preserve our dark Skies while still benefiting from satellite technology.

5:10 Okay, next up, let's dive into some absolutely breathtaking images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, or jwst. These images, they're not just pretty pictures. They're giving us incredible insights into exoplanets, planets beyond our own solar system. Specifically, scientists have been studying two exoplanets orbiting a star called YSES 1. And what they've found is just, well, mind blowing. On one of these planets, YSEs 1c, they've detected clouds made of fine sand. Yes, you heard that right.

5:43 Sand clouds drifting in the alien atmosphere. And it gets even cooler on the other planet, YSEs 1b observations suggest it's surrounded by a large swirling disc rich with olivine. Olivine is a mineral that, get this, can form the gemstone peridot here on Earth. These observations are, groundbreaking because they allow us to directly study the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres. Scientists have found evidence of water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane in the atmospheres of both planets, which, while common, help us to build a clearer picture of what these alien worlds are like.

6:19 The discovery of the olivine disc is particularly intriguing. It shouldn't really be there because dust like that usually settles pretty quickly, geologically speaking. So its presence suggests there might have been a recent collision between objects orbiting near YSEs 1b. Talk about being in the right place at the right time to see something amazing. Now let's turn our attention to some interesting activity happening in geostationary orbit. It seems that China is gearing up for an orbital refuelling test with its Shijian satellites.

6:50 The Shijian 21 and Shijian 25 spacecraft appear to be manoeuvring towards a rendezvous and docking. This is a pretty big deal because it's all about testing technologies for servicing and refuelling satellites in orbit. Shijian 25 was launched earlier this year specifically, specifically to test on orbit refuelling and mission extension technologies. While Shijian 21, which has already completed a mission towing, ah, a defunct navigation satellite, is now the target for this refuelling demonstration.

7:20 But here's where it gets even more interesting. The US surveillance satellites USA 270 and USA 271, part of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Programme, are also in the area, apparently keeping a close eye on these operations. So it's kind of like everyone's watching everyone else. The ability to refuel and service satellites in orbit has some pretty significant strategic implications. It could extend the lifespan of existing satellites, reduce costs and even decrease space debris. Of course, it also has potential military applications.

7:53 It's worth noting that Northrop Grumman has already demonstrated this capability with its mission extension vehicle 1, which successfully docked with an Intelsat satellite back in 2020 for a five year servicing mission. So it's not a totally new thing, but it's definitely an area where we're seeing increasing activity and interest.

8:13 So to quickly recap today we've covered the delay of the SpaceX AXE 4 mission, some of the many other launches that are happening in coming days, the use of vantablack to combat light pollution, those incredible new JWST images of exoplanets, and China's upcoming orbital refuelling test. Thanks for tuning in to Astronomy Daily. I've been your host, Anna. if you want to catch up on any past episodes, make sure you visit our [email protected]. and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

8:47 Also, follow us on social media, just search for Astro Daily Pod on Facebook, X, YouTube, YouTube, Music, Instagram, Tumblr, and TikTok. Thanks again for joining me today and I look forward to having you with us next time. Until then, keep looking up. You never know what you might see. This is Anna signing off.