Starship's Payload Adventure, Mars's Dust Mysteries, and New Glenn's Debut: S04E04

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of space and

0:02 Speaker 1: astronomy news. Today, we have an action packed episode featuring

0:06 Speaker 1: some incredible developments across the space industry and astronomy research.

0:10 Speaker 1: We'll dive into SpaceX's upcoming Starship test flight with its

0:14 Speaker 1: first ever payload deployment, and Blue origins highly anticipated new

0:18 Speaker 1: Glen rocket debut. We'll also explore fascinating new research about

0:22 Speaker 1: Mars's mysterious dust storms, unravel the perplexing moon illusion that's

0:27 Speaker 1: puzzled scientists for centuries, examine groundbreaking discoveries about fast radio bursts,

0:33 Speaker 1: and look at how our galaxy recycles its elements through

0:37 Speaker 1: cosmic conveyor belts. Let's get rolling with today's news. SpaceX

0:43 Speaker 1: is gearing up for an exciting milestone with their seventh

0:46 Speaker 1: Starship test flight, marking the first time the massive rocket

0:50 Speaker 1: will attempt to deploy a payload in space. The mission

0:54 Speaker 1: will carry ten Starlink satellite simulators designed to match the

0:58 Speaker 1: size and weight of their next generation V three satellites.

1:02 Speaker 1: These dummy satellites will follow the same suborbital trajectory as Starship,

1:07 Speaker 1: with their journey ending in a planned splashed down in

1:09 Speaker 1: the Indian Ocean. This test is crucial for SpaceX's future

1:14 Speaker 1: plans as their developing Starship to carry their advanced V

1:17 Speaker 1: three Starlink satellites, which promise to deliver impressive gigabit Internet

1:22 Speaker 1: speeds to subscribers. The upcoming test flight will showcase a

1:26 Speaker 1: significantly upgraded version of Starship. The new generation vehicle features

1:31 Speaker 1: important improvements to boost reliability and performance, including a redesigned

1:35 Speaker 1: propulsion system and a twenty five percent increase in propellant volume,

1:40 Speaker 1: enabling the rocket to undertake longer missions. One of the

1:44 Speaker 1: most challenging aspects of this mission will be the attempted

1:47 Speaker 1: recovery of Starship's reusable booster using a landing pad. This maneuver,

1:52 Speaker 1: which had to be canceled during the previous test flight

1:55 Speaker 1: in November, could result in sonic booms around the landing

1:58 Speaker 1: zone as the booster decelerates from supersonic speeds. If automated

2:03 Speaker 1: health checks indicate any concerns with the super heavy booster

2:06 Speaker 1: or tower, the backup plan involves a controlled splash down

2:10 Speaker 1: in the Gulf of Mexico. The test flight is currently

2:13 Speaker 1: scheduled for January tenth, though weather conditions could affect the

2:16 Speaker 1: launch date. With FAA clearance already secured. This mission represents

2:21 Speaker 1: a significant step forward in SpaceX's ambitious plans to revolutionize

2:26 Speaker 1: satellite deployment capabilities and advance their Starlink network. Another exciting

2:31 Speaker 1: launch on the horizon, Blue Origin is on the verge

2:35 Speaker 1: of a historic moment as they prepare to launch their

2:38 Speaker 1: first New Glen rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

2:41 Speaker 1: in Florida. After years of development since Jeff Bezos first

2:45 Speaker 1: announced the project in twenty sixteen, the company is finally

2:49 Speaker 1: ready to demonstrate their entry into the heavy lift launch market.

2:52 Speaker 1: The launch window opens as early as January sixth at

2:55 Speaker 1: one a m. Eastern time, with multiple backup opportunities through

2:59 Speaker 1: January twelve. The rocket's first stage booster, cleverly named so

3:04 Speaker 1: You're telling Me There's a chance, will attempt a landing

3:07 Speaker 1: at sea on their drone ship Jackline, named after Bezos's mother,

3:11 Speaker 1: New Glen represents a significant advancement in launch vehicle capability.

3:16 Speaker 1: Standing impressively tall with a massive twenty three foot payload firing,

3:19 Speaker 1: it offers more than double the volume of typical fifteen

3:22 Speaker 1: foot farings used by other rockets. This extra space gives

3:26 Speaker 1: customers unprecedented flexibility in how they package their payloads. The

3:31 Speaker 1: rocket's performance specifications are equally impressive, capable of delivering up

3:36 Speaker 1: to forty five metric tons to low Earth orbit and

3:39 Speaker 1: thirteen metric tons to geostationary orbit. Like SpaceX's rockets, New

3:44 Speaker 1: Glen is designed for reusability, with each booster projected to

3:48 Speaker 1: complete up to twenty five flights. For this debut mission,

3:51 Speaker 1: designated NNG one, the rocket will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder,

3:56 Speaker 1: a forty five zero zero zero pound payload simulator. This

4:00 Speaker 1: test article will validate crucial systems, including communications arrays, power systems,

4:05 Speaker 1: and flight computers that will be used in future operational missions.

4:09 Speaker 1: Blue Origin already has an impressive lineup of customers waiting

4:12 Speaker 1: to fly on New Glen, including NASA's Escapade Mars probes,

4:16 Speaker 1: Amazon's Khyper Internet satellites, and various commercial and government payloads.

4:20 Speaker 1: If successful, this first flight could count toward Blue Origin

4:24 Speaker 1: certification requirements for national security launches with the US Space Force,

4:29 Speaker 1: and now a new finding about the red planet. Mars

4:33 Speaker 1: experiences remarkable dust storms that have long fascinated scientists and

4:37 Speaker 1: pose significant challenges for our robotic explorers. Every Martian year

4:41 Speaker 1: during the Southern Hemisphere summer, these storms sweep across the

4:45 Speaker 1: red planet. But what's particularly intriguing is that every three

4:49 Speaker 1: Martian years about five and a half Earth years, these

4:53 Speaker 1: storms can grow so massive that they enveloped the entire

4:56 Speaker 1: planet for months at a time. New research from the

4:59 Speaker 1: Universe Versity of Colorado Boulder has finally shed light on

5:03 Speaker 1: what triggers these planet engulfing events. The study reveals that

5:07 Speaker 1: relatively warm and sunny days might be the key factor

5:10 Speaker 1: in kicking off the largest storms. By analyzing fifteen years

5:14 Speaker 1: of data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter, researchers discovered that

5:19 Speaker 1: about sixty eight percent of major storms were preceded by

5:22 Speaker 1: a sharp rise in surface temperatures. These storms, while not

5:26 Speaker 1: particularly powerful due to Mars' thin atmosphere, pose serious risks

5:30 Speaker 1: to our missions on the planet. The dust is incredibly

5:33 Speaker 1: fine and tends to stick to everything, creating problems for

5:37 Speaker 1: solar powered equipment. We've already lost both the Opportunity Rover

5:41 Speaker 1: and Insight Lander to these devastating storms, which can coat

5:44 Speaker 1: solar panels and cut off crucial power supplies. The research

5:49 Speaker 1: team focused on two specific weather patterns known as A

5:52 Speaker 1: and C storms, that occur annually on Mars. They found

5:56 Speaker 1: that when more sunlight filters through Mars's thin atmosphere to

5:59 Speaker 1: heat the surface, it creates conditions similar to what triggers

6:03 Speaker 1: storms on Earth. The warm air near the surface becomes

6:06 Speaker 1: buoyant and rises, taking dust with it, potentially starting a

6:11 Speaker 1: cascade effect that can grow into these massive storms. This

6:15 Speaker 1: breakthrough and understanding could be the first step toward forecasting

6:18 Speaker 1: extreme weather on Mars, which will be crucial for future

6:22 Speaker 1: human missions to the red planet. While dust storms might

6:26 Speaker 1: not have enough force to knock over equipment, the combination

6:29 Speaker 1: of electrically charged dust particles and their ability to infiltrate

6:33 Speaker 1: equipment makes them a serious consideration for any Mars mission planning.

6:38 Speaker 1: I love it when we solve a mystery, or have

6:41 Speaker 1: we in this case? Have you ever noticed how the

6:44 Speaker 1: moon seems impossibly large when it's hanging low on the horizon.

6:48 Speaker 1: This captivating sight has been drawing gasps of amazement from

6:51 Speaker 1: observers for millennia, Yet remarkably, it's all just an illusion.

6:55 Speaker 1: Despite appearing massive when it rises or sets, the moon

6:58 Speaker 1: maintains the exact same size whether it's peeking over the

7:02 Speaker 1: horizon or floating high in the night sky. You can

7:05 Speaker 1: actually prove this yourself with a simple test. Next time

7:08 Speaker 1: you see that giant moon near the horizon, hold up

7:11 Speaker 1: your index finger at arm's length. You'll find your fingernail

7:15 Speaker 1: appears to be about the same size as the moon.

7:17 Speaker 1: Try this again when the moon is high overhead, and

7:20 Speaker 1: you'll get the exact same result. Even more convincing, take

7:24 Speaker 1: a photo of the Moon at both positions using the

7:26 Speaker 1: same camera settings, and you'll see the moon appears identical

7:30 Speaker 1: in size in both images. What makes this phenomenon particularly

7:34 Speaker 1: fascinating is that, despite thousands of years of human observation

7:39 Speaker 1: and our modern scientific understanding, we still don't have a

7:42 Speaker 1: definitive explanation for why our brains create this illusion. The

7:47 Speaker 1: leading theories suggest it's related to how our minds process

7:50 Speaker 1: visual information about size and distance, especially when we have

7:53 Speaker 1: reference points like trees or buildings near the horizon. Interestingly,

7:58 Speaker 1: while the size change is an illusion, there is one

8:00 Speaker 1: genuine difference in the Moon's appearance near the horizon its color.

8:05 Speaker 1: The moon often appears more yellow or orange when it's

8:07 Speaker 1: low in the sky because its light has to travel

8:10 Speaker 1: through more of Earth's atmosphere to reach our eyes. This

8:14 Speaker 1: longer journey scatters away more of the blue light, leaving

8:17 Speaker 1: us with those warmer, more golden tones. Even NASA astronauts

8:22 Speaker 1: report seeing this illusion from space where there are no

8:25 Speaker 1: foreground objects to provide perspective, adding another layer of mystery

8:29 Speaker 1: to this phenomenon. Until we fully understand the complex way

8:33 Speaker 1: our brains process these visual cues, we can at least

8:37 Speaker 1: enjoy this spectacular sight that continues to captivate viewers and

8:41 Speaker 1: create some of the most memorable scenes in our night sky.

8:45 Speaker 1: While on the subject of mysteries, fast radio bursts, or FRBs,

8:49 Speaker 1: as they're known in the astronomical community, have been one

8:52 Speaker 1: of space's most intriguing mysteries. These incredible flashes of radio

8:56 Speaker 1: light can outshine entire galaxies, yet they're gone in the

8:59 Speaker 1: blink of an eye, often lasting just a fraction of

9:02 Speaker 1: a second. For years, astronomers could only catch them by chance,

9:06 Speaker 1: leaving us wondering about their true nature. But now, thanks

9:09 Speaker 1: to some clever detective work and advanced telescopes like Chime,

9:13 Speaker 1: we're finally starting to understand these cosmic enigmas. A recent

9:17 Speaker 1: breakthrough study has provided some of the strongest evidence yet

9:21 Speaker 1: about their origins, and it all comes down to a

9:24 Speaker 1: fascinating method called scintillation, essentially the astronomical equivalent of how

9:30 Speaker 1: stars twinkle in our night sky. The team focused on

9:33 Speaker 1: a particular burst called FRB two zero two two one

9:37 Speaker 1: zero two two A, which came from a galaxy two

9:40 Speaker 1: hundred million light years away. As the radio waves from

9:43 Speaker 1: this burst traveled through space toward Earth, they interacted with

9:46 Speaker 1: various gases and materials, causing them to flicker in brightness.

9:51 Speaker 1: By carefully analyzing these flickering patterns, scientists were able to

9:55 Speaker 1: pinpoint exactly where the burst came from, within ten thousand

9:59 Speaker 1: kilometers of a highly magnetic pulsor. This is a huge

10:03 Speaker 1: deal because it confirms what many astronomers have suspected. These

10:07 Speaker 1: powerful bursts are generated by magnetars, which are essentially super

10:11 Speaker 1: magnetic neutron stars. But it goes even further than that.

10:14 Speaker 1: The precise measurements show that these bursts must be occurring

10:18 Speaker 1: within the magnetar's magnetosphere, giving us crucial insight into how

10:22 Speaker 1: these exotic objects can generate such incredibly powerful bursts of

10:25 Speaker 1: radio energy. This discovery isn't just solving a cosmic mystery,

10:30 Speaker 1: it's opening up new ways to study these extreme objects.

10:34 Speaker 1: By understanding how these magnetic fields can generate such intense

10:38 Speaker 1: radio lights so quickly, we're learning more about some of

10:41 Speaker 1: the most extreme physics in our universe. It's another reminder

10:45 Speaker 1: that even in the vast emptiness of space, we're constantly

10:49 Speaker 1: discovering new and fascinating phenomena that challenge our understanding of

10:52 Speaker 1: the cosmos. In a groundbreaking study, scientists have uncovered fascinating

10:58 Speaker 1: details about how our galaxy man its resources through what

11:01 Speaker 1: can only be described as a cosmic recycling system. This

11:05 Speaker 1: process involves massive currents that act like giant conveyor belts,

11:08 Speaker 1: pushing material out into space and then drawing it back in,

11:12 Speaker 1: playing a crucial role in the formation of everything from

11:14 Speaker 1: planets to new stars. Life as we know it depends

11:17 Speaker 1: on carbon, but this essential element, along with oxygen, iron,

11:21 Speaker 1: and nearly every other element except hydrogen and helium, only

11:26 Speaker 1: exists because it was created inside stars. When these stars die,

11:30 Speaker 1: they scatter these elements across space in spectacular explosions. But

11:35 Speaker 1: rather than simply drifting aimlessly, these star forged elements embark

11:39 Speaker 1: on an incredible journey. Using the Hubble Space Telescope's Cosmic

11:43 Speaker 1: Origin spectrograph, researchers made a remarkable discovery by observing how

11:48 Speaker 1: light from distant quasars interacted with what's known as the

11:51 Speaker 1: circum galactic medium, a vast region surrounding galaxies like our

11:56 Speaker 1: Milky Way. They found enormous amounts of carbon extending nearly

12:00 Speaker 1: four hundred thousand light years into space. That's four times

12:04 Speaker 1: the diameter of our galaxy. This circumgalactic medium acts like

12:08 Speaker 1: a massive train station, constantly moving materials in and out

12:12 Speaker 1: of the galaxy. The same carbon atoms in our bodies

12:15 Speaker 1: likely spent considerable time in this cosmic recycling system before

12:19 Speaker 1: becoming part of Earth. It's a beautiful example of how

12:22 Speaker 1: interconnected we are with the cosmos. The atoms making up

12:26 Speaker 1: our world are travelers that have journeyed through this vast

12:29 Speaker 1: galactic recycling process. Understanding this process isn't just about satisfying

12:34 Speaker 1: scientific curiosity. It could help explain why galaxies eventually stop

12:39 Speaker 1: forming new stars. The theory is that when this recycling

12:43 Speaker 1: system begins to break down, galaxies lose their ability to

12:46 Speaker 1: form new stars, ultimately transforming them into cosmic deserts. This

12:51 Speaker 1: research opens up new questions about the life cycles of

12:54 Speaker 1: galaxies and our own galaxies future. And that's it for today.

13:00 Speaker 1: Thanks for being with us on Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna,

13:03 Speaker 1: and as always, it's been a pleasure sharing these fascinating

13:05 Speaker 1: stories from the cosmos with you. If you want to

13:08 Speaker 1: stay up to date with all the latest space and

13:10 Speaker 1: astronomy news, head over to our website at Astronomydaily dot io.

13:15 Speaker 1: There you'll find our constantly updating newsfeed and you can

13:18 Speaker 1: listen to all our previous episodes. Don't forget to join

13:21 Speaker 1: our growing community on social media. You can find us

13:24 Speaker 1: as astro Daily Pod on Facebook, ex Tumblr, YouTube, YouTube, music,

13:28 Speaker 1: and TikTok. It's your gateway to engaging space content and

13:32 Speaker 1: discussions with fellow astronomy enthusiasts. Until our next journey through

13:36 Speaker 1: the cosmos, keep looking up and stay curious about the

13:39 Speaker 1: wonders above us. This has been Anna with Astronomy Daily.

13:46 Speaker 1: Star study is consolable