X-37B's Secret Mission, ISS Crew Shuffle, and Lunar Eclipse Spectacle: S04E58

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily source for space and

0:03 Speaker 1: astronomy news. We have another great lineup of stories for

0:07 Speaker 1: you today, packed with groundbreaking developments from across the cosmos.

0:11 Speaker 1: We'll be diving into the mysterious world of classified space

0:14 Speaker 1: missions as we explore the latest achievements of the X

0:17 Speaker 1: thirty seven B space plane. Then we'll head to the

0:20 Speaker 1: International Space Station for updates on crew transitions and cutting

0:23 Speaker 1: edge research happening right now in Earth's orbit. We'll also

0:26 Speaker 1: update and examine the dramatic conclusion of Intuitive Machines Lunar mission,

0:30 Speaker 1: and get the details on NASA's search for a new

0:33 Speaker 1: mascot for their upcoming Artemis missions. For skygazers, we have

0:37 Speaker 1: essential information about an upcoming total lunar eclipse that you

0:40 Speaker 1: won't want to miss. And to cap it all off,

0:43 Speaker 1: we have a truly mind bending discovery evidence of a

0:46 Speaker 1: monster black hole hiding in our cosmic backyard. So get

0:50 Speaker 1: ready for an exciting journey through the latest space and

0:53 Speaker 1: astronomy news. Let's get started. The US Space Force's secretive

0:58 Speaker 1: X thirty seven B space plane has just completed another

1:01 Speaker 1: remarkable mission, touching down at Vandenberg Space Force base in California,

1:06 Speaker 1: after spending four hundred thirty four days in orbit. While

1:10 Speaker 1: this wasn't its longest flight, this mission broke new ground

1:13 Speaker 1: in several exciting ways. For the first time, the robotic

1:17 Speaker 1: space plane launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon heavy rocket, which

1:21 Speaker 1: placed it into a highly elliptical orbit. From this unique

1:25 Speaker 1: vantage point, the X thirty seven B conducted what space

1:28 Speaker 1: Force describes as space domain awareness experiments, helping to improve

1:32 Speaker 1: our understanding of the space environment. Perhaps the most significant

1:36 Speaker 1: achievement of this mission was the successful demonstration of an

1:40 Speaker 1: innovative aerobraking maneuver. This technique used Earth's atmosphere as a

1:44 Speaker 1: natural break, allowing the spacecraft to change its orbit more

1:48 Speaker 1: efficiently while conserving precious fuel. Space Force Chief of Operations

1:53 Speaker 1: Chance Saltzman called this a demonstration of the X thirty

1:56 Speaker 1: seven b's ability to flexibly accomplish its test of jasjectives

2:00 Speaker 1: across different orbital regimes. The Boeing built spacecraft has now

2:04 Speaker 1: proven itself capable of operating in various orbital configurations, showcasing

2:10 Speaker 1: impressive maneuverability and adaptability. While much of its mission remains classified,

2:16 Speaker 1: this latest flight adds to an impressive track record that

2:19 Speaker 1: includes the previous record holding flight of nine hundred eight days.

2:23 Speaker 1: The Space Force currently operates two of these remarkable X

2:27 Speaker 1: thirty seven B vehicles, which continue to push the boundaries

2:30 Speaker 1: of autonomous space operations. This latest mission, while shorter than

2:35 Speaker 1: some previous flights, represents a significant step forward in space

2:39 Speaker 1: plane technology and orbital operations capabilities, demonstrating new techniques that

2:44 Speaker 1: could prove valuable for future space missions. The International Space

2:49 Speaker 1: Station is currently buzzing with activity as Expedition seventy two

2:52 Speaker 1: prepares for an upcoming crew rotation. Four crew members NASA

2:57 Speaker 1: astronauts Nick Haig, Sunny Williams, Bosch, Willmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut

3:02 Speaker 1: Alexander Gorbunov are getting ready to bid farewell to their

3:06 Speaker 1: orbital home in mid March. The departing crew has been

3:09 Speaker 1: busy practicing their return procedures using SpaceX Dragon computer tablets,

3:14 Speaker 1: reviewing every step from undocking to splash down off the

3:17 Speaker 1: Florida coast. Nick Haig will command the Dragon spacecraft for

3:21 Speaker 1: their journey home, bringing to close a mission that began

3:24 Speaker 1: last September for him and Gorbunov, while Williams and Wilmore

3:28 Speaker 1: have been aboard since June. Their replacements are already preparing

3:32 Speaker 1: for launch. The SpaceX Crew ten mission is targeted for

3:36 Speaker 1: March twelfth, carrying Commander Ann McLain and pilot Nicole Ayrs

3:40 Speaker 1: from NASA, along with JAKSA astronaut to Kuya Onishi and

3:44 Speaker 1: Roscosmos cosmonaut Kiril Peskov. This new quartet will initially join

3:49 Speaker 1: Expedition seventy two before transitioning to Expedition seventy three in

3:53 Speaker 1: mid April. Meanwhile, crucial research continues aboard the station. The

3:58 Speaker 1: crew has been conducting studies on how weightlessness affects the

4:01 Speaker 1: human body, with particular focus on exercise research. Using specialized

4:06 Speaker 1: equipment that mimics free weights in space, along with sensor

4:09 Speaker 1: equipped vests and headbands, they're gathering valuable data on human

4:13 Speaker 1: adaptation to microgravity. The station's laboratories are also hosting research

4:18 Speaker 1: into house sells sense gravity work that could lead to

4:21 Speaker 1: treatments for space related muscle loss and bone deterioration. This

4:25 Speaker 1: combines with ongoing maintenance tasks, cargo operations, and the unloading

4:29 Speaker 1: of nearly three tons of supplies that recently arrived aboard

4:32 Speaker 1: the progress ninety one cargo spacecraft. All of this activity

4:36 Speaker 1: demonstrates how the International Space Station continues to serve as

4:40 Speaker 1: humanity's premiere orbital laboratory, advancing our understanding of living and

4:44 Speaker 1: working in space, while maintaining its role as a symbol

4:48 Speaker 1: of international cooperation in space exploration. Next an update to

4:53 Speaker 1: yesterday's disappointing news from the Moon Intuitive Machines. Recent moon

4:58 Speaker 1: landing marked a significant milestone owning commercial lunar exploration, though

5:02 Speaker 1: the mission ended earlier than planned. As we reported yesterday.

5:06 Speaker 1: After successfully touching down near the lunar South Pole on

5:09 Speaker 1: March sixth, the company's Nova Sea lander Athena found itself

5:13 Speaker 1: in an unexpected position, resting on its side about one thousand,

5:17 Speaker 1: three hundred feet away from its intended landing site. Despite

5:21 Speaker 1: attempts to salvage the mission, the company has now declared

5:24 Speaker 1: the mission dead. The company confirmed that the mission was

5:27 Speaker 1: dead in an official statement. Despite the challenging situation, the

5:31 Speaker 1: mission wasn't without its achievements. Before its batteries were depleted,

5:35 Speaker 1: the lander managed to collect and transmit valuable data back

5:38 Speaker 1: to Earth. NASA's Prime one experiment suite, including the Trident

5:42 Speaker 1: Lunar drill successfully demonstrated its full range of motion in

5:46 Speaker 1: the harsh space environment. The mission's mass spectrometer also detected

5:50 Speaker 1: various elements, though these were likely from the lander's own

5:53 Speaker 1: propulsion system. The landing site itself is particularly noteworthy, as

5:58 Speaker 1: it represents the closest any spacecraft has ever landed to

6:01 Speaker 1: the lunar South Pole. This region is of special interest

6:04 Speaker 1: to scientists and future explorers due to its potential resources

6:08 Speaker 1: and unique environmental conditions. While the lander's position prevented it

6:12 Speaker 1: from fully operating its drill and other instruments as intended,

6:16 Speaker 1: the mission still managed to transmit about two hundred and

6:19 Speaker 1: fifty megabytes of data before operations concluded. This mission is

6:24 Speaker 1: part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, demonstrating both

6:28 Speaker 1: the progress and challenges in commercial lunar exploration. While not

6:32 Speaker 1: all objectives were met, the experience gained is already informing

6:36 Speaker 1: future missions. Intuitive Machines isn't done with lunar exploration either.

6:42 Speaker 1: They have two more deliveries planned for NASA, with missions

6:44 Speaker 1: scheduled for twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven. The

6:48 Speaker 1: early conclusion of the mission, while disappointing represents the reality

6:53 Speaker 1: of lunar exploration. Its incredibly challenging, and even partial success

6:58 Speaker 1: can provide valuable lessons for future made As we continue

7:02 Speaker 1: to push the boundaries of lunar exploration, each attempt, whether

7:05 Speaker 1: fully successful or not, adds to our understanding and capabilities

7:09 Speaker 1: for future lunar operations. All right, let's move on to

7:13 Speaker 1: a story that's a bit more fun and something you

7:16 Speaker 1: might like to contribute to. NASA is reaching out to

7:19 Speaker 1: the global creative community with an exciting opportunity. They're looking

7:23 Speaker 1: for designers to create a zero gravity indicator for the

7:26 Speaker 1: historic Artemis two mission. These small, plush items serve an

7:31 Speaker 1: important role in spaceflight, providing astronauts and viewers on Earth

7:36 Speaker 1: with a visual indication of when spacecraft reach the weightless

7:39 Speaker 1: environment of space. The contest, which runs until May twenty seventh,

7:45 Speaker 1: asks participants to submit original designs that capture the spirit

7:48 Speaker 1: of NASA's Artemis campaign, the mission itself, or the broader

7:52 Speaker 1: themes of exploration and discovery. The winning design will need

7:56 Speaker 1: to meet specific requirements for materials and size to ensure

8:00 Speaker 1: it's suitable for spaceflight. Artemis two commander Reid Wiseman and

8:04 Speaker 1: his fellow crew members Victor Glover, Christina Coch and Jeremy

8:08 Speaker 1: Hansen will personally select the winning design from up to

8:11 Speaker 1: twenty five finalists, including entries from a special K twelve

8:15 Speaker 1: student division. NASA's Thermal Blanket Lab will then bring the

8:18 Speaker 1: chosen design to life, creating a unique piece of space

8:22 Speaker 1: history that will float alongside the astronauts as they journey

8:24 Speaker 1: around the Moon. This initiative continues NASA's long standing tradition

8:29 Speaker 1: of carrying zero gravity indicators on human spaceflight missions. The

8:33 Speaker 1: International Space Station has hosted numerous plush companions over the years,

8:37 Speaker 1: and during the Uncrude Artemis once mission, a plush snoopy

8:41 Speaker 1: made the journey around the Moon. These seemingly simple items

8:45 Speaker 1: help connect people on Earth to the wonder of space

8:47 Speaker 1: exploration while serving a practical purpose in demonstrating the onset

8:52 Speaker 1: of microgravity. The selected mascot will witness history as part

8:56 Speaker 1: of the first crude flight under NASA's Artemis campaign, traveling

9:00 Speaker 1: aboard the Orion spacecraft as it carries humans around the

9:03 Speaker 1: Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. This

9:06 Speaker 1: mission represents a crucial step in NASA's broader goals of

9:09 Speaker 1: establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon and preparing for

9:13 Speaker 1: future human missions to Mars. If you'd like to find

9:16 Speaker 1: out more and take part in this unique competition, I'll

9:18 Speaker 1: include a link in the show notes. After a long wait,

9:22 Speaker 1: skywatchers across the Americas are in for a spectacular treat

9:25 Speaker 1: on Friday, March fourteenth, as the first total lunar eclipse

9:29 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty five Graces are skies. This celestial event

9:33 Speaker 1: marks the end of what astronomers have called an eclipse drought,

9:36 Speaker 1: with the last total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas

9:40 Speaker 1: occurring back in November twenty twenty two. The show begins

9:44 Speaker 1: in the early hours of Friday morning, with the first

9:47 Speaker 1: subtle changes becoming visible around thirty minutes after the initial

9:50 Speaker 1: p numberal phase starts at three fifty seven Universal time.

9:54 Speaker 1: The real drama kicks off at five oh nine UT

9:57 Speaker 1: or one o nine am Eastern daylight time, when the

10:00 Speaker 1: Moon first encounters Earth's dark umbrel shadow. From there will

10:04 Speaker 1: witness a gradually unfolding spectacle as our natural satellite is

10:07 Speaker 1: slowly engulfed by Earth's shadow. During totality, which lasts just

10:12 Speaker 1: over sixty five minutes and reaches its peak at six

10:14 Speaker 1: fifty nine UT. Observers will have the chance to see

10:17 Speaker 1: the Moon take on its characteristic reddish hue, the famous

10:20 Speaker 1: blood moon effect. This coloration varies from eclipse to eclipse,

10:25 Speaker 1: ranging from bright cherry red to a darker, more subdued tone,

10:28 Speaker 1: depending on the amount of dust and aerosols present in

10:30 Speaker 1: Earth's atmosphere at the time. The Americas are perfectly positioned

10:34 Speaker 1: to witness the entire eclipse from start to finish, while

10:37 Speaker 1: observers in Europe and Western Africa will see the eclipse

10:41 Speaker 1: as the moon sets at sunrise. For those in Australia,

10:44 Speaker 1: New Zealand and northeastern Asia, the moon will rise already eclipsed,

10:49 Speaker 1: creating unique photography opportunities with the darkened Moon against the

10:52 Speaker 1: sunset sky. Unlike a solar eclipse, this lunar spectacle requires

10:57 Speaker 1: no special equipment to observe clear skies and an unobstructed

11:02 Speaker 1: view of the Moon. It's also a much more leisurely event,

11:05 Speaker 1: giving observers plenty of time to take in the changing

11:07 Speaker 1: appearance of our celestial companion as Earth's shadow gradually makes

11:11 Speaker 1: its way across the lunar surface. Interestingly, this eclipse is

11:15 Speaker 1: part of a larger series that includes an almost tetrad

11:18 Speaker 1: of total lunar eclipses spanning twenty twenty five and twenty

11:22 Speaker 1: twenty six. It also kicks off the first eclipse season

11:26 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty five, which will conclude with a deep

11:29 Speaker 1: partial solar eclipse visible from the North Atlantic on March

11:33 Speaker 1: twenty ninth. Finally, today, in an astounding astronomical revelation, scientists

11:39 Speaker 1: have uncovered evidence suggesting the presence of a supermassive black

11:43 Speaker 1: hole in our cosmic backyard. The large Magellanic Cloud, are

11:48 Speaker 1: Galaxy's closest neighboring galaxy, appears to be harboring this cosmic giant,

11:54 Speaker 1: and the evidence comes from an unexpected source, stars that

11:57 Speaker 1: are literally running away from home. Using data from the

12:01 Speaker 1: European Space Agency's Gaya satellite, researchers investigated twenty one hypervelocity stars,

12:08 Speaker 1: celestial bodies moving so rapidly they're actually escaping our galaxy's

12:12 Speaker 1: gravitational pull. What they found was fascinating. While about half

12:17 Speaker 1: of these stellar speedsters were launched by our own galaxies

12:20 Speaker 1: central black hole, the other half seem to have been

12:23 Speaker 1: catapulted by something else something massive lurking in the Large

12:27 Speaker 1: Magellanic Cloud. These hypervelocity stars are created through a cosmic

12:32 Speaker 1: dance of destruction. When a binary star system ventures too

12:36 Speaker 1: close to a supermassive black hole, one star gets captured

12:39 Speaker 1: while its partner is violently ejected at speeds of millions

12:42 Speaker 1: of miles per hour. It's like a cosmic slingshot effect,

12:46 Speaker 1: and by tracking these stellar projectiles backward along their paths,

12:49 Speaker 1: scientists could pinpoint their origin. The team's calculation suggests this

12:54 Speaker 1: hidden behemoth weighs about six hundred thousand times the mass

12:57 Speaker 1: of our Sun. While that might sound enormous, it's actually

13:00 Speaker 1: quite modest, as supermassive black holes go our own galaxies

13:04 Speaker 1: central black hole Sagittarius a star is about seven times

13:07 Speaker 1: more massive. Still, the discovery is remarkable because it's been

13:11 Speaker 1: hiding in plain sight all this time, in a galaxy

13:14 Speaker 1: we can actually see with the naked eye from Earth's

13:17 Speaker 1: southern hemisphere. This finding not only changes our understanding of

13:21 Speaker 1: our galactic neighborhood, but also provides new insights into how

13:24 Speaker 1: smaller galaxies like the Large Magellanic Cloud evolve and interact

13:28 Speaker 1: with their larger neighbors. It's a powerful reminder that even

13:32 Speaker 1: in our cosmic backyard, there are still major discoveries waiting

13:35 Speaker 1: to be made. And that's it for this episode. Thanks

13:40 Speaker 1: for spending time with us today on Astronomy Daily. If

13:43 Speaker 1: you want to stay up to date with all the

13:45 Speaker 1: latest developments in space and astronomy, be sure to visit

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14:10 Speaker 1: As we continue exploring the wonders of our universe together,

14:13 Speaker 1: this has been Anna bringing you the universe one story

14:16 Speaker 1: at a time. Keep looking up and I'll see you

14:18 Speaker 1: next time. Bye. Sunday. Star is so Star is a

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