Asteroid Swarms, China's Tiangong Triumph, and the Fermi Paradox Explained

WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.120
Avery: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.360
the podcast that brings you the latest news

2
00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.280
from across the cosmos. I'm your host, Avery.

3
00:00:08.280 --> 00:00:10.880
Anna: And I'm Ana. It's great to be with you

4
00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:14.000
today, Avery. We'll be looking at a swarm of

5
00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.560
asteroids that could cross Earth's path.

6
00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:19.520
China's latest mission to the Tiangong Space

7
00:00:19.520 --> 00:00:22.520
Station, and a major rocket test from blue

8
00:00:22.520 --> 00:00:23.120
origin.

9
00:00:23.200 --> 00:00:25.840
Avery: We'll also dive into a fascinating new theory

10
00:00:25.840 --> 00:00:28.680
about the Fermi paradox and why we might

11
00:00:28.680 --> 00:00:31.520
not be seeing advanced alien civilizations.

12
00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:34.100
And finally, we'll cover the European Space

13
00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:36.860
Agency's ambitious new plan to keep space

14
00:00:36.940 --> 00:00:38.060
safe for everyone.

15
00:00:38.300 --> 00:00:40.540
Anna: It's a lot to cover, so let's get started.

16
00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:43.580
Avery: Alright, our first story is one that hits

17
00:00:43.580 --> 00:00:46.420
close to home. A new study is focusing

18
00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:49.340
on something called the Taurid Resonance

19
00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:52.210
Swarm. Anna, this sounds a little ominous.

20
00:00:52.290 --> 00:00:54.370
What exactly are we talking about here?

21
00:00:54.850 --> 00:00:57.650
Anna: Well, the Taurids are an annual meteor

22
00:00:57.650 --> 00:01:00.570
shower, but this SWORD swarm is a specific

23
00:01:01.050 --> 00:01:03.530
dense cluster of celestial bodies

24
00:01:03.850 --> 00:01:06.250
within that broader stream of debris.

25
00:01:06.570 --> 00:01:08.850
The concern and the focus of this new

26
00:01:08.850 --> 00:01:11.450
research is that this swarm's orbit could

27
00:01:11.450 --> 00:01:13.530
intersect with Earth's in the future.

28
00:01:14.410 --> 00:01:16.661
Avery: So a, higher potential for impact events.

29
00:01:17.061 --> 00:01:18.741
What are the researchers recommending?

30
00:01:19.301 --> 00:01:22.021
Anna: They're not sounding a five alarm fire just

31
00:01:22.021 --> 00:01:24.661
yet. Instead they're emphasizing the need for

32
00:01:24.661 --> 00:01:27.461
enhanced monitoring and for bolstering our

33
00:01:27.461 --> 00:01:29.941
planetary defense strategies. It's about

34
00:01:29.941 --> 00:01:32.321
understanding the risk more clearly.

35
00:01:32.721 --> 00:01:35.481
Avery: Right? Proactive observation. The study

36
00:01:35.481 --> 00:01:37.361
mentions a couple of specific years.

37
00:01:37.601 --> 00:01:40.081
2032 and 2036.

38
00:01:40.481 --> 00:01:42.001
What's the significance there?

39
00:01:42.401 --> 00:01:44.961
Anna: Those are identified as prime opportunities

40
00:01:45.041 --> 00:01:47.721
for targeted surveys. During those

41
00:01:47.721 --> 00:01:50.281
years, the orbital mechanics will give us a

42
00:01:50.281 --> 00:01:52.601
much better vantage point to observe the

43
00:01:52.601 --> 00:01:55.561
swarm, map out the objects within it, and get

44
00:01:55.561 --> 00:01:58.481
a more accurate assessment of any potential

45
00:01:58.481 --> 00:01:58.881
threat.

46
00:01:59.691 --> 00:02:02.011
Avery: So this is a call to get our best telescopes

47
00:02:02.011 --> 00:02:03.771
ready for some crucial work in the next

48
00:02:03.771 --> 00:02:06.771
decade. A classic case of good science giving

49
00:02:06.771 --> 00:02:09.051
us the foresight we need to stay safe.

50
00:02:09.371 --> 00:02:12.251
Anna: Exactly. And staying safe is always

51
00:02:12.251 --> 00:02:13.051
a good idea.

52
00:02:13.691 --> 00:02:16.531
Avery: Now moving from potential threats to definite

53
00:02:16.531 --> 00:02:18.971
triumphs, let's talk about human spaceflight.

54
00:02:19.211 --> 00:02:22.011
China has successfully launched its 10th crew

55
00:02:22.011 --> 00:02:23.851
to the Tiangong Space Station.

56
00:02:24.741 --> 00:02:27.461
Anna: That's right, avery. The Shinzo 21

57
00:02:27.461 --> 00:02:30.421
mission is now on its way. And by the time

58
00:02:30.421 --> 00:02:32.461
listeners hear this, they should have

59
00:02:32.461 --> 00:02:35.261
arrived. The crew consists of three

60
00:02:35.261 --> 00:02:37.901
taikonauts, and it's a mission with a few

61
00:02:37.901 --> 00:02:39.061
interesting milestones.

62
00:02:39.421 --> 00:02:41.311
Avery: I saw that one of the crew members is the

63
00:02:41.311 --> 00:02:43.751
youngest person China has ever sent to space.

64
00:02:44.391 --> 00:02:47.231
Anna: Yes, just 32 years old. It

65
00:02:47.231 --> 00:02:50.231
shows a new generation of space explorers is

66
00:02:50.231 --> 00:02:53.231
taking flight. And they have a very Busy

67
00:02:53.231 --> 00:02:56.211
schedule ahead. The mission plan includes

68
00:02:56.211 --> 00:02:59.091
27 new scientific experiments to

69
00:02:59.091 --> 00:03:00.371
be conducted on the station.

70
00:03:00.931 --> 00:03:03.861
Avery: 27. That's a heavy workload. Anything

71
00:03:03.941 --> 00:03:05.861
particularly noteworthy in that list?

72
00:03:06.741 --> 00:03:09.621
Anna: One experiment that stands out is a study

73
00:03:09.621 --> 00:03:12.501
on rodent mammals in orbit. This

74
00:03:12.501 --> 00:03:15.301
kind of biological research is fundamental to

75
00:03:15.301 --> 00:03:18.021
understanding how microgravity affects

76
00:03:18.181 --> 00:03:21.091
complex living organisms over time. We

77
00:03:21.161 --> 00:03:23.521
which is crucial for planning long duration

78
00:03:23.521 --> 00:03:26.441
missions to the moon or Mars, of course.

79
00:03:26.921 --> 00:03:28.841
Avery: And the launch itself was remarkably

80
00:03:28.841 --> 00:03:29.881
efficient, wasn't it?

81
00:03:30.281 --> 00:03:33.081
Anna: Extremely. The launch was flawless. And

82
00:03:33.081 --> 00:03:36.041
the spacecraft is on a fast track trajectory.

83
00:03:36.361 --> 00:03:38.961
It's expected to rendezvous and dock with the

84
00:03:38.961 --> 00:03:41.481
Tiangong Space Station in a record

85
00:03:41.481 --> 00:03:43.081
setting. Three and a half hours.

86
00:03:43.801 --> 00:03:46.241
Avery: Three and a half hours. That's faster than

87
00:03:46.241 --> 00:03:48.561
some cross country flights. It's incredible

88
00:03:48.561 --> 00:03:51.321
to see that process become so refined. A

89
00:03:51.321 --> 00:03:53.201
huge success for the Chinese space program.

90
00:03:54.241 --> 00:03:56.521
Next up, we have some exciting news from the

91
00:03:56.521 --> 00:03:58.481
commercial space industry here in the U.S.

92
00:03:58.961 --> 00:04:01.561
blue Origin has hit a major milestone with

93
00:04:01.561 --> 00:04:03.601
its massive New Glenn rocket.

94
00:04:04.401 --> 00:04:06.801
Anna: Yes, this is a big step forward for them.

95
00:04:07.281 --> 00:04:09.761
They successfully completed a 40 second

96
00:04:09.841 --> 00:04:12.561
static fire test of the New Glenn's first

97
00:04:12.561 --> 00:04:15.441
stage. This involves firing up the seven

98
00:04:15.521 --> 00:04:18.060
BE4 engines while the rocket is

99
00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:19.900
securely bolted to the launch pad.

100
00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:22.900
Avery: The final big dress rehearsal before an

101
00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:25.700
actual launch. And this first launch has a

102
00:04:25.700 --> 00:04:27.340
very important payload.

103
00:04:27.820 --> 00:04:30.780
Anna: It does. This test is a crucial milestone

104
00:04:30.780 --> 00:04:33.420
for the upcoming launch of NASA's Escapade

105
00:04:33.420 --> 00:04:36.140
mission. New Glenn's inaugural flight is

106
00:04:36.140 --> 00:04:39.020
slated to carry these twin spacecraft which

107
00:04:39.020 --> 00:04:41.780
are designed to orbit Mars and study its

108
00:04:41.780 --> 00:04:43.180
unique magnetosphere.

109
00:04:43.781 --> 00:04:46.621
Avery: Sending a NASA planetary science mission on

110
00:04:46.621 --> 00:04:49.141
the very first flight of a new rocket.

111
00:04:49.301 --> 00:04:50.981
That's a huge vote of confidence.

112
00:04:51.621 --> 00:04:54.381
Anna: It certainly is. And in the spirit of

113
00:04:54.381 --> 00:04:56.941
reusability, Blue Origin will also be

114
00:04:56.941 --> 00:04:59.261
attempting to recover the first stage booster

115
00:04:59.261 --> 00:05:01.901
after launch. They'll land it on a drone ship

116
00:05:01.901 --> 00:05:02.901
out in the Atlantic.

117
00:05:03.141 --> 00:05:05.541
Avery: I heard they gave the booster a special name

118
00:05:05.541 --> 00:05:06.421
for this mission.

119
00:05:06.661 --> 00:05:09.501
Anna: They did. In a wonderful nod to Star wars.

120
00:05:09.501 --> 00:05:12.261
The booster is named Never tell me the odds.

121
00:05:13.371 --> 00:05:15.731
Avery: That's brilliant. You have to appreciate the

122
00:05:15.731 --> 00:05:18.331
humor. Let's hope the odds are ever in its

123
00:05:18.331 --> 00:05:18.811
favor.

124
00:05:19.291 --> 00:05:21.051
Anna: Can't you just see the meetings where they

125
00:05:21.051 --> 00:05:23.371
come up with these names? A bit of space fun.

126
00:05:24.651 --> 00:05:27.531
Avery: Okay, for our next story, we're shifting

127
00:05:27.531 --> 00:05:30.171
from the practical to the highly theoretical.

128
00:05:30.411 --> 00:05:32.131
We're talking about one of the biggest

129
00:05:32.131 --> 00:05:34.811
questions in all of science, the Fermi

130
00:05:34.811 --> 00:05:37.771
paradox. The famous question of where

131
00:05:37.771 --> 00:05:38.571
is everybody?

132
00:05:39.141 --> 00:05:41.341
Anna: It's a question that has puzzled scientists

133
00:05:41.341 --> 00:05:44.261
for decades. Given the sheer number of stars

134
00:05:44.261 --> 00:05:47.181
and planets, the universe should be teeming

135
00:05:47.181 --> 00:05:49.701
with technological life. Yet we see no

136
00:05:49.701 --> 00:05:52.261
evidence of it. A New study proposes an

137
00:05:52.261 --> 00:05:54.661
answer it calls the Radical Mundanity

138
00:05:54.661 --> 00:05:55.301
principle.

139
00:05:55.621 --> 00:05:58.421
Avery: Radical Mundanity? It sounds like the

140
00:05:58.421 --> 00:06:01.061
opposite of science fiction. What's the idea?

141
00:06:01.701 --> 00:06:03.741
Anna: The principle suggests that we might be

142
00:06:03.741 --> 00:06:06.421
making a flawed assumption. We assume that

143
00:06:06.421 --> 00:06:09.101
technological civilizations will inevitably

144
00:06:09.101 --> 00:06:11.441
progress to super adv. Advanced levels,

145
00:06:11.681 --> 00:06:14.561
building Dyson spheres, colonizing galaxies,

146
00:06:14.561 --> 00:06:15.281
and so on.

147
00:06:15.761 --> 00:06:17.881
Avery: Right. Things that would be pretty easy to

148
00:06:17.881 --> 00:06:18.881
spot from a distance.

149
00:06:19.361 --> 00:06:22.361
Anna: Exactly. Radical Mundanity proposes that

150
00:06:22.361 --> 00:06:24.681
this kind of super advancement might not be

151
00:06:24.681 --> 00:06:26.961
possible, or that it's just not a path

152
00:06:26.961 --> 00:06:29.561
civilizations take. Instead, they might hit

153
00:06:29.561 --> 00:06:32.521
technological plateaus or face existential

154
00:06:32.521 --> 00:06:34.561
crises that prevent them from becoming

155
00:06:34.641 --> 00:06:36.001
galactic superpowers.

156
00:06:36.571 --> 00:06:38.731
Avery: So they could be out there, but they're just

157
00:06:38.971 --> 00:06:41.451
quieter, harder to detect because they aren't

158
00:06:41.451 --> 00:06:43.291
rearranging star systems for energy.

159
00:06:44.011 --> 00:06:46.051
Anna: That's the conclusion of the study. It

160
00:06:46.051 --> 00:06:48.131
suggests there might be a modest number of

161
00:06:48.131 --> 00:06:50.091
civilizations out there with technology

162
00:06:50.251 --> 00:06:52.771
levels that are only modestly higher than our

163
00:06:52.771 --> 00:06:55.371
own. Their technosignatures would be far

164
00:06:55.371 --> 00:06:56.891
fainter and harder to find.

165
00:06:57.291 --> 00:06:59.491
Avery: That's a really humbling thought. It changes

166
00:06:59.491 --> 00:07:01.691
the search from looking for gods to looking

167
00:07:01.691 --> 00:07:04.231
for peers. It makes the silence of the

168
00:07:04.231 --> 00:07:06.271
universe feel a bit less absolute.

169
00:07:06.751 --> 00:07:09.191
Anna: For our final story today, let's look at how

170
00:07:09.191 --> 00:07:11.311
we are working to protect our corner of the

171
00:07:11.311 --> 00:07:13.951
galaxy. The European Space Agency, or

172
00:07:13.951 --> 00:07:16.711
esa, is significantly expanding its

173
00:07:16.711 --> 00:07:18.031
space safety program.

174
00:07:18.750 --> 00:07:20.551
Avery: This sounds like a great idea from the

175
00:07:20.551 --> 00:07:21.951
Europeans. Tell me more.

176
00:07:22.591 --> 00:07:25.391
Anna: This is a really important initiative. Space

177
00:07:25.391 --> 00:07:28.311
is an environment with a lot of hazards, both

178
00:07:28.311 --> 00:07:31.171
natural and man made. ESA is taking a

179
00:07:31.171 --> 00:07:33.291
comprehensive approach to counter threats

180
00:07:33.291 --> 00:07:35.771
like asteroids, powerful solar storms,

181
00:07:35.931 --> 00:07:38.491
and the growing problem of space debris.

182
00:07:38.891 --> 00:07:41.171
Avery: Let's break that down. What are some of the

183
00:07:41.171 --> 00:07:42.491
key missions involved?

184
00:07:43.211 --> 00:07:45.651
Anna: On the space weather front, a cornerstone

185
00:07:45.651 --> 00:07:48.331
mission is Vigil. It will be a dedicated

186
00:07:48.331 --> 00:07:50.731
observatory positioned to give us advanced

187
00:07:50.731 --> 00:07:53.131
warnings of potentially dangerous solar

188
00:07:53.131 --> 00:07:55.211
flares and coronal mass ejection.

189
00:07:56.021 --> 00:07:58.461
Avery: Critical for protecting satellites and even

190
00:07:58.461 --> 00:08:01.061
power grids on Earth and for planetary

191
00:08:01.061 --> 00:08:01.541
defense.

192
00:08:02.021 --> 00:08:04.421
Anna: They are continuing with the HERA mission,

193
00:08:04.501 --> 00:08:07.061
which will study the aftermath of NASA's dart

194
00:08:07.061 --> 00:08:09.821
impact. And they're developing a new mission

195
00:08:09.821 --> 00:08:12.421
called Ramses, which is a rapid

196
00:08:12.421 --> 00:08:14.821
response interceptor concept for asteroids.

197
00:08:15.301 --> 00:08:17.901
Avery: Okay, that covers the natural threats, but

198
00:08:17.901 --> 00:08:20.261
what about the junk we've created ourselves?

199
00:08:20.661 --> 00:08:23.301
Anna: That's arguably the biggest part of the new

200
00:08:23.301 --> 00:08:26.291
strategy. The the program is heavily focused

201
00:08:26.291 --> 00:08:29.291
on active debris cleanup missions. But

202
00:08:29.291 --> 00:08:32.211
even more importantly, ESA is pushing

203
00:08:32.211 --> 00:08:35.011
for what it calls a zero debris approach for

204
00:08:35.011 --> 00:08:37.851
all future satellites. The goal is

205
00:08:37.851 --> 00:08:39.571
to stop adding to the problem.

206
00:08:40.290 --> 00:08:42.300
Avery: A, leave no trace policy for space.

207
00:08:42.860 --> 00:08:45.660
That's fantastic. It's absolutely essential

208
00:08:45.660 --> 00:08:47.660
if we want to ensure that space remains

209
00:08:47.660 --> 00:08:49.980
usable and safe for generations to come.

210
00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:51.810
Anna: Amen to that.

211
00:08:52.290 --> 00:08:54.170
Avery: And that's all the time we have for today's

212
00:08:54.170 --> 00:08:57.130
episode of Astronomy Daily. From asteroids in

213
00:08:57.130 --> 00:08:59.410
our neighborhood to the grandest cosmic

214
00:08:59.410 --> 00:09:01.450
questions, there's always something new to

215
00:09:01.450 --> 00:09:01.890
discover.

216
00:09:02.610 --> 00:09:05.370
Anna: It really demonstrates the incredible range

217
00:09:05.370 --> 00:09:07.890
of activity and research happening in space

218
00:09:07.890 --> 00:09:09.570
science every single day.

219
00:09:10.210 --> 00:09:12.450
Avery: A huge thank you for tuning in. For more

220
00:09:12.450 --> 00:09:14.250
details on all the stories we discussed

221
00:09:14.250 --> 00:09:16.080
today, please visit our website at,

222
00:09:16.030 --> 00:09:18.740
astronomydaily.IO until next

223
00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:20.100
time. I'm Avery.

224
00:09:20.580 --> 00:09:23.140
Anna: And I'm Anna. Keep looking up.