Astronauts Homeward Bound, Sun's Secrets Unveiled, and Uranus's Heat Revelation

WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.840
Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of

1
00:00:02.840 --> 00:00:05.720
cosmic updates and celestial wonders. I'm your

2
00:00:05.720 --> 00:00:08.640
host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to dive into some truly

3
00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.640
captivating space news with you today. First,

4
00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:14.520
we'll be looking at the return trip of private astronauts from

5
00:00:14.520 --> 00:00:17.280
the International Space Station after an extended stay

6
00:00:17.520 --> 00:00:20.200
highlighting their incredible work and a new splashdown

7
00:00:20.200 --> 00:00:23.160
location. Then we'll zoom in on our very own star,

8
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:26.160
the sun, as NASA's Parker Solar Probe sends

9
00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.870
back the closest ever images, revealing

10
00:00:28.870 --> 00:00:31.790
groundbreaking insights into solar weather. Our

11
00:00:31.790 --> 00:00:34.150
journey continues with a global launch roundup

12
00:00:34.470 --> 00:00:37.350
featuring a busy week for space agencies worldwide,

13
00:00:37.510 --> 00:00:40.270
including cargo resupply missions, maiden

14
00:00:40.270 --> 00:00:42.910
rocket flights and a flurry of Internet satellite

15
00:00:42.910 --> 00:00:45.790
deployments. And finally, we'll uncover

16
00:00:45.790 --> 00:00:48.550
a surprising new discovery about the distant ice

17
00:00:48.550 --> 00:00:51.310
giant Uranus that might just rewrite its

18
00:00:51.310 --> 00:00:54.130
planetary history and bolster the case for a

19
00:00:54.130 --> 00:00:57.010
future mission. So buckle up because there's a lot to

20
00:00:57.010 --> 00:00:57.450
explore.

21
00:00:58.890 --> 00:01:01.850
We kick things off today with news from above our heads

22
00:01:02.010 --> 00:01:04.610
as the four intrepid astronauts of Axiom

23
00:01:04.610 --> 00:01:07.290
Space's latest private mission, AX4,

24
00:01:07.530 --> 00:01:10.249
have successfully concluded their stay aboard the International

25
00:01:10.410 --> 00:01:12.970
Space Station and are, uh, currently headed home.

26
00:01:13.610 --> 00:01:16.610
Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, aptly named

27
00:01:16.610 --> 00:01:19.530
Grace, undocked from the ISS this morning,

28
00:01:19.530 --> 00:01:22.500
July 14, marking the final leg of

29
00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:25.300
their journey back to Earth. The undocking

30
00:01:25.300 --> 00:01:27.620
happened precisely at 7:15am

31
00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:30.220
EDT. Grace then gracefully

32
00:01:30.220 --> 00:01:33.180
maneuvered away from the orbital laboratory which had been

33
00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:36.060
the AX4 crew's home for the past two and a half

34
00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:39.060
weeks. This was actually a bit longer than their

35
00:01:39.060 --> 00:01:42.020
originally planned two week stay, giving them even

36
00:01:42.020 --> 00:01:44.260
more time to complete their extensive research.

37
00:01:45.140 --> 00:01:47.660
Leading the AX4 mission was Commander Peggy

38
00:01:47.660 --> 00:01:50.250
Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and now

39
00:01:50.250 --> 00:01:53.210
Axiom's Director of Human Spaceflight. As

40
00:01:53.210 --> 00:01:55.810
Grace cleared the isss safety keep out

41
00:01:55.810 --> 00:01:58.690
sphere, Whitson transmitted a heartfelt message

42
00:01:58.690 --> 00:02:01.610
saying Space Station grace, the AX4 crew wants

43
00:02:01.610 --> 00:02:04.329
to thank you very much for your support. You guys are

44
00:02:04.329 --> 00:02:06.930
amazing. This mission marks

45
00:02:06.930 --> 00:02:09.490
Whitson's fifth trip to orbit, pushing her

46
00:02:09.490 --> 00:02:12.330
impressive record for most cumulative days in space by

47
00:02:12.330 --> 00:02:15.250
an American to an incredible 695

48
00:02:15.250 --> 00:02:18.180
days. Her crewmates included pilot

49
00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:21.140
Shubanshu Shuks Shukla and mission

50
00:02:21.140 --> 00:02:24.100
specialists Slawas Suave, Uznansky

51
00:02:24.100 --> 00:02:27.020
Wisniewski and Tibor Kapu. What's

52
00:02:27.020 --> 00:02:29.940
particularly exciting is that this was the first space flight for

53
00:02:29.940 --> 00:02:32.700
Shucks, Suave and Kapu. And they also

54
00:02:32.700 --> 00:02:35.620
made history as the first citizens of India, Poland and

55
00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:38.580
Hungary respectively to launch on a mission to the

56
00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:41.460
International Space Station. Throughout their

57
00:02:41.460 --> 00:02:44.130
time in microgravity, the AX4 crew

58
00:02:44.130 --> 00:02:46.770
undertook more than 60 experiments and technology

59
00:02:46.850 --> 00:02:49.450
demonstrations with contributions from a

60
00:02:49.450 --> 00:02:52.290
remarkable 31 different nations. They

61
00:02:52.290 --> 00:02:55.250
also participated in numerous public outreach events,

62
00:02:55.330 --> 00:02:58.290
setting a new record for Axiom as the company continues to

63
00:02:58.290 --> 00:03:00.050
refine its orbital operations.

64
00:03:01.090 --> 00:03:03.930
Launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from

65
00:03:03.930 --> 00:03:06.850
NASA's storied Launch Complex 39A in

66
00:03:06.850 --> 00:03:09.770
Florida on June 26, the crew spent just

67
00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:12.530
over a day catching up to the International Space Station

68
00:03:13.170 --> 00:03:16.170
after their extended mission. The departure procedures began

69
00:03:16.170 --> 00:03:19.130
early this morning with the crew entering Grace and closing

70
00:03:19.130 --> 00:03:22.130
the hatch. Now Grace and its crew are on a

71
00:03:22.130 --> 00:03:25.130
22.5 hour trajectory, set to splash

72
00:03:25.130 --> 00:03:27.890
down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California

73
00:03:28.130 --> 00:03:30.290
early on Tuesday, Eastern Daylight Time.

74
00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:33.210
This will be a notable event as it's only

75
00:03:33.210 --> 00:03:35.730
SpaceX's second West coast crew recovery.

76
00:03:36.230 --> 00:03:38.630
Following the Crew 9 ISS mission in March,

77
00:03:39.110 --> 00:03:41.870
SpaceX has made a permanent shift to Pacific Ocean

78
00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:44.870
recoveries instead of the Atlantic or Gulf, a uh

79
00:03:44.990 --> 00:03:47.910
change driven by instances of debris from Dragon's trunk

80
00:03:47.910 --> 00:03:50.870
surviving atmospheric reentry and crashing back to Earth.

81
00:03:51.590 --> 00:03:54.590
This new re entry path significantly minimizes the

82
00:03:54.590 --> 00:03:57.350
chances of such debris causing any damage or injury,

83
00:03:57.830 --> 00:03:59.590
prioritizing safety for everyone.

84
00:04:01.110 --> 00:04:03.830
Now let's turn our gaze to our closest star, the sun,

85
00:04:04.230 --> 00:04:06.670
where NASA's Parker Solar Probe continues to

86
00:04:06.670 --> 00:04:09.490
redefine our understanding. Understanding this

87
00:04:09.490 --> 00:04:12.170
incredible spacecraft is certainly no stranger to

88
00:04:12.170 --> 00:04:15.106
breaking records. On December 24,

89
00:04:15.234 --> 00:04:18.090
2024, Parker made history by flying

90
00:04:18.090 --> 00:04:20.850
closer to the sun than any spacecraft ever,

91
00:04:21.010 --> 00:04:23.809
reaching a mere 3.8 million miles from the

92
00:04:23.809 --> 00:04:26.610
solar surface. In doing so, it

93
00:04:26.610 --> 00:04:29.490
entered the outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, the

94
00:04:29.490 --> 00:04:32.370
corona. During this daring flyby, it

95
00:04:32.370 --> 00:04:35.370
also broke its own record as the fastest human made

96
00:04:35.370 --> 00:04:38.030
object, soaring at an astonishing

97
00:04:38.030 --> 00:04:39.830
430,000 miles per hour.

98
00:04:40.790 --> 00:04:43.670
Recently, NASA released some truly remarkable video

99
00:04:43.670 --> 00:04:45.990
footage captured during this historic flyby,

100
00:04:46.390 --> 00:04:49.390
offering us the closest views of the sun ever

101
00:04:49.390 --> 00:04:52.349
recorded. These groundbreaking images were

102
00:04:52.349 --> 00:04:54.990
captured by Parker's Wide Field Imager for Solar

103
00:04:54.990 --> 00:04:57.950
Probe or Wispiar, revealing a uh, never before

104
00:04:57.950 --> 00:05:00.510
seen perspective of the Sun's corona and the solar

105
00:05:00.510 --> 00:05:02.710
winds shortly after they're released from it.

106
00:05:03.520 --> 00:05:06.360
As Nikki Fox, Associate Administrator for the Science

107
00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.880
Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, noted,

108
00:05:09.200 --> 00:05:12.200
Parker Solar Probe has once again transported us into

109
00:05:12.200 --> 00:05:14.640
the dynamic atmosphere of our closest star.

110
00:05:15.200 --> 00:05:17.720
She emphasized the incredible advantage of

111
00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:20.720
witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin

112
00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:23.840
with our eyes, not just with models.

113
00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.680
This new data is set to vastly improve

114
00:05:27.840 --> 00:05:30.690
our space weather predictions, enhancing

115
00:05:30.690 --> 00:05:33.610
the safety of our astronauts and the protection

116
00:05:33.610 --> 00:05:36.370
of our vital technology both on Earth and

117
00:05:36.370 --> 00:05:39.210
throughout the solar system. WISPR's

118
00:05:39.210 --> 00:05:41.770
images have unveiled an important boundary within the Sun's

119
00:05:41.770 --> 00:05:44.690
atmosphere known as the heliospheric current sheet,

120
00:05:44.690 --> 00:05:47.650
where the Sun's magnetic field Dramatically shifts direction

121
00:05:47.650 --> 00:05:50.210
from north to south. Even more impressively,

122
00:05:50.450 --> 00:05:53.010
it captured for the first time in high resolution

123
00:05:53.330 --> 00:05:56.130
collisions between multiple coronal mass ejections,

124
00:05:56.470 --> 00:05:59.430
or CMEs. These CMEs are major drivers

125
00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:02.190
of space weather and are crucial for understanding

126
00:06:02.190 --> 00:06:04.550
risks to astronauts and Earth based technology

127
00:06:05.110 --> 00:06:07.590
like power grids and communication satellites.

128
00:06:07.830 --> 00:06:10.390
Angelus Vorlidas, the Whisper instrument

129
00:06:10.390 --> 00:06:13.270
scientist, explained that in these images, we're

130
00:06:13.270 --> 00:06:16.190
seeing the CMEs basically piling up on top of

131
00:06:16.190 --> 00:06:18.830
one another. We're using this to figure out how the

132
00:06:18.830 --> 00:06:21.430
CMEs merge together. Before the

133
00:06:21.430 --> 00:06:24.150
Parker Solar Probe, NASA and its international

134
00:06:24.310 --> 00:06:26.950
partners could only study solar wind from a distance.

135
00:06:27.460 --> 00:06:30.460
That's why Parker has been instrumental in bridging key knowledge

136
00:06:30.460 --> 00:06:33.340
gaps. It identified the widespread presence

137
00:06:33.340 --> 00:06:36.300
of switchbacks, which are zigzagging magnetic

138
00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:38.420
field patterns Even at distances of around

139
00:06:38.420 --> 00:06:40.660
14.7 million miles from the sun,

140
00:06:40.980 --> 00:06:43.940
linking them directly to the origins of one of the two main

141
00:06:43.940 --> 00:06:46.900
types of solar wind. Closer in, at just

142
00:06:46.900 --> 00:06:49.740
8 million miles, Parker revealed that the boundary of the

143
00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:52.620
Sun's corona Is far more uneven and complex

144
00:06:52.620 --> 00:06:55.370
Than previously imagined. But the

145
00:06:55.370 --> 00:06:58.130
probe's discoveries didn't stop there. The big

146
00:06:58.130 --> 00:07:00.930
unknown has always been how solar wind is generated

147
00:07:01.010 --> 00:07:03.650
and how it manages to escape the Sun's immense

148
00:07:03.650 --> 00:07:05.890
gravitational pull. Noor

149
00:07:05.890 --> 00:07:08.810
Rawafi, the project scientist for Parker Solar

150
00:07:08.810 --> 00:07:11.770
Probe, Described understanding this continuous flow

151
00:07:11.770 --> 00:07:14.290
of particles, especially the slow solar wind,

152
00:07:14.530 --> 00:07:17.130
as a major challenge, Particularly given the

153
00:07:17.130 --> 00:07:19.330
diversity in the properties of these streams.

154
00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:22.220
However, thanks to Parker Solar Probe,

155
00:07:22.460 --> 00:07:25.140
scientists are closer than ever to uncovering their

156
00:07:25.140 --> 00:07:28.020
origins and how they evolve. Prior to

157
00:07:28.020 --> 00:07:30.900
Parker Solar Probe, distant observations suggested there

158
00:07:30.900 --> 00:07:33.860
were two varieties of slow solar wind differentiated

159
00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:36.780
by the orientation or variability of their magnetic

160
00:07:36.780 --> 00:07:39.340
fields. One type, called alphenic,

161
00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:42.380
Exhibits small scale switchbacks, While the second,

162
00:07:42.540 --> 00:07:45.540
non alphenic, does not. As it spiraled

163
00:07:45.540 --> 00:07:48.440
closer to the Sun, Parker confirmed the existence of

164
00:07:48.440 --> 00:07:51.160
both types. Its close up views are also

165
00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:53.960
helping scientists distinguish the origins of these two

166
00:07:53.960 --> 00:07:56.600
unique types. It's believed that the non

167
00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:59.400
alvenic wind May emerge From features called

168
00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:02.120
helmet streamers, Large loops connecting

169
00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.960
active regions where some particles can heat up enough to

170
00:08:04.960 --> 00:08:07.840
escape. While the alphenic wind might originate near

171
00:08:07.840 --> 00:08:10.760
coronal holes, which are dark, cooler regions in

172
00:08:10.760 --> 00:08:13.640
the corona. As Adam Sabo, Parker Solar

173
00:08:13.640 --> 00:08:16.180
Probe mission scientist, put it in we don't have a final

174
00:08:16.180 --> 00:08:18.940
consensus yet, but we have a whole lot of new intriguing data.

175
00:08:19.900 --> 00:08:22.780
So how does the Parker Solar Probe Manage to endure

176
00:08:22.780 --> 00:08:25.580
such extreme conditions? From the freezing

177
00:08:25.580 --> 00:08:28.460
cold of deep space to the intense heat near the Sun?

178
00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:32.020
A, uh, key factor in its survival lies in the fundamental

179
00:08:32.020 --> 00:08:34.900
difference between temperature and heat. While the

180
00:08:34.900 --> 00:08:37.660
space near the sun can reach temperatures of several million

181
00:08:37.660 --> 00:08:40.660
degrees, this doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of heat

182
00:08:40.660 --> 00:08:43.390
transferred. This is because the Sun's corona is

183
00:08:43.390 --> 00:08:46.230
incredibly thin, meaning there are far fewer

184
00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:48.910
particles. Even though individual particles in the

185
00:08:48.910 --> 00:08:51.830
corona are exceptionally hot, their scarcity

186
00:08:51.830 --> 00:08:54.470
means the probe doesn't receive much actual heat.

187
00:08:55.110 --> 00:08:57.910
NASA scientists explain that while the probe travels

188
00:08:57.910 --> 00:09:00.550
through space with temperatures of several million degrees,

189
00:09:00.870 --> 00:09:03.870
the surface of its heat shield facing the sun will only be

190
00:09:03.870 --> 00:09:06.710
heated to about 2500°F,

191
00:09:07.040 --> 00:09:09.520
or roughly 1400°C.

192
00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:13.120
These temperatures are, of course, still incredibly hot,

193
00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.200
which makes its robust heat shield, the Thermal

194
00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:18.960
Protection System, or tps, absolutely essential.

195
00:09:19.680 --> 00:09:22.640
This shield is crafted from a carbon composite foam

196
00:09:22.880 --> 00:09:25.800
sandwiched between two carbon plates. Carbon

197
00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:28.400
is an ideal material for this purpose because it is both

198
00:09:28.400 --> 00:09:31.040
remarkably lightweight and capable of

199
00:09:31.040 --> 00:09:33.760
withstanding extremely high temperatures without melting.

200
00:09:34.820 --> 00:09:37.700
Tested to withstand up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit,

201
00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:40.580
or 1,650 degrees Celsius,

202
00:09:40.900 --> 00:09:43.740
the TPS can handle any heat the sun sends

203
00:09:43.740 --> 00:09:46.140
its way, keeping almost all the probe's

204
00:09:46.140 --> 00:09:48.860
instrumentation safe. Its unique structure

205
00:09:48.860 --> 00:09:51.540
enables it to endure intense heat while minimizing

206
00:09:51.540 --> 00:09:54.540
weight, a crucial factor for a spacecraft designed to

207
00:09:54.540 --> 00:09:56.260
travel at such extreme speeds.

208
00:09:57.220 --> 00:10:00.140
Furthermore, the outer surface of the TPS is coated with a

209
00:10:00.140 --> 00:10:03.080
white ceramic paint designed to reflect as much solar

210
00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:05.920
energy as possible and further reduce the amount of heat

211
00:10:05.920 --> 00:10:06.560
absorbed.

212
00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.960
Next, let's look at this week's launch schedule. And

213
00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.920
this week has certainly been a whirlwind in the world of space

214
00:10:13.920 --> 00:10:16.840
launches, with multiple missions lifting off from

215
00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:19.800
sites across the globe. First, from

216
00:10:19.800 --> 00:10:22.480
China, their latest cargo supply mission to the

217
00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.200
Tiangong Space Station successfully lifted off

218
00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.600
The Chang Geng 7 rocket. Launched the Tianzhou 9

219
00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:31.400
cargo vehicle from the Wencheng space launch site on

220
00:10:31.400 --> 00:10:34.350
Monday, July 14. This mission brings

221
00:10:34.350 --> 00:10:36.830
essential supplies for the Shenzhou 20 crew,

222
00:10:37.150 --> 00:10:40.070
including food, life support, scientific experiments,

223
00:10:40.070 --> 00:10:42.750
and propellants. Notably, it also

224
00:10:42.750 --> 00:10:45.470
delivered two upgraded Fei Shen extravehicular

225
00:10:45.470 --> 00:10:47.790
activity suits designed for extensive use.

226
00:10:48.430 --> 00:10:51.390
Tianzhou 9 is expected to spend six to seven months

227
00:10:51.390 --> 00:10:53.630
at the station carrying a substantial

228
00:10:53.630 --> 00:10:56.030
7,400kg of cargo,

229
00:10:56.350 --> 00:10:59.110
showcasing China's robust orbital resupply

230
00:10:59.110 --> 00:11:01.620
capabilities. Meanwhile, a significant

231
00:11:01.700 --> 00:11:03.620
milestone is on the horizon for Australia.

232
00:11:04.260 --> 00:11:07.180
Gilmour Space is gearing up to try again for its second attempt

233
00:11:07.180 --> 00:11:10.020
at the maiden launch of its Eris small satellite rocket this

234
00:11:10.020 --> 00:11:13.020
Wednesday, July 16, from the Bowen Orbital

235
00:11:13.020 --> 00:11:15.859
Spaceport. This pivotal launch follows a

236
00:11:15.859 --> 00:11:18.540
previous stand down in May due to an unexpected

237
00:11:18.540 --> 00:11:21.540
power surge. Now mitigated, this three

238
00:11:21.540 --> 00:11:24.500
stage Eris launcher, proudly Australian made,

239
00:11:24.740 --> 00:11:27.560
is poised to become the very first orbital launch from

240
00:11:27.630 --> 00:11:30.230
from Australian soil performed by a sovereign built

241
00:11:30.230 --> 00:11:33.230
vehicle. Standing at 25 meters tall,

242
00:11:33.310 --> 00:11:36.110
Eris can carry payloads of up to 215

243
00:11:36.190 --> 00:11:39.110
kilograms to a 500 kilometer Sun Synchronous

244
00:11:39.110 --> 00:11:41.790
Orbit. Its first stage uses unique

245
00:11:41.790 --> 00:11:44.430
hybrid Sirius engines and a successful

246
00:11:44.430 --> 00:11:47.070
orbital launch would also mark a historic first

247
00:11:47.310 --> 00:11:49.470
for a hybrid rocket design globally.

248
00:11:50.270 --> 00:11:53.030
Gilmour Space recently partnered with Tokyo based

249
00:11:53.030 --> 00:11:55.740
Space bd, opening up opportunities for

250
00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:57.980
Japanese and global satellite customers.

251
00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:01.500
And Speaking of busy, SpaceX continues its

252
00:12:01.500 --> 00:12:04.020
relentless pace with a packed schedule of

253
00:12:04.020 --> 00:12:06.700
launches, predominantly expanding Internet

254
00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:09.580
satellite constellations earlier this week,

255
00:12:09.660 --> 00:12:12.660
a Falcon 9 rocket launched 26 Starlink

256
00:12:12.660 --> 00:12:15.540
VTU mini Internet satellites into low Earth

257
00:12:15.540 --> 00:12:18.540
orbit from Vandenberg, California. This particular

258
00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:21.020
launch was significant as it marked the

259
00:12:21.020 --> 00:12:23.940
150th consecutive successful mission for a Falcon

260
00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:26.100
rocket since an anomaly back in July

261
00:12:26.100 --> 00:12:28.900
2024. A truly remarkable streak.

262
00:12:29.700 --> 00:12:32.540
Looking ahead, SpaceX is also set to launch its very

263
00:12:32.540 --> 00:12:35.500
first contracted batch of Amazon's Kuiper satellites

264
00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:38.500
this Wednesday, July 16th from Cape Canaveral in

265
00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:41.300
Florida. Project Kuiper is Amazon's direct

266
00:12:41.300 --> 00:12:44.260
competitor to Starlink, aiming to build its own

267
00:12:44.260 --> 00:12:47.030
massive Internet constellation. This mission will

268
00:12:47.030 --> 00:12:49.630
carry at least 20 of these crucial

269
00:12:49.630 --> 00:12:52.430
satellites. Amazon faces ambitious

270
00:12:52.430 --> 00:12:55.430
deadlines, needing to launch its full constellation of

271
00:12:55.430 --> 00:12:58.350
over 3200 satellites by

272
00:12:58.350 --> 00:13:01.270
July 2029, with half required by

273
00:13:01.270 --> 00:13:04.110
July 2026. This requires numerous

274
00:13:04.110 --> 00:13:07.110
launches across various providers. To

275
00:13:07.110 --> 00:13:09.990
round out SpaceX's week. Two more Starlink launches

276
00:13:09.990 --> 00:13:12.938
are scheduled from Vandenberg. On Wednesday, July

277
00:13:13.042 --> 00:13:15.870
16, another Falcon 9 will launch satellites

278
00:13:15.870 --> 00:13:18.790
into Starlink's Group 17 shell, flying into

279
00:13:18.790 --> 00:13:21.430
a highly inclined sun synchronous orbit.

280
00:13:21.670 --> 00:13:24.670
And finally, on Sunday, July 20, a third

281
00:13:24.670 --> 00:13:27.150
batch of Starlink satellites will launch from the same

282
00:13:27.150 --> 00:13:30.110
California pad, completing a remarkably busy

283
00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:32.990
period for SpaceX and further expanding global

284
00:13:32.990 --> 00:13:33.750
Internet access.

285
00:13:34.950 --> 00:13:37.830
Now let's turn our attention to one of our solar system's distant

286
00:13:37.830 --> 00:13:40.750
ice giants, Uranus, which is proving to be

287
00:13:40.750 --> 00:13:42.670
far more fascinating than we once thought.

288
00:13:43.950 --> 00:13:46.910
New scientific findings have revealed something quite surprising

289
00:13:46.910 --> 00:13:49.910
about this enigmatic planet. It's emitting its

290
00:13:49.910 --> 00:13:52.790
own internal heat, even more than it receives from the

291
00:13:52.790 --> 00:13:55.270
sun. This discovery actually

292
00:13:55.270 --> 00:13:58.030
contradicts observations made by NASA's Voyager 2

293
00:13:58.030 --> 00:14:01.030
probe nearly four decades ago. Back in

294
00:14:01.030 --> 00:14:03.990
1986, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, and

295
00:14:03.990 --> 00:14:06.670
its readings suggested the planet didn't have significant

296
00:14:06.750 --> 00:14:09.430
internal heat. However, new research

297
00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:12.230
led by Xinyue Yang of the University of Houston

298
00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:15.390
analyzed decades of spacecraft readings and computer

299
00:14:15.390 --> 00:14:18.190
models. Their findings indicate that Uranus

300
00:14:18.190 --> 00:14:21.070
emits 12.5% more internal heat

301
00:14:21.070 --> 00:14:23.949
than it absorbs from solar radiation. While

302
00:14:23.949 --> 00:14:26.790
this is less than other outer planets like Jupiter, Saturn,

303
00:14:26.790 --> 00:14:29.710
and Neptune, which radiate 100% more heat

304
00:14:29.710 --> 00:14:32.670
than they receive, it's still a significant amount that

305
00:14:32.670 --> 00:14:35.550
challenges our previous understanding. It

306
00:14:35.550 --> 00:14:38.350
turns out we might have caught Uranus at a peculiar time during the

307
00:14:38.350 --> 00:14:41.230
Voyager 2 flyby, with some readings potentially

308
00:14:41.230 --> 00:14:44.070
skewed by a surge in solar weather. By combining

309
00:14:44.070 --> 00:14:46.390
archival data with advanced computer models,

310
00:14:46.630 --> 00:14:49.310
scientists now believe this internal heat suggests a

311
00:14:49.310 --> 00:14:52.310
completely different internal structure or evolutionary

312
00:14:52.310 --> 00:14:55.310
history for the planet. For a long time,

313
00:14:55.310 --> 00:14:57.990
it was thought that Uranus formed closer to the sun

314
00:14:58.230 --> 00:15:01.120
before migrating outwards. These

315
00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:04.000
new findings are now calling that story into question.

316
00:15:04.800 --> 00:15:07.360
This fresh understanding of Uranus's internal

317
00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:10.320
processes could also significantly boost the case

318
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.720
for future missions to the distant planet.

319
00:15:13.280 --> 00:15:16.160
The National Academy of Sciences had already

320
00:15:16.239 --> 00:15:19.040
flagged a mission concept called the Uranus Orbiter

321
00:15:19.040 --> 00:15:22.040
and Probe, or uop, as a high priority

322
00:15:22.040 --> 00:15:24.960
for the next decade. These new results showing

323
00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:27.830
how Uranus stores and loses heat not only

324
00:15:27.830 --> 00:15:30.670
deepen our understanding of this icy world, but

325
00:15:30.670 --> 00:15:33.270
also offer valuable insights into

326
00:15:33.910 --> 00:15:36.910
fundamental processes that shape planetary

327
00:15:36.910 --> 00:15:39.710
atmospheres, weather systems, and even

328
00:15:39.710 --> 00:15:42.670
climate systems. It's groundbreaking science that

329
00:15:42.670 --> 00:15:45.590
could inform our studies of Earth's own changing climate.

330
00:15:46.390 --> 00:15:48.950
And that brings us to the end of another fascinating

331
00:15:48.950 --> 00:15:51.910
episode of Astronomy Daily. Thank you so much

332
00:15:51.910 --> 00:15:54.470
for tuning in and joining me on this cosmic

333
00:15:54.470 --> 00:15:57.190
exploration. I'm Anna, and it's been a

334
00:15:57.190 --> 00:16:00.190
pleasure sharing the latest in space and astronomy news with you.

335
00:16:00.430 --> 00:16:03.430
Remember, you can catch up on all the latest space and astronomy

336
00:16:03.430 --> 00:16:06.430
news and listen to all our back episodes by visiting our

337
00:16:06.430 --> 00:16:09.390
website@astronomydaily.IO. and don't

338
00:16:09.390 --> 00:16:12.190
forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts,

339
00:16:12.350 --> 00:16:15.270
Spotify and YouTube Music or wherever you get your

340
00:16:15.270 --> 00:16:18.150
podcasts so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep

341
00:16:18.150 --> 00:16:18.670
looking up