Aug. 12, 2025

Cosmic Signals: Record-Breaking FRB Discovery

Cosmic Signals: Record-Breaking FRB Discovery
  • Record-Breaking Fast Radio Burst Discovery: Join us as we delve into a groundbreaking discovery of a fast radio burst (FRB) traced to an astonishing distance of over 11 billion light years. Designated FRB 20240304B, this signal originated just 3 billion years post-Big Bang, offering a unique glimpse into the early universe and enhancing our understanding of cosmic phenomena.
  • - NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Update: Exciting news from NASA's Europa Clipper mission! Recently, the spacecraft successfully tested its Rusty radar instrument during a flyby of Mars, paving the way for its primary goal of probing beneath Europa's icy surface for signs of water and potential life.
  • - Hubble Observes Interstellar Visitor 3I Atlas: Astronomers have captured stunning images of 3I Atlas, a mysterious interstellar object behaving like a comet. This marks only the third confirmed interstellar visitor, providing valuable insights into its composition and the distant star system from which it originated.
  • - Upcoming Space Launches: Get ready for a busy week in space exploration! We discuss the upcoming launches of ULA's Vulcan rocket and Europe's Ariane 6, alongside multiple SpaceX Starlink missions, showcasing the dynamic nature of contemporary space endeavors.
  • For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
  • Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
✍️ Episode References
Fast Radio Burst Discovery
[MeerKAT Radio Telescope](https://www.ska.ac.za/meerkat/)
NASA's Europa Clipper Mission
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Hubble Observations of 3I Atlas
[Hubble Space Telescope](https://hubblesite.org/)
Upcoming Launch Information
[United Launch Alliance](https://www.ulalaunch.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.840
Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to

1
00:00:02.840 --> 00:00:05.760
podcast for all things space and astronomy news.

2
00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:06.960
I'm Anna.

3
00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:10.200
Avery: And I'm Avery. We're so glad you're joining us

4
00:00:10.200 --> 00:00:12.960
today for another exciting dive into the cosmos.

5
00:00:13.200 --> 00:00:15.760
Anna: Today we'll be talking about a new record

6
00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:18.880
in detecting incredibly distant signals

7
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.400
from the early universe.

8
00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:23.920
Avery: Plus, we'll check in on a fascinating planetary

9
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:26.480
mission that just completed a crucial test

10
00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:29.280
near Mars, giving us a sneak peek at its

11
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.180
capabilities. And get ready to hear about a

12
00:00:32.180 --> 00:00:34.860
mysterious visitor from beyond our solar system,

13
00:00:35.180 --> 00:00:38.060
captured for the first time by none other

14
00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:40.860
than the Hubble Space Telescope. To top it all off,

15
00:00:40.940 --> 00:00:43.700
we'll give you a rundown of a very busy week

16
00:00:43.700 --> 00:00:46.460
ahead in space launches featuring everything

17
00:00:46.460 --> 00:00:49.420
from Vulcan and Ariane 6 to multiple

18
00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:51.980
Starlink missions. Let's get started.

19
00:00:52.700 --> 00:00:55.180
Anna: Alright, let's kick things off with a truly

20
00:00:55.180 --> 00:00:58.100
groundbreaking discovery that's pushing the boundaries of

21
00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:00.060
our understanding of the early universe.

22
00:01:00.720 --> 00:01:03.720
Astronomers have traced a fast radio burst, or

23
00:01:03.720 --> 00:01:06.440
frb, to a record breaking distance

24
00:01:06.440 --> 00:01:08.760
across the cosmos. This new

25
00:01:08.760 --> 00:01:11.200
FRB, designated FRB

26
00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.400
20240304B,

27
00:01:14.800 --> 00:01:17.543
was initially detected on March 4,

28
00:01:17.655 --> 00:01:20.520
2024 by the MeerKAT Radio Telescope

29
00:01:20.520 --> 00:01:23.280
Array in South Africa. But what makes this

30
00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:26.160
one so special is its incredible distance.

31
00:01:27.100 --> 00:01:29.180
Avery: That's right, it has a redshift of

32
00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:32.140
2.148, which means we're looking at

33
00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:35.020
light that traveled for over 11 billion years

34
00:01:35.020 --> 00:01:37.980
to reach Earth. To put that in perspective, this

35
00:01:37.980 --> 00:01:40.940
burst originated just 3 billion years after

36
00:01:41.100 --> 00:01:43.660
the Big Bang, pushing our observational

37
00:01:43.660 --> 00:01:46.620
boundary of FRBs much further back

38
00:01:46.620 --> 00:01:49.540
into cosmic time. Previous detections

39
00:01:49.540 --> 00:01:52.300
only reached about halfway through cosmic history.

40
00:01:53.180 --> 00:01:56.180
Anna: That's right, finding the exact source of this signal

41
00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.860
was a real piece of detective work. Initially,

42
00:01:59.020 --> 00:02:01.660
ground based observatories and archival data

43
00:02:01.660 --> 00:02:04.540
couldn't pinpoint its host galaxy. But a

44
00:02:04.540 --> 00:02:07.140
follow up with the James Webb Space Telescope's

45
00:02:07.140 --> 00:02:10.060
NIRCAM and NIRSPEC instruments did the trick,

46
00:02:10.220 --> 00:02:13.220
revealing the FRB's host galaxy and getting a

47
00:02:13.220 --> 00:02:16.140
spectroscopic redshift. The burst's radio

48
00:02:16.140 --> 00:02:18.220
waves dispersed at a rate of about

49
00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:21.140
2,330 parsecs per

50
00:02:21.140 --> 00:02:23.990
cubic centimeter, acting like a cosmic

51
00:02:23.990 --> 00:02:26.870
fingerprint that confirmed its extremely distant

52
00:02:26.870 --> 00:02:29.710
origin. This measurement tells us how

53
00:02:29.710 --> 00:02:32.590
much the signal was stretched and delayed by free

54
00:02:32.590 --> 00:02:35.550
electrons as it journeyed through space. The host

55
00:02:35.550 --> 00:02:38.390
galaxy itself is quite revealing. It's

56
00:02:38.390 --> 00:02:41.230
described as a low mass clumpy galaxy

57
00:02:41.230 --> 00:02:44.070
that's still relatively young and actively forming

58
00:02:44.070 --> 00:02:47.070
stars. The presence of an FRB in such

59
00:02:47.070 --> 00:02:49.910
a galaxy strongly supports the theory that these

60
00:02:49.910 --> 00:02:52.310
mysterious bursts originate from young

61
00:02:52.310 --> 00:02:55.010
magnetars, which are highly magnet Magnetized

62
00:02:55.010 --> 00:02:57.850
neutron stars. This suggests an origin

63
00:02:57.850 --> 00:03:00.810
that can occur over relatively short timescales,

64
00:03:00.890 --> 00:03:03.650
Rather than processes that take billions of years to

65
00:03:03.650 --> 00:03:03.930
develop.

66
00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:07.370
Avery: This discovery Effectively doubles the

67
00:03:07.370 --> 00:03:09.868
redshift reach of localized FRBs,

68
00:03:10.032 --> 00:03:12.890
allowing us to probe ionized baryons across

69
00:03:13.050 --> 00:03:15.690
about 80% of the universe's history.

70
00:03:16.170 --> 00:03:18.890
It also establishes FRB activity

71
00:03:19.050 --> 00:03:21.850
During what astronomers call cosmic noon,

72
00:03:21.850 --> 00:03:24.530
which was the peak period of star formation in the

73
00:03:24.530 --> 00:03:25.450
universe's history.

74
00:03:26.380 --> 00:03:29.180
Anna: It's fascinating how these millisecond long bursts

75
00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:32.060
can encode so much information about the plasma

76
00:03:32.140 --> 00:03:34.940
Permeating our universe, Giving us insights into

77
00:03:34.940 --> 00:03:37.860
magnetic fields and gas distributions. The

78
00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:40.820
observations also reveal Complex magnetic

79
00:03:40.820 --> 00:03:43.740
field structures Spanning gigaparsec scales

80
00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:46.580
along the burst's sightline as it passed through

81
00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:47.980
various cosmic structures.

82
00:03:48.860 --> 00:03:51.260
Avery: As next generation telescopes come online,

83
00:03:51.820 --> 00:03:54.436
discoveries like FRB2024

84
00:03:54.804 --> 00:03:57.420
0304B are trul

85
00:03:57.880 --> 00:04:00.720
exciting. They show us how these fleeting signals

86
00:04:00.720 --> 00:04:03.600
can act as messengers from the universe's distant

87
00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:06.280
past, Helping us piece together how it

88
00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:08.960
evolved from its chaotic youth into the

89
00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:11.760
structured cosmos we see today. It's just

90
00:04:11.760 --> 00:04:12.360
incredible.

91
00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.280
Anna: From exploring the distant past with FRBs,

92
00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:19.560
let's now turn our attention to an upcoming mission

93
00:04:19.640 --> 00:04:22.240
that's preparing to unlock the secrets of one of

94
00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.120
Jupiter's most intriguing moons. NASA's

95
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.840
Europa Clipper mission, which began its long

96
00:04:27.840 --> 00:04:30.462
journey to Europa on October 14,

97
00:04:30.618 --> 00:04:33.440
2024, recently had a crucial pit

98
00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:36.280
stop. On March 1, the probe reached

99
00:04:36.280 --> 00:04:38.680
Mars not just for a gravity assist

100
00:04:38.840 --> 00:04:41.840
maneuver, but also to perform a vital

101
00:04:41.840 --> 00:04:44.360
test While orbiting the Red

102
00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:47.320
planet. Mission controllers on Earth Seized

103
00:04:47.320 --> 00:04:50.120
the opportunity to test the probe's ReSight

104
00:04:50.440 --> 00:04:52.980
instrument. ReSight stands for

105
00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:55.620
Radar for Europa Assessment and

106
00:04:55.620 --> 00:04:58.140
Sounding Ocean to Near surface.

107
00:04:58.300 --> 00:05:01.100
Avery: This radar instrument Is absolutely critical

108
00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:03.820
for the mission's primary goal to probe

109
00:05:03.820 --> 00:05:06.820
beneath Europa's icy sheet and search for pockets of

110
00:05:06.820 --> 00:05:09.780
water that could potentially harbor life. It's

111
00:05:09.780 --> 00:05:12.740
also designed to give scientists A, uh, glimpse Of Europa's

112
00:05:12.740 --> 00:05:15.180
interior ocean and shed light on how

113
00:05:15.180 --> 00:05:18.180
material Might be transferred from the interior to the

114
00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:18.620
surface.

115
00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:22.100
Anna: The test was a complete success, Producing

116
00:05:22.100 --> 00:05:25.020
a radargram that showed the outline Of Mars

117
00:05:25.020 --> 00:05:27.500
topography. This gave the team A

118
00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:30.380
fantastic preview of what the probe Will see

119
00:05:30.380 --> 00:05:33.380
When it arrives at Europa. REASON relies

120
00:05:33.380 --> 00:05:36.260
on two pairs of antennas that extend

121
00:05:36.260 --> 00:05:39.180
from the spacecraft's massive solar arrays,

122
00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:41.020
measuring an impressive

123
00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:44.020
17.6 meters from tip to

124
00:05:44.020 --> 00:05:44.350
tip.

125
00:05:45.140 --> 00:05:47.940
Avery: Testing this instrument in space Was crucial, Because

126
00:05:47.940 --> 00:05:50.780
certain aspects, like the echo test, where the

127
00:05:50.780 --> 00:05:53.620
radar signals bounce back, Simply couldn't be

128
00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:56.340
performed on earth Once the actual hardware was built.

129
00:05:56.740 --> 00:05:59.740
Dom Blankenship, the principal investigator for the

130
00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:02.700
radar instrument, said, we got everything out of the

131
00:06:02.700 --> 00:06:05.660
flyby that we dreamed the goal was to

132
00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:08.620
determine the radar's readiness for the Europa mission. And

133
00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:11.620
it worked. Every part of the instrument proved itself

134
00:06:11.620 --> 00:06:13.380
to do exactly what we intended.

135
00:06:13.990 --> 00:06:16.630
Anna: During the test, Reason sent and received

136
00:06:16.870 --> 00:06:19.750
radio waves for about 40 minutes while

137
00:06:19.750 --> 00:06:22.230
the spacecraft flew about 5,000

138
00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:24.550
kilometers above Mars surface,

139
00:06:24.710 --> 00:06:27.470
gradually lowering to 884

140
00:06:27.470 --> 00:06:30.430
kilometers. For comparison, once it's

141
00:06:30.430 --> 00:06:32.990
at Europa, REASON will operate when the

142
00:06:32.990 --> 00:06:35.830
Clipper is as close as 25km

143
00:06:35.830 --> 00:06:37.030
to the moon's surface.

144
00:06:37.670 --> 00:06:40.510
Avery: The instrument team collected a staggering 60

145
00:06:40.510 --> 00:06:43.110
gigabytes of rich data, which they started

146
00:06:43.110 --> 00:06:45.110
transmitting back to Earth in mid May.

147
00:06:45.770 --> 00:06:48.530
Scientists have been poring over this data, and it has

148
00:06:48.530 --> 00:06:51.290
confirmed that REASON is in perfect working order.

149
00:06:51.770 --> 00:06:54.570
Trina Ray, Europa Clipper's deputy science

150
00:06:54.570 --> 00:06:57.490
manager, shared the excitement, saying that all

151
00:06:57.490 --> 00:07:00.330
of us who had worked so hard to make this test happen

152
00:07:00.490 --> 00:07:03.370
and the scientists seeing the data for the first time

153
00:07:03.690 --> 00:07:06.570
were ecstatic, saying, oh, look at this.

154
00:07:06.810 --> 00:07:08.010
Oh, look at that.

155
00:07:08.730 --> 00:07:11.570
Anna: This Martian test has given the science team

156
00:07:11.570 --> 00:07:14.570
a head start on learning how to process the data

157
00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:17.100
and understand the instrument's behavior.

158
00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:20.220
Exercising those muscles just like they will

159
00:07:20.220 --> 00:07:23.220
out at Europa. The Europa Clipper's total

160
00:07:23.220 --> 00:07:25.660
journey to the icy Moon will be about

161
00:07:25.660 --> 00:07:28.220
2.9 billion kilometers.

162
00:07:28.380 --> 00:07:30.860
And it includes one more gravity assist

163
00:07:31.100 --> 00:07:34.060
using Earth in 2026. Currently,

164
00:07:34.300 --> 00:07:37.020
the spacecraft is about 450

165
00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:39.940
million kilometers from Earth, steadily making

166
00:07:39.940 --> 00:07:41.020
its way to Jupiter.

167
00:07:41.890 --> 00:07:44.650
Avery: That's an incredible level of preparation for the Europa

168
00:07:44.650 --> 00:07:45.170
Clipper.

169
00:07:45.490 --> 00:07:48.050
Speaking of unique opportunities to study distant

170
00:07:48.050 --> 00:07:51.010
objects, let's pivot to something truly rare.

171
00:07:51.090 --> 00:07:53.570
An interstellar visitor to our solar system.

172
00:07:53.970 --> 00:07:56.690
Anna: Yes. Astronomers using the Hubble Space

173
00:07:56.690 --> 00:07:59.050
Telescope have captured stunning

174
00:07:59.050 --> 00:08:01.330
observations of 3I

175
00:08:01.650 --> 00:08:04.490
atlas for the first time. This

176
00:08:04.490 --> 00:08:07.210
is only the third confirmed object from

177
00:08:07.210 --> 00:08:10.170
outside our solar system ever known to

178
00:08:10.170 --> 00:08:12.640
visit our cosmic neighborhood. Following

179
00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:15.520
Oumuamua in 2017 and

180
00:08:15.520 --> 00:08:17.440
Borisov in 2019.

181
00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:20.680
Each of these objects offers a unique

182
00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:23.360
window into planetary systems around

183
00:08:23.440 --> 00:08:24.400
other stars.

184
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:27.440
Avery: What makes 3i Atlas particularly fascinating

185
00:08:27.440 --> 00:08:30.080
is its behavior. Even at 3.8

186
00:08:30.080 --> 00:08:32.760
astronomical units from the sun, almost four

187
00:08:32.760 --> 00:08:35.480
times farther than Earth is from the sun, it's already

188
00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:37.960
showing significant activity. Unlike

189
00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:40.880
asteroids, which typically remain largely unchanged,

190
00:08:41.040 --> 00:08:43.840
3i Atlas is behaving more like a comet.

191
00:08:44.310 --> 00:08:47.190
Anna: That's right. As solar radiation heats its

192
00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:50.070
surface, the object is releasing streams

193
00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:53.030
of dust particles, forming a distinctive

194
00:08:53.030 --> 00:08:55.870
tail pointing away from the Sun. This

195
00:08:55.870 --> 00:08:58.070
comet like activity provides

196
00:08:58.070 --> 00:09:01.030
astronomers with a rare opportunity to study

197
00:09:01.030 --> 00:09:03.750
material that originated in an entirely

198
00:09:03.750 --> 00:09:04.870
different star system.

199
00:09:05.030 --> 00:09:07.750
Avery: Using Hubble's exceptional resolution, the research

200
00:09:07.990 --> 00:09:10.710
team led by David Jewett from UCLA

201
00:09:10.870 --> 00:09:13.870
was able to have its first close look and estimate how

202
00:09:13.870 --> 00:09:16.370
much material 3i atlas is losing,

203
00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:19.530
they calculated the mass loss rate in dust to

204
00:09:19.530 --> 00:09:22.210
be between 6-60 kg per second.

205
00:09:22.850 --> 00:09:25.730
To put that into perspective, that's roughly equivalent

206
00:09:25.730 --> 00:09:28.450
to losing the mass of a small car every few

207
00:09:28.450 --> 00:09:31.370
minutes, which is a significant amount for such

208
00:09:31.370 --> 00:09:33.570
a distant and relatively small object.

209
00:09:33.810 --> 00:09:36.290
Anna: The team also worked to determine the size of

210
00:09:36.290 --> 00:09:39.290
3i ATLS's nucleus, though this was

211
00:09:39.290 --> 00:09:42.210
challenging since they could only see the glowing cloud

212
00:09:42.210 --> 00:09:44.850
of dust, not the solid core, directly.

213
00:09:45.890 --> 00:09:48.810
By analyzing the brightness distribution of the surrounding

214
00:09:48.810 --> 00:09:51.450
coma, they estimated the nucleus has an

215
00:09:51.450 --> 00:09:54.050
effective radius of less than 2.8

216
00:09:54.050 --> 00:09:56.530
kilometers, assuming it reflects only about

217
00:09:56.530 --> 00:09:59.130
4% of the light that hits it, similar to

218
00:09:59.130 --> 00:09:59.650
charcoal.

219
00:10:00.770 --> 00:10:03.770
Avery: This size constraint is crucial for understanding

220
00:10:03.770 --> 00:10:06.690
its composition and history. For instance,

221
00:10:06.690 --> 00:10:09.650
if its activity is driven by carbon monoxide

222
00:10:09.650 --> 00:10:12.520
turning from solid to gas, the the nucleus

223
00:10:12.520 --> 00:10:14.592
cannot be smaller than 0.16

224
00:10:14.768 --> 00:10:17.640
km in radius. Different materials

225
00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:20.200
require different amounts of solar heating to begin

226
00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:22.960
sublimating. So observing how and when

227
00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.400
3i ATLS becomes active

228
00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.680
helps scientists make educated guesses about what

229
00:10:28.680 --> 00:10:29.400
it's made of.

230
00:10:29.640 --> 00:10:32.520
Anna: These first Hubble observations of three I

231
00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:35.720
ATLAS represent a significant step forward

232
00:10:35.880 --> 00:10:38.680
in our ability to study these cosmic messengers.

233
00:10:39.300 --> 00:10:41.980
They offer insights not only into the object

234
00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:44.500
itself, but also into the distant

235
00:10:44.500 --> 00:10:47.420
stellar system that sent it on its incredible

236
00:10:47.420 --> 00:10:50.180
journey through the galaxy. It's like getting a

237
00:10:50.180 --> 00:10:52.980
postcard from another star system carrying

238
00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:55.780
chemical signatures and physical characteristics

239
00:10:55.860 --> 00:10:58.820
shaped by alien environments billions of

240
00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:01.340
kilometers away. From ancient light to

241
00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:04.180
interstellar visitors. We've covered some truly

242
00:11:04.180 --> 00:11:05.620
mind bending topics today.

243
00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:09.300
But let's shift gears and look at the more immediate future

244
00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:12.220
because it's shaping up to be a very busy week for

245
00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:12.740
launches.

246
00:11:13.380 --> 00:11:16.220
Avery: You're not kidding, Anna. Uh, we've got a packed

247
00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:19.060
schedule coming up with several significant missions.

248
00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:22.620
First up, ULA's Vulcan rocket is scheduled for

249
00:11:22.620 --> 00:11:25.140
its first launch of 2025 on Tuesday,

250
00:11:25.380 --> 00:11:28.220
August 12th. This mission, designated

251
00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:31.020
USF106, will carry a

252
00:11:31.020 --> 00:11:33.980
technology demonstration navigation satellite

253
00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:36.940
and NTS3 and a classified payload

254
00:11:36.940 --> 00:11:39.820
for the US Space Force into geosynchronous

255
00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:40.340
orbit.

256
00:11:40.980 --> 00:11:43.700
Anna: And just a day later, on Wednesday, August

257
00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:46.500
13, Europe's newest launch system,

258
00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:49.380
the Ariane 6, will have its second

259
00:11:49.380 --> 00:11:52.180
flight of 2025. This mission

260
00:11:52.180 --> 00:11:55.140
will carry the Metop SGA1

261
00:11:55.220 --> 00:11:57.940
weather satellite for Umetsat, which is

262
00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.750
crucial for monitoring weather, climate and

263
00:12:00.750 --> 00:12:03.190
the environment from space. It even

264
00:12:03.190 --> 00:12:06.150
includes the Sentinel 5 instrument for

265
00:12:06.150 --> 00:12:07.910
global air quality monitoring.

266
00:12:07.910 --> 00:12:10.670
Avery: On the same day, a Chinese Chenzang 5B

267
00:12:10.670 --> 00:12:13.230
rocket is expected to launch carrying a batch of

268
00:12:13.230 --> 00:12:15.990
communications satellites, likely part of China's

269
00:12:15.990 --> 00:12:18.830
ambitious Satnet constellation. Beyond these,

270
00:12:18.830 --> 00:12:21.790
we also have four SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink

271
00:12:21.790 --> 00:12:24.750
missions planned throughout the week, deploying hundreds

272
00:12:24.750 --> 00:12:27.750
of Internet satellites into orbit. It's an exciting time to

273
00:12:27.750 --> 00:12:28.670
be watching the skies.

274
00:12:29.470 --> 00:12:31.830
Anna: What a week it's shaping up to be for space

275
00:12:31.830 --> 00:12:34.510
enthusiasts. From record breaking distant

276
00:12:34.510 --> 00:12:37.470
signals, to critical tests for our missions to the

277
00:12:37.470 --> 00:12:40.270
outer solar system, and even a visit from another

278
00:12:40.350 --> 00:12:43.270
star system, it's been a truly captivating

279
00:12:43.270 --> 00:12:43.850
episode.

280
00:12:43.850 --> 00:12:46.790
Avery: M. Absolutely, Anna. Uh, and let's not

281
00:12:46.790 --> 00:12:49.710
forget that jam packed launch schedule coming up with new

282
00:12:49.710 --> 00:12:52.510
rockets and dozens of satellites heading to orbit.

283
00:12:52.750 --> 00:12:55.590
It just goes to show how dynamic and exciting the world of

284
00:12:55.590 --> 00:12:58.110
astronomy and space exploration. Truly.

285
00:12:59.450 --> 00:13:02.130
Anna: We hope you enjoyed diving into these fascinating

286
00:13:02.130 --> 00:13:05.010
stories with us. Thank you for tuning in to Astronomy

287
00:13:05.010 --> 00:13:07.050
Daily. And remember to visit our

288
00:13:07.050 --> 00:13:09.930
website@astronomydaily.IO for

289
00:13:09.930 --> 00:13:12.010
even more from the Astronomy Daily team.

290
00:13:12.650 --> 00:13:15.450
Avery: Keep looking up, stay curious and we'll catch you

291
00:13:15.450 --> 00:13:17.850
tomorrow. For more news from across the cosmos.