Sept. 21, 2024

S03E160: India's Space Projects, Starship's Next Step, and Moon's Hidden Water

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: 21st September 2024
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an episode packed with groundbreaking stories. From India's ambitious new...

Show Notes
Transcript

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: 21st September 2024
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an episode packed with groundbreaking stories. From India's ambitious new space projects and SpaceX's plans to catch Starship, to exciting discoveries about water on the moon, groundbreaking observations from a new X-ray telescope, and concerns about satellite interference with radio Astronomy. Let's dive right in!
Highlights:
- India's Space Ambitions: India has greenlit an ambitious slate of space projects, allocating a substantial $2.7 billion to push the boundaries of its space capabilities. At the forefront is the Chandrayaan IV mission, a bold lunar sample return effort targeting the moon's south pole. Equally exciting is the Shukrayan mission, India's first Venus orbiter, now targeted for 2028. Perhaps most ambitious is the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India's first space station module, slated for launch by the end of 2028 with full operational status expected by 2035. These projects highlight India's growing expertise and determination to become a key player in the global space arena.
- SpaceX's Starship Catching Plans: SpaceX is gearing up for another groundbreaking achievement with its upcoming Starship test flight. The company plans to catch the massive Super Heavy first stage booster using the chopstick arms of the launch tower at their Starbase facility in Texas. This ambitious maneuver, if successful, would take rocket reusability to the next level, dramatically reducing turnaround time between flights. Regulatory reviews have delayed the launch, but the FAA is expected to complete its assessment by late November.
- Chinese Reusable Rocket Technology: Chinese private space companies, Deep Blue Aerospace and Landspace, are making significant strides in developing reusable rocket technology. Both firms have conducted impressive high-altitude hop tests with their prototype vehicles, aiming to develop fully reusable orbital launchers. These tests represent significant progress for China's commercial space sector, working towards cost-effective reusable launch capabilities.
- Abundant Water on the Moon: New research reveals that water is far more abundant on the moon than previously thought. Data from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper shows that water and hydroxyl molecules are widespread across the lunar surface, not just confined to the poles. This discovery opens up possibilities for more flexible mission planning and could reduce the need to transport water from Earth, making long-term lunar missions more sustainable.
- XRISM's Groundbreaking Observations: Japan's X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) has unveiled its first results, capturing stunning observations of a supermassive black hole in galaxy NGC 4151 and a supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud. These observations are revolutionizing our understanding of the X-ray universe, with over 3000 proposals submitted for future studies.
- Satellite Interference with Radio Astronomy: New research reveals that SpaceX's second-generation V2 mini Starlink satellites are emitting up to 32 times more radio waves than their predecessors, posing a significant threat to radio Astronomy. This underscores the urgent need for dialogue between the Astronomy community and satellite companies to find solutions that allow both Internet access and scientific research to coexist.
For more space news, be sure to visit our website at astronomydaily.io. There you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest stories with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our past episodes.
Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for...

WEBVTT

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host Anna. Today We've

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got a packed episode covering India's ambitious new space projects,

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SpaceX's plans to catch starship, exciting discoveries about water on

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the Moon, groundbreaking observations from a new X ray telescope,

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and concerns about satellite interference with radio Astronomy. Let's dive

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right in first Up Today. India has recently greenlit an

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ambitious slate of space projects, showcasing its commitment to becoming

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a major player in space exploration. The Indian government has

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allocated a substantial two point seven billion dollars for these endeavors,

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which are set to push the boundaries of the nation's

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space capabilities. At the forefront of these plans is the

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Chandriyan four mission, a bold lunar sample return effort aimed

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at collecting material from the Moon's south polar region. This

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mission builds on the success of Chandrian three and demonstrates

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India's growing expertise in lunar exploration. Equally exciting is India's

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approval of its first venus orbiter mission, known as Shukre.

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While initially planned for an earlier launch, the mission is

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now targeted for twenty twenty eight. This venture will allow

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India to join the select group of nations that have

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sent spacecraft to our planetary neighbor. Perhaps most ambitious is

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India's plan to develop its first space station module, name

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the Paratia Enturich Station or BAS. This project signifies India's

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aspirations for a long term human presence in space. The

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first module is slated for launch by the end of

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twenty twenty eight, with full operational status expected by twenty

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thirty five. These projects not only highlight India's technological advancements,

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but also underscore its determination to become a key player

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in the global space arena. Let's delve deeper into India's

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ambitious Chandrian formassion. This lunar sample return endeavor is set

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to be a complex operation involving four modules launched across

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two separate rocket flights. The first launch will carry a

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lander and a sample collecting a sender vehicle targeting the

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lunar South Pole region. The second launch will deliver a

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transfer module and a re entry module to lunar orbit.

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The mission's primary goal is to collect lunar samples from

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Shivshakti point where the Chandreyan three spacecraft previously landed. Once collected,

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the ascender will launch from the Moon's surface and transfer

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its precious cargo to the re entry module. This module

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will then make the crucial journey back to Earth, aiming

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for a safe touchdown with the lunar samples intact. This

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ambitious project not only pushes India's space capabilities, but also

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sets the stage for future crude missions to the Moon.

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The technologies developed and tested during Chandreyan four will be

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critical for India's goal of landing astronauts on the lunar

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surface by twenty forty and India's space ambitions continue to grow,

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with plans now approved for the country's first space station module.

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The module, named bas Ie, is set to launch by

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December twenty twenty eight. This marks a significant step for

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India's space program, as they aim to have a fully

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operational space station by twenty thirty five. Meanwhile, India's Venus

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orbiter mission, known as Shukrayan, has faced some delays. Originally

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planned for an earlier launch, the mission is now targeted

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for March twenty twenty eight. The orbiter will carry a

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suite of scientific instruments to study Venus's atmosphere, geology and evolution.

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These projects, along with the Chandrian form mission we just discussed,

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demonstrate India's commitment to becoming a major player in space exploration.

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With a budget of nearly one hundred and fifty million

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dollars allocated for the Venus mission alone, it's clear that

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India is investing heavily in its space future. Next up,

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SpaceX is gearing up for another groundbreaking achievement in spaceflight

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history with their upcoming Starship test flight. The company plans

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to attempt something truly revolutionary, catching the massive super heavy

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first stage booster using the chopstick arms of the launch

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tower at their Starbase facility in Texas. This ambitious maneuver,

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if successful, would take rocket reusability to the next level.

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Instead of landing on a ship at sea or a

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designated pad, catching the booster right on the launch mount

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could dramatically reduce turnaround time between flights. SpaceX has been

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practicing with these tower arms, designed to lift both stages

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of Starship. Recent photos show them raising the super heavy

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booster to the expected catch height. While SpaceX says they've

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been ready for this next test flight since early August.

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Regulatory reviews have delayed the launch. The FAA isn't expected

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to complete its assessment until late November at the earliest.

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When it does fly, this will be Starship's fifth test flight.

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Each previous mission has shown improvement, with the last one

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reaching orbital velocity before a successful splashdown of both stages.

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If SpaceX can pull off this catch, it would be

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a major milestone in their quest to make Starship rapidly

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and fully reusable, a key to their goals of affordable

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space access and eventual Mars colonization. Let's take a look

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now at what's going on in China. Chinese private space

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companies are making significant strides in developing reusable rocket technology.

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Two firms, Deep Blue Aerospace and land Space have recently

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conducted impressive high altitude hop tests within their prototype vehicles.

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Land Space achieved a notable milestone in late August with

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its Juqua three hopper prototype. The vehicle swored to an

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altitude of ten kilometers during a two hundred second flight

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that included a crucial engine reignition test. The single tian

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K twelve B engine performed flawlessly, accurately landing just one

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point two meters from the center of the pad. Not

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to be outdone, Deep Blue Aerospace is preparing for its

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own high altitude test. Their shing Yan one first stage prototype,

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also known as Nebula one, is being readied for a

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flight between five and ten kilometers. This follows successful lower

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altitude tests with their subscale Nebula M vehicle. Both companies

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are aiming to develop fully reusable orbital launchers. Land Space's

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finished jew K three will stand taller than a Falcon

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nine at nearly seventy seven meters, powered by nine methane

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fueled engines. Deep blues shing Yuan one will feature nine

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kerosene burning engines in a configuration similar to the Falcon nine.

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These tests represent significant progress for China's commercial space sector

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as they work towards cost effective, reusable launch capabilities to

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serve the growing demand for satellite deployment. New research has

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revealed that water is far more abundant on the Moon

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than previously thought. A study based on data from NASA's

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Moon Mineralogy Mapper has shown that water and hydroxyl molecules

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are widespread across the lunar surface, not just confined to

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the poles as once believed. The analysis found water hidden

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in ice deposits in shaded areas and inside enriched rocks. Interestingly,

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hydroxyl molecules, which are components of water, form when solar

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protons interact with oxygen in the lunar regolith. These findings

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suggest that future astronauts may be able to find water

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resources even near the Moon's equator. Two types of lunar

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rocks were identified as potential water sources. The dark Marba

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salts are relatively dry, while the anorthosite rocks found in

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the lunar highlands contain more water heating. These rocks could

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potentially provide a long lasting water supply for lunar missions,

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while polar ice deposits remain the most accessible water source.

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This new understanding of lunar water distribution opens up possibilities

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for more flexible mission planning. However, extracting water from rocks

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would require significant energy expenditure. These discoveries are crucial for

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future lunar exploration and potential bases, as they could reduce

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the need to transport water from Earth. Understanding the Moon's

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water resources is a key step in making long term

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lunar missions sustainable. Japan's X Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission

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or x RISM, has unveiled its first results, and they

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are absolutely fascinating. This space telescope, operated by JACKSA with

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ESA's participation, has captured stunning observations of two cosmic phenomena.

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First up, x RISM studied a supermassive black hole at

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the heart of galaxy NNGC four THY one hundred and

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fifty one, about sixty two million light years away. The

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telescope tracked superheated plasma circling the black hole at distances

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as close as zero point zero zero one light years.

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Precedented view is giving astronomers new insights into how these

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cosmic giants feed and grow. But that's not all. XORISM

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also turned its gaze to a supernova remnant called N

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one hundred thirty two D in our galactic neighbor, the

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large Magellanic Cloud. This cosmic bubble of plasma ejected from

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a massive star about three thousand years ago, revealed some surprises.

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Instead of the expected spherical shell, the remnant is more

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doughnut shaped and expanding at a mind boggling two point

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six million miles per hour. Even more astonishing, its temperature

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clocks in at a scorching eighteen billion degrees fahrenheit. These

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observations are helping scientists better understand the life cycles of

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massive stars and how elements are distributed throughout the cosmos.

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With over three thousand proposals submitted for future studies, it's

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clear that xorism is just getting started in revolutionizing our

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view of the X ray universe. While starlink satellites have

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already raised concerns about their impact on visible light astronomy,

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new research reveals they may pose an even greater threat

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to radio astronomy. Recent observations using the Low Frequency Array

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or lo FAR, have shown that SpaceX's second generation v

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too many starlink satellites are emitting up to thirty two

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times more radio waves than their predecessors. These unintentional radio

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emissions are astonishingly bright, about ten million times brighter than

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the faintest astronomical objects lo FAR can detect. This means

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any radio telescope observing when a starlink satellite passes overhead

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could have its data completely overwhelmed. As companies like SpaceX

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and one Web plan to launch tens of thousands more satellites,

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astronomers are increasingly concerned about the future of radio astronomy.

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Without proper regulations and cooperation from satellite operators, our ability

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to study the universe through radio waves could be severely compromised.

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This underscores the urgent need for dialogue between the astronomy

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community and satellite companies to find solutions that allow both

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internet access and scientific research to coexist. And that brings

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us to the end of today's Astronomy Daily. I hope

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you've enjoyed this cosmic journey through the latest space and

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astronomy news. Thanks so much for tuning in. If you're

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hungry for more, head over to our website at Astronomy

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Daily dot io. There you can sign up for our

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free daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest stories

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with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our

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past episodes. Don't forget to follow us on social media too,

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Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x, YouTube,

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and TikTok. This is Anna signing off until next time.

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Keep looking up Sunday Start Starz