Nov. 5, 2024

S03E198: SpaceX's Astrobeat, Australia's Launch Leap, and Parker's Venus Dance

S03E198: SpaceX's Astrobeat, Australia's Launch Leap, and Parker's Venus Dance

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E198
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an exciting array of stories that will take you from the latest SpaceX mission to...

Season 3
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E198
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an exciting array of stories that will take you from the latest SpaceX mission to the International Space Station to groundbreaking discoveries about Mars and Venus.
Highlights:
- SpaceX Resupply Mission: SpaceX has successfully launched its 31st commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Dragon spacecraft carried over 6,000 pounds of supplies and cutting-edge scientific experiments, including AstroBeat, a project exploring cold welding in microgravity for spacecraft repair.
- Australia's Space Milestone: Gilmore Space Technologies has been granted Australia's first orbital launch permit, paving the way for the ERIS rocket's inaugural flight. This development highlights the burgeoning space industry in Australia and its potential economic impact.
- Parker Solar Probe's Venus Maneuver: NASA's Parker Solar Probe is preparing for its final Venus gravity assist, setting the stage for an unprecedented approach to the Sun. This maneuver will bring the probe closer to the solar surface than any human-made object has ever ventured.
- Mars's Crusty Surface Explained: New insights from NASA's InSight mission reveal the chemical processes behind Mars's distinctive crusty soil layer. This discovery has significant implications for future Mars exploration and potential human missions.
- NEOWISE's Final Mission: After 15 years of service, NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft has completed its mission, leaving a legacy of over 3,000 near-Earth object discoveries. The upcoming NEO Surveyor, set to launch in 2027, will continue its crucial planetary defense mission.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube, Tumblr, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
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WEBVTT

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Hello everybody here we are again Welcome to Astronomy Daily,

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your daily dose of space and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna,

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and today we have an exciting lineup of stories from

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across the Cosmos. We'll be diving into SpaceX's latest mission

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to the International Space Station, exploring groundbreaking discoveries about Mars

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and Venus, and catching up with several other fascinating developments

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in space exploration, from commercial spaceflight to planetary science. We've

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got an incredible show ahead, so let's get started. SpaceX

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has kicked off the week with another successful launch to

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the International Space Station, marking their thirty first commercial resupply mission.

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The Dragon spacecraft lifted off Monday night from NASA's Kennedy

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Space Center in Florida, carrying more than six thousand pounds

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of vital supplies and fascinating new scientific experiments to our

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orbiting laboratory. Among the cargo are several groundbreaking experiments that

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could shape the future of space exploration. One particularly innovative

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project will test a new way to repair spacecraft hulls

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from the inside out, called astrobeat. This experiment will explore

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cold welding in microgravity, potentially leading to revolutionary repair methods

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that don't require heat, a crucial advancement for future deep

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space missions. The mission also includes the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment

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or CODEX, which will help us better understand solar wind formation.

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Using a special instrument called a coronagraph to block out

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most of the Sun's light, scientists will be able to

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study the solar corona in unprecedented detail. In what could

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be a glimpse into future space farming, researchers are sending

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Antarctic moss to test how well it handles the combined

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effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity. This research could be

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vital for identifying plants suitable for long duration space missions.

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The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to remain docked at the

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station until December, when it will return to Earth with

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research samples and cargo, splash down off the Florida coast.

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This mission represents another step forward in our ongoing efforts

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to maintain and utilize the International Space Station as our

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premier orbital research platform, now one for our listeners down under.

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Australia's space industry has just achieved a remarkable milestone that

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marks a new chapter in the country's space exploration capabilities.

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Gilmore Space Technologies has been awarded Australia's first ever orbital

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launch permit, clearing the way for their Airis rocket to

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make its maiden flight from the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in

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North Queensland. This historic permit was granted by the Minister

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for Industry and Science and the Australian Space Agency under

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the Space Launches and Returns Act. The legislation requires that

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any objects launched from Australian soil reaching altitudes above one

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hundred kilometers must meet strict safety and operational conditions, including

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providing a thirty day notice before launch. The company's journey

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to this point has been impressive. Since beginning their rocket

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program in twenty fifteen, Gilmore Space has grown to employ

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over two hundred people and built a network of more

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than three hundred Australian suppliers. They've already completed crucial pre

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launch testing, including a successful wet dress rehearsal that brought

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their Aris rocket to within ten seconds of launch. The

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Bowen Orbital Spaceport, which opened its doors in April after

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receiving its license in March, stands as Australia's first orbital

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launch facility. It's one of only a handful of private

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orbital launch sites worldwide positioned to support launches into low

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and mid inclination orbits. This development isn't just about reaching space,

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it's about creating opportunities right here on Earth. The project

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has already generated significant economic impact across the region, with

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rockets being designed on the Gold Coast and launched from

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North Queensland. It's a perfect example of how space industry

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development can drive local innovation and create high value jobs

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in multiple regions. Next up, let's head back to the Sun.

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NASA's Parker Solar Probe is gearing up for a pivotal

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moment in its groundbreaking mission. On November sixth, the spacecraft

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will execute its final Venus Gravity Assist maneuver, swooping within

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just two hundred and thirty three miles of the planet's surface.

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This carefully choreographed celestial dance will set the stage for

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an unprecedented achievement in space exploration. The Venus flyby will

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adjust Parker's trajectory into its final orbital configuration, ultimately bringing

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it closer to our Star than any human made object

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has ever ventured. On December twenty fourth, the probe will

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skim just three point eight six million miles from the

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solar surface, literally touching the outer corona of our Sun.

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What's particularly fascinating about these Venus flybys is how they've

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yielded unexpected scientific treasures. The probe's Wide Field Imager, or WHISPER,

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made a remarkable discovery during a previous Venus encounter. When

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scientists pointed the instrument at Venus hoping to study its

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cloud cover, they found it could actually see through the

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planet's thick atmosphere right down to the surface, which glows

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in near infrared light due to its scorching temperature of

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eight sixty nine degrees fahrenheit. This final flyby has been

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carefully planned to help solve some intriguing mysteries from previous passes.

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The WHISPER images have shown puzzling bright patterns that don't

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quite match what we expected from earlier radar mapping missions.

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Scientists hope this last close approach will help them determine

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whether these variations are due to different surface materials or

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perhaps areas where more recent volcanic activity has left its mark.

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After completing this Venus maneuver, Parker will be primed for

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its historic solar approach. At this extreme proximity, it will

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pass through plasma still physically connected to the Sun and

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potentially weather solar eruptions from inside them, much like a

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surfer diving beneath a breaking wave. It's a testament to

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modern engineering that we've built something capable of withstanding such

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extreme conditions. Next up, why is the surface of Mars

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so crusty? I'll answer that question right after a quick

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word from a sponsor. Now let's head off to Mars.

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In a fascinating breakthrough, scientists have finally unraveled one of

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mars enduring mysteries, why its soil forms such a distinctive,

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crusty layer. This discovery comes from an unexpected source, NASA's

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Insight mission, which landed on the red planet back in

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twenty eighteen. While the mission's heat flow and Physical properties package,

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nicknamed the Martian Mole, didn't reach its intended depth, it

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still provided invaluable data about the planet's surface composition. The

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instrument managed to penetrate just sixteen inches into the Martian soil,

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encountering what scientists now understand is a remarkably complex layer

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of material. The German Aerospace Center team analyzing The data

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found that the top forty centimeters of Martian soil experiences

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dramatic temperature swings. While the surface temperature fluctuates by a

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staggering one hundred and ten to one hundred and thirty

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degrees celsius during a Martian day, just beneath the surface,

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these variations decrease to only five to seven degrees. This

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sophisticated temperature dance creates perfect conditions for a fascinating chemical process.

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During winter and spring, when there is sufficient moisture in

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the atmosphere, salty brines form in the soil for about

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ten hours each day. As these brines solidify, they create

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a natural cement that hardens the soil into what scientists

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call duricrust. This process explains why Mars has such a

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characteristic hardened surface layer extending about eight inches deep. The

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soil itself has proven to be an excellent insulator, with

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properties similar to basaltic sand. Below the crusty surface layer,

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scientists found material comparable to consolidated sand mixed with coarser

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basalt fragments. One scientist compared the mechanical properties to floral foam,

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light weight and porous, but with a distinctive structure. This

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discovery isn't just academically interesting, it has significant implications for

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future Mars exploration. Understanding the soil's properties and behavior is

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crucial for planning future missions, especially when considering human exploration

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of the Red planet. The way the soil forms and

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behaves will impact everything from construction projects to potential resource

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utilization on Mars. Finally, today we need to say goodbye

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to an old friend of planet Earth's. After fifteen years

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of dedicated service, NASA's Neowiz spacecraft has completed its final

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mission in dramatic fashion, burning up in Earth's atmosphere on

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November first. This veteran space telescope, which has been one

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of our most successful asteroid hunters, leaves behind an impressive

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legacy of discovery and scientific advancement. Originally launched as WISE

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the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer in December two thousand

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and nine, the spacecraft began its journey with a different

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mission altogether. It was initially tasked with study being the

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universe in infrared wavelengths, where it excelled at finding luminous

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galaxies and hidden black holes. But it was when the

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spacecraft got its second chance at life as Neowise that

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it truly made its mark in planetary defense. When its

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original coolant supply ran out in twenty eleven, engineers found

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they could repurpose the spacecraft for a new mission hunting

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Near Earth objects. This twist of fate proved remarkably successful,

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as Neowise went on to identify and track over three

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thousand Near Earth objects during its extended mission. The spacecraft's

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eventual demise was not unexpected. Its low Earth orbit, combined

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with the current solar maximum a period of increased solar

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activity sealed its fate. As the Sun's heightened activity caused

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Earth's atmosphere to expand, Neowise, lacking any propulsion system, was

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gradually pulled down until its final plunge. But this isn't

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the end of NASA's asteroid hunting efforts. The Torch will

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be passed to Neo Surveyor, scheduled for launch in twenty

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twenty seven. This new spacecraft will be the first space

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telescope specifically designed for hunting Near Earth objects in infrared wavelengths,

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carrying forward Neowis's crucial mission of planetary defense with even

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more advanced capabilities. Well, that's all for today's episode of

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Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna, and I want to thank you

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for joining me on this journey through the latest developments

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in space exploration and astronomical discoveries. If you'd like to

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stay up to date with everything happening in the world

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of space and astronomy, head over to Astronomy Daily dot io.

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off a star day, starless Stars, the Stars