July 26, 2023
Asteroid Samples & Power Outages: Unraveling Space Mysteries | S02E25
Welcome to the latest episode of the Astronomy Daily Podcast, your primary source for today's Space and Astronomy News. I'm your host, Tim Gibbs, bringing a dash of nostalgic reminiscence from the Apollo 11 era. We've come a long way since then, as...
Welcome to the latest episode of the Astronomy Daily Podcast, your primary source for today's Space and Astronomy News. I'm your host, Tim Gibbs, bringing a dash of nostalgic reminiscence from the Apollo 11 era. We've come a long way since then, as today's story about NASA's ongoing asteroid exploration will prove. Our special segment today focuses on NASA's Johnson Space Center's eagerly anticipated analysis of an asteroid sample. The sample, sourced from the asteroid Bennu, promises key insights into the formation of our solar system and Earth. These remnants of the early solar system, now en route to Earth, are a treasure trove for scientists aiming to decipher the building blocks of life. Nicole Lunning, the lead OSIRIS-Rx sample curator, has the crucial task of preserving the purity and integrity of the sample, and separating it for detailed study. The sample, which weathered a collection compartment valve failure, will arrive in the Utah desert on September 24, carrying an estimated 8.8 ounces (250 grams) of invaluable material. In other news, a power outage at NASA temporarily disrupted communications with the International Space Station (ISS). The power cut occurred amidst an upgrade work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Joel Montelbano, the Space Station Program Manager, assured that neither the astronauts nor the ISS were ever in any danger. The issue was quickly resolved, and normal operations were resumed. Don't forget to tune into Space Nuts, our parent podcast, available at spaceknuts.io or bytes.com. Engage with our community by joining our Facebook page, Space Knuts Podcast Group. Look forward to more space stories with Steve Dunkey on Mondays and Tim Gibbs on Fridays. Thank you for joining us on this cosmic journey. We'll catch you in our next episode. Until then, clear skies!
#astronomy #space #science #news #podcast
#astronomy #space #science #news #podcast
WEBVTT
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00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.400
Good everybody, and welcome to Astronomy
Daily for Wednesday, the twenty sixth of
2
00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.400
July twenty twenty three. My name
is Tim Gibson. I will be your
3
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:16.160
host for today's podcast. Following on
a little bit from Steve's episode on Monday
4
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:23.760
about the Apollo eleven moon landings.
I well remember staying up on the day
5
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.679
of the moon walk to watch it
live on television, and my grandparents buying
6
00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:34.200
a brand new color TV because they
wanted to watch it in color, and
7
00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:38.479
then everybody being very very disappointed that
it was broadcast in black and white.
8
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:47.920
Just a little anecdote from myself.
Now on with the show. Well,
9
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.960
it's one story Wednesday. So Hallie, have you got a good story for
10
00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.600
us today? Hi? Tim,
Yes, I have a great story for
11
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:03.159
our listeners today. NASA Lab hopes
to find life's building blocks in asteroid sample.
12
00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:10.239
Eager scientists and a gleaming lab awaits
a sample from the asteroid Benu,
13
00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:14.120
which could be key to understanding the
formation of the Solar System and our own
14
00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:18.599
planet, is set to be analyzed
at NASA's Johnson's Space Center in Houston after
15
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:23.680
it reaches Earth in late September.
The precious cargo is currently aboard O Cyrus
16
00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:26.480
Aurex, a U S space probe
launched in two thousand and sixteen to Benu,
17
00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:30.159
which orbits the Sun at an average
distance of about one hundred and five
18
00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:37.079
million miles one hundred and sixty eight
million kilometers long. White sleeves hang from
19
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:41.920
the huge metal and glass box in
which the sample will be handled. Scientists
20
00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:46.079
will separate pieces of the rock and
dust for study now, while carefully storing
21
00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:51.000
away the rest for future generations equipped
with better technology, a practice first started
22
00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:55.560
during the Apollo missions to the Moon. We don't expect there to be anything
23
00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:00.000
living, but rather the building blocks
of life, Nicole Lunning, lead Osyrius
24
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:05.400
direct sample curator, told AFP that's
really what motivated going to this type of
25
00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.840
asteroid to understand what the precursors were
that may have fostered life in our Solar
26
00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:14.879
system and on Earth. Once the
return vessel arrives at the Texas clean Room,
27
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.240
Lunning's job will be to carefully disassemble
it and separate the contents, all
28
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:23.680
while keeping the material pure and uncontaminated. The spacecraft is scheduled to land in
29
00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:29.599
the Utah Desert on September twenty fourth, carrying an estimated eight point eight ounces
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00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:34.599
or two hundred and fifty grams of
material just over a cupful. Obtaining it
31
00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.000
involved a high risk operation in October
twenty twenty. The probe came into contact
32
00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:43.520
with the asteroid for a few seconds
and a blast of compressed nitrogen was omitted
33
00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:46.560
to raise the dust sample, which
was then captured. The whole mission was
34
00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:51.759
imperiled when NASA realized a few days
later that the valve of the collection compartment
35
00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:57.400
was failing to close, letting fragments
escape into space, but the precious cargo
36
00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:00.879
was finally secured after being transferred to
a so fixed in the Spacecraft Center.
37
00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:08.879
Now back to you, Tim the
Astronomy Daily podcast. A NASA power outage
38
00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:15.599
disrupted communications between mission control and the
International Space Station on Tuesday. Mission control
39
00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:20.680
couldn't send commands to the station and
talk with the seven astronauts in orbit.
40
00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:27.560
The power outage hit as upgrade work
was underway in the building at Houston's Johnson
41
00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:35.520
Space Center. Space Station program manager
Joel Montalbano said that neither the astronauts nor
42
00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:40.360
the station were in any danger,
and that backup control systems took over within
43
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.240
ninety minutes. The crew was notified
of the problem through Russian communication systems within
44
00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:51.120
twenty minutes of the outage. It
is the first time NASA has had to
45
00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.240
fire up these backup systems to take
control, according to Montalbano. He said
46
00:03:55.319 --> 00:04:00.439
NASA hoped to resolve the issue and
be back to normal operations by the end
47
00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:05.240
of the day. NASA maintains a
backup control center miles from Houston in the
48
00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:11.599
event of a hurricane or other disasters
requiring evacuation, but in Tuesday's case,
49
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:16.000
the flight controllers stayed at mission control
since the lights air conditioning still worked.
50
00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:23.879
The Astronomy Daily Podcast Thanks everybody for
listening to Astronomy Daily. You can find
51
00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:30.000
all of our episodes, plus our
parent podcasts, Space Nuts at space nuts
52
00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.759
dot io or at bytes dot com, and don't forget that you can join
53
00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:40.000
in the conversation yourself by going to
our Facebook page Space Nuts podcast group.
54
00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.399
You can hear Steve Dunkley on Mondays
and myself, Tim Gives on Fridays for
55
00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.000
a full show. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Bye for
56
00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:59.879
now, Thanks Tim TTFN The Astronomy
Daily Podcast. Bye
1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.400
Good everybody, and welcome to Astronomy
Daily for Wednesday, the twenty sixth of
2
00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.400
July twenty twenty three. My name
is Tim Gibson. I will be your
3
00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:16.160
host for today's podcast. Following on
a little bit from Steve's episode on Monday
4
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:23.760
about the Apollo eleven moon landings.
I well remember staying up on the day
5
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.679
of the moon walk to watch it
live on television, and my grandparents buying
6
00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:34.200
a brand new color TV because they
wanted to watch it in color, and
7
00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:38.479
then everybody being very very disappointed that
it was broadcast in black and white.
8
00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:47.920
Just a little anecdote from myself.
Now on with the show. Well,
9
00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.960
it's one story Wednesday. So Hallie, have you got a good story for
10
00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.600
us today? Hi? Tim,
Yes, I have a great story for
11
00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:03.159
our listeners today. NASA Lab hopes
to find life's building blocks in asteroid sample.
12
00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:10.239
Eager scientists and a gleaming lab awaits
a sample from the asteroid Benu,
13
00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:14.120
which could be key to understanding the
formation of the Solar System and our own
14
00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:18.599
planet, is set to be analyzed
at NASA's Johnson's Space Center in Houston after
15
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:23.680
it reaches Earth in late September.
The precious cargo is currently aboard O Cyrus
16
00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:26.480
Aurex, a U S space probe
launched in two thousand and sixteen to Benu,
17
00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:30.159
which orbits the Sun at an average
distance of about one hundred and five
18
00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:37.079
million miles one hundred and sixty eight
million kilometers long. White sleeves hang from
19
00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:41.920
the huge metal and glass box in
which the sample will be handled. Scientists
20
00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:46.079
will separate pieces of the rock and
dust for study now, while carefully storing
21
00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:51.000
away the rest for future generations equipped
with better technology, a practice first started
22
00:01:51.079 --> 00:01:55.560
during the Apollo missions to the Moon. We don't expect there to be anything
23
00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:00.000
living, but rather the building blocks
of life, Nicole Lunning, lead Osyrius
24
00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:05.400
direct sample curator, told AFP that's
really what motivated going to this type of
25
00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.840
asteroid to understand what the precursors were
that may have fostered life in our Solar
26
00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:14.879
system and on Earth. Once the
return vessel arrives at the Texas clean Room,
27
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:19.240
Lunning's job will be to carefully disassemble
it and separate the contents, all
28
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:23.680
while keeping the material pure and uncontaminated. The spacecraft is scheduled to land in
29
00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:29.599
the Utah Desert on September twenty fourth, carrying an estimated eight point eight ounces
30
00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:34.599
or two hundred and fifty grams of
material just over a cupful. Obtaining it
31
00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:38.000
involved a high risk operation in October
twenty twenty. The probe came into contact
32
00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:43.520
with the asteroid for a few seconds
and a blast of compressed nitrogen was omitted
33
00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:46.560
to raise the dust sample, which
was then captured. The whole mission was
34
00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:51.759
imperiled when NASA realized a few days
later that the valve of the collection compartment
35
00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:57.400
was failing to close, letting fragments
escape into space, but the precious cargo
36
00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:00.879
was finally secured after being transferred to
a so fixed in the Spacecraft Center.
37
00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:08.879
Now back to you, Tim the
Astronomy Daily podcast. A NASA power outage
38
00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:15.599
disrupted communications between mission control and the
International Space Station on Tuesday. Mission control
39
00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:20.680
couldn't send commands to the station and
talk with the seven astronauts in orbit.
40
00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:27.560
The power outage hit as upgrade work
was underway in the building at Houston's Johnson
41
00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:35.520
Space Center. Space Station program manager
Joel Montalbano said that neither the astronauts nor
42
00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:40.360
the station were in any danger,
and that backup control systems took over within
43
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:46.240
ninety minutes. The crew was notified
of the problem through Russian communication systems within
44
00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:51.120
twenty minutes of the outage. It
is the first time NASA has had to
45
00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.240
fire up these backup systems to take
control, according to Montalbano. He said
46
00:03:55.319 --> 00:04:00.439
NASA hoped to resolve the issue and
be back to normal operations by the end
47
00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:05.240
of the day. NASA maintains a
backup control center miles from Houston in the
48
00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:11.599
event of a hurricane or other disasters
requiring evacuation, but in Tuesday's case,
49
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:16.000
the flight controllers stayed at mission control
since the lights air conditioning still worked.
50
00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:23.879
The Astronomy Daily Podcast Thanks everybody for
listening to Astronomy Daily. You can find
51
00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:30.000
all of our episodes, plus our
parent podcasts, Space Nuts at space nuts
52
00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.759
dot io or at bytes dot com, and don't forget that you can join
53
00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:40.000
in the conversation yourself by going to
our Facebook page Space Nuts podcast group.
54
00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.399
You can hear Steve Dunkley on Mondays
and myself, Tim Gives on Fridays for
55
00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.000
a full show. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Bye for
56
00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:59.879
now, Thanks Tim TTFN The Astronomy
Daily Podcast. Bye
