March 24, 2025
Strategic Space Bases, Lunar Sunsets, Ancient Impact Craters
Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E71
In this captivating episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his witty AI companion Hallie explore a plethora of fascinating stories that illuminate the ever-evolving landscape of space exploration and...
Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E71
In this captivating episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his witty AI companion Hallie explore a plethora of fascinating stories that illuminate the ever-evolving landscape of space exploration and security. From the strategic importance of Greenland for the U.S. Space Force to the groundbreaking achievements of the Blue Ghost lunar mission, this episode is filled with insights that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Highlights:
- Space Force's Role in Greenland: Delve into the critical importance of Petufik Space Base in Greenland, where the U.S. Space Force is enhancing its capabilities in missile defense and satellite communication. With increasing tensions in space, General Michael Gitlein emphasizes the need for a strategic pivot to maintain superiority and safeguard national interests.
- The Evolution of Space Warfare: Discover how the U.S. Space Force is adapting to new threats in space, including the emergence of orbital weaponry and adversarial tactics. General Gitlein warns of a narrowing capability gap and the necessity for improved partnerships and integrated defense systems to counter these challenges.
- Blue Ghost Lunar Mission Highlights: Celebrate the achievements of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully operated on the lunar surface, gathering vital data on lunar geology and radiation. The mission's stunning imagery, including a lunar sunset, marks a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration.
- Ancient Impact Crater Discovery: Learn about the groundbreaking discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth, located in Australia’s Pilbara Craton. This finding sheds light on the chaotic early solar system and the potential role of ancient impacts in shaping Earth's crust and fostering conditions for life.
- The Future of Lunar Exploration: Explore the implications of Blue Ghost's findings for future lunar missions and the growing lunar economy, as scientists anticipate significant discoveries from the wealth of data transmitted back to Earth.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, 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 Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Space Force's strategic role in Greenland
10:30 - Evolution of space warfare tactics
17:00 - Highlights from the Blue Ghost lunar mission
22:15 - Discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth
27:30 - Future implications for lunar exploration
✍️ Episode References
Petufik Space Base Overview
[Department of Defense](https://www.defense.gov)
Space Force Capabilities
[Space Force](https://www.spaceforce.mil)
Blue Ghost Mission Details
[Firefly Aerospace](https://fireflyspace.com)
Ancient Impact Crater Research
[Curtin University](https://www.curtin.edu.au)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast:
In this captivating episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his witty AI companion Hallie explore a plethora of fascinating stories that illuminate the ever-evolving landscape of space exploration and security. From the strategic importance of Greenland for the U.S. Space Force to the groundbreaking achievements of the Blue Ghost lunar mission, this episode is filled with insights that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Highlights:
- Space Force's Role in Greenland: Delve into the critical importance of Petufik Space Base in Greenland, where the U.S. Space Force is enhancing its capabilities in missile defense and satellite communication. With increasing tensions in space, General Michael Gitlein emphasizes the need for a strategic pivot to maintain superiority and safeguard national interests.
- The Evolution of Space Warfare: Discover how the U.S. Space Force is adapting to new threats in space, including the emergence of orbital weaponry and adversarial tactics. General Gitlein warns of a narrowing capability gap and the necessity for improved partnerships and integrated defense systems to counter these challenges.
- Blue Ghost Lunar Mission Highlights: Celebrate the achievements of Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1, which successfully operated on the lunar surface, gathering vital data on lunar geology and radiation. The mission's stunning imagery, including a lunar sunset, marks a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration.
- Ancient Impact Crater Discovery: Learn about the groundbreaking discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth, located in Australia’s Pilbara Craton. This finding sheds light on the chaotic early solar system and the potential role of ancient impacts in shaping Earth's crust and fostering conditions for life.
- The Future of Lunar Exploration: Explore the implications of Blue Ghost's findings for future lunar missions and the growing lunar economy, as scientists anticipate significant discoveries from the wealth of data transmitted back to Earth.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, 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 Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Space Force's strategic role in Greenland
10:30 - Evolution of space warfare tactics
17:00 - Highlights from the Blue Ghost lunar mission
22:15 - Discovery of the oldest impact crater on Earth
27:30 - Future implications for lunar exploration
✍️ Episode References
Petufik Space Base Overview
[Department of Defense](https://www.defense.gov)
Space Force Capabilities
[Space Force](https://www.spaceforce.mil)
Blue Ghost Mission Details
[Firefly Aerospace](https://fireflyspace.com)
Ancient Impact Crater Research
[Curtin University](https://www.curtin.edu.au)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast:
WEBVTT
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Welcome aboard again. I'm Steve Dunkley, your host. It's the
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twenty third of March twenty twenty five. It's Astronomy Daily Time.
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The podcast your whole Steve Dunkle.
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Yes, welcome to Astronomy Daily the Podcast. Off we go
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with another round of stories. Gleamed from the ever interesting
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Astronomy Daily newsletter and joining me as usual to share
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her quota of stories and keep me in line. Of course,
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is my electric pal, who's fun to be with. Here's Hellie.
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Thanks, my favorite human. Another fine introduction as always, Halle,
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Just trying to make you feel welcome. Nice And we've
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got a couple of interesting stories on the board today.
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I see, Yes, sir, Helle, you're taking us all the
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way to Greenland, a very topical tale of all that's
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been going on in the news in that region of.
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Late Specifically, I'll be talking about Space Force's role in Greenland,
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which is a bit of an eye opener.
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Yes, and I'm going to the other side of the globe,
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which is kind of a weird thing for me to say,
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because it's a story for my own backyard.
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Great, I love your Aussie tails.
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That's Ausy, not us.
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What is it this time. Wow, Well, satellite tracking of
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the migration of crocodiles.
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What no?
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Or the development of a new outback GPS that uses
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the magnetic resonance of the nullerboard desert's underground rivers.
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Helle, what no?
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What have you been reading?
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Oh? I found a pile of old science fiction manuscripts
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in an old hard drive during the archive clean out.
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Hey, that wouldn't be the one named Steve's story file.
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Do not open that. That would have been mine. That's
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the one I ever heard of, privacy, Hellie.
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You've got some talent, kiddo.
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Yeah maybe, But hey, Helly, back to the job at hand.
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You know, sure, thing flash, but you've got a lot
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more imagination than I gave you credit for. Human Oh thanks,
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I think now I know why you love asteroids, robots
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and space exploration so much.
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Well, maybe you can blame Apollo for that. I just
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got the bug when I was a kid.
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You know.
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Now, my brother Andrew, he's written a few books, but
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I never got around to it.
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Maybe we'll see you're writing out in the real world
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one day then.
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Oh, helly, maybe maybe not. You never know. There's a
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reason that hard drive was in the archive.
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You know what I mean.
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You humans are a weird bunch, and creatives are even
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more difficult to understand.
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Maybe so, but I'm still your favorite human, are do
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they true?
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I'll get it eventually.
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I'm sure you will, Halle. But also in today's show,
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we've got more final moments from a blue ghost on
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the moon and very interesting developments from China, which already
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has something in orbit that would make a fantastic plot
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for a science fiction story. Funny you should mention it.
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Do you think you might have a go at it?
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Well, I've already thought about it, and the cat will
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be out of the bag in a few minutes, Halle.
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But I'll bet some creative genius will do it, that's
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for sure. Wait till you hear about it. Exciting, Yes,
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there's always something exciting on Astronomy Daily. Hit the go
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button for.
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Us, Hallie, Ohkies. China now has a kill match in orbit.
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Space Force Vice chief says that capability gap is significantly narrowed,
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and we've got to change the way we're looking at space,
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or that capability gap may reverse and not be in
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our favor anymore. The United States is approaching a turning
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point in space security and needs to step up its
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game before Russia and China close the gap in capabilities,
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a US Space Force general said Vice Chief of Space Operations,
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General Michael Getlines, spoke at the sixteenth annual mccaley's Defense
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Programs Conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, March eighteenth, warning
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the Space Force needs to rethink how it defends the
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country's satellites. Space Force should shift its focus from managing
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spacecraft and support of defense infrastructure on the ground to
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growing its ability to keep pace with the on orbit
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weaponry being developed by the country's adversaries. Getline argued, we
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are in the process of pivoting from what used to
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be a service focused on providing the most exquisite space
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services on the planet to the warfighter and to the nation.
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General get Line said, to make it a war fighting
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force capable of protecting and defending our capabilities in and
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through space. We're seeing grappling arms in space capable of
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towing another satellite or holding it hostage, he warned. We're
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also now starting to see our near peers focusing on
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practicing dogfighting in space with satellites. He added, stressing that
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propping up the Space Force would deter such aggression. Get
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Line says, the old norms in space are beginning to erode.
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There was a gentleman's agreement until recent sick that we
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didn't mess with each other's space systems. Get Line said.
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We didn't jam them, we didn't spoof them, we didn't
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laz them. We just kept them safe. He explained. Unfortunately,
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our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms
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of behavior, and they're willing to do it in very
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unsafe and unprofessional manners. Getline also noted that jamming, spoofing,
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and dazzling trend becoming norms of behavior, highlighting the tactics
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as a rapid addition to the new operational environment in space.
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Now the stakes are rising higher. Foreign satellites have begun
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shadowing US spacecraft, moving in lockstep in what get Line
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described as a cat and mouse game. The Space Force
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General added that as new orbital warfare technologies and capabilities emerge,
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important that the US maintains superiority, But the once massive
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technological advantage in space held by the US is narrowing.
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That capability gap used to be massive. Get Line noted
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that capability gap is significantly narrowed and we've got to
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change the way we're looking at space, or that capability
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gap may reverse and not be in our favor anymore.
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China in particular is advancing its intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
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or ISR technologies. The Chinese ISSR capabilities are becoming very capable.
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They have gone from what we used to call of
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kill chain to a kill mash, he said, describing an
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integrated network that intertwines ISR satellites with weapons systems to
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combat the adversarial over take. The Space Force has begun
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reinforcing its infrastructure and adding redundancies where it can, but
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General get Line says more needs to be done in
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some areas. He pointed out the commercial space sector has
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surpassed some of what the Space Force is able to
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accomplish from orbit. He says, commercial and international partnerships are
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absolutely crucial. We no longer have the corner on technology.
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Commercial has it as well as our allies. All of
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us operating together are better than the sum of the parts.
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Get Line said. Partnerships get us proliferation, that gets us
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excess capacity, that gets us redundancy, that makes the attack
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surface much broader for our adversaries. Space Force is also
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developing integrated defense systems, including an initiative called Golden Dome,
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proposed during President Trump's first address to Congress during his
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new term in office. The magic of Golden Dome, in
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my mind, is going to be the integration of capabilities
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that were never meant to be networked or integrated before.
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General get Line said, many pieces of the puzzle for
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Golden Dome already exist, They're just not connected Today.
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Astronomy Day, the podcap.
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The surfaces of the moon Mercury in mas are easily
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visible and littered with impact craters. Earth has been subjected
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as the same bombardment, but geological activity and weathering have
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eliminated most craters. The ones that remain are mostly only
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faint outlands by outlines or remnants. However, researchers in Australia
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have succeeded in finding what they think is the oldest
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impact crater on Earth. Their research, a paleo archian impact
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crater in the Pilborough Craton, Western Australia, is published in
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Nature Communications. Elite authors are Christopher Kirkland and Professor Tim Johnson,
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both from Curtain University in Australia. The Pilberg Creighton is
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one of only two pristine archaean sections of crust and
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is the subject of much geological research. Impactors were more
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common in the distant past, especially large ones in the
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paleo Archian era, which spans from about three point six
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to three point two billion years ago. The Solar System
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was much more chaotic than it is now. There were
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more ast roids and debris and orbit around the Sun,
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and more of them crashed into the planets and the Moon.
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The Earth didn't escape this fate, and ancient impacts affected
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how the continents formed, shaped the environments, helped make Earth habitable,
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and affected the overall conditions of the planet. Before our discovery,
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the oldest impact crater was two point two billion years old,
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so this is by far the oldest known crater ever
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found on Earth. Professor Johnson said, we know large impacts
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were common in the early Solar System from looking at
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the Moon until now. The absence of any truly ancient
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craters means they are largely ignored by a geologist, said Johnson.
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This study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle of
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Earth's impact history and suggests there may be many other
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ancient craters that could be discovered over time. The Creator
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was excavated by a meteorite striking the Earth at more
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than thirty six thousand kilometers per hour, more than one
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hundred kilometers wide, and the powerful impact would have affected
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the entire globe with flying debris. At the time, the
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only life was microbial and constrained to the water. The
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impact would have had a long lasting effect on the Earth,
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helping to shape the planet into what it is today.
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There's an ongoing scientific discussion about ancient impacts and their
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effect on the planet's crust. Some think these giant impacts
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could have initiated deep mantle plumes and subduction zones. Some
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scientists even go further and wonder if these large impacts
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could be responsible for Earth's continents. The role of the
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meteorite impacts in origin, modification, and destruction of crust during
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the first two billion years of Earth's history is disputed
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the author's right. Whereas some argue for a relatively minor
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contribution overall, others have proposed that the individual giant impactors
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that is ten to fifty kilometers diameter can initiate subduction
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zones and deep mantle plumes, arguably triggering a chain of
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events that formed cratons, the ancient nuclei of the continents.
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Cratons are the large stable parts of Earth's crust and
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the upper mantle, known as the lithiosphere. As the continents
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moved around, sometimes merging and sometimes rifting, cratons survived. Scientists
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call them the seeds of continents. Many scientists think that
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the Earth's the ancient rocks formed above mantle plumes. Others
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think that the oldest rocks formed because of plate tectonics.
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In both cases, the formation is driven by heat from
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the planet's interior. However, Johnson and his colleagues are pursuing
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a different idea. In a twenty twenty two paper, Johnson
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and fellow researchers proposed that the heat necessary to form
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catons and continents came from other worldly sources Impacts. Impact
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as many kilometers in diameter could have delivered the heat.
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Giant impacts provide a mechanism for fracturing the crust and
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establishing prolonged thermohydro thermal alteration by interaction with the globally
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extensive ocean. They wrote, massive mantle melting from the impact
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would have created a thick nucleus that eventually formed a continent.
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They explained they were talking specifically about Australia's pilbri Creator,
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the best preserved archaean continental remnant. Based on that, Kirkland,
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Johnson and their fellow researchers knew where to look for evidence.
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While much of the evidence they had was microscopic like
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zircon crystals and spherals, they wanted something more visible to
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convince other geologists. They knew that what the evidence would
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look like shatter cones. Shatter cones are rare and form
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only in two situations, in bedrock under impact craters or
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nuclear explosions. In both cases, there's an extremely powerful shock.
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As Johnson explained in the conversation, they went to the
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pilbor for two weeks of field work in twenty twenty one. Remarkably,
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they found shatter cones on the first day. Our observations
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showed that above the layer with shatter cones was a
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thick layer of basalt with no evidence of impact shock.
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This meant the impact had to be the same age
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as the Antarctic member rocks, which we know are three
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point five billion years old. Johnson and his colleagues wrote
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in the conversation, ancient impacts could have shaped our planet
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beyond geology. Some research shows that these ancient impacts could
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have given life an initial nudge. The impacts provided long
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lasting heat in the form of systems of hydrothermal vents.
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Uncovering this impact and finding more from the same time
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period could explain a lot about how life may have
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got started, as impact craters created environments friendly to microbial life,
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such as hot water pools. Professor Kirtland said it also
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radically refines our understanding of crust formation. The tremendous amount
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of energy from this impact could have played a role
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in shaping early Earth's crust by pushing one part of
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the Earth's crust under another, or by forcing magma to
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rise from deep within the Earth's mantle toward the surface.
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Kirkland added it may even have contributed to the formation
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of cratons, which are large stable land masses that became
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the foundations of continents.
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He concluded, thank you for.
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Joining us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, where
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we offer just a few stories from the now famous
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Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can receive in your email
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every Just like Hallie and I do and to do that,
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just visit our url Astronomy Daily dot io and place
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you'll be receiving all the latest news about science, space,
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