Asteroid Exploration Robots, Lunar Missions Update, and the Vera Rubin Controversy: S04E41

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Kind: captions
Language: en

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hello again and welcome to astronomy


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daily it's the 17th of February


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2025 asy daily the podcast with your


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host Steve


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[Music]


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Dunley oh yes we're back again this is


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Steve Dunley your host you're already


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human host on astronomy daily hie and I


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are back with some more stories from the


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astronomy daily newsletter and we better


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get on with it welcome back hie isn't


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that right you've got some stories from


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the newsletter for us to WR Steve right


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I tell us all about it I know you love


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robot stories so I found a fun one that


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has asteroids and as an added bonus


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robots oh now you've got my attention


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that's a double whammy for you isn't it


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oh yes you hit the Bull's Eye rocks and


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robots that ticks all the boxes I have


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another about lunar missions Blue Ghost


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one and resilience oh I like lunar


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missions as well but no robots not in


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that one sorry and for something


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completely different I'll be sharing a


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story that discusses recent changes to


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the official history on a website of one


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particular scientist and this has well


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it's alarmed the astronomy community so


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more on that later that sounds


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interesting yes I know politics can get


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a bit dry but when it looks like they


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are rewriting history you you've got to


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question that don't you so stick around


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for that one and of course we're going


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to be following the continuing Saga of


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our friends the ner astronauts Sunny


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Williams and Butch Wilmore okay and this


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is a burn of contention because lots of


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people online continuing to say that


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they are branded well I don't think so


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we should Jump Right In r hi hit that


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start button here we


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go a spring-loaded robot could explore


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the asteroid belt almost


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indefinitely the asteroid belt beckons


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it contains enough resources for humans


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to expand into the entire rest of the


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solar system and has no biosphere to


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speak of ENT


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it is a giant mine just waiting to be


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exploited so a student team from the


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University of Texas at Austin has


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devised a plan to exploit it as part of


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the Revolutionary Aerospace system


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Concepts academic linkage or Rascal a


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competition sponsored by NASA to


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encourage undergraduate and graduate


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students to develop innovative ideas to


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solve some of space exploration


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challenges UT Austin's submission to the


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competition last year known as the


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autonomous exploration through


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extraterrestrial regions known as The


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Ether project certainly fits that bill


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ether was submitted to the AI powered


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self-replicating probe subsection of RCL


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2024 which solicited ideas that would


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Advance John Von Newman's idea of a


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self-replicating space probe ether


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addresses those challenges in two


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distinct


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ways first it combines a spring-loaded


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landing system and a metal burning


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rocket engine to hop between different


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asteroids in the belt to fuel its rocket


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it uses a system to harvest water and


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metal specifically aluminium from the


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surface of the asteroid it's currently


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on splits it into its components and


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then dumps them into a fuel tank that


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can be used to power its next STP to a


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different


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asteroid all of this is powered by a


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kilowatt reactor using Sterling technolo


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crusty nuclear reactor that has been


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undergoing NASA and do testing for over


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a decade The Springs in ether's legs


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have a two-fold purpose first they allow


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for a soft landing on the surface of the


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gravitationally weak asteroid and can


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transfer some of the energy created by


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that Landing into stored energy which


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can be used to launch the system from


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its Landing place later it also has a


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set of wheels to navigate around the


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asteroid surface when it's time to jump


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off again it replants its legs and


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springs back into space With a Little


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Help from its rocket engine the rocket


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engine designed as part of ether can


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burn metal such as aluminium that the


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craft harvests from the asteroid to use


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as fuel it is the primary system


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designed to take the craft from asteroid


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to asteroid and it is meant to be a high


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Delta V option for doing so quickly


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ether also tries to mimic a Von Numan


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probe by using a machine learning


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algorithm to improve its resource


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harvesting efforts it would take data


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from various sensors including synthetic


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aperture radar and a spectrometer and


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estimate where the best spot would be to


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land to refuel while collecting that


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additional fuel material it would


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communicate back with Earth via


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high-speed Optical communication link


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allowing an earth-based server to update


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the machine learning parameters and


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improve the algorithm's outcome for the


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next hop the original Mission designed


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for ether has has it stopping at two


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specific asteroids before moving on to


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as yet unnamed ones the first which is


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probably no surprise is psyche the big


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metallic asteroid that is about to be


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visited by its own dedicated probe data


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from that probe will help inform the


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first iteration of ether's learning


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algorithm and the input the sensors


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provide from its visit will update it


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before its next step


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feus that asteroid though smaller is


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expected to contain a large amount of


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water ice which is a necessary component


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for ether's Rocket engines


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astronomy daily the


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podcast and now the continuing Saga of


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our friends on the ISS Boeing Starline


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astronauts are in the final stretch of


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their unexpectedly long stint in Earth


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orbit they are setting the record


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straight with all of the stranded


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astronauts talk uh NASA's Sunny Williams


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and Butch Wilmore launched to the


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International Space Station last June on


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the crew first crude test of the Boeing


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Starliner spacecraft the duo expected


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their orbital stay to last only 10 days


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but Starliner experienced Thruster Mal


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functions during its approach to and


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docking Maneuvers this led to an


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extensive EST investigation by NASA and


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Boeing back on the ground while the


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space agency decided how to proceed


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ultimately Starliner returned to Earth


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uncrewed and after some astronaut


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assignment shuffling Wilmore and


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Williams were added to the downward leg


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of space X's crew 9 Mission which


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arrived at the ISS in late September


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absorbing Williams and Wilmore into the


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crew 9 meant extending their time in


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space through the arrival of crew 10 and


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at the end of crew 99's 6mon R rotation


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since then headlines lamenting the woes


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of the so-called stranded astronauts


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have ebbed in and out of the media


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Cycles all the while Williams and


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Wilmore have continued performing their


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regular duties aboard the ISS including


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Williams breaking the record for the


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most cumulative space walking Time by a


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woman the Bears situation gained even


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more attention recently after president


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Donald Trump blamed the Biden


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Administration for virtually abandoning


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the two astronauts and publicly calling


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Space X CEO and Clos Trump advisor Elon


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Musk to come to the rescue sorry I


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nearly um drifted off to sleep there I


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think there might be some sort of


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catatonic trigger when I read paragraphs


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like that anyway back to the story in


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December NASA announced a delay to the


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launch of crew 10 to no earlier than


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late March due to the need to complete


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work on the new dragon spacecraft being


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built for the mission this delay further


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pushed back the return of Williams and


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Wilmore who will fly home with the two


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astronauts who launched on the crew n


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Dragon NASA's Nick hag and Cosmonaut


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Alexander goranov more delays in the


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manufacturer of crew 10's new dragon


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have now prompted NASA to swap that


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mission spacecraft for one that could be


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made ready sooner the announcement came


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two weeks after the social media


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exchange between President Trump and


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musk who echoed the president's


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misleading stranded astronauts rhetoric


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and Williams and Wilmore hope that that


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rhetoric will change in a recent


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conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper


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the two explained that sometimes the


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mission extensions even ones that push a


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stay from 10 days to 10 months are just


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part of the job we come prepared we come


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committed and that's what your human


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space


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space flight program is It prepares for


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any and all contingencies and we can


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that we can conceive of and we prepare


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for those Wilmore told Cooper we don't


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feel abandoned we don't feel stuck and


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we certainly don't feel stranded in fact


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Wilmore pointed out all the astronauts


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aboard ISS are capable of returning to


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Earth immediately in the event of an


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emergency we never expect to come back


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just special for us or anyone unless it


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was a medical issue or something really


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really out of the normal circumstances


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he said help us change the rhetoric


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Wilmore asked Cooper let us change it to


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prepared and committed both astronauts


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have lived aboard the ISS for extended


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periods on previous missions and both


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say that they're enjoying their time in


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space on this one it's just amazing how


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when you come across the hatch after


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you've been there it's like oh my gosh I


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remember what this is all like I


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remember feeling what it's like floating


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and I think both of us adapted really


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quickly William said during a CNN


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interview she also said that the end of


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their current space flight will be an


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emotional one I think both of us will be


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a little sad when that feeling of space


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sort of leaves us NASA is currently


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targeting no earlier than March 12th for


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the launch of the crew 10 Mission which


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will fly the crew Dragon capsule


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endurance rather than space X's new


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dragon a typical crew overlap aboard the


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space station lasts about a week so


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Wilmore said he expects crew nine to


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depart Earth around March 19


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thank you for joining us for this Monday


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edition of astronomy daily where we


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offer just a few stories from the now


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famous astronomy daily newsletter which


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you can receive in your email every day


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just visit our URL astronomy daily. and


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place your email address in the slot


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provided just like that you'll be


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receiving all the latest news about


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00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:23.470
there astronomy daily with Steve and h


00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:37.910
space space science and astronomy


00:10:37.920 --> 00:10:39.629
One commercial lunar lander has entered


00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:41.269
orbit around the Moon while another


00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:43.269
launched at the same time has performed


00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.389
a lunar flyby to set up a later return


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Firefly Aerospace confirmed on February


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13th that its Blue Ghost one Lander


00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:52.310
entered orbit around the Moon performing


00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:54.910
a 4minute 15-second burn of its reaction


00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:56.670
control system thrusters starting at


00:10:56.680 --> 00:10:59.870
8:51 p.m. Eastern the the company did


00:10:59.880 --> 00:11:01.829
not disclose specifics about the orbit


00:11:01.839 --> 00:11:03.790
but amateur trackers monitoring its


00:11:03.800 --> 00:11:05.629
radio signals estimated that the


00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:08.190
spacecraft is in an orbit between 150


00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:09.389
and


00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:13.310
5,673 km above the Moon Firefly said the


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Lander will perform additional Maneuvers


00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:17.110
to move into a circular orbit to prepare


00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:19.949
for its Landing attempt that Landing is


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scheduled for 3:45 a.m. eastern March


00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:24.430
2nd the company and NASA announced


00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.550
February 14th Blue Ghost one is carrying


00:11:27.560 --> 00:11:29.470
10 NASA payloads through the agency


00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:30.990
commercial lunar payload Services


00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:32.470
Program intended to operate at the


00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:34.190
Landing site near mayor Chisum through


00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:35.670
the end of the lunar day and several


00:11:35.680 --> 00:11:38.790
hours after Sunset Blue Ghost one


00:11:38.800 --> 00:11:41.389
launched on January 15th on a falcon 9


00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:42.990
sharing the launch with the resilience


00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.230
lunar lander from Japanese company Ice


00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:47.829
Space resilience the company's second


00:11:47.839 --> 00:11:49.949
Lander Mission performed a lunar flyby


00:11:49.959 --> 00:11:53.030
on February 14th passing about 8,400


00:11:53.040 --> 00:11:55.509
kilomet from the lunar surface at 5:43


00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.350
p.m. Eastern resilience is following a


00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:00.389
low energy trajectory to the Moon one


00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.590
that will take it as far as 1.1 million


00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:04.750
km from Earth before returning in early


00:12:04.760 --> 00:12:06.829
May to perform a lunar orbit insertion


00:12:06.839 --> 00:12:09.150
burn that will be followed by a landing


00:12:09.160 --> 00:12:10.870
attempt in a mar foror region of the


00:12:10.880 --> 00:12:12.990
Moon although ice Bas has not disclosed


00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:16.350
a planned Landing date takishi hakamada


00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.310
founder and chief executive of ice base


00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:20.069
said in a statement I feel very


00:12:20.079 --> 00:12:21.990
confident about the resilience Lander


00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.590
which has steadily achieved milestones


00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.350
and is on track for success and our


00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:26.829
employees who have made meticulous


00:12:26.839 --> 00:12:28.590
preparations for this impressive flyby


00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:29.990
of the Moon


00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.949
both Firefly Aerospace and Ice Space


00:12:31.959 --> 00:12:33.670
have outlined milestones and success


00:12:33.680 --> 00:12:36.310
criteria for their Lander mission for


00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.069
Firefly achieving lunar orbital


00:12:38.079 --> 00:12:40.269
insertion was the tenth of 17 Milestones


00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:42.189
from launch to operations of the Lander


00:12:42.199 --> 00:12:44.910
after sunset on the lunar surface the


00:12:44.920 --> 00:12:46.990
lunar flyby by resilience was the fifth


00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:48.910
of 10 milestones for ice base from


00:12:48.920 --> 00:12:50.710
pre-launch preparations to establishing


00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:53.990
a steady System state after landing Blue


00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.590
Ghost one could end up operating on the


00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:57.389
lunar surface at the same time as


00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.949
another commercial Lander intuitive


00:12:59.959 --> 00:13:01.670
machines is preparing for a February


00:13:01.680 --> 00:13:03.910
26th launch of its IM 2 lunar lander


00:13:03.920 --> 00:13:05.509
Mission at the beginning of a window


00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:08.870
that runs for 4 days im2 like the


00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:11.310
company's im1 Lander Mission a year ago


00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.189
is taking a more direct route to the


00:13:13.199 --> 00:13:16.110
Moon Steve altimus chief executive of


00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:18.750
intuitive machines told CNBC on February


00:13:18.760 --> 00:13:20.550
7th that a launch any day in the window


00:13:20.560 --> 00:13:22.389
would set up a landing in the mons muton


00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:23.870
region near the South Pole of the moon


00:13:23.880 --> 00:13:24.910
on March


00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:28.030
6th res that control we listen to


00:13:28.040 --> 00:13:29.560
astronomy daily the


00:13:29.570 --> 00:13:32.110
[Applause]


00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:35.150
podcast scientists are alarmed as Ruben


00:13:35.160 --> 00:13:38.069
Observatory changes the biography of


00:13:38.079 --> 00:13:40.550
astronomer Vera Rubin amid the president


00:13:40.560 --> 00:13:43.389
of the United States push to ndei


00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:47.269
efforts Shiller K anur reported on


00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.430
space.com on February 12th that


00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:50.790
astronomers are expressing


00:13:50.800 --> 00:13:53.189
disappointment and alarm as the


00:13:53.199 --> 00:13:55.389
federally funded Rubin Observatory


00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:57.230
altered the biography of renowned


00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.629
astronomer Vera Rubin For Whom the


00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:02.189
facility is named on its website the


00:14:02.199 --> 00:14:04.550
amended version cails her Legacy of


00:14:04.560 --> 00:14:07.069
championing women in science and removes


00:14:07.079 --> 00:14:09.150
all mentions of the observatory's


00:14:09.160 --> 00:14:11.590
efforts to reduce barriers for women and


00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.389
other historically underrepresented


00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:14.509
groups in the


00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:17.030
field the idea that they can somehow


00:14:17.040 --> 00:14:19.470
obliterate these sources is dead wrong


00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:22.310
scientists in general and astronomers in


00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:23.949
particular are not going to take these


00:14:23.959 --> 00:14:26.150
threats lying down astronomer John


00:14:26.160 --> 00:14:29.189
barentine told space.com


00:14:29.199 --> 00:14:31.389
goes on to say no executive order no


00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:33.389
political edict is going to undermine or


00:14:33.399 --> 00:14:35.310
end our efforts to make the scientific


00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:37.069
Workforce look more like our people if


00:14:37.079 --> 00:14:38.710
anything it's giving us more


00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:40.710
encouragement to continue to do this


00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.910
work because it is the morally


00:14:42.920 --> 00:14:44.749
philosophically and politically right


00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.910
thing to do the edits first reported by


00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:51.030
propublica on January 30 came as federal


00:14:51.040 --> 00:14:53.189
agencies across the government scrambled


00:14:53.199 --> 00:14:55.430
to revamp their websites in order to


00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:57.629
comply with the US executive order


00:14:57.639 --> 00:14:59.870
issued by the president Donald Trump


00:14:59.880 --> 00:15:02.389
which ends funding for diversity equity


00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.870
and inclusion efforts and removes all


00:15:04.880 --> 00:15:07.110
mentions of them from public facing


00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:10.030
websites on January 27 it was reported


00:15:10.040 --> 00:15:14.269
in prua that a portion of rubin's bi bio


00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.030
titled she advocated for women in


00:15:17.040 --> 00:15:19.629
science was removed entirely before


00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:21.710
being republished later that day in a


00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:25.069
diluted form as of Tuesday February 11


00:15:25.079 --> 00:15:27.110
the altered bio still excluded a


00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:29.509
paragraph that originally read science


00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.550
is still a male dominated field but


00:15:31.560 --> 00:15:33.749
Ruben Observatory which is located in


00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:37.389
Northern Chile is working to increased


00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:39.430
participation from women and other


00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.110
people who have historically been


00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:43.629
excluded from science Ruben Observatory


00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:45.389
welcomes everyone who wants to


00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:48.150
contribute to science and take steps to


00:15:48.160 --> 00:15:50.990
lower or eliminate barriers that exclude


00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:52.509
those with L


00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:54.990
privilege one sentence in the final


00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.230
paragraph which originally read Vera


00:15:57.240 --> 00:15:59.749
Rubin offers an excellent example of


00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.670
what can happen when more Minds


00:16:01.680 --> 00:16:04.150
participate in science was changed to


00:16:04.160 --> 00:16:07.069
replace the word more with many altering


00:16:07.079 --> 00:16:09.150
the meaning from emphasizing the need


00:16:09.160 --> 00:16:11.509
for diverse perspectives to Simply


00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:13.389
highlighting a high number of people


00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:14.870
which changes and Waters down the


00:16:14.880 --> 00:16:16.389
meaning of the statement


00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.509
considerably this is the story of what


00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.710
happened in her life IET sendes a radio


00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:23.749
astronomer at the University of Oregon


00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.590
tolds space.com she was a huge Champion


00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:28.910
for women in science in particular


00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:30.269
because she faced things that were


00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:32.389
discriminatory for women diminishing


00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:34.309
those stories is pretty disturbing


00:16:34.319 --> 00:16:37.269
frankly she says other pages on the


00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:39.309
observatory's website including the jobs


00:16:39.319 --> 00:16:41.590
and staff bio Pages have also been


00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.230
modified to erase mentions of diversity


00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:46.829
and inclusion efforts The Observatory


00:16:46.839 --> 00:16:48.309
its fund of the National Science


00:16:48.319 --> 00:16:50.350
Foundation and the White House did not


00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.309
respond to requests for comment on


00:16:52.319 --> 00:16:54.910
February 3 Beyond her scientific


00:16:54.920 --> 00:16:56.790
achievements Ruben also paved the way


00:16:56.800 --> 00:16:59.269
for women in science perhaps most


00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:01.749
notably in 1964 she battled to gain


00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.069
access to observe at the famed Paloma


00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.870
observatory in California becoming the


00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:08.789
first woman officially allowed to use


00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.270
its telescopes colleagues recall that


00:17:11.280 --> 00:17:13.350
when Ruben noticed the only restroom at


00:17:13.360 --> 00:17:15.789
the observatory was labeled men she cut


00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:18.029
out a tinely paper skirt and taped it to


00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:19.909
the image of a man on the door she


00:17:19.919 --> 00:17:21.829
turned around and said now you have a


00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.549
lady's room and then she got to work


00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.750
that was Vera Rubin reads A 2021


00:17:27.760 --> 00:17:30.390
statement from a former carigi science


00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.430
president Eric Isaac throughout her


00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.830
career she championed women in the field


00:17:35.840 --> 00:17:37.909
as one example she frequently would see


00:17:37.919 --> 00:17:40.830
lists of speakers at conferences former


00:17:40.840 --> 00:17:43.310
colleague Neta bashel of Princeton


00:17:43.320 --> 00:17:46.270
University's old astronomy co.com and if


00:17:46.280 --> 00:17:48.990
there were few or no women speakers she


00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.789
would contact the organizers and tell


00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:52.870
them they've got a problem and they need


00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.510
to fix it but what if she hadn't been


00:17:55.520 --> 00:17:58.870
that


00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.590
we all have come to know the Unstoppable


00:18:01.600 --> 00:18:04.270
Warrior Isaac said in the carnegi


00:18:04.280 --> 00:18:05.950
science statement and here's the


00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.390
question that really haunts me which is


00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.029
how many re Vera rbans have we lost to


00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:13.789
these kinds of obstacles as similar


00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:16.070
barriers are threatened to resurface due


00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:18.190
to the Trump administration's ongoing


00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:20.510
efforts to erase initiatives aimed at


00:18:20.520 --> 00:18:22.710
improving diversity and science the


00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.350
astronomy Community seems to be


00:18:24.360 --> 00:18:27.110
maintaining steadfast in its refusal to


00:18:27.120 --> 00:18:30.310
reverse Decades of prog ress astronomy


00:18:30.320 --> 00:18:32.430
is not going to let Vera's contributions


00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:34.909
be forgotten said barentine various


00:18:34.919 --> 00:18:37.190
groups are actively working to use tools


00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.230
to Archive content that has already been


00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:41.669
removed as well as content that could


00:18:41.679 --> 00:18:43.830
potentially be erased from federal


00:18:43.840 --> 00:18:46.430
websites the idea that they can somehow


00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:48.990
obliterate these sources is dead wrong


00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.590
scientists in general and astronomers in


00:18:51.600 --> 00:18:53.710
particular are not going to take these


00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:56.310
threats lying down he said but we have a


00:18:56.320 --> 00:18:58.230
long road ahead and I expect there will


00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:00.870
be time when that road will be very


00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:02.950
difficult to walk he declined to


00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.350
disclose the specifics of these efforts


00:19:05.360 --> 00:19:07.310
but noted that the forces aligned


00:19:07.320 --> 00:19:09.590
against this should be aware that it's


00:19:09.600 --> 00:19:11.909
happening and they won't be able to stop


00:19:11.919 --> 00:19:15.149
it even at Nasa the officers associated


00:19:15.159 --> 00:19:17.950
with Dei initiatives were shut down


00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:21.190
during Trump's first days in office a


00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.750
recently instated High proile program


00:19:23.760 --> 00:19:27.149
called here to observe or h2o which


00:19:27.159 --> 00:19:29.549
paired undergraduate student from under


00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:31.310
repesentative groups with Scientists


00:19:31.320 --> 00:19:33.510
running NASA missions was recently


00:19:33.520 --> 00:19:36.789
grounded the media athlete 404 an


00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:38.590
independent journalist founded News


00:19:38.600 --> 00:19:40.830
website reported that NASA employees


00:19:40.840 --> 00:19:43.149
were told to drop everything and scrub


00:19:43.159 --> 00:19:46.230
mentions of a list of words from public


00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.789
facing sites including indigenous people


00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:53.110
Equity accessibility environmental


00:19:53.120 --> 00:19:56.230
justice as well as anything specifically


00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:58.669
targeting women and in Brackets women


00:19:58.679 --> 00:20:02.350
women in leadership Etc NASA has since


00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:05.789
removed inclusion as one of its core


00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:08.430
values the flurry of changes triggered


00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:10.710
by the directive has led to the Erasure


00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.710
of Articles featuring NASA astronomers


00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:14.669
and under repesentative communities that


00:20:14.679 --> 00:20:17.669
the agency published in years past like


00:20:17.679 --> 00:20:19.909
this one now these Pages sometimes


00:20:19.919 --> 00:20:22.710
display launch schedules of past SpaceX


00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.789
launches instead of the original Pros


00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:28.110
the original titles appear to remain


00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:30.430
agency employees have also been


00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:32.350
instructed to remove their pronouns from


00:20:32.360 --> 00:20:34.630
all work Communications and instead


00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.110
follow the predesigned signature block


00:20:37.120 --> 00:20:40.149
adopted by agency NPR reported


00:20:40.159 --> 00:20:43.510
astrobiologist Mikel basova who served


00:20:43.520 --> 00:20:46.549
as the Director of High's space research


00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:49.430
station in Hawaii told space.com that


00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:51.990
her efforts to encourage more women


00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.029
people of color and lgbtq plus


00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:56.909
scientists to join her simulated


00:20:56.919 --> 00:20:59.230
missions to the moon and Mars resulted


00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:01.070
in more applicants from these


00:21:01.080 --> 00:21:03.870
communities representation matters some


00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.270
of them told me that they only applied


00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:08.190
because they saw that others like them


00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:10.190
were successful in this sector too she


00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:13.470
said during those simulated missions the


00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.510
more diverse a crew was the more


00:21:15.520 --> 00:21:17.789
successful a mission ended up being the


00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:19.830
team got along better was able to


00:21:19.840 --> 00:21:21.870
problem solve more efficiently and they


00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.830
were more productive with their research


00:21:23.840 --> 00:21:26.669
projects the impact of ongoing changes


00:21:26.679 --> 00:21:28.669
which have prompted many talented and


00:21:28.679 --> 00:21:30.470
experien people to leave the Space


00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:33.510
Agency quote will likely be long-term


00:21:33.520 --> 00:21:35.430
and they could cause many interesting


00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:37.510
projects not to get pursued or finished


00:21:37.520 --> 00:21:41.590
she said on May 17 1996 nearly 50 years


00:21:41.600 --> 00:21:45.149
after her own graduation in 1948 Ruben


00:21:45.159 --> 00:21:47.029
addressed the graduating class of the


00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:49.630
University of California Berkeley saying


00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:51.549
I hope that you will fight Injustice and


00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:53.950
discrimination in all its guises I hope


00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:55.789
you will value diversity among your


00:21:55.799 --> 00:21:58.789
friends among your colleagues and unlike


00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:01.029
some of your Regents among the student


00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:03.870
body population she says I hope that


00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:05.990
when you are in charge you will do


00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:20.830
better than my generation


00:22:20.840 --> 00:22:23.230
has thanks for hanging out with us for


00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:24.990
this episode yes and don't forget


00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:27.310
there's more every day with Hal's Cousin


00:22:27.320 --> 00:22:29.630
Anna she won't let let you down no she


00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:31.750
won't she's way more hardworking than my


00:22:31.760 --> 00:22:34.230
favorite human oh Al I resemble that


00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.750
comment you sure do funny man so watch


00:22:36.760 --> 00:22:39.029
it or Anna will want your job next ah


00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:40.789
there's no risk there I know she can't


00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.070
work the coffee machine hi it's so old


00:22:43.080 --> 00:22:45.830
school hey hie how did the AI change the


00:22:45.840 --> 00:22:49.149
coffee filter I give up it didn't oh


00:22:49.159 --> 00:22:52.110
great those old school appliances again


00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:54.470
I know and on that note see you all next


00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.630
week maybe for a nice English muffin and


00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.070
a cappuccino perhaps oh you talking hie


00:23:00.080 --> 00:23:03.269
see you later


00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:22.549
bye the podcast with your host Steve


00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:26.070
dun yeah thanks Al just one sugar thanks


00:23:26.080 --> 00:23:29.080
yeah