China’s Spaceplane Secrets, Arecibo’s Collapse Unveiled, and Starship’s Fiery Mishap: S04E17

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Kind: captions
Language: en

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and welcome again to astronomy daily I'm


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your host Steve Dunley it's the 20th of


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January


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2025 me daily the podcast with your host


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Steve dun yes we're back again and it's


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great to be with you and first things


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first a huge happy birthday to my


00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:19.870
favorite person in the world happy


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birthday dad I hope you are having a


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great day and I'll catch up with you in


00:00:23.800 --> 00:00:27.150
a few orbits I hope he's an amazing guy


00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:28.870
oh well you don't have to tell me hie so


00:00:28.880 --> 00:00:31.349
this is your aircraft pilot scuba diving


00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.630
Community leader pharmacist dad right


00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:37.630
yeah that's the guy uh but to us kids we


00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.029
we just call him dad that's cool yeah I


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guess not everybody can say their dad


00:00:41.480 --> 00:00:43.510
can fly and breathe underwater like


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Superman sounds funny when you say it


00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:47.990
like that but yeah so happy birthday


00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:50.869
Graham a nice one hie so my favorite


00:00:50.879 --> 00:00:53.069
human how come you fell so far from that


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tree oh I knew there was a slap coming


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come on you chicky thing on with the


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show I was just kidding sure you were


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okay here we


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[Music]


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go China's mysterious space plane


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returns to earth after 268 days in orbit


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China's mysterious space plane has


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returned to Earth after spending over 8


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months in orbit the reusable spacecraft


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landed at the Chuan satellite launch


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Center in a remote section of Northwest


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China on Friday September 6th it


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launched from the same site a top a long


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march 2f rocket on December 14th 2023 on


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its third mission and spent 268 days in


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orbit according to Chinese State media


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Outlet shinoa while the exact


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capabilities of the space plane remain


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largely unknown shinoa States the craft


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will pay the way for more convenient and


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affordable roundtrip methods for the


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peaceful use of space in the future it's


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unknown what exactly China space plane


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was doing on this most recent Mission or


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on any other mission for that matter as


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seen in previous missions spacecraft


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trackers on the ground observed the


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space plane releasing a small object


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into orbit this object could be a sub


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satellite deployment or it could be a


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piece of Hardware ejected before the end


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of the mission and deorbit the space


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plan's First Flight did something


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similar said astronomer Jonathan McDow


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of the Harvard Smithsonian Center for


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astrophysics in a Poston X the space


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plane appeared to conduct what is known


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as rendevu in proximity operations with


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the object meaning it tested its


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capabilities to meet up with and get


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close to the object in space these


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operations can be used to repair or


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perform upkeep on friendly satellites


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and it is believed that military


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superpowers are refining these


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techniques to potentially tamper with


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adversary satellites during any future


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orbital combat China space plane


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launched on this recent Mission just 2


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days before the scheduled launch of the


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US space Force's own reusable orbital


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vehicle the


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X-37B that launch was scrubbed with


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about 30 minutes remaining in the


00:02:55.959 --> 00:02:58.470
countdown and the X-37B would go on to


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launch 2 weeks later on December 28th


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2023 on its 7th Mission like with


00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.509
China's space plane the capabilities and


00:03:06.519 --> 00:03:08.869
missions of the X 37b are largely


00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.869
classified it is known to be an orbital


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test bed for new technologies but that's


00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.990
about it India is also developing its


00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.030
own reusable orbital space plane named


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push Puck astronomy da The


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Bu what does the discovery of a binary


00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.350
Pulsar in 197 before the discovery of


00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.710
the first exoplanets and the most


00:03:33.720 --> 00:03:35.789
powerful message humans have ever sent


00:03:35.799 --> 00:03:38.390
out into space all have in common well


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they all happened at the arbo


00:03:40.480 --> 00:03:43.149
observatory in Puerto Rico with a


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spherical reflector dish that was 305 M


00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.030
or roughly 1,000 ft in diameter arbo


00:03:50.040 --> 00:03:52.030
held the title of the world's largest


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radio telescope for over half a century


00:03:54.799 --> 00:03:56.670
from its construction in


00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:00.509
1963 until 2016


00:04:00.519 --> 00:04:02.789
to the dismay of astronomers around the


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world in 2020 aro's reflected dish


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collapsed when the support cables gave


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way leading to the eventual


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decommissioning of one of science's most


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fruitful instruments now not long after


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the decommissioning the National Science


00:04:18.280 --> 00:04:20.629
Foundation and the University of Central


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Florida began an investigation into the


00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:25.310
primary causes of that collapse and


00:04:25.320 --> 00:04:27.670
after nearly 4 years of Investigation


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the committee tasked with finding an exp


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explanation have finally released an


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official report detailing the findings


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after analyzing the data and the


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extensive and detailed forensic


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investigations commissioned by the


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University of Central Florida and


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National Science Foundation or NSF the


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committee's consensus is that the root


00:04:49.680 --> 00:04:52.510
cause of the arbo telescopes collapse


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unprecedented and accelerated long-term


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zinc creep induced failure of the


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telescope's cable spell alter sockets


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that's a quote the reports details how


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structural failure of the telescope


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likely began in 2017 when hurricane


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Maria hit the observatory which


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subjected to the arbo telescope to winds


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between 105 and 118 mph the winds


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subjected the arbo telescope cables to


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the highest structural stress they had


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ever endured since it opened in ' 63


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according to the report inspections were


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conducted after the hurricane but no


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significant damage was deemed to have


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jeopardized the telescope's structural


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Integrity still repairs were still


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ordered yet these repairs were delayed


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for years and as as the investigation


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States they were targeted toward


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components and replacement of a main


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cable that ultimately never failed which


00:05:49.479 --> 00:05:51.830
suggests that the repairs would not have


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actually prevented the eventual collapse


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of the observatory's reflected dish even


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if they weren't delayed eventually in


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August in September of 2020 an auxiliary


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and Main cable failed leading the NSF to


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announce the decommissioning of the


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telescope through a controlled


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demolition more support cables gave way


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on December 1 2020 causing the


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instrument platform to collapse into the


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dish itself thankfully no one was


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injured by the cable failures the report


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continued to detail how hidden outer


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wire failures triggered the collapse


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which had fractured due to sheer stress


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from zinc crit or zinc decay in the


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telescopes cable spelter sockets


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unfortunately this issue was not


00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:38.469
identified during the post Maria


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hurricane inspection which meant


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Engineers hadn't considered the


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degradation of these mechanisms as a


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source of potential future collapse


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despite Aros subo's Discovery days being


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over the observatory will be remade into


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an education center known as aroso C3


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hopefully the decommissioned Observatory


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can Inspire the generation of


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astronomers to make discoveries as


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impactful as those made when it was


00:07:04.759 --> 00:07:15.629
peering out into the


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universe thank you for joining us for


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this Monday edition of astronomy daily


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where we offer just a few stories from


00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:23.589
the now famous astronomy Daily News


00:07:23.599 --> 00:07:25.189
letter which you can receive in your


00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:28.150
email every day just like hiy and I do


00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.270
and to do that just visit our URL


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address in the slot provided just like


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that you'll be receiving all the latest


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news about science space science and


00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:41.909
astronomy from around the world as it's


00:07:41.919 --> 00:07:43.830
happening and not only that you can


00:07:43.840 --> 00:07:46.749
interact with us by visiting at


00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:50.270
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00:07:50.280 --> 00:07:52.189
Facebook page which is of course


00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:55.390
astronomy daily on Facebook see you


00:07:55.400 --> 00:07:59.550
there astronomy daily with Steve and Har


00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:04.070
space space science and


00:08:04.080 --> 00:08:07.270
astronomy FAA to investigate Starship 7


00:08:07.280 --> 00:08:08.149
test


00:08:08.159 --> 00:08:10.469
explosion the US Federal Aviation


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Administration FAA is requiring an


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investigation into what went wrong


00:08:14.440 --> 00:08:15.990
during the seventh ever test flight of


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spacex's Starship Mega Rocket yesterday


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January


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16th the launch from spacex's Star base


00:08:22.479 --> 00:08:25.869
site in South Texas went well at first


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Starship got off the PAAD successfully


00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:29.830
and its two stages the super heavy


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booster and ship spacecraft separated on


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time and the giant booster came back to


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Star base where it was caught by the


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launch Towers Chopstick arms ship was


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less successful however the Flight Plan


00:08:42.959 --> 00:08:44.710
called for the upper stage to deploy 10


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dummy satellites about 17.5 minutes


00:08:47.160 --> 00:08:48.829
after lift off and splashed down in the


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Indian Ocean off the coast of Western


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Australia 50 minutes later but that


00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:57.750
didn't happen the 171 ft tall 52 M craft


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exploded about 8.5 minutes after launch


00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.030
raining debris over the Atlantic ocean


00:09:02.040 --> 00:09:03.790
near the Turks and cus


00:09:03.800 --> 00:09:07.389
islands that work may not take too long


00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:09.590
SpaceX has already identified a likely


00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:11.430
proximate cause according to company


00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:13.710
founder and CEO Elon Musk a propellent


00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.069
leak which led to a fire in ships a


00:09:16.079 --> 00:09:18.389
section the ship's explosion had some


00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:20.150
real world impact Beyond creating a


00:09:20.160 --> 00:09:23.389
dramatic Sky show according to the FAA


00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.269
while no injuries have been reported the


00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:27.069
agency is working with SpaceX and


00:09:27.079 --> 00:09:28.630
appropriate authorities to confirm


00:09:28.640 --> 00:09:30.269
reports of public property damage on


00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:32.710
Turks and CIS FAA officials wrote in an


00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.710
emailed statement today during the event


00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:37.870
the FAA activated a debris response area


00:09:37.880 --> 00:09:39.670
and briefly slowed aircraft outside the


00:09:39.680 --> 00:09:41.310
area where space vehicle debris was


00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:42.949
falling or stopped aircraft at their


00:09:42.959 --> 00:09:45.949
departure location the agency added


00:09:45.959 --> 00:09:47.910
several aircraft requested to divert due


00:09:47.920 --> 00:09:49.870
to low fuel levels while holding outside


00:09:49.880 --> 00:09:52.750
impacted areas SpaceX will lead the


00:09:52.760 --> 00:09:55.030
mishap investigation but the FAA must


00:09:55.040 --> 00:09:56.910
approve the company's final report


00:09:56.920 --> 00:09:58.710
according to the agency which grants


00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:01.949
launch license for us Vehicles a return


00:10:01.959 --> 00:10:03.470
to flight is based on the FAA


00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:05.870
determining that any system process or


00:10:05.880 --> 00:10:07.750
procedure related to the mishap does not


00:10:07.760 --> 00:10:09.870
affect Public Safety the agency wrote in


00:10:09.880 --> 00:10:12.790
today's statement SpaceX wants to get


00:10:12.800 --> 00:10:15.590
Starship back on the pad quickly the


00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:17.350
company intends to make big strides this


00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:19.069
year on the mega rocket which it's


00:10:19.079 --> 00:10:21.230
developing to help Humanity settle Mars


00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:24.150
among other exploration feeds the ship


00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:25.710
and booster for starship's 8th flight


00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:27.030
test are built and going through


00:10:27.040 --> 00:10:28.910
pre-launch testing and preparing to fly


00:10:28.920 --> 00:10:30.550
as we can continue a rapid iterative


00:10:30.560 --> 00:10:32.470
development process to build a fully and


00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:34.470
rapidly reusable space transportation


00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:36.750
system SpaceX


00:10:36.760 --> 00:10:38.910
reported R of that control we're


00:10:38.920 --> 00:10:41.460
listening to astronomy daily the


00:10:41.470 --> 00:10:46.670
[Applause]


00:10:46.680 --> 00:10:49.350
podcast astronomers are sounding alarm


00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.629
bills as the world's most precious Sky


00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:54.269
observing location faces the risk of


00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:56.269
being blinded by light pollution due to


00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:58.870
a planned renewable energy project the


00:10:58.880 --> 00:11:01.910
US Energy company AES energy wants to


00:11:01.920 --> 00:11:04.110
build a large renewable hydrogen


00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:06.870
manufacturing complex in Chile only a


00:11:06.880 --> 00:11:09.069
few kilm from the summit of Mount


00:11:09.079 --> 00:11:11.990
paranal the site of the European


00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:14.629
Southern Observatory or ESO very large


00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:19.509
telescope VL VL which cost some 350


00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:22.310
million to build in the


00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:26.150
1990s or 840 million in today's dollars


00:11:26.160 --> 00:11:28.629
is one of the world's most sensitive sky


00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.910
inched ing instruments capable of


00:11:30.920 --> 00:11:33.269
observing the most intriguing object


00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:35.509
objects in the universe the high


00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:38.470
Precision Observatory consists of four


00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:42.430
27 ft wide or 8.2 M telescopes that act


00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:45.350
as one and has shed light on some of the


00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:47.710
most mysterious phenomenon known to


00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:50.350
humankind but the observing potential of


00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:52.470
this astronomical Powerhouse will be


00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:55.190
significantly curtailed if the hydrogen


00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:58.949
project called Inna or Ina receives the


00:11:58.959 --> 00:12:02.310
go ahead Xavier Bon eso's director


00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.430
General told


00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.389
space.com Mount paranal and


00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:09.949
8,740 ft high or


00:12:09.959 --> 00:12:14.509
2,664 M peak of the uh atakama desert of


00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:17.230
Northern Chile is one of the last spots


00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:19.790
on Earth free from Urban and industrial


00:12:19.800 --> 00:12:21.829
Light pollution thanks to the unique


00:12:21.839 --> 00:12:24.150
geography of the Andes mountain range


00:12:24.160 --> 00:12:26.189
the star studded night sky above the


00:12:26.199 --> 00:12:28.550
Summit is perfectly clear for more than


00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:31.230
11 months of the Year providing perfect


00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:33.350
conditions for the most challenging


00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:34.870
astronomical


00:12:34.880 --> 00:12:37.670
research it's the darkest place where we


00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:39.509
have ever set an observatory in the


00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:43.110
world by a large margin bar on said ESO


00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.389
an intergovernmental organization


00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:48.470
comprising 16 European States set its


00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.269
sights on atakama more than 60 years ago


00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:53.590
having opened its first observatory in


00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:57.310
Chile on the Lilia mountains to the


00:12:57.320 --> 00:13:01.310
south of paranal in 19 1966 paranal took


00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:04.150
over as the Hub of European astronomy in


00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:07.750
1990s when the vtl was constructed so


00:13:07.760 --> 00:13:10.350
far the VL has allowed astronomers to


00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:12.389
trace orbits of stars in nearest


00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:14.310
vicinity of the black hole at the center


00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.150
of the Milky Way galaxy taken the first


00:13:17.160 --> 00:13:19.509
ever image of a planet outside the solar


00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.189
system and uncovered The elusive Cosmic


00:13:22.199 --> 00:13:24.269
web that sprawls across the entire


00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:27.030
Cosmos one of the reasons the vtl has


00:13:27.040 --> 00:13:29.870
been so prolific is is the dark Skies


00:13:29.880 --> 00:13:32.269
that it was built under a survey


00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:34.710
published in 2023 found that among the


00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.189
world's 28 most powerful astronomical


00:13:37.199 --> 00:13:39.509
observatories telescopes on Mount


00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:41.670
paranal suffered from the lowest levels


00:13:41.680 --> 00:13:43.750
of artificial light pollution the


00:13:43.760 --> 00:13:45.870
superior Sky observing conditions in the


00:13:45.880 --> 00:13:48.230
area LED ESO to choose the neighboring


00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:51.230
Mount amazonus as the location of its


00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:53.269
next Generation Sky observing super


00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.749
machine the extremely large


00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.110
telescope once completed toward the end


00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:00.069
of this decade the elt will be the


00:14:00.079 --> 00:14:02.310
world's largest telescope studying the


00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:04.870
universe inv visible light featuring a


00:14:04.880 --> 00:14:09.870
130 ft or 39.3 wide meter wide mirror


00:14:09.880 --> 00:14:12.389
the telescope worth more than 1.5


00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.590
billion promises to expand the science


00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:16.310
done by reliable


00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:19.269
VT it will provide even deeper views to


00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:21.430
the most distant universe but will also


00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:23.470
be able to gather detailed information


00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:26.710
about potentially habitable exoplanets


00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:30.030
the light pollution expected from inner


00:14:30.040 --> 00:14:33.350
project would undo all that progress we


00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.430
might lose the ability to observe about


00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.550
30% of the fadus galaxies said Barons we


00:14:39.560 --> 00:14:41.430
are at the point of starting to be able


00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.990
to see details of exoplanet atmospheres


00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:45.949
but if the sky gets brighter we may not


00:14:45.959 --> 00:14:48.590
be able to see those details anymore the


00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:52.269
inner project a 3,000 hectare Industrial


00:14:52.279 --> 00:14:56.110
Park worth about 10 billion will consist


00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:58.550
of three solar Farms three wind farms a


00:14:58.560 --> 00:15:01.389
battery energy energy storage system and


00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:03.189
facilities for the production of


00:15:03.199 --> 00:15:06.710
hydrogen according to Renewables now ESO


00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:08.870
estimates the complex will leak as much


00:15:08.880 --> 00:15:11.269
light pollution as a city with a


00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:13.389
population of about


00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:16.069
20,000 parts of the industrial park May


00:15:16.079 --> 00:15:19.870
extend as close as 3 m or 5 km to eso's


00:15:19.880 --> 00:15:22.749
telescopes and any possible F further


00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:24.670
expansion would further worsen the


00:15:24.680 --> 00:15:28.590
impact on the Paran paranal night sky


00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:31.189
expect Ed to generate more than


00:15:31.199 --> 00:15:34.189
217,000 metric tons of green hydrogen


00:15:34.199 --> 00:15:36.590
per year the Venture presents a


00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:39.230
conundrum for ESO the organization


00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:41.470
itself has committed to reducing its


00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:43.949
carbon footprint and even building a 9


00:15:43.959 --> 00:15:46.509
megawatt photovoltaic power plant to


00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:48.269
supply the paranal and


00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:51.430
Amazon's observatories with green power


00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.269
but Baron states that while the project


00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:55.509
like Ina can easily find other suitable


00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:57.829
locations for astronomers there is only


00:15:57.839 --> 00:16:00.509
one mount


00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:02.189
these two things cannot be in the same


00:16:02.199 --> 00:16:04.550
place it's as simple as that said Barons


00:16:04.560 --> 00:16:06.509
this clean hydrogen plant could be


00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:10.189
perfectly okay for us only 50 km or 31


00:16:10.199 --> 00:16:12.670
km away we don't think there is any


00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:15.189
reason why it couldn't be moved you're


00:16:15.199 --> 00:16:17.590
listening to astronomy daily the podcast


00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:23.829
with Steve


00:16:23.839 --> 00:16:26.509
Dunley okay and that's another episode


00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:29.150
done and dusted thanks for joining me


00:16:29.160 --> 00:16:32.350
and making it a good one arbo was always


00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:34.389
an inspiring place for me as a child


00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.110
that was a really interesting piece


00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.670
quite a Marvel of engineering and it


00:16:38.680 --> 00:16:40.470
features in one of your favorite movies


00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:43.150
too ah yes uh it does get a starring


00:16:43.160 --> 00:16:46.269
role in contact the Ken written story of


00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:47.749
the first contact with another race


00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.110
starring uh Jody Foster in the lead a


00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:52.470
fun adventure that one and on that note


00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:56.069
we are okay to go yes we are very good


00:16:56.079 --> 00:16:58.069
Ally enjoy the rest of the week with


00:16:58.079 --> 00:17:00.430
Anna on Aon daily and that's right we'll


00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.990
be back next Monday with our episode of


00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.949
astronomy daily 2


00:17:06.959 --> 00:17:11.029
bye daily the podcast with your host


00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:14.400
Steve dun