Cosmic Frontiers: Space Debris Solutions, Lunar Landings, and the Quest for Alien Life

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[Music]


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Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna and


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I'm thrilled to bring you the latest


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developments from across the cosmos on


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this beautiful day. Today, we're


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exploring a fascinating range of stories


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that highlight humanity's ongoing


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relationship with the stars. From


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cleaning up our own orbital neighborhood


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to dreaming of interplanetary expansion,


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our species continues to push the


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boundaries of what's possible in space.


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We'll start with some promising news in


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the battle against space debris. Clear


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Space has just completed the second


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phase of the UK space ay's active debris


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removal mission, demonstrating


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technology that could soon help us clean


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up the growing problem of defunct


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satellites in low Earth orbit. This is


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crucial work as our orbital highways


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become increasingly congested.


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Then we'll dive into Elon Musk's latest


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comments about Mars colonization where


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he takes an extraordinarily long view of


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humanity's future. His perspective on


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why we need to become a multilanet


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species might surprise you. It's not


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just about immediate threats, but about


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the sun's inevitable expansion hundreds


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of millions of years from now. We also


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have exciting news from the moon, where


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the Japanese company iSpace has


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successfully placed its resilience lunar


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lander into lunar orbit. This


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achievement brings them one step closer


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to a landing attempt scheduled for early


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June, which would mark a significant


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milestone for private lunar exploration.


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The search for extraterrestrial


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intelligence continues to fascinate


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scientists and the public alike. We'll


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examine a new mathematical approach to


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the famous Fairmy paradox that offers an


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intriguing perspective on why we haven't


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heard from alien civilizations yet


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despite the statistical likelihood of


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their existence.


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And finally, we'll explore a cosmic


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mystery that astronomers are beginning


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to unravel. A black hole system


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nicknamed Ansky is producing powerful


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X-ray bursts every 4.5 days, and NASA's


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nicer telescope has helped scientists


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determine what might be causing these


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regular cosmic explosions. These stories


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represent the cutting edge of our


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understanding of space and our place


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within it. from the practical challenges


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of orbital debris to the philosophical


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implications of becoming a multilanetary


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species. So, let's blast off into


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today's cosmic


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journey. First up, Clear Space has


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reached a significant milestone in


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tackling the growing challenge of space


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debris. The company recently completed


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the second phase of the UK space ay's


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active debris removal mission,


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showcasing promising technologies


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designed to clean up our increasingly


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cluttered orbital environment.


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During extensive mechanical testing,


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Clear Space's robotic capture system


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demonstrated its ability to withstand


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the extreme forces experienced during


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rocket launches. This is crucial since


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any debris removal system must first


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survive the violent journey to space


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before it can begin its cleanup mission.


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The company also made significant


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progress with its image processing


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algorithms, proving they can effectively


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detect and track space debris. This


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capability is essential for any mission


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aiming to capture defunct satellites as


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these systems must be able to identify


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and monitor their targets with precision


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in the challenging environment of space.


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Perhaps most impressively, Clear Space


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successfully demonstrated proximity


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operations using a hardwarebased


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spacecraft emulator. This simulates the


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delicate dance of approaching and


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capturing a tumbling piece of space


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junk, one of the most challenging


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aspects of debris removal. Beyond the


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technical achievements, Clear Space


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completed detailed programmatic


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estimates that provide the UK space


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agency with valuable insights for


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planning future missions. This


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comprehensive approach is helping to


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build a sustainable framework for


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addressing the space debris problem. Ray


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Fielding, who heads sustainability at


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the UK Space Agency, expressed delight


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at the successful completion of this


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phase, noting that an exciting period of


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innovation for space sustainability lies


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ahead. The Clear Mission represents more


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than just a debris removal project. It's


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positioning the UK as a leader in the


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growing field of inorbit servicing.


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Clear space isn't working alone in this


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endeavor. The company has assembled an


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impressive team of partners including


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critical software from Portugal, Spain's


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Indra Demos, Plex from England, and


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Spirit Aeros Systems based in Kansas.


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These collaborations are helping to


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refine crucial technologies from


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guidance and navigation algorithms to


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specialized radar systems for rendevous


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operations. The competition to lead in


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space sustainability is heating up with


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British subsidiaries of both Astroscale


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and Clear Space vying for a UK space


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agency contract to remove two defunct


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satellites from low Earth orbit in 2026.


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This competitive approach is


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accelerating innovation in a field that


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will become increasingly vital as our


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reliance on satellite infrastructure


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grows. Next up, some musings from Elon.


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Elon Musk recently offered a cosmic


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perspective on his Mars colonization


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ambitions during an interview with Fox


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News host Jesse Waters. When asked about


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his fixation on the red planet, Musk


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framed his answer in terms of the


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ultimate long-term survival of life


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itself. That's one of the benefits of


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Mars is life insurance for life


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collectively, Musk explained. His


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reasoning goes far beyond immediate


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threats like asteroids or nuclear war,


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extending to an inevitable astronomical


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reality. Eventually, all life on Earth


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will be destroyed by the sun. The sun is


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gradually expanding. And so, we do at


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some point need to be a multilanet


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civilization because Earth will be


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incinerated.


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This isn't science fiction, but rather


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established astrophysics. Our sun, like


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all stars, is gradually getting brighter


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and hotter as it ages. Musk estimates


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that we have about 450 million years


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before it gets so hot that life is


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impossible on Earth. While that might


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seem like an impossibly distant future,


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Musk's point is that humanity should


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begin the process of becoming


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multilanetary now while we have the


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opportunity.


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The timeline Musk references align with


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scientific projections. In a few hundred


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million years, the sun's increasing


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luminosity will likely strip away


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Earth's atmosphere and boil off our


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oceans. The final death nail will come


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about 5 billion years from now when our


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sun expands into a red giant,


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potentially engulfing Earth entirely.


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This existential perspective helps


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explain the urgency behind SpaceX's


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ambitious Starship development program.


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The massive fully reusable rocket system


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represents Musk's vision for making Mars


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settlement economically feasible.


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Despite the vast time scale before Earth


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becomes uninhabitable, developing the


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capability to establish a


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self-sustaining civilization on another


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planet presents enormous technical


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challenges that could take generations


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to perfect. Starship has already flown


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eight test missions with two launches in


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2025 showing partial success. During


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these most recent flights, the


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Superheavy booster performed well, but


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the upper stage of the vehicle, called


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ship, exploded less than 10 minutes into


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flight. SpaceX is now preparing for a


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ninth test flight, having already


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completed engine firing tests of both


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stages. While critics might question the


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practical value of focusing on such a


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distant threat when humanity faces more


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immediate challenges, Musk's perspective


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represents a uniquely long-term vision


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for our species. one that looks not just


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decades or centuries ahead, but hundreds


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of millions of years into the future.


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It's a reminder that while Earth is our


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home, the ultimate survival of life as


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we know it may depend on our ability to


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spread beyond


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it. In exciting lunar exploration news,


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the Japanese company iSpace has


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successfully guided its Resilience Lunar


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lander into orbit around the moon. The


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spacecraft achieved this crucial


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milestone on May 6th after performing an


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approximately 9-minute burn of its main


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thruster, the longest such maneuver by


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the spacecraft to date. This orbital


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insertion marks the seventh of 10


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planned milestones for the Hakuto RM2


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mission, which began with pre-launch


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preparations back in January. The final


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goal will be reaching a steady system


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state on the lunar surface after


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landing, which is scheduled for no


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earlier than June 5th. Resilience took a


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fascinating journey to reach lunar


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orbit. After launching on January 15th


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aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the


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spacecraft followed a fuelefficient, low


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energy trajectory that minimized


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propulsion requirements. This path


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included a lunar flyby on February 14th


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that took the craft an impressive 1.1


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million km from Earth before it returned


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to enter lunar orbit.


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The landing target is near the center of


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Mayor Fragoris, located at approximately


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60° north latitude. While this remains


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the primary landing site, iSpace has


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identified three alternative locations


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if needed, all of which would support


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landing attempts through June 8th.


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Resilience isn't traveling to the moon


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empty-handed. The spacecraft carries


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several technology demonstration


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payloads from Japanese companies and a


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Taiwanese university. There's even a


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small model house called Moonhouse


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created by Swedish artist Mikuel Genberg


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making the journey. Perhaps most


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intriguing is the micro rover named


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Tenacious developed by iSpace's European


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subsidiary. This small explorer will


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venture around the landing site and


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collect lunar regalith. Under an


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agreement with NASA, ownership of this


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moon dust will be transferred to the


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space agency, representing an


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interesting demonstration of lunar


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resource utilization rights.


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This mission holds particular


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significance for i space as it follows


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their first lunar landing attempt in


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April 2023 which unfortunately ended in


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a crash due to a software problem. Takes


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Hakamada iSpace's CEO expressed pride in


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the team's successful orbital insertion,


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noting they leveraged operational


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experience gained from their first


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mission. The company already has


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ambitious plans for the future. Their


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next lunar lander is being built by


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their American subsidiary as part of


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NASA's commercial lunar payload services


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program scheduled for a 2026 launch.


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This will be followed by another


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Japanese-built lander in 2027, showing


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space's commitment to establishing a


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regular lunar


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presence. Next up, something to ponder.


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The Fairmy paradox is one of astronomy's


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most fascinating conundrums. If our


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galaxy contains billions of stars


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similar to our sun, and many of these


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stars have Earthlike planets that could


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support life, then where is everybody?


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Given the age of our galaxy,


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approximately 13.6 billion years,


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there's been ample time for intelligent


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civilizations to develop and spread


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throughout the Milky Way. Yet, we've


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detected absolutely no evidence of their


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existence.


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Named after physicist Enrico Fairmy,


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this paradox highlights a puzzling


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contradiction. In cosmic time scales, it


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would take a technologically advanced


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civilization just a few million years to


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colonize the entire Milky Way, a mere


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moment compared to the galaxy's age. So


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why haven't we heard from anyone? A new


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study by mathematician Matthew Civi from


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the University of New York is offering


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fresh insights into this cosmic silence.


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Rather than directly trying to solve the


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paradox, Civil has developed a


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mathematical model that assesses how


00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:27.430
likely it would be for us to have


00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.590
detected a signal by now if a certain


00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.030
number of civilizations were


00:11:31.040 --> 00:11:33.509
broadcasting. The model builds on the


00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:35.910
famous Drake equation which estimates


00:11:35.920 --> 00:11:38.910
the number of active communicative


00:11:38.920 --> 00:11:41.030
extraterrestrial civilizations in our


00:11:41.040 --> 00:11:44.389
galaxy by multiplying several factors


00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:46.790
from the rate of star formation to the


00:11:46.800 --> 00:11:48.470
fraction of planets where intelligent


00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.670
life develops and how long such


00:11:50.680 --> 00:11:53.670
civilizations might last. What's


00:11:53.680 --> 00:11:55.430
particularly interesting about Civil's


00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:57.590
approach is that it uses our lack of


00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.150
detection as a data point. If his model


00:12:00.160 --> 00:12:01.509
suggests we should have a high


00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:03.430
probability of detecting signals given


00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.829
certain parameters, then our failure to


00:12:05.839 --> 00:12:07.670
do so becomes meaningful information


00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:09.350
that can help narrow down possible


00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:11.509
values in the Drake equation. The


00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.269
mathematics gets complex, but


00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.389
essentially Civil explores the geometric


00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.550
aspects of signal detection and


00:12:18.560 --> 00:12:20.470
calculates the probability of detecting


00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.790
at least one signal. Under certain


00:12:22.800 --> 00:12:24.470
reasonable assumptions, his model


00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:27.110
predicts a 99% chance of detecting at


00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:29.509
least one signal if there's around one


00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.990
civilization broadcasting per the Drake


00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:34.710
equation parameters. This suggests that


00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:36.790
the absence of detected electromagnetic


00:12:36.800 --> 00:12:38.710
signals can place significant


00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.470
constraints on how many technological


00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:42.949
civilizations might exist. In other


00:12:42.959 --> 00:12:45.110
words, the silence itself is telling us


00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:46.790
something important about life in our


00:12:46.800 --> 00:12:48.470
galaxy.


00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:50.430
Despite being a basic model with certain


00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:52.949
limitations, Civil's work shows that


00:12:52.959 --> 00:12:55.350
even a lack of results from SETI, the


00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.710
search for extraterrestrial


00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:58.949
intelligence, can help rule out certain


00:12:58.959 --> 00:13:00.790
combinations regarding the number and


00:13:00.800 --> 00:13:02.590
lifespan of alien


00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:04.870
civilizations. This approach transforms


00:13:04.880 --> 00:13:06.870
non-detections from disappointing dead


00:13:06.880 --> 00:13:09.430
ends into valuable data points that


00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:12.310
refine our understanding of the cosmos.


00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:14.470
As SETI efforts continue and our models


00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:17.030
improve, we may increasingly be able to


00:13:17.040 --> 00:13:18.949
use this cosmic silence to better


00:13:18.959 --> 00:13:20.629
understand the conditions that make


00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.790
intelligent life possible and the


00:13:22.800 --> 00:13:24.629
factors that might limit its spread


00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:27.430
throughout the galaxy. The search for


00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:29.509
extraterrestrial intelligence isn't just


00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.990
about finding others. It's also a


00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.590
profound way to better understand


00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.949
ourselves and our place in the universe.


00:13:36.959 --> 00:13:38.629
Now, let's explore another cosmic


00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.470
mystery that scientists are finally


00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:42.629
beginning to crack. Astronomers have


00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:44.550
been puzzling over a peculiar black hole


00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:47.269
system nicknamed Ansky that exhibits an


00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.990
extraordinary phenomenon, powerful X-ray


00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.710
bursts that repeat with remarkable


00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:55.590
regularity approximately every 4.5 days.


00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:57.110
What makes Ansky particularly


00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.189
fascinating is that it's the eighth


00:13:59.199 --> 00:14:01.509
known source of what scientists call


00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:05.750
quasi periodic eruptions or QPEs. But


00:14:05.760 --> 00:14:07.670
Ansky isn't just another member of this


00:14:07.680 --> 00:14:10.710
rare club. It's breaking records. Not


00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:12.550
only does it produce the most energetic


00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:15.590
X-ray outbursts among known QP sources,


00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.750
but each eruption lasts an astounding


00:14:17.760 --> 00:14:20.710
1.5 days, making it exceptional in both


00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.990
timing and duration. NASA's NICER, the


00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:25.750
Neutron Star Interior Composition


00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:27.750
Explorer, has been instrumental in


00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:30.310
unraveling this mystery. Mounted on the


00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:32.389
International Space Station, Nicer


00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:35.110
observed ANSKY about 16 times daily from


00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.829
May to July 2024, providing


00:14:37.839 --> 00:14:40.430
unprecedented monitoring of these X-ray


00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.790
fluctuations. This frequent observation


00:14:42.800 --> 00:14:44.870
schedule proved crucial in detecting and


00:14:44.880 --> 00:14:46.990
analyzing the patterns of these


00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.350
eruptions. So, what's causing these


00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.509
massive energy releases? The leading


00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:53.829
theory suggests that QPEs occur in


00:14:53.839 --> 00:14:56.150
systems where a relatively small object


00:14:56.160 --> 00:14:58.629
repeatedly passes through the dis of gas


00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:00.949
surrounding a super massive black hole.


00:15:00.959 --> 00:15:02.629
When this smaller body punches through


00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.629
the disc, it drives out expanding clouds


00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.550
of superheated gas that we observe as


00:15:06.560 --> 00:15:09.509
X-ray flares. A team led by researcher


00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:12.389
Johene Chakraorti from MIT has mapped


00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:14.230
the rapid evolution of this ejected


00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:16.949
material in unprecedented detail. Their


00:15:16.959 --> 00:15:19.189
findings are remarkable. Each impact


00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:20.949
results in approximately a Jupiter's


00:15:20.959 --> 00:15:23.030
worth of mass being accelerated to about


00:15:23.040 --> 00:15:26.150
15% the speed of light. As this roughly


00:15:26.160 --> 00:15:27.750
spherical bubble of debris expands


00:15:27.760 --> 00:15:30.069
outward, Nicer's capabilities allowed


00:15:30.079 --> 00:15:31.910
scientists to measure both its size and


00:15:31.920 --> 00:15:34.310
temperature in real time. What makes


00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:36.470
Ansky different from other QP systems


00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.509
may be the nature of its disc. Most QP


00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:41.350
systems likely form when a super massive


00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:43.350
black hole shreds a passing star,


00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:45.030
creating a small disc very close to


00:15:45.040 --> 00:15:47.509
itself. But experts like astrophysicist


00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.230
Lina Hernandez Garcia suggest Ansky's


00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.629
disc is much larger, allowing it to


00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:54.949
interact with objects farther away and


00:15:54.959 --> 00:15:57.150
creating the longer time scales we


00:15:57.160 --> 00:15:59.509
observe. Scientists plan to continue


00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.990
observing Ansky as long as possible as


00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.509
we're still just beginning to understand


00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.550
these fascinating eruptions. This


00:16:06.560 --> 00:16:08.230
research isn't just illuminating the


00:16:08.240 --> 00:16:10.550
behavior of black holes. It's also


00:16:10.560 --> 00:16:12.389
helping prepare for future missions like


00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.870
ISA's LISA, which will detect


00:16:14.880 --> 00:16:16.949
gravitational waves from systems where


00:16:16.959 --> 00:16:19.990
low mass objects orbit much more massive


00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.310
ones, potentially transforming our


00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:25.870
understanding of these exotic cosmic


00:16:25.880 --> 00:16:28.310
phenomena. And that brings us to the end


00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:30.550
of today's cosmic journey. What an


00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:32.230
incredible collection of stories we've


00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:34.550
explored together. From Clear Space's


00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:36.389
advances in space debris removal


00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.870
technology to Japan's resilience lunar


00:16:38.880 --> 00:16:40.790
lander successfully entering orbit


00:16:40.800 --> 00:16:43.670
around the moon, we've contemplated Elon


00:16:43.680 --> 00:16:45.430
Musk's long-term vision for Mars


00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:47.350
colonization as humanity's insurance


00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.509
policy against the sun's eventual


00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.749
expansion, examined new mathematical


00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:53.990
insights into the Fmy paradox, and


00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.509
unraveled the mystery behind the


00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.509
rhythmic X-ray outbursts from the black


00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:00.069
hole system Ansky. Each of these


00:17:00.079 --> 00:17:02.150
developments represents another piece in


00:17:02.160 --> 00:17:04.350
our everexpanding understanding of the


00:17:04.360 --> 00:17:06.870
universe. The challenges of cleaning up


00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:09.429
orbital debris, establishing a human


00:17:09.439 --> 00:17:11.990
presence on other worlds, landing on the


00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.829
lunar surface, searching for


00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.990
extraterrestrial intelligence, and


00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.069
deciphering the extreme physics around


00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.789
black holes. All reflect humanity's


00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:23.029
boundless curiosity and determination to


00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.909
explore beyond our planetary boundaries.


00:17:25.919 --> 00:17:27.909
I've been your host, Anna, and I want to


00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:29.669
thank you for joining me on Astronomy


00:17:29.679 --> 00:17:31.750
Daily. If you're hungry for more space


00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:33.990
and astronomy news, I invite you to


00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:35.630
visit our website at


00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:37.750
astronomydaily.io, where you'll find our


00:17:37.760 --> 00:17:39.909
constantly updating news feed with all


00:17:39.919 --> 00:17:41.789
the latest developments across the


00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.310
cosmos. There you can also access our


00:17:44.320 --> 00:17:46.230
complete archive of past episodes if


00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:47.830
you'd like to catch up on any stories


00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:49.909
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Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever


00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:56.310
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00:17:56.320 --> 00:17:58.549
never miss an episode. The universe


00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:00.230
keeps evolving and so do our stories


00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.950
about it. Until next time, keep looking


00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:04.950
up and wondering about our extraordinary


00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:07.430
cosmos. This has been Astronomy Daily


00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:20.070
and I'm Anna signing off.


00:18:20.080 --> 00:18:22.750
The stories


00:18:22.760 --> 00:18:27.230
[Music]


00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.960
told stories