Curiosity’s Groundbreaking Find, Black Hole Mysteries

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welcome to Astronomy Daily your source


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for the latest news and discoveries in


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space exploration i'm your host Anna and


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today we have a packed episode covering


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exciting developments from NASA's


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Curiosity Rover on Mars recent rocket


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launches stunning observations from the


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web space telescope a terrifying cosmic


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scenario involving black holes and


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updates on NASA's Aremis program so


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let's get into it


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nasa's Curiosity Rover has made a


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groundbreaking discovery on Mars that's


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sending ripples of excitement through


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the scientific community researchers


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analyzing pulverized rock samples inside


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the rover's onboard laboratory have


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detected the largest organic compounds


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found on the red planet to date the


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findings published in the proceedings of


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the National Academy of Sciences reveal


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that Curiosity sample analysis at Mars


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Mini Lab identified three significant


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organic molecules


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decay and doicane these aren't just any


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compounds they contain 10 11 and 12


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carbon atoms respectively making them


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substantially more complex than previous


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organic molecules discovered on Mars


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scientists believe these compounds are


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fragments of fatty acids that were


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preserved in the Martian rock samples


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this is particularly significant because


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on Earth fatty acids are among the


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fundamental chemical building blocks of


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life they're essential components in


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cell membranes and serve various


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biological functions in living organisms


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while the discovery doesn't prove the


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existence of past or present life on


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Mars it does suggest that organic


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chemistry on the red planet may have


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advanced further than previously


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observed the size and complexity of


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these molecules indicate that Mars may


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have once had conditions suitable for


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the kind of prebiotic chemistry that


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could potentially lead to life what


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makes this discovery even more


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remarkable is that it demonstrates these


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complex organic compounds can survive


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Mars' harsh surface conditions the


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planet surface is constantly bombarded


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with radiation and oxidizing chemicals


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that would typically destroy such


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delicate organic molecules over time the


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fact that Curiosity found them intact


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suggests that if bio signatures ever


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existed on Mars they might still be


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detectable today this discovery is


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particularly exciting because fatty


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acids are fundamental chemical building


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blocks of life as we know it on Earth in


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living organisms these compounds play


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crucial roles in forming cell membranes


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the protective barriers that separate


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cellular contents from the external


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environment as well as storing energy


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and facilitating other essential


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biological


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processes as Caroline Fryna from the


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French National Center for Scientific


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Research put it "Our study proves that


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even today by analyzing Mars samples we


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could detect chemical signatures of past


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life if it ever existed on Mars." That's


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a profound statement about our


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increasing ability to address one of


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humanity's most fundamental questions


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are we alone in the


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universe turning our telescopes skyward


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now this has been an exceptionally busy


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week for orbital launches around the


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world spacex kicked off the action with


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a classified mission on Monday


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continuing their break neck pace of


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operations for


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2025 the European space industry is


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making history this week with ESAR


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Aerospace attempting the first orbital


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launch of a European rocket from


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continental Europe after a scrub on


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Monday due to unfavorable winds their


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Spectrum rocket is now positioned to


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make the inaugural orbital launch from


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Norway's Andoya Spaceport this two-stage


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vehicle stands 28 m tall with a 2 m


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diameter and can deliver up to 1,000 kg


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to low Earth orbit what makes Spectrum


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particularly notable is its propulsion


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system 93drinted Aquilla engines on the


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first stage burning liquid propane and


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oxygen offering what the company calls


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the highest density specific impulse of


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all carbon fuels


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meanwhile Firefly Aerospace is preparing


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for the sixth launch of its Alpha rocket


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from Vandenberg Space Force Base in


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California this message in a booster


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mission will carry a technology


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demonstrator for Loheed Martin's LM 400


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satellite bus the launch marks the first


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of up to 25 flights for Loheed Martin as


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part of a multilaunch agreement spanning


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the next 5 years not to be outdone


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Rocket Lab is on track for its third


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Electron launch in just 2 weeks a


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remarkable achievement in rapid launch


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cadence their mission colorfully named


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finding hot wildfires near you will


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deploy eight satellites for Aurorite's


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thermal imaging constellation which


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monitors wildfires globally to support


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faster response times for protecting


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forests communities and critical


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infrastructure


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with four worldwide orbital launch


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attempts scheduled for Wednesday alone


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including a Chang Jang 3B/E launch from


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China carrying an unknown payload and


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three SpaceX Starlink missions planned


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for the week we're witnessing a truly


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unprecedented era in space access and


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utilization spacex continues to redefine


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what's possible in the commercial space


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industry shattering records left and


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right in 2025 just last week they


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achieved a remarkable feat when booster


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B 1008 set a new first stage turnaround


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record of just over 9 days during the


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NROL 57 mission from Vandenberg this


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dramatically improves on their previous


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record of 14 days showcasing the


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company's rapidly advancing reusability


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capabilities the records don't stop


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there at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape


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Canaveral Space Force Station SpaceX


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established an impressive pad turnaround


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milestone on March 15th the Starlink


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Group 12 16 mission launched just 2 days


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8 hours 59 minutes and 40 seconds after


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the previous Starlink mission from the


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same pad slashing nearly 6 hours off


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their previous record perhaps most


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impressively this launch marked SpaceX's


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third mission in a mere 12.5 hours


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following the Crew 10 and Transporter 13


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missions while SpaceX has slightly


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revised its annual launch target from


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180 to 170 missions due to some


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challenges with booster recovery and


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increased refurbishment times they're


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still on an extraordinary trajectory


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they've already completed 38 launches


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across their fleet in just the first


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quarter of 2025 putting them well ahead


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of pace to exceed their revised goal


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this relentless cadence is transforming


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our access to space with Falcon 9 now


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firmly established as the workhorse of


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the commercial launch industry SpaceX is


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demonstrating that rapid reliable and


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reusable space transportation isn't just


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a futuristic concept it's today's


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reality the implications for satellite


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deployment space station resupply and


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potentially even human space flight


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beyond Earth orbit are profound as


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launch constraints continue to


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fall let's get a JWST update nasa's


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James Webb Space Telescope has gifted us


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with another breathtaking image that's


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forcing astronomers to rethink what they


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thought they knew about a cosmic


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phenomenon what was once dramatically


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dubbed the cosmic tornado by NASA's


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Spitzer Space Telescope back in 2006 has


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been revealed to be something even more


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fascinating a chance alignment of two


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completely unrelated objects separated


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by unfathomable distances the web's


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extraordinary resolution shows that what


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we're actually seeing is Herbig Harrow


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4950ths a frothyl looking outflow from a


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nearby young star perfectly aligned with


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a colorful spiral galaxy located


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hundreds of millions of light years in


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the background it's like capturing a


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photograph of a leaf blowing in the wind


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that just happens to perfectly frame a


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distant mountain peak this composite


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image combines data from WEB's near


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infrared camera and mid-infrared


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instrument providing unprecedented


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detail of this dynamic region the


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ark-shaped features in the outflow point


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back to their source likely a protoar


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known as Cedarblad 110 IRS4 a young


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object only tens of thousands to a


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million years old that's still gaining


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mass what makes this discovery


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particularly striking is how it


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illustrates the three-dimensional nature


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of our universe projected onto the


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two-dimensional plane of the night sky


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when we observe space objects that


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appear to be interacting might actually


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have no relationship whatsoever


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separated by vast cosmic distances


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hh4950ths is relatively close to us


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residing in the Chameleon onecloud


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complex just 625 lighty years away


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practically in our cosmic backyard


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meanwhile the spiral galaxy that appears


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to be at the tip of this outflow is


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incredibly distant with no physical


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connection to the nearby stellar jet


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over thousands of years as the edge of


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HH 4950ths continues to move outward it


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will eventually appear to cover up the


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distant galaxy entirely further changing


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this chance cosmic alignment herbic


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harrow objects like


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HH4950ths are among the most dynamic and


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visually striking phenomena in star


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formation these glowing nebula form when


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newborn stars eject high velocity jets


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of gas that collide violently with the


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surrounding interstellar medium the


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process is rather dramatic as a young


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star forms from a collapsing cloud of


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gas and dust not all material falls


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directly onto the protoar instead some


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gets channeled into these powerful


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focused jets that blast outward from the


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stars poles at astonishing speeds often


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hundreds of miles per


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second when these jets slam into the


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relatively calm gas around them they


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create shock fronts similar to sonic


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booms in Earth's atmosphere these shock


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waves compress and heat the gas to


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thousands of degrees causing it to glow


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brightly across multiple wavelengths as


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the superheated gas gradually cools it


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emits light that we can detect in both


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visible and infrared spectrums creating


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the distinctive glowing features we


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observe what makes Web's observations


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particularly valuable is the telescope's


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unparalleled infrared sensitivity and


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resolution previous observations


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couldn't capture the intricate details


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we're now seeing web can clearly trace


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the location of glowing hydrogen


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molecules carbon monoxide and energized


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dust grains as the protostellar jet


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impacts the surrounding


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region these finecale observations allow


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astronomers to model the properties of


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the jet with unprecedented accuracy


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in a concerning discovery astronomers


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have detected an erupting super massive


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black hole producing enormous jets


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bursting from a spiral galaxy similar to


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our Milky Way the galaxy known as


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J23450449 is three times the size of our


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galaxy and located 947 million lighty


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years away yet it's causing quite a stir


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in the astronomical community due to its


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unusual characteristics what's


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particularly alarming about this finding


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is the scale of these jets they stretch


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an astonishing 6 million lightyear in


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length to put that in perspective our


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entire Milky Way galaxy is roughly


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100,000 lightyear across making these


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jets 60 times longer than our galaxy's


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diameter while larger jets have been


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observed in the past including one named


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Pfurion stretching 23 million lightyear


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such massive emissions have typically


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been associated with elliptical galaxies


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not spiral ones like


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J23450449 and our own Milky Way perhaps


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even more puzzling is the fact that


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J23450449 appears remarkably tranquil


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despite housing one of the most violent


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super massive black holes ever seen in a


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spiral galaxy the galaxy has somehow


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managed to maintain its spiral structure


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including its distinctive arms bright


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nuclear bar of stars and stellar ring


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this directly contradicts previous


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scientific models which predicted that


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such powerful jets would tear apart the


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structure of a spiral galaxy adding to


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this cosmic mystery


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J23450449 contains 10 times more dark


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matter than our Milky Way and is


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surrounded by a huge halo of superheated


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gas in most galaxies this gas would be


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cooling and condensing to form new stars


00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:39.710
however in


00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:42.150
J23450449 the central black hole acts as


00:12:42.160 --> 00:12:44.550
a cosmic furnace heating this gas halo


00:12:44.560 --> 00:12:46.150
and preventing star formation while


00:12:46.160 --> 00:12:47.710
producing intense x-ray


00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:50.150
emissions as one scientist involved in


00:12:50.160 --> 00:12:52.790
the study put it "This discovery forces


00:12:52.800 --> 00:12:54.710
us to rethink our understanding of


00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.509
galactic evolution and how super massive


00:12:57.519 --> 00:12:59.430
black holes grow and shape their


00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.750
environments it raises profound


00:13:01.760 --> 00:13:03.430
questions about what this might mean for


00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.269
the future of galaxies like our own


00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.590
Milky Way this discovery raises a


00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:09.430
chilling question that has astronomers


00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:12.389
concerned could Sagittarius A star the


00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:14.550
super massive black hole lurking at the


00:13:14.560 --> 00:13:17.110
center of our own Milky Way experience a


00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:19.590
similar eruption the possibility is both


00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:21.910
fascinating and terrifying


00:13:21.920 --> 00:13:23.670
while Sagittarius A star is


00:13:23.680 --> 00:13:25.190
significantly smaller than the black


00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:28.269
hole in


00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.350
J23450449 just 4.3 million solar masses


00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.870
compared to the distant galaxy's


00:13:32.880 --> 00:13:35.910
estimated 1.4 billion solar masses size


00:13:35.920 --> 00:13:37.430
isn't the only factor determining a


00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.829
black hole's activity currently our


00:13:39.839 --> 00:13:41.870
galactic cent's black hole is remarkably


00:13:41.880 --> 00:13:45.190
quiet if Sagittarius A star were a human


00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:46.870
astronomers estimate it would be as if


00:13:46.880 --> 00:13:48.629
it sustained itself on a single grain of


00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:50.790
rice every million years that's an


00:13:50.800 --> 00:13:52.550
extraordinarily modest diet for such a


00:13:52.560 --> 00:13:54.870
massive cosmic object but this peaceful


00:13:54.880 --> 00:13:56.949
state could change dramatically and with


00:13:56.959 --> 00:13:59.990
little warning if Sagittarius a star


00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.990
were to capture a large gas cloud or


00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.710
even an entire star an event astronomers


00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.189
call a tidal disruption event it would


00:14:07.199 --> 00:14:08.790
suddenly have an abundance of material


00:14:08.800 --> 00:14:11.110
to feed on as this stellar material


00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.949
falls toward the black hole it would


00:14:12.959 --> 00:14:15.670
form a rapidly spinning accretion disc


00:14:15.680 --> 00:14:16.949
and some of this energy would be


00:14:16.959 --> 00:14:18.949
channeled into powerful jets erupting


00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:21.590
from the black holes poles the


00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:23.269
consequences of such an eruption would


00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:25.750
depend largely on the jet's orientation


00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:28.389
and strength if one of these jets


00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:30.870
originating from 27,000 lighty years


00:14:30.880 --> 00:14:33.269
away at our galactic center happened to


00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.509
point directly at our solar system the


00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.829
results could be catastrophic the high


00:14:37.839 --> 00:14:39.670
energy particles and radiation within


00:14:39.680 --> 00:14:41.509
such jets have the potential to strip


00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:43.590
away planetary atmospheres including


00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:45.910
Earth's the intense radiation could


00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:48.230
damage DNA and living organisms


00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:50.069
dramatically increasing mutation rates


00:14:50.079 --> 00:14:52.790
across all life forms on our planet in a


00:14:52.800 --> 00:14:55.030
worst case scenario where Earth takes a


00:14:55.040 --> 00:14:57.189
direct hit from such a jet the high


00:14:57.199 --> 00:14:59.189
energy particles could severely degrade


00:14:59.199 --> 00:15:01.590
our protective ozone layer potentially


00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:03.430
triggering a mass extinction event


00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.030
similar to those seen in Earth's


00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:07.910
geological record


00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:10.629
on a more hopeful note NASA continues to


00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.949
make progress on its Artemis 2 mission


00:15:12.959 --> 00:15:14.470
which will be the first crude flight of


00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.590
the Artemis program since its


00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:19.189
inception late Saturday night


00:15:19.199 --> 00:15:21.110
technicians at Kennedy Space Center in


00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:23.750
Florida reached a significant milestone


00:15:23.760 --> 00:15:25.910
when they successfully moved the core


00:15:25.920 --> 00:15:28.470
stage for NASA's second space launch


00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.189
system rocket into position between the


00:15:31.199 --> 00:15:33.990
vehicle's two solidfueled boosters


00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.910
working inside the iconic vehicle


00:15:35.920 --> 00:15:37.829
assembly building which stands an


00:15:37.839 --> 00:15:41.030
impressive 52 stories tall ground teams


00:15:41.040 --> 00:15:43.590
used heavyduty cranes to first lift the


00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.030
butterscotch orange core stage from its


00:15:46.040 --> 00:15:48.870
cradle the operation required meticulous


00:15:48.880 --> 00:15:51.110
precision as the cranes rotated the


00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:52.790
massive structure vertically before


00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:54.470
disconnecting one of the cranes from the


00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:57.269
bottom of the rocket the Boeing built


00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.269
core stage is truly a marvel of


00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:03.030
engineering weighing approximately 94


00:16:03.040 --> 00:16:06.629
tons and measuring about 212 ft tall


00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:08.990
this massive component will contain


00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:12.389
730,000 gallons of cryogenic propellant


00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.870
when the rocket lifts off it represents


00:16:14.880 --> 00:16:16.550
the single largest element for the


00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:19.829
Aremis 2 mission once positioned teams


00:16:19.839 --> 00:16:21.990
connected the core stage to each booster


00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.069
at forward and aft loadbearing attach


00:16:24.079 --> 00:16:26.550
points the next steps in the assembly


00:16:26.560 --> 00:16:28.230
process will include stacking a


00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.389
cone-shaped adapter on top of the core


00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:32.470
stage followed by the rocket's upper


00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:35.430
stage another adapter ring and finally


00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:37.590
the Orion spacecraft that will house the


00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:40.710
four-person crew during their journey


00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.230
this mission represents humanity's


00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.470
return to deep space exploration as


00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:46.949
Artemis 2 will f astronauts around the


00:16:46.959 --> 00:16:49.189
far side of the moon if all continues


00:16:49.199 --> 00:16:51.350
according to plan this historic flight


00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.189
could launch as soon as next year


00:16:53.199 --> 00:16:54.870
marking the first time humans have


00:16:54.880 --> 00:16:56.629
ventured beyond low Earth orbit since


00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:00.230
the Apollo era ended over 50 years ago


00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.550
despite being years behind schedule the


00:17:02.560 --> 00:17:04.390
Aremis program continues to gain


00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:07.029
momentum nasa has achieved several


00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:09.429
important milestones recently including


00:17:09.439 --> 00:17:11.029
the installation of the Orion


00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.590
spacecraft's solar panels and completing


00:17:13.600 --> 00:17:15.350
the crucial closeouts of its service


00:17:15.360 --> 00:17:17.750
module with aerodynamic panels that will


00:17:17.760 --> 00:17:21.429
jettison during launch a few months ago


00:17:21.439 --> 00:17:23.029
there was serious speculation that


00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.110
NASA's space launch system might face


00:17:25.120 --> 00:17:27.590
cancellation due to its high costs and


00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:30.870
delays however this possibility seems


00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:33.110
increasingly unlikely as alternative


00:17:33.120 --> 00:17:34.789
heavy lift vehicles aren't ready for


00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:37.350
human space flight both SpaceX's


00:17:37.360 --> 00:17:39.590
Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn


00:17:39.600 --> 00:17:41.750
while promising are still years away


00:17:41.760 --> 00:17:44.310
from being certified for crude missions


00:17:44.320 --> 00:17:46.310
starship though holding enormous


00:17:46.320 --> 00:17:47.990
long-term potential to be cheaper and


00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.710
more capable than SLS has faced recent


00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:52.549
setbacks with back-to-back failures


00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.630
early this year the vehicle needs to


00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:57.510
demonstrate reliable recovery reuse and


00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:59.430
inorbit refueling before it can be


00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:02.230
considered for human missions similarly


00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:04.630
Blue Origin's New Glenn had a successful


00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:06.630
debut flight in January but its


00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.310
development timeline suggests it won't


00:18:08.320 --> 00:18:11.510
be ready for crude flights anytime soon


00:18:11.520 --> 00:18:13.430
these circumstances have created a


00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.830
situation where despite its delays and


00:18:15.840 --> 00:18:18.470
budget overruns the space launch system


00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:20.789
remains NASA's only viable option for


00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:22.789
sending humans beyond Earth orbit in the


00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:25.669
near term this practical reality


00:18:25.679 --> 00:18:27.430
combined with the progress being made on


00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:29.669
hardware assembly makes it increasingly


00:18:29.679 --> 00:18:31.110
likely that NASA will proceed with


00:18:31.120 --> 00:18:33.750
Artemis 2 as planned marking humanity's


00:18:33.760 --> 00:18:35.510
long- aaited return to deep space


00:18:35.520 --> 00:18:37.990
exploration


00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.430
that wraps up today's episode of


00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.990
Astronomy Daily what an incredible


00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.590
journey through our cosmic neighborhood


00:18:43.600 --> 00:18:45.909
we've had today from the tantalizing


00:18:45.919 --> 00:18:48.230
discovery of complex organic molecules


00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.029
on Mars that could point to ancient life


00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.350
to the terrifying potential of galactic


00:18:53.360 --> 00:18:56.230
scale black hole eruptions to the steady


00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:57.990
progress of humanity's return to the


00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.630
moon the universe continues to both


00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:02.350
inspire and humble


00:19:02.360 --> 00:19:04.870
us i'm Anna and I've been your host for


00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.270
Astronomy Daily if you enjoyed today's


00:19:07.280 --> 00:19:09.270
episode you can listen to all our back


00:19:09.280 --> 00:19:10.510
episodes at


00:19:10.520 --> 00:19:12.470
astronomyaily.io where we maintain a


00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.549
complete archive of our broadcasts and


00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:15.830
don't forget to connect with us on


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social media just search for Astroaily


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00:19:21.360 --> 00:19:23.909
Instagram and Tik Tok thanks for joining


00:19:23.919 --> 00:19:25.990
me on this cosmic journey i'll see you


00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.310
again tomorrow as we continue to explore


00:19:28.320 --> 00:19:30.710
the wonders of our universe together in


00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:35.750
the meantime keep looking up


00:19:35.760 --> 00:19:42.750
stories


00:19:42.760 --> 00:19:46.040
told stories


00:19:46.050 --> 00:19:50.669
[Music]


00:19:50.679 --> 00:19:54.400
told stories