Gravitational Breakthroughs, Lunar Insights, and SpaceX’s Bold Moves: S04E01

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Language: en

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happy New Year and welcome to the first


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episode of astronomy daily for


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2025 I'm your host Anna and I'm thrilled


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to be back with you for another exciting


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year of space exploration and


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astronomical discoveries we've got a


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packed show for you today covering some


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fascinating developments that are


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already shaping up to make 2025 a


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landmark year in space science we'll be


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looking at new regulatory changes that


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could accelerate commercial space flight


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examining some concerning findings about


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NASA's Orion capsule and exploring


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breakthrough technology that could help


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us detect gravitational waves with


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unprecedented Precision we'll also


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Journey To The Far Side of the Moon to


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learn about an Innovative new way to


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study space debris check out some of the


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most remarkable exoplanet discoveries


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from the past year and get an inside


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look at spacex's ambitious plans for


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their starship program so strap in and


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get ready to explore the cosmos with us


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as we begin another year of amazing


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space science and


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Discovery in a significant move for


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commercial space flight the US Federal


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Communications Commission has just


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expanded the Spectrum available for


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launch


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Communications the fcc's December 31st


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announcement allocated additional


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frequencies between 2360 and 2395


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megahertz that can now be used for


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communications with commercial launch


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and re-entry Vehicles this new


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allocation fulfills requirements set out


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in the launch Communications Act of 2024


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which President Biden signed into law


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last September the ACT called for making


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three specific frequency bands available


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to support the growing commercial space


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industry what makes this particularly


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interesting is that two of these bands


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were already allocated for launch


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Communications but this third band opens


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up new possibilities for both Uplink and


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downlink Communications with


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spacecraft this additional bandwidth is


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crucial as the commercial space sector


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continues to expand rapidly both the FCC


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and launch companies have emphasized


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that this extra spectrum is essential to


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handle the increasing number of launches


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we're seeing as FCC chairwoman Jessica


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Rosen worell noted this move will make


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it easier for new competitors to


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consistently access the spectrum they


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need for their missions the new


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allocation isn't without its challenges


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though the band will be shared with


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existing aircraft and missile testing


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operations which means launch operators


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will need to take special precautions to


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avoid


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interference however companies like


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SpaceX and Virgin Galactic have already


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successfully used portions of this band


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for several launches without any


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reported issues perhaps most importantly


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this change streamlines the licensing


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process for launch companies instead of


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having to apply for special temporary


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Authority for each individual launch


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operators can now work within a more


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efficient framework that covers all


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three allocated bands this should


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significantly reduce the administrative


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burden on both the companies and the FCC


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helping to accelerate the pace of


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commercial space activities this


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development really showcases how the


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regulatory landscape is evolving to keep


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Pace with the commercial space


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industry's rapid growth as we continue


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to see more private companies reaching


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for the Stars having robust and clear


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communication protocols will be


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absolutely essential for safe and


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efficient


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operations next up the safety and


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reliability of NASA's Artemis program


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faced a significant challenge when


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inspectors discovered concerning damage


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to the Orion capsule's heat shield


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following its splash down in December


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2022 what initially looked like a


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successful conclusion to the Artemis 1


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Mission revealed some worrying issues


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that have since caused delays to the


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program's timeline when the recovery


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crew lifted Orion onto the USS


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Portland's deck they noticed substantial


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cracks on the capsule's lower surface


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where it connects to the heat shield


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while somewhere on a heat shield that


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endured temperatures of around 5,000 de


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Fahrenheit might seem expected the


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extent of the damage raised serious


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concerns about crew safety for future


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missions after nearly 2 years of


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thorough analysis NASA's investigation


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revealed that the problem stemmed from


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an unexpected interaction between the


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shields materials during re-entry the


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heat shields design uses a specialized


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resin called novalac embedded in a


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honeycomb structure of fiberglass


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threads during re-entry this material is


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meant to grad gradually melt and form a


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protective Char layer however what


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actually happened was more complex as


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Orion performed its skip reentry


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maneuver The Shield began melting as


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planned but when the capsule bounced


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back into space the outer layers froze


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trapping heat inside this trapped heat


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vaporized more of the resin and during


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the second atmospheric entry the


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expanding gases created those concerning


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cracks in the Char structure in response


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to these findings NASA has announced


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significant changes to their approach


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for the upcoming Artemis 2 mission which


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will carry astronauts around the Moon


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they've modified the re-entry trajectory


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to prevent heat from accumulating in


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this way looking further ahead to


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Artemis 3 NASA plans to implement new


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manufacturing methods to make the shield


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more permeable these challenges have


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pushed the timeline for crude Artemis


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missions further into the future with


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Artemis 2 now targeting sometime in 2025


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and Artemis 3 slated for 20


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27 while these delays might be


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frustrating they reflect NASA's


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unwavering commitment to crew safety as


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they work to return humans to the


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Moon scientists have made an exciting


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breakthrough in our ability to detect


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gravitational waves those subtle Ripples


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and SpaceTime that give us unique


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insights into Cosmic events researchers


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have developed a new technique called


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Optical spring tracking that could


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dramatically improve how clearly we can


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detect these elusive waves the advanced


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laser interference perometer


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gravitational wave Observatory or aligo


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uses incredibly sensitive equipment to


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measure tiny distortions in SpaceTime


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caused by distant Cosmic events while


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this technology has already


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revolutionized our understanding of


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phenomena like black hole mergers it


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faces limitations from what scientists


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call Quantum noise this new Optical


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spring tracking system works by tuning


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itself to match the frequency of


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incoming gravitational waves in tests


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researchers used a microscopic mirror


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weighing just 50 nanog made from


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carefully layered aluminum gallium


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arsenide and gallium arsenide when hit


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with laser light this tiny mirror


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creates an optical spring effect that


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can be precisely controlled to track and


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enhance gravitational wave signals the


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results have been remarkable in their


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proof of concept experiment the team


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demonstrated that tracking a signal with


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this system improved the signal to noise


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ratio by up to 40 times compared to


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traditional methods this means we could


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potentially detect much fainter


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gravitation waves from even more distant


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Cosmic events while implementing this


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technology in full scale observatories


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like ligo will require overcoming some


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engineering challenges the potential


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benefits are


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enormous by enhancing our ability to


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detect gravitational waves we might soon


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be able to observe events from the very


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earliest moments of our universe


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including the mergers of primordial


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black holes formed shortly after the big


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bang this advancement represents a


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significant step step forward in our


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quest to understand the universe's most


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energetic events and could help unlock


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mysteries about how our Cosmos formed


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and evolved over billions of


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years next a story about cubat


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Innovation at its finest while Earth's


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atmosphere protects us from most space


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debris scientists are developing an


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Innovative new way to study these Cosmic


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impacts by watching them strike the moon


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a fascinating new mission called the


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lunar meteoroid impact Observer or lumio


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aims to give us an unprecedented view of


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meteoroid strikes on the lunar Far Side


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lumio is a compact but capable


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spacecraft a 12 kg Cube sat equipped


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with a specialized camera designed to


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detect the bright flashes that occur


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when space rocks impact the lunar


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surface what makes this Mission


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particularly clever is its planned


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position at a special point in space


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called the Earth Moon L2 lrange Point


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perfectly situated to observe the moon's


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Far Side from this unique vantage point


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lumio will have an unobstructed view of


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impacts that we could never see from


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Earth and since the moon has virtually


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no atmosphere these objects strike the


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surface directly creating visible


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flashes that can tell us important


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information about both the impactor and


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the lunar surface the numbers are quite


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remarkable scientists estimate that up


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to 23,000 meteoroids weighing 30 grams


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or more strike the moon each year while


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lumio will only observe half of these


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impacts it's still expected to detect


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multiple strikes every single day


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building up an unprecedented database of


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information about the space debris in


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our Cosmic neighborhood of course


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operating at the L2 Point presents some


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unique challenges the spacecraft will


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need to rely on relay satellites for


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communication since the moon will block


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its direct line of sight to Earth it


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will also need sophisticated automated


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systems to process the massive amount of


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imagery it collects capturing 15 frames


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every second and using smart algorithms


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to ident ify genuine impact flashes the


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lumio mission has already been selected


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as a finalist in esa's lunar Cube sat


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for exploration competition and is


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scheduled for launch in 2027 once


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operational it promises to give us


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fascinating new insights into the


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bombardment our Celestial neighbor


00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.750
regularly endures helping us better


00:09:49.760 --> 00:09:51.670
understand the threats these objects


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might pose to Earth and our future lunar


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operations let's take a look now at some


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of the strangest planets discovered over


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the past 12 months 2024 has been an


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extraordinary year for exoplanet


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discoveries with several fascinating new


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worlds expanding our understanding of


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planetary diversity perhaps the most


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intriguing find was a new cotton candy


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planet with the lowest density ever


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recorded for an


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exoplanet these peculiar worlds continue


00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:20.470
to challenge our theories about


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planetary formation with their


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impossibly fluffy atmospheres defying


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conventional


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explanation in an inspiring


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demonstration of Citizen science science


00:10:30.040 --> 00:10:32.150
amateur astronomers working alongside


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professionals discovered a remarkable


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planet in a binary star system what


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makes this find particularly exciting is


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that it orbits within the habitable zone


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of the brightest known star to host such


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a planet the region where liquid water


00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.110
could potentially exist on its surface


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we've also gained valuable insights into


00:10:50.079 --> 00:10:52.310
planetary formation thanks to the


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discovery of what may be the youngest


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transiting exoplanet ever found this


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giant World orbiting an incredibly Young


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star is providing astronomers with a


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rare glimpse into the early stages of


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planetary development one of the year's


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most bizarre discoveries was a huge


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planet with what scientists are calling


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a super Ecentric orbit more elliptical


00:11:13.760 --> 00:11:16.389
than any previously known this peculiar


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World appears to be traveling backward


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compared to its Stars rotation


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potentially offering clues about how hot


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Jupiter's massive planets orbiting


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extremely close to their stars come to


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exist closer to home home our nearest


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Stellar neighbor after the sun Barnard


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star has revealed its own planetary


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secret just six light years away this


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newly confirmed exoplanet adds to our


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growing catalog of nearby worlds and


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reminds us that we still have much to


00:11:44.680 --> 00:11:47.350
discover in our own Cosmic backyard


00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:49.670
perhaps the most unexpected planetary


00:11:49.680 --> 00:11:51.829
Discovery came from a simple timing


00:11:51.839 --> 00:11:54.150
discrepancy when astronomers noticed a


00:11:54.160 --> 00:11:55.710
known planet Crossing in front of its


00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:58.269
star 2 hours earlier than predicted


00:11:58.279 --> 00:11:59.790
their investigation LED led to the


00:11:59.800 --> 00:12:01.870
discovery of an entirely New World in


00:12:01.880 --> 00:12:04.829
the same system it's a perfect example


00:12:04.839 --> 00:12:06.870
of how careful observation and attention


00:12:06.880 --> 00:12:09.310
to detail continue to unveil the


00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:11.150
universe's Hidden


00:12:11.160 --> 00:12:13.350
Treasures finally today let's take a


00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.310
look at spacex's Starship plans heading


00:12:15.320 --> 00:12:17.829
into the new year spacex's Starship


00:12:17.839 --> 00:12:19.389
program reached several significant


00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.389
milestones in 2024 with the company Now


00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:24.189
setting its sights on an ambitious


00:12:24.199 --> 00:12:26.150
expansion of operations in


00:12:26.160 --> 00:12:28.629
2025 the world's largest and most


00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:30.870
powerful rocket system completed six


00:12:30.880 --> 00:12:33.310
test flights to date with each launch


00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:34.870
bringing valuable lessons and


00:12:34.880 --> 00:12:36.990
improvements to the vehicle's design and


00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.269
performance the most recent flights have


00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:41.710
demonstrated remarkable progress with


00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:43.230
both the super heavy booster and the


00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:45.150
Starship upper stage successfully


00:12:45.160 --> 00:12:47.949
surviving atmospheric re-entry a


00:12:47.959 --> 00:12:49.750
particularly noteworthy achievement came


00:12:49.760 --> 00:12:51.829
during the fifth test flight when the


00:12:51.839 --> 00:12:53.509
launch Tower successfully caught the


00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:55.829
returning super heavy booster using its


00:12:55.839 --> 00:12:58.670
innovative Chopstick arms a crucial step


00:12:58.680 --> 00:13:01.269
towards spacex's goal of Rapid


00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.990
reusability looking ahead to 2025 SpaceX


00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.910
has applied for permits to dramatically


00:13:06.920 --> 00:13:08.949
increase their launch frequency from


00:13:08.959 --> 00:13:11.590
their Starbase facility in Texas the


00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.550
Federal Aviation Administration has


00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:15.949
given preliminary approval for up to 25


00:13:15.959 --> 00:13:18.509
launches in the coming year a five-fold


00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:20.670
increase from current levels this


00:13:20.680 --> 00:13:22.389
expanded schedule would include not just


00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.629
launches but also 50 Tower catches split


00:13:25.639 --> 00:13:27.710
evenly between the super heavy boosters


00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:29.750
and Starship upper stages


00:13:29.760 --> 00:13:31.670
the company is also planning significant


00:13:31.680 --> 00:13:34.590
upgrades to the vehicle itself future


00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:36.230
versions of Starship will feature


00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:38.710
increased thrust capabilities with plans


00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:40.710
to achieve three times the power of


00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:43.310
NASA's Saturn Vive rocket these


00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:45.189
improvements aim to enable the transport


00:13:45.199 --> 00:13:46.750
of larger payloads with future


00:13:46.760 --> 00:13:49.030
iterations capable of carrying over 200


00:13:49.040 --> 00:13:52.350
tons to orbit perhaps most ambitious are


00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:55.030
the cost projections with SpaceX


00:13:55.040 --> 00:13:57.230
suggesting that the full reusability of


00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.590
the system could eventually bring launch


00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.389
costs down to just a few million dollar


00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:05.030
per flight this dramatic reduction in


00:14:05.040 --> 00:14:07.430
launch costs combined with increased


00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.069
payload capacity and flight frequency


00:14:10.079 --> 00:14:12.829
could revolutionize access to space and


00:14:12.839 --> 00:14:14.629
support the company's longer-term goals


00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:16.350
of establishing a sustained human


00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:19.230
presence on Mars these developments come


00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.509
at a crucial time as NASA continues to


00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:23.949
rely on Starship as a key component of


00:14:23.959 --> 00:14:26.069
its Artemis program with the vehicle


00:14:26.079 --> 00:14:28.310
selected to serve as the lunar lander


00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.269
for future Miss to the Moon surface as


00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:34.230
we move into 2025 all eyes will be on


00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.189
Space X to see if they can maintain this


00:14:36.199 --> 00:14:39.230
ambitious pace of development and


00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:41.350
testing that brings us to the end of


00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.870
today's episode of astronomy daily I'm


00:14:43.880 --> 00:14:46.030
Anna and I want to thank you for joining


00:14:46.040 --> 00:14:47.910
me as we explored these fascinating


00:14:47.920 --> 00:14:50.670
developments in space and astronomy from


00:14:50.680 --> 00:14:52.629
revolutionary advances in gravitational


00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.389
wave detection to spacex's ambitious


00:14:55.399 --> 00:14:57.990
plans for Starship it's clear that 2025


00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.389
is already shaping up to be an


00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:01.749
incredible year for space exploration to


00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:03.310
stay up to dat with all the latest space


00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:05.350
and astronomy news head over to our


00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:08.150
website at astronomy daily. iio there


00:15:08.160 --> 00:15:09.910
you'll find detailed articles on all the


00:15:09.920 --> 00:15:11.790
stories we covered today plus our


00:15:11.800 --> 00:15:14.430
complete Archive of past episodes and


00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:15.870
don't forget to follow us on social


00:15:15.880 --> 00:15:18.269
media you can find Astro daily pod on


00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:22.189
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00:15:22.199 --> 00:15:23.150
and Tik


00:15:23.160 --> 00:15:25.590
Tok until next time keep looking up and


00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:30.790
stay curious about our amazing universe


00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:33.550
the stories told


00:15:33.560 --> 00:15:47.909
[Music]