March 31, 2025

Lunar Crater Age Revealed, NASA’s PUNCH Mission Launch

Lunar Crater Age Revealed, NASA’s PUNCH Mission Launch
The player is loading ...
Lunar Crater Age Revealed, NASA’s PUNCH Mission Launch

SpaceTime Series 28 Episode 39

The Astronomy, Space and Science News Podcast

Moon's Oldest Impact Crater Dated, NASA's Punch Mission Launches, and Europe's First Orbital Rocket Countdown

In this episode of SpaceTime, we reveal groundbreaking findings that pinpoint the age of the Moon's oldest and largest impact crater, the Aitken Basin. Recent analysis of lunar regolith collected by China's Chang'e 6 mission indicates that this massive structure was formed approximately 4.25 billion years ago by a colossal asteroid impact. We discuss how this discovery enhances our understanding of the Moon's geological history and its role in the solar system's evolution.

NASA's Punch Mission

We also cover the successful launch of NASA's Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) mission, which is now in orbit and entering its commissioning phase. This innovative mission aims to make 3D observations of the Sun's corona and its transformation into solar wind, providing vital data to improve space weather predictions and protect our technology from solar storms.

Countdown for Europe's First Orbital Rocket Launch

Additionally, we discuss the countdown for mainland Europe's first orbital rocket launch, a significant milestone for the European space economy. The launch of the Spectrum rocket by ISA Aerospace from Norway's Andoya spaceport is poised to mark a new era in European space exploration, especially following recent setbacks due to geopolitical challenges and delays in existing launch systems.

00:00 Space Time Series 28 Episode 39 for broadcast on 31 March 2025

00:49 Dating the Moon's Aitken Basin

06:30 Analysis of lunar samples from Chang'e 6 mission

12:15 Overview of NASA's Punch mission and its objectives

18:00 Implications of solar wind studies for space weather prediction

22:45 Countdown for Europe's first orbital rocket launch

27:00 Summary of recent space exploration developments

30:15 Discussion on the impact of microplastics on photosynthesis

www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/)

www.bitesz.com (https://www.bitesz.com/)

🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (https://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . Enjoy incredible discounts and bonuses! Plus, it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌

Check out our newest sponsor - Old Glory - Iconic Music and Sports Merch and now with official NASA merchandise. (https://www.bitesz.com/oldglory) Well worth checking out...

Become a supporter of this Podcast for as little as $3 per month and access commercial-free episodes plus bonuses: https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/about (https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/about)

✍️ Episode References

National Science Review

https://www.nature.com/nsr/ (https://www.nature.com/nsr/)

NASA

https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/)

ISA Aerospace

https://www.isa-aerospace.com/ (https://www.isa-aerospace.com/)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .

Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26366822?utm_source=youtube

00:00 - Space Time Series 28 Episode 39 for broadcast on 31 March 2025

00:49 - Dating the Moon’s Aitken Basin

06:30 - Analysis of lunar samples from Chang’e 6 mission

12:15 - Overview of NASA’s Punch mission and its objectives

18:00 - Implications of solar wind studies for space weather prediction

22:45 - Countdown for Europe’s first orbital rocket launch

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.429
this is Spaceime Series 28 episode 39


00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:06.190
for broadcast on the 31st of March


00:00:06.200 --> 00:00:09.750
2025 coming up on Spaceime determining


00:00:09.760 --> 00:00:11.589
the date of the moon's oldest and


00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.310
largest impact crater NASA's Punch


00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.710
mission safely in orbit and the


00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:18.550
countdown's underway for mainland


00:00:18.560 --> 00:00:21.349
Europe's first orbital rocket launch all


00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:25.189
that and more coming up on Spaceime


00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.270
welcome to Spaceime with Stuart Garry


00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:36.130
[Music]




00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:46.310
scientists have finally put a date and


00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:48.630
consequently an age on the moon's oldest


00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:51.029
and largest impact crater the new


00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:52.549
findings reported in the journal


00:00:52.559 --> 00:00:54.630
National Science Review suggested the


00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.110
giant lunar south pole akin basin was


00:00:57.120 --> 00:00:59.349
created by a massive asteroid impact


00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:03.029
some 4.25 billion years ago the new


00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:04.950
findings are based on lunar regalith


00:01:04.960 --> 00:01:07.190
collected by China's Changi 6 sample


00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:09.109
return mission which visited the moon's


00:01:09.119 --> 00:01:11.590
far side last year


00:01:11.600 --> 00:01:13.429
astronomers have long sought to


00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:15.670
determine the age of the ancient Atkin


00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.149
Basin the largest and oldest known


00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.870
impact structure on the lunar surface


00:01:20.880 --> 00:01:23.190
the basin is a vast impact structure


00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:25.910
spanning the moon's south pole far side


00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:30.310
it's roughly 2,000 km wide and up to 8.2


00:01:30.320 --> 00:01:32.870
km deep making it one of the largest


00:01:32.880 --> 00:01:35.350
impact structures in our solar system


00:01:35.360 --> 00:01:37.350
it's believed to have been formed during


00:01:37.360 --> 00:01:39.350
a period of intense asteroid bombardment


00:01:39.360 --> 00:01:41.429
that shaped much of the solar system


00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:43.550
within its first few hundred million


00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.630
years despite its significance the exact


00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:48.870
age of the basin has remained elusive


00:01:48.880 --> 00:01:51.030
hindering efforts by astronomers to


00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:52.950
understand its role in lunar and


00:01:52.960 --> 00:01:55.670
planetary history previous estimates of


00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:57.990
the basin's age have varied widely


00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:59.429
highlighting the need for direct


00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.749
analysis based on actual geological


00:02:01.759 --> 00:02:04.789
samples the Changi 6 mission's return of


00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:06.950
lunar samples from the basin has allowed


00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:08.949
a scientific research team led by Chen


00:02:08.959 --> 00:02:10.949
Yi from the Chinese Academy of Sciences


00:02:10.959 --> 00:02:13.030
to be given an opportunity to resolve


00:02:13.040 --> 00:02:15.990
this mystery they focused on impact melt


00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.910
rocks within the samples which provide


00:02:17.920 --> 00:02:19.869
crucial clues about the basin's


00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.390
formation chen says the collision


00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.510
generated a massive sheet of impact melt


00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.750
to accurately determine the basin's age


00:02:27.760 --> 00:02:29.750
the authors first needed to identify the


00:02:29.760 --> 00:02:31.589
products of this milk within the Changi


00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:33.990
6 samples so Chen and colleagues


00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.229
meticulously analyzed some 1600


00:02:36.239 --> 00:02:38.229
fragments from two soul samples


00:02:38.239 --> 00:02:40.229
identifying 20 Norite class with


00:02:40.239 --> 00:02:42.309
textures minology and geochemical


00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:44.390
signatures that were consistent with an


00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.589
impact origin using a lead dating system


00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:49.509
for sironium bearing minerals within


00:02:49.519 --> 00:02:51.589
these classs they uncovered evidence of


00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:54.790
two distinct impact events dated at 3.87


00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.229
87 billion and more importantly 4.25


00:02:58.239 --> 00:03:00.869
billion years ago the older norites


00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:03.589
dated at 4.25 billion years exhibited


00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:05.430
structural and compositional features


00:03:05.440 --> 00:03:07.030
suggesting that they crystallized at


00:03:07.040 --> 00:03:08.710
various depths within a common impact


00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:11.110
melt sheet produced by the Atkin basin


00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:14.149
forming event so the studies provided


00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.470
the first direct samplebased evidence


00:03:16.480 --> 00:03:18.630
that the moon's largest impact basin was


00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:21.350
formed just 320 million years after the


00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.830
actual birth of our solar system


00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.910
consequently it serves as a critical


00:03:25.920 --> 00:03:27.910
anchor point for refining lunar


00:03:27.920 --> 00:03:30.309
cratering chronology and reconstructing


00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:32.990
the timeline of the moon's early


00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:36.949
evolution this is spaceime still to come


00:03:36.959 --> 00:03:39.589
NASA's punch mission safely in orbit and


00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.509
the countdown underway for mainland


00:03:41.519 --> 00:03:43.670
Europe's first orbital rocket launch all


00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:50.910
that and more still to come on Spaceime


00:03:50.920 --> 00:03:59.610
[Music]




00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:05.190
now safely in orbit NASA's polarometer


00:04:05.200 --> 00:04:07.670
to unify the corona and heliosphere or


00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.910
punch constellation is now undergoing a


00:04:09.920 --> 00:04:12.149
90-day commissioning period undertaking


00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:14.309
a series of in-flight checkouts prior to


00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.870
commencing its 2-year mission the force


00:04:16.880 --> 00:04:18.390
spacecraft will make global


00:04:18.400 --> 00:04:19.990
three-dimensional observations of the


00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:22.629
sun's upper atmosphere the corona this


00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:24.230
will allow astronomers to better


00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:26.070
understand how it transforms into the


00:04:26.080 --> 00:04:27.830
constant stream of charged particles


00:04:27.840 --> 00:04:29.909
known as the solar wind which bathes the


00:04:29.919 --> 00:04:32.710
earth and the rest of our solar system a


00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.629
key part of punch is the United States


00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.870
Naval Research Laboratory's narrow field


00:04:36.880 --> 00:04:39.350
imager a compact externally occulted


00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.830
chronograph it blocks direct sunlight


00:04:41.840 --> 00:04:43.670
from entering the main optical aperture


00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:45.430
which views the coroner and starfield


00:04:45.440 --> 00:04:47.590
around the sun using a compound lens


00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.150
system by imaging the transition of the


00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:52.230
corona into the solar wind astronomers


00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:54.150
will better understand exactly how the


00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.030
sun generates the space plasma


00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:57.909
environment and that will help


00:04:57.919 --> 00:04:59.749
scientists make better predictions about


00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:01.909
space weather events like solar flares


00:05:01.919 --> 00:05:03.990
and coronal mass ejections which can


00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.990
fling powerful geomagnetic storms


00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:08.469
towards the earth it's these solar


00:05:08.479 --> 00:05:10.469
storms which trigger the spectacular


00:05:10.479 --> 00:05:12.310
northern and southern lights the Aurora


00:05:12.320 --> 00:05:15.350
Borealis and Aurora Arralis but they can


00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.670
also damage and even destroy spacecraft


00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.749
by shorting out delicate electronics or


00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:21.350
by causing the Earth's atmosphere to


00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:23.990
wobble and expand like jello that


00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:26.310
increases atmospheric drag on satellites


00:05:26.320 --> 00:05:28.310
resulting in orbital decay and the need


00:05:28.320 --> 00:05:30.710
to use up more fuel in order to maintain


00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.749
operational altitude these geomagnetic


00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:35.510
storms also interfere with


00:05:35.520 --> 00:05:37.830
communications and navigation systems


00:05:37.840 --> 00:05:39.430
and they can overload terrestrial


00:05:39.440 --> 00:05:41.270
electricity transmission grids on the


00:05:41.280 --> 00:05:44.310
ground causing blackouts over wide areas


00:05:44.320 --> 00:05:46.870
they also increase radiation exposure


00:05:46.880 --> 00:05:49.350
for crews operating in space and even


00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:52.310
for people on high altitude aircraft so


00:05:52.320 --> 00:05:54.230
this narrow field imager aboard punch


00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.150
marks a significant step forward in


00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.310
science's ability to understand the


00:05:58.320 --> 00:06:00.550
dynamic processes that drive space


00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:03.350
weather events by imaging the transition


00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.110
of the sun's atmosphere into the solar


00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.430
wind they can gain crucial insights that


00:06:07.440 --> 00:06:09.270
will ultimately improve their ability to


00:06:09.280 --> 00:06:11.029
predict and mitigate the impacts of


00:06:11.039 --> 00:06:13.670
these powerful events especially now as


00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:16.309
the sun reaches solar max the climax of


00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:18.710
its 11-year solar cycle a time when the


00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.350
star is especially violent in fact just


00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:23.510
over the past week another geomagnetic


00:06:23.520 --> 00:06:25.430
storm hit the Earth and a massive


00:06:25.440 --> 00:06:27.590
coronal hole has opened up in the Sun's


00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:29.830
atmosphere sending even more streams of


00:06:29.840 --> 00:06:32.710
charged particles towards Earth noah


00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:34.230
America's National Oceanographic and


00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:36.870
Atmospheric Administration issued a G2


00:06:36.880 --> 00:06:39.749
geomagnetic storm warning for the event


00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.309
just like tropical cyclones geomagnetic


00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:45.350
storms follow a fivepoint severity scale


00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:48.150
it's a logarithmic scale with G2 class


00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:50.469
storms considered moderate in strength


00:06:50.479 --> 00:06:52.390
but they could cause minor technological


00:06:52.400 --> 00:06:55.110
disruptions such as radio blackouts GPS


00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.189
malfunctions and an increased chance of


00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.990
aurora at lower latitudes and those are


00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.390
exactly what has


00:07:01.400 --> 00:07:04.469
happened g2 strength geomagnetic storms


00:07:04.479 --> 00:07:07.110
hit planet Earth on around 360 days over


00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.230
each 11-year solar cycle and the space


00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:11.909
weather prediction center issued an


00:07:11.919 --> 00:07:13.830
extended storm warning because of the


00:07:13.840 --> 00:07:15.749
detection of this coronal hole facing


00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.070
the earth coronal holes are cooler


00:07:18.080 --> 00:07:19.670
darker regions of the corona that are


00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:21.430
less dense than normal allowing


00:07:21.440 --> 00:07:23.350
high-speed charged particles to gush


00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.230
outwards into space and currently one of


00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.390
these escaped high-speed streams is


00:07:28.400 --> 00:07:30.710
pointing directly at the Earth


00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:32.390
astronomers now think the sun reached


00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:35.270
Solar Max in October last year that's


00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:36.950
because since then there's been some


00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:38.790
evidence of polarity reversal in


00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:40.830
magnetic filaments extending out from


00:07:40.840 --> 00:07:43.110
sunspots it's a process that will


00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:45.189
continue for several more months as the


00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.230
sun's magnetic poles continue to flip


00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.550
and just to further underline the point


00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.670
a massive 1.1 class solar flare and


00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:55.909
simultaneous coronal mass ejection


00:07:55.919 --> 00:07:57.670
erupted out of the sun's southeastern


00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.710
quadrant on Saturday sending a gigantic


00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:03.589
blast of plasma and solar particles deep


00:08:03.599 --> 00:08:06.390
into space in fact the events been


00:08:06.400 --> 00:08:08.710
described by spaceweather.com as one of


00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:10.469
the most beautiful and significant


00:08:10.479 --> 00:08:12.790
eruptions in recent memory but the


00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:14.629
website also points out that Earth


00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:17.749
dodged an extreme geomagnetic storm


00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.550
nevertheless a strong R3 radio blackout


00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:22.230
centered on the Caribbean did develop


00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.629
from the blast if the eruption had been


00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:26.550
directed directly towards the Earth a


00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:28.869
Carrington level geomagnetic storm could


00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.749
well have developed within 30 hours


00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:33.750
luckily the explosion was directed


00:08:33.760 --> 00:08:36.630
towards Jupiter but the sunspots which


00:08:36.640 --> 00:08:38.709
triggered the blast remain active and


00:08:38.719 --> 00:08:40.709
are now rotating towards facing the


00:08:40.719 --> 00:08:43.589
Earth in the next week or so ultimately


00:08:43.599 --> 00:08:45.350
if this magnetic filament channel


00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:47.670
refills again over the next week it's


00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:49.509
possible that we could see a big solar


00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.750
storm launched and this time crossing


00:08:51.760 --> 00:08:54.630
through the Earth's strike zone region


00:08:54.640 --> 00:08:57.269
to put it simply if all the power from


00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:59.430
this one eruption could be harnessed it


00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:01.430
would probably power our entire planet


00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.230
for over 100 billion years far exceeding


00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.829
the remaining lifespan of the sun


00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:09.670
predicting the impact of space weather


00:09:09.680 --> 00:09:11.990
from minor fluctuations to major coronal


00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:14.150
mass ejections requires a comprehensive


00:09:14.160 --> 00:09:16.470
understanding of the solar wind and


00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:18.310
while originating at the sun these


00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:20.470
events nevertheless evolve significantly


00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:22.710
during their journey towards the earth


00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.550
especially within the sparsely imaged


00:09:24.560 --> 00:09:26.310
region between the solar corona and the


00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.790
inner heliosphere posing a significant


00:09:28.800 --> 00:09:31.350
scientific challenge by capturing the


00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.269
evolution of coronal mass ejections and


00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:35.110
solar flares Punch will provide


00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:36.790
scientists with new data on their


00:09:36.800 --> 00:09:38.190
formation and


00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:42.230
propagation this report from NASA TV


00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:44.470
punch is an acronym it stands for


00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.509
polarimeter to unify the corona and


00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:49.910
heliosphere the corona is the outer


00:09:49.920 --> 00:09:52.070
atmosphere of the sun it's the part that


00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.070
is no longer gravitationally bound to


00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:56.470
the sun and it has so much energy that


00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:59.030
it flows outwards filling our solar


00:09:59.040 --> 00:10:00.870
system and pushes against the


00:10:00.880 --> 00:10:03.269
interstellar medium making a bubble and


00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.990
that is the heliosphere and this system


00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.230
of how the corona turns into the


00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:10.230
heliosphere is what punch is trying to


00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.670
study so punch is fundamentally four


00:10:13.680 --> 00:10:16.389
cameras that work together to make


00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.910
composite movies we have a narrow field


00:10:19.920 --> 00:10:22.150
imager that views the space close to the


00:10:22.160 --> 00:10:24.470
sun and then we have three separate wide


00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.710
field imagers each of which has a large


00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.030
squareish field of view that looks way


00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:31.670
off to the side out to 45° away from the


00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:34.630
sun that allows us to do something that


00:10:34.640 --> 00:10:36.230
no other mission has been able to do


00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:38.949
which is routinely track coronal mass


00:10:38.959 --> 00:10:41.509
ejections space storms all the way


00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:43.350
across the solar system as they approach


00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.310
the Earth by better understanding these


00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.550
storms and better understanding how they


00:10:48.560 --> 00:10:50.310
propagate on their way to the Earth


00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:53.110
we'll be able to inform our partners on


00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:55.509
how to better forecast these events in


00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:57.190
the future and that's really important


00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.750
for protecting our astronauts our


00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:02.949
satellites and our power grids once we


00:11:02.959 --> 00:11:04.790
start producing images you'll be able to


00:11:04.800 --> 00:11:07.590
look at punch data directly and see the


00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.590
kind of science we're engaged in you'll


00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:11.110
be able to see things that are present


00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:14.230
in the sky right now and you just you're


00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:15.990
not aware of them because they're washed


00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:17.829
out by the the brightness of the sky


00:11:17.839 --> 00:11:21.350
itself we are poised to do tremendous


00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.430
science with punch because it provides


00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:25.910
this global context of what is happening


00:11:25.920 --> 00:11:27.990
in the corona and what is happening


00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:30.230
throughout the inner solar system so


00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:32.230
that we can connect the details to the


00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.710
bigger picture you might say that punch


00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.790
is the next chapter in the study of


00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:39.790
helopysics as we bring imaging and


00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:42.870
crosscale understanding out so that we


00:11:42.880 --> 00:11:45.750
can develop a coherent understanding of


00:11:45.760 --> 00:11:48.069
the entire system that starts at the


00:11:48.079 --> 00:11:50.630
corona and extends out to envelop the


00:11:50.640 --> 00:11:52.269
planets


00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.710
themselves and in that report from NASA


00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:57.190
TV we heard from Punch mission scientist


00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:59.750
Nicolen Vol from NASA as well as Punch


00:11:59.760 --> 00:12:01.750
principal investigator Craig DeForest


00:12:01.760 --> 00:12:03.990
from the Southwest Research Institute in


00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.230
San Antonio Texas this is Spacetime


00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:10.550
still to come the countdown underway for


00:12:10.560 --> 00:12:12.310
the first orbital rocket launch from


00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:14.550
mainland Europe and later in the science


00:12:14.560 --> 00:12:16.670
report a new study warns that


00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:18.790
microlastics are now affecting the


00:12:18.800 --> 00:12:20.870
ability of plants to carry out


00:12:20.880 --> 00:12:23.430
photosynthesis all that and more still


00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:30.290
to come on


00:12:30.300 --> 00:12:37.980
[Music]




00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:42.870
Spaceime high winds and bad weather as


00:12:42.880 --> 00:12:44.870
Force mission manages to scrub what


00:12:44.880 --> 00:12:46.710
should have been the first ever orbital


00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:49.430
rocket launch from mainland Europe the


00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:51.910
launch by Munich based ISA aerospace


00:12:51.920 --> 00:12:54.230
involves its new spectrum rocket which


00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.150
will launch from Norway's Andoya


00:12:56.160 --> 00:12:59.030
spaceport on the Arctic Circle the test


00:12:59.040 --> 00:13:01.269
flight is seen as a key step in the new


00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:04.389
European space economy until now all


00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.990
European orbital rockets have been


00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:07.829
launched from the European Space Ay's


00:13:07.839 --> 00:13:11.590
Crew Spaceport in French Gana and until


00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.509
recently there have been ongoing delays


00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:15.430
in the development of the new Aran 6


00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.829
heavy lift rocket and the Vega E light


00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:19.750
launcher had been suspended from flight


00:13:19.760 --> 00:13:21.550
following an upper stage component


00:13:21.560 --> 00:13:24.150
failure while both now have flight


00:13:24.160 --> 00:13:26.670
status the delays have been long and


00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:29.190
costly compounding the problem is the


00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:30.949
fact that Europe also lacked access to


00:13:30.959 --> 00:13:32.870
Russian spaceports and launches since


00:13:32.880 --> 00:13:35.190
2022 following the West's embargo of


00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.030
Moscow in relation to the Kremlin's


00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:40.470
invasion of Ukraine isa Aerospace's new


00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:43.350
28 m tall two-stage spectrum rocket is


00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:45.030
designed to carry payloads of around


00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:48.790
1,000 kg into low Earth orbit and 700 kg


00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:51.670
into suns synchronous orbits its first


00:13:51.680 --> 00:13:54.230
stage is powered by nine Aquilla propane


00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:56.790
and liquid oxygen rocket engines


00:13:56.800 --> 00:13:58.550
spectrum's upper stage is equipped with


00:13:58.560 --> 00:14:00.230
a single Aquilla propane and liquid


00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.150
oxygen engine designed for multiple


00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:04.389
ignitions thereby allowing it to be shut


00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:06.470
down and reignited on numerous occasions


00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:08.550
as needed eliminating the need for an


00:14:08.560 --> 00:14:10.949
additional kickstage spectrum will


00:14:10.959 --> 00:14:12.550
become the first privately financed


00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:15.110
European launch system to reach orbit of


00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:16.949
course Britain's Richard Branson and his


00:14:16.959 --> 00:14:18.790
Virgin Orbit have done it from the


00:14:18.800 --> 00:14:21.189
United States using air launched rockets


00:14:21.199 --> 00:14:23.750
fired from a modified Boeing 747


00:14:23.760 --> 00:14:25.590
airliner that had taken off from a


00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:27.829
conventional runway but they appear to


00:14:27.839 --> 00:14:29.670
have shut down operations following a


00:14:29.680 --> 00:14:31.910
failed 2023 attempt to air launch a


00:14:31.920 --> 00:14:34.470
rocket from the 747 which had taken off


00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:37.590
earlier from Cornwell norway's Andoya


00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.670
and Swalban rocket ranges together with


00:14:39.680 --> 00:14:41.590
the Estrange Spaceport in neighboring


00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.750
Sweden have already undertaken over a


00:14:43.760 --> 00:14:46.069
thousand suborbital launches flying


00:14:46.079 --> 00:14:48.509
sounding rockets on primarily scientific


00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:51.030
missions and this new launch is being


00:14:51.040 --> 00:14:52.710
seen as an extension of those


00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:54.389
capabilities


00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:56.000
this is


00:14:56.010 --> 00:15:02.350
[Music]


00:15:02.360 --> 00:15:05.189
spacetime and in the late update to that


00:15:05.199 --> 00:15:07.269
story Spectrum finally launched late


00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:09.750
yesterday however shortly after liftoff


00:15:09.760 --> 00:15:11.750
it began veering off course during its


00:15:11.760 --> 00:15:13.829
planned rollover maneuver 18 seconds


00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:15.670
into the flight resulting in a


00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:18.470
catastrophic failure we'll have a full


00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:21.350
report in next week's show this is


00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.390
Spaceime


00:15:24.400 --> 00:15:37.829
[Music]


00:15:37.839 --> 00:15:39.509
and time now to take a brief look at


00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:41.110
some of the other stories making news in


00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:44.150
science this week with a science report


00:15:44.160 --> 00:15:46.550
a new study has found that microlastics


00:15:46.560 --> 00:15:48.629
are now affecting the ability of plants


00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:50.949
to carry out photosynthesis


00:15:50.959 --> 00:15:52.949
the findings reported in the journal the


00:15:52.959 --> 00:15:54.310
proceedings of the National Academy of


00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.870
Sciences PNAS demonstrates the critical


00:15:56.880 --> 00:15:59.030
threat these pollutants cause to Earth's


00:15:59.040 --> 00:16:01.550
primary production and food security


00:16:01.560 --> 00:16:03.749
microlastics are defined as plastic


00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.949
debris smaller than 5 mm it's now found


00:16:06.959 --> 00:16:08.870
to be contaminating environments from


00:16:08.880 --> 00:16:10.949
deep sea sediments up to tall mountain


00:16:10.959 --> 00:16:13.670
glaciers the study's authors evaluated


00:16:13.680 --> 00:16:15.590
the relationship between microplastic


00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:17.670
exposure and photosynthesis across


00:16:17.680 --> 00:16:19.949
terrestrial marine and freshwater


00:16:19.959 --> 00:16:22.230
ecosystems despite the growing awareness


00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:23.509
of this hazard the effects of


00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.670
microlastics on photosynthesis in the


00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:27.829
ecosystem have remained unclear until


00:16:27.839 --> 00:16:30.189
now by analyzing


00:16:30.199 --> 00:16:33.030
3,286 records using metadata analysis


00:16:33.040 --> 00:16:34.710
and machine learning techniques the


00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:36.550
authors have shown that microlastics


00:16:36.560 --> 00:16:38.550
have decreased photosynthetic efficiency


00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:42.470
by 7.05 05 to 12.12% across terrestrial


00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.590
plants marine algae and freshwater algae


00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.749
these reductions translate to estimate


00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:51.870
annual global losses of between 4.11 and


00:16:51.880 --> 00:16:55.509
13.52% for key staple crops such as rice


00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.710
wheat and maze in aquatic ecosystems


00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.790
microlastic induced photosynthesis


00:17:00.800 --> 00:17:02.870
inhibition is projected to cause net


00:17:02.880 --> 00:17:05.069
primary productivity losses of between


00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.909
0.31 and


00:17:06.919 --> 00:17:10.230
7.24% annually


00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.990
a new study has found that ditching


00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.669
butter in your diet and replacing it


00:17:13.679 --> 00:17:15.590
with plant-based oils could help protect


00:17:15.600 --> 00:17:18.230
you from cancer and heart disease a


00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:19.590
report in the Journal of the American


00:17:19.600 --> 00:17:21.590
Medical Association looked into the


00:17:21.600 --> 00:17:24.230
diets of over 220,000 people finding


00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:25.750
that those who ate a larger amount of


00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:27.909
butter were far more likely to die of


00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:29.990
cancer compared to those who consumed


00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.150
little or none they also found that


00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:33.669
people who consumed higher levels of


00:17:33.679 --> 00:17:36.789
safflower soybean corn canola and olive


00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.110
oils were less likely to die from cancer


00:17:39.120 --> 00:17:41.590
or heart disease now while this kind of


00:17:41.600 --> 00:17:43.510
study can't prove that butter directly


00:17:43.520 --> 00:17:45.350
affects your chances of survival the


00:17:45.360 --> 00:17:47.029
authors say the study adds to a growing


00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.870
body of evidence that you really should


00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:50.870
be swapping out animal fats for


00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:52.710
plant-based ones that's if you want to


00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.070
live a longer healthier


00:17:55.080 --> 00:17:57.830
life sharks have been recorded actively


00:17:57.840 --> 00:18:00.789
producing sounds for the first time the


00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.470
findings reported in the journal of the


00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.870
Royal Society Open Science involved


00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:06.789
recordings of New Zealand rig sharks


00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.390
which showed that they were deliberately


00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:10.390
making short sharp clicks when they were


00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.789
handled underwater the authors suggest


00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:14.230
that based on the clicks acoustic


00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:15.830
characteristics they're being created by


00:18:15.840 --> 00:18:17.830
the sharks by forcibly snapping their


00:18:17.840 --> 00:18:20.310
flattened teeth together they believe


00:18:20.320 --> 00:18:22.070
the sharks are doing this in response to


00:18:22.080 --> 00:18:24.710
a disturbance or distress but further


00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:26.549
research is needed to determine other


00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:30.390
uses and their biological significance


00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:32.150
well transport for London have been kept


00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:33.830
busy they've been asked to search their


00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:36.230
records for sightings of ghosts spirits


00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:38.310
schools poltergeists and banshees on the


00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:40.950
London Underground and as Tim Mum from


00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:43.430
Australian Skeptics explains despite an


00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:45.909
intensive search they found only one


00:18:45.919 --> 00:18:48.390
single solitary case this is a very


00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.150
interesting story actually it it starts


00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:51.830
off being sort of totally trivial but


00:18:51.840 --> 00:18:53.909
actually becomes implications someone


00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:56.390
put in a freedom of information request


00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:57.830
to the people who run the London


00:18:57.840 --> 00:18:59.430
Underground which is Transport for


00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.510
London and what they wanted to know was


00:19:01.520 --> 00:19:03.029
if there was any evidence of the


00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.950
paranormal that was sort of in in their


00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:06.710
record so the Transport of London


00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:07.990
thought that was interesting they


00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:09.110
probably never been asked that question


00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:11.350
before so they did a word search into


00:19:11.360 --> 00:19:13.590
all the reports they had and what the


00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:15.110
words they searched for were ghost


00:19:15.120 --> 00:19:17.510
spirits ghouls poltergeists and banshee


00:19:17.520 --> 00:19:18.710
which is what the people were asking for


00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:20.150
they're only looking for information for


00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:21.750
about the last two or so years so they


00:19:21.760 --> 00:19:23.990
weren't going back to the 1800s that


00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:25.350
might be a bit hard to search anyway


00:19:25.360 --> 00:19:26.789
those documents but never mind transport


00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:27.909
for London came back to them and said


00:19:27.919 --> 00:19:29.510
"Yep we've done this word search and


00:19:29.520 --> 00:19:30.950
this is what it is." And what we found


00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:33.750
was that there was so many references to


00:19:33.760 --> 00:19:36.070
spirits and ghosts and the only one that


00:19:36.080 --> 00:19:37.830
actually wasn't saying I'm in good


00:19:37.840 --> 00:19:40.310
spirits or I'm intoxicated by drinking


00:19:40.320 --> 00:19:43.110
spirits was a 15-year-old boy who was


00:19:43.120 --> 00:19:45.510
distressed possibly lost in King's Cross


00:19:45.520 --> 00:19:48.070
station in December 2023 who mentioned


00:19:48.080 --> 00:19:50.310
that he had seen ghosts now this search


00:19:50.320 --> 00:19:51.990
or this request was partially inspired


00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:53.909
by someone trying to find out if there's


00:19:53.919 --> 00:19:56.630
any activity near Oldgate East station


00:19:56.640 --> 00:19:59.430
because Old Gate East station is where


00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:00.870
Jack the Ripper not the station itself


00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:02.470
but the area is where Jack the Ripper


00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.430
had his way back in the late 1800s yes


00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.350
so he killed at least five people


00:20:07.360 --> 00:20:08.950
possibly more but anyway they wanted to


00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.310
see if therefore the ghosts of these


00:20:10.320 --> 00:20:11.830
people were haunting the underground


00:20:11.840 --> 00:20:13.909
stations uh or the railways generally i


00:20:13.919 --> 00:20:15.430
don't know why surely there are other


00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.029
areas other buildings around there they


00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:18.390
could have haunted why just the


00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:19.750
undergrounds i don't know maybe they're


00:20:19.760 --> 00:20:21.270
wide ranging ghosts who knows maybe


00:20:21.280 --> 00:20:23.110
they're gunsels they're what gunzels


00:20:23.120 --> 00:20:24.870
you've never heard the term guns i have


00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:26.390
never heard a term gun the term actually


00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.350
comes from the Maltese Falcon movie


00:20:29.360 --> 00:20:31.029
starring Humphrey Bogart directed by


00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:33.590
John Houston yes in that movie a Gunzel


00:20:33.600 --> 00:20:36.710
was a young thug carrying a gun he was


00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:40.070
looking in the film a Gunzel is a a


00:20:40.080 --> 00:20:41.830
young thug carrying a gun but in


00:20:41.840 --> 00:20:45.510
Australian r enthusiast terms a gunel is


00:20:45.520 --> 00:20:47.990
someone who is basically what Brits call


00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.310
an anorak who hangs around the end of


00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:52.149
platforms photographing trains train


00:20:52.159 --> 00:20:54.310
spotters train spotter carrying a camera


00:20:54.320 --> 00:20:57.350
instead of a gun yeah that's a gun um


00:20:57.360 --> 00:21:00.230
who who was a bus spotter or a branch of


00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:02.549
gunsel I think there yeah I know he he


00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:03.909
photographed the front of the bus with


00:21:03.919 --> 00:21:06.549
the group number anyway back to gate so


00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:07.909
reason for this with this study was to


00:21:07.919 --> 00:21:09.750
try and find there examples of ghosts


00:21:09.760 --> 00:21:11.909
etc that had been reported poltergeist


00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:13.430
of any s whatever and the only thing


00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:15.190
they came up with was this 15-year-old


00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:16.630
boy and I'm sure the transport for


00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:18.230
London sort of issued this report a


00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:19.350
little bit tongue and cheek they were


00:21:19.360 --> 00:21:20.549
the ones who mentioned that when they


00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:22.230
said this spirit was half the time it


00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:23.750
was about alcohol spirit that someone


00:21:23.760 --> 00:21:25.510
was intoxicated on the train or whatever


00:21:25.520 --> 00:21:27.190
hopefully not the drivers but anyway so


00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:28.630
there there was one reference to a


00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.630
15-year-old boy that was suddenly picked


00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.470
up everywhere by the saying that the


00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:34.070
transport for London had found an


00:21:34.080 --> 00:21:35.590
example of the paranormal on his


00:21:35.600 --> 00:21:37.510
underground and this 15-year-old boy


00:21:37.520 --> 00:21:39.190
became famous yeah but the case is


00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:41.190
famous even though it was issued as a


00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:42.789
tongue-in-cheek report though there was


00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.630
never any actual proof of a ghost that


00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.390
this kid saw he was distressed that's


00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:47.830
really surprising isn't it you think


00:21:47.840 --> 00:21:49.110
there'd be more considering what


00:21:49.120 --> 00:21:51.270
London's got what 10 12 million people


00:21:51.280 --> 00:21:53.029
who used the tube and and the


00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:55.270
underground on a regular basis every day


00:21:55.280 --> 00:21:56.870
some of these some of these tube lines


00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:58.630
of course also ran through uh plague


00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:00.710
pits and cemeteries so they actually had


00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:03.270
to remove bodies to put the tube lines


00:22:03.280 --> 00:22:04.710
through well they had to do that at


00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.669
Central in Sydney as well


00:22:06.679 --> 00:22:08.789
because everywhere apparently it's not a


00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:10.390
nice thing to remove a plague pit


00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:11.590
because if you're talking about bubonic


00:22:11.600 --> 00:22:12.950
plague or something yeah it's quite


00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:15.590
fascinating that a non-story becomes a


00:22:15.600 --> 00:22:17.590
story hey what's new in in the world of


00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:19.590
reporting that's Tim Mendum from


00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:22.470
Australian Skeptics


00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:36.310
[Music]


00:22:36.320 --> 00:22:39.350
and that's the show for now spacetime is


00:22:39.360 --> 00:22:41.190
available every Monday Wednesday and


00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.830
Friday through Apple Podcasts iTunes


00:22:43.840 --> 00:22:46.630
Stitcher Google Podcast Pocketcasts


00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:50.789
Spotify Acast Amazon Music Bites.com


00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.590
SoundCloud YouTube your favorite podcast


00:22:53.600 --> 00:22:55.270
download provider and from


00:22:55.280 --> 00:22:58.070
spaceimewithstartgary.com


00:22:58.080 --> 00:22:59.909
spacetime's also broadcast through the


00:22:59.919 --> 00:23:01.830
National Science Foundation on Science


00:23:01.840 --> 00:23:04.710
Zone Radio and on both iHeart Radio and


00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.270
TuneIn Radio and you can help to support


00:23:07.280 --> 00:23:09.590
our show by visiting the Spacetime store


00:23:09.600 --> 00:23:11.669
for a range of promotional merchandising


00:23:11.679 --> 00:23:14.149
goodies or by becoming a Spacetime


00:23:14.159 --> 00:23:16.310
patron which gives you access to triple


00:23:16.320 --> 00:23:18.149
episode commercial free versions of the


00:23:18.159 --> 00:23:20.310
show as well as lots of bonus audio


00:23:20.320 --> 00:23:22.310
content which doesn't go to air access


00:23:22.320 --> 00:23:24.390
to our exclusive Facebook group and


00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.390
other rewards just go to


00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:30.390
spaceimewithstgarry.com for full details


00:23:30.400 --> 00:23:32.149
you've been listening to Spacetime with


00:23:32.159 --> 00:23:34.549
Stuart Garry this has been another


00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:39.320
quality podcast production from byes.com