Military Launch Contracts Unveiled, Historic Polar Spaceflight Ends

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Language: en

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welcome to Astronomy Daily where we


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bring you the latest in space and


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astronomy news I'm Anna and I'm thrilled


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to be your guide through today's cosmic


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journey Coming up on today's episode


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we'll explore some major developments


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spanning the entire space sector We'll


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look at how SpaceX ULA and Blue Origin


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are sharing a massive 13.5 billion in


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military launch contracts marking a


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significant shift in national security


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space access Then we'll follow the


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adventure of four space tourists who


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just completed a groundbreaking flight


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circling our planet above both poles a


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true first in human space flight history


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We'll also check in with the hardworking


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crew aboard the International Space


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Station where cutting edge robotics


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experiments and crucial medical research


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continue as they prepare to welcome new


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crew mates Plus we'll dive into


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fascinating astronomical research


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including how scientists are essentially


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listening to stars through their


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vibrations to understand their inner


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workings and a jaw-dropping discovery


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from the James Webb Space Telescope of


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an ancient galaxy that's challenging


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everything we thought we knew about


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galactic evolution So strap in as we


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blast off into today's cosmic news


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roundup


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The US Department of Defense has made a


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historic move in the space sector


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awarding a combined 13.7 billion in


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launch service contracts to SpaceX


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United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin


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This landmark decision marks the first


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time three companies will share


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responsibility for launching high


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priority military and intelligence


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payloads significantly reshaping the


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national security launch landscape


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SpaceX emerged as the leading contractor


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in this arrangement securing $5.9


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billion in anticipated awards ULA


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followed closely with $5.4 billion while


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Blue Origin secured nearly $2.4 billion


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Together these aerospace giants are


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expected to conduct 54 launches for the


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Pentagon between fiscal years 2025 and


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2029


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General Chance Saltzman Chief of Space


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Operations for the US Space Force


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emphasized the strategic importance of


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this investment calling it the


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foundation of both economic prosperity


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and national security These contracts


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fall under the national security space


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launch phase three-lane 2 procurement


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which focuses specifically on complex


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missions to high energy orbits with


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enhanced security requirements


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The distribution of these 54 projected


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missions reflects the current


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capabilities and trust placed in each


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provider SpaceX will carry out the lion


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share with 28 launches approximately 60%


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of the total ULA will handle 19 missions


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about 35% while Blue Origin is slated


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for seven launches Interestingly Blue


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Origin's assignments are contingent on


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certification of its new Glenn rocket


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which has flown just once so far This


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three provider approach represents a


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significant shift in the Pentagon


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strategy The inclusion of Blue Origin


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introduces more competition into a


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market that SpaceX has dominated since


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the previous round of contracts in 2020


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Despite New Glenn not yet being


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certified for national security missions


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Space Force officials have expressed


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confidence that the rocket will be ready


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by the time Blue Origins assignments


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begin The phase 3 acquisition strategy


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employs a dual lane approach to ensure


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diversification Lane one targets less


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riskaverse commercial-like missions


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while lane two focuses on highstakes


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missions demanding elevated performance


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and security standards Under these


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contracts all three companies must meet


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stringent mission assurance requirements


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and participate in joint integration


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efforts with government teams This


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development builds on the Pentagon's


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ongoing efforts to eliminate dependence


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on Russian-made rocket engines while


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fostering a competitive domestic launch


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market capable of meeting evolving space


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requirements The first round of mission


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assignments under these new contracts


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will be announced later this year with


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launches expected to take place from


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fiscal year 2027 through


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2032 Next let's get a wrap on the major


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story of the week In a remarkable


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achievement for commercial space flight


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four space tourists have safely returned


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to Earth after completing a


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groundbreaking orbital journey circling


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the globe above the North and South


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Poles This historic mission which


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concluded with a Pacific Ocean


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splashdown this past Friday marks both


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the first human space flight to traverse


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this unique polar route and the first


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Pacific splashdown for a crude


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spacecraft in five decades Bitcoin


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entrepreneur Chun Wong privately


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chartered the SpaceX Dragon capsule for


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this extraordinary adventure though he


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declined to reveal the price tag for the


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3.5day journey Wong carefully selected


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his three fellow travelers Norwegian


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filmmaker Janica Mickelson German


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robotics researcher Rebea Roga and


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Australian polar guide Eric Phillips


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Together they experienced views of our


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planet that no human had witnessed


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before from this orbital perspective The


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Cruz Dragon capsule featured a


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specialized domed window providing


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breathtaking 360° views of Earth's polar


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regions and everything in between Roga


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described the polar landscapes as epic


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and likened them to another kind of


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desert that extends endlessly across the


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horizon Meanwhile Mickelson documented


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the journey extensively bringing along


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professional camera equipment to capture


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their unprecedented vantage point The


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journey wasn't without its challenges


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All four passengers experienced space


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motion sickness after reaching orbit


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According to Wang's social media updates


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however by the second day they had


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adjusted to the weightless environment


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and eagerly opened the window cover


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right above the South Pole to take in


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the extraordinary view Beyond


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sightseeing the crew conducted


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meaningful scientific work during their


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brief mission They performed the first


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medical X-rays in space as part of a


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test procedure and completed two dozen


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additional science experiments The


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mission was named FRAM 2 after the


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Norwegian sailing ship that carried


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explorers to the polar regions more than


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a century ago In a touching tribute a


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fragment of the original ship's wooden


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deck accompanied the crew to space E


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SpaceX noted that this mission also


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marked a shift in their operational


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approach as they've decided to switch


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future splashdown sites from Florida to


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the Pacific Ocean for safety reasons


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This ensures that any surviving pieces


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of the trunk section which is jettisoned


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near the end of flight will fall


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harmlessly into the ocean Historically


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significant the last space travelers to


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return from orbit to the Pacific were


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the three NASA astronauts from the 1975


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Apollo Soyuse mission This pioneering


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polar orbit journey represents another


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significant milestone in the rapidly


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evolving landscape of commercial space


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tourism demonstrating the expanding


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capabilities and unique experiences now


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becoming available beyond traditional


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government space programs


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Have you ever wondered what they do on


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the ISS from day to day Well I'll tell


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you It's been a bustling week aboard the


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International Space Station as the


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Expedition 72 crew balances cutting edge


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research with preparation for upcoming


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crew changes The orbital laboratory


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continues to serve as humanity's premier


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microgravity research platform with


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activities spanning from robotics to


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human physiology studies NASA astronauts


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Don Pettit and Jaxa's Takuya Onishi


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collaborated on an innovative robotics


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experiment using the station's Astrob


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free-flying robots These cube- shaped


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autonomous devices equipped with


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tentacle-like grippers featuring gecko


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inspired adhesive pads were tested on


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their ability to detect maneuver toward


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and capture objects in microgravity The


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technology demonstrates promising


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applications for future satellite


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servicing and space debris removal


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critical capabilities as we work towards


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sustainable space operations Meanwhile


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the unique environment of space


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continues providing valuable insights


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into human health NASA flight engineer


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Nicole Ayes conducted exercise


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physiology research pedaling on a


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specialized cycle while connected to


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sensors and breathing equipment The data


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collected helps scientists understand


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how the cardiovascular system adapts to


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weightlessness and guides the


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development of more effective exercise


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protocols for longduration space


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missions Another fascinating experiment


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involved Onishi wearing a specialized


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thigh cuff designed to alter fluid


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distribution in the body This research


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tackles one of spaceflight's persistent


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medical challenges the fluid shift


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toward the head that can cause increased


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pressure in the eyes and brain Ayes


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assisted by using ultrasound equipment


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to measure blood flow in Onishi's legs


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Evaluating the cuff's effectiveness


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Maintaining the station's complex life


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support systems remains a priority


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Ayers's Pettit and NASA's Anne Mlan


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performed critical space suit


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maintenance in the Quest airlock


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checking for oxygen leaks replacing


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electronic components and servicing life


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support gear These routine but essential


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tasks ensure the suits remain ready for


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emergency situations or scheduled spacew


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walks On the Russian segment cosminauts


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focused on environmental monitoring


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Roscosmos flight engineer Evan Vagner


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collected microbial samples from various


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station surfaces to better understand


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how microorganisms adapt to spaceflight


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conditions Research crucial for


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maintaining crew health during future


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longduration missions Fellow cosminaut


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Kierill Pescov measured carbon dioxide


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levels and performed maintenance on


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communications equipment As the current


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crew continues their orbital work a


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fresh trio of space fairers is making


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final preparations for launch NASA


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astronaut Johnny Kim and Rosscosmos


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cosminauts Sergey Riakov and Alexander


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Zubritzky are scheduled to lift off


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aboard the Soyuse MS27 spacecraft on


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April 8th from the Biconor Cosmodrome in


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Kazakhstan Following a three-hour


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journey to catch up with the station


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they'll dock to the Prashall module and


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begin an eight-month scientific mission


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Meanwhile station commander Alexi


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Ovchenin is readying the Soyuse MS26


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spacecraft for its return journey on


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April 19th when he'll bring Vagner and


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Pettit back to Earth after their


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extended stay in orbit This carefully


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choreographed crew rotation ensures


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continuous human presence aboard our


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outpost in space maintaining the


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unbroken chain of occupation that now


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extends beyond two


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decades Next up today stars don't just


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shine they hum with hidden vibrations


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that could unlock secrets about their


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inner workings Scientists have


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discovered a fascinating new method to


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study what they call stellar quakes


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which are ripples of gas on a star


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surface that offer tantalizing clues


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about what lies beneath These stellar


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quakes function remarkably similarly to


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earthquakes here on our planet When hot


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gas rises cools and sinks in a churning


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cycle within a stars convective envelope


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the turbulent outer layer it creates


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vibrations that propagate throughout the


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entire stellar body By detecting subtle


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variations in a stars brightness


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astronomers can identify these acoustic


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oscillations


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Stellar quakes happen in most stars that


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have a bubbling outer layer like a pot


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of boiling water explains Claudia Reyes


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who conducted the research at the


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University of New South Wales These


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bubbles of hot gas rise and burst at the


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surface sending ripples through the


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entire star Just as each musical


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instrument produces its own distinctive


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sound each star vibrates with unique


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resonant frequencies determined by its


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internal structure and physical


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properties Larger stars produce deeper


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slower vibrations while smaller stars


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vibrate at higher pitches By analyzing


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specific aspects of these vibrations


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such as what scientists call small


00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:57.829
frequency spacing researchers can


00:11:57.839 --> 00:12:00.550
estimate a stars hydrogen fuel reserves


00:12:00.560 --> 00:12:02.310
essentially determining how far along it


00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.949
is in its life cycle The research team


00:12:04.959 --> 00:12:06.949
focused on measuring stellar quakes in


00:12:06.959 --> 00:12:10.870
27 stars from Messier 67 an open cluster


00:12:10.880 --> 00:12:13.269
containing over 500 stars with an age


00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.069
similar to our sun This cluster offered


00:12:16.079 --> 00:12:18.069
an ideal laboratory since it contains


00:12:18.079 --> 00:12:19.990
many stars at different evolutionary


00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:22.230
stages but with similar chemical


00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:23.990
compositions


00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:25.829
What made their findings particularly


00:12:25.839 --> 00:12:28.509
exciting was the discovery of a stalling


00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:30.629
frequency a point where a stars


00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:32.870
vibrations stop changing and repeat the


00:12:32.880 --> 00:12:35.190
same note This stalling correlates with


00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:36.790
the lower boundary of the stars


00:12:36.800 --> 00:12:38.550
convective envelope providing


00:12:38.560 --> 00:12:40.230
astronomers with a powerful new


00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.470
diagnostic tool to estimate stellar


00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.350
masses and ages with improved precision


00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:47.269
Stars are like fossil records that carry


00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:48.710
information about the environments in


00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:51.269
which they formed noted Reyes By


00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:53.350
studying them astronomers can piece


00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:56.150
together the story of our galaxy This


00:12:56.160 --> 00:12:57.829
breakthrough in stellar seismology


00:12:57.839 --> 00:12:59.829
promises to enhance our understanding of


00:12:59.839 --> 00:13:02.310
stellar evolution and galactic history


00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:04.150
By decoding the subtle music of the


00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:06.710
stars scientists are developing a more


00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.949
accurate cosmic timeline and gaining


00:13:08.959 --> 00:13:11.350
insights into the fundamental processes


00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:14.150
that drive stellar life cycles including


00:13:14.160 --> 00:13:15.910
what might eventually happen to our own


00:13:15.920 --> 00:13:17.509
son


00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.430
Finally today let's check in with an old


00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.829
friend The James Webb Space Telescope


00:13:21.839 --> 00:13:23.190
has made another groundbreaking


00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:25.750
discovery uncovering a colossal spiral


00:13:25.760 --> 00:13:27.269
galaxy that's challenging our


00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:29.509
understanding of galactic evolution


00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:32.629
Nicknamed Big Wheel this enormous galaxy


00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:35.269
existed just 2 billion years after the


00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.509
Big Bang during what should have been


00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:39.590
the cosmic equivalent of childhood for


00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.350
most galaxies


00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:43.269
The discovery comes from astronomers at


00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:45.590
the University of Milano Bikoka who


00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:47.829
found Big Wheel near a quazar an


00:13:47.839 --> 00:13:49.910
extremely powerful and active super


00:13:49.920 --> 00:13:53.190
massive black hole Located a staggering


00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:55.910
11.7 billion light-years away this


00:13:55.920 --> 00:13:57.910
ancient galaxy earned its nickname from


00:13:57.920 --> 00:13:59.990
both its impressive size and remarkably


00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.550
fast rotation What makes Big Wheel so


00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:05.269
extraordinary is its scale and maturity


00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:07.030
It's approximately five times more


00:14:07.040 --> 00:14:09.110
massive than our own Milky Way and


00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:12.069
stretches across 100,000 lightyear Using


00:14:12.079 --> 00:14:14.030
the telescope's near infrared


00:14:14.040 --> 00:14:16.310
spectrograph researchers confirmed that


00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.230
Big Wheel is a fully formed rotating


00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:20.470
disc with characteristics typically


00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:22.189
found only in much more developed


00:14:22.199 --> 00:14:24.870
galaxies The galaxy's rotation curve


00:14:24.880 --> 00:14:26.790
shows a pattern consistent with mature


00:14:26.800 --> 00:14:29.509
spiral galaxies we observe today Its


00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:31.590
velocity increases as you move outward


00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:34.110
from the center reaching several hundred


00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:36.710
miles remarkably similar to galaxies


00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.069
that have had billions more years to


00:14:39.079 --> 00:14:41.790
develop This suggests that despite its


00:14:41.800 --> 00:14:44.470
youth Big Wheel was already behaving


00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.030
like a fully mature galaxy during an era


00:14:47.040 --> 00:14:49.189
when most galaxies were expected to be


00:14:49.199 --> 00:14:50.870
small and in their earliest


00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:53.910
developmental stages This galaxy is


00:14:53.920 --> 00:14:55.910
spectacular for being among the largest


00:14:55.920 --> 00:14:58.069
spiral galaxies ever found which is


00:14:58.079 --> 00:15:00.069
unprecedented for this early era of the


00:15:00.079 --> 00:15:02.870
universe explains Charles Stidle the


00:15:02.880 --> 00:15:04.629
study's lead author and astronomy


00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:07.269
professor at Caltech So how did Big


00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.069
Wheel form so quickly One clue may lie


00:15:10.079 --> 00:15:12.389
in its cosmic neighborhood The galaxy


00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:14.470
resides in an extraordinarily dense


00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.629
region of space where galaxy


00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:18.629
concentrations are more than 10 times


00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.350
higher than the cosmic average This


00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:23.110
crowded environment may have provided


00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:25.509
ideal conditions for accelerated growth


00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:27.350
through efficient gas accretion and


00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.550
frequent mergers with other gas-rich


00:15:29.560 --> 00:15:32.069
galaxies We think this may open the door


00:15:32.079 --> 00:15:34.230
to understanding how some galaxies were


00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:36.949
able to bypass the usual slow process of


00:15:36.959 --> 00:15:39.430
star formation and grow to enormous


00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:42.069
sizes in the early universe Notes study


00:15:42.079 --> 00:15:45.189
co-author Sebastiano Canalupo Big


00:15:45.199 --> 00:15:47.509
Wheel's existence presents a significant


00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.150
challenge to current cosmological models


00:15:50.160 --> 00:15:52.069
which don't predict galaxies of this


00:15:52.079 --> 00:15:54.949
size and mass so early in the universe's


00:15:54.959 --> 00:15:57.430
history The discovery suggests that


00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.590
under certain conditions galaxy


00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.749
formation might not be the gradual


00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:04.389
process scientists previously thought


00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:06.710
Instead some galaxies may experience


00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.629
dramatic growth spurts in environments


00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:10.829
rich with the necessary building


00:16:10.839 --> 00:16:13.269
materials As astronomers continue


00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:15.509
studying this cosmic outlier they may


00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.269
need to adjust their models to account


00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.470
for these accelerated development


00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:22.150
pathways Big Wheel stands as a testament


00:16:22.160 --> 00:16:24.870
to the universe's ability to surprise us


00:16:24.880 --> 00:16:26.949
even as our observational capabilities


00:16:26.959 --> 00:16:30.030
reach unprecedented levels of


00:16:30.040 --> 00:16:32.389
sophistication And that wraps up today's


00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.110
episode of Astronomy Daily From SpaceX


00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:37.030
securing military launch contracts to


00:16:37.040 --> 00:16:38.870
groundbreaking space tourism over the


00:16:38.880 --> 00:16:40.870
poles From cutting edge robotics


00:16:40.880 --> 00:16:43.590
research on the ISS to the discovery of


00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.509
stellar quakes helping us understand


00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.230
stars and finally to the astonishing big


00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:50.310
wheel galaxy challenging our


00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:53.189
understanding of cosmic evolution The


00:16:53.199 --> 00:16:55.350
universe continues to amaze and surprise


00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:58.069
us I hope these stories have sparked


00:16:58.079 --> 00:17:00.069
your curiosity about the vastness above


00:17:00.079 --> 00:17:02.150
us and the incredible scientific


00:17:02.160 --> 00:17:04.230
endeavors working to understand it


00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:05.829
There's always something new to discover


00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.069
in the cosmos and we'll be here to bring


00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.710
those discoveries right to you I'm Anna


00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:12.230
and it's been my pleasure being your


00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.189
host today If you enjoyed this episode I


00:17:15.199 --> 00:17:17.630
invite you to visit our website at


00:17:17.640 --> 00:17:19.510
astronomydaily.io where you can sign up


00:17:19.520 --> 00:17:21.750
for our free daily newsletter While


00:17:21.760 --> 00:17:23.990
you're there you can catch up on all the


00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.390
latest space and astronomy news with our


00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.069
constantly updating news feed and listen


00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.789
to all our back episodes We'd love to


00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:32.630
connect with you on social media as well


00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:34.549
Just search for Astro Daily Pod on


00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:36.630
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00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:38.870
Instagram and Tik Tok Thanks so much for


00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:40.710
tuning in today and remember to keep


00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.870
looking up The universe is an endless


00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.110
source of wonder Until next time this is


00:17:45.120 --> 00:17:49.270
Astronomy Daily


00:17:49.280 --> 00:17:56.270
Stories


00:17:56.280 --> 00:17:59.600
told stories


00:17:59.610 --> 00:18:04.190
[Music]


00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:07.919
told stories