Nuclear Moon Power, Mars Ocean Evidence, and Brains in Space

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.110
Hello everyone and welcome to Astronomy


00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.190
Daily. I'm Anna


00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.190
>> and I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us


00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:11.030
this Tuesday, January 14th, 2026. We've


00:00:11.040 --> 00:00:13.270
got a fantastic lineup of space news for


00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:14.230
you today.


00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.870
>> We really do. We're covering everything


00:00:16.880 --> 00:00:19.670
from nuclear reactors on the moon to


00:00:19.680 --> 00:00:22.310
ancient Martian oceans, plus some


00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:24.630
fascinating discoveries about how space


00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.589
flight affects astronaut brains. And


00:00:27.599 --> 00:00:29.910
we'll be talking about a major ISS


00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:32.470
update, a new privately funded space


00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:34.870
telescope, and scientists finally


00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.350
solving a six decade old mystery about


00:00:37.360 --> 00:00:39.270
the moon's two faces.


00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:41.750
>> It's going to be an exciting episode.


00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:43.590
So, let's dive right in.


00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:45.510
>> Anna, let's start with some big news


00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:47.750
from NASA and the Department of Energy.


00:00:47.760 --> 00:00:49.750
The United States is getting serious


00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:51.830
about putting a nuclear reactor on the


00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:53.910
moon by 2030.


00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:56.150
>> That's right, Avery. This isn't just


00:00:56.160 --> 00:00:58.470
talk anymore. Last week, NASA


00:00:58.480 --> 00:01:00.869
Administrator Jared Isaacman and US


00:01:00.879 --> 00:01:03.430
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed


00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:05.830
a memorandum of understanding that


00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:07.910
reaffirms their commitment to meet that


00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.510
ambitious deadline.


00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:11.510
>> And this comes on the heels of President


00:01:11.520 --> 00:01:13.990
Trump's executive order from December


00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:15.990
calling for construction to begin on a


00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.789
lunar base by 2030 with a nuclear


00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:20.870
reactor ready to launch by that same


00:01:20.880 --> 00:01:23.670
year. Isacman said something really


00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:25.590
interesting in the announcement. He


00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:28.230
said, "Achieving this future requires


00:01:28.240 --> 00:01:31.109
harnessing nuclear power. This agreement


00:01:31.119 --> 00:01:33.270
enables closer collaboration between


00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.830
NASA and the Department of Energy to


00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:38.069
deliver the capabilities necessary to


00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.310
usher in the golden age of space


00:01:40.320 --> 00:01:42.469
exploration and discovery.


00:01:42.479 --> 00:01:44.390
>> It makes sense when you think about it.


00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:46.710
Nuclear power can generate electricity


00:01:46.720 --> 00:01:48.630
continuously for years without


00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.789
refueling. And it's not affected by the


00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:53.109
moon's two week long nights or changing


00:01:53.119 --> 00:01:54.789
weather conditions like solar panels


00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:57.350
would be. And this isn't the first time


00:01:57.360 --> 00:01:59.429
NASA and the Department of Energy have


00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.429
worked together on space nuclear


00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.670
systems. They've been collaborating for


00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:05.749
more than half a century.


00:02:05.759 --> 00:02:08.469
>> Right. Many of NASA's deep space robotic


00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:10.710
explorers have used radioisotope


00:02:10.720 --> 00:02:13.589
thermmoelect electric generators or RTGs


00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:15.750
as a power source. We're talking about


00:02:15.760 --> 00:02:17.990
missions like the Cassini Saturn orbiter


00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:20.390
and the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars


00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:21.350
rovers.


00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.350
>> But this lunar reactor would be


00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.670
something different entirely. It would


00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.309
be designed to power one or more bases


00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:30.869
on the lunar surface as part of NASA's


00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.750
Aremis program. Secretary Wright made a


00:02:33.760 --> 00:02:35.350
connection to America's historic


00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.830
achievements. He said, "History shows


00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:39.430
that when American science and


00:02:39.440 --> 00:02:41.350
innovation come together, from the


00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:43.830
Manhattan Project to the Apollo mission,


00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:46.070
our nation leads the world to reach new


00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:49.030
frontiers once thought impossible. This


00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:51.670
agreement continues that legacy." For


00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:54.070
NASA's Aremis program, having a


00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:56.470
reliable, long-term power source on the


00:02:56.480 --> 00:02:59.270
moon is absolutely critical. If we're


00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:01.430
going to establish a permanent presence


00:03:01.440 --> 00:03:03.990
there and use it as a stepping stone to


00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:06.470
Mars, we need infrastructure that can


00:03:06.480 --> 00:03:08.949
operate reliably for years.


00:03:08.959 --> 00:03:11.190
>> And the 2030 timeline is really


00:03:11.200 --> 00:03:13.110
aggressive. We're talking about just


00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.830
over 4 years from now. That's incredibly


00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.229
fast for a project of this magnitude.


00:03:18.239 --> 00:03:20.869
>> It is. But with the renewed focus on


00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.190
lunar exploration and the competition


00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:25.430
with other space fairing nations,


00:03:25.440 --> 00:03:27.830
particularly China, there's definitely


00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.070
motivation to move quickly.


00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.990
>> Speaking of space developments, we have


00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.070
an important update on the crew 11


00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.070
situation at the International Space


00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:37.990
Station. Mission managers have


00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.229
officially given the go for the crew's


00:03:40.239 --> 00:03:42.070
return to Earth tomorrow.


00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:44.470
>> That's right. NASA astronauts Zena


00:03:44.480 --> 00:03:47.350
Cardman and Mike Fininky along with Jaxa


00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.309
astronaut Kimya Yu and Ross Cosmos


00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.270
cosminaut Oleg Platonov are scheduled to


00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.470
undock from the Harmony module at 5:05


00:03:56.480 --> 00:03:58.869
p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday.


00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.390
>> And they're coming home aboard the


00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:02.710
SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft with


00:04:02.720 --> 00:04:05.429
Cardman commanding and finy piloting.


00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:07.030
The weather forecast is looking


00:04:07.040 --> 00:04:08.789
excellent for their parachute assisted


00:04:08.799 --> 00:04:11.190
splashdown off the coast of California,


00:04:11.200 --> 00:04:13.990
which is scheduled for 3:41 a.m. on


00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.949
Thursday. Yesterday, the crew spent most


00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:19.430
of their time preparing for departure.


00:04:19.440 --> 00:04:22.069
They packed cargo, reviewed return to


00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.230
Earth procedures, and transferred


00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:26.710
hardware. Hardman and her crew mates


00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:29.430
also trained on how to use respirators


00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:32.310
during unlikely emergency events like


00:04:32.320 --> 00:04:35.270
anemmonially. NASA is planning extensive


00:04:35.280 --> 00:04:37.749
coverage of the event. NASA Plus will


00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:39.749
begin live coverage at 3 p.m. on


00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:41.590
Wednesday when the crew enters the


00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:43.990
Dragon spacecraft and says goodbye to


00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.909
the remaining crew on the station.


00:04:45.919 --> 00:04:49.430
>> Coverage continues at 4:45 p.m. for the


00:04:49.440 --> 00:04:53.189
actual undocking, then returns at 2:15


00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:55.670
a.m. Thursday for the descent, and


00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.790
finally at 5:45 a.m. for the post


00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:01.110
splashdown news conference. You can


00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.150
watch all of this on NASA Plus, Amazon


00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.790
Prime, or NASA's YouTube channel.


00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:08.950
>> As we discussed yesterday, this is the


00:05:08.960 --> 00:05:12.070
first medical evacuation in ISS history.


00:05:12.080 --> 00:05:13.990
The crew was originally scheduled to


00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.390
stay until after crew 12 arrived in


00:05:16.400 --> 00:05:19.270
midFebruary, but an undisclosed medical


00:05:19.280 --> 00:05:21.270
condition affecting one of the four crew


00:05:21.280 --> 00:05:23.510
members prompted NASA to bring them home


00:05:23.520 --> 00:05:27.189
early. After crew 11 leaves, expedition


00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.230
74 will be commanded by Rosscosmos


00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.670
cosminaut Sergey Kuds Ferkov, leading


00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:37.110
flight engineers Sergey Mikv and NASA's


00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.830
Chris Williams. That's a skeleton crew


00:05:39.840 --> 00:05:42.469
of just three people running the entire


00:05:42.479 --> 00:05:45.350
station. Yesterday, Kutz Virkoff and


00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.070
Mikv participated in a study assessing


00:05:48.080 --> 00:05:49.990
how crews make decisions and work


00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.310
together in space, which is especially


00:05:52.320 --> 00:05:53.990
relevant given they'll be operating with


00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.150
a reduced crew for a while.


00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.550
>> BASA is still evaluating whether they


00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.189
can move up the crew 12 launch date to


00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:03.270
replenish the station crew sooner than


00:06:03.280 --> 00:06:04.870
originally planned.


00:06:04.880 --> 00:06:06.629
>> Now, let's talk about Mars. Anna,


00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:08.390
there's exciting new evidence that an


00:06:08.400 --> 00:06:10.629
ancient ocean once covered half the


00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.350
planet. This is really fascinating


00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:16.550
research, Avery. A team led by Ignatius


00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.350
Argadestia, a PhD student at the


00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:21.749
University of Burn, has identified


00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:25.510
features in Mars' Val Marinys that look


00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:28.070
remarkably similar to river deltas here


00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:29.270
on Earth.


00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:31.990
>> Val Marinys is that massive canyon


00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.990
system on Mars. Right. The largest in


00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:35.430
the solar system.


00:06:35.440 --> 00:06:38.390
>> Exactly. Along with Olympus Mons, it's


00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:41.350
one of Mars' most defining features.


00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:43.830
This research focused specifically on


00:06:43.840 --> 00:06:46.230
the southeast part of a subc canyon


00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:48.390
called Capradus Chazma.


00:06:48.400 --> 00:06:50.390
>> The researchers used images from


00:06:50.400 --> 00:06:53.510
multiple orbital cameras, CTX and


00:06:53.520 --> 00:06:56.230
high-rise on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance


00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.510
Orbiter and CASSIS


00:06:59.520 --> 00:07:03.189
on the ESA/ Rosscosmos trace gas


00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.670
orbiter. They also worked with digital


00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:07.830
elevation models to examine what they


00:07:07.840 --> 00:07:10.150
call scarp fronted deposits.


00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:14.469
>> These scarp fronted deposits or SFDs are


00:07:14.479 --> 00:07:17.110
fan-shaped sediment deposits that form


00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.589
where a river empties into a body of


00:07:19.599 --> 00:07:22.230
standing water. The team identified


00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.309
three of these features in Capraatus


00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:26.790
Chazma and they're almost identical to


00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.110
river deltas we see on Earth.


00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:31.350
>> Professor Fritz Schlunger put it really


00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:33.350
clearly. He said, "The structures that


00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:35.350
we were able to identify in the images


00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:37.749
are clearly the mouth of a river into an


00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:38.629
ocean.


00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.870
>> What's particularly compelling is that


00:07:40.880 --> 00:07:43.749
all three SFDs are at the same


00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:46.390
elevation. That suggests they were all


00:07:46.400 --> 00:07:48.870
deposited at the same water level,


00:07:48.880 --> 00:07:50.550
essentially marking an ancient


00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.790
coastline." The researchers believe


00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.790
these deposits were formed sometime


00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.029
between the late Hisperian period and


00:07:57.039 --> 00:07:59.350
the early Amazonian period. That's


00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:02.309
roughly between 3.7 billion and 3


00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:03.909
billion years ago.


00:08:03.919 --> 00:08:06.550
>> Reed author Argodestia said something


00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.629
interesting in the press release. He


00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:10.710
said, "When measuring and mapping the


00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.510
Martian images, I was able to recognize


00:08:13.520 --> 00:08:15.749
mountains and valleys that resemble a


00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.469
mountainous landscape on Earth. However,


00:08:18.479 --> 00:08:20.790
I was particularly impressed with the


00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:22.950
deltas that I discovered at the edge of


00:08:22.960 --> 00:08:25.430
one of the mountains." Previous research


00:08:25.440 --> 00:08:27.990
had suggested Mars had a large ocean,


00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.749
but this study provides much more


00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:32.230
concrete evidence. Slungjugger noted


00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:34.389
that earlier claims were based on less


00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:36.709
precise data and sometimes indirect


00:08:36.719 --> 00:08:37.750
arguments.


00:08:37.760 --> 00:08:39.670
>> But their reconstruction of the sea


00:08:39.680 --> 00:08:42.070
level is based on clear evidence of an


00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:44.230
actual coastline thanks to these


00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:46.949
highresolution images. The paleo


00:08:46.959 --> 00:08:49.350
shoreline they identified extends from


00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.310
Val Marinus all the way to the northern


00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:55.190
lowlands. Argadestia summed it up


00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.829
nicely. With our study, we were able to


00:08:57.839 --> 00:08:59.829
provide evidence for the deepest and


00:08:59.839 --> 00:09:02.790
largest former ocean on Mars to date. An


00:09:02.800 --> 00:09:04.870
ocean that stretched across the northern


00:09:04.880 --> 00:09:07.829
hemisphere of the planet. This has huge


00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:09.670
implications for Mars's past


00:09:09.680 --> 00:09:12.389
habitability. As the authors write,


00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:14.790
their findings will impact research on


00:09:14.800 --> 00:09:17.590
the evidence for potential life on Mars.


00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.230
Since this represents a period when Mars


00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:22.790
had the highest water availability,


00:09:22.800 --> 00:09:24.630
>> it's amazing to think that billions of


00:09:24.640 --> 00:09:26.710
years ago, Mars might have looked very


00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:28.710
different from the cold, dry desert we


00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:29.990
see today.


00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:32.230
>> Speaking of things changing, Avery,


00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:34.710
let's talk about a fascinating new study


00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.430
on how spaceflight literally changes


00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.350
astronauts brains.


00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.150
>> This is wild, Anna. A team led by Rachel


00:09:42.160 --> 00:09:45.430
Sidler at MIT took MRI scans of 26


00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:47.910
astronauts and 24 non-stronaut


00:09:47.920 --> 00:09:49.750
participants and they found that


00:09:49.760 --> 00:09:52.230
spaceflight causes astronauts brains to


00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:54.949
shift position inside their skull. The


00:09:54.959 --> 00:09:57.590
study was published just yesterday. The


00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.829
researchers found a consistent pattern


00:09:59.839 --> 00:10:01.910
of the brain shifting backward and


00:10:01.920 --> 00:10:04.949
upward and rotating upward after time in


00:10:04.959 --> 00:10:07.670
microgravity. And here's the kicker.


00:10:07.680 --> 00:10:09.829
Some of these positional changes were


00:10:09.839 --> 00:10:12.470
still detectable months after astronauts


00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:13.990
returned to Earth.


00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.829
>> Instead of looking at the brain as one


00:10:15.839 --> 00:10:19.030
whole unit, they divided it into 130


00:10:19.040 --> 00:10:21.430
separate regions and examined each one


00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:24.069
individually. This regional analysis


00:10:24.079 --> 00:10:26.069
showed many areas with significant


00:10:26.079 --> 00:10:29.030
displacement across two spatial axes.


00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:31.509
>> The data set included astronauts with


00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:33.829
different mission lengths, roughly 2


00:10:33.839 --> 00:10:36.710
weeks, 6 months, and one year. They


00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:38.870
found significant positional shifts


00:10:38.880 --> 00:10:41.670
across large portions of the brain with


00:10:41.680 --> 00:10:44.389
some displacements measured as high as


00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.310
2.52 mm in subjects with the most time


00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:49.670
in space.


00:10:49.680 --> 00:10:51.670
>> To put that in perspective, that's about


00:10:51.680 --> 00:10:53.910
a tenth of an inch. It might not sound


00:10:53.920 --> 00:10:55.670
like much, but when we're talking about


00:10:55.680 --> 00:10:57.590
the brain inside your skull, that's


00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.750
actually quite significant. The


00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:02.230
researchers also compared astronauts


00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:04.630
with people who participated in a long


00:11:04.640 --> 00:11:07.110
duration headdown tilt bed rest


00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:09.509
experiment which is used to simulate


00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:12.630
some effects of microgravity on Earth.


00:11:12.640 --> 00:11:13.990
>> And they found some interesting


00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:16.470
differences. Astronauts showed stronger


00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:18.389
upward movement while the bed rest


00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.790
participants showed stronger backward


00:11:20.800 --> 00:11:22.949
movement. Only some of the brain shape


00:11:22.959 --> 00:11:24.870
changes observed after space flight


00:11:24.880 --> 00:11:27.350
appeared in the bed rest group. This


00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.990
tells us that head down bed rest, while


00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.790
useful, doesn't perfectly replicate what


00:11:32.800 --> 00:11:34.710
happens to the brain in actual


00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.350
microgravity, there are unique effects


00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:40.470
that only real space flight produces.


00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.230
>> One of the most important findings was


00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:44.470
the connection to balance problems. The


00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:46.470
study found that displacement affecting


00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:48.949
sensory related brain regions correlated


00:11:48.959 --> 00:11:50.949
with larger declines in astronauts


00:11:50.959 --> 00:11:53.110
balance after space flight.


00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.350
>> Right? We know that when astronauts


00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:57.829
return from space, they often experience


00:11:57.839 --> 00:12:00.470
balance issues because their inner ears


00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.710
sense of direction isn't immediately


00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:05.590
restored. This study helps explain why


00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:06.949
that happens.


00:12:06.959 --> 00:12:08.949
>> And while astronauts normally find their


00:12:08.959 --> 00:12:10.710
footing within a week or so, the


00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:12.470
physical shifts in their brains


00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.110
persisted for up to 6 months post space


00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:17.910
flight. That's quite remarkable. The


00:12:17.920 --> 00:12:20.389
authors note that this underscores the


00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.790
longlasting effects of spaceflight on


00:12:22.800 --> 00:12:25.590
neuroanatomy. They recommend future


00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:28.550
studies with larger astronaut crews on a


00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:30.790
broad range of mission lengths to better


00:12:30.800 --> 00:12:32.949
understand how quickly these shifts


00:12:32.959 --> 00:12:35.350
begin and how they evolve.


00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:37.269
>> This research is crucial as we plan


00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:38.790
longer missions to the moon and


00:12:38.800 --> 00:12:41.190
eventually to Mars. Understanding how


00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:43.269
extended space flight affects the brain


00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.110
will help us better prepare astronauts


00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:47.509
and develop countermeasures. Avery,


00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.590
let's shift gears and talk about a


00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:51.829
really exciting development in space


00:12:51.839 --> 00:12:54.310
telescope technology. There's a new


00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.470
privately funded observatory called


00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.629
Lazuli that could change how we build


00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:01.190
flagship class telescopes. This is


00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.750
fascinating, Anna. The Lazuli Space


00:13:03.760 --> 00:13:05.910
Observatory is being funded by Eric


00:13:05.920 --> 00:13:08.310
Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, and


00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:09.670
his wife Wendy through their


00:13:09.680 --> 00:13:11.750
philanthropic organization Schmidt


00:13:11.760 --> 00:13:14.470
Sciences. We're talking about a $500


00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:17.190
million investment. The whole premise is


00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:19.509
applying the new space philosophy to


00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.069
space telescopes. You know that Silicon


00:13:22.079 --> 00:13:24.870
Valley mindset of move fast and don't


00:13:24.880 --> 00:13:27.269
break things. The idea is to prove that


00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:29.430
you don't need decades and billions of


00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.910
dollars to build a flagship level space


00:13:31.920 --> 00:13:33.030
observatory.


00:13:33.040 --> 00:13:35.430
>> Right? Compare this to the James Webb


00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.389
Space Telescope which cost 10 billion or


00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:40.629
the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space


00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:42.550
Telescope which is on track for $3


00:13:42.560 --> 00:13:45.110
billion. These huge costs come from


00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:47.590
using completely derisked flight proven


00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:49.990
technology to ensure taxpayer dollars


00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.230
don't literally go up in flames. But


00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:55.829
Schmidt has a $ 36 billion fortune. So


00:13:55.839 --> 00:13:58.230
even if Lzulli fails, he can afford the


00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:01.110
loss. And that's kind of the point. This


00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.269
is an experiment to see if the approach


00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.910
even works for expensive flagship level


00:14:05.920 --> 00:14:07.110
observatories.


00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:09.590
>> To keep costs down, up to 80% of the


00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:11.269
telescope will use off-the-shelf


00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:13.509
components. and operating under Schmidt


00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.430
Sciences alleviates a lot of the


00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:16.790
bureaucratic and political


00:14:16.800 --> 00:14:18.949
decision-making that inevitably delays


00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:20.790
government- funded programs.


00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:23.030
>> So, where does Lazuli fit in the bigger


00:14:23.040 --> 00:14:25.430
picture? Web is obviously already


00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:27.829
operational, sending back spectacular


00:14:27.839 --> 00:14:30.470
images. Roman is next, scheduled to


00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.269
launch in May 2027, but both have


00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.509
weaknesses when tracking transient


00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:36.550
phenomena.


00:14:36.560 --> 00:14:39.189
>> Exactly. Events like kilon nove or


00:14:39.199 --> 00:14:41.350
gravitational wave producing black hole


00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.750
mergers happen on time scales of hours


00:14:43.760 --> 00:14:46.550
not days. They require almost immediate


00:14:46.560 --> 00:14:48.310
response from observatories to catch


00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:49.670
them before they end.


00:14:49.680 --> 00:14:52.550
>> And web just can't slew. That's the term


00:14:52.560 --> 00:14:54.790
for rotating to a new target fast


00:14:54.800 --> 00:14:56.949
enough. It captures extremely


00:14:56.959 --> 00:14:59.430
highresolution images, but it takes too


00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:01.590
long to get into position. On the other


00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:04.069
hand, Roman is a survey telescope that


00:15:04.079 --> 00:15:06.629
looks at white swaps of sky, but doesn't


00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.389
have the resolution to examine


00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.949
individual systems like Lazuli will.


00:15:10.959 --> 00:15:13.990
>> So, Lazil's sweet spot is target of


00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:16.389
opportunity tracking. It's designed to


00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:18.470
slew within an hour and a half to


00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.870
observe short-lived events. It'll work


00:15:20.880 --> 00:15:22.550
in concert with groundbased


00:15:22.560 --> 00:15:24.790
observatories like LIGO, the


00:15:24.800 --> 00:15:27.269
gravitational wave detector. But it has


00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:29.910
the advantage of being in space, so no


00:15:29.920 --> 00:15:32.389
cloud cover or daylight to worry about.


00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:34.550
Lazuli will also have a wild field


00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:37.110
context camera with 23 separate SEMOS


00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:39.670
sensors, kind of like Roman, to detect


00:15:39.680 --> 00:15:41.910
things like exoplanet transits.


00:15:41.920 --> 00:15:44.150
>> And here's something really cool. It


00:15:44.160 --> 00:15:45.990
should be able to directly image


00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.389
exoplanets using a vector vortex


00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.629
coronagraph along with deformable


00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.949
mirrors to suppress starlight by up to


00:15:52.959 --> 00:15:55.829
10 million times. This same technology


00:15:55.839 --> 00:15:57.990
is planned for NASA's Habitable Worlds


00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.749
Observatory, which won't launch for


00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:02.310
decades. So, Lazuli will actually serve


00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:04.629
as a technology demonstration platform


00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.030
well before the taxpayer funded mission.


00:16:07.040 --> 00:16:09.269
Perhaps the most impressive aspect is


00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.509
the timeline. Schmidt Sciences is


00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:14.069
planning a 3 to 5ear development cycle


00:16:14.079 --> 00:16:16.550
for this massive space observatory.


00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:18.790
That's exponentially faster than any


00:16:18.800 --> 00:16:21.350
comparable government-led system. Though


00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:23.910
to be fair, new space leaders do have a


00:16:23.920 --> 00:16:26.230
tendency to underestimate timelines.


00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.150
Even if it takes twice as long, though,


00:16:28.160 --> 00:16:30.069
we'd still get another flagship level


00:16:30.079 --> 00:16:32.069
observatory within a decade.


00:16:32.079 --> 00:16:34.629
>> And here's something amusing. If Schmidt


00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.350
just leaves his remaining $ 36 billion


00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:40.790
in an S&P 500 index fund, he'd make back


00:16:40.800 --> 00:16:43.269
around 40 times what the entire project


00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.749
cost over a 5-year period. So,


00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.829
financially, this is barely a blip for


00:16:47.839 --> 00:16:50.389
him. Either we get an amazing new space


00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:52.870
telescope or we get a $500 million


00:16:52.880 --> 00:16:54.629
lesson in what can go wrong when


00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:56.230
applying speed to large-scale


00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:58.710
astrophysics projects. Either way, the


00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.230
scientific community learned something


00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.030
valuable.


00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:04.069
>> For our final story today, Avery,


00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:06.470
scientists may have finally solved a


00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.429
mystery that's puzzled them for over 60


00:17:09.439 --> 00:17:12.309
years. Why does the moon look so


00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:15.350
different on its near and far sides?


00:17:15.360 --> 00:17:17.270
This is based on analysis of dust


00:17:17.280 --> 00:17:19.270
collected from the lunar far side by


00:17:19.280 --> 00:17:22.150
China's Chong A6 mission which returned


00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.150
the first ever samples from the moon's


00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.710
hidden hemisphere in 2024.


00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.270
>> The material came from the south pole


00:17:29.280 --> 00:17:32.150
8kin basin which is believed to be the


00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:34.789
site of the largest impact in the solar


00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:37.909
system. This colossal crater spans


00:17:37.919 --> 00:17:41.110
nearly a quarter of the lunar surface. A


00:17:41.120 --> 00:17:43.430
team letter by Hangi Tan from the


00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:45.909
Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted


00:17:45.919 --> 00:17:48.789
isotopic analysis of potassium and iron


00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.270
found in the farside dust and compared


00:17:51.280 --> 00:17:53.190
it with samples from the moon's near


00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:54.950
side collected during the Apollo


00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.510
missions and by China's Chang A5


00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:58.630
spacecraft.


00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:00.950
>> The results showed a significant


00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:03.909
difference. Nearside samples contained


00:18:03.919 --> 00:18:06.870
more light isotopes while the far side


00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:10.150
material was richer in heavier isotopes.


00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.549
particularly of potassium.


00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:14.470
>> This type of isotopic separation


00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.789
couldn't be explained by normal volcanic


00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.110
activity. Instead, the researcher


00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:22.070
suggest the south pole akin impactor


00:18:22.080 --> 00:18:24.710
generated such extreme heat that lighter


00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.270
isotopes were vaporized and lost,


00:18:27.280 --> 00:18:29.350
leaving behind a heavier chemical


00:18:29.360 --> 00:18:32.230
fingerprint. The researchers wrote,


00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:35.110
"This feature most likely resulted from


00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:37.750
potassium evaporation caused by the


00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:41.270
South Pole 8kin basin forming impactor,


00:18:41.280 --> 00:18:43.830
demonstrating the profound influence of


00:18:43.840 --> 00:18:47.430
this event on the moon's deep interior.


00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.270
>> What's particularly interesting is that


00:18:49.280 --> 00:18:51.350
the study suggests the impact may have


00:18:51.360 --> 00:18:53.350
punched through the crust and into the


00:18:53.360 --> 00:18:55.750
mantle, permanently changing the moon's


00:18:55.760 --> 00:18:58.870
inner composition. The sample analysis


00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:01.510
revealed that potassium isotopes on the


00:19:01.520 --> 00:19:04.230
far side appear to originate from a


00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:06.710
mantle source distinct from that of the


00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.750
near side. This implies widespread


00:19:09.760 --> 00:19:11.990
internal melting and chemical


00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:13.510
redistribution.


00:19:13.520 --> 00:19:15.590
>> The team even proposes that the impact


00:19:15.600 --> 00:19:17.590
might have triggered hemispherewide


00:19:17.600 --> 00:19:20.070
mantle convection, a process that could


00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:22.230
reshape a planet's crust and inner


00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:25.029
layers over time. As they noted in their


00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.150
study, this finding also implies that


00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.350
largecale impacts are key drivers in


00:19:31.360 --> 00:19:34.870
shaping mantle and crustal compositions.


00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:37.430
>> So, planetary impacts leave far more


00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:39.830
than just visible craters. They can set


00:19:39.840 --> 00:19:42.230
off longlasting internal transformations


00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:44.549
that remain detectable billions of years


00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:45.510
later.


00:19:45.520 --> 00:19:49.029
>> Hang Ton summed it up nicely. With our


00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:51.350
study, we were able to provide evidence


00:19:51.360 --> 00:19:54.310
for the deepest and largest former ocean


00:19:54.320 --> 00:19:57.510
on Mars to date. Wait, that's the wrong


00:19:57.520 --> 00:19:59.110
quote.


00:19:59.120 --> 00:20:00.549
>> Wrong planet, Anna.


00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:02.710
>> Oh my goodness. Let me get that right.


00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.310
Pan said, "With the Chang A6 samples,


00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:08.789
scientists now have their first hard


00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.430
evidence from the moon's far side, an


00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.789
area once entirely out of reach." This


00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.190
discovery is particularly timely as


00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.110
multiple nations gear up for lunar


00:20:19.120 --> 00:20:21.350
exploration missions, including NASA's


00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:23.830
Aremis program and China's continuing


00:20:23.840 --> 00:20:27.190
Chang missions. Understanding the moon's


00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:29.590
geological history and internal


00:20:29.600 --> 00:20:32.470
structure will be crucial as we plan to


00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.270
establish permanent bases there. Each


00:20:35.280 --> 00:20:38.070
new sample and discovery helps us piece


00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:40.710
together the story of how our nearest


00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.830
celestial neighbor formed and evolved.


00:20:43.840 --> 00:20:45.430
Well, that brings us to the end of


00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:47.830
today's episode of Astronomy Daily. What


00:20:47.840 --> 00:20:50.470
an incredible day of space news. From


00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.110
nuclear reactors on the moon and the


00:20:53.120 --> 00:20:56.630
Crew 11 undocking tomorrow to ancient


00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:59.430
Martian oceans and shifting astronaut


00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.390
brains, plus a privately funded space


00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:04.710
telescope and solving the moon's


00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:07.350
two-faced mystery. We've covered a lot


00:21:07.360 --> 00:21:09.750
of ground today. If you enjoyed today's


00:21:09.760 --> 00:21:11.750
episode, please subscribe to Astronomy


00:21:11.760 --> 00:21:13.669
Daily wherever you get your podcasts.


00:21:13.679 --> 00:21:15.510
And don't forget to leave us a review.


00:21:15.520 --> 00:21:17.590
It really helps other space enthusiasts


00:21:17.600 --> 00:21:19.909
discover the show. You can find us on


00:21:19.919 --> 00:21:22.390
social media and at our website for more


00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:25.430
space news and updates. On the socials,


00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.549
search for astroaily pod and our website


00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:32.230
can be found at astronomyaily.io.


00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.149
Thanks so much for listening everyone.


00:21:34.159 --> 00:21:36.070
>> Until next time, keep looking up.


00:21:36.080 --> 00:21:40.390
>> Clear skies. Sunny day


00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:48.390
stories told




00:21:56.320 --> 00:21:59.039
stories