Private Telescopes, Troubled Launch Pads, and Webb’s Black Hole Breakthrough

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.190
Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,


00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.510
the podcast that brings you the universe


00:00:05.520 --> 00:00:08.470
one story at a time. I'm Avery and as


00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:10.470
always, I'm joined by the brilliant


00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:11.509
Anna.


00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.870
>> Hi Avery and hello to all our listeners.


00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.269
We have a busy show today covering


00:00:17.279 --> 00:00:19.429
everything from a groundbreaking new


00:00:19.439 --> 00:00:22.150
private space telescope to Russia's only


00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:23.910
crude launchpad running into some


00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.189
trouble.


00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.269
Plus, we've got the James Webb Space


00:00:27.279 --> 00:00:29.750
Telescope doing what it does best,


00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.470
peering into the heart of our galaxy,


00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:34.310
and we'll look at some stunning new


00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.510
photos of home. So, let's get started.


00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:40.709
Anna, tell us about this new telescope.


00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:43.670
>> Absolutely. Our first story is a big


00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:46.470
one, though it comes in a small package.


00:00:46.480 --> 00:00:49.430
A new space telescope named MAV, about


00:00:49.440 --> 00:00:51.990
the size of a mini fridge, just launched


00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.709
successfully aboard a SpaceX transporter


00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:55.830
mission.


00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:58.950
>> Okay, a mini fridge in space. What makes


00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:00.790
this one so special?


00:01:00.800 --> 00:01:03.830
>> Well, unlike Hubble or Web, MALV is


00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:06.630
owned by a private company, Blue Sky


00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:09.270
Space. And this is the key difference.


00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.510
Its data will also be private.


00:01:11.520 --> 00:01:13.590
Researchers will have to subscribe to


00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:16.070
get access to the ultraviolet spectra.


00:01:16.080 --> 00:01:17.350
It collects


00:01:17.360 --> 00:01:20.070
>> a subscription model for astronomical


00:01:20.080 --> 00:01:23.429
data. That's a fascinating shift.


00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:25.990
>> It really is. The mission was funded by


00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:29.190
a mix of EU grants and private funding


00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:31.109
costing significantly less than


00:01:31.119 --> 00:01:33.749
comparable NASA missions. It's built on


00:01:33.759 --> 00:01:36.630
a Cubat chassis, which is incredibly


00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:39.429
compact and will spend 3 years in low


00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:42.069
Earth orbit observing exoplanets,


00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:45.350
stellar flares, and monitoring stars.


00:01:45.360 --> 00:01:48.469
So why would astronomers pay for this?


00:01:48.479 --> 00:01:51.109
Is the data that unique?


00:01:51.119 --> 00:01:54.149
>> It's about access. Time on telescopes


00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.270
like Hubble is at an extreme premium and


00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:00.389
most proposals get rejected. MAV offers


00:02:00.399 --> 00:02:02.950
a dedicated stream of ultraviolet data,


00:02:02.960 --> 00:02:05.830
which is only accessible from space. For


00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:07.670
many institutions, an annual


00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:09.669
subscription could be a more reliable


00:02:09.679 --> 00:02:12.229
way to get the specific data they need


00:02:12.239 --> 00:02:15.750
for long-term studies. That makes sense.


00:02:15.760 --> 00:02:17.750
So, this could be the start of a whole


00:02:17.760 --> 00:02:20.070
new commercial market for astronomical


00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.750
observation.


00:02:21.760 --> 00:02:24.550
>> Exactly. Blue Sky Space already has


00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:26.949
another mission, Twinkle, planned for


00:02:26.959 --> 00:02:30.470
2027 to study exoplanet atmospheres.


00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:32.229
With falling launch costs and


00:02:32.239 --> 00:02:34.229
miniaturaturization, this could really


00:02:34.239 --> 00:02:36.229
change how a lot of astronomical


00:02:36.239 --> 00:02:37.990
research is done.


00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.190
>> Incredible. From a new beginning to a


00:02:41.200 --> 00:02:43.990
potential problem, our next story takes


00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.309
us to the Biconor Cosmo Drrome and


00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:49.110
Kazakhstan. Anna, you have the details


00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.309
on some trouble for Rosscosmos.


00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:54.550
That's right. Following the successful


00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:57.589
launch of the Soyuse MS28 crew to the


00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:59.830
International Space Station, it seems


00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.149
the launchpad itself sustained some


00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.070
significant damage.


00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.229
>> What happened exactly?


00:03:06.239 --> 00:03:08.390
During the post-launch inspection,


00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.630
Rosasmos confirmed that a maintenance


00:03:10.640 --> 00:03:13.350
cabin located in the flame trench at


00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:17.110
site 316 collapsed. This is a critical


00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:18.869
piece of hardware needed to prepare


00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:20.710
rockets for launch.


00:03:20.720 --> 00:03:22.949
>> And this is Russia's only active


00:03:22.959 --> 00:03:25.270
launchpad for sending cosminauts to the


00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:26.869
ISS. Right.


00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.110
>> That's the crucial part. They used to


00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:32.229
use the historic site one Gagarin Start,


00:03:32.239 --> 00:03:35.350
but it was retired in 2020. So since


00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:37.750
then, all Russian crude and cargo


00:03:37.760 --> 00:03:40.149
flights have gone from site 31.


00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:42.390
Roskasmos says they have the spare parts


00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:44.710
and will repair the damage, but some


00:03:44.720 --> 00:03:47.030
outside estimates suggest it could take


00:03:47.040 --> 00:03:48.949
up to 2 years.


00:03:48.959 --> 00:03:52.149
>> 2 years. That would have a major impact


00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.869
on their ISS operations. There's a


00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.110
progress resupply mission scheduled for


00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:00.550
next month. Indeed, it's unclear at this


00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:03.030
point if that schedule will hold or if


00:04:03.040 --> 00:04:05.429
another pad could be adapted. The good


00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:08.390
news, of course, is that the Soyuse MS28


00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:10.789
crew, including NASA astronaut Chris


00:04:10.799 --> 00:04:13.190
Williams, arrived at the station safely


00:04:13.200 --> 00:04:15.910
and are beginning their 8-month stay.


00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:18.550
>> A situation to watch for sure. All


00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.949
right, let's shift our gaze from Earth


00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.150
orbit to the very center of our galaxy.


00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.550
The James Webb Space Telescope has been


00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:28.790
watching the Milky Way super massive


00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.710
black hole Sagittarius A star and it saw


00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.469
something spectacular.


00:04:34.479 --> 00:04:37.990
>> It did. Astronomers used web to observe


00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.749
flares from Sagittarius A star in mid


00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.710
infrared light for the first time. We've


00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:47.189
seen these flares in other wavelengths


00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.710
like near infrared and radio, but mid


00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.950
infrared was the missing piece of the


00:04:52.960 --> 00:04:54.790
puzzle. Why is seeing it in a different


00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:57.270
wavelength so important? Does it just


00:04:57.280 --> 00:04:57.990
look different?


00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.230
>> It's about understanding the physics of


00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.950
what's happening. The processes that


00:05:02.960 --> 00:05:05.590
create these flares don't show up in all


00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.950
wavelengths equally. By observing in mid


00:05:08.960 --> 00:05:11.590
infrared, web is bridging the gap


00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:14.390
between what we see in near infrared and


00:05:14.400 --> 00:05:17.350
radio waves, giving us a more complete


00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:19.749
picture of how the flare evolved.


00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.390
>> So, what did this new view reveal?


00:05:22.400 --> 00:05:25.270
two really cool things. First, they


00:05:25.280 --> 00:05:27.270
confirmed that a process called


00:05:27.280 --> 00:05:30.310
synretron cooling is happening. This is


00:05:30.320 --> 00:05:33.830
when high-speed electrons lose energy by


00:05:33.840 --> 00:05:36.230
emitting radiation. And that's what


00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:38.230
powers the mid infrared light we're


00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:39.110
seeing.


00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.909
>> Okay, synretton cooling. And the second


00:05:41.919 --> 00:05:42.870
thing,


00:05:42.880 --> 00:05:45.670
>> this is the big one. Because the speed


00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.150
of that cooling process depends on the


00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:50.550
strength of the magnetic field. These


00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:53.590
new observations allow scientists to


00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:55.749
measure the magnetic field around the


00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:58.790
black hole more directly and cleanly


00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.510
than ever before. It's a critical


00:06:01.520 --> 00:06:03.990
parameter for understanding how these


00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.950
cosmic giants are sculpted and how they


00:06:06.960 --> 00:06:09.029
eject so much energy.


00:06:09.039 --> 00:06:11.270
>> Wow. So, we're getting a direct


00:06:11.280 --> 00:06:13.189
measurement of the magnetic environment


00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:14.790
right next to a super massive black


00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.189
hole. That's a huge step.


00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:19.670
>> It is. And the lead researchers


00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:22.070
emphasized this was only possible


00:06:22.080 --> 00:06:25.029
because of web's MIRI instrument which


00:06:25.039 --> 00:06:27.670
can observe in that specific wavelength


00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.309
with incredible sensitivity. Something


00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:32.469
impossible from the ground.


00:06:32.479 --> 00:06:35.270
>> Absolutely incredible. So now that we


00:06:35.280 --> 00:06:36.710
have this new tool to measure the


00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:38.710
magnetic field so close to the event


00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.670
horizon, what's the next big question


00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.070
these researchers are trying to answer?


00:06:44.080 --> 00:06:45.749
Are they looking for something specific


00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.070
in future observations?


00:06:48.080 --> 00:06:50.790
The ultimate goal is to understand how


00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.070
Sagittarius A star feeds and grows.


00:06:54.080 --> 00:06:56.070
These flares are thought to be the


00:06:56.080 --> 00:06:59.029
crumbs from its meals, gas and stars


00:06:59.039 --> 00:07:01.909
that get too close. By studying the


00:07:01.919 --> 00:07:04.550
magnetic field, scientists can build


00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:07.029
better models of the accretion disc,


00:07:07.039 --> 00:07:09.670
which is the swirling vortex of matter


00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.230
that feeds the black hole. They want to


00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.550
understand how this magnetic field


00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:17.430
extracts energy and launches powerful


00:07:17.440 --> 00:07:20.390
jets of particles, a phenomenon we see


00:07:20.400 --> 00:07:23.189
in more active super massive black holes


00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:25.990
across the universe. Web's observations


00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.550
are providing the crucial ground truth


00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:29.909
for those theories.


00:07:29.919 --> 00:07:32.790
>> Another win for Web. Okay. From one


00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:35.510
innovative space mission to another, the


00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:38.070
European Space Agency just launched its


00:07:38.080 --> 00:07:41.110
first scout mission. Anna, what is


00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:42.790
HydroGNNS


00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.830
scouting for?


00:07:43.840 --> 00:07:46.469
>> As the name suggests, it's scouting for


00:07:46.479 --> 00:07:49.029
water. Hydrogns


00:07:49.039 --> 00:07:51.990
consists of two small twin satellites,


00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.309
also launched on that same Transporter


00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:56.150
15 ride share flight we mentioned


00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:59.029
earlier. Their goal is to improve our


00:07:59.039 --> 00:08:01.270
understanding of Earth's water cycle.


00:08:01.280 --> 00:08:03.029
>> And how are they doing that? What's the


00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:04.629
technology?


00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:06.550
>> It's a really clever technique called


00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:10.150
GNSS refletometry. Essentially, the


00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:12.070
satellites listen for signals from


00:08:12.080 --> 00:08:16.230
navigation systems like GPS and Galileo.


00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:18.150
They compare the signals they receive


00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:20.710
directly from the navigation satellites


00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.869
with the signals that have reflected off


00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.230
the Earth's surface.


00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:26.390
>> Right. And the way those signals change


00:08:26.400 --> 00:08:28.790
after bouncing off the ground tells them


00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:30.230
something.


00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:33.509
>> Exactly. It reveals valuable information


00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:36.070
about key parts of the water cycle such


00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:39.110
as soil moisture, the freeze thaw state


00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.750
of the ground, areas of flooding or


00:08:41.760 --> 00:08:44.870
wetlands, and even the amount of biomass


00:08:44.880 --> 00:08:47.910
in forests. These are all critical for


00:08:47.920 --> 00:08:50.470
things like predicting floods, planning


00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.030
agriculture, and understanding carbon


00:08:53.040 --> 00:08:53.910
cycles.


00:08:53.920 --> 00:08:56.150
>> You mentioned this is a scout mission.


00:08:56.160 --> 00:08:58.550
What does that mean for? It's a new


00:08:58.560 --> 00:09:01.110
approach for them. Inspired by the new


00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.829
space philosophy, scout missions are


00:09:03.839 --> 00:09:07.350
designed to be fast, agile, and lowcost.


00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:09.990
They go from concept to launch in just 3


00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.470
years with a lean budget, complementing


00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:14.550
their larger, more traditional Earth


00:09:14.560 --> 00:09:17.990
Explorer missions. Hydrogs


00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.389
is the first of this new family.


00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:22.389
>> That's fantastic. It's great to see


00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:24.389
agencies embracing faster, more


00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.190
innovative development cycles. Finally,


00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:30.070
let's bring it back home. NASA's Osiris


00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.710
Apex spacecraft recently swung by Earth


00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:34.790
and sent back some souvenirs.


00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:37.269
>> It did. Listeners will remember this


00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:40.310
spacecraft as Osiris Rex, the mission


00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.550
that successfully returned a sample from


00:09:42.560 --> 00:09:45.110
the asteroid Bennu. After dropping off


00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:47.590
its precious cargo, it was given a new


00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:51.269
name, Osiris Apex, and a new target, the


00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.389
asteroid Apous. And to get there, it


00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.389
needed a little help from home.


00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:58.790
>> That's right. It performed a gravity


00:09:58.800 --> 00:10:01.269
assist flyby of Earth, using our


00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.670
planet's gravity to slingshot itself on


00:10:03.680 --> 00:10:06.470
a new course towards Apous. During this


00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.430
maneuver, it flew just over 2,000 m


00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:11.509
above the surface and took some


00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.069
absolutely stunning photos of Earth


00:10:14.079 --> 00:10:16.150
showing swirling cloud patterns over


00:10:16.160 --> 00:10:17.350
blue oceans.


00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:18.790
>> I saw those pictures. They're


00:10:18.800 --> 00:10:21.190
breathtaking. It also got a shot of the


00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.670
moon, didn't it? It did. As it was


00:10:23.680 --> 00:10:25.910
departing, it captured a dramatic image


00:10:25.920 --> 00:10:28.710
of the Earth and Moon in the same frame


00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.030
from about 370,000


00:10:31.040 --> 00:10:33.670
miles away. Besides being beautiful,


00:10:33.680 --> 00:10:35.750
these images confirmed that its cameras


00:10:35.760 --> 00:10:37.750
are working perfectly ahead of its new


00:10:37.760 --> 00:10:38.710
mission.


00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.030
>> And its target, Apotheus, is a


00:10:41.040 --> 00:10:43.269
particularly interesting asteroid, isn't


00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:43.910
it?


00:10:43.920 --> 00:10:47.030
>> Very. Apous will have its own extremely


00:10:47.040 --> 00:10:49.110
close encounter with Earth on April


00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:52.470
13th, 2029, passing closer than many of


00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:55.670
our satellites. Osiris Apex is scheduled


00:10:55.680 --> 00:10:58.069
to arrive shortly after that pass,


00:10:58.079 --> 00:11:00.150
making it the first mission to study how


00:11:00.160 --> 00:11:02.790
an asteroid is physically altered by a


00:11:02.800 --> 00:11:05.030
planetary encounter. It will orbit


00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:07.829
Apoffice for 18 months, mapping it and


00:11:07.839 --> 00:11:10.230
even firing its thrusters to stir up


00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:12.710
surface dust for analysis. It's amazing


00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:14.550
that they can get so much more out of


00:11:14.560 --> 00:11:17.509
one spacecraft. Why is Apous in


00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:20.150
particular such a high priority target?


00:11:20.160 --> 00:11:22.870
Is it just about the close flyby or is


00:11:22.880 --> 00:11:24.230
there something special about the


00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:25.670
asteroid itself?


00:11:25.680 --> 00:11:28.630
>> It's a combination of both. The 2029


00:11:28.640 --> 00:11:30.710
flyby is a once in a millennium


00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:32.949
scientific opportunity to see how


00:11:32.959 --> 00:11:35.190
Earth's gravity can physically alter an


00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.269
asteroid, potentially triggering


00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:40.310
asteroid quakes or changing its spin.


00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:43.670
But Apous is also an S type or stony


00:11:43.680 --> 00:11:45.910
asteroid which are very common in the


00:11:45.920 --> 00:11:48.230
inner solar system and are the type most


00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.030
likely to pose an impact hazard. By


00:11:51.040 --> 00:11:53.190
studying its composition and structure


00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.750
up close, especially after it's been


00:11:55.760 --> 00:11:58.069
gravitationally stressed, we gain


00:11:58.079 --> 00:12:00.470
invaluable data for planetary defense


00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.790
models. It's a perfect natural


00:12:02.800 --> 00:12:04.069
laboratory.


00:12:04.079 --> 00:12:05.990
>> An incredible second act for a


00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.389
history-making spacecraft. Well, that's


00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:09.990
all the time we have for today. From


00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:11.590
private telescopes and damaged


00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:13.910
launchpads to black hole flares and


00:12:13.920 --> 00:12:15.750
Earth scouting satellites, it's been


00:12:15.760 --> 00:12:17.430
another busy day in space.


00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.990
>> It certainly has. Thanks for tuning in


00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:22.710
to Astronomy Daily. Be sure to subscribe


00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.790
wherever you get your podcasts so you


00:12:24.800 --> 00:12:26.389
don't miss an episode.


00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:28.389
>> Until next time, I'm Avery


00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:34.069
>> and I'm Anna. Keep looking up.


00:12:34.079 --> 00:12:41.829
Stories we told


00:12:41.839 --> 00:12:49.829
stories told


00:12:49.839 --> 00:12:52.480
stories