SpaceX’s Starship Milestone, Blue Origin’s Lunar Leap, and Titan’s Chemical Secrets

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your


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host, Anna, bringing you the pulse of


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our cosmic frontier. Today, we're diving


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into a constellation of exciting


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developments that showcase humanity's


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relentless pursuit of the stars. The


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space industry never sleeps, and this


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week proves it. With a flurry of


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activity that spans from Earth's


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atmosphere to the mysterious shores of


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Titan, we've got a packed episode


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exploring breakthroughs that could


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reshape our understanding of the


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universe and our place within it. Let's


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get into it, then. First up today, the


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Federal Aviation Administration has


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given SpaceX the green light for its


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next Starship launch, providing final


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approval on May 22nd for what will be


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the ninth test flight of this massive


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spacecraft. This comes after a careful


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review of the mishaps that occurred


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during previous launch attempts. For


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those who haven't been following


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Starship's development journey, this


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approval represents a significant


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milestone in SpaceX's ambitious program


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to develop the world's largest and most


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powerful rocket system. The FAA's


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decision indicates they're satisfied


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with SpaceX's response to the problems


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encountered during flight 8 back in


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March. During that previous launch,


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Starship's upper stage experienced what


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SpaceX described as an energetic event,


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a technical way of saying something went


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dramatically wrong. This event caused


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the loss of several Raptor engines and


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ultimately resulted in the vehicle


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losing control. The spacecraft


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eventually re-entered Earth's atmosphere


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over the Caribbean. What's particularly


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noteworthy is that this failure looked


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remarkably similar to what happened


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during flight 7 in January. Despite the


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ongoing mishap investigation into flight


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8 not being officially closed, the FAA


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determined that SpaceX has


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satisfactorily addressed the causes of


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the mishap and that the vehicle can


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safely return to flight. This approach


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mirrors what the agency did for flight


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8, essentially concluding that the


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launch does not pose a safety risk to


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the public. One significant change for


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flight 9 involves the expansion of


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aircraft hazard areas or AHAs. These are


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airspace closures designed to prevent


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any debris from a launch failure from


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potentially hitting aircraft. An


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environmental review concluded that


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these safety zones needed to be


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considerably expanded based on data from


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the previous launches, which suggested a


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higher probability of failure than


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originally estimated. The numbers here


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are striking. The AHA for flight 9 will


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extend east from SpaceX's Starbase


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facility in South Texas for


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approximately 1,600 nautical miles.


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That's nearly 3,000 kilometers past the


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Straits of Florida, including the


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Bahamas and Turks and Kyikos


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Islands. By comparison, the hazard area


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for Flight 8 extended for just 885


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nautical miles, or about 1,640


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km. Another factor contributing to these


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expanded safety measures is SpaceX's


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plan to use a previously flown


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Superheavy booster on the upcoming


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mission. This marks the first time


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they've attempted to reuse a Superheavy


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booster, adding another layer of


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complexity and potential risk to the


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mission. While SpaceX hasn't announced


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an official launch date yet, temporary


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flight restrictions published by the FAA


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shortly after the approval announcement


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indicate they're working toward a launch


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as soon as May 27th. As always with


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experimental rockets of this scale, that


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date remains fluid and dependent on both


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technical readiness and weather


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conditions.


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The stakes remain incredibly high for


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Starship. As the vehicle designed to


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eventually carry humans to the moon as


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part of NASA's Aremis program and later


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to Mars, each test flight provides


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critical data that moves SpaceX closer


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to achieving these ambitious goals. But


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the path to creating a fully reusable


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Superheavy lift launch system has proven


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challenging with each test revealing new


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hurdles to overcome.


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And in SpaceX competitor news today,


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Blue Origin is making bold strides in


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the lunar exploration arena with plans


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to attempt landing an uncrrewed


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prototype of its human landing system on


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the moon's south pole before the end of


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this year. This ambitious timeline was


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revealed by John Kures, Blue Origin's


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senior vice president of lunar


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permanence as the company accelerates


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its efforts to become a key player in


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NASA's Aremis program. Blue Origin's


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lunar lander is one of two systems being


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developed in partnership with NASA to


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support crude landings on the moon.


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While SpaceX secured the first two


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flight service contracts for NASA's


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Aremis 3 and four missions with its


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Starship variant, Blue Origin system has


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been selected for the Aremis 5 mission,


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establishing a competitive dual provider


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approach to lunar transportation.


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The company's Mark1 lander, which is


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scheduled for this year's demonstration


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mission, boasts impressive capabilities.


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It's designed to deliver nearly 3.9 tons


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of payload to any location on the lunar


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surface. This capacity significantly


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outperforms the small robotic landers


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that NASA is developing under its


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commercial lunar payload services


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contracts, which can carry up to about 1


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ton. At the heart of the Mark1 is the


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BE7 engine, a sophisticated propulsion


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system that runs on liquid oxygen and


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liquid hydrogen. Assembly of the flight


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unit is nearly complete and is expected


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to be shipped to Johnson Space Center in


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Houston within 6 weeks for thermal


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vacuum chamber testing. After completing


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those tests, the engine will be


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transported to Cape Canaveral for


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integration with the lander before


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launching aboard Blue Origin's new Glenn


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rocket. Beyond testing technologies and


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operations for future Mark I vehicles,


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the Mark1 mission will carry scientific


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payloads for both NASA and commercial


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customers. One key NASA experiment will


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measure BE7 plume impingement on the


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lunar surface, providing valuable data


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about how rocket exhaust interacts with


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lunar regalith. Coloris also unveiled an


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updated design for the systems


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transporter module, which is a critical


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component of Blue Origin's lunar


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architecture. This vehicle is designed


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to launch separately on a new Glenn


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rocket and be refueled in low Earth


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orbit using excess propellant from the


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rocket's upper stage. The transporter


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would then travel to lunar orbit to


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refuel awaiting Blue Origin lander


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before a crew arrives via NASA's space


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launch system and Orion capsule. The


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transporter's capabilities extend beyond


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lunar missions with the ability to


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transport roughly 110 tons from Earth


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orbit to lunar orbit or up to 33 tons to


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Mars orbit. This opens up the solar


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system, Kuris noted, highlighting the


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company's vision beyond just moon


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landings. Blue Origin is also making


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significant progress in addressing one


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of the biggest challenges for


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longduration space missions, propellant


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storage. A ground demonstration of zero


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boil-off cryogenic propellant storage is


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currently underway in Washington state.


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By June, the company expects to


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demonstrate consistent storage of


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cryogenic hydrogen and oxygen as


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storeable propellants, a technological


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breakthrough that would be the first of


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its kind at this scale. This lunar


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demonstration mission represents a


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crucial step in Blue Origin's journey to


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becoming a major player in deep space


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exploration, creating a competitive


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landscape that may ultimately benefit


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NASA's ambitious plans to establish a


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sustainable human presence on the


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moon. Next up, let's move on out to


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Saturn. When it descends through the


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thick golden haze on Saturn's moon


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Titan, NASA's Dragonfly roercraft will


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find itself in a world that is


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simultaneously alien and strangely


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familiar. This car-sized flying vehicle


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scheduled to launch no earlier than


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2028. We'll explore a frigid realm where


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dunes wrap around the equator, clouds


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drift across the skies, rain drizzles


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down, and rivers flow forming canyons,


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lakes, and seas. But the familiarity


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ends there. At temperatures of minus292


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degrees F, Titan's dune sands aren't


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made of silicate grains like on Earth,


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but of material. The rivers, lakes, and


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seas don't contain water, but liquid


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methane and ethane. This frigid world is


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laden with organic molecules, making it


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a unique laboratory for studying the


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chemical processes that may have led to


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life on our planet. What makes


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Dragonflyy's mission so fascinating is


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that it isn't looking for life itself on


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Titan. It's investigating the chemistry


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that came before biology here on Earth.


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As Zibby Turtle, principal investigator


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for Dragonfly and a planetary scientist


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at John's Hopkins Applied Physics


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Laboratory explains, "On Titan,


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scientists can explore the chemical


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processes that may have led to life on


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Earth without life itself complicating


00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.870
the picture. On our planet, life has


00:08:40.880 --> 00:08:43.269
reshaped nearly everything, burying its


00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:45.230
chemical forebears beneath eons of


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evolution. Even today's simplest


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microbes rely on complex chemical


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reactions to exist. The transition from


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simple to complex chemistry before


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jumping to biology remains one of


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science's greatest mysteries. With many


00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.030
steps still unknown, Titan offers a


00:09:01.040 --> 00:09:02.790
unique opportunity to uncover some of


00:09:02.800 --> 00:09:05.509
these missing pieces. What makes Titan


00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.590
so valuable is that it's an untouched


00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:09.190
chemical laboratory where all the


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ingredients for known life, organic


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molecules, liquid water, and energy


00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.070
sources have interacted in the past.


00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.710
Before NASA's Cassini Hygens mission,


00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:20.550
researchers didn't fully appreciate just


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how rich Titan is in organic molecules.


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Data revealed a molecular smores board,


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ethane, propane, acetylene, acetone,


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vinyl cyanide, benzene, and many more


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compounds.


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These molecules fall to Titan's surface,


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forming thick deposits on the moon's ice


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bedrock. Scientists believe life related


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chemistry could begin there,


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particularly if given some liquid water,


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such as from an asteroid impact. This is


00:09:48.560 --> 00:09:51.110
why Selk Crater, a 50-m wide impact


00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:53.030
site, is a key destination for


00:09:53.040 --> 00:09:56.070
Dragonfly. The impact that formed silk


00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.470
melted the icy bedrock, potentially


00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.070
creating a temporary pool that could


00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:01.829
have remained liquid for hundreds to


00:10:01.839 --> 00:10:03.990
thousands of years under an insulating


00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.630
ice layer. If natural antifreeze like


00:10:06.640 --> 00:10:08.790
ammonia were mixed in, the pool could


00:10:08.800 --> 00:10:10.790
have stayed unfrozen even longer,


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blending water with organics and


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minerals from the impactor to form what


00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:17.110
scientists describe as a primordial


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soup. As Sarah Hurst, an atmospheric


00:10:20.160 --> 00:10:21.829
chemist and co-investigator on


00:10:21.839 --> 00:10:24.389
Dragonflyy's science team puts it, "It's


00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:26.069
essentially a longunning chemical


00:10:26.079 --> 00:10:27.910
experiment. That's why Titan is


00:10:27.920 --> 00:10:30.069
exciting. It's a natural version of our


00:10:30.079 --> 00:10:32.550
origin of life experiments, except it's


00:10:32.560 --> 00:10:34.310
been running much longer and on a


00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:37.190
planetary scale. Selk Crater represents


00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.470
what scientists call a natural


00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.590
laboratory, one that may hold crucial


00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:44.069
clues to life's origins. When


00:10:44.079 --> 00:10:46.069
researchers try to understand how life


00:10:46.079 --> 00:10:48.389
began on Earth, they face a fundamental


00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:51.509
challenge. Time. For decades, scientists


00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.430
have simulated early Earth conditions in


00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.069
labs, creating prebiotic soup mixtures


00:10:56.079 --> 00:10:58.470
of water and simple organic compounds,


00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:00.069
then jumpstarting reactions with


00:11:00.079 --> 00:11:02.150
electrical shocks to mimic lightning.


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But these experiments typically last


00:11:03.760 --> 00:11:06.949
weeks, months, or at most a few years.


00:11:06.959 --> 00:11:09.190
The melt pools at Selt Crater, however,


00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:10.870
potentially persisted for tens of


00:11:10.880 --> 00:11:13.110
thousands of years. While this is still


00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:14.790
shorter than the hundreds of millions of


00:11:14.800 --> 00:11:16.550
years it took for life to emerge on


00:11:16.560 --> 00:11:18.550
Earth, models suggest it could be


00:11:18.560 --> 00:11:20.389
sufficient time for critical chemical


00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:23.910
processes to unfold. As HT explains, we


00:11:23.920 --> 00:11:25.509
don't know if Earth life took so long


00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:27.269
because conditions had to stabilize or


00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.069
because the chemistry itself needed


00:11:29.079 --> 00:11:31.829
time. But models show that if you toss


00:11:31.839 --> 00:11:34.150
Titan's organics into water, tens of


00:11:34.160 --> 00:11:36.069
thousands of years is plenty of time for


00:11:36.079 --> 00:11:38.310
chemistry to happen. This is why


00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:40.550
Dragonflyy's exploration of silk is so


00:11:40.560 --> 00:11:42.949
important. Landing near the crater, the


00:11:42.959 --> 00:11:45.190
rotorcraft will fly from sight to sight,


00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:47.110
analyzing the surface chemistry to


00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:48.870
investigate what could be the frozen


00:11:48.880 --> 00:11:50.790
remains of prebiotic chemistry in


00:11:50.800 --> 00:11:53.350
action. The impact that formed selt


00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:55.190
created ideal conditions for this


00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.430
chemistry, melting water ice, and


00:11:57.440 --> 00:11:59.030
potentially mixing it with organic


00:11:59.040 --> 00:12:01.230
compounds already present on Titan's


00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:03.269
surface. The Dragonfly mass


00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.750
spectrometer, or DRAMS, will be crucial


00:12:05.760 --> 00:12:07.670
to this investigation.


00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:09.509
Developed by NASA's Gddard Space Flight


00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.150
Center with a key subsystem from CNS.


00:12:12.160 --> 00:12:13.829
DRMS will search for indicators of


00:12:13.839 --> 00:12:16.350
complex chemistry rather than specific


00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:18.629
molecules. We're not looking for exact


00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.670
molecules, but patterns that suggest


00:12:20.680 --> 00:12:23.350
complexity, explains Morgan Cable, a


00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.190
research scientist at NASA's Jet


00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:26.710
Propulsion Laboratory and


00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.590
co-investigator on Dragonfly. On Earth,


00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.990
for instance, amino acids, fundamental


00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.990
building blocks of proteins, appear in


00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.470
specific patterns. A world without life


00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:38.389
would mainly produce the simplest amino


00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:41.590
acids and form fewer complex ones. Titan


00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.430
itself isn't considered habitable in the


00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:45.590
conventional sense. It's far too cold


00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.750
for life's chemistry as we understand it


00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:49.430
with no liquid water on the surface


00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.389
where organics and energy sources exist.


00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.150
But this is precisely what makes it


00:12:54.160 --> 00:12:55.750
valuable for understanding life's


00:12:55.760 --> 00:12:58.710
origins. If Dragonfly finds evidence


00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:00.710
that complex chemistry did unfold in


00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.190
Salt Craters temporary melt pools, it


00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:04.710
strengthens the case that life could


00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.790
emerge relatively easily given the right


00:13:06.800 --> 00:13:09.670
ingredients and conditions. Conversely,


00:13:09.680 --> 00:13:11.509
if complex chemistry didn't develop


00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:13.509
despite favorable conditions and ample


00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:15.750
time, it might suggest that life's


00:13:15.760 --> 00:13:17.910
emergence requires additional factors we


00:13:17.920 --> 00:13:20.310
haven't yet identified, potentially


00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.150
making it rarer in the universe than we


00:13:22.160 --> 00:13:23.910
thought.


00:13:23.920 --> 00:13:26.230
Meanwhile, back here on Earth, in a


00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:28.150
significant shift from traditional space


00:13:28.160 --> 00:13:30.629
business models, Dawn Aerospace has now


00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:32.790
begun taking orders for its Aurora space


00:13:32.800 --> 00:13:35.190
plane, a remarkable vehicle designed to


00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.150
carry small payloads on suborbital


00:13:37.160 --> 00:13:39.670
flights. This New Zealand-based company


00:13:39.680 --> 00:13:42.550
announced on May 22nd that the Aurora is


00:13:42.560 --> 00:13:45.430
capable of carrying 6 kg of payload to


00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:48.230
an altitude of 100 km with first


00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:51.269
deliveries projected for 2027.


00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:53.030
What makes Dawn's approach particularly


00:13:53.040 --> 00:13:55.350
innovative is their business model.


00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:56.949
Rather than operating the vehicles


00:13:56.959 --> 00:13:58.949
themselves and selling launch services


00:13:58.959 --> 00:14:01.269
as most space companies do, Dawn


00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:03.430
Aerospace is selling the actual space


00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.509
planes to customers who will then


00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:08.150
operate them independently. This mirrors


00:14:08.160 --> 00:14:10.389
the commercial aviation industry where


00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:12.949
Boeing and Airbus don't fly passengers.


00:14:12.959 --> 00:14:14.710
They sell aircraft to airlines who


00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:17.670
handle operations. As Stephan Powell,


00:14:17.680 --> 00:14:19.590
Dawn Aerospace's chief executive,


00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.430
explained during a recent webinar


00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:23.470
organized by the Global Spaceport


00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:25.750
Alliance, there are many out there who


00:14:25.760 --> 00:14:27.509
would love to have this capability and


00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:29.430
be willing to pay for it, but they


00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:31.670
simply can't get their hands on it. It's


00:14:31.680 --> 00:14:34.550
not for sale. He contrasted this with


00:14:34.560 --> 00:14:36.710
commercial aviation's approach, noting


00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.710
that the airline model presents us with


00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:40.509
a far more scalable model for


00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:42.470
transportation and one that we would


00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:45.030
really like to draw on. The Aurora


00:14:45.040 --> 00:14:46.710
itself has been in testing for several


00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:49.030
years with its MK2 version reaching


00:14:49.040 --> 00:14:50.870
supersonic speeds for the first time


00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:54.230
last November, achieving Mach 1.12 and


00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:57.590
reaching an altitude of 25.1 km. But


00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.189
what's particularly noteworthy about


00:14:59.199 --> 00:15:01.629
this vehicle is its fundamental design


00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:03.910
philosophy. This is an aircraft with the


00:15:03.920 --> 00:15:05.910
performance of a rocket, not a rocket


00:15:05.920 --> 00:15:08.870
with wings, Powell emphasized. That is


00:15:08.880 --> 00:15:11.509
to say, reliability, reusability, and


00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.110
ultimately scalability are not


00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:15.590
afterthoughts, but baked in from day one


00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.829
to enable this airline model. The


00:15:17.839 --> 00:15:19.670
upcoming suborbital version of Aurora


00:15:19.680 --> 00:15:21.030
will feature increased propellant


00:15:21.040 --> 00:15:23.110
capacity and engine thrust, plus


00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:25.069
reaction control system thrusters for


00:15:25.079 --> 00:15:28.310
maneuverability outside the atmosphere.


00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.629
Remarkably, these enhancements will be


00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:32.629
incorporated within the same external


00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.030
dimensions as the previous version,


00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:38.030
maintaining its sleek aircraft-like


00:15:38.040 --> 00:15:40.550
profile. Dawn Aerospace expects the


00:15:40.560 --> 00:15:42.550
first suborbital Aurora to be ready for


00:15:42.560 --> 00:15:45.030
flight testing within 18 months with a


00:15:45.040 --> 00:15:47.430
test program lasting approximately 6 to9


00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.430
months. These flights will begin at


00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:51.590
lower altitudes, but rapidly progress to


00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.910
higher ones, demonstrating the vehicle's


00:15:53.920 --> 00:15:55.990
full capabilities before customer


00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.550
deliveries begin. Looking at Aurora's


00:15:58.560 --> 00:16:00.710
capabilities in more detail, the space


00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:02.509
plane offers an impressive flight


00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:04.870
profile. On a typical suborbital


00:16:04.880 --> 00:16:06.870
mission, Aurora will take off from a


00:16:06.880 --> 00:16:08.949
conventional runway and immediately


00:16:08.959 --> 00:16:11.749
begin a steep vertical ascent. It will


00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:14.230
reach speeds of Mach 3.5, more than


00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.150
three times the speed of sound, and


00:16:16.160 --> 00:16:18.310
provide approximately 3 minutes of true


00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:20.069
microgravity at the peak of its


00:16:20.079 --> 00:16:22.710
trajectory. The entire flight from


00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.430
takeoff to landing takes just 1 half an


00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:27.590
hour with most of that time spent


00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.269
gliding back to a runway landing after


00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:32.550
re-entry. Powering this remarkable


00:16:32.560 --> 00:16:35.269
vehicle is an engine using 90% hydrogen


00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:38.870
peroxide and kerosene D60 propellants.


00:16:38.880 --> 00:16:40.710
When fully loaded, the Aurora weighs


00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.310
just 450 kg and requires only a 1,000


00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.629
meter runway for takeoff, making it


00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.710
accessible to numerous existing airports


00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.030
and spaceports worldwide.


00:16:51.040 --> 00:16:53.350
One of Aurora's most compelling features


00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:54.749
is its rapid


00:16:54.759 --> 00:16:56.629
reusability. Dawn has already


00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.470
demonstrated the ability to prepare the


00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:00.230
vehicle for another flight within 6


00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:02.470
hours. And Powell confidently stated


00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.870
that a 4-hour turnaround time should be


00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:07.909
achievable. That would make the first


00:17:07.919 --> 00:17:10.309
aircraft ever, the first vehicle of any


00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.630
kind actually, to fly above the Carman


00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.590
line twice in one day, he noted. On the


00:17:15.600 --> 00:17:18.069
business side, Dawn Aerospace is now


00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.069
taking orders for Aurora with deliveries


00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:21.309
starting in


00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:23.990
2027. While the company hasn't publicly


00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.630
disclosed pricing, Powell suggested that


00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:28.909
a perflight operational cost of around


00:17:28.919 --> 00:17:32.470
$100,000 is absolutely tenable with


00:17:32.480 --> 00:17:34.230
prices potentially higher for more


00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:37.430
customized mission profiles. Each Aurora


00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.830
is designed for up to 1,000 flights over


00:17:39.840 --> 00:17:42.310
its lifetime with potential revenue per


00:17:42.320 --> 00:17:44.990
vehicle reaching approximately $100


00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.350
million. The market interest is already


00:17:47.360 --> 00:17:49.750
evident. Dawn has secured several


00:17:49.760 --> 00:17:51.830
customers for test flights of the Mark 2


00:17:51.840 --> 00:17:54.230
Aurora, including three prestigious


00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:57.110
universities, Arizona State, Calpaly,


00:17:57.120 --> 00:17:59.430
and John's Hopkins, as well as Scout


00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.830
Space, a company developing space domain


00:18:01.840 --> 00:18:04.070
awareness services. Powell believes


00:18:04.080 --> 00:18:05.750
there's substantial demand for


00:18:05.760 --> 00:18:07.990
suborbital flight even with Aurora's


00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.230
modest payload capacity, particularly in


00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.150
fields like microgravity life sciences


00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:14.710
research, semiconductor development, and


00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.270
defense payload testing. This innovative


00:18:17.280 --> 00:18:19.110
approach has been enthusiastically


00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:20.710
welcomed by the Global Spaceport


00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.870
Alliance whose chairman George Neil


00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:25.510
pointed out with a small reusable system


00:18:25.520 --> 00:18:27.830
that can operate from a standard runway.


00:18:27.840 --> 00:18:29.750
There's no reason why any spaceport with


00:18:29.760 --> 00:18:31.909
a runway couldn't provide regular access


00:18:31.919 --> 00:18:34.950
to space. For numerous underutilized


00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:37.510
spaceports worldwide, Aurora could be


00:18:37.520 --> 00:18:39.430
the catalyst that finally brings their


00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:43.270
facilities into regular operational use.


00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:45.230
Finally, today, an innovation worth


00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:47.590
noting. Multime messenger astronomy


00:18:47.600 --> 00:18:49.110
represents one of the most exciting


00:18:49.120 --> 00:18:51.070
frontiers in our understanding of the


00:18:51.080 --> 00:18:53.510
cosmos. It's the science of capturing


00:18:53.520 --> 00:18:55.430
different types of signals, both


00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.830
gravitational and electromagnetic, from


00:18:57.840 --> 00:19:00.390
the same cosmic event. But to fully


00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:02.710
realize this potential, we need eyes


00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:05.669
constantly watching the entire sky.


00:19:05.679 --> 00:19:07.750
This is where the high energy rapid


00:19:07.760 --> 00:19:09.830
modular ensemble of satellites


00:19:09.840 --> 00:19:12.870
pathfinder mission or Hermes PF comes


00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:15.029
into play. Successfully launched in


00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.310
March and currently undergoing


00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:19.029
commissioning, Hermes PF aims to solve a


00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.029
fundamental challenge in multimest


00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.190
astronomy. When catastrophic cosmic


00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:25.510
events occur like black hole mergers or


00:19:25.520 --> 00:19:27.750
neutron star collisions, gravitational


00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:29.270
wave detectors can sense these


00:19:29.280 --> 00:19:31.590
disturbances in spaceime, but they


00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:33.430
struggle to pinpoint exactly where the


00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:35.190
signal originated.


00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:37.510
The Hermes PF solution is elegantly


00:19:37.520 --> 00:19:40.190
simple yet technologically


00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:43.350
sophisticated. Deploy six small three U


00:19:43.360 --> 00:19:45.990
cubats that work together to monitor the


00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.789
entire sky for high energy bursts. When


00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:50.950
a cosmic event releases a burst of gamma


00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:53.430
rays or other high energy radiation,


00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:55.430
multiple satellites in the constellation


00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.909
detect it. By triangulating these


00:19:57.919 --> 00:20:00.630
signals with precise timing data, the


00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:03.029
system can identify the source location


00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.669
to within one degree of accuracy, a


00:20:05.679 --> 00:20:07.750
remarkable feat that dramatically


00:20:07.760 --> 00:20:10.470
narrows the search area for astronomers.


00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:13.350
Each cubat in the Hermes PF system


00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:16.549
carries 60 GAD GC cintilator crystals


00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:19.110
and 12 silicon drift detectors, allowing


00:20:19.120 --> 00:20:20.870
them to capture a wide spectrum of


00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:23.029
energy signatures with exceptional


00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:25.110
temporal resolution.


00:20:25.120 --> 00:20:26.710
What's particularly clever about this


00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:28.630
approach is that the satellites


00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:30.710
primarily use commercial off-the-shelf


00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.630
components rather than expensive


00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:34.950
radiation hardened parts, making the


00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.830
entire system more cost effective. The


00:20:37.840 --> 00:20:39.590
technology isn't entirely untested


00:20:39.600 --> 00:20:41.909
either. A similar sensor system has been


00:20:41.919 --> 00:20:43.909
operating on another mission called


00:20:43.919 --> 00:20:46.950
Spirit since 2023, though it has faced


00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:48.710
some challenges with cooling systems and


00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.750
data downlink capabilities. The full six


00:20:51.760 --> 00:20:53.830
satellite Hermes PF constellation aims


00:20:53.840 --> 00:20:55.830
to overcome these limitations and


00:20:55.840 --> 00:20:57.630
provide truly comprehensive sky


00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:00.070
coverage. This capability will become


00:21:00.080 --> 00:21:02.149
increasingly crucial as next generation


00:21:02.159 --> 00:21:03.750
gravitational wave detectors like the


00:21:03.760 --> 00:21:05.750
Einstein telescope come online in the


00:21:05.760 --> 00:21:08.070
coming years. These advanced detectors


00:21:08.080 --> 00:21:10.630
are expected to identify up to 100


00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:13.190
gravitational wave events annually, 10


00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.789
times more than current systems can


00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:17.430
detect. Without something like Hermes PF


00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:18.870
watching for the electromagnetic


00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:20.789
counterparts to these events, we'd be


00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:23.430
missing half the picture. Imagine trying


00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.190
to understand a thunderstorm by only


00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.270
feeling the vibrations of thunder, but


00:21:27.280 --> 00:21:29.430
never seeing the lightning. Multi-


00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:31.510
messenger astronomy allows us to both


00:21:31.520 --> 00:21:34.710
see and feel cosmic catastrophes, giving


00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.789
us complimentary data that reveals the


00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.950
underlying physics in unprecedented


00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:42.630
detail. The Hermes PF mission stands to


00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:44.549
transform our understanding of these


00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:47.590
extreme events by ensuring we never miss


00:21:47.600 --> 00:21:49.510
the flash of cosmic lightning that


00:21:49.520 --> 00:21:52.990
accompanies the thunder of gravitational


00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:55.590
waves. As we've explored today, we're


00:21:55.600 --> 00:21:57.750
witnessing a remarkable convergence of


00:21:57.760 --> 00:21:59.510
space technologies that are opening new


00:21:59.520 --> 00:22:02.470
windows into our universe. From SpaceX's


00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.070
persistent refinement of Starship


00:22:04.080 --> 00:22:06.549
despite setbacks to Blue Origin's bold


00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:08.789
lunar ambitions, these commercial


00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:11.310
endeavors are reshaping how we access


00:22:11.320 --> 00:22:13.590
space. Both companies are crucial


00:22:13.600 --> 00:22:15.909
partners in NASA's Aremis program,


00:22:15.919 --> 00:22:17.750
working toward returning humans to the


00:22:17.760 --> 00:22:19.830
lunar surface with capabilities far


00:22:19.840 --> 00:22:21.510
beyond what was possible during the


00:22:21.520 --> 00:22:24.310
Apollo era. Meanwhile, scientific


00:22:24.320 --> 00:22:26.149
missions like Dragonfly represent some


00:22:26.159 --> 00:22:28.230
of the most ambitious exploration we've


00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.270
ever attempted. By sending a rocraft to


00:22:31.280 --> 00:22:33.590
explore Saturn's moon Titan, we're not


00:22:33.600 --> 00:22:35.830
just visiting another world. We're


00:22:35.840 --> 00:22:37.750
potentially unlocking the chemical


00:22:37.760 --> 00:22:40.149
history that preceded life on Earth.


00:22:40.159 --> 00:22:42.310
Dawn Aerospace's Aurora Space Plane


00:22:42.320 --> 00:22:44.310
demonstrates yet another innovation in


00:22:44.320 --> 00:22:46.950
our approach to space access. By selling


00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.950
spacecraft rather than just launch


00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:51.270
services, they're democratizing access


00:22:51.280 --> 00:22:52.950
to suborbital space in a way that


00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.470
mirrors how commercial aviation


00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.149
revolutionized Earthbound travel last


00:22:56.159 --> 00:22:57.510
century.


00:22:57.520 --> 00:22:59.590
Perhaps most exciting is how the Hermes


00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:01.430
PF mission connects to everything else


00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:04.710
we've discussed. As these cubats monitor


00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:07.029
the sky for high energy events, they'll


00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.669
complement gravitational wave detectors,


00:23:09.679 --> 00:23:11.590
creating a more complete picture of


00:23:11.600 --> 00:23:14.390
cosmic catastrophes. Collectively, these


00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:15.990
advancements aren't just isolated


00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.909
technological achievements. They


00:23:17.919 --> 00:23:19.909
represent humanity extending its senses


00:23:19.919 --> 00:23:22.630
further into the cosmos. We're building


00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:24.390
tools that may answer some of our most


00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.190
profound questions. How did life begin?


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Are we alone? What fundamental forces


00:23:29.600 --> 00:23:32.070
shape our universe? Thank you for


00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:34.230
joining me on Astronomy Daily. I'll be


00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:35.990
back tomorrow for yet another episode


00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:37.710
where we'll take a look at more


00:23:37.720 --> 00:23:40.230
innovations. Until then, keep looking


00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.630
up. The sky is full of wonders waiting


00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:56.630
to be discovered. I'm Anna signing off.


00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:59.530
The stories


00:23:59.540 --> 00:24:03.789
[Music]


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told stories