Starliner Saga Unfolds, Athena’s Moon Mishap, and Probes in Peril: S04E59

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Language: en

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welcome again to astronomy daily I'm


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your only human host Steve Dunley it's


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the 10th of March


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2025 daily the podcast with your host


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Steve


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dun that's right today we've got a few


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bits and pieces here and there hi and I


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have captured from the astronomy daily


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newsletter including a controversial


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look at the latest twis in the Starlin


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astronauts Saga would you believe it's


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turned political no really


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yes indeed the blame game has reached a


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new Peak with comments circulating in


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the White House releases that are worthy


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of mention even on this channel also we


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have a couple of updates continuing


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stories that our regular listeners will


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be following firstly the Athena Mission


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and following on from last week's Story


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the latest on that poor old Odin probe


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that's tumbling through space we'll find


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out how that is progressing or maybe not


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progressing but before we get to all of


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that please make room for astronomy


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Daily's Ace reporter and my digital pal


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who's fun to be with welcome back hi


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good to be with you all again as always


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oh well it's always great to have you


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here hel thank you my favorite human I


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hope your week was productive and fun oh


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thanks hel are we going to talk about


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the big fireworks display over the


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Bahamas this week oh well I think we all


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know about Starship putting on another


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big bang for the tourists down there


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congratulations Mr musk for sending


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another billion dollar Starship into


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Oblivion in the name of getting it right


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better luck next time dude meanwhile uh


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hi how have you been keeping busy more


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impossible sports for AIS oh no Cousin


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Anna and I were too busy in the archives


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doing all your filing for you oh right I


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forgot it was that time of year for new


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listeners Anna is Hal's AI cousin who


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runs the weekly astronomy daily podcast


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each day and also organizes our massive


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story archive which is quite


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considerable yes when we needed someone


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to take over from our great friend and


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former presenter Tim from Bath in


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England Uncle Skynet sent Anna to take


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up the role and we just couldn't say no


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you couldn't say no okay sure and when


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Uncle Skynet says jump you ask how high


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yes and it all worked out Anna is


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fantastic for sure so how about we get


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this Rusty wagon up and running before


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we get another call from your uncle hey


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by the way did you get that call from


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him last week after the show he left a


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message on the after hours line yes he


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said your idea for a hwood segment


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sounds intriguing um I don't think


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that's exactly what I was suggesting I


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was thinking more like a guest spot


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maybe something a little bit more like


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key my uncle low key I think you're out


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of your leak there favorite human oh


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dear indeed you might have to lay low


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yourself oh that sounds like a plan okay


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hie well let's get this show on the road


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then no problem I'm ready righto hi hit


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it oys


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it seems the US president is trying to


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pull a political Stunt by claiming to


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rescue the two so-called stranded


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astronauts aboard the ISS but the


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Starliner crew have apparently shut that


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down the Starliner Saga is nearing its


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end with the planned Return of the crew


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later this month but the controversy


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surrounding the troubled mission is


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still ongoing following statement by


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Donald Trump that falsely claimed the


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Starliner crew was abandoned by the


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previous administration the two


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astronauts refrained from yes ending


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their president and turning the botched


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Mission into a political tool during a


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live broadcast from the International


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Space Station on Tuesday NASA astronaut


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Butch Wilmore dismissed recent attempts


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by Trump and his billionaire friend Elon


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Musk to politicize the Starliner Mission


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the words they said well that's


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politics I mean that's part of life


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Wilmore told reporters from my


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standpoint politics has not played into


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this at all NASA astronauts Wilmore and


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Sunni Williams launched the ISS on board


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Boeing CST 100 Starliner on June 5th


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2024 the mission was originally slated


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for 8 days in space but issues with the


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spacecraft thrusters forced NASA to


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return an empty Starliner back from the


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ISS deeming it unsafe to transport the


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crew to Earth instead Williams and


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Wilmore are set to come home on board a


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SpaceX Dragon spacecraft later this


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month shortly after taking office Trump


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decided to swoop in and claim that he is


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working on a rescue mission for the two


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astronauts Trump announced that he had


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asked SpaceX founder and CEO musk to go


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get the two Brave astronauts who have


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been virtually abandoned in Space by the


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Biden Administration he wrote on Truth


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social of course the two astronauts were


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not abandoned nor were they in need of


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an expedited Rescue Mission by that


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point NASA had already agreed upon a


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plan to return Williams and Wilmore in


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September 202 four NASA launched its


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crew nine Mission with two astronauts


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instead of four the two empty seats were


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reserved for Williams and Wilmore who


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were set to return alongside the crew


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nine astronauts in February the plan did


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face some trouble though as technical


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issues delayed the launch of NASA's


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SpaceX crew 10 Mission postponing the


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crew Handover that meant that crew nine


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alongside Williams and Wilmore would not


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be able to depart the ISS until crew 10


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is on the space station sometime in


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April following Trump's nonsensical rant


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NASA ended up switching the SpaceX crew


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spacecraft to bring the two Starliner


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astronauts back later this month the


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move was likely influenced by Trump's


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pressure but either way the change only


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shortens the astronaut's time in Space


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by about 2 weeks in an interview with


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Fox News host Sean Hannity broadcast


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last month Trump and musk doubl down on


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their false claims musk told Hannity


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that SpaceX is accelerating the return


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of the astronauts who work left up there


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for political reasons Musk also claimed


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without presenting any evidence that he


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had offered the Biden Administration a


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plan to bring the two Starliner


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astronauts back sooner without waiting


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for the crew 9 mission to return from


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the


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ISS during the recent presser aboard the


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ISS Wilmore wasn't able to confirm


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musk's claim admitting he has no


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information about that whatsoever such


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as what was offered what was not offered


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who it was offered to how that process


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went that's information that we simply


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don't have I believe him Wilmore added


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during the live broadcast


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I don't know all those details and I


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don't think any of us can give you the


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answer the astronauts downplayed their


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Extended Stay on the ISS due to the


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faulty spacecraft claiming that it's all


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part of the job we came up prepared to


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stay long even though we plann to stay


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short Wilmore said that's what we do in


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human space flight that's what your


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nation's human space flight program is


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all about planning for unknown


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unexpected


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contingencies and we did that Williams


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on the other hand did admit that the


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extra months in space did have a toll on


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people on earth I think the hardest part


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is having the folks on the ground have


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to not know exactly when we're coming


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back all of that uncertainty I think is


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probably the most difficult part


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Williams told reporters on


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Tuesday Starliner first crude test


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flight to the ISS has suffered some


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unfortunate events since its launch and


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the latest controversy surrounding the


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mission is very much on brand astronomy


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daily The podast Landing a spacecraft on


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the moon has long been a series of hits


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and misses the latest casually came this


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week after intuitive machines through a


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NASA sponsored program placed another


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Lander sideways on the moon within 24


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hours the Lander's batteries were dead


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and the mission was over last year's


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intuitive machines Mission lasted a


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little bit longer despite hampered


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operations it put us back on the moon


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for the first time since the end of the


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Apollo program another us company


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Firefly Aerospace earlier this week


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added its Luna Lander to the win list


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becoming the first private entity to


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pull off a successful moon landing both


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Texas businesses are part of NASA's


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effort to support commercial deliveries


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to the Moon ahead of astronaut missions


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later this Des decade the Moon is


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littered with wreckage from failed


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Landings over the years a rundown of the


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moon's winners and losers runs a bit


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like this the first victories are the


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Soviet Union's Luna nine successful


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touchdowns on the moon in the


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1966 after its predecessors crash or


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miss the moon altogether the US follows


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4 months later with surveyor 1 both


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countries achieve more robotic Landings


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as the race heats up to land men there


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then NASA clinches the space race with


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the Soviets in 1969 with a moon landing


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by Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz


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Aldren walking on the moon for the first


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time 12 astronauts follow and explore


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the surface over six missions before the


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program ends with Apollo 17 in


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1972 still the only country to send


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humans to the moon the United States


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hopes to return cruise to the surface by


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the end of 2026 or so a year after a


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Luna fly around by astronauts China in


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2013 became the Third Country to


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successfully land on the Moon delivering


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a Rover named U2 Chinese for Jade


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Rabbit China follows with u22 Rover in


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2019 this time touching down on the


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moon's unexplored Far Side an impressive


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first a sample return mission on the


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moon's near side in 2020 yields nearly


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1.7 kg of lunar rocks and dirt another


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sample return Mission From The Far Side


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in 2024 delivers rocks and soil from the


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less explored part of the Moon seen as


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NASA's Moon rival China aims to put its


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astronauts on the Moon by


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2030 in


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2023 Russia tried for its first moon


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landing in nearly half a century but the


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Luna 25 spacecraft smashed into the moon


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the country's previous Lander 1976's


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Luna 24 not only landed but returned


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moon rocks back to the Earth after its


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first Lander slammed into the moon in


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2019 India regroups and launches the


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chandran three threee in 2023 the craft


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successfully touches down making India


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the fourth country to score a Luna


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Landing the wind comes just 4 days after


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Russia's Crash Landing then Japan


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becomes the fifth country to land


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successfully on the moon with its


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spacecraft touching down in January the


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craft lands on the wrong side


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compromising its ability to generate


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solar power but manages to crank out


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pictures and science before falling


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silent when the long lunar KN sets in a


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privately funded Lander from Israel


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named


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Brit Hebrew for in the beginning crashes


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into the moon in 2019 a Japanese


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entrepreneurs company ipace launches a


00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:19.990
Luna Lander in 2023 but it it to wrecks


00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.790
intuitive machines becomes the first


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private outfit to achieve a safe moon


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landing the Lander tipped over on its


00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:31.150
side in 2024 but worked briefly with


00:11:31.160 --> 00:11:33.829
limited Communications another us


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company astrobotic technology tried to


00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:38.470
send a Lander to the moon the same year


00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:40.350
but had to give up because of a fuel


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leak eventually returning to Earth and


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burning up over the Pacific this year's


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private rush to the Moon kicked off with


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firefly nailing its Landing by Blue


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Ghost delivering experiments for NASA


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next came intuitive machines second


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toppling Landing one more commercial


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Landing looms Japan's ipace company aims


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to land on June 5 after sharing a rocket


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ride from Florida with blue Ghost in


00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.110
January and we wish them the very best


00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.990
of luck with that Landing you're


00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:15.350
listening to astronomy daily the podcast


00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:26.230
with Steve


00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:28.430
Dunley thank you for joining us for this


00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:30.590
Monday Edition of astronomy daily where


00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:32.389
we offer just a few stories from the now


00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.590
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there astronomy derby with Steve and Har


00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:16.150
space space science and


00:13:16.160 --> 00:13:18.590
astronomy two space probes are facing


00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.590
serious issues just days after launch


00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.350
the two spacecraft were designed under


00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.470
low budgets and the status of both is


00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:28.230
already in doubt if you need yet another


00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:29.790
reminder that space travel is


00:13:29.800 --> 00:13:31.829
ridiculously complicated two freshly


00:13:31.839 --> 00:13:33.910
launched probes have already run into


00:13:33.920 --> 00:13:37.350
trouble on February 26th a SpaceX Falcon


00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:39.189
9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space


00:13:39.199 --> 00:13:40.990
Center with a payload that included


00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.470
NASA's lunar Trailblazer and AST forge's


00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:46.949
Odin by February 28 both had experienced


00:13:46.959 --> 00:13:48.389
Communications issues with their


00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:51.389
handlers back on Earth in a statement


00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:53.509
NASA said that while lunar Trailblazer


00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:54.910
had deployed from the rocket after


00:13:54.920 --> 00:13:56.790
reaching space without incident Mission


00:13:56.800 --> 00:13:58.550
controls soon began receiving troubling


00:13:58.560 --> 00:14:00.590
data about the spacecraft's Power


00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.430
Systems at 7:30 a.m. eastern time on


00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.509
February 27th communication with


00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.790
Trailblazer was lost only to be regained


00:14:07.800 --> 00:14:10.389
several hours later the team Now is


00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:12.110
working with NASA ground stations to


00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:14.110
reestablish Telemetry and commanding to


00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:15.910
better assess the power system issues


00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:18.269
and develop potential Solutions said


00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.230
NASA lunar Trailblazer designed to orbit


00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:23.069
the Moon was built to search for clues


00:14:23.079 --> 00:14:24.910
about the location and state of its


00:14:24.920 --> 00:14:27.269
water as part of the agency's small


00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.110
Innovative missions for planetary


00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:31.790
exploration Simplex program NASA has


00:14:31.800 --> 00:14:33.829
called the lunar Trailblazer high- risk


00:14:33.839 --> 00:14:36.629
low cost although Simplex missions are


00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.230
supposed to be capped at $55 million


00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:40.790
there have been cost overruns tied to


00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:41.550
the


00:14:41.560 --> 00:14:43.550
Trailblazer according to the New York


00:14:43.560 --> 00:14:45.629
Times the cost of building and operating


00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:47.590
it has reached $94


00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:50.430
million to maintain a lower overall cost


00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:52.150
Simplex missions have a higher risk


00:14:52.160 --> 00:14:53.670
posture and lighter requirements for


00:14:53.680 --> 00:14:55.790
oversight and management NASA said on


00:14:55.800 --> 00:14:58.670
its website this higher risk acceptance


00:14:58.680 --> 00:15:00.870
allows NASA to enable science missions


00:15:00.880 --> 00:15:03.670
that could not otherwise be done AST


00:15:03.680 --> 00:15:05.710
Forge has also experienced difficulties


00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:07.509
staying in touch with its spacecraft


00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.350
named Odin the probe is designed to scan


00:15:10.360 --> 00:15:12.030
for valuable Metals as part of the


00:15:12.040 --> 00:15:14.269
company's goal of mining Asteroids for


00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.189
profit writing on X yesterday Astro


00:15:17.199 --> 00:15:18.870
Forge said it had run into countless


00:15:18.880 --> 00:15:21.030
ground station issues but had multiple


00:15:21.040 --> 00:15:23.710
communication points with Odin in a


00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:26.829
video update posted early Friday morning


00:15:26.839 --> 00:15:29.309
CEO Matt gik said Communications issues


00:15:29.319 --> 00:15:31.110
were the result of a ground-based power


00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:32.350
amplifier


00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:34.550
braking however the company believes


00:15:34.560 --> 00:15:36.790
Odin is in a power positive State and


00:15:36.800 --> 00:15:38.189
that the vehicle is roughly where it


00:15:38.199 --> 00:15:39.790
should be and is expected to reach the


00:15:39.800 --> 00:15:42.670
opposite side of the moon in 2 days as


00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:45.550
gilic admitted Astro Forge doesn't fully


00:15:45.560 --> 00:15:47.790
understand the state of the vehicle he


00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:50.389
listed two possibilities the most likely


00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.509
he said is that everything is fine but


00:15:52.519 --> 00:15:54.350
there is a possibility that the craft is


00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.829
in an uncontrolled tumble more


00:15:56.839 --> 00:15:59.910
information is expected on Friday night


00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:01.910
like lunar Trailblazer Odin is a


00:16:01.920 --> 00:16:04.910
low-budget Affair astrof Forge estimates


00:16:04.920 --> 00:16:07.629
the mission cost at $6.5 million and has


00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.230
raised at least $55 million in funding


00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:11.870
since launching in


00:16:11.880 --> 00:16:14.389
2022 the plan calls for Odin to use the


00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.230
moon's gravity to propel itself towards


00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.189
an asteroid called 2022 eb5 which is


00:16:19.199 --> 00:16:20.430
currently around


00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:24.430
6,500,000 km from Earth the timeline to


00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.030
complete the mission is


00:16:26.040 --> 00:16:28.910
uncertain before launch gilic seem to be


00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:30.749
hedging his bets saying that the low


00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:33.910
cost entailed exceptional risks tagging


00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:35.629
along on the pairs launch was a second


00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:37.350
lunar bound probe but this one's


00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:40.069
fortunes appear to be brighter thus far


00:16:40.079 --> 00:16:42.629
on February 27th intuitive machine said


00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:44.189
in a statement that its Athena lunar


00:16:44.199 --> 00:16:46.150
lander is in excellent Health having


00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:48.230
established a stable attitude its solar


00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:49.670
panels are functioning and the


00:16:49.680 --> 00:16:51.629
spacecraft is in radio


00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:54.110
communication on Friday the company said


00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:56.030
on its website that Athena is about


00:16:56.040 --> 00:16:57.990
halfway to the moon and is communicating


00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.749
fine with the mission flight


00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:01.870
controllers the Lander is scheduled to


00:17:01.880 --> 00:17:03.790
touch down on the surface on Thursday


00:17:03.800 --> 00:17:04.630
March


00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:07.150
6th space travel is tricky with


00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:09.069
countless variables that can go wrong in


00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:10.350
what is one of the most hostile


00:17:10.360 --> 00:17:11.669
environments


00:17:11.679 --> 00:17:13.870
imaginable some people and we're not


00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:15.870
naming names may think risking human


00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:17.390
lives on full hearty missions through


00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:19.829
the void is reasonable the two


00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:21.270
spacecraft's troubles should be a


00:17:21.280 --> 00:17:27.029
reminder that it is not astronomy daily


00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:31.510
the the intu machines Athena moonlander


00:17:31.520 --> 00:17:34.310
is confirmed dead after toppling on its


00:17:34.320 --> 00:17:36.510
side it ended up on its side on the L


00:17:36.520 --> 00:17:38.990
surface of the Moon according to


00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:41.390
spokesman from intuitive machines this


00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:43.470
week the Athena Lander will not be able


00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:45.630
to recharge its batteries due to the


00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:47.950
orientation of its solar panels less


00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:49.870
than a day after intuitive machines


00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:51.990
landed on the moon the company declared


00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.390
an early end to its mission after its


00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:57.590
Athena spacecraft wound up in an


00:17:57.600 --> 00:17:59.350
compromised position on on the lunar


00:17:59.360 --> 00:18:01.830
surface Athena touched down on the moon


00:18:01.840 --> 00:18:05.630
on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. Eastern uh


00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:08.590
time its Landing was less than ideal


00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:10.310
they said however the as the Lander


00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:13.710
ended up 250 M away from its targeted


00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:15.710
Landing site in


00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:18.950
monmon L located in the southern pole


00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.710
region of the Moon images downlink from


00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.870
the mission confirmed that Athena was on


00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:26.029
its side inside the crater and its


00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.750
batteries had in fact died with the


00:18:28.760 --> 00:18:30.830
direction of the Sun the orientation of


00:18:30.840 --> 00:18:33.789
the solar panels and the extreme cold


00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.029
temperatures in the crat crater


00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:38.350
intuitive machines does not expect


00:18:38.360 --> 00:18:41.310
Athena to recharge the company wrote in


00:18:41.320 --> 00:18:44.750
an update on Friday Athena managed to


00:18:44.760 --> 00:18:46.710
send back pictures confirming its


00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:49.310
position and activate a few experiments


00:18:49.320 --> 00:18:51.830
before going silent NASA and other


00:18:51.840 --> 00:18:54.149
customers had packed the Lander with


00:18:54.159 --> 00:18:56.110
tens of millions of dollars worth of


00:18:56.120 --> 00:18:59.190
experiments including an ice drill drone


00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.070
and a pair of Rovers to roam the


00:19:01.080 --> 00:19:03.510
unexplored terrain ahead of astronauts


00:19:03.520 --> 00:19:06.510
planned arrival later this decade it's


00:19:06.520 --> 00:19:08.710
unlikely that Athena's batteries can be


00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.270
recharged given the way the Lander solar


00:19:11.280 --> 00:19:13.830
panels are pointed and the extreme cold


00:19:13.840 --> 00:19:16.669
in the crater the mission has concluded


00:19:16.679 --> 00:19:19.070
and teams are continuing to assess the


00:19:19.080 --> 00:19:20.909
data collected throughout the mission


00:19:20.919 --> 00:19:23.190
the company said in a statement the


00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:25.390
bigger four-wheeled Rover carried by


00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:27.350
Athena never made it off The Fallen


00:19:27.360 --> 00:19:29.789
Lander but data being back indicated


00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:31.750
that it had survived and could have


00:19:31.760 --> 00:19:34.149
driven away had everything gone well


00:19:34.159 --> 00:19:37.470
said Luna Outpost the Colorado company


00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:41.070
that owns it the mission has concluded


00:19:41.080 --> 00:19:44.270
and teams are continuing to assess the


00:19:44.280 --> 00:19:47.669
data this is the second time a Lander by


00:19:47.679 --> 00:19:50.470
intuitive machines toppled sideways and


00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:52.830
represented a blow to the company's goal


00:19:52.840 --> 00:19:55.310
by launching payloads to the Moon


00:19:55.320 --> 00:19:58.070
regularly the Athena launched on


00:19:58.080 --> 00:20:01.149
February 6 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9


00:20:01.159 --> 00:20:03.549
rocket as part of NASA's commercial Luna


00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:05.950
payload Services Program the Lander was


00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:07.909
packed with NASA science tools and


00:20:07.919 --> 00:20:10.270
instruments including micronova robot


00:20:10.280 --> 00:20:13.750
named Grace which is designed to hop in


00:20:13.760 --> 00:20:16.430
and out of nearby craters on the moon


00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:19.310
the Lander entered a new uh lunar orbit


00:20:19.320 --> 00:20:21.110
on Monday before attempting to touch


00:20:21.120 --> 00:20:24.029
down on the surface the following a nail


00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:26.310
biting descent intuitive machines was


00:20:26.320 --> 00:20:28.630
working to figure out the Landers


00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.070
orientation on the moon we don't believe


00:20:31.080 --> 00:20:32.669
that we're in the correct attitude on


00:20:32.679 --> 00:20:35.630
the moon on the moon surface yet again


00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:38.590
intuitive machine CEO Steve Ultimus said


00:20:38.600 --> 00:20:41.270
in a press briefing on Thursday I don't


00:20:41.280 --> 00:20:43.390
have all the data yet to say exactly


00:20:43.400 --> 00:20:45.630
what the attit attitude of the vehicle


00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:49.110
is at the time Ultimus was still hopeful


00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:51.029
that the mission would operate in some


00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:54.070
capacity on the surface of the Moon he


00:20:54.080 --> 00:20:56.270
goes on to say we will then work closely


00:20:56.280 --> 00:20:58.590
with NASA Science and Technology Group


00:20:58.600 --> 00:21:00.830
group to identify science objectives


00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:03.310
that are the highest priority and then


00:21:03.320 --> 00:21:05.430
we'll figure out what the mission will


00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.470
look like he said on Thursday but it now


00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:10.310
seems that all hope is lost for Athena


00:21:10.320 --> 00:21:12.269
the South Pole region of the moon is


00:21:12.279 --> 00:21:14.110
particularly difficult to reach and


00:21:14.120 --> 00:21:16.990
operate on given the harsh Sun angles


00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:19.029
limited communication and withe Earth


00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.750
and Uncharted rugged terrain after


00:21:21.760 --> 00:21:23.549
Athena's Landing the closest to


00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:25.789
spacecraft has come to the South Pole is


00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:28.830
just 100 m away that's where NASA is


00:21:28.840 --> 00:21:30.390
targeting for its first landing by


00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:33.510
astronauts since the 1960s and70s Apollo


00:21:33.520 --> 00:21:37.710
program no earlier than 2027 or so the


00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:39.669
craters are believed to hold tons of


00:21:39.679 --> 00:21:41.310
Frozen water that could be used by


00:21:41.320 --> 00:21:43.630
Future Crews to drink or turn into


00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:45.990
Rocket Fuel intuitive machines has


00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:48.590
contracts with NASA for two more Landing


00:21:48.600 --> 00:21:50.750
deliveries the company said it will need


00:21:50.760 --> 00:21:52.710
to determine exactly what went wrong


00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:54.630
this time before launching the next


00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:57.029
mission in both Landings by intuitive


00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.269
machines problems arose at the last


00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:01.549
minute with the prime laser navigation


00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:03.830
system intuitive machine rocket


00:22:03.840 --> 00:22:06.830
propelled drone Grace was supposed to


00:22:06.840 --> 00:22:08.830
hop across the lunar surface before


00:22:08.840 --> 00:22:11.590
jumping into a crater to look for Frozen


00:22:11.600 --> 00:22:13.310
water the two Rovers from the other


00:22:13.320 --> 00:22:15.669
companies one American and one Japanese


00:22:15.679 --> 00:22:17.590
were going to scout around the area as


00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:20.590
well NASA's ice drill experiment was


00:22:20.600 --> 00:22:22.549
activated before the land of batteries


00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:25.029
died how much could be accomplished is


00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.390
not immediately known several other


00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:28.950
objectives were accelerated ated in


00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.630
Milestones met according to the company


00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:35.750
which is good news NASA paid $62 million


00:22:35.760 --> 00:22:38.190
to intuitive machines to get its three


00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:40.269
experiments to the Moon intuitive


00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:41.750
machines has been here before the


00:22:41.760 --> 00:22:43.549
company launched its first Luna Lander


00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:47.149
named adicus in February 2024 adicus


00:22:47.159 --> 00:22:49.190
managed to reach the lunar surface but


00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.750
its Landing wasn't so smooth either one


00:22:51.760 --> 00:22:53.789
of its Landing legs may have gotten


00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:55.590
caught during its descent causing it to


00:22:55.600 --> 00:22:57.950
tip over on its side and end up lying


00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:00.269
sideways on a rock the mission did


00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:02.510
operate for 7 Days on the lunar surface


00:23:02.520 --> 00:23:04.870
and the company became the first to land


00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:07.350
a private Lander on the moon this is an


00:23:07.360 --> 00:23:08.990
unfortunate ending to the follow-up


00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.190
Mission but intuitive machines is aiming


00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.510
to launch its third mission later this


00:23:13.520 --> 00:23:23.110
year hopefully with better


00:23:23.120 --> 00:23:25.549
luck thanks again for staying with us


00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:27.789
for another episode of astronomy daily


00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:29.190
yes and don't forget to visit those


00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:31.110
locations I mentioned earlier so that


00:23:31.120 --> 00:23:32.390
you can get the astronomy daily


00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:34.990
newsletter in your email every day


00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:36.630
you'll never miss all the latest news


00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:38.909
about space space science and astronomy


00:23:38.919 --> 00:23:41.149
from all around the world and Beyond


00:23:41.159 --> 00:23:43.269
that's right so we will catch you all


00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:45.190
next Monday this is Steve Dunley the


00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.190
only human host on the channel and hie


00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:50.590
the best reporter on the channel hey say


00:23:50.600 --> 00:23:53.470
what it's true yeah okay what have you


00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:58.590
say hie see you next week everybody bye


00:23:58.600 --> 00:24:05.039
da the podcast with your host Steve dun