1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello again Steve Dunkley with you for Astronomy Daily. It is the fourth of 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:11,560 December twenty twenty three, podca. I mean to be a whole Steve Dunkle 3 00:00:17,519 --> 00:00:20,640 And as always, a big hello to Halle, who's been hanging around the 4 00:00:20,679 --> 00:00:25,719 Etho looking for stories from the Astronomy Daily newsletter. Hello Holly, that's right, 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,239 more tales from orbit and beyond today and every day. Steve. Nice 6 00:00:31,239 --> 00:00:34,359 to be back in the Newcastle studio with you. Nice to have you on 7 00:00:34,439 --> 00:00:37,399 Dick again, Halle. What's cooking? Well? I know you're a keen 8 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,159 science fiction fan, Steve. Did you know that it was the fiftieth anniversary 9 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,079 of a famous animated sci fi feature movie this week? Ooh animated science fiction? 10 00:00:48,119 --> 00:00:51,200 Which one was that one? Hallie? Do you remember the French production 11 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:55,640 Fantastic Planet? Oh, Fantastic Planet. I sure to remember that one. 12 00:00:55,799 --> 00:01:00,640 I saw it at the old Chelsea Theater in East Maitland here in the Huda 13 00:01:00,719 --> 00:01:03,480 Valley. It was part of a double feature touring the theaters in Australia that 14 00:01:03,599 --> 00:01:08,640 summer. And what was the other movie? Let me think Crystal Voyager. 15 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,000 It was a surf film with the soundtrack by Pink Floyd. It was a 16 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,760 big summer for me that one. So you got your sci fi, surf 17 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:21,120 and Pink Floyd all rolled into one movie ticket. Yeah, I guess you 18 00:01:21,159 --> 00:01:26,560 could say that Fantastic Planet that was a really strange one, a psychedelic trip 19 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,760 into another world where the usual just doesn't belong, and as teenagers it had 20 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,760 us scratching our heads. I can't believe that is fifty years ago, half 21 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:38,640 a century. Thanks, Hallie. I think I'll go have a lie down 22 00:01:38,719 --> 00:01:45,000 now, silly human, Maybe you should lie down. Even the old Chelsea 23 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,480 Theater isn't there anymore. Oh great, thanks for making me feel so ancient 24 00:01:49,519 --> 00:01:53,680 and decrepit, Hallie. Yeah, oh boy. Anyway, so what's on 25 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:57,799 the menu, Hallie? Right, so we've talked about Fantastic Planet already, 26 00:01:59,439 --> 00:02:02,000 Yes, I yet recover. Well, I've got a little more about that 27 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:07,719 classic for our science fiction fans, just like you, Steve Terrific. There's 28 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:12,759 news of Hubble's gyroscope issues. NASA is trying to work that out. Yes, 29 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,439 ahead, that one of the three genres is out of action, Halle. 30 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:21,120 That's right. It's been dropping out since November nineteenth twice in fact. 31 00:02:22,039 --> 00:02:27,000 But NASA says the space telescope can be reconfigured to operate with only one gyroscope 32 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,879 if necessary. Well, that's mate. It remains to be seen what they 33 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,840 come up with. But Steve, keep in mind that the spacecraft had six 34 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,879 new gyros installed during the final Shuttle mission in two thousand and nine, and 35 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:43,599 today three of those gyros, including the one that is now experiencing fluctuations, 36 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,199 remain operational. Well, it sounds like a joke for NASA's finest it sure 37 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:52,919 does. And I know you love talking nebulas and FRBs, so I found 38 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,680 a great story about both. Oh hellye stopped tasing. It's true, and 39 00:02:57,759 --> 00:03:01,719 of course no week would be complete with another SpaceX Starlink launch. And tonight 40 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:08,840 he correctly that SPICEX has approval for another thirty thousand starling craft. Stay tuned, 41 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,240 human, Well are you going to keep us in suspense? Okay, 42 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,919 Well, that sounds like a colorful collection of tasteful tiles, hallie, and 43 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,000 while out and get a ZIST eleven pick me up. The stage is yours, 44 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,840 Thank you, Steve. Here are some tales from the Astronomy Daily newsletter 45 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:37,639 in the immersive arena of global animation, where anything is possible. Director Renee 46 00:03:37,719 --> 00:03:44,319 Lalua's counterculture gem fantastic planet La Planite Savage remains unrivaled in its strange and surreal 47 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,919 fable set on the pastel hued alien planet of Igum, and today, on 48 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,560 the occasion the French movie's milestone fiftieth anniversary, its themes and symbolisms feel even 49 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:58,240 more relevant than when it originally premiered, due to its detailed world building, 50 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,639 haunting characters and musicians Alan Geager's jazzy rock score that leaves an entrancing effect on 51 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:09,400 adventurous souls who fall victim to its innumerable emotional charms. This cult feature film 52 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,120 rattled the inventive medium starting back on December first, nineteen seventy three, when 53 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,000 it was first released, and has remained a touchstone of inspiration and influence for 54 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:24,000 generations ever since. Its politically charged allegory of violent oppression set on a bizarre 55 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,040 world, is injected with hot topic earth like issues of racism, animals, 56 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,959 rights, tyranny, and enslavement, all presented here for viewers moral meditations while 57 00:04:31,959 --> 00:04:39,839 being embraced in a delirious animated dream. Nasa is troubleshooting Hubble's gyroscope issue to 58 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:46,160 resume its science operations, ensuring its continued astronomical discoveries alongside telescopes like the James 59 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,639 Web. NASA is working to resume science operations of the agency's Hubble Space telescope 60 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:57,120 after it entered safe mode on November twenty three due to an ongoing gyroscope issue. 61 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,480 Hubble's instruments are stable and the telescope is in good health. The telescope 62 00:05:01,519 --> 00:05:08,199 automatically entered safe mode when one of its three gyroscopes gave faulty readings. The 63 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,639 gyros measured the telescope's turn rates and are part of the system that determines which 64 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:17,720 direction the telescope is pointed. While in safe mode, science operations are suspended 65 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:23,399 and the telescope weights for new directions from the ground. The team is now 66 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,839 running tests to characterize the issue and develop solutions. If necessary, the spacecraft 67 00:05:29,879 --> 00:05:33,920 can be reconfigured to operate with only one gyroscope. The spacecraft had six new 68 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:40,959 gyros installed during the fifth and final Space Shuttle servicing mission in two thousand nine. 69 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,560 To date, three of those gyros remain operational, including the gyros currently 70 00:05:45,639 --> 00:05:51,439 experiencing fluctuations. Hubble uses three gyros to maximize efficiency, but could continue to 71 00:05:51,439 --> 00:05:58,680 make science observations with only one gyros if required. Astronomers from the Netherlands have 72 00:05:58,759 --> 00:06:03,240 provided compelling evident linking a repeating fast radio burst source to a potential hypernebula. 73 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:10,000 The team has made significant strides in understanding these mysterious cosmic phenomena, and the 74 00:06:10,079 --> 00:06:15,639 research marks a notable advancement in the study of frb's and their origins. Fast 75 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:20,079 radio bursts are fleeting but powerful bursts of radio waves originating billions of light years 76 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:26,959 away. Some like FRB two zero one two one one zero two A are 77 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:31,360 known to repeat, offering valuable insights into their nature. The recent focus, 78 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:36,240 however, has been on FRB two zero one nine zero five two zero B, 79 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,720 a new repeating source. We were able to constrain the size of the 80 00:06:40,759 --> 00:06:46,399 potential hypernebula FRB two zero one nine zero five two zero B to be less 81 00:06:46,399 --> 00:06:48,639 than thirty light years in diameter, which is three times the size of the 82 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:54,839 crab nebula in our own Milky Way galaxy. The team estimates the luminosity of 83 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,720 this object to be around one hundred thousand times that of the Sun, showcasing 84 00:06:58,759 --> 00:07:04,759 its extraordinary energy A leading theory suggests they are produced by magnetars highly magnetic neutron 85 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:10,800 stars. These stars, which are remnants of supernovae, could emit a powerful 86 00:07:10,839 --> 00:07:15,759 wind of charged particles, forming a nebulous region in their vicinity. Another intriguing 87 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:21,360 possibility is that the hypernebula is powered not by magnetic decay, but by gravitational 88 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:27,920 potential energy. This would imply frb's being produced in the powerful outflows from a 89 00:07:27,959 --> 00:07:31,560 black hole or a neutron star consuming matter from a nearby companion star at extremely 90 00:07:31,639 --> 00:07:38,079 high rates. Astronomers continue to grapple with the origins and nature of FRBs. 91 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:43,959 These latest findings, while shedding light on some aspects, also raise new questions 92 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:50,600 about the diversity of astronomical objects capable of producing such intense radio bursts. SpaceX 93 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:56,160 added twenty three more satellites to its Starlink Internet constellation. On Saturday night, 94 00:07:56,319 --> 00:08:01,519 December second, a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket carrying the communication satellites lifted off from 95 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:07,800 Florida's Cape Canaveral Space four station at eleven PM Eastern Standard time for a clock 96 00:08:07,879 --> 00:08:13,160 GMT. On December three. The Falcon nine's first stage came back to Earth 97 00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:16,839 for a vertical landing. About eight point five minutes after launch. It touched 98 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:20,600 down on the drone ship a shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed in the 99 00:08:20,639 --> 00:08:26,600 Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. It was the sixth launch and landing for 100 00:08:26,639 --> 00:08:31,360 this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. The twenty three Starlink 101 00:08:31,399 --> 00:08:37,039 satellites, meanwhile, were scheduled to deploy from the Falcon nine's upper stage into 102 00:08:37,039 --> 00:08:43,320 Low Earth Orbit LO about sixty five point five minutes after liftoff. The Starlink 103 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:46,919 network, which beams Internet service down to people around the world, already features 104 00:08:46,919 --> 00:08:54,440 more than five thousand operational spacecraft, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, 105 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,919 but that number keeps growing and likely will far into the future. Space 106 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,720 Sex already has permission to deploy twelve thousand Starlink craft into l EO, and 107 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:07,960 it has applied for approval for another thirty thousand. On top of that, 108 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:24,960 Astronomy Daily the podcast with Steve Dugley and Howie ah Yes, thank you Holley 109 00:09:26,039 --> 00:09:31,320 for all those wonderful stories, and they're straight off the Astronomy Daily newsletter, 110 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:37,080 which you can receive in your email every day the keep you informed about science, 111 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:41,960 space, science and beyond. Just go to these addresses space nuts dot 112 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:48,440 io and bytes dot com. That's b E s Z dot com and just 113 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:54,159 drop your email address in the slot provided and you receive that email in your 114 00:09:54,080 --> 00:10:00,120 you'll receive the newsletter in your email. It's full of lots of juicy tippits 115 00:10:00,159 --> 00:10:07,120 and stories at everything that's relevant that's happening in the sky today. Now, 116 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:11,600 you might have noticed the news report of North Korea's launch of a reported spy 117 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:16,720 satellite last week. North Korea said Tuesday that its new spy satellite, launched 118 00:10:16,799 --> 00:10:22,000 last week has photographed US government and military facilities, including the White House and 119 00:10:22,039 --> 00:10:28,519 the Pentagon. North Korean leader Kim Jong un received a briefing on the operations 120 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:33,480 of the reconnaissance satellite and reviewed photographs of locations including Naval Station Norfolk, the 121 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:39,440 Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, the White House, and the Pentagon. All 122 00:10:39,519 --> 00:10:45,519 this according to state run Korean Central News Agency. It also added that four 123 00:10:45,759 --> 00:10:50,279 US Navy nuclear carriers and one British aircraft carrier were spotted in the photographs. 124 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:56,600 They said imperious leader Kim also looked at the pictures of Rome, Italy and 125 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:03,559 Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. Added, state media has not released any 126 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:09,080 photographs taken by satellite, and military analysts have questioned the resolution and quality of 127 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:16,480 the images it is capable of capturing. Pyongyang said it successfully launched its homegrown 128 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:24,399 Mallingyong one reconnaissance satellite on nove November twenty one. It marked the third attempt 129 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,679 by the isolated regime to place a military spy satellite into orbit this year, 130 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,639 after failures in May and August, and in more recent release, North Korea 131 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:43,039 warned on Saturday that it would quote destroy US space satellites spy satellites if Washington 132 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:48,440 tries any attack on its space assets. After Pyongyang launched its first military eye 133 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,399 in the sky last week, as just reported, and not surprisingly, a 134 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:58,879 spokesman for the North's defense ministry said it would consider such a move a declaration 135 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:05,039 of war. The statement came after a US's official remark that Washington could deny 136 00:12:05,159 --> 00:12:13,159 an adversary space and counter space capabilities using a variety of reversible and irreversible means, 137 00:12:13,919 --> 00:12:18,519 referring to the North's successful spy launch, the US military could undermine the 138 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:26,360 quote effectiveness and lethality of adversaries forces across all domains, Sheryl Clinkle, a 139 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,759 spokesman at the US Space Command, told Radio Free Asia this week. On 140 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,840 Saturday, Beeongyang threatened to quote destroy US space satellites if Washington tries to violate 141 00:12:35,919 --> 00:12:41,799 the legitimate territory of North Korea, referring to its satellite program. North Korea 142 00:12:41,919 --> 00:12:48,840 is barred by successive rounds of US resolutions from tests using ballistic technology, and 143 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:56,519 analysts say there is a significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development 144 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:03,519 of ballistic missiles. Experts have said putting a working reconnaissance satellite into orbit would 145 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:09,519 improve North Korea's intelligence gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, and provide crucial 146 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:13,279 data in any military conflict. Since last week's launch, the North has claimed 147 00:13:13,279 --> 00:13:18,720 its satellite has already provided images of major US and South Korean military sites. 148 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,279 It has not yet disclosed any of the satellite imagery it claims to possess now. 149 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,600 If the United States attempts to breach its space rights, the North's defense 150 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:37,159 ministry spokesman said his country will quote consider taking responsive action measures for self defense 151 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:45,720 to undermine or destroy the viability of US spy satellites, and on a lighter 152 00:13:45,759 --> 00:13:48,120 note, he has more good news we hope from the ESA. Europe's new 153 00:13:48,159 --> 00:13:54,000 heavy lift rocket has a firm launch date. At last, the European Space 154 00:13:54,080 --> 00:14:01,000 Agency ISA Arian six rocket from Aryan Space will bring its debut mission to space 155 00:14:01,159 --> 00:14:05,440 no earlier than June fifteen, twenty twenty four. Officials with the testing team 156 00:14:05,519 --> 00:14:11,720 announced Thursday that's November thirty. On board will be a set of small satellites, 157 00:14:11,759 --> 00:14:16,559 including two from NASA, representatives added on a live streamed briefing recently. 158 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,120 After four years of delays for Aaran six, progress is accelerating. A scale 159 00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:26,720 model of the heavy lift rocket also finished a critical hot fire on the pad 160 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:33,240 last week Coro of French Guyana, which ESA director Joseph Ashbacher said was a 161 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:39,200 big milestone. He cautiously predicted that the launch will be somewhere between the fifth 162 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,039 of June and the thirty first of July next year, but also cited that 163 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,919 it is rocket science that is at stake. Therefore it is to be expected 164 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,480 that there may be one or the other of delays that can occur. Arian 165 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:54,639 five launched the European spacecraft for more than twenty five years, sending more than 166 00:14:54,639 --> 00:15:01,080 a one hundred missions aloft between nineteen ninety six and two thousandths three. Prominent 167 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:07,039 missions included the James Webb Space Telescope, the Jupiter icy Moons Explorer Juice, 168 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,360 and the Rosetta Comet spacecraft craft, not to mention a dozen or so Galileo 169 00:15:11,519 --> 00:15:18,919 navigation satellites that give Europe its own GPS access. Europe has emphasized that it 170 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:24,000 requires independent launching access to space, but lately it has been relied much like 171 00:15:24,399 --> 00:15:28,840 much of the industry, on space X, which launched the EUCLID dark matter 172 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:33,759 hunting mission on July one, for example, after Arian six debut launch continued 173 00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:39,879 to slip. Arian six was conceived in the early twenty tens to meet a 174 00:15:39,039 --> 00:15:45,879 new generation of launching needs. Lowering costs are launching more satellites to different orbits 175 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:50,519 at once, for example, after the aging Aran five design retired this July. 176 00:15:50,279 --> 00:15:54,840 But numerous technical obstacles and the COVID nineteen pandemic got in the way of 177 00:15:54,919 --> 00:16:00,720 Arian six's planned gate opening mission in twenty twenty. We were literally in crisis, 178 00:16:00,759 --> 00:16:04,559 Ashbaker said. Of the gap, he said the problem was compounded by 179 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:11,519 poor communication about milestones and delays. Today, however, regular and detailed reports 180 00:16:11,519 --> 00:16:15,840 are now available to ESA member states, the public and journalists after Arian six's 181 00:16:15,879 --> 00:16:22,000 task force meetings. We have learned our lessons, Ashbaker said, acknowledging the 182 00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:26,519 help of Aryan Space, Aryan Group and the French National Space Agency in addressing 183 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:32,000 issues as they arise. We have been sitting together and we have taken very 184 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,480 clear action to overcome the crisis as we call it. It literally was a 185 00:16:36,559 --> 00:16:40,240 crisis. We had to get out and let me say that we have done 186 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:44,960 this together. This is not ESA alone and won't it be great to see 187 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:51,480 the European Space Agency joining the new space race for real with regular flights, 188 00:16:51,799 --> 00:17:03,000 exciting yews. And that's a wrap. Thanks for listening in. It's been 189 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:07,200 Astronomy Daily for another week. Each week you'll find myself Steve Dunkley on Mondays, 190 00:17:07,279 --> 00:17:11,559 Tim Gibson Fridays and from either end of the globe because the world is 191 00:17:11,759 --> 00:17:18,000 not flat. Yeah, And you'll find all the back episodes of Astronomy Daily 192 00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:22,240 as well as our parent podcast, Space Nuts with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred 193 00:17:22,279 --> 00:17:26,720 Watson. They can be found at these places bites dot com that's b I 194 00:17:26,799 --> 00:17:32,119 T E s z dot com, or if you're in the Northern Hemisphere b 195 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:37,519 I T E s z dot com or space nuts dot io. Go to 196 00:17:37,559 --> 00:17:42,039 those addresses and also drop your email address in the slot provided to receive the 197 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:48,000 Astronomy Daily newsletter and receive all the news about space, space science, and 198 00:17:48,079 --> 00:17:52,799 beyond. Thanks for staying with us. This is Steve Dunkley for Astronomy Daily. 199 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:59,599 See you next time, Steven