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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to source

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for the latest and most exciting developments in the world

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of space and astronomy. I'm your host, Anna, and I'm

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thrilled to have you join me for today's Cosmic Journey.

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In this episode, we'll be exploring a range of fascinating

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topics that are shaping our understanding of the universe. We'll

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dive into recent advancements in telescope technology that are pushing

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the boundaries of what we can see and learn about

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distant celestial objects. We'll also take a look at some

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intriguing space missions that are expanding our reach beyond Earth

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and uncovering new secrets of our Solar System and beyond.

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And of course, we'll delve into some captivating celestial phenomena

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that continue to inspire, wonder and awe. So strap in

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and get ready for a thrilling ride through the cosmos

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as we explore the latest news and discoveries in the

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world of astronomy. Let's kick things off today with an

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update to a project that's well underway. Exciting progress is

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being made on the giant Magellan telescope, which is set

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to become the world's largest telescope when completed. The latest

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update from the project team reveals a sign magnificant milestone,

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the successful installation of the primary mirror into a support

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system prototype. This achievement marks a crucial step forward in

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the telescope's development. The primary mirror, spanning an area about

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half the size of a basketball court, is now undergoing

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a six month optical testing phase to prove the capabilities

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of its light collecting surface. What makes this telescope truly

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remarkable is its potential power. According to Barbara Fisher, the

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primary mirror subsystem manager, it could deliver up to two

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hundred times the power of today's best telescopes. The mirror

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support system operates with nanometer precision, constantly adjusting the mirror's

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position and shape to maintain optimal performance. The Giant Magellan

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Telescope is a collaborative effort involving fourteen research institutions worldwide,

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including the Australian National University. Construction is underway on the

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summit of Las Campanas Mountain in Chile, with the telescope

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expected to be operational by the early twenty thirties. This

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ambitious project, with a price tag of nearly two point

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five four bids million US dollars, promises to revolutionize our

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view of the Cosmos, offering unprecedented image resolution over the

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widest field of view ever achieved. Next, there doesn't seem

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to be a day go by without SpaceX being in

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the news for one reason or another, and today is

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no exception. In a significant development for space exploration and

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national security, SpaceX has secured a massive contract from the

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US Space Force. The aerospace company has been awarded seven

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hundred and thirty three point six million dollars for a

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series of national security launches. This contract encompasses two task

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orders under the National Security Space Launch Phase three Lane

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one program. The deal includes seven launches for the Space

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Development Agency, or SDA, and at least one mission set

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for the National Reconnaissance Office known as the NRO. These

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launches will play a crucial role in expanding the sda's

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Transport Layer, a planned constellation of hundreds of satellites in

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low Earth orbit designed to provide global military data and connectivity.

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This contract highlights the increasing reliance on private companies like

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SpaceX for critical national security missions. It also underscores the

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rapid growth of space based defense and intelligence capabilities. With

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these new launches. SpaceX continues to cement its position as

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a key player in both commercial and government space operations,

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now a problem that's needed addressing for some time. In

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an exciting development for space waste management, Sierra Space has

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announced plans to launch a trash compactor to the International

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Space Station in twenty twenty six. This innovative device aims

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to tackle the growing problem of garbage disposal in long

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term space missions. Unlike on Earth, where we can simply

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toss our trash, space stations face unique challenges in managing waste.

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The Cierra Space compactor is designed to transform garbage into

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compact tiles, which could serve a dual purpose. Not only

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will this reduce the volume of waste, but these tiles

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might also be repurposed as additional radiation shielding for spacecraft.

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What's more, the system is capable of extracting nearly all

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the water from garbage for recycling, a crucial feature for

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conserving resources in space. This technology could prove invaluable for

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future missions to the Moon or Mars, where efficient waste

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management will be essential for astronauts safety and mission success.

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The compactor has a distinctive look as well, with some

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media outlets, already saying the machine looks like wall E.

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It'll probably stick. Okay, moving on, Exciting new research suggests

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that we might be getting closer to studying our nearest

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stellar neighbors without leaving Earth. Planetary scientist Cole Greg from

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the University of Western Ontario has conducted calculations indicating that

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material ejected from the Alpha Centauri system could be streaming

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past our planet. Using a simplified model of the Milky Way,

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Greg found that a small fraction about zero point zero

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three percent of objects expelled from Alpha Centauri might reach

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our solar system. What's more, these objects could potentially be

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recognized as originating from that nearby star system. This opens

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up fascinating possibilities for studying materi from beyond our Solar system.

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While we've only identified two interstellar visitors so far, u

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Muamua and Borisov, it's been impossible to trace their origins

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to specific star systems. Greg's model, however, starts by calculating

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how objects would behave after being ejected from a known

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nearby system like Alpha Centauri. The gravitational interactions between Alpha

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Centauri's three stars could potentially eject material ranging from tiny

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grains to kilometer sized comets and asteroids. These objects would

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continue orbiting the galaxy, potentially forming a stream with similar

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orbital properties. If detected near Earth, these shared characteristics could

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reveal their alpha centaury origin. While more detailed modeling is needed,

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this research opens up the tantalizing possibility of studying material

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from our cosmic neighbors, right in our own backyard. Some

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news from the United Kingdom now. Skyrora, a Scottish space company,

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is setting its sites on a suborbital launch from British

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soil in spring twenty twenty five. This ambitious goal comes

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after facing a year of regulatory delays in the UK's

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nascent space launch industry. The company had initially hoped to

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conduct this mission much sooner, but the complexities of navigating

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a new regulatory landscape have pushed their timeline back. The

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planned launch will use Skyrora's Skylark L rocket, an eleven

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meter long single stage vehicle. This mission is crucial for

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Skyrora as it will help de risk their larger Skyrora

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XL rocket designed for orbital launches. The company is working

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closely with the UK's Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory

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bodies to secure the necessary licenses and approvals. These regulatory

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hurdles highlight the challenges faced by private space companies as

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the UK works to establish itself as a competitive player

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in the global space industry. Despite the setbacks, Skyrora remains

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committed to its goals and continues to make progress on

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both its suborbital and orbital launch systems. And finally, today,

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as we look ahead to next year's celestial events, stargazer

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might want to mark their calendars for the Orionid meteor

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shower in twenty twenty four. Unfortunately, it's not all good

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news for media enthusiasts. The peak of the Orionids, expected

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this coming Monday, October twenty first, will face significant challenges

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due to moonlight interference. A bright, waning gibbous moon will

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be present for most of the night, potentially washing out

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many of the fainter meteors. Despite this setback, the Orionids

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remain a fascinating event, closely tied to one of astronomy's

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most famous objects, Halle's Comet. These meteors are actually tiny

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fragments left behind by Halle as it orbits the Sun.

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So while we won't see the comet itself until twenty

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sixty one. The Orionids offer us a chance to witness

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its cosmic debris. For those determined to catch a glimpse,

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your best bet will be in the early pre dawn

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hours when Orion is highest in the southern sky. Just

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remember patients and dark skies are key, and you might

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still spot a few of the brighter meteors streaking across

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the night. And that wraps up our journey through the cosmos.

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For today, we've explored the progress of the Giant Magellan Telescope,

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SpaceX's new contracts with the Space Force, innovative waste management

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solutions for the ISS, potential interstellar visitors from Alpha Centauri,

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Skyrora's launch ambitions, and the upcoming Orionid meteor Shower. For

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more details on these stories and other fascinating space and

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astronomy news, head over to our website at Astronomy Daily

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dot io. There you can sign up for our free

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daily newsletter and catch up on all the latest developments

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with our constantly updating news feed. You can also listen

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to all our back episodes. Don't forget to follow us

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on social media. Search for astro Daily Pod on facebookx YouTube,

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and TikTok to stay connected with us between episodes. This

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is Anna and I'll be back on Tuesday with Steve

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and Hallie bringing you all the latest space news on Monday.

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Thank you for tuning into Astronomy Daily, and don't forget

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to help spread the word by telling all your friends

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about us. Keep looking up and we'll see you next

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time among the stars. Bye now me day. Star is

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the Toll. The Star is the Toll, Star is the

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sou