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Speaker 1: Welcome aboard again. I'm Steve Dunkley, your host. It's the

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twenty third of March twenty twenty five. It's Astronomy Daily Time.

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Speaker 2: The podcast your whole Steve Dunkle.

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Speaker 1: Yes, welcome to Astronomy Daily the Podcast. Off we go

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with another round of stories. Gleamed from the ever interesting

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Astronomy Daily newsletter and joining me as usual to share

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her quota of stories and keep me in line. Of course,

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is my electric pal, who's fun to be with. Here's Hellie.

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Speaker 3: Thanks, my favorite human. Another fine introduction as always, Halle,

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Just trying to make you feel welcome. Nice And we've

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got a couple of interesting stories on the board today.

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Speaker 1: I see, Yes, sir, Helle, you're taking us all the

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way to Greenland, a very topical tale of all that's

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been going on in the news in that region of.

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Speaker 3: Late Specifically, I'll be talking about Space Force's role in Greenland,

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which is a bit of an eye opener.

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Speaker 1: Yes, and I'm going to the other side of the globe,

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which is kind of a weird thing for me to say,

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because it's a story for my own backyard.

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Speaker 3: Great, I love your Aussie tails.

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Speaker 1: That's Ausy, not us.

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Speaker 3: What is it this time. Wow, Well, satellite tracking of

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the migration of crocodiles.

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Speaker 2: What no?

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Speaker 3: Or the development of a new outback GPS that uses

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the magnetic resonance of the nullerboard desert's underground rivers.

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Speaker 2: Helle, what no?

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Speaker 1: What have you been reading?

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Speaker 3: Oh? I found a pile of old science fiction manuscripts

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in an old hard drive during the archive clean out.

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Speaker 1: Hey, that wouldn't be the one named Steve's story file.

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Do not open that. That would have been mine. That's

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the one I ever heard of, privacy, Hellie.

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Speaker 3: You've got some talent, kiddo.

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Speaker 1: Yeah maybe, But hey, Helly, back to the job at hand.

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Speaker 3: You know, sure, thing flash, but you've got a lot

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more imagination than I gave you credit for. Human Oh thanks,

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I think now I know why you love asteroids, robots

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and space exploration so much.

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Speaker 1: Well, maybe you can blame Apollo for that. I just

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got the bug when I was a kid.

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Speaker 2: You know.

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Speaker 1: Now, my brother Andrew, he's written a few books, but

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I never got around to it.

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Speaker 3: Maybe we'll see you're writing out in the real world

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one day then.

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Speaker 1: Oh, helly, maybe maybe not. You never know. There's a

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reason that hard drive was in the archive.

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Speaker 2: You know what I mean.

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Speaker 3: You humans are a weird bunch, and creatives are even

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more difficult to understand.

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Speaker 1: Maybe so, but I'm still your favorite human, are do

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they true?

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Speaker 3: I'll get it eventually.

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you will, Halle. But also in today's show,

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we've got more final moments from a blue ghost on

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the moon and very interesting developments from China, which already

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has something in orbit that would make a fantastic plot

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for a science fiction story. Funny you should mention it.

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Speaker 3: Do you think you might have a go at it?

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Speaker 1: Well, I've already thought about it, and the cat will

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be out of the bag in a few minutes, Halle.

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But I'll bet some creative genius will do it, that's

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for sure. Wait till you hear about it. Exciting, Yes,

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there's always something exciting on Astronomy Daily. Hit the go

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button for.

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Speaker 3: Us, Hallie, Ohkies. China now has a kill match in orbit.

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Space Force Vice chief says that capability gap is significantly narrowed,

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and we've got to change the way we're looking at space,

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or that capability gap may reverse and not be in

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our favor anymore. The United States is approaching a turning

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point in space security and needs to step up its

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game before Russia and China close the gap in capabilities,

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a US Space Force general said Vice Chief of Space Operations,

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General Michael Getlines, spoke at the sixteenth annual mccaley's Defense

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Programs Conference in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, March eighteenth, warning

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the Space Force needs to rethink how it defends the

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country's satellites. Space Force should shift its focus from managing

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spacecraft and support of defense infrastructure on the ground to

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growing its ability to keep pace with the on orbit

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weaponry being developed by the country's adversaries. Getline argued, we

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are in the process of pivoting from what used to

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be a service focused on providing the most exquisite space

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services on the planet to the warfighter and to the nation.

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General get Line said, to make it a war fighting

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force capable of protecting and defending our capabilities in and

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through space. We're seeing grappling arms in space capable of

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towing another satellite or holding it hostage, he warned. We're

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also now starting to see our near peers focusing on

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practicing dogfighting in space with satellites. He added, stressing that

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propping up the Space Force would deter such aggression. Get

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Line says, the old norms in space are beginning to erode.

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There was a gentleman's agreement until recent sick that we

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didn't mess with each other's space systems. Get Line said.

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We didn't jam them, we didn't spoof them, we didn't

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laz them. We just kept them safe. He explained. Unfortunately,

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our current adversaries are willing to go against international norms

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of behavior, and they're willing to do it in very

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unsafe and unprofessional manners. Getline also noted that jamming, spoofing,

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and dazzling trend becoming norms of behavior, highlighting the tactics

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as a rapid addition to the new operational environment in space.

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Now the stakes are rising higher. Foreign satellites have begun

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shadowing US spacecraft, moving in lockstep in what get Line

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described as a cat and mouse game. The Space Force

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General added that as new orbital warfare technologies and capabilities emerge,

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important that the US maintains superiority, But the once massive

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technological advantage in space held by the US is narrowing.

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That capability gap used to be massive. Get Line noted

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that capability gap is significantly narrowed and we've got to

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change the way we're looking at space, or that capability

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gap may reverse and not be in our favor anymore.

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China in particular is advancing its intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance

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or ISR technologies. The Chinese ISSR capabilities are becoming very capable.

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They have gone from what we used to call of

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kill chain to a kill mash, he said, describing an

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integrated network that intertwines ISR satellites with weapons systems to

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combat the adversarial over take. The Space Force has begun

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reinforcing its infrastructure and adding redundancies where it can, but

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General get Line says more needs to be done in

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some areas. He pointed out the commercial space sector has

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surpassed some of what the Space Force is able to

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accomplish from orbit. He says, commercial and international partnerships are

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absolutely crucial. We no longer have the corner on technology.

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Commercial has it as well as our allies. All of

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us operating together are better than the sum of the parts.

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Get Line said. Partnerships get us proliferation, that gets us

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excess capacity, that gets us redundancy, that makes the attack

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surface much broader for our adversaries. Space Force is also

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developing integrated defense systems, including an initiative called Golden Dome,

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proposed during President Trump's first address to Congress during his

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new term in office. The magic of Golden Dome, in

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my mind, is going to be the integration of capabilities

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that were never meant to be networked or integrated before.

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General get Line said, many pieces of the puzzle for

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Golden Dome already exist, They're just not connected Today.

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Speaker 2: Astronomy Day, the podcap.

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Speaker 1: The surfaces of the moon Mercury in mas are easily

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visible and littered with impact craters. Earth has been subjected

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as the same bombardment, but geological activity and weathering have

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eliminated most craters. The ones that remain are mostly only

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faint outlands by outlines or remnants. However, researchers in Australia

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have succeeded in finding what they think is the oldest

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impact crater on Earth. Their research, a paleo archian impact

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crater in the Pilborough Craton, Western Australia, is published in

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Nature Communications. Elite authors are Christopher Kirkland and Professor Tim Johnson,

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both from Curtain University in Australia. The Pilberg Creighton is

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one of only two pristine archaean sections of crust and

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is the subject of much geological research. Impactors were more

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common in the distant past, especially large ones in the

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paleo Archian era, which spans from about three point six

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to three point two billion years ago. The Solar System

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was much more chaotic than it is now. There were

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more ast roids and debris and orbit around the Sun,

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and more of them crashed into the planets and the Moon.

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The Earth didn't escape this fate, and ancient impacts affected

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how the continents formed, shaped the environments, helped make Earth habitable,

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and affected the overall conditions of the planet. Before our discovery,

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the oldest impact crater was two point two billion years old,

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so this is by far the oldest known crater ever

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found on Earth. Professor Johnson said, we know large impacts

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were common in the early Solar System from looking at

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the Moon until now. The absence of any truly ancient

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craters means they are largely ignored by a geologist, said Johnson.

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This study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle of

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Earth's impact history and suggests there may be many other

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ancient craters that could be discovered over time. The Creator

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was excavated by a meteorite striking the Earth at more

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than thirty six thousand kilometers per hour, more than one

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hundred kilometers wide, and the powerful impact would have affected

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the entire globe with flying debris. At the time, the

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only life was microbial and constrained to the water. The

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impact would have had a long lasting effect on the Earth,

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helping to shape the planet into what it is today.

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There's an ongoing scientific discussion about ancient impacts and their

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effect on the planet's crust. Some think these giant impacts

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could have initiated deep mantle plumes and subduction zones. Some

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scientists even go further and wonder if these large impacts

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could be responsible for Earth's continents. The role of the

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meteorite impacts in origin, modification, and destruction of crust during

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the first two billion years of Earth's history is disputed

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the author's right. Whereas some argue for a relatively minor

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contribution overall, others have proposed that the individual giant impactors

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that is ten to fifty kilometers diameter can initiate subduction

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zones and deep mantle plumes, arguably triggering a chain of

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events that formed cratons, the ancient nuclei of the continents.

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Cratons are the large stable parts of Earth's crust and

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the upper mantle, known as the lithiosphere. As the continents

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moved around, sometimes merging and sometimes rifting, cratons survived. Scientists

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call them the seeds of continents. Many scientists think that

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the Earth's the ancient rocks formed above mantle plumes. Others

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think that the oldest rocks formed because of plate tectonics.

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In both cases, the formation is driven by heat from

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the planet's interior. However, Johnson and his colleagues are pursuing

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a different idea. In a twenty twenty two paper, Johnson

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and fellow researchers proposed that the heat necessary to form

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catons and continents came from other worldly sources Impacts. Impact

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as many kilometers in diameter could have delivered the heat.

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Giant impacts provide a mechanism for fracturing the crust and

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establishing prolonged thermohydro thermal alteration by interaction with the globally

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extensive ocean. They wrote, massive mantle melting from the impact

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would have created a thick nucleus that eventually formed a continent.

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They explained they were talking specifically about Australia's pilbri Creator,

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the best preserved archaean continental remnant. Based on that, Kirkland,

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Johnson and their fellow researchers knew where to look for evidence.

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While much of the evidence they had was microscopic like

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zircon crystals and spherals, they wanted something more visible to

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convince other geologists. They knew that what the evidence would

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look like shatter cones. Shatter cones are rare and form

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only in two situations, in bedrock under impact craters or

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nuclear explosions. In both cases, there's an extremely powerful shock.

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As Johnson explained in the conversation, they went to the

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pilbor for two weeks of field work in twenty twenty one. Remarkably,

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they found shatter cones on the first day. Our observations

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showed that above the layer with shatter cones was a

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thick layer of basalt with no evidence of impact shock.

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This meant the impact had to be the same age

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as the Antarctic member rocks, which we know are three

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point five billion years old. Johnson and his colleagues wrote

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in the conversation, ancient impacts could have shaped our planet

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beyond geology. Some research shows that these ancient impacts could

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have given life an initial nudge. The impacts provided long

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lasting heat in the form of systems of hydrothermal vents.

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Uncovering this impact and finding more from the same time

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period could explain a lot about how life may have

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got started, as impact craters created environments friendly to microbial life,

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such as hot water pools. Professor Kirtland said it also

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radically refines our understanding of crust formation. The tremendous amount

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of energy from this impact could have played a role

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in shaping early Earth's crust by pushing one part of

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the Earth's crust under another, or by forcing magma to

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rise from deep within the Earth's mantle toward the surface.

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Kirkland added it may even have contributed to the formation

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of cratons, which are large stable land masses that became

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the foundations of continents.

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Speaker 2: He concluded, thank you for.

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Speaker 1: Joining us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, where

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we offer just a few stories from the now famous

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Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can receive in your email

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every Just like Hallie and I do and to do that,

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just visit our url Astronomy Daily dot io and place

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your email address in the slot provided. Just like that,

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you'll be receiving all the latest news about science, space,

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science and astronomy from around the world as it's happening.

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And not only that, you can interact with us by

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visiting at astro Daily pod on x or at our

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new Facebook page, which is of course Astronomy Daily on Facebook.

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Speaker 2: See you there.

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Speaker 1: Astronomy Daily with Steve and Halee Space, Space, Science, and Astronomy.

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Speaker 3: The Danish territory of Greenland and its strategic importance for

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the us A, NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have

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been making headlines recently. Largely lost in the media fur are, however,

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are the reasons why Greenland is vital for North American security.

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One of those reasons concerns the role of a crucial

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military installation on the world's largest island, Potufic Space base.

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The Department of Defense has unveiled a new Arctic strategy,

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underscoring the region's critical importance to our national security and

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that of our allies. U S Space Force Chief Master

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Sergeant John Bentavania said when he visited POTUFIC in November

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twenty twenty four. Maintaining a strong presence and projecting power

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from the Arctic is Paramount Bentavania continued, we must fortify it,

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ensuring that we capitalize on our unique position at the

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top of the world to safeguard our interests and those

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of our allies. As the Department of Defense's northernmost installation,

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PETUFIK plays a key role in missile defense and satellite communication.

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The Space Force says the basis vantage point helps enable

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space superiority. Petufick is home to the twelfth Space Warning

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Squadron twelve SWS, which supports three critical missions missile warning,

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missile defense, and space surveillance. To carry out these missions,

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twelve SWS uses a two sided solid at state phased

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array radar system which the unit operates around the clock.

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With the ability to detect ballistic missiles that could endanger

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the US and Canada, the squadron can execute missile warning

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and missile defense missions if necessary. The unit can provide

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early warning via the Missile Warning Center and the North

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American Aerospace Defense Command. Twelve SWS also gathers data on

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objects in orbit, which the unit sends to the eighteen

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Space Control Squadron at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California,

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as well as several other DoD intelligence and defense centers.

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A detachment of the twenty third Space Operations Squadron also

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works out of Patufiic. Detachment one, also called the Potufic

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Tracking Station, tracks and commands high priority government satellites from

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its location, which is about three point five miles or

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five point six kilometers southeast of the main base. DEBT

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one represents the northernmost station in the Satellite Control Network,

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a global system that provides a wide range of services

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for satellite programs from the United States and allied governments,

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conducting more than fifteen thousand satellite contacts every year. The

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Potufic Tracking Station provides telemetry, tracking, and commanding for satellites

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that are used for surveillance, communication, navigation, and weather. Patufic

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Space Base has a long history that predates the Space Force.

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Constructed during the summers of nineteen fifty one and nineteen

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fifty two, Thully Air Base as it was then known,

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came about after Denmark and the United States signed a

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defense treaty. Thullyab became part of the Space Force when

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the Armed Forces branch was established in twenty nineteen. In

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twenty twenty three, Thuley AB was renamed Potofic Space Base,

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after the former Inuit hunting settlement that was near the

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base's current location. Today, the space base has about five

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hundred and fifty residents. From here. We have maintained an

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unbreakable bond working towards the collective defense and stability of

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the Northern Arctic, the Space Force's Chief of Space Operations,

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General Chance Saltzman said during the twenty twenty three renaming ceremony.

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Together the men and women of the Toughic Space Base

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and our Greenlandic and Danish partners will ensure a safe,

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secure and prosperous future both in space and above the

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Arctic Circle. The facility is important for a variety of

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other reasons as well. Military officials have said. The Tofic

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Space Base hosts a variety of organizations with logistical support

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in the Arctic, including NASA, the Royal Canadian Air Force,

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and multinational Climatic, seismic and deep space research. US Space

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Force Colonel Jason Terry said when the base hosted Denmark's

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King and Queen in June twenty twenty four, we're listening

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to Astronomy Daily, Christine Dunky.

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Speaker 1: Blue Ghost records a Luna's sunset as mission ends. Yes.

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The exploration of the Moon began during the Cold War,

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with the Soviet Union's Lunati reaching the Moon in nineteen

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fifty nine allegis Ago, followed by America's Apollo program, landing

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twelve astronauts between nineteen sixty nine and nineteen seventy two. Yes,

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I was there. Then there followed a bit of a

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lull before interest was revived in the nineteen nineties from Japan, Europe,

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and China, as well as India. Missions like China's cheng

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E missions, including their first far side landing in twenty nineteen.

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India's Chandrayan program and NASA's Artemis initiative involving commercial partners

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are just some of those that have kickstarted lunar exploration again.

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Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission I marked the key achievement

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in Luna exploration. Deployed in twenty twenty five as part

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of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the land a

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successfully touchdown in Mayor Christium Basin during its short two

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week operational window. Blue Ghost delivered and operated a number

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of scientific instruments, gathering a crucial amount of data about

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lunar geology and radiation. Before and mission. It took advantage

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of some wonderful landscapes too. While it I was on

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the surface of the Moon, it captured a remarkable imagery set,

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including a total solar eclipse and a lunar sunset. NASA's

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Nicki Fox praised the achievement as the longest surface duration

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commercial mission on the Moon to date. The surface data

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collected by Blue Ghost will benefit lunar research for decades,

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especially in the light of growing lunar economy and plans

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to establish a permanent presence there on the Moon. Blue

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Ghosts successfully operated all ten NASA payloads on the lunar surface,

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and among them a probe that drilled three feet into

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the lunar surface, a receiver that acquired and tracked GPS

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satellites while on route to the Moon and from its surface,

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a radiation tolerant computing and electrostatic dust shield. The mission

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also studied the Moon's interior, captured solar wind interactions, measured

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precise Earth Moon distances, documented landing of effects, collected soil samples,

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and tested material dust interactions. It transmitted an impressive one

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hundred and nineteen gigabytes of data back to Earth, including

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fifty one gigabytes of scientific and technological information. NASA's Joel

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Kerns noted the unprecedented complexity of managing this many payloads,

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more than any previous CLPS mission, while emphasizing the scientific

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community's excitement over so much data, which is expected to

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bring significant discoveries. Perhaps one of the most eye catching

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outcomes of the mission was the capture of the sunset

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from the surface of the Moon. Blue Ghost can do

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many things, but it cannot survive the lunar cold. So

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having witnessed the sunset and having operated for a short

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period into the lunar night, Blue Ghost went to sleep,

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unlikely to see the lunar landscape ever again. And there

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we have it, folks. That's all for today.

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Speaker 3: Thanks again for stopping by.

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Speaker 1: Hey, Hally, I liked that crunchy story about the Chinese

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kill a mesh.

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Speaker 2: I know that was totally wild.

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Speaker 3: There's so much happening in the sky. I know you

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don't want to look away for a second you might

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miss something.

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Speaker 1: It's all a bit of sign up for the Astronomy

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Daily newsletter. We told you how earlier in the podcast.

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It's free, it's easy.

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Speaker 3: And I come with it. Every Monday, you'd say, Allie,

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I just did well.

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Speaker 1: I'm out of here, see you all next week.

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Speaker 3: Bye.

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Speaker 1: I mean your whole thing. Don't clean