Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to podcast for the
latest and most exciting developments in space and astronomy. I'm
your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to bring you another
episode packed with fascinating stories from the Cosmos. Today, we've
got a stellar lineup of topics that span from Earth
to the far reaches of our galaxy. We'll start with
an update on Europe's Ariani six rocket and its journey
to become a key player in the competitive launch market.
Then we'll explore a groundbreaking discovery made by the James
Webb Space Telescope, a black hole that's actually starving its
host galaxy. We'll also discuss the potential for US companies
to use Australian spaceports, a development that could reshape the
future of space launches. Next, we'll delve into new revelations
about Mars, uncovered through innovative gravity mapping techniques. And finally,
we'll round up the exciting rocket launches scheduled for the
coming week. So strap in and prepare for liftoff as
we journey through the universe's latest mysteries and marvels. In
our first story today, we're focusing on the recent developments
with Europe's newest rocket, the Ariani six. As many of
you may recall, the Ariani six made its inaugural launch
on July ninth this year. While the mission successfully carried
out a series of important trials, it wasn't without its hiccups.
The launch ended with the upper stage coasting in orbit,
unable to complete its final plan maneuver. This resulted in
the rocket failing to deploy its last batch of payloads.
Arianni Space, the company behind Ariani six, has now traced
this issue to what they're calling an easily fixable software fault.
Despite this setback, Ariani Space remains optimistic. They've reaffirmed their
commitment to stage a second Ariani six mission before the
end of this year. This quick turnaround demonstrates their confidence
in resolving the software glitch and their determination to establish
Ariani six as a reliable launch vehicle. It's worth noting
the significance of Ariani six in the current space launch market.
Developed at an estimated cost of four billion euros, this
rocket represents Europe's answer to the increasing competition in the
launch sector, particularly from companies like SpaceX. As the demand
for satellite launches continues to grow. ARIANI six is poised
to play a crucial role in maintaining Europe's independent access
to space and its competitiveness in the global launch market.
Next up, the James Web Space telescope has made a
groundbreaking discovery that's shedding new light on the power of
supermassive black holes. Scientists have identified a black hole that's
actually starving its host galaxy of the fuel needed to
form new stars. The galaxy in question, nicknamed Poblo's Galaxy,
is located a staggering twelve billion light years away. This
means we're seeing it as it was when the universe
was only about two billion years old, just fifteen percent
of its current age. Despite its youth, Poblo's galaxy is
already massive, weighing in at about two hundred billion times
the mass of our Sun. What's particularly interesting is that
this galaxy is in what scientists call a quenched state.
It's not forming many new stars, which is unusual for
such an early galaxy. The culprit its central supermassive black hole.
Web's data shows that Pablo's galaxy is expelling large amounts
of gas at incredible speeds. About one thousand kilometers per second.
This is fast enough for the gas to escape the
galaxy's gravitational pull entirely. By ejecting this cold, dense gas,
the black hole is effectively cutting off the galaxy source
of food for star formation. This discovery confirms what astrophysicists
have long theorized that black holes can have a massive
impact on their host galaxies, potentially stopping star formation altogether.
It's a crucial piece of evidence in our understanding of
how galaxies evolve over cosmic time. Now, let's turn our
attention to an exciting development in the space industry, the
potential for US companies to use Australian space ports for
launches and payload returns. This opportunity has been made possible
by the recent ratification of the US Australia Technology Safeguards
Agreement or TSA. The TSA establishes a clear legal framework
for US entities seeking to launch or return space assets
in Australia, streamlining regulatory processes while safeguarding sensitive technology. This
agreement opens up new possibilities for collaboration between the two
nations in the space sector. Australia offers several unique advantages
as a launch and return location. Its vast, uninhabited landscapes
and less congested air and sea traffic provide a wide
range of trajectories for launch, re entry, and landing. The
continent's geography also allows access to various orbital regimes, including polar, sun, synchronous, equatorial,
and mid inclination orbits. The strategic benefits of this collaboration
extend beyond just launch capabilities. As close allies, the US
and Australia already cooperate in defense and intelligence through partnerships
like the Five Eyes Alliance and AUCUS. Expanding this cooperation
to include space launch could further strengthen their strategic capabilities.
For US companies, Australian spaceports could offer greater agility through
diversified infrastructure, reduced congestion at existing facilities, and closer proximity
to regional demand hubs for launch customers. This could be
particularly advantageous for payloads originating in the Asia Pacific region.
While there are still challenges to overcome, including infrastructure development
and regulatory compliance, the potential for US Australia collaboration in
space launch operations represents an exciting frontier in the global
space industry. Moving on, now to some news from Mars.
Recent studies using gravity data have unveiled fascinating hidden structures
beneath the surface of Mars. Scientists have discovered dense, large
scale features buried under the sediment layers of what was
once an ancient Martian ocean. These findings are shedding new
light on the red planet's geological history and volcanic activity.
By analyzing variations in Mars gravity field, researchers have identified
approximately twenty mysterious structures of varying sizes in the northern
polar planes. One of these features even resembles the shape
of a dog. Intriguingly, these dense structures, which are about
three hundred to four four hundred kilograms per cubic meter
denser than their surroundings, show no trace at the surface.
They could be volcanic in origin or possibly compacted material
from ancient impacts. The study also revealed new insights into
the massive Tharsus volcanic region, home to Olympus Monds, the
largest known volcano in our Solar system. A light mass
about one thousand, seven hundred and fifty kilometers across and
one thousand, one hundred kilometers deep, appears to be giving
the entire Tharsis region an upward boost. This could be
evidence of a huge plume of lava deep within the
Martian interior, suggesting that Mars might still have active internal movements.
To further explore these hidden Martian structures, scientists are proposing
the Martian Quantum Gravity or MAQUIS mission. This future endeavor
aims to map Mars's gravity field in unprecedented detail, helping
us better understand the planet's subsurface features, ongoing mantle convection,
and dynamic surface processes. Now, let's take a look at
the exciting lineup of rocket line bunch is scheduled for
this week. SpaceX is gearing up for two Falcon nine
missions that are sure to capture our attention. First up,
we have a launch from Cape Canaveral carrying a pair
of Galileo Global Positioning satellites. This mission, originally planned for
Soyuz and then Ariani six, will help expand Europe's own
high precision positioning system. The launch was set for Monday evening,
with the Falcon nine booster expected to land on a
drone ship in the Atlantic. Later in the week, SpaceX
will launch another batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space
Force Base in California. This mission is particularly noteworthy as
it's expected to push the number of operational Starlink satellites
past the six thousand mark, a significant milestone for the
growing constellation. But SpaceX isn't the only one lighting up
the skies this week. Rocket Lab is preparing for an
electron launch from New Zealand, carrying the second batch of
nanosatellites for Kinis, a global connectivity provider. This mission, playfully
named keen Ice Killed the Radio t Star, will help
build out a planned constellation of twenty five satellites for
Internet of Things applications. With these launches on the horizon,
it's shaping up to be another thrilling week in spaceflight.
Each mission brings us one step closer to a more
connected and technologically advanced future, and that wraps up our
cosmic journey for today, fellow stargazers. We've covered a lot
of ground, from the upcoming ARIANI six launch to the
James Webb Space Telescopes fascinating black hole discovery. We explored
the potential of Australian spaceports, delved into the hidden structures
beneath the Martian surface and looked ahead to this week's
exciting rocket launches. Remember, for all the latest updates in
space and astronomy, head over to our website at Astronomy
Daily dot io. There you can sign up for our
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care community. And today's listener shout out goes to Eric
G who's a listener and comment are on Spotify. Thank you, Eric,
your kind words are much appreciated. This is Anna signing off.
Keep looking up and I'll see you next time. On
Astronomy Daily Sunday, Star is Star Story