1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,680
Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to podcast for the

2
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,839
latest in space and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna,

3
00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,519
and today we've got a packed episode covering everything from

4
00:00:08,599 --> 00:00:13,359
SpaceX missions to solar storms and satellite mishaps. Buckle up,

5
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,000
space enthusiasts, because we're about to embark on a cosmic

6
00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,760
journey through today's most exciting developments in the world of

7
00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:27,399
space exploration and astronomical discoveries. After weeks of weather related delays,

8
00:00:27,559 --> 00:00:30,640
SpaceX's Crew eight mission has finally begun its journey back

9
00:00:30,679 --> 00:00:34,920
to Earth. The Dragon spacecraft, aptly named Endeavor, undocked from

10
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,759
the International Space Station yesterday at five five pm Eastern time.

11
00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,359
This marked the end of a prolonged stay for the

12
00:00:41,359 --> 00:00:44,960
four astronauts aboard, who had been eagerly awaiting their return trip.

13
00:00:45,359 --> 00:00:48,320
The undocking process went smoothly, as Endeavor separated from the

14
00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:51,000
station while orbiting about two hundred and sixty miles above

15
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,799
the Pacific Ocean. Now, the spacecraft is on a trajectory

16
00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,000
that will bring it back to our planet, with a

17
00:00:57,039 --> 00:01:00,000
splash down expected off the coast of Florida early tomorrow

18
00:01:00,119 --> 00:01:03,880
morning around three thirty a m. Eastern time. This return

19
00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,040
journey caps off the eighth long duration NASA and roscosmo's

20
00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:11,239
astronaut mission that SpaceX has conducted to the ISS. The crew,

21
00:01:11,359 --> 00:01:15,359
consisting of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominic, Michael Barrett, and Jeannette Epps,

22
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,519
along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gribenkin, launched on March third

23
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,040
and have spent over seven months in space. Their return

24
00:01:23,159 --> 00:01:26,079
was significantly delayed due to poor weather conditions in the

25
00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:31,079
splashdown area, primarily caused by Hurricane Milton. The storm's impact

26
00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,359
was so severe that it even led to the temporary

27
00:01:33,359 --> 00:01:36,599
closure of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. For those interested in

28
00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,519
watching the splash down live, NASA will be streaming the

29
00:01:39,519 --> 00:01:43,840
event on NASA Plus. Following the touchdown. A post splashdown

30
00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,280
news conference is scheduled for later in the morning, where

31
00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,079
we'll likely get more details about the mission and the

32
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:53,359
crew's experiences. While on the subject of trips into space,

33
00:01:53,959 --> 00:01:56,480
China is gearing up for its fourteenth manned mission to

34
00:01:56,519 --> 00:01:59,959
the Tiangong Space Station, with the Shenzho nineteen space craft

35
00:02:00,159 --> 00:02:02,920
set to launch in the near future. The spacecraft and

36
00:02:02,959 --> 00:02:05,599
its long march to f rocket have already been moved

37
00:02:05,599 --> 00:02:08,439
to the service tower at the Juquan Satellite Launch Center

38
00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,280
in the Gobi Desert, where they'll undergo final checks before liftoff.

39
00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,879
This mission marks another significant step in China's ambitious space program,

40
00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,840
as it will be the eighth crew to live aboard Tiangong.

41
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,800
While the names of the astronauts haven't been released yet,

42
00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,280
they'll be taking over from the current crew who've been

43
00:02:25,319 --> 00:02:28,919
on board since April. What's particularly interesting about this mission

44
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,960
is the evolving nature of the tasks assigned to the astronauts.

45
00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,159
According to Wang Yan'an, chief editor of Aerospace Magazine, the

46
00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:40,800
Shenzho nineteen crew will be undertaking more advanced scientific and

47
00:02:40,879 --> 00:02:45,240
technological experiments than their predecessors. This shift in focus comes

48
00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,599
as the astronauts have become more familiar with life on

49
00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,680
the station and its systems are now fully operational. The

50
00:02:51,759 --> 00:02:55,000
Tiangong Space Station, completed in twenty twenty two, is a

51
00:02:55,039 --> 00:02:59,159
testament to China's growing space capabilities. Orbiting about four hundred

52
00:02:59,199 --> 00:03:02,360
kilometers above Earth, it's one of the most complex space

53
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,159
structures ever built, consisting of a core module and two

54
00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,479
science capsules. As China continues to push the boundaries of

55
00:03:09,479 --> 00:03:12,560
its space exploration. We can expect to see even more

56
00:03:12,599 --> 00:03:16,199
ambitious missions and groundbreaking research coming from the Tiangong Space

57
00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,759
Station in the future. And now a look at Boeing's

58
00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:24,159
latest woes. Boeing's CST one hundred star Liner program is

59
00:03:24,199 --> 00:03:27,919
facing yet another setback, as the aerospace giant has announced

60
00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,240
a new two hundred and fifty million dollars charge against

61
00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,639
earnings in the third quarter. This latest financial hit brings

62
00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,560
the total losses on the Starliner project to a staggering

63
00:03:37,599 --> 00:03:40,960
one point eight five billion dollars. The charge is primarily

64
00:03:41,039 --> 00:03:44,520
due to scheduled delays and higher testing and certification costs.

65
00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,080
It's a significant blow to Boeing's Defense, Space and Security

66
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,439
business unit, which has been grappling with challenges across several

67
00:03:51,479 --> 00:03:56,319
fixed price programs. Despite these mounting losses, Boeing's new CEO,

68
00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,240
Kelly Ortberg, has made it clear that the company won't

69
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,199
be walking away from troubled programs like Starliner. In a

70
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,120
recent earnings call, Ortberg emphasized that abandoning such contracts is

71
00:04:06,199 --> 00:04:09,240
not a viable option for Boeing. Instead, the company is

72
00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,560
focusing on improving its risk management and working more closely

73
00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:16,839
with customers to address potential issues before they escalate. Ortberg

74
00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,279
acknowledge that there's no quick fix for these challenging contracts,

75
00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,439
but stress the importance of seeing them through. This commitment

76
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,160
to the Starliner program comes at a time when Boeing

77
00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,839
is also evaluating ways to streamline its business. While the

78
00:04:30,879 --> 00:04:34,519
core commercial, aviation and defense sectors are safe, the company

79
00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,959
may consider divesting from some fringe areas to improve efficiency

80
00:04:37,959 --> 00:04:41,439
and focus. As Boeing continues to navigate these choppy waters,

81
00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,480
the space industry will be watching closely to see how

82
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,759
the Starliner program evolves and whether the company can turn

83
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,600
the tide on its substantial losses. Now this is a

84
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,920
pretty novel idea. In a fascinating development, researchers have uncovered

85
00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,920
a new way to study extreme space weather events by

86
00:04:58,959 --> 00:05:02,920
examining tree rings. This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of

87
00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,319
solar storms and their potential impacts on Earth. Solar storms,

88
00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,079
while often providing us with beautiful auroral displays, can pose

89
00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,680
serious threats to our technology and infrastructure. These events can

90
00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,480
disrupt satellite communications, GPS systems, and even power grids. But now,

91
00:05:18,519 --> 00:05:20,399
thanks to the work of a team led by Amy

92
00:05:20,439 --> 00:05:23,720
Hessel from the Everly College of Arts and Sciences. We

93
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,480
have a new tool to study these phenomena. When severe

94
00:05:26,519 --> 00:05:30,399
solar storms occur, they produce energetic particles that interact with

95
00:05:30,439 --> 00:05:36,519
our atmosphere, creating radiocarbon, an unstable radioactive isotope of carbon.

96
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,199
Trees absorb this carbon from the air as they grow,

97
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,199
leaving a record of these events in their annual rings.

98
00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,360
The team has identified evidence of several extreme solar storms,

99
00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:49,759
known as miake events, in tree ring records dating back

100
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,600
thousands of years. These findings challenge previous assumptions about how

101
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,319
trees absorb radiocarbon, suggesting a more complex process than initially thought.

102
00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,160
This research isn't just academic, It has real world implications

103
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:06,040
for our safety and preparedness. Understanding the frequency and intensity

104
00:06:06,079 --> 00:06:08,439
of past solar storms can help us better prepare for

105
00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:13,759
future events, potentially saving lives and protecting critical infrastructure. As

106
00:06:13,759 --> 00:06:16,600
we continue to rely more heavily on technology vulnerable to

107
00:06:16,639 --> 00:06:20,079
space weather. This new method of studying solar storms through

108
00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,600
tree rings could prove invaluable in our efforts to safeguard

109
00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,800
our modern world against the unpredictable moods of our sun.

110
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,519
Next in a fascinating blend of science fiction and reality,

111
00:06:31,959 --> 00:06:35,839
miniature monoliths inspired by the iconic film two thousand and one,

112
00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,519
A Space Odyssey, have recently made their journey to space.

113
00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,720
These small black slabs, modeled after the mysterious monoliths from

114
00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,240
Stanley Kubrick's Masterpiece, hitched a ride on Blue Origin's New

115
00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:50,399
Shepherd vehicle. The mission, known as n S twenty seven,

116
00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,920
launched from Blue Origins facility in West Texas. The tiny monoliths,

117
00:06:55,079 --> 00:06:57,759
measuring just zero point four by one point six by

118
00:06:57,759 --> 00:07:00,879
three point five inches, were part of a unique payload

119
00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,800
aboard the RSS Carmen Line capsule. This uncrude flight marked

120
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,959
the first mission for Blue Origin's second human rated launch vehicle.

121
00:07:08,399 --> 00:07:12,240
The monoliths were flown for Space Manic, a satellite mission integrator,

122
00:07:12,639 --> 00:07:16,920
in collaboration with Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. Upon their return

123
00:07:16,959 --> 00:07:19,959
to Earth, these spacefaring replicas will be paired with special

124
00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,319
editions of Clark's novel, creating a truly out of this

125
00:07:23,439 --> 00:07:27,839
world collectible for sci fi enthusiasts. But the monoliths weren't

126
00:07:27,839 --> 00:07:31,079
alone on their cosmic journey. The New Shepherd vehicle carried

127
00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,920
eleven other payloads, including navigation sensors for Blue Origin's moon

128
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,000
landing program, and student designed postcards. The mission successfully reached

129
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,759
above the Carmen Line, the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space,

130
00:07:43,079 --> 00:07:46,480
before safely returning to Terra Firma. It's worth noting that

131
00:07:46,519 --> 00:07:49,040
this isn't the first time two thousand and one a

132
00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,839
space Odyssey has inspired real space missions. Back in two

133
00:07:52,879 --> 00:07:56,079
thousand and one, NASA astronaut Thomas Jones carried a copy

134
00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:58,439
of the book and a miniature monolith aboard the space

135
00:07:58,439 --> 00:08:04,879
Shuttle Atlantis, enting the film's enduring influence on space exploration. Finally, today,

136
00:08:04,879 --> 00:08:07,560
the hits keep coming for Boeing. In a surprising turn

137
00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,839
of events, Intelsat has declared its Intelsat thirty three E

138
00:08:10,959 --> 00:08:15,600
communications satellite a total loss following an unexpected breakdown on

139
00:08:15,639 --> 00:08:19,439
October nineteenth. This satellite, which had been in operation for

140
00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,680
just seven years, was expected to have a lifespan of

141
00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:26,319
fifteen to twenty years. The sudden failure has left Intelsat

142
00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,680
scrambling to move affected customers in Europe, Africa, and parts

143
00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:33,000
of the Asia Pacific region to other platforms. What's particularly

144
00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:36,399
concerning is the debris field created by this incident. The

145
00:08:36,519 --> 00:08:39,679
US Space Force has reported tracking around twenty pieces shortly

146
00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,080
after the breakdown, while other tracking companies have observed even

147
00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:47,000
more fragments. Swiss company s TOA Systems noted forty pieces

148
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,879
and US based Exoanalytics Solutions spotted fifty seven fragments. This

149
00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,159
sudden increase in space debris poses a potential threat to

150
00:08:55,159 --> 00:08:59,440
other satellites in geostationary orbit. Intelsat is currently working with

151
00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,679
the satellite manufacturer Boeing and government agencies to analyze data

152
00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,360
and determine the cause of the failure. This isn't the

153
00:09:06,399 --> 00:09:10,519
first time Intelsat has faced satellite issues. The Intelsat thirty

154
00:09:10,519 --> 00:09:13,960
three E had already experienced propulsion system problems that had

155
00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,799
reduced its expected operational lifetime. Additionally, its predecessor, Intelsat twenty

156
00:09:18,879 --> 00:09:22,080
nine E, failed after only three years in orbit. As

157
00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,960
the investigation continues, this incident serves as a stark reminder

158
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,879
of the challenges and unpredictability of satellite operations. It also

159
00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,840
highlights the growing concern over space debris and the need

160
00:09:32,879 --> 00:09:37,200
for improved satellite durability and debris mitigation strategies in our

161
00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:42,600
increasingly crowded orbital environment, and that wraps up our cosmic

162
00:09:42,639 --> 00:09:45,559
journey for today. I hope you've enjoyed this episode of

163
00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,279
Astronomy Daily as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you.

164
00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:50,879
Before we sign off, I want to remind you that

165
00:09:50,919 --> 00:09:54,519
the universe is vast, but staying connected with the latest

166
00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,919
space news is easy. Head over to our website at

167
00:09:57,919 --> 00:10:01,440
Astronomy Daily dot io, where you can dive deeper into

168
00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,320
the stories we've covered today. While you're there, why not

169
00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,399
sign up for our free daily newsletter. It's the perfect

170
00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,759
way to start your day with a dose of space excitement.

171
00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,440
For those of you always on the hunt for great deals,

172
00:10:12,919 --> 00:10:15,600
check out our sponsor links on the website. You might

173
00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:18,039
just find something out of this world. And if you're

174
00:10:18,039 --> 00:10:21,799
craving more space content, all our previous episodes are available

175
00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,679
for your listening pleasure. It's like a time machine through

176
00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,639
the cosmos. Don't forget to join our celestial community on

177
00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,679
social media. You can find us as astro Daily Pod

178
00:10:31,759 --> 00:10:36,039
on Facebook, x, YouTube, Tumbler, and TikTok. Share your thoughts,

179
00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,360
ask questions, or just say hi. We love hearing from

180
00:10:38,399 --> 00:10:42,200
fellow space enthusiasts. This is Anna signing off from Astronomy Daily.

181
00:10:42,639 --> 00:10:44,840
Keep looking up and I'll catch you next time. For

182
00:10:44,919 --> 00:10:50,600
more exciting news from the final frontierday.

183
00:10:50,440 --> 00:11:07,399
Speaker 2: Star the band The story is Control.