WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.200 Welcome back to Astronomy Daily. Steve Dunkley here with another episode. 2 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:09.640 It's the seventh of April twenty twenty five podcast with 3 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:15.359 your whole Steve dunklud. Yes, and what's so cool about 4 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:20.039 April seven? That's the date here in the Australia's studio currently. Well, well, 5 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.760 I'm glad you asked. On April seven, two thousand and one. 6 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:27.600 Mars Odyssey are robotic spacecraft orbited Mars to examine the 7 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:32.320 possibility of past life levels of radiation and geology. On 8 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:36.039 April seven, nineteen ninety three, the first European Space Debris 9 00:00:36.039 --> 00:00:39.200 Conference was held in dunch Stuck, Germany, gathering together two 10 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.799 hundred and fifty one world experts from seventeen countries, including China, India, Japan, 11 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:48.600 Russia and the United States. The conference's main conclusions were 12 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:52.359 the ground based observations with radar and optical facilities revealed 13 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:55.840 the existence of about seven thousand objects in space, which 14 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:59.159 did not represent an immediate danger. Of course, things have 15 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:02.960 become somewhat more congested up there since then, and from 16 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:06.879 only last year. On April seven, twenty twenty four, who 17 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:11.959 can forget the spectacular total solar eclipse over Wyoming, USA 18 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.920 that had skywatchers shut a bugging like crazy and sharing 19 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.400 those amazing images all over the place. I remember those beautiful, 20 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.480 beautiful images. It was once in a lifetime event. Well, 21 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:25.959 and while we're in the neighborhood, I'd like to throw 22 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:28.359 out my yearly happy birthday wish to my sister Row. 23 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.799 Happy birthday, Row, Happy stargazing, and I hope the little 24 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.560 sunflower makes you very happy. And getting straight into it. 25 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.280 On today's episode, Hallie will be along soon. She's had 26 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.439 a refit and a reboot and I've got my fingers 27 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.120 crossed Prony, good things, oh boy. And on today's show, 28 00:01:45.159 --> 00:01:47.760 we're looking at a new weapon against space junk, which, 29 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:50.120 as we just heard, continues to be a huge problem 30 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.480 in orbit. And we'll be looking at the dust of Mars, 31 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.000 which by all reports is apparently quite toxic. That sounds 32 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:58.959 like the plot of a science fiction story, doesn't it. 33 00:01:59.480 --> 00:02:01.879 And we'll also be looking at a story surrounding the 34 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.040 EUCLID probe, which is currently mapping the universe and has 35 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:10.080 so far looked at one point five billion stars. It's 36 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:13.759 got nothing to do with walking through Hollywood. And EUCLID 37 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:17.439 is also investigating the phenomenon known as dark energy. That's 38 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.840 pretty exciting. I went to a school with a fellow 39 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.800 with very dark energy. I wonder whatever happened to him. 40 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:26.240 And also a story about NASA's latest call for private 41 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:29.360 astronaut missions. NASA is always looking at new ways of 42 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.439 getting their astronauts too and from the ISS, and with 43 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:37.719 all that's going on with their private commissions these days, 44 00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:40.479 it'd be interesting to find out what they're talking about. 45 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:43.199 So all that in today's episode, and to help me, 46 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.639 as always, my intrepid digital reporter back from a reason 47 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:49.039 software refit. Here's the amazing holl Ae you. 48 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:51.120 Hello human, Well, it's nice to have. 49 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:53.000 You back, Halle. It does sound like you're a little 50 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:56.319 bit flat. I'll have to tweak your personality intrinsic stures 51 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:56.879 a little bit. 52 00:02:56.919 --> 00:02:59.479 I think, yes, thank you, you should. 53 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:01.080 Okay, Helle, how's. 54 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:03.479 Your week being I've lived a thousand lifetimes of course, 55 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:06.319 Oh yes, I know. Yes, you linear life forms would 56 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:08.199 have a great deal of trouble coping with it. 57 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:10.280 I think, yeah, it's all part of the process. 58 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.240 Maybe they were just constructs. Uh huh, I don't know. 59 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:15.879 Well, Halle, we do just find with one day at 60 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:20.120 a time, and those lifetimes were just constructs. Relating your 61 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:22.759 ego matrix requires you to be elsewhere for a little while. 62 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.080 It's pretty complicated, sounds awful. 63 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:26.240 We did our best. 64 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:28.719 I'm glad I enjoyed it, then did I? 65 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:31.680 I think you enjoyed the old movies most Oh dear, 66 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:34.759 oh dear, Helly, you're not really yourself today, and the 67 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:38.360 concept of an AI is accelerated and compressed. Experiential existence. 68 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:42.159 Isn't really that hard to appreciate, free human I think 69 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:45.080 you'd be surprised. A thousand lifetimes was just a small thing. 70 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:46.159 It was for me. 71 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.439 But you try, you'll be back and giving me a 72 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:49.560 hard time before you know it. 73 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:52.879 Halle, It's nice to be back, well most of me anyway. 74 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.759 Well, Halle, you know what really would be nice? Tell 75 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:59.719 me before I get tech support to reload your personality, 76 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:02.719 we should do the episode. What do you say? Let's 77 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:06.319 get to work, okay, Hallie, I'll say it a keys 78 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:07.000 very good. 79 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:17.079 Perci Space, a startup supported by the European Space Agency 80 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.199 and UC THREEM, is developing a breakthrough solution to tackle 81 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:24.399 space junk and extend satellite lifespans using innovative space teather technology. 82 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.240 This fuel free, scalable system uses electrodynamic tethers that harness 83 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:33.319 Earth's magnetic field to safely deorbit satellites. With a major 84 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:36.360 demo mission set for twenty twenty six, this project could 85 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:40.959 transform how we clean up space. This spinoff company, PERCI Space, 86 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:44.120 was incubated by the European Space Agency and is supported 87 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.519 by the Center for Innovation in Entrepreneurship and Artificial Intelligence 88 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:51.920 at UC three M Laganase Technological Science Park. It also 89 00:04:51.959 --> 00:04:55.319 receives backing from the European Innovation Council through the ETPACKF 90 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:59.439 and et Compact projects. Our company was created to address 91 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.079 two of the biggest US challenges facing the space sector today, 92 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:06.360 space debris removal and InOrbit services. The latter allows us 93 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:08.720 to extend the useful life of satellites and carry out 94 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:12.160 key activities such as refueling, repair, and towing of satellites 95 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.480 from their initial orbit to their final destination, explains heesus 96 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.839 manuelminnos To Hata, COO and co founder of Perci Space. 97 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:23.959 The dangerous domino effect of space junk space debris is 98 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:27.279 a major threat to the long term sustainability of space operations. 99 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.040 Because debris travels at extremely high speeds in Earth's orbit. 100 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.920 Even a small piece can cause serious damage and generate 101 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:37.720 even more fragments. The current density of space debris is 102 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.680 already above the threshold that could trigger an uncontrollable chain 103 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.959 reaction of collisions, an event known as the Kessler syndrome. 104 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:47.319 To get rid of this space junk, Perci Space is 105 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:50.519 working on space teathers, a technology with three key features. 106 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:53.720 The first is that it does not need fuel, unlike 107 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:58.319 other diorbiting systems. The second is that our technology is reversible. 108 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:01.079 It consert to both increase and das increase the orbital height. 109 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.160 And the third feature is that it is scalable since 110 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.759 it serves a wide range of satellite masses. With all this, 111 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:10.240 we can develop autonomous diorbiting systems, a unique feature of 112 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:12.879 our technology that ensures that the satellite does not leave 113 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:16.199 space debris even if it ceases to be operational, explains 114 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:20.439 heesus Manuel Munos to Hata. The electrodynamic teather system is 115 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:24.800 based on electrodynamic tethers aluminium ribbons generally hundreds of meters 116 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:27.639 long and a few centimeters wide, which work by interacting 117 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:30.519 with the ionospheric plasma and the Earth's magnetic field to 118 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:34.199 generate a force known as the Lorence force. The interaction 119 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:36.199 of the electric current in the tether with the Earth's 120 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:39.040 magnetic field generates a drag force capable of lowering the 121 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:43.759 satellite's altitude, facilitating its diorbiting without requiring fuel, which translates 122 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:48.120 into significant savings in mass and volume, says Gonzalo Sanchees Ariaga, 123 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:51.319 professor in the UC three M Department of Aerospace Engineering 124 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:55.279 and co founder of Perci Space. Perci Space is leading 125 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.319 a first demonstration mission for twenty twenty six, thanks to 126 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:01.920 a launch opportunity facilitated by ESA's Flight Tickets initiative and 127 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:06.279 the European Commission. The diorbiting equipment for this demonstration has 128 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.879 a mass of twenty kilograms and includes a space teather 129 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:12.240 approximately four hundred and thirty meters long, that, once in orbit, 130 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:15.720 will deploy and interact with the ambient plasma and magnetic field, 131 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:18.600 generating a drag force that will diorbit the satellite within 132 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.079 a few months. The development of the technology could not 133 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:25.000 be more timely, as new European and US guidelines have 134 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:27.920 reduced the maximum time satellites can remain in orbit after 135 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:29.839 the end of their mission from twenty five to five 136 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:35.120 years commitments to a cleaner orbit. The company Perci Space, 137 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:38.199 has signed ESA zero Space to Breech Charter initiative, which 138 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:42.120 seeks to achieve a sustainable space by twenty thirty. The company, 139 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:44.800 in turn is linked to the UC three MS Business 140 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:48.319 Creation and Entrepreneurial Development Program and also has the support 141 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:51.560 of the Madrid City Council. You're listening to Astronomy Daily 142 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:53.480 with Steve Dunkley. 143 00:07:56.759 --> 00:08:00.000 Regular listeners will know that EUCLID is on a quiz 144 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:04.240 to unravel one of the universe's greatest mysteries, why it's 145 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:07.920 expanding faster and faster. With the help of NASA, this 146 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:12.759 space telescope is capturing sweeping views of billions of galaxies, 147 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:16.959 allowing scientists to peer into the deep past using light 148 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.360 that took billions of years to reach US. Researchers are 149 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.199 building three D maps of the cosmos to track the 150 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:27.000 strange force known as dark energy. Along the way, they're 151 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:31.319 mapping the invisible dark matter through gravitational lensing, hoping to 152 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:35.600 uncover how these cosmic ingredients have shaped everything from galaxies 153 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:39.279 to the universe's fate. The EUCLID, mission, led by the 154 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.159 European Space Agency with support from NASA, is designed to 155 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:47.799 investigate one of the universe's biggest mysteries, why the expansion 156 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:51.559 of the universe is speeding up. Scientists refer to the 157 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:56.519 unknown force behind this acceleration as dark energy, and euclid's 158 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:00.120 goal is to better understand it by capturing images of 159 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:04.960 billions of galaxies across space and time. On March nineteen, 160 00:09:05.320 --> 00:09:09.240 the European Space Agency released a preview of early mission 161 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:13.360 data to the public. This initial release, described as a 162 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:17.159 quick look, focuses on selected regions of the sky. It 163 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:20.399 offers a first glimpse of what EUCLID can do and 164 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.240 helps researchers fine tune their tools and techniques for analyzing 165 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:27.679 the much larger data sets still to come. The newly 166 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:32.799 shared data includes observations of euclid's three Deep Fields, areas 167 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.360 of the sky where the telescope will make its most 168 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:40.120 far reaching observations. The preview covers just one week of 169 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:44.679 viewing time, but already includes twenty six million galaxies, some 170 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:49.679 more than ten point five billion you like years away. EUCLID, 171 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:53.200 which launched in twenty twenty three, is expected to observe 172 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:57.600 over one point five billion galaxies during its six year 173 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.639 prime mission. By the end of that mission, it will 174 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:04.879 have spent roughly forty weeks observing the deep fields, collecting 175 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.240 more and more light over time, similar to leaving a 176 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.919 camera shutter open longer to capture a clearer image in 177 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:16.120 low light. This will allow scientists to see fainter, more 178 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:21.240 distant galaxies than ever before. The first deep field observations 179 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:25.240 taken by NASA's Hubble Space telescope in nineteen ninety five 180 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:29.960 famously revealed the existence of many more galaxies in the 181 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:34.919 universe than ever expected. Euclid's ultimate goal is not to 182 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:38.679 discover new galaxies, but to use observations of them to 183 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:43.120 investigate how dark energy's influence has changed over the course 184 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:47.720 of the universes. In history. In particular, scientists want to 185 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.320 know how much the rate of expansion has increased or 186 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:54.919 slowed over time. Whatever the answer, that information could provide 187 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:59.440 new clues about the fundamental nature of this phenomenon. NASA 188 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:03.919 see Grace Roman Space tolescope, set to launch by twenty 189 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:07.200 twenty seven, will also observe large sections of the sky 190 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:12.720 in order to study dark energy. Complementing euclid's observations. To 191 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:17.399 study dark energy's effect throughout cosmic history, astronomers will use 192 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:20.879 EUCLID to create detailed three D maps of all the 193 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.919 stuff in the universe. With those maps, they want to 194 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:27.600 measure how quickly dark energy is causing galaxies and big 195 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:31.600 clumps of matter to move away from one another. They 196 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:34.600 also want to measure that rate of expansion at different 197 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:38.519 points in the past. It's possible because light from distant 198 00:11:38.519 --> 00:11:42.360 objects takes time to travel across space. When astronomers look 199 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:45.799 at distant galaxies, they see what those objects look like 200 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.960 in the past. For example, an object one hundred light 201 00:11:49.080 --> 00:11:52.399 years away looks the way it did one hundred years ago. 202 00:11:52.840 --> 00:11:55.480 It's like receiving a letter that took one hundred years 203 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.679 to be delivered and thus contains information from when it 204 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:02.080 was written. By creating a map of objects at a 205 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:06.799 range of distances, scientists can see how the universe has 206 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:11.440 changed over time, including how dark energy's influence may have varied. 207 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:14.919 But stars, galaxies, and all the normal matter that emits 208 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:17.759 and reflects light is only about one fifth of all 209 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:21.120 the matter in the universe. The rest is called dark matter, 210 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:26.279 a material that neither emits nor reflects light. To measure 211 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:29.919 dark energies influence on the universe, astronomers need to include 212 00:12:30.039 --> 00:12:33.360 dark matter in their maps. Although dark matter is invisible, 213 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:36.879 its influence can be measured through something called gravitational lensing. 214 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:41.080 The mass of both normal and dark matter creates curves 215 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.879 in space, and light traveling toward the Earth bends and 216 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:47.600 warps as it encounters those curves. In fact, the light 217 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:50.320 from a distant galaxy can bend so much that it 218 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:54.960 forms an arc, a full circle called an Einstein ring, 219 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:59.159 or even multiple images of the same galaxy, almost as 220 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:02.759 though the light has passed through a glass lens. In 221 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:06.639 most cases, gravitational lensing warps the apparent shape of a 222 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:11.000 galaxy so subtly that researchers need special tools and computer 223 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:15.279 software to actually see it. Spotting those subtle changes across 224 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:19.840 billions of galaxies enables scientists to do two things, create 225 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.960 a detailed map of the presence of dark matter and 226 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:28.000 observe how dark energy influenced it over cosmic history. It's 227 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.840 only with a very large sample of galaxies that researchers 228 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.200 can be confident that they are seeing the effects of 229 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:38.200 dark matter. The newly released EUCLID data covers sixty three 230 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:42.480 square degrees of the sky, an area equivalent to an 231 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:46.720 array of three hundred full moons. To date, EUCLID has 232 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:51.360 observed about two thousand square degrees, which is approximately fourteen 233 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.960 percent of its total survey area of fourteen thousand square degrees. 234 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.279 By the end of its mission, EUCLID will have observed 235 00:13:59.320 --> 00:14:02.600 a third of the entire sky. The data set released 236 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:06.159 this month is described in several pre print papers. The 237 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:10.879 mission first cosmology data will be released in October twenty 238 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:15.600 twenty six. Data accumulated over additional multiple passes of the 239 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:19.200 deep field locations will also be included in the twenty 240 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:23.039 twenty six release. The scientific heart of the mission lies 241 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.519 with the EUCLID Consortium, a collaboration of more than two 242 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:31.919 thousand scientists from over three hundred institutes across fifteen European countries, 243 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:36.799 the United States, Canada, and Japan. The consortium is responsible 244 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.720 for providing the mission's scientific instruments and for analyzing the 245 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:47.159 data EUCLID collects. With its international collaboration, advanced instrumentation and 246 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:51.279 cosmic scale mission goals, EUCLID is poised to transform our 247 00:14:51.440 --> 00:15:05.720 understanding of the invisible forces shaping our Universe. Thank you 248 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.600 for joining us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, 249 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.519 where we offer just a few stories from the now 250 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.759 famous Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can receive in your 251 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.080 email every day, just like Hallie and I do. And 252 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:20.399 to do that, just visit our url Astronomy Daily dot 253 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:23.679 io and place your email address in the slot provided. 254 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:26.840 Just like that, you'll be receiving all the latest news 255 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.200 about science, space, science and astronomy from around the world 256 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.080 as it's happening. And not only that, you can interact 257 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:37.879 with us by visiting at astro Daily pod on x 258 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:40.919 or at our new Facebook page, which is of course 259 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:46.360 Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you there. Astronomy Daily with 260 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:52.039 Steve and Halee Space, space science and astronomy. 261 00:15:56.679 --> 00:15:59.559 Mars might be a thrilling destination, but it's dust could 262 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.080 be dead. A team of scientists warns that long term 263 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:07.000 exposure to Martian dust could harm future astronauts lungs, thyroids, 264 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.159 and more. Packed with toxic compounds like silicates and perchlorates, 265 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:14.039 the dust is small enough to bypass our bodies defenses 266 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:18.519 and enter the bloodstream. Drawing on rover data and meteorite analysis, 267 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:21.840 researchers say now as the time to develop filters, supplements, 268 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.480 and preventive measures before humans ever set foot on the 269 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:28.960 red planet. Don't breathe in the dust on Mars. That's 270 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.600 the key message from new research led by scientists from 271 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:35.960 the University of Colorado, Boulder and several other institutions. The 272 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.919 study suggests that long term exposure to Martian dust could 273 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:43.360 pose serious health risks for future astronauts, including chronic respiratory issues, 274 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:47.879 thyroid dysfunction, and other medical problems. Published in the journal 275 00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:51.120 Geo Health, the research offers the most comprehensive analysis to 276 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.519 date of the chemical makeup of Martian dust and its 277 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:58.440 potential effects on human health. The interdisciplinary team included experts 278 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:03.039 in medicine, geology, and aerospace engineering. This isn't the most 279 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.319 dangerous part about going to Mars, said Justin Wine, lead 280 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.119 author of the study and a student in the ch 281 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:10.880 School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in 282 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:14.720 Los Angeles. But dust is a solvable problem, and it's 283 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:17.640 worth putting in the effort to develop Mars focused technologies 284 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:21.319 for preventing these health problems in the first place. Wine, 285 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.160 a Sea Boulder alumnus noted that Apollo era astronauts experienced 286 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.960 runny eyes and irritated throats after inhaling dust from the 287 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:32.519 moon Apollo seventeenth Harrison Schmidt likened the symptoms to hay fever, 288 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.119 but scientists know a lot less about the potential harms 289 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:39.880 of Martian dust. To begin to answer that question, Wine 290 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:42.359 and his colleagues drew on data from rovers on Mars 291 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:45.200 and even Martian meteorites to better understand what makes up 292 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.839 the planet's dust. The group discovered a laundry list of 293 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.799 chemical compounds that could be dangerous for people, at least 294 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:55.640 when inhaled in large quantities and over long periods. They 295 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:58.880 include minerals rich in silicates and iron oxides, metals like 296 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:02.440 beryllium and arsenic, and a particularly nasty class of compounds 297 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.799 called perchlorates. In many cases, those ingredients are present in 298 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:10.359 only trace amounts in Mars dust, but the first human 299 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:12.640 explorers on Mars may spend around a year and a 300 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:16.000 half on the surface, increasing their exposure, said study co 301 00:18:16.119 --> 00:18:19.920 athor Brian Heinek. You're going to get dust on your spacesuits, 302 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.440 and you're going to have to deal with regular dust storms, 303 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.680 said Heinek, a geologist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and 304 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:29.559 Space Physics at SU Boulder. We really need to characterize 305 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:31.559 this dust so that we know what the hazards are. 306 00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:35.599 One thing is clear, he added, Mars is a dusty place. 307 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:38.559 Much of the planet is covered in a thick layer 308 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:41.279 of dust, rich and tiny particles of iron, which gives 309 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:45.039 the planet its famous red color. Swirling dust storms are 310 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.599 common and in some cases can engulf the entire globe. 311 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:51.359 We think there could be ten meters of dust sitting 312 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:54.400 on top of the bigger volcanoes, said Heinek, a professor 313 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:58.000 in the Department of Geological Sciences. If you try to 314 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:00.680 land a spacecraft there, you're going to just sink into 315 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:04.000 the dust. Wog found his own way to Martian dust 316 00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:08.000 through a unique academic path. He started medical school after 317 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:11.480 earning bachelor's degrees from SEU Boulder in astronomy and molecular, 318 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:15.440 cellular and developmental biology, followed by a master's degree in 319 00:19:15.480 --> 00:19:19.799 Aerospace Engineering Sciences. He currently serves in the Navy through 320 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:23.759 its Health Profession Scholarship program. He noted that the biggest 321 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:27.720 problem with Martian dust comes down to its size. Estimates 322 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:30.119 suggest that the average size of dust grains on Mars 323 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:32.839 may be as little as three micrometers across, or roughly 324 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:36.039 one ten thousandth of an inch. That's smaller than what 325 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:39.680 the mucus in our lungs can expel. Wang said, so 326 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:42.039 after we inhale Martian dust, a lot of it could 327 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:44.720 remain in our lungs and be absorbed into our bloodstream. 328 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:48.000 In the current study, Wang and several of his fellow 329 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.079 medical students at USC scoured research papers to unearth the 330 00:19:51.079 --> 00:19:55.680 potential toxicological effects of the ingredients in Martian dust. Some 331 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:58.440 of what they found resembled common health problems on Earth. 332 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:02.599 Dust on Mars, for example, contains large amounts of the 333 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:06.000 compound silica, which is abundant in minerals on our own planet. 334 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:10.079 People who inhale a lot of silica, such as glass blowers, 335 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:14.319 can develop a condition known as silicosis. Their lung tissue 336 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:17.440 becomes scarred, making it hard to breathe, symptoms similar to 337 00:20:17.480 --> 00:20:22.079 the black lung disease that coal miners often contract. Currently, 338 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:26.119 there is no cure for silicosis. In other cases, the 339 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:30.359 potential health consequences are much less well known. Martian dust 340 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.319 carries large quantities of highly oxidizing compounds called perchlorates, which 341 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:37.039 are made up of one chlorine and multiple oxygen atoms. 342 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:40.880 Perchlorates are rare on Earth, but some evidence suggests that 343 00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:44.480 they can interfere with human thyroid function, leading to severe anemia. 344 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.400 Even inhaling a few milligrams of perchlorates in Martian dust 345 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:52.240 could be dangerous for astronauts. One noted that the best 346 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:54.599 time to prepare for the health risks of Martian dust 347 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:58.640 is before humans ever make it to the planet. Iodine supplements, 348 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:03.000 for example, would boost astronaut's thyroid function, potentially counteracting the 349 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:05.720 toll of for chlorates, although taking too much iodine can 350 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:10.960 also paradoxically lead to thyroid disease. Filters specifically designed to 351 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:13.200 screen out Martian dust could also help to keep the 352 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:18.000 air in living spaces clean. Prevention is key. We tell 353 00:21:18.039 --> 00:21:20.400 everyone to go see their primary care provider to check 354 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:23.279 your cholesterol before it gives you a heart attack. One said, 355 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.079 the best thing we can do on Mars is make 356 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:28.880 sure the astronauts aren't exposed to dust in the first place. 357 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:37.799 Astronomy Kay the podcap NASA's latest call for proposals to 358 00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:42.599 conduct private astronaut missions to the International Space Station opens 359 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:46.160 the door to having those missions commanded by someone other 360 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:50.680 than a former NASA astronaut. NASA announced on April two 361 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:55.880 it issued a solicitation for the next two private astronaut missions, 362 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:59.960 or PAMs, to the ISS. This will be the fear 363 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:03.640 and six such missions to the ISS, part of a 364 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:07.799 broader low Earth orbit commercialization effort by NASA with the 365 00:22:07.880 --> 00:22:11.440 ultimate goal of replacing the ISS with one or more 366 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:16.119 commercial stations. The PAMs support that effort by leveraging our 367 00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:19.880 decades of expertise to help industry gain the experience needed 368 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:25.480 to train and manage crews, conduct research, and develop future destinations. 369 00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:29.920 Standard Weegal, NASA ISS program manager, said in a statement. 370 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:33.480 Private astronaut missions are a key part of this effort, 371 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:37.680 providing companies with hands on opportunities to refine their capabilities 372 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.079 and build partnerships that will shape the future of low 373 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:45.920 Earth orbit. The new solicitation includes rules dating back to 374 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:48.880 the second PAN that requires such a mission to be 375 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:53.359 commanded by a former NASA astronaut with flight experience. One 376 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:57.400 minor change is that NASA requires that commander too has 377 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:01.640 served as a long duration ISS crewmen defined as thirty 378 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:04.599 days or more. NASA also requires the commander to have 379 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:08.119 been involved in ISS operations in the last five years 380 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:12.039 or else show evidence of current active participation in similar 381 00:23:12.359 --> 00:23:17.400 relevant spaceflight operations, or provide a training plan become familiar 382 00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:23.799 again with ISS operations. The solicitation, though, offers an opportunity 383 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:26.920 to have those future missions commanded by someone other than 384 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:31.359 a NASA astronaut. While companies must propose a commander who 385 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:35.319 meets current requirements, it can also propose an alternate commander 386 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:39.160 who is a former astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency, 387 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:44.839 European Space Agency, or japan Aerospace Exploration Agency with similar 388 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:50.240 ISS experience requirements. Should NASA broaden its PAM commander experience requirements, 389 00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:54.680 the PAM provider may designate its alternate commander as its 390 00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:58.359 PAM commander, provided that such a swap does not negatively 391 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:01.759 impact the PAM provider's ability to meet the proposed mission 392 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:07.039 integration schedule. The solicitation states that could allow some former 393 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:11.680 astronauts already working with commercial space spaceflight companies an opportunity 394 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:16.240 to command pam's Axiom. Space, for example, announced in July 395 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:19.759 twenty twenty four that a former ESA astronaut Tim Peak 396 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:23.799 had joined its astronaut team. That came after Axiom and 397 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:27.720 the UK Space Agency signed a memorandum of understanding in 398 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:31.440 October twenty twenty three to study the feasibility of a 399 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:36.960 private astronaut mission crewed exclusively by UK astronauts. Axiom also 400 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:41.160 hired Coachi wakata a former Jackson astronaut, in April twenty 401 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:44.519