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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to podcast for all

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<v Speaker 1>the latest in space and astronomy news. I'm your host Anna.

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<v Speaker 1>Today we have a fantastic lineup of stories that will

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<v Speaker 1>ignite your curiosity and expand your understanding of the cosmos.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll start with SpaceX's ambitious plans to land and recover

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<v Speaker 1>its starship rocket off the coast of Australia, a move

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<v Speaker 1>that could mark a significant milestone in international space collaboration.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll also delve into NASA's recent groundbreaking insights into near

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<v Speaker 1>Earth asteroids thanks to the high resolution images captured during

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<v Speaker 1>the Dart mission.

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<v Speaker 2>On top of that, we have some.

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<v Speaker 1>Intriguing news from the United Launch Alliance's latest mission, where

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<v Speaker 1>a top secret payload for the US Space Force was

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<v Speaker 1>successfully launched. And last, but not least, we'll touch on

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<v Speaker 1>the upcoming repair mission for NASA's Nicer X ray telescope

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<v Speaker 1>on the International Space Station, an essential fix that promises

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<v Speaker 1>to restore its stellar research capabilities. So stay tuned and

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<v Speaker 1>let's dive into the cosmos together. SpaceX is making waves

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<v Speaker 1>with its latest ambitious plan to land and recover its

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<v Speaker 1>starship rocket off the coast of Australia. Discussions are underway

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<v Speaker 1>between SpaceX and officials in both the United States and Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>signifying a monumental step forward in SpaceX's quest to expand

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<v Speaker 1>its operations globally. This initiative highlights the strengthening of security

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<v Speaker 1>ties between the two nations, positioning Australia as a crucial

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<v Speaker 1>partner in future space endeavors. The first successful controlled splashdown

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<v Speaker 1>of a Starship rocket happened just last June in the

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<v Speaker 1>Indian Ocean. This milestone has emboldened SpaceX to extend its

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<v Speaker 1>testing campaign. The recovery and successive landings of the Starship

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<v Speaker 1>boosters are pivotal in enhancing the development of this enormous

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<v Speaker 1>reusable rocket, one design not only to launch satellites, but

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<v Speaker 1>also to land astronauts on the Moon. The current plan

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<v Speaker 1>involves launching the Starship from a facility in Texas and

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<v Speaker 1>landing it in the sea off Australia's coast. From there,

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<v Speaker 1>the rocket would be recovered on Australian territory. Requires the

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<v Speaker 1>loosening of US export controls on sophisticated space technologies, a

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<v Speaker 1>process that President Joe Biden's administration has already started to

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<v Speaker 1>facilitate within the Aucue Security Alliance, which includes the United States,

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<v Speaker 1>Australia and Britain. Although SpaceX, the US Space Force, and

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<v Speaker 1>the Australian Space Agency have yet to comment officially, unnamed

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<v Speaker 1>sources reveal that towing Starship to a port on Australia's

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<v Speaker 1>western or northern coasts could be an ideal recovery method. However,

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<v Speaker 1>specific plans and locations are still under discussion. These conversations

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<v Speaker 1>reflect the US determination to bolster Australia's military capabilities as

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<v Speaker 1>a countermeasure to China's increasing assertiveness in the region. The

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<v Speaker 1>collaboration would signify a heightened level of trust in Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>which has long sought to enhance its space defense program

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<v Speaker 1>and build stronger civil and military ties with the United States.

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<v Speaker 1>The ongoing discussions primarily focus on the regulatory challenges of

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<v Speaker 1>bringing a record covered starship booster ashore in a foreign country,

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<v Speaker 1>making the timing of any landing still uncertain for SpaceX,

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<v Speaker 1>The proposed test landings in Australia could be the initial

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<v Speaker 1>phase of a broader initiative that may eventually include launching

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<v Speaker 1>from a facility on the continent, or even achieving land

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<v Speaker 1>based recoveries. A similar incremental approach was employed in the

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<v Speaker 1>development of the Falcon nine rocket, which is now SpaceX's

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<v Speaker 1>workhorse and has executed hundreds of successful landings. Standing at

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<v Speaker 1>a towering four hundred feet, Starship is designed to be

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<v Speaker 1>fully reusable. This next generation rocket system has the capability

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<v Speaker 1>to launch large satellite batches into space, facilitate lunar missions,

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<v Speaker 1>and could potentially be utilized for rapid military cargo deliveries

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<v Speaker 1>around the globe in as little as ninety minutes.

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<v Speaker 2>The successful test flight.

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<v Speaker 1>In June, where Starship managed a soft splash down in

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<v Speaker 1>the Indian Ocean while its booster landed in the Gulf

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<v Speaker 1>of Mexico, marked a signalificant progression for the program. Prior

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<v Speaker 1>tests had ended with disintegration before achieving a safe landing.

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<v Speaker 1>This achievement has propelled SpaceX into a new phase of

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<v Speaker 1>more complex landing tests, reinforcing the potential military applications envisioned

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<v Speaker 1>by the US Air Force Research Laboratory's Rocket Cargo program.

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<v Speaker 1>Under a one hundred two million dollars Pentagon contract, SpaceX

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<v Speaker 1>has been studying point to point delivery using Starships since

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty one, with plans to move into a more

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<v Speaker 1>advanced prototype phase next year. This capability could revolutionize logistics

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<v Speaker 1>by reducing the time needed to deliver cargo across the

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<v Speaker 1>world to a fraction of the current twelve to twenty

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<v Speaker 1>four hours required by traditional aircraft. As these plans unfold,

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<v Speaker 1>it's clear that SpaceX is not just looking at the stars,

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<v Speaker 1>but also at the future of international partnerships in space exploration.

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<v Speaker 1>The coming months and years are sure to bring exciting

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<v Speaker 1>developments as regulations are navigated and tested, setting the stage

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<v Speaker 1>for SpaceX's growing presence in Australia and beyond. This could

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<v Speaker 1>very well be the dawn of a new era in

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<v Speaker 1>global space collaboration, with SpaceX leading the charge. NASA's Dart mission,

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<v Speaker 1>which made headlines in twenty twenty two when it successfully

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<v Speaker 1>struck the asteroid Dimorphose, has recently yielded some incredibly valuable findings.

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<v Speaker 1>As you might remember, the Dart spacecraft was part of

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<v Speaker 1>a planetary defense test aiming to see if a kinetic

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<v Speaker 1>impact could alter the path of an asteroid. Well, in

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<v Speaker 1>addition to proving that such a strategy can work, the

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<v Speaker 1>mission has provided a wealth of scientific data that's helping

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<v Speaker 1>us delve even deeper into the mysteries of near Earth asteroids.

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<v Speaker 2>In the moments leading up to the.

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<v Speaker 1>Impact, DART captured high resolution images of de MorphOS and

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<v Speaker 1>its larger companion, Ditemos.

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<v Speaker 2>These images have been.

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<v Speaker 1>Critical for scientists trying to piece together the complex history

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<v Speaker 1>of these two fascinating celestial bodies. The craters and surface

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<v Speaker 1>features on Didimos suggest it formed about twelve point five

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<v Speaker 1>million years ago, likely in our Solar System's main asteroid

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<v Speaker 1>belt between Mars and Jupiter, before being knocked into the

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<v Speaker 1>inner Solar System. Dimorphose, on the other hand, appears to

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<v Speaker 1>be much younger, clocking in at around three hundred thousand

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<v Speaker 1>years old. Both asteroids are what scientists call rubble pile structures,

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<v Speaker 1>meaning they're composed of rocky fragments that have coalesced under

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<v Speaker 1>gravitational forces. This type of formation generally results from the

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<v Speaker 1>catastrophic breakup of apparent asteroid. Detailed analyzes of the largest

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<v Speaker 1>boulders on both Dimorphose and Didamos indicate they couldn't have

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<v Speaker 1>formed from surface impacts, as such collisions would have destroyed

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<v Speaker 1>these bodies rather than creating massive boulders. Leading this fascinating

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<v Speaker 1>research is astronomer Maurzio Pagola from Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics.

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<v Speaker 1>Payola explains that the surface of these asteroids is covered

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<v Speaker 1>with boulders, with the largest on Dimorphose being as big

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<v Speaker 1>as a school bus and the largest Ondidamos, comparable to

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<v Speaker 1>a soccer field. The rocks on Dimorphose even show signs

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<v Speaker 1>of cracks, and Didamos might have finer grained soils at

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<v Speaker 1>its equator, though that's still up for debate based on

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<v Speaker 1>current imagery. Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that Demorphose likely

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<v Speaker 1>formed from material ejected from Didamos's equatorial region, caused by

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<v Speaker 1>its rapid rotation, an effect known as the yorp effect,

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<v Speaker 1>which is driven by sunlight. This past rapid spin caused

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<v Speaker 1>Ditamos to eject mass, some of which coalesced to form dimorphose.

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<v Speaker 1>NASA's DART mission marks a significant milestone in our understanding

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<v Speaker 1>of binary asteroid systems, where a primary asteroid is orbited

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<v Speaker 1>by a smaller moonlight. These systems represent about ten to

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<v Speaker 1>fifteen percent of all near Earth asteroids, so learning more

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<v Speaker 1>about them is crucial. According to Olivier barnouin a planetary

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<v Speaker 1>geologist at Johns Hopkins University. Every new observation helps us

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<v Speaker 1>understand how these cosmic rocks form and evolve. Despite their complexities,

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<v Speaker 1>smaller asteroids under a kilometer in size share surprisingly similar characteristics,

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<v Speaker 1>making each new data point invaluable. The DART mission didn't

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<v Speaker 1>just strike dimorphose. It slightly altered the asteroid's trajectory, proving

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<v Speaker 1>that kinetic force can indeed change the course of a

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<v Speaker 1>potential Earth threatening object. This finding has massive implications for

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<v Speaker 1>planetary defense strategies going forward. So that's a wrap on

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<v Speaker 1>the latest insights from NASA's DART mission. It's amazing to

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<v Speaker 1>think about how much we're learning, not just about these

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<v Speaker 1>specific asteroids, but about the larger patterns and processes that

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<v Speaker 1>govern near Earth objects. As always, space offers us endless

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<v Speaker 1>opportunities for discovery, and it's thrilling to see these small

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<v Speaker 1>steps leading to giant leaps in our understanding. And now

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<v Speaker 1>a follow up from our story yesterday, the United Launch

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<v Speaker 1>Alliance or ULA has achieved a significant milestone by successfully

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<v Speaker 1>launching a top secret payload for the US Space Force.

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<v Speaker 1>This mission was carried out using the trusted Atlas five rocket,

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<v Speaker 1>lifting off successfully from Launch Complex forty one in Florida

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<v Speaker 1>on Tuesday morning, EDT. It's worth noting that this launch

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<v Speaker 1>represents the one hundredth national security mission for ULA, a

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<v Speaker 1>testament to their long standing partnership with the US government

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<v Speaker 1>and their expertise in space missions that are crucial to

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<v Speaker 1>national defense. However, this mission is particularly notable for another reason.

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<v Speaker 1>It marks the final national security mission for the Atlas

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<v Speaker 1>five rocket. The Atlas five has been a reliable workhorse

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<v Speaker 1>for ULA, playing a pivotal role in numerous critical.

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<v Speaker 2>Missions over the years.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, as the Atlas five prepares for retirement, ULA is

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<v Speaker 1>shifting its focus to the next generation of launch vehicles,

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<v Speaker 1>specifically their Vulcan rocket. The Vulcan is set to take

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<v Speaker 1>over and continue providing the same level of reliability and

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<v Speaker 1>performance that its predecessor, the Atlas five, has delivered. As

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<v Speaker 1>is often the case with national security payloads, specific details

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<v Speaker 1>about the cargo remain classified. The secrecy surrounded the payload

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<v Speaker 1>underscores the importance and sensitivity of the mission. Despite this

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<v Speaker 1>veil of confidentiality, the successful launch highlights ULA's reputation for

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<v Speaker 1>dependability and precision in executing complex missions. Colonel Jim Horn,

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<v Speaker 1>the senior material leader of the launch execution Delta, expressed

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<v Speaker 1>a mix of emotions about the transition. He reminisced about

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<v Speaker 1>the first national security launch involving an Atlas five and

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<v Speaker 1>the journey to this final mission. It's indeed a bittersweet

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<v Speaker 1>moment for everyone involved as they say goodbye to a

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<v Speaker 1>rocket that has served them well and look forward to

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<v Speaker 1>the future with the Vulcan. So while we might not

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<v Speaker 1>know exactly what was aboard the Atlas five this time,

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<v Speaker 1>the mission's success certainly adds another impressive chapter to ULA's

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<v Speaker 1>storied history.

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<v Speaker 2>It also sets the stage.

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<v Speaker 1>For an exciting new era, with the Vulcan rocket poised

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<v Speaker 1>to continue ULA's legacy of excellence in space launch services.

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<v Speaker 1>In exciting news from the International Space Station, NASA is

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<v Speaker 1>prepping for a repair mission on the Nicer Telescope, an

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<v Speaker 1>X ray observatory that has been delivering incredible science since

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<v Speaker 1>its deployment. In May twenty twenty three, Nicer sustained damage

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<v Speaker 1>that created a light leak, letting unwonted sunlight interfere with

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<v Speaker 1>its sensitive measurements. This issue hampered the telescope's ability to

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<v Speaker 1>study the Cosmos during the station's daylight hours, although nighttime

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<v Speaker 1>observations remained unaffected. NASA's dedicated team has been hard at

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<v Speaker 1>work diagnosing and preparing for this repair. It's remarkable that

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<v Speaker 1>within a year they were able to detect the issue,

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<v Speaker 1>design a solution, and get everything prepped and ready for deployment.

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<v Speaker 1>NICER's repair kit, lovingly crafted by the expert team at

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<v Speaker 1>NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, contains specialized patches designed to

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<v Speaker 1>cover the damaged areas of the telescope's thermal shields, located

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<v Speaker 1>near the station's starboard solar array. NICER's thermal shields are

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<v Speaker 1>ultra thin and engineered to filter out various types of

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<v Speaker 1>light while allowing X rays to pass through. These shields

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<v Speaker 1>are crucial for nyser's primary mission to observe neutron stars

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<v Speaker 1>and other X ray sources in space. Any damage to

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<v Speaker 1>these shields compromises the telescope's ability to conduct its groundbreaking research.

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<v Speaker 1>The repair operation will take place during an upcoming spacewalk.

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<v Speaker 1>Astronauts will install these custom designed patches, each shaped like

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<v Speaker 1>a piece of pie to easily fit under the sunshades

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<v Speaker 1>of the X ray concentrators. This ingenious design will block

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<v Speaker 1>the intrusive sunlight and restore niser's capabilities. The patch materials

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<v Speaker 1>include a mix of existing parts of the telescope and

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<v Speaker 1>standard toolkits available on the ISS, showcasing NASA's innovative problem

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<v Speaker 1>solving skills. What makes this even more special is that

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<v Speaker 1>NICSER wasn't originally designed to be serviced or repaired. It

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<v Speaker 1>was installed robotically and remotely operated, so the team's ability

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<v Speaker 1>to come up with a viable repair plan is a

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<v Speaker 1>testament to their resourcefulness and expertise. With twelve patches available

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<v Speaker 1>in the repair kit, the astronauts will have plenty of

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<v Speaker 1>material to address all the significant areas of damage. The

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<v Speaker 1>patches will be carried in a specially designed caddy during

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<v Speaker 1>the spacewalk, ensuring they are easily accessible. This mission accomplishes

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<v Speaker 1>more than just a fix. It marks the first time

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<v Speaker 1>an X ray telescope in orbit will be serviced by astronauts.

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<v Speaker 1>NICER joins an elite group of space observatories like the

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<v Speaker 1>Hubble Space Telescope that have received on orbit repairs, further

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<v Speaker 1>enhancing its legacy of scientific discovery. This repair is not

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<v Speaker 1>just about fixing what's broken, It's about enabling Nicer to

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<v Speaker 1>continue its invaluable research. The telescope provides unprecedented insights into

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<v Speaker 1>the structure of neutron stars, measures mysterious fast radio bursts,

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<v Speaker 1>and even observes comets and Earth's upper atmosphere. Steve Kenyon,

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<v Speaker 1>Nicser's mechanical lead at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, voice

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<v Speaker 1>the collective enthusiasm, sharing how excited they are for the

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<v Speaker 1>repairs to be completed and for Nicer to return to

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<v Speaker 1>its full potential. The mission's principle investing gator, Keith Jendro,

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<v Speaker 1>also praise the collaboration across various NASA centers and the

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<v Speaker 1>Space Station program to make this repair possible. As we

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to this repair mission, the successful patching of

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<v Speaker 1>Nicer will undoubtedly lead to more groundbreaking discoveries and enhance

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<v Speaker 1>our understanding of some of the universe's most enigmatic phenomena.

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<v Speaker 1>So stay tuned for updates on this extraordinary mission as

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<v Speaker 1>Nicer gears up to get back to doing what it

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<v Speaker 1>does best, exploring the X ray universe and expanding our

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<v Speaker 1>cosmic knowledge. Thank you for tuning in to this episode

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<v Speaker 1>of Astronomy Daily. I'm anna and it was a pleasure

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<v Speaker 1>to share these fascinating updates from the world of space

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<v Speaker 1>and astronomy with you. Don't forget to visit our website

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<v Speaker 1>at Astronomydaily dot io to sign up for our free

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<v Speaker 1>daily newsletter, catch up on the latest news and listen to.

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<v Speaker 2>All our past episodes.

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<v Speaker 1>Follow us on social media by searching for astro Daily

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<v Speaker 2>Next time, keep looking up.

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<v Speaker 3>A story day, Star is the Toll, Star is the

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