Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your premier source for
all things space and astronomy. I'm Anna and I'm thrilled
to be your guide through the Cosmos. Today, we have
an absolutely packed episode for you with some truly groundbreaking
developments in space exploration and astronomical research. The headlines are
buzzing with SpaceX's latest achievement, the historic fram two mission
that has just sent the first ever human spaceflight over
Earth's poles. We'll dive into what makes this mission so
special and the unique experiments the crew will be conducting
as they circle our planet in a way no humans
have done before. But that's just the beginning of our
cosmic journey. Today, we'll also explore how SpaceX is ramping
up its launch schedule to unprecedented levels, with multiple missions
taking off in rapid succession this week alone. Then we'll
head to Mars, where NASA's Perseverance Rover is conducting fascinating
tests on space suit materials, giving us crucial data for
future human exploration of the Red planet. The harsh Martian
environment poses unique challenges for astronaut safety, and this research
could be key to overcoming them. We'll also check in
with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, who recently
returned to Earth after what was supposed to be a
brief mission turned into a nine months day aboard the
International Space Station. And finally, we'll explore new research suggesting
something truly mind bending that dark matter could actually be
affecting planetary rotation, potentially making planets spin faster. This could
have profound implications for how we understand our own Earth
and distant exoplanets. So strap in for a journey across
our Solar System and beyond as we explore the latest
and most fascinating developments in space science and astronomy. Let's
kick things off with today's big story. SpaceX has made
history with the first ever human spaceflight to circle Earth
over its poles. The private fram two mission lifted off
from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March thirty
first at nine forty six pm Eastern Time, carrying four
space travelers into a unique polar orbit that no human
has experienced before. The crew launched aboard the crew Dragon
capsule Resilience, which has now completed its fourth space mission
after previously supporting crew ie Inspiration four and Polaris Dawn.
Falcon nine booster B one thousand eighty five powered the
launch for its sixth flight before successfully landing on SpaceX's
Drone ship a shortfall of gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
This groundbreaking mission is commanded by Chun Wang of Malta,
who is joined by an international team including vehicle commander
Janecke Michelson from Norway, pilot Rabea Roga of Germany, and
Australian medical officer and mission specialist Eric Phillips. All four
are first time space travelers, making this journey even more remarkable.
After reaching orbit, SpaceX's Bill Gerstenmeier radioed the crew, saying
Dragon on behalf of the Falcon team were honored to
deliver you safely to your polar orbit. Enjoy the v
use of the poles, Send us some pictures, and our
hearts and minds will be flying with you as you
go over the poles. The mission is named after the
famous Norwegian exploration ship Fram, which ventured into both Arctic
and Antarctic regions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Fram translates to forward or onward in Norwegian. A fitting
name for this pioneering spaceflight that carries the same spirit
of exploration into Earth orbit. During their three to five
days in space, the crew will conduct twenty two scientific
experiments that leverage their unique orbital path. These include the
first ever attempt to grow mushrooms in the microgravity environment
of space, and operating a machine that will capture the
first X ray images of the human body while in orbit.
Additional studies will investigate how spaceflight and microgravity affect the
human musculoskeletal system. FRAM two represents SpaceX's seventeenth human spaceflight
overall and its sixth private crude mission. What makes this
launch particularly notable is that it came just seventeen days
after SpaceX's previous astronaut launch Crew ten to the International
Space Station, marking the shortest interval between SpaceX Creude missions
to date. Upon completion of their orbital journey, the FRAM
two crew will make history again with the first Pacific
Ocean splash down for a SpaceX Crude mission. Previous Dragon
capsules have all landed in the Atlantic off Florida's coast,
but the company is shifting returns to the West coast
to minimize risk to people and property during re entry.
In one final research opportunity, the crew will forego the
typical medical assistance normally provided to astronauts returning from space,
allowing scientists to study how their bodies readapt to Earth's
gravity without intervention, valuable data for future space exploration missions.
Speaking of launches, let's turn our attention now to this
week's schedule. It's been an exceptionally busy period for SpaceX,
with this week alone featuring five planned Falcon nine launches.
The company's impressive cadence kicked off with the Starlink Group
six eighty mission from Cape Canaveral, which lifted off just
hours before the historic FRAM two flight. This Starlink deployment
carried a record twenty eight of SpaceX's upgraded V two
Mini Optimized satellites to orbit, marking the first time these
enhanced satellites have launched from the East Coast. The rapid
fire succession of launches showcases SpaceX's growing operational capability. Just
consider that the booster used for the Starlink six eighty
mission was making its seventeenth flight after a turnaround of
only forty one days, numbers that would have seemed impossible
just a few years ago. Looking ahead through the week,
SpaceX has scheduled three more Starlink missions. On April first,
Falcon nine is set to launch Starlink Group eleven thirteen
from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, followed by two
additional deployments, Starlink Group eleven eleven on April five and
Starling Group six seventy two on April sixth from opposite
coasts of the United States. The timing between the Fram
two Crude mission and the previous Crew ten launch to
the International Space Station set a new record for SpaceX,
with just two weeks and three days separating these human
space flights. This compressed timeline demonstrates the maturity of SpaceX's
human spaceflight program and the reliability of their Falcon nine
and Dragon systems. While SpaceX dominates the launch schedule this week,
they're not alone in reaching for orbit. China also has
two launches planned, with their chang Jeng two D rocket
scheduled to lift off on April first, followed by what
might be one of the final flights of the chung
Jang six rocket later in the week from the Taiyuan
Satellite Launch Center. The increasing frequency of SpaceX launches has
become almost routine, but it represents a fundamental shift in
space access. Just a decade ago, achieving this many orbital
launches across an entire year would have been considered remark
maarkable for a single company. Now SpaceX is demonstrating the
capability to achieve that in a single week while simultaneously
conducting historic human spaceflight missions and expanding their global satellite
Internet constellation. This operational tempo not only serves SpaceX's commercial interests,
but also provides crucial experience for NASA's future crude missions
and demonstrates the kind of launch cadence that will be
necessary as humanity expands its presence beyond Earth. Let's go
to Mars now for an update. This is fascinating. While
the Perseverance rover's primary mission on Mars focuses on searching
for signs of ancient microbial life, it's also quietly conducting
crucial research that could directly impact the safety of future
human explorers. For the past four years, the rover has
been exposing small swatches of space suit materials to the
harsh Martian environment in what amounts to the ultimate real
world test. These material samples, each measuring just three quarters
of an inch square, are attached to a calibration target
for the rover's sherlock instrument. The selection includes pieces that
would be integral to any Mars astronaut's protective gear, a
polycarbonate helmet visor vectrin used in glove palms for cut resistance,
two variations of teflon with dust repelling properties, and a
complex material called orthofabric. The ortho fabric is particularly interesting
as it combines multiple protective layers nomechs for flame resistance
like firefighter gear, breathable gortex, and kevlar for tear resistance,
similar to what's used in bulletproof vests. Together, these materials
represent the building blocks of what future Martian explorers might wear.
Mars presents an extremely hostile environment for both humans and
their equipment. Unlike Earth, with its protective magnetic field that
deflects much of the Sun's radiation, Mars lost its magnetic
shield billions of years ago, along with most of its atmosphere.
This leaves the surface exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation that
can rapidly degrade materials. Add to this, the planet's freezing temperatures,
find dust particles that can infiltrate mechanisms, and corrosive perchlurates,
toxic salts that permeate the Martian soil, and you have
an environment engineered to break down almost anything we might
send there. Mark Fryes of NASA's Johnson Space Center explains
the forward thinking nature of this experiment. This is one
of the forward looking aspects of the Rover's mission, not
just thinking about its current science, but also about what
comes next. We're preparing for people to eventually go and
explore Mars. The data being collected is particularly valuable because
it shows how quickly different materials degrade. Remarkably, about half
of all the changes observed in the samples occurred within
just the first two hundred days on Mars, with vectin
appearing to deteriorate most rapidly. This gives engineers crucial information
about how frequently spacesuits might need replacement or repair during
extended missions. Scientists are a especially concerned about maintaining flexibility
and tear resistance in spacesuit materials. As Sherlock team member
joby Razzl Hollis notes, Mars is a really harsh tough place.
The radiation in particular is pretty nasty. When these materials degrade,
they can become brittle, similar to how white plastic lawn
furniture yellows and cracks after years in sunlight, but likely
happening much faster on Mars. The research team is now
preparing to publish their findings, while scientists at NASA Johnson
are developing Earth based simulations that can replicate Martian conditions.
They plan to subject identical materials to simulated Martian carbon
dioxide atmospheres, air pressure, and ultraviolet light, then stress tests
them to determine how much structural integrity they've lost. The
fabric materials are designed to be tough but flexible, Freeze explains,
we want to know the extent to which they lose
their strength and flexibility over time. As fabrics weaken, they
can fray and tear, allowing a space suit to leak
both heat and air, a potentially fatal situation for any
Mars explorer. This research represents a critical step in preparing
for human exploration of the Red planet, demonstrating how current
robotic missions are directly enabling future human missions by solving
practical challenges before astronauts ever set foot on Martian soil. Well,
we finally got to see Butch and Sunni addressing the
world today in their first sit down TV interview since
returning home. After nine months aboard the International Space Station
two hundred and seventy eight days longer than planned, NASA
astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams have finally returned to Earth.
What began as a routine eight day test flight of
Boeing Starliner spacecraft transformed into one of the most dramatic
extended stays in space history, turning them into household names
in the process. The veteran astronauts splashed down off Florida's
coast two weeks ago, not in the Boeing capsule that
carried them up, but in a space X Dragon that
came to their rescue. Their unprecedented mission extension came after
Starliner experienced multiple technical issues during its June twenty twenty
three launch, including thruster failures and helium leaks that raised
serious safety concerns about the capsule's return capability. In their
first news conference since returning home, both astronauts displayed remarkable
composure and professionalism despite their ordeal. I'll start and point
the finger, and I'll blame me, Wilmore told reporters, sharing
responsibility for the mission's issues. I could have asked some questions,
and the answers to those questions could have turned the
tide all the way up and down the chain. We
all are responsible, we all own this. The saga took
on additional dimensions when President Trump publicly urged SpaceX's Elon
Musk to accelerate the rescue mission, adding political pressure to
an already complicated situation. Meanwhile, NASA engineers and Boeing officials
spent months deliberating the safest course of action before ultimately
determining that Starliner was too risky to bring the astronauts home.
Despite everything they experienced, both Wilmore and Williams expressed continued
confidence in Boeing spacecraft. When asked if they would fly
on Starliner again, Williams responded emphatically, we're all in. She
added that the vehicle has a lot of capability and
she wants to see it succeed. Wilmore echoed this sentiment,
saying he'd return in a heartbeat because we're going to
rectify all the issues that we encountered. We're going to
fix them. We're going to make it work. The pair
is scheduled to meet with Boeing leadership this week to
provide detailed feedback on their flight experience. Wilmore emphasized that
the meeting is not for pointing fingers, but rather to
make the path clearer going forward. Both astronauts have been
adjusting well to life back on Earth. Williams waited until
she was steadier on her feet before reuniting with her
two Labrador retrievers the day after splashdown, describing the moment
as pure joy. Wilmore, meanwhile, has already received his first
terrestrial assignment from his wife, replacing all the shrubs in
their yard before summer. NASA engineers still don't fully understand
what caused Starliner's thrust or malfunctions. With more testing planned
through summer, the Space Agency may require another uncrude test
flight before allowing astronauts aboard again, but that potential redo
could happen by year's end. Despite Starliner's troubled development, NASA
officials maintained that their strategy of having two competing US
companies providing space station transportation remains sound However, with the
International Space Stations scheduled for retirement in just five years,
the window for Boeing to establish Starliner as a reliable
crew transport is rapidly closing. Finally, today, a dark matter update.
Dark matter remains one of the most enigmatic components of
our universe, making up approximately eighty five percent of all matter.
It's practically invisible, detectable only through its gravitational effects, but
new research suggests we might have another way to observe
its presence through its influence on planetary rotation. Scientists from
the Shinjang Astronomical Observatory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences
have published intriguing findings suggesting that dark matter could actually
make planets spin faster. Their paper, aptly titled dark Matter
Spins the Planet proposes that planets act as natural dark
matter collectors, gradually accumulating these mysterious particles over billions of years.
When dark matter particles enter a planet, they don't interact
with normal matter in conventional ways. Instead, through quantum effects
like tunneling, they can deposit energy into the planet's interior.
This energy transfer manifests in two ways, heating the planet
and accelerating its rotation. The researchers simulated this dark matter
capture process in fifteen confirmed exoplanets, including notable examples like
fifty five Cancree D also known as lip Hay, and
Epsilon Eridani B. They also applied their model to more
familiar worlds like Jupiter and our own Earth. For Earth specifically,
their calculations predict some measurable effects. Dark matter heating combined
with solar energy could increase Earth's surface atmospheric temperature by
approximately zero point zero one five kelvin over one hundred
years and zero point one five kelvin over a millennium.
More dramatically, Earth's rotation period could decrease by about twelve
seconds over the next century and potentially one hundred and
twenty seconds over one thousand years. These might sound like
small changes, but they are significant enough that we should
be able to detect them with current ground based measurement methods.
This provides astronomers with a potential new avenue for confirming
dark matter's existence and properties. The implications extend beyond pure physics.
The team suggest that dark matter interactions might play a
role in planetary habitability by altar thermal conditions within planets,
dark matter could affect the stability of liquid water and
influence atmospheric evolution, key factors in determining whether a world
can support life. Despite the theoretical nature of this work,
it represents an innovative approach to the dark matter puzzle.
Rather than focusing solely on microscopic particle physics or cosmic
scale observations, these researchers are looking at planetary scale effects
that accumulate over long time periods. Dark matter candidates range
from weakly interacting massive particles WIMPs, to axians to primordial
black holes. If any of these particles are indeed captured
by planets, the energy released when they annihilate each other
could contribute to the heating and rotational effects described in
the study. As the author's note, this research could prove
especially valuable as humanity continues searching for potentially habitable worlds
beyond our Solar System. Understanding how dark matter influences planetary
conditions might help us better assess which exoplanets could support life,
adding yet another factor to consider in our quest to
find a second home among the stars. That wraps up
today's journey through the Cosmos. From SpaceX's groundbreaking polar mission
to the intriguing effects of dark matter on planetary rotation,
We've covered some truly fascinating developments in space exploration and astronomy.
I'm anna your guide to the stars here at Astronomy Daily,
and it's been my absolute pleasure sharing these stories with you.
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