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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest and

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<v Speaker 1>most exciting news in space exploration and astronomy. I'm your host, Anna,

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're diving into several fascinating developments from across

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<v Speaker 1>the Cosmos. We've got a packed episode ahead, covering everything

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<v Speaker 1>from the Space Force's certification of a new rocket for

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<v Speaker 1>national security launches to an upcoming partial solar eclipse that

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<v Speaker 1>will grace our skies. This week, we'll also explore a

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<v Speaker 1>mysterious galaxy that's challenging what we thought we knew about

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<v Speaker 1>the early universe. Check in on China's expanding satellite network,

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<v Speaker 1>and learn how NASA's Europa Clipper will scout potential landing

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<v Speaker 1>sites on one of the most promising worlds for finding

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<v Speaker 1>extraterrestrial life. So settle in as we journey through these

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<v Speaker 1>captivating stories that remind us just how dynamic and ever

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<v Speaker 1>changing our understanding of space truly is. The US Space

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<v Speaker 1>Force has officially certified United Launch Alliances Vulcan Centaur rocket

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<v Speaker 1>for national security missions after analyzing data from the vehicle's

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<v Speaker 1>two certification launches that took place in January and October

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<v Speaker 1>of twenty twenty four. This milestone announcement came on March

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<v Speaker 1>twenty sixth from the Space Force's Space Systems Command, marking

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<v Speaker 1>the completion of a long awaited certification process. Space Force

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<v Speaker 1>Brigadier General Kristin Pansenhagen, who serves as the Program Executive

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<v Speaker 1>Officer for Assured Access to Space, emphasized the significance of

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<v Speaker 1>this development, noting that assured access to space is a

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<v Speaker 1>core function of the Space Force and a critical element

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<v Speaker 1>of national security. She added that the Vulcan certification adds

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<v Speaker 1>launch capacity, resiliency, and flexibility needed for the nation's most

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<v Speaker 1>critical space based systems. This certification is particularly notable as

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<v Speaker 1>ULA now joins SpaceX as only the second provider certified

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<v Speaker 1>to carry out launches under the National Security Space Launch Program,

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<v Speaker 1>enhancing America's launch capabilities for sensitive military and intelligence payloads.

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<v Speaker 1>The path to certification wasn't without challenges. The second Vulcan

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<v Speaker 1>certification flight experienced an incident when the nozzle of one

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<v Speaker 1>of its two solid rocket boosters fell off approximately half

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<v Speaker 1>a minute after liftoff. Remarkably, the vehicle compensated for the

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<v Speaker 1>diminished thrust and still completed its mission successfully. ULA's president

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<v Speaker 1>and CEO, Tory Bruno, later explained that a manufacturing defect

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<v Speaker 1>in an internal insulator part caused the nozzle separation, and

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<v Speaker 1>appropriate corrective actions were implemented and verified through static fire testing.

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<v Speaker 1>Looking ahead, ULA has ambitious plans for their launch cadence.

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<v Speaker 1>Bruno has indicated that the company is projecting a dozen

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<v Speaker 1>launches this year, split roughly evenly between their Atlas and

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<v Speaker 1>Vulcan rockets, serving both national security and commercial missions. The

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<v Speaker 1>first national security space launch mission on Vulcan is planned

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<v Speaker 1>for this summer in North America. ULA aims to establish

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<v Speaker 1>a baseline tempo of two launches per month the end

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<v Speaker 1>of this year and perform twenty launches in twenty twenty five.

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<v Speaker 1>Bruno noted that the company has been strategically stockpiling critical

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<v Speaker 1>components such as B four engines and solid rocket boosters

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<v Speaker 1>to support this accelerated launch schedule. This certification represents a

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<v Speaker 1>significant advancement for America's space launch capabilities, ensuring redundancy and

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<v Speaker 1>resilience in the nation's ability to deploy critical national security

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<v Speaker 1>assets to orbit. As Bruno remarked, we're all staged up

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<v Speaker 1>and ready, and a spacecraft show up will be able

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<v Speaker 1>to fly them. What a difference A year makes just

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<v Speaker 1>a year after millions across North America witnessed the spectacular

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<v Speaker 1>total solar eclipse on April eighth, twenty twenty four, We're

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<v Speaker 1>already preparing for another celestial event. Mark your calendars for

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<v Speaker 1>this Saturday, March twenty ninth, twenty twenty five, when a

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<v Speaker 1>partial solar eclipse will grace our skies, though with a

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<v Speaker 1>notably different viewing audience. This upcoming eclipse resild volts from

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<v Speaker 1>the Moon's shadow, falling primarily on the north polar regions

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<v Speaker 1>of Earth. It's actually the second eclipse in less than

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<v Speaker 1>a month, coming just two weeks after the total lunar

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<v Speaker 1>eclipse that occurred on March thirteenth, fourteen. This pattern is

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<v Speaker 1>what astronomers call an eclipse season, a roughly thirty seven

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<v Speaker 1>day period when the alignment of the Sun and Moon

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<v Speaker 1>can allow for eclipses to occur at both full and

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<v Speaker 1>new moon phases. For this March twenty ninth event, the

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<v Speaker 1>Moon will pass through the opposite node of its orbit

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<v Speaker 1>compared to the lunar eclipse. However, the moon passes this

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<v Speaker 1>node almost too early. By the time it reaches new

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<v Speaker 1>phase about nineteen hours after crossing the ecliptic. The axis

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<v Speaker 1>of its shadow will pass well to the north of Earth.

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<v Speaker 1>The dark shadow cone or umbra, will completely miss our planet,

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<v Speaker 1>passing about one hundred and eighty miles above the north pole.

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<v Speaker 1>This means no location on Earth will experience totality, but

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<v Speaker 1>instead the Moon's outer shadow, the penumbra, will create a

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<v Speaker 1>partial eclipse, visible in varying degrees. The eclipse will be

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<v Speaker 1>visible across Northwest Africa, much of Europe, excluding some eastern sections,

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<v Speaker 1>Northwest Russia, Iceland, and Greenland. Parts of South America, including Surrey,

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<v Speaker 1>Name French, Guyana, and Amada in Brazil, will see a

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<v Speaker 1>small dent in the sun at sunrise. For North Americans,

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<v Speaker 1>visibility depends entirely on location. If you draw a line

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<v Speaker 1>from Oakville, Ontario, down to Virginia Beach, Virginia, areas west

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<v Speaker 1>of this line won't see any part of the eclipse.

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<v Speaker 1>Those to the east, however, will catch at least a

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<v Speaker 1>glimpse near sunrise, though maximum eclipse will have already occurred

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<v Speaker 1>before the Sun appears above the horizon. The farther north

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<v Speaker 1>and east you go in North America, the more impressive

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<v Speaker 1>the view becomes. In Baltimore, the sun will rise with

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<v Speaker 1>seven point eight percent of its diameter already eclipsed, with

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<v Speaker 1>the event ending just four minutes later, but residents of

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<v Speaker 1>northern New England and Atlantic Canada are in for a

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<v Speaker 1>spectacular treat. The town of Madawasca in far northern Maine

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<v Speaker 1>will experience maximum eclipse almost precisely at sunrise, with eighty

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<v Speaker 1>eight point two percent of the Sun's diameter covered. This

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<v Speaker 1>will create the stunning visual effect of the Sun appearing

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<v Speaker 1>as a delicate crescent with its points aimed nearly straight up,

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<v Speaker 1>resembling two lobster claws emerging from beyond the eastern horizon.

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<v Speaker 1>Similar impressive views await Atlantic Canada, with Halifax seeing eighty

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<v Speaker 1>five point six percent coverage at seven seventeen am, Fredericton

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<v Speaker 1>experiencing eighty seven percent at seven nineteen am, and Saint

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<v Speaker 1>John's reaching eighty five point four percent at seven fifty

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<v Speaker 1>two am. As always with solar eclipses, proper eye protection

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<v Speaker 1>is essential. Unlike a total eclipse with its brief moments

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<v Speaker 1>of totality, a partial eclipse can be observed more leisurely,

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<v Speaker 1>but only through specially designed solar filters or eclipse glasses.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember that looking at the Sun without proper protection is

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<v Speaker 1>extremely dangerous. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made another

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<v Speaker 1>groundbreaking discovery that's challenging our understanding of the early universe.

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<v Speaker 1>An international team of astronomers has identified bright hydrogen emission

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<v Speaker 1>from an incredibly distant galaxy observed just three hundred thirty

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<v Speaker 1>million years after the Big Bang, a mere fraction of

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<v Speaker 1>our universe's current thirteen point eight billion year age. The galaxy,

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<v Speaker 1>designated Jade's GSC thirteen one, was first spotted in images

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<v Speaker 1>taken by Webb's Near infrared camera as part of the

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<v Speaker 1>James Webb Space Telescope Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey. Researchers initially

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<v Speaker 1>estimated its redshift, a measure of how far the galaxy's

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<v Speaker 1>light has traveled and been stretched by the expansion of space,

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<v Speaker 1>at around twelve point nine. To confirm this extreme distance,

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<v Speaker 1>they then observed it using Web's Near infrared spectrograph instrument.

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<v Speaker 1>The resulting spectrum not only confirmed the red shift at

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen point zero, placing it firmly in the very early universe,

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<v Speaker 1>but also revealed something completely unexpected, a distinctly bright wavelength

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<v Speaker 1>of light. As Lyman alpha emission radiating from hydrogen atoms.

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<v Speaker 1>This emission was far stronger than scientists thought possible during

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<v Speaker 1>this ancient epic. What makes this finding so perplexing is

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<v Speaker 1>that the early universe was filled with a thick fog

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<v Speaker 1>of neutral hydrogen gas. This fog should have completely blocked

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<v Speaker 1>such emissions until a process called realization cleared it away,

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<v Speaker 1>a process that wasn't completed until about one billion years

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<v Speaker 1>after the Big Bang. Yet here was jadas gsz thirteen

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<v Speaker 1>to one shining through this cosmic fog more than six

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<v Speaker 1>hundred million years earlier than should be possible. Roberto Myelino

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<v Speaker 1>from the University of Cambridge and University College London explains

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<v Speaker 1>why this is so significant. GSZ thirteen one is seen

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<v Speaker 1>when the universe was only three hundred thirty million years old,

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<v Speaker 1>yet it shows a surprisingly clear, telltale signature of Lyman

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<v Speaker 1>alpha emission that can only be seen once the surrounding

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<v Speaker 1>fog has fully lifted. This result was totally unexpected by

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<v Speaker 1>theories of early galaxy formation and has caught astronomers by surprise.

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<v Speaker 1>Before and during the realization era, the neutral hydrogen surrounding

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<v Speaker 1>galaxies should have blocked any energetic ultraviolet light they emitted,

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<v Speaker 1>much like colored glass filter's light. Until enough stars had

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<v Speaker 1>formed to ionize this hydrogen gas, no such light, including

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<v Speaker 1>Lyman alpha emission, should have been able to escape and

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<v Speaker 1>reach Earth. We really shouldn't have found a galaxy like this,

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<v Speaker 1>given our understanding of the way the universe has evolved,

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<v Speaker 1>says Kevin Hanline from the University of Arizona. We could

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<v Speaker 1>think of the early universe as shrouded with a thick

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<v Speaker 1>fog that would make it exceedingly difficult to find even

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<v Speaker 1>powerful lighthouses peeking through. Yet here we see the beam

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<v Speaker 1>of light from this galaxy piercing the veil. Scientists aren't

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<v Speaker 1>yet certain what caused this unexpected emission, but they have theories.

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<v Speaker 1>One possibility is that the galaxy contains some of the

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<v Speaker 1>u universe's first generation of stars, much more massive, hotter,

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<v Speaker 1>and more luminous than stars formed later. Another explanation could

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<v Speaker 1>be a powerful, active galactic nucleus driven by one of

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<v Speaker 1>the first super massive black holes. Whatever the explanation, this

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<v Speaker 1>discovery opens exciting new questions about the earliest chapters of

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<v Speaker 1>our cosmic history and how the first stars and galaxies formed.

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<v Speaker 1>The research was published in the journal Nature, marking another

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<v Speaker 1>remarkable achievement for the Web telescope as it continues to

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<v Speaker 1>transform our understanding of the universe's origins. China has taken

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<v Speaker 1>another significant step forward in its space infrastructure with the

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<v Speaker 1>successful launch of a new data tracking and relay communications satellite.

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<v Speaker 1>The Tianlian two zero four lifted off on March twenty

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<v Speaker 1>sixth at eleven fifty five a m Eastern time from

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<v Speaker 1>the Sichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China aboard a

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<v Speaker 1>long March three B rocket. The China Aerospace Science and

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<v Speaker 1>Technology Corporate KSC announced the mission's success about an hour

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<v Speaker 1>after liftoff. While the launch was anticipated due to airspace

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<v Speaker 1>closure notices, the exact payload wasn't revealed until after the

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<v Speaker 1>successful deployment. Tianlian two zero four is now in geosynchronous

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<v Speaker 1>transfer orbit and will eventually maneuver to take up its

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<v Speaker 1>final position along the geostationary belt, approximately thirty five thousand,

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<v Speaker 1>seven hundred eighty six kilometers above Earth's equator. From this

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<v Speaker 1>vantage point, it will join China's second generation geostationary orbit

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<v Speaker 1>data relay satellite constellation. These satellites serve a critical function

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<v Speaker 1>for China's space program, providing data relay and telemetry, tracking,

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<v Speaker 1>and command services for the nation's crewed spacecraft. This includes

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<v Speaker 1>supporting the Tiangong space station and Shenho spacecraft, as well

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<v Speaker 1>as assisting medium and low Earth orbit satellites and launch operations.

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<v Speaker 1>The Tianlian network performs a role similar to NASA's tracking

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<v Speaker 1>and data relay satellite system, with satellites strategically positioned around

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<v Speaker 1>geostationary orbit to die nearly continuous coverage. According to CASCI,

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<v Speaker 1>this newest addition to the fleet features several technical upgrades

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<v Speaker 1>compared to its predecessor, Tanlian two zero three, which was

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<v Speaker 1>launched in July twenty twenty two. These improvements include enhanced

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<v Speaker 1>transmission capacity and faster response speeds, aimed at meeting China's

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<v Speaker 1>growing needs for data relay and tracking services, while also

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<v Speaker 1>strengthening the autonomy and security of their second generation relay system.

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<v Speaker 1>The Tianlian program has a long history, beginning with China's

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<v Speaker 1>first Tanlian satellite, launched in two thousand and eight. The

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<v Speaker 1>earlier Tanlian I series satellites have now been moved to

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<v Speaker 1>graveyard orbits above the geostationary Belt, while the newer generation

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<v Speaker 1>continues active service. Like earlier satellites in the series. Tanlian

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<v Speaker 1>two zero four was developed by the China Academy of

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<v Speaker 1>Space Technology, a major spacecraft making institute under CASCI. This

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<v Speaker 1>launch marks China's fifteenth orbital mission of twenty twenty five,

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<v Speaker 1>demonstrating the country's increasingly ambitious space program. With expanded spaceport capabilities,

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<v Speaker 1>ongoing Mega constellation projects, and new launch vehicles set to debut,

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<v Speaker 1>China could potentially target around one hundred or more launches

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<v Speaker 1>this year, far exceeding their previous national record of sixty

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<v Speaker 1>eight launches set last year. The country's space agenda remains

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<v Speaker 1>packed with other major upcoming missions, including the Shenzho twenty

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<v Speaker 1>and twenty one crude flights to the Tiangong Space Station

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<v Speaker 1>and the chian Win two Near Earth asteroid sample return

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<v Speaker 1>mission expected to launch around May. Let's move a bit

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<v Speaker 1>further out into space now, looking ahead to one of

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<v Speaker 1>NASA's most anticipated deep space missions. New research presented at

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<v Speaker 1>the twenty twenty five Lunar and Planetary Science Conference has

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<v Speaker 1>revealed how the Europa Clipper will help identify potential landing

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<v Speaker 1>sites for a future mission. To Jupiter's icy moon. This

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<v Speaker 1>strategic reconnaissance capability could prove crucial for the next phase

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<v Speaker 1>of exploring this ocean world. The Europa Clip, scheduled to

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<v Speaker 1>reach the Jovian System in April twenty thirty, will follow

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<v Speaker 1>a complex orbital pattern around Jupiter, performing forty nine close

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<v Speaker 1>flybys of Europa. Unlike Mars orbiters that follow relatively simple

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<v Speaker 1>circular paths, the clipper can't orbit Europa directly due to

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<v Speaker 1>Jupiter's intense radiation environment, which would damage the spacecraft. Instead,

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<v Speaker 1>it will follow carefully designed looping orbits that minimize radiation

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<v Speaker 1>exposure while still allowing close study of the moon. Planetary

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<v Speaker 1>geologist Jennifer Scully and her team at NASA's Jet Propulsion

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<v Speaker 1>Laboratory have carefully assessed which of these flybys would be

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<v Speaker 1>most suitable for identifying future landing sites. They determined that

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<v Speaker 1>any reconnable flyby must meet three key requirements proper lighting

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<v Speaker 1>conditions with the surface in sunlight, specific incidence angles between

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<v Speaker 1>thirty and sixty degrees, and an altitude of approximately fifty

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<v Speaker 1>to one hundred kilometers to ensure appropriate image resolution without blurring.

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<v Speaker 1>Based on these criteria, the researchers identified twelve flybys as

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<v Speaker 1>fully reconnable and another thirteen as supporting. Most notably, a

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<v Speaker 1>flyby designated E nineteen stands out as particularly valuable for

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<v Speaker 1>landing site selection. Its ground track extends over seven hundred

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<v Speaker 1>kilometers and covers a fascinating transition between Europa's ridged planes

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<v Speaker 1>and a region called Powis Reggio, one of the Moon's

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<v Speaker 1>mysterious chaos terrains, where the surface appears jumbled and disrupted,

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<v Speaker 1>potentially offering clues about the ocean beneath. The Europa clippers.

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<v Speaker 1>Sophisticated Europa imaging system, with its narrow and wide angle cameras,

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<v Speaker 1>will collect crucial data for what's known as terrain relative navigation.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the same guidance system that allowed NASA's Perseverance

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<v Speaker 1>rover to safely navigate to its landing site on Mars.

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<v Speaker 1>A future Europa lander would use these detailed surface images,

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<v Speaker 1>combined with real time camera data to guide itself safely

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<v Speaker 1>to the surface. The researchers note that their current assessments

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<v Speaker 1>are based on older data from the Galilee omission, and

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<v Speaker 1>rankings will likely change once the Europa Clipper begins returning

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<v Speaker 1>high resolution images. Some potential landing areas haven't even been

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<v Speaker 1>photographed at high resolution yet, highlighting just how much we

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<v Speaker 1>still have to discover about this intriguing world. This research

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<v Speaker 1>provides a critical roadmap for mission planners as they prepare

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<v Speaker 1>for the Europa Clippers operations in the twenty thirties and

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<v Speaker 1>lay groundwork for what could eventually become humanity's first landing

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<v Speaker 1>on an ocean world beyond Earth. And that wraps up

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<v Speaker 1>today's episode of Astronomy Daily. From the Space Force certifying

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<v Speaker 1>ULA's Vulcan rocket to the upcoming partial solar eclipse, Web's

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<v Speaker 1>surprising discovery of ancient light, China's new data relay satellite,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Europa Clippers mission to scout landing sites on

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<v Speaker 1>Jupiter's ocean moon. We've journeyed across the Solar System and beyond.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm anna and it's been my pleasure to bring you

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<v Speaker 1>these fascinating stories from across the cosmos. Whether you're a

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<v Speaker 1>seasoned astronomer or just curious about what lies beyond our atmosphere,

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you've enjoyed today's cosmic update. Visit our website

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<v Speaker 1>at Astronomydaily dot io, where you can sign up for

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<v Speaker 1>our free daily newsletter and listen to all our episodes.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also find us on social media. Just search

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<v Speaker 1>for Astro Daily Pod on x YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, and TikTok.

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<v Speaker 1>Until next time, keep looking up start starzon