Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of the most
exciting developments in space exploration and astronomical discoveries. I'm Anna,
and today we're diving into a fascinating mix of stories
from across the Cosmos, from groundbreaking telecommunications partnerships in Australia
to the discovery of an incredibly dense super Earth, and
from NASA's innovative lunar technology to blue origins ambitious rocket launch.
We've got an action packed episode ahead that showcases just
how rapidly our understanding and exploration of space continues to evolve.
There's a lot going on today, so let's get started.
In an exciting development for remote connectivity, Australia's largest telecommunications company, Telstra,
has announced a groundbreaking collaboration with Elon Musk's SpaceX. This
partnership aims to bring Starlink's satellite to mobile technology directly
to Australian customers in remote areas, marking a significant step
forward in bridging the digital divide across the vast con
The collaboration will enable Telstra customers to send and receive
text messages on compatible mobile phones from virtually anywhere in Australia.
Provided they have a clear view of the sky. This
means that even in the most isolated parts of the outback,
people will be able to stay connected, a potentially life
changing development for rural communities and remote workers. This isn't
the first time these companies have worked together. In fact,
they already have an existing agreement from twenty twenty three
that provides voice only and voice plus broadband services to
rural areas. This new expansion of their partnership demonstrates both
companies' commitment to improving connectivity in traditionally underserved regions. What
makes this particularly interesting is how it represents a growing
trend of traditional telecommunications companies embracing satellite technology to expand
their service coverage. By combining Telstra's established network infrastructure with
SpaceX's innovative satellite technology, they're creating a more robust and
comprehensive communications network that could serve as a model for
similar partnerships worldwide. Let's take a look at a major
discovery now, scientists have made a fascinating discovery in deep space,
a remarkable new planetary system that's challenging our understanding of
how planets form and evolve. Located about seven hundred and
fifty light years from Earth. The K two three hundred
sixty system features what might be one of the most
extraordinary planets we've ever found. The star system's innermost planet,
designated K two three hundred sixty B, is truly remarkable.
It's what we call a super Earth, but with some
mind boggling characteristics. Despite being only about one point six
times the size of our Earth, it packs nearly eight
times Earth's mass into that relatively small volume. To put
this in perspective, this planet is so dense it rivals
the density of lead, making it the densest well studied
ultra short period planet ever discovered. What makes this world
even more in tree is its incredibly tight orbit around
its star. It completes one full orbit in just twenty
one hours, less than one Earth day. At such close
proximity to its star, the surface conditions must be extreme,
with temperatures hot enough to maintain pools of molten rock
on its surface. But that's not all. This system has
another surprise in store. A second, larger planet, K two
three hundred and sixty c orbits further out from the star,
taking about ten days to complete one orbit. While we
can't see this planet directly crossing in front of its star.
We know it exists because of its gravitational effects, and
it appears to be at least fifteen times more massive
than Earth. The discovery team believes this unique configuration might
help explain how such extreme planets form. The outer planet
may have played a crucial role in pushing the inner
planet into its current tight orbit through gravitational interactions. It's
like watching the aftermath of a cosmic dance that's been
ongoing for billions of years. The composition of k A
two three hundred and sixty B is particularly interesting to
planetary scientists. Unlike mercury, which is mostly iron, this super
earth appears to have a more earth like composition, just
much more compressed. It likely has a substantial iron core
making up about half its mass, surrounded by a dense,
rocky mantle. This helps us understand how planets can form
and survive in these extreme conditions. This discovery is more
than just an astronomical curiosity. It's helping us piece together
the puzzle of how planetary systems form and evolve throughout
our galaxy, especially under extreme conditions we don't see in
our own Solar system. Next up. In a bold move
that could reshape Mars exploration, rocket Lab has stepped forward
with an ambitious proposal to revolutionize NASA's Mars Sample Return mission.
The commercial space company is urging NASA to open up
the program to commercial competition, claiming they can accomplish the
mission faster and at a significantly lower cost than current plans.
While NASA re announced it would spend the next eighteen
months studying two new architectures for the sample return mission,
rocket Lab believes they have a better solution. The company's
proposal suggests they could bring Martian samples back to Earth
by twenty thirty one, nearly four years earlier than NASA's
projected timeline, and do it for less than four billion
dollars compared to NASA's estimated cost of up to seven
point seven billion dollars. Rocket labs approach would leverage their
existing technologies across multiple platforms, from their Neutron launch vehicle
to their experience with re entry vehicles and proximity operations.
The company argues that their comprehensive end to end system
could maintain the core mission objectives while dramatically improving efficiency. However,
the response to their proposal has been somewhat frustrating for
the company. Despite submitting detailed studies, they received minimal feedback
from NASA on their input. Now rocket Lab is advocating
for a different approach, suggests that instead of continuing with
extended studies, NASA should initiate a commercial competition to find
the most effective solution. The debate comes at a crucial time,
as samples are already being collected by the Perseverance Rover
on Mars. The Planetary Society has expressed concern about further delays,
emphasizing that after two years of pause, it's time for
NASA to commit to a clear path forward. With hundreds
of millions of dollars potentially being allocated for additional studies,
rocket Lab argues those resources could be better spent on
actual mission development through commercial competition. Breaking news from NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where operations have come to
a temporary halt due to the approaching Eton fire. The facility,
which sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains
just north of Los Angeles, has been forced to close
its doors to all but emergency personnel as the wildfire
rages dangerously close to the facility. JPL director Lori lah
reports that while the laboratory itself has so far avoided
fire damage, they have experienced some wind related issues. More
concerning is the impact on JPL's staff, with hundreds of
employees being forced to evacuate their homes and sadly, some
have already lost their houses to the flames. The Eaten Fire,
which ignited Tuesday evening near Altadena, has already consumed over
one thousand acres and is just one of several major
fires currently threatening the Los Angeles area. These fires are
being driven by record breaking winds, with the Palisades Fire
on the city's west side causing particular devastation. This closure
comes at a challenging time for JPL, which manages several
of NASA's most important robotic missions, including the Mars Rovers
Perseverance and Curiosity, as well as the recently launched five
billion dollars Europa Clipper mission. The laboratory has already faced
significant challenges in the past year, having undergone two rounds
of layoffs that reduce their workforce by a combined thirteen
percent due to budget constraints. In other NASA news today,
In an exciting development for lunar exploration, NASA is set
to test an innovative new technology that could revolutionize how
we collect samples on the Moon. Think of it as
a space age vacuum cleaner. Aptly named the Lunar Planet
vac or LPV for short, this ingenious device will be
one of ten NASA payloads heading to the lunar surface
aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost one lunar lander. Developed by
Honeybee Robotics, now a Blue Origin company, The LPV uses
a fascinating pneumatic system powered by compressed gas. The concept
is brilliantly simple. It creates a miniature tornado on the
lunar surface to stir up the Moon's regolith. Secondary jets
then funnel this material through a transfer tube and into
a collection container, all without relying on gravity. What makes
this system particularly impressive is its speed and efficiency. The
entire sample collection process takes just seconds and operates completely autonomously.
The device can handle particles up to four tenths of
an inch in size, sivving them into the collection container,
where they're photographed and analyzed. These results are then transmitted
back to Earth in real time. The potential impact of
this technology extends far beyond simple sample collection. According to
Dennis Harris, who manages the project, this could be a
game changer for future lunar operations. Without any mechanical arms
to wear out or complex digging mechanisms to maintain, the
system offers a remarkably simple solution for gathering materials that
could be essential for establishing a permanent lunar presence. From
searching for water and helium to collecting materials for building
habitats and launch pads, the Lunar Planet VAT could play
a crucial role in humanity's return to the Moon. Now
a quick update, Blue Origin is preparing for a historic
milestone with the inaugural launch of their new Glen rocket
scheduled for this Friday at one a m Eastern time
from Cape Canaveral Space. Forestation in flow and there will
be a live stream available if you'd like to watch
this historic launch. This massive rocket, standing over three hundred
and twenty feet tall, represents a significant leap forward in
launch vehicle capability and marks Blue Origins entry into the
heavy lift rocket market. Named after pioneering astronaut John Glenn,
this new rocket boasts impressive specifications. Its unusually wide payload
faring measuring nearly twenty three feet across, sets it apart
from typical rockets and enables it to accommodate substantially larger
satellites and space hardware. The vehicle is designed to deliver
up to forty five metric tons to low Earth orbit
or thirteen metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit. For this
first test flight, designated NNG one, New Glenn will carry
a payload mass simulator, including the Blue Ring Pathfinder, a
prototype for future multi payload missions, while not carrying any
operational satellites. This mission will validate crucial systems and demonstrate
the rocket's reusability features, as the first stage is designed
for at least twenty five flights. The rocket employs seven
B four engines in its first stage, running on liquid
oxygen and liquefied natural gas, while two B three U
engines power the upper stage. Following launch, the first stage
will attempt an ambitious landing on a ship named Jacqueline
in the Atlantic Ocean. Similar to SpaceX's successful booster recovery technique.
This launch represents more than just a test flight. It's
the culmination of years of development and marks blue origins
transition from suborbital flights to orbital capabilities. The mission is
expected to last about six hours, during which the company
will gather crucial data to refine the vehicle's performance for
future commercial, government and national security missions. And that wraps
up another fascinating day in space exploration. What an incredible
slate of developments we've covered today, from revolutionary satellite communications
in Austria to record breaking exoplanet discoveries and groundbreaking rocket launches.
I'm anna and before we close out today's episode, I
want to make sure you stay connected with all the
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me today. This is Anna signing off from Astronomy Daily.
Keep looking up and I'll see you tomorrow for more
exciting space news. Day Star is the Tall Star? Is
the Tall Star? Is the Sol