WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm anna bringing you the latest

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<v Speaker 1>breakthroughs from the cosmos right to your ears. Today's episode

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<v Speaker 1>is packed with fascinating developments that are reshaping our understanding

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<v Speaker 1>of the universe around us. We've got quite the stellar

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<v Speaker 1>lineup of stories to explore. NASA's James Web Space Telescope

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<v Speaker 1>has been examining a building sized asteroid, giving us new

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<v Speaker 1>insights about these smaller space rocks and what they're made of.

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<v Speaker 1>Then we'll look at Amazon's Project Kuyper as it prepares

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<v Speaker 1>for a major satellite launch that could transform global Internet connectivity.

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<v Speaker 1>The Web Telescope has also uncovered something quite remarkable galaxies

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<v Speaker 1>that were already dying out just seven hundred million years

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<v Speaker 1>after the Big Bang, challenging our previous models of galactic

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<v Speaker 1>evolution and forcing astronomers to rethink the timeline of our universe.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll also explore Japan's innovative approach to Mars landing, using

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<v Speaker 1>inflatable technology that could revolutionize how we deliver rovers to

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<v Speaker 1>the Red planet. And speaking of Mars, scientists have made

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<v Speaker 1>progress in understanding what triggers those massive planet covering dust storms,

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<v Speaker 1>a crucial step for future missions and potential human exploration.

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<v Speaker 1>These discoveries aren't just academic curiosities. They represent the cutting

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<v Speaker 1>edge of human knowledge, pushing the boundaries of what we

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<v Speaker 1>know about our cosmic neighborhood and beyond. So let's launch

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<v Speaker 1>into today's cosmic news and explore these frontiers together. Kicking

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<v Speaker 1>things off, the James Web Space telescope recently set its

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<v Speaker 1>sites on asteroid twenty twenty four yr four, a near

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<v Speaker 1>Earth object that had previously raised some concern. While NASA

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<v Speaker 1>announced back in February that the risk of this asteroid

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<v Speaker 1>hitting Earth in twenty thirty two had been downgraded to

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<v Speaker 1>near zero, these observations provided valuable information about what asteroids

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<v Speaker 1>of this size are actually like, particularly as this one

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<v Speaker 1>appears to be growing. According to Andy Rivkin of Johns

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<v Speaker 1>Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who led the Web observation program,

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<v Speaker 1>this is the smallest object WEB has targeted to date,

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<v Speaker 1>and one of the smallest objects to have its size

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<v Speaker 1>directly measured from space. What makes this particularly interesting is

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<v Speaker 1>how Web approached the task. Most telescopes observe asteroids by

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<v Speaker 1>measuring sunlight reflected from their surfaces, which doesn't always provide

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<v Speaker 1>precise size information. Web, however, used both its near infrared

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<v Speaker 1>camera and mid infrared instrument in tandem. The mid infrared

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<v Speaker 1>wavelengths allowed scientists to measure the heat given off by

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<v Speaker 1>the asteroid itself, providing a direct measurement of its size.

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<v Speaker 1>The observations revealed that twenty twenty four yr four is

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<v Speaker 1>approximately sixty meters across, about the height of a fifteen

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<v Speaker 1>story building. But it's not just the size that proved interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>The asteroid's thermal properties are notably different from those of

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<v Speaker 1>larger asteroids. Rivkin's team believes this is likely due to

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<v Speaker 1>a combination of the asteroid's very fast spin rate and

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<v Speaker 1>a surface that lacks fine grained and instead the surface

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<v Speaker 1>appears to be dominated by larger rocks, perhaps fist sized

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<v Speaker 1>or bigger. While this particular asteroid no longer poses a

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<v Speaker 1>threat to Earth or the Moon, these observations have significant

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<v Speaker 1>value for planetary defense. As more sensitive asteroid search programs

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<v Speaker 1>come online in the coming years, we can expect to

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<v Speaker 1>discover more potential impactors. Understanding how to best use our

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<v Speaker 1>most powerful telescope to gather critical data quickly will be

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<v Speaker 1>invaluable during a more urgent scenario. Involving a potentially hazardous asteroid.

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<v Speaker 1>These observations also provided additional data about the asteroid's position,

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<v Speaker 1>helping improve our knowledge of its orbit and future trajectory.

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<v Speaker 1>When combined with ground based measurements of its spin rate

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<v Speaker 1>and spectral properties, scientists now have a comprehensive understanding of

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<v Speaker 1>what this building size space rock is like. Riv can

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<v Speaker 1>emphasize that this gives scientists a window into understanding what

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<v Speaker 1>other objects of similar size might be like, including the

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<v Speaker 1>next one that might be heading our way. The observations

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<v Speaker 1>demonstrate Web's versatility as not just a deep space observatory,

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<v Speaker 1>but also as a tool for planetary defense. Closer to home.

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<v Speaker 1>Next on today's story list, Amazon's project Kiper is poised

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<v Speaker 1>to take a major leap forward with the launch of

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<v Speaker 1>its first operational satellites. United Launch Alliance is scheduled to

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<v Speaker 1>send twenty seven satellites into low Earth orbit on April ninth,

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<v Speaker 1>using an Atlas five rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force

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<v Speaker 1>Station in Florida. This mission, dubbed KA zero one or

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<v Speaker 1>Kuyper Atlas one, represents the first step in Amazon's ambitious

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<v Speaker 1>plan to create a constellation of more than three thousand,

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred satellites for global broadband Internet coverage. These aren't

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<v Speaker 1>just test satellites, according to Amazon, These operational units feature

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<v Speaker 1>significant upgrades over the two prototypes launched last year. They

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<v Speaker 1>come equipped with improved phased array antennas, more powerful processors,

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<v Speaker 1>enhanced solar arrays, better propulsion systems, and optical inter satellite links.

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<v Speaker 1>All this technology has been packed into satellites manufactured at

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<v Speaker 1>the company's facility in Kirkland, Washington. The launch is happening

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<v Speaker 1>about a year behind Amazon's original schedule, pushing potential beta

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<v Speaker 1>services into later this year rather than late twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>four as initially planned. This timeline is particularly important because

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<v Speaker 1>Amazon faces strict deployment deadlines from the Federal Communications Commission.

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<v Speaker 1>Half the constellation must be deployed by July twenty twenty six,

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<v Speaker 1>with the remainder by July twenty twenty nine. Project Kuiper

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<v Speaker 1>vice president Rajiv Badial acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that

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<v Speaker 1>while extensive ground testing has been conducted, some things can

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<v Speaker 1>only be learned in actual flight conditions. This will also

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<v Speaker 1>be the first deployment of multiple satellites simultaneously for the project.

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<v Speaker 1>A crucial operational test. The upcoming launch is notable in

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<v Speaker 1>several other ways. According to Amazon, it will be the

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<v Speaker 1>heaviest payload ever flown on an Atlas five rocket, which

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<v Speaker 1>will use its mother most powerful configuration for this mission,

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<v Speaker 1>featuring five solid rocket boosters plus the main booster. The

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<v Speaker 1>satellites will be deployed approximately four hundred and fifty kilometers

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<v Speaker 1>above Earth. This is just the beginning of a massive

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<v Speaker 1>launch campaign. Amazon has secured an impressive array of launch

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<v Speaker 1>contracts to deploy its full constellation, including seven more Atlas

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<v Speaker 1>five rockets and thirty eight launches on ULA's larger Vulcan

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<v Speaker 1>Centaur rocket. The company has also contracted three SpaceX Falcon

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<v Speaker 1>nine missions, eighteen Ariani six launches from Ariani Space, and

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<v Speaker 1>up to twenty seven new Glen rockets from Blue Origin.

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<v Speaker 1>Amazon has already lined up several partners to deliver Project

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<v Speaker 1>Kuiper services, including US telecommunications giants Verizon and Vodafone, as

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<v Speaker 1>well as Japan's Sky Perfect, JSAT and Nipon Telegraph and

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<v Speaker 1>Telephone Corporation, who plan to sell services to Japanese businesses

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<v Speaker 1>and government organizations. With this launch, the race to establish

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<v Speaker 1>the next generation of satellite Internet constellations intensified as Amazon

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<v Speaker 1>joined SpaceX's Starlink and other competitors in the increasingly crowded

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<v Speaker 1>low Earth orbit environment. Next up, we have another update

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<v Speaker 1>from the JWST. One of the most remarkable discoveries from

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<v Speaker 1>the James Web Space Telescope has completely upended our understanding

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<v Speaker 1>of galactic evolution. Astronomers have found evidence that massive galaxies

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<v Speaker 1>were already dying just seven hundred million years after the

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<v Speaker 1>Big Bang, a finding that challenges fundamental assumptions about how

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<v Speaker 1>the earliest galaxies formed and evolved. According to the standard

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<v Speaker 1>cosmological model, the first stars and galaxies began forming around

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred four hundred million years after the Big Bang.

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<v Speaker 1>During this period, enormous clouds of neutral hydrogen gas collapsed

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<v Speaker 1>to trigger rapid star formation, a process that was thought

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<v Speaker 1>to continue uninterrupted for about a billion years. The expectation

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<v Speaker 1>was that all early galaxies would be vigorously forming stars, young, active,

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<v Speaker 1>and growing. That's what makes the recent findings from an

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<v Speaker 1>international team led by astronomers from the University of Geneva

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<v Speaker 1>so surprising. As part of the Revealing the Universe with

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<v Speaker 1>the James Webb Space Telescope, program known as Rubies. They've

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<v Speaker 1>identified what appears to be a quenched galaxy from this

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<v Speaker 1>extremely early cosmic era. This particular galaxy, designated Rubies UDS

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<v Speaker 1>qgz seven, had already accumulated more than ten billion solar

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<v Speaker 1>masses of matter before rapidly becoming quiescent. In astronomical terms,

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<v Speaker 1>quenching refers to how galaxies stop forming new stars and

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<v Speaker 1>become what scientists sometimes call red and dead galaxies. As

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<v Speaker 1>the younger, brighter stars die off, these galaxies become dominated

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<v Speaker 1>by older, redder stars. The discovery of Ruby's udsqgz seven

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<v Speaker 1>implies that massive quiescent galaxies in the first billion years

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<v Speaker 1>of the universe are more than one hundred times more

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<v Speaker 1>abundant than predicted by any existing cosmological model. This creates

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<v Speaker 1>significant tension between our theoretical understanding and the observational evidence

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<v Speaker 1>from web. What's even more astonishing is the galaxy size.

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<v Speaker 1>It measures just about six hundred and fifty light years

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<v Speaker 1>in diameter, giving it a much higher stellar mass density

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<v Speaker 1>than similar quiescent galaxies we observe in the local universe today.

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<v Speaker 1>Scientists believe these incredibly dense galaxies may have evolved into

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<v Speaker 1>the cores of the massive elliptical galaxies we see in

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<v Speaker 1>the modern cosmos. The prevailing theories about what causes galaxies

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<v Speaker 1>to stop forming stars include stellar winds, outflows, and activity

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<v Speaker 1>from supermassive black holes, but conventional models suggested this process

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<v Speaker 1>would take much longer than what we're now observing. Finding

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<v Speaker 1>a red and dead galaxy so early in cosmic history

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<v Speaker 1>means that star formation and subsequent quenching must have happened

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<v Speaker 1>far more rapidly than anyone anticipated. According to Andrea Wibel,

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<v Speaker 1>the PhD student leading the study, this finding provides the

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<v Speaker 1>first strong evidence that the centers of some nearby massive

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<v Speaker 1>elliptical galaxies may have been in place since the first

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<v Speaker 1>few hundred million years after the Big Bang, essentially preserving

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<v Speaker 1>the fossil record of the earliest era of galaxy formation.

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<v Speaker 1>It's been a while since we had any good news

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<v Speaker 1>from JACKSA, but today we have some. Japan is taking

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<v Speaker 1>an ambitious new approach to Mars exploration that could revolutionize

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<v Speaker 1>how we land spacecraft on the Red planet. According to

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<v Speaker 1>Masaki Fujimoto, the newly appointed Director General of the Institute

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<v Speaker 1>of Space and Astronautical Sciences within JACKSA, the Japanese Space

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<v Speaker 1>Agency is developing a novel landing system using inflatable decelerators

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<v Speaker 1>that could enable more efficient missions to Mars. The concept

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<v Speaker 1>combines proven technologies from two of Japan's recent space achievements.

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<v Speaker 1>It leverages capabilities from the upcoming Martian Moons Exploration mission,

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<v Speaker 1>which aims to collect samples from Phobos, and incorporates lessons

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<v Speaker 1>learned from the Smartlander for investigating Moon, space craft that

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<v Speaker 1>achieved a remarkably precise lunar landing earlier this year, despite

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<v Speaker 1>experiencing a thrust or malfunction. At the heart of this

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<v Speaker 1>innovative approach is an inflatable soft aeroshell that would handle

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<v Speaker 1>the challenging entry, descent, and landing phases of a Mars mission.

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<v Speaker 1>Instead of having a complicated operational supersonic parachute and a

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<v Speaker 1>hard aeroshell, you can do all the job just with

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<v Speaker 1>this single technology, Fujimoto explained during a presentation at the

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<v Speaker 1>National Academy's Space Science Week. This approach offers significant advantages

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<v Speaker 1>over traditional Mars landing systems. Current methods typically rely on

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<v Speaker 1>complex combinations of heat shields, supersonic parachutes, and retrorockets, all

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<v Speaker 1>of which must function perfectly in sequence for a successful landing.

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<v Speaker 1>The Japanese concept streamlines this process considerably, with the inflatable

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<v Speaker 1>aeroshell delivering the spacecraft through the Martian atmosphere and thrusters

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<v Speaker 1>handling only the final touchdown phase. JAXA envisions using this

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<v Speaker 1>technology to deliver relatively small rovers weighing between one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>to two hundred kilograms to the Martian surface. While modest

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<v Speaker 1>in scale compared to NASA's car sized Perseverance Rover, these

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<v Speaker 1>smaller vehicles could still conduct valuable scientific research at a

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<v Speaker 1>fraction of the cost and complexity. The project is receiving

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<v Speaker 1>financial support from the Space Strategic Fund, a Japanese government

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<v Speaker 1>initiative providing six point seven billion dollars over a decade

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<v Speaker 1>to advance critical space technologies. JACKSA is collaborating with an

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<v Speaker 1>unnamed commercial company to develop the inflatable aeroshell technology. While

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<v Speaker 1>no specific timeline has been announced for when this technology

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<v Speaker 1>might be ready for an actual Mars mission, the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that it's beginning to materialize now suggests that Japan is

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<v Speaker 1>serious about joining the small group of nations capable of

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<v Speaker 1>successfully landing spacecraft on Mars. If successful, this approach could

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<v Speaker 1>significantly lower the barriers to Martian exploration and potentially pave

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<v Speaker 1>the way for more frequent mission to study the Red

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<v Speaker 1>planet's surface. Speaking of Mars, if you've ever wondered what

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<v Speaker 1>the weather is like on Mars, it turns out it

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<v Speaker 1>can be quite dramatic. New research from planetary scientists at

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<v Speaker 1>the University of Colorado, Boulder has revealed fascinating insights into

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<v Speaker 1>the massive dust storms that occasionally engulf the entire Red planet,

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<v Speaker 1>making cloudy with a chance of catastrophic dust a legitimate

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<v Speaker 1>Martian forecast. These planet wide dust storms are truly awe

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<v Speaker 1>inspiring phenomena. They typically begin as smaller storms swirling around

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<v Speaker 1>mars polar ice caps during the latter half of the

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<v Speaker 1>Martian year, but under certain conditions they can rapidly expand

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<v Speaker 1>toward the equator, covering millions of square miles and lasting

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<v Speaker 1>for days. Unlike the dramatic scene in The Martian where

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<v Speaker 1>Matt Damon gets tossed around by powerful winds, the reality

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<v Speaker 1>is less physically forceful, but equally problematic for equipment and

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<v Speaker 1>future astronauts. Lead researcher Hashani Pieris and her team have

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<v Speaker 1>made a significant breakthrough in unders standing what triggers these

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<v Speaker 1>massive events. By analyzing eight Mars year's worth of data

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<v Speaker 1>from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter, they discovered that approximately sixty

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<v Speaker 1>eight percent of major dust storms were preceded by unusual

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<v Speaker 1>warm spells on the planet's surface. The pattern is remarkably consistent.

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<v Speaker 1>The planet experiences a period of increased warmth as more

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<v Speaker 1>sunlight filters through Mars's thin atmosphere, and then weeks later,

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<v Speaker 1>massive dust storms develop. As Pieris explains, when you heat

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<v Speaker 1>up the surface, the layer of atmosphere right above it

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<v Speaker 1>becomes buoyant and it can rise, taking dust with it.

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<v Speaker 1>This process mirrors similar weather patterns we experience on Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>where warm air rising from the ground can lead to

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<v Speaker 1>towering storm clouds. While these dust storms might not generate

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<v Speaker 1>enough force to knock over equipment due to Mars's thin atmosphere,

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<v Speaker 1>they pose serious threats to exploration efforts. In twenty eighteen,

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<v Speaker 1>NASA's Opportunity Rover met its end when a global dust

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<v Speaker 1>storm covered its solar panels, cutting off its power supply.

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<v Speaker 1>For future missions, especially those involving human explorers, these light,

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<v Speaker 1>but clingy dust particles will present significant challenges as they

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<v Speaker 1>stick to equipment and potentially damage sensitive components. The research

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<v Speaker 1>team is continuing to gather more recent observations to further

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<v Speaker 1>explore these explosive weather patterns. Their ultimate goal is to

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<v Speaker 1>develop forecasting capabilities for Martian weather, similar to how meteorologists

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<v Speaker 1>predict conditions on Earth. Being able to anticipate these massive

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<v Speaker 1>storms could be crucial for the safety and success of

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<v Speaker 1>future Mars missions, both robotic and human. As study co

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<v Speaker 1>author Paul Hayin noted, we need to understand what causes

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<v Speaker 1>some of the smaller or regional storms to grow into

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<v Speaker 1>global scale storms. This research represents an important step toward

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<v Speaker 1>that understanding, potentially giving future Mars explorers the ability to

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<v Speaker 1>prepare for or avoid the worst of the planet's dusty tempests.

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<v Speaker 1>And that wraps up today's exploration of the cosmos, from

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<v Speaker 1>Web's asteroid adventures to early galaxy surprises, Amazon's satellite constellation plans,

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<v Speaker 1>Japan's innovative Mars landing technology, and the fascinating weather patterns

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<v Speaker 1>on the Red Planet. I'm ana, and I hope you've

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<v Speaker 1>enjoyed this journey through the latest developments in space science

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<v Speaker 1>and exploration. Whether you're fascinated by the tiniest asteroids or

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<v Speaker 1>the grandest cosmic mysteries. There's always something new to discover

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<v Speaker 1>in our ever expanding universe. If you'd like to hear more,

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<v Speaker 1>please visit our website at astronomydaily dot io, where you

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<v Speaker 1>can listen to all our back episodes and find all

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<v Speaker 1>things Astronomy Daily. We're also active across social media. Just

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<v Speaker 1>search for astro Daily pod on x, Facebook, YouTube, YouTube, music, Instagram,

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<v Speaker 1>and TikTok. Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep

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<v Speaker 1>looking up and wondering about the magnificent cosmos that surrounds us.

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<v Speaker 1>This has been Astronomy Daily. I'm ana signing off. You did.

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<v Speaker 1>Star is the Toll? Star Is the Toll? Star Is

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<v Speaker 1>the