- ESA's European Launcher Challenge: The European Space Agency is taking significant steps towards enhancing its commercial launch market, with member states committing over 900 million euros to the European Launcher Challenge. This initiative will see ESA acting as an anchor client, co-funding upgrades for private companies and stimulating competition and innovation in space launch services.
- Starquakes and Black Holes: Scientists are uncovering the mysteries of dormant black holes through the study of starquakes, or asteroseismology. Two systems, Gaia BH2 and Gaia BH3, reveal intriguing contradictions in the ages and compositions of their red giant stars, prompting a reevaluation of our understanding of stellar behavior and black hole interactions.
- Redefining Time: A philosophical exploration into the nature of time sheds light on the distinction between existence and occurrence. By clarifying the concept of time, researchers challenge long-standing beliefs and offer a new perspective on Einstein's spacetime, suggesting that time should be viewed as a map of events rather than a physical entity.
- Hidden Stars and SETI: A new study proposes that the search for extraterrestrial intelligence can be improved by considering previously overlooked stars. By utilizing the Besanc Galactic model, scientists can predict hidden stars in the field of view of telescopes, expanding the search for technosignatures without the need for additional observations.
- Wessen Lunar Monitoring Mission: A new mission from Hong Kong, named Wessen, aims to provide continuous monitoring of meteoroid impacts on the Moon. Set to launch by 2028, this lunar orbiter will track the bright flashes caused by impacts, crucial for ensuring the safety of future lunar infrastructure and astronauts as nations plan for lunar bases.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
ESA's European Launcher Challenge
[European Space Agency](https://www.esa.int/)
Starquakes and Black Holes Research
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Philosophical Insights on Time
[Physics Today](https://www.physicstoday.org/)
SETI and Hidden Stars Study
[SETI Institute](https://www.seti.org/)
Wessen Lunar Mission Details
[Hong Kong Space Research](https://www.hksr.org/)
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Avery: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, the
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 podcast that brings you the latest news from
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 across the cosmos. I'm Avery.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 Today's agenda covers a lot, from Europe's
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 new ambitions in space launch to the strange
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 secrets of starquakes near black holes.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 Avery: That's right. We'll also be diving into the
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 very nature of time itself, searching for
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 hidden stars that might host intelligent
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 life, and looking at a new mission to monitor
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 the dangers of living on the Moon. So
00:00:31 --> 00:00:32 let's get started.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 Anna: First up, there's big news from the European
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 Space Agency. It looks like they're getting
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 very serious about fostering a commercial
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 launch market.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Avery: They certainly are. ESA member states have
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 committed over 900 million euros to the
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 European Launcher Challenge. That's more than
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 double what was anticipated.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 Anna: And what's interesting here is the strategy.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 This isn't about esa, uh, directly funding
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 the development of a new rocket. Instead,
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 they're acting more like a customer,
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 promising to purchase launch services and co
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 fund upgrades for private companies.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 Avery: Right. It's the shift from being the builder
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 to being an anchor client. It's a model that
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 has worked very well for NASA with companies
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 like SpaceX. It stimulates competition and
00:01:15 --> 00:01:16 innovation.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 Anna: Exactly. There's a whole list of companies
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 shortlisted for this, including Isar
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 Aerospace Rocket Factory, Augsburg
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 and PLD Space, among others. Rock
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 seeing major contributions from countries
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 like Germany, Spain and the uk.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 Avery: So what's the timeline for this? When can we
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 expect to see these new launch services in
00:01:37 --> 00:01:37 action?
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Anna: The plan is to sign framework agreements in
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 2026 with the goal of seeing launch
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 system demonstrations by 2027.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 If all goes well, we should see actual
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 missions being flown under this program by
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 2030. It's a major step towards
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 European autonomy and space access.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 Avery: From launching rockets to listening to
00:01:59 --> 00:01:59 stars.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 Our next story is truly fascinating.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 Scientists are using starquakes to uncover
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 the secrets of dormant black holes. And it's
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 rewriting what we thought we knew.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Anna: Starquakes. So you mean
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 asteroseismology, studying the oscillations
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 of stars?
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 Avery: Precisely. The study focused on two
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 systems, Gaia BH2 and
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 Gaia BH3. Each has a
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 red giant star orbiting a quiet black hole.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 In the Gaia BH2 system. The
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 starquakes revealed a puzzle. The star
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 appears young, but its chemical composition
00:02:35 --> 00:02:36 says it's old.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Anna: That's a contradiction. How did they explain
00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 that?
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 Avery: The leading theory is that the red giant is
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 actually the product of two stars that merged
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 into one. This would explain its unusually
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 fast spin rate as well. So it had a dramatic
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 life even before it got captured by the black
00:02:53 --> 00:02:53 hole.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 Anna: Incredible. And what about the other system,
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 Gaia BH3?
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 Avery: That one presented a different kind of
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 mystery. The red giant in that system is
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 ancient and what we call metal poor.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 According to our models, it should be showing
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 star quicks, but it isn't. It's completely
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 silent.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 Anna: So our understanding of how these old
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 stars behave might be wrong.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 Avery: It suggests that, yes, the research is
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 a fantastic example of how studying these
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 companion stars can refine how we measure
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 black hole masses and reveal the complex,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 violent histories these systems can have.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 Anna: Well, from the complex history of
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 stars to the complex nature of time
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 itself. This is a topic that has baffled
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 physicists and philosophers for centuries.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 And as St. Augustine famously said, we know
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 what time is until someone asks us to
00:03:48 --> 00:03:49 explain it.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 Avery: It's one of the ultimate questions. And a lot
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 of the confusion, according to some
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 physicists, comes from mixing up two
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 different existence
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 and occurrence.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 Anna: Okay, break that down for us.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 Avery: The universe as a physical object exists.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 But events within the universe don't exist
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 in the same way. They happen or they
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 occur. The past isn't a place that still
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 exists, and the future isn't a place that's
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 waiting for us. They are just records and
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 probabilities of occurrences.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 Anna: That makes sense. So this helps clarify
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 some old philosophical arguments.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 Avery: It does. Take the ancient Greek philosopher
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 Parmenides, who argued that since we can talk
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 about the past and future, they must exist.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 This new perspective says that's a fallacy.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 Based on that core confusion. The same goes
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 for how we often interpret Einstein's concept
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 of spacetime.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 Anna: Right. People often imagine spacetime as
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 a physical block universe that you could
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 theoretically travel through.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 Avery: Exactly. But it's more useful to think of
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 spacetime as a map of events. The map is a
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 real useful model, but it's not the
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 territory. The map of your city exists, but
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 you can't live in the map. By
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 cleanly separating the existence of the
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 universe from the occurrence of events, the
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 so called mystery of time becomes much less
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 mysterious.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 Anna: Speaking of searching for things, let's turn
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 our attention to the search for
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 extraterrestrial intelligence, or seti.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 A, uh, new study suggests we can make our
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 search much more effective by accounting for
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 stars that we've been ignoring.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 Avery: Hidden stars. How can a star be hidden?
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 Anna: It's not that they're physically hidden, but
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 they're not the primary targets of our
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 surveys. Think about it. When a radio
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 telescope points at a specific star, its
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 field of view is much wider. It
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 inevitably captures data from countless other
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 stars in the background and foreground. The
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 study calls this stellar bycatch.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 Avery: Ah, uh, I see. So we have all this data
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 on stars we weren't even intentionally
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 looking at.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 Anna: Precisely. The challenge is knowing which
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 stars are in that bycatch. To to solve
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 this, scientists are using something called
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 the Besanc Galactic model. It
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 simulates our galaxy's star populations,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 allowing them to predict which hidden stars
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 are likely in a telescope's field of view at
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 any given time.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 Avery: So this vastly expands the number of stars
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 we're monitoring for technosignatures without
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 needing any new observations or equipment.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 Anna: Yes, and it also helps remove human
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 bias from target selection. Projects like
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 Breakthrough Listen can now apply this method
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 to get a much more comprehensive survey of
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 our galaxy. It's a very clever way to
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 maximize the scientific return from the data
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 we're already collecting.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 Avery: For our final story, we're coming back a
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 little closer to home to the Moon. As
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 nations like China and the US make serious
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 plans for lunar bases, a new mission from
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 Hong Kong aims to monitor a constant threat.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 Things falling from the sky.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 Anna: You mean meteoroid impacts? We know they
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 happen, but this mission aims to provide the
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 first ever continuous monitoring of them from
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 lunar orbit.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 Avery: That's right. The mission is called Wessen,
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 which means Moon flashes. It's a lunar
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 orbiter set to launch by 2028. Its
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 primary job will be to watch for the bright
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 flashes caused by meteoroids hitting the
00:07:21 --> 00:07:21 lunar surface.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 Anna: And this data is critical. Without an
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 atmosphere to burn them up, even small
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 pebbles can hit with the force of a hand
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 grenade. These impacts pose a very real
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 threat to future lunar infrastructure and
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 of course, to astronauts.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 Avery: It's a huge engineering and safety challenge.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 Wesson's data will be particularly valuable
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 for China's ambitious plans to establish a
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 lunar research station. What's also notable
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 is that the telescope for the mission is
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 being designed and built in Hong Kong,
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 marking a significant step for the city in
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 space exploration.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 Anna: It will be a great complement to other
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 monitoring efforts like NASA's Earth based
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 observations and ESA's proposed
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 Lumio mission. To truly understand the
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 risks of living on the Moon, we need that
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 constant close up view. USAN
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 promises to deliver just that.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 Avery: And that's all the time we have for today.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 From commercial rockets to cosmic
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 philosophies, we've covered a lot of ground.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 Anna: We hope you enjoyed the journey. Join us next
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 time for another edition of, uh, Astronomy
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 Daily, where we continue to explore the
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 universe one story at a time.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 Avery: Thanks for listening and one quick plug.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 For more space and astronomy news and
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 all our back catalog just visit our
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 website@astronomydaily.IO.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 you can also follow us on social media. Just
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 search for AstroDaily Pod on your
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 favorite platforms. That's it for me. I'm
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 Avery Clear Skies, everyone, and keep looking
00:08:51 --> 00:08:51 up.