- SpaceX AX-4 Mission Delay: Join us as we discuss the recent postponement of the SpaceX AX-4 mission to the International Space Station due to a liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9 rocket. We delve into the implications of this delay and the crew's groundbreaking mission, commanded by record-breaking astronaut Peggy Whitson, as they prepare for their two-week stay aboard the ISS.
- Stellar Launch Activity: Discover the bustling launch schedule from SpaceX, including the celebration of their 500th Falcon rocket launch and the upcoming missions for Starlink and Rocket Lab. We highlight the ambitious plans of Amazon's Project Kuiper and the ongoing advancements in satellite technology.
- Revolutionary Vantablack 310: Learn about the newly developed Vantablack 310, a super black paint that could significantly reduce satellite light pollution. This innovation aims to protect astronomical observations from the disruptive effects of mega-constellations, making satellites virtually invisible to the naked eye.
- Stunning JWST Exoplanet Discoveries: Be amazed by the latest breathtaking images from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealing clouds of sand on exoplanet YSES 1c and a swirling disc of olivine around YSES 1b. These findings offer profound insights into the atmospheres of distant worlds and hint at potential cosmic events.
- China's Orbital Refuelling Test: We explore China's upcoming orbital refuelling test involving the Shijian satellites, a significant step towards servicing and extending the lifespan of satellites in orbit. This development has strategic implications for both commercial and military applications.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, 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 signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - SpaceX AX-4 mission delay
10:00 - Stellar launch activity
15:30 - Revolutionary Vantablack 310
20:00 - Stunning JWST exoplanet discoveries
25:00 - China's orbital refuelling test
✍️ Episode References
SpaceX AXE 4 Mission Updates
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Vantablack 310 Research
[Vantablack](https://www.vantablack.com/)
JWST Exoplanet Discoveries
[NASA JWST](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html)
China's Shijian Satellites
[China National Space Administration](http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your host, Anna. Today we've got a,
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 fascinating lineup of stories from across the
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 cosmos, ranging from launch delays and
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 exciting advancements in mitigating light
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 pollution, to stunning images of alien
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 worlds and groundbreaking orbital refuelling
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 tests. So buckle up as we dive into the
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 latest happenings in space and astronomy.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 First up, we have some news regarding a
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 slight delay to the SpaceX AXE 4 mission
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 to the International Space Station. The
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 launch, which was initially scheduled for
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 Wednesday, June 11, has been postponed due to
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 a liquid oxygen leak detected in the Falcon 9
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 rocket. Now, liquid oxygen, or
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 LOX, is one of the two propellants that the
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Falcon 9 uses to power its Merlin engines,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 the other being rocket grade kerosene.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 SpaceX discovered the leak after conducting a
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 static fire test, which is a pretty standard
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 pre launch procedure where they briefly
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 ignite the rocket's engines while it's still
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 anchored to the launch pad. According to Bill
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's VP of Build and
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 Flight Reliability, this particular Falcon
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 9 first stage has actually flown once before
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 and they'd noticed a similar leak during its
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 re entry into Earth's atmosphere on that
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 mission. Turns out they hadn't fully repaired
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 it during refurbishment. Or as he put it,
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 they didn't find the leak and didn't get it
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 corrected. SpaceX is currently working
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 on installing a purge system that should
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 mitigate the leak, even if it continues on
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 launch day. The AXE 4 mission is the fourth
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 private astronaut mission to the ISS
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 organised by Axiom Space. The mission is
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 commanded by Peggy Whitson, a record breaking
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 former NASA astronaut who is now Axiom's
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 Director of Human Spaceflight. The crew
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 includes pilot Shubanshu Shukla from India,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 mission specialist Slawash Usnanski
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 Wisniewski from Poland and the European Space
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 Agency, and Hungarian mission specialist
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 Tibor Kapu. It's interesting to note
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 that no astronaut from any of these three
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 countries has ever visited the ISS before.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 The AXE4 astronauts are scheduled to spend
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 about two weeks living and working aboard the
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 orbiting Lab, conducting around 60 different
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 science experiments before returning to Earth
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 Moving on from the Axe 4 mission, there's a
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 whole bunch of other launch activity to keep
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 an eye on this week. SpaceX has been super
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 busy as always. They recently celebrated
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 the 500th launch of a Falcon rocket with the
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 Starlink 1219 mission. Can you believe
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 that's also their 70th launch this year? And
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 get this, they managed, a whopping 17
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 launches in May alone. That included 16
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Falcon 9 launches and the ninth test flight
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 of Starship. So, yeah, pretty busy. Speaking
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 of Starlink, there are several more Starlink
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 missions lined up. Just recently they
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 launched another batch of 23 Starlink
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 satellites, a mix of the V2 mini and direct
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 to cell variants. Rocket Lab
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 is also in the mix. They're planning to
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 launch another batch of imaging satellites
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 for their customer, IQPS of Japan.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 IQPS wants to build a 36 satellite
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 constellation to monitor the Earth. Oh,
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 and remember Amazon's Project Kuiper? Well,
00:03:10 --> 00:03:11 the launch of their second batch of
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 satellites has been pushed back a bit due to
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 weather delays. And just to recap on
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 that Axiom mission four that we talked about
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 earlier, it's going to be the seventh private
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 Dragon mission and the 18th crewed launch for
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 SpaceX. Besides Peggy Whitson, the crew
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 includes Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavash
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 Usnansky Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 Kapu from Hungary. Dragon will be docked at
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 the ISS for up to 14 days and the crew will
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 be doing around 60 science experiments
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 focusing on human health, plant and microbial
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 biology, and the effects of microgravity.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 Now let's talk about something that could
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 really help clean up our night skies. It's
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 about this new super black paint called
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 Vantablack 310 and how it might just
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 be a game changer in the fight against
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 satellite light pollution. You know, all
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 those mega constellations of satellites
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 orbiting Earth, they can really mess with
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 astronomical observations. Vantablack
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 310 can reduce the amount of light reflected
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 by satellites down to as little as 2% of
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 what's reflected by uncoded satellites.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 That's a massive difference. This is
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 especially important for observatories like
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 the Vera Rubin Observatory, which, when it's
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 fully operational, could have up to 40% of
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 its images affected by satellite streaks.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 That's a huge problem. The paint itself is
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 made from a special blend of carbon black,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 sort of like soot mixed with binders that
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 make it tough enough to handle the harsh
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 conditions of space. And the best part, it's
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 easy to apply, so satellite manufacturers can
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 use it in their own facilities. What's really
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 impressive is how durable this stuff is.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 Tests have shown that it can withstand about
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 three years in orbit with almost no change,
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 while other space paints erode pretty
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 quickly. Plus, it doesn't seem to cause the
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 same overheating issues that earlier dark
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 paints did. This new paint could make
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 satellites virtually invisible to the naked
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 eye. This is a big improvement, and hopefully
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 it means that we can preserve our dark Skies
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 while still benefiting from satellite
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 technology.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 Okay, next up, let's dive into some
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 absolutely breathtaking images captured by
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 the James Webb Space Telescope, or jwst.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 These images, they're not just pretty
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 pictures. They're giving us incredible
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 insights into exoplanets, planets beyond our
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 own solar system. Specifically,
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 scientists have been studying two exoplanets
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 orbiting a star called YSES 1.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 And what they've found is just, well, mind
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 blowing. On one of these planets, YSEs
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 1c, they've detected clouds made of fine
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 sand. Yes, you heard that right. Sand
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 clouds drifting in the alien atmosphere. And
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 it gets even cooler on the other planet,
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 YSEs 1b observations
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 suggest it's surrounded by a large swirling
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 disc rich with olivine. Olivine is a mineral
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 that, get this, can form the gemstone
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 peridot here on Earth. These observations
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 are, groundbreaking because they allow us to
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 directly study the composition of
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 exoplanetary atmospheres. Scientists have
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 found evidence of water, carbon monoxide,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 carbon dioxide and methane in the atmospheres
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 of both planets, which, while common,
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 help us to build a clearer picture of what
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 these alien worlds are like. The discovery of
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 the olivine disc is particularly intriguing.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 It shouldn't really be there because dust
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 like that usually settles pretty quickly,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 geologically speaking. So its presence
00:06:29 --> 00:06:30 suggests there might have been a recent
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 collision between objects orbiting near YSEs
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 1b. Talk about being in the right place at
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 the right time to see something amazing.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 Now let's turn our attention to some
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 interesting activity happening in
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 geostationary orbit. It seems that China
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 is gearing up for an orbital refuelling test
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 with its Shijian satellites. The Shijian
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 21 and Shijian 25 spacecraft appear to be
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 manoeuvring towards a rendezvous and docking.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 This is a pretty big deal because it's all
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 about testing technologies for servicing and
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 refuelling satellites in orbit. Shijian
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 25 was launched earlier this year
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 specifically, specifically to test on orbit
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 refuelling and mission extension
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 technologies. While Shijian 21,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 which has already completed a mission towing,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 ah, a defunct navigation satellite, is now
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 the target for this refuelling demonstration.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 But here's where it gets even more
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 interesting. The US surveillance satellites
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 USA 270 and USA
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 271, part of the Geosynchronous Space
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 Situational Awareness Programme, are also in
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 the area, apparently keeping a close eye on
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 these operations. So it's kind of like
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 everyone's watching everyone else. The
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 ability to refuel and service satellites in
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 orbit has some pretty significant strategic
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 implications. It could extend the lifespan of
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 existing satellites, reduce costs and even
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 decrease space debris. Of course, it also has
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 potential military applications. It's worth
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 noting that Northrop Grumman has already
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 demonstrated this capability with its mission
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 extension vehicle 1, which successfully
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 docked with an Intelsat satellite back in
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 2020 for a five year servicing mission.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 So it's not a totally new thing, but it's
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 definitely an area where we're seeing
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 increasing activity and interest.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 So to quickly recap today we've covered the
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 delay of the SpaceX AXE 4 mission, some of
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 the many other launches that are happening in
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 coming days, the use of vantablack to combat
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 light pollution, those incredible new JWST
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 images of exoplanets, and China's upcoming
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 orbital refuelling test. Thanks for tuning
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 in to Astronomy Daily. I've been your host,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 Anna. if you want to catch up on any past
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 episodes, make sure you visit our
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 website@astronomydaily.IO. and don't
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 wherever you get your podcasts. Also, follow
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 us on social media, just search for Astro
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 Daily Pod on Facebook, X,
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 YouTube, YouTube, Music, Instagram,
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 Tumblr, and TikTok. Thanks again for joining
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 me today and I look forward to having you
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 with us next time. Until then, keep looking
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 up. You never know what you might see. This
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 is Anna signing off.