Highlights:
- SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 Mishap: Uncover the details behind the failure of SpaceX's Starship Flight 8, including the hardware issues that led to its dramatic breakup during re-entry. Learn about the modifications being implemented for future flights and what this means for the ambitious Starship programme.
- Celebrating 450 Successful Falcon 9 Landings: Revel in SpaceX's achievement of its 450th successful Falcon 9 landing, marking a significant milestone in rocket reusability and the rapid expansion of the Starlink constellation.
- Lunar Magnetic Mystery Solved: Delve into the latest research explaining why some lunar rocks exhibit strong magnetic signatures despite the Moon lacking a magnetic field today. Discover how ancient asteroid impacts may have temporarily amplified the Moon's magnetic environment.
- Mars Water Mystery Unravelled: Explore groundbreaking findings that reveal the fate of Mars's ancient water, highlighting the slow infiltration process into underground reservoirs and the unique conditions that contributed to the planet's transformation.
- Japan's Resilience Lunar Lander Update: Get excited about Japan's Resilience lunar lander as it prepares for its historic landing attempt on June 5th. Discover the scientific payloads it carries, including a miniature rover designed to collect lunar regolith and contribute to our understanding of the Moon.
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 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's Starship Flight 8 mishap
10:00 - Celebrating 450 successful Falcon 9 landings
15:30 - Lunar magnetic mystery solved
20:00 - Mars water mystery unravelled
25:00 - Japan's Resilience lunar lander update
✍️ Episode References
SpaceX Updates
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Lunar Magnetic Research
[MIT](https://www.mit.edu/)
Mars Water Study
[University of Texas at Justin](https://www.utexas.edu/)
Japan's Resilience Lunar Lander
[Ispace](https://www.ispace-inc.com/)
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. Your
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 cosmic connection to everything happening
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 beyond our atmosphere. I'm Anna and I'm
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 thrilled to have you join me for today's
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 journey through the latest developments in
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 space exploration and astronomical
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 discoveries. We have a busy episode today
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 with fascinating stories from across the
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 solar system. SpaceX has revealed what
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 went wrong with their Starship Flight 8
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 mishap back in March, and they're already
00:00:25 --> 00:00:26 gearing up for Flight 9 with some
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 groundbreaking innovations, including the
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 first reuse of a super heavy booster.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 We'll dive into all the details and what this
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 means for the future of their ambitious
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 programme. Speaking of SpaceX,
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 they've also been busy with their Starlink
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 Constellation recently celebrating their
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 450th successful Falcon 9
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 landing, an incredible milestone in rocket
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 reusability. Then we'll venture to the
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Moon, where scientists have been puzzling
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 over a magnetic mystery. From there,
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 we'll travel to the Red Planet, where
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 researchers may have finally solved the case
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 of Mars. Ms. Water.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 Finally, we'll check in with Japan's
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 Resilience Lunar Lander, which just captured
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 stunning images of the moon's south pole as
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 it prepares for a historic landing attempt on
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 June 5th. So whether you're a casual space
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 enthusiast or a dedicated amateur astronomer,
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 there's something for everyone in today's
00:01:22 --> 00:01:23 cosmic roundup.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 Let's get started then, with today's news.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 SpaceX has finally shed light on what caused
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 the failure of their Starship vehicle during
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 its eighth test flight back in March.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 According to details released on May 23,
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 the mishap had a different root cause than
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 the previous failure. Despite occurring at
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 remarkably similar points in their flight
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 paths. During Flight 8, which took
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 place on March 6, several Raptor engines on
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 the Starship upper stage suddenly shut down.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 About eight and a half minutes after liftoff,
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 the vehicle began to tumble out of control
00:01:57 --> 00:01:58 before eventually breaking up over the
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 Caribbean Sea during RE entry. The timing of
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 this failure was eerily similar to what
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 happened during Flight 7 in January, which
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 also experienced engine shutdowns and
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 communications loss at approximately the same
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 point in its journey. However, SpaceX has
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 confirmed that these were distinctly
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 different failures. For Flight 8,
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 investigators determined that one of the
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 Centre Raptor engines suffered a hardware
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 failure. While SpaceX hasn't disclosed
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 the specific component that failed, they
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 explained that this failure enabled
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 inadvertent propellant mixing and ignition
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 that ultimately destroyed the engine. The
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 cascade effect was immediate. The other two
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 Centre Raptor engines shut down along with
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 one of the three outer vacuum optimised
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 engines with larger nozzles. With four of its
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 six engines offline, the vehicle lost control
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 authority and couldn't maintain its planned
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 trajectory. In response to these
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 findings, SpaceX has implemented several
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 modifications to the Raptor engines for
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 future Starship flights. These include
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 adding additional preload on key engine
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 joints, installing a new nitrogen purge
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 system, and improving the propellant drain
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 system. The company is also developing a
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 future version of the Raptor engine, with
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 reliability improvements specifically
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 designed to address the issues identified in
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 Flight 8. It's worth noting how this
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 differs from Flight 7's failure. In that
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 case, the vehicle experienced what SpaceX
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 called a harmonic response, essentially
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 vibrations that were several times stronger
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 than expected. These vibrations created
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 additional stress on the propulsion system,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 causing leaks that ignited a fire in the
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 engine bay. SpaceX pointed out that
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 the fixes they implemented after Flight 7
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 to address those harmonic response issues and
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 flammability concerns worked as
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 designed before the unrelated failure on
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 Flight 8 occurred. The good news for
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 SpaceX is that the Federal Aviation
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 Administration has provided final approval
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 for the next Starship test flight following
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 their investigation of the Flight 8 mishap.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 This paves the way for Flight 9, which the
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 company confirmed is scheduled for no earlier
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 than May 27.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Looking ahead to SpaceX's ninth Starship test
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 flight, scheduled for May 27 at
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 7:30pm Eastern, the company is preparing
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 for a groundbreaking milestone in its
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 ambitious development programme. For the
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 first time, SpaceX will reuse a Super
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 Heavy booster, specifically the same one that
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 launched during Flight 7 earlier this year.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 This marks a significant step toward SpaceX's
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 vision of a fully reusable heavy lift launch
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 system. While some components of the booster
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 have been replaced since its previous flight,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 the company reports that a large majority of
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 the hardware will be flying for a second
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 time, including 29 of its three
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 33 Raptor engines. Unlike, the previous
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 four test flights, SpaceX is taking a
00:04:52 --> 00:04:53 different approach to booster recovery. This
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 time, the company will not attempt to catch
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 the Super Heavy Booster with the launch tower
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 arms at Starbase in Texas. Instead,
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 Flight 9 will test new flight profiles for
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 the booster after stage separation. These
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 new profiles include controlling how the
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 booster flips to orient itself for a
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 boostback burn and using a higher angle of
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 attack during descent. Both
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 modifications are designed to reduce the
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 amount of propellant needed for recovery
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 operations. SpaceX will also experiment
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 with alternative engine landing profiles
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 during this test to maximise safety of the
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 launch infrastructure. At Starbase, the Super
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 Heavy Booster will follow a trajectory toward
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 an offshore landing point, culminating in
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 what SpaceX describes as a hard splashdown in
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 the Gulf of Mexico. This controlled Ocean
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 landing allows SpaceX to gather valuable data
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 without risking damage to ground facilities.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 For the Starship upper stage, the mission
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 objectives include many of the demonstrations
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 planned for previous flights that couldn't be
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 completed due to the failures. These include
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 a critical Raptor engine relight while in
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 space, deployment of eight mass simulators
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 representing next generation Starlink
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 satellites, and tests of various reentry
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 technologies. This flight represents an
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 important evolutionary step in the Starship
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 programme and in other SpaceX news.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 Today, the company kicked off what appears to
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 be a remarkably busy weekend with yet another
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 successful Starlink satellite deployment. On
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 May 23, a Falcon 9 rocket
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 blasted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 in California at 4:36pm Eastern,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 carrying 23 Starlink satellites bound for low
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 Earth orbit. The mission,
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 designated Starlink 1116,
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 utilised a first stage booster known as
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 B1075, which
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 has become quite the veteran of SpaceX's
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 fleet. This marked the booster's 18th launch
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 with 14 of those missions dedicated to
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 delivering Starlink satellites. The
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 workhorse booster previously supported the
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 SDA0Amission
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 and Transporter 11 before becoming primarily
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 dedicated to Starlink deployments. Just
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 over eight minutes after liftoff,
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 B1075 executed
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 a perfect landing on SpaceX's drone ship,
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 aptly named Of Course I Still Love youe,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 This touchdown represented a significant
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 milestone for the company. The 450th AH
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 successful landing of a Falcon 9 booster.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 This achievement underscores the remarkable
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 reliability of SpaceX's reusable rocket
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 technology, which has revolutionised the
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 economics of space access.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 Meanwhile, the rocket's upper stage continued
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 its journey, releasing its payload of 23
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 Starlink satellites approximately one hour
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 into the flight. Each satellite will now
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 manoeuvre into its designated position within
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 the growing Starlink constellation. Over the
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 coming days, the Starlink network has
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 expanded dramatically, now consisting of more
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 than 7 operational satellites,
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 forming a complex lattice that provides
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 global Internet coverage. This launch
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 marked SpaceX's 61st Falcon 9 mission of
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 2025 and 63rd overall launch this year.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 When including the two Starship test flights,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 the company's launch cadence continues to
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 accelerate, with potentially two more
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 Starlink launches scheduled before the end of
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 the weekend, showcasing the operational tempo
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 that SpaceX has achieved with its reusable
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 rocket fleet.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 Next on, today's agenda. For decades,
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 scientists have been puzzled by a fascinating
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 lunar mystery. Why do some moon rocks show
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 strong magnetic signatures when the moon
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 itself has no magnetic field today? This
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 question has intrigued researchers since the
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s,
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 when astronauts returned with rock samples
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 that exhibited unexpectedly powerful
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 magnetization. Recent computer simulations
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 have provided a, compelling new explanation
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 for this phenomenon. The research suggests
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 that massive asteroid impacts billions of
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 years ago might have temporarily amplified
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 the Moon's ancient magnetic field,
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 essentially imprinting a magnetic signature
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 that's still detectable in lunar rocks today.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 The Moon once had a weak magnetic field
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 generated by its small molten core. But
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 according to researchers at the Massachusetts
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 Institute of Technology, this field alone
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 wouldn't have been strong enough to magnetise
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 small surface rocks. To the degree we
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 observe, however, a powerful asteroid
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 impact, quite possibly the same collision
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 that created the massive Imbrium basin,
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 could have dramatically changed the magnetic
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 environment, if only for a brief period.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 The simulations show that such an impact
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 would have vaporised surface material,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 creating a cloud of superheated electrically
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 charged particles called plasma. As this
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 plasma enveloped the Moon, much of it would
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 have concentrated on the far side, the
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 opposite side from the impact. This plasma
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 concentration would have temporarily
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 amplified the Moon's magnetic field in that
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 region, allowing rocks to capture this short
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 lived magnetic surge before the field faded
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 away. Isaac Narrat, the
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 graduate student who led the study, explains
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 that this process could account for the
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 majority of strong magnetic fields
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 measured by orbiting spacecraft, especially
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 those detected on the far side of the Moon.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 The research team believes the impact would
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 have triggered powerful seismic shock waves
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 that swept through the lunar body and
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 converged on the far side. These waves
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 likely jittered the electrons in nearby rocks
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 at precisely the moment the magnetic field
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 peaked, effectively locking in the field's
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 orientation like a geological snapshot
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 preserved for billions of years.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 Professor Benjamin Weiss, a co author of the
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 study, likens the process to throwing a deck
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 of cards into the air while a magnetic field
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 is present. Each card has a compass needle,
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 and when they settle back to the ground, they
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 align in a new orientation. That's
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 essentially how the magnetization process
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 worked. The most fascinating aspect
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 of this research is that the entire sequence
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 would have played out in less than an hour
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 and a half, yet left behind a magnetic
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 signature that has persisted for billions of
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 years. Future lunar missions will soon
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 have the opportunity to test this theory. The
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 most strongly magnetised rocks are located
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 near the Moon's south pole, on the far side,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 Precisely the region that several
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 International missions, including NASA's
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 Artemis programme, Plan to explore in the
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 coming years. If these rocks show evidence
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 of both shock and ancient magnetism, it could
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 confirm that the Moon's magnetic anomalies
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 were indeed caused by a colossal asteroid
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 impact billions of years ago.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 Next, let's head over to Mars, where yet
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 another mystery may have been solved.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 Scientists have long been puzzled by Mars's
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 dramatic transformation from a water rich
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 world to the barren desert planet we see
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 today. Now, groundbreaking research from the
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 University of Texas at Austin may have
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 finally solved a major piece of this
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 planetary mystery, revealing exactly where
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 much of Mars's ancient water disappeared to.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 The study, published in Geophysical Research
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 Letters identifies a crucial connection that
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 has eluded researchers for decadesthe
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 pathway between ancient surface lakes and a
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 deep underground reservoir located
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 approximately one mile beneath the Martian
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 surface. Graduate researchers
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 Mohammed Afzal Shadab and Eric Hyatt
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 developed specialised computer models to
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 calculate precisely how quickly water would
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 have infiltrated early Martian soils. Their
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 findings reveal something remarkable. Unlike
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 Earth, where surface water can percolate
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 underground in a matter of days, on Mars,
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 this process would have taken between 50 and
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 200 years. This significantly slower
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 rate resulted from several unique Martian
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 conditions. A ah, much deeper water table,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 lower gravity and colder temperatures all
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 dramatically slowed the infiltration process.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 What makes this discovery particularly
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 significant is that it represents the first
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 quantitative measurement of groundwater
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 travel time during Mars wetter period,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 roughly 3 to 4 billion years ago. The
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 model suggests that the amount of water lost
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 to underground storage could have equaled at
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 least 90 metres, or about 300ft in
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 global depth. Considering that early Mars
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 likely started with an ocean only a few
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 hundred metres deep, this underground storage
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 accounts for a substantial portion of the
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 planet's missing water m Even more
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 fascinating is how this process differed from
00:13:25 --> 00:13:28 Earth's water cycle. On our planet, water
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 constantly cycles through evaporation,
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 condensation and precipitation, allowing
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 surface water to persist. For millennia,
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 Mars operated entirely differently. As
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 researcher Eric Hyatt put it, once water got
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 into the ground on Mars, it was as good as
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 gone that water was never coming back out.
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 This one way journey explains why Mars's
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 surface water disappeared relatively quickly.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 In geological terms, the water either became
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 chemically trapped in mineral structures or
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 froze permanently in the subsurface. As Mars
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 lost its protective atmosphere and
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 temperatures plummeted, whatever surface
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 water remained likely evaporated into space
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 through the increasingly thin Martian
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 atmosphere. The findings align perfectly
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 with orbital observations showing widespread
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 hydrated minerals throughout Mars crust and
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 radar evidence of buried ice deposits at mid
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 latitudes. This research helps close a
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 significant gap in our understanding by
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 quantifying precisely how much water
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 moved underground and became permanently
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 trapped. The researchers approached this
00:14:34 --> 00:14:37 Martian mystery by creating a sophisticated
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 soil model that represented early Mars
00:14:39 --> 00:14:42 conditions as accurately as possible. They
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 conceptualised the ancient Martian landscape
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 as consisting of a porous soil layer sitting
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 atop basaltic bedrock. Incorporating all
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 available data on temperature, gravity and
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 soil permeability gathered from Martian
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 Meteorites and rover missions. What
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 makes their approach particularly powerful is
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 the use of probability algorithms that
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 account for numerous variables, including
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 fluctuations in precipitation patterns,
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 variations in soil porosity and temperature
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 changes across the surface. This
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 comprehensive modelling revealed that water's
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 journey from surface to deep aquifer would
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 have taken between 50 to 200 years,
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 dramatically slower than similar processes on
00:15:24 --> 00:15:27 Earth. Several key factors explain this
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 stark difference in infiltration rates. Mars
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 Lower gravity means that poor water pressure
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 builds up much more slowly with depth
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 compared to Earth. Additionally, the colder
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 surface temperatures on Mars would have
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 significantly reduced evaporation rates.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 Together, these conditions slowed water's
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 descent by approximately two orders of
00:15:47 --> 00:15:50 magnitude compared to what we observe on our
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 home planet. The implications of this
00:15:52 --> 00:15:55 research extend beyond simply understanding
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 Mars's hydrological past. The model
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 provides compelling evidence that Mars
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 operated fundamentally differently from Earth
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 in terms of water cycling. Without robust
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 recycling mechanisms to return deep
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 groundwater to the surface, Mars essentially
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 had a one way hydrological system that
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 gradually depleted its surface reserves. Once
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 underground, Mars's water faced three
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 possible becoming chemically bound to
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 minerals, forming hydrated compounds,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 freezing into subsurface ice deposits,
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 or in some cases, breaking down through
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 radiation and escaping into space.
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 This research helps scientists quantify the
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 relative contribution of each process to Mars
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 overall water loss. Shadab,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 now continuing this work as a postdoctoral
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 researcher at Princeton University, plans to
00:16:41 --> 00:16:44 integrate this infiltration model with global
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 climate simulations that incorporate rainfall
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 patterns, surface runoff dynamics and
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 volcanic activity. Such
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 comprehensive modelling could test various
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 historical scenarios, from the existence of a
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 long lived northern ocean to short term
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 flooding events triggered by impacts or
00:17:00 --> 00:17:03 volcanic eruptions. This research
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 also has practical implications for future
00:17:05 --> 00:17:08 Mars exploration. The identification of these
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 ancient aquifers could guide drilling
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 operations on future missions, potentially
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 reaching depths of up to one kilometre. To
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 sample what remains of Mars's primordial
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 waters. Such samples could undergo isotopic
00:17:19 --> 00:17:22 analysis to determine precisely how much
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 water remains locked underground versus how
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 much chemically altered the planet's crust.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 As Eric Hyatt eloquently summarised, the
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 Red Planet's hydrologic engine lacked the
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 robust recycling pump that powers Earth's
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 blue marble. This fundamental difference in
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 planetary water systems may ultimately
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 explain why Earth remained hospitable while
00:17:41 --> 00:17:44 Mars transformed into the desert world we see
00:17:44 --> 00:17:44 today.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:48 Finally today, a little update. Japan's
00:17:48 --> 00:17:51 Resilience lunar lander is nearing a historic
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 moment as it prepares for a touchdown attempt
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 on June 5th. Just this week,
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 Tokyo based company Ispace shared a stunning
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 photograph taken by their spacecraft showing
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 the moon's south polar region. The image
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 beautifully captures the rugged terrain of
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 the lunar surface with its many geological
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 features and craters, what makes this
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 particular photograph fascinating is the
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 optical illusion it presents to viewers.
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 While the image is filled with concave
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 craters, they can appear convex depending on
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 how you look at them, a common visual
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 phenomenon in lunar photography where
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 depressions can look like bumps to the human
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 eye. Resilience began its journey on January
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 15th when it launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 9 rocket. The same rocket carried another
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 private Lunar Lander, Firefly Aerospace's
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 Blue Ghost. While Blue Ghost completed its
00:18:40 --> 00:18:43 mission on March 2, becoming only the second
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 commercial vehicle to successfully soft land
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 on the moon, Resilience took a more energy
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 efficient route, finally reaching lunar orbit
00:18:50 --> 00:18:53 on May 6 after a longer looping trajectory.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 The landing target for Resilience is Mare
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 Frigoris, known as the Sea of Cold,
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 a volcanic plain in the Moon's northern
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 hemisphere. A successful touchdown would
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 represent a tremendous achievement not only
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 for Ispace but for Japan as a whole.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:11 The nation has only one successful moon
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 landing to its credit the slim spacecraft
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 that touched down in January of this year
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 under the direction of JAXA, Japan's space
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 agency. This attempt holds particular
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 significance for ispace following their
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 heartbreaking near miss in 2023.
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 Their first lunar lander successfully reached
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 orbit in March of that year, but failed
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 during its landing attempt one month later
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 when the spacecraft became confused by the
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 rim of a crater. The company has
00:19:38 --> 00:19:41 clearly learned from this experience and made
00:19:41 --> 00:19:43 adjustments to ensure Resilience has a better
00:19:43 --> 00:19:46 chance at success. The mission's
00:19:46 --> 00:19:48 importance extends beyond national pride and
00:19:48 --> 00:19:51 corporate achievement. Resilience carries
00:19:51 --> 00:19:53 five scientific and technological payloads
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 that could significantly advance our
00:19:55 --> 00:19:58 understanding of the lunar environment. The
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00 stakes are high, but after years of
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 development and a previous setback, I space
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 appears positioned to potentially make
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07 history in just two short weeks. Resilience
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 isn't just aiming for a touchdown. It's
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 carrying a suite of scientific tools designed
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13 to expand our understanding of the lunar
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 environment. The lander hosts five distinct
00:20:16 --> 00:20:18 science and technology payloads, each with
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 specific objectives to fulfil during its
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 mission on the Moon's surface. Perhaps the
00:20:23 --> 00:20:26 most exciting component is Tenacious,
00:20:26 --> 00:20:29 a miniature rover built by Ispace's European
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 subsidiary. This compact wheeled robot is
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 designed with a critical mission collecting
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 lunar regolith, or moon dirt, under a
00:20:36 --> 00:20:39 contract that Ispace signed with NASA back in
00:20:39 --> 00:20:41 2020. The agreement is part of NASA's
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme,
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 which aims to leverage private industry
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 capabilities for lunar exploration. Once
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 deployed from the main lander, Tenacious will
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 roll across the Mare Frigoris terrain using
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 its specialised equipment to gather valuable
00:20:56 --> 00:20:59 samples. These collections could provide
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 insights and into the composition of the
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 Moon's northern regions, and potentially
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 contribute to resource utilisation studies
00:21:05 --> 00:21:08 for future missions. What makes
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 Tenacious particularly distinctive is an
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 unexpected artistic element. The little
00:21:13 --> 00:21:15 rover carries a piece called Moon House on
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 its front bumper. Created by Swedish artist
00:21:17 --> 00:21:20 Mikael Genberg, this inclusion represents the
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 blending of scientific exploration with human
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 creativity, a reminder that space
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 exploration serves both practical and
00:21:27 --> 00:21:30 cultural purposes. The other payloads aboard
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 Resilience are equally important, focusing on
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 various aspects of lunar science and
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 technology demonstration. Together they form
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 a comprehensive package designed to maximise
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 the scientific return from this mission,
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 regardless of its relatively small size
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47 compared to government led initiatives.
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 And that brings us to the end of today's
00:21:50 --> 00:21:53 episode. From the engineering challenges of
00:21:53 --> 00:21:56 SpaceX's Starship programme to the ancient
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 mysteries of lunar magnetism and Martian
00:21:58 --> 00:22:00 hydrology, we've covered some truly
00:22:00 --> 00:22:02 fascinating developments in our cosmic
00:22:02 --> 00:22:05 neighbourhood. And of course, Japan's
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 Resilience Lunar Lander is poised to make
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 history with its upcoming landing attempt.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:12 The growing diversity of nations and private
00:22:12 --> 00:22:14 companies reaching for the Moon promises to
00:22:14 --> 00:22:17 accelerate our exploration of Earth's nearest
00:22:17 --> 00:22:20 neighbour. Stay tuned to Astronomy Daily for
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 updates on all these missions and more
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 fascinating discoveries from across the
00:22:23 --> 00:22:26 cosmos. Next week we'll be covering the
00:22:26 --> 00:22:28 results of Starship Flight 9 and the
00:22:28 --> 00:22:31 Resilience landing attempt. In the meantime,
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 you can keep up to date with all the latest
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 in space and astronomy news simply by
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 visiting our
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 website@astronomydaily.IO and
00:22:39 --> 00:22:41 checking out our continuously updating news
00:22:41 --> 00:22:44 feed. Until then, keep looking up. I'm
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 Anna signing off