- Sentinel 1D Launch Success: Ariana Space successfully launched the Sentinel 1D Earth observation satellite aboard an Ariane 62 rocket, placing it into a sun-synchronous orbit at 693 km. This satellite is essential for Europe’s Copernicus program, ensuring continuity of environmental data as it takes over from the aging Sentinel 1A.
- NASA Leadership Nomination: President Donald Trump has renominated Jared Isaacman, a prominent figure in commercial space, as NASA's next administrator. Isaacman, known for his role in the Inspiration4 mission and his Athena plan to streamline agency operations, aims to boost commercial partnerships and astronaut launches.
- Shenzhou 20 Delayed by Space Debris: The return of China's Shenzhou 20 crewed spacecraft has been postponed due to the risk of collision with space debris. This incident underscores the growing challenges of space traffic management and the need for international cooperation amidst geopolitical tensions.
- First Space Barbecue: Astronauts aboard the Tiangong Space Station recently celebrated a milestone by holding the first-ever space barbecue, cooking chicken wings and peppered steak in a new oven designed for microgravity. This development enhances crew morale and offers a taste of home during long missions.
- Future Venus Exploration: With the conclusion of Japan's Akatsuki mission, Venus currently has no active spacecraft. However, several upcoming missions, including NASA's DaVinci and Veritas, the ESA's Envision, and India's Shukrayan orbiter, promise to renew interest in studying Venus's atmosphere and geology, despite potential budget uncertainties.
- 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.
Sentinel 1D Launch Details
[Ariana Space](https://www.arianespace.com/)
Jared Isaacman's NASA Nomination
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Shenzhou 20 Delay Information
[China National Space Administration](http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/)
Tiangong Space Station Barbecue
[China National Space Administration](http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/)
Future Venus Missions
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Avery: Hello and welcome back to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 the podcast that brings you the latest news
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 from across the cosmos. I'm Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 We have a packed show today covering
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 everything from a critical Earth observation
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 launch to a major leadership nomination at
00:00:18 --> 00:00:18 NASA.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 Avery: That's, uh, right. We'll also be diving into
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 some orbital drama involving space debris. A,
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 uh, delicious first for astronauts in space
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 and what the future holds for exploring our
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 planetary neighbor, Venus. So let's get
00:00:33 --> 00:00:34 right to it.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 Anna: Our first story today comes from Ariana
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 Space, which has successfully launched the
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 Sentinel 1D Earth observation satellite.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 Avery: Yes, this was a big one. The satellite was
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 carried aboard an Ariane 62
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 rocket and was deployed perfectly into
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 a sun synchronous orbit way up there at an
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 altitude of 693
00:00:55 --> 00:00:56 km.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 Anna: Mhm. And Sentinel 1D is a
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 crucial piece of hardware. It's part of
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 Europe's Copernicus Earth OBSERV program
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 which constantly monitors our planet's land
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 and seas. This particular satellite, which
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 weighs just over 2 kilograms, is a
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 twin to Sentinel 1C.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 Avery: What's really interesting here, Anna, uh, is
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 the choice of rocket. The Ariane 62
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 is incredibly powerful for a satellite of
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 this size. It's a bit like using a
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 sledgehammer to crack a nut.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 Anna: That's a good way to put it. But there was a
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 very serious reason for that choice. Urgency.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 The Copernicus program has been in a
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 precarious. The Sentinel 1B
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 satellite is no longer operational and its
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 sibling, Sentinel 1A is degrading.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 They needed to get 1D into orbit as soon as
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 possible to ensure continuity of data.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 Avery: Right. So it was a case of taking whatever
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 ride was available first. Once it's
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 fully commissioned, Sentinel 1D will take
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 over the primary role from the aging Sentinel
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 1A, securing a vital stream of
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 environmental data for Europe and the world.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 A huge relief for the program.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Anna: I'm absolutely.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 Now, from European launches to American
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 leadership, our next story is a significant
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 political development for the future of space
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 exploration. President Donald Trump has
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 renominated billionaire philanthropist and
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 private astronaut Jared Isaacman to serve
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 as NASA's next administrator.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 Avery: This is huge news. Isaacman is a
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 really well known figure in the commercial
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 space world. He's the founder of Shift for
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 Payments. But more famously, he commanded the
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 inspiration for and Pilar Polaris dawn
00:02:40 --> 00:02:40 missions.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 Anna: That's right. The Polaris dawn mission even
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 included the first ever private spacewalk.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 This isn't just a businessman being
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 nominated. It's a seasoned aviator and a
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 private astronaut who has experienced space
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 firsthand and.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 Avery: This nomination has a bit of history. It
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 follows a pretty contentious period in US
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 space policy. And Isaacman Men's previous
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 nomination was actually withdrawn. So its
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 return signals a very clear direction.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 Anna: It certainly does. Isaacman Mann has a very
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 specific vision for the agency, which he
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 calls his Athena plan. At its core, it
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 favors fixed price contracts for major
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 projects and aims to cut through the
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 bureaucracy. He wants to increase the number
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 of astronaut launches and significantly
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 expand commercial partnerships.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 Avery: So this renomination is really a strong push
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 towards accelerating commercial innovation
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 within America's space exploration efforts.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 It will be fascinating to see how it plays
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 out in the Senate confirmation hearings.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 Anna: Indeed. But while new leaders chart a
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 course for the future, present day operations
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 in space continue to face growing hazards.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 Our next story is a stark reminder of that.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 The return of China's Shenzhou 20 crewed
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 spacecraft has been delayed.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 Avery: And the reason is pretty alarming. A
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 possible impact with space debris. This
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 is the first time a Chinese crewed return
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 mission has ever been delayed by space
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 junk. And it really highlights a problem
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 that's only getting worse.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 Anna: Mm mhm. It's a bullet that everyone in the
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 space industry has been dreading. The
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 incident has unsurprisingly
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 renewed calls for much stronger international
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 cooperation on managing space traffic.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 The low earth orbit environment is becoming
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 dangerously crowded.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 Avery: Right, but that, uh, cooperation is tricky,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 isn't it? Especially between the US and
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 China, given the ongoing tensions. It's a
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 global problem that requires a global
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 solution. But the geopolitics are
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 incredibly complicated.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Anna: They are. For its part, China has been
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 investing in technologies to mitigate these
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 risks. They are exploring things like laser
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 monitoring to track smaller debris and even
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 deorbiting sails designed to help
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 drag defunct satellites out of orbit faster.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 But for now, the Shenzhou 20 crew has to
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 wait for a safe window to come home.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 Avery: Well, on a much lighter note, while that crew
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 waits to return, the new crew aboard, uh, the
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 Tiangong Space Station have been making a
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 very different kind of a culinary
00:05:15 --> 00:05:15 one.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 Anna: That's right, Avery. The astronauts on
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 Tiangong have just held the first ever
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 space barbecue. They used a, uh, brand new
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 oven to cook chicken wings and peppered
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 steak.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 Avery: I love the story. I saw pictures of the oven
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 and it basically functions like an air fryer.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 It's now a permanent addition to the space
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 station's galley. Imagine being able to
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 cook a proper meal like that in orbit.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 Anna: It might sound trivial, but this is actually
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 a huge milestone for the psychological
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 well being of crews on long duration
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 missions. Food is a massive part of
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 morale. Having variety and the ability to
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 cook something fresh. Can make a world of
00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 difference.
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 Avery: Of course, it's a taste of home. And the
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 oven itself is an impressive bit of
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 engineering designed to operate safely in
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 microgravity without putting a major strain
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 on the station's power grid. It's a small
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 step for a stake, but a giant leap for
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 astronaut comfort.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 Anna: A very poetic way to put it. This new crew
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 from the Shenzhou, uh, 21 mission recently
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 arrived to relieve the Shenzhou 20 crew, the
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 ones who are now patiently waiting for their
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 debris free ride home.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 Avery: Well, let's look even further afield for our
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 last story. From low Earth orbit all the
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 way to our nearest planetary neighbor. For
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 the first time in a while, Venus is alone.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 Anna: That's right. As we reported earlier with the
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 official end of Japan's long running
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 Akatsuki mission, Venus has no
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 active spacecraft in orbit studying it.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 But that solitude is set to be temporary as,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 uh, a new wave of exploration is planned for
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 the next decade.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 Avery: It's a whole fleet, really. There's NASA's
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 DaVinci and Veritas missions, the European
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 Space Agency's Envision Mission
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 Rocket Lab's ambitious private Venus Life
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 Finder mission, and India's Shukrayan
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 orbiter. Venus is about to get very
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 popular potentially.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 Anna: However, there is a cloud of uncertainty
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 hanging over some of these plans. The futures
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 of both the NASA and ESA missions are a
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 bit shaky due to potential budget cuts in the
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 United States, which could have a knock on
00:07:27 --> 00:07:27 effect.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 Avery: Let's hope they go forward. Because the
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 science is so compelling. These missions
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 aim to study everything from Venus's thick
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 toxic atmosphere to its volcanic geology
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 and its potential for past habitability.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 Anna: Exactly. They're trying to answer one of the
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 biggest questions in planetary
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 why did Earth and Venus, which are so similar
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 in size and composition, evolve so
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 differently? Why did one become a haven for
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 life while the other became a scorching
00:07:58 --> 00:07:58 hellscape?
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 Avery: It truly represents a renewed interest in
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 exploring Earth's evil twin. We have
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 so much to learn from Venus about planetary
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 formation and how fragile a habitable
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 environment can be.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 Anna: And that brings us to the end of our news
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 roundup. What a day, Avery. From urgent
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 launches to political shakeups, orbital
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 hazards, and a whole new focus on.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 Avery: Venus, it just never stops. It's a constant
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 reminder of how dynamic and exciting the
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 field of astronomy and space exploration is.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 A huge thank you to all our listeners for
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 tuning in to Astronomy Daily.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 Anna: We'll be back tomorrow with more updates from
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 across the cosmos. Until then,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 clear skies and keep looking up.