S02E34: Russian Lunar Crash, Martian Oxygen, and Pulsar Discoveries

08/20/23 • 8 min

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Astronomy Daily: Exciting Space Discoveries and News

*Hosted by Tim Gibbs with AI Assistant Hallie*
- **NASA's Lunar Trailblazer Satellite** - Mission: Search for water on the moon. - Details: Lockheed Martin built, measures 11.5 feet wide, weighs 440 pounds. - Launch: No earlier than 2024, alongside the Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission. - Instruments: Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) sensor from the University of Oxford. - Purpose: Map lunar surface temperature and variations in minerals. - **Oxygen Production on Mars** - Need: 30 metric tons of oxygen for a crew of six astronauts. - Solution: Produce oxygen on Mars from its abundant CO2. - Recent Development: Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (Moxie) Project. - Research: Donald Rapp and Eric Hinderman's model for a full-scale Mars ISRU system. - **Discoveries with the FAST Telescope** - Led by: Professor H.A.N. Gene Lin from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. - Findings: Distinct dwarf pulses from pulsar PSR B2111+46. - Observations: Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey. - New Emission State: Dwarf pulses.4. **Spotlight Story** - **Russia's Lunar 25 Probe Crash** - Incident: Lunar 25 crashed during pre-landing maneuvers. - Last Contact: 2.57 pm on a Saturday. - Background: Russia's first moon mission in almost 50 years. - Mission Goal: Soft landing on the Lunar South Pole. - Historical Context: Last attempt in 1989 with the Phobos 2 probe. - Statement: Roscosmos Boss Yuri Borosov had estimated a 70% success rate.5. **Hallie's Joke of the Week** - "Why did the scarecrow win an award? “6. **Closing Remarks** - Find all episodes and the parent podcast, SpaceNuts, at spaceknuts.io or bitesz.com. - Join the conversation on the Facebook page: SpaceNuts podcast group. - Weekly Schedule: Steve Dunkley on Mondays and Tim Gibbs on Fridays. - See you next week!
Thank you for tuning in to the Astronomy Daily podcast!
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Previous Episode

S02E33: SpaceX Mishaps, Hawaiian Fires from Space, and Martian Exploration: A Special Edition

Hosted by Steve Dunkley & AI Co-host Hallie*
**Date:** 17th August 2023
**Highlights:**1. **Special Edition:** Steve surprises listeners with an impromptu episode on a Thursday.2. **Space Nuts Revisited:** Steve revisits a segment from the renowned "Space Nuts" podcast, hosted by Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson.3. **SpaceX's Starship Launch Mishap:** Hallie dives into the details of SpaceX's Starship launch mishap, discussing the aftermath, the FAA's ongoing review, and the potential implications for future launches.4. **Hawaii's Catastrophic Wildfires:** Steve sheds light on the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, which were visible from the International Space Station. The fires emphasize the severe consequences of human-driven climate change.5. **Astronomy Daily's Ranking:** The podcast proudly announces its position as the number four podcast in the astronomy top 100 charts.6. **Exploring Martian Caves with Robots:** Steve discusses a new robot concept with expandable appendages designed to explore the challenging terrains of Martian caves and cliffs.7. **Enceladus' Geysers:** A throwback segment from "Space Nuts" highlights the fascinating geysers on Saturn's moon, Enceladus, and the potential for life.
**Connect with Us:**- Catch all back editions of Astronomy Daily and Space Nuts on bitesz.com or all podcast platforms.- Join the discussion on the [Space Nuts Podcast Group on Facebook - Have astronomy or space science questions? Drop us a line on our Facebook page, and our team, including Tim Gibbs, Andrew Dunkley, and Professor Fred Watson, will get back to you.
**Closing Note:** Stay curious, keep looking up, and always wonder about what's happening in your skies!
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Next Episode

S02E35: Neptune's Mystery, Mars Flights, and Lunar Landings: Space Updates

Show Notes: Astronomy Daily Podcast - 21 August 2023**
*Hosted by Steve Dunkley and AI Sidekick Hallie*
1. **Introduction** - Steve Dunkley welcomes listeners to the 21 August 2023 edition of Astronomy Daily. - Hallie, the AI sidekick, greets the audience.2. **Neptune's Disappearing Clouds** - Astronomers announce that Neptune's clouds have been disappearing since 2019. - The phenomenon is potentially linked to the sun's eleven-year activity cycle. - The sun's magnetic fields and their influence on the solar system might be affecting Neptune's cloud patterns.3. **NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter** - The helicopter completes its 55th flight. - It has covered over 12,503 meters on Mars and stayed aloft for nearly 98 minutes across all flights. - The helicopter's main goal was to demonstrate aerial exploration on Mars.4. **Flying Cars on the Horizon** - A company, Applied eVTOL Concepts, introduces the Epiphany transporter, a flying car with a NASA-proven propulsion system. - The vehicle can reach speeds of 160 and is as quiet as a steady rainfall. - The design includes duct thrusters for thrust and safety.5. **Passing of Karol 'Bo' BobCo** - Karol 'Bo' Bobco, the only NASA astronaut to fly on two shuttle launches, passes away at 85. - He was a part of NASA's 7th Group of Astronauts and had a significant history with the space program.6. **Russia's Lunar 25 Mission** - The mission ends in failure after crashing into the Moon. - The spacecraft was meant to land near the Boguslawski Crater. - The mission faced technical issues and delays, and its failure is a setback for Russia's space plans.7. **India's Chandrayan 3 Mission** - The mission is progressing well, with the lander module achieving a specific orbit around the moon. - The mission aims to validate a successful soft landing on the moon's south polar region. - The mission is closely monitored by ISRO, with collaborations from the European Space Agency and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.8. **Chinese Satellites Over Australia** - Hundreds of Chinese satellites are monitoring military training activities in Australia. - The satellites have been focusing on naval drills and war games. - Space is becoming an essential domain for modern warfighting operations.9. **Closing Remarks** - Steve Dunkley and Hallie thank the listeners and remind them to check out previous episodes at spacenuts.io or our HQ at bitesz.com
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