November 27, 2025 • 25 mins
In this episode of SpaceTime, we delve into the latest discoveries and challenges in space exploration and Earth science.
Tracking Interstellar Comet 3I Atlas from Mars
The European Space Agency has successfully monitored interstellar comet 3I Atlas from its ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, significantly improving the accuracy of its predicted trajectory by a factor of ten. The comet, which travels at speeds of up to 250,000 km/h, was observed from a unique vantage point, allowing astronomers to refine its path through our solar system. This remarkable achievement underscores the importance of multi-location observations in planetary defense efforts.
Geomagnetic Superstorm Ganon's Impact on Earth's Plasma Sphere
A recent study reveals how the geomagnetic superstorm Ganon dramatically compressed Earth's plasmasphere, reducing its size to just a fifth of its normal extent. This event, which occurred in May 2024, provides crucial insights into the effects of extreme space weather on our planet's protective layers. The findings will enhance solar storm forecasts and help safeguard satellites and communication systems during such events.
Delays for the Dream Chaser Spaceplane
Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane faces further delays, now expected to launch its first orbital flight in approximately a year. Originally designed for crew transport, the spacecraft is now slated for resupply missions to the International Space Station. Despite setbacks, recent tests have demonstrated its systems' readiness for future operations, although challenges remain as the ISS's operational life nears its end.
www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com
✍️ Episode References
Earth Planets and Space Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
NASA Reports
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-your-guide-to-space-astronomy--2458531/support.
Tracking Interstellar Comet 3I Atlas from Mars
The European Space Agency has successfully monitored interstellar comet 3I Atlas from its ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, significantly improving the accuracy of its predicted trajectory by a factor of ten. The comet, which travels at speeds of up to 250,000 km/h, was observed from a unique vantage point, allowing astronomers to refine its path through our solar system. This remarkable achievement underscores the importance of multi-location observations in planetary defense efforts.
Geomagnetic Superstorm Ganon's Impact on Earth's Plasma Sphere
A recent study reveals how the geomagnetic superstorm Ganon dramatically compressed Earth's plasmasphere, reducing its size to just a fifth of its normal extent. This event, which occurred in May 2024, provides crucial insights into the effects of extreme space weather on our planet's protective layers. The findings will enhance solar storm forecasts and help safeguard satellites and communication systems during such events.
Delays for the Dream Chaser Spaceplane
Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane faces further delays, now expected to launch its first orbital flight in approximately a year. Originally designed for crew transport, the spacecraft is now slated for resupply missions to the International Space Station. Despite setbacks, recent tests have demonstrated its systems' readiness for future operations, although challenges remain as the ISS's operational life nears its end.
www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com
✍️ Episode References
Earth Planets and Space Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
NASA Reports
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-your-guide-to-space-astronomy--2458531/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Spacetime Series twenty eight, episode one hundred and forty,
for broadcast on the twenty eight of November twenty twenty five.
Coming up on space Time, interstellar Comet three I outlass
monitored from Mars, how the geomagnetic superstorm Gannon squeezed the
Earth's plasmosphere into just a fifth of its normal size,
and more delays for the futuristic dream chase of space plane.
(00:23):
All that and more coming up on space Time.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to space Time with Stewart Gary.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
The European Space Agency has pinpointed the position and trajectory
of the interstellar Comet three I outlas, and they did
it from Mars. Since through our outlas, the third known
interstellar object travel through our Solar System was discovered back
on July, the first, astronomers worldwide have been working to
predict its exact trajectory. ESA has now improved the comet's
(01:07):
predicted location by a factor of ten thanks to the
innovative use of observational data from its exo mass trace
gas orbit of spacecraft, which is circling the Red planet
until September. Figuring out the location and trajectory of three
I outlasts relied purely on Earth based telescopes. The end
between October the first and the seventh isa's EXO mass
(01:28):
trace gas orbit, it turned its eyes towards the interstellar
comet from its orbit in Mars. See the comet passed
relatively close to Mars, approaching the red planet at a
distance of just twenty nine million kilometers. That was on
October the third, So the mass probe got about ten
times closer to three hour outlasts than telescopes on Earth could.
And also it was observing the comet from a completely
(01:49):
new viewing angle. The triangulation of its data, combined with
data from Earth, has now helped astronomers make the comet's
predicted path much more accurate. And yes, it's still acting
like a comet, not like some sort of alien spacecraft.
While astronomers initially anticipated a modest improvement in their observations,
the result was an impressive tenfold leap inaccuracy, reducing the
(02:11):
uncertainty of the comet's location. Because through our OUTLS is
passing through our Solar system extremely fast, traveling at speeds
of up to two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers an hour,
it'll soon vanish back into interstellar space, never to return.
The improved trajectory allows astronomers to aim their instruments with
more confidence, enabling more detailed science of this mysterious object.
(02:33):
But it was quite a challenge to use the Mars
orbiter's data to refine the interstellar comet's path through space.
You see, the spacecraft's instruments are designed to point towards
the nearby Martian surface, studying it in high resolution. This time,
the camera was aimed at the skies above Mars in
order to catch the tiny distant comets sweeping across the
starry backdrop. Astronomers and the punetary Defense team at IS's
(02:57):
nearest object, called Nation Center, who were used to a
determined that trajectories of asteroids and comets had to account
for the spacecraft's special location. Usually, trajectory observations are made
from fixed observatories on the Earth and occasionally from spacecraft
in near Earth orbit like Hubble or web So this
new resulting data represents the first time that asteometric measurements
(03:18):
from a spacecraft orbiting another planet have been officially submitted
and accepted into the Minor Planet centered database. The database
acts as a central clearing house for asteroid and cometary observations,
streamlining the data collected by different telescopes radar stations than spacecraft.
Even the three outlass poses no threat to the Earth,
it's still a valuable exercise for planetary defense. The routinely
(03:42):
monitors near Earth asteroids and comets, calculating orbits to provide
warnings as required, and as this rehearsal with three our
outlets shows, it can be very useful to triangulate data
from Earth observations from a second location in space, and
the observations don't end there. The comets currently being observed,
but iss Jupiter icy muons explore a juice space craft.
(04:03):
The juice is much further from three Atlas than the
Mars orbiter. It's seen the comet just after its closest
approach to the Sun, at a time when it's in
a far more active state, therefore releasing more volatiles into
its coma and tail. Those volatiles can then be studied
to work out more about what the comet's made from.
Needless to say, well keep you informed this space time
(04:29):
still to come. How the geomagnetic superstorm Gannon squeezed Earth's
plasmosphere and more delays for the futuristic dream Chaser space plane.
All that and more still to come on space time.
(04:56):
A new study shows how a major space weather event
back in May last year dramatically shrank Earth's protective plasma
layer and slowed its recovery. The findings are reported in
the General Earth, Planets and Space will help improve solar
storm forecasts and protect key space infrastructure. Adduming that superstorm
is an extreme space weather event, occurs when the Sun
(05:19):
releases massive amounts of energy in charged particles, which are
then flung towards the Earth. These sorts of storms are
fairly rare, occurring maybe once every twenty to twenty five years.
So back on May the tenth and eleventh last year,
the strongest superstorm in over twenty years, known as the
gan And Event or Mother's Day storm, slammed into planet Earth.
(05:39):
Astronomers captured direct measurements of this extreme event and have
now provided the first detailed observations of how a superstorm
compresses Earth's plasmosphere, a protective layer of charged particles encircling
the planet. The findings show how the plasmosphere and the
ionosphere react during these most violent of solar storms, and
it will help orcast disruptions to satellites, GPS, navigation systems,
(06:03):
and communications networks during extreme space weather events. Launched by
the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency Jackson back in twenty sixteen,
the ERAYSE satellite orbit through its plasmosphere, measuring plasma waves
and magnetic fields, and during the May twenty twenty fourth
superstell it was positioned perfectly to observe in the extreme
compression and slow recovery of the plasmosphere in unprecedented detail.
(06:28):
In fact, this was the first time scientists obtained continuous
direct measurements of the plasmosphere shrinking to such a low
altitude during a superstall. The studies lead author at Sukishin
Bori from the Nagoya University says, astronomers tract changes in
the plasmosphere using the array satellite and then use ground
based GPS receivers to monitor the IMO sphere, the source
(06:48):
of the charged particles that eventually refilled the plasmosphere. Monitoring
both layers showed how dramatically the plasmosphere contracted and why
recovery took so long. The plasmosphere worked with Earth's magnetic
field to help limit the effect of harmful charged particles
from the Sun in space, protecting satellites, and supporting Earth's
natural shielding system against intense radiation. It normally extends far
(07:12):
beyond the Earth, but during the May superstorm, the arter
boundary moved from approximately forty four thousand kilometers above Earth's
surface to just nine six hundred kilometers. The superstorm was
triggered by many massive eruptions from the Sun that flung
billions of tons of charged particles towards Earth within nine hours.
The storm squeezed the plasmosphere to just a fifth of
(07:34):
its normal size, and recovery was extremely slow, taking more
than four days to refill. That's the longest recovery scientists
have seen since they started monitoring the plasmosphere with the
Arraysed satellite back in twenty seventeen. The authors found the
storm first caused intense heating near the poles, but this
later led to a big drop in charged particles across
(07:55):
the ionosphere, which slowed the recovery. Now this prolonged disruption,
it can affect GPS accuracy, it can interfere with satellite operations,
and it complicate space where the forecasting. During the most
intense phase of the superstorm, extreme solar activity compressed Earth's
magnetic field, allowing charged particles to travel much further along
magnetic field lines towards the equator. The result produced some
(08:19):
impressive auroral activity at unusually low latitudes. Auroras typically occurred
near the polar regions. That's because Earth's magnetic field guide
solar particles into the atmosphere there, but the strength of
the May twenty twenty four storm shifted the auroral zone
from its usual position near the Arctic and Antarctic circles
down to far more mid latitude regions such as Japan, Mexico,
(08:41):
and southern Europe, places where aura are normally rarely seen.
It's a clear case of the stronger the geomagnetic storm,
the further towards the equator the auroras will appear. About
an hour after the storm struck, charged particles in Earth's
upper atmosphere had surged at high latitudes near the poles
began streaming towards the polar caps. When the storm began
(09:02):
to subside, the plasmosphere started to refill with particles from
the ionosphere, and normally this process only takes a day
or two, but in this case recovery stretched over four
days because of a phenomenon called a negative storm. Now,
during a negative storm, particle levels in their Hono Spheed
dropped sharply across wide areas. When intense heating changes the
(09:23):
atmospheres chemistry, this decreases oxygen ions that help produce hydrogen
particles needed to refill the plasmosphere. These storms are invisible
and detected only by satellites. The negative storm slowed recovery
by altering atmospheric chemistry and cutting off the supply of
particles to the plasmosphere. This link between negative storms and
(09:44):
delayed recovery had never been clearly observed before, so the
new findings are giving astronomers the clearer picture how the
plasmosphere changes and how energy moves through it. During the storm,
numerous satellites experienced electrical issues or stop transmitting all together.
This included GPS signals being disrupted, radio communications being affected,
(10:06):
and high radiation levels affecting astronauts. Knowing how long as
plasma laya takes to recover after such events is key
to forecasting space weather events and safeguarding space technology. That's
why there's a matter of spacecraft studying the Sun to
try and better understand geomagnetic storms and how they impact
the Earth. For example, NASSAS Parker Solar Probe is studying
(10:29):
our local star, monitoring everything from its atmosphere to its surface.
Other active spacecraft monitoring the Sun include, but are not
limited to, Solar Orbiter SOHO, ACE, IRIS, Wind in No Day,
the Solo Dynamics Observatory, and Stereo. This report from is
a TV.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
The Sun a four and a half billion year old
nuclear fusion reactor at the heart of our solar system.
This glowing ball of plasma, with a core temperature of
fifteen million in degrees celsius, is a yellow dwarf star.
In cosmic terms, it's nothing special, but for us on Earth,
the Sun is vital. It holds the planets in their
(11:11):
orbits and provides heat, light, and the energy for life.
ESA's first mission to the Sun, ULYSSES, was launched from
Space Shuttle Discovery in October nineteen ninety a joint mission
with NASA. It was the first spacecraft to fly over
the Sun's poles. Ulysses investigated the solar wind, the stream
(11:32):
of charged particles emitted by the Sun. It envelops the
Solar system in a bubble known as the heliosphere. The
mission discovered that the solar wind weakened over time, and
that the Sun's magnetic field reverses every eleven years.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Three two one.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Ignition and liftoff of SOHO and the atmosphicle on an
International Mission of Solar Physics.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
One of the longest and most successful scientific missions of
all time, SOHO was launched in nineteen ninety five and
it's still going strong. SOHO has given us a new
insight into the Sun's structure and interior, monitoring the output
of solar radiation and providing the first images of the
star's turbulent outer shell. SOHO has also transformed space weather forecasting,
(12:25):
helping us to monitor violent solar activity from flares and
coronal mass ejections. A major space weather event has the
potential to damage satellites, communications, and power grids on the ground.
Another mission that's helping us better understand the relationship between
the Sun and Earth is Cluster Flying in formation and
(12:48):
in orbit from MOOST twenty years. The four Cluster satellites
are giving us a three dimensional view of the Earth's
magnetic environment and its interaction with the solar wind. Now
it's a turn of Solar Orbiter with its advanced suite
of scientific instruments. It'll build on the work of these
past ISA missions.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Our scientists have designed this mission so that they improve
significantly their knowledge of the solar wind and what drives
the solar wind, and as well what creates and generates
the solar cycles.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The eventual aim of all these missions is to not
only better understand our nearest star, but also predict its behavior,
knowledge that will help protect all of us back here
on Earth.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And in their report from eastv Weird from Solar Orbit
of project manager Caesar Gasia, this is space time still
the calm, more delays for the futuristic dream Chase of
space plane, and later in the science report, any study
is shown that dogs already came in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes, long before modern breeding pens being
(13:55):
established or that and more still the calm on space time,
there's news of more delays for Sierra Space's Dream Chaser
(14:17):
space plane, which now won't launch on its first orbital
flight before about a year from now. The reusable spacecraft
will eventually be used to carry supplies and equipment to
and from the International Space Station, but the vehicle is
years behind schedule. Its first flight had been scheduled for
twenty twenty one, but it's been postponed a multiple times
since then. In fact, the space plane's lifting body design
(14:40):
it's been under development for decades, going all the way
back into the sixties. The Sierra Nevada Corporation now Sierra Space,
purchased the design in twenty oh eight. NASA funding then
allowed the company to continue developing the spacecraft as part
of the agency's Commercial Crew Development program see dream Chaser
was originally designed to carry crew of up to seven
(15:00):
astronauts to and from the space station. The vehicle was
ultimately passed over in twenty fourteen when NASA selected SpaceX's
Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner for its manned space station missions.
Crew Dragon's been a huge success, Starliner not so much.
In fact, it's yet to start regular services, but eventually
(15:21):
Dreamchaser was selected as part of the NASA's second Commercial
Resupply Services contract to send equipment and supplies to the
International Space Station. Along with the existing service providers, the
SpaceX Cargo Dragon and Northrop Grumman signas. Right now, at
least seven Dreamchaser missions are scheduled for the space station,
and the United Nations is paying to use dream Chaser
(15:42):
for at least one mission. The first operational dream Chaser spacecraft,
named Tenacity, has now successfully completed a series of critical
pre flight tests at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
in preparation for its first unmanned mission. The comprehensive testing
campaign involves finalization of the electrical system build, including electromagnetic
interference and compatibility test that NASA Space System's processing facility.
(16:05):
These verify the spacecraft's ability to operate with an expected
electromagnetic environments throughout various mission scenarios. Dreamchaser also completed vigorous
tow testing at the Kennedy Space Center and Space Florida's
launch and landing facility, using a truck to tow the
space plan at high speeds in order to simulate critical
dynamics and validate autonomous navigation parameters during runway landing operations.
(16:29):
Once operational, dream Chaser will launch on a conventional rocket,
but return to worth as a glider with the aid
of parasales Landing on a conventional runway. Dream Chasers also
successfully demonstrated its ability to receive telemetry and distribute commands
between the spacecraft and mission control and Colorado of the
NASA's tracking and data relay satellite system. That's a key
(16:50):
milestone test for the spacecraft's readiness for real time command
and control communications during flight operations. The current test and
campaign concluded with a post landing rec covery rehearsal which
demonstrated the safing of the spacecraft systems and quick access
to time sensitive payloads. Dreamchaser will now move on to
its final round of acoustic testing next month, together with
(17:11):
integrated hardware and software testing and the all important hot
fire test. Despite reports of problems with its propulsion systems,
Sierra Space says its tri mode thrusters have completed qualification
acceptance testing at the company's Badger Propulsion Test facility in Wisconsin.
Following this, modifications for national security applications will be applied,
(17:32):
allowing dream Chaser to demonstrate its ability to fulfill a
wide array of mission requirements, including those essential for national security.
Dream Chaser is now expected to undertake its first launch
to low Earth orbit by this time next year, with
a runway landing plan for the Vanderberg Space Force Base
in California as part of NASAs sira's to contract. But
(17:52):
there's still a problem. You see, there are only five
years of operations left for the International Space Station before
it's retired by NASA, so the long term future of
dream Chaser will involve funding other customers. There are other
privately operated space stations in the offing, and a deadly
Seera space We'll be looking to service them, but for now,
at least, construction of a second dream Chaser named Reverence
(18:16):
has been put on hold. The news of dream Chasers
delays came as rumors reported by Political warned that the
ongoing delays and development of SpaceX's Starship Mega Rocket could
mean the Artemis three mission, which will return humans to
the lunar surface, will now not fly until at least
September twenty twenty eight. That's more than a year later
than currently planned. You see, a version of Starship called
(18:39):
the HLS needs to be operational so it can be
used to transport crew to and from the Artemis three
Orion spacecraft, which will be in lunar orbit, down to
the Moon's surface and then back up again, but SpaceX
still needs to refine its inflight refueling capabilities for this mission.
It's currently slated for testing in due next year, and
early after that's perfected, can they attempt the first unmanned
(19:01):
lunar landing demonstration flight by the HLS that's currently slated
for June twenty twenty seven, which is close to the
time when the Artemis three mission was meant to launch.
But only when these HLS milestones have been successfully achieved
can the historic Artemis three mission proceed. And, of course,
sitting back watching all this is Beijing, China's proceeding with
(19:22):
its own man Moon mission that's now expected to see
the first tiger notts walking on the lunar South Pole
sometime before twenty thirty and a permanent joint lunar base
with the Russians established at the lunar South Pole within
five years of that. This is space time, and time
(19:55):
that to take another brief look at some of the
other stories making news in science this week with the
Science Report. Scientists from the University of Warwick and Monash
University have discovered a promising new antibiotic that shows activity
against drug resistant bacterial pathogens, including MRSA and Vre. A
report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society was
(20:15):
that antimicrobial resistance remains one of the world's most urgent
health challenges, with the Wealth Health Organization's new report showing
there are too few antibacterials in the pipeline, most of
the low hanging fruit has already been found, and the
limited commercial incentives that terror investment in antibiotic discovery. New
research suggests that the cir called Band of Whole's archeological
(20:38):
site in the Andes may have actually been an ancient marketplace.
The findings reported in the journal Antiquity followed detailed studies
by scientists from the University of Sydney. Officially known as
Mighty Serapi or Serpent Mountain. The features located in the
Pisco Valley of southern Peru and consists of over five
thousand precisely aligned holes, striking it puzzling site has been
(21:01):
baffling archaeologists in the wider public for decades. A new
study shows that dogs already came in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes long before modern breeding patterns were established.
A report in the journal Science use three dimensional analysis
to examine six hundred and forty three skulls spanning fifty
thousand years, finding that distinct dog like skull traits first
(21:24):
appeared around ten thousand years ago. They found that dogs
from this period had roughly the same range of head
shapes and sizes which are seen in modern dogs today,
but they had twice that of their more ancient ancestors.
The research contributes to a wider understanding of the domestication
of dogs as a complex, multifaceted biological and cultural process
(21:45):
in which thousands of years of human and canine history
were intertwined. Well, you can forget about monsters under your bed.
There's a medium out there who claims the real threat
are demons in your bedroom. Mirror. Timendum from a Strands
skeptic says it's wacky woman who claims to speak to
the dead, warns never have a mirror facing your bed
(22:06):
because the demons will get you.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
This is a psychic and a clearance person who clease
goes out it looks after you who's made the claim
that if you have a mirror in your bedroom facing
the bed, you're likely to allow demons to enter your room.
I think you have misunderstanding of what a mirror does
actually as the thing painted on the back that stops
the light going straight through I believe energy going straight through.
It's supposed to be a portal, right that the mirror
(22:30):
on your wall, on your dressing table, on a wardrobe,
and not just having to face the bed anywhere. And
I don't know why the bedroom necessarily could be the bathroom.
They have mirrors, A lot of homes have mirrors in
living rooms and that sort of stuff anyway, So I
mean apparently if you're doing this, something that isn't particularly nice,
which is the wording that was used, is going to
come through. And you can even sort of point the
mirror in different directions, even actually shutting it reflecting out
(22:53):
the window, it's still going to invite unwanted spirits. But
you can cover the mirror to the cloth. I don't
know how that works, but you can cover the mirror
with a clock and that sort of keeps the demon
out of brother weak demon. You can't even get a
secondhand mirror because they have withheld energy and that's why
they drag up the evil spirits associated with the previous owner.
So basically, get rid of mirrors tests and you won't
(23:13):
get demons entering your bedroom is about mirrors.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I mean seven years bad luck. Portals to the underworld.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Will through the looking class. It's supposedly a reflection of
another world, but of course it's not the other world.
It's the world you're in, because there's just a reflection
that's not a doorway, but it is reversed, of course.
And the funny thing is most of us when we
look at a mirror, we think that's what we look like. Actually,
back to front, you look.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
At yourself like TV, you realize, hey, that's.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
What looks like. That must play why we always think
they look worse on tip here in Fatas, I don't
know what it's a bad mirror? You know you break
in mirror seven years bad luck? Is that because you're
breaking a portal through to another world? Is a mirror
just a window the same as this world just reversed?
Or are there awful things on the outside like this case,
there's demons and things that it's a strange thing that's
(24:00):
has associated with a mirror and other world storeways and
portals and that sort of stuffs quite fascinating. I'm sure
we have someone to a study on it, but I
don't think having a mirror facing your bed is actually
going to be the major issue in your life.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
That's Timidum from Australian Skeptics and that's the show for now.
(24:32):
Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through
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(24:52):
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(25:14):
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Speaker 2 (25:17):
You've been listening to space Time with Stuart Gary.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
This has been another quality podcast production from bytes dot
com
This is Spacetime Series twenty eight, episode one hundred and forty,
for broadcast on the twenty eight of November twenty twenty five.
Coming up on space Time, interstellar Comet three I outlass
monitored from Mars, how the geomagnetic superstorm Gannon squeezed the
Earth's plasmosphere into just a fifth of its normal size,
and more delays for the futuristic dream chase of space plane.
(00:23):
All that and more coming up on space Time.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Welcome to space Time with Stewart Gary.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
The European Space Agency has pinpointed the position and trajectory
of the interstellar Comet three I outlas, and they did
it from Mars. Since through our outlas, the third known
interstellar object travel through our Solar System was discovered back
on July, the first, astronomers worldwide have been working to
predict its exact trajectory. ESA has now improved the comet's
(01:07):
predicted location by a factor of ten thanks to the
innovative use of observational data from its exo mass trace
gas orbit of spacecraft, which is circling the Red planet
until September. Figuring out the location and trajectory of three
I outlasts relied purely on Earth based telescopes. The end
between October the first and the seventh isa's EXO mass
(01:28):
trace gas orbit, it turned its eyes towards the interstellar
comet from its orbit in Mars. See the comet passed
relatively close to Mars, approaching the red planet at a
distance of just twenty nine million kilometers. That was on
October the third, So the mass probe got about ten
times closer to three hour outlasts than telescopes on Earth could.
And also it was observing the comet from a completely
(01:49):
new viewing angle. The triangulation of its data, combined with
data from Earth, has now helped astronomers make the comet's
predicted path much more accurate. And yes, it's still acting
like a comet, not like some sort of alien spacecraft.
While astronomers initially anticipated a modest improvement in their observations,
the result was an impressive tenfold leap inaccuracy, reducing the
(02:11):
uncertainty of the comet's location. Because through our OUTLS is
passing through our Solar system extremely fast, traveling at speeds
of up to two hundred and fifty thousand kilometers an hour,
it'll soon vanish back into interstellar space, never to return.
The improved trajectory allows astronomers to aim their instruments with
more confidence, enabling more detailed science of this mysterious object.
(02:33):
But it was quite a challenge to use the Mars
orbiter's data to refine the interstellar comet's path through space.
You see, the spacecraft's instruments are designed to point towards
the nearby Martian surface, studying it in high resolution. This time,
the camera was aimed at the skies above Mars in
order to catch the tiny distant comets sweeping across the
starry backdrop. Astronomers and the punetary Defense team at IS's
(02:57):
nearest object, called Nation Center, who were used to a
determined that trajectories of asteroids and comets had to account
for the spacecraft's special location. Usually, trajectory observations are made
from fixed observatories on the Earth and occasionally from spacecraft
in near Earth orbit like Hubble or web So this
new resulting data represents the first time that asteometric measurements
(03:18):
from a spacecraft orbiting another planet have been officially submitted
and accepted into the Minor Planet centered database. The database
acts as a central clearing house for asteroid and cometary observations,
streamlining the data collected by different telescopes radar stations than spacecraft.
Even the three outlass poses no threat to the Earth,
it's still a valuable exercise for planetary defense. The routinely
(03:42):
monitors near Earth asteroids and comets, calculating orbits to provide
warnings as required, and as this rehearsal with three our
outlets shows, it can be very useful to triangulate data
from Earth observations from a second location in space, and
the observations don't end there. The comets currently being observed,
but iss Jupiter icy muons explore a juice space craft.
(04:03):
The juice is much further from three Atlas than the
Mars orbiter. It's seen the comet just after its closest
approach to the Sun, at a time when it's in
a far more active state, therefore releasing more volatiles into
its coma and tail. Those volatiles can then be studied
to work out more about what the comet's made from.
Needless to say, well keep you informed this space time
(04:29):
still to come. How the geomagnetic superstorm Gannon squeezed Earth's
plasmosphere and more delays for the futuristic dream Chaser space plane.
All that and more still to come on space time.
(04:56):
A new study shows how a major space weather event
back in May last year dramatically shrank Earth's protective plasma
layer and slowed its recovery. The findings are reported in
the General Earth, Planets and Space will help improve solar
storm forecasts and protect key space infrastructure. Adduming that superstorm
is an extreme space weather event, occurs when the Sun
(05:19):
releases massive amounts of energy in charged particles, which are
then flung towards the Earth. These sorts of storms are
fairly rare, occurring maybe once every twenty to twenty five years.
So back on May the tenth and eleventh last year,
the strongest superstorm in over twenty years, known as the
gan And Event or Mother's Day storm, slammed into planet Earth.
(05:39):
Astronomers captured direct measurements of this extreme event and have
now provided the first detailed observations of how a superstorm
compresses Earth's plasmosphere, a protective layer of charged particles encircling
the planet. The findings show how the plasmosphere and the
ionosphere react during these most violent of solar storms, and
it will help orcast disruptions to satellites, GPS, navigation systems,
(06:03):
and communications networks during extreme space weather events. Launched by
the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency Jackson back in twenty sixteen,
the ERAYSE satellite orbit through its plasmosphere, measuring plasma waves
and magnetic fields, and during the May twenty twenty fourth
superstell it was positioned perfectly to observe in the extreme
compression and slow recovery of the plasmosphere in unprecedented detail.
(06:28):
In fact, this was the first time scientists obtained continuous
direct measurements of the plasmosphere shrinking to such a low
altitude during a superstall. The studies lead author at Sukishin
Bori from the Nagoya University says, astronomers tract changes in
the plasmosphere using the array satellite and then use ground
based GPS receivers to monitor the IMO sphere, the source
(06:48):
of the charged particles that eventually refilled the plasmosphere. Monitoring
both layers showed how dramatically the plasmosphere contracted and why
recovery took so long. The plasmosphere worked with Earth's magnetic
field to help limit the effect of harmful charged particles
from the Sun in space, protecting satellites, and supporting Earth's
natural shielding system against intense radiation. It normally extends far
(07:12):
beyond the Earth, but during the May superstorm, the arter
boundary moved from approximately forty four thousand kilometers above Earth's
surface to just nine six hundred kilometers. The superstorm was
triggered by many massive eruptions from the Sun that flung
billions of tons of charged particles towards Earth within nine hours.
The storm squeezed the plasmosphere to just a fifth of
(07:34):
its normal size, and recovery was extremely slow, taking more
than four days to refill. That's the longest recovery scientists
have seen since they started monitoring the plasmosphere with the
Arraysed satellite back in twenty seventeen. The authors found the
storm first caused intense heating near the poles, but this
later led to a big drop in charged particles across
(07:55):
the ionosphere, which slowed the recovery. Now this prolonged disruption,
it can affect GPS accuracy, it can interfere with satellite operations,
and it complicate space where the forecasting. During the most
intense phase of the superstorm, extreme solar activity compressed Earth's
magnetic field, allowing charged particles to travel much further along
magnetic field lines towards the equator. The result produced some
(08:19):
impressive auroral activity at unusually low latitudes. Auroras typically occurred
near the polar regions. That's because Earth's magnetic field guide
solar particles into the atmosphere there, but the strength of
the May twenty twenty four storm shifted the auroral zone
from its usual position near the Arctic and Antarctic circles
down to far more mid latitude regions such as Japan, Mexico,
(08:41):
and southern Europe, places where aura are normally rarely seen.
It's a clear case of the stronger the geomagnetic storm,
the further towards the equator the auroras will appear. About
an hour after the storm struck, charged particles in Earth's
upper atmosphere had surged at high latitudes near the poles
began streaming towards the polar caps. When the storm began
(09:02):
to subside, the plasmosphere started to refill with particles from
the ionosphere, and normally this process only takes a day
or two, but in this case recovery stretched over four
days because of a phenomenon called a negative storm. Now,
during a negative storm, particle levels in their Hono Spheed
dropped sharply across wide areas. When intense heating changes the
(09:23):
atmospheres chemistry, this decreases oxygen ions that help produce hydrogen
particles needed to refill the plasmosphere. These storms are invisible
and detected only by satellites. The negative storm slowed recovery
by altering atmospheric chemistry and cutting off the supply of
particles to the plasmosphere. This link between negative storms and
(09:44):
delayed recovery had never been clearly observed before, so the
new findings are giving astronomers the clearer picture how the
plasmosphere changes and how energy moves through it. During the storm,
numerous satellites experienced electrical issues or stop transmitting all together.
This included GPS signals being disrupted, radio communications being affected,
(10:06):
and high radiation levels affecting astronauts. Knowing how long as
plasma laya takes to recover after such events is key
to forecasting space weather events and safeguarding space technology. That's
why there's a matter of spacecraft studying the Sun to
try and better understand geomagnetic storms and how they impact
the Earth. For example, NASSAS Parker Solar Probe is studying
(10:29):
our local star, monitoring everything from its atmosphere to its surface.
Other active spacecraft monitoring the Sun include, but are not
limited to, Solar Orbiter SOHO, ACE, IRIS, Wind in No Day,
the Solo Dynamics Observatory, and Stereo. This report from is
a TV.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
The Sun a four and a half billion year old
nuclear fusion reactor at the heart of our solar system.
This glowing ball of plasma, with a core temperature of
fifteen million in degrees celsius, is a yellow dwarf star.
In cosmic terms, it's nothing special, but for us on Earth,
the Sun is vital. It holds the planets in their
(11:11):
orbits and provides heat, light, and the energy for life.
ESA's first mission to the Sun, ULYSSES, was launched from
Space Shuttle Discovery in October nineteen ninety a joint mission
with NASA. It was the first spacecraft to fly over
the Sun's poles. Ulysses investigated the solar wind, the stream
(11:32):
of charged particles emitted by the Sun. It envelops the
Solar system in a bubble known as the heliosphere. The
mission discovered that the solar wind weakened over time, and
that the Sun's magnetic field reverses every eleven years.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Three two one.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Ignition and liftoff of SOHO and the atmosphicle on an
International Mission of Solar Physics.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
One of the longest and most successful scientific missions of
all time, SOHO was launched in nineteen ninety five and
it's still going strong. SOHO has given us a new
insight into the Sun's structure and interior, monitoring the output
of solar radiation and providing the first images of the
star's turbulent outer shell. SOHO has also transformed space weather forecasting,
(12:25):
helping us to monitor violent solar activity from flares and
coronal mass ejections. A major space weather event has the
potential to damage satellites, communications, and power grids on the ground.
Another mission that's helping us better understand the relationship between
the Sun and Earth is Cluster Flying in formation and
(12:48):
in orbit from MOOST twenty years. The four Cluster satellites
are giving us a three dimensional view of the Earth's
magnetic environment and its interaction with the solar wind. Now
it's a turn of Solar Orbiter with its advanced suite
of scientific instruments. It'll build on the work of these
past ISA missions.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Our scientists have designed this mission so that they improve
significantly their knowledge of the solar wind and what drives
the solar wind, and as well what creates and generates
the solar cycles.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The eventual aim of all these missions is to not
only better understand our nearest star, but also predict its behavior,
knowledge that will help protect all of us back here
on Earth.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
And in their report from eastv Weird from Solar Orbit
of project manager Caesar Gasia, this is space time still
the calm, more delays for the futuristic dream Chase of
space plane, and later in the science report, any study
is shown that dogs already came in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes, long before modern breeding pens being
(13:55):
established or that and more still the calm on space time,
there's news of more delays for Sierra Space's Dream Chaser
(14:17):
space plane, which now won't launch on its first orbital
flight before about a year from now. The reusable spacecraft
will eventually be used to carry supplies and equipment to
and from the International Space Station, but the vehicle is
years behind schedule. Its first flight had been scheduled for
twenty twenty one, but it's been postponed a multiple times
since then. In fact, the space plane's lifting body design
(14:40):
it's been under development for decades, going all the way
back into the sixties. The Sierra Nevada Corporation now Sierra Space,
purchased the design in twenty oh eight. NASA funding then
allowed the company to continue developing the spacecraft as part
of the agency's Commercial Crew Development program see dream Chaser
was originally designed to carry crew of up to seven
(15:00):
astronauts to and from the space station. The vehicle was
ultimately passed over in twenty fourteen when NASA selected SpaceX's
Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner for its manned space station missions.
Crew Dragon's been a huge success, Starliner not so much.
In fact, it's yet to start regular services, but eventually
(15:21):
Dreamchaser was selected as part of the NASA's second Commercial
Resupply Services contract to send equipment and supplies to the
International Space Station. Along with the existing service providers, the
SpaceX Cargo Dragon and Northrop Grumman signas. Right now, at
least seven Dreamchaser missions are scheduled for the space station,
and the United Nations is paying to use dream Chaser
(15:42):
for at least one mission. The first operational dream Chaser spacecraft,
named Tenacity, has now successfully completed a series of critical
pre flight tests at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida
in preparation for its first unmanned mission. The comprehensive testing
campaign involves finalization of the electrical system build, including electromagnetic
interference and compatibility test that NASA Space System's processing facility.
(16:05):
These verify the spacecraft's ability to operate with an expected
electromagnetic environments throughout various mission scenarios. Dreamchaser also completed vigorous
tow testing at the Kennedy Space Center and Space Florida's
launch and landing facility, using a truck to tow the
space plan at high speeds in order to simulate critical
dynamics and validate autonomous navigation parameters during runway landing operations.
(16:29):
Once operational, dream Chaser will launch on a conventional rocket,
but return to worth as a glider with the aid
of parasales Landing on a conventional runway. Dream Chasers also
successfully demonstrated its ability to receive telemetry and distribute commands
between the spacecraft and mission control and Colorado of the
NASA's tracking and data relay satellite system. That's a key
(16:50):
milestone test for the spacecraft's readiness for real time command
and control communications during flight operations. The current test and
campaign concluded with a post landing rec covery rehearsal which
demonstrated the safing of the spacecraft systems and quick access
to time sensitive payloads. Dreamchaser will now move on to
its final round of acoustic testing next month, together with
(17:11):
integrated hardware and software testing and the all important hot
fire test. Despite reports of problems with its propulsion systems,
Sierra Space says its tri mode thrusters have completed qualification
acceptance testing at the company's Badger Propulsion Test facility in Wisconsin.
Following this, modifications for national security applications will be applied,
(17:32):
allowing dream Chaser to demonstrate its ability to fulfill a
wide array of mission requirements, including those essential for national security.
Dream Chaser is now expected to undertake its first launch
to low Earth orbit by this time next year, with
a runway landing plan for the Vanderberg Space Force Base
in California as part of NASAs sira's to contract. But
(17:52):
there's still a problem. You see, there are only five
years of operations left for the International Space Station before
it's retired by NASA, so the long term future of
dream Chaser will involve funding other customers. There are other
privately operated space stations in the offing, and a deadly
Seera space We'll be looking to service them, but for now,
at least, construction of a second dream Chaser named Reverence
(18:16):
has been put on hold. The news of dream Chasers
delays came as rumors reported by Political warned that the
ongoing delays and development of SpaceX's Starship Mega Rocket could
mean the Artemis three mission, which will return humans to
the lunar surface, will now not fly until at least
September twenty twenty eight. That's more than a year later
than currently planned. You see, a version of Starship called
(18:39):
the HLS needs to be operational so it can be
used to transport crew to and from the Artemis three
Orion spacecraft, which will be in lunar orbit, down to
the Moon's surface and then back up again, but SpaceX
still needs to refine its inflight refueling capabilities for this mission.
It's currently slated for testing in due next year, and
early after that's perfected, can they attempt the first unmanned
(19:01):
lunar landing demonstration flight by the HLS that's currently slated
for June twenty twenty seven, which is close to the
time when the Artemis three mission was meant to launch.
But only when these HLS milestones have been successfully achieved
can the historic Artemis three mission proceed. And, of course,
sitting back watching all this is Beijing, China's proceeding with
(19:22):
its own man Moon mission that's now expected to see
the first tiger notts walking on the lunar South Pole
sometime before twenty thirty and a permanent joint lunar base
with the Russians established at the lunar South Pole within
five years of that. This is space time, and time
(19:55):
that to take another brief look at some of the
other stories making news in science this week with the
Science Report. Scientists from the University of Warwick and Monash
University have discovered a promising new antibiotic that shows activity
against drug resistant bacterial pathogens, including MRSA and Vre. A
report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society was
(20:15):
that antimicrobial resistance remains one of the world's most urgent
health challenges, with the Wealth Health Organization's new report showing
there are too few antibacterials in the pipeline, most of
the low hanging fruit has already been found, and the
limited commercial incentives that terror investment in antibiotic discovery. New
research suggests that the cir called Band of Whole's archeological
(20:38):
site in the Andes may have actually been an ancient marketplace.
The findings reported in the journal Antiquity followed detailed studies
by scientists from the University of Sydney. Officially known as
Mighty Serapi or Serpent Mountain. The features located in the
Pisco Valley of southern Peru and consists of over five
thousand precisely aligned holes, striking it puzzling site has been
(21:01):
baffling archaeologists in the wider public for decades. A new
study shows that dogs already came in a wide variety
of shapes and sizes long before modern breeding patterns were established.
A report in the journal Science use three dimensional analysis
to examine six hundred and forty three skulls spanning fifty
thousand years, finding that distinct dog like skull traits first
(21:24):
appeared around ten thousand years ago. They found that dogs
from this period had roughly the same range of head
shapes and sizes which are seen in modern dogs today,
but they had twice that of their more ancient ancestors.
The research contributes to a wider understanding of the domestication
of dogs as a complex, multifaceted biological and cultural process
(21:45):
in which thousands of years of human and canine history
were intertwined. Well, you can forget about monsters under your bed.
There's a medium out there who claims the real threat
are demons in your bedroom. Mirror. Timendum from a Strands
skeptic says it's wacky woman who claims to speak to
the dead, warns never have a mirror facing your bed
(22:06):
because the demons will get you.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
This is a psychic and a clearance person who clease
goes out it looks after you who's made the claim
that if you have a mirror in your bedroom facing
the bed, you're likely to allow demons to enter your room.
I think you have misunderstanding of what a mirror does
actually as the thing painted on the back that stops
the light going straight through I believe energy going straight through.
It's supposed to be a portal, right that the mirror
(22:30):
on your wall, on your dressing table, on a wardrobe,
and not just having to face the bed anywhere. And
I don't know why the bedroom necessarily could be the bathroom.
They have mirrors, A lot of homes have mirrors in
living rooms and that sort of stuff anyway, So I
mean apparently if you're doing this, something that isn't particularly nice,
which is the wording that was used, is going to
come through. And you can even sort of point the
mirror in different directions, even actually shutting it reflecting out
(22:53):
the window, it's still going to invite unwanted spirits. But
you can cover the mirror to the cloth. I don't
know how that works, but you can cover the mirror
with a clock and that sort of keeps the demon
out of brother weak demon. You can't even get a
secondhand mirror because they have withheld energy and that's why
they drag up the evil spirits associated with the previous owner.
So basically, get rid of mirrors tests and you won't
(23:13):
get demons entering your bedroom is about mirrors.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I mean seven years bad luck. Portals to the underworld.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Will through the looking class. It's supposedly a reflection of
another world, but of course it's not the other world.
It's the world you're in, because there's just a reflection
that's not a doorway, but it is reversed, of course.
And the funny thing is most of us when we
look at a mirror, we think that's what we look like. Actually,
back to front, you look.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
At yourself like TV, you realize, hey, that's.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
What looks like. That must play why we always think
they look worse on tip here in Fatas, I don't
know what it's a bad mirror? You know you break
in mirror seven years bad luck? Is that because you're
breaking a portal through to another world? Is a mirror
just a window the same as this world just reversed?
Or are there awful things on the outside like this case,
there's demons and things that it's a strange thing that's
(24:00):
has associated with a mirror and other world storeways and
portals and that sort of stuffs quite fascinating. I'm sure
we have someone to a study on it, but I
don't think having a mirror facing your bed is actually
going to be the major issue in your life.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
That's Timidum from Australian Skeptics and that's the show for now.
(24:32):
Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through
a bytes dot com SoundCloud, YouTube, your favorite podcast download provider,
and from space Time with Stuart Gary dot com. Space
Time's also broadcast through the National Science Foundation, on Science
Own Radio and on both iHeartRadio and tune In Radio.
(24:52):
And you can help to support our show by visiting
the space Time Store for a range of promotional merchandising goodies,
or by become I being a Spacetime Patron, which gives
you access to triple episode commercial free versions of the show,
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other rewards. Just go to space Time with Stewart Gary
(25:14):
dot com for full details.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
You've been listening to space Time with Stuart Gary.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
This has been another quality podcast production from bytes dot
com
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