Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

[Space Bites] Odysseus Moon Landing Verdict // JWST Breakthrough // SLIM Surprise Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

We’ve learned what happened to the Odysseus Lander. SLIM survived the lunar night. Experience a fiery trip from orbit to the Utah desert. James Webb completes one of its major science goals.

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00:00 Intro
00:15 What really happened with Odysseus
- https://www.universetoday.com/165896/odysseus-moon-lander-pictures/
03:19 SLIM woke up!
- https://www.universetoday.com/165890/surprise-japan-slim-moon-lander-wakes-up/
04:56 JWST big discovery
- https://www.universetoday.com/165936/dwarf-galaxies-banished-the-darkness-and-lit-up-the-early-universe/
08:57 Vote results
- https://youtu.be/i9DTgdR2vtc
09:43 Three new moons
- https://www.universetoday.com/165910/new-moons-found-at-uranus-and-neptune/
10:52 New space telescope
- https://www.universetoday.com/165825/a-new-space-telescope-will-map-the-universe-and-help-protect-the-earth-from-asteroids/
12:40 Support what we do
13:16 NASA test Starship docking system
- https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-spacex-test-starship-lunar-lander-docking-system/
14:20 Last pics of Ingenuity
- https://www.universetoday.com/165931/ingenuity-wont-fly-again-because-its-missing-a-rotor-blade/
15:33 Varda's descent from space
- https://www.universetoday.com/165935/watch-the-varda-capsules-entire-fiery-atmospheric-re-entry/
16:32 Success of failure

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Interview] How Should We Handle Space Weapons Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

How serious is the threat from space weapons? How should we handle the situation with international treaties? Is there a way to ensure the enforcement of them and what are the risks if somebody breaks them? Figuring out the answers with Dr Matthew Powell from the University of Portsmouth.

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00:00 Intro
01:49 How serious is the threat from Russia
08:37 Weapons in space
13:13 Consequences
18:12 Space-based anti-satellite weapons
25:58 The next version of outer space treaty
48:00 Current obsessions
52:55 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/XQikGtRUEdc

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[Q&A] Refuelling the Sun, Rogue Planets Auroras, Space Nukes Feb 26, 2024

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Where do auroras come from on rogue planets? Can we refuel the Sun to make it last longer? What's going on with space nuke tests? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

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00:00 Start
00:25 [Andoria] Where do auroras come from on rogue planets
05:54 [Vulcan] How can we get water on the Moon?
09:37 [Risa] What about space nukes?
13:35 [Aeturen] What happens with space laser communication?
17:05 [Vendikar] Are we alone in the Universe?
17:11 [Remus] Why is it so difficult to get to the Sun?
20:26 [Janus] How will Starship change space probes?
25:46 [Cait] Could we refuel the Sun?
29:05 [Betazed] How the Webb and Hubble pics are made?
36:25 [Cheleb] Could we detect life at the nearest star?
40:41 [Nimbus] Is the dark forest solution for the Fermi paradox any good?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/BvcymmjVwbg

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[Space Bites] USA’s Crazy Moon Landing // Problems for Perseverance // New Glenn Goes Vertical Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Odysseus lands successfully on the Moon, China is planning to build bricks on the lunar surface, James Webb finds the neutron star at the heart of supernova 1987 A, and Blue Origins finally rolls out New Glenn.

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00:00 Intro
00:17 USA's first Moon landing in 21st century
- https://www.universetoday.com/165834/intuitive-machines-odysseus-lander-moon/
05:01 Lunar bricks from China
- https://www.universetoday.com/165771/chinas-change-8-mission-will-try-to-make-bricks-on-the-moon/
06:39 Perseverance has a problem
- https://www.universetoday.com/165742/nasa-is-trying-to-fix-a-problem-with-one-of-perseverances-instruments/
08:32 JWST finds a neutron star
- https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-112
10:40 Kuiper Belt might be bigger than we thought
- https://www.nasa.gov/missions/new-horizons/nasas-new-horizons-detects-dusty-hints-of-extended-kuiper-belt/
13:07 Vote results
13:48 Space-grown drugs return to Earth
15:34 OSIRIS-REx sample mass
- https://www.universetoday.com/165748/osiris-rexs-final-haul-121-6-grams-from-asteroid-bennu/
17:16 Interviews
17:54 New Glenn goes vertical
- https://www.universetoday.com/165850/finally-blue-origins-new-glenn-goes-vertical-on-the-launch-pad/
19:07 Euclid begins its mission
- https://www.universetoday.com/165755/euclid-begins-its-6-year-survey-of-the-dark-universe/
20:40 Moon landings

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/i9DTgdR2vtc

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[Q&A] JWST vs Apollo Landing Sites, TRAPPIST-1 Atmospheres, Chinese Space Program Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

Why doesn't JWST look at Apollo landing sites? What happened to TRAPPIST-1 atmospheres? What's the biggest thing we can measure our velocity relative to? Will the Universe ever start bouncing back? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

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00:00 Start
00:27 [Andoria] What's the biggest thing we can measure our velocity relative to?
02:40 [Vulcan] Why doesn't JWST look at Apollo landing sites?
05:12 [Risa] How can we make Moon regolith safer?
09:13 [Aeturen] What do I think about smart telescopes?
13:25 [Vendikar] When is the Universe expected to bounce back like an elastic band ?
15:56 [Remus] Thoughts on the samples from OSIRIS-REx?
19:29 [Janus] What is dark matter?
20:10 [Cait] Can they still fly Ingenuity?
21:45 [Betazed] What happened to atmosphere of the TRAPPIST-1 planets?
23:43 [Cheleb] What comes next after satellites in space economy?
27:01 [Nimbus] Can we create an atmosphere on the Moon?
29:00 [Belos] Thoughts on the achievements of the Chinese space program?
33:02 [Lyar] Is dark matter just dust and gas we can't see?
36:04 [Zalcon] Will the public be informed if JWST suffers more damage?
39:07 [Arret] Is a nuclear ion engine a thing?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/zVOkhTi88kM

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[Interview] Discovery of The Decade for Dwarf Planets? Eris and Makemake Geothermal Activity Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

Huge Kuiper Belt discovery! With James Webb astronomers were able to see that Eric and Makemake show signs of geothermal activity. How exactly did that happen? Figuring out with Dr Christopher Glein, Lead Scientist at Southwest Research Institute.

👉 Dr Christopher Glein
https://www.christopherglein.com/

📜 Measurement of D/H and 13C/12C Ratios in Methane Ice on Eris and Makemake: Evidence for Internal Activity
https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05085

📜 Moderate D/H Ratios in Methane Ice on Eris and Makemake as Evidence of Hydrothermal or Metamorphic Processes in Their Interiors: Geochemical Analysis
https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05549

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00:00 Intro
01:10 JWST's images of Eris and Makemake
05:46 Unique flavours of methane
12:21 Findings
21:16 Implications for other worlds
24:45 What's next
26:21 Current obsessions
32:51 Final thoughts and more interviews

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/eIO69E3Rqoo

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[Interview] Swarms of Cheap Spacecraft for Solar System Exploration Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Solar sails aren't just a tool to send tiny spacecraft to Alpha Centauri. They can also be used to optimise exploration of the Solar System. How can we do that? Figuring it out with Alexander Alvara.

📜 BLISS: Interplanetary Exploration with Swarms of Low-Cost Spacecraft
https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11226

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00:00 Intro
01:08 Thousands of tiny solar sails
03:58 Deployment plan
10:28 Timeframe
11:58 Communication with Earth
15:15 How far can you go
17:58 Long-term potential of solar sails
26:37 Current obsessions
29:10 Final thoughts and more interviews

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/5p6Ur7V4ZVM

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[Space Bites] Unexpected Mimas Discovery // Moon Mission Launch // New EHT Image Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

More oceans across the Solar System. The Event Horizon Telescope zooms into an active galactic nucleus. Another lunar lander sets off to the Moon.

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00:00 Intro
00:13 Mimas has an ocean
- https://www.universetoday.com/165722/saturns-death-star-moon-mimas-probably-has-an-ocean-too/
02:37 Eris and Makemake geothermal activity
- https://www.swri.org/press-release/swri-scientists-find-evidence-of-geothermal-activity-within-icy-dwarf-planets
04:02 Water on asteroids
- https://www.universetoday.com/165696/water-found-on-the-surface-of-an-asteroid/
05:45 Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander launch
- https://www.universetoday.com/165738/intuitive-machines-odysseus-moon-lander/
07:29 Testing spacesuits
- https://www.universetoday.com/165698/next-generation-spacesuit-gets-tested-in-weightlessness/
09:28 Vote results
- https://youtu.be/q0XKwvuK8pk
10:11 Confirmation of JUMBOs
- https://public.nrao.edu/news/astronomers-discover-jupiter-sized-objects/
12:16 Lasers for the Deep Space Network
- https://www.universetoday.com/165700/one-of-nasas-radio-dishes-can-now-track-space-lasers-too/
14:02 Weekly email newsletter
- https://universetoday.com/newsletter
14:34 A new image from EHT
- https://www.universetoday.com/165669/the-event-horizon-telescope-zooms-in-on-a-black-holes-jet/
17:09 What happened after DART
- https://www.universetoday.com/165690/what-happened-to-all-those-boulders-blasted-into-space-by-dart/
18:39 More moons thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Interview] What's Wrong With Modern Science And How To Fix It Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

What are the main problems of modern-day science? Why there's a growing trust gap between the scientists and the public? How can we fix those problems and restore the trust? Figuring out with Dr. Paul M. Sutter.

📖 Rescuing Science: Restoring Trust in an Age of Doubt
https://www.pmsutter.com/store/yourplace-zrd55

👉 Paul M. Sutter's website: https://www.pmsutter.com/
👉 Paul M. Sutter's YouTube: @PaulMSutter
👉 Ask A Spaceman podcast: https://www.pmsutter.com/shows/askaspaceman

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📚 Suggest books in the book club:
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00:00:00 Intro
00:00:57 What's wrong with modern science
00:04:14 Fraud in publications
00:11:40 Funding
00:16:01 Careers
00:23:38 Politics
00:39:19 Know-it-alls
00:42:15 Science communication
00:50:42 Diversity
00:54:20 How to fix that
01:02:14 Final thoughts and more interviews

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/517Msi3wDJ4

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[Q&A] Trusting Asteroid Strike Probabilities, Propulsion Breakthrough, Methane on Mars Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

How sure can astronomers be when estimating asteroid strikes? Why is Jupiter so radioactive? What happened to the methane on Mars story? Are black holes 2D or 3D? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
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📚 Suggest books in the book club:
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00:00 Start
00:24 [Andoria] Can you prove that there's no life in the Universe?
04:14 [Vulcan] How certain ca we be about asteroid strikes?
08:52 [Risa] Why is Jupiter so radioactive?
10:36 [Aeturen] Is there gravitational lensing for planets from their own stars?
13:45 [Vendikar] Wouldn't it be cheaper to send multiple satellites to deep space at a single time versus one at a time?
18:10 [Remus] What's my opinion on the shape of the Universe?
22:01 [Janus] What happened to methane on Mars?
24:27 [Cait] Will a major propulsion breakthrough happen soon?
28:26 [Betazed] Does Jupiter protect us from asteroids?
30:08 [Cheleb] Are black holes 2D or 3D?
32:28 [Nimbus] What's the most important resource on the Moon apart from water?
34:37 [Belos] How do gravitational wave detectors know where the signal came from?
37:50 [Lyar] Do Sun-like stars with tidally locked planets make sense?