Universe Today Podcast

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[Bonus] Covering the Cosmos with Wiser Tomorrow Podcast Feb 13, 2023

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This is an interview with me that we did with the Wiser Tomorrow Podcast. We talked about covering space news at Universe Today, how I run the company and what's my perception of some stories I cover. Enjoy!

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👉 Wiser Tomorrow Podcast:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011629

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[Space Bites] AI's Costly JWST Mistake, 33-Engine Super Heavy Test, Problems in Orbit Feb 10, 2023

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SpaceX tests all 33 engines on super heavy, the worst-case scenario for space debris actually happened, a kilonova is coming, and a new map of all the matter and dark matter in the Universe.

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00:00 Intro
00:15 SpaceX Conducts 33-engine test of Super Heavy
- https://www.universetoday.com/160008/spacex-sets-new-record-with-successful-test-firing-of-31-raptor-engines/
01:28 Bad things happened in orbit
- https://www.universetoday.com/159997/a-russian-satellite-has-broken-into-pieces-littering-debris-in-space/
03:59 Ion beam sheparding
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576523000553
07:24 Google's AI costly mistake about James Webb
- https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/
09:35 A kilonova is coming
- https://www.universetoday.com/159910/this-binary-system-is-destined-to-become-a-kilonova/
12:20 Email newsletter
13:20 A massive black hole in a very young Universe
- https://www.universetoday.com/159914/hungry-black-hole-was-already-feasting-800-million-years-after-the-big-bang/
15:42 A new map of the Universe
- https://www.universetoday.com/159982/astronomers-make-a-new-map-of-all-the-matter-and-dark-matter-in-the-universe/
18:05 More destruction tests from Sierra Space
- https://www.universetoday.com/159968/sierra-space-tests-another-inflatable-space-station-module-to-destruction/
20:16 Outro

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#TODO_LINK

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[Interview] Exploring Space Lava Tubes: How To Prepare For It Feb 08, 2023

Show notes

Lava tubes can be a solution to a lot of our space problems. They can provide habitat space on Moon, Mars and even beyond. But how do we prepare to explore them? That's what we're discussing with Professor Francesco Sauro.

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👉 Prof. Francesco Sauro: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/francesco.sauro2/en
👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/cescosauro
👉 La Venta Association: https://laventa.it/

00:00 Intro
01:16 Getting into caves
02:32 Why lava tubes are interesting
04:00 Challenges associated with caves
08:10 How to train astronauts for lava tubes
15:15 What can we find in lava tubes on Moon and Mars
20:32 Lava tubes as habitats
27:57 Ice caves on Europa, Enceladus and Mars
32:15 Outro

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[Q&A] Stuck in a Space Station, Black Holes' Habitable Zones, Human-Rated Starship Feb 08, 2023

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Is there a habitable zone around a black hole? Can you get stuck in the middle of a big space station? How will Starship get human-rated? Why is the Fermi Paradox even a paradox? All this in this week's Q&A!

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00:00 Start
01:03 [Tatooine] Can you get stuck in a space station?
06:07 [Coruscant] How is Fermi Paradox even a paradox?
09:33 [Hoth] Is there a habitable zone around a black hole?
14:46 [Naboo] What are the highest velocities stars have been recorded travelling?
16:55 [Kamino] Will galaxies fall apart?
20:34 [Bespin] Why is there a Crisis in Cosmology?
23:06 [Mustafar] Is Starship good for humans?
26:41 [Alderaan] What will investment in space look like in the future?
30:07 [Dagobah] How to observe dark matter?
32:56 [Yavin] What's the origin of our Solar System?
36:44 [Mandalore] How long till the sports on other planets?
38:52 [Geonosis] Is there oil on Mars?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Space Bites] Rolls-Royce Space Reactor, Close Call in Orbit, James Webb's Back Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

Webb is fully operational again, Rolls-Royce is building a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and the space debris worst-case scenario almost happened.

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00:00 Intro
00:14 James Webb is fully operational again
- https://www.universetoday.com/159897/good-news-webb-is-fully-operational-again/
01:46 Rolls-Royce Nuclear Reactor for Space
- https://www.universetoday.com/159859/rolls-royce-reveals-a-nuclear-reactor-that-could-provide-power-on-the-moon/
03:46 Very Nasty Space Collision Almost Happened
- https://twitter.com/LeoLabs_Space/status/1619057013992071168
07:09 Drag Sail Success
- https://www.universetoday.com/159903/drag-sail-success-this-satellite-wont-turn-into-space-junk/
08:47 Destroying Rubble Pile Asteroids
- https://www.universetoday.com/159766/dont-bother-trying-to-destroy-rubble-pile-asteroids/
11:10 Q&A with Fraser
12:11 Extremely Heavy Early Stars
- https://www.universetoday.com/159800/the-first-stars-may-have-weighed-more-than-100000-suns/
14:46 12-Year Exoplanets Timelapse
- https://www.universetoday.com/159875/watch-this-12-year-timelapse-of-exoplanets-orbiting-their-star/
18:33 Measuring the Mass Of A Dead Star With Microlensing
- https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/light-bending-around-star
21:48 Outro

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[Interview] How A Realistic Mars Mission Will Play Out Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

How will a human Mars mission play out? Where exactly should it go? What unexpected challenges will we face? We're discussing all these aspects with Rick Davis. He is the Assistant Director for Science and Exploration, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

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🐦 Rick Davis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/redplanetrick

👉 NASA Blog Article on choosing the landing site on Mars:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/redplanetdispatch/2022/12/13/criteria-for-landing-site-selection/

00:00:00 Intro
00:01:29 Training for Mars on Earth
00:07:11 Choosing a landing site
00:20:37 Unexpected challenges of Mars
00:52:38 Planetary protection
00:56:51 Exploring lava tubes
00:59:49 What's next?
01:09:24 Outro

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/tujL0xrQ2Os

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[Q&A] Protecting from Solar Flares, Tiny Rockets, Oldest Possible Ice Jan 31, 2023

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Can you maintain a stable orbit with just a solar sail? Will a Dyson sphere or swarm kill all life inside of it? Can you protect yourself from a solar flare? What's the oldest ice in the Universe? All this and more in this week's Q&A!

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00:00 Start
00:48 [Tatooine] Can you maintain orbit with just a solar sail?
06:44 [Coruscant] Does a Dyson sphere kill all life inside of it?
11:04 [Hoth] Can a Faraday cage protect from a solar flare?
13:52 [Naboo] Can there be a stable irregular-shaped planet?
17:45 [Kamino] How small can a rocket be?
19:35 [Bespin] Can we detect artificial light on Proxima b?
22:54 [Mustafar] How old was the Universe when first ice was able to form?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/YfiyXH6vqDQ

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[Space Bites] Nuclear Rocket In 2027, New JWST Problems, Starship WDR Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

Starship completes its wet-dress rehearsal, another problem for Webb, a nuclear rocket test is coming, and more cool NIAC grants.

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👉 First NIAC Interview:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/growing-mars-77829316

00:00 Intro
00:14 Starship Wet Dress Rehersal
03:18 JWST's NIRISS problems
- https://www.universetoday.com/159790/webb-niriss-instrument-has-gone-offline/
04:57 Webb's first occultation
07:46 Extremely Close Asteroid Flyby
- https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-system-predicts-small-asteroid-to-pass-close-by-earth-this-week
09:37 DARPA Nuclear Rocket Test by 2027
- https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-darpa-will-test-nuclear-engine-for-future-mars-missions
12:05 How to Miniaturize Nuclear Batteries
- https://www.universetoday.com/159692/exploring-the-outer-solar-system-takes-power-heres-a-way-to-miniaturize-nuclear-batteries-for-deep-space/
14:26 Tiny tiny tractor beam
- https://www.universetoday.com/159695/scientists-build-a-teeny-tiny-tractor-beam/
15:56 Support us on Patreon
16:44 Growing Structures on Mars
- https://www.universetoday.com/159635/instead-of-building-structures-on-mars-we-could-grow-them-with-the-help-of-bacteria/
18:30 Light Pollution Is Getting Worse
- https://www.universetoday.com/159704/light-pollution-is-obscuring-the-night-sky-rip-stargazing/
21:27 Outro

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/QUmep9cZwkw

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[Q&A] Children In Space, Dark Forest, Mars Lava Tubes Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

What if two black holes with opposing spin merge? Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange point? How habitable are Mars's lava tubes? Can Starships compensate for satellite light pollution? All this and more in this week's episode Q&A with Fraser Cain.

🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
01:09 [Tatooine] What if two black holes with opposing spin merge?
06:16 [Coruscant] When will the first person be born in space?
10:24 [Hoth] Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange point?
15:39 [Naboo] Can a captured planet lurk in the Oort cloud?
18:51 [Kamino] What about the dark forest hypothesis?
23:06 [Bespin] How habitable are Mars lava tubes?
27:15 [Mustafar] Can we use radars to identify asteroids?
29:36 [Alderaan] Can Starships compensate for satellite light pollution?
34:28 [Dagobah] Why does NASA never show us the spacecraft travelling in space?
38:18 [Yavin] Where would I time travel?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/cSDQa4GCIic

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[Space Bites] Titan's Dragonfly Test, New Nuclear Rocket, Shadow Universe Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

The Titan Dragonfly is coming together, NASA is considering a new kind of nuclear rocket, getting more warning for solar flares, and pinpointing carbon emissions from space.

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