Universe Today Podcast

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Episode 636: Open Space 64: Why Send Humans to Space when Robots are Better? And More.. Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

No guest this week, just a live QA with me. I counsel people on how to be patient when living on Elon Musk time, what is NASA interested in with the Moon, what's the purpose of human space exploration, and more.

01:23 Starship prototype failure
04:29 Elon Musk time
05:45 Any lunar surface mission objectives?
08:10 What's the purpose of human space exploration?
09:34 How long have I been running Universe Today?
11:45 Did Starship go higher than SLS will ever go?
13:48 Kirk or Picard?
14:44 Is there zero gravity in interstellar space?
17:25 New advanced telescope ideas coming?
19:38 Farewell Freeman Dyson
21:12 Titan, Enceladus or Europa?
22:38 Was WFIRST cancelled?
23:23 Steam powered rocket death
24:19 Is AI dangerous?
28:51 What would be certain evidence of life on another world?
31:35 How does NASA know how much fuel is on the Voyagers?
36:20 How do we know we're going to collide with Andromeda?
38:00 Favorite deep space objects
39:50 Could a Dyson Sphere around a black hole stop the heat death of the Universe?
41:22 What is the Great Attractor?
44:04 Would a laser weapon work in space?
46:59 Do we live in a simulation?
47:35 Is Betelgeuse getting brighter?
48:17 Where is Andromeda's supermassive black hole?
48:38 Influence of Big Canada Arm
50:00 Is the Universe Infinite or Finite?
52:37 What happened to MarsOne?
55:10 Is dark energy in doubt?
57:17 What if we learn that something wasn't true?

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
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What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
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Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 635: Japan is Going to Bring a Sample of Phobos Back to Earth. The Martian Moon eXploration Mission Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Mars has been the destination for so many of our spacecraft, and for good reason, it’s probably the most Earthlike place in the Solar System, with water ice on its surface and reservoirs of the liquid beneath the surface. If we’re going to find life, Mars might be the place.

But the tiny moons orbiting Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are scientifically fascinating on their own, and so far, a mission has never reached them.

Last week, Japan announced that they’ve greenlit their Martian Moon eXploration mission, or MMX, which will launch an orbiter, lander and maybe even a rover to Phobos in 2024, returning samples back to Earth by the end of the decade.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
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Support us at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
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Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
http://mmx.isas.jaxa.jp/en/
http://www.hayabusa2.jaxa.jp/en/
https://www.universetoday.com/145054/japan-is-sending-a-lander-to-phobos/
https://sci.esa.int/web/rosetta
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/hayabusa/in-depth/
http://mmx-news.isas.jaxa.jp/?p=1016&lang=en
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/mars-moons/phobos/in-depth/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/phobos-grunt/in-depth/
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA21837
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6965
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA04746
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?fea

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Episode 633: How Will Humans Return to the Moon in 2024? Lunar Lander Options for Artemis Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

After almost 50 years since the Apollo Moon landing missions ended, NASA announced that they’re going to return to the surface of the Moon with their Artemis mission, ideally taking the first lunar footsteps in 2024.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine asked for additional funding to achieve this goal, and the other branches of government haven’t been as enthusiastic about this plan. So don’t be surprised if the landing date slips to 2028 or even farther.

But NASA is moving forward on its architecture to return humans to the Moon, from its launch rocket to the entire method of getting astronauts down to the surface.

Exactly which rockets, modules and landing systems that will be used are still getting worked out, with different options still getting considered.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/index.html
http://fiso.spiritastro.net/telecon/Kokan_1-29-20/Kokan_1-29-20.pdf
https://spacenews.com/nasa-issues-call-for-proposals-for-human-lunar-landers/
https://www.blueorigin.com/blue-moon
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/spacecraft/rover/summary/
https://www.space.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-artemis-moon-lander-team.html

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Episode 634: Open Space 63: China's Plans for the Moon and More... Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

No guest this week, just a live QA with me. We talked about what China is up to on the Moon and what comes next. How well have we mapped the surface of the Moon. Why has NASA chosen to build the Artemis mission differently from the Apollo missions, and more...

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 631: Q&A 118: Are We In a New Space Race? And More... Featuring Dr Jessie Christiansen Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I talk about how we're in a new space race, and what this means for returning to the Moon. Of course, lots of follow up answers about the Fermi Paradox. Could Betelgeuse release gravitational waves if it explodes? And what is our responsibility if we are truly alone in the Universe?

Follow Dr Jessie Christiansen on Twitter
https://twitter.com/aussiastronomer

00:24 New space race
05:27 How can I say that aliens don't exist?
07:07 Lack of evidence isn't evidence of non-existance
11:00 How can we talk about life in the Universe?
14:50 Are humans inept?
16:25 Could Betelguese released gravitational waves?
19:04 arxiv.org papers aren't peer-reviewed
21:19 If we're alone in the Universe, we shouldn't fight each other
25:18 Is the expansion of the Universe stronger than the expansion force?
27:32 How big a telescope to reveal features on exoplanets?

Want to be part of the questions show? Ask a short question on any video on my channel. I gather a bunch up each week and answer them here.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Support us at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at https://www.universetoday.com/
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/universetoday
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday
Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 630: Betelgeuse Is Still Dimming! And We Have the Pictures to Prove It Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

Near the end of 2019, astronomers watching the red giant Betelgeuse noted how much the star had dimmed, continuing to steadily fade for months.

It’s a variable star, and it’s known to get dimmer and brighter, but the big surprise is that it’s still continuing to dim, recently passing magnitude 1.56 and still getting dimmer. This is unprecedented in the decades that astronomers have been watching the star.

The world’s biggest telescopes are on the case, and the European Southern Observatory released dramatic new images of Betelguese, resolving features on the star’s surface and surrounding area showing how it’s dramatically changed over the course of 2019.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msVuCEs8Ydo
https://twitter.com/betelbot/status/1228395402245890048
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2003/
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/vlt-instr/sphere/
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1640a/
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2003b/
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2003a/
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2003d/
https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/vlt-instr/visir/

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Episode 629: Should We Fly to Another Star Soon? Or Wait for Better Technology to Come Along? Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

It’s hard to really wrap your mind around the vast distances between stars. The fastest spacecraft ever launched into an interstellar trajectory right now is Voyager 1. If it was directed at the nearest star, it would take tens of thousands of years to make the journey across the interstellar gulf.

Even so, groups like Breakthrough Starshot and Icarus Interstellar are working on plans right now to try and send spacecraft to other stars, ideally within our lifetimes.

But we can see how quickly technology is advancing all around us, from materials science to high energy physics, not to mention reusable rockets.

It seems reasonable to ask, should we invest in an interstellar mission now, or wait a few decades or even centuries for better technology to come along which could make the trip much shorter?

Watch Chris Hadfield's video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6woV3encOA

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/initiative/3
http://www.icarusinterstellar.org/
http://lifeunbounded.blogspot.com/2010/07/summer-reading.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260275150_Interstellar_Travel_-_The_Wait_Calculation_and_the_Incentive_Trap_of_Progress

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Episode 632: Open Space 62: Will We Need a Prime Directive in the Future? And More... Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

In this week's live Q&A, and talk about whether or now we're going to need a Prime Directive in the future like Star Trek, and why aliens might have one already, could life exist on a red dwarf, and if balloons could be used to launch rockets.

04:25 Did Solar Probe break orbit?
05:45 Why do we pronounce Dutch words in our English way?
08:09 Will NASA need more money to get to the Moon?
10:54 What will it take to get into the space industry?
14:21 Do we do book reviews on Universe Today?
15:12 What was the coolest thing we saw at the AAS?
16:46 Will we need the Prime Directive in the future?
20:00 Is there a limit to a rocky planet?
20:45 Will there be information panspermia?
22:25 Is there an ultraviolet habitable zone?
23:37 Can we solve global warming without fusion?
25:33 Could life exist on a red dwarf planet?
27:08 Plans for a space elevator on the Moon?
28:43 Was there a second genesis on Mars?
31:19 How do you respond when someone says that abiogenesis isn't possible?
32:10 Will the Russians fly on Crew Dragon?
33:42 When will Bigelow Aerospace actually fly a module?
35:23 Why can't Europe sent people to space?
36:46 How is Solar Orbiter different?
38:31 Is the Skylon still a thing?
41:21 Could we use ballons for rocket launches
43:32 What about aliens that don't want to fly to space?
45:54 How do you escape your sky city on Venus?
46:34 Will hypersonic spaceplanes replace airlines?
48:18 Can nuclear bombs provide propulsion?
49:06 Can there be emission free launches?
51:02 What future telescopes are coming?
52:19 Simulation or multiverse?
54:33 Coronavirus fears?
57:45 Understanding infinite Universes

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

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Episode 627: We've Never Seen the Sun's Poles. That's About to Change With Solar Orbiter Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

On February 9, 2020, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Florida on top of an Atlas V 411 spacecraft. The spacecraft’s mission is to fly inside the orbit of Mercury, on a tilted orbit that takes it above and below the Sun, capturing images of the Sun’s poles for the first time.

This is just a year and a half after the launch of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which will fly even closer. Together, the two spacecraft will measure the Sun from every angle up close, providing detailed images and insights of our closest star, to help understand how it creates and controls the giant bubble of plasma that surrounds the entire Solar System.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

References:
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/liftoff-for-solar-orbiter-esa-s-mission-to-face-the-sun-up-close
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter
http://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2019/10/Solar_Orbiter_s_journey_around_the_Sun
http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Ulysses_overview
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/ulysses/in-depth/
https://www.nasa.gov/content/solar-orbiter-overview
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/51169-what-drives-the-solar-wind-and-where-does-the-coronal-magnetic-field-originate-from
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/51170-how-do-solar-transients-drive-heliospheric-variability
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/51171-how-do-solar-eruptions-produce-energetic-particle-radiation-that-fills-the-heliosphere
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/51172-how-does-the-solar-dynamo-work-and-drive-connections-between-the-sun-and-the-heliosphere
https://sci.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/-/51217-instruments
http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/The-Mission/index.php
https://www.eso.org/public/outreach/eduoff/vt-2004/mt-2003/mt-mercury-orbit.html
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Paint_it_black_Stone_Age_sunscreen_for_Solar_Orbiter
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Solar_Orbiter_s_shield_takes_Sun_s_heat

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Episode 628: Q&A 117: Why Am I So Negative About Aliens? And More... Featuring Dr. Jason Wright Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

In this week's questions show, I explain why I've got such a skeptical view about the search for aliens if there might be multiple great filters, and why NASA doesn't just go back and use Apollo hardware to return to the Moon?

Follow Dr. Wright on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/astro_wright

00:40 Are there multiple Great Filters?
02:35 Could we refuel ships in space to land on Mars
06:01 Could we put a light on the Moon to prove what we landed there?
08:18 Will James Webb Launch?
09:52 What will it take to confirm signs of life?
12:30 How long until cosmic rays die down?
16:03 Why don't we just use Apollo hardware to go back to the Moon?
19:46 Why am I so negative?
22:29 Good sources of journals?
25:43 When will you believe that it's actually aliens?

Want to be part of the questions show? Ask a short question on any video on my channel. I gather a bunch up each week and answer them here.

Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / frasercain@gmail.com
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - weber.chad@gmail.com

Support Universe Today Podcast

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