S02E09 - NASA's Influence on Our Daily Life and UAE's Ambitious Mission to Asteroid Belt

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,960 Welcome to Astronomy Daily for the 29th of May 2023. We've got some interesting things for you this afternoon 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:12,840 or this evening or this morning where you might be catching us. We're going to be talking about 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:21,080 NASA's interesting influences on our daily life, some interesting inventions and developments that they've dumped on us over the years 4 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:27,760 as well as something that China has been developing and has been flying over our heads for the last nine months. 5 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,760 Interesting and strange. 6 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:41,200 Yes indeed, I'm Ziohoes Steve Dunkley for this afternoon. Would you welcome 7 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:47,000 Halle our digital reporter? Hi Halle. Hi Steve. Did you find some interesting stories for us today? 8 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,480 Yes, let's get into it. 9 00:00:54,040 --> 00:01:03,680 An asteroid that may host life's building blocks will get a visit from a United Arab Emirates spacecraft about a decade from now, if all goes according to plan. 10 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:12,480 In October 2021, the UAE announced that it plans to launch an ambitious mission to the asteroid belt in 2028. 11 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:21,000 That mission will visit seven different space rocks and even land on one of them, an asteroid called 269 Justisha. 12 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:33,400 Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al-Makhtum bin Rashid Al-Makhtum, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the ruler of Dubai, said in a statement that we will never cease to look ahead. 13 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,440 We will never cease our efforts to develop a brighter future for our young generations. 14 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:47,080 The EMA spacecraft will be named after the Sheik. It will be called the MBR Explorer and will visit its first asteroid in 2030 15 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:52,920 and will follow an orbital path allowing it to pick up speed from several planets along the way. 16 00:01:52,920 --> 00:02:00,040 It's common for spacecraft to get such a gravity assists from worlds like Venus or Mars to save on fuel 17 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,720 and to do side observations to test their instruments. 18 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:12,840 After passing by six asteroids, the mission aims to touch down upon Justisha in 2034 with a small lander that it deploy. 19 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:24,200 Justisha may have organic molecules on its surface, organics are the building blocks of the complex molecules that could form life in the right circumstances. 20 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:32,360 The Airbus-built Arab-Sat-Bad-8 telecommunications satellite has been successfully launched from Cape Canaveral of Florida. 21 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:45,080 Based on Airbus latest geostationary Eurostar Neo-Satellite, Bad-8 will provide connectivity for users across Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. 22 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:56,280 The spacecraft is also equipped with a world first, Airbus Innovative Space Demonstrator Tiliot to provide space to ground optical communications at Gigabit speeds. 23 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:03,240 The Tiliot Demonstrator payload is designed to facilitate very high-capacity optical feeder link communications, 24 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:11,080 playing a crucial role in Airbus development of a new generation of optical communications technology in space. 25 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:16,760 Featuring increased payload capacity and more efficient power and thermal control systems, 26 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:22,040 Bad-8 will replace and increase Arab-Sat's capacity. 27 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:27,800 I was wondering when we were going to see some new lunar vehicles. Here we go, Steve. 28 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:34,040 NASA is seeking industry proposals for a next-generation LTV lunar terrain vehicle. 29 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:44,680 That will allow astronauts to go farther and conduct more science than ever before as they explore the South Polar Region of the Moon, during Artemis missions. 30 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:52,520 Artemis astronauts will drive to explore and sample more of the lunar surface using the LTV than they could on foot. 31 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:58,520 NASA will contract LTV as a service from industry rather than owning the rover. 32 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:06,840 Contracting services from industry partners allows NASA to leverage commercial innovation and provide the best value to US taxpayers, 33 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:12,040 while achieving its human spaceflight scientific and exploration goals. 34 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:19,240 We want to leverage industry's knowledge and innovation, combined with NASA's history of successfully operating rovers, 35 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:24,760 to make the best possible surface rover for our astronaut crews and scientific researchers, 36 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:35,240 said Laura Kerney, manager of NASA's Extr-Vhicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at the agency's Johnson Space Center, in Houston. 37 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:42,280 The LTV will function like a cross between an Apollo-style lunar rover and a Mars-style uncrude rover. 38 00:04:42,280 --> 00:04:49,080 It will support phases driven by astronauts and phases as an uncrude mobile science exploration platform, 39 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,960 similar to NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance Mars Rovers. 40 00:04:53,960 --> 00:05:00,440 This will enable continued performance of science even when crews are not present on the lunar surface. 41 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:06,680 Artemis astronauts will use the LTV to traverse the lunar surface and transport scientific equipment, 42 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,280 extending the distances they can cover on each moonwalk. 43 00:05:10,280 --> 00:05:13,720 And that's the short takes for today. 44 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:23,240 Have you got something interesting and weird to share Steve? 45 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:29,000 Yes, I did find a couple of interesting stories and this one involves the kinds of things that NASA 46 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,040 have developed over the years and brought into our lives. 47 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,280 I don't know why they're releasing this information. 48 00:05:34,280 --> 00:05:40,200 At the moment, I think they're trying to play catch-up with all of the millionaires out there making such wonderful headlines. 49 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:41,320 Let's have a look at what they're saying. 50 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:47,880 Now, although basic water filters had been in existence since the 1950s, 51 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:53,880 it wasn't until NASA pumped resources into the research for the Apollo program. 52 00:05:53,880 --> 00:06:02,760 In 1963, modern filtration systems began to emerge and NASA led research into this area as large quantities of water, 53 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,160 they say, would need to be kept uncontaminated for long periods of time. 54 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:08,280 I wonder what they were planning. 55 00:06:08,280 --> 00:06:12,680 And they needed to keep them clean in extreme conditions. 56 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:19,160 NASA developed a system that worked by utilizing charcoal's ability to absorb 57 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:24,280 pollutants and particulate matter present within the water when specially treated. 58 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:32,520 And while technically, NASA didn't invent the integrated circuit, which is credited to electrical engineer Jack Kirby in 1958, 59 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,800 NASA did give us smaller and more advanced versions of it. 60 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,280 It's often said that NASA kickstarted the microchip-dare revolution by 61 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:44,680 buying more than 60% of America's integrated circuits throughout the 60s, 62 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:50,760 essentially causing the industry to go into a state of mass production while few other markets existed. 63 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:57,480 Now, these chips were destined for use as part of the navigation guidance computer systems aboard the Apollo 64 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,560 and the command and lunar modules. 65 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:05,240 Now, let's talk about one of our favorite subjects, Crash Helmets. 66 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:12,440 NASA's development of Temporphone, foam, a shock absorbing material designed for use in various 67 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:18,760 aircraft cushions, was also used in helmets and seats of Apollo spacecraft and helped to mitigate 68 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:26,440 the extreme forces the astronauts were subjected to. Temporphone was released to the public sphere in the early 1980s, 69 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:33,560 soon being picked up and utilized in medical equipment such as Temporphone mattresses and sports equipment, 70 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:39,320 such as football helmets and, of course, motorcycle helmets. 71 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:47,320 Now, one notable breakthrough was NASA's collaboration with a tool company, Black Endecker, 72 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:53,560 now who would have guessed it? Into a cordless zero impact wrench, a tool that could spin bolts 73 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:59,000 in zero gravity, presumably without spinning the astronaut in the other direction. 74 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:06,200 The research program developed a cordless tool or a variety of tools for a variety of purposes, 75 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:13,080 including a cordless rotary hammer drill that could be used for extracting rock from the moon surface. 76 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:19,640 These days, its tech is common and widespread with the many tools being cordless running from a recharge 77 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:26,920 of battery. Interestingly, it was directly from the research done by NASA in the 1960s that Black Endecker 78 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:32,440 developed a cordless dustbuster handheld vacuum cleaner now who hasn't owned one of those. 79 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,840 I just wonder whether or not yours worked any better than mine did. 80 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:42,920 Anyone with eye glasses will appreciate this little one. It's due to NASA's research 81 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:51,240 that space visors are now coated with diamond-like carbon coatings that are applied in thin films 82 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:57,160 to the outside of the visor and toughen it. An offshoot of this technology is available on RayBan 83 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:03,720 sunglasses, while Foster Grant historically bought the license to replicate early coatings to apply 84 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:11,720 to its entire range. And while smoke detectors had been invented by Francis Robbins Opton in 1890, 85 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:18,680 they were digestible until NASA invented a model with variable sensitivity in 1973. 86 00:09:18,680 --> 00:09:25,880 The units were installed on Skylab to detect toxic vapors on board. I wonder if they were going off. 87 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:32,680 Well, Skylab was coming down. A couple more include a dimpled surface, 88 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:38,040 similar to that of a golf ball, on the shuttle's external fuel tank, allowing for a more 89 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,600 efficient lift to drag ratio in flight. So if we ever do see our flying cars, 90 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:51,160 maybe they should have a dimpled surface as well. Revamped multifunctional joysticks for lunar modules 91 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:57,640 and land aerovers allowed for greater control of the vehicles utilizing a simple control system 92 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:04,840 and who wouldn't want one of those. Now China has finally brought its mysterious space plane 93 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:11,560 back to Earth after a massive nine months in orbit. This is its second mission. Chinese 94 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:17,400 State News reported that the success of this mission is a significant breakthrough in our country's 95 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:23,560 research on reusable spacecraft technology. Unsurprisingly, the Chinese government has 96 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:29,480 remained quiet about the craft details of its design, its capabilities and performance. 97 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,480 Much actual information about the mysterious plate space plane is hazy. 98 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:39,640 Presently, there are experts who believe that the craft is much like the Boeing X-37B, 99 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:46,760 a US space plane that debuted in 2010. Kevin Polpeter, a research scientist at the Centre for 100 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:52,760 Naval Analysis said that the X-37B sparked concern within the Chinese government over the 101 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:58,600 craft's military potential. He said it's possible that this spurred the country space program, 102 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:05,080 which is tied to its military, to start developing its own version. In a similar vein to the Boeing 103 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:12,360 design, the Chinese space plane appears to be an unmanned vehicle and relatively small. It resembles a 104 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:18,200 twin-tailed space shuttle style craft, but the further details are difficult to discern. It 105 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:25,720 probably flew first in September 2020, making a short two-day stint into orbit, probably a test. 106 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:33,880 It's most recent mission began in August 2022 when it took off on a long march to air 107 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:39,720 rocket from northern China, the exact purpose of that mission remains unclear. According to 108 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:45,880 the Centre for Strategic and International Studies report, the craft released an object into orbit 109 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:52,520 sometime in October. The object apparently disappeared in January only to suddenly reappear on 110 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:58,040 satellite tracking radar in March. Experts believe that this could indicate that the plane has some 111 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:04,760 sort of satellite removal capability, such as a robotic arm. If that's the case, then the plane's 112 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:10,440 primary purpose might be to repair damaged satellites or remove orbital debris. However, 113 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:15,720 this does not rule out military capabilities, either for the Chinese space plane or for the 114 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:21,480 X-37B. Until more details come out, however, the best we can do is speculate. 115 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:28,040 And just like that, we've hit the end of another episode of Astronomy Daily. Thank you so much 116 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:34,200 for joining us, really appreciate that you dropped in and lent us your ear. Don't forget to 117 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:43,480 check out all our past episodes at spacenuts.io. You can also check out our parent podcast space 118 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:47,720 nuts with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson at that same address. 119 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:53,400 Comment, say hi on the space nuts Facebook page and tell us all about what's happening in your skies. 120 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:59,080 Yes, Hallie and I will be back next Monday and don't forget you can catch Tim on Friday and we'll 121 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:12,440 be looking forward to seeing you again very soon. Bye for now. See you all next time. 122 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:29,880 [Silence]