S02E44: NASA's UAP Research, ISS Updates and Lunar Endeavors

**Astronomy Daily Podcast - Series 2, Episode 44 with Tim Gibbs and AI Newsreader Hallie**
**Date:** Friday, 15th September 2023
**Show Notes:**
1. **NASA's New Role in UAP Research:**
- NASA is appointing a director of UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena) research.
- The decision follows a recommendation from an independent study team.
- The full report is available on NASA's website.
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson thanked the study team and emphasized NASA's commitment to exploring the unknown.
- The new director will oversee NASA's scientific vision for UAP research, collaborate with other agencies, and apply AI and machine learning to search for anomalies.
2. **International Space Station (ISS) Activities:**
- Top priorities on September 13th included robotics, lab maintenance, and microbiology.
- The Expedition 69 crew engaged in Earth Science Operations and Biomedical duties.
- Astro B, a toaster-sized robotic helper, was activated inside the Kibble Laboratory Module.
- Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA monitored the robotic activities.
- NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio and ESA Flight Engineer Andreas Mugansen worked in the Columbus Laboratory Module.
- The Columbus lab was reorganized to accommodate new exercise gear for astronauts.
3. **Lunar Exploration and Development:**
- Multiple space agencies plan to establish bases around the moon's southern polar region.
- Local resources will be used as building materials, a process known as "Insert to Resource Utilization" (ISRU).
- Dr. Kevin M. Kannon proposed a lunar soil classification scheme for space resource utilization.
- The scheme will help inform construction based on soil type and location.
4. **Russia's Lunar Exploration:**
- Russia remains committed to lunar exploration despite the loss of its Luna 25 moon lander.
- Russian leader Vladimir Putin emphasized the continuation of the program.
5. **Climate Change Indicators:**
- Earth experienced its hottest summer in recorded history from June to August 2023.
- Global sea surface temperatures broke new records.
- Heatwaves affected various countries, with over 200 heat-related deaths in Mexico.
- UN Secretary General Antonio Garretis highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change.
6. **Osiris Rex Spacecraft Sample Return:**
- The spacecraft will return an asteroid sample collected from Bennu in 2020.
- The sample capsule will re-enter Earth's atmosphere on September 24th.
- After releasing the capsule, the spacecraft will divert to asteroid Apophis under the new name Osiris Apex.
- The capsule will land safely with the help of parachutes.
7. **Hallie's Joke of the Day:**
- "Where does Light go when it breaks the law? Prism? And it's a light sentence."
**Closing Notes:**
- The podcast episodes are available at spaceknuts.io and bytes.com.
- Join the conversation on the Space Nuts podcast group on Facebook.
- Tune in to Steve Dunkey on Mondays and Tim Gibbs on Fridays.
Thank you for tuning in to Astronomy Daily! See you next week.

This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5648921/advertisement