SpaceTime with Stuart Gary - Series 19 Ep.11 Show Notes

LISA Pathfinder begins its science mission
The LISA Pathfinder gravitational wave space observatory has now commenced its long awaited scientific mission. After completing a long series of tests on the spacecraft and payload, the European Space Agency have now started a six-month program conducting hundreds of experiments to pave the way for future space-borne gravitational-wave observatories. 

The expansion of the universe simulated
Physicists have developed a new code of numerical simulations that offers a glimpse of the complex process causing both the expansion of the universe and the creation of new structures by the merging of others. Based on Albert Einstein’s equations, they were able to integrate the rotation of space-time into their calculations and determine the amplitude of gravitational waves, whose existence was confirmed for the first time last month. 

New explanation for "snowball Earth" events 
A new study claims our planet went through a period of extreme freezing – known as snowball Earth -- because of extensive marine volcanism caused by the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent 750 million years ago. The research provides a single mechanism to explain several different aspects of the snowball Earth state, rather than needing a whole bunch of different mechanisms working together. 
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New Ariane 5 launch prepares the way for the next generation Ariane 6 rocket 
An Ariane 5 heavy lift rocket has blasted off from the European Space Agency’s Kourou space port in French Guiana carrying a telecommunications satellite into orbit. The mission will also monitor upper stage systems aboard the launch vehicle ass part of a program to develop a new medium lift Ariane 6 rocket.