Latest / Space News Today / MAVEN’s Final Hour: Mars Orbiter Crisis + Historic ISS Evacuation Update & Lunar Timekeeping

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MAVEN’s Final Hour: Mars Orbiter Crisis + Historic ISS Evacuation Update & Lunar Timekeeping · Space News Today

0:00
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source
0:02
for the latest space and astronomy news.
0:05
I'm Anna.
0:06
>> And I'm Avery. It's Saturday, January
0:09
17th, 2026, and we've got an absolutely
0:12
packed episode for you today.
0:14
>> We really do. And we're leading with
0:16
some bittersweet news from Mars. NASA's
0:19
making what might be their final attempt
0:22
to contact the Maven Orbiter, which has
0:24
been silent for over a month now. It's
0:27
looking increasingly unlikely that
0:29
they'll be able to recover the
0:30
spacecraft.
0:31
>> That's tough news, but we've also got
0:34
some incredible human achievements to
0:35
celebrate. The SpaceX Crew 11 astronauts
0:39
have safely returned to Houston
0:40
following the first ever medical
0:42
evacuation from the International Space
0:44
Station. We'll get into the details of
0:46
how that historic operation unfolded.
0:48
>> Europe's stepping up its launch game,
0:50
too. Aron Space has announced they'll be
0:53
launching the first Aron 64 rocket on
0:56
February 12th. That's the more powerful
0:59
four booster version. This is a big deal
1:01
for European space capabilities. We're
1:04
also diving into some fascinating
1:06
research today. Scientists have been
1:08
using CERN's particle accelerators to
1:10
simulate asteroid impacts and what they
1:12
discovered about ironrich space rocks
1:15
could change how we approach planetary
1:17
defense. Then we've got something that
1:19
sounds like science fiction, but is very
1:21
real. China has released the world's
1:24
first practical software for keeping
1:26
time on the moon. Yes, lunar timekeeping
1:29
is now a thing, and it's more important
1:32
than you might think. And we'll wrap up
1:34
with some stunning new images from
1:35
Hubble. Even after 35 years in orbit,
1:38
it's still showing us where planets are
1:40
born in protolanetary discs around young
1:43
stars.
1:44
>> Lots to cover, so let's get started.
1:46
Let's start with that Mars story, Anna.
1:48
NASA's Maven Orbiter has been one of our
1:50
most valuable assets at Mars for over a
1:53
decade. What's the latest on the
1:55
recovery efforts?
1:56
>> Well, it's not looking good, I'm afraid.
1:59
Maven, that's the Mars Atmosphere and
2:01
Volatile Evolution Orbiter, went silent
2:04
on December 6th, 2025, and NASA has been
2:07
unable to reestablish contact ever
2:10
since. The spacecraft has been orbiting
2:12
Mars since 2014, providing invaluable
2:15
data about the Martian atmosphere and
2:18
serving as a critical communications
2:20
relay for the Curiosity and Perseverance
2:22
rovers.
2:23
>> So, what exactly happened? I mean,
2:26
communications blackouts aren't
2:27
completely unusual for Mars missions,
2:29
right?
2:30
>> You're right. They're not. In this case,
2:32
Maven passed behind Mars, which
2:34
temporarily blocks communication. That's
2:37
a routine occurrence, but when it should
2:39
have emerged on the other side, NASA's
2:41
deep space network couldn't regain
2:44
contact. What makes it worse is that
2:46
this happened right before a solar
2:48
conjunction.
2:49
>> That's when the sun sits directly
2:51
between Earth and Mars. Correct.
2:53
>> Exactly. During solar conjunction, which
2:56
occurs roughly every 2 years, solar
2:59
particles interfere with radio signals.
3:01
NASA temporarily halts all
3:03
communications with Mars missions during
3:05
this period to avoid sending corrupted
3:08
commands or receiving incomplete data
3:10
that could damage spacecraft. Though the
3:12
conjunction basically meant NASA had to
3:15
wait before they could even try to
3:17
recover Maven.
3:18
>> And that conjunction period just ended,
3:21
>> right? NASA said they wouldn't have
3:23
contact with any Mars missions until
3:25
Friday, January 16th. So, as of today,
3:28
they're making renewed attempts to
3:30
contact Maven. But here's the concerning
3:32
part. Louise Proctor, the director of
3:35
NASA's planetary science division, said
3:38
on January 13th, and I quote, "We'll
3:41
start looking again, but at this point,
3:43
it's looking very unlikely that we are
3:45
going to be able to recover the
3:47
spacecraft."
3:48
>> That's pretty pessimistic language from
3:50
NASA. Do we know what might have caused
3:52
the initial failure? The leading theory
3:55
is that Maven started rotating
3:57
unexpectedly after passing behind Mars.
4:00
This would have shifted the spacecraft
4:02
out of its planned orbit and potentially
4:04
moved its antenna away from Earth. But
4:07
here's where it gets more complicated.
4:09
Maven has had aging hardware issues for
4:12
years now.
4:13
>> What kind of issues are we talking
4:14
about? The spacecraft has had problems
4:16
with its onboard inertial measurement
4:18
units or IMUs, which are essential for
4:22
orientation in space. Back in 2022,
4:25
Maven spent about 3 months in safe mode
4:28
because of IMU problems. The mission
4:30
team had to rely on backup systems that
4:33
have experienced accelerated wear and
4:35
tear. They even developed an alternative
4:38
all stellar navigation mode that uses
4:40
stars for orientation instead of relying
4:43
on the IMUs.
4:44
>> So, it sounds like Maven has been living
4:46
on borrowed time for a while now.
4:49
>> In some ways, yes. The spacecraft's
4:51
inability to fully recover from those
4:54
2022 outages led to missed observations
4:57
of significant solar flares and
4:59
disrupted its communications relay role.
5:02
That said, Maven still has enough fuel
5:04
to remain in orbit until at least 2030.
5:08
So, the hardware could theoretically
5:10
keep working if they can just
5:12
reestablish contact.
5:13
>> What's the impact going to be if they
5:15
can't recover it? I imagine the rovers
5:17
depend on these orbiters for
5:19
communications.
5:20
>> That's a great point. Maven has been a
5:22
key communications relay for the
5:24
Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. With
5:27
Maven offline, NASA has had to shift
5:29
more of that burden to other orbiters,
5:32
specifically Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
5:34
and Mars Odyssey. This puts increased
5:37
pressure on those spacecraft to maintain
5:40
communications and support surface
5:42
science activities.
5:43
>> And scientifically, what are we losing?
5:45
>> Maven's scientific contributions have
5:48
been enormous. It's helped us understand
5:50
how Mars lost its once thick atmosphere
5:53
and became the cold, dry world it is
5:56
today. The data it collected on Martian
5:58
weather patterns, dust storms, and
6:00
auroras provided insights into the
6:03
planet's climate system and potential
6:05
habitability. Without Maven, we'd have
6:08
critical gaps in our ongoing atmospheric
6:10
studies of Mars.
6:12
>> So fingers crossed that these new
6:13
contact attempts work out. When will we
6:15
know more? NASA should have results from
6:18
their latest attempts very soon. But
6:20
given the pessimistic tone from their
6:22
leadership, I think we need to prepare
6:24
for the possibility that Maven's
6:26
remarkable decadel long mission may have
6:29
come to an end. It would be a sad
6:31
conclusion to such a successful
6:33
spacecraft, but it's given us more than
6:36
10 years of groundbreaking science.
6:39
>> Absolutely. And that's well beyond its
6:41
original design life, right?
6:42
>> Oh, definitely. Like so many NASA
6:45
missions, it far exceeded expectations.
6:48
Let's hope there's one more surprise
6:50
left in it.
6:51
>> Here's hoping.
6:52
>> Moving from Mars back to closer to home.
6:55
Let's talk about that historic ISS
6:57
medical evacuation. Avery, this was
6:59
really unprecedented.
7:01
>> It absolutely was. The four astronauts
7:04
of SpaceX's Crew 11 mission are now
7:06
safely back in Houston after splashing
7:09
down off the coast of Long Beach,
7:10
California early Thursday morning. This
7:13
marked the very first medical evacuation
7:15
from the International Space Station in
7:17
its more than 25 year history.
7:20
>> Who were the crew members involved?
7:22
>> The crew consisted of NASA astronauts
7:24
Zena Cardman and Mike Fininky, Kima Yui
7:27
from Japan's Aerospace Agency and
7:29
cosminaut Oleg Platinoff from Ross
7:32
Cosmos. They launched back in early
7:34
August for what was supposed to be a
7:36
standard six-month stay aboard the
7:38
station.
7:39
>> So they came home about five weeks
7:41
early. Correct.
7:42
>> That's right. One of the four crew
7:44
members experienced a medical issue in
7:46
orbit last week and NASA made the
7:48
decision to bring the entire crew home
7:50
ahead of schedule. Now, NASA has been
7:53
very protective of medical privacy,
7:55
which is absolutely appropriate. So,
7:57
they haven't disclosed which crew member
7:59
had the issue or what the specific
8:01
medical problem was.
8:02
>> What do we know about how they're doing
8:04
now? According to NASA's latest update
8:06
from Friday afternoon, all four crew
8:09
members are stable and undergoing
8:11
standard post-flight reconditioning and
8:13
evaluations at Johnson Space Center.
8:15
After splashing down, they spent about a
8:17
day and night at a local medical
8:19
facility in California before flying to
8:21
Houston. I have to say, the fact that
8:23
they described them as stable and that
8:26
they're doing standard post-flight
8:28
evaluations suggests this wasn't a dire
8:31
emergency situation.
8:32
>> That's my read on it, too. And NASA
8:34
officials have been pretty clear about
8:36
describing this as a deliberate,
8:38
carefully planned operation rather than
8:40
a panic situation. In fact, one NASA
8:43
representative said, and I'm
8:45
paraphrasing here, this is NASA at its
8:47
finest, referring to how smoothly the
8:50
evacuation and splashdown went.
8:52
>> Can you walk us through what a medical
8:53
evacuation from the ISS actually
8:55
involves? This seems incredibly complex.
8:59
>> It is. First, you have to understand
9:01
that the ISS has medical capabilities on
9:04
board. There's medical equipment,
9:06
supplies, and the crew receives training
9:08
to handle various medical situations.
9:10
They can consult with flight surgeons on
9:12
the ground in real time. But sometimes
9:14
groundbased medical care is simply
9:17
necessary, either for more advanced
9:18
diagnostic equipment or for treatment
9:21
options that aren't available in orbit.
9:23
>> So, the decision to bring someone home
9:25
is never made lightly.
9:27
>> Exactly. In this case, the medical issue
9:29
required evaluation and potential
9:31
treatment that couldn't be done on the
9:33
station. Once that call was made, they
9:35
had to prepare the crew Dragon
9:37
spacecraft, the same one they arrived
9:39
in, named Endeavor, for an early
9:41
departure. This involves checking all
9:43
systems, planning the undocking and
9:45
re-entry trajectory, coordinating with
9:47
recovery teams, and making sure weather
9:49
conditions would be suitable for
9:51
splashdown.
9:52
>> And they successfully executed all of
9:54
that in just a few days.
9:56
>> They did. The crew undocked from the ISS
9:58
on January 14th, completed their
10:01
de-orbit burn, and splashed down safely
10:03
early on January 15th. Recovery teams
10:06
were standing by and quickly retrieved
10:08
the capsule and crew. The whole
10:10
operation went remarkably smoothly.
10:12
>> What about the ISS itself? How is it
10:14
operating with a reduced crew?
10:16
>> That's a great question. Right now, the
10:18
station is operating with what they're
10:20
calling a skeleton crew of just three
10:22
people. NASA astronaut Chris Williams
10:25
and two Ross Cosmos cosminauts Sergey
10:28
Kutz Vertzkov and Sergey Mikayv. That's
10:31
less than half the normal compliment of
10:33
seven crew members.
10:34
>> Can three people effectively run the
10:36
ISS?
10:37
>> They can maintain it and keep critical
10:39
systems running, but it definitely
10:41
limits what science can be done. The
10:43
station won't return to its full
10:45
operational capacity until SpaceX's Crew
10:48
12 mission arrives. That's currently
10:49
scheduled for February 15th. Though NASA
10:52
and SpaceX are looking at whether they
10:54
can move that timeline up a bit,
10:56
>> I imagine this whole situation must have
10:58
been quite stressful for everyone
11:00
involved.
11:01
>> No doubt. But what strikes me is how
11:03
calmly and professionally it was
11:05
handled. In one of the final
11:07
communications before undocking, Crew 11
11:09
commander Mike Finke said it was
11:11
bittersweet to be leaving early. He
11:13
handed over command of the ISS to Chris
11:16
Williams and you could hear in his voice
11:18
that he would have preferred to complete
11:19
the full mission. But he also understood
11:22
the necessity of coming home. It really
11:24
speaks to the incredible planning and
11:26
preparation that goes into human space
11:28
flight. Even in an offnominal situation
11:31
like this, the systems and procedures
11:33
worked exactly as designed.
11:35
>> And I think it's worth noting that this
11:37
won't affect other upcoming missions.
11:39
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman
11:41
specifically stated that this ISS
11:43
evacuation shouldn't interfere with the
11:45
upcoming Artemis 2 moon mission, which
11:48
is still on track for a possible launch
11:50
as early as February 6th. That's good to
11:52
hear. Well, here's hoping for a full
11:55
recovery for whichever crew member
11:57
needed the medical attention. And kudos
11:59
to everyone involved in executing such a
12:02
complex operation so flawlessly.
12:05
>> Agreed. It really was NASA at its
12:07
finest. Switching gears now to European
12:10
space flight. Avery, Europe is about to
12:13
debut a significantly more powerful
12:16
version of its new rocket. Right.
12:18
>> That's right, Anna. Aryan Space has
12:20
announced that the first flight of the
12:21
Aryan 64 will launch on February 12th
12:24
from the Gana Space Center in French
12:26
Gana. This is the four booster
12:28
configuration of the Aryan 6 and it
12:31
represents a major step up in capability
12:33
for European launch services. Let's back
12:35
up a second for anyone who might not be
12:38
familiar with the Aryan 6. Can you give
12:40
us the background?
12:42
>> Sure. The Aryan 6 is Europe's newest
12:44
heavy lift rocket designed to replace
12:46
the Aryan 5 which served for nearly
12:48
three decades. The inaugural flight was
12:51
back in July 2024. And throughout 2025,
12:54
Aryan Space flew four more missions, all
12:57
carrying payloads for organizations like
12:59
ESA, UMTASAT, and CENS, the French Space
13:03
Agency. And all of those flights used
13:06
the Arion 62 configuration.
13:09
>> Exactly. The Arion 62 uses two P120C
13:13
solid fuel boosters strapped to the side
13:15
of the rocket's core stage. Each of
13:17
those boosters produces roughly 4500
13:20
kons of thrust. It's been doing great
13:22
for medium lift missions with a capacity
13:24
to deliver about 10.3 tons to low Earth
13:27
orbit.
13:28
>> So the Aryan 64 just adds two more
13:31
boosters,
13:32
>> right? It uses four of those P120C
13:35
boosters instead of two. And that makes
13:37
a dramatic difference in capability. The
13:40
Arion 64 can deliver up to 21.6 tons to
13:44
low Earth orbit, more than double what
13:46
the Arion 62 can handle. That puts it in
13:49
the heavy lift category, competing with
13:51
rockets like SpaceX's Falcon Heavy.
13:53
>> That's a significant jump. What's
13:55
driving the need for this more powerful
13:57
version?
13:58
>> Well, this first mission actually gives
14:00
us a perfect example. The Arion 64's
14:03
first flight will be launching
14:05
satellites for Amazon's project Cooper
14:07
broadband internet constellation. Arion
14:09
space has an 18 flight contract with
14:12
Amazon. And this first mission
14:13
designated LE01, which stands for LEO
14:17
Europe01, will deploy 32 Cooper
14:20
satellites.
14:21
>> Amazon's competing with Space X's
14:23
Starlink. Right.
14:25
>> That's right. Amazon already has about
14:27
180 satellites in orbit and they're
14:29
rapidly building out the constellation.
14:32
Having access to the more powerful Arion
14:34
64 means they can launch more satellites
14:36
at once which speeds up the deployment
14:39
schedule and reduces the total number of
14:41
launches needed.
14:42
>> Is there anything else notable about
14:44
this particular flight?
14:45
>> Yes, actually this will be the first
14:47
Arion 6 mission to use the rocket's
14:50
larger 20 m long fairing. All previous
14:53
flights used a shorter 14 meter fairing.
14:56
The longer fairing provides more volume
14:58
for larger payloads or in this case for
15:01
fitting more satellites into the payload
15:02
stack.
15:03
>> How long will the mission last?
15:05
>> Arion space hasn't published the
15:07
complete mission breakdown yet, but
15:09
they've stated the entire flight will
15:11
last 1 hour and 54 minutes. That
15:13
presumably includes deploying all 32
15:16
satellites and then deorbiting the
15:18
rocket's upper stage in a controlled
15:20
manner, which is important for reducing
15:22
space debris. What does this mean for
15:24
Aryan Space's launch cadence going
15:26
forward?
15:27
>> They're being pretty ambitious. Arion
15:29
space is aiming to double the number of
15:31
Arion 6 launches this year compared to
15:34
2025. That would mean as many as eight
15:36
Arion 6 flights over the next 12 months.
15:40
Given that they're still ramping up
15:41
operations with what is still a fairly
15:43
new rocket, that's a challenging goal,
15:46
but it shows their confidence.
15:47
>> Are there any other upgrades in the
15:49
works?
15:50
>> Actually, yes. The company is developing
15:52
an upgraded version of the solid fuel
15:55
booster called the P160C.
15:58
It carries an additional 14 tons of
16:00
solid propellant compared to the current
16:02
P120C.
16:04
That upgrade has already been fully
16:06
qualified for use on both the Aryan 62
16:09
for medium lift missions, the Aryan 64
16:11
for heavy lift, the Vega C for smaller
16:14
payloads, and these future upgrades.
16:16
Europe is positioning itself to be very
16:18
competitive in the commercial launch
16:20
market. And that's crucial, especially
16:22
as we see increasing competition from
16:25
SpaceX, China, and other emerging launch
16:27
providers.
16:28
>> Will the February 12th launch be
16:30
publicly viewable? Aryan Space typically
16:33
provides live coverage of their
16:34
launches, so I'd expect we'll be able to
16:36
watch this historic first flight of the
16:38
Aryan 64. It should be quite a sight.
16:41
Those four boosters firing together
16:43
should make for an impressive liftoff.
16:46
>> I'll definitely be watching. It's great
16:48
to see Europe maintaining and expanding
16:50
its independent access to space.
16:52
>> Anna, let's talk about planetary
16:54
defense. Scientists have been conducting
16:56
some fascinating experiments using
16:58
particle accelerators to understand how
17:00
asteroids might respond to deflection
17:03
attempts. This is really cool work,
17:05
Avery. An international research team
17:07
used CERN's high radiation to materials
17:10
facility, that's Hyradmat, to simulate
17:13
what happens when high energy impacts
17:15
strike ironrich asteroids. And what they
17:18
found could significantly change our
17:20
approach to planetary defense. Before we
17:23
get into the results, can you set up the
17:25
context, why is this research important?
17:27
>> Sure. We know there are around 37,000
17:31
known near Earth asteroids and 120 short
17:34
period comets whose orbits bring them
17:36
close to Earth. While scientists are
17:39
confident that none of the known
17:41
potentially hazardous objects will
17:43
strike Earth within the next century, we
17:45
know that eventually planetary defense
17:47
measures will be needed. And NASA's Dart
17:50
mission demonstrated one approach, the
17:52
kinetic impactor.
17:53
>> Exactly. In 2022, Dart successfully
17:57
struck the asteroid Demorphus and
17:59
altered its orbit. But to do this
18:01
reliably and develop effective defense
18:03
strategies, we need to understand how
18:05
different types of asteroids respond to
18:08
impacts. That's where this new research
18:10
comes in.
18:11
>> So, they focus specifically on ironrich
18:13
asteroids,
18:14
>> right? What astronomers call Mtype
18:17
asteroids. These are thought to be
18:18
exposed metallic cores of ancient
18:21
protolanets that were shattered in
18:23
collisions billions of years ago.
18:25
They're made primarily of iron and
18:27
nickel, unlike the more common rocky
18:29
asteroids or icy comets.
18:32
>> How did they simulate an asteroid impact
18:34
in a lab?
18:35
>> This is where it gets really clever.
18:37
They used a sample of the Campo Delio
18:40
iron meteorite, which is a wellstied
18:42
iron meteorite from Argentina. They
18:44
subjected it to extremely energetic 440
18:47
GEV proton beams at CERN's highradmat
18:51
facility at CERN. That's an incredibly
18:53
high energy level.
18:55
>> And how did they measure what happened
18:56
to the sample?
18:58
>> They used a technique called Doppler
19:00
vibrometry, which can detect tiny
19:02
surface vibrations. This allowed them to
19:04
capture realtime data on how the
19:06
material responded to rapidly increasing
19:09
stress, all without destroying the
19:11
sample. They could see exactly how iron
19:14
behaved under extreme conditions.
19:16
>> What did they discover?
19:17
>> This is where it gets really
19:19
interesting. The results showed that
19:21
Mtype asteroids can absorb significantly
19:23
more energy without fragmenting than
19:26
conventional models predicted. But even
19:28
more surprisingly, the meteorite
19:30
actually got tougher as it was subjected
19:32
to increasing stress.
19:34
>> Wait, it got stronger under stress?
19:37
>> Yes. The researchers found that the iron
19:39
dissipated more energy as stress
19:42
increased, suggesting that the internal
19:44
structure of asteroids can redistribute
19:47
and amplify stress in unexpected ways,
19:50
similar to what we see in complex
19:52
composite materials.
19:54
>> That seems counterintuitive. You'd
19:56
expect materials to weaken under extreme
19:59
stress, not strengthen.
20:01
>> That's exactly why this is such an
20:03
important finding. It contradicts what
20:05
conventional models have suggested. One
20:08
of the study's co-authors, Professor
20:09
Gian Luca Gregori from the University of
20:12
Oxford said this is the first time
20:14
they've been able to observe in real
20:16
time how an actual meteorite sample
20:19
deforms, strengthens, and adapts under
20:22
extreme conditions without destroying
20:24
it.
20:25
>> So, what does this mean for planetary
20:27
defense strategies?
20:28
>> A couple of things. First, it means that
20:30
ironrich asteroids might be harder to
20:33
deflect than we thought because they can
20:35
absorb more energy without breaking
20:37
apart. But it also suggests that we
20:39
could potentially deliver energy deep
20:42
inside an asteroid without fragmenting
20:44
it.
20:45
>> That could be useful if you want to push
20:47
an asteroid rather than shatter it.
20:49
>> Exactly. The research also helps explain
20:52
a long-standing puzzle in planetary
20:54
defense. Why there's often a discrepancy
20:57
between what we infer from meteorite
20:59
breakup in Earth's atmosphere and actual
21:02
laboratory measurements of meteorite
21:04
strength. This study shows that internal
21:06
stress redistribution within the
21:09
heterogeneous structure of meteorites
21:11
can explain that difference.
21:13
>> This sounds like it could inform new
21:15
deflection methods.
21:16
>> That's the hope. The data could help
21:18
develop redirection techniques that push
21:20
asteroids more effectively while keeping
21:23
them intact. After all, the last thing
21:26
you want when deflecting an asteroid is
21:28
to break it into multiple pieces that
21:30
might still pose a threat.
21:32
>> Have they tested this with other types
21:33
of asteroid materials?
21:35
>> This particular study focused on iron
21:37
meteorites, but the methodology could be
21:40
applied to other types of asteroids,
21:42
rocky asteroids, carbonacious asteroids,
21:44
and so on. Each type would likely behave
21:47
differently under extreme stress. And
21:49
understanding those differences is
21:51
crucial for developing a comprehensive
21:54
planetary defense toolkit.
21:56
>> I think what's particularly valuable
21:57
here is that they've developed a
21:59
technique that can test actual meteorite
22:01
samples non-destructively. That means we
22:04
can build up a library of data on how
22:06
different asteroid materials behave
22:08
without having to rely solely on
22:10
computer simulations or destroying
22:13
precious samples. And as we continue to
22:15
study asteroids with missions like
22:17
Osiris X and Hayabusa 2, we'll have more
22:20
samples to test.
22:22
>> Exactly. The combination of sample
22:24
return missions, laboratory testing like
22:26
this, and missions like DART that
22:28
demonstrate actual deflection
22:30
techniques, it's all building toward a
22:32
real capability to protect Earth from
22:34
asteroid impacts. It's reassuring to
22:37
know that even though we don't face an
22:39
immediate threat, we're doing the
22:41
groundwork now, so we'll be prepared
22:43
when we need to be.
22:44
>> Absolutely. And this research was just
22:46
published in Nature Communications, so
22:48
it's getting a lot of attention from the
22:50
planetary defense community.
22:52
>> Avery, our next story sounds like
22:54
something out of science fiction, but
22:56
it's very much real and increasingly
22:59
necessary. China has released the
23:01
world's first practical software for
23:03
keeping time on the moon.
23:05
>> Lunar timekeeping software. When you say
23:08
it out loud, it really drives home how
23:10
much space exploration has advanced. Why
23:13
do we need to keep time differently on
23:15
the moon?
23:16
>> It all comes down to Einstein's theory
23:18
of general relativity. Time doesn't pass
23:21
at the same rate everywhere. It's
23:23
affected by both gravity and velocity.
23:26
The moon's gravity is weaker than
23:28
Earth's, which means time actually
23:30
passes slightly faster on the moon than
23:32
it does on Earth.
23:33
>> How much faster are we talking about?
23:36
>> About 56 millionth of a second per day.
23:40
Now, that might not sound like much, but
23:42
it adds up over time, and it can
23:44
seriously disrupt navigation systems,
23:47
especially when you're trying to do
23:48
precision work on the lunar surface.
23:51
>> So, this is a precision navigation
23:53
issue.
23:53
>> Exactly. Think about GPS on Earth. The
23:56
satellites constantly have to correct
23:59
for relativistic effects caused by
24:01
gravity and motion. Those corrections
24:03
are what allow your phone to pinpoint
24:06
your location within just a few meters.
24:08
Without accounting for relativity, GPS
24:11
would be useless within minutes.
24:13
>> And the moon is about to have a similar
24:15
need for precision navigation.
24:16
>> Right? In the past, this wasn't really a
24:19
problem because lunar missions were
24:21
rare, short, and mostly isolated.
24:24
Engineers could just use Earth time and
24:26
apply mission specific fixes when
24:28
needed. But that's changing rapidly
24:31
>> because we're about to have multiple
24:32
spacecraft and eventually humans
24:34
operating on the moon simultaneously.
24:36
>> Exactly. Under those conditions, relying
24:39
on custom fixes for each mission becomes
24:42
risky and inefficient. You need a
24:44
standardized lunar time reference that
24:47
everyone can use.
24:48
>> So what exactly did the Chinese team
24:50
create?
24:51
>> Researchers from the Purple Mountain
24:53
Observatory in Nanjing developed
24:55
detailed software called LTE440.
24:59
That stands for lunar time ephemeris.
25:02
It's based on modern planetary data and
25:04
tracks how lunar time drifts relative to
25:07
Earth time. The software automates
25:09
calculations that once required deep
25:12
expertise in relativity and celestial
25:14
mechanics.
25:15
>> How accurate is it?
25:17
>> Remarkably accurate. The researchers
25:19
found their method stays accurate to
25:21
within a few tens of nanconds even when
25:24
projected over a thousand years. And to
25:26
keep daily differences within about 10
25:29
nanconds, the calculations need to be
25:31
accurate to parts in 10 trillion. Their
25:34
tests show LTE 440 meets that standard.
25:39
>> Why such extreme precision?
25:41
>> Well, navigation is one driver, but
25:43
there's also science. The moon offers
25:45
unique conditions for astronomy. No
25:47
atmosphere, minimal interference. One
25:50
promising idea is Earth Moon very long
25:53
baseline interpherometry where you link
25:56
radio telescopes on Earth and the moon
25:58
to create sharper images of distant
26:00
objects. And that requires extremely
26:03
precise timing.
26:04
>> Right? Signals recorded on both bodies
26:07
need to be timestamped to better than a
26:09
microscond. To allow for instrument
26:11
noise, the underlying time model needs
26:13
to be even more accurate. Hence the
26:16
extreme precision requirements.
26:18
>> How does the software actually work?
26:20
Instead of using long equations, they
26:23
used a numerical approach based on a
26:25
planetary model called DE440,
26:28
which tracks the positions and
26:30
velocities of solar system bodies with
26:32
high precision. From that data, they
26:35
computed how time near the moon differs
26:37
from a solar system reference time. The
26:40
software stores these results in compact
26:42
files that can be quickly interpolated.
26:45
>> What affects lunar time most? The moon's
26:48
motion and the sun's gravity dominate
26:50
the effect, but Earth, Jupiter, and even
26:53
distant objects in the Kyper belt add
26:56
smaller effects. There are monthly and
26:58
yearly patterns that range from
27:00
milliseconds down to micros secondsonds.
27:02
>> I'm curious about the international
27:04
response to this. Is China the only one
27:06
working on this?
27:07
>> That's a great question. Jonathan McDow,
27:10
an astronomer at Harvard, told reporters
27:12
that similar efforts are underway in the
27:14
United States, but he's not aware of
27:17
another openly available tool like this.
27:19
He emphasized that this shows China is
27:22
serious about lunar exploration and is
27:24
being quite open about sharing its lunar
27:26
related research.
27:28
>> That's actually encouraging from an
27:29
international cooperation standpoint.
27:31
>> I think so, too. And it's worth noting
27:33
that in 2024, the International
27:36
Astronomical Union adopted a framework
27:38
calling for the moon to have its own
27:40
time reference. So this software really
27:43
builds on that international consensus.
27:46
>> What are the practical implications for
27:48
upcoming missions
27:49
>> as lunar activity increases and we're
27:52
talking about NASA's Aremis program,
27:55
China's own lunar base plans, commercial
27:58
lunar landers, and more. Reliable
28:01
timekeeping will support safer landings,
28:04
smoother navigation, and better
28:06
coordination between missions.
28:08
Eventually, we'll likely see lunar GPS
28:12
style systems that depend on this kind
28:14
of precise timekeeping.
28:16
>> It really is laying the groundwork for
28:18
sustained human presence on the moon.
28:21
>> Absolutely. And the researchers
28:23
emphasize that LTE440
28:25
is just an early step. Future versions
28:28
will need to support real time
28:30
navigation and networks of lunar clocks.
28:34
But the release marks a shift from
28:36
abstract planning to practical
28:38
infrastructure.
28:39
>> It's one of those things that sounds
28:41
mundane time software, but is actually
28:43
fundamental to making lunar operations
28:45
work.
28:46
>> Exactly. You can have the fanciest
28:49
rockets and landers in the world, but if
28:51
your spacecraft can't agree on what time
28:53
it is, you're going to have problems.
28:56
This is the kind of unsexy but essential
28:59
infrastructure work that makes the
29:01
exciting stuff possible.
29:02
>> For our final story today, let's talk
29:04
about the Hubble Space Telescope. After
29:06
35 years in orbit, it's still delivering
29:09
incredible science.
29:10
>> It really is remarkable. NASA just
29:13
released a new gallery of Hubble images
29:16
showing protolanetary discs around young
29:19
stars, essentially the birthplaces of
29:21
planets. And these images beautifully
29:24
illustrate one of Hubble's original
29:26
mission goals, understanding how planets
29:29
form.
29:30
>> Can you walk us through what we're
29:31
seeing in these images?
29:32
>> Sure. When stars form, they're
29:34
surrounded by gas and dust left over
29:37
from the formation process. In the early
29:40
stages, this is called a circumstellar
29:42
disc. But once planets start forming in
29:45
the disc, we call it a protolanetary
29:47
disc. These discs are where planetary
29:50
systems like our own solar system come
29:52
from.
29:53
>> What makes these particular images
29:55
special?
29:55
>> Hubble captured them using two different
29:58
approaches. The visible light images
30:00
taken with Hubble's advanced camera for
30:03
surveys show four protolanetary discs
30:06
where you can actually see polar jets of
30:09
gas shooting out from the young stars.
30:12
You can also see brightly lit nebula.
30:14
And there's this cool effect where the
30:16
dark band around each star is actually a
30:20
shadow cast onto the nebula by the disc
30:22
itself.
30:23
>> That's wild. So, we're seeing the shadow
30:26
of the planet forming disc.
30:28
>> Exactly. And each of these systems has
30:31
unique characteristics. One called HH390
30:35
isn't quite edge on, so you only see one
30:38
side of its nebulosity. Another Tao
30:42
042021
30:44
is seen edge on and is in a later stage
30:47
of evolution where the dust grains have
30:49
already clumped together into larger
30:51
grains which is part of the planet
30:53
formation process.
30:55
>> What about that third one HH48?
30:58
>> Oh, that's particularly interesting.
31:00
HH48 is actually a binary protoar
31:04
system. And you can see how the
31:06
gravitational power from the larger star
31:09
is shaping the disc around its less
31:11
massive companion. It's a great example
31:14
of how stellar environments affect
31:16
planet formation.
31:18
>> And the infrared images show something
31:20
different.
31:20
>> Right. The infrared images taken with
31:23
Hubble's wide field camera 3 show the
31:26
bright protoars despite being surrounded
31:29
by dust. Dust absorbs starlight and then
31:32
remits it in infrared, which allows
31:34
Hubble to see the stars. The jets aren't
31:37
visible in these infrared images, but
31:40
you get a much better view of the stars
31:42
themselves and their dusty discs.
31:44
>> Where are these protolanetary discs
31:46
located?
31:48
>> Most of them are in well-known star
31:50
forming regions. Several are in the
31:52
Orion molecular cloud complex. That's
31:55
one of the most active star forming
31:57
regions visible from Earth located about
31:59
1,500 lighty years away. Others are in
32:02
the Perseus molecular cloud.
32:04
>> Now, we also have the James Webb Space
32:07
Telescope observing these kinds of
32:08
objects. How do Hubble's observations
32:10
compare?
32:11
>> That's a great question. JWST has been
32:15
doing incredible work on protostars and
32:17
protolanetary discs, too. In fact, there
32:20
was research published in 2024 based on
32:23
JWST observations showing that some
32:26
young protostars have layered structures
32:29
of winds and jets, inner jets surrounded
32:32
by outer cone-shaped jets.
32:34
>> So, the two telescopes are
32:36
complimentary.
32:37
>> Exactly. Hubble excels in visible and
32:40
some infrared wavelengths while JWST is
32:43
optimized for infrared. Together, they
32:45
give us a much more complete picture.
32:48
For instance, Hubble can show us those
32:50
beautiful jets and nebula in visible
32:52
light, while JWST can peer through dust
32:55
to see the nested structure of winds and
32:58
jets using different chemical tracers.
33:01
How much longer can we expect Hubble to
33:03
keep operating?
33:04
>> That's the big question. Hubble was
33:06
launched in 1990 with an expected
33:09
15-year lifetime, but it's now lasted
33:12
more than 35 years thanks to five
33:14
servicing missions. However, it is
33:17
showing its age. The telescope has been
33:19
losing gyroscopes, which means it takes
33:22
more time to point at targets.
33:24
Observations are down by about 12% with
33:28
a corresponding reduction in science
33:30
output.
33:30
>> But it's still functioning, right?
33:32
>> Oh, yes. NASA expects Hubble to keep
33:35
operating into the 2030s. And there's
33:38
been talk, though it's not confirmed, of
33:40
a possible servicing mission that could
33:42
extend its life even further. Who would
33:45
conduct that servicing mission?
33:47
>> That's the interesting part. NASA
33:49
doesn't have the space shuttle anymore,
33:51
which was used for all previous
33:53
servicing missions. Any future servicing
33:55
mission would likely involve a
33:57
commercial spacecraft, possibly
33:59
something from SpaceX or another company
34:01
developing servicing capabilities.
34:03
>> It would be amazing if Hubble could keep
34:05
going for another decade.
34:07
>> It really would. And if it does, it'll
34:10
continue contributing to our
34:11
understanding of star formation, planet
34:14
formation, and so many other areas of
34:16
astronomy. These protolanetary disc
34:19
images are a perfect example of how
34:21
Hubble is still answering fundamental
34:23
questions about how planetary systems
34:26
like ours come to be.
34:28
>> When you think about it, Hubble has
34:29
literally changed our view of the
34:31
universe. From the Hubble deep field to
34:33
these protolanetary discs, from
34:35
measuring the expansion rate of the
34:37
universe to studying exoplanet
34:39
atmospheres, it's been an incredible
34:41
horsework.
34:42
>> Absolutely. And the fact that it's still
34:45
delivering cuttingedge science more than
34:47
30 decades after launch is a testament
34:50
to the foresight of designing it to be
34:52
serviceable and upgradable. It's a model
34:54
for how we should think about building
34:56
space-based observatories.
34:58
>> Well, that wraps up today's episode of
35:00
Astronomy Daily. We covered a lot of
35:02
ground from the uncertain fate of NASA's
35:04
Maven Orbiter to the historic ISS
35:07
medical evacuation. From Europe's
35:09
expanding launch capabilities to
35:11
groundbreaking asteroid defense research
35:14
and we learned about lunar timekeeping
35:16
software that will enable the next
35:18
generation of moon missions. AMP saw how
35:20
Hubble continues to reveal the
35:22
birthplaces of planets after 35 years in
35:25
orbit. It's been quite a week in space
35:28
news and we've only just scratched the
35:30
surface.
35:30
>> Before we go, a quick reminder that you
35:33
can find more space and astronomy news
35:35
at our website, astronomyaily.io.
35:38
And don't forget to subscribe so you
35:40
never miss an episode.
35:41
>> You can also follow us on social media
35:43
for bonus content and updates throughout
35:45
the week.
35:46
>> Thanks for joining us today, everyone.
35:48
>> Clear skies and we'll see you on Monday.
35:53
The stories we told
36:01
stories told
36:09
stories