S27E87: NASA's Speed Demon, China's Space Secrets, and Radio Vision of the Universe

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 87, where we delve into the latest cosmic events and advancements in space exploration.

• **NASA's Parker Solar Probe**: NASA's Parker Solar Probe has just completed its 20th close approach to the Sun, setting a new record as the fastest man-made object ever built. Achieving perihelion at a distance of 7.26 million kilometres from the Sun's surface, the probe travelled at an astonishing 635,266 kilometres per hour. This milestone marks the midpoint of the mission's 20th solar encounter, with more close approaches planned for the future.
• - **China's Secretive Space Plane**: China's highly secretive reusable space plane has released another mysterious spacecraft into orbit. The experimental spacecraft, named Sheng Long or "Divine Dragon," has been in orbit for nearly 200 days on its third mission. Launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket, the space plane's activities remain shrouded in mystery, with speculation about its sub-satellite designed for proximity and recapture spy manoeuvres.
• - **Seeing the Universe in Radio Waves**: Back in 2016, the Murchison Widefield Array telescope in Western Australia provided a glimpse of the universe as it would appear if human eyes could see radio waves. The GLEAM survey catalogued around 300,000 galaxies, revealing the remnants of distant star explosions, galaxy collisions, and the activities of supermassive black holes. This groundbreaking research offers invaluable insights into the universe's structure and the physics of distant galaxies.
• 00:00:00 " This is spacetime series 27, episode 87, for broadcast on 19 July 2024
• 00:00:46 " NASA's Parker solar probe just completed its 20th close approach to the sun
• 00:05:03 " Large scale radio surveys like Gleam are extremely valuable to scientists
• 00:10:44 " I have student looking for transient m objects in our survey
• 00:16:27 " A new study claims modern dingoes share very little ancestry with other breeds
• 00:18:11 " New research finds people who invest in cryptocurrency more likely to hold fringe views
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