Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?
Our Hosts
Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
Production by
- Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
- Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer
17 Seasons
700+ Episodes
Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions from Asteroids and Comets?
Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?
Ep. 707: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions for the Moon and Mars?
We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, were we study them with proper equipment.
Ep. 706: China’s Space Program
We’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the US. They’ve got their own space exploration program that could soon bring humans to the surface of the Moon. Let’s give a brief overview of China’s space exploration plans.
Recent Episodes
Ep. 646: Long Term Future in Space
We always say that we're living in golden age of space and astronomy, but it feels like things are just accelerating. What does the long-term future hold for our place in the Universe? https://youtu.be/cUZQHC-Xk7k Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes Star Trek: The Next...
Ep. 645: The Future of the ISS
The International Space Station has been continuously inhabited for over 20 years now, serving as a peaceful collaboration between space-faring nations. But it's a machine, and it's getting old. In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made things complicated....
Ep. 644: Is Earth… Normal?
https://youtu.be/FWmMwisoBSQ Now that we've discovered thousands of exoplanets, we're learning more and more about what kinds of planetary systems there are out there across the Universe. Are planets like Earth unique or totally rare? Download MP3 | Show Notes |...
Ep. 643: Sagittarius A*
https://youtu.be/dALXUbVaWCs All the waiting is over, we've finally seen the image of the event horizon from the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. Today we're going to explain the picture, and what's next for the Event Horizon Telescope. Download...
Ep. 642: Is the Sun… Normal?
https://youtu.be/NFR7R6wNxcM We've always assumed that we lived in a perfectly normal system with a normal star and normal planets. It's all... normal. But with our modern understanding of billions of stars, just how normal is our Sun, anyway? Download MP3 | Show...
Ep. 641: Are Planets Alive?
https://youtu.be/VYSO-rb1iLM The Earth is teeming with life, both in the upper atmosphere to kilometers underground. There's no question that our planet has life. But is our planet itself alive? This is a question posed back in the 1970s as the Gaia hypothesis, and it...
Ep. 640: Survey Science: Newest Projects and Results
https://youtu.be/_vWn9c4WaP0 There are general-purpose telescopes and missions that astronomers can use to study specific objects. And there are survey missions that look at the entire sky, which astronomers can use to answer questions about the Universe. We've talked...
Ep. 639: Big Questions Update: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Hubble Constant
https://youtu.be/R5kSNGxShko Knowledge moves forward, and so, we must move with it. Today we'll give you an update on some of the most fascinating, and fast-changing topics in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes...
Ep. 638: Simulating Space Missions
https://youtu.be/QBAf5CVkvTM Although humans have never actually been to Mars, explorers have simulated many aspects of Mars missions here on Earth. There are missions under the ocean, on the tops of volcanoes, in the harsh Canadian north, and even in bed that...
Ep. 637: Machine Learning in Astronomy
https://youtu.be/ISg74n2B4CA Computers are a big part of astronomy, but mostly they've been relegated to doing calculations. Recent developments in machine learning have changed everything, giving computers the ability to do jobs that humans could only do in the past....
Ep. 636: Blowing Bubbles
https://youtu.be/DoWq4_zIlu4 We think of space as a vacuum, but there are regions of different density. There are winds blowing from stars and other objects that clear out vast bubbles in space, and look absolutely fantastic in pictures. And might have been critical...
Ep. 635: Jets: When Magnetic Fields Fling Things
https://youtu.be/TwNN3BQbjVA As astronomers look out across the Universe, they see various objects spewing jets of material light years into space. What causes these jets, and what impact do they have on the Universe. Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes...
Ep. 634: Milky Way’s Mergers & Acquisitions
https://youtu.be/FPCf6eGaBQ4 The Milky Way is a vast grand spiral today, but how did it get this way? Astronomers are starting to unravel the history of our galaxy, revealing the ancient collisions with dwarf galaxies, and how they came together to build the Milky...
Ep. 633: Weirdly Habitable Places
https://youtu.be/bfYxeEh0TFk We've always assumed that habitable planets would need to be like Earth; a terrestrial planet orbiting a sunlike star. But now astronomers have been discovering planets in the habitable zone around very much non-sunlike stars. What strange...
Ep. 632: Building Images: Optical vs. Radio
https://youtu.be/V5ZqqA17IxU A recent image from the South African Meerkat telescope blew our minds. It was a high resolution image of the center of the Milky Way, showing delicate filaments and other structures. What was so mind blowing is that this was an image from...
Ep. 631: All the Uses of Pulsars (Including Murder)
https://youtu.be/bgklGICUNeQ Pulsars are the rapidly spinning degenerate husks of dead stars, turning hundreds of times a second. But they're also handy clocks, spinning with such certainty and accuracy that astronomers can use them for all kinds of stuff. We might...
Ep. 630: Things We Can Look Forward To
https://youtu.be/zYPJFJndDUM In a rare moment of weakness, Pamela has decided she's open to the possibility that a future exists. That missions, telescopes and spacecraft are going to be built and they're going to do some science. Today we'll talk about what we're...
Ep. 629: The Cost of Delays
https://youtu.be/3gZtbMugXR8 With all the success of James Webb so far, it's looking like science's huge gamble is going to pay off, but there were years of delays and budget overruns. What impacts did these delays have on science, careers, and the future of space...
Ep. 628: The Sun Revisited
https://youtu.be/IiPvLdPadXg Once again, it's time to take a look at the Sun. You know, ongoing thermonuclear explosion of fusing hydrogen that's right over there. Fortunately, there's a fleet of spacecraft and ground observatories ready to give our best ever view of...
Ep. 627: Mercury Revisited
https://youtu.be/VVjsEPOO1mY It's been about a thousand years since we last looked at Mercury, so we figured it's time for an update. What new things have we learned about Mercury, or even new questions? Fortunately, there's a mission on the way to help get us some...