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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.