Blazing a Trail to the Moon features guests Casey Dreier, Jack Kiraly, and Kate Howells. They discuss the Japanese space agency's successful lunar landing, upcoming solar eclipse, and the importance of advocacy and funding for space missions. The podcast also explores NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission and the significance of mapping the moon's water resources. Additionally, it discusses the framing issue in Apollo 11 images and announces a future episode on solar eclipses.
Successful landing of the Japanese SLIM mission demonstrates a precise lunar landing technique and highlights the importance of aligning solar panels with the sun for power generation.
The Planetary Society's Day of Action provides an opportunity for space enthusiasts to advocate for space science and exploration by meeting their representatives in Congress.
NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission aims to map water distribution on the moon, understand lunar cycles, and enhance our understanding of lunar geology.
Deep dives
JAXA Successfully Lands on the Moon
Congratulations to the Japanese space agency JAXA for successfully landing their slim mission on the moon. Slim demonstrated a precise landing technique and became the fifth nation to achieve a controlled lunar landing. However, the mission encountered an issue with its solar panels not receiving sunlight. The team is hopeful that the panels will regain power once they are properly aligned with the sun.
Upcoming Day of Action for Space Advocacy
The Planetary Society's annual Day of Action is approaching, providing an opportunity for space enthusiasts to advocate for space science and exploration in the United States. The event, taking place on April 29th, allows participants to meet with their representatives in Congress and discuss the importance of space exploration. Registration is open, and participants will be scheduled for meetings with their representatives to make their voices heard.
Lunar Trailblazer Mission to Map Water on the Moon
NASA's upcoming lunar trailblazer mission aims to map the distribution of water on the moon and understand lunar cycles. By mapping the form, abundance, and distribution of water, the mission will shed light on the origin of water on the moon and its potential implications for the origins of water on Earth. The lunar trailblazer will also provide high-resolution maps of lunar temperature and composition, enhancing our understanding of the moon's geology and aiding future missions.
Challenges of Powering Spacecraft During Eclipses
Spacecraft orbiting the moon or other celestial bodies face challenges during eclipses when they lose access to sunlight. One such mission, Lunar Trailblazer, needs to carefully plan for lunar eclipses to ensure enough power to maintain essential operations. Designing power systems capable of enduring eclipses is crucial, and it often involves adding extra batteries to store energy during the dark periods. These eclipses present an engineering challenge that mission designers must tackle to ensure the success of lunar exploration missions.
The Art of Framing a Moon Photo
The iconic image of Buzz Aldrin on the moon with Neil Armstrong's reflection in his visor underwent some post-processing to enhance its visual appeal. The original photo was cropped to create a more aesthetically centered composition by adding black space above Aldrin's head. The alteration was made by someone at NASA before the image was widely distributed and printed in publications. This adjusted version has become an iconic representation of the Apollo 11 mission and continues to captivate audiences with its beauty and symbolism.
We're celebrating lunar missions and the space advocacy that helps make them happen this week on Planetary Radio. Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly, chief of space policy and director of government relations at The Planetary Society, update you on our next Day of Action in Washington, D.C. Kate Howells, our public education specialist, shares the triumph and challenges of the Japanese space agency's SLIM lunar lander, as Japan becomes the fifth nation to make a successful soft landing on the Moon. We begin our coverage of the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse in Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8th with Bethany Ehlmann, the president of our board of directors and the principal investigator of NASA's upcoming Lunar Trailblazer mission. She joins us for a mission update and a look at how eclipses affect spacecraft near the Earth and Moon. We'll top off this lunar celebration with Bruce Betts, our Chief Scientist and everyone's favorite master of random space facts, as he shares some history about an iconic Apollo image.