Astronomy Daily - The Podcast

S02E30: Voyager's Triumph // Bubbletrons // The Wonders of Graphene

Aug 7, 2023

23:02

**Date:** 7th August 2023- **Host:** Steve Dunkley
**Main Topics Covered:**
1. **Personal Updates:** - Steve celebrated his son and his partner Kate's birthdays in Sydney. - Lunch at a famous Australian landmark.
2. **SpaceX News:** - SpaceX tests their new booster. - Static fire test conducted for the Starship First Stage prototype, Booster 9.
3. **Graphene in Space:** - The wonder material graphene is being researched for use in space building and development. - Scientists from the Italian Space Agency discuss graphene's potential role in space exploration. - Up to 1.9% of interstellar medium carbon is made of graphene.
4. **Voyager 2 Update:** - NASA reestablishes contact with Voyager 2. - Voyager 2's history and its journey through the solar system. - Voyager 1 and 2 carry golden records with information about Earth.
5. **Bubbletrons:** - A phenomenon from the early universe where massive bubbles may have emerged and collided. - These bubbles could have been responsible for the creation of dark matter particles and microscopic black holes. - The bubbles' expansion and collision might have created gravitational waves.
6. **Other Space News:** - Discovery of an unusual Jupiter-sized planet, T-O-I-G-4860B, orbiting a low mass star. - NASA's collaboration with Axiom Space for private astronaut missions. - NASA announces crew members for SpaceX Crew 8 mission to the International Space Station.
**Closing Remarks:**Steve and Halley, the digital reporter, wrap up the episode, touching on the incredible properties and potential of graphene in space technologies.