Hi everybody, and welcome back to the show.
This is where we explore the fascinating intersections of
SpaceX, Tesla X, Boring Company, and Nerlink.
This is the Elon Musk Podcast, and I'm your host, Will Walden.
Today we're diving into a riveting space mystery.
In March 2022, a piece of Chinese space debris made a
startling impact on the Moon, leaving behind a particular
double crater. Now this impacts NASA's upcoming
flights of Artemis and possibly Spacex's Starship flights to the
Moon. Now this intriguing event has
captured the attention of astronomers and researchers
worldwide. The debris, identified as a part
of a Chinese Long March 3C rocket booster, collided with a
lunar surface near the Hertz Sprung crater.
Researchers from the University of Arizona have published a
study suggesting this booster carried an undisclosed payload.
Adding to the mystery now, the story of this lunar anomaly
dates back to 2015, and astronomers initially mistook
the debris for a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster.
However, later analysis confirmed its origins in China's
lunar Rover mission. The recent study reveals notable
deviations in the debris behavior in space.
A typical rocket booster would exhibit some wobbling due to its
asymmetrical structure. This booster exhibited a stable
and over and tumbling motion, hinting at additional mass.
Now this additional mass likely counterbalance the heavy engines
on the rocket's bottom, and the engines weighed approximately
1200 lbs each sans the fuel now. The known instruments on the
booster, however, weighed only about 60 lbs in total, and the
impact on the Moon created not one, but two distinct craters.
Such a phenomenon is unprecedented in lunar
exploration history. Now, this unique double crater
formation further supports the hypothesis of an extra payload.
Identifying the nature of this additional payload has proven
challenging, though. The Change 5T1 mission, launched
in 2014, was initially involved in this confusion, and the
mysterious payload could have been anything from extra
structural support. Two unknown instrumentation.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of these
craters, providing crucial data for analysis, and the images
showed 2 overlapping craters at the Hertz Brung crater on the
Moon's far side. Such a discovery had never been
seen before in previous NASA moon impacts.
The University of Arizona researchers conducted a detailed
analysis using light reflection data and computer simulations,
and these efforts link the debris to the Change 5T1 rocket.
And this analysis contradicted the Chinese space agency's claim
that the rocket had disintegrated in Earth's
atmosphere. This incident highlights the
growing need for space situational awareness, and as
human activities in space increase, monitoring defunct
space hardware becomes crucial. The University of Arizona Space
4 Center is actively engaging in this critical research area.
While the nature of the extra payload might remain a mystery
for now, the incident offers valuable insights.
It emphasizes the importance of understanding and tracking
debris and could affect upcoming missions to the lunar surface.
NASA's Artemis mission, which is slated for 2024 or 2025, will be
looking closely at the data to better understand the risks
involved. Now, keeping on the topic of
spaceflight and SpaceX, there's a fascinating topic surrounding
Spacex's Starship, the company's flagship spacecraft designed for
ambitious missions to Mars and beyond.
If you're not familiar now, Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX,
recently shared insights into why the Starship adopts A2 stage
design rather than a single stage to orbit the SSTO model,
which is a concept that has been a topic of discussion lately.
And here's what happened. SpaceX Starship, which is a
pivotal for the company's plans for space exploration, comprises
of two main parts. the Super Heavy booster in the spacecraft,
the Starship itself. Together, it's called the
Starship Super Heavy, and this design is crucial for its
intended missions to orbit to the Moon and to Mars.
And the conversation about Starship design was sparked by a
user on X. They edited a photo showing the
Starship without it's super heavy booster, essentially
presenting it as an SSTO vehicle, just the Starship
flying to orbit. Musk, known for his interactive
social media presence, responded to this post explaining the
impracticality of an SSTO design for Earth due to its higher
gravity, in contrast to Mars where such a design would be
more feasible Now. To understand this better, it's
important to know that SSTO refers to a spacecraft reaching
orbit with only one stage without shedding parts like
traditional rockets like boosters falling off and falling
into the ocean. In this concept, while
theoretically appealing, has not yet been achieved from Earth.
Musk's response highlights the significant role of Earth's
gravity in dictating spacecraft design.
He points out that Mars, with its surface gravity about 37% of
Earth, would require less energy to escape its gravitational
pull, making SSTOA more viable option there.
Now this insight is crucial that SpaceX continues to develop its
Starship for interplanetary travel, especially considering
the recent challenges the spacecraft has faced in recent
developments. The starship's second launch
attempt on November 18th encountered a little bit of a
set back. The mission saw successful stage
separation, which is great, but the booster experienced an
explosion shortly thereafter while doing its kickback and
backflip maneuver. Now, furthermore, the spacecraft
lost contact with SpaceX after reaching an altitude of nearly
150 kilometers. That's the Starship part, and
this failure to complete its intended round trip flight and
splash down the Pacific Ocean was a success.
It wasn't quite a failure, but it's not deterrent.
Musk, showcasing his unwavering determination, announced that
the hardware for Starship Flight 3 should be ready to fly in
three to four weeks, indicating Spacex's commitment to
overcoming these hurdles. Now, the discussion about the
SSTO and the challenges a spacecraft design in varying
gravitational environments opens up broader considerations for
space exploration and as humanity looks towards
expeditions to Mars and perhaps even beyond.
The engineering and design choices made right now today by
SpaceX will lay the groundwork for these future endeavors.
Musk's insights into Starship design, in the rationale behind
his two stage configuration, provide a glimpse into the
complex and multifaceted nature of designing a spacecraft of
this magnitude that's capable of not just leaving Earth's orbit,
but also landing on and taking off from other celestial bodies.
Thank you for joining me today in this episode of the show.
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