Weekly Space Hangout - September 19, 2014

TL;DR

This video discusses various space news updates, including private space flight contracts, compact dwarf galaxies, dark matter research, and the progress of the Rosetta mission.

Transcript

can you not hear me I can hear you I can hear you now oh weird there must be delay I'm I'm on uh at my father's place on Hornby Island so uh there's going to be all kinds of horrible delay and terrible technology so I will try to minimize the amount that I talk and maximize the amount that you guys talk so uh and then just pretend like you heard th... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏆 NASA awards contracts to Boeing and SpaceX for human spaceflight to the International Space Station, with a focus on both safety and innovation.
• ✴️ The ultra compact dwarf galaxy, M60 UCD 1, demonstrates the extreme density of stars and the presence of supermassive black holes in certain galactic structures.
• 😀 The search for potentially hazardous asteroids faces challenges in terms of funding, resources, and the short time window to detect and predict impacts.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did NASA award contracts to both Boeing and SpaceX instead of choosing one company?

NASA chose to hedge their bets and go with both Boeing and SpaceX to ensure a greater chance of success in human spaceflight.

Q: What is the significance of the ultra compact dwarf galaxy, M60 UCD 1?

M60 UCD 1 is the densest dwarf galaxy known, with a supermassive black hole in its core and about 140 million stars compacted into a 300-light year wide area.

Q: What are the challenges in finding potentially hazardous asteroids?

NASA faces difficulties in dedicating resources and funding to asteroid search programs, as well as the short window of time between discovering an asteroid and potential impact.

Q: How does the Rosetta mission plan to land on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko?

The spacecraft will detach from the Rosetta satellite and drift to the surface, targeting a landing site known as "Spot J" on the head of the comet.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA awards contracts to Boeing and SpaceX to transport astronauts to the International Space Station.

• The Ultra Compact Dwarf Galaxy, M60 UCD 1, is discovered and found to be the most dense dwarf galaxy known.

• NASA Inspector General criticizes the agency's progress in finding potentially hazardous asteroids to Earth.

• The Rosetta mission selects a landing site on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.