Space Wonders - an ESA podcast collection

Guided by a sonification created with data from ESA's Solar Orbiter mission, we explore some of the mysteries of our Sun, how Solar Orbiter is studying them, and how sound can make astronomy more accessible.

In this episode of Expedition Sound, we set off on our first journey of this podcast series and travel to the Sun – our familiar, friendly neighbourhood star.

Along the way, we meet one of Solar Orbiter’s project scientists Miho Janvier, who helps us uncover the science behind solar flares, the solar cycle, and the mysteries that scientists are still trying to solve about the Sun. We also hear from Nic Bonne, a blind astronomer and science communicator at the University of Portsmouth, about how sonification can open new doors to astronomy and create richer ways for everyone to experience the Universe.

 

Hosted by Zsófi Szalavári

 

Check out the sonification of this episode here: esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2024/12/See_and_hear_three_years_of_solar_fireworks

Learn more about ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission: esa.int/SolarOrbiter

Learn more about ESA’s Smile mission: esa.int/Smile

Find out more about Nic Bonne’s Tactile Universe project: tactileuniverse.org/

 

Many thanks to Klaus Nielsen (DTU Space / Maple Pools) for making the sonification in this episode. If you would like to hear more sonifications and music by this artist, please visit: linktr.ee/maplepools 

Original theme music produced by Marci Szalavári (soundcloud.com/septrone-hd).

 

Expedition Sound is a podcast series by the European Space Agency (ESA) in which you’re invited to explore the Universe through your ears. Guided by sonifications – the translation of data into sound – we travel from our Sun out into the depths of space to uncover what the space telescopes of ESA’s science missions teach us about the Universe.

We talk to Julia Schwartz, expert in flight dynamics, and Klaus Merz, space debris, about Solar Orbiter's upcoming risky Earth flyby. On 27 Nov, it will pass almost as close as the International Space Station in one of the closest flybys on record, which will see the spacecraft pass through two regions of hazardous debris. Could Solar Orbiter swerve from collision, if needed? Has the recent 'fragmentation event' increased the risk?

A year ago today, a failure on the Integral spacecraft meant it fired its thrusters for likely the last time. Hear Richard Southworth, Operations Manager for the mission explain how in the 365 days since, the spacecraft in Earth orbit has continued to shed light on the violent gamma ray Universe.

Not only that, Integral should soon be working even more efficiently than before, as mission control teams implement an ingenious new way to control the 18-year-old spacecraft.

ESA needs you. We need a name for our new spacecraft. Its mission? To spot potentially hazardous solar storms before they reach Earth.

We speak to Jussi Luntama, ESA's Head of Space Weather about the mission, why it needs a new name, and what kind of submissions he's hoping for.

Submit your proposal at: https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_weather/Name_ESA_s_new_mission

Once every two years, asteroid experts around the globe meet up and pretend an asteroid impact is imminent. Why? To prepare for the likely – but plausible – scenario in which this comes true.

In this episode, we speak about the hypothetical impact scenario playing out at this year's Planetary Defense Conference and why it matters, with Detlef Koschny, ESA's Head of Planetary Defence.

Get the full story on hypothetical asteroid 2021 PDC on the Rocket Science blog: https://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2021/04/26/deep-fake-impact/