These are my notes and expanded thoughts from this month’s Space News segment on ABC Radio Hobart and ABC Northern Tasmania. Every month I join Lucie Cutting on Sunday mornings to chat about what’s happening above and beyond.
Here’s what we discussed, plus some of my notes, from this edition of the programme:
The $88 Million Satellite That Just Stopped Talking MethaneSAT, backed by Jeff Bezos and designed to track methane emissions from oil and gas operations, has gone silent after just over a year in orbit. Before it died, the satellite managed to reveal that US oil and gas producers are emitting methane at over four times what they report to the EPA. We know exactly where it is - you can actually track its current position - but it’s stopped responding to commands entirely. There’s some fascinating research on methane emissions monitoring if you want to understand how this technology works.
Testing Menstrual Cups in Space for the First Time Researchers launched menstrual cups on a rocket to test how they’d perform in space conditions. This might sound odd, but it’s actually crucial research for long-duration missions. Most female astronauts currently suppress their periods using hormonal contraception, which isn’t practical for the multi-year Mars missions we’re planning. Cornell has been developing space-ready menstrual cups, and there’s detailed research on menstrual health in spaceflight. NPR also has a brilliant piece called “What Happens When You Get Your Period In Space?” that’s worth reading if you’ve ever wondered about the practicalities.
Australia’s Rocket Launch Keeps Getting Delayed Gilmour Space wanted to launch Australia’s first orbital rocket early this year, but government approvals came late. By the time everything was sorted, they were trying to launch in winter, which brings terrible weather conditions for rockets. The latest attempt was scrubbed due to storms along Australia’s east coast. This would be Australia’s first orbital launch in over 50 years, and Gilmour keeps posting updates about their delays on their official site.
These stories matter because they show the practical realities of expanding human activity in space. Satellites fail, human biology doesn’t stop working just because you’re in orbit, and even getting rockets off the ground depends on bureaucracy and weather patterns. Space exploration is fascinating partly because it’s so difficult.
Next month I’ll be back on ABC Radio Hobart and ABC Northern Tasmania with Lucie for more space news.
View the archive of Space News.