Space Technology
How will President Trump handle potential conflicts of interest with Elon Musk's companies that do business with the US government?
President Trump clearly stated that if there was a conflict of interest involving Musk's businesses, he would recuse himself from the decision-making process. The concern stems from Musk's multiple companies—including X, Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, and Neuralink—that conduct business with government agencies and could potentially benefit from favorable policies enacted by Trump's administration. This approach demonstrates Trump's acknowledgment of the ethical considerations surrounding Musk's dual roles as both a business leader with significant government contracts and an advisor to the administration.
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WION
02:29 - 02:50
How was the rare Saturn-like planet TVLM513B discovered?
TVLM513B was discovered by astronomers detecting a wobble in its star's motion caused by the gravitational pull of the planet. This marks the first successful application of this detection technique using a radio telescope, specifically the continent-Wide Very Long Baseline Array. The technique is typically used for detecting Jupiter-like planets in distant orbits from stars. Located about 35 light years from Earth, TVLM513B has a mass similar to Saturn and orbits in a path resembling Mercury's. This discovery is particularly significant because it's rare to detect extrasolar planets orbiting around small, cool stars.
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WION
00:05 - 01:21
How did astronomers discover the exoplanet TVLM513B?
Astronomers discovered TVLM513B using the continent Wide Very Long Baseline Array. This discovery is notable because it's rare to detect extrasolar planets orbiting around small stars, making TVLM513B a significant find in astronomical research. The planet, which resembles Saturn, is located approximately 35 light years from Earth and orbits a faint, cool star. The detection was made possible by observing the subtle wobble of the host star caused by the planet's gravitational forces, representing an advancement in exoplanet detection methods.
Watch clip answer (00:13m)WION
01:07 - 01:21
What is the Blue Ghost lunar lander and what milestone will it achieve?
Blue Ghost is a commercial lunar lander developed by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace that recently captured remarkable footage of the moon's far side from about 75 miles above the surface. The spacecraft has been on a 45-day journey through space and is currently orbiting the moon, with a landing scheduled for early March. Upon successful landing, Blue Ghost will achieve a historic milestone as the first American spacecraft to land intact and upright on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. This represents a significant advancement in commercial lunar exploration capabilities after a five-decade gap in American lunar landing achievements.
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CBS News
41:05 - 41:51
What is the Blue Ghost spacecraft and what milestone could it achieve?
The Blue Ghost is a lunar lander developed by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace that has captured stunning new footage of the far side of the moon from about 75 miles above the surface. Currently on a 45-day journey through space, this commercial spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon in early March. If successful, Blue Ghost would achieve a historic milestone as the first American spacecraft to land intact and upright on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. This represents a significant advancement in commercial lunar exploration capabilities after a gap of over 50 years since the last successful American moon landing.
Watch clip answer (00:45m)CBS News
41:05 - 41:51
What are the key details about the asteroid that triggered the first ever impact notification in the International Asteroid Warning Network?
This asteroid has a 3.1% probability of impacting Earth (up from 2.3%), making it the second highest probability ever recorded after a 2004 asteroid with 4% probability. It's roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty or a football field and has triggered the first asteroid impact notification within the International Asteroid Warning Network since its creation in 2013. NASA is using the James Webb Space Telescope to gather more data, and the probability is expected to decrease with better observations. Despite concerns, there's still a 96.9% chance it will miss Earth.
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NBC News
01:33:13 - 01:34:06