From Cosmic Collisions to Astronaut Safety

This episode of Space Time with Stuart Gary explores three major scientific frontiers: the resolution of a long-standing mystery in the Small Magellanic Cloud, astronaut radiation protection during NASA's Artemis II mission, and breakthroughs in growing food on other planets. Astronomers now believe a past collision with the Large Magellanic Cloud disrupted the Small Magellanic Cloud’s internal structure, explaining why its stars don’t orbit its center like those in other galaxies—challenging its use as a cosmic reference point. The episode then shifts to human spaceflight, detailing how NASA and NOAA will monitor solar activity in real time using a network of spacecraft, including Perseverance on Mars, to protect Artemis II astronauts from dangerous solar particle events. Radiation shielding strategies, such as reconfiguring the Orion capsule with stored equipment, are crucial for crew safety. Finally, the show highlights advances in extraterrestrial agriculture, where fungi and worm castings helped grow chickpeas in simulated lunar soil, while Martian soil experiments showed microbial growth that eventually died out. The episode closes with a skeptical look at Bigfoot lore and a new detergent-free fabric coating that could revolutionize laundry.