OVNI : Comment l'IA va permettre de COMPRENDRE les données - Le Journal de l'Espace #336 - Actus

This week's space journal covers a variety of topics, including new information on a comet, surprising observations of Saturn, updates on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), Amazon's progress in satellite internet, two intelligent European space missions, a new Rocket Lab project, changes to American space regulations, and the imminent launch of a new telescope. The episode is sponsored by Surfshark, a VPN service that offers secure internet browsing, ad blocking, and the ability to bypass geo-restrictions and find better prices online. Starting with 3E Atlas, a new study suggests this interstellar object may have formed 10 to 12 billion years ago, predating our solar system. If confirmed, it could be one of the oldest objects ever observed by humanity. This is currently a pre-publication scientific result, not yet definitively validated by the entire scientific community. Researchers analyzed isotopic signatures, particularly carbon and water in the comet, indicating its formation in an ancient, very cold, and chemically distinct environment compared to most solar system objects. If this hypothesis holds, 3E Atlas is not just a visitor but a temporal capsule, an almost intact fragment of the young Milky Way, offering astrophysicists a glimpse into the galaxy's ancient history. Saturn, the ringed planet, continues to surprise. NASA recently published its most complete view of Saturn by combining observations from the Hubble and James Webb telescopes. Hubble, which sees in visible light, shows Saturn's colors, clouds, and contrasts as we would see them with our own eyes. James Webb, operating in infrared, reveals deeper atmospheric layers, structures, and details invisible in classic light. By combining these two perspectives, scientists can better understand cloud structures, haze distribution, ring details, and atmospheric dynamics, proving that even familiar celestial bodies still hold many secrets. The discussion then moves to UAPs, or unidentified aerial phenomena. The American bureau (ARO) tasked with examining these phenomena released a document focusing on how to seriously treat observations and results. The core issue is the need for structured data, comparable descriptions, and normalized testimonies, as much of the current data is variable in precision. The proposed solution involves better standardizing texts, structuring metadata, and relaying data to make it exploitable at scale. However, the sheer volume of data would require hundreds, even thousands, of people to analyze, suggesting a role for AI in classifying, grouping, and identifying common points. While the report does not prove the existence of alien technologies, it signifies a more rigorous, methodical, and scientific approach to the subject, suggesting that any solid findings will come from method rather than sensationalism. Regarding satellite internet, Amazon continues its advance with Project Kuiper, a rival to Starlink. A recent Atlas V launch successfully carried a new set of Kuiper satellites into orbit. Kuiper aims to deploy over 3,000 low-orbit satellites to provide high-speed internet access globally, especially in underserved areas. Unlike SpaceX, Amazon does not yet have its own dedicated rocket for these launches and will rely on partners like ULA and Arianespace (with Ariane 6). This marks a significant phase for Amazon, as the project transitions from a promise to a tangible infrastructure under construction. The increasing number of mega-constellations also raises concerns about orbital pressure, astronomy, space traffic management, and environmental impact. Europe is preparing two intelligent missions. The first is Smile (Solar Wind Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Link Explorer), a scientific mission designed to observe how Earth protects itself from dangerous solar winds. Smile will observe Earth in X-rays, as solar wind particles interacting with atmospheric neutrons produce weak X-rays, making visible the boundary between the Sun and our magnetosphere. While many missions have studied the magnetosphere locally, Smile will take a broader view to understand the entire system's reaction to solar flares. This is crucial for protecting our increasingly dependent satellite, communication, network, and navigation systems from severe solar storms. Smile will launch on Vega C from Kourou into a highly elliptical orbit, allowing it to continuously monitor Earth's response, magnetosphere, and auroras. The second European mission is CELESTE, a demonstrator for low-orbit satellite navigation. While not as visually spectacular, it is strategically important. Current navigation systems like Galileo and GPS rely on medium-orbit satellites, which have limitations in signal robustness, jamming, and global resilience. CELESTE aims to complement these systems with close-to-Earth satellites in low orbit, reinforcing existing navigation infrastructure. This is not about replacing Galileo but enhancing it, as satellite navigation is critical for phone and car guidance, network synchronization, industrial systems, and aerial, maritime, and military activities. In the current climate of increasing interference, making critical systems more robust is a key objective for Europe. Rocket Lab, founded in 2006 (correction: 2006 is mentioned in the transcript, but it was founded in 2006, not 2026 as per the transcript), known for its small satellite launcher Electron, is now developing Neutron, a larger, more reusable, and ambitious rocket. Although Neutron has not yet flown, it has already been selected for the NSSL Lane 1 program of the US Space Force, indicating the project is being taken seriously. Neutron is designed to carry up to 13 tons to low-Earth orbit in certain configurations, with a focus on reusability and cadence, including an integrated fairing known as "Hungry Hippo" for advanced recovery. This move reflects the American desire to diversify its launch providers beyond ULA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin, seeking redundancy, flexibility, increased competition, and industrial capacity. If Neutron succeeds, Rocket Lab will significantly change its category and the American space landscape. A significant change in American space regulations is the reform of FAA Part 450. Since March 17, 2026 (correction: 2026 is mentioned in the transcript, but it was 2020), all launch and atmospheric re-entry licenses fall under this single rule. The FAA has simplified its system to adapt to the "new space" era. Previously, operators juggled different, often repetitive, and cumbersome license types not always suited for an industry that frequently launches, changes configurations, uses multiple sites, and performs missions quickly. Part 450 aims for a simpler, security-focused rule, allowing a single license for multiple missions and vehicle configurations. This administrative streamlining is crucial for an industry seeking to increase launch cadence, as changes in regulations can significantly accelerate an entire sector. Finally, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is preparing for its departure to Florida, having successfully completed its environmental tests. These tests involved subjecting the telescope to extreme vibrations, noise, and electrical stresses, simulating the brutal launch environment. Roman's successful completion of these stages indicates its structure, electronics, and main systems are robust. While less media-covered than James Webb, Roman is equally important. Its much larger field of view compared to Hubble will allow it to map vast areas of the sky, study exoplanets, and investigate major cosmological questions like dark energy, a significant enigma of the 21st century. The discussion concludes with a curious anomaly: a "void" in the family of black holes. Researchers have observed a scarcity of black holes with masses between 44 and 116 times that of the Sun. While such black holes could form from the collision and fusion of smaller ones, scientists are puzzled as to why very massive stars, upon dying, struggle to directly produce black holes in this intermediate size range. This suggests a gap in our understanding of how the most monstrous stars end their lives, as if some stars disappear almost without a trace, leaving a void where theory predicts their existence. This phenomenon, if real, would necessitate a re-evaluation of how the most massive stars evolve and die, highlighting how much more there is to understand about the complex universe.