Space Nuts: Mars’ Moons, Martian Quakes, and the Search for ETIn this engaging episode of
Space Nuts, Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson explore two mysteries from Mars, along with a new effort to listen for signs of life beyond Earth. First, they unpack Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which will study Phobos and Deimos, attempt a landing on Phobos and bring samples back to Earth. The discussion turns to a Marsquake traced to the immense Valles Marineris canyon, offering fresh clues that the Red Planet may still be geologically active. Finally, Andrew and Fred Watson examine Saudi Arabia’s plans for a major astronomical observatory, including a site for Laser SETI detectors searching for brief flashes of possible extraterrestrial communication. Join them for a cosmic tour filled with planetary puzzles, ambitious missions and a little speculation about how aliens might get in touch.
Key topics- Japan’s MMX mission to investigate Mars’ moons and return samples from Phobos.
- The possible origins of Phobos and Deimos, and the challenges of landing on a world with almost no gravity.
- A Marsquake linked to Valles Marineris and what it suggests about the planet’s geological activity.
- Saudi Arabia’s planned observatory and the use of optical Laser SETI detectors in the search for extraterrestrial signals.
Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and episode overview
01:20 - Japan’s MMX mission and the mysteries of Phobos and Deimos
06:00 - How the mission will study Phobos and attempt to collect samples
12:00 - The challenges of landing on Phobos and the planned sample return to Earth
15:45 - A Marsquake traced to Valles Marineris
19:30 - What the quake reveals about Mars’ geological activity
22:00 - Saudi Arabia’s new observatory and the Laser SETI search
26:00 - How optical detectors could look for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence
29:00 - Closing thoughts and listener engagement
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