Japan’s Phobos Mission & Martian Quakes: Exploring Mars’ Moons, Canyons, and the Search for ET

Space Nuts: Mars’ Moons, Martian Quakes, and the Search for ET In 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. Timestamps 00:00 - 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 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support .