S03E121: NASA's Crew Nine Delay and Venus's Tectonic Secrets

0:01 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, where we cover the latest in

0:04 Speaker 1: space and astronomy news. I'm your host Anna. Today we've

0:08 Speaker 1: got an exciting lineup that will take you on a

0:10 Speaker 1: journey through some of the most intriguing recent updates in

0:13 Speaker 1: the cosmos. We'll start with NASA's latest move to push

0:17 Speaker 1: the Crew nine mission launch to September as they delve

0:20 Speaker 1: into the intricacies of Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Then we'll shift

0:24 Speaker 1: gears to explore groundbreaking research that peels back the layers

0:27 Speaker 1: on Venus, revealing that our inhospitable evil twin might share

0:31 Speaker 1: more in common with Earth than we ever imagined. Finally,

0:35 Speaker 1: we'll spotlight a compelling study on red dwarf stars and

0:38 Speaker 1: how their stellar flares could pose both challenges and potentials

0:41 Speaker 1: for habitability on nearby exoplanets. So grab your telescopes and

0:45 Speaker 1: your curiosity and let's dive into today's episode. NASA is

0:50 Speaker 1: postponing the launch of the Crew nine mission to September

0:52 Speaker 1: due to ongoing analysis of Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This delay

0:57 Speaker 1: will give mission managers more time to finalize plans for

0:59 Speaker 1: the crew flight test, which is currently docked at the

1:02 Speaker 1: International Space station thruster issues with the Starliner spacecraft have

1:07 Speaker 1: been the main concern. NASA is taking this extra time

1:10 Speaker 1: to analyze the results of recent hot fire testing and

1:13 Speaker 1: to ensure the reliability of the integrated propulsion system. Until

1:16 Speaker 1: either the star Liner or Crew eight Dragon departs the

1:19 Speaker 1: space station, there will be no available docking ports for

1:22 Speaker 1: the Crew nine mission. The delay helps NASA maintain rigorous

1:26 Speaker 1: safety protocols while allowing additional time to study and confirm

1:29 Speaker 1: the performance of the star Liner. Additionally, this pause will

1:33 Speaker 1: enable a careful review of the return flight plans for

1:36 Speaker 1: the star Liner, ensuring every procedure is meticulously thought out

1:40 Speaker 1: before moving forward. This delay isn't just about pushing back

1:44 Speaker 1: the date, it's about ensuring every detail is meticulously checked.

1:47 Speaker 1: NASA's team is using this period to rigorously test and

1:50 Speaker 1: validate Starliner's integrated propulsion system. By taking the time to

1:54 Speaker 1: analyze recent docked hot fire tests and finalize their flight rationale,

2:00 Speaker 1: they aim to guarantee the spacecraft's reliability for its return

2:03 Speaker 1: to Earth. In the meantime, there's an exciting development on

2:07 Speaker 1: the horizon. The Crew nine mission, scheduled for late September,

2:10 Speaker 1: will not only continue NASA's partnership with SpaceX, but will

2:14 Speaker 1: also be the first crude flight to launch from Space

2:16 Speaker 1: Launch Complex forty. This newly upgraded site now boasts the

2:20 Speaker 1: state of the art Crew Access Tower, a milestone signifying

2:23 Speaker 1: a new chapter for SpaceX's crude missions. This move underscores

2:27 Speaker 1: the advancements and collaborations driving modern space exploration. One critical

2:33 Speaker 1: aspect of launching astronauts into space is ensuring their safety

2:36 Speaker 1: in the event of an emergency. With the upcoming Artemis

2:39 Speaker 1: the Second Mission, NASA is stepping up its game by

2:42 Speaker 1: introducing a cutting edge ground based emergency egress system specifically

2:47 Speaker 1: designed for rapid evacuation if something goes wrong during the

2:50 Speaker 1: launch countdown. This new system utilizes track cables connected to

2:54 Speaker 1: the mobile launcher guiding baskets similar to ski lift gondolas,

2:57 Speaker 1: down to the launch pad perimeter. In the event of

3:00 Speaker 1: an emergency, personnel can quickly descend from the launch tower

3:03 Speaker 1: using these baskets positioned at the same level as the

3:06 Speaker 1: crew Access arm where astronauts enter the spacecraft. The baskets

3:10 Speaker 1: can carry up to five people or a total weight

3:13 Speaker 1: of one thousand, five hundred pounds each. The procedure works

3:17 Speaker 1: like a well oiled machine. As soon as an emergency

3:19 Speaker 1: is declared, crew members will exit the spacecraft or white

3:23 Speaker 1: room on the mobile launcher and make their way to

3:25 Speaker 1: the baskets. From there, they'll ride down the one three

3:28 Speaker 1: hundred thirty five foot long cables to reach the ground

3:31 Speaker 1: far away from any potential danger. Once they've landed, armoured

3:35 Speaker 1: emergency response vehicles will be waiting to whisk them away

3:37 Speaker 1: to safety. Artemis the Second is set to be NASA's

3:40 Speaker 1: first mission with crew aboard the SLS Rocket and O

3:43 Speaker 1: Ryan spacecraft. Though the emergency Egress system might never need

3:46 Speaker 1: to be used, its introduction reinforces NASA's unwavering commitment to

3:50 Speaker 1: astronaut safety. Charlie Blackwell Thompson, Artemis launch director, emphasized that

3:56 Speaker 1: these emergency protocols are absolutely essential for crew safety, even

4:00 Speaker 1: though the likelihood of needing them is very low. While

4:03 Speaker 1: it is very unlikely that we will need the emergency

4:05 Speaker 1: Egress and pad abort systems, they are built and tested

4:09 Speaker 1: to ensure that if we do need them, then they

4:11 Speaker 1: are ready to go. In addition to NASA's system for

4:14 Speaker 1: Artemis the Second, SpaceX and Boeing have implemented their own

4:17 Speaker 1: unique egress systems for their respective launches. At SpaceX's Launch

4:22 Speaker 1: Complex thirty nine, a a slide wire cable system is used,

4:26 Speaker 1: enabling baskets to swiftly transport personnel away from the launch

4:30 Speaker 1: pad in an emergency. Meanwhile, at space Launch Complex forty one,

4:34 Speaker 1: Boeing and United Launch Alliance have designed seats that ride

4:37 Speaker 1: down slide wires similar to a thrilling zip line experience,

4:41 Speaker 1: ensuring a quick and efficient evacuation. These measures, although different,

4:45 Speaker 1: all share the common goal of prioritizing the safety and

4:48 Speaker 1: swift egress of the crew and personnel involved in these

4:50 Speaker 1: monumental missions. New research suggests that Venus, often dubbed Earth's

4:57 Speaker 1: inhospitable evil twin, may have once been tectonically active, despite

5:02 Speaker 1: its current stagnant lithosphere. Today, Venus is known for its

5:06 Speaker 1: extreme surface conditions, temperatures hot enough to melt lead and

5:10 Speaker 1: surface pressures intense enough to crush most materials. However, this

5:14 Speaker 1: new study reveals that the planet's surface features such as faults, folds,

5:18 Speaker 1: and volcanoes indicate a history of significant tectonic activity. Fabio Capitanio,

5:24 Speaker 1: a researcher from the Monash University School of earth atmosphere

5:27 Speaker 1: and environment. Emphasized that the discovery challenges our existing understanding

5:32 Speaker 1: of planetary evolution. The study, conducted in collaboration with NASA,

5:37 Speaker 1: examined striking plateaus called tesserae on Venus, which resemble Earth's

5:42 Speaker 1: earliest continental formations. Capitanio explained that the intense geological processes

5:47 Speaker 1: on Venus billions of years ago could be compared to

5:50 Speaker 1: those that shape the Earth's early continents. The team's findings

5:54 Speaker 1: offer new perspectives on the geological similarities between Venus and Earth,

5:58 Speaker 1: potentially unlocked secrets about the early history of our own planet.

6:03 Speaker 1: Stay tuned for more exciting updates from missions like da Vinci, Veritas,

6:06 Speaker 1: and Envision, which aim to delve deeper into Venus' geological past.

6:11 Speaker 1: Research team utilized data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which first

6:15 Speaker 1: imaged the entire surface of Venus back in nineteen ninety.

6:19 Speaker 1: They coupled this data with advanced computer modeling to unravel

6:22 Speaker 1: the geological processes at play. The findings suggest that the

6:25 Speaker 1: extreme heat on Venus may have caused its surface to

6:28 Speaker 1: thin and melt, forming elevated areas as molten rock rows

6:32 Speaker 1: over time. This stretching and subsequent cooling left behind the

6:35 Speaker 1: Tesseray plateaus we see today. These features are strikingly similar

6:39 Speaker 1: to Earth's ancient continental formations, indicating that Venus and Earth

6:43 Speaker 1: may have shared a more comparable geological history than previously believed.

6:50 Speaker 1: A recent study has shed light on the potential dangers

6:52 Speaker 1: facing habitable planets around red dwarf stars. The research, led

6:56 Speaker 1: by astronomers from the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy,

7:00 Speaker 1: reveals that these stars can emit far ultraviolet radiation at

7:04 Speaker 1: levels much higher than previously believed. This finding has striking

7:08 Speaker 1: implications for the habitability of planets orbiting red dwarfs. The

7:12 Speaker 1: team utilized archival data from NASA's now decommissioned gayleex Space telescope,

7:16 Speaker 1: which observed the sky in ultraviolet wavelengths from two thousand

7:20 Speaker 1: and three to twenty thirteen. Through advanced computational techniques, the

7:24 Speaker 1: researchers were able to identify and analyze flares from around

7:27 Speaker 1: three hundred thousand nearby stars. Their results show that the

7:31 Speaker 1: far UV radiation from these stellar flares is on average

7:35 Speaker 1: three times more energetic than earlier models had assumed, and

7:38 Speaker 1: can reach up to twelve times the previously expected levels.

7:41 Speaker 1: This intense UV radiation could have a dual impact on

7:44 Speaker 1: surrounding planets. On one hand, it might erode planetary atmospheres,

7:48 Speaker 1: which is detrimental to the potential for life. On the

7:51 Speaker 1: other hand, it could also contribute to forming RNA building

7:54 Speaker 1: blocks essential for the creation of life. Therefore, while the

7:57 Speaker 1: elevated UV levels pose a threat, they could also play

8:01 Speaker 1: a role in the fundamental processes that lead to life.

8:04 Speaker 1: This study calls for more observational data to better understand

8:07 Speaker 1: the environments around these less massive stars and their impact

8:10 Speaker 1: on exoplanet habitability. This high energy UV radiation emitted by

8:14 Speaker 1: red dwarf stars is a double edged sword. On one hand,

8:18 Speaker 1: it has the potential to erode the atmospheres of nearby planets,

8:21 Speaker 1: stripping away the very layer that could make those worlds habitable.

8:24 Speaker 1: Without a protective atmosphere, these planets could be bombarded by

8:28 Speaker 1: harmful radiation, making the surface inhospitable to life as we

8:31 Speaker 1: know it. On the other hand, UV radiation might play

8:34 Speaker 1: a crucial role in the formation of RNA building blocks,

8:37 Speaker 1: which are essential for the creation of life. This suggests

8:40 Speaker 1: a complex interplay where the same forces that could threaten

8:43 Speaker 1: a planet's habitability might also foster the very beginnings of life.

8:48 Speaker 1: The exact mechanisms behind this far UV emission remain unknown,

8:52 Speaker 1: but it's clear that understanding them is key to unlocking

8:55 Speaker 1: the mysteries of early planetary environments. More data from space

8:59 Speaker 1: telescopes will be necessary to delve deeper into this phenomenon.

9:02 Speaker 1: Further studies will aim to reveal how widespread these intense

9:06 Speaker 1: radiation events are and their true impact on the habitability

9:09 Speaker 1: of planets around these common yet volatile stars. That's it

9:13 Speaker 1: for today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I've been your host Anna.

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9:45 Speaker 1: Sunday Star is Star is story, is ConTroll