S03E128: Extending Starliner ISS Mission, Terraforming Mars, and Perseverance's Ascent

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to podcast for the

0:02 Speaker 1: latest news in space and astronomy. I'm your host Anna.

0:06 Speaker 1: Today we have an exciting lineup of stories to share

0:08 Speaker 1: with you. We'll dive into NASA's decision making process on

0:11 Speaker 1: whether to extend astronauts stay aboard the International Space Station

0:15 Speaker 1: amidst ongoing issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule. We'll also

0:19 Speaker 1: explore a groundbreaking new method developed by researchers to terraform

0:23 Speaker 1: Mars using engineered nanoparticles, a technique that could make the

0:28 Speaker 1: Red planet more hospitable for future colonists. Additionally, we'll look

0:32 Speaker 1: at NASA's Perseverance Rover as it embarks on a challenging

0:35 Speaker 1: new mission to climb the western rim of Ja Zero

0:38 Speaker 1: Crater in search of ancient life signs. Lastly, we'll shed

0:42 Speaker 1: light on a fascinating project by Honeybee Robotics to install

0:45 Speaker 1: massive street lights on the Moon, which could revolutionize future

0:48 Speaker 1: lunar exploration. Stay tuned, as these stories promised to be

0:52 Speaker 1: out of this world. NASA is currently in a critical

0:56 Speaker 1: decision phase determining the fate of two astronauts station to

1:00 Speaker 1: board the International Space Station, Originally expected to be away

1:03 Speaker 1: only for a short stint, butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams

1:06 Speaker 1: have found their mission extended much longer than anticipated due

1:10 Speaker 1: to complications with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The spacecraft faced numerous challenges,

1:15 Speaker 1: including thruster failures and helium leaks, which have cast doubt

1:19 Speaker 1: on its ability to safely bring the astronauts back to Earth.

1:22 Speaker 1: In light of these issues, NASA is considering an alternative plan,

1:26 Speaker 1: having Wilmore and Williams return via SpaceX's Dragon capsule. This

1:30 Speaker 1: would mean their mission could extend until early next year,

1:33 Speaker 1: potentially adding several more months to their time on board

1:36 Speaker 1: the ISS. It's worth noting that SpaceX's Dragon has a

1:39 Speaker 1: strong track record since its first man mission in twenty twenty,

1:43 Speaker 1: making it a reliable option for NASA. The decision to

1:46 Speaker 1: switch to SpaceX, however, isn't straightforward. It would necessitate reshuffling

1:50 Speaker 1: the upcoming crew assignments. As SpaceX's next flight is already

1:54 Speaker 1: set for late September with its own planned crew, Wilmore

1:57 Speaker 1: and Williams would need to replace two astronauts on this

1:59 Speaker 1: mission to secure their seats home. Additionally, the ISS's limited

2:03 Speaker 1: docking capacity means that Boeing's Starliner would have to vacate

2:06 Speaker 1: its spot to allow the Dragon capsule to dock. Despite

2:09 Speaker 1: Boeing's reassurances that the Starliner can still perform a safe

2:12 Speaker 1: return trip, NASA is taking a cautious approach, prioritizing comprehensive

2:18 Speaker 1: data analysis to ensure crue safety. Given the mixed history

2:21 Speaker 1: with Boeing's earlier unmanned test flight, which required extensive fixes

2:26 Speaker 1: costing over a billion dollars, NASA is wary of rushing

2:29 Speaker 1: any decisions. This prolonged deliberation underscores NASA's commitment to ensuring

2:34 Speaker 1: no stone is left unturned, valuing thorough analysis and safety

2:38 Speaker 1: above all. Researchers from the University of Chicago and Northwestern

2:43 Speaker 1: have unveiled a revolutionary approach to warming Mars, potentially making

2:47 Speaker 1: the red planet more conducive to life. Their method involves

2:51 Speaker 1: using engineered dust particles to increase Mars's temperature by over

2:54 Speaker 1: fifty degrees fahrenheit. This significant temperature rise could create conditions

2:59 Speaker 1: favorable for microbial life, marking a critical step toward making

3:03 Speaker 1: Mars habitable for future human colonization. What sets this approach

3:08 Speaker 1: apart is its impressive efficiency. By using resources already available

3:12 Speaker 1: on Mars, researchers have found a way that's five thousand

3:15 Speaker 1: times more effective than previous terraforming proposals. Rather than importing

3:20 Speaker 1: materials from Earth or mining rare resources on Mars, this

3:23 Speaker 1: strategy smartly leverages what Mars naturally offers. The particles are

3:27 Speaker 1: designed to trap escaping heat and scatter sunlight toward the

3:30 Speaker 1: Martian surface, enhancing its greenhouse effect. According to Edwin Kite,

3:35 Speaker 1: a professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago,

3:39 Speaker 1: this method suggests that the barriers to warming Mars to

3:42 Speaker 1: allow liquid water are not as high as previously thought.

3:46 Speaker 1: While there is still a long way to go before

3:48 Speaker 1: humans can walk on Mars unaided, this breakthrough brings us

3:51 Speaker 1: closer to transforming Mars into a world where life can

3:54 Speaker 1: begin to thrive, one scientifically thrilling step at a time.

3:58 Speaker 1: Speaking of Mars, NASA's per per severance, Rover is gearing

4:01 Speaker 1: up to tackle one of its toughest challenges yet, climbing

4:04 Speaker 1: the western rim of Ja Zero Crater. This ascent marks

4:07 Speaker 1: the start of its fifth science campaign since it touched

4:09 Speaker 1: down on the red planet in February twenty twenty one.

4:12 Speaker 1: After spending over two and a half years exploring the

4:15 Speaker 1: crater's floor and its river delta, Perseverance is ready to

4:19 Speaker 1: take on some of the steepest and most challenging terrains

4:21 Speaker 1: it has encountered to date. The new mission, set to

4:24 Speaker 1: begin the week of August nineteenth, will see the rover

4:27 Speaker 1: navigating slopes as steep as twenty three degrees, using its

4:31 Speaker 1: advanced auto navigation capabilities to avoid hazards. The team has

4:35 Speaker 1: carefully planned a route that balances safety with scientific discovery,

4:40 Speaker 1: ensuring that Perseverance can continue its groundbreaking work without interruption.

4:45 Speaker 1: At the top of Jaesaro Crater, the rover will explore

4:47 Speaker 1: two priority regions, Pico Turkeno and Witch Hazel Hill. These

4:51 Speaker 1: areas are of significant interest to scientists because they may

4:53 Speaker 1: offer clues about Mars's ancient history. Pico Turkeno, for instance,

4:58 Speaker 1: has fractures that might have been caused by highhydrothermal activity

5:01 Speaker 1: and intriguing hint of the planet's past geological processes. Meanwhile,

5:05 Speaker 1: Which Hazel Hill features layered materials that date back to

5:08 Speaker 1: an era when Mars had a much different climate, possibly

5:11 Speaker 1: even harboring life during its River Delta exploration Perseverance collected

5:16 Speaker 1: twenty two rock cores, some of which contain sedimentary rock,

5:20 Speaker 1: the only samples of their kind ever gathered from another planet.

5:24 Speaker 1: These rocks are vital for understanding the history of water

5:26 Speaker 1: on Mars and could even provide evidence of ancient microbial life.

5:30 Speaker 1: As the rover ascends to new heights, scientists are eager

5:33 Speaker 1: to see what additional secrets Mars may reveal, and, finally,

5:37 Speaker 1: for today, Honeybee Robotics has put forward a fascinating proposal

5:40 Speaker 1: to help illuminate the long dark lunar nights with massive

5:43 Speaker 1: street lights. This project, known as Lunar Saber, aims to

5:48 Speaker 1: construct three hundred thirty foot tall towers on the Moon

5:51 Speaker 1: that will store solar energy and provide powerful floodlight illumination

5:56 Speaker 1: during the lunar nights, which last the equivalent of two

5:59 Speaker 1: Earth weeks. Such a development could be crucial in supporting

6:02 Speaker 1: future human exploration and settlement on the Moon. These towering

6:05 Speaker 1: structures aren't just about lighting up the lunar surface. They

6:08 Speaker 1: serve a dual purpose. During the lengthy sun drenched lunar days,

6:12 Speaker 1: these towers will absorb and store solar energy. Once the

6:16 Speaker 1: two weeks of sunlight are over, the towers will switch

6:19 Speaker 1: rolls and provide much needed light to withstand the frozen knights,

6:23 Speaker 1: which can be particularly harsh and perilous. This innovation is

6:27 Speaker 1: not only aimed at lighting, but also at potentially recharging

6:29 Speaker 1: lunar rovers and other infrastructure, thus creating a rudimentary power

6:33 Speaker 1: grid on the Moon. Honeybee Robotics, part of Jeff Bezos's

6:37 Speaker 1: Blue Origin, is leading the charge on this initiative with

6:40 Speaker 1: funding from DARPA, the US government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

6:45 Speaker 1: Although the project is still in its early development stages

6:48 Speaker 1: here on Earth, it represents one of the pioneering steps

6:51 Speaker 1: toward making the Moon more habitable for human settlers. If

6:55 Speaker 1: the Lunar Saber Project can achieve its goals, it could

6:58 Speaker 1: very well become a cornerstone and the infrastructure required for

7:01 Speaker 1: extended lunar missions and even permanent settlements. In summary, the

7:06 Speaker 1: Lunar Saber initiative could mark a significant leap forward in

7:09 Speaker 1: our efforts to not only return to the Moon, but

7:11 Speaker 1: to stay there by providing necessary illumination and energy storage capabilities.

7:16 Speaker 1: These colossal street lights will help ensure that the Moon

7:19 Speaker 1: remains a well lit and powered outpost, paving the way

7:23 Speaker 1: for future exploration and possibly even long term human habitation.

7:31 Speaker 1: That's it for today's episode. You've been listening to Astronomy

7:34 Speaker 1: Daily with Meanna. For more updates, visit our website at

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7:56 Speaker 1: for tuning in and see you tomorrow. In the meantime,

7:59 Speaker 1: keep looking up the story you dad. Star is the

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