S03E139: Polaris Dawn Delays, Venus's Atmospheric Secrets, and DART's Asteroid Impact

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

0:03 Speaker 1: the latest in space.

0:04 Speaker 2: And astronomy news.

0:05 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Anna, and I'm delighted to have you

0:07 Speaker 1: with us today. In this episode, we have some exciting

0:10 Speaker 1: updates to share. We'll delve into recent developments from SpaceX

0:14 Speaker 1: and their ongoing Polaris Dawn mission, take a closer look

0:17 Speaker 1: at new research revealing surprising insights about Venus's atmosphere, and

0:22 Speaker 1: explore the far reaching implications of NASA's Dart mission on

0:25 Speaker 1: asteroid Dimorphose.

0:27 Speaker 2: That's not all.

0:28 Speaker 1: We'll also uncover the latest discovery from the Hubble Space Telescope,

0:32 Speaker 1: which has located a fascinating mini galaxy, and we'll look

0:35 Speaker 1: ahead to observing Salsa satellite's re entry event. So sit back, relax,

0:40 Speaker 1: and let's journey through the Cosmos together. Let's dive right

0:43 Speaker 1: into our first story, SpaceX's Polaristawn mission, which has experienced

0:47 Speaker 1: yet another delay. SpaceX's ambitious Polariston astronaut mission was originally

0:52 Speaker 1: set to launch in late August from NASA's Kennedy Space

0:55 Speaker 1: Center in Florida. However, it has faced multiple delays, the

0:58 Speaker 1: most recent due to unfavorable weather forecasts and a helium

1:01 Speaker 1: leak on Monday, August twenty sixth, pre flight checkouts revealed

1:05 Speaker 1: the need for further postponements. A subsequent attempt was made

1:09 Speaker 1: on Tuesday, August twenty seventh, but this was thwarted by

1:12 Speaker 1: a helium leak detected just before the launch. To add

1:15 Speaker 1: to the hurdles, unfavorable weather conditions off the coast of

1:18 Speaker 1: Florida prompted the team to stand down from both the

1:21 Speaker 1: Tuesday and Wednesday launch windows. As of now, the earliest

1:24 Speaker 1: possible liftoff could be Friday, August thirtieth. As of now,

1:29 Speaker 1: SpaceX has not announced a new target launch date, but

1:32 Speaker 1: the team remains hopeful and is diligently monitoring both technical

1:35 Speaker 1: and weather conditions to ensure a safe and successful mission.

1:39 Speaker 1: Stay tuned for more updates as we follow the progress

1:42 Speaker 1: of this groundbreaking mission. Let's dive into the fascinating world

1:45 Speaker 1: of Venus. Recently, scientists have observed an unexpected increase in

1:50 Speaker 1: the level of deuterium relative to hydrogen in Venus's atmosphere.

1:54 Speaker 1: While this might sound like a minor detail, the potential

1:56 Speaker 1: consequences are monumental and could significantly alter our e understanding

2:00 Speaker 1: of this mysterious planet. To understand the importance of this discovery,

2:04 Speaker 1: we first need to explore what deuterium and hydrogen actually are.

2:08 Speaker 1: Both are isotopes of the same element, which means they

2:11 Speaker 1: have the same number of protons, but differ in their

2:14 Speaker 1: number of neutrons. This difference in atomic mass can lead

2:18 Speaker 1: to variations in their behavior, particularly in atmospheric processes. Historically,

2:23 Speaker 1: Venus and Earth were believed to share similar HDO or

2:25 Speaker 1: heavy water and H two O ratios. Since both planets

2:29 Speaker 1: formed in the same hot region of the early Solar System,

2:32 Speaker 1: where water couldn't condense. It's thought that water, along with

2:35 Speaker 1: other volatile elements like carbon and nitrogen, was delivered.

2:38 Speaker 2: To these worlds by water rich asteroids.

2:41 Speaker 1: This should have resulted in similar deuterium to hydrogen dh

2:45 Speaker 1: ratios on both planets. However, new data throws this assumption

2:49 Speaker 1: into question. By pouring over data from the Solar occultation

2:53 Speaker 1: in the infrared SOIR instrument on the Venus Express Space Probe,

2:57 Speaker 1: operational from two thousand and six to Twin twenty fourteen,

3:01 Speaker 1: scientists found that the HDO ratio is now one hundred

3:04 Speaker 1: and twenty times higher compared to H two O in

3:07 Speaker 1: Venus's atmosphere. This change is primarily due to solar radiation

3:11 Speaker 1: breaking down water isodopulogs in the upper atmosphere, producing hydrogen

3:15 Speaker 1: and deuterium atoms. Since hydrogen atoms escape into space more

3:18 Speaker 1: easily due to their lower mass, the DH ratio in

3:21 Speaker 1: Venus's atmosphere has been gradually increasing. More intriguingly, the concentration

3:26 Speaker 1: of water molecules increases with altitude between seventy and one

3:29 Speaker 1: hundred and ten kilometers above Venus's surface. At these altitudes,

3:33 Speaker 1: the ratio of HDO to H two O becomes staggeringly elevated,

3:37 Speaker 1: around one thousand, five hundred times higher than in Earth's oceans.

3:40 Speaker 1: This indicates that Venus's atmosphere contains much more deuterium rich

3:44 Speaker 1: water compared to Earth, alluding to significant differences in the

3:48 Speaker 1: atmospheric processes of the two planets. So there you have it,

3:52 Speaker 1: another intriguing mystery in our Solar system brought to light.

3:56 Speaker 1: These findings open the door for numerous questions and further studies,

4:00 Speaker 1: making Venus an even more captivating subject of astronomical research.

4:04 Speaker 1: NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART mission has provided

4:08 Speaker 1: some groundbreaking insights into asteroid dynamics and planetary defense. The

4:12 Speaker 1: mission made headlines when it intentionally collided with the asteroid

4:15 Speaker 1: moon Demorphose, and researchers are now revealing that this impact

4:19 Speaker 1: didn't just alter the Moon's trajectory, it also significantly changed

4:23 Speaker 1: its shape. These changes are more complex than previously thought

4:26 Speaker 1: and could have far reaching implications for our understanding of

4:29 Speaker 1: asteroid evolution. Originally, scientists had predicted how DART would affect

4:34 Speaker 1: the Ditamos Demorphos system, but the real world outcomes were

4:37 Speaker 1: even more dramatic than expected. The collision not only created

4:40 Speaker 1: a massive crater, but also reshaped Dimorphose from an oblate

4:43 Speaker 1: Hamburger like form into a more elongated, football like shape.

4:48 Speaker 1: This shift altered the moon's gravitational relationship with its parent

4:51 Speaker 1: asteroid Ditamos. Surprisingly, Detamos itself remained relatively unchanged, highlighting its

4:56 Speaker 1: firmness and rigidity despite the debris scattered by the impact.

5:00 Speaker 1: Derek Richardson, a professor of astronomy at the University of

5:04 Speaker 1: Maryland and a lead researcher on the project, noted that

5:07 Speaker 1: the results challenge our conventional ideas about how small celestial

5:11 Speaker 1: bodies form and evolve. Traditionally, it was believed that such

5:14 Speaker 1: moons would naturally point their elongated axis towards the primary

5:18 Speaker 1: body due to gravitational influences. However, the post impact changes

5:22 Speaker 1: in de MorphOS suggest a more intricate gravitational interaction. Interestingly,

5:27 Speaker 1: the gravitational disruption between Demorphose and Ditamos has led to some.

5:31 Speaker 2: Unusual orbital behaviors.

5:33 Speaker 1: The debris generated by the collision shortened de Morphos's orbit

5:36 Speaker 1: around Ditamos, and the Moon might now be in a

5:39 Speaker 1: state of chaotic tumbling, akin to our moon always having

5:42 Speaker 1: one face towards the Earth, but now knocked out of alignment.

5:46 Speaker 1: This tumbling could continue for a significant period as the

5:48 Speaker 1: system attempts to regain gravitational equilibrium. Looking ahead, Richardson and

5:53 Speaker 1: his team are eager to see how this altered state

5:55 Speaker 1: affects future space missions. The upcoming European Space Agencies haramission

6:00 Speaker 1: will provide a closer examination of the binary asteroid system

6:03 Speaker 1: by late twenty twenty six. HERA aims to assess the

6:06 Speaker 1: internal properties of both Dimorphose and Ditamos, providing vital data

6:10 Speaker 1: that could refine our planetary defense strategies. This is particularly

6:13 Speaker 1: important because Dart's findings are invaluable for real world applications.

6:18 Speaker 1: By understanding how an artificial impact changes in asteroids physical

6:22 Speaker 1: properties and trajectory, we can better prepare for the possibility

6:25 Speaker 1: of diverting potentially hazardous asteroids away from Earth. Our lab

6:30 Speaker 1: experiments and computer simulations can't replicate these complex gravitational dynamics

6:34 Speaker 1: as precisely, making missions like DART essential for gathering real

6:38 Speaker 1: world data.

6:39 Speaker 2: The hope is that.

6:40 Speaker 1: These insights will contribute to methods of asteroid deflection that

6:44 Speaker 1: are both effective and efficient. Richardson emphasizes that while the

6:48 Speaker 1: chances of a threatening asteroid or comet hitting Earth are low,

6:51 Speaker 1: they are not zero. With the success of DART, humanity

6:55 Speaker 1: now has an additional tool in its arsenal for planetary defense,

6:58 Speaker 1: offering a measure of protect against potential cosmic threats. As

7:03 Speaker 1: scientists continue to monitor de MorphOS and the Didamo system,

7:07 Speaker 1: one of the burning questions is whether the Moon will

7:09 Speaker 1: eventually stabilize enough for future exploratory missions, including possibly landing

7:14 Speaker 1: spacecraft to gather more detailed data. In essence, NASA's DART

7:19 Speaker 1: mission has not only furthered our understanding of asteroid behavior,

7:23 Speaker 1: but also paved the way for future space exploration and

7:26 Speaker 1: defense technologies. The revelations about Dimorphos's altered state promised to

7:30 Speaker 1: keep the scientific community buzzing with excitement and anticipation for

7:34 Speaker 1: years to come. And now let's look at a new

7:37 Speaker 1: discovery from the Hubble Nestled against a backdrop of distant

7:40 Speaker 1: celestial bodies, a glittering collection of stars has been captured

7:44 Speaker 1: by NASA's Hubble Space telescope. This wondrous site forms the

7:47 Speaker 1: Pegasus Dwarf's spheroidal galaxy, also known as Andromeda six. It's

7:52 Speaker 1: a modest member of a vast cosmic family, yet it

7:54 Speaker 1: offers monumental insights into the universe's grand narrative. Situated within

7:58 Speaker 1: our local group of galaxies, the Pegasus Dwarf's Spheroidal Galaxy

8:02 Speaker 1: is one of at least thirteen dwarf companions orbiting the

8:05 Speaker 1: well known Andromeda Galaxy also called Messier thirty one. In

8:09 Speaker 1: the grand scheme of things, these dwarf galaxies are the

8:13 Speaker 1: dimmest and least massive, yet their elliptical shapes and smooth

8:16 Speaker 1: star distributions hide a galaxy formation tail that captivates astronomers.

8:21 Speaker 1: Discovered in nineteen ninety eight, Pegasus Dwarf holds particular significance

8:25 Speaker 1: due to its unique composition. Unlike many other galaxies in

8:28 Speaker 1: its category, it has a slightly higher content of heavy

8:32 Speaker 1: elements and a smidgen of gas that has, against the odds,

8:36 Speaker 1: supported minor star formation. However, this sparse raw material is

8:40 Speaker 1: still insufficient for creating new generations of stars making Researchers

8:45 Speaker 1: attribute the lack of it to the gravitational impact of

8:47 Speaker 1: its massive neighbor, Andromeda. Over time, Andromeda is thought to

8:51 Speaker 1: have drained Pegasus Dwarf of its star making gases, much

8:55 Speaker 1: like a cosmic giant siphoning life from its petite companion.

8:58 Speaker 1: What intrigues scientists is how these dwarf spherroidal galaxies, including

9:02 Speaker 1: Pegasus Dwarf, come into being. Several theories are on the

9:05 Speaker 1: cosmic drawing board. Some suggest these many galaxies might form

9:09 Speaker 1: from fragments broken off larger galactic collisions, while others propose

9:13 Speaker 1: that the gravitational forces exerted by massive galaxies like Andromeda

9:17 Speaker 1: shape these small systems. Another hypothesis highlights the role of

9:21 Speaker 1: dark matter. A mysterious substance thought to make up a

9:24 Speaker 1: large portion of the universe's mass. It's believed that Pegasus

9:28 Speaker 1: Dwarf and its ilk could shrink into existence among clusters

9:32 Speaker 1: of this elusive dark matter, warping space and time to

9:35 Speaker 1: create such fascinating formations. The light we see from the

9:39 Speaker 1: stars and Pegasus Dwarf speaks to us from a time

9:41 Speaker 1: long gone. The galaxy's star population is predominantly older, having

9:46 Speaker 1: spent their lives in the low density, gas poor environment

9:49 Speaker 1: of the Dwarf galaxy. Through Hubble's lens, researchers delve into

9:53 Speaker 1: these ancient stars secrets, piecing together the life history of

9:57 Speaker 1: such galaxies and their roles in the large galactic ecosystem.

10:02 Speaker 1: As we reported last week, on September eighth, twenty twenty four,

10:05 Speaker 1: an exciting event is set to unfold as the Salsa

10:07 Speaker 1: satellite re enters Earth's atmosphere. This isn't just any re entry,

10:11 Speaker 1: it's a notable milestone in space exploration and satellite technology.

10:15 Speaker 1: Salsa is one of the four satellites from the European

10:17 Speaker 1: Space Agency's e SAY long running Cluster mission. What makes

10:21 Speaker 1: this re entry special is that it will be observed

10:23 Speaker 1: live from the sky, scientists have prepared an airborne observation

10:27 Speaker 1: experiment to closely watch and gather rare data on how

10:29 Speaker 1: the satellite breaks apart upon re entry. This data is

10:33 Speaker 1: invaluable because understanding the finer details of satellite disintegration can

10:37 Speaker 1: lead to designing satellites that re enter more safely and

10:40 Speaker 1: sustainably in the future. Over the past seven decades of

10:43 Speaker 1: space exploration, although approximately ten thousand intact satellites and rocket

10:48 Speaker 1: bodies have re entered our atmosphere, the specifics of what

10:51 Speaker 1: happens during these re entries remain unclear. This experiment with

10:54 Speaker 1: Salsa aims to change that. The head of Space Safety

10:58 Speaker 1: at ESA, Holger Krag, emphasized the the importance of re

11:01 Speaker 1: entry science in efforts to keep our orbits around Earth clean.

11:04 Speaker 1: He stated, to remove a satellite quickly from orbit after

11:07 Speaker 1: its mission ends, and to prevent space debris, understanding the

11:10 Speaker 1: re entry process is essential. The insights from Salsa's re

11:14 Speaker 1: entry are expected to be groundbreaking, helping us refine satellite

11:17 Speaker 1: design and operations to minimize space debris effectively. The observation

11:22 Speaker 1: mission involves an aircraft equipped with over twenty scientific instruments,

11:26 Speaker 1: including cameras and spectrographs.

11:28 Speaker 2: These instruments are designed.

11:30 Speaker 1: To capture as much data as possible when SALSA re

11:32 Speaker 1: enters the atmosphere. Interestingly, the first of the cluster satellites

11:36 Speaker 1: to re enter has been strategically scheduled to fall over

11:39 Speaker 1: a remote area in the South Pacific Ocean. This region

11:42 Speaker 1: was chosen to minimize the risk to populated areas, as

11:45 Speaker 1: most of the satellite will disintegrate within minutes of hitting

11:48 Speaker 1: the atmosphere, although some fragments may survive. The predictable nature

11:53 Speaker 1: of salsa's re entry time and location makes it possible

11:57 Speaker 1: for scientists to be in place with their observation equipment.

12:00 Speaker 1: This predictability stems from the cluster satellite's highly eccentric orbits,

12:04 Speaker 1: which cause substantial altitude loss at Perige, the point closest

12:08 Speaker 1: to Earth in the satellites orbit. The re entry Observation

12:12 Speaker 1: Mission dubbed Rosy. SALSA showcases a collaborative effort involving academic

12:17 Speaker 1: and industrial partners such as the University of Stuttgart, Comenius

12:21 Speaker 1: University in Bratislava, University of Southern Queensland, Hypersonic Technology, gotting

12:26 Speaker 1: In and ASTROS Solutions in close cooperation with ESA. Jerry Silha,

12:31 Speaker 1: CEO of Astros Solutions, highlighted the mission's challenges, stating, this

12:37 Speaker 1: is a very challenging mission due to the unpredictable nature

12:40 Speaker 1: of re entry events. However, with experts in both science

12:44 Speaker 1: and technical preparation, we are confident in securing all the

12:47 Speaker 1: relevant scientific data from Salsa's re entry. Thank you for

12:52 Speaker 1: tuning into Astronomy Daily with me Anna. I hope you

12:55 Speaker 1: enjoyed our deep dive into the latest happenings in space

12:58 Speaker 1: and astronomy, including updates on SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, fascinating

13:04 Speaker 1: insights about Venus's atmosphere, the groundbreaking results from NASA's Dart mission,

13:09 Speaker 1: discoveries by the Hubble Space Telescope, and the upcoming live

13:13 Speaker 1: observation of.

13:14 Speaker 2: The Salsa satellites re entry.

13:16 Speaker 1: Be sure to visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io,

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13:35 Speaker 2: This is Anna signing off. Catch you next time, Sunday

13:41 Speaker 2: Star Star