S03E192: Cosmic Combat Concerns, CubeSat's Celestial Check-In, and Artemis Aims High

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome stargazers and space enthusiasts to another episode of Astronomy Daily.

0:04 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to bring you

0:07 Speaker 1: the latest and greatest news from the cosmos. Today. We've

0:10 Speaker 1: got a stellar lineup of stories that will take us

0:12 Speaker 1: from the cutting edge of space defense to the mysteries

0:15 Speaker 1: of lunar exploration. We'll be diving into the growing militarization

0:19 Speaker 1: of space, checking in on some groundbreaking deep space missions,

0:23 Speaker 1: and even exploring potential landing sites for humanity's returned to

0:26 Speaker 1: the Moon. So strap in and prepare for liftoff as

0:29 Speaker 1: we embark on this cosmic journey through the most exciting

0:32 Speaker 1: developments in space and astronomy. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer

0:36 Speaker 1: or just curious about the wonders beyond our atmosphere, there's

0:39 Speaker 1: something for everyone in today's episode. Let's get started. Let's

0:44 Speaker 1: start today with news that we don't want to hear,

0:47 Speaker 1: but is becoming an increasing reality. Space has long been

0:50 Speaker 1: called the final frontier, but it's increasingly becoming a potential

0:52 Speaker 1: battleground as well. Countries around the world are ramping up

0:56 Speaker 1: their investments in space defense and exploring the military possibilities

1:00 Speaker 1: of low Earth orbit. Experts say governments are recognizing space

1:04 Speaker 1: as an important warfighting domain. There's a growing focus on

1:07 Speaker 1: both protecting existing space assets and developing new offensive capabilities.

1:12 Speaker 1: Some of the weapons being explored for space combat include

1:15 Speaker 1: kinetic weapons like missiles, as well as non kinetic options

1:18 Speaker 1: such as electromagnetic pulses, microwaves, and lasers. While lasers face

1:23 Speaker 1: challenges with power supply and stability in space, they could

1:26 Speaker 1: potentially target satellites or ground based targets. Earth based anti

1:30 Speaker 1: satellite weapons also pose a major threat. Countries like China

1:34 Speaker 1: and Russia have already demonstrated the ability to destroy satellites

1:37 Speaker 1: in orbit. As our reliance on space based systems for

1:40 Speaker 1: communication and navigation grows, the ability to take out in

1:44 Speaker 1: adversary satellites becomes an increasingly concerning capability. The militarization of

1:50 Speaker 1: space is raising widespread concerns among experts. While the Outer

1:54 Speaker 1: Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of

1:58 Speaker 1: mass destruction in orbit, it doesn't adequately address newer military

2:02 Speaker 1: technologies and capabilities. Some worry that the increasing military focus

2:06 Speaker 1: in space could lead to an arms race. There are

2:09 Speaker 1: calls to update international laws and treaties to better regulate

2:12 Speaker 1: military activities in space. However, enforcement remains a challenge. As

2:16 Speaker 1: space becomes more congested with military and dual use technologies,

2:20 Speaker 1: the risks of conflict are growing. For now, space remains

2:23 Speaker 1: a vital domain for Earth based military operations, but many

2:27 Speaker 1: see actual space to space combat as an eventual inevitability

2:31 Speaker 1: as more countries develop counter space capabilities. Now for some

2:35 Speaker 1: exciting news from the European Space Agencies Haramission. In a

2:39 Speaker 1: groundbreaking achievement, Hara's two cube sat companions have successfully signaled

2:44 Speaker 1: from deep space, marking essays first use of these miniature

2:47 Speaker 1: satellites beyond Earth orbit. The cube SATs, named Juventus and Milani,

2:52 Speaker 1: each about the size of a shoe box, were activated

2:55 Speaker 1: and tested while still secured in their deployers aboard the

2:58 Speaker 1: main Hair spacecraft. This initial check in occurred at distances

3:02 Speaker 1: of four million and seven point nine million kilometers from Earth, respectively.

3:07 Speaker 1: During their brief activation periods, the CubeSats verified critical onboard systems,

3:11 Speaker 1: including avionics, instruments and intersatellite links. They even tested their

3:15 Speaker 1: reaction wheels, which will be crucial for controlling their attitude

3:18 Speaker 1: during flight. This success is more than just a technical achievement.

3:22 Speaker 1: It validates the entire ground command infrastructure and paves the

3:25 Speaker 1: way for using cube SATs in future deep space missions.

3:29 Speaker 1: The ability to deploy these small, relatively inexpensive satellites alongside

3:33 Speaker 1: larger spacecraft could revolutionize how we explore our Solar system.

3:37 Speaker 1: HARA is currently en route to the asteroid de MorphOS,

3:40 Speaker 1: where it will study the effects of NASA's Dart mission,

3:43 Speaker 1: which successfully altered the asteroid's orbit last year. Once Hara

3:47 Speaker 1: arrives in late twenty twenty six, the cube SATs will

3:50 Speaker 1: be released to conduct close up observations, taking risks that

3:53 Speaker 1: the main spacecraft cannot. This pioneering use of CubeSats in

3:57 Speaker 1: deep space opens up new possibilities for Planet Tis Harry exploration,

4:01 Speaker 1: potentially allowing for more frequent and cost effective missions to

4:04 Speaker 1: distant targets. It's an exciting step forward in our ongoing

4:08 Speaker 1: journey to understand the Cosmos. Now, let's take a look

4:12 Speaker 1: at this week's launch schedule. This week promises to be

4:15 Speaker 1: another busy one in the world of space launches. Let's

4:18 Speaker 1: start with China's highly anticipated Shenzo nineteen mission, set to

4:22 Speaker 1: launch later today at twenty twenty seven UTC. This mission

4:26 Speaker 1: will send three taikanats to the Tiangong Space Station. The

4:29 Speaker 1: crew will lift off aboard a long March two F

4:32 Speaker 1: rocket from the Jukwan Satellite Launch Center. This marks the

4:36 Speaker 1: fourteenth crude flight of China's Shenzo program and will continue

4:39 Speaker 1: the country's ongoing presence in low Earth orbit. We'll have

4:43 Speaker 1: more about this launch in our next story. Meanwhile, SpaceX

4:46 Speaker 1: is also keeping up its rapid launch cadence, with multiple

4:48 Speaker 1: Starlink missions planned. The first is scheduled for today at

4:52 Speaker 1: eleven forty four UTC from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

4:56 Speaker 1: This Starlink Group nine nine mission will deploy twenty vs

5:00 Speaker 1: to mini satellites to further expand the global Internet constellation.

5:05 Speaker 1: Not to be outdone, SpaceX has three more Starlink launches

5:08 Speaker 1: on the docket. Look for additional missions lifting off from

5:11 Speaker 1: both coasts throughout the week, including launches from Cape Canaveral

5:15 Speaker 1: in Florida. These missions highlight SpaceX's commitment to rapidly building

5:19 Speaker 1: out its satellite network. In other launch news, Russia is

5:22 Speaker 1: planning a secretive mission using a Soyuz two Dot one

5:25 Speaker 1: B rocket, while details are scarce. This launch is expected

5:28 Speaker 1: to carry a military payload to Polar Orbit from the

5:30 Speaker 1: Placet's Cosmodrome on Thursday, October thirty first. Rounding out the week,

5:35 Speaker 1: keep an eye out for Rocket labs next Electron launch

5:37 Speaker 1: from New Zealand, scheduled for Monday, November fourth. This mission,

5:41 Speaker 1: playfully named Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, will carry

5:46 Speaker 1: a confidential payload for an unnamed customer. With multiple nations

5:50 Speaker 1: and private companies contributing to this packed launch schedule, it's

5:53 Speaker 1: clear that access to space continues to expand and evolve.

5:57 Speaker 1: Each of these missions, whether delivering satellites, crew members, or

6:00 Speaker 1: classified payloads, represents another step forward in our ongoing exploration

6:05 Speaker 1: and utilization of the Final Frontier. Now some more on

6:09 Speaker 1: the Chinese launch. China is making history once again with

6:13 Speaker 1: its space program as the country prepares to send its

6:16 Speaker 1: only female space flight engineer to the Tiangong Space Station.

6:19 Speaker 1: Wanghause will be part of the three person crew launching

6:22 Speaker 1: aboard the Shenzho nineteen mission, marking another milestone for China's

6:27 Speaker 1: space exploration efforts. This mission is significant not only for

6:30 Speaker 1: Wang's participation, but also for what it represents in China's

6:34 Speaker 1: ongoing commitment to space exploration. Wang will become just the

6:37 Speaker 1: third Chinese woman to take part in a crude mission,

6:40 Speaker 1: highlighting the country's efforts to diversify its astronaut core. The

6:44 Speaker 1: Shenzo nineteen crew, led by experienced astronaut Kai Shuja, is

6:48 Speaker 1: scheduled to blast off early Wednesday morning from the Juquan

6:51 Speaker 1: Satellite Launch Center. They'll spend about six months aboard Tiangong,

6:55 Speaker 1: conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the space station. China's space

6:59 Speaker 1: program has been advancing rapidly in recent years. The Tiangong

7:03 Speaker 1: space station, completed just last year, is a testament to

7:06 Speaker 1: China's growing capabilities in space. With plans for crude missions

7:10 Speaker 1: to the Moon by twenty thirty and aspirations for a

7:13 Speaker 1: lunar base, China is positioning itself as a major player

7:16 Speaker 1: in the new space race. This mission underscores China's commitment

7:20 Speaker 1: to its space stream and its determination to become a

7:23 Speaker 1: leading space power alongside the United States in Russia. Okay,

7:27 Speaker 1: how about some news from the USA. NASA has taken

7:30 Speaker 1: another exciting step towards returning humans to the Moon by

7:33 Speaker 1: refining its list of potential landing sites for the Artemis

7:36 Speaker 1: three mission. The Space Agency has identified nine candidate landing

7:40 Speaker 1: regions near the moon south Pole, each chosen for its

7:43 Speaker 1: scientific value, engineering feasibility, and potential to support sustainable lunar exploration.

7:49 Speaker 1: These regions include intriguing areas such as the peak near KBSB, Haworth,

7:54 Speaker 1: Malapurt Massif, and several sites around the Noble and De

7:57 Speaker 1: Girloche craters. What makes these South Pole regions particularly fascinating

8:01 Speaker 1: is their geological diversity. Some feature permanently shadowed areas that

8:06 Speaker 1: may preserve water and other valuable resources, offering a stark

8:10 Speaker 1: contrast to the landing locations of the Apollo era. NASA's

8:14 Speaker 1: selection process involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers

8:19 Speaker 1: who analyze data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and other

8:22 Speaker 1: lunar studies. They considered factors like scientific potential, terrain characteristics,

8:28 Speaker 1: and lighting conditions to ensure the chosen sites can support

8:32 Speaker 1: the needs of the Space Launch System, Rocket Orion spacecraft,

8:37 Speaker 1: and the Starship human landing system. The Artemis three geology

8:41 Speaker 1: team has highlighted the potential of these sites to deepen

8:45 Speaker 1: our understanding of rocky planets. Lunar resources and the broader

8:50 Speaker 1: history of our Solar System. This mission will mark the

8:52 Speaker 1: first time astronauts land in the Moon's south polar region,

8:56 Speaker 1: offering unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and NTS exploration. As

9:01 Speaker 1: NASA continues to refine these potential landing sites, they're setting

9:05 Speaker 1: the stage for long term lunar exploration and paving the

9:08 Speaker 1: way for future human missions to Mars. The Artemis program

9:11 Speaker 1: aims to land the first woman in person of color

9:14 Speaker 1: on the Moon, making this a truly historic endeavor in

9:17 Speaker 1: space exploration. Our final story today takes us to our

9:21 Speaker 1: nearest planetary neighbor, Venus. New research has uncovered what could

9:25 Speaker 1: be a long hidden record of ancient impact craters on

9:28 Speaker 1: the planet's surface, potentially rewriting what we know about Venus's

9:32 Speaker 1: geological history. Unlike Earth, where wind, water and tectonic activity

9:36 Speaker 1: have erased most traces of ancient impacts, Venus has experienced

9:40 Speaker 1: far less surface change over time. This has left some

9:43 Speaker 1: of the Solar System's most pristine craters intact. However, Venus

9:47 Speaker 1: has always been conspicuously lacking in the giant impact basins

9:50 Speaker 1: we see on places like the Moon or Mars. A

9:53 Speaker 1: team led by Vicki Hansen from the Planetary Science Institute

9:57 Speaker 1: has been studying an area on Venus called the Haste

10:00 Speaker 1: to Sarah. This massive geological feature, spanning over nine hundred miles,

10:05 Speaker 1: shows unusual concentric rings that the researchers believe could mark

10:08 Speaker 1: the sites of two consecutive massive impacts billions of years ago.

10:12 Speaker 1: If confirmed, this would be Venus's oldest and largest impact structure,

10:17 Speaker 1: offering a rare glimpse into the planet's distant past. It

10:20 Speaker 1: also suggests that not all impact structures look alike, with

10:24 Speaker 1: Venus's unique conditions creating formations very different from what we

10:27 Speaker 1: see elsewhere. The key difference lies in Venus's early planetary structure.

10:31 Speaker 1: When these impacts occurred, Venus likely had a hotter, thinner

10:34 Speaker 1: outer layer than Earth does today. This allowed the impacts

10:38 Speaker 1: to break through and expose molten material from below, which

10:41 Speaker 1: then solidified into the complex, wrinkled terrain we see today.

10:45 Speaker 1: This discovery not only sheds light on Venus' history, but

10:48 Speaker 1: also gives us new insight into how planets evolve differently

10:51 Speaker 1: under various conditions. It's a reminder that in space exploration,

10:55 Speaker 1: we often need to look beyond our expectations to uncover

10:58 Speaker 1: the truth, and that brings us to the end of

11:01 Speaker 1: today's fascinating journey through the cosmos, from the militarization of

11:05 Speaker 1: space to groundbreaking discoveries on Venus. It's been another eventful

11:09 Speaker 1: episode in astronomy and space Exploration. I hope you've enjoyed

11:13 Speaker 1: this cosmic update as much as I've enjoyed bringing it

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12:07 Speaker 1: This is Anna signing off from Astronomy Daily. Keep looking

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