S03E50: Pre-Fire Pioneers & Lithuanian Leap: Charting New Climate & Cosmic Courses

Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast with your host Anna. Today we delve

into the latest and most fascinating astronomy news, exploring the final frontier and the

astronomical marvels awaiting us beyond our blue planet. From twin polar satellites set to

revolutionize our knowledge of Earth's climate, to Lithuania's leap into the Artemis Accords paving

the way for safer space exploration, We'll gaze upon the icy shells of Europa

through Juno's lens and marvel at an Earth sized world twirling around an ultra cool

star. Lastly, we'll uncover the challenges faced by the ambitious bepy Colombo on

its journey to Mercury. Join us as we traverse through the cosmos and uncover

the stories written in the stars. A podcast in the realm of space exploration

and Earth science, NASA is once again pushing the boundaries of what we know

about our own planet's climate. Upcoming is the launch of the innovative Prefire Mission,

set to deploy a pair of tiny, but remarkably capable twin satellites.

These shoebox sized CubeSats are going on a crucial journey to the most remote and

inhospitable regions on Earth, the polar regions. There's something quite compelling about these

modest spacecraft, as they carry the enormous responsibility of measuring the extent to which

these icy regions contribute to the global energy budget, a key component in understanding

our planet's climate patterns. In an age where accurate climate predictions are more important

than ever, Prefire's data will be pivotal. It will offer insights into the

greenhouse effect, particularly around the poles, where changes are most pronounced but insufficiently

measured. By measuring far infrared energy radiated into space, these cube SATs will

fill in critical gaps in our climate knowledge base. They're equipped with advanced thermal

infrared spectrometers, sensitive to an array of infrared wavelengths far greater than those of

previous instruments. This sensitivity will enable Prefire to paint a more precise picture of

the Arctic and Antarctic contributions to the Earth's heat emissions. Moreover, Prefire is

not just another Earth studying mission. It is a mission with heart, fostering

the growth of a new generation of climate scientists. Developed in collaboration with universities,

it provides a platform for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to dive

headfirst into the science that will shape the future of climate policy and research.

As prefire satellites orbit Earth, they'll perform a sort of polar detective work,

deciphering clues about why the Arctic has been warming at a rate that is more

than twice the global average since the nineteen seventies. This mission stands as a

testament to NASA's commitment to pushing the envelope of satellite technology, showing that even

the smallest among us can carry the weightiest of tasks, guiding humanity into a

future where we better understand the forces shaping our Earth's climate. The Artemis Accords,

a beacon of cooperation in space exploration, have recently welcomed a new member

with the inclusion of Lithuania as the fortieth nation to sign these accords. The

international coalition, led by NASA embarks on an even broader mission to foster safety

and peace beyond our terrestrial borders. This milestone solidifies our collective commitment to exploring

the cosmos in a responsible and transparent manner. The Artemis Accords themselves are not

just a set of guidelines. They reflect our aspiration to ascend together in harmony,

rooted in the principles of the historic Outer Space Treaty of nineteen sixty seven.

These accords are designed to encourage peaceful exploration, prevent conflict, and ensure

that all activities conducted in space are for the benefit of all humanity. As

Lithuania joins the Artemis family, they're pledge to uphold these ideals echoes through the

vastness of space. At the signing ceremony held in Vilnius, the sense of

unity was palpable. Leaders and dignitaries, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and United

States Ambassador Kara C. MacDonald, celebrated not just an agreement on paper,

but a symbolic handshake across the cosmos. Nelson expressed his optimism about this growing

partnership, stating, together as a global coalition, we will explore the stars

openly, responsibly and in peace. Lithuania's Minister of Economy and Innovation, Oustrian

Arminate, further underscored the significance of this alliance, recognizing that the Artemis Accords

chart a new course for the future of space exploration. Indeed, the Artemis

program itself aims high, preparing to send astronauts back to the Moon, including

the first woman and first person of color. These bold steps serve as the

groundwork not just for lunar exploration, but also set the stage for the eventual

human journey to Mars. Lithuania's joining is a clear message exploration is a collaborative

effort, and as we stand at the dawn of what NASA Deputy Administrator Pam

Melroy calls the Golden Age of space, it's exhilarating to know that we go

forward together. The days of solitary space exploration are behind us. Now we

embrace the power of partnership, of shared dreams and achievements. It's a reminder

that our destiny among the stars isn't just written by one, but by many,

working side by side for a future that inspires us all. Jupiter's moon,

Europa, has long captivated scientists and space enthusiasts alike with its icy surface

and the potential for a subsurface ocean. The intrigue deepened when NASA's Juno spacecraft

made a daring close flyby, skimming just two hundred and twenty miles above Europa's

enigmatic ice. This marked the nearest approach and the highest resolution observation since the

Galileo mission over two decades earlier. Europa's icy shell dazzles with complex patterns,

hinting at the turbulent dance of shifting ice upon an ocean we have yet to

see. Juno's images showcased not just the expected ridges and troughs, but also

steep walled depressions spanning up to thirty one miles wide. These features fuel the

theory of true polar wander, suggesting that Europa's outer shell might be floating atop

its internal ocean, occasionally shifting and rotating as a whole. The term true

polar wander sounds poetic, almost as if it's from a celestial fairy tale,

but in geological terms, it signifies a grand process of planetary movement reshaping the

Moon's icy facade. Juno's findings are painting a picture where enormity meets intricacy,

a place where colossal blocks of ice are displaced over epics, carving out a

landscape that speaks of the forces beneath. But Europa does not surrender its secrets

easily. There are signs, faint yet provocative, suggesting Europa might harbor plume

activity eruptions of water vapor through fractures in the surface. Juno's Stellar Reference Unit,

a camera designed to capture the faint glow of stars for navigation, was

repurposed ingeniously to capture the night side of Europa, with only the dim Jupiter

shine illuminating its features. This view highlighted intricate ridge networks and dark, potentially

plumeborn stains amid this alien ice frozen in time, JunoCam identified the platypus terrain.

This especially jumbled and broken area of ice, about the size of a

small city, is one of the youngest formations in its vicinage. Its curiously

disrupted terrain scattered with ice blocks may testify to the presence of sweeping liquid water

close to Europa's surface. Each data packet we receive from JUNO, each pixel

of Europa gleaned in these high definition observations, brings us one step closer to

understanding the dynamics of this icy world. How does a celestial body encased in

a frozen shell manage to churn and evolve? How do hidden oceans influence the

frigid topography? What does this tell us about the potential for life in environments

far different from those on our Earth. As we peer through through Juno's electronic

eyes, every shadow hints at an untold story. Every light pattern a piece

of the enigmatic puzzle. So as Juno continues to orbit the gas giant,

keep your eyes on the stars for revelations about Europa Like stars above a winter's

night are emerging, slowly but surely, reshaping our understanding of the Solar System's

hidden marine world. Y Astronomy Daily podcasts. In a galaxy filled with the

glimmer of myriad stars, there's a particular sapphire that shines with a distinct allure.

This blue jewel is none other than the Earth sized exoplanet named Speculus three

B, a celestial marvel orbiting what is known to astronomers as an ultra cool

dwarf star. The significance of this discovery cannot be overstated, as it promises

to unlock many secrets concerning the potential habitability around the red dwarfs, the most

common stellar inhabitants of our Milky Way. Imagine a world not unlike our own

in size, yet its year an orbit around its star is a mere seventeen

hours long. Can you fathom a sky where day and night are perpetually fixed,

one face of the planet basking in endless twilight while the other remains shrouded

in eternal night. This could be the reality for Speculus three B, theorized

to be tidally locked to its star, much like the Moon is to Earth

amid its overwhelming abundance. What makes the ultra cool dwarf stars truly fascinating is

their gentle touch. Although they emit a faint glow, much dimmer than our

fiery Sun, they can barrage their orbiting planets with potent radiation, especially during

their early years. Yet these stars are also known for their longevity. While

our sun has a life expectancy of around ten billion years, red dwarfs can

continue to burn over one hundred billion years, thereby offering what might be an

enduring opportunity for life to emerge and evolve. The discovery of Speculus three B

was made possible by a dedicated international team the might of robotic telescopes from around

the globe. A suite of these high tech eyes, named after the famous

Belgian shortbread, Speculus now feast on the sky, meticulously exploring our ubiquitous yet

little understood cosmic neighbors searching for promising planetary bodies capable of harboring life. This

red dwarf and its accompanying world were found to be a mere fifty five light

years away within our cosmic backyard. While the star's chilly demeanor at a few

thousand degrees cooler than our Sun, suggests a more temperate environment, the proximity

of Speculus three B to its star subjects it to formidable radiation, likely stripping

it of any atmosphere if one ever existed. The shiny future of exoplanet research

beckons all those who gaze up at the night sky and wonder. As we

look toward instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope and upcoming missions, we stand

at the threshold of a new era. Speculus three B, along with its

ultra cool star, holds keys to unfathomable questions about the cause illuminating possibilities of

life beyond our solar embrace. In our ongoing exploration of the Solar System,

missions like BEPI Colombo are vital in enhancing our understanding of the planetary dynamics and

conditions far from Earth. The joint mission between the European Space Agency and the

japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, aims to unlock the secrets of Mercury, the innermost

planet of our Solar System. However, this ambitious interplanetary odyssey recently encountered an

unforeseen challenge. On April twenty sixth, the BEPI Colombo team discovered that the

spacecraft's transfer module was failing to provide sufficient electrical power to the thrusters, a

key component for the spacecraft's journey to Mercury. Though designed to thrust with precision

through the deep void of space, BEPI Colombo now faces a significant hurdle operating

at diminished power and thus compromising its full maneuverability. An exceptional team of engineers

and scientists from ESA, together with their industrial partners, are engaged in a

race against time, working diligently to resolve the issue. By May seventh,

their relentless efforts had succeeded in increasing the mission's propulsion capacity to approximately ninety percent

of the desired level, Yet the quest for a complete restoration of full thrust

continues. It's a complex task that involves maintaining the spacecraft's stable propulsion at the

current power level, understanding the intricacies of the problem, and devising strategies to

enhance the energy supply to the thrusters. The competence of the BEPY Columbo flight

control team stationed at ESA's ESOC Mission Control Center in Darmstadt, Germany, is

put to the test as they closely monitor the spacecraft with additional ground station time,

ensuring an immediate response to any subsequent developments. As we await further updates

on this intricate technical ballet, we remain hopeful that BEPI Colombo will keep its

scheduled rendezvous with Mercury for its fourth g GOD gravity assist in September this year,

leading to the anticipated orbit insertion in December twenty twenty five, followed by

a Spring twenty twenty six start for routine science operations. BEPI Colombo's trial is

a stark reminder of the unpredictability of space exploration. Yet it is through such

challenges that we advance our technological prowess and deepen our cosmic perspective. The resilient

spirit of collaboration between ESA and Jackson exemplifies our collective endeavor to push the boundaries

of human knowledge amidst the grandeur of space. Thank you for joining us on

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your curiosity alight. This is Anna signing off Sunny Day Stars Start

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