Speaker 1: Welcome stargazers and space enthusiasts to another episode of Astronomy Daily.
I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to bring you
the latest and greatest news from the cosmos. Today. We've
got a stellar lineup of stories that will take us
from the cutting edge of space defense to the mysteries
of lunar exploration. We'll be diving into the growing militarization
of space, checking in on some groundbreaking deep space missions,
and even exploring potential landing sites for humanity's returned to
the Moon. So strap in and prepare for liftoff as
we embark on this cosmic journey through the most exciting
developments in space and astronomy. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer
or just curious about the wonders beyond our atmosphere, there's
something for everyone in today's episode. Let's get started. Let's
start today with news that we don't want to hear,
but is becoming an increasing reality. Space has long been
called the final frontier, but it's increasingly becoming a potential
battleground as well. Countries around the world are ramping up
their investments in space defense and exploring the military possibilities
of low Earth orbit. Experts say governments are recognizing space
as an important warfighting domain. There's a growing focus on
both protecting existing space assets and developing new offensive capabilities.
Some of the weapons being explored for space combat include
kinetic weapons like missiles, as well as non kinetic options
such as electromagnetic pulses, microwaves, and lasers. While lasers face
challenges with power supply and stability in space, they could
potentially target satellites or ground based targets. Earth based anti
satellite weapons also pose a major threat. Countries like China
and Russia have already demonstrated the ability to destroy satellites
in orbit. As our reliance on space based systems for
communication and navigation grows, the ability to take out in
adversary satellites becomes an increasingly concerning capability. The militarization of
space is raising widespread concerns among experts. While the Outer
Space Treaty prohibits placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of
mass destruction in orbit, it doesn't adequately address newer military
technologies and capabilities. Some worry that the increasing military focus
in space could lead to an arms race. There are
calls to update international laws and treaties to better regulate
military activities in space. However, enforcement remains a challenge. As
space becomes more congested with military and dual use technologies,
the risks of conflict are growing. For now, space remains
a vital domain for Earth based military operations, but many
see actual space to space combat as an eventual inevitability
as more countries develop counter space capabilities. Now for some
exciting news from the European Space Agencies Haramission. In a
groundbreaking achievement, Hara's two cube sat companions have successfully signaled
from deep space, marking essays first use of these miniature
satellites beyond Earth orbit. The cube SATs, named Juventus and Milani,
each about the size of a shoe box, were activated
and tested while still secured in their deployers aboard the
main Hair spacecraft. This initial check in occurred at distances
of four million and seven point nine million kilometers from Earth, respectively.
During their brief activation periods, the CubeSats verified critical onboard systems,
including avionics, instruments and intersatellite links. They even tested their
reaction wheels, which will be crucial for controlling their attitude
during flight. This success is more than just a technical achievement.
It validates the entire ground command infrastructure and paves the
way for using cube SATs in future deep space missions.
The ability to deploy these small, relatively inexpensive satellites alongside
larger spacecraft could revolutionize how we explore our Solar system.
HARA is currently en route to the asteroid de MorphOS,
where it will study the effects of NASA's Dart mission,
which successfully altered the asteroid's orbit last year. Once Hara
arrives in late twenty twenty six, the cube SATs will
be released to conduct close up observations, taking risks that
the main spacecraft cannot. This pioneering use of CubeSats in
deep space opens up new possibilities for Planet Tis Harry exploration,
potentially allowing for more frequent and cost effective missions to
distant targets. It's an exciting step forward in our ongoing
journey to understand the Cosmos. Now, let's take a look
at this week's launch schedule. This week promises to be
another busy one in the world of space launches. Let's
start with China's highly anticipated Shenzo nineteen mission, set to
launch later today at twenty twenty seven UTC. This mission
will send three taikanats to the Tiangong Space Station. The
crew will lift off aboard a long March two F
rocket from the Jukwan Satellite Launch Center. This marks the
fourteenth crude flight of China's Shenzo program and will continue
the country's ongoing presence in low Earth orbit. We'll have
more about this launch in our next story. Meanwhile, SpaceX
is also keeping up its rapid launch cadence, with multiple
Starlink missions planned. The first is scheduled for today at
eleven forty four UTC from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This Starlink Group nine nine mission will deploy twenty vs
to mini satellites to further expand the global Internet constellation.
Not to be outdone, SpaceX has three more Starlink launches
on the docket. Look for additional missions lifting off from
both coasts throughout the week, including launches from Cape Canaveral
in Florida. These missions highlight SpaceX's commitment to rapidly building
out its satellite network. In other launch news, Russia is
planning a secretive mission using a Soyuz two Dot one
B rocket, while details are scarce. This launch is expected
to carry a military payload to Polar Orbit from the
Placet's Cosmodrome on Thursday, October thirty first. Rounding out the week,
keep an eye out for Rocket labs next Electron launch
from New Zealand, scheduled for Monday, November fourth. This mission,
playfully named Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, will carry
a confidential payload for an unnamed customer. With multiple nations
and private companies contributing to this packed launch schedule, it's
clear that access to space continues to expand and evolve.
Each of these missions, whether delivering satellites, crew members, or
classified payloads, represents another step forward in our ongoing exploration
and utilization of the Final Frontier. Now some more on
the Chinese launch. China is making history once again with
its space program as the country prepares to send its
only female space flight engineer to the Tiangong Space Station.
Wanghause will be part of the three person crew launching
aboard the Shenzho nineteen mission, marking another milestone for China's
space exploration efforts. This mission is significant not only for
Wang's participation, but also for what it represents in China's
ongoing commitment to space exploration. Wang will become just the
third Chinese woman to take part in a crude mission,
highlighting the country's efforts to diversify its astronaut core. The
Shenzo nineteen crew, led by experienced astronaut Kai Shuja, is
scheduled to blast off early Wednesday morning from the Juquan
Satellite Launch Center. They'll spend about six months aboard Tiangong,
conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the space station. China's space
program has been advancing rapidly in recent years. The Tiangong
space station, completed just last year, is a testament to
China's growing capabilities in space. With plans for crude missions
to the Moon by twenty thirty and aspirations for a
lunar base, China is positioning itself as a major player
in the new space race. This mission underscores China's commitment
to its space stream and its determination to become a
leading space power alongside the United States in Russia. Okay,
how about some news from the USA. NASA has taken
another exciting step towards returning humans to the Moon by
refining its list of potential landing sites for the Artemis
three mission. The Space Agency has identified nine candidate landing
regions near the moon south Pole, each chosen for its
scientific value, engineering feasibility, and potential to support sustainable lunar exploration.
These regions include intriguing areas such as the peak near KBSB, Haworth,
Malapurt Massif, and several sites around the Noble and De
Girloche craters. What makes these South Pole regions particularly fascinating
is their geological diversity. Some feature permanently shadowed areas that
may preserve water and other valuable resources, offering a stark
contrast to the landing locations of the Apollo era. NASA's
selection process involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers
who analyze data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and other
lunar studies. They considered factors like scientific potential, terrain characteristics,
and lighting conditions to ensure the chosen sites can support
the needs of the Space Launch System, Rocket Orion spacecraft,
and the Starship human landing system. The Artemis three geology
team has highlighted the potential of these sites to deepen
our understanding of rocky planets. Lunar resources and the broader
history of our Solar System. This mission will mark the
first time astronauts land in the Moon's south polar region,
offering unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and NTS exploration. As
NASA continues to refine these potential landing sites, they're setting
the stage for long term lunar exploration and paving the
way for future human missions to Mars. The Artemis program
aims to land the first woman in person of color
on the Moon, making this a truly historic endeavor in
space exploration. Our final story today takes us to our
nearest planetary neighbor, Venus. New research has uncovered what could
be a long hidden record of ancient impact craters on
the planet's surface, potentially rewriting what we know about Venus's
geological history. Unlike Earth, where wind, water and tectonic activity
have erased most traces of ancient impacts, Venus has experienced
far less surface change over time. This has left some
of the Solar System's most pristine craters intact. However, Venus
has always been conspicuously lacking in the giant impact basins
we see on places like the Moon or Mars. A
team led by Vicki Hansen from the Planetary Science Institute
has been studying an area on Venus called the Haste
to Sarah. This massive geological feature, spanning over nine hundred miles,
shows unusual concentric rings that the researchers believe could mark
the sites of two consecutive massive impacts billions of years ago.
If confirmed, this would be Venus's oldest and largest impact structure,
offering a rare glimpse into the planet's distant past. It
also suggests that not all impact structures look alike, with
Venus's unique conditions creating formations very different from what we
see elsewhere. The key difference lies in Venus's early planetary structure.
When these impacts occurred, Venus likely had a hotter, thinner
outer layer than Earth does today. This allowed the impacts
to break through and expose molten material from below, which
then solidified into the complex, wrinkled terrain we see today.
This discovery not only sheds light on Venus' history, but
also gives us new insight into how planets evolve differently
under various conditions. It's a reminder that in space exploration,
we often need to look beyond our expectations to uncover
the truth, and that brings us to the end of
today's fascinating journey through the cosmos, from the militarization of
space to groundbreaking discoveries on Venus. It's been another eventful
episode in astronomy and space Exploration. I hope you've enjoyed
this cosmic update as much as I've enjoyed bringing it
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This is Anna signing off from Astronomy Daily. Keep looking
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