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