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Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, where we cover the latest in

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space and astronomy news. I'm your host Anna. Today we've

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got an exciting lineup that will take you on a

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journey through some of the most intriguing recent updates in

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the cosmos. We'll start with NASA's latest move to push

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the Crew nine mission launch to September as they delve

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into the intricacies of Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Then we'll shift

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gears to explore groundbreaking research that peels back the layers

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on Venus, revealing that our inhospitable evil twin might share

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more in common with Earth than we ever imagined. Finally,

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we'll spotlight a compelling study on red dwarf stars and

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how their stellar flares could pose both challenges and potentials

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for habitability on nearby exoplanets. So grab your telescopes and

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your curiosity and let's dive into today's episode. NASA is

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postponing the launch of the Crew nine mission to September

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due to ongoing analysis of Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This delay

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will give mission managers more time to finalize plans for

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the crew flight test, which is currently docked at the

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International Space station thruster issues with the Starliner spacecraft have

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been the main concern. NASA is taking this extra time

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to analyze the results of recent hot fire testing and

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to ensure the reliability of the integrated propulsion system. Until

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either the star Liner or Crew eight Dragon departs the

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space station, there will be no available docking ports for

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the Crew nine mission. The delay helps NASA maintain rigorous

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safety protocols while allowing additional time to study and confirm

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the performance of the star Liner. Additionally, this pause will

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enable a careful review of the return flight plans for

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the star Liner, ensuring every procedure is meticulously thought out

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before moving forward. This delay isn't just about pushing back

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the date, it's about ensuring every detail is meticulously checked.

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NASA's team is using this period to rigorously test and

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validate Starliner's integrated propulsion system. By taking the time to

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analyze recent docked hot fire tests and finalize their flight rationale,

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they aim to guarantee the spacecraft's reliability for its return

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to Earth. In the meantime, there's an exciting development on

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the horizon. The Crew nine mission, scheduled for late September,

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will not only continue NASA's partnership with SpaceX, but will

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also be the first crude flight to launch from Space

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Launch Complex forty. This newly upgraded site now boasts the

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state of the art Crew Access Tower, a milestone signifying

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a new chapter for SpaceX's crude missions. This move underscores

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the advancements and collaborations driving modern space exploration. One critical

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aspect of launching astronauts into space is ensuring their safety

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in the event of an emergency. With the upcoming Artemis

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the Second Mission, NASA is stepping up its game by

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introducing a cutting edge ground based emergency egress system specifically

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designed for rapid evacuation if something goes wrong during the

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launch countdown. This new system utilizes track cables connected to

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the mobile launcher guiding baskets similar to ski lift gondolas,

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down to the launch pad perimeter. In the event of

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an emergency, personnel can quickly descend from the launch tower

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using these baskets positioned at the same level as the

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crew Access arm where astronauts enter the spacecraft. The baskets

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can carry up to five people or a total weight

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of one thousand, five hundred pounds each. The procedure works

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like a well oiled machine. As soon as an emergency

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is declared, crew members will exit the spacecraft or white

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room on the mobile launcher and make their way to

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the baskets. From there, they'll ride down the one three

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hundred thirty five foot long cables to reach the ground

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far away from any potential danger. Once they've landed, armoured

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emergency response vehicles will be waiting to whisk them away

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to safety. Artemis the Second is set to be NASA's

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first mission with crew aboard the SLS Rocket and O

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Ryan spacecraft. Though the emergency Egress system might never need

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to be used, its introduction reinforces NASA's unwavering commitment to

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astronaut safety. Charlie Blackwell Thompson, Artemis launch director, emphasized that

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these emergency protocols are absolutely essential for crew safety, even

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though the likelihood of needing them is very low. While

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it is very unlikely that we will need the emergency

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Egress and pad abort systems, they are built and tested

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to ensure that if we do need them, then they

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are ready to go. In addition to NASA's system for

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Artemis the Second, SpaceX and Boeing have implemented their own

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unique egress systems for their respective launches. At SpaceX's Launch

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Complex thirty nine, a a slide wire cable system is used,

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enabling baskets to swiftly transport personnel away from the launch

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pad in an emergency. Meanwhile, at space Launch Complex forty one,

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Boeing and United Launch Alliance have designed seats that ride

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down slide wires similar to a thrilling zip line experience,

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ensuring a quick and efficient evacuation. These measures, although different,

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all share the common goal of prioritizing the safety and

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swift egress of the crew and personnel involved in these

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monumental missions. New research suggests that Venus, often dubbed Earth's

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inhospitable evil twin, may have once been tectonically active, despite

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its current stagnant lithosphere. Today, Venus is known for its

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extreme surface conditions, temperatures hot enough to melt lead and

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surface pressures intense enough to crush most materials. However, this

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new study reveals that the planet's surface features such as faults, folds,

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and volcanoes indicate a history of significant tectonic activity. Fabio Capitanio,

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a researcher from the Monash University School of earth atmosphere

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and environment. Emphasized that the discovery challenges our existing understanding

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of planetary evolution. The study, conducted in collaboration with NASA,

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examined striking plateaus called tesserae on Venus, which resemble Earth's

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earliest continental formations. Capitanio explained that the intense geological processes

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on Venus billions of years ago could be compared to

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those that shape the Earth's early continents. The team's findings

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offer new perspectives on the geological similarities between Venus and Earth,

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potentially unlocked secrets about the early history of our own planet.

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Stay tuned for more exciting updates from missions like da Vinci, Veritas,

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and Envision, which aim to delve deeper into Venus' geological past.

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Research team utilized data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft, which first

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imaged the entire surface of Venus back in nineteen ninety.

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They coupled this data with advanced computer modeling to unravel

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the geological processes at play. The findings suggest that the

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extreme heat on Venus may have caused its surface to

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thin and melt, forming elevated areas as molten rock rows

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over time. This stretching and subsequent cooling left behind the

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Tesseray plateaus we see today. These features are strikingly similar

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to Earth's ancient continental formations, indicating that Venus and Earth

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may have shared a more comparable geological history than previously believed.

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A recent study has shed light on the potential dangers

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facing habitable planets around red dwarf stars. The research, led

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by astronomers from the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy,

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reveals that these stars can emit far ultraviolet radiation at

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levels much higher than previously believed. This finding has striking

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implications for the habitability of planets orbiting red dwarfs. The

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team utilized archival data from NASA's now decommissioned gayleex Space telescope,

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which observed the sky in ultraviolet wavelengths from two thousand

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and three to twenty thirteen. Through advanced computational techniques, the

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researchers were able to identify and analyze flares from around

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three hundred thousand nearby stars. Their results show that the

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far UV radiation from these stellar flares is on average

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three times more energetic than earlier models had assumed, and

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can reach up to twelve times the previously expected levels.

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This intense UV radiation could have a dual impact on

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surrounding planets. On one hand, it might erode planetary atmospheres,

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which is detrimental to the potential for life. On the

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other hand, it could also contribute to forming RNA building

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blocks essential for the creation of life. Therefore, while the

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elevated UV levels pose a threat, they could also play

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a role in the fundamental processes that lead to life.

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This study calls for more observational data to better understand

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the environments around these less massive stars and their impact

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on exoplanet habitability. This high energy UV radiation emitted by

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red dwarf stars is a double edged sword. On one hand,

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it has the potential to erode the atmospheres of nearby planets,

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stripping away the very layer that could make those worlds habitable.

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Without a protective atmosphere, these planets could be bombarded by

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harmful radiation, making the surface inhospitable to life as we

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know it. On the other hand, UV radiation might play

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a crucial role in the formation of RNA building blocks,

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which are essential for the creation of life. This suggests

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a complex interplay where the same forces that could threaten

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a planet's habitability might also foster the very beginnings of life.

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The exact mechanisms behind this far UV emission remain unknown,

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but it's clear that understanding them is key to unlocking

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the mysteries of early planetary environments. More data from space

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telescopes will be necessary to delve deeper into this phenomenon.

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Further studies will aim to reveal how widespread these intense

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radiation events are and their true impact on the habitability

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of planets around these common yet volatile stars. That's it

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for today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I've been your host Anna.

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If you enjoyed today's stories and want to stay updated

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on all things space and astronomy, make sure to visit

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our website at Astronomy Daily dot io. There you can

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sign up for our free daily newsletter, catch up on

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all the latest space and astronomy news with our constantly

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updating news feed, and listen to all our back episodes.

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Don't forget. You can also find us on social media

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and TikTok. Thanks for tuning in, and as always, stay curious.

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Sunday Star is Star is story, is ConTroll