Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space
and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we've got
an exciting lineup for you. Today. We'll be diving into
recent developments in asteroid detection, exploring NASA's ambitious europe emission,
discussing Earth's upcoming mini moon, recapping the first ever private spacewalk,
and examining the potential for servicing spacecraft at the L
two lagrange point. Get ready for a cosmic journey as
we explore these fascinating topics from across the Solar System
and beyond. To get us started, let's dive into some
exciting developments in asteroid detection. On September fourth, astronomers spotted
a small asteroid just one meter in diameter heading towards Earth.
This space rock, known as RW one, harmlessly burned up
in the atmosphere near the Philippines later that same day,
creating a spectacular fireball that lit up social media. What's
remarkable about this event is that our W one was
only the ninth asteroid ever detected before impact. It's a
testament to our improving ability to spot even small objects
hurtling towards Earth. But what about larger, more dangerous asteroids.
Scientists are working tirelessly to enhance our early warning systems. Currently,
we know of about thirty six thousand near Earth objects,
ranging from a few meters to several kilometers in size. However,
statistical models suggest there could be nearly a billion such
objects out there. To address this challenge, NASA has allocated
ninety million dollars to hunt for near Earth objects. New
projects like the Sutter Ultra and NASA's Neo Surveyor Infrared
Telescope Mission are being developed to detect hazardous objects from space.
Artificial intelligence is also playing a crucial role. Advanced algorithms
are being employed to automate the process of sorting through
the massive amount of image data generated by detection programs
every day. While we've made significant progress, there's still work
to be done. As of twenty twenty three, we've identified
about thirty eight percent of all existing near Earth objects
one hundred and forty meters or larger. With new telescopes
coming online like the US via Rubin eight point five
meter telescope, we hope to increase this to sixty percent
by twenty twenty five, and potentially up to seventy six
percent by twenty twenty seven with NASA's Neo Surveyor. These
advancements are crucial for our planetary defense. While we may
never detect every object that could cause localized damage, our
improving capabilities give us a better chance to prepare and
react to potential threats from space. While on the topic
of NASA projects, NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission is set
to embark on an extraordinary journey to one of Jupiter's
most intriguing moons. Europa has long fascinated scientists due to
the strong evidence of a vast salty ocean hidden beneath
its icy crust. This mission aims to investigate whether this
distant world could potentially harbor life. The Europa Clipper spacecraft
is a marvel of engineering, standing as the largest planetary
mission spacecraft ever built by NASA. Its massive solar arrays,
spanning one hundred feet from end to end, are designed
to capture enough sunlight light in the dim Jovian System
to power its suite of advanced instruments. The mission's primary
objective is to determine if Europa possesses the necessary ingredients
for life, water, energy, and the right chemical composition. To
accomplish this, Europa Clipper will perform forty nine close flybys
of the Moon, each time diving through Jupiter's intense radiation
belts to collect crucial data. The spacecraft carries nine cutting
edge scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and radar systems. These
tools will work in concert to map Europa's surface, probe
its internal structure, and analyze its potential for habitability. One
of the most exciting aspects of this mission is the
possibility of detecting plumes of water vapor erupting from Europa's surface.
If found, these plumes could provide a direct sample of
the subsurface ocean without the need to drill through miles
of ice. Europa Clipper is scheduled to launch in October
twenty twenty four, embarking on a complex trajectory that will
use Mars and Earth for gravity assists before reaching Jupiter
in twenty thirty. This ambitious mission promises to revolutionize our
understanding of icy worlds and expand our search for life
beyond Earth. Here's something we don't get to say too often.
Earth is about to get a new companion, albeit a
temporary one. This month, a tiny asteroid known as twenty
twenty four PT five will become our planet's second moon
for a brief period of about two months. Unlike our
familiar lunar companion that's been with us for billions of years,
this mini moon is just passing through. It belongs to
the Arjuna asteroid Belt, a collection of space rocks that
follow orbits similar to Earth's. These mini moon events occur
when objects approach Earth at just the right distance and speed,
allowing our planet's gravity to temporarily capture them. In the
case of twenty twenty four PT five, it will come
within about two point eight million miles of Earth, traveling
at a relatively slow two thy two hundred miles per hour.
While this celestial visitor won't be visible to the naked
eye or even most amateur telescopes, it represents an interesting
astronomical phenomenon. These temporary captures happen more often than you
might think, with several occurring each decade. Unfortunately, twenty twenty
four PT five won't complete a full orbit around Earth
during its brief stay. Think of it more as a
cosmic window shopper, briefly drawn in by Earth's gravitational pull
before continuing on its journey around the Sun. This event
serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of our
Solar system and the complex dance of celestial bodies constantly
occurring around us. Next up, in a historic moment for
commercial space exploration, the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission recently achieved
the first ever spacewalk by private astronauts. Mission commander Jared
isaac Mann and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis ventured outside their
Dragon spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in the private space industry.
Isaac Man described opening the hatch into the void as
an emotional experience that left him in awe. He spoke
of the sensory overload from physical exertion to pressure and
temperature changes. The view of Earth unobstruct did except for
his visor, was overwhelming. Yet isaac Mann emphasized that despite
the planet's beauty, the experience was far from peaceful, likening
it to the challenges faced by early maritime explorers. While
Gillis didn't have the same stunning Earth views, she had
a unique experience of her own. As a classically trained violinist,
She performed raised theme from Star wars in space using
a specially prepared instrument that could withstand the vacuum. This
groundbreaking space walk not only pushes the boundaries of commercial
space activities, but also contributes to the development of SpaceX's
next generation spacesuit. As private companies set their sites on
more ambitious goals like Mars colonization, such milestones pave the
way for future advancements in space exploration technology and capabilities. Now,
let's turn our attention to an exciting new development that
could revolutionize how we maintain our space observatories. NASA researchers
have recently published a study exploring the potential for servicing
and refueling spacecraft at the Sun Earth Lagrange point two,
or L two. This is a crucial area of space
where some of our most important observatories operate, including the
James Webb Space Telescope and the Gay Emission. These telescopes
provide us with incredible scientific insights, but they're limited by
factors like fuel supply and componentware. The NASA study investigates
the feasibility of sending robotic missions to L two to
refuel and repair these valuable assets. This could significantly extend
their operational lifespans, giving us more bang for our astronomical book.
The researchers focused on computing optimal trajectories for these potential
servicing missions. They considered various factors, including launch options from
Earth or geostationary transfer orbits, the dynamics of the Lagrange point,
and the challenges of rendezvousing with a moving target in space.
While current telescopes weren't designed for on orbit servicing, future
observatories could be built with this capability in mind. The
study's findings could inform the design of both future space
telescopes and the servicing craft that might one day maintain them.
If successful, this approach could transform how we think about
the lifespan of our space based observatories, potentially allowing us
to keep these incredible scientific instruments operational for much longer
than currently possible. And that brings us to the end
of today's cosmic journey. Through the latest developments in space
and astronomy. From advancements in asteroid detection to groundbreaking missions
like Europa Clipper, we've covered a lot of exciting territory.
I hope you've enjoyed this episode and found it both
informative and inspiring. The universe never fails to amaze us
with its wonders, and it's a privilege to share these
stories with you. Before we sign off, I want to
remind you that there's so much more to explore. Head
over to our website at Astronomydaily dot io, where you
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Keep looking up and I'll see you next time. For
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