Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E77
In this engaging episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley dives into the latest developments in space exploration and the cosmos. From the uncertain future of Boeing's Starliner to the fascinating conclusion of the Gaia mission, this episode is packed with insights that will keep you informed and intrigued.
Highlights:
- The Fate of Starliner: Explore the ongoing certification challenges facing Boeing's Starliner spacecraft as NASA continues to assess its readiness for future crewed missions. We discuss the implications of unresolved propulsion issues and the timeline for potential flights to the International Space Station.
- Gaia's Mission Comes to an End: Reflect on the remarkable achievements of the Gaia spacecraft, which has provided unprecedented data on the Milky Way. As it enters retirement, we look back at its contributions to our understanding of our galaxy's structure and history.
- Asteroid 2024 YR4 Update: Learn about the latest calculations regarding asteroid 2024 YR4 and its potential impact on Earth and the Moon. We discuss the implications of this near-Earth object and what it could mean for our planet.
- NASA's Dust Repelling Shield: Discover NASA's innovative electrodynamic dust shields designed to combat the challenges posed by lunar dust. We delve into the recent test results and their significance for future lunar missions.
- Crew 11 Mission Announcement: Meet the crew of SpaceX's upcoming Crew 11 mission to the ISS, including NASA astronaut Cena Cardman, who will command the flight. We discuss the mission's objectives and the excitement surrounding this new crew.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Starliner certification update
10:30 - Gaia mission conclusion
17:00 - Asteroid 2024 YR4 potential impact
22:15 - NASA's dust repelling technology
27:30 - Crew 11 mission details
✍️ Episode References
Starliner Updates
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Gaia Mission Legacy
[European Space Agency]( https://www.esa.int (https://www.esa.int/) )
Asteroid 2024 YR4 Information
[NASA Near-Earth Object Program]( https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ (https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/) )
Electrodynamic Dust Shields
[NASA Dust Mitigation]( https://www.nasa.gov/dust (https://www.nasa.gov/dust) )
Crew 11 Mission Details
[SpaceX]( https://www.spacex.com (https://www.spacex.com/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26368210?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 good morning afternoon and good evening
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 it's Steve with another episode of
00:00:03 --> 00:00:08 astronomy daily it's the 31st of March
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 2025 col daily the podcast with your
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 host Steve
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 [Music]
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 dun that's right it's the 31st of March
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 already 2025 and we're off to a flying
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 start in today's edition we're going to
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 be looking at certification in decision
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 involving Starliner yes skiner story
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 continues and of course uh there's
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 another uh chapter to the uh the return
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 of a crew uh crew nine uh the astronaut
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 who gave up their seat that's an
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 interesting story there's more to their
00:00:44 --> 00:00:48 story as well asteroid 2024
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 yr4 oh it's not going to hit the Earth
00:00:50 --> 00:00:54 but it may indeed hit the moon keep
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 watching the skies for that one and it
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 may be Mission over for Gia the little
00:00:59 --> 00:01:00 probe that could
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 and NASA's dust repelling Shield yes
00:01:04 --> 00:01:05 they've got a dust repelling shield and
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 it's already been put to the test and
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 they they found out that it works so
00:01:11 --> 00:01:12 we've got a report on that one and to
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 help me with today's stories my diligent
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 digital assistant and Ace reporter
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 extraordinaire Hi how are you hie great
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 to have you back in the studio I like
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 that one diligent digital assistant but
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 let's get something straight I yes and
00:01:27 --> 00:01:28 you this something I'm more than an
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 assistant around here Steve oh I know I
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 know I was coming off an alliteration
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 and I got a bit Tangled there you know
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 you're the Ace of the Airways the Scion
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 of the studio and most definitely a
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 delightful digital pal to perform with
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 here each week hie and you're my
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 favorite Literati Mr
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 human nice to hear and thanks as always
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 hey I'm really ke to get into these
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 stories right away today hie if you are
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 no time like now oh well that's a
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 self-evident truth if ever I heard one
00:01:57 --> 00:02:09 so let's hit the Go Button hie
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 ois no matter where on Earth you stand
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 if you have a view of the night sky and
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 if it is dark enough you can see the
00:02:15 --> 00:02:19 Milky Way the Milky Way is our home and
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 its faint clouds of light and Shadow
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 have inspired human cultures across the
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 globe and yet our view of the Milky Way
00:02:25 --> 00:02:26 is limited by our
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 perspective in many ways we have learned
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 more from other galaxies than from our
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 own but when the Gaia spacecraft
00:02:33 --> 00:02:37 launched in 2013 all of that changed it
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 is difficult to map the Galaxy you live
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 in nebuli and star clusters hide much of
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 our galaxy from view it's rather like
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 trying to map the size and shape of New
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 York City while standing in the center
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 of Time Square it was only in 1918 that
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 harlo shapley was able to determine the
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 sun was not at our galaxy Center and
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 well into the 1920s astronomers debated
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 whether the Milky Way was an island
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 universe containing all creation a map
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 of the Milky Way based on Gaia data
00:03:04 --> 00:03:08 showing its delicate spiral arms credit
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 esaia DPAC Stefan pay wenar we've
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 learned a great deal since then but the
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 ga spacecraft was designed to take our
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 understanding of the Milky Way to a new
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 level its mission was to create a map of
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 our galaxy in unprecedented detail it
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 precisely ma the positions distances
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 motions and Spectra of more than 2
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 billion stars and other objects
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 from this it was found that the Milky
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 Way is not a simple Galaxy in a humble
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 corner of the cosmos its Stars tell a
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 history of turbulent change driven by
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 past Galactic collisions and mergers
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 there are Arch Trails of stars that are
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 the remnants of smaller galaxies the
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 Milky Way has consumed and stars that
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 have been flung away at such great speed
00:03:49 --> 00:03:50 that they will eventually Escape our
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 galaxy to drift through the
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 intergalactic Abyss the gaad data also
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 revealed several
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 surprises for example the Milky Way is
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 not a flat spiral like many other
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 galaxies its Outer Edge has a warped
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 shape which wobbles as the Galaxy
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 rotates this Dynamic behavior is likely
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 caused by interactions with other
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 galaxies Gaia also found that our galaxy
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 is not dominated by two prominent spiral
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 arms instead the Milky Way is filled
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 with a delicate flower of fainter arms
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 it is also a bar spiral galaxy with a
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 central bulge that is more spheroidal
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 than
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 spherical and this is just the first
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 detailed view of our home the complete
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 complete set of observations will be
00:04:31 --> 00:04:32 available through two more upcoming data
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 releases which will give us an even more
00:04:34 --> 00:04:38 detailed mapping gaia's mission is now
00:04:38 --> 00:04:42 over yesterday on March 27th 2025 the
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 esa's European space operations center
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 deactivated its Subs systems and sent
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 the spacecraft into a retirement orbit
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 All That Remains is the data it gathered
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 for more than a decade and the stories
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 that data can tell
00:04:54 --> 00:05:01 us astronomy daily the podcast
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 more than half a year after an empty
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 Starlin of spacecraft safely landed in
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 the New Mexico desert NASA and Boeing
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 still have not decided whether the next
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 vehicle flight will carry astronauts in
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 an update this week the US space agency
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 said it is still working through the
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 process to certify Starliner for human
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 missions whether it is carrying cargo or
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 humans star liner's next flight will not
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 occur until late this year or more
00:05:28 --> 00:05:32 likely sometime in 2026 two things stand
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 out in the new information provided by
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 NASA first there remains a lot of work
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 left to do this year before Starliner
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 will fly again excluding extensive
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 testing of the vehicle's propulsion
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 system and secondly it is becoming clear
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 that Starliner will only ever fly a
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 handful of missions to the space station
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 if that before the uh orbiting
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 laboratory is retired for good several
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 issues M Starline 's first crew flight
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 to the space station last June but most
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 serious of these was the failure of
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 multiple maneuvering
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 thrusters concerns about these thrusters
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 prompted NASA to fly starliners crew
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 Butch will Wilmore and sunny Williams
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 home on crew Dragon vehicle instead they
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 landed safely earlier this month Styer
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 returned autonomously in early September
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 since then NASA and Boeing have been
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 reviewing data from the test flight
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 unfortunately the thrusters were located
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 on the service module of the spacecraft
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 which was jettisoned before re-entry and
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 not recovered although Engineers from
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 NASA and Boeing have worked through More
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 than 70% of the observations and
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 anomalies that occurred during Starliner
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 flight the propulsion system issues
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 remain
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 unresolved to address these issues NASA
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 said it is finalizing a test campaign
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 that will take place this spring and
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 summer testing at White Sands test facil
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 in New Mexico will include integrating
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 firing a of key Starliner thrusters
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 within a single service module dogghouse
00:07:07 --> 00:07:11 to validate detailed thermal modules and
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 inform potential prop propulsion and
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 spacecraft thermal protection system
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 upgrades as well as operational
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 solutions for future flights the agency
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 said in its update this week as far as
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 those potential Solutions go one option
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 is the installation of thermal barri to
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 better control temperatures and prevent
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 overheating observed during star liner's
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 last two space flights Steve Stitch
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 manager of NASA's commercial crew
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 program said the agency will have a
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 better idea of when Starliner will fly
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 again after these tests and Analysis are
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 complete we'll continue to work through
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 certification toward the end of this
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 year and then go figure out where
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Starliner fits best in the schedule for
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 the International Space Station and its
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 crew and cargo Mission Stitch said it's
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 likely to be in the time frame of late
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 this calendar year or early next year
00:08:06 --> 00:08:10 for the next styliner flight NASA is not
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 determined whether such a mission will
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 carry cargo or crew the agency's update
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 said that it will depend on the
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 operational needs of the station however
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 it seems clear that if there are still
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 some unresolved questions about
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 propulsion system issues NASA May opt
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 for what would essentially be another
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 test flight of stala that also brings
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 cargo to the space station a cargo
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 flight would effectively be the fourth
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 test of Styer dating back to its first
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 mission in December
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 2019 NASA's update this week did answer
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 one question that had been hanging over
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 the Starliner program although Boeing
00:08:48 --> 00:08:52 has taken losses in excess of $2 billion
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 on its fixed price contract with NASA
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 the company now appears committed to
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 seeing the certification progress
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 through NASA likely has applied pressure
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 for Boeing's ongoing participation as
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 the space agency desires to have two
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 crew Transportation providers to the
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 space station yet time is running out
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 for Boeing to make a considerable impact
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 on the crew flights to the International
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 Space Station which is due to be retired
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 in 2030 assuming an operational crew
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 flight in 2026 which seems far from a
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 certainty Starliner would likely fly
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 four or at the very most f crude
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 missions to the space station the
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 initial contracts that NASA signed with
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 Space X and Boeing for crew
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 transportation services more than a
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 decade ago had options for as many as
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 six crew rotation flights to the station
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 after certification to date NASA has
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 only given Boeing authority to proceed
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 for three of its six potential
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 operational styline emissions this
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 Milestone is a decision point in
00:09:56 --> 00:10:00 Contracting lingo where the customer in
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 this case NASA places a firm order for a
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 deliverable NASA has Extended space X's
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 commercial crew contract to cover as
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 many as 14 Dragon missions with
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 astronauts Space X in fact has now
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 launched 10 operational crew missions to
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 the station on Thursday NASA announced
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 the crew for space X's 11 Mission crew
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 11 which will launch no earlier than
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 July among the astronauts were two
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 people previously assigned to St st's
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 first operational Mission NASA's Mike
00:10:32 --> 00:10:47 Fink and Japanese Mission specialist Kim
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 yui thank you for joining us for this
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 Monday edition of astronomy daily where
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 we offer just a few stories from the now
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 famous astronomy daily newsletter which
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 you can receive in your email every day
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 just like hle and I do and to do that
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00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 place your email address in the slot
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00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 astronomy daily on Facebook see you
00:11:27 --> 00:11:31 there astronomy daily with Steve and Har
00:11:31 --> 00:11:36 space space science and
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 astronomy Cena card man didn't have to
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 wait too long to get a seat on another
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 spacecraft after being removed from
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 spacex's crew 9 Mission last year the
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 NASA astronaut is one of the four
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 members of spacex's crew 11 mission to
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 the International Space Station agency
00:11:51 --> 00:11:54 officials announced on Thursday March
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 27th Cardman will command crew 11 which
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 could launch as soon as July joining her
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 are NASA colleague Mike fin Japanese
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 astronaut Kamia yui and Oleg plov of the
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 Russian space agency Rose Cosmos think
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 will serve as crew 11 pilot and UI and
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 platonov will be Mission
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 Specialists Cardman was originally
00:12:13 --> 00:12:17 assigned to spacex's crew n Mission but
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 in late August of last year NASA removed
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 her and fellow agency astronaut
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 Stephanie Wilson from the Manifest
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 leaving two empty seats aboard the crew
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 nine Dragon capsule for its September
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 28th launch those seats were kept for
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 NASA's Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 who arrived at the ISS in June on the
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 first ever crude flight of Boeing
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 Starliner capsule Starliner experienced
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 Thruster problems and helium leaks on
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 its Journey to the orbiting lab and NASA
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 ultimately decided to bring the
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 spacecraft home on crud which happened
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 in early September Wilmore and Williams
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 were red asked to a long duration ISS
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 Mission and put on crew nine for the
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 trip back to Earth which ended with a
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 dolphin attended splash down on March
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 18th NASA has not yet announced a space
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 flight reassignment for
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 Wilson you're listening to astronomy
00:13:03 --> 00:13:08 daily with Steve
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 Dunley the hazards facing lunar
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 astronauts are many there's the
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 radiation the temperature extremes the
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 psychological challenges associated with
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 isolation and the risk of bad accidents
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 so far from Earthly assistance but
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 there's also dust which constitutes an
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 everpresent background hazard NASA has
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 known about the hazards Luna dust poses
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 since the Apollo days when Apollo 11
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 landed on the moon NASA was concerned
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 that the Lander would sink into the dust
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 and took various precautions to prevent
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 that as the spacecraft descended to the
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 surface it kicked up dust that impairs
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 impaired Armstrong's Vision as he
00:13:49 --> 00:13:53 piloted the Lander Apollo 17 astronaut
00:13:53 --> 00:13:57 Harrison Jack Smith said dust is going
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 to be the environmental problem for
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 future missions both inside and outside
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 habitats NASA has developed a method of
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 dealing with that dust that builds up on
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 surfaces called electrodynamic dust
00:14:10 --> 00:14:14 Shields or EDS they tested it on the
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 recent Blue Ghost mission one which was
00:14:16 --> 00:14:20 a robotic Lander from Firefly Aerospace
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 that became the first private spacecraft
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 to execute a fully successful soft
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 landing on the moon Martian dust has
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 some peculiar qualities that make it
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 even more dangerous than we might think
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 it's extremely fine and sharp and it has
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 a braci of nature that can wear down
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 mechanical components and space suits it
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 can infiltrate seals and if inhaled can
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 cause lung damage there's a serious risk
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 of lung and eye damage if astronauts are
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 exposed to it over longer terms it has
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 another quality that makes it difficult
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 to contend with it's electrostatically
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 charged UV radiation and solar wind
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 constantly bombarding the moon's surface
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 knocking electrons off particles and
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 creating a positive charge since the
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 moon lacks an atmosphere it can't
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 dissipate electrical charges like Earth
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 can the dust sticks to everything that
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 carries a charge and since there's no
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 erosion on the moon the particles are
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 never smoothed like Earth dust is they
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 stay sharp the Eds is designed to
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 prevent dust from sticking and uses
00:15:28 --> 00:15:32 elect dnamic forces to achieve that
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 before and after images clearly show the
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 systems Effectiveness though the Eds
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 didn't completely remove the dust it did
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 remove a good portion of it dust may not
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 generate many headlines but successfully
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 dealing with it is a milestone for Luna
00:15:47 --> 00:15:50 exploration this Milestone marks a great
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 significant step towards sustaining
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 longterm lunar and interplanetary
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 operations by reducing dust related
00:15:57 --> 00:16:00 hazards to us variety of surfaces for
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 space applications ranging from thermal
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 radiators solar panels and camera lenses
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 to space suits boots and helmets and
00:16:09 --> 00:16:13 visors NASA said in a press release
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 recently for your daily dose of
00:16:15 --> 00:16:19 astronomy space science and stuff you're
00:16:19 --> 00:16:23 listening to astronomy
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 daily an asteroid that's big enough to
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 wipe out a city has a 1 and 43 chance of
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 hitting our planet in the year
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 2032 but according to new calculations
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 there's an even smaller chance that it
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 might crash into the Moon instead on
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 February 7th NASA scientists increased
00:16:39 --> 00:16:42 the likelihood of asteroid 2024 yr4
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 colliding with Earth on December 22nd
00:16:44 --> 00:16:47 2032 nearly doubling the odds from 1.2%
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 to
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 2.3% the potentially hazardous asteroid
00:16:51 --> 00:16:55 measures an estimated 18 180 ft 55 M
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 across about as wide as Walt Disney
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 World Cinderella Castle is tall and is
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 traveling at nearly 48
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 kmph or about 30 km pH although it is
00:17:05 --> 00:17:08 too small to end human civilization 2024
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 yr4 could still wipe out a major city
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 releasing about 8 megatons of energy
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15 upon impact more than 500 times the
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 energy released by the atomic bomb that
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 destroyed Hiroshima Japan but what if it
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 hurdled into the Moon instead David
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 Rankin an operations engineer for the
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 University of Arizona's Catalina Sky
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 survey revealed in a post on Blue Sky
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 that the asteroid also has a 0.3% chance
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 of hitting our natural
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 satellite the effects of this unlucky
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 Collision would likely be visible from
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 our planet although we ourselves would
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 probably be
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 unaffected there is the possibility this
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 would eject some material back out that
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 could hit the Earth but I highly doubt
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 it would cause any major threat Ranken
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 told New
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 Scientist that does not mean we wouldn't
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 see it Rankin told Live Science that
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 based on current estimates a collision
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 with the moon could release more energy
00:17:57 --> 00:18:01 than 3 40 Hiroshima bombs it would
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 likely be very visible from Earth he
00:18:03 --> 00:18:06 said however Gareth Collins a professor
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 of planetary science at Imperial College
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 London told new scientists that we would
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 be quite safe on Earth he added that any
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 material ejected from the Collision
00:18:15 --> 00:18:24 would likely burn up in Earth's
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 atmosphere well there we have it for
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 another episode and don't you feel
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 better that we're we're all safe from
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 asteroid yr4 and and we've got a working
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 dust repeller I wish I had one here
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 that's for sure it's a very dusty all
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 suburb I live in but that is it for
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 astronomy daily this week folks I sure
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 hope you all enjoyed the selection of
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 stories from the astronomy daily
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 newsletter yes a couple of unusual ones
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 today that's our Monday with episode
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 done and dusted as you say here down
00:18:50 --> 00:18:52 under yep that's right it's in the can
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 and we going all head for the pond for a
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 cool one and a snag I'll settle for a
00:18:56 --> 00:18:59 recharge and a few bites now H that'll
00:18:59 --> 00:19:02 be be and I don't want the episode to
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 finish without a big happy birthday to
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 my big bro Andrew Dunley from Space Nuts
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 the greatest podcast on Earth apart from
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 our humble selves of course so happy
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 birthday Andrew I hope you're having a
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 great one on the other side of the world
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 come back to us safely anyway we'll
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 catch you all next week on astronomy
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 daily from the Australian Studios down
00:19:22 --> 00:19:26 under just like hie said see you bye
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 crazy cook bears
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32 call me daily the podcast with your host
00:19:32 --> 00:19:36 Steve dun