S03E135: Starliner vs. Crew Dragon, Polaris Dawn's Delay, and Chandrayaan-3's Lunar Revelations

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast

Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to Podcast for the latest news and discoveries in the field of space and Astronomy. I'm your host Anna, and we have some fascinating stories lined up for you today. From NASA's upcoming decision on Boeing's Starliner to the historic private spacewalk planned by SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, we've got the latest updates that will keep you on the edge of your seat. We'll also delve into groundbreaking findings from India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, discuss the finale of ESA's Cluster mission, and explore new simulations about the chances of a collision between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. Stay tuned. It's going to be an exciting episode.
- **NASA's Decision on Boeing's Starliner**: NASA is gearing up to make a significant decision this Stuart regarding whether astronauts Butch Wilmore and SUNY Williams will return to Earth using Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft or SpaceX's reliable Crew Dragon. This announcement holds particular weight given the numerous challenges the Starliner has faced throughout its mission.
- **Polaris Dawn Mission: Historic Private Spacewalk**: SpaceX has announced a slight delay in their much-anticipated Polaris Dawn mission. Originally set to lift off on August 26, the launch is now scheduled for no earlier than August 27. This shift allows the team to complete some additional pre-flight checkouts to ensure everything is in perfect order for this groundbreaking mission.
- **Chandrayaan-3 Mission: New Lunar Discoveries**: Next up, the Pragyan rover, part of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, has been actively exploring the moon's south pole, providing fascinating insights into our celestial neighbor. Launched last summer, the Vikram lander made a successful touchdown, allowing the Pragyan rover to embark on its scientific expedition. So far, Pragyan has been diligently collecting and analyzing soil samples, a task that has yielded data bolstering theories about the moon's fiery origins.
- **ESA's Cluster Mission Finale **: ESA's historic Cluster mission is coming to a close after an impressive 24 years of service. Launched back in 2000, the Cluster mission has provided invaluable data on Earth's magnetic environment, or magnetosphere.
- **Milky Way and Andromeda: Collision or Near Miss?**: Here's a story that could rewrite the textbooks. Astronomers have long held the belief that our home galaxy, the Milky Way, will inevitably merge with our neighboring Andromeda galaxy within the next 5 billion years. This anticipated cataclysmic event has been a staple of astronomical forecasts, predicting an eventual fusion of the two galaxies into a new elliptical supergalaxy called Milkomeda. However, new simulations present a more nuanced picture, suggesting that the likelihood of this colossal collision could be a mere 50% over the next 10 billion years.
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