Blue Origin Reuses New Glenn But Loses Satellite + Artemis 2 Heat Shield News
In today's episode, Anna and Avery cover six major stories from the past 24 hours. Blue Origin made history by reusing its New Glenn rocket for the first time -- but the upper stage deployed the BlueBird 7 satellite into the wrong orbit, forcing a deorbit. SpaceX delivered a clean GPS III SV10 launch for the US Space Force. Post-mission inspection of the Artemis 2 Orion capsule's heat shield provides initial good news after months of pre-flight controversy. A new MIT/WHOI planetary wave model reveals Titan's hydrocarbon seas could host 10-foot slow-motion waves from gentle breezes. The Lyrid meteor shower peaks Wednesday April 22 under ideal dark-sky conditions. And the Giant Magellan Telescope advances to its final design phase ahead of a crucial Congressional funding decision. Story Links Story 1 -- Blue Origin New Glenn NG-3 • Space.com: Blue Origin reuses New Glenn, deploys satellite to wrong orbit • TechCrunch: Blue Origin's New Glenn puts satellite in wrong orbit • GeekWire: Blue Origin reuses New Glenn; satellite goes into wrong orbit • CBS News: In its third flight, New Glenn puts satellite payload into wrong orbit Story 2 -- SpaceX GPS III SV10 • Space.com: Watch SpaceX launch GPS satellite for US Space Force -- April 20 • Spaceflight Now launch schedule -- spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule Story 3 -- Artemis 2 Heat Shield • Space.com: Artemis 2 heat shield seems to have aced its trial by fire • Gizmodo: NASA sets the record straight on that missing chunk of Artemis 2's heat shield • NBC News: Did the Artemis II spacecraft protect the crew well enough? Story 4 -- Titan Waves / PlanetWaves • Space.com: Tall waves moving in slow motion -- how oily oceans on Titan may behave • Popular Science: Saturn's largest moon could see 10-foot waves from a tiny breeze • Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets (MIT/WHOI study) Story 5 -- Lyrid Meteor Shower • Space.com: Lyrid meteor shower 2026 -- when, where and how to see it • EarthSky: Everything you need to know -- Lyrid meteor shower 2026 • NASA: What's Up April 2026 skywatching tips -- science.nasa.gov Story 6 -- Giant Magellan Telescope • Space.com: This giant telescope could discover habitable exoplanets -- if it gets its funding • Giant Magellan Telescope official site -- giantmagellan.org Trivia Answer QUESTION: The Lyrid meteor shower is produced by debris from Comet Thatcher. Approximately how long does it take Comet Thatcher to complete one orbit around the Sun? ANSWER: Approximately 415 years. Comet Thatcher last visited the inner solar system in 1861 and is not expected to return until around 2276. The Lyrid shower occurs each year when Earth passes through the trail of debris it left behind. About Astronomy Daily Astronomy Daily is produced by the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. New episodes every day. Find us at astronomydaily.io and follow @AstroDailyPod for daily updates.
