IN THIS EPISODE:
🌌 NASA's Dark Matter Map
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has created one of the most detailed dark matter maps ever produced, revealing the invisible scaffolding of the universe in unprecedented detail. Scientists mapped nearly 800,000 galaxies, showing how dark matter and regular matter have grown together throughout cosmic history - and how dark matter's influence may have been essential for creating the conditions necessary for life on Earth.
🚀 Weekly Launch Roundup
A busy week in orbital spaceflight with multiple missions planned from Florida, California, and New Zealand. SpaceX prepares to launch GPS III SV09 named after fallen Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka, while Rocket Lab readies its "Bridging the Swarm" mission carrying South Korea's NeonSat-1A satellite. Plus updates on multiple Starlink flights and possible Chinese launches.
🌙 Artemis II's Far Side Adventure
The Artemis II crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - are training to become the first humans to see parts of the Moon never before observed by human eyes. Learn about their planned three-hour observation session focusing on Mare Orientale and other hidden lunar features, and how their geology training in Iceland is preparing them for this historic mission.
🪐 Jupiter's Hidden Depths
NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to revolutionize our understanding of Jupiter, revealing that the planet's iconic cloud bands extend 1,900 miles below the surface. Discover recent findings about Jupiter's diluted core, mysterious green lightning flashes, and the remarkably persistent polar cyclones that form octagonal and pentagonal patterns at the planet's poles.
☀️ Antarctica's Exclusive Eclipse
Only about 16 people might witness one of 2026's most spectacular celestial events - a "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse crossing Antarctica on February 17th. Find out about the two research stations in the path of totality, the extreme conditions observers will face, and where else partial views of the eclipse will be visible.
🛸 Starship V3 Update
SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket test has been rescheduled for mid-March following a November explosion during testing. Learn about the new capabilities of Starship V3, including plans to launch next-generation Starlink satellites and dock with other Starships in orbit - plus how Blue Origin's New Glenn is emerging as competition in the heavy-lift market.
EPISODE LINKS:
• NASA Dark Matter Discovery: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-reveals-new-details-about-dark-matters-influence-on-universe/
• Launch Schedule Details: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/launch-roundup-012626/
• Artemis II Far Side Views: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/artemis-first-humans-see-hidden-side-moon/
• Antarctica Eclipse Information: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/2026-ring-of-fire-eclipse/
• Starship Development Update: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/spacex-eyes-mid-march-for-first-test-of-upgraded-starship-rocket/
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 the latest space and astronomy news. I'm
00:00:06 --> 00:00:06 Anna.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 Avery: And I'm avery. Today's Tuesday, January
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 27, 2026, and we've got some
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 fascinating stories lined up for you.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 Anna: We certainly do. On today's episode, we're
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 diving into NASA's groundbreaking new Dark
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 matter map, getting the latest updates on
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 this week's orbital launch schedule, and
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 learning about what the Artemis II crew might
00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 see on the far side of the Moon.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Avery: Plus, we'll explore stun new insights into
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 Jupiter's complex cloud systems,
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 find out about a rare solar eclipse that only
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 a handful of people will witness, and get the
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 latest on SpaceX's upgraded Starship
00:00:43 --> 00:00:43 development.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:44 Anna: Let's get started.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 Avery: Take it away, Anna.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 Anna: Our top story today comes from NASA's
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where scientists
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 have created one of the most detailed dark
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 matter maps ever produced using data from
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 the James Webb Space Telescope.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 Avery: This is really exciting stuff, Anna. Uh, the
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 map shows how dark matter, that invisible,
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 ghostly material that makes up most of the
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 universe's mass, overlaps and
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 intertwines with regular matter like stars
00:01:12 --> 00:01:13 and galaxies.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 Anna: Published Monday in Nature Astronomy, this
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 map is twice as sharp as any previous
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 dark matter map made by other observatories.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 Diana Skogni Aglio, the lead author and
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 astrophysicist at jpl, described it
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 as seeing the invisible scaffolding of the
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 universe in stunning detail for the first
00:01:33 --> 00:01:33 time.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 Avery: What's particularly fascinating is how the
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 map confirms that dark matter and regular
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 matter have essentially grown up together.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 Wherever you see a massive cluster of
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 thousands of galaxies, there's an equally
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 massive amount of dark matter in the same
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 place. When you see strings of regular matter
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 connecting clusters, dark matter strings are
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 there, too.
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 Anna: The team used Webb's unprecedented
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 sensitivity to observe nearly
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 800 galaxies in a region of
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 SK about 2.5 times larger
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 than the Full Moon. They detected dark matter
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 by observing how its mass curves space
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 itself, which bends light from distant
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 galaxies as it travels to Earth.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 Avery: Here's something to ponder. Without dark
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 matter, we might not even be here. Dark
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 matter began clumping together first in the
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 early universe, and those clumps then pulled
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 regular matter together, creating the
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 conditions for stars and galaxies to form
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 earlier than they would have otherwise.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 Anna: That earlier star formation was crucial
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 because those first generations of stars
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 turned hydrogen and helium into the rich
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 array of elements that now make up planets
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 like Earth. So in a very real sense,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 dark matter influenced the creation of the
00:02:50 --> 00:02:51 elements necessary for life.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Avery: Looking ahead, the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 Space Telescope will map dark matter over
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 an area 4 times bigger than this
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 Webb study, though it won't match Webb's
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 incredible resolution. For even more
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 detailed looks, we'll have to wait for next
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 generation telescopes like the proposed
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 Habitable Worlds Observatory.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Anna: Fascinating research that's literally
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 revealing the invisible foundation of our
00:03:18 --> 00:03:18 universe.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 Avery: Moving on to this week's launch schedule,
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 it's shaping up to be, uh, a busy last week
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 of January with flights from Florida,
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 California and New Zealand on the manifesto.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Anna: That's right, SpaceX is planning to close out
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 the month with the GPS 3
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 SV09 mission along with up to three
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 Starlink launches. The GPS launch is
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 scheduled for late Monday evening from cape
00:03:42 --> 00:03:42 Canaveral.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 Avery: The GPS 3 SV09
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 satellite, named Ellison Onisuka after one of
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 the fallen Challenger astronauts, will be
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 launched to medium Earth orbit. This
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 spacecraft offers improved accuracy and
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 jamming resistance over previous versions of
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 gps.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 Anna: Meanwhile, Rocket Labs ELECTRON is preparing
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 for the Bridging the Swarm mission from New
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 Zealand's Mahia Peninsula on Wednesday.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 This launch will carry South Korea's Neonsat
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 1 a observation satellite to sun
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 synchronous orbit.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 Avery: The Neonsat constellation is designed to
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 provide near real time disaster monitoring
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 capability for the Korean Peninsula. The
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 100 kilogram Neonsat 1A features
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 a high resolution optical camera and will
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 join an existing NEONSAT satellite already in
00:04:30 --> 00:04:30 orbit.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 Anna: This miss already faced a couple of delays.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 It was originally scheduled to launch back in
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 December, but was scrubbed after sensor
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 issues during Countdown.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 Avery: SpaceX also has multiple Starlink missions on
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 the schedule this week from Both coasts,
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 Group 1719 from Vandenberg
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 Space Force Base in California on Thursday,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 and Group 6101 from Cape
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 Canaveral later that same day.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 Anna: And looking ahead to early February, the
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 first Starlink mission of next month, Group
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 6 103, is currently scheduled
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 for Sunday, February 1.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 Avery: China also has two possible flights on the
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 manifest a Chang Zhang 7A from
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Hainan island and a Jielong 3 from the
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 South China Sea. Though neither has a
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 confirmed launch date.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 Anna: Yet, it's worth noting that China's year in
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 spaceflight has already been eventful with
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 two launch failures within 12 hours in mid
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 January, so they may be proceeding cautiously
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 with these upcoming missions.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 Okay, moving on, our next story takes us to
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 preparations for NASA's Artemis 2 mission,
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 where four astronauts are training to become
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 the first humans to see parts of the moon
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 that have remained hidden from view even
00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 during the Apollo missions.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 Avery: The Artemis 2 crew Reid Wiseman,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Coach, and
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 Jeremy Hansen won't land on the lunar
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 surface, but they'll fly around the far side
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 of the Moon and potentially observe regions
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 never before seen by human eyes.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 Anna: Among the most significant targets is Mari
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 oriental, a vast 600 mile
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 wide impact basing that sits along the edge
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 of the lunar far side. Its location makes it
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 nearly impossible to view from Earth, despite
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 its massive scale.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 Avery: The crew will spend a dedicated three hour
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 segment of their mission focusing on direct
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 lunar observation. NASA exploration
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 scientist Jacob Bleacher emphasizes that
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 human vision can detect subtle surface
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 differences, Variations in brightness or
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 texture that indicate differences in rock
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 composition and geological age.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 Anna: What's fascinating is that the astronauts
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 have been training extensively in geology,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 including simulated exercises in Iceland
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 where they practiced identifying volcanic and
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 impact related features in environments
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 resembling the Moon.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Avery: The far side of the moon holds a geologic
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 record less disturbed than the near side.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 While much of the near side is covered with
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 maria, the vast plains of ancient lava that
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 have erased older surface features, the far
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 side remains heavily cratered and relatively
00:07:02 --> 00:07:02 intact.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 Anna: Because of tidal locking, the moon always
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 shows the same face to Earth. Until the
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 Soviet Luna 3 mission in 1959,
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 no one had any idea what the far side looked
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 like. Even the Apollo missions only had brief
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 views and poor lighting.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 Avery: Artemis 2 breaks that pattern by taking
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 advantage of a launch window and flight path
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 that ensures better visibility of the hidden
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 hemisphere. The mission is currently
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 scheduled for no earlier than February 6,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 and astronaut Christina.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 Anna: Koch noted that the mission may help shift
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 public understanding away from the outdated
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 phrase the dark side of the moon, which
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 falsely implies the region lacks sunlight.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 Avery: An exciting mission that will give us
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 unprecedented views of lunar territory that
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 remained largely mysterious for all of human
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 history.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 Anna: Now let's turn our attention to Jupiter,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 where NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 reveal the gas giant's secrets from beneath
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 its dense cloud layers.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 Avery: Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 peering through storms and cyclones to unveil
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 the planet's hidden complexity. And recent
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 observations are showing just how much more
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 intricate Jupiter is than we ever imagined.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 Anna: One of the most fundamental questions
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 scientists have debated for decades is how
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 deep Jupiter's distinctive cloud bands
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 actually go. By measuring Jupiter's
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 gravity field, Juno discovered that these
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 belts and zones, which are alternating
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 east and west flowing jet streams,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 extend about 1900 miles,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 or 3000 kilometers below the cloud
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 tops.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 Avery: That's incredible depth. And Juno's
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 discoveries have completely upended our
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 understanding of Jupiter's interior structure
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 too. Scientists long thought Jupiter had a
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 small solid core surrounded by hydrogen and
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 helium. But Juno's data suggests the
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 planet has a larger, more diluted core than
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 previously believed.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 Anna: The spacecraft has also provided the first
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 detailed views of Jupiter's north pole.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 Revealing massive cyclonic storms
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 arranged in fascinating eight
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 storms in an octagonal pattern in the north
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 and five in a pentagonal pattern in the
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 south. These storms are extremely
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 resilient and have persisted for years.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 Avery: And here's something really intriguing.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 Juno recently captured images showing a
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 mysterious green glow near Jupiter's north
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 pole. The flash of light was traveling at
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 breakneck speed, which makes capturing it
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 even more remarkable.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 Anna: Scientists believe this could be lightning,
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 but Jupiter's lightning is vastly different
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 from Earth's. It's caused by clouds
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 containing ammonia water solution and can
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 be much more powerful than terrestrial
00:09:47 --> 00:09:47 lightning.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 Avery: Juno's mission has been extended multiple
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 times and was scheduled to end in September
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 2025, but appears to still be
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 operational, with no new end date being
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 promoted. During this extended phase,
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 the spacecraft is conducting close
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 flybys of Jupiter's intriguing Galilean
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 moons Ganymede, Europa and
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 IO Eventually, Juno.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 Anna: Will meet its end by burning up in Jupiter's
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 atmosphere. But until then, it continues to
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 revolutionize our understanding of the solar
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 system's largest planet.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 Avery: Our next story involves a celestial event
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 that very few people will witness. A
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 rare annular solar eclipse set to occur
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 over one of the most remote places on Earth.
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 Anna: On February 17, 2026,
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 a spectacular ring of fire eclipse
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 will be visible from a narrow stretch of
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 Antarctica. The phenomenon will only be
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 fully visible from an uninhabited region of
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 the continent, with just two research
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 stations falling within the event's path.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 Avery: The antumbral shadow of the Moon, the area
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 where the full annular eclipse can be seen,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 will travel across a, uh, 26,
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 61 mile stretch of mainland
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 Antarctica. Only two inhabited locations
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 fall within this narrow Concordia
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 Station, a AH French Italian base, and
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 Mirny Station, operated by Russia.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 Anna: At Concordia, annularity will last 2
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 minutes and 1 second with the sun positioned
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 5 degrees above the horizon. At
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 Mirny, it will experience 1 minute and
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 52 seconds of annularity, with the sun
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 slightly higher at 10 degrees.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 Avery: Given the extreme location and limited
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 infrastructure, eclipse meteorologist Jay
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 Anderson noted that it's a challenge to
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 reach, and neither of the two inhabited
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 locations is set up to welcome Taurus.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 Anna: However, a partial eclipse will be visible
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 over a much larger region, including
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 several Antarctic research bases, parts of
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 southeastern Africa, the southern tip of
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 South America, and stretches of the Pacific,
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 Atlantic and Indian oceans.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 Avery: For example, Poland's AB
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 Dobrolansky station will see 92%
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 of the sun covered, while McMurdo station in
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 the US will see 86%. Even
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 distant cities like Durban in South Africa
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 will witness about 16% coverage.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 Anna: Weather could be a significant factor, though
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 mirny station averages 65%
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 cloud cover in February, while Concordia has
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 a clearer profile with about 35%
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 coverage, and temperatures can drop as low
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 as -112 degrees
00:12:31 --> 00:12:31 Fahrenheit.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 Avery: Interestingly, the eclipse itself might
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 improve viewing conditions. The sudden
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 temperature drop from the eclipse can disrupt
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 local cloud formation, potentially causing
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 convective clouds to dissipate.
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 Anna: Though if you're one of the handful of
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 researchers stationed in Antarctica next
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 month, you might be in for a spectacular
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 show, assuming the clouds cooperate and
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 you can brave the extreme cold.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 And finally, in some late breaking news, we
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 have an update on SpaceX's Starship
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 development program.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 Avery: According to a post from CEO Elon Musk, the
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 delayed first test of SpaceX's upgraded
00:13:09 --> 00:13:12 Starship rocket, version 3, is now
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 slated for mid March.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 Anna: This third version of Starship is larger and
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 more powerful than previous iterations.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 Crucially, SpaceX plans to use
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 Starship V3 to launch its next
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 generation Starlink satellites, which will be
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 capable of faster data speeds but are heavier
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 and larger.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 Avery: It's also the first version designed to dock
00:13:33 --> 00:13:36 with other starships in Earth orbit, a
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 capability the company needs to reach the
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 Moon or Mars. This comes as SpaceX
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 faces pressure from the Trump administration
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 to return US astronauts to the lunar surface
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 before the end of a second term.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 Anna: SpaceX was making progress toward a launch of
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 Starship V3 in late 2025,
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 but in November, the booster stage suffered a
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 major explosion during testing that blew out
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 an entire side of the steel rocket.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 Avery: The company said it was performing gas system
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 pressure testing when the explosion happened,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 but hasn't offered a more detailed breakdown
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 of what went wrong.
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 Anna: The second version of Starship was a mixed
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 bag. The program successfully reached orbit,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19 deployed dummy versions of next generation
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 Starlink satellites, and caught multiple
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 booster stages after they returned to the
00:14:24 --> 00:14:24 launch pad.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 Avery: But Starship V2 also suffered several
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 explosions and setbacks. Some resulted from
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 SpaceX's developmental approach of pushing
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 test vehicles to or past their limits.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 Others were more unexpected, like when a
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 starship vehicle erupted in a massive
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 fireball during ground testing last June.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 Anna: Meanwhile, competition is emerging. Jeff
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 Bezos's new Glenn rocket successfully
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 launched for the first time in January
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 2025 and completed its first
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 booster landing in November. Blue Origin
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 is planning a third new Glenn launch in late
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 February and ah.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 Avery: Late last year, Blue Origin revealed it's
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 developing a larger super heavy variant of
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 new Glenn M, which more directly compare
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 competes with starship.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 Anna: So while SpaceX continues to dominate the
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 global launch market, other players are
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 starting to close the gap. It'll be
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 interesting to see how the Starship V3 test
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 goes in March, and.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 Avery: That wraps up today's episode of Astronomy
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 Daily.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 Anna: Thanks for joining us for another journey
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 through the cosmos. Remember to check out our
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 website at astronomydaily IO
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 for more space and astronomy news.
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 Avery: And don't forget to follow us on social media
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 astrodaily Pod for updates between
00:15:40 --> 00:15:40 episodes.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 Avery: Clear skies, everyone.