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.