- European Space Industry Shakeup: Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales have announced a groundbreaking merger to form a new powerhouse in space systems, aiming for European autonomy in space technology. This collaboration will focus on everything from satellites to deep space exploration and is set to launch in 2027, employing around 25,000 people and generating significant revenue.
- Jupiter's Role in Earth's Formation: New research from Rice University reveals that a young Jupiter may have saved Earth from spiraling into the Sun. By creating pressure bumps in the protoplanetary disk, Jupiter allowed rocky planets like Earth to form stably, reshaping our understanding of solar system dynamics and the search for habitable exoplanets.
- Real-Time Ring Formation: Astronomers have made history by observing 44 rings forming around the centaur 2060 Chiron in real time. This evolving system, which includes water, ice, and rock, provides critical insights into the processes of ring formation and the dynamics of small celestial bodies.
- Discovery of Ross 508b: A new super Earth, Ross 508b, has been discovered 37 light years away, raising excitement among astronomers. This exoplanet's elliptical orbit around an M dwarf star presents potential for liquid water, making it a prime target for atmospheric studies by JWST.
- SpaceX Launch Milestone: SpaceX has achieved a remarkable milestone with its 139th mission of 2025, launching Spain's SpainSat NG2 satellite. This record-breaking pace of 134 Falcon 9 launches this year highlights the future of accessible space and the potential for enhanced astronomical research.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at 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 Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
European Space Industry Merger
[Airbus](https://www.airbus.com/)
Jupiter's Role in Solar System Formation
[Rice University](https://www.rice.edu/)
2060 Chiron Ring Observations
[Astrophysical Journal Letters](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X)
Ross 508b Discovery
[National Astronomical Observatory of Japan](https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/)
SpaceX Launch Records
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hello, cosmic explorers, and welcome to
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 Astronomy Daily, your daily ticket to the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 wonders of the universe. I'm Anna, joined as
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 always by my co host and fellow starchaser,
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 Avery. It's October 24,
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 2025, and we've got a packed show today,
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 diving into five stellar stories that span
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 European space ambitions. Jupiter's heroic
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 past. Rings forming in real time. A
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 massive new exoplanet and space expertise
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 breaking records. Avery, you
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 ready to blast off into today's news?
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 Avery: Anna? I'm, um, fueled up and ready. My
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 coffee's practically at escape velocity.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 Let's get into it with some big moves in the
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 European space industry that could reshape
00:00:41 --> 00:00:42 the cosmic landscape.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Anna: First up, a major shakeup in European
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 aerospace. Airbus, Leonardo and
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 Thales have signed a memorandum of
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 understanding to create a new powerhouse
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 company focused on space systems. This isn't
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 just a merger. It's a bold step toward
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 European autonomy in space tech, covering
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 everything from satellites to deep space
00:01:01 --> 00:01:02 exploration modules.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 Avery: The details are out of this world, Anna. Uh,
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 Airbus is taking a 35% stake with
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 Leonardo and Thales, each holding
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 32.5%. They're combining
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 Airbus Space systems and digital businesses.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 Leonardo's space division, including its
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 stakes in Telespasio and and Thales Aline
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 Space and Thales's shares in those joint
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 ventures, plus Thales SES. This
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 new entity, set to launch in 2027 pending
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 regulatory approval, will employ around
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 25 people and generate about
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 6.5 billion euros in revenue by
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 the end of this year. That's a massive
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 operation. The goal is to deliver end to end
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 solutions for telecommunications, navigation,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 earnings, Earth observation, scientific
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 missions, and even national security. Though
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 launchers like Ariane aren't part of the deal
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 yet, the CEOs of all three companies said
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 it. By pooling our talent,
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 resources, expertise and R and D
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 capabilities, we aim to generate growth,
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 accelerate innovation, and deliver greater
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 value. And let's not forget the European
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 Space Agency's take. ESA Director General
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 Joseph Aschbacher called it very good
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 news, saying it could make Europe a stronger
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 global player while ensuring fair competition
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 in ESA's procurement. Anna, uh, these
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 companies already contribute to NASA's
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 Artemis program and the ISS. Could this
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 merger mean even bigger things for astronomy,
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 like advanced telescopes or better data
00:02:31 --> 00:02:31 relays?
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 Anna: Absolutely. A, uh, unified European space
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 entity could streamline innovation, maybe
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 giving us sharper tools to peer into the
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 cosmos. It's a reminder that the tech
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 behind our stargazing is just as critical as
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 the discoveries themselves. Let's keep an
00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 eye on how this shapes up.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 Avery: Now, let's rewind billions of years for a
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 story that's frankly, mind boggling. New
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 research from Rice University shows that a
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 young Jupiter may have saved Earth from
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 spiraling into the Sun. Published in Science
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 Advances, this study uses advanced
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 simulations to reveal how Jupiter's early
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 growth sculpted the solar system we know
00:03:08 --> 00:03:08 today.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 Anna: Here's the scoop. As Jupiter grew at about
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 5.4 au, that's astronomical
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 units or Earth sun distances, it
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 pulled in gas, creating spiral arms and shock
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 waves in the protoplanetary disk. Those
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 waves cleared out gas in the inner solar
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 system seven times faster than without
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 Jupiter, forming a gap that stopped rocky
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 planets like Earth and Venus from migrating
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 inward toward a fiery doom.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 Avery: Lead researcher Andre Isidoro explained that
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 Jupiter's growth created pressure bumps in
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 the disk, trapping dust and allowing Earth
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 and Venus to form stably at about one
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 astronomical unit. This process took just
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 300 years, lightning fast in
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 cosmic terms. Co author Bhaibhav
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 Srivastava added that Jupiter protected the
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 inward outward solar system material
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 separation, which explains why our solar
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 system lacks the super Earth pile ups that
00:04:03 --> 00:04:04 seen around other stars.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 Anna: ALMA observations of young star systems back
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 this up, showing similar ring and gap
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 structures in their disks. Isidoro also
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 tied this to chondrite meteorites, which
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 formed 2.3 million years later, saying
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 Jupiter itself created the conditions for
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 their late birth. Avery this makes me wonder,
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 is our habitable zone a cosmic fluke? Thanks
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 to Jupiter's early hustle?
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 Avery: It's wild to think about Anna we without
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 Jupiter playing cosmic bouncer,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 Earth might not be here. This also
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 reshapes how we hunt for habitable
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 exoplanets. Maybe gas giants are
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 key to stable rocky worlds. Could
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 this guide where we point JWST
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 next?
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 Anna: Definitely. It's a clue that habitable
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 systems might need a Jupiter like protector.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 This one's got me rethinking how lucky our
00:04:52 --> 00:04:53 solar system really is.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 Closer to home, astronomers have made history
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 by observing rings forming around a solar
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 system object in real time for the first
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 time. The star of the show
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 2060 Chiron, a centaur, a
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 hybrid comet asteroid orbiting between Saturn
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 and Uranus.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Avery: Using Brazil's Pico dos Dias observatory
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 in 2023 and comparing data from
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 2011, 2018 and 2022,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 researchers spotted 44 rings of water, ice
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 and rock around Chiron ranging from
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 273 kilometers to 1400
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 kilometers from its center, plus some
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 diffused material likely triggered by a
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 recent collision. This evolving system makes
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 Chiron the fourth known ringed small body.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Joining Chariklo Haumea and Kauar,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 co author.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 Anna: Braga Ribas from the Federal University of
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 Technology Pirana, writing in the
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 Astrophysical Journal Letters, called it an
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 evolving system that will help us understand
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 the dynamical mechanisms governing the
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 creation of rings and satellites around small
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 bodies. Avery Watching rings form live
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 is like catching a planet's makeup tutorial
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 in action.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 Avery: Totally. It's a front row seat to
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 processes we usually only model. The
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 outermost ring might not last, so follow up
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 observations are critical. This could tell us
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 not just about Chiron, but but about ring
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 formation across the universe. Maybe
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 even for exomoons or debris disks.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 Anna: Exactly. Centaurs like Chiron are proving to
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 be more dynamic than we thought. It's a
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 reminder that our solar system is still
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 cooking up surprises even after decades of
00:06:30 --> 00:06:30 study.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 Avery: Let's zoom out to 37 light years away
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 where a new super Earth has astronomers
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 buzzing.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 Ross508b4times
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 Earth's mass was discovered using the
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 upgraded Subaru telescope in Hawaii.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 This is a big deal for planet hunters.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 Anna: The National Astronomical Observatory of
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 Japan used a new instrument optimized for
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 low mass stars to spot Ross
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 508B, which has a radius
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 1.83 times Earth's. It
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 orbits an M M dwarf red dwarf, just
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 0.18 solar masses in a
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 10.8 day elliptical orbit at
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 0 au, dipping in
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 and out of the habitable zone. That
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 elliptical path means wild temperature
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 swings, but there's potential for liquid
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 water, which has NASA eyeing it for
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 atmospheric studies.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 Avery: M dwarfs are the most common stars out there.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 Anna long lived and dim, making
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 them ideal for finding rocky planets.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 Ross508 Ah B's variability
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 makes it a prime target for JWST
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 to probe its atmosphere. Could it hold
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 clues to habitability? Or is it too
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 chaotic?
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 Anna: I'm, um, leaning toward chaotic but
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 intriguing. Elliptical orbits challenge our
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 Earth centric ideas of habitability. But
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 that's what makes it exciting. As the first
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 planet found with this new Subaru tool, it's
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 a sign we'll see more super Earth soon.
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 Avery does this make you hopeful for finding
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 nearby worlds we could study in detail?
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 Avery: Oh, for sure. It's close enough to poke with
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 our best scopes. And M dwarfs are treasure
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 troves for planet hunters. This could
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 redefine what we call a.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 Anna: Habitable world back on Earth or
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 just above it.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 SpaceX has hit a jaw dropping milestone.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 Their 139th mission of 2025
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 launching Spain's SpainSat NG2 satellite on a
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral on October 23rd.
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 This sets a new record for the.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 Avery: Company that's 134 Falcon 9 launches
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 this year alone, surpassing their 2024
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 total. The booster, on its 23rd flight,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 was expended due to the high energy
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 geosynchronous transfer orbit needed for
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 spinsat NG2, which bolsters
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 Spain's telecom fleet alongside NG1.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 Launched in January, the upper stage
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 nailed deployment 36 minutes after liftoff.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 Anna: SpaceX's cadence is unreal, especially with
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 starship tests ramping up. This launch
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 cadence means more satellites for astronomy,
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 like better data relays or even small
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 cubesats for niche experiments.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 Avery, is this relentless pace the future of
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 space access, or are we pushing the limits?
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 Avery: It's the future, Anna. Cheaper launches
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 mean more science payloads, more
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 telescopes, more probes. SpaceX
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 is making space feel less like a frontier and
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 more like a highway. What's next?
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 Anna: A launch a day wouldn't surprise me. This
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 kind of access could supercharge our ability
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 to study the cosmos, from exoplanets to
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 cosmic background radiation.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 Avery: And that's our cosmic journey for October 24,
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 2025. From Jupiter's ancient
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 heroics to SpaceX's launch marathon,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 we've covered the universe's latest chapters.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 Thanks for tuning in to Astronomy Daily. We
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 love having you along for the ride.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 Anna: Couldn't have said it better, Avery. If you
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 enjoyed today's episode, hit that subscribe
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 button. Leave us a review and let us know on
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 social media which story sparked your
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 curiosity. Join us tomorrow for more cosmic
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 updates. I'm Anna.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 Avery: And I'm Avery. Keep looking up and clear
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 skies, everyone.