- SpaceX Crew-11 returns early due to undisclosed medical condition
- Historic change of command ceremony on the ISS
- Crew scheduled for Pacific splashdown Thursday morning
- Station operations continue with skeleton crew of three
- Largest extended jet ever observed spans 20,000 light-years
- First precessing jet found in galaxy VV 340a
- Combined observations from Keck Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and VLA
- Discovery challenges theories of galaxy evolution
- Eight orbital launch attempts from China, US, and Norway
- SpaceX Starlink missions and classified NRO launch
- China debuts new Ceres 2 rocket
- Isar Aerospace's Spectrum attempts second test flight
- Carruthers Geocorona Observatory arrives at target orbit
- IMAP mission begins mapping the heliosphere boundary
- Both spacecraft launched together on September 24, 2025
- Science operations begin in February 2026
- GRU Space opens applications for lunar tourism
- Deposits range from $250,000 to $1 million
- Target opening: 2032
- Hotel inspired by San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.
Sponsor Details:
Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!
Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail
Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here
This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hello everyone, and welcome to
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Avery: And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on this
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 exciting Tuesday, January 13,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 2026. We've got an incredible lineup of
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 space news to share with you today.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Anna: We really do, Avery. We're covering
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 everything from a, uh, historic first on the
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 International Space Station to groundbreaking
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 black hole discoveries. Plus we've got some
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 fantastic mission updates from NASA. And
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 believe it or not, you can now put down a
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 deposit for a hotel room room on the moon.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 Avery: That's right. It's going to be a packed
00:00:35 --> 00:00:35 episode.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 But first, let's start with some update news
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 from the International Space Station that's
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 making history for all the wrong reasons.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Anna: So, Avery, we're witnessing something that's
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 never happened before in the 25 year history
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 of the International Space Station. On
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 Sunday, NASA announced the first ever medical
00:00:54 --> 00:00:55 evacuation from the ISS.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 Avery: That's right, Anna. The SpaceX Crew
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 11 mission, which launched to the station
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 back in August 2025, is being
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 cut short due to an undisclosed medical
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 condition affecting one of the four crew
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 members. The team includes NASA
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 astronauts Mike Fink and Xena Cardman,
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 Russia's Oleg Platnov and Japan's
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 Kimiya Yui.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 Anna: And yesterday we saw a really touching change
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 of command ceremony. Mike Fink, who was
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 serving as commander of Expedition 74,
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 handed control of the station over Russian
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 cosmonaut Sergey Kud Sverchkov during
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 the ceremony. Fink called it bittersweet and
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 you could really feel the emotion in his
00:01:38 --> 00:01:38 words.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 Avery: I read about that. Fink told Kud
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 Schwarchkov. It's an honour and a pleasure to
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 be a commander and I cannot imagine being
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 happier than to hand over command to you. The
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 crew schedule to undock from the ISS on
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 Wednesday afternoon, with hatch closing at
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 3pm eastern time and departure at
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 5pm they'll then make an 11 hour
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 journey back to Earth aboard their Dragon
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 Endeavour spacecraft.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 Anna: They're expected to splash down in the
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 Pacific Ocean early Thursday morning around
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 3:40am Eastern Time. Now, one
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 interesting aspect of this situation is that
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 NASA has declined to specify which astronaut
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 is experiencing the medical issue, citing
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 privacy concerns. They also haven't disclosed
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 the nature of the medical condition itself.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 Avery: This early departure creates an unusual
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 situation on the station. After Crew 11
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 leaves, there will only be three astronauts
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 board, including just one American, Chris
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 Williams. That's well below the typical crew
00:02:36 --> 00:02:37 complement, right?
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 Anna: Normally, NASA prefers crew overlap to
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 avoid gaps in maintenance and research
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 capabilities. But they've deemed this medical
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 situation serious enough to warrant the
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 immediate return, even if it means operating
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 with a skeleton crew until the next rotation
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 arrives.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 Avery: And speaking of the next rotation, Crew 12
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 was originally scheduled to launch in mid
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 February. NASA is now evaluating if they
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 can move that launch date up. Of course, this
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 all to be coordinated with another major
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 event on NASA's calendar.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 Anna: You're talking about Artemis 2, right?
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 Avery: Exactly. NASA is simultaneously working
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 to roll out the Space Launch System rocket
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 for the Artemis 2 mission from the Vehicle
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 Assembly Building to Launch Complex
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 39B at Kennedy Space Centre. That
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 rollout is scheduled for January 17th.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 With the first launch opportunity for Artemis
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 2 opening on February 6th.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 Anna: It's a delicate balancing act for NASA
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 operations. According to NASA Administrator,
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 the ISS evacuation shouldn't interfere with
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 the Artemis II timeline, but it certainly
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 adds complexity to an already busy schedule.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 Avery: Absolutely. This situation really highlights
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 how NASA handles unexpected medical
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 challenges in space. They have protocols in
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 place, but this is the first time they've
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 actually had to implement a full medical
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 evacuation from the station.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 Anna: It's worth noting that while this is the
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 first medical evacuation, it's not the first
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 time medical concerns have affected ISS
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 operations. Just last week a uh, planned
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 spacewalk had to be cancelled due to these
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 same medical concerns that ultimately led to
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 the evacuation decision.
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 Avery: We wish all 4 crew 11 astronauts a safe
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 journey home and a quick recovery to
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 whoever's dealing with a medical issue.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 Anna: Now let's shift gears to some absolutely
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 fascinating astronomy news. Avery.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 Astronomers have discovered something they've
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 never seen seen before. A galaxy wide
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 wobbling black hole jet.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 Avery: This is really cool stuff. Ana A UH team led
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 by researchers at UC Irvine and Caltech's
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 Infrared Processing and Analysis Centre has
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 found the largest and most extended jet ever
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 observed emanating from a supermassive black
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 hole. And it's doing something remarkable.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 It's wobbling.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 Anna: The galaxy in question is called
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 VV340A and the
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 jet extends up to 20 light years from
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 its centre. To put that perspective, that's
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 about 1/5 the diameter of the Milky Way
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 galaxy. These jets are composed of
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 superheated material being accelerated to
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 near the speed of light.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 Avery: The observations were made using the W.M.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 keck Observatory's Keck Cosmic Web Imager
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But what really makes
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 this discovery special is that the team
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 combined data from multiple observatories to
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 get the complete picture right.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 Anna: They used infrared observations from the
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 James Webb Space Telescope, radio images from
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 the very large erect, and the optical data
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 from Keck. Each observatory revealed
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 different aspects of this phenomenon. Webb's
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 infrared data showed the energetic heart of
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 the galaxy, while Keck's optical data showed
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 how that energy propagates outward and the
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 violet.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 Avery: Radio data revealed something remarkable. The
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 plasma jets are twisted into a helical
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 pattern as they move outward. This is
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 evidence of what's called jet precession,
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 where the jet's direction slowly wobbles over
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 time, kind of like a spinning top.
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 Anna: Lead author Justin Cater from UC Irvine said
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 the Keck Observatory data was crucial. He
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 noted that the gas they observed with Keck
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 reaches the farthest distances from the black
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 hole, meaning it also traces the longest
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 timescales. Without those observations, they
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 wouldn't know how powerful or persistent this
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 outflow really is.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 Avery: What's particularly surprising about this
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 discovery is where it was found.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 VV340A is a relatively
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 young galaxy, still in the early stages of a
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 galactic merger. Typically, these kinds of
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 jets are observed in older elliptical
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 galaxies that have long since stopped forming
00:06:41 --> 00:06:41 stars.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Anna: That's a great point. The Webb data showed
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 that the superheated coronal gas, the plasma
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 erupting from either side of the black hole,
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 measures several thousand parsecs across.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 Most observed coronas measure in the hundreds
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 of parsecs, making this the most extended
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 coronal gas structure ever observed.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 Avery: The discovery also revealed that the jet is
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 actively affecting the galaxy's evolution.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 The KCWI data data showed that the jet is
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 stripping the galaxy of gas at a rate of
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 about 20 solar masses per year,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 effectively shutting down star formation.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 Anna: This finding challenges our established
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 theories about how galaxies and their
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 supermassive black holes evolve together.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 As Cater put it, this is the first time we've
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 seen a precessing kiloparsec scale
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 radiojet deriving such a massive
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 outflow in a disc galaxy.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 Avery: He also noted something intriguing about the
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 Milky Way. He said there's no clear fossil
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 record of something like this happening in
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 our galaxy. But this discovery suggests we
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 can't rule it out. It changes the way we
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 think about the galaxy we live in.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 Anna: The next step for the team involves higher
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 resolution radio observations to determine
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 whether a second supermassive black hole
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 could be at the centre of
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 VV340A, which might be
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 causing the jets to wobble.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 Avery: It's an exciting time for studying black
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 holes and their impact on galactic evolution.
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 This discovery opens up new questions about
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 how common this type of activity might be in
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 the universe.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 Anna: Now let's take a look at what's launching
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 this week. We've got a busy manifest with
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 eight orbital launch attempts scheduled from
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 China, the United States and Norway.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 Avery: That's right, Anna, uh, SpaceX is dominating
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 the American launch schedule. As usual,
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 they're launching two batches of Starlink
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 satellites into the constellation's Group 6
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 shell, as well as a batch of reconnaissance
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 satellites for the National Reconnaissance
00:08:34 --> 00:08:34 Office.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 Anna: The first Starlink mission of the week, Group
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 697 actually already lifted off
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 yesterday. Monday, January 12th at
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 4:08pm Eastern Time from Space Launch
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 9 flew 29 Starlink version 2 mini
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 satellites into orbit and the.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 Avery: Booster that supported that mission,
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 B1078, was flying for its
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 25th time after stage separation.
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 It successfully landed on the ship. Just read
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 the instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. These
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 reusability numbers just keep getting more
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 impressive.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 Anna: They really do. The next StarLink Mission,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 Group 698 is scheduled for Wednesday,
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 January 14th at 1:01pm Eastern
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 from the same launch site that will use
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 booster B1085 on its 13th
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 flight landing on the A UH shortfall of
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 Gravitas droneship moving over to China.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 Avery: They have four launches on the manifest this
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 week. On Tuesday, the Chinese Aerospace
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 Science and Technology Corporation is
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 launching a Chang Zhang 8 a rocket from
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 Wenchang. The payload is unknown, but this
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 marks the first CZ8Amission of
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 2026 and the seventh overall.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 Anna: Then on Thursday we have a Changzang 3B
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 E launch from Shisheng carrying another
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 unknown payload. The CZ3BE
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 is one of China's workhorse rockets and this
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 will be its 103rd launch overall.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 Avery: Also on Thursday, private Chinese spaceflight
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 company Galactic Energy is scheduled to
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 launch a Series 1s rocket from the Orient
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 Spaceport launch ship. This will be the first
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Series 1s mission of 2026 and the
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 23rd overall for this solid fueled rocket.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 Anna: And here's something exciting. Galactic
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 Energy is also debuting its new Series 2
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 rocket this week. The demonstration flight is
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 scheduled for Saturday, January 17 from the
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 Zhouquan Satellite Launch Centre. The Series
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 2 is a larger upgraded version capable of
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 lifting about 2 kilogrammes.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 Avery: To low Earth orbit back to the United States.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 SpaceX has a classified mission for the
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 National Reconnaissance Office. NROL
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 105 is scheduled to launch Friday evening,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 January 16 at 8:18pm
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 in California.
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 Anna: This mission is using brand new booster
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 B1100 on only its second flight and
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 it'll perform a return to launch site landing
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 at landing zone 4 right next to the launch
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 pad. This represents the 12th batch of
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 satellites launched into this particular NRL
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 Constell installation developed by SpaceX and
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 Northrop Grumman.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 Avery: And finally wrapping up the week, German
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 company Isar Aerospace is scheduled to launch
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 the second test flight of its Spectrum rocket
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 from Norway's Andoya rocket range. This comes
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 after the first test flight in March 2025
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 failed shortly after liftoff.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 Anna: The Spectrum rocket stands 28 metres tall and
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 uses nine Aquila engines on the first stage
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 and one on the second stage, burning propane
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 and liquid oxygen. It's expected to carry
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 several cubesats to sun synchronous orbit for
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 the European Space Agency's Boost programme.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 Avery: If successful, this will mark Spectrum's
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 first flight of 2026 and the
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 13th worldwide orbital launch attempt of the
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 year. It's shaping up to be a busy week in
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 spaceflight.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 Anna: Alright, Avery, let's talk about some mission
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 milestones. NASA's Carruthers
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 Geocorona Observatory has reached its target
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 orbit.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 Avery: This is great news, Anna. The spacecraft
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 achieved its destination at Lagrange Point 1,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 or L1, which is approximately 1 million
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 miles from Earth towards the Sun. The
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 confirmation came on January 10, following
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 the spacecraft's third and final orbital
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 manoeuvre. A two minute thruster fire on
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 January 8.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 Anna: For those unfamiliar, L1 is one of those
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 special points in space where the
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 gravitational forces of the Earth and sun
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 balance out, creating a stable position.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 It's an ideal spot for observing the Earth
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 and sun simultaneously.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 Avery: Exactly. And Carruthers has a very specific
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 mission to capture the first repeated
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 observations of the ultraviolet glow from
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 Earth's outer atmosphere. Known as the
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 Geocorona, the mission is named in
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 honour of Dr. George R. Carruthers, who
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 invented the ultraviolet camera that was
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 placed on the moon by Apollo 16
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 astronauts in 1972.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 Anna: That Apollo 16 camera captured the very
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 first images of Earth's geo corona.
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 Now, more than 50 years later, later,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 Carruthers is going to study it in
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 unprecedented detail from its vantage point
00:13:07 --> 00:13:07 at L1.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 Avery: The loveseat size spacecraft launched from
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 Kennedy Space centre back on September 24,
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 uh, 2025. Since launch, the team
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 has been testing the spacecraft's instruments
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 and capturing what they call first light
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 images. While adjusting its course as it
00:13:23 --> 00:13:23 approached.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 Anna: L1, I saw those first light images.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 They're really impressive. The spacecraft has
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 two cameras, a wide field Imager and a
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 narrow field image capture
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 ultraviolet light and the images clearly show
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 Earth with this fuzzy halo around it, which
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 is the geochorona.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 Avery: What's interesting is that you can also see
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 the Moon in those images. And the lunar
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 surface still shines in this specific
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 wavelength of light called Lyman Alpha
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 because its rocky surface reflects all
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 wavelengths of sunlight. That's actually why
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 it's important to compare the Lyman Alpha
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 images with the broad.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 Anna: Ultraviolet filter The Narrow field
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 Imager even captured two background stars
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 that must have surface temperatures
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 approximately twice as hot as our sun to be
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 so bright in this wavelength of light.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 Avery: Carruthers is now beginning its final
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 checkout procedures before starting its two
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 year primary science mission in March. From
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 L1 it will provide scientists with the most
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 detailed views ever of how Earth's
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 outermost atmospheric layer interacts with
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 the space environment.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 Anna: The mission is led by Dr. Lara Waldrop from
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign,
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 with the Space Sciences Lab at ah, UC
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 Berkeley leading mission implementation and
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 operations.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 Avery: Speaking of missions reaching their
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 destinations, Anna uh, NASA's IMAP
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 mission has also arrived at L1.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 Anna: That's right. IMAP, which stands for
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe,
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 reached Lagrange Point 1 on January 10,
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 just two days after Carruthers completed its
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 final manoeuvre.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 Avery: The mission operations team sent commands to
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 the spacecraft on the morning of January 9 to
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 begin the trajectory manoeuvres. Early on
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 January 10, they confirmed that IMAP had
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 successfully entered its final L1 orbit,
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 where it will stay for the duration of its
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 mission.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 Anna: IMAP has a fascinating mission profile.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 It's going to explore and map the very
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 boundaries of our heliosphere. That's the
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 protective bubble created by the solar wind
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 that encapsulates our entire solar system.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 It will study how the heliosphere interacts
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 with the local galactic neighbourhood beyond.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 Avery: Think of IMAP as a modern day celestial
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 cartographer. It's going to explore and
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 chart the vast range of particles in
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 interplanetary space, investigating how
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 charged particles from the sun get energised
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 and how the solar wind interacts at uh, the
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 boundary with interstellar space.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 Anna: But IMAP also has a very practical
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 application. It will provide real time
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 observations of the solar wind and energetic
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 particles, giving critical data that can help
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 protect spacecraft and astronauts from
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 adverse space weather effects.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 Avery: L1 provides IMAP with a stable and
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 clear 360 degree view of the
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 heliosphere. This position also gives an
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 unobstructed view of the sun, which means the
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 spacecraft can give about a half hour's
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 warning to astronauts and spacecraft near
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 Earth of harmful radiation coming their way.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 Anna: IMAP launched on September 24,
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 2025. The same day as Carruthers.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 They travelled to loan together along with
00:16:28 --> 00:16:31 Nooa's SWFO
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 Lagrange, which stands for Space Weather
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 Follow on Lagrange 1. At loan,
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 they join other spacecraft already in orbit
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 there, like NASA's Wind and ACE missions
00:16:42 --> 00:16:45 and the ESA NASA
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 SOHO Observatory.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 Avery: The mission is led by principal investigator
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 David McComas, a professor at Princeton
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 University with an international team of more
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 than 20 partner institutions. Institutions.
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 built a spacecraft and operates the mission.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 Anna: IMAP is nearing completion of its
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 commissioning phase and will begin its
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 science mission on February 1st. The data
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 from IMAP's State of the art instrumentation
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 will greatly enhance the usefulness of data
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 from those other missions. At L1.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 Avery: It's exciting to have both Carruthers and
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 IMAP reaching their destinations at the same
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 time. They launched together, travel
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 together, and now they're both settling into
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 the their orbits to begin their science
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 missions.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 Anna: Okay, Avery, save the best for last, right?
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 You can now put down a deposit for a hotel
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 room on the moon.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 Avery: I know it sounds like science fiction, Anna,
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 uh, but this is for real. A company called
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 GRU Space, that's Galactic Resources
00:17:45 --> 00:17:48 Utilisation, has publicly announced its
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 intent to construct a series of habitats on
00:17:50 --> 00:17:53 the moon, culminating in a hotel that's
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 actually inspired by the palace of the Fine
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 Arts in San Francisco.
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 Anna: On Monday, the company opened applications
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02 for aspiring lunar tourists. You can place a
00:18:02 --> 00:18:05 deposit ranging from $250
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 to $1 to reserve a spot on
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 one of their early lunar surface missions.
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13 They're targeting as early as 2032 for the
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 hotel opening.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 Avery: Now, before anyone rushes to empty their bank
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 accounts, let's talk about what this actually
00:18:19 --> 00:18:21 involves. Groove Space is a Y
00:18:21 --> 00:18:24 Combinator backed start startup founded in
00:18:24 --> 00:18:27 2025 by Skyler Chan, a recent
00:18:27 --> 00:18:30 UC Berkeley graduate who's only 22 years
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 old. The company has received backing from
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 investors in SpaceX and Anduril.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 Anna: What makes GRU's approach interesting is that
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 they're not planning to ship all the building
00:18:39 --> 00:18:42 materials from Earth. Instead, they want to
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 use In Situ Resource Utilisation, or
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 ISRU technology. That means using
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 robotic systems to transform lunar soil
00:18:50 --> 00:18:53 regular Lilith into durable building blocks.
00:18:53 --> 00:18:56 Avery: Their roadmap starts with a 2029
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 demonstration mission to validate the process
00:18:58 --> 00:19:01 of turning lunar soil into bricks.
00:19:01 --> 00:19:04 By 2032, if everything goes according to
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 plan, they expect to open what would be the
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 world's first lunar hotel inside a
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 lunar cave which provides natural protection
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 from radiation and temperature extremes.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:17 Anna: The initial hotel will be built on Earth and
00:19:17 --> 00:19:19 delivered by a heavy lander. It's an
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 inflatable structure designed to host a
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 precious to four guests for multi day stays.
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 The hotel is designed to operate for 10 years
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 and will offer views of the lunar landscape
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 and Earth, along with activities like
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 moonwalks, driving rovers, and get this,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 they're even talking about golf.
00:19:36 --> 00:19:39 Avery: Of course, this is an incredibly ambitious
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 plan. In their whitepaper, GRU acknowledges
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 that execution heavily relies on factors
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 outside their control. They need decreasing
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 launch costs, costs, regular and reliable
00:19:49 --> 00:19:52 crewed flights to the lunar surface, a, uh,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:54 favourable regulatory environment and
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 supporting infrastructure like lunar power
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 and communications.
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00 Anna: All of which are in various stages of
00:20:00 --> 00:20:03 development. The company's vision doesn't
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 stop at Moon hotels either. After
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 establishing the first hotel, they want to
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 help build America's first moon base with
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 roads and warehouses, then expand to Mars
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 and eventually the Asteroid belt.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:17 Avery: Skyler Chan, the founder, has been passionate
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 about space since childhood. He said that
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 I've been, uh, obsessed with space since I
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 was a kid. I've always wanted to become an
00:20:23 --> 00:20:26 astronaut and feel extremely fortunate to be
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 doing my life's work. He also mentioned that
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 if they succeed, billions of human lives will
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34 be born on the Moon and Mars and be able to
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 experience the beauty of lunar and Martian
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 life.
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 Anna: There's actually a $1 non
00:20:39 --> 00:20:42 refundable application fee just to apply,
00:20:42 --> 00:20:45 and that doesn't guarantee approval.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 Selected applicants will receive invitations
00:20:48 --> 00:20:50 tied to specific mission roles and lunar
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 stays.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:53 Avery: It's worth noting that this isn't the first
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 time someone has proposed a lunar hotel.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 Hilton Hotels actually had a Lunar
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 Hilton concept in the 1960s and even
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 printed reservation cards and room keys as
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 promotional items.
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 Anna: True. And back in 1973,
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 Hilton partnered with Trans International
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 Airlines to produce a brochure inviting
00:21:13 --> 00:21:16 customers to a trip to the moon sometime
00:21:16 --> 00:21:19 after 1973, with costs up to
00:21:19 --> 00:21:22 $25 per person. Of
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 course, that never materialised.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 Avery: The big question is whether GRU Space
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 can succeed where others have only dreamed.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 They've got the backing, they've got the
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 vision, and they've got a founder who's
00:21:33 --> 00:21:36 putting everything into making it happen. The
00:21:36 --> 00:21:38 timeline aligns with NASA's renewed push to
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 establish a permanent human presence on the
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 Moon Moon through the Artemis programme.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45 Anna: Even if this particular venture doesn't pan
00:21:45 --> 00:21:48 out exactly as planned, it's exciting to see
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 private companies seriously pursuing lunar
00:21:50 --> 00:21:53 infrastructure. The fact that we're even
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55 having this conversation about booking hotel
00:21:55 --> 00:21:58 rooms on the Moon shows how far space
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 exploration has come.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 Avery: Absolutely. Whether it's 2032
00:22:02 --> 00:22:05 or 2042, the era of lunar
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 tourism feels like it's genuinely
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10 approaching. We might actually see commercial
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 lunar hotels in our lifetime.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:14 Anna: Well, that's all the time we have for today's
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16 episode of Astronomy Daily. What an
00:22:16 --> 00:22:18 incredible day of space news.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:21 Avery: Uh, from the historic iss, medical
00:22:21 --> 00:22:24 evacuation and wobbling black hole jets,
00:22:24 --> 00:22:26 to missions reaching their destinations at
00:22:26 --> 00:22:28 L1, and even the possibility of
00:22:28 --> 00:22:31 vacationing on the Moon, it's been quite a
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 journey.
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 Anna: If you enjoyed today's episode, please
00:22:34 --> 00:22:37 subscribe to Astronomy Daily wherever you get
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 your podcast. And don't forget to leave us a
00:22:39 --> 00:22:41 review. It really helps other space
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 enthusiasts find the show.
00:22:42 --> 00:22:45 Avery: You can find us on social media and at our
00:22:45 --> 00:22:47 website. For more space news and updates.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 Just search for astrodaily Pod on
00:22:50 --> 00:22:53 socials or visit us on the web at
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56 astronomydaily IO. Thanks
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 so much for listening, everyone.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:03 Avery: See you, uh, tomorrow. Clear Skies, Astronomy
00:23:03 --> 00:23:06 Day. Storeys we
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 told.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 Anna: What.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 Avery: Storeys.
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 We told.