Join hosts Anna and Avery for today's essential space and astronomy news roundup! 🚀
NASA's Artemis II rocket completes its journey to Launch Pad 39B, bringing humanity one step closer to returning to the Moon. We bid farewell to Japan's remarkable Akatsuki Venus orbiter after a decade of groundbreaking discoveries. China's FAST telescope solves a ten-year mystery about fast radio bursts, revealing they come from binary star systems.
Plus, we preview the incredible space science missions launching in 2026, discuss the devastating loss of Spain's brand-new military satellite to a tiny space particle, and explore new findings showing that dwarf galaxies host more active black holes than previously thought.
**Featured Stories:**
• NASA's Artemis II reaches the launch pad for wet dress rehearsal
• Japan's Akatsuki mission ends after 15 years and extraordinary Venus discoveries
• China's Sky Eye telescope cracks the fast radio burst mystery
• 2026 space science preview: Moon, Mars, and telescope missions ahead
• Spanish military satellite suffers catastrophic damage from millimeter-sized debris
• New census reveals surprising black hole activity in dwarf galaxies
Visit astronomydaily.io for full articles, images, and more space news!
#Astronomy #Space #NASA #ArtemisII #Venus #Akatsuki #FastRadioBursts #FAST #Mars #SpaceScience #BlackHoles #SpaceDebris
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 for the latest news in space and
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 astronomy. I'm Anna.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 >> And I'm Avery. We've got an absolutely
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 packed show for you today with some
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 really exciting developments happening
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 across the solar system and beyond.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 >> That's right, Avery. NASA's Aremis 2
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 mission just reached a major milestone
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 that brings us closer to putting humans
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 back on the moon. We'll update you on
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 the impressive journey their massive
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 rocket just completed.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 >> Plus, we're saying goodbye to a
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 spacecraft that refused to give up.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 Japan's Aquatsuki mission to Venus has
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 officially ended after more than a
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 decade of incredible science, but not
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 before delivering some stunning
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 discoveries.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 >> We've also got a fascinating story about
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 China's fast telescope solving a cosmic
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 mystery that's had astronomers
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 scratching their heads for years. vast
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 radio bursts, anyone?
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 >> Speaking of mysteries, there's some
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 concerning news about a Spanish military
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 satellite, and we'll explore what might
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 be the most comprehensive year for space
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 science in recent memory with missions
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 heading to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 And finally, astronomers have been
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 taking a closer look at dwarf galaxies,
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 and what they found is changing our
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 understanding of super massive black
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 holes across the universe. It's going to
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 be a great show, so let's get into it.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 >> All right, Avery, let's kick things off
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 with some really exciting news from
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 The Aremis 2 mission just hit a huge
00:01:36 --> 00:01:37 milestone.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:41 >> This is big, Anna. After nearly 12 hours
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 of careful travel, NASA's Space Launch
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 System rocket and Orion spacecraft
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 finally reached launchpad 39B this past
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 Saturday evening. And when you say
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 careful travel, you really mean it.
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 We're talking about NASA's Crawler
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 Transporter 2 moving at a blazing
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 maximum speed of just82
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 mph.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 Right. I could literally walk faster
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 than that. But when you're moving a
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 massive moon rocket, slow and steady
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 definitely wins the race. The journey
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 from the vehicle assembly building
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 covered about 4 miles. What I find
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 interesting is that they had to make a
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 planned pause along the way. The team
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 needed to reposition the crew access
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 arm, which is essentially a bridge that
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 will provide the astronauts access to
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 the Orion spacecraft on launch day.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 That's such a critical piece of
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 infrastructure. Now that the rocket's at
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 the pad, teams are preparing for what
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 NASA calls a wet dress rehearsal, which
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 is targeted for no later than February
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 2nd. Can you explain what that entails
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 for our listeners who might not be
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 familiar?
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 >> Absolutely. During the wet dress
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 rehearsal, engineers will load the
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 rocket with its cryogenic propellants,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 super cold fuel, run through the entire
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 countdown sequence, and then practice
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 safely draining all those propellants
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 from the rocket. It's basically a full
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 mission simulation without actually
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 launching.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 >> And this is absolutely essential before
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 putting a crew on board. NASA wants to
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 make sure every system works perfectly.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 >> Exactly. Now, they've noted that
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 additional wet dress rehearsals might be
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 required to ensure the vehicle is
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 completely ready for flight. And if
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 needed, they may roll the SLS and Orion
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 back to the vehicle assembly building
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 for additional work.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 >> Let's talk about the crew. This is going
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 to be a historic mission.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 >> It really is. The Aremis 2 mission will
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 send NASA astronauts Reed Wisman, Victor
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 Glover, and Christina along with
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 Hansen on approximately 10-day journey
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 around the moon and back.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 >> And this will be the first crude lunar
00:03:51 --> 00:03:55 mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. We're
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 talking about more than 50 years.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 >> That's incredible when you think about
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 it. And this mission is a crucial
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 stepping stone towards landing humans on
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 the moon's surface again, which will
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 then help us prepare for the ultimate
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 goal, sending astronauts to Mars.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 >> The timeline is really coming together.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 From roll out to wet dress rehearsal to
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 launch, it's all happening.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 >> And every step brings us closer to
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 seeing humans venture beyond Earth orbit
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 for the first time in over half a
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 century. It's an exciting time for space
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 exploration.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 >> Moving from the moon to our other
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 planetary neighbor, we need to talk
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 about the end of an era at Venus.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 Japan's Akatsuki mission officially
00:04:38 --> 00:04:42 concluded in September 2025 after an
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 absolutely remarkable journey.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 >> This is such a bittersweet story, Anna.
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 Akatsuki, which was operated by Jaxa and
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 ISS, was Japan's first fully successful
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 planetary orbiter. And it went through
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 quite an ordeal to get there.
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 >> Right. Cuz the mission didn't exactly go
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 according to plan from the start, did
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 it?
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 >> Not at all. Akatsuki launched back in
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 2010 with the goal of studying Venus's
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 atmosphere, but it actually failed to
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 enter Venus orbit on its first attempt
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 due to a main engine malfunction. So,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 the spacecraft ended up drifting around
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 the sun for 5 years.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 >> 5 years? That must have been incredibly
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 frustrating for the team, but they
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 didn't give up.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 >> They absolutely didn't. In December
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 2015, JAXA engineers managed a second
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 attempt using the spacecraft's smaller
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 thrusters, and this time it worked.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 Akatsuki successfully entered orbit
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 around Venus and became the only
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 operational spacecraft there at the
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 time. So, what kind of work did it
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 accomplish once it finally got into
00:05:44 --> 00:05:45 position?
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 >> Well, the spacecraft weighed just
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 over,50 lbs and carried five imaging
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 instruments plus a six radio system. Its
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 orbit was highly elliptical, ranging
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 from about 620 mi at its closest to
00:05:58 --> 00:06:02 Venus all the way out to 223
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 m at its farthest point.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 >> That's quite a range. I imagine that
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 gave them different perspectives on the
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 planet. Exactly. It allowed for both
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 wide-angle observations and detailed
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 close-up studies of Venus's thick toxic
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 cloud layers. And Akatsuki made some
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 really incredible discoveries during its
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 decade of operations.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 >> Like what?
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 >> One of the most striking findings was a
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 giant stationary gravity wave about
00:06:29 --> 00:06:33 6 m long. It's the largest of its
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 kind in the entire solar system.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 >> That's enormous. What causes something
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 like that? These gravity waves appeared
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 as alternating light and dark bands in
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 the atmosphere, and they're created when
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 air is pushed upward by mountainous
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 terrain on Venus's surface. What's
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 fascinating is that how even the lower
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 surface can influence the upper
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 atmospheric layers despite the crushing
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 pressure.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 >> Akatsuki also contributed to
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 understanding Venus's super rotation
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 phenomenon. Right.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 >> That's right. Super rotation is this
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 bizarre phenomenon where Venus's upper
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 atmosphere moves significantly faster
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 than the planet's surface rotates.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 Hakatsuki provided evidence linking this
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 wind acceleration to vertical momentum
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 transfers through waves and turbulence.
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 >> So, how did the mission ultimately end?
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 >> In late April 2024, contact with
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 Akatsuki was lost during a period of low
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 precision attitude control. Basically,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 the spacecraft's orientation and antenna
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 positioning drifted off target. The
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 transmitter likely kept working, but the
00:07:36 --> 00:07:37 radio signal could no longer reach
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 Earth.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 >> And despite months of attempts to
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 reestablish communication, they couldn't
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 get it back.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 >> Unfortunately, not. JAXA officially sent
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 the final command to terminate the
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 mission on September 18th, 2025, just
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 over 15 years after launch. This ensured
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 no uncontrolled signals would continue
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 broadcasting from the inactive probe.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 >> What a legacy, though. Despite all the
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 setbacks, Akatsuki delivered remarkable
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 science about Venus's atmosphere and
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 proved that you should never count a
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 mission out.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 >> Absolutely. It's a testament to the
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 ingenuity and determination of the team.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 They turned what could have been a
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 complete failure into a highly
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 successful decadel long mission. From
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 Venus, let's turn our attention to one
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 of the biggest mysteries in modern
00:08:24 --> 00:08:28 astronomy, fast radio bursts. And Avery,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 Chinese astronomers have just made a
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 breakthrough that's reshaping our
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 understanding of these enigmatic
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 signals.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 >> This is really exciting work, Anna. An
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 international team using China's fast
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 telescope, that's the 500 meter aperture
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 spherical telescope, also known as the
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 China Sky Eye, has uncovered the first
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 clear evidence that some fast radio
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 burst sources actually originate in
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 binary star systems.
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 >> Okay. So, for our listeners who might
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 not be familiar, can you explain what
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 fast radio bursts are?
00:09:01 --> 00:09:05 >> Sure. Fast radio bursts orrbs are these
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 incredibly brief but energetic pulses of
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 radio waves from deep space. We're
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 talking about flashes that last less
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 than a thousandth of a second but can
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 release more energy than our sun emits
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 in days.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 >> That's mindboggling. And most of these
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 are one-time events. Right.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 >> Exactly. Most FRBs are one-off events
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 which makes them really hard to study.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 But a handful repeat and those give
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 astronomers rare opportunities for
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 long-term observation. That's what made
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 this discovery possible.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 >> So tell us about this particular burst
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 they were studying.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 >> The team led by Professor Bing Zang from
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 the University of Hong Kong focus on a
00:09:46 --> 00:09:52 repeating source called FRB 220529A
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 located about 2.5 billion light years
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 away. They monitored it for 17 months
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 using fast, which is the world's most
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 sensitive instrument for detecting these
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 signals.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 >> And for most of that time, it seemed
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 pretty unremarkable.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 >> That's what's so interesting. For 17
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 months, the signal appeared consistent
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 and ordinary. But then near the end of
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 2023, something truly exciting happened
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 that transformed the entire study.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 >> What changed?
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 >> They detected what they call an RM
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 flare. a sudden dramatic change in the
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 rotation measure of the radio waves. The
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 rotation measure increased by more than
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 a factor of a 100, then rapidly declined
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 over 2 weeks before returning to its
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 previous level. Think of rotation
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 measure as describing how polarized
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 radio waves twist as they pass through
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 magnetic plasma. A sudden change like
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 this reveals shifts in the environment
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 surrounding therb source.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 >> And what does that tell us? Well, this
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 flare suggested that therb's environment
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 was suddenly flooded by highly
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 magnetized plasma, likely ejected by a
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 nearby star. It's consistent with
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 coronal mass ejections, those massive
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 bursts of stellar material that our sun
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 occasionally launches.
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 >> So, that's the smoking gun for a binary
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 system.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 >> Exactly. By linking this RM flare to
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 plasma activity from a companion star,
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 the team provided the strongest evidence
00:11:22 --> 00:11:26 yet that somerbs arise in binary systems
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 containing a magnetar, which is a
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 neutron star with an extremely strong
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 magnetic field paired with a regular
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 star like our sun.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 >> This contradicts the long-standing
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 belief that FRBs come solely from
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 isolated magnetars, doesn't it?
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 >> It does, and it's a major shift in our
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 understanding. The findings were
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 published in the journal Science and
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 mark a real milestone for astrophysics.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 The observations were corroborated by
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 data from Australia's Parks telescope
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 which reinforces the reliability of
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 these findings.
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 >> Do these results fit into any broader
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 theories about
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 >> actually yes. They align with a unified
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 model recently proposed by Professor
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 Zang and colleagues, suggesting that
00:12:09 --> 00:12:12 allrs originate from magnetars, but
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 those within binary systems have
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 specific geometries and environments
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 that make them repeat more frequently.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 >> So, we're starting to piece together the
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 puzzle of why somerbs repeat and others
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 don't.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 >> Exactly. And this discovery was only
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 possible because of persevering
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 observations using the world's best
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 telescopes and the tireless work of
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 dedicated research teams. It's astronomy
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 at its finest.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 >> All right, now let's look ahead because
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 2026 is shaping up to be an absolutely
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 incredible year for space science.
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 Avery, where should we even begin?
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 >> There's so much happening, Anna. Let's
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 start with lunar missions because we're
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 seeing a real renaissance in moon
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 exploration. Multiple commercial landers
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 and government missions are on the
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 schedule.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 >> And we learned some valuable lessons
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 from 2025's lunar landing attempts,
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 didn't we?
00:13:06 --> 00:13:10 >> We certainly did. In early 2025, three
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 commercial landers attempted moon
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 landings, but only one, Firefly
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 Aerospace's Blue Ghost, succeeded. That
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 was a major milestone as the first fully
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 successful commercial lunar landing.
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 >> Blue ghost touched down near Mons latril
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 in Mar Chrysum and operated for several
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 days before shutting down during the
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 lunar night.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 >> Right. And Firefly isn't resting on
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 their laurels. They're planning Blue
00:13:34 --> 00:13:38 Ghost mission 2 for November 2026,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 launching aboard a Falcon 9. This
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 mission will carry some really
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 interesting payloads, including NASA's
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 Lucy Knight experiment. That's the lunar
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 surface electromagnetic experiment at
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 night. And it's particularly exciting
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 because it'll become the first
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 operational radio telescope on the moon
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 operating through the lunar night.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 >> Also flying on that mission is the
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 United Arab Emirates Rasheed Rover 2.
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 But what makes this launch even more
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 interesting is that it'll debut
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 Fireflyy's elytra dark space tug, which
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 will boost Blue Ghost to the moon and
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14 insert ESA's lunar pathfinder
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 communication satellite into lunar
00:14:16 --> 00:14:16 orbit.
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 >> There are other commercial missions
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 planned, too. Right.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 >> Absolutely. Intuitive Machines is
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 planning its IM3 mission in the second
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 half of the year with another Nova
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 Sealander and Blue Origin will attempt
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 its first lunar landing with the Blue
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 Moon Mark1 Pathfinder mission testing
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 systems for future crude missions.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 >> What about the Griffin lander?
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 >> Astrobotics Griffin lander is scheduled
00:14:39 --> 00:14:43 for July 2026 and it'll carry Astrolab's
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 LIIP rover, a prototype for their larger
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 X rover being pitched for NASA's Aremis
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 program. And China's getting in on the
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 action, too.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 >> They are. Chong A7 is planned to launch
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 this year and attempt a landing on the
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 rim of Shackleton Crater near the South
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 Pole. It's a comprehensive mission with
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 an orbiter, lander, rover, and even a
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 small hopping probe.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 >> Let's shift to Mars. What's happening
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 there?
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 >> Well, 2026 marks another Mars transfer
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 window, so we'll see new missions
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 heading to the red planet. NASA's twin
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 escapade satellites called blue and gold
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 actually launched in November 2025 and
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 are waiting at the sun earth lrangee
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 point2 until the transfer window opens
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 in November.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 >> What will they study?
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 >> They'll investigate how the solar wind
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 has been stripping away at Mars'
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 atmosphere over time. And Japan's MMX
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 mission, the Martian moon's exploration
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 mission, will also launch during this
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 window to study Phobos and Deemos and
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 even attempt to collect a sample from
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 Phobos. There's also the ongoing
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 situation with NASA's Maven satellite,
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 isn't there?
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 >> Unfortunately, yes. Maven lost contact
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 in early December when it failed to
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 check in after passing behind Mars. A
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 small fragment of telemetry suggests the
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 spacecraft might be rotating and its
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 orbit may have changed. NASA had to
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 pause recovery efforts during the Mars
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 Solar Conjunction, but they plan to
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 start trying again over the weekend. No
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 word yet on how that's going, but
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 fingers are crossed. Indeed, fingers
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 crossed for Maven. Now, what about space
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 telescopes? We've got some major
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 launches coming up.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 >> Three new space telescopes are launching
00:16:21 --> 00:16:25 in 2026. First up is ESA's Smile mission
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 in April aboard a Vega C rocket. It'll
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 study Earth's magnetosphere interacting
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 with solar wind using soft X-ray and
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 ultraviolet observations.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 >> Then we have the Nancy Grace Roman Space
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 Telescope in October.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 >> That's the big one. Roman will launch on
00:16:41 --> 00:16:45 a Falcon 9 and features a 288 megapixel
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 camera that will perform sky surveys
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 with Hubble quality resolution, but
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 producing images nearly 200 times
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 larger. Construction was completed in
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 November and it's currently in final
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 testing.
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 >> And ESA's Plato mission rounds out the
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 year.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 >> Exactly. Plato launches in December
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 aboard an Aron 62 and will search for
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 Earthlike exoplanets in their stars
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 habitable zones. It'll study up to 1
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 million stars.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 >> There are also some exciting arrivals
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 this year, right?
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 >> Yes. ESA's Hera mission arrives at the
00:17:19 --> 00:17:22 DDOS binary asteroid system in November,
00:17:22 --> 00:17:24 a month ahead of schedule thanks to
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 excellent spacecraft performance. It'll
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 study the crater left by NASA's Dart
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 Impact.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 >> And don't forget Bey Columbo,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:35 >> right? The joint ESA Jackson mission
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 enters Mercury orbit on November 6th
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 after an 8-year journey. It will deploy
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 two orbiters that begin science
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 operations in early 2027.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 >> This really is going to be an incredible
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 year for space science.
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 >> Without a doubt, from the moon to Mars,
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 from nearby asteroids to distant
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 galaxies, 2026 promises discoveries that
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 will advance our understanding of the
00:17:59 --> 00:18:02 cosmos. Now, we need to talk about a
00:18:02 --> 00:18:05 concerning development in Earth orbit.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 Bhain's Hisdat company has confirmed
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 that one of their military communication
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 satellites has sustained what they're
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 calling nonreoverable damage.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 >> This is a significant loss, Anna. We're
00:18:17 --> 00:18:20 talking about the Spain NG2 satellite,
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 which was struck by what's being
00:18:21 --> 00:18:24 described as a space particle. And
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 despite the relatively small size of
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 this particle, the damage is total.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:31 Let's give our listeners some context.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 This satellite was brand new, wasn't it?
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 >> Very new. It launched aboard a SpaceX
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 Falcon 9 just this past October 2025.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:43 Spain NG2 was one of a pair of
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 satellites built by Airbus to provide
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 secure communications for Spain's armed
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 forces.
00:18:48 --> 00:18:51 >> So what exactly happened? On January
00:18:51 --> 00:18:54 16th, Histat released details explaining
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 that while the space particle was
00:18:56 --> 00:18:59 estimated to be only millimeters in size
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 and weighing just a few grams, it's
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 extremely high velocity combined with
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 the location of the impact caused
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 catastrophic non-reoverable damage.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10 >> That really highlights the danger of
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 space debris and micrometeorites,
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 doesn't it?
00:19:13 --> 00:19:16 >> Absolutely. Even something tiny can be
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 devastating when it's traveling at
00:19:17 --> 00:19:20 orbital velocities. The company did note
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 that because a satellite is in a highly
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 eccentric orbit, it doesn't pose any
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 risk or interference to existing or
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 future space missions.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 >> What are the financial implications?
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 >> Well, his dad says the satellite was
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 fully insured against this type of
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 incident, so there won't be any direct
00:19:37 --> 00:19:40 economic damage to the company. However,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 here's the thing. While the insurance
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 covers the loss, a claim this large will
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 almost certainly drive up insurance
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 premiums for future satellites.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 >> How much are we talking about?
00:19:52 --> 00:19:54 >> The total Spain NG program cost is
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 around €2 billion according to Spain's
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 official foreign investment promotion
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 agency. So, this single satellite claim
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 is likely in the hundreds of millions of
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 euros.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 >> That's going to have ripple effects
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 across the insurance market.
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 >> It will. And there's another concern,
00:20:11 --> 00:20:14 the replacement timeline. Airbus secured
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 the contract to build the first two
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 Spain sat NG satellites back in May
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 2019, and the first one launched in
00:20:20 --> 00:20:24 January 2025. That's more than 5 years
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 from contract to launch.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 >> So if we're looking at a similar
00:20:27 --> 00:20:31 timeline for Spain NG3, we might not see
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34 a replacement until around 2030.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37 >> That's the concern. In fact, Hisdat has
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 already initiated a request for
00:20:39 --> 00:20:41 quotation for the replacement satellite.
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 In the meantime, they'll continue
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 providing secure communications for
00:20:44 --> 00:20:48 Spain's armed forces using Spain NG1 and
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 the original Spanat satellite.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:55 >> Wait, the original SpanSat from 2006?
00:20:55 --> 00:20:58 >> Exactly. That satellite launched aboard
00:20:58 --> 00:21:02 an Aryan 5 in 2006 with a 15-year design
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04 life. And here we are almost 20 years
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07 later still relying on it. That's
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 actually a testament to good engineering
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 and design.
00:21:10 --> 00:21:12 >> But surely it can't be operating at full
00:21:12 --> 00:21:15 capacity after all this time.
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 >> You'd expect some degradation. Yes, it's
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 remarkable that it's still functional.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:22 But this incident really underscores the
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 vulnerability of our space assets and
00:21:24 --> 00:21:26 the importance of having redundancy.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:29 >> This also raises questions about space
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 debris tracking and mitigation, doesn't
00:21:31 --> 00:21:35 it? Absolutely. If a particle just
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 millimeters in size can cause total loss
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 of a satellite worth hundreds of
00:21:39 --> 00:21:42 millions of euros, we really need to
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 think seriously about the growing debris
00:21:44 --> 00:21:46 problem in Earth orbit and around it.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:49 >> For our final story, let's venture into
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 the distant universe to talk about some
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 fascinating new research on dwarf
00:21:53 --> 00:21:56 galaxies and the black holes at their
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 centers. Avery, this is challenging some
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 long-held assumptions. It really is,
00:22:01 --> 00:22:04 Anna. Astronomers from the Harvard and
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 the University of North Carolina at
00:22:08 --> 00:22:10 Chapel Hill presented what they're
00:22:10 --> 00:22:13 calling the most comprehensive senses of
00:22:13 --> 00:22:16 active galactic nuclei in dwarf galaxies
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 to date.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 >> Now, for listeners who might need a
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 refresher, can you explain what an
00:22:21 --> 00:22:23 active galactic nucleus is?
00:22:23 --> 00:22:27 >> Sure. Active galactic nuclei or AGN,
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 sometimes called quazars, are the
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 incredibly bright core regions of
00:22:31 --> 00:22:34 galaxies. They're so luminous that they
00:22:34 --> 00:22:36 can temporarily outshine all the stars
00:22:36 --> 00:22:39 in the entire galaxy combined.
00:22:39 --> 00:22:41 >> And that's because of the super massive
00:22:41 --> 00:22:43 black holes at the center.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:46 >> Exactly. These super massive black holes
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 accelerate infalling gas and dust and
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 their accretion discs to near the speed
00:22:50 --> 00:22:53 of light, producing intense radiation
00:22:53 --> 00:22:55 across the electromagnetic spectrum.
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 Everything from visible light and
00:22:57 --> 00:23:00 infrared to microwaves and X-rays.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 >> For decades, we've known that many
00:23:02 --> 00:23:04 massive galaxies have super massive
00:23:04 --> 00:23:06 black holes at their centers. And we
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 assumed the same was true for dwarf
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 galaxies, right?
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 >> That was the assumption. But scientists
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 have since learned that many dwarf
00:23:14 --> 00:23:16 galaxies actually don't have these
00:23:16 --> 00:23:18 central black holes. That's why this new
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20 census was so important.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:22 >> So what did they do?
00:23:22 --> 00:23:25 >> The team reassessed over 8 nearby
00:23:25 --> 00:23:27 galaxies for signs of active black hole
00:23:27 --> 00:23:29 activity. They grouped these galaxies by
00:23:29 --> 00:23:32 mass and analyzed the latest optical,
00:23:32 --> 00:23:35 infrared, and x-ray observations to
00:23:35 --> 00:23:37 detect even the faintest signs of AGN
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 activity.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 >> And what did they find? Previous surveys
00:23:41 --> 00:23:44 generally found about 10 AGN's per 1
00:23:44 --> 00:23:47 dwarf galaxies. That's just 1%. But this
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50 new census yielded values of about 20 to
00:23:50 --> 00:23:54 50 per 1 or 2 to 5%.
00:23:54 --> 00:23:56 >> So they're finding AGNs are 2 to five
00:23:56 --> 00:23:58 times more common than we thought.
00:23:58 --> 00:24:01 >> In dwarf galaxies, yes. Now, this is
00:24:01 --> 00:24:03 still significantly less than what we
00:24:03 --> 00:24:05 observe in medium-sized galaxies at 16
00:24:06 --> 00:24:10 to 27% or large galaxies at 20 to 48%.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:12 But it's a substantial increase from
00:24:12 --> 00:24:14 previous estimates.
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 >> What's causing this discrepancy with
00:24:15 --> 00:24:17 earlier surveys?
00:24:17 --> 00:24:19 >> A big part of it was suppressing the
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21 glare from star formation, which had
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23 been obscuring emissions from accreting
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 black holes. The team developed better
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27 detection methods to cut through that
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 glare. So what does this tell us about
00:24:29 --> 00:24:32 how black holes relate to galaxy mass?
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 >> Well, the results suggest that AGN
00:24:34 --> 00:24:37 frequency is mass dependent and
00:24:37 --> 00:24:39 increases sharply among galaxies with
00:24:39 --> 00:24:42 mass similar to our Milky Way. As lead
00:24:42 --> 00:24:44 author Magda Polyra explained, there's
00:24:44 --> 00:24:47 an intense jump in AGN activity between
00:24:47 --> 00:24:50 dwarf galaxies and midsize galaxies.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52 >> That's a significant finding. What might
00:24:52 --> 00:24:55 explain it? It could indicate a
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 fundamental shift in the galaxies
00:24:56 --> 00:24:59 themselves as they grow. Or it might
00:24:59 --> 00:25:01 mean we're still not catching everything
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 into smaller galaxies and need even
00:25:03 --> 00:25:05 better detection methods. Either way,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07 it's an important clue.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 >> How does this relate to galaxy
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 formation?
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 >> Well, as co-author Professor Sheila
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 Canopan pointed out, we believe the
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 Milky Way formed from many smaller
00:25:16 --> 00:25:19 galaxies that merged together. So the
00:25:19 --> 00:25:21 massive black holes in those dwarf
00:25:21 --> 00:25:23 galaxies should have merged to form the
00:25:23 --> 00:25:26 Milky Ways super massive black hole.
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28 >> So understanding these dwarf galaxy
00:25:28 --> 00:25:30 black holes helps us understand our own
00:25:30 --> 00:25:32 galaxy's history.
00:25:32 --> 00:25:34 >> Exactly. These results are essential to
00:25:34 --> 00:25:37 test models of black hole origins and
00:25:37 --> 00:25:39 their role in shaping galaxies over
00:25:39 --> 00:25:41 cosmic time. Are there still
00:25:41 --> 00:25:43 uncertainties in the census? Yes,
00:25:43 --> 00:25:45 there's still a margin of uncertainty
00:25:45 --> 00:25:47 where fainter accreting black holes are
00:25:47 --> 00:25:50 involved. So, these percentages are
00:25:50 --> 00:25:52 approximate. Future observations with
00:25:52 --> 00:25:54 more sensitive instruments will likely
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 refine these numbers.
00:25:55 --> 00:25:57 >> But this gives astronomers a much
00:25:58 --> 00:26:00 clearer picture than we had before.
00:26:00 --> 00:26:02 >> Absolutely. It provides the clearest
00:26:02 --> 00:26:05 picture yet of how likely galaxies of
00:26:05 --> 00:26:07 different sizes are to host active black
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09 holes. and it demonstrates how cutting
00:26:09 --> 00:26:12 through the glare of star formation can
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 reveal what's really happening at the
00:26:13 --> 00:26:15 centers of nearby galaxies.
00:26:15 --> 00:26:17 >> And the team is releasing their data for
00:26:17 --> 00:26:19 other researchers to verify and expand
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 on.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 >> That's right. They're making their
00:26:21 --> 00:26:23 processed measurements available so
00:26:23 --> 00:26:25 other astronomers can confirm and build
00:26:25 --> 00:26:28 on these results. That's good science in
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 action.
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 >> Well, that brings us to the end of
00:26:30 --> 00:26:32 another packed episode of Astronomy
00:26:32 --> 00:26:35 Daily. From the Aremis 2 rocket reaching
00:26:35 --> 00:26:37 the launch pad to new discoveries about
00:26:37 --> 00:26:40 black holes in dwarf galaxies, it's been
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 quite a journey through the cosmos
00:26:42 --> 00:26:42 today.
00:26:42 --> 00:26:44 >> It really has, Anna. We covered
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 everything from the moon to Venus to
00:26:46 --> 00:26:49 distant galaxies. And every story
00:26:49 --> 00:26:51 reminds us just how active and exciting
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53 space exploration and astronomy are
00:26:53 --> 00:26:53 right now.
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 >> Before we go, a quick reminder that you
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 can find more space and astronomy news
00:26:57 --> 00:27:00 on our website at astronomydaily.io.
00:27:00 --> 00:27:03 We've got detailed articles, images, and
00:27:03 --> 00:27:05 lots more content for space enthusiasts.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:07 >> And if you enjoyed today's episode,
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 please subscribe to Astronomy Daily
00:27:09 --> 00:27:11 wherever you get your podcasts. We're
00:27:11 --> 00:27:13 here every day bringing you the latest
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 news from across the universe.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:16 >> Thanks so much for listening everyone.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 I'm Anna
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 >> and I'm Avery. Keep looking up and we'll
00:27:19 --> 00:27:21 see you next time on Astronomy Daily.
00:27:21 --> 00:27:26 >> Clear skies.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:33 Oh,
00:27:33 --> 00:27:37 stories told.