Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery as they explore today's most fascinating space and astronomy stories.
IN THIS EPISODE:
🌌 NASA's Dark Matter Map
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has created one of the most detailed dark matter maps ever produced, revealing the invisible scaffolding of the universe in unprecedented detail. Scientists mapped nearly 800,000 galaxies, showing how dark matter and regular matter have grown together throughout cosmic history - and how dark matter's influence may have been essential for creating the conditions necessary for life on Earth.
🚀 Weekly Launch Roundup
A busy week in orbital spaceflight with multiple missions planned from Florida, California, and New Zealand. SpaceX prepares to launch GPS III SV09 named after fallen Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka, while Rocket Lab readies its "Bridging the Swarm" mission carrying South Korea's NeonSat-1A satellite. Plus updates on multiple Starlink flights and possible Chinese launches.
🌙 Artemis II's Far Side Adventure
The Artemis II crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - are training to become the first humans to see parts of the Moon never before observed by human eyes. Learn about their planned three-hour observation session focusing on Mare Orientale and other hidden lunar features, and how their geology training in Iceland is preparing them for this historic mission.
🪐 Jupiter's Hidden Depths
NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to revolutionize our understanding of Jupiter, revealing that the planet's iconic cloud bands extend 1,900 miles below the surface. Discover recent findings about Jupiter's diluted core, mysterious green lightning flashes, and the remarkably persistent polar cyclones that form octagonal and pentagonal patterns at the planet's poles.
☀️ Antarctica's Exclusive Eclipse
Only about 16 people might witness one of 2026's most spectacular celestial events - a "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse crossing Antarctica on February 17th. Find out about the two research stations in the path of totality, the extreme conditions observers will face, and where else partial views of the eclipse will be visible.
🛸 Starship V3 Update
SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket test has been rescheduled for mid-March following a November explosion during testing. Learn about the new capabilities of Starship V3, including plans to launch next-generation Starlink satellites and dock with other Starships in orbit - plus how Blue Origin's New Glenn is emerging as competition in the heavy-lift market.
EPISODE LINKS:
• NASA Dark Matter Discovery: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-reveals-new-details-about-dark-matters-influence-on-universe/
• Launch Schedule Details: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/launch-roundup-012626/
• Artemis II Far Side Views: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/artemis-first-humans-see-hidden-side-moon/
• Antarctica Eclipse Information: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/2026-ring-of-fire-eclipse/
• Starship Development Update: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/spacex-eyes-mid-march-for-first-test-of-upgraded-starship-rocket/
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/31342881?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 for the latest space and astronomy news.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:06 I'm Anna.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 >> And I'm Avery. Today's Tuesday, January
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 27th, 2026, and we've got some
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 fascinating stories lined up for you.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 >> We certainly do. On today's episode,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 we're diving into NASA's groundbreaking
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 new dark matter map, getting the latest
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 updates on this week's orbital launch
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 schedule, and learning about what the
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 Aremis 2 crew might see on the far side
00:00:29 --> 00:00:30 of the moon.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 >> Plus, we'll explore stunning new
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 insights into Jupiter's complex cloud
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 systems. Find out about a rare solar
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 eclipse that only a handful of people
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 will witness, and get the latest on
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 SpaceX's upgraded Starship development.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 >> Let's get started. Take it away, Anna.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 >> Our top story today comes from NASA's
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 scientists have created one of the most
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 detailed dark matter maps ever produced
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 using data from the James Web Space
00:00:58 --> 00:00:59 Telescope.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 >> This is really exciting stuff, Anna. The
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 map shows how dark matter, that
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 invisible ghostly material that makes up
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 most of the universe's mass, overlaps
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 and intertwines with regular matter,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 like stars and galaxies. Published
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 Monday in Nature Astronomy, this map is
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 twice as sharp as any previous dark
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 matter map made by other observatories.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 Diana Skoggnia, the lead author and
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 astrophysicist at JPL, described it as
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 seeing the invisible scaffolding of the
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 universe in stunning detail for the
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 first time.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 >> What's particularly fascinating is how
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 the map confirms that dark matter and
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 regular matter have essentially grown up
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 together. Wherever you see a massive
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 cluster of thousands of galaxies,
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 there's an equally massive amount of
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 dark matter in the same place. When you
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 see strings of regular matter connecting
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 clusters, dark matter strings are there,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:58 too. The team used Web's unprecedented
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 sensitivity to observe nearly 800
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 galaxies in a region of sky about 2.5
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 times larger than the full moon. They
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 detected dark matter by observing how
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 its mass curves space itself, which
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 bends light from distant galaxies as it
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 travels to Earth.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 >> Here's something to ponder. Without dark
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 matter, we might not even be here. Dark
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 matter began clumping together first in
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 the early universe, and those clumps
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 then pulled regular matter together,
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 creating the conditions for stars and
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 galaxies to form earlier than they would
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 have otherwise. That earlier star
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 formation was crucial because those
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 first generations of stars turned
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 hydrogen and helium into the rich array
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 of elements that now make up planets
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 like Earth. So in a very real sense,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 dark matter influenced the creation of
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 the elements necessary for life. Looking
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 ahead, the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 Space Telescope will map dark matter
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 over an area 4 times bigger than
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 this web study. Though it won't match
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 web's incredible resolution. For even
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 more detailed looks, we'll have to wait
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 for next generation telescopes like the
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 >> Fascinating research that's literally
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 revealing the invisible foundation of
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 our universe.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 >> Moving on to this week's launch
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 schedule. It's shaping up to be a busy
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 last week of January with flights from
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 Florida, California, and New Zealand on
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 the manifest.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 >> That's right. SpaceX is planning to
00:03:31 --> 00:03:35 close out the month with the GPS 3SV09
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 mission along with up to three Starlink
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 launches. The GPS launch is scheduled
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 for late Monday evening from Cape
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 Canaveral. The GPS 3SV09
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 satellite named Ellison Onuka after one
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 of the fallen Challenger astronauts will
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 be launched to medium Earth orbit. This
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 spacecraft offers improved accuracy and
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 jamming resistance over previous
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 versions of GPS.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 >> Meanwhile, Rocket Labs Electron is
00:04:02 --> 00:04:03 preparing for the Bridging the Swarm
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 mission from New Zealand's Mahia
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 Peninsula on Wednesday. This launch will
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 carry South Korea's Neon Sat 1A
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 observation satellite to sunsyn
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 synchronous orbit.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 >> The Neon Sat constellation is designed
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 to provide near real-time disaster
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 monitoring capability for the Korean
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 Peninsula. The 100 kg Neon SAT 1A
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 features a highresolution optical camera
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 and will join an existing Neonat
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 satellite already in orbit.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 >> This mission has already faced a couple
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 of delays. It was originally scheduled
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 to launch back in December, but was
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 scrubbed after sensor issues during
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 Countdown.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 >> SpaceX also has multiple Starlink
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 missions on the schedule this week from
00:04:43 --> 00:04:47 both coasts. Group 17-9 from Vandenberg
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 Space Force Base in California on
00:04:49 --> 00:04:53 Thursday and Group 6-101 from Cape
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 Canaveral later that same day. And
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 looking ahead to early February, the
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 first Starlink mission of next month,
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 Group 6-103,
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 is currently scheduled for Sunday,
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 February 1st.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 >> China also has two possible flights on
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 the manifest. A Changang 7A from Heinen
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Island and a Gilong 3 from the South
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 China Sea, though neither has a
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 confirmed launch date yet. It's worth
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 noting that China's year in space flight
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 has already been eventful with two
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 launch failures within 12 hours in mid
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 January. So, they may be proceeding
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 cautiously with these upcoming missions.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 Okay, moving on. Our next story takes us
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 to preparations for NASA's Aremis 2
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 mission where four astronauts are
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 training to become the first humans to
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 see parts of the moon that have remained
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 hidden from view even during the Apollo
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 missions. The Aremis 2 crew, Reed
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 Weissman, Victor Glover, Christina
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 Hammock Coach, and Jeremy Hansen won't
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 land on the lunar surface, but they'll
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 fly around the far side of the moon and
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 potentially observe regions never before
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 seen by human eyes.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 >> Among the most significant targets is
00:06:00 --> 00:06:04 Mari oriental, a vast 600-m wide impact
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 basing that sits along the edge of the
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 lunar far side. Its location makes it
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 nearly impossible to view from Earth
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 despite its massive scale.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 >> The crew will spend a dedicated
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 three-hour segment of their mission
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 focusing on direct lunar observation.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 NASA exploration scientist Jacob Leecher
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 emphasizes that human vision can detect
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 subtle surface differences, variations
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 in brightness or texture that indicate
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 differences in rock composition and
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 geological age. What's fascinating is
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 that the astronauts have been training
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 extensively in geology, including
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 simulated exercises in Iceland, where
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 they practiced identifying volcanic and
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 impact related features in environments
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 resembling the moon. The far side of the
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 moon holds a geological record less
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 disturbed than the near side. While much
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 of the near side is covered with maria,
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 vast plains of ancient lava that have
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 erased older surface features, the far
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 side remains heavily cratered and
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 relatively intact.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 >> Because of tidal locking, the moon
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 always shows the same face to Earth.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 Until the Soviet Luna 3 mission in 1959,
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 no one had any idea what the far side
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 looked like. Even the Apollo missions
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 only had brief views and poor lighting.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 Artemis 2 breaks that pattern by taking
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 advantage of a launch window and flight
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 path that ensures better visibility of
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 the hidden hemisphere. The mission is
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 currently scheduled for no earlier than
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 February 6th. And astronaut Christina
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 noted that the mission may help
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 shift public understanding away from the
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 outdated phrase the dark side of the
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 moon which falsely implies the region
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 lacks sunlight. An exciting mission that
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 will give us unprecedented views of
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 lunar territory that remained largely
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 mysterious for all of human history.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 >> Now, let's turn our attention to
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 Jupiter, where NASA's Juno spacecraft
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 continues to reveal the gas giant
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 secrets from beneath its dense cloud
00:07:59 --> 00:07:59 layers.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 >> Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 2016, peering through storms and
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 cyclones to unveil the planet's hidden
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 complexity. And recent observations are
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 showing just how much more intricate
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 Jupiter is than we ever imagined.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 >> One of the most fundamental questions
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 scientists have debated for decades is
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 how deep Jupiter's distinctive cloud
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 bands actually go. By measuring
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 Jupiter's gravity field, Juno discovered
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 that these belts and zones, which are
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 alternating east and west flowing jet
00:08:31 --> 00:08:36 streams, extend about 1 m or 3
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 km below the cloud tops. That's
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 incredible depth. And Juno's discoveries
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 have completely upended our
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 understanding of Jupiter's interior
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 structure, too. Scientists long thought
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 Jupiter had a small solid core
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 surrounded by hydrogen and helium, but
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 Juno's data suggests the planet has a
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 larger, more diluted core than
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 previously believed. The spacecraft has
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 also provided the first detailed views
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 of Jupiter's north pole, revealing
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 massive cyclonic storms arranged in
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 fascinating patterns. Eight storms in an
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 octagonal pattern in the north and five
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 in a pentagonal pattern in the south.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 These storms are extremely resilient and
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 have persisted for years. And here's
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 something really intriguing. Juno
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 recently captured images showing a
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 mysterious green glow near Jupiter's
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 north pole. The flash of light was
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 traveling at breakneck speed, which
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 makes capturing it even more remarkable.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 >> Scientists believe this could be
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 lightning, but Jupiter's lightning is
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 vastly different from Earth's. It's
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 caused by clouds containing ammonia
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 water solution and can be much more
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 powerful than terrestrial lightning.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 >> Juno's mission has been extended
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 multiple times and was scheduled to end
00:09:52 --> 00:09:56 in September 2025, but appears to be
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 still be operational with no new end
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 date being promoted. During this
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 extended phase, the spacecraft is
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 conducting close flybys of Jupiter's
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 intriguing Galilean moons, Ganyde,
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 Europa, and Io.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 >> Eventually, Juno will meet its end by
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 burning up in Jupiter's atmosphere. But
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 until then, it continues to
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 revolutionize our understanding of the
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 solar system's largest planet. Our next
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 story involves a celestial event that
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 very few people will witness. A rare
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 annular solar eclipse set to occur over
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 one of the most remote places on Earth.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:37 On February 17th, 2026, a spectacular
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 ring of fire eclipse will be visible
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 from a narrow stretch of Antarctica. The
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 phenomenon will only be fully visible
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 from an uninhabited region of the
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 continent with just two research
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 stations falling within the events path.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 The antumbal shadow of the moon, the
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 area where the full annular eclipse can
00:10:56 --> 00:11:01 be seen, will travel across a 2661-m
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 stretch of mainland Antarctica. Only two
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 inhabited locations fall within this
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 narrow band. Concordia station, a French
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 Italian base, and Mney station operated
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 by Russia.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 >> At Concordia, annularity will last 2
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 minutes and 1 second with the sun
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 positioned 5° above the horizon. At
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 Miernney, it will experience 1 minute
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 and 52 seconds of annularity with the
00:11:26 --> 00:11:30 sun slightly higher at 10°. Given the
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 extreme location and limited
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 infrastructure, eclipse meteorologist
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 Jay Anderson noted that it's a challenge
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 to reach and neither of the two
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 inhabited locations is set up to welcome
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 tourists.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 >> However, a partial eclipse will be
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 visible over a much larger region,
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 including several Antarctic research
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 bases, parts of southeastern Africa, the
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 southern tip of South America, and
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 stretches of the Pacific, Atlantic, and
00:11:56 --> 00:12:00 Indian oceans. For example, Poland's AB
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 Dabberlonsky station will see 92% of the
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 sun covered while McMmetoro station in
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 the US will see 86%.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 Even distant cities like Durban in South
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 Africa will witness about 16% coverage.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 Weather could be a significant factor
00:12:16 --> 00:12:20 though. Mierney station averages 65%
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 cloud cover in February, while Concordia
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 has a clearer profile with about 35%
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 coverage. and temperatures can drop as
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 low as minus 112°
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 F.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 >> Interestingly, the eclipse itself might
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 improve viewing conditions. The sudden
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 temperature drop from the eclipse can
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 disrupt local cloud formation,
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 potentially causing convective clouds to
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 dissipate. Though, if you're one of the
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 handful of researchers stationed in
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 Antarctica next month, you might be in
00:12:50 --> 00:12:53 for a spectacular show, assuming the
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 clouds cooperate and you can brave the
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 extreme cold. And finally, in some late
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 breaking news, we have an update on
00:13:00 --> 00:13:03 SpaceX's Starship development program.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 According to a post from CEO Elon Musk,
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 the delayed first test of SpaceX's
00:13:08 --> 00:13:12 upgraded Starship rocket version 3 is
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 now slated for mid-March. This third
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 version of Starship is larger and more
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 powerful than previous iterations.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 Crucially, SpaceX plans to use Starship
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 V3 to launch its next generation
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 Starlink satellites, which will be
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 capable of faster data speeds, but are
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 heavier and larger. It's also the first
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 version designed to dock with other
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 Starships in Earth orbit, a capability
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 the company needs to reach the moon or
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 Mars. This comes as SpaceX faces
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 pressure from the Trump administration
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 to return US astronauts to the lunar
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 surface before the end of its second
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 term. SpaceX was making progress toward
00:13:50 --> 00:13:54 a launch of Starship V3 in late 2025,
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 but in November, the booster stage
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 suffered a major explosion during
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 testing that blew out an entire side of
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 the steel rocket. The company said it
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 was performing gas system pressure
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 testing when the explosion happened, but
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 hasn't offered a more detailed breakdown
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 of what went wrong. The second version
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 of Starship was a mixed bag. The program
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 successfully reached orbit, deployed
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 dummy versions of next generation
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 Starling satellites and caught multiple
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 booster stages after they returned to
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 the launchpad. But Starship V2 also
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 suffered several explosions and
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 setbacks. Some resulted from SpaceX's
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 developmental approach of pushing test
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 vehicles to or past their limits. Others
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 were more unexpected, like when a
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 Starship vehicle erupted in a massive
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 fireball during ground testing last
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 June.
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 >> Meanwhile, competition is emerging. Jeff
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 Bezos's New Glenn rocket successfully
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 launched for the first time in January
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 2025 and completed its first booster
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 landing in November. Blue Origin is
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 planning a third New Glenn launch in
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 late February.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 >> And late last year, Blue Origin revealed
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 it's developing a larger Superheavy
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 variant of New Glenn, which more
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 directly competes with Starship.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 >> So, while SpaceX continues to dominate
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 the global launch market, other players
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 are starting to close the gap. It'll be
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 interesting to see how the Starship V3
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 test goes in March.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 >> And that wraps up today's episode of
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 Astronomy Daily. Thanks for joining us
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 for another journey through the cosmos.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 Remember to check out our website at
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 astronomyaily.io
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 for more space and astronomy news.
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 >> And don't forget to follow us on social
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 media at Astro Daily Pod for updates
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 between episodes.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 >> Until next time, keep looking up.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:56 >> Clear skies, everyone.
00:15:56 --> 00:16:00 The stories were told.