00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Good Monday everyone and welcome to
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 space and astronomy news. I'm Anna.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:13 >> And I'm Avery. It's February 16th, 2026,
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 and what a weekend it's been in space.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 We've got six stories for you today.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 Starting with some very welcome news
00:00:20 --> 00:00:21 from low Earth orbit.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 >> That's right. After more than a month of
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 operating with a skeleton crew, the
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 International Space Station is finally
00:00:29 --> 00:00:33 back to full strength. SpaceX's Crew 12
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 mission docked at the ISS on Saturday
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 afternoon, Valentine's Day, no less,
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 bringing four fresh crew members to the
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 orbiting laboratory.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 >> And what a crew it is. We've got NASA
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 astronauts Jessica Mayor and Jack
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 Hathaway, ESA astronauts Sophie Adonaut
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 from France, and Rosscosmos cosminaut
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 Andre Fedv. They launched aboard a
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 Falcon 9 rocket early on Friday the
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 13th. The first time NASA has ever
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 launched a crude mission on a Friday the
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 13th. By the way,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 >> a lucky day after all. The Dragon
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 capsule Freedom docked at the space-f
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 facing port of the Harmony module at
00:01:14 --> 00:01:18 3:15 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Commander Jessica Mayer radioed up as
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 they approached, and Chris Williams,
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 who'd been holding the fort with just
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 two cosminauts since mid January, was
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 clearly delighted to see them arrive.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 >> You can understand why. The station had
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 been down to just three crew members
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 since January 15th when crew 11 departed
00:01:38 --> 00:01:39 a month ahead of schedule due to a
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 medical issue with one of its
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 astronauts. NASA hasn't identified which
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 astronaut or given details, but it left
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 the ISS short staffed for a lot longer
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 than anyone wanted. Now, here's the
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 interesting subplot to this mission. The
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 original Crew 12 lineup was different.
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 Russian cosminaut Oleg Artamev was
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 originally assigned to the flight but
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 was abruptly removed back in December.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 Ross Cosmos officially said he was
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 transitioning to other work but reports
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 from investigative journalists tell a
00:02:13 --> 00:02:14 rather different story.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 >> Right. As we reported last week,
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 according to the insider, Artamev was
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 expelled from the United States after
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 being accused of violating international
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 traffic and arms regulations, IT as it's
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 known. He was allegedly caught
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 photographing SpaceX engines, documents,
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 and other sensitive technologies with
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 his phone. That's a serious allegation
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 in the world of space cooperation.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 >> Very serious indeed. It's a reminder
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 that even in an era of international
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 collaboration aboard the ISS,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 geopolitical tensions are never far from
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 the surface. Fed YV stepped in as the
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 replacement and the mission went ahead.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 >> The Crew 12 team is expected to stay
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 aboard through October, making this a
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 slightly longer stint than the usual 6
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 months. Sophie Adano has a particularly
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 packed schedule. She's expected to take
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 part in nearly 200 experiments,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 including testing a development version
00:03:09 --> 00:03:13 of the new EVA suit called Euro Suit,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 which was developed by French companies
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 Spartan Space and Decathlon along with
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 the Institute of Space Medicine.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 >> Pesting space suits designed partly by
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 the people who make hiking gear. I love
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 that. All right, let's move to our
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 second story, and it's the saga that
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 just won't quit. Artemis 2 and its
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 ongoing battle with hydrogen leaks.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 >> Oh, this is becoming quite the drama.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 So, here's where things stand. NASA
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 conducted what they called a confidence
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 test on February 12th, partially filling
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 the SLS core stages liquid hydrogen tank
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 to check whether newly replaced seals in
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 the fueling interface were doing their
00:03:51 --> 00:03:51 job.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 >> And the result
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 >> mixed. They encountered a problem with
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 ground support equipment that reduced
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 the flow of hydrogen into the rocket.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 But the good news is that engineers were
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 able to gather data at the critical
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 interfaces, the exact points where the
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 leak had occurred during the earlier wet
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 dress rehearsal on February 2nd. And
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 from what NASA administrator Jared
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 Isaacman said during the Crew 12
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 coverage, the early signs are cautiously
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 encouraging.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 >> He said they didn't see the same leaks
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 at comparable periods during this test
00:04:23 --> 00:04:24 that they'd seen during the full wet
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 dress rehearsal. That's progress, even
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 if it's not a definitive green light
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 yet.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 >> For those catching up, here's the
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 backstory. The first wet dress rehearsal
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 ran from January 31st through February
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 3rd. They managed to fully load both SLS
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 stages with cryogenic propellant and
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 even got the countdown to the tus 5
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 minute mark. But then the ground launch
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 sequencer automatically stopped
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 everything because of a spike in the
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 hydrogen leak rate. And these pesky
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 hydrogen leaks are nothing new for the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 SLS program. They plagued Artemis 1 back
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 in 2022, causing months of delays. The
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 mission management team chair, John
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 Honeyut, admitted this latest round
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 caught them off guard. Hydrogen is such
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 a tiny molecule, it can escape through
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 the smallest imperfection in the
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 propellant system.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 >> The February launch window has already
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 been abandoned, and NASA's now targeting
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 March for the earliest possible launch.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 Engineers worked through the weekend to
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 purge lines, inspect equipment, and
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 replace a filter suspected of causing
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 the reduced flow. A second full wet
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 dress rehearsal is expected before any
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 launch attempt. We'll keep following
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 this one closely. Artemis 2, when it
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 does fly, will send four astronauts,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 Reed Wisman, Victor Glover, Christina
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 and Canadian astronaut Jeremy
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 Hansen, on a 10-day trip around the
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 moon. The first crude lunar flyby since
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 the Apollo era. Now, from the challenges
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 of getting off our planet to the wonders
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 of the outer solar system, our third
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 story is a real beauty, Anna.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 >> Oh, I love this one. Saturn's tiny moon,
00:06:02 --> 00:06:06 Enceladus, just 500 km across, has been
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 revealed as a giant electromagnetic
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 powerhouse whose influence stretches
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 over half a million km through Saturn's
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 space environment.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 >> Half a million km. That's more than
00:06:18 --> 00:06:22 2 times the moon's own radius. An
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 international team led by Lena Hadid
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 from the Laborator the Plasmas in France
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 analyzed 13 years of data from the
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 Cassini spacecraft and what they found
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 is stunning.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 >> So we all know Enceladus for its water
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 geysers. Those spectacular plumes
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 erupting from the South Pole. But it
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 turns out those geysers do a lot more
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 than just spray water into space. The
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 water vapor and dust become ionized,
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 creating an electrically charged plasma
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 that interacts with Saturn's magnetic
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 field as it sweeps past.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 >> And that interaction generates these
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 structures called alphen wings. Think of
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 them like electromagnetic vibrations
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 traveling along a string, except the
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 string is Saturn's magnetic field lines,
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 and they're connecting this tiny moon to
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 the giant planet's poles. The
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 researchers found that the primary
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 alphen wing isn't just a simple
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 structure. It's threaded by finecale
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 filaments produced by turbulence in the
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 plasma. These filaments help the waves
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 bounce back and forth between Saturn's
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 ionosphere and the plasma taus that
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 encircles Enceladus' orbit. The result
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 is this incredible lattis-like pattern
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 of crisscrossing electromagnetic waves.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 Across four different Cassini
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 instruments, the team identified 36
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 separate crossings that showed these
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 wave signatures. And here's the
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 remarkable part. 13 of those crossings
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 occurred far from any close flyby of
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 Enceladus. The moon's electromagnetic
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 reach is simply enormous. Co-author
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Thomas Chust described Enceladus as a
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 planetary scale alphan wave generator, a
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 moon just 500 km wide capable of
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 influencing the magnetospheric
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 environment on the scale of Saturn
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 itself. The team says this has major
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 implications for understanding how small
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 bodies regulate energy flow in giant
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 planetary magnetospheres.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 >> And there's a forward-looking element,
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 too. The researchers say their findings
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 highlight the importance of future
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 missions to Enceladus like the planned
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 issa orbiter and lander in the 2040s
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 carrying instruments specifically
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 designed to study these electromagnetic
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 interactions
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 >> from Enceladus to interstellar space.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 Now our fourth story takes us to the
00:08:38 --> 00:08:42 ongoing saga of 3ATLS
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 the third interstellar object ever
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 detected in our solar system. And today,
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 researchers from the Initiative for
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 Interstellar Studies, I4IS, have
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 published a fascinating new paper
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 proposing how we might actually catch up
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 with this cosmic visitor. The comet is
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 heading away from us now, approaching
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 Jupiter for its closest pass on March
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 the 16th before it leaves our solar
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 system forever.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 >> The challenge is obvious. By the time
00:09:10 --> 00:09:14 3IIATLS was discovered in July 2025, it
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 was already moving too fast for any
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 direct intercept mission from Earth.
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 Even the issa's planned comet
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 interceptor sitting ready at the Sun
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 Earth L2 point wouldn't have been able
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 to reach it.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 >> So, Adam Hibbert and colleagues at I4IS
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 took a different approach. They're
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 proposing what's called a solar oath
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 maneuver. The idea is to launch a
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 spacecraft in 2035 that would first
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 swing past Jupiter for a gravity assist,
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 then plunge close to the sun, firing its
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 engines at the closest approach to
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 maximize the slingshot effect. This
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 would hurl the probe out of the solar
00:09:51 --> 00:09:55 system fast enough to catch three ATLS.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:59 The downside, a 50-year flight time, but
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 the researchers argue it's worth it.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 Every interstellar object that passes
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 through is a message in a bottle from
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 another star system. The science return
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 from a close-up study would be
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 extraordinary.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 >> And there have been earlier proposals,
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 too, including one that suggested NASA's
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 Juno probe could be redirected from
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 Jupiter orbit to intercept 3IA ATLS. But
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 with Juno low on fuel and having engine
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 issues, that always seemed like a long
00:10:27 --> 00:10:31 shot. 3IIA ATLS remains one of the most
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 fascinating objects to visit our solar
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 system. Bigger and more active than
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 either OmuA MUA or Borosov, it's given
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 us an unprecedented look at material
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 from beyond our stellar neighborhood.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 Even if we can't catch it this time,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 studies like this are laying the
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 groundwork for when the next
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 interstellar visitor comes calling.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 >> Now, let's turn our gaze back to our own
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 star for story number five. If you're an
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 aurora chaser, today might be worth
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 keeping an eye on.
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 >> That's right. There's currently a G1
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 minor geomagnetic storm watch in effect
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 for today, February 16th, and it's being
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 driven by a combination of factors.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 >> First, there's a huge transquatorial
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 corona hole directly facing Earth right
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 now, and it looks like an old friend.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 Observers believe it's the same corona
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 hole we saw back in mid January, having
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 survived its transit across the far side
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 of the sun and come back around for
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 another pass. These corona holes act
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 like solar wind lighouses, sweeping
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 Earth with fast solar wind roughly every
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 27 days as the sun rotates.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:42 >> On top of that, an M1.0 0 solar flare
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 erupted from active region 4373 on
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 February 13th, launching a coronal mass
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 ejection that's expected to arrive at
00:11:51 --> 00:11:54 Earth right about now. If the CME
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 interacts strongly with the coronal
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 holes high-speed stream, we could see
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 conditions bump up to G2 moderate
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 levels. For our listeners at higher
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 latitudes, thank northern Europe,
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 Canada, and the northern tier US states,
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 it's worth checking those Aurora apps
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 tonight. Even at G1 levels, Aurora
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 displays can be visible in Scotland,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 Scandinavia, and across the northern
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 tier US states. And with the sun now in
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 the declining phase of solar cycle 25,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 space weather experts say that while big
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 explosive events may become less
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 frequent, coronal holes can actually
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 provide a steadier rhythm of minor to
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 moderate storms, aurora chasers
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 shouldn't pack away their cameras just
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 yet.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 >> And finally, our sixth story is a quick
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 one, but it shows just how relentless
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 the pace of space flight has become.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 SpaceX launched yet another Starlink
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 mission in the early hours of this
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 morning. The Starlink 6-103 mission,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 lifting off from Cape Canaveral's Space
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 Launch Complex 40. It carried 29
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 Starlink V2 mini satellites to low Earth
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 orbit.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 >> This was the 10th orbital flight from
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 Cape Canaveral so far in 2026, and we're
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 not even through February. The first
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 stage booster flying for its 10th time
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 successfully landed on the drone ship a
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 shortfall of gravitas in the Atlantic.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 >> 10 flights for that booster. SpaceX
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 continues to demonstrate the reliability
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 and reusability of Falcon 9 at a pace
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 that would have seemed extraordinary
00:13:28 --> 00:13:31 just a few years ago. Combined with the
00:13:31 --> 00:13:35 Crew 12 launch on Friday, SpaceX's 600th
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 Falcon 9 flight. It's been quite the
00:13:37 --> 00:13:41 week for Hawthorne. the 600th Falcon 9.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 That's genuinely remarkable when you
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 think about it.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 >> It really is. And that brings us to the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 end of today's episode of Astronomy
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 Daily. Fix stories covering human space
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 flight, lunar ambitions, Saturnian
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 science, interstellar visitors, space
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 weather, and the unstoppable launch
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 cadence of SpaceX.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 >> If you've enjoyed today's show, please
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 do leave us a review on your favorite
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 podcast platform. It really helps new
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 listeners find us. And follow us on
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 social media at astrodaily pod for
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 updates throughout the day.
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 >> You can also check out our full show
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 notes and blog post at astronomyaily.io
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 where we've got links to all the sources
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 and studies we've discussed today.
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 >> Until tomorrow, keep looking up.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:31 >> Pierce everyone.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:37 Oh,
00:14:37 --> 00:14:41 stories told.