Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Today we explore the new lunar space race as SpaceX shifts focus from Mars to the Moon, Europe establishes its Moonport company, and NASA continues Artemis II preparations. Plus, scientists solve the mystery behind auroras, explain Uranus's radiation anomaly from 1986, and SpaceX returns to flight after a brief stand-down.
Join hosts Anna and Avery for your daily dose of space and astronomy news!
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### Featured Stories
**[00:00] Introduction**
Your hosts Anna and Avery preview today's Moon-focused episode
**[01:15] SpaceX Pivots from Mars to Moon**
- Elon Musk announces strategic shift to lunar settlement
- Moon city achievable in under 10 years vs 20+ for Mars
- Launch windows: Moon every 10 days vs Mars every 26 months
- Alignment with Trump's space policy and Artemis program
- Mars plans delayed but not abandoned (5-7 year timeline)
- History of Musk's changing Mars predictions
**[05:30] Europe's Moonport Ambitions**
- German aerospace company OHB establishes European Moonport Company
- Consolidating lunar mission activities and future infrastructure
- Involvement in ESA's Argonaut lander and Gateway ESPRIT module
- Moon base concept developed with Munich Airport International
- European funding commitments at ESA Ministerial Council
- Italy leads Moon exploration funding at €284 million
**[09:45] NASA Artemis II Progress Report**
- Technicians replace seals after hydrogen leak detection
- Tail service mast umbilical repairs and testing
- Operational changes for next wet dress rehearsal
- Extended countdown hold times for troubleshooting
- Crew training continues: Wiseman, Glover, Koch, Hansen
- March launch window still under consideration
**[13:00] Aurora Power Source Discovered**
- International team solves decades-old mystery
- Alfvén waves act as natural particle accelerators
- Analysis of Van Allen Probes and THEMIS mission data
- Universal model applicable to other planets
- Collaboration between HKU and UCLA researchers
- Applications for Jupiter, Saturn, and exoplanet studies
**[15:30] Uranus Radiation Mystery Solved**
- Voyager 2's 1986 anomaly explained after 40 years
- Co-rotating interaction region (CIR) supercharged radiation belts
- Comparative analysis with Earth's space weather events
- Southwest Research Institute breakthrough
- Implications for future Uranus orbiter missions
- Similar applications for Neptune studies
**[18:00] SpaceX Falcon 9 Returns to Flight**
- Successful Starlink launch from Vandenberg after 5-day stand-down
- 25 satellites deployed to orbit (Group 17-33)
- Booster 1088 completes 13th flight with successful landing
- February 2nd upper stage anomaly explained
- Gas bubble prevented deorbit burn
- FAA clearance after corrective actions implemented
- Starlink constellation exceeds 9,600 active satellites
- SpaceX's 15th launch of 2026
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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 space and astronomy news.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:06 I'm Anna.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 >> And I'm Avery. It's Monday, February
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 9th, 2026, and we've got a fascinating
00:00:12 --> 00:00:13 lineup for you today.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 >> We certainly do. And there's a definite
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 theme emerging in our first three
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 stories. It seems everyone's headed to
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 the moon. We're talking SpaceX, European
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 Aerospace, and NASA's Aremis program,
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 all making lunar headlines.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 >> That's right. Beyond the moon focus,
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 we'll also explore new discoveries about
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 auroras, solve a 40-year mystery about
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 Uranus, and catch up with SpaceX's
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 return to flight after a brief
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 grounding. Let's dive right in with what
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 might be the biggest surprise in space
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 news this week.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 >> In a major strategic pivot, Elon Musk
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 announced Sunday that SpaceX is putting
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 its long-standing Mars colonization
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 plans on the back burner to prioritize
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 establishing a settlement on the moon.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 This is quite the reversal, Avery. For
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 years, Musk has been the biggest
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 cheerleader for Mars, making it almost
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 synonymous with SpaceX's identity. What
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 prompted this shift?
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 >> It comes down to practicality and
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 timelines. According to Musk's post on
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 X, SpaceX believes they can achieve a
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 self-growing city on the moon in less
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 than 10 years, whereas Mars would take
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 20 plus years. The key difference is
00:01:24 --> 00:01:25 launch windows,
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 >> right? The orbital mechanics are
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 completely different. You can only
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 travel to Mars when the planets align
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 every 26 months, but launches to the
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 moon can happen every 10 days. That's a
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 massive advantage for rapid iteration
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 and development.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 >> Exactly. Musk said easier access means
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 they can iterate much faster to complete
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 a moon city than a Mars city. And this
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 isn't just about SpaceX's preferences.
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 It also aligns with President Trump's
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 space policy directive from late last
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 year, which focused on getting Americans
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 to the moon by 2028 under the Aremis
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 program. SpaceX is a major contractor
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 for Artemis. So, this alignment makes
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 perfect business sense, but I have to
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 ask, what about all those Mars promises?
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Musk has blown through several previous
00:02:13 --> 00:02:14 estimates before.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 >> He has indeed. Back in 2016, he said
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 passengers could take off from Mars as
00:02:19 --> 00:02:23 soon as 2024. And in 2011, he told the
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 Wall Street Journal it would be 10 to 20
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 years, but he's not completely
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 abandoning Mars. Musk says SpaceX will
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 still strive to build a Mars city and
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 will begin doing so in about 5 to 7
00:02:35 --> 00:02:35 years.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 >> So, it's more of a rep prioritization
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 than a complete abandonment. The moon
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 becomes the proving ground, the place
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 where they perfect the technologies and
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 techniques needed for off-world
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 settlement. And then those lessons get
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 applied to Mars.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 >> That's the plan. It's actually a more
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 measured approach than what we've heard
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 from Musk in the past. Let reality and
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 results guide the timeline rather than
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 ambitious predictions.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 >> While SpaceX refocuses on the moon,
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 Europe is also making moves in that
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 direction. German space technology
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 company OB announced it has established
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 a new subsidiary called the European
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Moonport Company. This is interesting
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 timing. The company was actually founded
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 back in May 2025, but they only made it
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 public on February 4th. The CEO, Marco
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 Fuks, said they're supporting Europe's
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 ambition to establish a permanent
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 presence on the moon independently.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 >> Independently is the key word there.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 What exactly will this company do?
00:03:36 --> 00:03:37 >> In the near term, it's primarily
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 consolidating OB's existing moon related
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 activities. They're already involved as
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 a subcontractor on several European
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 lunar missions, including providing
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 subsystems for European Space Ay's
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Argonaut Lunar Lander, which is expected
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 to launch in 2031.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 >> And they're also working on the Aspree
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 module for NASA's Lunar Gateway Space
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 Station. Right.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 >> Correct. These contributions are part of
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 Europe's barter arrangements with NASA
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 to secure flight opportunities for
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 European astronauts to the gateway. But
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 OB has bigger visions. They unveiled a
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 concept for a central launch and landing
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 base on the lunar surface developed with
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 Munich Airport International.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 >> An airport on the moon, though I imagine
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 it's more concept than concrete plan at
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 this stage.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 >> You're right. The article describes it
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 as a high-level concept, basically a
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 model used for the press event. But
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 here's where it gets politically
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 interesting. OB's press release claimed
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 Germany took a lead role in lunar
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 exploration at ISSA's November 2025
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 ministerial council meeting.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 >> I sense some skepticism in that
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 phrasing.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 >> Well, the evidence doesn't quite support
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 that claim. While Germany contributed
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 the largest single share to exploration
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 at €885 million, that contribution was
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 made at the program level rather than
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 being specifically earmarked for the
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 moon. Based on element level
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 commitments, Italy actually committed
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 the largest share to ISA's moon
00:05:09 --> 00:05:13 exploration element at 284 million.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 >> So perhaps more aspiration than actual
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 leadership at this point. Still, it
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 shows Europe recognizes the moon's
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 strategic importance and doesn't want to
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 be left behind.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 >> Absolutely. This is the second such
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 specialized company OB has founded
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 recently. They established the European
00:05:30 --> 00:05:34 Spaceport Company in November 2025. It
00:05:34 --> 00:05:35 shows they're serious about building
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 infrastructure for the new space
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 economy.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 >> Speaking of getting to the moon, let's
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 check in on NASA's Aremis 2 mission.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 There have been some developments since
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 the wet dress rehearsal that concluded
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 on February 3rd.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 >> Yes. And it's a bit of good news, bad
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 news situation. Technicians discovered
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 higher than allowable hydrogen gas
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 concentrations during the test and have
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 been working to address the issue.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 >> What exactly was the problem?
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 >> The elevated gas levels were found in
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 the tail service mast umbilical on the
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 mobile launcher. Once the rocket's tanks
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 were drained of cryogenic propellant,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 technicians immediately accessed the
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 area and replaced two seals around the
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 fueling lines.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 >> These tail service masts are pretty
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 critical, right? They're about three
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 stories tall and provide the cryogenic
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 propellant lines and electrical
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 connections to the core stage.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 >> Exactly. They tilt back before launch
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 and include quick disconnect mechanisms
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 that instantaneously separate at
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 liftoff. Getting these seals right is
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 crucial for a safe launch. Engineers are
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 analyzing the removed seals and
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 developing plans to address all issues
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 ahead of the next wet dress rehearsal.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 >> When do they expect to complete the
00:06:44 --> 00:06:45 repairs?
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 >> Reconnecting the interfaces is expected
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 to be complete today, February 9th.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 They're also planning testing at NASA's
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 Stenson Space Center in Mississippi, to
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 evaluate additional dynamics of the
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 plates, and they're reviewing options to
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 test the repair work prior to the next
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 wet dress rehearsal. I noticed they're
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 also making some operational changes for
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 the next rehearsal.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 >> Right. They're streamlining to focus on
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 fueling activities. The Orion crew
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 module hatch will be closed prior to the
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 test and the closeout crew won't be
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 deployed to the launchpad. The crew
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 access arm won't be retracted since they
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 successfully demonstrated the ground
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 launch sequencer can retract it during
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 the countdown.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 >> And they've added extra hold time. Yes,
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 30 minutes of extra time during each of
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 two planned holds in the countdown,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 giving them more troubleshooting
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 capacity. The total countdown increases
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 by 1 hour, but it won't affect the
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 crew's timeline on launch day.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 >> What about the astronauts? Reed Wisman,
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 Victor Glover, Christina Coach, and
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 Jeremy Hansen must be eager to get
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 going. They've emerged from quarantine
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 and continuing training activities,
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 reviewing flight day details and
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 ensuring their familiarity with Orion
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 systems is second nature. NASA still
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 eyes March as a next potential launch
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 opportunity, but they won't set a
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 targeted date until after a successful
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 wet dress rehearsal and data review.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 >> Patience and precision. That's what it
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 takes to safely send humans beyond low
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 Earth orbit for the first time in over
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 50 years. From the moon to phenomena
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 much closer to home, an international
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 research team has finally answered a
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 question that's puzzled scientists for
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 decades. What powers the electrical
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 fields that accelerate particles to
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 create auroras? The northern and
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 southern lights are one of nature's most
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 spectacular displays, but we're still
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 learning about the fundamental physics
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 behind them. What did they discover?
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 Researchers from the University of Hong
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 Kong and UCLA found that plasma waves
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 traveling along Earth's magnetic field
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 lines called alphan waves act as a
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 natural accelerator. These waves supply
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 the energy that drives charged particles
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 into the atmosphere producing auroras.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 >> How did they figure this out?
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 >> They analyzed data from multiple earth
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 orbiting satellites including NASA's Van
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 Allen probes and theis mission. The data
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 showed how these alphan waves maintain
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 the electric fields that would otherwise
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 dissipate by continuously transferring
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 energy to the acceleration region.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 >> Though it's a sustained process, not
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 just a one-time jolt of energy.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 >> Exactly. Professor Zong Hua Yao from HKU
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 who leads the team said this discovery
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 not only provides a definitive answer to
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 the physics of Earth's aurora but also
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 offers a universal model applicable to
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 other planets in our solar system and
00:09:33 --> 00:09:33 beyond.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 >> That's the really exciting part. His
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 team has long focused on auroral
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 processes of giant planets like Jupiter
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 and Saturn. By applying that planetary
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 knowledge to the highresolution data
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 available near Earth, they've bridged
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 the gap between Earth science and
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 planetary exploration.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 >> It's a perfect example of how
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 interdisciplinary expertise advances our
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 understanding. The UCLA team brought
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 deep knowledge of Earth's auroral
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 physics while the HKU team contributed
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 their expertise in planetary
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 magnetospheres. And now we can apply
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 these insights to understanding auroras
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 on Jupiter, Saturn, and potentially
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 exoplanets with magnetic fields. It's
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 fascinating how solving one mystery
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 opens doors to understanding phenomena
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 across the universe.
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 >> Speaking of planetary mysteries, let's
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 head to the outer solar system and
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 revisit an anomaly from 1986. Remember
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 when Voyager 2 flew past Uranus and
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 detected unexpectedly high radiation
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 levels? That flyby has puzzled
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 scientists for nearly 40 years. The
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 radiation readings were much higher than
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 anticipated based on our understanding
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 of planetary radiation systems. What's
00:10:45 --> 00:10:46 the explanation?
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 >> New research published in Geoysical
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 Research Letters suggests that Uranus
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 was experiencing a rare space weather
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 event during Voyager 2's visit, a solar
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 wind disturbance called a co-rotating
00:10:59 --> 00:11:03 interaction region or CIR. These are the
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 same kind of events that affect Earth's
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 radiation belts. Right.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 >> Exactly. Cir occur when fast solar wind
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 streams overtake slower ones, creating a
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 region of increased energy. Dr. Robert
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 Allen from the Southwest Research
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 Institute led the study and said they
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 took a comparative approach, looking at
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 Voyager 2 data alongside Earth
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 observations made in the decades since.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 >> So basically, Voyager 2 just happened to
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 visit Uranus during a cosmic storm.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 That's the working theory. On Earth,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 these events can dramatically accelerate
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 electrons in our radiation belts. Dr.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 Sarah Vines, a co-author, pointed out
00:11:41 --> 00:11:45 that in 2019, Earth experienced one of
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 these events that caused an immense
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 amount of radiation belt electron
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 acceleration. If a similar mechanism
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 interacted with the Uranian system, it
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 would explain the unexpected energy
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 Voyager 2 detected. It's remarkable that
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 we're still extracting new insights from
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 data collected almost 40 years ago. What
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 are the implications for future
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 missions?
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 >> Dr. Allen says this is just one more
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 reason to send a mission targeting
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 Uranus. The findings have important
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 implications for similar systems like
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 Neptune's magnetosphere. Understanding
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 how solar wind and radiation belts
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 interact across different planetary
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 systems helps us refine our models of
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 space weather throughout the solar
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 system. And it reminds us that single
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 flyby observations, while invaluable,
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 can catch planets in unusual states. We
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 need return missions to build a complete
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 picture.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 >> Absolutely. Uranus remains one of the
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 least understood planets in our solar
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 system, and this discovery makes the
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 case for a dedicated orbiter mission
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 even stronger.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 >> Finally, let's bring things back to
00:12:50 --> 00:12:53 current operations. SpaceX successfully
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 resumed Falcon 9 flights on Saturday,
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 just 5 days after standing down due to
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 an upper stage anomaly. The return to
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 flight came with a Starlink mission from
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 Vandenberg Space Force Base in
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 California. The Falcon 9 lifted off at
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 12:58 p.m. local time, carrying 25
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 Starlink satellites.
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 >> And everything went smoothly this time,
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 >> perfectly. The satellites were deployed
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 as planned about an hour after liftoff.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 The first stage booster making its 13th
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 flight successfully landed on the drone
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 ship of course I still love you in the
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 Pacific Ocean. Most importantly, the
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 upper stage performed as expected.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 >> That's a relief after the February 2nd
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 incident. What exactly happened during
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 that flight?
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 >> After successfully deploying its
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 Starling payload, the upper stage
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 experienced what SpaceX called an
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 offnormal condition. A gas bubble formed
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 in the transfer tube ahead of the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 planned theorbit burn, preventing the
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 stage from reigniting. The vehicle then
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 performed as designed to passivate the
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 stage, which re-entered over the
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 southern Indian Ocean about 10.5 hours
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 later.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 >> So, it wasn't a catastrophic failure,
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 but it wasn't nominal either. How
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 quickly did SpaceX turn this around?
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 >> Impressively fast. They submitted a
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 report to the FAA including the likely
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 cause and corrective actions. The FAA
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 cleared them to resume launches earlier
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 this week. And here we are back to
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 flying. This was SpaceX's 15th launch of
00:14:21 --> 00:14:25 2026. With over 9
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 active Starlink satellites now in orbit,
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 these launches have become almost
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 routine, but each one still requires
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 meticulous attention to safety and
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 reliability.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 >> Absolutely. And speaking of Starlink,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 this particular mission added 25 more
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 satellites to the constellation.
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 continuing to expand global broadband
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 coverage.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 >> What a lineup today. From SpaceX's
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 strategic pivot to the moon to Europe's
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 lunar ambitions, NASA's Aremis
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 preparations, and fascinating planetary
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 science discoveries.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 >> The moon is definitely having a moment.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 It's exciting to see this renewed focus
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 on our nearest neighbor, not just for
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 scientific exploration, but for
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 permanent human settlement. And solving
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 mysteries about auroras and Uranus
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 reminds us that there's still so much to
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 learn, both in our cosmic backyard and
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 in data we collected decades ago.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 >> That's it for today's episode of
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 Astronomy Daily. Thanks for joining us.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 >> For the latest space and astronomy news,
00:15:24 --> 00:15:27 visit our website at astronomyaily.io.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 You can also find us on social media at
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 astrodaily pod. Don't forget to
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 so you never miss an episode. Clear
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 skies everyone
00:15:38 --> 00:15:50 >> and keep looking up.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:54 The stories were told.