S03E42: Starlink's Martian Ambition & Chang'e-6's Lunar Quest: Redefining Space Connectivity

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast
where we dive into the latest news from

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the cosmos. In this episode,
we delve into some of the most compelling

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stories that have captured the attention of
those who look towards the stars. From

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the far reaching satellites destined for Mars, potentially revolutionizing interplanetary communications, to the

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ambitious lunar surface missions poised to bring
back precious samples, we are entering a

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new era of cosmic exploration. We'll
also take a look at the burgeoning industry

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of commercial space flights, promising to
make the experience of zero gravity accessible to

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more people. And not least,
we'll discuss the tantalizing prospects of uncovering extraterrestrial

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life with the latest data from cutting
edge space telescopes. Join us as we

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journey through these stellar developments and discoveries
of our universe. The Autonomy Day pocast

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in an exhilarating update from the forefront
of interplanetary communication, NASA is betting on

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SpaceX's Starlink to possibly beam high speed
Internet across the Martian landscape. This collaboration

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could become a keystone in humanity's quest
to colonize the red planet. SpaceX,

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under the dynamic leadership of Elon Musk, has been tasked with adapting the Starlink

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broadband Internet satellites for Mars, a
concept that is nothing short of revolutionary,

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As part of a wider initiative involving
a dozen concept studies from nine companies,

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including industry giants such as Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, and Moore, Starlink's

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potential extension to the Martian orbit heralds
a new dawn in space exploration. With

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funding between two hundred thousand dollars and
three hundred thousand dollars for these reports due

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in August, we are witnessing the
private sector's growing influence in advancing our cosmic

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capabilities. Imagine the possibilities a future
where scientists on Mars can seamlessly transmit their

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findings to Earth, where settlers can
communicate with their loved ones millions of miles

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away, and where the Internet unites
not just a world, but a solar

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system. SpaceX has long championed the
interconnectivity of celestial bodies, and Starlink's Mars

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adaptation could be the thread that binds
our future interplanetary society. Eric Iinson,

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director of NASA's Mars Exploration program encapsulates
this moment perfectly, declaring We're in an

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exciting new era of space exploration with
rapid growth of commercial interest and capabilities.

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Indeed, we stand at the cusp
of a new era where partnerships between public

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institutions and private entities like SpaceX will
bolster science at Mars in the coming decades.

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Together, NASA and SpaceX are not
just shooting for the stars, they

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are laying the groundwork for humanity's multiplanetary
future, and it all starts with a

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robust, red threaded network, a
Martian starlink. China's monumental strides in space

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exploration have once again riveted the global
community as the nation embarks on an historic

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quest to retrieve samples from the lunar
Phar side with the chang A six probe.

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The mission, a testament to human
ingenuity and ambition, saw the Long

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March fifth rocket majestically ascend successfully from
the wen Chung Space Launch Center, marking

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the first effort by any nation to
collect rocks and regolith from the side of

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the Moon, perpetually hidden from Earth's
view, residing in mystery and beckoning to

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be understood. The south Pole Aitken
Basin on the Moon's far side. Harbor's

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secrets nestled within its ancient terrain.
Known to be the largest impact crater in

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our Solar System, this is a
region where no human or robotic presence has

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ventured for sample retrieval until now.
This mission, with its unprecedented scale,

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may unearth clues to unravel the perplexing
history of our nearest celestial neighbor. The

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Change six journey is not a solitary
endeavor. It's a collaborative venture with instruments

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from the international space community, including
contributions from France, Italy, Pakistan and

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partnerships with the European Space Agency.
Much to the chagrin of scientific cooperation,

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US laws have kept NASA out of
reach from participating directly due to restrictions on

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space collaboration with China. Nevertheless,
the mission advances, poised to illuminate our

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understanding of lunar geology and perhaps to
rewrite the textbooks on the evolution of the

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Solar System itself. Anticipation holds the
breath of many as we await the success

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of Chung six is landing its targeted
touchdown after a meticulous four to five days

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of travel promises to deliver two kilograms
of lunar material back to Earth, an

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odyssey spanning millions of miles and eons
of time. This celestial ballet of technology

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and pursuit of knowledge is not just
an active exploration. It's a precursor to

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a grander vision, a permanent lunar
outpost. The planned China Russia led International

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Lunar Research Station is an audacious step
towards sustained human presence and deep space exploration.

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As we contemplate the achievements and forward
gaze of the Change sixth mission,

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we can't help but marvel at the
bold steps taken by China to unfurl the

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secrets of the Moon's far side.
Each grain of moondust brought back may well

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hold the tail of our primal cosmic
neighborhood, and perhaps the whispers of future

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footsteps on a permanent lunar base.
Stay tuned, as this mission could set

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the stage for yet another giant leap
for mankind. Virgin Galactic, the space

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tourism company that's striving to make space
accessible to civilians, has its sites set

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sky high with the scheduled launch of
its seventh commercial spaceflight on June eighth,

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appropriately christened Galactic zero seven. As
this venture draws nearer, Virgin Galactic demonstrates

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remarkable progress and solidifies its place in
the emergent realm of private space travel on

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the heels of a successful flight earlier
this year. Galactic zero seven embodies the

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company's seamless combination of ambition and adherence
to rigorous safety protocols. Virgin Galactic's unique

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air launch system, distinguished by the
carrier aircraft VMS EVE and the suborbital SpaceLiner

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VSS Unity, will propel Galactic zero
seven skyward from the tarmac of Spaceport America

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in the New Mexico Desert. Once
released from the maternal clutch of Eve,

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at approximately forty five thousand feet,
VSS Unity will ignite its rocket motor,

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breaching the boundary to suborbital space.
The intrepid passengers aboard Unity, hailing from

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New York, California, Italy,
and one Axiom Space affiliated researcher astronaut will

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bask in the transcendent experience of weightlessness
and the profound spectacle of seeing our planet

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juxtaposed against the Cosmos. Virgin Galactic
remains transparent about its endeavors, learning from

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every mission. A past concern saw
an alignment pin detach unexpectedly. However,

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with the full cooperation of the US
Federal Aviation Administration, Virgin Galactic has crafted

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meticulous corrective actions, ensuring even greater
safety for Galactic zero seven and all subsequent

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flights. With the flamboyant price tag
of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars a

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seat, this mission highlights a bold
step towards a future where the marvels of

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space are not solely the realm of
astronauts. Virgin Galactic's vision for commercial spaceflight

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is more than an audacious dream.
It's a testament to the human spirit's persistence

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and its unyielding desire to reach for
the stars. The Astronomy Daily podcast in

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a fascinating leap forward for astronomy.
The James Webb Space Telescope or JWST,

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has been at the center of some
thrilling speculation recently. Initial reports suggested that

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the telescope may have found indications of
life on a distant exoplanet. While these

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claims were premature, let's unpack the
significance of the JWST's capabilities and what it

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means for our quest to find life
beyond Earth. The planet under observation K

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two eighteen B, located some one
hundred twenty light years away, grabbed attention

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due to its potential biosignature elements identified
in its atmosphere. K two eighteen B

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circles its star within the habitable zone
and is thought to be an ocean world,

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complete with what could be vast bodies
of liquid water, a key ingredient

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for life on Earth. Similar environments
are teeming with biological activity, so you

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can understand the buzz of excitement.
However, as scientist sheng Min Sai of

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the University of California Riverside points out, while the exoplanet receives a similar amount

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of solar radiation to our home and
can boast a comparable temperature if you exclude

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atmospheric effects, the composition is quite
different with its hydrogen dominated atmosphere, adding

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to the initial excitement. Last year, a tentative detection of demethyl sulfide or

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DMS was reported by researchers using JWST
on Earth. DMS is a compound produced

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by oceanic phytoplankton, and if this
finding were confirmed, it would be a

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tantalizing hint that similar biological processes could
exist on K two eighteen B. However,

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researchers have urged caution and highlighted the
need for further observations to verify the

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presence of DMS. The JWST's follow
up studies with other instruments, such as

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the mid Infrared Instrument, will be
crucial in determining the nature of K two

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to eighteen b's atmosphere and potential signs
of life. It's this kind of rigorous

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scientific investigation that will ultimately lead us
to more definitive answers. Even though we

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must temper our initial enthusiasm with a
dose of scientific skepticism. These intriguing observations

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by JWST underscore our ability to reach
further into the cosmos with unprecedented detail,

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heralding a ne new age of discovery
in the search for extraterrestrial life. The

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journey of uncovering life in the universe
is just beginning, and telescopes like the

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JWST are opening doors that once seemed
firmly shut. What we're witnessing today is

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just a preview the unfolding story of
the cosmos. Awaits and It's a narrative

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full of mystery, with every revelation
bringing us closer to answering the age old

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question are we alone in the universe. The Japanese Hyabusa two mission has delivered

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a cosmic breakthrough, enlightening our understanding
of the Solar System's ancient history through the

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study of asteroid Reyugu. These findings
have unlocked secrets of the early Solar systems

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magnetic fields and offered a clearer picture
of space weathering changes on planetary bodies without

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atmospheres induced by meteoroid impacts and influences
from the void of space. By examining

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Pristine's samples gathered directly from Yugu's surface, scientists unleash the potential of a method

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known as electron holography to delve into
the asteroid's magnetic properties. The discoveries center

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on tiny, yet incredibly significant specs
the remnants of magnetite found within Ryugus grains.

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Magnetite, a magnetic mineral comprising iron
oxide, is cradled within these particles,

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preserving the echoes of the magnetic field
that existed when our Solar System was

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young. Although this magnetization has weakened
over billions of years, its imprint remains

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within the asteroids fabric. By measuring
this ancient remnant magnetization, researchers can glean

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invaluable insights into the magnetic conditions that
presided during the early stages of planetary formation.

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But the Solar System is a dynamic
arena, and even the properties of

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magnetite can evolve under the duress of
space weathering. This is precisely what the

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Hyabusa two mission samples have started to
unveil. Astonishingly, scientists discovered that certain

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magnetite grains lost their magnetism, transforming
into what's been dubbed pseudomagnetite, a mineral

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with curious ties to both magnetite and
wastite. This metamorphosis, alongside the presence

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of countless metallic iron nanoparticles, is
theorized to have arisen from the relentless barrage

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of micrometeoroids impacting REUGU at velocities over
fifteen thousand miles per hour. Understanding the

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journey of these grains from their birth
amongst nebular clouds to the onslaught of space

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weathering takes us a step closer to
unraveling the mysteries of planetary system evolution,

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a quest as timeless as the stars
themselves. Such insights not only deepen our

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knowledge of Reugu, but chart a
path to decoding the magnetic legacies of other

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cosmic bodies, cementing the Hyabusa to
mission as a beacon in our interstellar odyssey.

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As we conclude today's journey across the
universe, i'd like to thank you

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for tuning in to Astronomy Daily,
the podcast. For those eager to delve

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deeper into the cosmos, remember to
visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io.

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Here you can catch up on past
episodes, embrace the latest in space

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and astronomy news, and explore our
thought provoking blog summaries. And the conversation

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doesn't end here. Join us on
x the platform formerly known as Twitter,

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where our updates and discussions continue to
soar into the celestial sphere. Find us

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at astro Daily Pod. Until next
time, this is Anna saying, keep

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your eyes to the skies and your
curiosity alight. Sunday, Stars Star