Solar Storm Hits Early! Plus China's Reusable Rockets & Exoplanet Magnetic Shields

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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose

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of space and astronomy news. I'm Anna.

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Avery: And I'm Avery. Today is Tuesday, January

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20, 2026, and we've got a

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fantastic lineup of stories covering

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everything from solar storms to Chinese space

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technology and some fascinating discoveries

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about how young stars shape their cosmic

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neighborhoods.

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Anna: That's right. We're going to dive into some

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breaking news about the Sun's latest

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outburst. There's been quite a development

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there that aurora chasers definitely need to

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about.

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Avery: Plus, China continues to make impressive

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strides in reusable rocket technology with

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the long 3-12-B. And we'll get a sneak peek

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at their upcoming Xuntian Space Telescope

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that's set to rival some of the best

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observatories in orbit.

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Anna: We'll also journey into the Orion molecular

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cloud to see how baby stars are literally

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carving out their homes in space. Check out

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this week's busy launch schedule and explore

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a fascinating new theory about how some

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exoplanets might protect themselves from

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deadly radiation.

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Avery: So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's get

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started with today's Astronomy Daily.

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Anna: Alright, Avery, let's jump right into our top

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story. And this one's developing even as we

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speak. The sun threw a massive tantrum this

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weekend, and Earth is already feeling the

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effects.

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Avery: That's right, Anna. Uh, on Sunday, January

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18, the sun unleashed a powerful X

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1.9 class solar flare from Sunspot

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region AR4341. For our

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listeners who might not be familiar, X class

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flares are the most powerful category of

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solar eruptions. And this one came with a

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particularly energetic friend.

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Anna: A, uh, coronal mass ejection, or a cme.

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Right.

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Avery: Exactly. This CME was what

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forecasters call a, uh, full halo event,

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meaning it was aimed directly at Earth. The

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interesting twist here is that it arrived

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much sooner than predicted. Space weather

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forecasters initially expected it to hit

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sometime within 24 hours of the flare, but

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it actually slammed into Earth's

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magnetosphere yesterday, January 19th

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at 2:38pm Eastern Time.

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Anna: And I'm guessing from the reports I've been

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seeing, this wasn't a gentle arrival.

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Avery: Not at all. The CME triggered severe

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G4 geomagnetic storms. According

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to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction center,

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this is actually a pretty rare event. We're

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also dealing with an S IV severe solar

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radiation storm that's ongoing.

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Anna: Now, for those wondering why this matters,

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let's talk about what makes a CME GEO

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effective or not. It's all about magnetic

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field orientation, isn't it?

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Avery: That's the crucial factor when a CME

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arrives. If its magnetic field is oriented

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southward, what scientists call a negative

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BZ component, it can connect with Earth's

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northward pointing magnetic field. Think of

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it like opening a door. The southward

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orientation essentially allows solar wind

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energy to pour into our magnetosphere,

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triggering geomagnetic storms.

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Anna: And in this case, that door was wide open.

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Avery: Exactly. Data from the DSCOVR

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and a spacecraft which monitor the solar wind

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upstream of Earth confirmed that southward

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BZ component. That's what made this storm so

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potent.

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Anna: So what does this mean for people on the

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ground? Obviously, there's the spectacular

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side with Auroras, but there are practical

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concerns too, right?

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Avery: The good news is that this storm could push

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the northern lights much further south than

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usual. According to NOAA scales, G4

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storms can make auroras visible as far south

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as Alabama and Northern California. But there

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are some downsides. These storms can disrupt

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GPS navigation, affect satellite

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operations, increase atmospheric drag on

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spacecraft, and potentially impact power

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grids and high frequency radio commun.

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Anna: And the flare itself caused immediate

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problems when it erupted, correct?

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Avery: Yes. The X dot 1.9 flare

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triggered strong R3 level radio blackouts

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across the sunlit side of Earth, with the

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Americas taking the biggest hit. Radio

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blackouts happen because the intense X rays

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and extreme ultraviolet radiation from the

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flare ionized the upper atmosphere,

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disrupting radio.

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Anna: Signals for our aurora chasers out

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there. What's the forecast looking like?

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Avery: Well, geomagnetic storm conditions are

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expected to continue through at least today,

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January 20th. The best viewing times

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are typically between 10pm and 4am

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local time. Of course, you'll want to get

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away from city lights and find the darkest

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location possible. And keep in mind you need

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clear skies to see them.

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Anna: The timing is interesting too, isn't it?

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We're well into solar maximum.

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Avery: We are solar. Cycle 25 has been

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particularly active, and we're seeing the

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effects. The sun has been consistently active

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throughout late 2025 and into

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2026, with multiple X class

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flares and CMEs. This is exactly

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the kind of activity we expect during solar

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maximum.

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Anna: It's yet another reminder that our star is a

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dynamic, powerful force. What's

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fascinating to me is how much we've learned

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about predicting these events. Even if this

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one arrived earlier than expected.

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Avery: Absolutely. Space weather forecasting has

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come a long way, but CMEs are still

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notoriously tricky. Their speed,

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direction, and crucially, their magnetic

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orientation all factor into how they'll

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interact with Earth. We often don't know the

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full picture until spacecraft like

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DSCOVR sample them directly when

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they're almost at our doorstep.

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Anna: Well, if you're in the northern tier states

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of the US Or Canada. Keep your eyes on the

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sky tonight. This could be a spectacular

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display.

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Avery: Shifting gears from solar fireworks to human

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engineering.

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Let's talk about China's latest achievement

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in reusable rocket technology. The China

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Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

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has successfully conducted a static fire test

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of the Long March 12B.

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Anna: This is China's follow up to the Long March

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12A, which we covered when it made its maiden

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flight back in late December 2025, right?

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Avery: Exactly. And if you recall, that first

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flight was partially successful. The second

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stage successfully delivered its payload to

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orbit, but the reusable first stage

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crashed near the intended recovery area in

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Gansu Province. So there's definitely been

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some lessons learned.

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Anna: Let's talk specs. What can you tell us about

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the Long March 12B?

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Avery: It's a fairly substantial vehicle. The

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rocket stands approximately 70 meters tall.

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That's about 230ft with a

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diameter of 4 meters. Both stages use

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liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, which

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is interesting because it's the same

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propellant combination that SpaceX uses in

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their Falcon 9.

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Anna: And in terms of capability, in its.

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Avery: Baseline configuration, the long March 12B

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can lift about 20 metric tons to low Earth

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orbit. That puts it firmly in the heavy

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medium lift category. When fully fueled, the

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entire vehicle has a liftoff mass of around

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700 tons.

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Anna: So what exactly did this static fire test

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accomplish?

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Avery: The test, which took place Friday at the

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Jiuquan Satellite Launch center in northwest

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China, was all about validation. Ground

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teams ignited the first stage engines and

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sustained combustion for a period while

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monitoring performance and control

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parameters. They were verifying fueling

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procedures, ignition sequences, and making

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sure all the propulsion and support systems

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worked smoothly under planned conditions.

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Anna: And the reusability aspect, how does that

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work?

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Avery: This is where it gets really interesting. The

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first stage is designed to separate from the

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second stage during flight, then flip itself

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around for re entry, using aerodynamic grid

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fins for guidance. Picture those waffle like

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fins you see on Falcon 9 boosters. Then

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it uses deployable landing legs to touch down

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vertically at a designated landing zone.

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Anna: So it's very much following the SpaceX

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playbook.

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Avery: It is. Though China has been developing this

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technology independently, the goal is the

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same reusability to cut mission costs and

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increase launch cadence. This is especially

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important for China's commercial space sector

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and their growing Satellite Constellation

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projects.

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Anna: And you mentioned The Long March 12A's

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landing attempt failed. Are they

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incorporating what they learned from that

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into the 12B?

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Avery: Absolutely. Engineering teams are still

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investigating what went wrong with that

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December landing attempt. And the lessons

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from that mission are being fed directly into

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refinements for the long March 12th B's

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reentry and landing systems. That's actually

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a really important part of the development

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process.

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Anna: Uh, so when might we see an actual

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launch of the long March 12b.

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Avery: Based on this successful static fire test?

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We're probably looking at flight tests in the

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near future. They still need to do more

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ground testing and verification, but

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successful engine testing is a major

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milestone on the path to orbital flight.

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Anna: It's interesting to watch multiple countries

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and companies working on reusable rocket

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technology. It really does seem to be the

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future of spaceflight.

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Avery: No question. When you can land and reuse your

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first stage, which is the most expensive part

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of the rocket, the economics of space access

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change dramatically. China positioning

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themselves with both the 12A and 12B

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shows they're committed to competing in this

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arena.

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Anna: Staying with China's space program, let's

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look ahead to what could be one of the most

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capable space telescopes ever launched.

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The Chinese space station telescope known as

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Xuntian is gearing up for launch as soon

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as early 2027.

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Avery: And scientists just completed something

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pretty important. A, uh, full end to end

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observation simulation to test how the

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telescope will perform once it's in orbit.

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Anna: Let's start with the basics. How big is this

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thing?

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Avery: Xuntian features a 2 meter primary

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mirror that's about 6.6ft across.

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For comparison, that's slightly smaller than

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Hubble's 2.4 meter mirror. But here's

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where it gets interesting. Juntian is

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designed specifically as a survey instrument.

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And in that role, it's going to be far more

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capable than Hubble.

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Anna: How so?

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Avery: It's all about field of view. Juntian's

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field of view is about 300 times larger than

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Hubble's. That means it can survey the sky

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much more efficiently. Combine that with a

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2.5 billion pixel camera and the

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ability to observe from near ultraviolet to

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near infrared wavelengths, and you've got

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00:10:42.140 --> 00:10:45.060
yourself an extremely powerful sky surveying

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machine.

269
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Anna: That's impressive. What will it be looking

270
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for?

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Avery: The science goals are pretty ambitious.

272
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According to the National Astronomical

273
00:10:53.950 --> 00:10:56.270
Observatories under the Chinese Academy of

274
00:10:56.270 --> 00:10:58.710
Sciences, Chuntian should make major

275
00:10:58.710 --> 00:11:00.550
contributions across multiple

276
00:11:01.270 --> 00:11:04.230
cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution,

277
00:11:04.550 --> 00:11:07.230
the structure and evolution of our own Milky

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Way, and studies of stars and planets.

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Anna: I've also heard it might help us understand

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00:11:12.550 --> 00:11:14.310
dark matter and dark energy.

281
00:11:15.040 --> 00:11:17.360
Avery: Exactly. Those are two of the biggest

282
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mysteries in astrophysics. And a wide Field

283
00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.960
survey telescope like Shuntian is perfectly

284
00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.360
suited to contribute to that research by

285
00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:27.880
mapping large areas of the sky and observing

286
00:11:27.880 --> 00:11:30.719
how galaxies cluster and move, Scientists

287
00:11:30.719 --> 00:11:32.920
can gather evidence about the nature of dark

288
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matter and dark energy.

289
00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.720
Anna: Now what makes Xuntian really unique is how

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00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:40.000
it will operate in relation to China's

291
00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:41.920
Tiangong Space Station. Right.

292
00:11:42.530 --> 00:11:45.130
Avery: That's one of the coolest aspects. Chun Tian

293
00:11:45.130 --> 00:11:48.050
will fly independently in low Earth orbit, co

294
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orbiting with Tiangong, but doing its own

295
00:11:50.650 --> 00:11:52.970
thing. However. And um, this is the really

296
00:11:52.970 --> 00:11:55.370
neat part. It's designed to dock with the

297
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space.

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Anna: Station when needed dough astronauts can

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00:11:58.370 --> 00:11:59.970
service it exactly.

300
00:12:00.210 --> 00:12:02.690
Avery: Just like NASA astronauts serviced Hubble

301
00:12:02.690 --> 00:12:05.010
five times between 1993 and

302
00:12:05.010 --> 00:12:07.890
2009. According to recent video from

303
00:12:07.890 --> 00:12:10.490
China Central Television astronauts will be

304
00:12:10.490 --> 00:12:12.610
able to conduct spacewalks to maintain,

305
00:12:12.850 --> 00:12:15.470
repair or even upgrade the observatory.

306
00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:18.430
This is a huge advantage because it extends

307
00:12:18.430 --> 00:12:20.630
the operational life of the telescope and

308
00:12:20.630 --> 00:12:22.910
allows for technology upgrades over time.

309
00:12:23.470 --> 00:12:26.190
Anna: That's actually brilliant. Hubble's servicing

310
00:12:26.190 --> 00:12:28.470
missions turned it from a disappointment into

311
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one of the most productive scientific

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instruments ever built.

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00:12:32.510 --> 00:12:35.270
Avery: Absolutely. And China clearly learned from

314
00:12:35.270 --> 00:12:37.950
that example. Being able to service a space

315
00:12:38.030 --> 00:12:40.510
telescope in orbit is enormously valuable.

316
00:12:41.210 --> 00:12:43.130
Anna: Tell us about these simulations they just

317
00:12:43.130 --> 00:12:43.690
completed.

318
00:12:43.930 --> 00:12:46.330
Avery: The research team built what they call an end

319
00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:49.130
to end simulation suite. Basically they

320
00:12:49.130 --> 00:12:51.650
created mock observations that replicate the

321
00:12:51.650 --> 00:12:54.010
expected instrumental and observational

322
00:12:54.010 --> 00:12:56.650
conditions. They tested both the optical

323
00:12:56.650 --> 00:12:59.090
systems and other observation systems to

324
00:12:59.090 --> 00:13:01.370
evaluate the telescope's overall performance

325
00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:03.610
before it ever leaves the ground.

326
00:13:04.170 --> 00:13:06.890
Anna: That makes sense. Better to find problems in

327
00:13:06.890 --> 00:13:08.410
simulation than after launch.

328
00:13:09.050 --> 00:13:10.810
Avery: The results were published in the journal

329
00:13:10.970 --> 00:13:13.690
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in

330
00:13:13.690 --> 00:13:16.570
early January. This kind of validation work

331
00:13:16.570 --> 00:13:19.250
is crucial for a mission of this scale and

332
00:13:19.250 --> 00:13:19.930
complexity.

333
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Anna: When you say early 2027, how

334
00:13:23.090 --> 00:13:24.330
firm is that timeline?

335
00:13:24.569 --> 00:13:27.450
Avery: It's a no earlier than timeline. These

336
00:13:27.450 --> 00:13:30.170
large space telescopes are complex beasts and

337
00:13:30.170 --> 00:13:33.090
schedules can slip. But if everything stays

338
00:13:33.090 --> 00:13:35.570
on track, we could see Xuntian launching on a

339
00:13:35.570 --> 00:13:38.330
long March 5th B rocket sometime in the

340
00:13:38.330 --> 00:13:39.930
first half of 2027.

341
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Anna: It's going to be really interesting to see

342
00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:44.210
what Chuntian discovers once it's

343
00:13:44.210 --> 00:13:46.610
operational. Having another major space

344
00:13:46.610 --> 00:13:48.690
telescope conducting surveys will be

345
00:13:48.690 --> 00:13:50.250
fantastic for astronomy.

346
00:13:50.650 --> 00:13:52.530
Avery: Next, let's head out to one of the most

347
00:13:52.530 --> 00:13:55.010
famous star forming regions in our cosmic

348
00:13:55.010 --> 00:13:57.810
neighborhood. The Orion Molecular Cloud

349
00:13:57.810 --> 00:14:00.370
complex. The Hubble Space Telescope has

350
00:14:00.370 --> 00:14:02.730
captured some stunning new images that reveal

351
00:14:02.730 --> 00:14:05.370
how baby stars are literally carving out

352
00:14:05.370 --> 00:14:07.970
space for themselves in the surrounding gas

353
00:14:07.970 --> 00:14:08.490
and dust.

354
00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.640
Anna: This is such a beautiful topic. These are

355
00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:14.280
protostars, right? Stars that haven't quite

356
00:14:14.280 --> 00:14:15.000
grown up yet?

357
00:14:15.400 --> 00:14:18.000
Avery: That's right. Protostars are young stellar

358
00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.000
objects that are still in the process of

359
00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.440
accumulating mass from the molecular clouds.

360
00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:24.400
They're Forming in. They haven't started

361
00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:26.720
fusing hydrogen into helium yet, which is

362
00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.040
what defines a main sequence star like our

363
00:14:29.040 --> 00:14:31.240
Sun. But even though they're not doing

364
00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.160
fusion, they're far from quiet.

365
00:14:33.400 --> 00:14:35.080
Anna: They're quite energetic, actually,

366
00:14:35.760 --> 00:14:37.040
incredibly so.

367
00:14:37.040 --> 00:14:39.720
Avery: Protostars generate powerful winds and jets

368
00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:41.880
that shape their surroundings in dramatic

369
00:14:41.880 --> 00:14:44.880
ways. These jets and winds carve out bubbles

370
00:14:44.880 --> 00:14:47.320
and caverns in the surrounding gas. And

371
00:14:47.320 --> 00:14:49.480
astrophysicists have been trying to better

372
00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:51.120
understand this feedback process.

373
00:14:51.680 --> 00:14:53.120
Anna: What's driving these jets?

374
00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.200
Avery: It's a fascinating process. Material from the

375
00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:58.920
molecular cloud first forms a disk around the

376
00:14:58.920 --> 00:15:01.680
protostar. Not all of that material makes it

377
00:15:01.680 --> 00:15:04.470
onto the star itself. Some gets accelerated

378
00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:06.870
to high speeds along the star's magnetic

379
00:15:06.870 --> 00:15:09.510
field lines and shot out from the poles as

380
00:15:09.510 --> 00:15:11.630
focus beams of mostly hydrogen.

381
00:15:11.950 --> 00:15:14.430
Anna: So they're like cosmic fire hoses.

382
00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:17.030
Avery: That's a good analogy. And in addition to

383
00:15:17.030 --> 00:15:19.830
these focused jets, protostars also produce

384
00:15:19.830 --> 00:15:22.510
wide angle stellar winds that flow in all

385
00:15:22.510 --> 00:15:25.310
directions. These winds from young stars are

386
00:15:25.310 --> 00:15:27.510
actually far more powerful than the solar

387
00:15:27.510 --> 00:15:29.710
wind from our sun or other main sequence

388
00:15:29.710 --> 00:15:30.190
stars.

389
00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:32.200
Anna: What did the Hubble images reveal?

390
00:15:32.520 --> 00:15:35.040
Avery: The three new images show protostars at

391
00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:37.840
different stages, all in the Orion molecular

392
00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.520
complex. You can actually see the cavernous

393
00:15:40.520 --> 00:15:42.720
shapes these young stars have carved out from

394
00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:44.960
the surrounding gas. It's quite striking

395
00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.560
visually, these dark, sometimes intricate

396
00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:49.720
structures against the glowing background of

397
00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:50.440
the nebula.

398
00:15:50.520 --> 00:15:52.840
Anna: But there was a surprising finding in the

399
00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:53.800
research, wasn't there?

400
00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:56.200
Avery: Yes, and it challenges some assumptions.

401
00:15:56.630 --> 00:15:58.830
Researchers found that the cavities carved by

402
00:15:58.830 --> 00:16:01.470
these jetson winds didn't grow larger as the

403
00:16:01.470 --> 00:16:03.430
stars moved through their later formation

404
00:16:03.430 --> 00:16:06.030
stages. You might expect the cavities to keep

405
00:16:06.030 --> 00:16:08.190
expanding over time, but that's not what they

406
00:16:08.190 --> 00:16:08.790
observed.

407
00:16:09.270 --> 00:16:10.710
Anna: So what does that tell us?

408
00:16:10.950 --> 00:16:13.270
Avery: Well, the Orion molecular cloud has been

409
00:16:13.270 --> 00:16:15.910
experiencing a declining star formation rate.

410
00:16:15.990 --> 00:16:18.590
And these protostars also have lower rates of

411
00:16:18.590 --> 00:16:21.110
mass accretion over time. Scientists

412
00:16:21.110 --> 00:16:22.790
initially thought maybe this could be

413
00:16:22.790 --> 00:16:25.110
attributed to the jets and winds carving out

414
00:16:25.110 --> 00:16:27.740
all the available gas. But the new findings

415
00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:30.500
suggest that's not the case. The cavity sizes

416
00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:31.780
weren't the limiting factor.

417
00:16:32.180 --> 00:16:34.580
Anna: So something else is controlling the star

418
00:16:34.580 --> 00:16:35.380
formation rate.

419
00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:37.860
Avery: Exactly. There must be other factors at play

420
00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:40.580
in regulating how quickly stars form and grow

421
00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:43.260
in this region. It's a reminder that even in

422
00:16:43.260 --> 00:16:45.740
well studied regions like Orion, we're still

423
00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:47.900
learning the details of how star formation

424
00:16:47.900 --> 00:16:48.340
works.

425
00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:50.780
Anna: I love that these images aren't just pretty

426
00:16:50.780 --> 00:16:53.140
pictures. They're revealing actual physics.

427
00:16:53.530 --> 00:16:55.530
Avery: That's what makes astronomy so exciting.

428
00:16:55.770 --> 00:16:58.170
Every observation adds a piece of the puzzle.

429
00:16:58.410 --> 00:17:00.090
In this case, we're learning that the

430
00:17:00.090 --> 00:17:02.330
feedback from young stars through their jets

431
00:17:02.330 --> 00:17:04.850
and winds. While dramatic and visually

432
00:17:04.850 --> 00:17:07.610
spectacular, might not be the main factor

433
00:17:07.610 --> 00:17:09.290
controlling star formation in the region.

434
00:17:09.530 --> 00:17:11.610
Anna: It's also interesting to think about our own

435
00:17:11.610 --> 00:17:13.570
sun going through this phase billions of

436
00:17:13.570 --> 00:17:14.090
years ago.

437
00:17:14.410 --> 00:17:17.170
Avery: Absolutely. When the sun was young, it was in

438
00:17:17.170 --> 00:17:19.410
a cluster with its siblings, probably in a

439
00:17:19.410 --> 00:17:21.950
molecular cloud, much like Orion. It would

440
00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.510
have had these same powerful jets and winds

441
00:17:24.510 --> 00:17:26.590
shaping the gas and dust around it.

442
00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:29.510
Eventually the molecular cloud dispersed, the

443
00:17:29.510 --> 00:17:32.150
star cluster broke up and the sun ended up as

444
00:17:32.150 --> 00:17:34.030
the solitary star we know today.

445
00:17:34.190 --> 00:17:36.270
Anna: Orion is close enough that we can study these

446
00:17:36.270 --> 00:17:38.550
processes in detail, which is really lucky

447
00:17:38.550 --> 00:17:39.390
for astronomers.

448
00:17:39.630 --> 00:17:42.590
Avery: Very lucky. At about 1350

449
00:17:42.590 --> 00:17:44.710
light years away, it's one of the nearest

450
00:17:44.710 --> 00:17:47.510
large star forming regions. We can resolve

451
00:17:47.510 --> 00:17:49.790
individual protostars and their surrounding

452
00:17:49.790 --> 00:17:52.070
structures, which gives us insights we can

453
00:17:52.070 --> 00:17:54.010
apply to understanding star formation

454
00:17:54.010 --> 00:17:55.930
throughout the galaxy and beyond.

455
00:17:56.170 --> 00:17:58.650
Anna: Alright, let's shift from natural cosmic

456
00:17:58.650 --> 00:18:00.970
phenomena to human made space activities.

457
00:18:01.290 --> 00:18:03.290
We've got a busy week of launches coming up.

458
00:18:03.290 --> 00:18:03.850
Avery.

459
00:18:03.930 --> 00:18:06.650
Avery: We do indeed. Seven launches from six

460
00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:08.850
different sites across the globe. Let's run

461
00:18:08.850 --> 00:18:09.290
through them.

462
00:18:09.370 --> 00:18:11.450
Anna: The week actually started this morning with a

463
00:18:11.450 --> 00:18:12.570
Chinese launch, correct?

464
00:18:12.730 --> 00:18:15.250
Avery: That's right. A uh, Chang Zhang 12 rocket,

465
00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:18.090
also known as Long March 12, lifted off

466
00:18:18.090 --> 00:18:21.090
from Commercial Launch Complex 2 at Wenchang

467
00:18:21.090 --> 00:18:24.070
Space Launch Site in Hainan, China. This was

468
00:18:24.070 --> 00:18:26.670
at 7:48 UTC. Carrying nine

469
00:18:26.670 --> 00:18:29.550
SatNet satellites to low Earth orbit. The

470
00:18:29.550 --> 00:18:32.190
CZ12 can lift about 12,000

471
00:18:32.270 --> 00:18:34.430
kilograms to LEO. And this was a

472
00:18:34.430 --> 00:18:36.470
demonstration of China's commercial launch

473
00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:36.990
capabilities.

474
00:18:37.390 --> 00:18:38.910
Anna: Moving on to tomorrow.

475
00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:41.710
Avery: What do we have tomorrow? January 21st

476
00:18:41.790 --> 00:18:43.990
we have Rocket Lab launching from New

477
00:18:43.990 --> 00:18:46.310
Zealand. Their Electron rocket will be

478
00:18:46.310 --> 00:18:48.910
carrying two satellites for open Cosmos as

479
00:18:48.910 --> 00:18:51.230
part of a secure broadband constellation

480
00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:54.050
being built in the uk. The mission is called

481
00:18:54.050 --> 00:18:57.050
the Cosmos will see you now. And liftoff is

482
00:18:57.050 --> 00:18:59.810
scheduled for 11:09 UTC. From their

483
00:18:59.810 --> 00:19:01.890
facility on the Mahia Peninsula.

484
00:19:01.890 --> 00:19:04.650
Anna: Rocket Lab has really established a solid

485
00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:05.890
cadence with Electron.

486
00:19:05.970 --> 00:19:08.729
Avery: They have. This will be Electron's 80th

487
00:19:08.729 --> 00:19:11.130
mission. That's a remarkable achievement for

488
00:19:11.130 --> 00:19:13.930
a small rocket. The vehicle has proven itself

489
00:19:13.930 --> 00:19:16.570
reliable and capable, especially for these

490
00:19:16.570 --> 00:19:18.610
small satellite constellation deployments.

491
00:19:18.770 --> 00:19:21.010
Anna: It's Wednesday. That gets particularly

492
00:19:21.010 --> 00:19:23.250
interesting with the Isar Aerospace launch.

493
00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.420
Avery: Yes, this is Isar's second attempt to launch

494
00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:29.020
their Spectrum rocket from the Andoya rocket

495
00:19:29.020 --> 00:19:32.020
range in Norway. The mission is called Onward

496
00:19:32.020 --> 00:19:34.300
and Upward, which is fitting given that their

497
00:19:34.300 --> 00:19:37.020
first attempt in March 2025 failed

498
00:19:37.020 --> 00:19:39.100
shortly after liftoff due to an engine issue.

499
00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:40.540
Anna: What's different this time?

500
00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:42.620
Avery: Well, they've been investigating what went

501
00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:44.420
wrong on that first flight and making

502
00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:47.100
refinements. Spectrum is a two stage

503
00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:49.460
rocket Powered by Aquila engines using

504
00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:52.290
propane and liquid oxygen, it's designed for

505
00:19:52.290 --> 00:19:54.370
the satellite Constellation market and can

506
00:19:54.370 --> 00:19:56.810
lift about a thousand kilograms to leo.

507
00:19:57.050 --> 00:19:59.210
They're carrying several cubesats for the

508
00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:01.370
European Space Agency's Boost program.

509
00:20:01.610 --> 00:20:03.610
Anna: So fingers crossed for ISAR on Wednesday.

510
00:20:03.690 --> 00:20:04.410
What else?

511
00:20:04.570 --> 00:20:07.450
Avery: Wednesday is also when SpaceX has their first

512
00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:09.570
Falcon 9 launch of the week. They're

513
00:20:09.570 --> 00:20:11.890
launching 24 Starlink satellites from

514
00:20:11.890 --> 00:20:14.490
Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

515
00:20:14.810 --> 00:20:17.490
Liftoff is currently targeted for 2:43

516
00:20:17.490 --> 00:20:20.290
UTC on January 22, which

517
00:20:20.290 --> 00:20:22.610
is 6:43pm Pacific Time on the

518
00:20:22.610 --> 00:20:23.350
21st.

519
00:20:23.350 --> 00:20:25.590
Anna: Vandenberg has been busy lately.

520
00:20:25.670 --> 00:20:28.590
Avery: Very busy. This mission will use booster

521
00:20:28.590 --> 00:20:30.950
B1093 on its 10th flight.

522
00:20:31.270 --> 00:20:33.550
Landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still

523
00:20:33.550 --> 00:20:35.790
Love youe in the Pacific. It's another

524
00:20:35.790 --> 00:20:38.310
example of SpaceX's routine reuse.

525
00:20:38.470 --> 00:20:41.030
This particular booster has previously flown

526
00:20:41.030 --> 00:20:43.350
seven Starlink missions and two military

527
00:20:43.350 --> 00:20:43.750
missions.

528
00:20:43.910 --> 00:20:46.590
Anna: Do we have a New Shepard launch from Blue

529
00:20:46.590 --> 00:20:47.510
Origin this week?

530
00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:50.310
Avery: Correct. Blue Origin is targeting Thursday,

531
00:20:50.630 --> 00:20:53.016
January 22nd at 1430

532
00:20:53.164 --> 00:20:55.780
UTC. That's 9:30am Eastern

533
00:20:55.940 --> 00:20:58.820
for New Shepard's 17th crewed mission,

534
00:20:58.820 --> 00:21:01.740
designated NS38. This will

535
00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:04.460
be a suborbital flight from Launch Site 1 in

536
00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:07.180
West Texas, carrying six people past the

537
00:21:07.180 --> 00:21:09.500
Karman Line and into space for a few minutes

538
00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:10.339
of weightlessness.

539
00:21:10.580 --> 00:21:12.620
Anna: New Shepard has really become a regular

540
00:21:12.620 --> 00:21:13.700
operation for them.

541
00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:16.540
Avery: It has. The capsule will separate from the

542
00:21:16.540 --> 00:21:18.780
booster, which will return for a propulsive

543
00:21:18.780 --> 00:21:20.820
landing while the capsule lands under

544
00:21:20.820 --> 00:21:23.460
parachutes with retro thrusters firing just

545
00:21:23.460 --> 00:21:25.620
before touchdown to soften the landing for

546
00:21:25.620 --> 00:21:26.320
the crew.

547
00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:28.560
Anna: And we round out the week with.

548
00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:31.840
Avery: Two more launches on Sunday, January 25.

549
00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:35.000
First, China will conduct the sea launch of a

550
00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:37.840
Geelong 3 rocket from the South China Sea.

551
00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.560
Details on the payload are still under wraps.

552
00:21:40.560 --> 00:21:42.560
They'll likely release that information after

553
00:21:42.560 --> 00:21:45.434
the launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:30

554
00:21:45.566 --> 00:21:46.160
UTC.

555
00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:48.240
Anna: Sea launches are always interesting.

556
00:21:48.560 --> 00:21:51.440
Avery: They are. The Jialong 3 is a four stage

557
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.560
solid fueled rocket that launches from a

558
00:21:53.560 --> 00:21:55.780
maritime platform. It's an interesting

559
00:21:55.780 --> 00:21:58.180
capability that gives China flexibility in

560
00:21:58.180 --> 00:22:01.100
launch azimuth and location. And finally,

561
00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:04.380
Sunday also brings SpaceX's second Falcon

562
00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:06.940
9 launch of the week. Also from Vandenberg,

563
00:22:07.260 --> 00:22:09.700
another batch of 24 Starlink satellites

564
00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:12.540
heading to orbit at 1517 UTC.

565
00:22:12.860 --> 00:22:14.788
This one will use booster

566
00:22:15.012 --> 00:22:17.580
B0088 on its 13th flight,

567
00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:19.660
another testament to booster reusability.

568
00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.780
Anna: That's quite a week. Seven launches from

569
00:22:22.780 --> 00:22:25.740
six sites. It really shows how routine space

570
00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:27.640
it does.

571
00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:29.880
Avery: And it's only going to get busier as more

572
00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.040
commercial Constellations come online and

573
00:22:32.040 --> 00:22:33.800
more providers enter the launch market.

574
00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:37.080
Anna: And May we wish them all successful launches.

575
00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:38.040
Avery: Indeed.

576
00:22:38.360 --> 00:22:41.080
Moving along for our final story, let's

577
00:22:41.080 --> 00:22:43.480
journey to distant worlds and explore a

578
00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:45.920
fascinating new theory about how some rocky

579
00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:48.080
exoplanets might protect themselves from

580
00:22:48.080 --> 00:22:49.560
deadly cosmic radiation.

581
00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:52.610
Anna: This involves super Earths. Right? Those

582
00:22:52.610 --> 00:22:55.130
planets that are larger than our Earth but

583
00:22:55.130 --> 00:22:57.410
smaller than ice giants like Neptune.

584
00:22:57.490 --> 00:23:00.370
Avery: Exactly. Super Earths are actually the most

585
00:23:00.370 --> 00:23:02.490
common type of exoplanet we've found in our

586
00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:04.930
galaxy, which makes understanding them really

587
00:23:04.930 --> 00:23:07.090
important. But here's an interesting

588
00:23:08.049 --> 00:23:10.050
Many of these worlds might not be able to

589
00:23:10.050 --> 00:23:12.530
generate magnetic fields the way Earth does.

590
00:23:12.850 --> 00:23:15.170
Anna: And magnetic fields are crucial for

591
00:23:15.170 --> 00:23:17.090
protecting a planet's surface from harmful

592
00:23:17.090 --> 00:23:17.650
radiation.

593
00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:20.820
Avery: Right. Earth's magnetic field is generated by

594
00:23:20.820 --> 00:23:23.020
movement in our liquid iron outer core

595
00:23:23.020 --> 00:23:25.460
Through a process called a dynamo. But

596
00:23:25.460 --> 00:23:28.220
larger, rocky worlds like super Earths Might

597
00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:30.340
have cores that are completely solid or

598
00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:32.780
completely liquid, Neither of which can

599
00:23:32.780 --> 00:23:34.660
produce a magnetic field through the same

600
00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:35.220
mechanism.

601
00:23:35.620 --> 00:23:37.540
Anna: So how do they protect themselves?

602
00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:39.540
Avery: That's where this new research from the

603
00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:41.820
University of Rochester comes in. They

604
00:23:41.820 --> 00:23:44.740
propose an alternate source. Deep layers of

605
00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.660
molten rock called basal Magma Oceans,

606
00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:50.480
or BMOs, which exist at the boundary

607
00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:52.000
between a planet's mantle and.

608
00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.600
Anna: Core molten rock generating a

609
00:23:54.600 --> 00:23:55.520
magnetic field.

610
00:23:55.760 --> 00:23:58.080
Avery: It sounds surprising, but the key is what

611
00:23:58.080 --> 00:24:00.440
happens to rock under the extreme pressures

612
00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.360
inside super Earths. The research team, led

613
00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:05.680
by Associate Professor Miki Nakajima,

614
00:24:05.840 --> 00:24:08.560
Conducted laser shock experiments and quantum

615
00:24:08.560 --> 00:24:11.280
simulations to recreate the conditions deep

616
00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:12.800
inside these massive planets.

617
00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:14.160
Anna: What did they find?

618
00:24:14.560 --> 00:24:16.840
Avery: Under the crushing pressures found in super

619
00:24:16.840 --> 00:24:19.240
Earths? We're talking planets three to six

620
00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.240
times the mass of Earth. Molten rock becomes

621
00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.520
electrically conductive. And if you have

622
00:24:24.520 --> 00:24:27.000
electrically conductive material in motion,

623
00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:29.080
you can generate a magnetic field.

624
00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:32.440
Anna: So these basal magma oceans could act like

625
00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:35.240
liquid metal cores, Just using rock

626
00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:35.720
instead?

627
00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:38.520
Avery: Essentially, yes. The movement of this

628
00:24:38.520 --> 00:24:40.680
electrically conductive molten rock could

629
00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:43.600
drive what they call a BMO dynamo. And

630
00:24:43.600 --> 00:24:45.480
according to their models, these dynamos

631
00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:47.360
could generate magnetic fields that are

632
00:24:47.360 --> 00:24:49.640
actually stronger and longer lasting than

633
00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:51.880
those produced by core dynamos like Earth's.

634
00:24:52.270 --> 00:24:54.590
Anna: That's remarkable. How long could these

635
00:24:54.590 --> 00:24:55.230
fields last?

636
00:24:55.630 --> 00:24:58.150
Avery: Billions of years, potentially. That's

637
00:24:58.150 --> 00:25:00.430
important because for a planet to develop and

638
00:25:00.430 --> 00:25:02.990
sustain life, you need stable protection from

639
00:25:02.990 --> 00:25:05.630
radiation over very long timescales.

640
00:25:05.950 --> 00:25:08.590
Anna: Now, Earth probably had a basal magma

641
00:25:08.590 --> 00:25:10.670
ocean early in its history, right?

642
00:25:10.910 --> 00:25:13.870
Avery: Yes, shortly after formation. But Earth is

643
00:25:13.870 --> 00:25:16.710
relatively small, so as it cooled, that magma

644
00:25:16.710 --> 00:25:19.410
ocean eventually solidified. Super Earths,

645
00:25:19.410 --> 00:25:21.290
though, with their higher internal pressures

646
00:25:21.290 --> 00:25:23.810
and temperatures, could maintain these basal

647
00:25:23.810 --> 00:25:26.090
magma oceans for much, much longer,

648
00:25:26.330 --> 00:25:28.730
Potentially throughout their entire lifetime.

649
00:25:28.730 --> 00:25:31.210
Anna: This has pretty significant implications for

650
00:25:31.210 --> 00:25:32.970
the search for habitable worlds.

651
00:25:33.050 --> 00:25:36.050
Avery: Absolutely. One of the Factors in determining

652
00:25:36.050 --> 00:25:38.170
whether a planet might be habitable is

653
00:25:38.170 --> 00:25:40.930
whether it has magnetic protection. Without a

654
00:25:40.930 --> 00:25:43.330
magnetic field, a planet's atmosphere can be

655
00:25:43.330 --> 00:25:45.810
stripped away by stellar wind, making it hard

656
00:25:45.810 --> 00:25:48.330
for life to survive on the surface. If super

657
00:25:48.330 --> 00:25:50.610
Earths can generate magnetic fields through

658
00:25:50.610 --> 00:25:53.250
basal magma oceans, that potentially

659
00:25:53.250 --> 00:25:55.050
increases the number of worlds that could

660
00:25:55.050 --> 00:25:55.810
harbor life.

661
00:25:55.810 --> 00:25:57.490
Anna: How do we test this theory?

662
00:25:57.650 --> 00:26:00.170
Avery: That's the exciting next step. We need to

663
00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:02.650
actually detect and measure magnetic fields

664
00:26:02.650 --> 00:26:05.010
around exoplanets, which is extremely

665
00:26:05.010 --> 00:26:07.490
challenging with current technology. But next

666
00:26:07.490 --> 00:26:09.610
generation telescopes and instruments might

667
00:26:09.610 --> 00:26:12.010
be able to do it. Professor Nakajima

668
00:26:12.010 --> 00:26:14.050
mentioned she can't wait for future magnetic

669
00:26:14.050 --> 00:26:16.090
field observations of exoplanets to test

670
00:26:16.090 --> 00:26:16.930
their hypothesis.

671
00:26:17.090 --> 00:26:19.750
Anna: It's fascinating how interdisciplinary this

672
00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:22.590
research is, combining experimental physics,

673
00:26:22.670 --> 00:26:25.550
quantum simulations, and planetary evolution

674
00:26:25.550 --> 00:26:25.950
models.

675
00:26:26.190 --> 00:26:28.710
Avery: That's what makes it so robust. They weren't

676
00:26:28.710 --> 00:26:30.510
just working on theory. They actually

677
00:26:30.590 --> 00:26:33.390
recreated the conditions inside super Earths

678
00:26:33.390 --> 00:26:35.070
with laser shock experiments at the

679
00:26:35.070 --> 00:26:37.110
Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the

680
00:26:37.110 --> 00:26:39.550
University of Rochester. Then they combined

681
00:26:39.550 --> 00:26:41.350
that with computational modeling to

682
00:26:41.350 --> 00:26:43.350
understand how these conditions would evolve

683
00:26:43.350 --> 00:26:44.670
over billions of years.

684
00:26:44.910 --> 00:26:46.990
Anna: And this was challenging work for the team,

685
00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:47.510
wasn't it?

686
00:26:47.820 --> 00:26:50.340
Avery: Very much so. Professor Nakajima mentioned

687
00:26:50.340 --> 00:26:52.540
this was her first experimental work. Her

688
00:26:52.540 --> 00:26:55.140
background is primarily computational. She

689
00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:57.260
credited support from collaborators across

690
00:26:57.340 --> 00:26:59.300
various research fields for making this

691
00:26:59.300 --> 00:27:00.860
interdisciplinary work possible.

692
00:27:01.020 --> 00:27:02.860
Anna: It's a great reminder that some of the

693
00:27:02.860 --> 00:27:05.420
biggest scientific questions require bringing

694
00:27:05.420 --> 00:27:07.820
together expertise from multiple disciplines.

695
00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:10.500
Avery: Absolutely. Understanding planetary

696
00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:13.300
interiors, magnetic field generation and

697
00:27:13.300 --> 00:27:15.660
habitability requires geophysics,

698
00:27:15.900 --> 00:27:18.380
astrophysics, planetary science, and

699
00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:20.360
material science all working together.

700
00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:23.520
Anna: So the bottom line is super Earths might

701
00:27:23.520 --> 00:27:25.600
have, ah, a built in radiation shield that we

702
00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:28.080
didn't know about, Potentially making more of

703
00:27:28.080 --> 00:27:29.880
them candidates for harboring life.

704
00:27:30.040 --> 00:27:32.600
Avery: That's exactly right. It expands our

705
00:27:32.600 --> 00:27:34.240
understanding of what makes a planet

706
00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.600
potentially habitable and gives us new things

707
00:27:36.600 --> 00:27:38.960
to look for when we're evaluating exoplanets

708
00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.280
as possible homes for life.

709
00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:42.560
Anna: Well, that wraps up today's edition of

710
00:27:42.560 --> 00:27:45.320
Astronomy Daily. From solar storms to

711
00:27:45.320 --> 00:27:48.120
baby stars, Chinese space technology to

712
00:27:48.120 --> 00:27:51.090
hidden magma oceans on distant worlds, it's

713
00:27:51.090 --> 00:27:52.890
been quite a journey through the cosmos.

714
00:27:52.970 --> 00:27:55.570
Avery: It really has. And remember, if you're in the

715
00:27:55.570 --> 00:27:58.090
northern tier states of the USA or Canada

716
00:27:58.250 --> 00:28:00.170
tonight, keep an eye on the sky for those

717
00:28:00.170 --> 00:28:02.530
auroras from that solar storm. Could be quite

718
00:28:02.530 --> 00:28:02.890
a show.

719
00:28:02.890 --> 00:28:05.090
Anna: Thanks for joining us for the latest space

720
00:28:05.090 --> 00:28:07.610
and astronomy news delivered fresh every day.

721
00:28:07.770 --> 00:28:10.290
Be sure to subscribe to Astronomy Daily. You

722
00:28:10.290 --> 00:28:13.290
can find us on our website@astronomydaily,IO

723
00:28:13.370 --> 00:28:15.490
or search for us on your favorite podcast

724
00:28:15.490 --> 00:28:17.720
platform. Until next time, keep looking up

725
00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:18.800
Clear skies, everyone.