Artemis 2 Setback, SpaceX’s Trillion-Dollar Orbital Vision & X8.3 Solar Flare

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


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for the latest space and astronomy news.


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I'm Anna.


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>> And I'm Avery. We're bringing you


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Tuesday, February 3rd's biggest stories


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from across the cosmos.


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>> Today, we're covering a setback in


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NASA's Aremis 2 preparations, a bold new


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vision from Elon Musk that's raising


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eyebrows across the space industry, and


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NASA's announcement of a fifth private


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astronaut mission to the International


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Space Station. We'll also explore some


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dramatic solar activity that's lighting


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up our sun, NASA's newest mission to map


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the boundaries of our solar system, and


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an exciting opportunity for aspiring


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space professionals in Europe.


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>> Let's dive right in with our top story


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today.


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>> NASA's Aremis 2 mission hit a snag


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during a critical pre-launch test over


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the weekend. The wet tress rehearsal


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countdown was terminated at the T5


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minute and 15 second mark due to a


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liquid hydrogen leak. For anyone not


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familiar, a wet dress rehearsal is


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essentially a full launch simulation


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where they load the rocket with


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propellant and run through the entire


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countdown sequence, stopping just short


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of ignition. It's one of the final major


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tests before an actual launch.


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>> Exactly. And this particular leak


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occurred at the interface of the tail


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service mast umbilical, which had


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already experienced high concentrations


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of liquid hydrogen earlier in the


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countdown. The launch control team had


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to work to ensure the space launch


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system rocket was in a safe


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configuration and begin draining its


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tanks. Now, it's worth putting this in


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perspective. Hydrogen leaks are


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notoriously challenging to deal with in


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rocketry. Hydrogen is the smallest


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molecule, which means it can escape


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through incredibly tiny gaps. NASA


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actually dealt with similar issues


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during the Artemis 1 countdown back in


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2022.


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>> That's a good point. And while this is


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definitely a setback, it's exactly why


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we do these rehearsals, to catch


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problems and fix them before astronauts


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are on board. The Aremis 2 crew of Reed


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Weisman, Victor Glover, Christina Ko,


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and Jeremy Hansen are scheduled to


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become the first humans to fly around


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the moon in over 50 years. The team at


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Kennedy Space Center will now need to


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analyze what went wrong, make repairs,


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and potentially schedule another wet


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dress rehearsal. This could impact the


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launch timeline, though NASA hasn't


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announced any official changes to the


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mission schedule yet.


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>> We'll definitely be keeping a close eye


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on this one. Moving on to our next


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story, which involves some pretty


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ambitious claims from SpaceX.


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>> Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX has


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acquired his artificial intelligence


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company, XAI. And with that acquisition


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comes a vision that sounds like


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something straight out of science


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fiction, orbital data centers. The


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numbers here are staggering, Anna. The


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information quoted unnamed sources


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saying XAI was valued at $250 billion


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while SpaceX was valued at a trillion.


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That would make SpaceX the most valuable


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private company in the world. Though, as


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one investment adviser quipped, Musk


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essentially had a short negotiation with


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himself since he held controlling


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interests in both companies. But the


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real story here is what Musk plans to do


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with this combined entity.


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>> Right? Musk is proposing to put up to a


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million satellites in low Earth orbit to


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create a constellation of orbital data


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centers. The idea is that these would


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address the major challenges facing


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groundbased data centers, the massive


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electricity requirements, and the water


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needed for cooling.


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>> His pitch is compelling from an


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engineering standpoint. In space, you


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have near constant solar power with no


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nighttime interruptions, no atmospheric


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interference, and no need for water


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cooling. As Musk wrote, "It's always


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sunny in space."


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>> He's framing this as a step towards


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becoming a Cardartesef type 2


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civilization, one that can harness the


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sun's full power. He even suggested that


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future AI satellites could be built on


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and launched from the moon using


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electromagnetic mass drivers. But here's


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where the skepticism comes in. Industry


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observers are raising serious questions.


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Jim Castel, author of The Greek


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Connecting, suggested the million


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satellite figure might be more about


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publicity and the potential SpaceX IPO


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than realistic planning. And Martin


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Piers from the information pointed out


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the head spinning array of technical and


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financial impediments. Those challenges


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include protecting computers from


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radiation, maintaining hardware in


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orbit, the enormous expanse of getting


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everything into space, and competing


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with tech giants like Google and Meta


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who have cash generating advertising


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businesses. Some analysts suggest this


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move is financially motivated, a way to


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throw a lifeline to XAI, which merged


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with X last year and has been facing


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financial troubles. The timing ahead of


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a possible Space X IPO is certainly


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interesting.


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>> It's definitely an ambitious vision.


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Whether it's brilliant foresight or


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science fiction remains to be seen.


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Either way, it sparked a fascinating


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debate about the future of space-based


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infrastructure.


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>> Speaking of space infrastructure, let's


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talk about something that's actually


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happening right now. NASA's commercial


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crew program. NASA has ordered a fifth


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private astronaut mission to the


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International Space Station from Axiom


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Space with a launch targeted for no


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earlier than January 2027 from Kennedy


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Space Center in Florida. This continues


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the series of commercially sponsored


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crude missions to the orbital laboratory


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under NASA's commercial space strategy.


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NASA administrator Jared Isaacman


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emphasized that commercial space


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activity has become a present reality


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rather than a distant prospect. This


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mission designated Axiom mission 5 is


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expected to spend up to 14 days aboard


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the station. The final launch date will


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depend on overall spacecraft traffic and


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other operational planning factors.


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Basically coordinating the busy schedule


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of visiting vehicles. Dana Weaggle,


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manager of NASA's International Space


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Station program, noted that these


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private astronaut missions allow the


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station to serve as a proving ground for


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new markets and technologies while


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supporting science, research, and


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outreach that contribute to a growing


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space economy. Under this mission order,


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Axiom Space will propose four crew


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members for review by NASA and its


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international partners. Once approved,


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they'll undergo joint training with


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NASA, partner agencies, and the launch


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provider. What's particularly


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interesting about this arrangement is


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the exchange of services. Axiom Space


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will purchase mission services from NASA


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like crew consumables, cargo delivery,


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and storage. In return, NASA will


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acquire from Axiom Space the capability


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to return scientific samples that must


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remain cold during transit. Jonathan


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Certin, president and CEO of Axiom


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Space, said the four earlier Axiom


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missions have expanded the global


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community of human space explorers and


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yielded insights supporting development


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of the planned Axiom station.


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>> That's the key here. Axiom station is


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intended to succeed the International


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Space Station as a next generation


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commercial platform once the current


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laboratory is retired. These missions


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are helping build towards that future.


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It's a great example of NASA's strategy


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to transition low Earth orbit services


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to private providers while the agency


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concentrates on deep space exploration


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like the Aremis missions to the moon.


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>> Absolutely. Now, let's turn our


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attention to some dramatic activity


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happening much closer to home on our own


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star.


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>> The sun has been putting on quite a show


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over the past 24 hours. A rapidly


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growing sunspot has fired off at least


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18 M-class flares and three X-class


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flares, including an intense X8.3


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eruption, the strongest solar flare of


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2026 so far.


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>> To put that in perspective for our


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listeners, solar flares are ranked from


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A, B, and C up to M and X with each


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letter representing a tfold increase in


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energy. So X-class flares are the most


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powerful explosions the sun can produce.


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And the number after the X tells you how


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intense it is within that class.


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>> The culprit is sunspot region 4366,


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which spaceweather.com described as a


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solar flare factory. This region has


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grown rapidly in just a few days and


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shows no signs of slowing down. The X8.3


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flare peaked at 6:57 p.m. Eastern time


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on February 1st, unleashing a blast of


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extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation


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that ionized Earth's upper atmosphere.


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This triggered strong R3 radio blackouts


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across parts of the South Pacific.


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>> Eastern Australia and New Zealand


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reported short-wave radio disruptions.


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These blackouts happen because the


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intense radiation from the flare alters


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the ionosphere, which radio signals


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bounce off of for long-distance


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communication.


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>> Now, what everyone wants to know is,


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will we see auroras from this?


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Scientists are watching for coronal mass


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ejections that could follow these


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flares. Early analysis of a CME linked


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to the X8.3 eruption suggests most of


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the solar material will pass north and


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east of Earth. There's a possibility of


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a glancing blow around February 5th,


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which could briefly elevate geomagnetic


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activity and increase the chances of


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auroras at high latitudes. But


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forecasters stress it's too early to


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know for certain. The bigger concern is


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that some spot AR4366


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remains highly active and continues to


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rotate into an Earth-facing position.


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That raises the chance that future


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eruptions could launch CMEs more


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directly toward our planet. Noah


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forecasters expect more exciting space


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weather activity from this region in the


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coming days. So, Aurora casers should


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definitely keep an eye on space weather


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forecasts over the next week.


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>> It's a great reminder that we're still


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in solar maximum, the period of greatest


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solar activity in the sun's 11-year


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cycle. We can expect more of these


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dramatic events over the next year or


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so.


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>> Absolutely. From watching the sun, let's


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zoom out to the boundaries of our entire


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solar system.


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>> NASA's IMAP mission, that's the


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Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration


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Probe, officially began its 2-year


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primary science mission on February 1st.


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>> IMAP's job is to explore and map the


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boundaries of our heliosphere, which is


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the protective bubble created by the


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solar wind that encapsulates our entire


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solar system. Think of it as our cosmic


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shield against interstellar radiation.


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>> The mission launched on September 24th,


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2025, and relies on 10 scientific


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instruments to chart what's happening in


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space. That includes high energy


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particles from the sun, magnetic fields


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in interplanetary space, and even dust


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from exploded stars in interstellar


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space.


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>> What makes this particularly exciting is


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that IMAP is investigating some of the


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most important questions in helopysics.


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how charged particles from the sun get


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energized and how the solar wind


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interacts at its boundary with


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interstellar space.


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>> And there's a practical benefit, too.


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Some of IMAP's data is being fed into


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the eyelink


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for real time. This broadcasts


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nearrealtime observations of space


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weather headed toward Earth. That data


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can inform forecasters who issue


00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:43.509
warnings about potential adverse space


00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.269
weather effects on spacecraft and


00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.509
astronauts. Though IMAP is both


00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:49.750
advancing our scientific understanding


00:11:49.760 --> 00:11:51.829
and providing practical benefits for


00:11:51.839 --> 00:11:53.269
space operations.


00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.829
>> The mission is led by David Mccomomas, a


00:11:55.839 --> 00:11:57.750
principal investigator and professor at


00:11:57.760 --> 00:11:59.509
Princeton University with an


00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.829
international team of 27 partner


00:12:01.839 --> 00:12:04.230
institutions. Dons's Hopkins Applied


00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:06.230
Physics Laboratory manage development


00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.710
and operates the mission. It's the fifth


00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:10.790
mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial


00:12:10.800 --> 00:12:12.710
Probes program, and it's going to give


00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:14.949
us unprecedented insights into the edge


00:12:14.959 --> 00:12:16.790
of our solar neighborhood over the next


00:12:16.800 --> 00:12:17.990
2 years.


00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.069
>> Speaking of opportunities to advance our


00:12:20.079 --> 00:12:22.150
understanding of space, let's wrap up


00:12:22.160 --> 00:12:24.150
with some news for aspiring space


00:12:24.160 --> 00:12:26.870
professionals. The European Space Agency


00:12:26.880 --> 00:12:29.590
has opened applications for its 2026


00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.990
graduate trainee program, offering an


00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.750
incredible opportunity for recent


00:12:33.760 --> 00:12:36.230
graduates passionate about engineering,


00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:39.590
science, IT, or business. This is a


00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:41.829
unique professional experience where


00:12:41.839 --> 00:12:43.829
trainees become part of teams of


00:12:43.839 --> 00:12:46.310
scientists, engineers, and business


00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:48.710
professionals from all over Europe


00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.949
working together on inspiring space


00:12:50.959 --> 00:12:52.870
missions in an international


00:12:52.880 --> 00:12:54.949
multicultural environment.


00:12:54.959 --> 00:12:56.949
>> The positions are one-year contracts


00:12:56.959 --> 00:12:58.949
with possible extension to a second


00:12:58.959 --> 00:13:02.069
year. Trainees get 2.5 days of paid


00:13:02.079 --> 00:13:04.310
leave per month and receive a monthly


00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.150
salary that's exempt from national


00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:09.110
income tax and ISA member states. ESSA


00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.750
also reimbures travel expenses at the


00:13:11.760 --> 00:13:13.750
beginning and end of the contract,


00:13:13.760 --> 00:13:16.389
provides an expatriation or installation


00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:18.310
allowance for those moving from another


00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.430
country and includes affiliation to


00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.269
comprehensive social security and


00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.990
pension schemes. To be eligible, you


00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.829
need to be a student in the final year


00:13:27.839 --> 00:13:29.829
of a master's degree or a recent


00:13:29.839 --> 00:13:32.230
graduate. You must have graduated by the


00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.310
time you start your traineeship and be


00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.150
able to provide a copy of your diploma


00:13:36.160 --> 00:13:38.710
within 3 months of starting. Important


00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:41.030
note, you shouldn't have more than one


00:13:41.040 --> 00:13:43.190
year of professional experience after


00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.990
graduation. And you must be a citizen of


00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.470
one of the member states, associate


00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:51.509
members, European cooperating states, or


00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:54.550
Canada as a cooperating state. ISSA is


00:13:54.560 --> 00:13:56.470
holding three information sessions in


00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.310
early February where prospective


00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:00.069
applicants can learn more about the


00:14:00.079 --> 00:14:02.550
program and ask questions. The first one


00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:04.870
is February 5th. There is another on


00:14:04.880 --> 00:14:07.509
February 12th and a third on February


00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:10.389
17th. Each candidate can submit up to


00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:12.550
three applications, so it's worthwhile


00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:14.790
exploring multiple opportunities that


00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:16.629
match your academic background and


00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:18.790
aspirations. All the details in


00:14:18.800 --> 00:14:20.710
application portal can be found at


00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.189
jobs.a.int.


00:14:23.199 --> 00:14:24.790
I'll be sure to add that link in the


00:14:24.800 --> 00:14:25.910
show notes.


00:14:25.920 --> 00:14:27.910
>> This is genuinely a fantastic


00:14:27.920 --> 00:14:29.670
opportunity for anyone looking to start


00:14:29.680 --> 00:14:32.870
a career in Europe's space sector. Has a


00:14:32.880 --> 00:14:34.790
long history of groundbreaking missions


00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:36.710
and continues to be at the forefront of


00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.110
space exploration, Earth observation,


00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:40.710
and space science.


00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.710
>> It's programs like this that help


00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:44.710
develop the next generation of space


00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:46.629
professionals who will be working on


00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:48.949
tomorrow's missions to explore our solar


00:14:48.959 --> 00:14:51.670
system and beyond. And that wraps up


00:14:51.680 --> 00:14:53.990
today's episode of Astronomy Daily.


00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.750
We've covered everything from challenges


00:14:55.760 --> 00:14:58.470
with Aremis 2 preparations to ambitious


00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.710
visions for orbital data centers,


00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.310
ongoing commercial space station


00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:05.350
missions, dramatic solar activity, the


00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.509
start of a new NASA mission mapping our


00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:09.670
cosmic neighborhood, and opportunities


00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:11.509
for the next generation of space


00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:12.710
professionals.


00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:14.870
>> As always, there's never a dull moment


00:15:14.880 --> 00:15:17.189
in space exploration. If you want to


00:15:17.199 --> 00:15:18.949
stay connected with us and get more


00:15:18.959 --> 00:15:20.870
space news throughout the week, visit


00:15:20.880 --> 00:15:24.230
our website at astronomydaily.io.


00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:26.230
>> You can also find us on social media at


00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.110
Astro Daily Pod on X, Facebook,


00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.910
Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Tumblr.


00:15:31.920 --> 00:15:34.069
>> Thanks for joining us today. Keep


00:15:34.079 --> 00:15:36.230
looking up and we'll see you tomorrow


00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:38.550
with more news from the cosmos.


00:15:38.560 --> 00:15:43.910
>> Until then, clear skies everyone.


00:15:43.920 --> 00:15:52.150
The stories we told


00:15:52.160 --> 00:16:00.069
stories told


00:16:00.079 --> 00:16:02.720
stories