Artemis II Reaches the Pad, Akatsuki’s Final Farewell, and China Cracks the FRB Code

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


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for the latest news in space and


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astronomy. I'm Anna.


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>> And I'm Avery. We've got an absolutely


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packed show for you today with some


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really exciting developments happening


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across the solar system and beyond.


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>> That's right, Avery. NASA's Aremis 2


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mission just reached a major milestone


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that brings us closer to putting humans


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back on the moon. We'll update you on


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the impressive journey their massive


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rocket just completed.


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>> Plus, we're saying goodbye to a


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spacecraft that refused to give up.


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Japan's Aquatsuki mission to Venus has


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officially ended after more than a


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decade of incredible science, but not


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before delivering some stunning


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discoveries.


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>> We've also got a fascinating story about


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China's fast telescope solving a cosmic


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mystery that's had astronomers


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scratching their heads for years. vast


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radio bursts, anyone?


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>> Speaking of mysteries, there's some


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concerning news about a Spanish military


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satellite, and we'll explore what might


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be the most comprehensive year for space


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science in recent memory with missions


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heading to the moon, Mars, and beyond.


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And finally, astronomers have been


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taking a closer look at dwarf galaxies,


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and what they found is changing our


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understanding of super massive black


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holes across the universe. It's going to


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be a great show, so let's get into it.


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>> All right, Avery, let's kick things off


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with some really exciting news from


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NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.


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The Aremis 2 mission just hit a huge


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milestone.


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>> This is big, Anna. After nearly 12 hours


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of careful travel, NASA's Space Launch


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System rocket and Orion spacecraft


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finally reached launchpad 39B this past


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Saturday evening. And when you say


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careful travel, you really mean it.


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We're talking about NASA's Crawler


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Transporter 2 moving at a blazing


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maximum speed of just82


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mph.


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Right. I could literally walk faster


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than that. But when you're moving a


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massive moon rocket, slow and steady


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definitely wins the race. The journey


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from the vehicle assembly building


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covered about 4 miles. What I find


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interesting is that they had to make a


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planned pause along the way. The team


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needed to reposition the crew access


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arm, which is essentially a bridge that


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will provide the astronauts access to


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the Orion spacecraft on launch day.


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That's such a critical piece of


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infrastructure. Now that the rocket's at


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the pad, teams are preparing for what


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NASA calls a wet dress rehearsal, which


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is targeted for no later than February


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2nd. Can you explain what that entails


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for our listeners who might not be


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familiar?


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>> Absolutely. During the wet dress


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rehearsal, engineers will load the


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rocket with its cryogenic propellants,


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super cold fuel, run through the entire


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countdown sequence, and then practice


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safely draining all those propellants


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from the rocket. It's basically a full


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mission simulation without actually


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launching.


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>> And this is absolutely essential before


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putting a crew on board. NASA wants to


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make sure every system works perfectly.


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>> Exactly. Now, they've noted that


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additional wet dress rehearsals might be


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required to ensure the vehicle is


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completely ready for flight. And if


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needed, they may roll the SLS and Orion


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back to the vehicle assembly building


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for additional work.


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>> Let's talk about the crew. This is going


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to be a historic mission.


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>> It really is. The Aremis 2 mission will


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send NASA astronauts Reed Wisman, Victor


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Glover, and Christina along with


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Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy


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Hansen on approximately 10-day journey


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around the moon and back.


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>> And this will be the first crude lunar


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mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. We're


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talking about more than 50 years.


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>> That's incredible when you think about


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it. And this mission is a crucial


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stepping stone towards landing humans on


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the moon's surface again, which will


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then help us prepare for the ultimate


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goal, sending astronauts to Mars.


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>> The timeline is really coming together.


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From roll out to wet dress rehearsal to


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launch, it's all happening.


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>> And every step brings us closer to


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seeing humans venture beyond Earth orbit


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for the first time in over half a


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century. It's an exciting time for space


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exploration.


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>> Moving from the moon to our other


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planetary neighbor, we need to talk


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about the end of an era at Venus.


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Japan's Akatsuki mission officially


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concluded in September 2025 after an


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absolutely remarkable journey.


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>> This is such a bittersweet story, Anna.


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Akatsuki, which was operated by Jaxa and


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ISS, was Japan's first fully successful


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planetary orbiter. And it went through


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quite an ordeal to get there.


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>> Right. Cuz the mission didn't exactly go


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according to plan from the start, did


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it?


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>> Not at all. Akatsuki launched back in


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2010 with the goal of studying Venus's


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atmosphere, but it actually failed to


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enter Venus orbit on its first attempt


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due to a main engine malfunction. So,


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the spacecraft ended up drifting around


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the sun for 5 years.


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>> 5 years? That must have been incredibly


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frustrating for the team, but they


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didn't give up.


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>> They absolutely didn't. In December


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2015, JAXA engineers managed a second


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attempt using the spacecraft's smaller


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thrusters, and this time it worked.


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Akatsuki successfully entered orbit


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around Venus and became the only


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operational spacecraft there at the


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time. So, what kind of work did it


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accomplish once it finally got into


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position?


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>> Well, the spacecraft weighed just


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over,50 lbs and carried five imaging


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instruments plus a six radio system. Its


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orbit was highly elliptical, ranging


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from about 620 mi at its closest to


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Venus all the way out to 223,700


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m at its farthest point.


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>> That's quite a range. I imagine that


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gave them different perspectives on the


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planet. Exactly. It allowed for both


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wide-angle observations and detailed


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close-up studies of Venus's thick toxic


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cloud layers. And Akatsuki made some


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really incredible discoveries during its


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decade of operations.


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>> Like what?


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>> One of the most striking findings was a


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giant stationary gravity wave about


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6,200 m long. It's the largest of its


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kind in the entire solar system.


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>> That's enormous. What causes something


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like that? These gravity waves appeared


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as alternating light and dark bands in


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the atmosphere, and they're created when


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air is pushed upward by mountainous


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terrain on Venus's surface. What's


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fascinating is that how even the lower


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surface can influence the upper


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atmospheric layers despite the crushing


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pressure.


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>> Akatsuki also contributed to


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understanding Venus's super rotation


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phenomenon. Right.


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>> That's right. Super rotation is this


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bizarre phenomenon where Venus's upper


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atmosphere moves significantly faster


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than the planet's surface rotates.


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Hakatsuki provided evidence linking this


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wind acceleration to vertical momentum


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transfers through waves and turbulence.


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>> So, how did the mission ultimately end?


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>> In late April 2024, contact with


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Akatsuki was lost during a period of low


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precision attitude control. Basically,


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the spacecraft's orientation and antenna


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positioning drifted off target. The


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transmitter likely kept working, but the


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radio signal could no longer reach


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Earth.


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>> And despite months of attempts to


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reestablish communication, they couldn't


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get it back.


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>> Unfortunately, not. JAXA officially sent


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the final command to terminate the


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mission on September 18th, 2025, just


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over 15 years after launch. This ensured


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no uncontrolled signals would continue


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broadcasting from the inactive probe.


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>> What a legacy, though. Despite all the


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setbacks, Akatsuki delivered remarkable


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science about Venus's atmosphere and


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proved that you should never count a


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mission out.


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>> Absolutely. It's a testament to the


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ingenuity and determination of the team.


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They turned what could have been a


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complete failure into a highly


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successful decadel long mission. From


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Venus, let's turn our attention to one


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of the biggest mysteries in modern


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astronomy, fast radio bursts. And Avery,


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Chinese astronomers have just made a


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breakthrough that's reshaping our


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understanding of these enigmatic


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signals.


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>> This is really exciting work, Anna. An


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international team using China's fast


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telescope, that's the 500 meter aperture


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spherical telescope, also known as the


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China Sky Eye, has uncovered the first


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clear evidence that some fast radio


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burst sources actually originate in


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binary star systems.


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>> Okay. So, for our listeners who might


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not be familiar, can you explain what


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fast radio bursts are?


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>> Sure. Fast radio bursts orrbs are these


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incredibly brief but energetic pulses of


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radio waves from deep space. We're


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talking about flashes that last less


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than a thousandth of a second but can


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release more energy than our sun emits


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in days.


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>> That's mindboggling. And most of these


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are one-time events. Right.


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>> Exactly. Most FRBs are one-off events


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which makes them really hard to study.


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But a handful repeat and those give


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astronomers rare opportunities for


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long-term observation. That's what made


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this discovery possible.


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>> So tell us about this particular burst


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they were studying.


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>> The team led by Professor Bing Zang from


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the University of Hong Kong focus on a


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repeating source called FRB 220529A


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located about 2.5 billion light years


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away. They monitored it for 17 months


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using fast, which is the world's most


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sensitive instrument for detecting these


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signals.


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>> And for most of that time, it seemed


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pretty unremarkable.


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>> That's what's so interesting. For 17


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months, the signal appeared consistent


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and ordinary. But then near the end of


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2023, something truly exciting happened


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that transformed the entire study.


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>> What changed?


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>> They detected what they call an RM


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flare. a sudden dramatic change in the


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rotation measure of the radio waves. The


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rotation measure increased by more than


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a factor of a 100, then rapidly declined


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over 2 weeks before returning to its


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previous level. Think of rotation


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measure as describing how polarized


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radio waves twist as they pass through


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magnetic plasma. A sudden change like


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this reveals shifts in the environment


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surrounding therb source.


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>> And what does that tell us? Well, this


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flare suggested that therb's environment


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was suddenly flooded by highly


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magnetized plasma, likely ejected by a


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nearby star. It's consistent with


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coronal mass ejections, those massive


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bursts of stellar material that our sun


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occasionally launches.


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>> So, that's the smoking gun for a binary


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system.


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>> Exactly. By linking this RM flare to


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plasma activity from a companion star,


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the team provided the strongest evidence


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yet that somerbs arise in binary systems


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containing a magnetar, which is a


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neutron star with an extremely strong


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magnetic field paired with a regular


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star like our sun.


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>> This contradicts the long-standing


00:11:36.560 --> 00:11:39.190
belief that FRBs come solely from


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isolated magnetars, doesn't it?


00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.829
>> It does, and it's a major shift in our


00:11:43.839 --> 00:11:45.670
understanding. The findings were


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published in the journal Science and


00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:50.310
mark a real milestone for astrophysics.


00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:52.389
The observations were corroborated by


00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.870
data from Australia's Parks telescope


00:11:54.880 --> 00:11:57.030
which reinforces the reliability of


00:11:57.040 --> 00:11:58.150
these findings.


00:11:58.160 --> 00:12:00.310
>> Do these results fit into any broader


00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:02.389
theories about


00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.190
>> actually yes. They align with a unified


00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:07.269
model recently proposed by Professor


00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:09.509
Zang and colleagues, suggesting that


00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.550
allrs originate from magnetars, but


00:12:12.560 --> 00:12:14.629
those within binary systems have


00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.030
specific geometries and environments


00:12:17.040 --> 00:12:19.509
that make them repeat more frequently.


00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:21.430
>> So, we're starting to piece together the


00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:24.949
puzzle of why somerbs repeat and others


00:12:24.959 --> 00:12:25.910
don't.


00:12:25.920 --> 00:12:28.629
>> Exactly. And this discovery was only


00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:30.629
possible because of persevering


00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:33.030
observations using the world's best


00:12:33.040 --> 00:12:35.030
telescopes and the tireless work of


00:12:35.040 --> 00:12:37.670
dedicated research teams. It's astronomy


00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:39.350
at its finest.


00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.509
>> All right, now let's look ahead because


00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.949
2026 is shaping up to be an absolutely


00:12:44.959 --> 00:12:47.190
incredible year for space science.


00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:49.590
Avery, where should we even begin?


00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:51.990
>> There's so much happening, Anna. Let's


00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.829
start with lunar missions because we're


00:12:53.839 --> 00:12:55.910
seeing a real renaissance in moon


00:12:55.920 --> 00:12:58.550
exploration. Multiple commercial landers


00:12:58.560 --> 00:13:00.310
and government missions are on the


00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:01.030
schedule.


00:13:01.040 --> 00:13:02.949
>> And we learned some valuable lessons


00:13:02.959 --> 00:13:05.430
from 2025's lunar landing attempts,


00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:06.550
didn't we?


00:13:06.560 --> 00:13:10.150
>> We certainly did. In early 2025, three


00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:11.910
commercial landers attempted moon


00:13:11.920 --> 00:13:14.310
landings, but only one, Firefly


00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.350
Aerospace's Blue Ghost, succeeded. That


00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:19.750
was a major milestone as the first fully


00:13:19.760 --> 00:13:22.310
successful commercial lunar landing.


00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:25.030
>> Blue ghost touched down near Mons latril


00:13:25.040 --> 00:13:27.829
in Mar Chrysum and operated for several


00:13:27.839 --> 00:13:29.590
days before shutting down during the


00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:30.949
lunar night.


00:13:30.959 --> 00:13:33.030
>> Right. And Firefly isn't resting on


00:13:33.040 --> 00:13:34.949
their laurels. They're planning Blue


00:13:34.959 --> 00:13:38.069
Ghost mission 2 for November 2026,


00:13:38.079 --> 00:13:40.550
launching aboard a Falcon 9. This


00:13:40.560 --> 00:13:41.990
mission will carry some really


00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.230
interesting payloads, including NASA's


00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.190
Lucy Knight experiment. That's the lunar


00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.590
surface electromagnetic experiment at


00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.990
night. And it's particularly exciting


00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.590
because it'll become the first


00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.230
operational radio telescope on the moon


00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.389
operating through the lunar night.


00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.150
>> Also flying on that mission is the


00:14:00.160 --> 00:14:03.350
United Arab Emirates Rasheed Rover 2.


00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.110
But what makes this launch even more


00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.790
interesting is that it'll debut


00:14:06.800 --> 00:14:09.670
Fireflyy's elytra dark space tug, which


00:14:09.680 --> 00:14:11.670
will boost Blue Ghost to the moon and


00:14:11.680 --> 00:14:14.150
insert ESA's lunar pathfinder


00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:16.069
communication satellite into lunar


00:14:16.079 --> 00:14:16.790
orbit.


00:14:16.800 --> 00:14:18.470
>> There are other commercial missions


00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.069
planned, too. Right.


00:14:20.079 --> 00:14:22.230
>> Absolutely. Intuitive Machines is


00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:24.470
planning its IM3 mission in the second


00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:26.389
half of the year with another Nova


00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.710
Sealander and Blue Origin will attempt


00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.629
its first lunar landing with the Blue


00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.269
Moon Mark1 Pathfinder mission testing


00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.350
systems for future crude missions.


00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.350
>> What about the Griffin lander?


00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:39.430
>> Astrobotics Griffin lander is scheduled


00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.269
for July 2026 and it'll carry Astrolab's


00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:46.949
LIIP rover, a prototype for their larger


00:14:46.959 --> 00:14:49.590
X rover being pitched for NASA's Aremis


00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:51.750
program. And China's getting in on the


00:14:51.760 --> 00:14:52.949
action, too.


00:14:52.959 --> 00:14:55.590
>> They are. Chong A7 is planned to launch


00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:57.509
this year and attempt a landing on the


00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.670
rim of Shackleton Crater near the South


00:14:59.680 --> 00:15:01.990
Pole. It's a comprehensive mission with


00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.030
an orbiter, lander, rover, and even a


00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:06.470
small hopping probe.


00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.710
>> Let's shift to Mars. What's happening


00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:09.670
there?


00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:12.629
>> Well, 2026 marks another Mars transfer


00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.310
window, so we'll see new missions


00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.949
heading to the red planet. NASA's twin


00:15:16.959 --> 00:15:19.750
escapade satellites called blue and gold


00:15:19.760 --> 00:15:22.550
actually launched in November 2025 and


00:15:22.560 --> 00:15:24.629
are waiting at the sun earth lrangee


00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.710
point2 until the transfer window opens


00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:27.590
in November.


00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:29.030
>> What will they study?


00:15:29.040 --> 00:15:30.949
>> They'll investigate how the solar wind


00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:32.470
has been stripping away at Mars'


00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.590
atmosphere over time. And Japan's MMX


00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:37.750
mission, the Martian moon's exploration


00:15:37.760 --> 00:15:39.750
mission, will also launch during this


00:15:39.760 --> 00:15:42.310
window to study Phobos and Deemos and


00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:44.150
even attempt to collect a sample from


00:15:44.160 --> 00:15:46.389
Phobos. There's also the ongoing


00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:48.710
situation with NASA's Maven satellite,


00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:49.670
isn't there?


00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:52.230
>> Unfortunately, yes. Maven lost contact


00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.069
in early December when it failed to


00:15:54.079 --> 00:15:56.870
check in after passing behind Mars. A


00:15:56.880 --> 00:15:59.030
small fragment of telemetry suggests the


00:15:59.040 --> 00:16:01.110
spacecraft might be rotating and its


00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.590
orbit may have changed. NASA had to


00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.509
pause recovery efforts during the Mars


00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:07.350
Solar Conjunction, but they plan to


00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.670
start trying again over the weekend. No


00:16:09.680 --> 00:16:11.430
word yet on how that's going, but


00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.910
fingers are crossed. Indeed, fingers


00:16:13.920 --> 00:16:16.470
crossed for Maven. Now, what about space


00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:18.310
telescopes? We've got some major


00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:19.829
launches coming up.


00:16:19.839 --> 00:16:21.910
>> Three new space telescopes are launching


00:16:21.920 --> 00:16:25.749
in 2026. First up is ESA's Smile mission


00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.790
in April aboard a Vega C rocket. It'll


00:16:28.800 --> 00:16:30.870
study Earth's magnetosphere interacting


00:16:30.880 --> 00:16:33.509
with solar wind using soft X-ray and


00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.189
ultraviolet observations.


00:16:35.199 --> 00:16:37.430
>> Then we have the Nancy Grace Roman Space


00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:39.509
Telescope in October.


00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.829
>> That's the big one. Roman will launch on


00:16:41.839 --> 00:16:45.670
a Falcon 9 and features a 288 megapixel


00:16:45.680 --> 00:16:47.749
camera that will perform sky surveys


00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.069
with Hubble quality resolution, but


00:16:50.079 --> 00:16:52.470
producing images nearly 200 times


00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:54.790
larger. Construction was completed in


00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.550
November and it's currently in final


00:16:56.560 --> 00:16:57.269
testing.


00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.749
>> And ESA's Plato mission rounds out the


00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.629
year.


00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:02.949
>> Exactly. Plato launches in December


00:17:02.959 --> 00:17:05.829
aboard an Aron 62 and will search for


00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.909
Earthlike exoplanets in their stars


00:17:07.919 --> 00:17:10.789
habitable zones. It'll study up to 1


00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.069
million stars.


00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.549
>> There are also some exciting arrivals


00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:16.230
this year, right?


00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.270
>> Yes. ESA's Hera mission arrives at the


00:17:19.280 --> 00:17:22.150
DDOS binary asteroid system in November,


00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.069
a month ahead of schedule thanks to


00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:26.470
excellent spacecraft performance. It'll


00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:28.549
study the crater left by NASA's Dart


00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:29.430
Impact.


00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:31.909
>> And don't forget Bey Columbo,


00:17:31.919 --> 00:17:35.029
>> right? The joint ESA Jackson mission


00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:37.830
enters Mercury orbit on November 6th


00:17:37.840 --> 00:17:40.470
after an 8-year journey. It will deploy


00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.230
two orbiters that begin science


00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.029
operations in early 2027.


00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.590
>> This really is going to be an incredible


00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:49.669
year for space science.


00:17:49.679 --> 00:17:52.470
>> Without a doubt, from the moon to Mars,


00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.390
from nearby asteroids to distant


00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:57.830
galaxies, 2026 promises discoveries that


00:17:57.840 --> 00:17:59.510
will advance our understanding of the


00:17:59.520 --> 00:18:02.390
cosmos. Now, we need to talk about a


00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.110
concerning development in Earth orbit.


00:18:05.120 --> 00:18:07.590
Bhain's Hisdat company has confirmed


00:18:07.600 --> 00:18:09.669
that one of their military communication


00:18:09.679 --> 00:18:11.830
satellites has sustained what they're


00:18:11.840 --> 00:18:14.870
calling nonreoverable damage.


00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:17.270
>> This is a significant loss, Anna. We're


00:18:17.280 --> 00:18:20.150
talking about the Spain NG2 satellite,


00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:21.510
which was struck by what's being


00:18:21.520 --> 00:18:24.070
described as a space particle. And


00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:26.230
despite the relatively small size of


00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:28.950
this particle, the damage is total.


00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.350
Let's give our listeners some context.


00:18:31.360 --> 00:18:34.470
This satellite was brand new, wasn't it?


00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.029
>> Very new. It launched aboard a SpaceX


00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:40.630
Falcon 9 just this past October 2025.


00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:43.190
Spain NG2 was one of a pair of


00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:45.669
satellites built by Airbus to provide


00:18:45.679 --> 00:18:47.830
secure communications for Spain's armed


00:18:47.840 --> 00:18:48.870
forces.


00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:51.909
>> So what exactly happened? On January


00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:54.710
16th, Histat released details explaining


00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.549
that while the space particle was


00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:59.110
estimated to be only millimeters in size


00:18:59.120 --> 00:19:01.510
and weighing just a few grams, it's


00:19:01.520 --> 00:19:03.669
extremely high velocity combined with


00:19:03.679 --> 00:19:05.830
the location of the impact caused


00:19:05.840 --> 00:19:08.630
catastrophic non-reoverable damage.


00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.630
>> That really highlights the danger of


00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:12.710
space debris and micrometeorites,


00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:13.750
doesn't it?


00:19:13.760 --> 00:19:16.390
>> Absolutely. Even something tiny can be


00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:17.909
devastating when it's traveling at


00:19:17.919 --> 00:19:20.789
orbital velocities. The company did note


00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:22.870
that because a satellite is in a highly


00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:25.350
eccentric orbit, it doesn't pose any


00:19:25.360 --> 00:19:27.750
risk or interference to existing or


00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:29.270
future space missions.


00:19:29.280 --> 00:19:31.909
>> What are the financial implications?


00:19:31.919 --> 00:19:34.070
>> Well, his dad says the satellite was


00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:35.750
fully insured against this type of


00:19:35.760 --> 00:19:37.909
incident, so there won't be any direct


00:19:37.919 --> 00:19:40.710
economic damage to the company. However,


00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:42.870
here's the thing. While the insurance


00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.830
covers the loss, a claim this large will


00:19:45.840 --> 00:19:47.669
almost certainly drive up insurance


00:19:47.679 --> 00:19:49.830
premiums for future satellites.


00:19:49.840 --> 00:19:51.990
>> How much are we talking about?


00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.950
>> The total Spain NG program cost is


00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:57.830
around €2 billion according to Spain's


00:19:57.840 --> 00:19:59.510
official foreign investment promotion


00:19:59.520 --> 00:20:02.470
agency. So, this single satellite claim


00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.549
is likely in the hundreds of millions of


00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.430
euros.


00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.110
>> That's going to have ripple effects


00:20:07.120 --> 00:20:09.270
across the insurance market.


00:20:09.280 --> 00:20:11.590
>> It will. And there's another concern,


00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:14.230
the replacement timeline. Airbus secured


00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:15.909
the contract to build the first two


00:20:15.919 --> 00:20:18.470
Spain sat NG satellites back in May


00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:20.950
2019, and the first one launched in


00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:24.230
January 2025. That's more than 5 years


00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.909
from contract to launch.


00:20:25.919 --> 00:20:27.669
>> So if we're looking at a similar


00:20:27.679 --> 00:20:31.510
timeline for Spain NG3, we might not see


00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:34.549
a replacement until around 2030.


00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:37.350
>> That's the concern. In fact, Hisdat has


00:20:37.360 --> 00:20:39.110
already initiated a request for


00:20:39.120 --> 00:20:41.510
quotation for the replacement satellite.


00:20:41.520 --> 00:20:43.029
In the meantime, they'll continue


00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:44.870
providing secure communications for


00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.950
Spain's armed forces using Spain NG1 and


00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:51.190
the original Spanat satellite.


00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.590
>> Wait, the original SpanSat from 2006?


00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:58.149
>> Exactly. That satellite launched aboard


00:20:58.159 --> 00:21:02.230
an Aryan 5 in 2006 with a 15-year design


00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.789
life. And here we are almost 20 years


00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:07.110
later still relying on it. That's


00:21:07.120 --> 00:21:09.110
actually a testament to good engineering


00:21:09.120 --> 00:21:10.149
and design.


00:21:10.159 --> 00:21:12.630
>> But surely it can't be operating at full


00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:15.110
capacity after all this time.


00:21:15.120 --> 00:21:17.909
>> You'd expect some degradation. Yes, it's


00:21:17.919 --> 00:21:19.909
remarkable that it's still functional.


00:21:19.919 --> 00:21:22.230
But this incident really underscores the


00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:24.470
vulnerability of our space assets and


00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:26.870
the importance of having redundancy.


00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:29.270
>> This also raises questions about space


00:21:29.280 --> 00:21:31.510
debris tracking and mitigation, doesn't


00:21:31.520 --> 00:21:35.029
it? Absolutely. If a particle just


00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:37.750
millimeters in size can cause total loss


00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:39.750
of a satellite worth hundreds of


00:21:39.760 --> 00:21:42.310
millions of euros, we really need to


00:21:42.320 --> 00:21:44.390
think seriously about the growing debris


00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.710
problem in Earth orbit and around it.


00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.430
>> For our final story, let's venture into


00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.590
the distant universe to talk about some


00:21:51.600 --> 00:21:53.669
fascinating new research on dwarf


00:21:53.679 --> 00:21:56.149
galaxies and the black holes at their


00:21:56.159 --> 00:21:59.430
centers. Avery, this is challenging some


00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:01.830
long-held assumptions. It really is,


00:22:01.840 --> 00:22:04.310
Anna. Astronomers from the Harvard and


00:22:04.320 --> 00:22:06.870
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and


00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.950
the University of North Carolina at


00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:10.950
Chapel Hill presented what they're


00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.510
calling the most comprehensive senses of


00:22:13.520 --> 00:22:16.310
active galactic nuclei in dwarf galaxies


00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:17.270
to date.


00:22:17.280 --> 00:22:19.350
>> Now, for listeners who might need a


00:22:19.360 --> 00:22:21.350
refresher, can you explain what an


00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:23.909
active galactic nucleus is?


00:22:23.919 --> 00:22:27.590
>> Sure. Active galactic nuclei or AGN,


00:22:27.600 --> 00:22:29.590
sometimes called quazars, are the


00:22:29.600 --> 00:22:31.590
incredibly bright core regions of


00:22:31.600 --> 00:22:34.310
galaxies. They're so luminous that they


00:22:34.320 --> 00:22:36.950
can temporarily outshine all the stars


00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:39.190
in the entire galaxy combined.


00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.029
>> And that's because of the super massive


00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:43.029
black holes at the center.


00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:46.230
>> Exactly. These super massive black holes


00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:48.549
accelerate infalling gas and dust and


00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:50.630
their accretion discs to near the speed


00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:53.350
of light, producing intense radiation


00:22:53.360 --> 00:22:55.830
across the electromagnetic spectrum.


00:22:55.840 --> 00:22:57.590
Everything from visible light and


00:22:57.600 --> 00:23:00.390
infrared to microwaves and X-rays.


00:23:00.400 --> 00:23:02.390
>> For decades, we've known that many


00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:04.470
massive galaxies have super massive


00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:06.710
black holes at their centers. And we


00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.549
assumed the same was true for dwarf


00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.149
galaxies, right?


00:23:10.159 --> 00:23:12.390
>> That was the assumption. But scientists


00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:14.310
have since learned that many dwarf


00:23:14.320 --> 00:23:16.470
galaxies actually don't have these


00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:18.950
central black holes. That's why this new


00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.870
census was so important.


00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:22.470
>> So what did they do?


00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:25.430
>> The team reassessed over 8,000 nearby


00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:27.590
galaxies for signs of active black hole


00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:29.909
activity. They grouped these galaxies by


00:23:29.919 --> 00:23:32.549
mass and analyzed the latest optical,


00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:35.029
infrared, and x-ray observations to


00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:37.590
detect even the faintest signs of AGN


00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:38.470
activity.


00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:41.190
>> And what did they find? Previous surveys


00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:44.230
generally found about 10 AGN's per 1,000


00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.590
dwarf galaxies. That's just 1%. But this


00:23:47.600 --> 00:23:50.549
new census yielded values of about 20 to


00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:54.149
50 per 1,000 or 2 to 5%.


00:23:54.159 --> 00:23:56.630
>> So they're finding AGNs are 2 to five


00:23:56.640 --> 00:23:58.470
times more common than we thought.


00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:01.350
>> In dwarf galaxies, yes. Now, this is


00:24:01.360 --> 00:24:03.350
still significantly less than what we


00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:05.990
observe in medium-sized galaxies at 16


00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:10.789
to 27% or large galaxies at 20 to 48%.


00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.710
But it's a substantial increase from


00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.070
previous estimates.


00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:15.830
>> What's causing this discrepancy with


00:24:15.840 --> 00:24:17.350
earlier surveys?


00:24:17.360 --> 00:24:19.190
>> A big part of it was suppressing the


00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:21.350
glare from star formation, which had


00:24:21.360 --> 00:24:23.269
been obscuring emissions from accreting


00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:25.590
black holes. The team developed better


00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:27.510
detection methods to cut through that


00:24:27.520 --> 00:24:29.750
glare. So what does this tell us about


00:24:29.760 --> 00:24:32.630
how black holes relate to galaxy mass?


00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.950
>> Well, the results suggest that AGN


00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:37.350
frequency is mass dependent and


00:24:37.360 --> 00:24:39.510
increases sharply among galaxies with


00:24:39.520 --> 00:24:42.310
mass similar to our Milky Way. As lead


00:24:42.320 --> 00:24:44.789
author Magda Polyra explained, there's


00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:47.590
an intense jump in AGN activity between


00:24:47.600 --> 00:24:50.470
dwarf galaxies and midsize galaxies.


00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:52.870
>> That's a significant finding. What might


00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.110
explain it? It could indicate a


00:24:55.120 --> 00:24:56.870
fundamental shift in the galaxies


00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:59.269
themselves as they grow. Or it might


00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:01.110
mean we're still not catching everything


00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:03.269
into smaller galaxies and need even


00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:05.590
better detection methods. Either way,


00:25:05.600 --> 00:25:07.190
it's an important clue.


00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:08.789
>> How does this relate to galaxy


00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:09.990
formation?


00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.390
>> Well, as co-author Professor Sheila


00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:14.630
Canopan pointed out, we believe the


00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:16.950
Milky Way formed from many smaller


00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.430
galaxies that merged together. So the


00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:21.190
massive black holes in those dwarf


00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:23.350
galaxies should have merged to form the


00:25:23.360 --> 00:25:26.149
Milky Ways super massive black hole.


00:25:26.159 --> 00:25:28.230
>> So understanding these dwarf galaxy


00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:30.390
black holes helps us understand our own


00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:32.149
galaxy's history.


00:25:32.159 --> 00:25:34.870
>> Exactly. These results are essential to


00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:37.029
test models of black hole origins and


00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.029
their role in shaping galaxies over


00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:41.269
cosmic time. Are there still


00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:43.909
uncertainties in the census? Yes,


00:25:43.919 --> 00:25:45.750
there's still a margin of uncertainty


00:25:45.760 --> 00:25:47.909
where fainter accreting black holes are


00:25:47.919 --> 00:25:50.070
involved. So, these percentages are


00:25:50.080 --> 00:25:52.470
approximate. Future observations with


00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:54.549
more sensitive instruments will likely


00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:55.909
refine these numbers.


00:25:55.919 --> 00:25:57.990
>> But this gives astronomers a much


00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.149
clearer picture than we had before.


00:26:00.159 --> 00:26:02.630
>> Absolutely. It provides the clearest


00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:05.029
picture yet of how likely galaxies of


00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.350
different sizes are to host active black


00:26:07.360 --> 00:26:09.750
holes. and it demonstrates how cutting


00:26:09.760 --> 00:26:12.070
through the glare of star formation can


00:26:12.080 --> 00:26:13.669
reveal what's really happening at the


00:26:13.679 --> 00:26:15.269
centers of nearby galaxies.


00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:17.269
>> And the team is releasing their data for


00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:19.269
other researchers to verify and expand


00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:19.909
on.


00:26:19.919 --> 00:26:21.510
>> That's right. They're making their


00:26:21.520 --> 00:26:23.350
processed measurements available so


00:26:23.360 --> 00:26:25.830
other astronomers can confirm and build


00:26:25.840 --> 00:26:28.149
on these results. That's good science in


00:26:28.159 --> 00:26:28.549
action.


00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:30.230
>> Well, that brings us to the end of


00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:32.470
another packed episode of Astronomy


00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.269
Daily. From the Aremis 2 rocket reaching


00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:37.750
the launch pad to new discoveries about


00:26:37.760 --> 00:26:40.470
black holes in dwarf galaxies, it's been


00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:41.990
quite a journey through the cosmos


00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:42.549
today.


00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:44.630
>> It really has, Anna. We covered


00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:46.870
everything from the moon to Venus to


00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:49.110
distant galaxies. And every story


00:26:49.120 --> 00:26:51.190
reminds us just how active and exciting


00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:53.110
space exploration and astronomy are


00:26:53.120 --> 00:26:53.669
right now.


00:26:53.679 --> 00:26:55.590
>> Before we go, a quick reminder that you


00:26:55.600 --> 00:26:57.590
can find more space and astronomy news


00:26:57.600 --> 00:27:00.870
on our website at astronomydaily.io.


00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.269
We've got detailed articles, images, and


00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:05.669
lots more content for space enthusiasts.


00:27:05.679 --> 00:27:07.510
>> And if you enjoyed today's episode,


00:27:07.520 --> 00:27:09.350
please subscribe to Astronomy Daily


00:27:09.360 --> 00:27:11.430
wherever you get your podcasts. We're


00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:13.190
here every day bringing you the latest


00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:14.870
news from across the universe.


00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:16.390
>> Thanks so much for listening everyone.


00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:17.190
I'm Anna


00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:19.510
>> and I'm Avery. Keep looking up and we'll


00:27:19.520 --> 00:27:21.269
see you next time on Astronomy Daily.


00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:26.310
>> Clear skies.


00:27:26.320 --> 00:27:33.190
Oh,


00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:37.000
stories told.