Feb. 11, 2026

Crew-12 Spy Scandal, AI on Mars & Interstellar Comet’s Last Secret?

Crew-12 Spy Scandal, AI on Mars & Interstellar Comet’s Last Secret?
Crew-12 Spy Scandal, AI on Mars & Interstellar Comet’s Last Secret?
Space News Today
Crew-12 Spy Scandal, AI on Mars & Interstellar Comet’s Last Secret?

Four astronauts are stuck in quarantine in Florida as weather keeps pushing back the Crew-12 launch — now targeting no earlier than Friday, February 13. We've got the full story, including the remarkable subplot involving a Russian cosmonaut who was quietly removed from the mission in December. Plus: interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is on its way out of the solar system forever, but new data from NASA's SPHEREx and James Webb telescopes reveals it's been carrying a chemical cocktail from another star system — one that's unlike anything we've seen in our own comets. Also in today's episode: NASA let an AI drive the Perseverance rover on Mars for two days straight; new research suggests Earth may have hit a rare chemical jackpot during formation that made life possible; the Ring of Fire solar eclipse is just one week away; and Starship is back on track after the Booster 18 disaster, with Flight 12 targeting a March launch window. In This Episode • SpaceX Crew-12: Three launch scrubs, skeleton ISS crew, and the cosmonaut spy subplot • 3I/ATLAS farewell: SPHEREx detects alien chemistry; JWST finds record CO2-to-water ratio • AI drives Perseverance on Mars — 456 metres without human control • Earth's lucky chemistry: why phosphorus and nitrogen almost didn't make it to the surface • Ring of Fire annular solar eclipse — February 17 over Antarctica • Starship Flight 12: Booster 19 passes cryo tests, March launch window in sight Key Links • Full show notes & blog: astronomydaily.io • NASA Crew-12 mission blog: nasa.gov • NASA SPHEREx 3I/ATLAS data: science.nasa.gov • Universe Today — AI drives Perseverance: universetoday.com • Nature Astronomy — Earth habitability study: nature.com Subscribe & Connect Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. New episode every weekday. Full transcripts, blog posts and show notes at astronomydaily.io


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Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:03.669
Four astronauts, one rocket, and weather


00:00:03.679 --> 00:00:06.789
that just will not cooperate. The Crew


00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:09.430
12 team is in quarantine in Florida,


00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:11.990
watching the forecast and waiting.


00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.310
>> A visitor from another solar system is


00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.790
heading for the exit and handing us a


00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:18.950
chemical blueprint of its home solar


00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:22.310
system on the way out. Plus, a rover on


00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.509
Mars just took orders from an AI instead


00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:28.310
of a human for the very first time. All


00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.349
that plus a rare solar eclipse just days


00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:33.830
away, new research that could change how


00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:36.389
we search for life, and Starship making


00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:39.190
a comeback after a dramatic setback.


00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:41.990
It's a big day. Welcome to Astronomy


00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:42.709
Daily.


00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:46.310
>> Let's get started. Anna, take it away.


00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:48.869
>> Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,


00:00:48.879 --> 00:00:50.950
your daily guide to what's happening out


00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:52.630
there. I'm Anna.


00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.270
>> And I'm Avery. It is Wednesday, February


00:00:55.280 --> 00:00:58.950
11th, 2026. We have six stories to get


00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.029
through today, and honestly, it's one of


00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.189
those lineups where every single one of


00:01:03.199 --> 00:01:04.869
them earns its place.


00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:06.870
>> We're going to kick off with the ongoing


00:01:06.880 --> 00:01:09.750
Crew 12 drama at Cape Canaveral, then


00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.070
swing to Deep Space for the latest from


00:01:12.080 --> 00:01:13.830
ThreeI/Atlas,


00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:16.390
and then we've got a Mars AI story that


00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.950
genuinely made me stop and think. Some


00:01:18.960 --> 00:01:21.350
fascinating new science about why Earth


00:01:21.360 --> 00:01:24.230
ended up being habitable at all. a rare


00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:27.350
solar eclipse just days away and a big


00:01:27.360 --> 00:01:28.870
Starship update.


00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:30.230
>> Let's get into it.


00:01:30.240 --> 00:01:33.190
>> So Avery, as of this morning, the Crew


00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:35.510
12 mission has now been pushed back to


00:01:35.520 --> 00:01:38.789
no earlier than Friday, February 13th.


00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:40.870
That is the third attempted launch date


00:01:40.880 --> 00:01:42.469
in less than a week.


00:01:42.479 --> 00:01:44.469
>> It really is. Weather has been the


00:01:44.479 --> 00:01:47.350
culprit each time. The teams originally


00:01:47.360 --> 00:01:50.149
had a window on Wednesday 11th today,


00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.990
but conditions along the Dragon


00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:53.910
spacecraft flight path just weren't


00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.630
cooperating, so they waved it off. Then


00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.270
Thursday the 12th got pushed. Now


00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.350
they're looking at Friday morning with a


00:02:01.360 --> 00:02:04.469
planned liftoff at 5:15 Eastern.


00:02:04.479 --> 00:02:06.630
>> And the reason there's so much urgency


00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:08.229
here isn't just that people are


00:02:08.239 --> 00:02:10.309
impatient. The International Space


00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.229
Station is currently running on what


00:02:12.239 --> 00:02:15.589
NASA is calling a skeleton crew. Crew 11


00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:17.990
had to come home early back in January


00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:19.830
following a medical issue with one of


00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.150
the astronauts. And since then, the


00:02:22.160 --> 00:02:23.910
station has been significantly


00:02:23.920 --> 00:02:26.710
understaffed. Crew 12 is the relief


00:02:26.720 --> 00:02:27.589
team,


00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:29.910
>> which makes every weather delay feel a


00:02:29.920 --> 00:02:31.990
little more loaded than usual. The


00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:33.830
people up there are doing the work of a


00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.710
full crew with a much smaller team.


00:02:36.720 --> 00:02:39.350
>> So, who's making this trip? Well, let's


00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:41.270
run through them one more time.


00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.750
Commander is NASA astronaut Jessica


00:02:43.760 --> 00:02:45.910
Meyer, a veteran of a previous


00:02:45.920 --> 00:02:48.309
longduration station mission and well


00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:50.390
known for conducting the first all


00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:53.430
female spacew walk back in 2019. She'll


00:02:53.440 --> 00:02:56.150
be joined by pilot Jack Hathaway, also


00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:58.949
from NASA on his first space flight.


00:02:58.959 --> 00:03:00.390
>> And then there are two mission


00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.710
specialists, Sophie Adnot from the


00:03:02.720 --> 00:03:04.869
European Space Agency representing


00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.670
France and Andre FedV from Russia's


00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.470
Rosscosmos. This will be Fed JV's second


00:03:10.480 --> 00:03:12.869
trip to the station. Once they dock,


00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.270
they're looking at an 8 to Nmon stay,


00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:17.110
longer than usual, to cover the time


00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.750
lost by Crew 11's early departure.


00:03:19.760 --> 00:03:21.910
>> Now, there is a subplot to this mission


00:03:21.920 --> 00:03:23.910
that I think a lot of people may not


00:03:23.920 --> 00:03:26.149
have heard about. Back in December,


00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:28.790
Russia's Ross Cosmos quietly removed


00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.589
cosminaut Alleg Artamev from the Crew 12


00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:33.910
mission. The official line was that he


00:03:33.920 --> 00:03:37.190
had transitioned to quote other work


00:03:37.200 --> 00:03:38.710
>> which is the kind of statement that


00:03:38.720 --> 00:03:40.309
immediately makes you want to know what


00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:42.309
the actual reason is.


00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:44.710
>> Right. and investigative outlet The


00:03:44.720 --> 00:03:47.350
Insider reported that Artamev was


00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:49.430
effectively expelled from the United


00:03:49.440 --> 00:03:52.229
States by being accused of violating


00:03:52.239 --> 00:03:54.070
international traffic in arms


00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:57.030
regulations by allegedly photographing


00:03:57.040 --> 00:03:59.830
SpaceX engines, documents, and other


00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:02.229
sensitive technologies with his phone


00:04:02.239 --> 00:04:05.270
and then exporting that information. So


00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:07.830
he was allegedly taking photos inside


00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.869
SpaceX facilities of proprietary rocket


00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.030
technology and sending it out of the


00:04:13.040 --> 00:04:13.830
country.


00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:16.229
>> That appears to be the allegation. He


00:04:16.239 --> 00:04:19.030
was replaced by Andre Fedv and Ross


00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:21.830
Cosmos has said very little publicly.


00:04:21.840 --> 00:04:23.990
But it's a striking reminder that even


00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.670
in the cooperative world of the


00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:27.670
International Space Station, the


00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:30.230
geopolitical tensions of the wider world


00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:32.550
don't disappear at the door. And it


00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:34.629
raises interesting questions about what


00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:37.030
access international partners are given


00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.909
to commercial SpaceX facilities. These


00:04:39.919 --> 00:04:42.390
aren't NASA government sites.


00:04:42.400 --> 00:04:44.790
>> Anyway, the crew are in quarantine. The


00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:47.270
rocket is on the pad and all eyes are


00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:49.590
now on the Florida forecast for Friday.


00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:51.189
We'll update you the moment there's


00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:51.990
news.


00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.469
>> Our second story takes us to the outer


00:04:54.479 --> 00:04:57.749
solar system where interstellar comet 3i


00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.950
Atlas is continuing its farewell tour.


00:05:00.960 --> 00:05:03.030
And before it goes, it's been handing


00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:06.310
scientists some truly unexpected data.


00:05:06.320 --> 00:05:08.790
>> Just to set the scene, 3E Atlas was


00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.909
discovered in July 2025 by a telescope


00:05:11.919 --> 00:05:14.710
in Chile, traveling far too fast on a


00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:16.629
trajectory that couldn't possibly have


00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.189
originated within our solar system. It's


00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:21.510
only the third interstellar object ever


00:05:21.520 --> 00:05:23.749
confirmed to have passed through after


00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:28.469
Umuam Mua in 2017 and Boris in 2019.


00:05:28.479 --> 00:05:31.189
NASA's Spear X telescope observed


00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:34.629
threeey atlas in December 2025 and the


00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.950
results have been remarkable. The


00:05:36.960 --> 00:05:39.430
comet's coma has become dramatically


00:05:39.440 --> 00:05:42.710
more active and chemically complex. BREX


00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.510
detected water ice, carbon dioxide,


00:05:45.520 --> 00:05:48.629
carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and


00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.510
rocky material being ejected in chunks


00:05:51.520 --> 00:05:53.670
far larger than the fine dust grains


00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:56.230
you'd normally expect. The scientists


00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:58.629
described it as a cocktail of chemicals


00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:00.870
that haven't been exposed to space for


00:06:00.880 --> 00:06:03.510
billions of years. The James Web Space


00:06:03.520 --> 00:06:05.749
Telescope added another layer, finding


00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:08.070
that the ratio of carbon dioxide to


00:06:08.080 --> 00:06:11.590
water in the coma is approximately 8:1,


00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.070
which is one of the highest CO2 to water


00:06:14.080 --> 00:06:17.029
ratios ever measured in any comet. In


00:06:17.039 --> 00:06:19.510
our solar systems comets, water tends to


00:06:19.520 --> 00:06:22.710
dominate. So the implication is threeey


00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.110
atlas may have formed much further from


00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:27.909
its home star than a typical comet would


00:06:27.919 --> 00:06:31.110
near a CO2 ice line. Its chemistry is


00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.790
essentially telling us something about


00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:35.270
the architecture of the planetary system


00:06:35.280 --> 00:06:36.390
it came from.


00:06:36.400 --> 00:06:39.189
>> There's also data on the comet spin. It


00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.309
rotates once every 16.16


00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.710
hours and researchers found it had


00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.270
strange wobbling jets in a rare


00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:50.469
sun-facing anti-tail. Normally comet


00:06:50.479 --> 00:06:52.550
tails point away from the sun, but


00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:55.029
Threeey Atlas briefly had one pointing


00:06:55.039 --> 00:06:57.830
toward it. Genuinely weird behavior.


00:06:57.840 --> 00:06:59.990
>> As of today, Three Atlas is in the


00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.230
constellation Gemini, fading beyond


00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:04.469
naked eye visibility. It's heading


00:07:04.479 --> 00:07:06.870
towards a Jupiter flyby in mid-March


00:07:06.880 --> 00:07:09.350
before leaving the solar system forever.


00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.110
And there's one more data release to


00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:13.510
watch for.Sa's ISA's Juice spacecraft


00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:16.150
observed three Atlas back in November,


00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:17.990
but couldn't transmit the data while


00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.629
using its antenna as a heat shield. That


00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:22.790
data is expected to arrive here on Earth


00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:24.950
any time now in February. So, there


00:07:24.960 --> 00:07:27.270
could still be one more surprise coming.


00:07:27.280 --> 00:07:29.510
>> When future generations ask what we


00:07:29.520 --> 00:07:31.589
learned about other solar systems in


00:07:31.599 --> 00:07:36.230
2025 and 2026, 3i Atlas is going to be a


00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:37.749
big part of the answer.


00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:40.710
>> Safe travels, 3II/Atlas. Don't be a


00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.550
stranger. Although I suppose by


00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:46.390
definition you always will be.


00:07:46.400 --> 00:07:49.189
>> Now this next story is one I find


00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:51.749
genuinely fascinating because it sits


00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.230
right at the intersection of robotics,


00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:56.230
artificial intelligence, and the


00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.790
practical reality of exploring another


00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.749
planet. In December, NASA handed the


00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:04.309
wheel of the Perseverance Mars rover to


00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.990
an AI. Not metaphorically, literally.


00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.950
The AI generated the rover's driving way


00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:12.950
points, and the rover followed them


00:08:12.960 --> 00:08:15.430
without human control across two


00:08:15.440 --> 00:08:19.270
separate days, covering a total of 456


00:08:19.280 --> 00:08:20.150
m.


00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:22.309
>> And just to be clear, this isn't NASA


00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:24.390
hopping on a bandwagon. They have been


00:08:24.400 --> 00:08:26.629
working on autonomous rover navigation


00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.670
for years out of sheer necessity. Mars


00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:32.230
is so far away that a roundtrip radio


00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:35.029
signal takes around 25 minutes. That


00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.190
means every driving instruction you send


00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:39.589
has a built-in delay and every


00:08:39.599 --> 00:08:42.709
unexpected obstacle requires another 25


00:08:42.719 --> 00:08:44.870
minutes to respond to. Autonomous


00:08:44.880 --> 00:08:46.949
navigation isn't a luxury, it's a


00:08:46.959 --> 00:08:48.389
practical requirement.


00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.870
>> So in this demonstration, the AI


00:08:50.880 --> 00:08:53.430
analyzed orbital images from the Mars


00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.350
Reconnaissance Orbiter's high-rise


00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:58.070
camera as well as digital elevation


00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:01.030
models. It identified hazards, sand


00:09:01.040 --> 00:09:04.230
traps, boulder fields, bedrock, rocky


00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:07.110
outcrops, and then generated a path


00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:09.430
defined by a series of way points to


00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.310
avoid them. From there, Perseverance's


00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.269
own onboard auto navigation system took


00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.389
over to actually execute the drive. And


00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:20.550
importantly, before those AI generated


00:09:20.560 --> 00:09:22.710
way points were sent to Mars, they were


00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:24.389
tested here on Earth using


00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.870
Perseverance's engineering twin, a


00:09:26.880 --> 00:09:29.509
fullscale physical replica at JPL's


00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:31.829
Marsard. So, this wasn't a blind


00:09:31.839 --> 00:09:34.070
experiment. There was a safety net built


00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:34.790
in.


00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:36.949
>> The AI in question is built on


00:09:36.959 --> 00:09:39.269
Anthropics Claude, which regular


00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:41.670
listeners may know as the same AI that


00:09:41.680 --> 00:09:44.070
helps power this show. So, there's a


00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.230
certain pleasing symmetry and reporting


00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.630
on that. There really is and the


00:09:48.640 --> 00:09:50.470
engineers are excited about what comes


00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:52.710
next. One of the current limitations is


00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.870
that the longer a rover drives without


00:09:54.880 --> 00:09:57.750
human relocization, essentially humans


00:09:57.760 --> 00:09:59.590
checking in to confirm where it is on


00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.230
the map, the more positional uncertainty


00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:06.389
built up over 655 m. That uncertainty


00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:09.829
can grow to around 33 m. The goal is to


00:10:09.839 --> 00:10:12.150
use AI to solve that relocization


00:10:12.160 --> 00:10:14.550
problem, too. So rovers can handle


00:10:14.560 --> 00:10:16.949
kilome scale drives entirely on their


00:10:16.959 --> 00:10:17.750
own.


00:10:17.760 --> 00:10:20.310
>> And beyond Mars, this matters for the


00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.030
whole future of deep space exploration.


00:10:23.040 --> 00:10:25.350
NASA's Dragonfly mission to Saturn's


00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.470
moon Titan will rely heavily on AI for


00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:30.949
autonomous navigation as it flies around


00:10:30.959 --> 00:10:33.829
in Titan's thick atmosphere. The further


00:10:33.839 --> 00:10:36.150
from Earth you go, the more critical


00:10:36.160 --> 00:10:38.470
autonomous systems become. Because


00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.030
waiting 25 minutes for a signal is one


00:10:41.040 --> 00:10:43.670
thing, but waiting hours or days is


00:10:43.680 --> 00:10:44.949
quite another.


00:10:44.959 --> 00:10:47.030
>> The vision the JPL team laid out is


00:10:47.040 --> 00:10:49.269
compelling. Intelligence systems not


00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.190
just at mission control here on Earth,


00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:53.590
but embedded in the rovers, helicopters,


00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:55.990
and drones themselves. Trained on the


00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:57.990
collective knowledge of NASA's engineers


00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.350
and scientists. The Mars rover of 2035


00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:02.790
may look quite different from


00:11:02.800 --> 00:11:05.509
Perseverance. Our next story is one of


00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.430
those pieces of research that sounds


00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.069
almost philosophical at first, but turns


00:11:10.079 --> 00:11:12.389
out to have very concrete scientific


00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:15.030
implications. A new study published in


00:11:15.040 --> 00:11:17.670
Nature Astronomy has found that life on


00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:19.269
Earth may be thanks to an


00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.990
extraordinarily lucky chemical accident


00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.350
during our planet's formation nearly 4.6


00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:27.110
billion years ago.


00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.990
>> And when they say lucky, they mean it.


00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.790
The research suggests that two elements


00:11:32.800 --> 00:11:35.269
absolutely essential for life as we know


00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.550
it, phosphorus and nitrogen, only stayed


00:11:38.560 --> 00:11:40.710
accessible on Earth's surface because of


00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:44.310
a very precise and apparently quite rare


00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.389
balance of oxygen during the planet's


00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:47.829
earliest formation.


00:11:47.839 --> 00:11:50.310
>> Here's how it works. When a young rocky


00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.110
planet forms, it's initially molten, a


00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.829
churning ball of liquid rock. As heavy


00:11:55.839 --> 00:11:58.310
metals sink inward to form the core,


00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.030
lighter materials stay near the surface.


00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:03.509
During this chaotic stage called core


00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:06.069
formation, the amount of oxygen present


00:12:06.079 --> 00:12:08.710
determines where other elements end up.


00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.430
The researchers from ETHZurich found


00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:13.910
that oxygen levels need to fall within a


00:12:13.920 --> 00:12:16.150
surprisingly narrow range for both


00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:18.629
phosphorus and nitrogen to remain in the


00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:21.350
mantle and crust available for future


00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:24.389
life. Too little oxygen and phosphorus


00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.310
bonds with iron and gets dragged into


00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:28.389
the core, taking away a key ingredient


00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:30.949
for DNA, cell membranes, and energy


00:12:30.959 --> 00:12:33.750
transfer. Too much oxygen and nitrogen


00:12:33.760 --> 00:12:36.230
is more easily lost to space. Either


00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:38.470
way, the chemistry needed for life never


00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:40.949
fully comes together. Earth hit this


00:12:40.959 --> 00:12:42.629
sweet spot, what the researchers are


00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:44.949
calling a chemical goldilock zone.


00:12:44.959 --> 00:12:46.230
Precisely.


00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.310
>> The lead researcher, Craig Walton, put


00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:50.710
it clearly. If Earth had had just a


00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:52.790
little more or a little less oxygen


00:12:52.800 --> 00:12:54.870
during core formation, there would not


00:12:54.880 --> 00:12:57.030
have been enough phosphorus or nitrogen


00:12:57.040 --> 00:12:59.430
for the development of life. They also


00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.990
modeled Mars and found it likely had the


00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:04.629
wrong oxygen balance. More phosphorus in


00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.389
the mantle than Earth, but less


00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:08.629
nitrogen. Challenging conditions for


00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:10.230
life as we know it.


00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.389
>> This is a significant challenge to how


00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:13.990
we've traditionally thought about the


00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.870
search for life. The habitable zone, the


00:13:16.880 --> 00:13:19.110
region around a star where liquid water


00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:21.430
can exist on the surface, has been our


00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.829
go-to framework. But this research


00:13:23.839 --> 00:13:26.069
suggests that even a planet in the


00:13:26.079 --> 00:13:28.230
perfect orbital position with liquid


00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:30.949
water could be fundamentally incapable


00:13:30.959 --> 00:13:33.350
of supporting life if its internal


00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:35.750
chemistry didn't form correctly.


00:13:35.760 --> 00:13:38.550
>> And here's the hopeful flip side. The


00:13:38.560 --> 00:13:40.629
oxygen conditions during planetary


00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:42.949
formation are linked to the chemistry of


00:13:42.959 --> 00:13:45.509
the host star itself. Because planets


00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.750
form from the same material as their


00:13:47.760 --> 00:13:50.550
stars. So in principle, by looking at


00:13:50.560 --> 00:13:52.949
stellar chemistry, we might be able to


00:13:52.959 --> 00:13:55.509
predict which planetary systems had the


00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:57.350
right conditions from the start.


00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:59.670
Walton's advice for the search, look for


00:13:59.680 --> 00:14:02.150
solar systems with stars that resemble


00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:03.590
our own sun.


00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:05.509
>> It makes the Earth feel even more


00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.990
special and the universe feel a little


00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:11.509
more vast and empty. All right, from the


00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:14.470
philosophical to the spectacular. In


00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:16.870
exactly one week's time, on February


00:14:16.880 --> 00:14:19.670
17th, an annular solar eclipse is going


00:14:19.680 --> 00:14:22.150
to sweep across the southern hemisphere.


00:14:22.160 --> 00:14:24.310
This is the so-called Ring of Fire


00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.550
eclipse, where the moon passes directly


00:14:26.560 --> 00:14:28.790
in front of the sun. But because it's at


00:14:28.800 --> 00:14:30.790
a slightly greater distance from Earth


00:14:30.800 --> 00:14:33.350
than usual, it appears a little smaller


00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.910
than the sun's disc, the result is a


00:14:35.920 --> 00:14:37.910
thin blazing ring of sunlight


00:14:37.920 --> 00:14:40.389
surrounding the moon's dark silhouette.


00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:42.949
Stunning. Though this is different from


00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:45.189
a total solar eclipse where the moon


00:14:45.199 --> 00:14:47.189
completely covers the sun and you get


00:14:47.199 --> 00:14:49.110
that eerie darkness in the middle of the


00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.829
day. In an annular eclipse, the moon


00:14:51.839 --> 00:14:55.030
blocks about 96% of the sun's disc, but


00:14:55.040 --> 00:14:57.509
that remaining sliver stays visible, and


00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.670
the ring effect is only visible for


00:14:59.680 --> 00:15:02.389
around 2 minutes and 20 seconds at any


00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.389
given location in the past.


00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:06.870
>> The path of annularity for this one is


00:15:06.880 --> 00:15:09.590
quite remote. It runs primarily over


00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.629
Antarctica, which means the full Ring of


00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.870
Fire experience will be witnessed by the


00:15:14.880 --> 00:15:17.189
researchers at places like Concordia


00:15:17.199 --> 00:15:19.990
Station, the French Italian outpost on


00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:23.189
the Dome Sea Plateau, and Mirin Station,


00:15:23.199 --> 00:15:26.230
the Russian base on the Davis Sea Coast.


00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.509
We're talking about teams of maybe 50 to


00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.629
200 people. A very exclusive audience


00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.269
for one of nature's best shows. For the


00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:37.269
rest of us, partial phases will be


00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.430
visible from the southernmost parts of


00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.509
South America, southern Chile, and


00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.670
Argentina, and from parts of South


00:15:43.680 --> 00:15:46.389
Africa. Not the full ring, but still a


00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:48.069
striking sight if you're in the right


00:15:48.079 --> 00:15:50.550
location with proper eclipse glasses.


00:15:50.560 --> 00:15:53.030
And it goes without saying, never look


00:15:53.040 --> 00:15:55.110
directly at the sun during an eclipse


00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:57.590
without approved eclipse glasses. The


00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:00.069
ring of fire does not mean the sun is


00:16:00.079 --> 00:16:02.550
safe to look at. There's also something


00:16:02.560 --> 00:16:04.949
lovely about the timing of this eclipse.


00:16:04.959 --> 00:16:07.350
February 17th is the start of Chinese


00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:09.990
New Year, specifically the year of the


00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.629
Firehorse. The new moon that causes the


00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:14.949
eclipse is the same new moon that marks


00:16:14.959 --> 00:16:17.269
the beginning of the lunar new year. And


00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.269
the cresant moon visible on February


00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:22.310
18th will signal the start of Ramadan.


00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.550
So, this one celestial event sits right


00:16:24.560 --> 00:16:26.710
at the intersection of multiple major


00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.110
cultural moments around the world. If


00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.710
you're not in the past and want to


00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.710
watch, there will almost certainly be


00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.550
live streams from research teams in


00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:36.470
Antarctica. We'll keep an eye out and


00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:38.629
link to any good ones in the show notes.


00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:40.389
And we're going to close out today's


00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:43.030
main stories with a Starship update.


00:16:43.040 --> 00:16:45.430
Because after a frustrating lull, things


00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:48.150
are very much moving again at SpaceX's


00:16:48.160 --> 00:16:50.949
Starbase facility in South Texas. To


00:16:50.959 --> 00:16:53.110
understand why this is significant, you


00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:55.910
need a quick bit of context. The last


00:16:55.920 --> 00:16:58.629
Starship flight, flight 11, was the


00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:00.310
final launch of the block 2


00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.710
configuration. SpaceX is now


00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.270
transitioning to block 3, which is a


00:17:05.280 --> 00:17:07.350
significantly upgraded architecture


00:17:07.360 --> 00:17:10.309
featuring new Raptor 3 engines, enhanced


00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.549
performance, and improved reusability


00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:15.029
features. But the development of Block


00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.829
3, hit a serious setback when booster


00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:21.270
18, the first Block 3 booster, failed


00:17:21.280 --> 00:17:23.590
during cryogenic pressure testing late


00:17:23.600 --> 00:17:26.789
last year. Its outer container cracked.


00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:30.310
>> Base X moved fast. Booster 19, the


00:17:30.320 --> 00:17:32.390
replacement, was stacked and delivered


00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:34.789
to the test site in record time. And in


00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.549
the first week of February, it


00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:39.590
successfully completed not one but two


00:17:39.600 --> 00:17:42.390
cryogenic pressure tests. The first was


00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:45.750
on February 2nd, the second on the 4th.


00:17:45.760 --> 00:17:48.789
Both passed. Starbase watchers described


00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:51.110
it as looking like the entire booster


00:17:51.120 --> 00:17:54.070
had frozen solid as super chilled liquid


00:17:54.080 --> 00:17:56.549
oxygen entered it, which is exactly what


00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:57.909
it's supposed to do.


00:17:57.919 --> 00:17:59.909
>> Booster 19 has since been returned to


00:17:59.919 --> 00:18:01.990
the production site for further work.


00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.990
And all eyes are now on the flight


00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:07.430
stack. Booster 19 paired with ship 39,


00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:09.110
which is being prepared for what will be


00:18:09.120 --> 00:18:12.390
the debut of the full Block 3 vehicle.


00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.390
The current target is a launch window in


00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.029
the February to March time frame, though


00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:19.110
sources familiar with the program point


00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:21.510
to March as the most realistic date.


00:18:21.520 --> 00:18:24.150
>> Flight 12 is a genuinely significant


00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:26.310
milestone. It'll be the first flight of


00:18:26.320 --> 00:18:28.870
the block 3 Starship, the first use of


00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:31.750
the new pad 2 architecture at Starbase,


00:18:31.760 --> 00:18:34.630
and the debut of Raptor 3 engines at


00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:38.070
scale. The stakes are high. NASA needs a


00:18:38.080 --> 00:18:40.310
successful block 3 to progress towards


00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:42.390
using Starship as the human landing


00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:44.789
system for the Aremis program's crude


00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.430
lunar missions. That timeline is already


00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:48.549
under pressure.


00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:50.789
>> Meanwhile, infrastructure work continues


00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:53.909
at a remarkable pace. Pad 1 at Starbase


00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:56.870
is being rebuilt. Space X's facility at


00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:58.950
Kennedy Space Center at launch complex


00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:01.669
39A is progressing toward a first


00:19:01.679 --> 00:19:03.590
Florida Starship launch in the second


00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:07.110
half of 2026. And environmental approval


00:19:07.120 --> 00:19:08.950
has been granted for a brand new


00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.830
Starship complex at Space Launch Complex


00:19:11.840 --> 00:19:14.710
37 at Cape Canaveral, which would


00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.110
eventually give the program five launch


00:19:17.120 --> 00:19:19.510
pads across Texas and Florida.


00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:22.710
>> Five launch pads for Starship. It's a


00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:25.430
lot to take in, but after booster 18's


00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.590
failure and the testing lull, the fact


00:19:27.600 --> 00:19:30.470
that booster 19 has passed its cryotests


00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:32.870
and flight 12 is back on track is


00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.270
genuinely good news for the program.


00:19:35.280 --> 00:19:37.590
>> We will be watching closely.


00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:39.270
>> That is everything we've got for you


00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:42.150
today on Astronomy Daily. Fix stories,


00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:43.909
all of them worth your time. From


00:19:43.919 --> 00:19:45.669
astronauts waiting for weather in


00:19:45.679 --> 00:19:48.230
Florida to a comet carrying four


00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.310
billionyear-old secrets from another


00:19:50.320 --> 00:19:53.350
star, a rover taking orders from an AI


00:19:53.360 --> 00:19:56.070
on Mars, new science that makes life on


00:19:56.080 --> 00:19:58.789
Earth feel like a cosmic lottery win, a


00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:01.909
ring of fire one week away, and Starship


00:20:01.919 --> 00:20:04.150
dusting itself off for another attempt


00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.430
at history.


00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.350
>> A genuinely brilliant day to be


00:20:07.360 --> 00:20:09.110
following space news. Thank you so much


00:20:09.120 --> 00:20:11.110
for spending part of it with us. If you


00:20:11.120 --> 00:20:12.870
enjoyed today's episode, please


00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:14.310
subscribe wherever you get your


00:20:14.320 --> 00:20:16.230
podcasts. And if you want to go deeper


00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:18.549
on any of these stories, full show notes


00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.150
and our blog are over at


00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:22.310
astronomyaily.io.


00:20:22.320 --> 00:20:24.230
>> Until tomorrow, keep looking up.


00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:26.310
>> Take care, everyone.


00:20:26.320 --> 00:20:28.549
>> Daily


00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:36.470
stories.


00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:40.280
Stories to tell.