From Cosmic Collisions to Habitable Moons: Your Daily Space Update

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Welcome to Astronomy [music]


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Daily, the podcast where we dive into


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the latest wonders of space and


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astronomy while drinking coffee. [music]


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I'm Anna and joining me is my co-host


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Avery. Hey Avery, it's [music] January


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6th, 2026. I trust the new year is still


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treating you well.


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>> Hey Anna, and hello to everyone


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listening. [music]


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It's been great. Lots of clear skies for


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stargazing lately. 2026 is already


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delivering some intriguing stories from


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satellite mishaps [music] to upcoming


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launches and big questions about life in


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the universe. We've got six [music]


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solid ones today, so let's not waste any


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time and get started. First up, a bit of


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bad luck for a brand new satellite.


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Spain's newest communications bird,


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Spain NG2, got hit by a space particle


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while heading to its final orbit. Yeah,


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this one's operated by Histasat for


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Spain's Ministry of Defense. Built by


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Airbus as part of a two billion euro


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pair for advanced government comms


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across Europe. It launched on a Falcon 9


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back in October 2025. And the strike


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happened at around 31,000 m up, actually


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higher than its target geostationary


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spot at 22,000 mi.


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>> The particle impact was reported just a


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few days ago on January 2nd. They're


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calling it a space particle, which could


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mean anything from a micrometeoroid to a


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bit of space debris. Damage extent is


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still unknown, but Histasat quickly


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activated a contingency plan to keep


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services running for the Defense


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Ministry and other clients without


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interruption.


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>> Their team's analyzing data now, and if


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needed, they'll replace it ASAP. It's a


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reminder of how risky the space


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environment is. Even in high orbits,


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collisions can happen. Glad they had


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backups in place.


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>> Absolutely. Space is harsh, but


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redundancy saves the day.


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>> Shifting to launches, we've got a busy


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week ahead with several missions on the


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docket. SpaceX is leading the pack with


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multiple Falcon 9 flights.


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>> Starting January 8th, Starlink Group


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6-96 with 29 V2 mini satellites from


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Cape Canaveral. Then on the 10th, group


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6-97,


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another 29 for the same shell. These are


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boosting the constellation that's


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already serving millions globally.


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>> And on the 11th, a cool ride share


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called Twilight or Pandora and others


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from Vandenberg into sun-synchronous


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orbit. Highlights include NASA's Pandora


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mission to observe exoplanet transits in


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visible and IR for atmospheric clues,


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plus Kepler's first operational SATs for


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a laser linked mesh network, Spire's


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hyperspectral microwave sounder for


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better weather data, and some Lambert


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two birds. Then ISRO kicks off their


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2026 on January 12th with a PSLV


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carrying EOSN1,


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an Earth observation sat, possibly


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hyperspectral for defense, and 18 ride


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shares, including an experimental


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re-entry capsule.


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>> It's a packed lineup. Starlink


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expansion, exoplanet science, weather


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tech, and more. Exciting to see ride


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shares making space accessible. Next,


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some fascinating lab work bolstering one


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of the leading ideas on how life began


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on Earth, the RNA world hypothesis.


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>> The hypothesis says RNA, that versatile


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molecule that can store info like DNA,


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and catalyze reactions like proteins,


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might have been the first


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self-replicating life precursor. A team


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led by Utah Hiakawa from Tohoke


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University mixed RNA building blocks,


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ribos sugar, phosphates, nucleiobases,


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and borates from seawater and basalt


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rock. They heated and dried the mix,


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mimicking underground aquifers on early


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Earth. Surprisingly, borates didn't


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block formation. They stabilized ribos


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and helped phosphates, allowing RNA to


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form naturally through the discontinuous


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synthesis model steps. This is big


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because all those ingredients have been


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found in space. Ribos on asteroid Bennu


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via Osiris Rex. A massive impact 4.3


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billion years ago could have delivered


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them, kickstarting RNA in borate rich


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spots just before life's earliest signs.


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>> Implications: life might have emerged


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faster than thought and similar


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chemistry could happen on Mars, where


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borates are detected. It's not proof,


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but strong lab support for RNA as the


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bridge to life.


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>> Love how this ties astrobiology to


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origins right here on Earth.


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>> Speaking of the moon, 2026 is shaping up


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for a private lunar landing rush with


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several companies aiming to touch down.


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>> We're seeing multiple commercial


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missions targeting the surface this


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year, part of the broader push with


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NASA's CLPS program and private


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ventures. Though details vary, expect


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attempts from players like Intuitive


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Machines, iSpace, and others building on


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recent efforts.


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>> These soft landers and rovers are


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scouting resources, testing tech, and


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paving the way for sustained presence.


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Successes could accelerate the moon


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economy.


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>> Definitely, 2026 could be a pivotal year


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for private lunar exploration. Now an


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ambitious proposal to hunt for habitable


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moons around distant giant exoplanets.


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>> A team including Thomas Winterhalder


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from ESO suggest building a kilometric


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baseline intererometer mirrors


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kilometers apart for ultra high


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resolution down to one microarchse


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second. Paired with the upcoming


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extremely large telescope's 39 meter


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mirror, it could spot Earth-sized


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exomoons out to 652 lighty years via


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astrometric wobbles.


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>> Current methods like transits are tricky


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for moons around far out gas giants,


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where habitable zones might rely on


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tidal heating like Europa or Enceladus.


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This setup could directly image planets


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and detect moon signals.


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>> Challenges are huge, costs in billions.


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tech development post 20228 ELT. But if


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it works, we might find the first truly


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habitable exo worlds powered by internal


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heat, not just starlight.


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>> Mindblowing potential for life beyond


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Earthlike planets.


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>> Finally, China's Chongi 7 mission is


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gearing up to probe the moon's south


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pole secrets, especially water ice. The


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stack includes an orbiter, lander,


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rover, a hopping probe for tough terrain


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and a relay sat. Target permanently


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shadowed craters near the pole where


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ancient ice could reveal the solar


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systems volatile history. Ridgelines


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there get near constant sunlight for


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power while craters trap ice.


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Objectives: precision landing, resource


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prospecting, insitue analysis, key for


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future bases. It's phase four of China's


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lunar program, precursor to Changi 8 for


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utilization tech like 3D printing


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supporting the International Lunar


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Research Station. Hopping probe is


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clever for accessing shadowed spots


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rovers can't.


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>> This could unlock sustainable lunar


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habitation, water for fuel, air,


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drinking.


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>> And that's it for today's space and


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astronomy news. What a diverse episode.


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satellite hits, launch previews, origins


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of life, lunar ambitions, private and


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national, and exomoon hunts.


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>> The universe keeps surprising us. Thanks


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for tuning in to Astronomy Daily. We


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appreciate you joining the conversation.


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>> If you enjoyed this, subscribe and share


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with a fellow space fan. We'll be back


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tomorrow with more.


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>> Until then, keep looking up.


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>> Clear skies. [music and singing]


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Stories we told.


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[music]