SpaceX Shifts to Moon: The New Lunar Space Race Begins | Astronomy Daily

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.110
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.990
for the latest space and astronomy news.


00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:06.950
I'm Anna.


00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:09.270
>> And I'm Avery. It's Monday, February


00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:12.390
9th, 2026, and we've got a fascinating


00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:13.830
lineup for you today.


00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:16.230
>> We certainly do. And there's a definite


00:00:16.240 --> 00:00:17.990
theme emerging in our first three


00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.550
stories. It seems everyone's headed to


00:00:20.560 --> 00:00:23.590
the moon. We're talking SpaceX, European


00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:26.310
Aerospace, and NASA's Aremis program,


00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:28.310
all making lunar headlines.


00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.390
>> That's right. Beyond the moon focus,


00:00:30.400 --> 00:00:32.549
we'll also explore new discoveries about


00:00:32.559 --> 00:00:35.270
auroras, solve a 40-year mystery about


00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:37.750
Uranus, and catch up with SpaceX's


00:00:37.760 --> 00:00:39.670
return to flight after a brief


00:00:39.680 --> 00:00:42.229
grounding. Let's dive right in with what


00:00:42.239 --> 00:00:44.389
might be the biggest surprise in space


00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:45.670
news this week.


00:00:45.680 --> 00:00:48.470
>> In a major strategic pivot, Elon Musk


00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:50.950
announced Sunday that SpaceX is putting


00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:53.110
its long-standing Mars colonization


00:00:53.120 --> 00:00:55.830
plans on the back burner to prioritize


00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:58.389
establishing a settlement on the moon.


00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:00.869
This is quite the reversal, Avery. For


00:01:00.879 --> 00:01:02.709
years, Musk has been the biggest


00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:05.109
cheerleader for Mars, making it almost


00:01:05.119 --> 00:01:07.910
synonymous with SpaceX's identity. What


00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.350
prompted this shift?


00:01:09.360 --> 00:01:11.590
>> It comes down to practicality and


00:01:11.600 --> 00:01:14.070
timelines. According to Musk's post on


00:01:14.080 --> 00:01:16.870
X, SpaceX believes they can achieve a


00:01:16.880 --> 00:01:19.109
self-growing city on the moon in less


00:01:19.119 --> 00:01:21.990
than 10 years, whereas Mars would take


00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.550
20 plus years. The key difference is


00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:25.910
launch windows,


00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:27.910
>> right? The orbital mechanics are


00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:29.749
completely different. You can only


00:01:29.759 --> 00:01:31.749
travel to Mars when the planets align


00:01:31.759 --> 00:01:34.630
every 26 months, but launches to the


00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:37.670
moon can happen every 10 days. That's a


00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:39.590
massive advantage for rapid iteration


00:01:39.600 --> 00:01:41.030
and development.


00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:43.749
>> Exactly. Musk said easier access means


00:01:43.759 --> 00:01:45.910
they can iterate much faster to complete


00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.550
a moon city than a Mars city. And this


00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:51.030
isn't just about SpaceX's preferences.


00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:52.950
It also aligns with President Trump's


00:01:52.960 --> 00:01:55.109
space policy directive from late last


00:01:55.119 --> 00:01:57.510
year, which focused on getting Americans


00:01:57.520 --> 00:02:00.389
to the moon by 2028 under the Aremis


00:02:00.399 --> 00:02:03.270
program. SpaceX is a major contractor


00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:05.670
for Artemis. So, this alignment makes


00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:07.990
perfect business sense, but I have to


00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.790
ask, what about all those Mars promises?


00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.110
Musk has blown through several previous


00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:14.550
estimates before.


00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:17.670
>> He has indeed. Back in 2016, he said


00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:19.670
passengers could take off from Mars as


00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.190
soon as 2024. And in 2011, he told the


00:02:23.200 --> 00:02:25.589
Wall Street Journal it would be 10 to 20


00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.670
years, but he's not completely


00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:30.630
abandoning Mars. Musk says SpaceX will


00:02:30.640 --> 00:02:32.550
still strive to build a Mars city and


00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:35.030
will begin doing so in about 5 to 7


00:02:35.040 --> 00:02:35.990
years.


00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:38.390
>> So, it's more of a rep prioritization


00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:40.710
than a complete abandonment. The moon


00:02:40.720 --> 00:02:42.790
becomes the proving ground, the place


00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:44.949
where they perfect the technologies and


00:02:44.959 --> 00:02:46.710
techniques needed for off-world


00:02:46.720 --> 00:02:48.869
settlement. And then those lessons get


00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:50.390
applied to Mars.


00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:52.390
>> That's the plan. It's actually a more


00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:54.150
measured approach than what we've heard


00:02:54.160 --> 00:02:56.869
from Musk in the past. Let reality and


00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:59.030
results guide the timeline rather than


00:02:59.040 --> 00:03:00.710
ambitious predictions.


00:03:00.720 --> 00:03:03.430
>> While SpaceX refocuses on the moon,


00:03:03.440 --> 00:03:05.509
Europe is also making moves in that


00:03:05.519 --> 00:03:07.750
direction. German space technology


00:03:07.760 --> 00:03:10.710
company OB announced it has established


00:03:10.720 --> 00:03:13.270
a new subsidiary called the European


00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.750
Moonport Company. This is interesting


00:03:15.760 --> 00:03:18.070
timing. The company was actually founded


00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:21.190
back in May 2025, but they only made it


00:03:21.200 --> 00:03:24.470
public on February 4th. The CEO, Marco


00:03:24.480 --> 00:03:26.390
Fuks, said they're supporting Europe's


00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.550
ambition to establish a permanent


00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.350
presence on the moon independently.


00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.830
>> Independently is the key word there.


00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.149
What exactly will this company do?


00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:37.990
>> In the near term, it's primarily


00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.949
consolidating OB's existing moon related


00:03:40.959 --> 00:03:43.110
activities. They're already involved as


00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:45.430
a subcontractor on several European


00:03:45.440 --> 00:03:47.589
lunar missions, including providing


00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.149
subsystems for European Space Ay's


00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.550
Argonaut Lunar Lander, which is expected


00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:54.789
to launch in 2031.


00:03:54.799 --> 00:03:57.030
>> And they're also working on the Aspree


00:03:57.040 --> 00:03:59.429
module for NASA's Lunar Gateway Space


00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:00.630
Station. Right.


00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:02.869
>> Correct. These contributions are part of


00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:05.110
Europe's barter arrangements with NASA


00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.190
to secure flight opportunities for


00:04:07.200 --> 00:04:09.830
European astronauts to the gateway. But


00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.949
OB has bigger visions. They unveiled a


00:04:12.959 --> 00:04:15.270
concept for a central launch and landing


00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:17.670
base on the lunar surface developed with


00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:19.909
Munich Airport International.


00:04:19.919 --> 00:04:22.950
>> An airport on the moon, though I imagine


00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:25.830
it's more concept than concrete plan at


00:04:25.840 --> 00:04:26.950
this stage.


00:04:26.960 --> 00:04:29.110
>> You're right. The article describes it


00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:31.510
as a high-level concept, basically a


00:04:31.520 --> 00:04:33.590
model used for the press event. But


00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.030
here's where it gets politically


00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.990
interesting. OB's press release claimed


00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.070
Germany took a lead role in lunar


00:04:40.080 --> 00:04:43.110
exploration at ISSA's November 2025


00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.110
ministerial council meeting.


00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.270
>> I sense some skepticism in that


00:04:47.280 --> 00:04:48.469
phrasing.


00:04:48.479 --> 00:04:50.710
>> Well, the evidence doesn't quite support


00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.950
that claim. While Germany contributed


00:04:52.960 --> 00:04:55.270
the largest single share to exploration


00:04:55.280 --> 00:04:59.670
at €885 million, that contribution was


00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.749
made at the program level rather than


00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:03.510
being specifically earmarked for the


00:05:03.520 --> 00:05:05.510
moon. Based on element level


00:05:05.520 --> 00:05:07.670
commitments, Italy actually committed


00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:09.590
the largest share to ISA's moon


00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:13.670
exploration element at 284 million.


00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:16.550
>> So perhaps more aspiration than actual


00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:18.790
leadership at this point. Still, it


00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:20.629
shows Europe recognizes the moon's


00:05:20.639 --> 00:05:22.870
strategic importance and doesn't want to


00:05:22.880 --> 00:05:24.310
be left behind.


00:05:24.320 --> 00:05:26.469
>> Absolutely. This is the second such


00:05:26.479 --> 00:05:28.550
specialized company OB has founded


00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:30.870
recently. They established the European


00:05:30.880 --> 00:05:34.230
Spaceport Company in November 2025. It


00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:35.749
shows they're serious about building


00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:37.270
infrastructure for the new space


00:05:37.280 --> 00:05:38.390
economy.


00:05:38.400 --> 00:05:40.469
>> Speaking of getting to the moon, let's


00:05:40.479 --> 00:05:43.110
check in on NASA's Aremis 2 mission.


00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:44.629
There have been some developments since


00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:46.710
the wet dress rehearsal that concluded


00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:48.469
on February 3rd.


00:05:48.479 --> 00:05:50.550
>> Yes. And it's a bit of good news, bad


00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.790
news situation. Technicians discovered


00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:54.790
higher than allowable hydrogen gas


00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:56.790
concentrations during the test and have


00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:58.790
been working to address the issue.


00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.790
>> What exactly was the problem?


00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.870
>> The elevated gas levels were found in


00:06:02.880 --> 00:06:05.110
the tail service mast umbilical on the


00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.510
mobile launcher. Once the rocket's tanks


00:06:07.520 --> 00:06:09.670
were drained of cryogenic propellant,


00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:11.510
technicians immediately accessed the


00:06:11.520 --> 00:06:13.670
area and replaced two seals around the


00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:14.950
fueling lines.


00:06:14.960 --> 00:06:17.189
>> These tail service masts are pretty


00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:19.189
critical, right? They're about three


00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:21.749
stories tall and provide the cryogenic


00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:23.350
propellant lines and electrical


00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:25.510
connections to the core stage.


00:06:25.520 --> 00:06:27.749
>> Exactly. They tilt back before launch


00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:29.830
and include quick disconnect mechanisms


00:06:29.840 --> 00:06:31.749
that instantaneously separate at


00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:34.150
liftoff. Getting these seals right is


00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.710
crucial for a safe launch. Engineers are


00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:38.309
analyzing the removed seals and


00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:40.390
developing plans to address all issues


00:06:40.400 --> 00:06:42.629
ahead of the next wet dress rehearsal.


00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:44.230
>> When do they expect to complete the


00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:45.189
repairs?


00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:47.189
>> Reconnecting the interfaces is expected


00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:49.670
to be complete today, February 9th.


00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:51.510
They're also planning testing at NASA's


00:06:51.520 --> 00:06:53.510
Stenson Space Center in Mississippi, to


00:06:53.520 --> 00:06:55.350
evaluate additional dynamics of the


00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:57.430
plates, and they're reviewing options to


00:06:57.440 --> 00:06:59.589
test the repair work prior to the next


00:06:59.599 --> 00:07:01.909
wet dress rehearsal. I noticed they're


00:07:01.919 --> 00:07:04.070
also making some operational changes for


00:07:04.080 --> 00:07:05.670
the next rehearsal.


00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:07.589
>> Right. They're streamlining to focus on


00:07:07.599 --> 00:07:09.749
fueling activities. The Orion crew


00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:11.830
module hatch will be closed prior to the


00:07:11.840 --> 00:07:13.749
test and the closeout crew won't be


00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:15.670
deployed to the launchpad. The crew


00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:17.909
access arm won't be retracted since they


00:07:17.919 --> 00:07:19.670
successfully demonstrated the ground


00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:21.589
launch sequencer can retract it during


00:07:21.599 --> 00:07:22.710
the countdown.


00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:25.749
>> And they've added extra hold time. Yes,


00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:27.830
30 minutes of extra time during each of


00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:29.830
two planned holds in the countdown,


00:07:29.840 --> 00:07:31.189
giving them more troubleshooting


00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:33.749
capacity. The total countdown increases


00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:35.589
by 1 hour, but it won't affect the


00:07:35.599 --> 00:07:37.589
crew's timeline on launch day.


00:07:37.599 --> 00:07:40.230
>> What about the astronauts? Reed Wisman,


00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:42.469
Victor Glover, Christina Coach, and


00:07:42.479 --> 00:07:44.710
Jeremy Hansen must be eager to get


00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:47.110
going. They've emerged from quarantine


00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.189
and continuing training activities,


00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:50.950
reviewing flight day details and


00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:53.029
ensuring their familiarity with Orion


00:07:53.039 --> 00:07:55.749
systems is second nature. NASA still


00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:57.909
eyes March as a next potential launch


00:07:57.919 --> 00:07:59.589
opportunity, but they won't set a


00:07:59.599 --> 00:08:01.830
targeted date until after a successful


00:08:01.840 --> 00:08:04.469
wet dress rehearsal and data review.


00:08:04.479 --> 00:08:06.950
>> Patience and precision. That's what it


00:08:06.960 --> 00:08:09.510
takes to safely send humans beyond low


00:08:09.520 --> 00:08:11.909
Earth orbit for the first time in over


00:08:11.919 --> 00:08:14.950
50 years. From the moon to phenomena


00:08:14.960 --> 00:08:17.350
much closer to home, an international


00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:19.430
research team has finally answered a


00:08:19.440 --> 00:08:21.430
question that's puzzled scientists for


00:08:21.440 --> 00:08:24.070
decades. What powers the electrical


00:08:24.080 --> 00:08:26.150
fields that accelerate particles to


00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.629
create auroras? The northern and


00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:31.029
southern lights are one of nature's most


00:08:31.039 --> 00:08:33.350
spectacular displays, but we're still


00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:35.110
learning about the fundamental physics


00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:37.589
behind them. What did they discover?


00:08:37.599 --> 00:08:39.509
Researchers from the University of Hong


00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:42.630
Kong and UCLA found that plasma waves


00:08:42.640 --> 00:08:44.630
traveling along Earth's magnetic field


00:08:44.640 --> 00:08:47.350
lines called alphan waves act as a


00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:49.910
natural accelerator. These waves supply


00:08:49.920 --> 00:08:52.230
the energy that drives charged particles


00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:54.949
into the atmosphere producing auroras.


00:08:54.959 --> 00:08:56.790
>> How did they figure this out?


00:08:56.800 --> 00:08:59.110
>> They analyzed data from multiple earth


00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.670
orbiting satellites including NASA's Van


00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:04.470
Allen probes and theis mission. The data


00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:06.470
showed how these alphan waves maintain


00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:08.550
the electric fields that would otherwise


00:09:08.560 --> 00:09:11.030
dissipate by continuously transferring


00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:13.350
energy to the acceleration region.


00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.590
>> Though it's a sustained process, not


00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.150
just a one-time jolt of energy.


00:09:18.160 --> 00:09:21.590
>> Exactly. Professor Zong Hua Yao from HKU


00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:24.070
who leads the team said this discovery


00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.310
not only provides a definitive answer to


00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.790
the physics of Earth's aurora but also


00:09:28.800 --> 00:09:31.269
offers a universal model applicable to


00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:33.030
other planets in our solar system and


00:09:33.040 --> 00:09:33.990
beyond.


00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.310
>> That's the really exciting part. His


00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.389
team has long focused on auroral


00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.870
processes of giant planets like Jupiter


00:09:40.880 --> 00:09:43.430
and Saturn. By applying that planetary


00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.509
knowledge to the highresolution data


00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:47.750
available near Earth, they've bridged


00:09:47.760 --> 00:09:49.590
the gap between Earth science and


00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:51.430
planetary exploration.


00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.190
>> It's a perfect example of how


00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:55.750
interdisciplinary expertise advances our


00:09:55.760 --> 00:09:58.389
understanding. The UCLA team brought


00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:00.070
deep knowledge of Earth's auroral


00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:02.790
physics while the HKU team contributed


00:10:02.800 --> 00:10:04.550
their expertise in planetary


00:10:04.560 --> 00:10:07.190
magnetospheres. And now we can apply


00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:09.430
these insights to understanding auroras


00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:12.070
on Jupiter, Saturn, and potentially


00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.710
exoplanets with magnetic fields. It's


00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.269
fascinating how solving one mystery


00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:19.350
opens doors to understanding phenomena


00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.269
across the universe.


00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:23.590
>> Speaking of planetary mysteries, let's


00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:25.430
head to the outer solar system and


00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.710
revisit an anomaly from 1986. Remember


00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.190
when Voyager 2 flew past Uranus and


00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:33.590
detected unexpectedly high radiation


00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:36.069
levels? That flyby has puzzled


00:10:36.079 --> 00:10:38.790
scientists for nearly 40 years. The


00:10:38.800 --> 00:10:40.949
radiation readings were much higher than


00:10:40.959 --> 00:10:42.790
anticipated based on our understanding


00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:45.590
of planetary radiation systems. What's


00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:46.710
the explanation?


00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.190
>> New research published in Geoysical


00:10:49.200 --> 00:10:51.670
Research Letters suggests that Uranus


00:10:51.680 --> 00:10:54.069
was experiencing a rare space weather


00:10:54.079 --> 00:10:57.269
event during Voyager 2's visit, a solar


00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:59.910
wind disturbance called a co-rotating


00:10:59.920 --> 00:11:03.350
interaction region or CIR. These are the


00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:05.350
same kind of events that affect Earth's


00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:07.190
radiation belts. Right.


00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:10.630
>> Exactly. Cir occur when fast solar wind


00:11:10.640 --> 00:11:13.190
streams overtake slower ones, creating a


00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:15.990
region of increased energy. Dr. Robert


00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:17.829
Allen from the Southwest Research


00:11:17.839 --> 00:11:19.910
Institute led the study and said they


00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:22.230
took a comparative approach, looking at


00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:24.470
Voyager 2 data alongside Earth


00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:27.030
observations made in the decades since.


00:11:27.040 --> 00:11:29.590
>> So basically, Voyager 2 just happened to


00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:31.990
visit Uranus during a cosmic storm.


00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.470
That's the working theory. On Earth,


00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:36.870
these events can dramatically accelerate


00:11:36.880 --> 00:11:39.509
electrons in our radiation belts. Dr.


00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:41.829
Sarah Vines, a co-author, pointed out


00:11:41.839 --> 00:11:45.190
that in 2019, Earth experienced one of


00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:47.110
these events that caused an immense


00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:49.430
amount of radiation belt electron


00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:52.230
acceleration. If a similar mechanism


00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.870
interacted with the Uranian system, it


00:11:54.880 --> 00:11:56.949
would explain the unexpected energy


00:11:56.959 --> 00:11:59.750
Voyager 2 detected. It's remarkable that


00:11:59.760 --> 00:12:02.069
we're still extracting new insights from


00:12:02.079 --> 00:12:05.030
data collected almost 40 years ago. What


00:12:05.040 --> 00:12:06.629
are the implications for future


00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:07.670
missions?


00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:09.910
>> Dr. Allen says this is just one more


00:12:09.920 --> 00:12:11.670
reason to send a mission targeting


00:12:11.680 --> 00:12:13.990
Uranus. The findings have important


00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.069
implications for similar systems like


00:12:16.079 --> 00:12:18.629
Neptune's magnetosphere. Understanding


00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.870
how solar wind and radiation belts


00:12:20.880 --> 00:12:22.870
interact across different planetary


00:12:22.880 --> 00:12:25.350
systems helps us refine our models of


00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:26.870
space weather throughout the solar


00:12:26.880 --> 00:12:29.670
system. And it reminds us that single


00:12:29.680 --> 00:12:32.629
flyby observations, while invaluable,


00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.509
can catch planets in unusual states. We


00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.670
need return missions to build a complete


00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:38.710
picture.


00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.870
>> Absolutely. Uranus remains one of the


00:12:40.880 --> 00:12:42.790
least understood planets in our solar


00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:44.870
system, and this discovery makes the


00:12:44.880 --> 00:12:46.870
case for a dedicated orbiter mission


00:12:46.880 --> 00:12:48.230
even stronger.


00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.310
>> Finally, let's bring things back to


00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.430
current operations. SpaceX successfully


00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:56.069
resumed Falcon 9 flights on Saturday,


00:12:56.079 --> 00:12:58.790
just 5 days after standing down due to


00:12:58.800 --> 00:13:01.190
an upper stage anomaly. The return to


00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:02.949
flight came with a Starlink mission from


00:13:02.959 --> 00:13:04.870
Vandenberg Space Force Base in


00:13:04.880 --> 00:13:07.509
California. The Falcon 9 lifted off at


00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:10.550
12:58 p.m. local time, carrying 25


00:13:10.560 --> 00:13:12.150
Starlink satellites.


00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:14.550
>> And everything went smoothly this time,


00:13:14.560 --> 00:13:16.550
>> perfectly. The satellites were deployed


00:13:16.560 --> 00:13:19.110
as planned about an hour after liftoff.


00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:21.750
The first stage booster making its 13th


00:13:21.760 --> 00:13:23.829
flight successfully landed on the drone


00:13:23.839 --> 00:13:26.069
ship of course I still love you in the


00:13:26.079 --> 00:13:28.629
Pacific Ocean. Most importantly, the


00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:30.870
upper stage performed as expected.


00:13:30.880 --> 00:13:33.269
>> That's a relief after the February 2nd


00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:35.829
incident. What exactly happened during


00:13:35.839 --> 00:13:36.790
that flight?


00:13:36.800 --> 00:13:38.230
>> After successfully deploying its


00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:40.069
Starling payload, the upper stage


00:13:40.079 --> 00:13:42.230
experienced what SpaceX called an


00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.110
offnormal condition. A gas bubble formed


00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:46.710
in the transfer tube ahead of the


00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.870
planned theorbit burn, preventing the


00:13:48.880 --> 00:13:51.430
stage from reigniting. The vehicle then


00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:53.509
performed as designed to passivate the


00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:55.350
stage, which re-entered over the


00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.470
southern Indian Ocean about 10.5 hours


00:13:58.480 --> 00:13:59.269
later.


00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:01.750
>> So, it wasn't a catastrophic failure,


00:14:01.760 --> 00:14:04.230
but it wasn't nominal either. How


00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:06.710
quickly did SpaceX turn this around?


00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:08.949
>> Impressively fast. They submitted a


00:14:08.959 --> 00:14:11.110
report to the FAA including the likely


00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.910
cause and corrective actions. The FAA


00:14:13.920 --> 00:14:15.910
cleared them to resume launches earlier


00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:17.990
this week. And here we are back to


00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:21.350
flying. This was SpaceX's 15th launch of


00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.030
2026. With over 9,600


00:14:25.040 --> 00:14:27.750
active Starlink satellites now in orbit,


00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:29.509
these launches have become almost


00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:32.310
routine, but each one still requires


00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.389
meticulous attention to safety and


00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:35.590
reliability.


00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.990
>> Absolutely. And speaking of Starlink,


00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.470
this particular mission added 25 more


00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:42.389
satellites to the constellation.


00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:44.550
continuing to expand global broadband


00:14:44.560 --> 00:14:45.509
coverage.


00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:48.389
>> What a lineup today. From SpaceX's


00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.870
strategic pivot to the moon to Europe's


00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:53.189
lunar ambitions, NASA's Aremis


00:14:53.199 --> 00:14:55.750
preparations, and fascinating planetary


00:14:55.760 --> 00:14:57.269
science discoveries.


00:14:57.279 --> 00:14:59.509
>> The moon is definitely having a moment.


00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.430
It's exciting to see this renewed focus


00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:03.670
on our nearest neighbor, not just for


00:15:03.680 --> 00:15:05.590
scientific exploration, but for


00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:08.230
permanent human settlement. And solving


00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.710
mysteries about auroras and Uranus


00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.949
reminds us that there's still so much to


00:15:12.959 --> 00:15:15.750
learn, both in our cosmic backyard and


00:15:15.760 --> 00:15:18.150
in data we collected decades ago.


00:15:18.160 --> 00:15:19.750
>> That's it for today's episode of


00:15:19.760 --> 00:15:21.990
Astronomy Daily. Thanks for joining us.


00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.470
>> For the latest space and astronomy news,


00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.990
visit our website at astronomyaily.io.


00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.389
You can also find us on social media at


00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.710
astrodaily pod. Don't forget to


00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:34.790
subscribe wherever you get your podcasts


00:15:34.800 --> 00:15:36.949
so you never miss an episode. Clear


00:15:36.959 --> 00:15:38.069
skies everyone


00:15:38.079 --> 00:15:50.389
>> and keep looking up.


00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.360
The stories were told.