WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.440 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for 1 00:00:02.440 --> 00:00:04.840 the latest news from across the cosmos. I'm 2 00:00:04.840 --> 00:00:05.320 Avery. 3 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:07.600 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you 4 00:00:07.760 --> 00:00:09.960 today. We start with a more comprehensive 5 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:12.920 look ahead at The Cosmic Wonders 2026 6 00:00:12.920 --> 00:00:15.360 has in store for us. From Moon missions to 7 00:00:15.360 --> 00:00:16.560 major eclipses. 8 00:00:16.560 --> 00:00:18.640 Avery: That's right. We'll also dive into a mind 9 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.880 bending discovery from the Voyager probes at 10 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:23.040 the edge of our solar system and discuss 11 00:00:23.040 --> 00:00:25.480 Russia's new Earth observation satellite. 12 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.240 Anna: Plus, scientists may have found interstellar 13 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:30.600 tunnels in our galactic neighborhood. And 14 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:33.420 finally, we'll rapidly evolving commercial 15 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:36.140 space race with updates on China's reusable 16 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:39.100 rockets and the transformation of Florida's 17 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:40.540 historic space coast. 18 00:00:40.620 --> 00:00:43.020 Avery: It's a lot to cover, so let's get started. 19 00:00:43.260 --> 00:00:45.060 Anna, ah, why don't you kick us off with the 20 00:00:45.060 --> 00:00:47.740 astronomical forecast update for 2026. 21 00:00:47.900 --> 00:00:50.860 Anna: Absolutely, Avery. 2026 is shaping 22 00:00:50.860 --> 00:00:53.740 up to be a monumental year, especially for 23 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:56.580 lunar exploration. NASA's Artemis program 24 00:00:56.580 --> 00:00:59.220 is sending the first astronauts to fly by the 25 00:00:59.220 --> 00:01:00.780 moon in over 50 years. 26 00:01:00.940 --> 00:01:02.660 Avery: And this is the mission that will pave the 27 00:01:02.660 --> 00:01:04.520 way for the actual MO landing, right? 28 00:01:04.520 --> 00:01:07.480 Anna: Exactly. This crew, three Americans and one 29 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:10.040 Canadian will do a flyby of the far side, 30 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:12.440 which could give us our first good look at 31 00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:14.880 areas the Apollo missions never saw. But 32 00:01:14.880 --> 00:01:17.280 they're not alone. We're also expecting a 33 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:18.480 caravan of robotic. 34 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:20.600 Avery: Landers from commercial companies, including 35 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:23.520 Jeff Bezos's Blue Moon lander. I read that 36 00:01:23.520 --> 00:01:25.680 thing is going to be huge. Taller than the 37 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:26.520 Apollo landers. 38 00:01:26.520 --> 00:01:29.160 Anna: That's right. And companies like Astrobotic 39 00:01:29.160 --> 00:01:31.880 and Intuitive Machines are also heading back. 40 00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:34.520 While Firefly Aerospace is aiming for the 41 00:01:34.520 --> 00:01:37.460 Moon's far side, even China is targeting the 42 00:01:37.460 --> 00:01:39.140 South Pole to search for ice. 43 00:01:39.220 --> 00:01:41.060 Avery: The Moon is certainly getting busy. 44 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:43.340 What about other celestial events? I heard 45 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:44.500 there's a big eclipse coming. 46 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:47.140 Anna: There is. On August 12th, a, ah, total 47 00:01:47.300 --> 00:01:49.740 solar eclipse will cross over the Arctic. 48 00:01:49.740 --> 00:01:51.780 Greenland, Iceland and Spain. 49 00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:54.900 Totality will last just over two minutes. 50 00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:56.980 And for those at the other end of the world, 51 00:01:56.980 --> 00:01:59.700 there's a ring of fire eclipse in Antarctica 52 00:01:59.700 --> 00:02:00.420 in February. 53 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:02.740 Avery: Sounds like a year for the eclipse chasers. 54 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:05.100 And we also have those planet parades to look 55 00:02:05.100 --> 00:02:05.500 forward to. 56 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:08.160 Anna: We do. At the end of February, six 57 00:02:08.160 --> 00:02:10.640 planets, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, 58 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.600 Saturn, Uranus and Neptunewill line 59 00:02:13.600 --> 00:02:15.920 up in the sky just after sunset. 60 00:02:16.160 --> 00:02:18.640 Mars will be the only one missing, but it 61 00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:20.920 joins a different six planet parade in 62 00:02:20.920 --> 00:02:21.280 August. 63 00:02:21.440 --> 00:02:23.759 Avery: Incredible. It seems there's something for 64 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:26.440 everyone in 2026. From lunar missions to 65 00:02:26.440 --> 00:02:27.520 planetary alignments. 66 00:02:27.600 --> 00:02:29.720 Anna: It really does. And that's just the 67 00:02:29.720 --> 00:02:32.040 beginning. Let's move on to our next Story 68 00:02:32.040 --> 00:02:34.680 which takes us far beyond the Moon to the 69 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:36.320 very edge of our solar system. 70 00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:39.120 Avery, what have the Voyager probes been up? 71 00:02:39.740 --> 00:02:42.540 Avery: This is a Fascinating 1. Voyager 1 and 2, 72 00:02:42.540 --> 00:02:44.780 NASA's longest running missions, have 73 00:02:44.780 --> 00:02:47.140 detected a searingly hot region of space 74 00:02:47.140 --> 00:02:49.860 where the Sun's influence ends. Some are 75 00:02:49.860 --> 00:02:51.500 calling it a wall of fire. 76 00:02:51.660 --> 00:02:54.540 Anna: A wall of fire. That sounds intense. 77 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:55.980 What exactly is it? 78 00:02:55.980 --> 00:02:57.700 Avery: It's a boundary zone at the edge of the 79 00:02:57.700 --> 00:03:00.100 heliosphere. That's the bubble created by the 80 00:03:00.100 --> 00:03:02.500 solar wind where temperatures spike to 81 00:03:02.500 --> 00:03:04.860 between 30,000 and 50,000 82 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:07.820 kelvin. This region, called the heliosheath, 83 00:03:07.980 --> 00:03:09.900 acts as a sort of thermal barrier. 84 00:03:09.980 --> 00:03:12.800 Anna: That's incred. How did the probe 85 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:14.120 survive passing through it? 86 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:16.200 Avery: That's the key part. While the plasma 87 00:03:16.200 --> 00:03:18.000 particles are moving at extremely high 88 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.200 velocities, creating that high temperature, 89 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:22.920 the particle density is incredibly low. 90 00:03:23.160 --> 00:03:26.080 It's basically a near vacuum. So there aren't 91 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:28.080 enough particles hitting the spacecraft to 92 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:29.480 transfer significant heat. 93 00:03:29.480 --> 00:03:32.320 Anna: Ah, that makes sense. High energy, but 94 00:03:32.320 --> 00:03:34.800 low heat transfer. So what does this 95 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:35.880 discovery tell us? 96 00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:38.040 Avery: It's revising our understanding of how our 97 00:03:38.040 --> 00:03:40.680 solar system interacts with the wider galaxy. 98 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:42.680 But the temperature spike wasn't the only 99 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:45.180 surprise. The magnetic field data was also 100 00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:45.780 unexpected. 101 00:03:45.860 --> 00:03:46.980 Anna: Really? How so? 102 00:03:47.300 --> 00:03:49.460 Avery: Scientists found that the magnetic field 103 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.140 lines just inside the heliosphere aligned 104 00:03:52.140 --> 00:03:54.620 with those in interstellar space just outside 105 00:03:54.620 --> 00:03:57.620 of it. They also discovered a leakage of 106 00:03:57.620 --> 00:04:00.020 particles through this boundary, suggesting 107 00:04:00.020 --> 00:04:02.460 the heliosphere isn't a perfect shield 108 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:04.180 against galactic cosmic rays. 109 00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:07.260 Anna: So our solar system's protective bubble is 110 00:04:07.260 --> 00:04:09.820 more permeable than we thought. The Voyager 111 00:04:09.820 --> 00:04:12.100 probes just keep delivering incredible 112 00:04:12.100 --> 00:04:14.260 science decades after their launch. 113 00:04:14.760 --> 00:04:16.480 Avery: They certainly do now. 114 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:18.600 Let's bring our focus a little closer to 115 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.160 home. There's been a significant launch from 116 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:21.880 Russia recently. 117 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.320 Anna: Yes. Russia launched a Soyuz rocket 118 00:04:25.320 --> 00:04:27.400 carrying a new radar Earth observation 119 00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:30.200 satellite called Abzor R1. 120 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:32.360 The launch took place at the Plesetsk 121 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:34.760 Cosmodrome, a site often used for military 122 00:04:34.760 --> 00:04:35.160 missions. 123 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:37.960 Avery: And what makes this satellite so important is 124 00:04:37.960 --> 00:04:40.440 its radar capability. Unlike, um, optical 125 00:04:40.440 --> 00:04:42.400 satellites that need clear skies and 126 00:04:42.400 --> 00:04:45.360 daylight, radar can see through clouds, smoke 127 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:45.640 and. 128 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:48.980 Anna: Right. That gives it a huge strategic 129 00:04:48.980 --> 00:04:51.140 advantage for surveillance, environmental 130 00:04:51.140 --> 00:04:54.060 mapping and disaster response. This mission 131 00:04:54.060 --> 00:04:56.340 really underscores Moscow's push to expand 132 00:04:56.340 --> 00:04:58.220 its own space based intelligence 133 00:04:58.220 --> 00:05:00.660 capabilities, independent of any foreign 134 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:01.100 partners. 135 00:05:01.580 --> 00:05:03.780 Avery: So this is a big step for their sovereign 136 00:05:03.780 --> 00:05:04.460 space program? 137 00:05:04.940 --> 00:05:07.340 Anna: It is. The Abzor R series 138 00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:09.900 represents a new generation of homegrown 139 00:05:09.900 --> 00:05:12.620 Russian radar systems. It's, uh, a dual use 140 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:15.260 technology serving both military and 141 00:05:15.260 --> 00:05:17.980 civilian needs. And it's a clear geopolitical 142 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:20.480 standard in a world where Remote sensing is 143 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:21.720 more critical than ever. 144 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:23.800 Avery: A powerful tool indeed. 145 00:05:24.200 --> 00:05:27.000 Well, from geopolitical moves in orbit, let's 146 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:29.000 turn to a discovery that feels like it's 147 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.240 straight out of science fiction. Anna, uh, 148 00:05:31.280 --> 00:05:33.720 you mentioned something about interstellar 149 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:34.280 tunnels. 150 00:05:34.760 --> 00:05:37.320 Anna: I did, and it's just as cool as it sounds. 151 00:05:37.640 --> 00:05:40.120 Using the Erocita Space Telescope, 152 00:05:40.200 --> 00:05:42.720 scientists have detected narrow structures of 153 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.320 hot plasma that seem to extend from the 154 00:05:45.320 --> 00:05:48.040 bubble of space surrounding our sun out into 155 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:49.080 the wider galaxy. 156 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:52.100 Avery: Wow, so these are like corridors through the 157 00:05:52.100 --> 00:05:54.460 interstellar medium. What could have formed 158 00:05:54.460 --> 00:05:54.700 them? 159 00:05:55.100 --> 00:05:57.060 Anna: The leading theory is that they were carved 160 00:05:57.060 --> 00:05:59.860 out by ancient supernova explosions. Our 161 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:02.340 solar system sits inside something called the 162 00:06:02.340 --> 00:06:05.299 local hot bubble, a 300 light year wide 163 00:06:05.299 --> 00:06:08.060 cavity that was itself formed by supernovae 164 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:10.140 about 10 to 20 million years ago. 165 00:06:10.620 --> 00:06:11.900 Avery: Right, I've heard of that. 166 00:06:12.380 --> 00:06:15.060 Anna: Well, scientists have long theorized that 167 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:16.860 these bubbles could be interconnected, 168 00:06:16.940 --> 00:06:19.700 forming, uh, a kind of network. These new X 169 00:06:19.700 --> 00:06:22.120 ray observations from erosion are providing 170 00:06:22.120 --> 00:06:24.880 the first real evidence that these tunnels or 171 00:06:24.880 --> 00:06:27.720 chimneys might actually exist, connecting 172 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:29.720 our local bubble to other regions. 173 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:32.240 Avery: That's incredible. It paints a picture of our 174 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.400 galaxy's structure that's much more complex 175 00:06:34.400 --> 00:06:36.720 and dynamic than just empty space between 176 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:37.320 stars. 177 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.400 Anna: It really does. The data also showed a 178 00:06:40.400 --> 00:06:42.240 temperature difference between the northern 179 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.600 and southern halves of our bubble, suggesting 180 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.080 it's not a uniform sphere, but has been 181 00:06:47.080 --> 00:06:49.920 shaped by asymmetrical forces. It could be 182 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:52.320 that these tunnels act as pathways for cosmic 183 00:06:52.320 --> 00:06:54.900 rays and gas gas to flow through the galaxy. 184 00:06:55.140 --> 00:06:57.380 Avery: A galactic subway system of sorts. 185 00:06:57.620 --> 00:06:58.340 Amazing. 186 00:06:58.660 --> 00:07:00.660 This brings us to the commercial side of 187 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:02.980 space, which is also creating new pathways, 188 00:07:03.140 --> 00:07:05.900 albeit to orbit. The reusable rocket 189 00:07:05.900 --> 00:07:08.420 race is heating up, and it's not just SpaceX 190 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:08.900 anymore. 191 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:11.580 Anna: That's right. The Chinese rocket startup 192 00:07:11.580 --> 00:07:14.020 Landspace has made it clear they're inspired 193 00:07:14.020 --> 00:07:16.740 by SpaceX. They recently conducted the first 194 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:19.580 reusable rocket test by a Chinese entity with 195 00:07:19.580 --> 00:07:21.050 their Zhuki 3 rocket. 196 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:23.680 Avery: And they've been very open about modeling it 197 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:26.120 after the Falcon 9. The Deputy Chief 198 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.600 designer even called it a high compliment to 199 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:31.120 be referred to as the Chinese Falcon 9. 200 00:07:31.520 --> 00:07:34.480 Anna: It's a major paradigm shift. China's state 201 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:36.959 led space program has historically been very 202 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:39.760 risk averse, whereas Landspace is embracing 203 00:07:39.760 --> 00:07:42.720 the test fail iterate philosophy that SpaceX 204 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.040 is famous for. Their first test actually 205 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.760 ended in a crash, but state media covered it 206 00:07:47.760 --> 00:07:48.240 openly. 207 00:07:48.520 --> 00:07:51.040 Avery: Elon Musk himself even commented on it, 208 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.200 noting that they've adopted aspects of both 209 00:07:53.200 --> 00:07:56.040 Falcon 9 and Starship. He acknowledged 210 00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:58.680 their design could potentially beat Falcon 9, 211 00:07:58.760 --> 00:08:01.160 though he added that Starship is in another 212 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:01.640 league. 213 00:08:02.200 --> 00:08:05.000 Anna: It shows how quickly the global landscape is 214 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:07.760 changing. With Beijing support and plans 215 00:08:07.760 --> 00:08:10.440 for massive satellite constellations, low 216 00:08:10.440 --> 00:08:13.400 cost, reusable launch is a top priority. 217 00:08:13.640 --> 00:08:16.000 It's also worth remembering that SpaceX had 218 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.320 two failed booster landing attempts before 219 00:08:18.320 --> 00:08:19.880 their first success in 20. 220 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:21.700 Avery: A very good point. 221 00:08:22.020 --> 00:08:24.620 And speaking of launch infrastructure, our 222 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:27.500 final story looks at how two other ambitious 223 00:08:27.500 --> 00:08:29.670 companies are transforming the iconic, uh, 224 00:08:30.140 --> 00:08:31.700 Space coast in Florida. 225 00:08:31.860 --> 00:08:34.700 Anna: This is really exciting. Stokespace 226 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:37.500 and Relativity Space are rapidly building out 227 00:08:37.500 --> 00:08:40.180 launch sites at Cape Canaveral. Stokes 228 00:08:40.180 --> 00:08:43.020 base is at Launch Complex 14, which is a 229 00:08:43.020 --> 00:08:44.180 site rich with history. 230 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:47.140 Avery: That's the pad where John Glenn became the 231 00:08:47.140 --> 00:08:49.380 first American to orbit the earth back in 232 00:08:49.380 --> 00:08:52.090 1962. It's been inactive for over 233 00:08:52.400 --> 00:08:54.680 50 years, and now it's being prepped for 234 00:08:54.680 --> 00:08:57.120 Stoke's fully reusable Nova rocket. 235 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:00.200 Anna: Exactly. Aerial views show the launch pad 236 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:02.680 is nearly complete. And right next door at 237 00:09:02.680 --> 00:09:05.440 Launch Complex 16, relativity space 238 00:09:05.520 --> 00:09:07.840 is making massive upgrades for its much 239 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:09.600 larger Terran R rocket. 240 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.680 Avery: The Progress there is really visible. They've 241 00:09:12.680 --> 00:09:14.920 installed a towering water tower for the 242 00:09:14.920 --> 00:09:17.880 Deluge system, added huge new propellant 243 00:09:17.880 --> 00:09:19.760 tanks, and are pouring concrete for the 244 00:09:19.760 --> 00:09:20.260 launch mount. 245 00:09:20.890 --> 00:09:23.530 Anna: It's a perfect example of how the Space coast 246 00:09:23.530 --> 00:09:26.170 is evolving, reviving historic sites to 247 00:09:26.170 --> 00:09:28.250 become hubs for the next generation of 248 00:09:28.250 --> 00:09:30.810 spaceflight. Stoke is targeting a, uh, first 249 00:09:30.810 --> 00:09:33.210 launch in early 2026, with 250 00:09:33.210 --> 00:09:35.690 Relativity aiming for late 2026. 251 00:09:36.169 --> 00:09:38.930 Avery: It truly shows the accelerating pace of the 252 00:09:38.930 --> 00:09:39.930 commercial space industry. 253 00:09:40.410 --> 00:09:42.690 And that brings us to the end of our show for 254 00:09:42.690 --> 00:09:42.970 today. 255 00:09:43.290 --> 00:09:45.770 Anna: We've journeyed from the celestial events of 256 00:09:45.770 --> 00:09:48.570 2026 to the edge of the solar system 257 00:09:48.570 --> 00:09:51.370 and seen how new technologies on Earth are 258 00:09:51.370 --> 00:09:53.670 po shape our access to space. 259 00:09:54.230 --> 00:09:56.710 Avery: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Avery. 260 00:09:56.790 --> 00:09:59.030 Anna: And I'm Anna. We'll see you next time on 261 00:09:59.030 --> 00:10:00.070 Astronomy Daily.