WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:02.960
Anna: Hello everyone and welcome to

1
00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:05.840
Astronomy Daily, the podcast where

2
00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:08.360
we bring you the latest and greatest from the

3
00:00:08.360 --> 00:00:11.040
world of space and astronomy. I'm

4
00:00:11.040 --> 00:00:14.000
Anna and with me is my co host Avery.

5
00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.844
Hey Avery. It's January 9th,

6
00:00:16.996 --> 00:00:19.800
2026. Hope you're staying warm wherever you

7
00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:20.080
are.

8
00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.560
Avery: Hey Anna. And hi to all our listeners.

9
00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.080
Yeah, it's chilly out there where I am in the

10
00:00:25.080 --> 00:00:26.960
northern hemisphere, but I believe our

11
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.600
listeners down under are expected to

12
00:00:28.670 --> 00:00:30.750
experiencing very high temperatures today.

13
00:00:31.150 --> 00:00:33.990
But the news is heating up. Today we've got a

14
00:00:33.990 --> 00:00:36.390
truly historic storey leading off. One that's

15
00:00:36.390 --> 00:00:39.190
making waves across the space community. Plus

16
00:00:39.190 --> 00:00:41.870
lunar viewing tips, starship infrastructure

17
00:00:41.870 --> 00:00:44.390
upgrades, big shifts in Mars exploration

18
00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:47.310
plans, a record breaking asteroid spin,

19
00:00:47.310 --> 00:00:49.990
and a fascinating map of ghostly particles

20
00:00:49.990 --> 00:00:52.310
streaming through us. We'll spend extra time

21
00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:54.590
on that first one because it's a milestone.

22
00:00:54.970 --> 00:00:55.690
Let's jump right in.

23
00:00:56.010 --> 00:00:56.970
Anna: Absolutely.

24
00:00:57.130 --> 00:01:00.050
This top storey is unprecedented. For

25
00:01:00.050 --> 00:01:02.850
the first time in the 25 year history of the

26
00:01:02.850 --> 00:01:05.650
International Space Station, NASA has ordered

27
00:01:05.650 --> 00:01:08.650
a controlled medical evacuation, bringing

28
00:01:08.650 --> 00:01:11.370
home an entire crew early due to a medical

29
00:01:11.370 --> 00:01:13.050
issue with one astronaut.

30
00:01:13.450 --> 00:01:16.050
Avery: This involves Crew 11, who launched back in

31
00:01:16.050 --> 00:01:19.010
August 2025 aboard SpaceX's Dragon

32
00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:21.570
Endeavour. The four person team, NASA

33
00:01:21.570 --> 00:01:24.170
commander Mike Fink, veteran of multiple

34
00:01:24.170 --> 00:01:27.150
flights, pilot Zena Cardman on rookie

35
00:01:27.150 --> 00:01:29.710
mission JAXA's Kimiya Yui and

36
00:01:29.710 --> 00:01:32.390
Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.

37
00:01:32.550 --> 00:01:34.910
They're a multinational crew, highlighting

38
00:01:34.910 --> 00:01:36.390
the international partnership.

39
00:01:36.790 --> 00:01:39.590
Anna: The issue arose earlier this week on January

40
00:01:39.830 --> 00:01:42.550
7, with one unidentified crew member

41
00:01:42.629 --> 00:01:44.830
experiencing a medical situation in

42
00:01:44.830 --> 00:01:47.470
microgravity. NASA emphasises the

43
00:01:47.470 --> 00:01:50.390
astronaut is absolutely stable and the crew

44
00:01:50.390 --> 00:01:52.750
provided immediate care using onboard

45
00:01:52.750 --> 00:01:55.270
equipment, which is advanced but limited

46
00:01:55.270 --> 00:01:56.710
compared to a full hospital.

47
00:01:57.500 --> 00:01:59.860
Avery: Details are private for good reason, HIPAA

48
00:01:59.860 --> 00:02:02.660
and all that. But NASA Chief Medical Officer

49
00:02:02.660 --> 00:02:05.660
Dr. J.D. polk noted it's unrelated

50
00:02:05.660 --> 00:02:08.220
to station operations or upcoming tasks.

51
00:02:08.540 --> 00:02:11.340
The key factor, while stable now, there

52
00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:13.460
could be lingering risks if they stay in

53
00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:16.140
orbit longer and full diagnosis or

54
00:02:16.140 --> 00:02:17.980
treatment isn't possible up there.

55
00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:21.020
Anna: After consultations, administrator Jared

56
00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:23.980
Isaacman made the call err on the side

57
00:02:23.980 --> 00:02:26.620
of caution and returned the whole Crew 11

58
00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:29.360
team in the coming days. They' dock

59
00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.200
soon. Exact schedule coming within 48 hours.

60
00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:35.360
Splashdown off California with SpaceX

61
00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:36.680
recovery ships ready.

62
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.920
Avery: Why the whole crew? They share one Dragon as

63
00:02:39.920 --> 00:02:42.600
their lifeboat. No splitting up. This leaves

64
00:02:42.600 --> 00:02:45.480
the ISS with just three people temporarily,

65
00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.600
NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian

66
00:02:48.600 --> 00:02:51.440
cosmonauts. They'll handle basics, defer

67
00:02:51.440 --> 00:02:54.120
some science and no spacewalks possible until

68
00:02:54.200 --> 00:02:57.080
Crew 12 arrives. Maybe accelerated to

69
00:02:57.080 --> 00:02:57.640
next month.

70
00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.800
Anna: It's certainly historic. NASA's first

71
00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:03.680
medical early return ever. There was A

72
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:06.560
Soviet case in 1985 on Salyut

73
00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.000
7, but nothing like this for the ISS

74
00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:12.040
era. Past issues like a blood clot in

75
00:03:12.040 --> 00:03:15.000
2019 or pinched nerve in 2021

76
00:03:15.160 --> 00:03:17.640
were managed on board without evacuation.

77
00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:20.720
Avery: This shows how far we've come in crew health

78
00:03:20.720 --> 00:03:23.000
management, but also the limits of long

79
00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.520
duration spaceflight. It's a learning moment

80
00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.200
for Artemis, lunar stays and eventual Mars

81
00:03:28.200 --> 00:03:30.780
missions. How do we hand unexpected health

82
00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:31.940
events far from Earth?

83
00:03:32.260 --> 00:03:35.060
Anna: Totally. NASA stressed crew safety

84
00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:37.540
as priority one and the quick response

85
00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:39.860
highlights training. We'll keep an eye on

86
00:03:39.860 --> 00:03:42.500
updates. Safe return wishes to Crew 11.

87
00:03:43.060 --> 00:03:45.540
Avery: Okay, moving to something more serene.

88
00:03:45.940 --> 00:03:48.420
The February full moon is coming up soon.

89
00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:50.020
Known as the snow moon.

90
00:03:50.260 --> 00:03:53.140
Anna: Peak illumination at 5:09pm

91
00:03:53.220 --> 00:03:55.900
Eastern on February 1st. Look

92
00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:58.420
east at sunset for that classic big

93
00:03:58.420 --> 00:04:01.180
orange tinted rise. Due to the moon illusion

94
00:04:01.180 --> 00:04:03.840
and atmospheric scattering, it'll be near

95
00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:06.560
Cancer stars. Easy naked eye spot.

96
00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.880
Avery: Traditional names reflect winter in the

97
00:04:08.880 --> 00:04:11.520
northern hemisphere. Snow moon for heavy

98
00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:14.240
snowfall. Hungary or Bear moon in some

99
00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:16.240
indigenous cultures. In India,

100
00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:18.480
Magapornima with rituals

101
00:04:19.440 --> 00:04:22.400
on February 2nd it occults regulus for

102
00:04:22.400 --> 00:04:24.320
parts of North America and Africa.

103
00:04:24.960 --> 00:04:27.400
Incidentally, you will be able to see this in

104
00:04:27.400 --> 00:04:29.840
the southern hemisphere as well, with best

105
00:04:29.840 --> 00:04:32.360
date in Sydney for instance forecasted to be

106
00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:35.300
on February 2, the same day as Beijing

107
00:04:35.300 --> 00:04:36.060
and Tokyo.

108
00:04:36.540 --> 00:04:39.500
Anna: Great for photos, tripod, long lens

109
00:04:39.500 --> 00:04:41.900
for details or wide for landscapes.

110
00:04:42.140 --> 00:04:44.940
No special super status but always

111
00:04:44.940 --> 00:04:46.150
magical up.

112
00:04:46.150 --> 00:04:48.460
Avery: Uh, Next Updates from Starbase

113
00:04:48.540 --> 00:04:51.500
SpaceX is future proofing Pad 1's tower and

114
00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:53.580
launch mount for Starship Block 3.

115
00:04:53.980 --> 00:04:56.660
Anna: Pad 1 had supported early Block 2

116
00:04:56.660 --> 00:04:59.260
flights but is now offline for major

117
00:04:59.340 --> 00:05:01.820
rework. Demolishing the old mount,

118
00:05:01.900 --> 00:05:04.420
adding a flame bucket with powerful water

119
00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:07.120
deluge, nitrogen inerting to prevent

120
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:09.480
fires and reinforced structures.

121
00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:12.400
Avery: Upgrades include better quick disconnects for

122
00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:14.920
propellants, shortened chopsticks for heavier

123
00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:17.640
lifts. Goal is rapid reusability,

124
00:05:17.880 --> 00:05:20.600
minimal refurb between launches. Handling

125
00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:22.280
33 Raptors power.

126
00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.160
Anna: This mirrors Pad 2 improvements

127
00:05:25.400 --> 00:05:27.920
enabling frequent flights which are crucial

128
00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.320
for Starship's goals.

129
00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:32.440
Avery: Next, let's shift our gaze to Mars.

130
00:05:32.910 --> 00:05:35.550
NASA's ambitious Mars sample Return

131
00:05:35.790 --> 00:05:38.630
mission is effectively dead, opening the

132
00:05:38.630 --> 00:05:40.030
door wider for China.

133
00:05:40.510 --> 00:05:43.390
Anna: Budget cuts slashed funding. Original

134
00:05:43.470 --> 00:05:45.710
$11 billion ballooned.

135
00:05:45.950 --> 00:05:48.470
Redesigned to around 7 billion, but it was

136
00:05:48.470 --> 00:05:51.470
still too complex. Perseverance is caches

137
00:05:51.710 --> 00:05:54.660
lander fetch, rover or helicopters ascent,

138
00:05:54.660 --> 00:05:57.590
uh, rocket orbital rendezvous. It was

139
00:05:57.590 --> 00:05:57.950
a lot.

140
00:05:58.840 --> 00:06:01.200
Avery: Congress prioritised other spending, so there

141
00:06:01.200 --> 00:06:04.120
was only $110 million left for tech

142
00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:06.520
development. This disrupts the ESA

143
00:06:06.520 --> 00:06:09.440
partnership too. Perseverance's 33 tubes

144
00:06:09.440 --> 00:06:12.400
stay on Mars, stable in cold dryness for

145
00:06:12.400 --> 00:06:13.720
potential future grab.

146
00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:17.240
Anna: Meanwhile, China's plans advance simpler

147
00:06:17.320 --> 00:06:20.000
opportunistic sampling. They could be first

148
00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.880
to return Martian rocks, which will be huge

149
00:06:22.880 --> 00:06:23.640
for science.

150
00:06:24.940 --> 00:06:26.940
Avery: A bitter pill for NASA after all their

151
00:06:26.940 --> 00:06:29.140
planning. But it does redirect resources

152
00:06:29.140 --> 00:06:31.020
elsewhere, so there is that.

153
00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:34.420
Anna: Let's move on now to asteroid hunting. The

154
00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:37.020
Vera Rubin Observatory has spotted the

155
00:06:37.020 --> 00:06:39.500
fastest spinning large asteroid ever

156
00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:40.140
discovered.

157
00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:43.580
Avery: This huge rock rotates in an insanely quick

158
00:06:43.580 --> 00:06:45.900
period under the theoretical rubble pile

159
00:06:45.900 --> 00:06:48.300
limit, yet holds together, likely

160
00:06:48.380 --> 00:06:51.260
monolithic or strong. Internally, this

161
00:06:51.260 --> 00:06:53.780
discovery highlights Vera Rubin's power and

162
00:06:53.780 --> 00:06:56.380
importance for locating near Earth objects.

163
00:06:56.940 --> 00:06:59.300
Anna: There are implications for deflection

164
00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:02.140
strategies, as spin affects how we nudge

165
00:07:02.140 --> 00:07:03.260
threats if needed.

166
00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:06.300
Avery: Okay, moving on. Finally today,

167
00:07:06.460 --> 00:07:09.180
those billions of ghost particles, neutrinos,

168
00:07:09.260 --> 00:07:11.740
streaming through you every second. You were

169
00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:13.980
aware of them, weren't you? Of course. Well,

170
00:07:13.980 --> 00:07:16.340
we now have a map of where many of them come

171
00:07:16.340 --> 00:07:16.620
from.

172
00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:20.130
Anna: New models using Gaia star data show

173
00:07:20.130 --> 00:07:22.810
stellar neutrinos from nuclear fusion in

174
00:07:22.810 --> 00:07:25.530
massive young stars across the Milky Way.

175
00:07:25.690 --> 00:07:28.170
Although denser toward galactic centre,

176
00:07:28.650 --> 00:07:29.610
detected via.

177
00:07:29.610 --> 00:07:32.050
Avery: Giant Antarctic instruments catching rare

178
00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:34.490
interactions. This first comprehensive

179
00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:37.130
stellar neutrino map filters solar noise,

180
00:07:37.210 --> 00:07:39.770
probes, core processes, and has led to

181
00:07:39.770 --> 00:07:41.130
potential new physics.

182
00:07:41.610 --> 00:07:44.250
Anna: Wild, invisible messengers from our

183
00:07:44.250 --> 00:07:45.210
galaxy's heart.

184
00:07:45.810 --> 00:07:47.010
Avery: And that's a wrap for today.

185
00:07:47.090 --> 00:07:49.810
From ISS drama to neutrino maps.

186
00:07:49.890 --> 00:07:51.330
What a day in space news.

187
00:07:51.810 --> 00:07:54.570
Anna: Thanks for joining us. Subscribe, share and

188
00:07:54.570 --> 00:07:57.010
we'll be back tomorrow. And if you'd like to

189
00:07:57.010 --> 00:07:59.370
keep up with the evacuation storey unfolding

190
00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:02.330
on the iss, just visit our website and cheque

191
00:08:02.330 --> 00:08:04.970
out our constantly updating news feed. You'll

192
00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:07.490
find us at astronomydaily.IO

193
00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:10.610
Clear skies, everyone. And one final

194
00:08:10.610 --> 00:08:13.190
reminder to keep looking up. Bye.