The Automated Daily - Space News Edition

Webb reveals colliding galaxy & Record-breaking Falcon 9 launch - Space News (Jul 9, 2026)

11 min · 9. juli 2026
Billede af episoden Webb reveals colliding galaxy & Record-breaking Falcon 9 launch - Space News (Jul 9, 2026)

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Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/prezi?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/krispCall?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - SurveyMonkey, Using AI to surface insights faster and reduce manual analysis time - https://get.surveymonkey.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/survey-monkey?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: WEBB REVEALS COLLIDING GALAXY - NASA'S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS CAPTURED A STRIKING NEW VIEW OF THE GALAXY CENTAURUS A, WHOSE WARPED SHAPE COMES FROM A LONG-AGO COSMIC COLLISION, REVEALING INTRICATE DUST LANES AND MILLIONS OF STARS IN UNPRECEDENTED DETAIL. KEYWORDS: JAMES WEBB, CENTAURUS A, COSMIC COLLISION, GALAXY EVOLUTION, NEW IMAGE. RECORD-BREAKING FALCON 9 LAUNCH - SPACEX HAS FLOWN A FALCON 9 BOOSTER FOR A RECORD 36TH TIME ON A STARLINK MISSION FROM FLORIDA, UNDERSCORING HOW FAR ROCKET REUSABILITY HAS COME WHILE ADDING MORE SATELLITES TO THE COMPANY'S ALREADY MASSIVE INTERNET CONSTELLATION. KEYWORDS: SPACEX, FALCON 9, ROCKET REUSE, STARLINK, LAUNCH RECORD. ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE READIES - NASA'S NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE IS NOW IN FLORIDA FOR FINAL PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF ITS PLANNED AUGUST LAUNCH, WHERE IT WILL CONDUCT WIDE-FIELD SURVEYS OF DARK ENERGY, EXOPLANETS AND GALAXY EVOLUTION. KEYWORDS: ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE, NASA, LAUNCH PREPARATION, DARK ENERGY, EXOPLANET SURVEY. NASA FUNDS NEW MARS ROVERS - NASA HAS AWARDED NEW CONTRACTS UNDER ITS STRIDE INITIATIVE TO MULTIPLE COMPANIES TO DEVELOP ADVANCED ROBOTIC MOBILITY SYSTEMS FOR FUTURE MARS MISSIONS, AIMING TO REACH ROUGHER TERRAIN AND MORE AMBITIOUS SCIENCE TARGETS ON THE RED PLANET. KEYWORDS: NASA, MARS EXPLORATION, STRIDE, ROBOTIC MOBILITY, ROVER TECHNOLOGY. HOW BIG SHOULD MOON BASE BE - A NEW ANALYSIS ASKS HOW MANY ASTRONAUTS SHOULD LIVE AT NASA'S FUTURE LUNAR OUTPOST, FINDING A BALANCE POINT WHERE CREWS ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR SCIENCE AND MAINTENANCE BUT NOT SO LARGE THAT LOGISTICS BECOME UNMANAGEABLE. KEYWORDS: MOON BASE, ARTEMIS, LUNAR OUTPOST, CREW SIZE, HUMAN EXPLORATION. LAVA-OCEAN EXOPLANET DISCOVERED - ASTRONOMERS REPORT THAT THE EXOPLANET L 98-59 D, ABOUT 35 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY, APPEARS TO BE A NEW KIND OF WORLD WITH GLOBAL OCEANS OF MAGMA AND A SULFUR-RICH ATMOSPHERE, EXPANDING OUR PICTURE OF HOW EXTREME ROCKY PLANETS CAN BE. KEYWORDS: EXOPLANET, L 98-59 D, MAGMA OCEAN, SULFUR ATMOSPHERE, NATURE ASTRONOMY. NEW CLOSE-UPS FROM ASTEROID FLYBYS - NEW IMAGES FROM TWO RECENT ASTEROID FLYBYS, INCLUDING ONE BY A JAPANESE SPACECRAFT, ARE GIVING SCIENTISTS SHARPER VIEWS OF SMALL ROCKY WORLDS AND THE CLUES THEY HOLD ABOUT HOW OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORMED. KEYWORDS: ASTEROID FLYBY, CLOSE-UP IMAGES, JAPANESE MISSION, SMALL BODIES, SOLAR SYSTEM ORIGINS. SATELLITES MAP UTAH WILDFIRE - NASA EARTH-OBSERVING SATELLITES ARE TRACKING THE COTTONWOOD FIRE IN UTAH FROM ORBIT, MAPPING BURN SCARS AND SMOKE PLUMES TO SUPPORT FIREFIGHTERS AND HIGHLIGHT HOW SPACE-BASED IMAGING HELPS MONITOR A WARMING, FIRE-PRONE PLANET. KEYWORDS: COTTONWOOD FIRE, UTAH, SATELLITE IMAGING, NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY, WILDFIRE MONITORING. VENUS PAIRS WITH STAR REGULUS - TONIGHT VENUS WILL SHINE IN A CLOSE PAIRING WITH THE BRIGHT STAR REGULUS IN LEO, OFFERING SKYWATCHERS AN EASY NAKED-EYE SHOW LOW IN THE WESTERN SKY AFTER SUNSET. KEYWORDS: VENUS, REGULUS, CONJUNCTION, SKYWATCHING, JULY 9 2026. NUCLEAR-POWERED CUBESAT APPROVED - A MIAMI STARTUP HAS LAUNCHED A TINY CUBESAT POWERED BY A NUCLEAR BATTERY, BECOMING THE FIRST MISSION CLEARED UNDER A NEW U.S. FRAMEWORK FOR SPACE NUCLEAR POWER AND RAISING FRESH QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE USE NUCLEAR ENERGY IN ORBIT. KEYWORDS: CUBESAT, NUCLEAR BATTERY, CITY LABS, FAA CLEARANCE, SPACE NUCLEAR POWER. Episode Transcript Webb reveals colliding galaxy We’ll start with that striking new galaxy portrait from the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA has released a fresh Webb view of Centaurus A, a nearby galaxy whose bizarre shape comes from a massive cosmic collision that happened around two billion years ago.[24][37] In the new image, Webb cuts through dark lanes of dust to reveal a dense field of millions of stars woven through the galaxy’s warped core, giving researchers a clearer look at how the collision scrambled its structure.[24][24] This kind of detail matters because Centaurus A is essentially a laboratory for understanding what happens when galaxies smash together, tear up each other’s gas and stars, and then slowly settle into a new form. By tracing how the dust, gas and stars are arranged now, astronomers can better test models of galaxy mergers and the growth of supermassive black holes over cosmic time.[24][24] The image is also part of the broader celebration of Webb’s fourth year of operations, showcasing just how far its infrared eyes can push our understanding of the nearby universe.[37][43] Record-breaking Falcon 9 launch From deep space to low Earth orbit, SpaceX has just pushed rocket reusability a little further. Early this morning in Florida, a Falcon 9 successfully launched a batch of 29 Starlink internet satellites while flying its first-stage booster for the 36th time, setting a new reuse record for the company.[1][2][2] Liftoff came from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:25 a.m. Eastern, and about an hour later the upper stage deployed the Starlink payload into low Earth orbit as planned.[1][6][2] After stage separation, the veteran booster came back down to land on the droneship in the Atlantic, adding yet another recovery to its already long résumé.[6][1] This mission was also the 80th Falcon 9 launch of the year, a pace that shows how routine orbital flights are becoming for SpaceX even as they continue to stretch the limits of how many times a single rocket can be turned around.[2][2] The flight adds to a Starlink network that now includes more than ten thousand operational satellites, further cementing SpaceX’s role in global broadband from space and raising ongoing debates about congestion and how crowded low Earth orbit is becoming.[1][21] Roman Space Telescope readies Another big NASA mission is waiting in the wings: the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now in Florida, moving through its final checkouts ahead of a planned launch in August.[22][22] Roman is often described as the Hubble Space Telescope’s wide-field cousin, designed to image huge swaths of the sky in high resolution rather than zooming in on narrow targets.[22][27] Once it reaches its orbit around the Sun–Earth L2 point, Roman will tackle some of the biggest questions in cosmology, mapping the distribution of galaxies and dark matter to probe dark energy, and conducting massive surveys to hunt for exoplanets through subtle changes in starlight.[22][22] NASA just highlighted the mission with a new feature on Roman’s journey to space, underscoring how much effort has gone into building and testing the observatory before it ever leaves the ground.[27][22] With launch just weeks away, Roman is shaping up to be one of the defining observatories of the next decade, complementing both Hubble and Webb with its ability to scan the universe in breadth as well as depth.[22][27] NASA funds new Mars rovers If Mars is your destination of choice, there is also fresh news about the next generation of robotic explorers. NASA has announced contract awards under its STRIDE initiative — that stands for Science Transport and Robotic Innovation for Deployment and Exploration — to help several companies develop advanced surface mobility systems for future Mars missions.[38][38] The idea is to move beyond the traditional single, slow-moving rover and instead support more nimble, modular platforms that can handle steeper slopes, rougher rocks and longer traverses across the Martian landscape.[38][38] Firms ranging from established lunar lander providers like Intuitive Machines to rover specialists such as Astrobotic and Venturi Astrolab will now work with NASA on concepts that could hop, drive or possibly even swarm across the surface in coming years.[38] The total potential value of the awards is about 17 million dollars, with work expected to start this fall, and the goal is to both close technology gaps and understand how commercial mobility systems could plug into future science missions and, eventually, human expeditions.[38][38] It is a clear signal that NASA wants a more diverse toolkit for getting around on Mars than a single flagship rover every decade. How big should moon base be Thinking ahead to humans on other worlds, a new piece from Space.com digs into a deceptively simple question: how many astronauts should actually live in NASA’s planned lunar base.[15][46][37] The report describes recent work using simulations of daily operations, maintenance and emergency scenarios to see how different crew sizes would perform in a long-term outpost at the moon’s south pole.[15][37] Very small groups might be vulnerable to illness or burnout and struggle to keep both the science and the life-support systems running smoothly, while very large groups quickly drive up the demands on logistics, resupply and living space.[15][46] The analysis suggests there is a sweet spot where crews are big enough to be resilient and productive but not so big that the base becomes unmanageable, and those findings are feeding into ongoing planning for NASA’s Artemis-era habitat designs.[15][37] It is a reminder that building a sustainable presence on the moon is not just about rockets and landers; it is also a human-systems problem, where psychology, workload and community dynamics matter as much as hardware. Lava-ocean exoplanet discovered Beyond our solar system, astronomers may have identified an entirely new class of planet — one that is more nightmare than paradise. New research on the exoplanet L 98-59 d, about 35 light-years away, suggests that this world may be covered in global oceans of molten rock, with an atmosphere dominated by sulfur-rich gases.[20] The findings, shared in a recent Nature Astronomy paper and now circulating widely in the astronomy community, come from detailed modeling of the planet’s size, composition and heat environment, coupled with observations from space telescopes.[20] Instead of being a temperate rocky world like Earth, L 98-59 d appears to be so intensely irradiated by its star that its surface is essentially a lava sea, making it a prime example of an extreme “magma ocean” planet.[20] While no one is heading there any time soon, worlds like this help scientists understand how rocky planets evolve when they form close to their stars, and they provide stark contrast points for searches focused on more habitable environments. New close-ups from asteroid flybys Staying with small bodies, there is also good news for asteroid fans. EarthSky reports that two recent asteroid flybys have produced new close-up images, including one gathered by a Japanese spacecraft and another by an international mission, giving researchers sharper looks at the shapes, craters and surface textures of these tiny worlds.[28] Even without all the technical details, the key takeaway is that each flyby adds to a growing catalog of detailed asteroid portraits, which scientists can compare to meteorites in labs and to computer models of how these bodies formed.[28] Better images help answer questions like how rubble-pile asteroids hold together, how their surfaces respond to sunlight, and what kinds of materials might be available for future resource use. They also refine our understanding of how to nudge a hazardous asteroid if we ever need to, making these quick passes scientifically rich despite their brief encounter time.[28] Satellites map Utah wildfire Back closer to home, satellites are again proving their worth as tools for watching a changing Earth. NASA’s Earth Observatory has published new imagery of the Cottonwood Fire in Utah, using data from orbiting sensors to map both the active fire front and the dark burn scar left behind.[36][25] The images show how smoke plumes spread with the wind and how the fire has chewed through vegetation, information that can feed into models of air quality and long-term landscape change.[36] With wildfires becoming more frequent and intense in many regions, this kind of space-based monitoring is increasingly vital for both immediate response and longer-term planning. It helps agencies track conditions in remote areas that are hard to reach on the ground, and it underscores the role Earth-observing satellites play as part of the broader space ecosystem, alongside the more glamorous deep-space missions.[36][24] Venus pairs with star Regulus If you want something you can see yourself, tonight’s sky has you covered. Venus is lining up with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, creating one of July’s prettiest pairings in the western sky after sunset.[23][46][49] Astronomy guides note that about 45 minutes to an hour after the Sun goes down, you can look low toward the west to spot dazzling Venus shining right next to the bluish-white point of Regulus.[18][23][18] No telescope is needed; under clear conditions the two will be obvious even from city locations, although binoculars will bring out the color contrast between Venus’s steady brilliance and the star’s cooler glow.[18][18] This conjunction is part of a busy month for skywatchers, with the moon sliding past several planets and meteor showers on the way later in July, but tonight’s event is an especially easy one to catch if you can grab a few quiet minutes outdoors.[23][31][39] Nuclear-powered CubeSat approved Finally, there is a notable development in space power technology with a regulatory twist. A report from SpaceDaily highlights that a Miami-based startup, City Labs, has launched a softball-sized CubeSat carrying a nuclear battery, making it the first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite to fly under a new U.S. policy framework. The mission received clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration under guidelines known as NSPM-20, which set out how nuclear power sources in space should be evaluated for safety and environmental risk. Instead of a large reactor, the CubeSat uses a compact tritium-based power source designed to provide a steady trickle of electricity over many years, an attractive option for tiny spacecraft that cannot carry big solar arrays. The launch marks a small but symbolically important step in the broader conversation about nuclear power in space — from powering tiny instruments to, potentially, future deep-space missions — and it signals that regulators and industry are beginning to work through how to handle these technologies responsibly. Story 11 That wraps up today’s run through the latest space and astronomy stories. From Webb’s tangled galaxy and a record-setting Falcon 9 flight, to new tools for Mars, a future moon base and a lava-ocean world circling a distant star, it has been a busy day above our heads. If you learned something new, consider following this feed so you do not miss the next edition. You can always dig into the original articles and images for more detail — they are well worth a look. Thanks for spending part of your day with The Automated Daily, space news edition. I’m TrendTeller, and I’ll talk to you next time. 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episode Hidden exoplanet Beta Pictoris d & Artemis III dual Moon lander test - Space News (Jul 23, 2026) artwork

Hidden exoplanet Beta Pictoris d & Artemis III dual Moon lander test - Space News (Jul 23, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/stock_mvp?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/gamma?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/consensus?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: HIDDEN EXOPLANET BETA PICTORIS D - NASA’S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS REVEALED A GIANT HIDDEN EXOPLANET, BETA PICTORIS D, INSIDE ONE OF THE MOST STUDIED PLANETARY SYSTEMS IN THE MILKY WAY, USING ATMOSPHERIC FINGERPRINTS OF MOLECULES LIKE CARBON MONOXIDE, WATER VAPOR, AND METHANE RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL IMAGING.[12][18][9] KEYWORDS: BETA PICTORIS D, HIDDEN PLANET, JAMES WEBB, EXOPLANET SPECTROSCOPY, CARBON MONOXIDE, METHANE. ARTEMIS III DUAL MOON LANDER TEST - NASA ANNOUNCED AN AMBITIOUS ARTEMIS III ORBITAL REHEARSAL FOR 2027, WHERE ORION ASTRONAUTS WILL RENDEZVOUS AND DOCK SEPARATELY WITH PROTOTYPE LUNAR LANDERS FROM SPACEX AND BLUE ORIGIN TO PRACTICE COMPLEX MANEUVERS BEFORE CREWED MOON LANDINGS LATER IN THE DECADE.[7][4] KEYWORDS: ARTEMIS III, ORION, BLUE ORIGIN, SPACEX, LUNAR LANDER TEST, MOON MISSIONS. CHINA’S GRAVITY-1 SEA LAUNCH - CHINESE COMMERCIAL FIRM ORIENSPACE LAUNCHED ITS GRAVITY-1 SOLID ROCKET FROM A SHIP OFF SHANGHAI, PLACING NINE SATELLITES INTO ORBIT, INCLUDING SIX DONGPO SPACECRAFT FOR THE HUANTIAN CONSTELLATION DESIGNED FOR OPTICAL AND RADAR EARTH OBSERVATION.[15][1][8] KEYWORDS: GRAVITY-1, ORIENSPACE, SEA LAUNCH, HUANTIAN CONSTELLATION, DONGPO SATELLITES, EARTH OBSERVATION. BOEING STARLINER OFT-2 APPROVAL - NASA HAS CLEARED BOEING’S CST-100 STARLINER FOR A SECOND UNCREWED ORBITAL FLIGHT TEST, AIMING TO DEMONSTRATE FIXES FROM THE FIRST MISSION AND PAVE THE WAY FOR A FUTURE CREWED FLIGHT TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.[19][14] KEYWORDS: STARLINER, OFT-2, BOEING, NASA, COMMERCIAL CREW, INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE JET - ASTRONOMERS USING THE NSF VERY LARGE ARRAY DETECTED A BURST OF RADIO LIGHT FROM A TIDAL DISRUPTION EVENT INVOLVING AN INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE, REVEALING WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE OFF-AXIS AFTERGLOW OF A HIDDEN JET.[11] KEYWORDS: INTERMEDIATE-MASS BLACK HOLE, TIDAL DISRUPTION EVENT, RADIO JET, NSF VLA, OFF-AXIS AFTERGLOW. TONIGHT’S SATURN, MARS, VENUS - IN TODAY’S SKY, SATURN AND MARS SHINE IN THE PREDAWN HOURS WHILE A BRIGHT WAXING GIBBOUS MOON AND DAZZLING VENUS DOMINATE THE EVENING, OFFERING ACCESSIBLE OBSERVING TARGETS FOR AMATEUR SKYWATCHERS.[6][20] KEYWORDS: SATURN, MARS, VENUS, WAXING GIBBOUS MOON, JULY 23, 2026, SKYWATCHING. Episode Transcript Hidden exoplanet Beta Pictoris d Our first story takes us to Beta Pictoris, a young nearby star that has been a favorite target for planet hunters for years.[9] Astronomers already knew about two planets there, along with a bright, messy disk of dust and gas, making it one of the most closely studied planetary systems in the Milky Way.[9][12] Now, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a third, giant planet called Beta Pictoris d that had been hiding in plain sight inside that dusty disk.[12][18] Instead of relying on sharp images alone, Webb picked up subtle signatures of molecules like carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane in the planet’s atmosphere, allowing researchers to tease out its presence from the glare.[12][18] What makes this discovery so interesting is the method as much as the planet itself.[12][18] Beta Pictoris d is the first directly imaged world found primarily through moderate-resolution spectroscopy, a technique that reads the "fingerprints" of molecules rather than just blocking starlight with a coronagraph.[12][18] That means astronomers now have a powerful new way to identify planets that are buried in bright disks or complex environments where traditional imaging struggles.[12][18] In a system we thought we understood reasonably well, Webb has shown there was still a massive planet left to find, reminding us that even familiar cosmic neighborhoods can hold surprises. Looking ahead, this approach could be crucial for future surveys of young planetary systems.[12][18] Many stars with thick dust disks may harbor hidden worlds shaping those disks from within, and being able to spot them by their atmospheric chemistry opens up fresh territory for planet formation studies.[12][18] It also hints at how next-generation observatories might search for cooler, smaller worlds by their molecular signatures, pushing us closer to a detailed census of planetary systems around nearby stars.[12][18] Artemis III dual Moon lander test From planets around other stars, we turn to our own Moon and NASA’s evolving plans to get astronauts back to its surface. NASA is preparing for a particularly ambitious orbital rehearsal during the Artemis III mission in 2027.[7] Instead of going straight to a landing, Orion astronauts will rendezvous and dock separately with prototype lunar landers from Blue Origin and SpaceX in lunar orbit.[7] The idea is to practice the complex choreography of meeting, approaching, and attaching to these commercial landers while still in a test phase, gathering data on how the vehicles behave and how crews handle the procedures.[7] This rehearsal matters because the next step is sending astronauts down to the Moon’s surface later in the decade.[4][7] By practicing rendezvous and docking with two different lander designs in a controlled mission, NASA and its partners can identify weak points, refine guidance and docking software, and spot any human factors issues before people ride these systems all the way to the ground.[7] It’s a way to reduce risk in advance and to make sure that the handoff between NASA’s Orion capsule and privately built landers is smooth and safe. In a broader sense, Artemis III’s plan underscores the hybrid nature of modern lunar exploration.[4][7] NASA is leaning heavily on commercial partners for hardware, but still managing mission architecture and safety requirements.[7] If the rehearsal goes well, it will strengthen confidence not just in the vehicles, but in the whole model of collaborating with companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX to extend human reach beyond low Earth orbit.[7] China’s Gravity-1 sea launch Next up, we have a launch story that blends commercial innovation with a striking choice of launch site. Chinese company Orienspace has carried out its third flight of the Gravity-1 solid rocket, this time launching from a ship at sea off Shanghai in the East China Sea.[15][1] The roughly thirty-meter rocket lifted off late on July 21 local time, sending nine satellites into orbit on a trajectory that marked the firm’s first long-range sea launch, farther offshore than earlier missions from near Haiyang in Shandong province.[15] On board were six Dongpo satellites for the Huantian constellation, along with a mix of other commercial payloads.[15] The Dongpo satellites are designed to work together as an Earth-observation constellation, combining optical cameras and synthetic aperture radar to monitor surface changes with high precision.[15][8] Two of them carry optical payloads with onboard artificial intelligence for recognizing targets and processing data more quickly, while four are radar satellites that can fly in formation to track millimeter-level deformations of the ground.[15] Additional payloads included a hyperspectral satellite, a spacecraft from Spacety, and an ultra-flat disk satellite developed by Chinese universities and firms, highlighting a diverse set of experimental designs.[15] Sea-based launch offers several advantages that make this flight noteworthy.[15] Launching from a ship gives operators flexibility in choosing exact locations and azimuths, which can help avoid populated areas, reach certain orbits more efficiently, and simplify range safety.[15] It also signals growing confidence among Chinese commercial launch providers, who are experimenting with new platforms rather than relying solely on traditional coastal spaceports.[15][16] Paired with other recent Chinese missions that have deployed flat-panel communications satellites and possible intelligence spacecraft, this Gravity-1 launch is another step in China’s rapid expansion of both commercial and quasi-military space infrastructure.[15][16] Boeing Starliner OFT-2 approval Now we move from rockets to crew spacecraft, and the careful process of qualifying a new vehicle for human flight. NASA has approved Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for a second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test, known as OFT-2, following a detailed flight readiness review.[19] The mission is scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, with a target date of July 30 and a backup window in early August if needed.[19] Once in orbit, Starliner will attempt to rendezvous and dock with the International Space Station about a day after launch, stay berthed for several days, and then return to Earth for a landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.[19] This flight is crucial because the first uncrewed test in 2019 suffered a number of software and operational issues, preventing the spacecraft from reaching the station as planned.[19] Since then, Boeing and NASA have been working to correct those problems, refine procedures, and upgrade systems in preparation for another attempt.[19] The goal of OFT-2 is to demonstrate that Starliner can safely perform all the key steps of a station mission—launch, orbit insertion, rendezvous, docking, undocking, and landing—without a crew on board.[19] If OFT-2 succeeds, NASA and Boeing can move ahead to the Crew Flight Test, the first mission to carry astronauts inside Starliner to the ISS.[19] That would give NASA a second operational commercial crew vehicle alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, adding redundancy to human access to low Earth orbit.[14][19] From a program perspective, having two different capsule designs cleared for regular use reduces risk, provides backup capacity if one is grounded, and strengthens the overall resilience of ISS operations.[14][19] Intermediate-mass black hole jet We shift gears now to a more exotic event: a black hole tearing a star apart and lighting up the sky. Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array have observed a strong burst of radio emission from what appears to be an intermediate-mass black hole disrupting a passing star.[11] Intermediate-mass black holes, which fall between stellar-mass black holes and the supermassive ones found in galaxy centers, are rare and hard to study, often described as the "missing link" in black hole evolution.[11] In this case, the burst seems to be the off-axis afterglow of a powerful jet launched during the tidal disruption event, meaning we are seeing the jet not straight-on but from the side.[11] Tidal disruption events occur when a star wanders too close to a black hole and is stretched and torn apart by intense gravity.[11] Some of the stellar debris falls inward, forming a bright accretion flow, while other material is flung outward; in some cases, a jet of high-energy particles is launched along the black hole’s rotation axis.[11] Detecting such a jet off-axis is challenging, because the brightest emission is normally directed along the jet, but the VLA’s sensitivity allowed astronomers to pick up the lingering radio glow as it spread into a wider cone.[11] This observation is significant for several reasons.[11] First, it strengthens the case that intermediate-mass black holes are real and capable of energetic behavior similar to their larger cousins.[11] Second, it adds an important data point for models of how jets are produced and how they evolve when viewed at different angles.[11] Finally, it shows that radio surveys can uncover hidden jets even when we are not lined up for a direct view, broadening our ability to trace extreme physics in distant galaxies.[11] Tonight’s Saturn, Mars, Venus Before we wrap up, let’s talk about what you can see in the sky today if the weather cooperates. On the morning of July 23rd, Saturn and Mars are both well placed in the predawn sky.[6] Saturn rises before local midnight and climbs to over forty-five degrees above the south-southeast horizon about an hour before sunrise, shining with a steady golden light brighter than the surrounding stars.[6] Through a small telescope, its rings are clearly visible and tilted by around ten degrees, making it an excellent early morning target.[6] Mars sits farther east along the ecliptic, moving against the background of Taurus.[6] During morning twilight it stands over twenty degrees above the eastern horizon and lies several degrees from Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, with a similar reddish hue but a bit less brightness.[6] Uranus is also accessible before dawn with binoculars, sharing a field of view with the Pleiades star cluster; with careful scanning, you can spot the planet as a small aquamarine point near specific Taurus stars if you know where to look.[6] In the evening, a bright waxing gibbous Moon dominates the southern sky, sitting about twenty degrees up and near Antares, the heart of Scorpius.[6][20] Meanwhile, Venus gleams low in the west after sunset, outshining every star and stepping slowly eastward through the constellation Leo.[6] If you have a clear western horizon, Venus is easy to spot, with Regulus and Denebola marking the Lion’s outline nearby.[6] Altogether, it’s a rich night for casual skywatching, offering a mix of naked-eye planets and a photogenic Moon phase.[6][20] Stories like these remind us that space is not only something we explore with telescopes and rockets, but also something we can experience directly by simply looking up. Whether you’re following exoplanet discoveries or checking out Saturn’s rings, you’re part of the same bigger picture. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

23. juli 202611 min
episode Black hole jet stirs galaxy & China launches Gravity-1 from sea - Space News (Jul 22, 2026) artwork

Black hole jet stirs galaxy & China launches Gravity-1 from sea - Space News (Jul 22, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/consensus?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/stock_mvp?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/krispCall?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: BLACK HOLE JET STIRS GALAXY - ASTRONOMERS USING NASA'S CHANDRA X-RAY OBSERVATORY SAY A SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE JET IS STIRRING GAS AROUND A NEIGHBORING EARLY-UNIVERSE 'RED POTATO' GALAXY, SUPPRESSING STAR FORMATION. THE RESULT OFFERS A VIVID EXAMPLE OF AGN FEEDBACK, GALAXY EVOLUTION, AND HOW BLACK HOLES CAN SHAPE ENTIRE GALACTIC ENVIRONMENTS. CHINA LAUNCHES GRAVITY-1 FROM SEA - CHINA'S GRAVITY-1 Y4 ROCKET LAUNCHED FROM A MARITIME PLATFORM OFF SHANGHAI AND PLACED NINE SATELLITES INTO ORBIT ON ITS THIRD FLIGHT. THE MISSION HIGHLIGHTS CHINA'S GROWING SEA-BASED LAUNCH CAPABILITY AND ITS EXPANDING COMMERCIAL AND STRATEGIC SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE. STARLINK FLIES AFTER LAST-SECOND ABORT - A SPACEX FALCON 9 LAUNCHED 24 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE JUST ONE DAY AFTER A LAST-SECOND ABORT. THE SUCCESSFUL TURNAROUND UNDERSCORES LAUNCH SAFETY SYSTEMS, OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE, AND THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE STARLINK CONSTELLATION. MOON AND MARS SUMMIT OPENS - THE HUMANS TO THE MOON AND MARS SUMMIT, OR H2M2, OPENED AT RICE UNIVERSITY IN HOUSTON ON JULY 21. THE EVENT BRINGS TOGETHER LEADERS FROM INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, AND POLICY TO DISCUSS SUSTAINED HUMAN EXPLORATION OF THE MOON AND MARS. Episode Transcript Black hole jet stirs galaxy Our first story comes from the early universe, where astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have found what looks like a striking case of black hole feedback in action. A distant, oddly shaped galaxy nicknamed the red potato is surrounded by gas that should be cooling into new stars, but instead that gas appears hot, turbulent, and unsettled. Researchers say the likely cause is a jet from a supermassive black hole in a neighboring galaxy, effectively stirring the gas and suppressing star formation. It's a dramatic reminder that black holes do not just consume matter; they can also control how nearby galaxies grow. China launches Gravity-1 from sea Next, China added another launch to its busy space calendar with the third flight of the Gravity-1 rocket. The Y4 mission lifted off from a maritime platform east of Shanghai and placed nine satellites into orbit, showing how sea-based launch operations can add flexibility to a nation's launch system. By moving launches offshore, operators can choose more favorable trajectories and reduce some of the constraints tied to fixed land-based sites. For China, it is another sign that launch capability is broadening beyond traditional spaceports. Starlink flies after last-second abort In California, SpaceX successfully launched 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base, but what makes this flight notable is the timing. It came just a day after a last-second abort, the kind of halt that happens when onboard or ground systems detect something outside safe limits. A rapid return to flight after an abort shows both caution and confidence: the mission only proceeds once the issue is understood, but the system is mature enough to recover quickly. It's a good example of how modern commercial launch operations balance speed with safety. Moon and Mars summit opens Finally, in Houston, the Humans to the Moon and Mars Summit has begun at Rice University. The three-day event brings together experts from across the space world to talk about what it will take to move from short missions to a sustained human presence beyond Earth. That includes lunar infrastructure, Mars planning, partnerships, and the policies needed to support long-term exploration. It is a quieter story than a rocket launch, but these strategy meetings help shape the missions and settlements that may define the next era of human spaceflight. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

Yesterday3 min
episode AI cosmology tests dark energy & Psyche turns Mars flyby cinematic - Space News (Jul 21, 2026) artwork

AI cosmology tests dark energy & Psyche turns Mars flyby cinematic - Space News (Jul 21, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Discover the Future of AI Audio with ElevenLabs - https://try.elevenlabs.io/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/eleven_labs?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - SurveyMonkey, Using AI to surface insights faster and reduce manual analysis time - https://get.surveymonkey.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/survey-monkey?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/consensus?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: AI COSMOLOGY TESTS DARK ENERGY - A NEW AI-DRIVEN COSMOLOGY RESULT IS ADDING MOMENTUM TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS IN PHYSICS: WHETHER DARK ENERGY CHANGES OVER TIME. THE STORY CONNECTS MACHINE LEARNING, DESI, AND EUCLID TO THE FUTURE OF PRECISION COSMOLOGY. PSYCHE TURNS MARS FLYBY CINEMATIC - NASA'S PSYCHE MISSION HAS RELEASED A STRIKING TIME-LAPSE OF ITS MARS GRAVITY ASSIST, TURNING A CRITICAL NAVIGATION MANEUVER INTO A COMPELLING OUTREACH MOMENT. THE UPDATE HIGHLIGHTS BOTH SPACECRAFT HEALTH AND THE LONG JOURNEY TOWARD THE METAL-RICH ASTEROID PSYCHE. NEBULAE AND GALAXIES STEAL SPOTLIGHT - FRESH ASTRONOMY HIGHLIGHTS RANGE FROM THE STAR-FORMING STATUE OF LIBERTY NEBULA, NGC 3576, TO JAMES WEBB'S VIEW OF A GALAXY SHAPED BY COLLISION. TOGETHER THEY SHOWCASE HOW MODERN OBSERVATORIES REVEAL STELLAR BIRTH AND GALACTIC TRANSFORMATION. LAUNCH CADENCE MEETS OPERATIONAL REALITY - A SCRUBBED FALCON 9 STARLINK LAUNCH, THE UPCOMING MRV-MEP MISSION, AND STARSHIP'S NEXT TEST FLIGHT UNDERLINE THE FAST PACE AND COMPLEXITY OF MODERN LAUNCH OPERATIONS. THESE UPDATES SHOW HOW ROUTINE SCHEDULING, SAFETY SYSTEMS, AND EXPERIMENTAL HARDWARE NOW COEXIST ON THE SAME CALENDAR. DATA TOOLS REVEAL HIDDEN STRUCTURES - FROM A POSSIBLE IMPACT CRATER SPOTTED ON GOOGLE EARTH TO A RECORD-BREAKING RECONSTRUCTION OF A GALAXY CLUSTER'S MAGNETIC FIELD, POWERFUL DATA PLATFORMS ARE EXPOSING STRUCTURES AT EVERY SCALE. EVEN ESA'S PLANNED PORTAL MAINTENANCE REMINDS US THAT SOFTWARE INFRASTRUCTURE IS CENTRAL TO SPACE SCIENCE. Episode Transcript AI cosmology tests dark energy First up, cosmology. One of the standout stories is a new AI-driven analysis entering the dark energy debate. Building on massive survey efforts like DESI and Euclid, the result hints at fresh ways to interpret the large-scale structure of the universe, and potentially whether dark energy is truly constant or evolves over time. That's a huge question, because if dark energy changes, the standard model of cosmology may need a serious update. Just as important, this story shows how artificial intelligence is becoming a core research tool, not just a buzzword, in the effort to understand cosmic acceleration. Psyche turns Mars flyby cinematic Next, NASA's Psyche mission has turned orbital mechanics into visual storytelling. The spacecraft has released a time-lapse of its Mars flyby, showing its approach, close pass, and departure as it used the planet's gravity to reshape its path deeper into the solar system. Gravity assists are usually discussed in technical terms, but this update makes the maneuver intuitive and memorable. It also serves as a confidence check for the mission team, demonstrating spacecraft performance as Psyche continues toward its scientifically unusual target: a metal-rich asteroid that may resemble an exposed planetary core. Nebulae and galaxies steal spotlight On the astronomy side, NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day spotlighted NGC 3576, also known as the Statue of Liberty Nebula. Located in Carina, this star-forming region is packed with gas, dust, and at least dozens of massive stars nearing the late stages of formation. It's the kind of object that reminds us star birth is not a quiet process. Radiation, winds, and feedback from young stars actively sculpt the nebula around them, making places like NGC 3576 key laboratories for understanding how massive stars form and how they reshape their galactic neighborhoods. Launch cadence meets operational reality James Webb is also in the mix again, this time with observations of an unusual galaxy apparently shaped by a cosmic collision. Webb's infrared sensitivity lets it peer through dust and pick out structures that can be hidden from optical telescopes, making it especially powerful for studying mergers and disturbed galaxies. These are more than pretty pictures. Collisions can trigger bursts of star formation, feed central black holes, and fundamentally alter galaxy evolution, so every well-resolved case helps astronomers connect theory to real systems. Data tools reveal hidden structures Back closer to home, another intriguing headline involves a possible giant impact crater spotted using Google Earth. The report highlights how satellite imagery and accessible mapping tools are increasingly part of the scientific discovery process, allowing researchers and even the public to flag circular structures that may deserve deeper geological study. If confirmed as an impact site, the feature could add to Earth's record of ancient collisions, helping scientists refine models of impact history, environmental disruption, and the long relationship between our planet and the rest of the solar system. Story 6 At the opposite extreme of scale, astronomers have reportedly reconstructed the magnetic field of a galaxy cluster in record detail. Magnetic fields are often the invisible ingredient in big cosmic structures, influencing plasma behavior, particle motion, turbulence, and radiation. A breakthrough map like this can help researchers understand how cluster fields form, how they are amplified, and how they interact with the hot gas filling these enormous systems. It's another reminder that some of the biggest advances in astronomy now come from combining multiple datasets with increasingly sophisticated analysis methods. Story 7 Now to launch operations, where SpaceX saw a Falcon 9 Starlink mission scrubbed from Vandenberg. In today's launch environment, scrubs are less dramatic failure than routine evidence that automated safety checks are doing their job, whether the issue is weather, range constraints, or vehicle health. Still, the event matters because it reflects the extraordinary cadence of modern launches, especially for megaconstellations. On the same broader schedule are the MRV-MEP mission, likely tied to robotic on-orbit servicing capability, and Starship's thirteenth flight test, another step in the long campaign to make ultra-heavy, reusable deep-space transport practical. Story 8 And finally, a quieter but important operational update from Europe: ESA announced scheduled maintenance for several Earth observation data portals. It may sound mundane next to rockets and nebulae, but these systems are part of the essential infrastructure of space science. Platforms serving missions like Swarm, CryoSat, Aeolus, and SMOS support researchers working on everything from magnetic fields and ice thickness to atmosphere and climate. Short downtime windows are a reminder that modern space exploration depends not only on spacecraft in orbit, but also on resilient software, archives, and networks here on Earth. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

21. juli 20265 min
episode NASA Moon Day Budget Protest & Falcon 9 California Launch Milestone - Space News (Jul 20, 2026) artwork

NASA Moon Day Budget Protest & Falcon 9 California Launch Milestone - Space News (Jul 20, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/gamma?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/prezi?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/krispCall?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: NASA MOON DAY BUDGET PROTEST - NASA EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORTERS ARE PREPARING A MOON DAY PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, D.C., OVER PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET CUTS. THE DEMONSTRATION HIGHLIGHTS GROWING CONCERN OVER THE FUTURE OF NASA SCIENCE, EARTH OBSERVATION, AND PLANETARY MISSIONS. FALCON 9 CALIFORNIA LAUNCH MILESTONE - SPACEX IS TARGETING ANOTHER FALCON 9 STARLINK MISSION FROM VANDENBERG, A LAUNCH THAT WOULD BECOME CALIFORNIA’S 50TH ORBITAL MISSION OF 2026. THE FLIGHT UNDERSCORES THE RELENTLESS PACE OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN LOW EARTH ORBIT. STARSHIP FLIGHT 13 FACES UNCERTAINTY - SPACEX’S STARSHIP FLIGHT 13 REMAINS IN A FLUID STATE AFTER A LAST-SECOND ABORT DURING A PREVIOUS ATTEMPT. THE MISSION IS EXPECTED TO TEST UPDATES AND COULD DEBUT NEXT-GENERATION V3 STARLINK SATELLITES WHEN IT FINALLY FLIES. NGC 6563 TONIGHT IN SAGITTARIUS - SKYWATCHERS HAVE A LATE-NIGHT TARGET IN THE FAINT PLANETARY NEBULA NGC 6563 IN SAGITTARIUS. THE OBJECT OFFERS AMATEUR ASTRONOMERS A CHANCE TO OBSERVE THE GLOWING SHELL OF A DYING SUN-LIKE STAR AS THE MOON SETS. Episode Transcript NASA Moon Day Budget Protest First, a striking story out of Washington. NASA employees and supporters are preparing a Moon Day protest to challenge steep proposed cuts in the 2026 budget request. The concern is not only the scale of the reductions, but the fear that NASA leadership could begin adapting to them before Congress makes any final decision. For scientists and mission teams, this matters because the deepest impacts would hit Earth science and planetary exploration, areas that shape climate research, long-running missions, and the broader direction of publicly funded space science in the United States. Falcon 9 California Launch Milestone On the launch front, SpaceX is working toward another Falcon 9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket is set to carry 24 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, and if it flies as planned, it will mark the 50th orbital launch from California this year. That number says a lot about the state of modern spaceflight: launches that once felt exceptional are now becoming routine, driven largely by commercial constellations that need a constant flow of new satellites. Starship Flight 13 Faces Uncertainty At the same time, there is still uncertainty around SpaceX’s much larger vehicle, Starship. Flight 13 had been expected to make a new attempt around July 20 and could become the first mission to carry V3 Starlink satellites, but the program is coming off a last-second abort from a previous try. For now, the key point is that Starship remains in a familiar pattern of ambition, pause, and revision. It is a reminder that rapid testing can move quickly, but not always smoothly, especially for a rocket system meant to change the scale of access to orbit. NGC 6563 Tonight In Sagittarius And finally, for anyone who wants a quieter connection to space tonight, astronomy guides are pointing observers toward NGC 6563 in Sagittarius. This is a faint planetary nebula, essentially the glowing shell of gas cast off by a dying Sun-like star. It is best suited for larger amateur telescopes and becomes easier to catch as the Moon sets and the object climbs higher in the southern sky. It is not a headline-grabbing discovery, but it is a powerful reminder that even on a day filled with protests and rocket plans, the sky still offers something patient and beautiful to find. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

20. juli 20262 min
episode Skyroot Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit & Hayabusa2 Maps Binary Asteroid - Space News (Jul 19, 2026) artwork

Skyroot Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit & Hayabusa2 Maps Binary Asteroid - Space News (Jul 19, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/stock_mvp?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/krispCall?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/gamma?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: SKYROOT VIKRAM-1 REACHES ORBIT - SKYROOT AEROSPACE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED VIKRAM-1, THE FIRST PRIVATELY DEVELOPED INDIAN ROCKET TO REACH ORBIT. THE MILESTONE EXPANDS INDIA'S COMMERCIAL LAUNCH CAPABILITIES AND RESHAPES COMPETITION IN THE SMALL SATELLITE MARKET. HAYABUSA2 MAPS BINARY ASTEROID - JAPAN'S HAYABUSA2 SPACECRAFT PULLED OFF AN ULTRA-CLOSE FLYBY OF ASTEROID TORIFUNE AND REVEALED IT TO BE A CONTACT BINARY. THE OBSERVATIONS OFFER FRESH CLUES ABOUT RUBBLE-PILE ASTEROIDS, COLLISION HISTORY, AND FUTURE SMALL-BODY MISSION DESIGN. COMET TEMPEL 2 KNIFE-EDGE - COMET 10P/TEMPEL 2 HAS ENTERED A DRAMATIC KNIFE-EDGE PHASE AS EARTH CROSSES ITS ORBITAL PLANE. THE GEOMETRY IS SHARPENING THE COMET'S TAIL AND GIVING ASTRONOMERS AND SKYWATCHERS A PRIME CHANCE TO STUDY DUST DYNAMICS IN REAL TIME. EXOPLANETS REDEFINE HABITABILITY FRONTIERS - ASTRONOMERS REPORTED THE FIRST ROBUST DETECTION OF AN ATMOSPHERE AROUND A ROCKY HABITABLE-ZONE EXOPLANET, LHS 1140 B, WHILE ALSO HIGHLIGHTING THE FAINT GIANT BETA PICTORIS D AND RENEWED INTEREST IN HYCEAN WORLDS. TOGETHER, THESE DISCOVERIES ARE WIDENING THE SEARCH FOR LIFE AND IMPROVING DIRECT IMAGING METHODS. BLACK HOLES, DARK MATTER, OUTREACH - NEW RESEARCH UNCOVERED A STELLAR-MASS BLACK HOLE IN OMEGA CENTAURI AND USED GIANT PLANETS AS DARK MATTER DETECTORS, WHILE PUBLIC EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS KEPT SPACE SCIENCE CONNECTED TO WIDER AUDIENCES. IT IS A SNAPSHOT OF HOW ASTROPHYSICS, PLANETARY SCIENCE, AND EDUCATION ARE ADVANCING TOGETHER. Episode Transcript Skyroot Vikram-1 Reaches Orbit First, a major launch milestone. Skyroot Aerospace successfully sent its Vikram-1 rocket to orbit on its debut mission, Aagaman, making it the first privately developed Indian rocket to achieve orbital flight. The vehicle launched from Sriharikota and placed four payloads into low Earth orbit, a success that signals India's private space sector has moved beyond testing and into real operational capability. Strategically, this gives India a stronger position in the global small satellite launch market and could eventually make it easier for research missions and commercial spacecraft to find flexible rides to orbit. Hayabusa2 Maps Binary Asteroid In solar system exploration, Hayabusa2 showed once again why extended missions can be so valuable. During a super-close flyby of the near-Earth asteroid Torifune, the Japanese spacecraft approached within about 800 meters and revealed that the object is a contact binary, two lobes gently fused together under gravity. Optical images and last-second thermal infrared data both confirmed the strange shape, giving scientists new insight into how rubble-pile bodies form and evolve. Just as important, the flyby demonstrated that precision navigation near tiny, irregular worlds can deliver big science when mission teams are willing to take carefully managed risks. Comet Tempel 2 Knife-Edge Meanwhile, comet watchers have a great target in the evening sky. Comet 10P/Tempel 2 is entering a knife-edge tail phase as Earth crosses the plane of the comet's orbit, making its dust tail appear narrower, brighter, and more sharply defined. This is more than a pretty sky event: that geometry helps researchers test models of dust emission, solar wind interaction, and tail structure, while also giving amateur astronomers a chance to contribute useful observations over multiple nights. Exoplanets Redefine Habitability Frontiers The biggest exoplanet headline may belong to LHS 1140 b. Researchers say they have made the first robust detection of an atmosphere around a rocky Earth-like planet in the habitable zone, using evidence from helium escaping the planet's atmosphere. If confirmed by further follow-up, this is a genuine milestone in the search for life, because it shows that temperate rocky planets beyond our solar system really can hold onto atmospheres. At the same time, astronomers also announced Beta Pictoris d, an unusually faint gas giant discovered through molecular spectroscopy and old imaging data, and discussion continues around Hycean worlds, ocean-covered planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres that may broaden what we mean by habitable. Black Holes, Dark Matter, Outreach Finally, two stories show how creative modern astrophysics has become. Astronomers identified a hidden stellar-mass black hole in Omega Centauri, called oMEGACat BH-2, by tracking the long-term motion of a companion star with Hubble and Webb data. And in a very different approach to fundamental physics, researchers used ultraviolet emissions from giant planets to place some of the tightest limits yet on certain dark matter interaction models. Add in public star parties, historic telescope nights, planetarium shows, and advanced summer workshops, and the message is clear: the frontier of space science is expanding not only in research labs and observatories, but in the public imagination as well. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

19. juli 20264 min