Starship test and Starlink demo & ISS change of command ceremony - Space News (Jul 25, 2026)

Starship test and Starlink demo & ISS change of command ceremony - Space News (Jul 25, 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] - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/prezi?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: STARSHIP TEST AND STARLINK DEMO - SPACEX'S STARSHIP FLIGHT 13 COMPLETED A MAJOR TEST LAUNCH AND SUPER HEAVY BOOSTER LANDING FROM STARBASE, CARRYING 20 STARLINK V3 SATELLITES ON A BRIEF SUBORBITAL RIDE BEFORE THEY REENTERED, MARKING A NEW STEP TOWARD FULLY REUSABLE HEAVY-LIFT ROCKETS AND NEXT-GENERATION SATELLITE INTERNET[6][9][15]. KEYWORDS: SPACEX STARSHIP, STARLINK V3, REUSABLE ROCKET, SUPER HEAVY LANDING, SUBORBITAL TEST. ISS CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY - THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION HELD A FORMAL CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY AS THE MS-28 CREW PREPARES TO DEPART, UNDERSCORING THE CONTINUITY OF MULTINATIONAL OPERATIONS ABOARD THE ORBITING LABORATORY, WHICH PARTNERS PLAN TO KEEP FLYING THROUGH AT LEAST 2030[1][8]. KEYWORDS: ISS, CHANGE OF COMMAND, ROSCOSMOS, NASA, SPACE STATION OPERATIONS. PLATO EXOPLANET MISSION PROGRESS - ESA'S PLANET-HUNTING MISSION PLATO HAS JUST PASSED A SERIES OF CRITICAL PRELAUNCH TESTS, MOVING CLOSER TO ITS GOAL OF DETECTING EARTH-LIKE EXOPLANETS AROUND SUN-LIKE STARS AND HELPING REFINE THE SEARCH FOR POTENTIALLY HABITABLE WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM[12][11]. KEYWORDS: PLATO MISSION, EXOPLANETS, ESA, HABITABILITY, SPACE TELESCOPE TESTS. NASA–BLUE ORIGIN NEW GLENN TESTS - NASA AND BLUE ORIGIN ANNOUNCED A NEW AGREEMENT TO CONDUCT HOT-FIRE TESTING OF THE NEW GLENN ROCKET'S SECOND STAGE ON THE HISTORIC B-2 TEST STAND, SIGNALING DEEPER COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL SPACE AND LEVERAGING LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MODERN HEAVY-LIFT LAUNCH DEVELOPMENT[19]. KEYWORDS: NASA, BLUE ORIGIN, NEW GLENN, STENNIS B-2, HOT-FIRE TESTS, COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT. LUNAR TRANQUILITY AND SERENITY IMAGE - NASA'S ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY HIGHLIGHTS A CALM, DETAILED VIEW OF THE LUNAR SEAS OF TRANQUILITY AND SERENITY, OFFERING BOTH A SCIENTIFIC LOOK AT THE MOON'S BASALT PLAINS AND A VISUAL REMINDER OF HUMANITY'S APOLLO HERITAGE ON THE LUNAR SURFACE[17]. KEYWORDS: APOD, MOON, SEA OF TRANQUILITY, SEA OF SERENITY, LUNAR IMAGERY. Episode Transcript Starship test and Starlink demo Let's begin with Starship Flight 13, the latest test of SpaceX's fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy vehicle from Starbase in Texas[6][15]. Late on July 24th, the massive booster lit up its engines and sent the Starship upper stage skyward, marking the thirteenth flight test of the combined system and one of the most ambitious profiles attempted so far[6][15]. According to SpaceX, the primary objectives on this flight included a clean launch and ascent, stage separation, a boostback and landing burn for the Super Heavy booster toward an offshore landing point, and a controlled reentry and splashdown for the Starship upper stage[6]. These may sound like routine steps, but getting them all to work together on such a large system is central to proving that a fully reusable rocket of this scale is practical. The most intriguing twist this time was the payload: twenty production Starlink Version 3 satellites were carried on a suborbital trajectory, briefly deployed, and allowed to connect to the existing Starlink constellation via high-capacity laser links before they were expected to break up on reentry about twenty minutes later[6][9][14]. SpaceX has described this as an initial test of how Starship can handle satellite deployment, with the satellites extending solar arrays and antennas and talking to the network even though they were never meant to stay in orbit[9]. In other words, the company deliberately used a short-lived payload to shake out the deployment hardware and procedures without committing satellites to long-term service[6][9]. Beyond the engineering details, the significance is straightforward: Starship is inching closer to the role it has been designed for, a heavy-lift, high-capacity launcher that can both carry large numbers of satellites and eventually send cargo and people to the Moon and Mars. From a broader perspective, the flight also continues the trend of rapid iteration on Starship, with each test pushing reusability a bit further and gathering more data on how the booster and ship behave during ascent and landing[6][15]. Spaceflight Now notes that the rocket, powered by dozens of methane-fueled Raptor engines, lifted off just before local evening and followed a trajectory that allowed the booster to attempt an offshore landing while the ship headed toward a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean[15]. The more consistently SpaceX can recover and reuse these stages, the more it can drive down launch costs and increase flight cadence, which in turn affects everything from satellite broadband economics to how feasible frequent deep-space missions will be[6][15]. For listeners, the key takeaway is that Starship is no longer just a speculative project: it is flying, carrying test payloads, and gradually demonstrating the pieces of the reusability puzzle in real hardware. Staying in low Earth orbit but shifting focus, there was also important human spaceflight news with a change of command ceremony aboard the International Space Station scheduled for today, July 25th[1]. As the MS-28 mission prepares to depart, Roscosmos and NASA crews are formally handing over responsibility for station operations from one commander to another in a brief but symbolic event broadcast by NASA[1]. These ceremonies may seem ceremonial, but they mark the moment when authority for day-to-day decisions, responses to unforeseen events, and coordination of international research officially moves to a new person. In a place as complex and unforgiving as the ISS, clarity about who is in charge is not just tradition; it is an operational necessity. The timing comes as station partners continue planning for another several years of operations, with the European Space Agency and NASA both supporting an extension at least through 2030[8]. ESA ministers have previously agreed to continue their ISS participation and budgeted funding to support operations alongside new exploration initiatives, including the Gateway station in lunar orbit[8]. That long-term commitment matters because every change of command is now part of a broader transition period, where agencies are thinking about how to keep the ISS productive while they also build successor platforms and lunar infrastructure. For the astronauts and cosmonauts on board, though, the focus is much more immediate: keep the station running smoothly, carry out the packed schedule of scientific experiments, and ensure a safe handover as visiting vehicles arrive and depart. Today's ceremony is a reminder that human presence in orbit is not only about big milestones; it is also about steady routines and well-managed transitions. Turning now to future space observatories, a European planet-hunting mission named PLATO has just cleared an important testing milestone on its path to launch[12]. Space.com reports that PLATO, an ESA mission designed to find exoplanets by monitoring the brightness of stars for tiny dips as planets pass in front of them, has passed a series of critical tests that simulate the harsh conditions of launch and space operations[12]. These tests, which typically include thermal cycling, vibration, and vacuum checks, are essential for proving that the spacecraft will survive the ride to orbit and function reliably once it is deployed. With this step completed, PLATO is closer to joining the growing fleet of dedicated exoplanet missions. PLATO's scientific focus is particularly exciting because it aims to zero in on Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars, where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist[12][11]. By gathering long, precise light curves from many stars, the mission should help identify planets that not only resemble Earth in size but also orbit at distances where surface conditions might be relatively mild[12]. That, in turn, will give astronomers a more targeted list of worlds to follow up with ground-based telescopes and future space observatories capable of probing their atmospheres. In the bigger picture, PLATO complements missions like NASA's TESS and ESA's CHEOPS, but with a design optimized for characterizing planetary systems around bright, nearby stars that are ideal candidates for detailed study[11][12]. Passing its test campaign may sound like an engineering checkpoint, but it is also a step toward refining our answers to a question many listeners care about: how common are potentially habitable planets in our galactic neighborhood? Back on the launch infrastructure side of spaceflight, NASA and Blue Origin have announced a new agreement to carry out hot-fire testing of the New Glenn rocket's second stage on the B-2 test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi[19]. In a recent NASA news release, the agency explained that Blue Origin will use the B-2 stand, a historic facility previously used for testing stages of the Saturn V and Space Launch System rockets, to validate the performance of New Glenn's upper stage[19]. Hot-fire tests involve firing the stage's engines while it is secured on the stand, allowing engineers to measure thrust, control behavior, and structural responses under realistic conditions without actually launching the vehicle. For New Glenn, a heavy-lift launcher designed to carry large payloads to orbit, this kind of testing is a key step on the road to operational flights. The significance of this agreement goes beyond a single rocket stage. It shows how NASA infrastructure and commercial launch development are increasingly intertwined, with legacy government facilities being repurposed to support new private vehicles[19]. For NASA, working with Blue Origin helps ensure that critical test stands remain active and well-funded, while also encouraging competition and diversity in the heavy-lift launch market. For Blue Origin, access to the B-2 stand gives the company a proven platform for pushing its upper stage toward flight readiness, reducing the need to build entirely new complex infrastructure from scratch. In the long run, successful New Glenn flights could add another option for launching large satellites, interplanetary missions, or even future components for lunar and deep-space projects, alongside vehicles from other providers. So while this story is framed around test stand logistics, it is really about how the ecosystem of launch providers and government agencies continues to evolve. Finally, let's step away from rockets and look up at the Moon itself. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day, hosted by NASA and mirrored on university sites, features an image titled "Tranquility and Serenity" that focuses on two of the Moon's most famous maria: the Sea of Tranquility and the Sea of Serenity[17]. The picture shows these basalt plains appearing calm and smooth, highlighting the subtle shading and textures of the lunar surface in a way that is hard to appreciate with casual backyard observing[17]. APOD images often combine aesthetic appeal with scientific context, and this one invites viewers to think about the geological history behind these dark patches on the Moon. The Sea of Tranquility, of course, is where Apollo 11 touched down in 1969, marking humanity's first crewed landing on another world, while the Sea of Serenity lies just to the north, forming part of the broader pattern of impact basins and lava-filled plains that shape the Moon's near side[17]. By emphasizing that these "seas" are calm today, the description contrasts their current stillness with the violent processes that created them, including ancient impacts and long-ago volcanic activity. For listeners, this APOD is a gentle reminder that even familiar celestial objects can reveal new details and stories when seen through well-crafted images and thoughtful commentary. It also connects nicely to ongoing plans for future Artemis missions, which aim to return humans to the lunar surface and explore it with far more sophisticated tools than the Apollo era could offer, turning places like Tranquility and Serenity from historical landmarks into starting points for a new phase of lunar science and exploration[7][17]. ISS change of command ceremony To wrap up, the past day has shown how varied space news can be, even in a relatively short window. On one end, we have Starship Flight 13 demonstrating more of the capabilities of a future fully reusable heavy-lift rocket and experimenting with next-generation Starlink satellites, hinting at what more flexible and affordable access to orbit might look like[6][9][15]. On another, we see the International Space Station continuing its steady rhythm with a change of command, making sure the long-running human presence in low Earth orbit stays well coordinated and safe[1][8]. At the same time, missions like PLATO are quietly moving closer to launch, preparing to expand our catalog of potentially habitable exoplanets, while NASA and Blue Origin set up new hot-fire tests that will influence the future of commercial heavy-lift launch[12][19]. Even the day's lunar image from APOD adds depth, reminding us that behind the headlines about rockets and policy, there is always the enduring backdrop of the cosmos itself[17]. 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]

Hidden Beta Pictoris giant world & Atmospheric retention ranks rocky planets - Space News (Jul 24, 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] - 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: HIDDEN BETA PICTORIS GIANT WORLD - ASTRONOMERS USING THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAVE REVEALED BETA PICTORIS D, A GIANT EXOPLANET HIDDEN IN A FAMOUS NEARBY SYSTEM BY DETECTING THE CHEMISTRY OF ITS ATMOSPHERE RATHER THAN RELYING ON DIRECT IMAGING ALONE. THE DISCOVERY HIGHLIGHTS A POWERFUL NEW WAY TO FIND PLANETS IN DUSTY STAR SYSTEMS AND EXPANDS THE SCIENCE RETURN FROM WEBB EXOPLANET OBSERVATIONS. ATMOSPHERIC RETENTION RANKS ROCKY PLANETS - A NEW EXOPLANET HABITABILITY MODEL FOCUSES ON WHETHER ROCKY WORLDS CAN HOLD ONTO THEIR ATMOSPHERES OVER GEOLOGIC TIMESCALES, GIVING RESEARCHERS A BETTER WAY TO RANK PROMISING TARGETS. BY ADDING ATMOSPHERIC SURVIVAL TO THE USUAL HABITABLE ZONE LOGIC, SCIENTISTS CAN BETTER NARROW THE SEARCH FOR POTENTIALLY LIFE-FRIENDLY PLANETS BEYOND EARTH. WEBB CAPTURES ANCIENT GALAXY CLUSTER - THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS CAPTURED A STRIKING VIEW OF GALAXY CLUSTER MACS J0553.4-3342, SHOWING IT AS IT APPEARED 4.4 BILLION YEARS AGO. THE IMAGE OFFERS BOTH A DRAMATIC LOOK-BACK-TIME SNAPSHOT AND VALUABLE DATA ON HOW MASSIVE GALAXY CLUSTERS FORM AND EVOLVE. MERCURY ENDS APPARENT RETROGRADE MOTION - MERCURY HAS REACHED A STATIONARY POINT IN THE SKY, ENDING ITS APPARENT RETROGRADE MOTION AND BEGINNING TO MOVE EASTWARD AGAIN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND STARS. THE EVENT IS A USEFUL REMINDER THAT RETROGRADE IS A LINE-OF-SIGHT EFFECT CAUSED BY ORBITAL MOTION, AND IT GIVES SKYWATCHERS A TIMELY TARGET IN THE PRE-DAWN SKY. SPACEX SERVICING LAUNCH STARSHIP UPDATE - SPACEX HAS LAUNCHED A ROBOTIC SERVICING SPACECRAFT TOWARD GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT FOR A LONG-DURATION MISSION FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING VALUABLE SATELLITES IN SPACE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE COMPANY HAS RETARGETED STARSHIP'S THIRTEENTH INTEGRATED FLIGHT TEST FOR JULY 24 BECAUSE OF WEATHER, UNDERSCORING BOTH THE GROWTH OF ORBITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE REALITIES OF LAUNCH OPERATIONS. Episode Transcript Hidden Beta Pictoris giant world First up, the James Webb Space Telescope has helped astronomers uncover Beta Pictoris d, a giant exoplanet hiding in a system that scientists have been studying for years. What makes this especially important is the method: instead of simply spotting the planet directly, researchers identified it through the spectral signature of its atmosphere, including molecules such as carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor. In a dusty system where ordinary imaging can miss things, that kind of atmospheric detection could become a major new tool for finding worlds that were effectively hiding in plain sight. Atmospheric retention ranks rocky planets Next, a new exoplanet model is trying to answer a more practical question: not just where rocky planets are, but which ones are most likely to stay habitable for the long haul. The framework ranks planets by how well they can retain atmospheres over geologic timescales, taking into account the way gravity and stellar radiation can strip gases away. That's a big deal because a planet can sit in the so-called habitable zone and still be a poor candidate for life if it can't hold onto the atmosphere needed to regulate temperature and chemistry. Webb captures ancient galaxy cluster Webb is also making news on a much larger scale, with a new image of the young galaxy cluster MACS J0553.4-3342. The light in that image has taken about 4.4 billion years to reach us, so we're seeing the cluster as it existed deep in the past while its structure was still taking shape. Images like this are more than cosmic eye candy; they help astronomers study how galaxies gather into clusters, how gas behaves in these giant environments, and how the universe built up its large-scale structure over time. Mercury ends apparent retrograde motion Closer to home, Mercury has reached a stationary point in the sky, marking the end of its apparent retrograde motion. That doesn't mean the planet actually reversed course around the Sun; it's an effect created by the changing geometry between Mercury, Earth, and the background stars. For skywatchers, Mercury is a challenging pre-dawn target in Gemini, low in the eastern sky and only thinly illuminated, but events like this are a great chance to connect the idea of orbital mechanics with something you can actually try to observe yourself. SpaceX servicing launch Starship update Finally, on the spaceflight side, SpaceX launched a robotic servicing spacecraft toward geosynchronous orbit on July 23, starting what has been described as a decade-long mission. The broader significance is clear: satellite operations are moving toward a future where expensive spacecraft can be inspected, maintained, and potentially extended in service rather than simply abandoned when problems arise. Meanwhile, SpaceX has also shifted Starship's thirteenth integrated flight test to the evening of July 24 because of weather, a reminder that even the most ambitious launch systems still answer to conditions here on Earth. 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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]

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. 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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]