00:43 – **2026 is shaping up to be a monumental year for lunar exploration
01:41 – **A total solar eclipse will cross over the Arctic on August 12th
02:36 – **NASA's Voyager probes have detected a searingly hot region of space
04:16 – **Russia launches new radar Earth observation satellite with huge strategic importance
05:24 – **Scientists have detected narrow structures of hot plasma extending into the wider galaxy
06:58 – **The reusable rocket race is heating up, and it's not just SpaceX
08:22 – **Stokespace and Relativity Space are building out launch sites at Cape Canaveral
09:40 – **This is the end of today's Astronomy Daily show### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA2. Roscosmos3. Space.com### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 the latest news from across the cosmos. I'm
00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 Avery.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 today. We start with a more comprehensive
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 look ahead at The Cosmic Wonders 2026
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 has in store for us. From Moon missions to
00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 major eclipses.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 Avery: That's right. We'll also dive into a mind
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 bending discovery from the Voyager probes at
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 the edge of our solar system and discuss
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Russia's new Earth observation satellite.
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 Anna: Plus, scientists may have found interstellar
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 tunnels in our galactic neighborhood. And
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 finally, we'll rapidly evolving commercial
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 space race with updates on China's reusable
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 rockets and the transformation of Florida's
00:00:39 --> 00:00:40 historic space coast.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 Avery: It's a lot to cover, so let's get started.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Anna, ah, why don't you kick us off with the
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 astronomical forecast update for 2026.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 Anna: Absolutely, Avery. 2026 is shaping
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 up to be a monumental year, especially for
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 lunar exploration. NASA's Artemis program
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 is sending the first astronauts to fly by the
00:00:59 --> 00:01:00 moon in over 50 years.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 Avery: And this is the mission that will pave the
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 way for the actual MO landing, right?
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 Anna: Exactly. This crew, three Americans and one
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 Canadian will do a flyby of the far side,
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 which could give us our first good look at
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 areas the Apollo missions never saw. But
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 they're not alone. We're also expecting a
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 caravan of robotic.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Avery: Landers from commercial companies, including
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 Jeff Bezos's Blue Moon lander. I read that
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 thing is going to be huge. Taller than the
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 Apollo landers.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 Anna: That's right. And companies like Astrobotic
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 and Intuitive Machines are also heading back.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 While Firefly Aerospace is aiming for the
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 Moon's far side, even China is targeting the
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 South Pole to search for ice.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 Avery: The Moon is certainly getting busy.
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 What about other celestial events? I heard
00:01:43 --> 00:01:44 there's a big eclipse coming.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 Anna: There is. On August 12th, a, ah, total
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 solar eclipse will cross over the Arctic.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 Greenland, Iceland and Spain.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 Totality will last just over two minutes.
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 And for those at the other end of the world,
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 there's a ring of fire eclipse in Antarctica
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 in February.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 Avery: Sounds like a year for the eclipse chasers.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 And we also have those planet parades to look
00:02:05 --> 00:02:05 forward to.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 Anna: We do. At the end of February, six
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 planets, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter,
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Saturn, Uranus and Neptunewill line
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 up in the sky just after sunset.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 Mars will be the only one missing, but it
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 joins a different six planet parade in
00:02:20 --> 00:02:21 August.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 Avery: Incredible. It seems there's something for
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 everyone in 2026. From lunar missions to
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 planetary alignments.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 Anna: It really does. And that's just the
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 beginning. Let's move on to our next Story
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 which takes us far beyond the Moon to the
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 very edge of our solar system.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 Avery, what have the Voyager probes been up?
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 Avery: This is a Fascinating 1. Voyager 1 and 2,
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 NASA's longest running missions, have
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 detected a searingly hot region of space
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 where the Sun's influence ends. Some are
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 calling it a wall of fire.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 Anna: A wall of fire. That sounds intense.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 What exactly is it?
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 Avery: It's a boundary zone at the edge of the
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 heliosphere. That's the bubble created by the
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 solar wind where temperatures spike to
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 between 30 and 50
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 kelvin. This region, called the heliosheath,
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 acts as a sort of thermal barrier.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 Anna: That's incred. How did the probe
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 survive passing through it?
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 Avery: That's the key part. While the plasma
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 particles are moving at extremely high
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 velocities, creating that high temperature,
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 the particle density is incredibly low.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 It's basically a near vacuum. So there aren't
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 enough particles hitting the spacecraft to
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 transfer significant heat.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 Anna: Ah, that makes sense. High energy, but
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 low heat transfer. So what does this
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 discovery tell us?
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 Avery: It's revising our understanding of how our
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 solar system interacts with the wider galaxy.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 But the temperature spike wasn't the only
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 surprise. The magnetic field data was also
00:03:45 --> 00:03:45 unexpected.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:46 Anna: Really? How so?
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 Avery: Scientists found that the magnetic field
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 lines just inside the heliosphere aligned
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 with those in interstellar space just outside
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 of it. They also discovered a leakage of
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 particles through this boundary, suggesting
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 the heliosphere isn't a perfect shield
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 against galactic cosmic rays.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 Anna: So our solar system's protective bubble is
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 more permeable than we thought. The Voyager
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 probes just keep delivering incredible
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 science decades after their launch.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 Avery: They certainly do now.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 Let's bring our focus a little closer to
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 home. There's been a significant launch from
00:04:21 --> 00:04:21 Russia recently.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 Anna: Yes. Russia launched a Soyuz rocket
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 carrying a new radar Earth observation
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 satellite called Abzor R1.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 The launch took place at the Plesetsk
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 Cosmodrome, a site often used for military
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 missions.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 Avery: And what makes this satellite so important is
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 its radar capability. Unlike, um, optical
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 satellites that need clear skies and
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 daylight, radar can see through clouds, smoke
00:04:45 --> 00:04:45 and.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Anna: Right. That gives it a huge strategic
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 advantage for surveillance, environmental
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 mapping and disaster response. This mission
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 really underscores Moscow's push to expand
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 its own space based intelligence
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 capabilities, independent of any foreign
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 partners.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 Avery: So this is a big step for their sovereign
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 space program?
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 Anna: It is. The Abzor R series
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 represents a new generation of homegrown
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 Russian radar systems. It's, uh, a dual use
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 technology serving both military and
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 civilian needs. And it's a clear geopolitical
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 standard in a world where Remote sensing is
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 more critical than ever.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 Avery: A powerful tool indeed.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 Well, from geopolitical moves in orbit, let's
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 turn to a discovery that feels like it's
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 straight out of science fiction. Anna, uh,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 you mentioned something about interstellar
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 tunnels.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 Anna: I did, and it's just as cool as it sounds.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Using the Erocita Space Telescope,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 scientists have detected narrow structures of
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 hot plasma that seem to extend from the
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 bubble of space surrounding our sun out into
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 the wider galaxy.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 Avery: Wow, so these are like corridors through the
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 interstellar medium. What could have formed
00:05:54 --> 00:05:54 them?
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 Anna: The leading theory is that they were carved
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 out by ancient supernova explosions. Our
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 solar system sits inside something called the
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 local hot bubble, a 300 light year wide
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 cavity that was itself formed by supernovae
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 about 10 to 20 million years ago.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 Avery: Right, I've heard of that.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 Anna: Well, scientists have long theorized that
00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 these bubbles could be interconnected,
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 forming, uh, a kind of network. These new X
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 ray observations from erosion are providing
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 the first real evidence that these tunnels or
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 chimneys might actually exist, connecting
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 our local bubble to other regions.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 Avery: That's incredible. It paints a picture of our
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 galaxy's structure that's much more complex
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 and dynamic than just empty space between
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 stars.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 Anna: It really does. The data also showed a
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 temperature difference between the northern
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 and southern halves of our bubble, suggesting
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 it's not a uniform sphere, but has been
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 shaped by asymmetrical forces. It could be
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 that these tunnels act as pathways for cosmic
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 rays and gas gas to flow through the galaxy.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 Avery: A galactic subway system of sorts.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 Amazing.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 This brings us to the commercial side of
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 space, which is also creating new pathways,
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 albeit to orbit. The reusable rocket
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 race is heating up, and it's not just SpaceX
00:07:08 --> 00:07:08 anymore.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 Anna: That's right. The Chinese rocket startup
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 Landspace has made it clear they're inspired
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 by SpaceX. They recently conducted the first
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 reusable rocket test by a Chinese entity with
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 their Zhuki 3 rocket.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 Avery: And they've been very open about modeling it
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 after the Falcon 9. The Deputy Chief
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 designer even called it a high compliment to
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 be referred to as the Chinese Falcon 9.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 Anna: It's a major paradigm shift. China's state
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 led space program has historically been very
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 risk averse, whereas Landspace is embracing
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 the test fail iterate philosophy that SpaceX
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 is famous for. Their first test actually
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 ended in a crash, but state media covered it
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 openly.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 Avery: Elon Musk himself even commented on it,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 noting that they've adopted aspects of both
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 Falcon 9 and Starship. He acknowledged
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 their design could potentially beat Falcon 9,
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 though he added that Starship is in another
00:08:01 --> 00:08:01 league.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 Anna: It shows how quickly the global landscape is
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 changing. With Beijing support and plans
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 for massive satellite constellations, low
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 cost, reusable launch is a top priority.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 It's also worth remembering that SpaceX had
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 two failed booster landing attempts before
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 their first success in 20.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 Avery: A very good point.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 And speaking of launch infrastructure, our
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 final story looks at how two other ambitious
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 companies are transforming the iconic, uh,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 Space coast in Florida.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 Anna: This is really exciting. Stokespace
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 and Relativity Space are rapidly building out
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 launch sites at Cape Canaveral. Stokes
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 base is at Launch Complex 14, which is a
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 site rich with history.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 Avery: That's the pad where John Glenn became the
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 first American to orbit the earth back in
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 1962. It's been inactive for over
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 50 years, and now it's being prepped for
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 Stoke's fully reusable Nova rocket.
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 Anna: Exactly. Aerial views show the launch pad
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 is nearly complete. And right next door at
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 Launch Complex 16, relativity space
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 is making massive upgrades for its much
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 larger Terran R rocket.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 Avery: The Progress there is really visible. They've
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 installed a towering water tower for the
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 Deluge system, added huge new propellant
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 tanks, and are pouring concrete for the
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 launch mount.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 Anna: It's a perfect example of how the Space coast
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 is evolving, reviving historic sites to
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 become hubs for the next generation of
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 spaceflight. Stoke is targeting a, uh, first
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 launch in early 2026, with
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 Relativity aiming for late 2026.
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 Avery: It truly shows the accelerating pace of the
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 commercial space industry.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 And that brings us to the end of our show for
00:09:42 --> 00:09:42 today.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 Anna: We've journeyed from the celestial events of
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 2026 to the edge of the solar system
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 and seen how new technologies on Earth are
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 po shape our access to space.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 Avery: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Avery.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 Anna: And I'm Anna. We'll see you next time on
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 Astronomy Daily.