Space News Today

Astronomy Daily — S05E147: "Space Mechanic" Wednesday 22 July 2026 A spacecraft with robotic arms is on its way to geostationary orbit to keep other satellites alive. A discarded rocket stage is two weeks out from hitting the Moon, and twenty-three astronomers have just asked the world to watch. Plus the first binary star system where both stars exploded, the first complete magnetic map of a galaxy cluster, and the asteroid breakup that may have bombarded three worlds while Earth froze. In This Episode ● The Space Mechanic Launches — Northrop Grumman's Mission Robotic Vehicle lifted off from Cape Canaveral on 21 July carrying three Mission Extension Pods. With two 3-metre robotic arms built by the US Naval Research Laboratory, it is designed to inspect, relocate, repair and refuel satellites in geostationary orbit. Each pod can give a 2,000 kg satellite up to eight more years of life. ● UPDATE — The Rocket Aimed at the Moon — A new arXiv preprint signed by 23 astronomers calls for a coordinated observing campaign when Falcon 9 upper stage 2025-010D strikes the Moon near Einstein crater on 5 August. North America has the best seat: 2:34am EDT, with the paper naming observers in the Americas as the ideal group. Refined impact time, predicted crater size, and why the ejecta plume may be visible even if the flash is not. ● Sibling Supernovae — Sixteen years of Fermi data reveal a faint supernova remnant hiding in the glare of the Jellyfish Nebula. The two may be the first known pair of remnants traced back to a single binary star system. ● Mapping a Cluster's Magnetic Field — Using the deepest radio observations ever made with LOFAR, astronomers have reconstructed the magnetic field of galaxy cluster Abell 2255 from nucleus to outer edge for the first time. ● The Eulalia Bombardment — A new Planetary Science Journal paper links the breakup of a main-belt asteroid to an impact shower that battered the Moon, Earth and Mars 800 million years ago — and may connect to a global freeze. ● Skywatch, Both Hemispheres — Why this week beats peak night for the Delta Aquariids wherever you are, how to catch them from the southern US and Mediterranean, and what's coming on 12 August: a total solar eclipse across Iceland and Spain, a North American partial, and the best Perseid peak in years on a new Moon.


Sources & Further Reading ● Space.com — SpaceX launches satellite repair drone with 10-foot robotic arms to Earth orbit ● NASASpaceflight.com — Falcon 9 to launch MRV-1 robotic servicing spacecraft for Northrop Grumman ● Northrop Grumman SpaceLogistics — Mission Robotic Vehicle and Mission Extension Pod fact sheets ● Scientific American — A SpaceX rocket is about to crash into the moon; scientists will be watching ● Phys.org — When a SpaceX rocket crashes into the moon, scientists will be watching (arXiv preprint) ● Project Pluto (Bill Gray) — Upper stage impacting the moon on 2026 August 5 ● Stanford University — Researchers uncover evidence for sibling supernovas (Michailidis et al., Nature Communications) ● Reuters — Scientists spot evidence of two huge companion stars that blew up ● Space.com — Galaxy cluster's magnetic field reconstructed for 1st time with record-breaking astronomy map (Botteon et al., INAF, A&A) ● Southwest Research Institute — SwRI-led research connects asteroid collision to impact showers 800 million years ago ● The Planetary Science Journal — Bottke, Vokrouhlický, Dykhuis & Zellner, "An 800 Myr-old Impact Shower on the Terrestrial Planets from the Breakup of the Eulalia Parent Body" ● EarthSky — Delta Aquariid meteor shower: all you need to know in 2026 ● NASA Science — Total Solar Eclipse on August 12, 2026 (path, partial visibility and safety guidance) ● BBC Sky at Night Magazine — August 12, 2026 solar eclipse: USA and Canada guide Connect ● Website: astronomydaily.io (http://astronomydaily.io) ● Socials: @AstroDailyPod ● Part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network





Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .





Sponsor Details:


Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did!





Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support)





This episode includes AI-generated content.


Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34404611?utm_source=youtube

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 87 Ancient impacts display the red planet’s past history A new study has shown how ancient Martian rocks exposed on the rim of Jezero Crater are preserving a 3.9-billion-year-old “weather report” from the solar system’s most dynamic era. Understanding of the Moon’s regolith for human habitation Scientists have mapped out the thickness of the Moon’s regolith, the layer of loose dust and rock that covers the entire lunar surface finding it averages about six meters in the highlands and about four meters in the maria . Strange goings on Pluto’s Charon A new study has found that the rotation of Pluto’s binary partner Charon is slowing down. The Science Report Heart disease linked to nine specific molecules produced in your gut biota. A billion more people now face at least one day of extreme heat stress compared to the 1970s. Claims consuming an avocado daily, lowers the risk of heart disease in people with obesity. Just like humans, monkeys appear to dislike AI avatars that look like them, but are just a bit wrong. Alex on Tech: APPLE IOS-27 beta publicly released.


Our Guests This Week: Mars Perseverance Rover Deputy Project Scientist Katy Stack Morgan NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover project Scientist Ken Farley NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Chief Engineer Adam Steltzner NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Mobility Team Member Farah Alibay NASA JPL And our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/)


Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34401005?utm_source=youtube

Astronomy Daily · S05E146 · “Postcards from Mars” · Tuesday 21 July 2026 NASA’s Psyche probe phones home from its Mars flyby — data and a spellbinding month-long time-lapse — as Europe’s Plato planet-hunter clears its final test. From the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting: a CubeSat that could give us hours of solar-storm warning, and a new way to forecast the Sun’s next active spell. Plus the first pieces of the giant ngVLA radio array, and a Southern Hemisphere meteor shower to catch this week.





Story notes & sources 1 · Psyche phones home NASA’s Psyche spacecraft (launched 2023; arriving metal asteroid 16 Psyche in 2029) used a 15 May Mars gravity assist to test its instruments. The neutron spectrometer detected the anticipated count-rate enhancement near closest approach; the gamma-ray/neutron spectrometer, magnetometer and imager all performed well. Data and a month-long Mars time-lapse were released this week. ● NASA/JPL — “Psyche Mission Delivers Mars Flyby Data, Time-lapse Video” (17 Jul 2026) ● Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — LLNL-built gamma-ray sensor’s first planetary measurements (17 Jul 2026) 2 · Plato clears its final exam ESA’s Plato — 26 cameras hunting Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars — passed electromagnetic compatibility testing in the Maxwell chamber at ESTEC, its last major qualification hurdle. It’s bound for Sun-Earth L2 aboard an Ariane 6 (current target 2027). ● ESA — “Plato’s electronics ready for space” (20 Jul 2026) 3 · HENON space-weather CubeSat Presented at NAM 2026: HENON, a deep-space CubeSat that would sit ~15 million km upstream of Earth (10× farther than L1), potentially extending severe geomagnetic-storm warning from ~15 minutes to 2–3 hours. It carries the UK-built MAGIC magnetometer (Imperial College London) plus instruments from the Czech Republic and Finland, paving the way for a future European early-warning mission. ● Royal Astronomical Society / NAM 2026 — “From 15 minutes to 3 hours” (20 Jul 2026) 4 · The Sun’s “sleep” precursor Also at NAM 2026: a newly identified precursor in the solar cycle’s declining phase that could help predict the next maximum’s sunspot number. After the Sun’s active phase “switches off,” storms weaken and track a 27-day (solar-rotation) rhythm — pointing to co-rotating fast-wind streams rather than coronal mass ejections. ● Royal Astronomical Society / NAM 2026 — “How the Sun goes to ‘sleep’…” (20 Jul 2026) 5 · Building the ngVLA The US National Science Foundation, NSF NRAO and the US Naval Observatory are partnering on a pathfinder for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) — the ~266-antenna successor to the iconic VLA. The focus is very long baseline interferometry for ultra-sharp imaging and for maintaining the International Celestial Reference Frame. Construction/early operations are expected before the end of the decade. ● NSF NRAO / US Naval Observatory — ngVLA pathfinder partnership (17 Jul 2026) 6 · Skywatch: Southern Delta Aquariids Active mid-July to late August, peaking 29–30 July, with a radiant near Skat (δ Aquarii) — high overhead for Southern Hemisphere observers. ~15–20 faint, graceful meteors/hour under dark skies; suspected parent comet 96P/Machholz. A near-full Buck Moon spoils the peak, so the moon-free pre-dawn hours this week are the best window. Bright, slow Alpha Capricornid fireballs join in toward month’s end. ● Scientific American / EarthSky / American Meteor Society — Delta Aquariids 2026


Astronomy Daily is part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Find every episode and the full show notes at astronomydaily.io, and follow @AstroDailyPod. Clear skies.





Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .





Sponsor Details:


Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did!





Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support)





This episode includes AI-generated content.


Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34386532?utm_source=youtube

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 86 The asteroid collision that changed life on Earth forever Astronomers have linked a massive collision in the main asteroid belt to a huge meteor bombardment in the inner solar system that may have changed life on Earth. Alien chemistry discovered in meteorite that hit New Jersey home Scientists have discovered high concentrations of salt in briny fluids that could potentially create molecules crucial to life in a meteorite that slammed into a New Jersey home in 2024. The Albanese Government’s cuts funding for astronomy research The Australian Academy of Science has condemned the Albanese Labor Government’s decision to withdraw from its association with the European Southern Observatory calling it short-sighted and warning the move will inflict lasting damage to a research and development system already facing deep structural underinvestment. The Science Report Studies show people with serious heart attacks have higher levels of micro-plastics in their blood. Warnings ChatGPT is making psychotic symptoms worse by echoing or encouraging unusual ideas. Claims koalas that once lived in Western Australia were a different species from those in the East. A new study warns your puppy may be an addict to their toys. Skeptics guide to Senator Malcolm Roberts chemtrails conspiracy theory.





Our Guests This Week: Mars Perseverance Rover Deputy Project Scientist Katy Stack Morgan NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover project Scientist Ken Farley NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Chief Engineer Adam Steltzner NASA JPL Mars Perseverance Rover Mobility Team Member Farah Alibay NASA JPL And our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌





Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .


Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34369308?utm_source=youtube

Astronomy Daily S05E145 — “Arrival” — Monday, 20 July 2026. On the 57th anniversary of Apollo 11, we cover a first-of-its-kind launch, a Mars flyby science haul, a four-billion-year-old Martian record, a habitable-zone world with a likely atmosphere, shrimp feeding in simulated microgravity, and the new science of listening to black holes ring. In This Episode (01:30) India goes private in orbit — Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 aces its debut “Mission Aagaman,” making India the third nation with a private orbital launch capability. Plus a Starship Flight 13 update (NET 23–24 July). (05:30) Psyche’s Mars gift — NASA/JPL releases the science haul from Psyche’s 15 May Mars gravity assist, including the magnetometer’s first measurement of another body. (08:30) Mars keeps the receipts — Perseverance examines the “Broom Point member” on Jezero’s rim — some of the oldest terrain any rover has studied, recording ~4 billion years of impacts. (11:30) A world holding its breath — A Science paper detects escaping helium at LHS 1140b, pointing to a replenished, substantial atmosphere on a habitable-zone super-Earth. (A different planet from Friday’s story!) (15:00) Space shrimp — Okayama University of Science shows crustaceans can feed under simulated microgravity — a step toward closed-loop space food systems. (17:30) The bells of spacetime — A major review shows black-hole “spectroscopy” — reading ringdown gravitational waves — is becoming a real test of Einstein, ahead of the Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer and LISA. (20:30) Skywatch — A coronal-hole solar wind stream brings a chance of minor aurora australis for far-southern latitudes around 21–22 July. Story Sources ● Vikram-1 / Mission Aagaman — Space.com; Skyroot Aerospace; ESA/Manorama coverage (18 July 2026). ● Psyche Mars flyby data — NASA/JPL release (17 July 2026). ● Perseverance “Broom Point member” — Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Imperial College London-led. ● LHS 1140b helium escape — Science, Harvard-led (16 July 2026); Magellan Clay telescope. ● Space shrimp — Microgravity Science and Technology; Okayama University of Science Space Aquaculture Project. ● Black-hole spectroscopy — Classical and Quantum Gravity review (Birmingham / Johns Hopkins / Lisbon). ● Skywatch — EarthSky Sun news; UK Met Office & Australian BOM space weather (19 July 2026). Astronomy Daily is part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Web: astronomydaily.io — Social: @AstroDailyPod





Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .





Sponsor Details:


Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did!





Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support)





This episode includes AI-generated content.


Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/34368092?utm_source=youtube