The second stage of a Falcon 9 rocket launched in 2017 re-entered the atmosphere over Mexico, breaking up and creating a show of fiery lights in the sky. Plus, dead stars with possibly living planets, more on moon formation, more launches, more launch failures, and a review of “The Apollo Murders” by Chris Hadfield.
SpaceX launched another 49 Starlink satellites last week, but a geomagnetic storm caused by solar activity kept the satellites offline, and 40 of them failed to reach their final orbits after exiting safe mode. They are now deorbiting and breaking up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Plus, asteroid systems, Eta Carina, and this week in rocket history, we look back at Mir Expedition 2.
A NASA-funded simulation of early Mars revealed that the climate three billion years ago on the red planet was very similar to Earth now, with a stable ocean in the northern hemisphere. This new timeline would have given life another 500 million years to develop. Plus, a dwarf galaxy, Saturn’s aurorae, a Soyuz launch, and an interview with Dr. Adam Szabo, mission scientist for the Parker Solar Probe.
New simulations find that to form a moon with a similar size ratio to our own system, certain types of planets are needed. And that type of moon-planet system could then be beneficial to the rise of life on the planet. Plus, a Starlink launch, puffy planets, and training astronauts underwater for spacewalks.
Scientists analyzed iron-rich sedimentary rocks and estimated the amount of oxygen present in the atmosphere when those rocks formed, finding low levels of oxygen and giving insight into a potential biosignature for life beyond Earth. Plus, controlling robots from space, a SpaceX launch, and this week’s What’s Up.
After several weather-related (and one cruise ship-related) delays, SpaceX finally launched the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Flight 2 (CSG-2) satellite for the Italian government. Plus, some beautiful images to start your week and an interview with Dr. Núria Miret-Roig about free-floating planets.
Get your daily dose of all that’s new in space and astronomy. The sky is not the limit, as we bring you a fast-paced roundup of launches, landings, and everyday discoveries. The Daily Space is a not-for-profit show supported through the generous donations of people like you. Learn more on our credits and sponsors page.
We record most shows live, on Twitch. Follow us today to get alerts when we go live.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.