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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your cosmic connection to the stars

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<v Speaker 1>and beyond. I'm ana and today we're exploring a universe

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<v Speaker 1>of fascinating developments in space exploration and astronomy. Coming up

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<v Speaker 1>in the next few minutes, we'll dive into the latest

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<v Speaker 1>on SpaceX's Starship program as the FAA closes one investigation

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<v Speaker 1>while keeping another open. We'll also get the details on

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<v Speaker 1>Blue origins completed investigation into their new Glen rocket's failed

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<v Speaker 1>landing attempt and what it means for their upcoming launch.

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<v Speaker 1>Then we'll marvel at the first images from NASA's groundbreaking

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<v Speaker 1>Sphere ex mission, a new observatory that's set to map

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<v Speaker 1>the entire celestial sky. Plus, we'll join the historic fram

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<v Speaker 1>two mission that just sent the first humans to orbit

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<v Speaker 1>Earth's poles, and catch up with the NASA astronauts who

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<v Speaker 1>finally returned home after their extended stay in space due

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<v Speaker 1>to Boeing Starliner issues. So strap in for liftoff as

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<v Speaker 1>we journey through today's biggest space headlines right here on

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<v Speaker 1>Astronomy Daily. Let's kick things off with updates from a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of FAA investigations. The Federal Aviation Administration has recently

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<v Speaker 1>closed its investigation into SpaceX's seventh Starship test flight, which

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<v Speaker 1>ended in an explosion back in January. However, the agency

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<v Speaker 1>is keeping its probe open regarding the subsequent March test

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<v Speaker 1>flight that also resulted in an explosion during a similar

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<v Speaker 1>phase of flight. This represents an interesting development in Elon

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<v Speaker 1>Musk's flagship space program. According to the FAA's findings, the

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<v Speaker 1>January flight failure was likely caused by stronger than anticipated

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<v Speaker 1>vibrations during flight, which led to increased stress on the

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<v Speaker 1>propulsion system hardware and its eventual failure. Despite this setback,

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<v Speaker 1>SpaceX implemented eleven corrective actions that satisfied the FAA enough

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<v Speaker 1>to allow the company to proceed with its eighth test

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<v Speaker 1>flight in March. The situation illustrates the challenging nature of

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<v Speaker 1>developing next generation space technology. Starship, standing at an impressive

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<v Speaker 1>four hundred feet tall, is at the center of Muscle's

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<v Speaker 1>ambitious goal to eventually colonize Mars. These back to back

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<v Speaker 1>explosions represent novel setbacks for SpaceX at a time when

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<v Speaker 1>Musk has been publicly pushing for faster progress. What's particularly

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<v Speaker 1>noteworthy is that the FAA allowed SpaceX to launch the

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<v Speaker 1>eighth test flight while the investigation into the previous failure

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<v Speaker 1>was still underway, a sign of the agency's confidence in

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<v Speaker 1>SpaceX's corrective measures. However, when that flight also ended in

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<v Speaker 1>failure at around the same phase, it raised new questions

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<v Speaker 1>about the underlying issues with the vehicle. The FAA has

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<v Speaker 1>made it clear that Starship cannot return to flight until

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<v Speaker 1>the agency deems it safe enough for the public. With

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<v Speaker 1>the investigation into the March explosion still ongoing, SpaceX faces

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<v Speaker 1>uncertainty about when they'll be able to attempt a ninth

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<v Speaker 1>test flight. These developmental challenges are not uncommon in the

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<v Speaker 1>space industry, but they do highlight the complexity of creating

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<v Speaker 1>a fully reusable super heavy lift launch system. Despite these setbacks,

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<v Speaker 1>SpaceX continues to make incremental progress with each test flight,

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<v Speaker 1>gathering valuable data even from failures. For now, the space

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<v Speaker 1>community watches with anticipation as SpaceX works to identify and

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<v Speaker 1>address the root causes of these failures, with the hope

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<v Speaker 1>that future tests will bring Starship closer to operational status. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 1>in another decision from the FAA this week, Blue Origin

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<v Speaker 1>has reached a significant milestone in its new Glen program.

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<v Speaker 1>With the Federal Aviation Administration announcing on March thirty first

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<v Speaker 1>that it has accepted the findings of Blue Origins investigation

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<v Speaker 1>into the failed booster landing during the rocket's inaugural flight

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<v Speaker 1>on January sixteenth. While the first New Glen mission successfully

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<v Speaker 1>delivered its upper stage to orbit as planned, the first

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<v Speaker 1>stage booster was unable to land on Blue Origin's recovery

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<v Speaker 1>ship in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the FAA's statement,

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<v Speaker 1>the mishap report identified the proximate cause as the booster's

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<v Speaker 1>inability to restart its engines, which prevented the critical re

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<v Speaker 1>entry burn from occurring, resulting in the loss of the stage.

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<v Speaker 1>Dave Limp, Blue Origin's chief executive, had previously hinted at

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<v Speaker 1>the problem during the Commercial Space Conference in February, suggesting

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<v Speaker 1>that issues with propellant management were behind the failed landing attempt.

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<v Speaker 1>Now the company has officially confirmed that the three B

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<v Speaker 1>four engines did not reignite properly, leading to the landing failure.

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<v Speaker 1>As part of the investigation, Blue Origin has identified seven

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<v Speaker 1>corrective actions that will need to be implemented before the

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<v Speaker 1>next launch. These measures primarily focus on propellant management and

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<v Speaker 1>engine bleed control improvements. The company has stated they're already

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<v Speaker 1>addressing these issues in preparation for their next flight. With

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<v Speaker 1>the investigation complete and the FAA's acceptance of the findings,

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<v Speaker 1>Blue Origin is now authorized to return to flight provided

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<v Speaker 1>all other licensing requirements are met. The company has set

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<v Speaker 1>an ambitious timeline targeting late spring for the next New

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<v Speaker 1>Glen launch. This upcoming mission will include another booster li

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<v Speaker 1>landing attempt, which they've playfully nicknamed so you're telling me

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<v Speaker 1>there's a chance. In a social media post, Limp expressed

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<v Speaker 1>confidence in their approach, stating, we're confident that the propellant

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<v Speaker 1>and bleed control work we're doing will increase our chances

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<v Speaker 1>of landing the booster on our next flight, and like

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<v Speaker 1>we've said all along, we'll keep trying until we do.

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<v Speaker 1>While Blue Origin hasn't provided specific details about potential payloads

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<v Speaker 1>for the next mission or a more precise launch date,

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<v Speaker 1>the completion of this investigation represents a critical step forward

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<v Speaker 1>for the company's heavy lift rocket program. The recovery of

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<v Speaker 1>the first stage is a key part of Blue origin

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<v Speaker 1>strategy to make New Glen partially reusable. Following a similar

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<v Speaker 1>approach to that pioneered by SpaceX with its Falcon nine rockets.

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<v Speaker 1>Next up, NASA has reached an exciting milestone with its

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<v Speaker 1>newest space observatory. The sphere X mission, which stands for

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<v Speaker 1>spectro Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epic of

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<v Speaker 1>Realization and Ices Explore, has powered on its detectors for

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<v Speaker 1>the first time since launching on March eleventh, capturing its

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<v Speaker 1>inaugural images from space. These initial images, while still uncalibrated

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<v Speaker 1>and not yet ready for scientific use, confirm that all

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<v Speaker 1>systems are functioning exactly as intended. Each SPHEREx exposure consists

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<v Speaker 1>of six images that together provide a remarkably wide view

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<v Speaker 1>of the cosmos, with each image containing more than one

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<v Speaker 1>hundred thousand light sources, including stars and galaxies. The observatory's

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<v Speaker 1>field of view covers a rectangular area approximately twenty times

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<v Speaker 1>wider than the full moon. What makes SPHEREx unique is

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<v Speaker 1>its approach to surveying the sky. Unlike telescopes such as

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<v Speaker 1>Hubble or James Webb that focus on small, detailed areas,

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<v Speaker 1>SPHEREx takes a much broader perspective. The observatory detects infrared light,

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<v Speaker 1>which is invisible to the human eye and breaks it

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<v Speaker 1>down into remarkable detail. Each of spherex's six detectors captures

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<v Speaker 1>light in seventeen distinct wavelength bands, allowing scientists to analyze

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<v Speaker 1>a total of one hundred and two different infrared hues

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<v Speaker 1>in every exposure. This spectroscopic capability is crucial for understanding

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<v Speaker 1>the composition of celestial objects and determining their distances. By

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<v Speaker 1>collecting light from hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies

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<v Speaker 1>across more wavelengths than any previous all sky survey telescope,

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<v Speaker 1>SPHEREx will help scientists investigate fundamental questions ranging from the

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<v Speaker 1>physics that govern the universe less than a second after

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<v Speaker 1>the Big Bang to the origins of water in our galaxy.

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<v Speaker 1>The observatory works through an ingenious system. When light enters

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<v Speaker 1>Spherex's telescope, it's directed down two separate paths that each

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<v Speaker 1>lead to a row of three detectors. These detectors function

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<v Speaker 1>like eyes, and sitting on top of them are specialized

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<v Speaker 1>color filters. Unlike standard filters that block all wavelengths except one,

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<v Speaker 1>Spherex's filters are more like rainbow tinted glasses, with the

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<v Speaker 1>blocked wavelengths changing gradually from the top of the filter

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<v Speaker 1>to the bottom. During its two year primary mission, SPHEREx

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<v Speaker 1>will map the entire celestial sky four times over. Once

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<v Speaker 1>routine science operations begin in late April, the observatory will

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<v Speaker 1>take approximately six hundred exposures every day for the spacecraft

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<v Speaker 1>to properly detect infrared light. Its detectors and other hardware

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<v Speaker 1>have been cooling down to their final operating temperature of

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<v Speaker 1>around minus three hundred and fifty degrees fahrenheit as heat

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<v Speaker 1>can overwhelm the telescope's infrared detection capabilities. Project scientists are

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<v Speaker 1>clearly thrilled with the results so far, as Olivier Dore,

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<v Speaker 1>SPHEREx project scientist at Caltech and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, remarked,

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<v Speaker 1>our spacecraft has opened its eyes on the universe. It's

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<v Speaker 1>performing just as it was designed to. This sentiment was

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<v Speaker 1>echoed by Jamie Bach, spherex's principal investigator, who noted that

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<v Speaker 1>based on the images we are seeing, we can now

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<v Speaker 1>say that the instrument team nailed it. Next an update

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<v Speaker 1>on the story we brought you yesterday. In a historic

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<v Speaker 1>first for human spaceflight, SpaceX has successfully launched the fram

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<v Speaker 1>two mission sending four people into a polar orbit around Earth,

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<v Speaker 1>a trajectory never before flown by humans. The crew Dragon

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<v Speaker 1>spacecraft Resilience, lifted off on Monday at nine forty six

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<v Speaker 1>pm Eastern Time, carrying a crew of private astronauts who

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<v Speaker 1>are now experiencing views of our planet that no human

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<v Speaker 1>has ever witnessed firsthand. The mission is commanded by Chunwang

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<v Speaker 1>of Malta, who personally funded this groundbreaking venture. WOG is

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<v Speaker 1>joined by an international team including Norwegian Jenica Michelson serving

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<v Speaker 1>as vehicle commander, German pilot Rebea Rogue, and Australian Eric

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<v Speaker 1>Phillips as mission specialist and medical officer. All four are

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<v Speaker 1>spaceflight rookies, making their achievement even more remarkable. Today we

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<v Speaker 1>become the six hundred eighty first humans to fly above

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<v Speaker 1>the Carmen Line and the six hundred twenty sixth to

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<v Speaker 1>orbit the Earth. Wang announced shortly after reaching orbit the

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<v Speaker 1>crew is now sending back breathtaking images of Earth's most

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<v Speaker 1>remote regions, including unprecedented views of the polar regions captured

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<v Speaker 1>through Resilience's cupola window. The mission derives its name from

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<v Speaker 1>a famous Norwegian exploration vessel. That conducted pioneering Arctic and

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<v Speaker 1>Antarctic expeditions in the early twentieth century. Living up to

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<v Speaker 1>its namesake, fram two aims to push boundaries with nearly

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<v Speaker 1>two dozen scientific experiments during their orbital journey. The awe

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<v Speaker 1>inspiring images being shared by the crew showcase Earth's poles

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<v Speaker 1>blanketed in white, offering a perspective that brings home the

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<v Speaker 1>fragility and beauty of our planet in a way never

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<v Speaker 1>before documented by human eyes. These unique orbital observations may

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<v Speaker 1>provide valuable scientific insights while also capturing the imagination of

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<v Speaker 1>people worldwide. It seems the world's media have suddenly discovered spaceflight,

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<v Speaker 1>and so they can't get enough of Butch and Sunni

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<v Speaker 1>and yes, even we have another update today. After nine

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<v Speaker 1>months in space, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams

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<v Speaker 1>are finally readjusting to life on Earth following their unexpectedly

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<v Speaker 1>extended stay aboard the International Space Station. What was originally

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<v Speaker 1>planned as an eight day test mission aboard Boeing Starliner

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<v Speaker 1>spacecraft turned into a nine month orbital marathon after propulsion

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<v Speaker 1>system issues forced NASA to bring the capsule back empty.

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<v Speaker 1>It's great getting back. I went for a run, although

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<v Speaker 1>very slow, Williams shared in a recent interview from Houston.

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<v Speaker 1>Just felt good to feel air, even though it was

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<v Speaker 1>humid air, like blowing past you and seeing other people

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<v Speaker 1>on the track. It's really nice. It's home. Both astronauts,

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<v Speaker 1>who returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule

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<v Speaker 1>in March, underwent routine medical checks before reuniting with their families.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite the extended mission, they seem to be embracing simple

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<v Speaker 1>Earth pleasures like walking dogs and spending time with loved ones.

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<v Speaker 1>But their work with Boeing is far from over. The

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<v Speaker 1>veteran astronauts, both former US Navy test pilots, are scheduled

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<v Speaker 1>to meet with Boeing leadership this week to discuss Starliner's future.

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<v Speaker 1>As the only humans who have actually flown in the spacecraft,

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<v Speaker 1>their insights are invaluable. We had a very unique perspective

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<v Speaker 1>of being in the spacecraft. Nobody else had that perspective,

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<v Speaker 1>Williams explained. She added that they'll be discussing where we

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<v Speaker 1>stand and where we think we need to go with

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<v Speaker 1>Starliner's development. NASA and Boeing now planned to conduct ground

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<v Speaker 1>tests of Starliner's troubled propulsion system this summer. With the

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<v Speaker 1>next flight test not expected until early twenty twenty six,

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<v Speaker 1>that mission could well be uncrewed, a possibility Williams seems

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<v Speaker 1>to support. I think that is already the plan because

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<v Speaker 1>there will be new components added to the spacecraft or

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<v Speaker 1>replaced on the spacecraft. So we'd really like to test

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<v Speaker 1>that out see how that works, she said. I think

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<v Speaker 1>that's probably a smart wise idea. The star Liner program

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<v Speaker 1>has faced significant challenges, with development costs ballooning to more

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<v Speaker 1>than two billion dollars since twenty sixteen. For NASA, these

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<v Speaker 1>setbacks have left SpaceX's Crew Dragon as the agency's only

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<v Speaker 1>US option for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS,

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<v Speaker 1>a concerning situation given NASA's desire for redundant access systems.

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<v Speaker 1>Despite these challenges, Wilmore and Williams maintain their professionalism and

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<v Speaker 1>commitment to helping Boeing overcome Starliner's technical issues, demonstrating the

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<v Speaker 1>resilience that defines the astronaut core. The commercial spaceflight landscape

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<v Speaker 1>is experiencing both remarkable breakthroughs and significant growing pains, as

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<v Speaker 1>evidence by recent developments across the industry. We're witnessing a

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<v Speaker 1>fascinating contrast between SpaceX's rapid iteration philosophy and Boeing's more

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<v Speaker 1>traditional approach to spacecraft development. SpaceX continues to push boundaries

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<v Speaker 1>with its Starship program despite consecutive explosive test failures. These

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<v Speaker 1>setbacks highlight the inherent challenges of developing revolutionary rocket systems,

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<v Speaker 1>yet the company maintains its aggressive testing schedule. This approach,

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<v Speaker 1>building fast, testing off and accepting some failures has become

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<v Speaker 1>SpaceX's signature methodology, though it occasionally puts them at odds

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<v Speaker 1>with regulatory bodies like the FAA. Meanwhile, Boeing's struggles with

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<v Speaker 1>Starliner represent a different challenge in commercial spaceflight. The company's

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<v Speaker 1>more conservative development process hasn't shielded it from significant technical issues,

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<v Speaker 1>cost overruns, and scheduled delays. The contrast between Starliner's difficulties

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<v Speaker 1>and SpaceX's successful Crew Dragon program underscores how different engineering

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<v Speaker 1>cultures can yield vastly different outcomes. Blue Origin's partial success

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<v Speaker 1>with New Glen adds another dimension to this competitive landscape.

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<v Speaker 1>Their ability to reach orbit on the first attempt was impressive,

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<v Speaker 1>even if the booster landing failed. This positions them as

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<v Speaker 1>a potentially serious competitor in the heavy lift market, though

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<v Speaker 1>they remain years behind SpaceX and operational capability. What's particularly

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<v Speaker 1>striking is how these commercial developments are reshaping human space exploration.

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<v Speaker 1>SISA has effectively outsourced low Earth orbit transportation, transforming from

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<v Speaker 1>operator to customer. This transition frees the agency to focus

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<v Speaker 1>resources on deep space exploration while leveraging commercial innovation. The

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<v Speaker 1>emergence of purely private missions like fram two signals another

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<v Speaker 1>evolution in commercial spaceflight, moving beyond government contracts to entirely

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<v Speaker 1>new markets. These missions demonstrate growing commercial capabilities while expanding

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<v Speaker 1>our understanding of what's possible in Earth orbit. Despite the

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<v Speaker 1>challenges we're seeing, competition between multiple providers is ultimately strengthening

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<v Speaker 1>the industry. Each failure provides valuable data, and each success

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<v Speaker 1>expands capabilities. The current difficulties facing these companies aren't signs

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<v Speaker 1>of failure, but rather the expected turbulence of an industry

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<v Speaker 1>pushing into new frontiers while striving to make spaceflight more routine, reliable,

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<v Speaker 1>and accessible. What an incredible journey through space news we've

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<v Speaker 1>taken today from the ongoing development challenges with SpaceX's Starship

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<v Speaker 1>to blue origins, new Glen Progress, NASA's exciting new sphere

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<v Speaker 1>X telescope capturing its first images, and the groundbreaking FRAM

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<v Speaker 1>two polar orbit mission. We've also checked in with astronauts

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<v Speaker 1>Wilmore and Williams as they readjust to Earth after their

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<v Speaker 1>extended stay in space. These stories collectively showcase both the

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<v Speaker 1>challenges and triumphs that define our current era of space exploration.

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<v Speaker 1>Whether it's the regulatory hurdles facing private companies or the

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<v Speaker 1>cutting edge science being conducted in orbit, we're witnessing a

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<v Speaker 1>remarkable period of innovation and discovery. This has been Anna

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<v Speaker 1>your host for Astronomy Daily. If you've enjoyed today's episode

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<v Speaker 1>and want to stay updated on all the latest space

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<v Speaker 1>and astronomy news, please visit our website at Astronomy Daily

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<v Speaker 1>dot io. There you can catch up on all our

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<v Speaker 1>previous episodes, read the latest space news, and sign up

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<v Speaker 1>for our free daily space news newsletter. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>find us across social media. Just search for astro Daily

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<v Speaker 1>Pod on x, Facebook, YouTube, YouTube, music, Instagram, and TikTok.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for listening, and remember to keep looking up

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<v Speaker 1>at the stars. The universe is full of wonders, and

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<v Speaker 1>we'll be here to share them with you. Until next time,

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<v Speaker 1>Sunday Star is so Star, is so Star.