Episode: S05E112 — Tuesday, 26 May 2026 Hosts: Anna & Avery Network: Bitesz.com Podcast Network Website: astronomydaily.io | Social: @AstroDailyPod Story Summaries 1. NASA Unveils Ambitious Moon Base Plan As this episode was recorded, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was preparing to announce a landmark plan for a permanent human outpost at the lunar south pole by 2036. The programme carries a price tag of approximately $30 billion across a seven-year foundational phase, relies on nuclear power systems, leverages lunar water ice for fuel and life support, and effectively retires the Gateway orbital station concept. Commercial partners will supply rovers and habitat modules. Phase one targets around two dozen lunar launches, including Artemis IV, by 2028. Full details will be covered in tomorrow's episode. 2. Starship V3 Flight 12 — Engine Drama, Historic Debut SpaceX launched the first Starship V3 rocket on Friday, 22 May 2026, from brand-new Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. Ship 39 reached space and completed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean despite losing one of its six vacuum Raptor engines during ascent. The flight computer compensated by extending burns on the remaining five. The Super Heavy booster was lost in the Gulf of Mexico after a failed boostback burn. The FAA has opened a review. SpaceX declared most pre-planned test objectives met. 3. JWST Maps First Daily Weather Cycle on a Distant World Published in Science on 21 May 2026. Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Arizona State Universities used Webb's NIRISS instrument to observe WASP-94Ab — a hot Jupiter 690 light-years away — and detected the first daily cloud cycle ever recorded on another planet. Thick magnesium silicate clouds form each morning, then completely clear by evening. The finding also corrected a decade of skewed atmospheric composition data. 4. NASA's Fermi Telescope Solves 20-Year Supernova Mystery An international team led by Fabio Acero used NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to confirm the first definitive gamma-ray detection from a superluminous supernova — SN 2017egm. The data confirms a newly formed magnetar as the power source behind these extraordinarily bright explosions. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2026. 5. Most Rocky Exoplanets May Lack Earth-Like Metallic Cores A new paper submitted to the Astrophysical Journal challenges the long-held assumption that dense metallic cores are standard features of rocky planets. Researchers argue that most rocky exoplanets may have formed without Earth-style metallic cores — meaning no global magnetic field, with significant implications for atmospheric retention and habitability. 6. The Soviet Rover That Went Silent — and Came Back Lunokhod 1 was the world's first remote-controlled rover on another world (1970). After traversing 10.5 km of Mare Imbrium, contact was lost in 1971. For nearly 40 years its exact position was unknown — until NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter identified it in 2010. The APOLLO project then fired laser pulses and received ~2,000 photons back from its French-built retroreflector — four times stronger than expected. It remains an active contributor to lunar science today. Sources & Further Reading • NASA Moon Base announcement: nasa.gov/2026-news-releases • Starship Flight 12 updates: space.com • WASP-94Ab paper: Science, 21 May 2026 — DOI via Johns Hopkins Hub • Fermi supernova paper: Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2026 — DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202558547 • Exoplanet cores paper: submitted to Astrophysical Journal, May 2026

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China launches three astronauts to Tiangong — including Hong Kong's first-ever taikonaut — on a mission that breaks multiple records. NASA's Psyche probe delivers breathtaking imagery from its Mars flyby. A bizarre 19-day solar radio burst finally gets an explanation. Scientists zero in on the source of the most powerful neutrino ever detected. Two dead stars orbit each other in less than nine minutes. And researchers propose using fungi to turn Martian soil into farmland. It's a big Monday on Astronomy Daily. Story Timestamps

• 00:00 — Intro • 02:10 — Story 1: Shenzhou-23 Launches with Historic Crew • 08:45 — Story 2: NASA Psyche's Stunning Mars Flyby Images • 14:20 — Story 3: Record-Breaking 19-Day Solar Radio Burst Explained • 20:30 — Story 4: Source of Most Powerful Neutrino Ever Detected • 26:15 — Story 5: White Dwarf Devouring Its Companion in 8.5-Minute Orbit • 32:00 — Story 6: Mars Fungi Could Fertilise Red Planet Regolith • 37:30 — Outro Story Sources & Links

Story 1: Shenzhou-23 Mission — NPR / Space.com / CGTN (May 24, 2026) Story 2: NASA Psyche Mars Flyby — NASA JPL / Engadget (May 23, 2026) Story 3: 19-Day Solar Radio Burst — Astrophysical Journal Letters / Gizmodo (May 19-22, 2026) Story 4: Neutrino Source — Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics / ScienceDaily (May 24, 2026) Story 5: White Dwarf Binary — The Astrophysical Journal / Phys.org (May 23, 2026) Story 6: Mars Fungi — Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences / Universe Today (May 23, 2026)

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SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 62 *The most primitive galaxy in the early universe Astronomers have identified the most chemically primitive galaxy in the universe dating back over 13 billion years. *Understanding the true nature of the Muon Physicists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding the discrepancy between experimental measurements and theoretical predictions of magnetic properties of the muon, a heavier cousin of the electron. *Spectacular meteor streaks through the skies of Sydney The evening skies of Sydney and much of the New South Wales Pacific coast were lit up on Thursday by a spectacular meteoroid burning up in the atmosphere.. *The Science Report The World Health Organization warns Africa’s Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency. Claims Vitamin C affects chemical reactions in the digestive system that are linked to cancer. Explaining why T-rex has such tiny arms. Skeptics guide to the latest Apollo landing moon conspiracy Our Guests This Week: Dr Finn Stokes from Adelaide University Dr. Kirsty Duffy from Fermilab Dr. Jessica Turner from the University of Durham. 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 premium versions 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/)

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