Why don't we just combine all telescopes into a single one that will have a crazy resolution? Can we simply replace old ISS modules with new ones? How long will it take to cool down Venus? How much mass can the Earth afford to lose? Why blue shift exists if the Universe is expanding? All this and more in this week's Q&A 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:04 [Tatooine] How much mass can the Earth lose? 04:23 [Coruscant] Can a Dyson sphere be stable? 08:...
Feb 15, 2023•37 min
This is an interview with me that we did with the Wiser Tomorrow Podcast. We talked about covering space news at Universe Today, how I run the company and what's my perception of some stories I cover. Enjoy! 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Wiser Tomorrow Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2011629 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/dzvT7YRPa1s 📰 EMAIL NEWSLETTER Read by 55,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads. Subscribe. It's FREE: https://universetod...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 9 min
SpaceX tests all 33 engines on super heavy, the worst-case scenario for space debris actually happened, a kilonova is coming, and a new map of all the matter and dark matter in the Universe. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📰 Email Newsletter: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 00:00 Intro 00:15 SpaceX Conducts 33-engine test of Super Heavy https://www.universetoday.com/160008/spacex-sets-new-record-with-successful-test-firing-of-31-raptor-engines/ 01:28 Bad things ...
Feb 10, 2023•21 min
Lava tubes can be a solution to a lot of our space problems. They can provide habitat space on Moon, Mars and even beyond. But how do we prepare to explore them? That's what we're discussing with Professor Francesco Sauro. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Prof. Francesco Sauro: https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/francesco.sauro2/en 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/cescosauro 👉 La Venta Association: https://laventa.it/ 00:00 Intro 01:16 Getting into caves 02:32 Why lava tu...
Feb 08, 2023•34 min
Is there a habitable zone around a black hole? Can you get stuck in the middle of a big space station? How will Starship get human-rated? Why is the Fermi Paradox even a paradox? All this in this week's Q&A! 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:03 [Tatooine] Can you get stuck in a space station? 06:07 [Coruscant] How is Fermi Paradox even a paradox? 09:33 [Hoth] Is there a habitable zone around a black hole? 14:46 [Naboo] What are the highest velocities ...
Feb 08, 2023•41 min
Webb is fully operational again, Rolls-Royce is building a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and the space debris worst-case scenario almost happened. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:14 James Webb is fully operational again https://www.universetoday.com/159897/good-news-webb-is-fully-operational-again/ 01:46 Rolls-Royce Nuclear Reactor for Space https://www.universetoday.com/159859/rolls-royce-reveals-a-nuclear-reactor-that-could-provide-power-on-the-moon/ ...
Feb 04, 2023•23 min
How will a human Mars mission play out? Where exactly should it go? What unexpected challenges will we face? We're discussing all these aspects with Rick Davis. He is the Assistant Director for Science and Exploration, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 🐦 Rick Davis on Twitter: https://twitter.com/redplanetrick 👉 NASA Blog Article on choosing the landing site on Mars: https://blogs.nasa.gov/redplanetdispatch/2022/12/13/criteria-for-l...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Can you maintain a stable orbit with just a solar sail? Will a Dyson sphere or swarm kill all life inside of it? Can you protect yourself from a solar flare? What's the oldest ice in the Universe? All this and more in this week's Q&A! 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:48 [Tatooine] Can you maintain orbit with just a solar sail? 06:44 [Coruscant] Does a Dyson sphere kill all life inside of it? 11:04 [Hoth] Can a Faraday cage protect from a solar flare?...
Jan 31, 2023•27 min
Starship completes its wet-dress rehearsal, another problem for Webb, a nuclear rocket test is coming, and more cool NIAC grants. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 👉 First NIAC Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/growing-mars-77829316 00:00 Intro 00:14 Starship Wet Dress Rehersal 03:18 JWST's NIRISS problems https://www.universetoday.com/159790/webb-niriss-instrument-has-gone-offline/ 04:57 Webb's first occultation 07:46 Extremely Close Asteroid Flyby https://www....
Jan 27, 2023•22 min
What if two black holes with opposing spin merge? Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange point? How habitable are Mars's lava tubes? Can Starships compensate for satellite light pollution? All this and more in this week's episode Q&A with Fraser Cain. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:09 [Tatooine] What if two black holes with opposing spin merge? 06:16 [Coruscant] When will the first person be born in space? 10:24 [Hoth] Can we use the Moon's L2 Lagrange ...
Jan 25, 2023•42 min
The Titan Dragonfly is coming together, NASA is considering a new kind of nuclear rocket, getting more warning for solar flares, and pinpointing carbon emissions from space. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:15 Titan Helicopter Starts to Come Together https://www.universetoday.com/159611/nasa-is-continuing-to-build-the-titan-dragonfly-helicopter-here-are-its-rotors/ 02:38 New NIAC Nuclear Rocket Design https://www.universetoday.com/159599/new-nuclear-rock...
Jan 20, 2023•17 min
Should we change "Dark Matter" to "Dark Curvature"? How do you navigate through dense asteroid fields? What's the future of space toilets? Do aliens block their outgoing signals? All these and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:58 [Tatooine] How do you navigate through dense asteroid fields? 04:02 [Coruscant] Should we change "Dark Matter" to "Dark Curvature"? 07:57 [Hoth] How far can we communicate? 10:49 [Nab...
Jan 17, 2023•34 min
Keep your eyes on the sky for a comet, another Mars rover has died, the leaky Soyuz is going to be replaced, JWST dominates the American Astronomical Society meeting, and is Starship just around the corner? 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:17 A Good Comet is Coming https://www.universetoday.com/159454/comet-e3-ztf-brightens-as-the-first-good-comet-of-2023/ 02:47 Another One Bites The Martian Dust https://www.universetoday.com/159553/china-unable-to-reest...
Jan 13, 2023•22 min
Mapping out all the space objects and understanding their orbits is the key to avoiding problems in orbit. What are the technical challenges and what's the current state of affairs? We're discussing it with Dr. Moriba Jah. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 01:28 Current state of the orbit 07:04 Kessler Syndrome 14:57 Risks on Different Altitudes 17:41 Access to the Night Skies 22:33 An Ideal Solution 31:57 Future of Humanity 34:30 Outro 📺 VIDEO VERSION http...
Jan 12, 2023•36 min
How do we determine the velocities of objects in distant space? Can we use a laser a space engine on a spaceship? Can we find stars with rings? Is it possible to see the same star at different stages of its life? All this and more in this week's Q&A. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 02:21 [Tatooine] Can stars have rings? 07:59 [Coruscant] Can we see stars at different life stages with gravitational lensing? 11:29 [Hoth] Why not launch payloads from orbi...
Jan 11, 2023•43 min
NASA is looking for dangerous asteroids, Io is blasting lava into space, the solar wind could be creating water on the Moon, space power is finally getting a test. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:15 NASA Makes Asteroid Defence a Priority https://www.universetoday.com/159395/nasa-makes-asteroid-defense-a-priority-moving-its-neo-surveyor-mission-into-the-development-phase/ 02:49 Io Is Having a Major Vulcanic Outburst https://www.universetoday.com/159466/i...
Jan 06, 2023•18 min
This is part 2 of an interview I did with John Michael Godier on his show called Event Horizon. We talked about the Fermi Paradox and possible solutions to it. ⚫ Event Horizon Show https://www.youtube.com/@EventHorizonShow 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/_Cr9TSRe71E 🦄 Support us on Patreon https://patreon.com/universetoday 📰 EMAIL NEWSLETTER Read by 55,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. No ads. Subscribe. It's FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: ht...
Jan 05, 2023•40 min
We can build space habitats from asteroids by spinning them fast enough. That's what Professor Adam Frank suggests in a recent paper he co-wrote. In this interview, we discussed the idea, how realistic it is and what technology will be needed to achieve it, what applications it can have and when we can expect something like that. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 01:35 Meet Professor Adam Frank 02:27 Building space habitats from asteroids 13:16 Materials req...
Jan 05, 2023•38 min
2022 has definitely been one of the best space years ever. James Webb, SLS, DART and many other major successes. So, let's turn around and remember what did 2022 bring us. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:52 James Webb 04:27 Artemis 1 07:15 Milky Way's black hole by EHT 08:39 DART 10:53 Decadal Survey 12:43 China's progress 14:58 InSight mission ended 16:47 SOFIA telescope discontinued 18:30 Things that didn't happen 19:16 ExoMars delay 20:00 Universe ow...
Dec 30, 2022•24 min
How can we know whether the Universe is infinite or not? Can something hide behind the Sun in Earth's L3 Lagrange point? Should we start with terraforming the Moon before Mars? Will humans ever visit a lander on Mars? 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:47 [Tatooine] Can we terraform the Moon 05:36 [Coruscant] How long current science will stand? 09:01 [Hoth] How can we know if the Universe is infinite or finite? 12:54 [Naboo] Can something hide in Earth's ...
Dec 28, 2022•31 min
Interstellar travel can be real. And you don't need to break the laws of Physics to do it. In this interview, I discuss a realistic way we can send missions to nearby stars in our lifetimes. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:06 How hard is interstellar travel 00:13:19 Ride solar wind like a bird 00:23:15 How a realistic mission can look like 00:40:20 Exploring the Solar System 00:46:50 Fastest gun in the world 00:55:39 Best way to get off planet Ear...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 20 min
It’s official, InSight is gone. Perseverance is putting samples onto the surface of Mars. More scientific results from James Webb, and using gravitational wave observatories to detect warp drives. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:17 InSight Mission is over https://www.universetoday.com/159339/this-will-probably-be-insights-last-picture-before-it-runs-out-of-power-forever/ 01:52 Percy Deposits First Sample on Mars’ Surface https://www.universetoday.com/15...
Dec 23, 2022•20 min
Does the Black Knight satellite really exist? Can JWST explore the Oort cloud? Did we hopelessly contaminate Mars with life? Would I fly on the dearMoon mission without the abort system? Should we do crewed missions to near-earth asteroids? Answers to all these questions and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain! 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:46 [Tatooine] Does the Black Knight satellite really exist? 04:00 [Coruscant] Should we do crewed missi...
Dec 21, 2022•37 min
This week we got an announcement that a historical milestone was achieved. Fusion Ignition. But what it really means for the future of energy production, what most stories don't say and should you be excited after all? 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:41 The IGNITION announcement 02:21 How fusion works on Earth 04:24 How the breakthrough was made 06:05 Problems with NIF's approach to fusion 08:38 Fusion applications in space 10:52 Should you be excited? ...
Dec 17, 2022•12 min
Splashdown! Artemis I has returned home. Webb has made its first Deep Field survey. Listen to the sound of a dust devil on Mars. Space journalist is going to the Moon. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 🌕 Artemis 1 Overview video: https://youtu.be/u5wNXtlZH_Q 00:00 Intro 00:16 Orion splashdown https://www.universetoday.com/159146/orion-splashes-down-in-the-pacific-ocean-completing-the-artemis-i-mission/ 02:54 Hakuto-R and Lunar Flashlight launch 05:21 Accident on the IS...
Dec 16, 2022•20 min
It’s been 50 years since humans set foot on the Moon. Entire generations were born after this historic accomplishment. But humanity has kept its eyes on the sky and vowed to return. This week marks the end of the beginning of that journey, the completion of Artemis I, sending a human-rated capsule around the Moon and back again. With Orion safely back on Earth, let’s look back at this amazing accomplishment and ponder what comes next. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 0...
Dec 14, 2022•21 min
How far away do constellations start to change? What if The Big Bang was more energetic? Which textbooks are good to learn astronomy? Is a university degree worth it? Why don't we travel through the solar system in straight lines? All this and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:35 [Tatooine] How far away do constellations begin to change? 04:36 [Coruscant] Can we see beyond the observable Universe? 10:37 [Hoth]...
Dec 13, 2022•39 min
This is an interview I did with John Michael Godier on his show called Event Horizon. We talked about bringing people back to the Moon. With also discussed the latest space missions, such as JWST and DART, and looked back at how well did 2022 go for NASA. ⚫ Event Horizon Show https://www.youtube.com/@EventHorizonShow 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/_Cr9TSRe71E 🦄 Support us on Patreon https://patreon.com/universetoday 📰 EMAIL NEWSLETTER Read by 55,000 people every Friday. Written by Fraser. N...
Dec 12, 2022•51 min
Construction Begins on the Square Kilometer Array. Artemis I’s iconic crescent Earthrise picture. A gamma-ray burst that breaks all the rules. SpaceX launches a new service. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:14 Square Kilometer Array Telescope begins construction https://www.universetoday.com/159011/construction-begins-on-the-square-kilometer-array/ 04:38 Iconic Earthrise image from Artemis 1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/52548807997/ 06:49 S...
Dec 09, 2022•18 min
Can there be habitable worlds around black holes? Where did Mars get its perchlorates from? How are iron meteorites formed? How will the Sun die? Will China succeed with their Moon landing? All this and more in this week's Q&A with Fraser Cain. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 01:10 Book Club: Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson 03:21 [Tatooine] What happens during Sun's black dwarf stage? 07:26 [Coruscant] Is climate engineering a good idea? 11:24 [Ho...
Dec 07, 2022•39 min
