Universe Today Podcast

[Space Bites+] HUGE Milestone for NASA's Nancy Grace Roman 05.06.2026 22min

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 16:42Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OrYQ_R33BxQWhat's next for Blue Origin after the explosion? Finding overly massive black holes at the early universe. Could dark matter be made of comets? A galaxy that just isn't rotating. And in Space Bites Plus, how massive can neutron stars be? All this and more on this week's Space Bites.00:00 Intro 00:14 Might Be Not Than Bad (Still Pretty Bad) https://www.universetoday.com/articles/blue-origin-issues-official-statement-on-new-glenn-explosion 02:35 Testing milestone for Blue Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/blue-origins-lunar-lander-just-passed-its-toughest-test-yet 04:43 Roman Has a Launch Date https://www.universetoday.com/articles/roman-telescopes-massive-infrared-mirror-is-ready-to-fly 06:19 Another Take on Early SMBHs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/are-the-jwsts-early-overrmassive-black-holes-just-normal-range-outliers 08:43 Why Galaxies Stop Forming Stars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/heres-why-so-many-massive-galaxies-in-the-early-universe-stop-forming-stars 10:23 Could Dark Matter Be Comets (At Least Partially?) https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-the-milky-ways-missing-mass-be-hiding-in-a-swarm-of-interstellar-comets 13:13 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 13:41 And Yet It’s Not Spinning https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-galaxy-that-forgot-to-spin 14:45 First light for ngVLA https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-next-generation-very-large-array-prototype-ngvla-gathers-its-first-light 16:42 How Heavy Can a Neutron Star Get https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-heavy-can-a-neutron-star-get18:49 More space news 19:19 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] Things I Changed My Mind About After 27 Years of Space Journalism 04.06.2026 13min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 09:15Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube:00:00 Intro 00:52 [@paigepotter4682] What’s the last thing about space you changed your mind about? 09:15 [@seanrobertson8796] I’m being sincere, maybe a bit cynical, but how do I know my telescope is actually taking the picture and not just downloading it? 10:47 My media

[Q&A+] What Cool Payloads Could Starship Launch? 02.06.2026 17min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:51Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j4SunqVshNwRanking Solutions to the Fermi Oaradox: https://youtu.be/DFPfG413F58What could Starship launch with its 9 meter faring? How can we possibly be ready for Mars? What happens with information in a black hole? And in Q&A+, when can we be confident that Planet 9 doesn't exist?00:00 Intro 00:24 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Biosphere 2 didn't work on our hospitable planet so how are they really gonna do it on the utterly inhospitable moon or Mars? 06:38 [@brettostrander1031] What payloads will Starship be able to launch? 09:42 [@doogle4144] Nancy Grace Roman being on schedule 11:57 [@madmillion91920110] If Hawking radiation evaporates black holes, where does the information go? 13:51 [@jonnywalker-74] When will we be able safely say that planet 9 doesn't exist if we don't find it? 16:13 I need your suggestions

[Space Bites+] DISASTER for Blue Origin // Primordial Black Hole Candidate // Starship Flight 12 29.05.2026 25min

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 20:08Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ES_2Db9WAGQ @NASASpaceflight https://youtu.be/9b-ZhGB8XDc?si=g8pQDX8OHTDd4R3D @scottmanley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaR6yEE-MyoNew Glenn Explodes, NASA leans in on a moon base. Starship makes its 12th flight. Have astronomers found a primordial black hole? And in Space Bites Plus, flying a plane through a rocket plume to measure its pollution.00:00 Intro 00:13 New Glenn explodes https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/05/blue-origins-new-glenn-rocket-just-exploded-during-a-static-fire-test/ 02:22 NASA Moon base plans https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-provides-update-on-moon-base-rovers-landers-missions/ 05:19 Starship Flight 12 https://www.universetoday.com/articles/spacexs-next-gen-starship-doesnt-fire-on-all-engines-during-first-test 08:40 Primordial black hole candidate https://www.universetoday.com/articles/something-just-passed-between-us-and-a-distant-star 11:37 Early SMBH https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-weirdness-of-early-universe-smbhs-gets-even-weirder 14:32 Ultra faint galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-observe-the-most-chemically-primitive-galaxy-in-the-early-universe 16:39 Vote results 17:10 TESS sky map https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-tess-reveals-epic-all-sky-map-of-distant-worlds 19:00 Triple star system https://www.universetoday.com/articles/three-stars-one-extraordinary-system-and-a-drama-still-to-come 20:08 Rocket pollution https://www.universetoday.com/articles/are-satellite-megaconstellations-accidentally-geoengineering-the-earth22:51 More space news 21:29 Reaching out to me

[Q&A+] What Happens When The Speed of Light Is Broken? 29.05.2026 20min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:05Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uUuhxglQwF0Why don't they just charge the shell of the spaceship to repel radiation? What happens when something breaks the speed of light? What weird thing did James Webb recently find? And in Q&A+, what's up and what's down in space?00:00 Intro 00:36 [@LBTurner56] What did JWST find recently? 02:27 [@doogle4144] Can you just charge the surface of a spaceship? 08:07 [@cagmuer] What happens when something breaks the speed of light? 10:14 [@rebokfleetfoot] Is the Universe complex on purpose? 13:29 [@Jason-Darkholm] The universe is not obligated to make sense 15:05 [@Timvolleydarts] Is there an up & down in space? 18:49 Why do human spaceflight?

[Q&A+] LIGO's Getting Its Upgrades. What's Next? 27.05.2026 15min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:00Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PFIJ2nw_HLIWhat's going on with LIGO? Which fictional spaceship is the most realistic? How will astronauts protect themselves during long time flights? And in Q&A+, what evidence will remain if humanity vanishes tomorrow?00:00 Intro 00:24 [@Hooves1] LIGO upgrades? 02:13 [@JamesMcIntosh-r7j] aren't there a couple more LIGOs? 03:53 [@tedkrouse8222] How do we plan to protect astronauts from radiation? 07:52 [@howlmg] Can we train removing stellar contamination on the Sun? 10:36 [@paigepotter4682] What fictional spaceship design feels the most realistic? 13:00 [@paigepotter4682] If humanity vanished tomorrow, what would be left? 14:23 Filming outside

[Space Bites+] A Big UN-DISCOVERY for Europa 23.05.2026 20min

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:32Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IQPyYFCTn5QMaybe Europa doesn't have plumes after all. A new way to detect dark matter. Maybe exo-venuses are more common than exo-earths. A private flight around the moon and Mars? And in Space Bites+, how the solar cycle influences space junk. All this and more in this week's Space Bites.00:00 Intro 00:17 No Plumes After All https://www.universetoday.com/articles/it-looks-like-europa-doesnt-have-plumes-of-water-vapour-after-all 03:07 Another Independent Evidence for Dark Matter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dark-matter-may-have-left-its-fingerprint-in-a-gravitational-wave 05:08 Weird Wheels https://www.universetoday.com/articles/future-mars-rovers-could-mimic-a-swimming-motion-to-traverse-the-planets-surface 06:41 More Venus-Like Planets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hellish-venus-like-planets-may-be-more-prevalent-than-true-exoearths 08:51 Crypto Investor Wants to Fly Around Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/crypto-investor-works-on-a-plan-to-ride-spacexs-starship-around-mars 10:40 Vote results 11:09 Getting to Asteroids https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-algorithm-cracks-the-asteroid-routing-problem https://www.universetoday.com/articles/asteroid-2022-ob5-spins-too-fast-for-current-prospectors-highlighting-the-divide-between-accessible 14:02 Psyche at Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-psyche-mission-says-goodbye-to-mars-and-heads-for-its-metal-rich-target 15:31 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/study-shows-how-sunspot-activity-speeds-up-reentries17:34 Unidiscoveries in science

[Q&A+] We Were Promised a Flood of Vera Rubin Discoveries. Where Are They? 22.05.2026 17min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:57Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dzgbXfW2BMQChannels mentioned: @JustHaveaThink @SimonClark @ProfessorDaveExplains @potholer54 Timecodes00:00 Intro 00:32 [@HenryWarren-b6j] Are Von Neumann probes coming soon? 06:08 [@FunkyLoiso] What will it take to categorize every neighboring star? 11:17 [@PokerYoda] Where are all the Vera Rubin discoveries? 12:57 [@mimivirus173] Which dwarf planet humanity should explore next? 14:38 My opinions

[Q&A+] There Are Only 6,286 Known Exoplanets. Why Hasn’t JWST Observed Them All? 20.05.2026 18min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:39 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jNGaC5ltB2E00:00 Intro 00:34 [@VigoHornblower] How much science will Dragonfly do? 02:39 [@SnusKing] Why can't JWST just look at all known exoplanets? 08:11 [@Noonyuh] How long can Webb focus on one target? 10:46 [@earthlingfire7168] Gaia data release 4 when? 12:39 [@paigepotter4682] Why do Q&A+? 15:02 Japan

[Space Bites+] Green Bank Telescope Took This Image of Orion 15.05.2026 20min

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:24Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8QJnq45tm3QDr Paul Sutter: https://www.universetoday.com/authors/pmsutter Dr Brian Koberlein https://www.universetoday.com/authors/brian Alan Boyle https://www.universetoday.com/authors/cosmiclog Matthew Williams https://www.universetoday.com/authors/houseofwilliams Carolyn Collins Petersen https://www.universetoday.com/authors/cc-petersenA Kuiper Belt object with an atmosphere. The moon that became Saturn's rings. Tracking the Artemis mission from Earth. And it's Space Bites Plus, 3000 new brown doors discovered. All this and more in this week's Space Bites.00:00 Intro 00:15 Trans-Neptunian atmosphere https://www.universetoday.com/articles/pluto-like-worlds-thin-atmosphere-poses-a-mystery-for-astronomers 02:13 Saturn’s Ring’s Origin https://www.universetoday.com/articles/saturns-icy-rings-likely-formed-from-lost-moon-chrysalis 03:41 Four People in a Pixel https://www.universetoday.com/articles/four-people-in-a-pixel 05:21 X-Ray dot https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-find-an-x-ray-key-to-the-red-dot-mystery07:51 Vote results 08:24 Black holes' lifetimes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/black-holes-dont-live-forever-but-they-might-live-long-enough-to-look-like-white-holes 11:36 One Graph to Rule Them All https://www.universetoday.com/articles/one-graph-attempts-to-connect-every-object-in-the-universe 13:02 Scanning the Sky for Aliens for 10 years https://www.universetoday.com/articles/weve-been-listening-for-ten-years-heres-what-we-heard 15:24 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/citizen-scientists-may-have-just-doubled-the-number-of-known-brown-dwarfs17:07 More space news 17:43 Team's projects

[Q&A+] What If We Had Another Earth Instead of The Moon? 14.05.2026 18min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 11:53Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gTTqqXj-REs00:00 Intro 00:26 [@dan.sheppy7] What if we had a second Earth instead of the Moon? 03:23 [@reibee1972] Will humans ever try panspermia? 05:01 [@darthex0] Would fungi grow in regolith? 06:50 [@rJaune] Will the Moon become the new ISS? 08:45 [@tcarr925] How much light illuminates the dark side of the moon?11:53 [@webfiji7346] How to apply coding skills for astronomy? 15:46

[Q&A+] What Happens If Somebody Claims Mars? 12.05.2026 20min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:26Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lQDNwSAK3Z8What would happen is a country claims Mars as their own? Will we have the Expanse scenario? What's a realistic timeline for Moon exploration? And in Q&A+, can we use those inflatable modules on the Moon?00:00 Intro 00:26 [@neilvonholtum2555] What happens if a country claims Mars as their own? 05:22 [@MikeD_] Isn't this the Expanse? 08:05 [@GigBossMan] After 53 years how far along would we be on the Moon? 14:26 [@danielwhitehouse7682] Do you think those blow up modules would work on the moon 17:22 Latest UFO release

[Space Bites+] Io's Lakes Turned Out Weirder Than We Thought 08.05.2026 21min

BONUS STORY starts at 15:34Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f5t09W_tdfEPatreon Q&As https://www.patreon.com/collection/116972 Pandora interview with Dr Ben Hord https://youtu.be/96Ee8Z-sbSUCuriosity gets a rock stuck to its drill. NASA releases over 12,000 images of the Artemis II mission. The new Pandora Space Telescope sees first light. How Io's lava lakes are hotter than we thought. And in Space Bites+, a meteorite that is very similar to the planet Mercury.00:00 Intro ]00:19 NASA Releases 12,000 Artemis II Photos https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/ShowQueryResults-TextTable.pl?results=1778194875140121 02:15 Curiosity Lifting Rocks on Mars https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4879-4885-struggle-at-atacama/ 03:33 Pandora's first light https://www.universetoday.com/articles/first-images-from-the-pandora-exoplanet-mission 05:31 ESPRESSO Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-paranal-solar-espresso-telescope-a-new-tool-for-finding-exoplanets 07:42 Io's superhot https://www.universetoday.com/articles/we-might-have-massively-underestimated-ios-thermal-output 09:30 Radar drones https://www.universetoday.com/articles/drones-scanning-earths-glaciers-are-paving-the-way-for-future-mars-helicopters 11:25 Vote results 11:51 Subaru on 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/subaru-telescope-reveals-new-data-on-the-interior-composition-of-3iatlas 13:20 Superionic ice inside ice giants https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-quasi-1d-state-of-matter-could-be-hiding-inside-ice-giant-planets 15:34 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-a-meteorite-helps-explain-mercurys-chemical-makeup17:40 My current obsessions

[Q&A+] Orbital VS Surface Lunar Bases 07.05.2026 22min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:16Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VFtMBTalNMgHow hard is it to keep rocket fuel in space? Which is better, a Moon mission on the surface or in orbit? How would a space station look like in a binary planet system? And in Q&A+, could we launch a probe into a black hole?00:00 Intro 00:24 [@geohondo] Is it problematic to keep rocket fuel in space for extended time? 07:09 [@drewd2] Would a lunar base be more effective for reducing the cost of space exploration? 09:32 [@vistotutti6037] Are we capable of launching Voyager class probes out of our solar system today? 12:21 [@thelightrunner2612] Would a large space station at the barycentre of binary planets work? 15:16 [@JohnnyApplleseed] What could we learn from launching a probe into a black hole? 17:14 Science VS Religion

[Q&A+] What If AI Finds An Alien Technosignature Tomorrow? 05.05.2026 18min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:25 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5PTjLZQ7qLU00:00 Intro 00:25 [@paigepotter4682] If we detected a technosignature tomorrow, what’s the first thing scientists would argue about? 04:46 [@Jimdica] Could humanity fall victim of an alien infohazard? 08:06 [@savr4est] Will AI find alien first? 10:55 [@terryhardaway3285] Would there be a CHZ for earth sized moons around rouge brown dwarfs? 13:25 [@EdSceptic-y2e] How far realistically do you think biological humans will ever get from Earth? 15:46 Books I read

[Space Bites+] Half Of Our Galaxy Is Hotter Than The Other (We Finally Know Why!) 01.05.2026 24min

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 18:18Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tejYwoRqG38New info about 3I/ATLAS, NASA tests a new high-power ion engine, did dark matter power early black hole formation, why is half the Milky Way hotter than the other? And in Space Bites+, different sources for two of Uranus moons.00:00 Intro 00:15 More info on 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/interstellar-comet-3iatlas-left-a-trail-of-methane-in-its-wake https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-research-reveals-that-interstellar-comet-3iatlas-formed-in-a-system-far-colder-than-our-own 04:04 NASA tests new ion engine https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-fires-up-powerful-lithium-fed-thruster-for-trips-to-mars/ 06:45 NO to NASA budget cuts https://spacenews.com/house-appropriators-keep-nasa-funding-flat/ 07:50 Earliest SMBH Mystery https://www.universetoday.com/articles/is-the-earliest-supermassive-black-hole-mystery-solved 09:46 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 10:15 Milky Way’s Hot Side https://www.universetoday.com/articles/our-galaxy-has-a-hot-side-and-now-we-know-why 11:56 Where's the edge of the Milky Way https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-find-the-edge-of-the-milky-ways-star-forming-disc 13:52 Disappearing exoplanets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/toi-201-planets-are-wobbling-out-of-our-line-of-sight 16:02 That's no moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-hunts-for-an-earth-moon-twin-in-a-habitable-zone-but-the-star-has-other-plans 18:18 BONUS STORY20:45 More space news 21:16 Working with Vera Rubin data

[Q&A+] How Does A Telescope Made of 5000 Robots Work? 01.05.2026 20min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:48Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/90S24jYGtd4Latest Patreon Q&A show: https://www.patreon.com/posts/156265102/What did we really find on Mars? Could we find actual fossils there? How was the most detailed 3D-map of the Universe made? And in Q&A+, what's the deal with Iapetus and its huge ridge? Q&A 00:00 Intro 00:22 [@HanSolo__] Did we find marks of past primitive life on Mars? 05:15 [@geohondo] Could we find an actual skeletal fossil on mars? 07:18 [@louisnelsonsmith] How DESI works 15:48 [@TheGoldishFish] Why does Saturn moon Iapetus have that huge equatorial ridge? 18:03 The Q&A format

[Interview+] Removing Space Debris with Real-Life Star Trek Tech 29.04.2026 46min

BONUS PART STARTS AT 24:29Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GfEzOHGoAuU🟣 Guest: Amy Haft 📜 Spacecraft electrostatic tractor using a power-constrained pulsed high-energy high-current electron beam https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027311772600075X?via%3DihubThe number of satellites constantly grows. As the result, space debris is becoming more and more of a concern. A new study suggests using practically real-life Star Trek tech to use an electron tractor beam to tug broken satellites around the orbit.00:00 Intro 01:11 The state of space debris 04:25 Satellite tractor beam 14:07 Alternative applications 24:29 Tracking objects via plasma trails 39:23 Current obsessions 44:29 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] What If Voyager Crashed Into Something? | Q&A 418 28.04.2026 23min

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:23Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4uPUdm7WP9oCan we deploy a huge fleet of amateur telescopes to image a single planet? If the Voyager crashes into something, will we know that? What's the point of studying gravitational waves? And in Q&A+, does the starless galaxy have any planets?00:00 Intro 00:27 [@liamdobbyn6167] Fleet of amateur telescopes on TRAPPIST-1 06:28 [@SpaceGeekSheri] Would we know about it if Voyager crashed into something? 08:12 [@deant6361] Will New Horizons end up leaving the solar system? 09:07 [@davidevans6487] Can we use radiation of space to power spacecraft? 11:16 [@JuanMendez-zh2ez] Why study gravitational waves? 17:23 [@christiandesalliers] Are there planets in Cloud-9? 19:18 Astronomy Cast

[Space Bites+] Moon Landing Bottleneck // China Gaining // 11,000 New Rubin Asteroids 24.04.2026 23min

Here’s what might delay Artemis, New Glenn flies again, but there’s a problem, Voyager 1 has to shut down another instrument, Vera Rubin is finding so many asteroids. And in Space Bites+, an incredible image to celebrate Hubble’s 35th birthday.00:00 Intro 00:18 Potential bottleneck for Artemis https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/whats-the-deal-with-spacesuits-for-the-moon-will-they-be-ready-in-time/ 03:20 China Shows Off a 5-Meter Rocket Module https://www.universetoday.com/articles/china-unveils-a-massive-5-meter-composite-module-for-its-next-generation-reusable-rocket 06:20 Success and Failure of New Glenn NG-3 https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/errant-upper-stage-spoils-blue-origins-success-in-reusing-new-glenn-booster/ 08:25 Voyager Shuts Down More Instruments https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/voyager/2026/04/17/nasa-shuts-off-instrument-on-voyager-1-to-keep-spacecraft-operating/ 11:08 Vera Rubin Discovers A Lot of Asteroids https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-vera-c-rubin-observatory-has-discovered-11000-new-asteroids-and-its-barely-even-started 12:36 Vote results 13:06 Organics on Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/msl-curiosity-found-new-organic-chemicals-on-mars-proof-that-the-planet-can-preserve-ancient-biosign 15:09 Roman’s Ready to Launch 16:51 SPHEREx Mapping the Sky https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-spherex-telescope-just-mapped-the-cosmic-ices-that-will-someday-build-planets 18:05 The Universe in X-Rays https://www.universetoday.com/articles/behold-the-solar-system-in-all-its-x-ray-glory 19:18 More space news 20:20 Complexity of the interviews