Astronomy Daily: Space News Updates Historic ISS Medical Evacuation: Crew Returns Safely + Missing Galaxies & Mars Crisis
Jan 15, 2026
19:20
From historic medical evacuations to missing galaxies and stunning new images of the Milky Way, today's episode covers the latest breaking news from space exploration and astronomy. Join Anna and Avery as they discuss six fascinating stories from across the cosmos.
---
## Episode Timestamps
**[00:00]** Intro
**[01:15]** Story 1: ISS Medical Evacuation
**[04:45]** Story 2: The Mystery of Missing Tiny Galaxies
**[08:30]** Story 3: NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft in Trouble
**[11:45]** Story 4: Viruses Behave Differently in Microgravity
**[14:30]** Story 5: Two New Exoplanets and Redefining Habitable Zones
**[17:00]** Story 6: Stunning New Radio Image of the Milky Way
**[19:30]** Outro
---
## Stories Covered
### 1. Historic First Medical Evacuation from ISS
Four International Space Station crew members successfully completed the first-ever medical evacuation in the ISS's 26-year history, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
**Key Points:**
- SpaceX Crew-11 returned early after 5 months in space
- Crew included US astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui
- Splashdown occurred at 12:41 AM ET on January 15, 2026
- Affected crew member remains in stable condition
- Three crew members remain aboard ISS to continue operations
- Demonstrates importance of medical protocols in long-duration spaceflight
**Read More:**
- [Phys.org: ISS astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever medical evacuation](https://phys.org/news/2026-01-iss-astronauts-splash-earth-medical.html)
---
### 2. The Universe's Missing Tiny Galaxies
New research using the James Webb Space Telescope suggests there may be far fewer small galaxies in the early universe than predicted by current models, challenging our understanding of cosmic evolution.
**Key Points:**
- Study led by Xuheng Ma from University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Used JWST's UNCOVER program to study galaxies through gravitational lensing
- Observed the Epoch of Reionization (12-13 billion years ago)
- Discovery of "faint-end suppression" - galaxy numbers drop off at smaller sizes
- Suggests intense radiation from early massive stars prevented small galaxies from forming
- May require rethinking models of cosmic reionization
- Used Abell 2744 galaxy cluster as a natural gravitational lens
**Why It Matters:**
This finding has major implications for our understanding of how the universe evolved from the "cosmic dark ages" to its current transparent state.
**Read More:**
- [Space.com: The universe should be packed with tiny galaxies — so where are they?](https://www.space.com/astronomy/galaxies/the-universe-should-be-packed-with-tiny-galaxies-so-where-are-they)
- Research paper on arXiv (preprint database)
---
### 3. NASA Pessimistic About Recovering MAVEN Mars Orbiter
NASA officials acknowledge it's "very unlikely" they'll recover the MAVEN spacecraft, which has been silent since December 6, 2025, marking a potential end to a highly productive Mars mission.
**Key Points:**
- MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) launched November 2013, entered Mars orbit September 2014
- Last communication: December 6, 2025
- Telemetry indicates spacecraft is tumbling and orbit may have changed
- Solar conjunction (Mars and Earth on opposite sides of Sun) complicated recovery efforts
- Attempts to photograph spacecraft with Curiosity rover were unsuccessful
- Other orbiters (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter) can maintain communications relay
- Spacecraft studied Mars atmospheric loss and recently observed interstellar object 3I/ATLAS
**Mission Legacy:**
Despite the likely loss, MAVEN has provided over a decade of groundbreaking data about Mars' upper atmosphere and how solar wind strips away the Martian atmosphere.
**Read More:**
- [SpaceNews: NASA pessimistic about odds of recovering MAVEN](https://spacenews.com/nasa-pessimistic-about-odds-of-recovering-maven/)
- [NASA Science: MAVEN Spacecraft Updates](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/maven/)
---
### 4. Space Station Study Reveals Unusual Virus-Bacteria Dynamics
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers discovered that viruses infecting bacteria evolve differently in microgravity, potentially opening new avenues for fighting antibiotic-resistant infections on Earth.
**Key Points:**
- Study used E. coli bacteria and bacteriophage T7
- Parallel experiments conducted on ISS and Earth
- Virus infection delayed but not blocked in microgravity
- Both viruses and bacteria developed unique mutations in space
- Space-evolved viruses showed increased activity against drug-resistant E. coli strains
- Findings could lead to improved phage therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections
- Published in PLOS Biology journal
- Demonstrates ISS value as unique research platform
**Scientific Significance:**
This research shows how the space environment fundamentally alters evolutionary processes, and how these insights can be applied to solve problems on Earth.
**Read More:**
- [Space Daily: Space station study reveals unusual virus bacteria dynamics in microgravity](https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_station_study_reveals_unusual_virus_bacteria_dynamics_in_microgravity_999.html)
- Research paper: "Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage host coevolution aboard the International Space Station" in PLOS Biology
---
### 5. Two New Exoplanets Challenge Habitable Zone Definitions
Astronomers have discovered two exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars that are prompting scientists to expand the definition of potentially habitable worlds through the concept of "temperate zones."
**Key Points:**
- Research led by Madison Scott (University of Birmingham) and Georgina Dransfield (University of Oxford)
- Introduces "temperate zone" concept: broader than traditional habitable zone
- Temperate zone defined by insolation flux range: 0.1 < S/S⊕ < 5 (136-6,805 W/m²)
- TOI-6716 b: Earth-sized (0.91-1.05 Earth radii), likely rocky
- TOI-7384 b: Sub-Neptune (3.35-3.77 Earth radii), rocky core with thick H/He envelope
- Both orbit mid to late-type M dwarfs (red dwarf stars)
- Part of TEMPOS survey (Temperate M Dwarf Planets With SPECULOOS)
- Good candidates for atmospheric studies with JWST
- Paper submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
**Why Temperate Zones Matter:**
As our understanding of habitability evolves, planets in temperate zones may prove more interesting than initially thought, especially for atmospheric characterization studies.
**Read More:**
- [Universe Today: Two New Exoplanets And The Need For New Habitable Zone Definitions](https://www.universetoday.com/articles/two-new-exoplanets-and-the-need-for-new-habitable-zone-definitions)
---
### 6. Most Detailed Radio Image of Milky Way Reveals Hidden Structures
Astronomers in Australia have released the most detailed low-frequency radio map of the Milky Way's southern sky, revealing thousands of previously hidden cosmic structures.
**Key Points:**
- Created by International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)
- Used Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope in Western Australia
- Data collected over 141 nights between 2013-2020
- Required over 1 million CPU hours to process
- GLEAM-X survey: 2x resolution, 10x sensitivity, 2x sky coverage vs. previous efforts
- Cataloged over 98,000 radio sources
- Shows supernova remnants (red circles) and stellar nurseries (blue regions)
- Helps identify hidden supernova remnants and study pulsars
- Led by PhD student Silvia Mantovanini (Curtin University)
- First complete low-frequency radio image of Southern Galactic Plane
**Future Impact:**
This image serves as a foundation for the upcoming SKA-Low array, which will provide even more detailed views of the universe when operational.
**Read More:**
- [Daily Galaxy: New Image of the Milky Way Reveals Massive Hidden Structures](https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/new-image-milky-way-massive-structures/)
- [ICRAR: GLEAM-X Galactic Plane](https://www.icrar.org/gleam-x-galactic-plane/)
---
## Key Terms Explained
**Habitable Zone:** The range of distances from a star where conditions might allow liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.
**Temperate Zone:** A broader classification than habitable zone, encompassing planets that receive moderate levels of stellar radiation.
**Insolation Flux:** The amount of solar energy reaching a planet's surface, measured in watts per square meter.
**Epoch of Reionization:** A period roughly 12-13 billion years ago when the first stars and galaxies began flooding the universe with ultraviolet light.
**Gravitational Lensing:** The bending of light by massive objects due to gravity, which can magnify and brighten distant objects.
**Bacteriophage:** A virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.
**Solar Conjunction:** When Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, disrupting radio communications.
**M Dwarf (Red Dwarf):** Small, cool, dim stars that are the most common type of star in the galaxy.
**Supernova Remnant:** The expanding cloud of gas and magnetic fields left behind after a star explodes.
**Luminosity Function:** A cosmic census tool showing the distribution of galaxies at different brightness levels.
---
## Resources & Further Reading
**Space Agencies:**
- [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov)
- [European Space Agency (
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
---
## Episode Timestamps
**[00:00]** Intro
**[01:15]** Story 1: ISS Medical Evacuation
**[04:45]** Story 2: The Mystery of Missing Tiny Galaxies
**[08:30]** Story 3: NASA's MAVEN Spacecraft in Trouble
**[11:45]** Story 4: Viruses Behave Differently in Microgravity
**[14:30]** Story 5: Two New Exoplanets and Redefining Habitable Zones
**[17:00]** Story 6: Stunning New Radio Image of the Milky Way
**[19:30]** Outro
---
## Stories Covered
### 1. Historic First Medical Evacuation from ISS
Four International Space Station crew members successfully completed the first-ever medical evacuation in the ISS's 26-year history, splashing down safely in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
**Key Points:**
- SpaceX Crew-11 returned early after 5 months in space
- Crew included US astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui
- Splashdown occurred at 12:41 AM ET on January 15, 2026
- Affected crew member remains in stable condition
- Three crew members remain aboard ISS to continue operations
- Demonstrates importance of medical protocols in long-duration spaceflight
**Read More:**
- [Phys.org: ISS astronauts splash down on Earth after first-ever medical evacuation](https://phys.org/news/2026-01-iss-astronauts-splash-earth-medical.html)
---
### 2. The Universe's Missing Tiny Galaxies
New research using the James Webb Space Telescope suggests there may be far fewer small galaxies in the early universe than predicted by current models, challenging our understanding of cosmic evolution.
**Key Points:**
- Study led by Xuheng Ma from University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Used JWST's UNCOVER program to study galaxies through gravitational lensing
- Observed the Epoch of Reionization (12-13 billion years ago)
- Discovery of "faint-end suppression" - galaxy numbers drop off at smaller sizes
- Suggests intense radiation from early massive stars prevented small galaxies from forming
- May require rethinking models of cosmic reionization
- Used Abell 2744 galaxy cluster as a natural gravitational lens
**Why It Matters:**
This finding has major implications for our understanding of how the universe evolved from the "cosmic dark ages" to its current transparent state.
**Read More:**
- [Space.com: The universe should be packed with tiny galaxies — so where are they?](https://www.space.com/astronomy/galaxies/the-universe-should-be-packed-with-tiny-galaxies-so-where-are-they)
- Research paper on arXiv (preprint database)
---
### 3. NASA Pessimistic About Recovering MAVEN Mars Orbiter
NASA officials acknowledge it's "very unlikely" they'll recover the MAVEN spacecraft, which has been silent since December 6, 2025, marking a potential end to a highly productive Mars mission.
**Key Points:**
- MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) launched November 2013, entered Mars orbit September 2014
- Last communication: December 6, 2025
- Telemetry indicates spacecraft is tumbling and orbit may have changed
- Solar conjunction (Mars and Earth on opposite sides of Sun) complicated recovery efforts
- Attempts to photograph spacecraft with Curiosity rover were unsuccessful
- Other orbiters (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter) can maintain communications relay
- Spacecraft studied Mars atmospheric loss and recently observed interstellar object 3I/ATLAS
**Mission Legacy:**
Despite the likely loss, MAVEN has provided over a decade of groundbreaking data about Mars' upper atmosphere and how solar wind strips away the Martian atmosphere.
**Read More:**
- [SpaceNews: NASA pessimistic about odds of recovering MAVEN](https://spacenews.com/nasa-pessimistic-about-odds-of-recovering-maven/)
- [NASA Science: MAVEN Spacecraft Updates](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/maven/)
---
### 4. Space Station Study Reveals Unusual Virus-Bacteria Dynamics
University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers discovered that viruses infecting bacteria evolve differently in microgravity, potentially opening new avenues for fighting antibiotic-resistant infections on Earth.
**Key Points:**
- Study used E. coli bacteria and bacteriophage T7
- Parallel experiments conducted on ISS and Earth
- Virus infection delayed but not blocked in microgravity
- Both viruses and bacteria developed unique mutations in space
- Space-evolved viruses showed increased activity against drug-resistant E. coli strains
- Findings could lead to improved phage therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections
- Published in PLOS Biology journal
- Demonstrates ISS value as unique research platform
**Scientific Significance:**
This research shows how the space environment fundamentally alters evolutionary processes, and how these insights can be applied to solve problems on Earth.
**Read More:**
- [Space Daily: Space station study reveals unusual virus bacteria dynamics in microgravity](https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Space_station_study_reveals_unusual_virus_bacteria_dynamics_in_microgravity_999.html)
- Research paper: "Microgravity reshapes bacteriophage host coevolution aboard the International Space Station" in PLOS Biology
---
### 5. Two New Exoplanets Challenge Habitable Zone Definitions
Astronomers have discovered two exoplanets orbiting red dwarf stars that are prompting scientists to expand the definition of potentially habitable worlds through the concept of "temperate zones."
**Key Points:**
- Research led by Madison Scott (University of Birmingham) and Georgina Dransfield (University of Oxford)
- Introduces "temperate zone" concept: broader than traditional habitable zone
- Temperate zone defined by insolation flux range: 0.1 < S/S⊕ < 5 (136-6,805 W/m²)
- TOI-6716 b: Earth-sized (0.91-1.05 Earth radii), likely rocky
- TOI-7384 b: Sub-Neptune (3.35-3.77 Earth radii), rocky core with thick H/He envelope
- Both orbit mid to late-type M dwarfs (red dwarf stars)
- Part of TEMPOS survey (Temperate M Dwarf Planets With SPECULOOS)
- Good candidates for atmospheric studies with JWST
- Paper submitted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
**Why Temperate Zones Matter:**
As our understanding of habitability evolves, planets in temperate zones may prove more interesting than initially thought, especially for atmospheric characterization studies.
**Read More:**
- [Universe Today: Two New Exoplanets And The Need For New Habitable Zone Definitions](https://www.universetoday.com/articles/two-new-exoplanets-and-the-need-for-new-habitable-zone-definitions)
---
### 6. Most Detailed Radio Image of Milky Way Reveals Hidden Structures
Astronomers in Australia have released the most detailed low-frequency radio map of the Milky Way's southern sky, revealing thousands of previously hidden cosmic structures.
**Key Points:**
- Created by International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR)
- Used Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope in Western Australia
- Data collected over 141 nights between 2013-2020
- Required over 1 million CPU hours to process
- GLEAM-X survey: 2x resolution, 10x sensitivity, 2x sky coverage vs. previous efforts
- Cataloged over 98,000 radio sources
- Shows supernova remnants (red circles) and stellar nurseries (blue regions)
- Helps identify hidden supernova remnants and study pulsars
- Led by PhD student Silvia Mantovanini (Curtin University)
- First complete low-frequency radio image of Southern Galactic Plane
**Future Impact:**
This image serves as a foundation for the upcoming SKA-Low array, which will provide even more detailed views of the universe when operational.
**Read More:**
- [Daily Galaxy: New Image of the Milky Way Reveals Massive Hidden Structures](https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/new-image-milky-way-massive-structures/)
- [ICRAR: GLEAM-X Galactic Plane](https://www.icrar.org/gleam-x-galactic-plane/)
---
## Key Terms Explained
**Habitable Zone:** The range of distances from a star where conditions might allow liquid water to exist on a planet's surface.
**Temperate Zone:** A broader classification than habitable zone, encompassing planets that receive moderate levels of stellar radiation.
**Insolation Flux:** The amount of solar energy reaching a planet's surface, measured in watts per square meter.
**Epoch of Reionization:** A period roughly 12-13 billion years ago when the first stars and galaxies began flooding the universe with ultraviolet light.
**Gravitational Lensing:** The bending of light by massive objects due to gravity, which can magnify and brighten distant objects.
**Bacteriophage:** A virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.
**Solar Conjunction:** When Mars and Earth are on opposite sides of the Sun, disrupting radio communications.
**M Dwarf (Red Dwarf):** Small, cool, dim stars that are the most common type of star in the galaxy.
**Supernova Remnant:** The expanding cloud of gas and magnetic fields left behind after a star explodes.
**Luminosity Function:** A cosmic census tool showing the distribution of galaxies at different brightness levels.
---
## Resources & Further Reading
**Space Agencies:**
- [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov)
- [European Space Agency (
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
Sponsor Details:
Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!
Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here
This episode includes AI-generated content.