
Universe Today Podcast
Space news, interviews, Q&As, and exclusive content from Universe Today.
Audio versions of Fraser Cain YouTube channel.
Latest episodes

May 9, 2025 β’ 19min
[Space Bites] Spying on Spy Satellites // Official NASA Budget Cuts // Dragonfly Milestone
The official NASA cuts are here. Several missions reach big milestones. The Solar Gravitational Lens will be challenging to use, and in our special bonus version on Patreon, [Space Bites+] an additional story about New Horizons scanning the clouds of hydrogen around the Solar System.
π¦ Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Intro
00:19 NASA budget cuts are official
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-white-house-releases-its-2026-budget-request-for-nasa-cuts-to-sls-gateway-and-orion
03:31 Milestones for Dragonfly and Roman
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/dragonfly/2025/04/24/nasas-dragonfly-passes-critical-design-review/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/key-portion-of-nasas-roman-space-telescope-clears-thermal-vacuum-test/
05:22 Satellite occultations
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03474
06:34 Complications with SGL
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/using-the-solar-gravitational-lens-will-be-extremely-difficult
09:27 Vote results
10:09 Hakuto-R 2 arrives at Moon orbit
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/ispaces-resilience-enters-lunar-orbit-itll-try-to-land-in-early-june
11:32 Rogue binary planets
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/free-floating-binary-planets-cant-last-long
13:09 Strange object on the edge of the Milky Way
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/its-either-the-milky-ways-farthest-known-star-cluster-or-the-smallest-known-galaxy
14:30 Guide to Space
15:50 Space Bites+
16:09 Importance of keeping up space missions
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/M96tqKyVx_Q
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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π§ PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
βοΈ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

May 8, 2025 β’ 20min
[Q&A] Smoking Gun Biosignatures, Dyson Spheres vs Warp Drives, Adopting the Metric System
Which evidence will be a definite smoking gun when it comes to finding extraterrestrial life? Why is a Dyson sphere more realistic than warp drives? Will America ever adopt the metric system? And in our Q&A+ version, will China be collaborating with other nations in space? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.
π [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free :
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
π [Overtime] Even more Q&As
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Start
00:32 [Ross] What will be a sufficient enough evidence of life on another world?
06:07 [Mikael Biilmann] Will North America ever switch to the metric system?
08:11 [LeMonkDog] Why is a Dyson sphere considered more rational than FTL travel?
12:34 [Conspiracy_Theory_Enthusiast] Are there any filters that help cope with light pollution?
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/Z31aWzrlOb0
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
π§ PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
βοΈ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

May 6, 2025 β’ 22min
[Q&A] Black Holes as a Great Filter, Artemis 3 Landing Site, Smallest Possible Star
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May 5, 2025 β’ 55min
[Interview] Vera Rubin Will Forever Change Astronomy. Here's Exactly How
Vera Rubin Telescope (aka LSST) is finally ready. We're expecting first light in the coming months. It will find Planet 9 (if it exists), discover thousands of new asteroids, millions of new supernovae and will change the way we do astronomy with its surveys of the night sky. Here's how it will do all that.
π Watch this interview with no YT ads:
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00:00 Intro
01:25 What's happening with Vera Rubin
08:20 What will Vera Rubin be able to see
23:35 Northern Rubin Wen?
30:23 Survey telescopes
45:50 Light pollution and satellite constellations
50:18 Current obsessions
52:54 Final thoughts
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/FIJLCwtnKKI
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
π§ PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
βοΈ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

May 2, 2025 β’ 22min
[Space Bites] Planet 9 Hint // Problems for Psyche // Uranus Occultation
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May 1, 2025 β’ 21min
[Q&A] Inside The Space Voids, Protecting Mars, JWST Deep Fields
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Apr 29, 2025 β’ 19min
[Q&A] Dinosaurs VS The Asteroid, Infinite Gravity, Real Autonomy of ISS
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Apr 28, 2025 β’ 42min
[Interview] The Tricky Part of Finding Extraterrestrial Life
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Apr 25, 2025 β’ 18min
[Space Bites] Moon Ejecta Hitting Earth // Chinaβs Satellite Rescue // Asteroid Closeup
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Apr 24, 2025 β’ 21min
[Q&A] Pessimism Regarding Humanity, Dark Stars, Source Kilonova | Q&A 315
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