Universe Today Podcast

The White House pulls Jared Isaacman’s nomination, the 2026 NASA budget is released, the Hubble Tension might not be a problem after all, the Milky Way and Andromeda might not merge after all. And on SpaceBites+, which ozone isn’t a good biosignature. 🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 00:00 Intro 00:22 No Jared for NASA https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/05/trump-pulls-isaacman-nomination-for-space-source-nasa-is-fed/ 01:57 NASA budget request https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-fy-2026-budget-request-has-been-released 04:36 ispace failed another Moon landing 05:34 Hubble tesion possible solved? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/is-the-hubble-tension-starting-to-go-away 08:27 Milkdromeda might not happen https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-just-cancelled-the-milky-way-andromeda-collision 10:09 Pluto https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-watches-haze-rise-and-fall-in-plutos-atmosphere 11:58 Vote results 12:38 Europa https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-reveals-that-europas-surface-is-constantly-changing 14:54 Monitoring solar storms https://www.universetoday.com/articles/advanced-orbital-constellations-for-solar-storm-defense 16:27 Starship missions to Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/missions-to-mars-starship-three-months 19:02 Newsletter 19:43 Bonus story 19:58 Realism in SciFi 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/RvTwWZt1SRw 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

How big does a planet has to be to make it impossible to fly a rocket from it? Why are aliens always portrayed expansionistic? Can a supernova make us all go extinct? And in our extended Q&A+ edition, is terraforming Mars necessary for finding life there? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:30 [knallpistol] How can stars in globular clusters be so close yet so far? 03:28 [Mister Ikkus] Why everyone imagines aliens to be expansionistic? 05:28 [Matthew Reuter] What's the limit on a planet's mass to get stuck on one? 07:51 [James Valley] Can a supernovae take us out? 08:50 [Paige Potter] When we colonize other places, will Earth become a concept rather than a place? 10:50 [Vicente Hdez] What have been the keys to staying constantly active in astronomy communication? 14:56 [Pete Harris] What to see in the Southern Hemisphere's night sky? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/19phg5eP4Rs 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

What's the difference between a nova and a supernova? What's the mechanism behind their explosions? What instruments are used to observe them at the moment? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Same video. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Cameron Pfeffer https://www.cameronpfeffer.space/ 🟣 Dr. Chris Ashall’s supernova research group https://chrisashall.com/my-group/ https://csp.obs.carnegiescience.edu/ 00:00 Intro 01:30 What is a Type-1a supernova 07:55 Observations with JWST 15:03 Current state of supernova research 24:37 Survey telescopes 36:04 Current obsessions 40:12 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/CKZyAug7hIg 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

How much of our atmosphere is lost to space and should we be actively replenishing it? Is there an exact copy of Earth out there hiding in the Universe? Can we use the Sun to send messages? And in our extended Q&A+ version, how the advancements in AI will change astronomy? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:30 [Naveed] Can we use the Sun to send messages? 03:49 [jeff miller] Can we replace the atmosphere we're loosing to space? 04:40 [Ghostdog4] When will Betelgeuse finally become a supernova? 06:35 [[PMG] Corey] How is JWST changing our understanding of cosmology? 10:38 [gtziavelis] Is there a copy of Earth somewehre out there in the Universe? 13:59 [Lance Haring] Do black holes poop dark matter? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/HEoZBSRPCVM 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Launching Breakthrough Starshot light sail probes to Alpha Centauri requires a lot of new tech, including the actual light sails. How do you make the optimal material to maximize the size with minimising mass? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Same video. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Lucas Norder https://www.tudelft.nl/en/staff/l.norder/ 📜 Pentagonal photonic crystal mirrors: scalable lightsails with enhanced acceleration via neural topology optimization https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57749-y 00:00 Intro 02:11 Current state of tech 04:58 Nano-holes in reflective material 11:08 Manufacturing techniques 14:23 Practical applications 20:58 Possible prototypes 25:57 Current obsessions 30:21 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/iHLm9oHMsyM 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

China’s asteroid sample return mission launches, searching for a companion star for Betelgeuse, the 9th flight test wraps up for Starship and Superheavy, and Webb takes its longest exposure yet. And in SpaceBites+, is Venus hiding deadly asteroids. 🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 00:00 Intro 00:30 Mystery object discovered https://www.universetoday.com/articles/strange-object-is-releasing-regular-blasts-of-both-x-rays-and-radio-waves 02:46 Searching for Bettel-Buddy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-search-is-on-for-betel-buddy 05:07 China's asteroid sample return mission launched https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chinas-tianwen-2-is-off-to-collect-an-asteroid-sample 06:40 China's reusable rocket test https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-05-29/Chinese-commercial-rocket-completes-vertical-sea-recovery-test-1DMefpHW0qQ/p.html 07:50 Starship IFT-9 https://www.universetoday.com/articles/after-awesome-launch-starship-spins-out-of-control 09:58 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 10:34 Black holes but in colour https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-event-horizon-telescopes-next-feat-multi-color-pictures-of-black-holes 12:44 New discoveries about M87 SMBH https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17035 15:00 Webb's longest exposure https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-webb-captures-faint-galaxies-from-the-universes-ancient-past 16:21 More space news 17:31 [Space Bites+] bonus story 17:46 Some people just don't understand interviews 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/c_RvcTNbVs4 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Can we make the Van Allen belts safe to fly through? Why not get a super gravity assist from the Sun? Can we predict the next supernova in the Milky Way? And in our extended Q&A+ version, what's going on with the ocean rocks producing electricity at the bottom? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:30 [Marcus Mark] Can we drain the Van Allen belts from radioactive particles? 01:17 [Sean] Can we get a super gravity assist from the Sun? 02:38 [Midatlanticriverrat] Are discoveries from JWST a turning point in our understanding of astronomy? 04:07 [Abdullah Hussain] When will we see the next supernova in the Milky Way? 05:06 [Jason Darkholm] What does discovering water ice around another star mean for astrobiology? 06:55 [Leigh Taylor] What am I the most excited about? 07:43 [emynsilque] What is the max possible wavelength of light? 08:40 [pewterhacker] Can journalistic integrity survive in the age of clicks and algorithms? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/isOaeFT9PT8 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Heat shields are one of the trickiest problems left to solve before we can have truly reusable spacecraft. So far we've seen different solutions, like ablative materials or ceramic tiles. But can a sweating heat shield be a solution? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Same video. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr. Hassan Saad Ifti https://nal.tamu.edu/ 📜 Could Sweating Spacecraft Make Re-Entry Easier? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-sweating-spacecraft-make-re-entry-easier 00:00 Intro 01:40 Challenges of reentry 12:00 Sweating spacecraft 31:05 Which gas to use 38:49 Metal 3D-printing 45:51 Current obsessions 50:41 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/04rSPGwMLlM 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Can we refuel James Webb at L2 when it runs out of propellant? What will the Dragonfly octocopter see on the surface of Titan? Will discovering life on Mars stop us from going there? And in our extended Q&A+ on Patreon, what are space things I'm hoping to see in my lifetime? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:30 [Monty Skeetch] Will Dragonfly see rains or rivers on Titan? 01:35 [Ιwanna_kiIImyself] Why does JWST do figure of 8 movements at its Lagrange L2 point? 03:35 [SantiagoMK] Can JWST be refuelled? 04:35 [beau danner] Which moon is best for Venus? 05:25 [Billy Griffith] Will finding life on Mars stop us from going there? 07:11 [veerendra kumar] Do double and triple black hole systems exist? 08:29 [kLONDIKE69 NONE] Can we see asteroid belts around other stars? 09:04 [Tim G] My position on Planet 9/X 10:07 [Kasie Ream] Can Betelgeuse explosion be just a flop? 11:51 [Mufasa Putasa] What have we learned from gravitational waves so far? 13:54 [Eric D. Wade] What happened to the BEAM module? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/gdu62qdEmFs 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Terraforming Mars is usually considered in the realm of science fiction. But actually we have technology to start doing it in our lifetime and achieve some meaningful results it a timescale of tens of years, not thousands. What are they? Finding out in this interview. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr. Erika Alden DeBenedictis https://www.erikadebenedictis.com/ 📜 The Case for Mars Terraforming Research https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02548-0 00:00 Intro 01:34 Why Mars sucks 02:23 Old ideas to terraform Mars 11:00 New technologies 31:52 Timescales 37:00 Ethical consequences 46:39 Current obsessions 53:39 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/tpFFKCF4-BA 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast