S27E34: The Ups and Downs of SpaceX's Starship: A Test Flight Tale

The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast.
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 34
*SpaceX's Starship Tests the Limits of Spaceflight
In a breathtaking display of rocketry, SpaceX's Starship edges closer to the stars, nearly perfecting its third flight test. The behemoth of engineering, the Starship Super Heavy, roared through the Texan skies, reaching for orbital velocity. Despite a few hiccups, including the loss of both the Starship and its Super Heavy booster, the test marked significant progress towards SpaceX's ambitious goals for space colonization.
*Voyager 1: The Silent Pioneer's Uncertain Future
Voyager 1, humanity's farthest-flung emissary, is now sending back puzzling signals from interstellar space. After over four decades of travel, the spacecraft's communication has become erratic, leaving scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory scrambling to decode the mystery. Could this be the twilight of the mission that has reshaped our understanding of the solar system?
*A New Window into the High-Energy Cosmos
The EROSITA telescope, despite geopolitical tensions, has beamed back a treasure trove of X-ray data, revealing the energetic intricacies of the universe like never before. Australian scientists leverage this data to unveil the violent dance of a star shredded by a black hole and the haunting remnants of a supernova. These cosmic cataclysms, observed in unprecedented detail, offer clues to the violent processes shaping galaxies and the fate of stars.
*Rocket Lab's Back-to-Back Launch Success
Hot on the heels of a groundbreaking space debris removal satellite launch, Rocket Lab continues its winning streak with the 45th Electron rocket launch. The mission expands an Earth observation constellation, proving the company's rapid launch capabilities. With eyes now set on their first launch from American soil, Rocket Lab is poised to make space access even more routine.
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(00:00) SpaceX's Starship aces most of its third test flight
(07:40) Voyager 1's mission may be nearing its end
(13:58) Astronomers get a clearer picture of the high-energy X-ray sky
(19:49) Rocket Lab successfully launches 45th Electron rocket
(23:04) The science report: The link between outer suburban living and childhood asthma
(26:53) Hydroxychloroquine linked to nearly 17,000 deaths during the pandemic