Latest / Space News Today / SpaceX’s Million-Satellite Vision, Ancient Star Maps, and China’s Solar Mission

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SpaceX’s Million-Satellite Vision, Ancient Star Maps, and China’s Solar Mission · Space News Today

0:00
Welcome [music] to Astronomy Daily, your
0:02
source for the latest space and
0:04
astronomy news. I'm Anna.
0:06
>> And I'm Avery. It's Monday, February
0:08
[music] 2nd, 2026, and we've got a
0:11
fantastic lineup of stories today,
0:13
exploring [music] everything from
0:14
SpaceX's audacious satellite plans to
0:17
ancient star maps hidden for centuries.
0:20
That's right, Avery. Today, we're diving
0:22
into SpaceX's jaw-dropping proposal to
0:25
launch up to 1 million solar [music]
0:27
powered satellites. A remarkable
0:29
archaeological discovery revealing
0:31
Hipparcus' lost [music] star catalog and
0:34
China's ambitious solar monitoring
0:36
mission heading to a unique point in
0:39
space. We'll also be discussing the
0:41
[music] giant star that fooled
0:42
astronomers worldwide, Time magazine
0:45
special tribute to the Aremis 2 crew,
0:47
and remembering Glattis West, a hidden
0:49
figure who helps shape GPS [music]
0:51
technology. It's going to be an
0:53
incredible journey through space
0:54
history, present, and future. So settle
0:58
in and let's explore the cosmos
1:00
together.
1:01
>> We're starting with what might be the
1:02
most ambitious satellite constellation
1:04
proposal ever conceived. SpaceX has
1:07
filed with the Federal Communications
1:09
Commission seeking approval to launch up
1:11
to 1 million solar powered satellites
1:14
that would function as data centers for
1:16
artificial intelligence.
1:18
>> 1 million satellites, Avery. That's
1:20
absolutely staggering. To put that in
1:23
perspective, there are currently around
1:25
15,000 man-made satellites orbiting
1:28
Earth, according to the European Space
1:30
Agency. SpaceX is essentially proposing
1:32
to increase that number by several
1:35
orders of magnitude.
1:36
>> The scale is mind-boggling, Anna, and
1:38
SpaceX isn't just framing this as a
1:40
commercial venture. Their filing
1:42
describes these satellites as the most
1:44
efficient way to meet accelerating
1:46
demand for AI computing power, but they
1:48
go even further. They're calling it a
1:50
first step towards becoming a
1:51
Cardartesev type 2 civilization. One
1:54
that can harness the sun's full power.
1:56
>> That's quite the vision. For our
1:58
listeners who might not be familiar, the
2:00
Cardev scale is a method of measuring a
2:03
civilization's technological advancement
2:06
based on energy consumption. A type 2
2:08
civilization would be able to harness
2:10
all the energy output of its star. But
2:13
let's talk practicalities here. The
2:15
Verge has pointed out that the 1 million
2:18
satellite number is unlikely to be
2:20
approved outright and is probably a
2:22
starting point for negotiation.
2:24
>> Exactly. The FCC recently gave SpaceX
2:27
permission to launch an additional 7,575
2:31
Starlink satellites, but deferred
2:33
authorization on the remaining 14,988
2:37
satellites proposed. So there's clearly
2:40
regulatory caution about satellite
2:41
proliferation and there are very real
2:44
concerns about space debris and light
2:45
pollution that come with such massive
2:47
constellations. The timing is also
2:50
interesting. This filing comes as Amazon
2:52
is seeking an FCC extension on a
2:55
deadline to have more than 1,600
2:57
satellites in orbit citing a lack of
3:00
available rockets. Meanwhile, SpaceX is
3:03
reportedly considering a merger with two
3:05
of Elon Musk's other companies, Tesla
3:07
and XAI, ahead of going public.
3:10
>> It really shows how the commercial space
3:12
sector is evolving. Anna, what was once
3:14
the domain of governments is
3:15
increasingly being driven by private
3:17
companies with enormous ambitions.
3:19
Whether SpaceX gets approval for
3:21
anything close to a million satellites
3:23
remains to be seen, but it certainly
3:25
signals where they think the future is
3:27
headed. It's fascinating to think about,
3:30
but we'll have to see how regulators
3:31
balance innovation with the very real
3:34
concerns about our orbital environment.
3:36
Now, let's move from the future to the
3:38
distant past. From cuttingedge satellite
3:41
technology, we're traveling back more
3:43
than 2,000 years to rediscover one of
3:45
astronomy's greatest lost treasures.
3:48
Scientists have successfully recovered
3:50
fragments of the world's earliest star
3:52
catalog created by the ancient Greek
3:54
astronomer Hipparus from a 1500year-old
3:57
manuscript. This is absolutely
4:00
remarkable. Avery Hipparus is widely
4:02
considered the father of astronomy. He
4:05
figured out how equinoxes shift, created
4:07
a magnitude scale to rank star
4:09
brightness, and tracked planetary motion
4:12
all more than 2,000 years ago without
4:15
any telescopes. But his actual star
4:17
catalog had vanished from history until
4:20
now.
4:21
>> The manuscript is what's called a
4:23
palumst, which means it's parchment that
4:26
was wiped clean and reused. In this
4:28
case, Hipparkus' original Greek text was
4:31
erased and overwritten with Syriak
4:33
religious writings of St. John Clamicus.
4:35
The original work was literally buried
4:37
under six layers of ink.
4:40
>> So, how did researchers manage to read
4:42
text that was intentionally erased
4:44
centuries ago? They used some pretty
4:47
sophisticated technology. A team led by
4:50
Victor Gizenberg from Sorbon University
4:53
used X-ray technology at the SALC
4:55
National Accelerator Laboratory to scan
4:58
11 pages of the manuscript.
5:01
>> The key was that Hypocus original ink
5:03
had a different chemical composition
5:05
than the later religious texts. The
5:07
ancient ink was rich in calcium which
5:09
showed up clearly under X-ray scanning.
5:12
They used extremely short X-ray pulses,
5:14
each just 10 milliseconds long, focused
5:17
on areas no wider than a human air.
5:20
>> And what they found is remarkable. These
5:23
aren't just historical curiosities. The
5:25
star positions Hipparus recorded are
5:28
incredibly accurate for naked eye
5:30
observations. As Gizenberg said, the
5:32
coordinates they're finding are
5:34
incredibly accurate for something done
5:36
with the naked eye. This gives us a
5:38
window into how ancient people
5:40
understood and mapped the night sky.
5:42
>> It's also a testament to early
5:44
scientific thinking. Hipparcus was
5:46
working without any optical instruments.
5:49
Yet, he was able to create precise
5:51
astronomical measurements that laid the
5:53
foundation for future astronomers. This
5:55
discovery published in the journal for
5:57
the history of astronomy helps us answer
6:00
fundamental questions about the birth of
6:02
science itself. And the manuscript now
6:05
held at the Museum of the Bible in
6:07
Washington DC is so delicate it had to
6:10
be handcarried in climate controlled
6:12
boxes to the laboratory. It's wonderful
6:14
that modern technology can help us
6:16
recover these ancient insights. Speaking
6:19
of technology and new vantage points,
6:21
let's turn to China's upcoming solar
6:24
mission. China is making major strides
6:26
in solar exploration with plans to
6:28
launch its first ever solar probe to the
6:31
Sun Earth L5 point. The satellite called
6:34
Shihi 2 is scheduled to launch between
6:37
2028 and 2029 and it will provide a
6:40
unique perspective on solar activity
6:42
that we've never had before. For our
6:45
listeners who might not be familiar, the
6:47
L5 point or Lrangee.5 is one of five
6:51
special locations in space where the
6:53
gravitational forces of the Earth and
6:55
Sun balance out. It's about 150 million
6:59
km from Earth and spacecraft positioned
7:01
there require minimal fuel to maintain
7:04
their orbit because they're in a stable
7:06
gravitational equilibrium.
7:08
>> Exactly, Anna. and L5 provides a direct
7:11
unobstructed view of the sun without
7:13
Earth's atmosphere getting in the way.
7:15
This makes it ideal for capturing
7:17
detailed data on solar magnetic fields,
7:20
flares, and eruptions. GI2 will be the
7:23
first artificial probe ever stationed at
7:25
this location. The mission has some
7:28
impressive capabilities. GI2 is equipped
7:31
with cuttingedge technology designed for
7:33
high precision magnetic field detection.
7:36
This will help reveal the intricate
7:38
dynamics of solar eruptions. But here's
7:40
what's really exciting. The mission aims
7:43
to predict solar activity up to 5 days
7:46
in advance. That's a gamecher for space
7:49
weather forecasting. Solar flares and
7:51
coronal mass ejections can have profound
7:53
effects on Earth's magnetic field and
7:56
satellite systems. We've seen how
7:58
geomagnetic storms can disrupt
8:00
communication networks, GPS systems, and
8:02
even power grids. Having 5 days advanced
8:05
warning could help protect critical
8:07
infrastructure.
8:08
>> It's worth noting this builds on China's
8:11
previous solar mission. In 2021, China
8:14
launched Shihei, their first solar
8:16
exploration satellite, which captured
8:19
solar Halpha spectral imaging from low
8:21
Earth orbit. Shihi 2 represents a much
8:25
more ambitious leap heading to a distant
8:27
and challenging location. The mission is
8:30
a collaborative effort between Nanjing
8:32
University, the China Meteorological
8:35
Administration, and the Shanghai Academy
8:37
of Space Flight Technology. It really
8:40
demonstrates China's growing leadership
8:42
in space exploration and their
8:44
commitment to understanding space
8:46
weather. And as we become increasingly
8:49
reliant on space-based technologies,
8:52
understanding and predicting solar
8:54
activity becomes more crucial than ever.
8:57
This mission could significantly improve
8:59
our ability to protect satellites,
9:01
astronauts, and infrastructure on Earth.
9:04
Now, let's turn to a mystery that had
9:06
astronomers scratching their heads.
9:08
>> Here's a stellar detective story for
9:10
you. Astronomers thought they were
9:12
watching a massive star called WG64
9:17
undergo its death throws, possibly even
9:20
transforming into a rare yellow hyper
9:22
giant before going supernova. Turns out
9:25
they were completely wrong.
9:27
>> This is such a great example of how
9:29
science works. Avery WHG64
9:33
is located in the large melanic cloud
9:36
and is one of the most luminous dust and
9:38
shrouded red super giants in its galaxy.
9:41
In recent years, astronomers observed
9:43
unusual dimming and changing spectral
9:46
features that suggested the star was
9:48
entering an extremely rare and unstable
9:51
phase. In 2024, the appearance of a new
9:54
dust cloud around the star seemed to
9:56
confirm that something dramatic was
9:58
happening. Many researchers thought they
10:01
were witnessing a massive star in its
10:03
final moments. But fresh observations
10:05
from a team led by Dr. Jaco Vanlon at
10:08
Kil University revealed a completely
10:11
different story. Between November 2024
10:14
and December 2025, the team used the
10:18
Southern African Large Telescope to
10:21
collect detailed optical spectra of WO
10:24
G64.
10:26
What they found contradicted all the
10:28
previous assumptions. Instead of the
10:31
temperature increase you'd expect in a
10:33
yellow hyper giant, they found strong
10:36
absorption bands from titanium oxide
10:39
molecules. And here's why that matters.
10:42
Titanium oxide molecules can't survive
10:45
in the hotter environment of a yellow
10:47
hyper giant. That meant wo G64 hadn't
10:51
undergone the suspected transformation
10:53
at all. Something else was causing all
10:56
those puzzling observations.
10:58
>> The answer turned out to be a companion
11:00
star. W64
11:03
is actually part of a binary system. A
11:06
smaller, hotter companion star orbits
11:08
the red super giant and periodically
11:10
interacts with its extended atmosphere.
11:13
As Van Lon explained, the atmosphere of
11:15
the red super giant is being stretched
11:17
out by the approach of the companion
11:19
star, but it hasn't been stripped
11:21
altogether. So nearly every major
11:24
indicator that astronomers had
11:25
interpreted as signs of impending
11:27
stellar death, the fading light, the
11:30
spectral shifts, the dust formation, was
11:33
actually caused by this companion star.
11:35
Some of the disrupted material even
11:37
appears to form a disc around the hot
11:39
companion, which contributed to those
11:42
strange spectral emissions.
11:43
>> Banoon described it beautifully. We're
11:46
essentially witnessing a phoenix rising
11:49
from the ashes. It's not that WG64
11:53
won't eventually go supernova. It will.
11:56
But that event isn't imminent, despite
11:58
what all the evidence seemed to suggest.
12:01
This discovery highlights how binary
12:03
interactions can perfectly mimic the
12:06
hallmarks of a dying star. It's a
12:08
humbling reminder that the universe
12:10
still has plenty of surprises for us.
12:12
Careful follow-up observations with
12:14
attention to dust obscuration revealed
12:17
that earlier spectral signals were
12:19
misleading. Now, let's shift from
12:21
stellar mysteries to human achievements.
12:23
As Time magazine celebrates an historic
12:26
moment,
12:27
>> as NASA's Aremis 2 mission sits poised
12:29
on launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space
12:32
Center, Time magazine has honored the
12:35
crew with a special commemorative cover
12:37
issue that draws powerful parallels to
12:40
one of history's most pivotal space
12:42
missions. The cover features the four
12:45
Artemis 2 astronauts, Reed Weisman,
12:47
Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, and
12:50
Christina Ko, who are scheduled to
12:52
launch as early as February 8th for a
12:54
10-day lunar flyby mission. The article
12:57
accompanying it was written by Jeffrey
12:59
Kuger, the best-selling author known for
13:02
Apollo 13 and the Apollo murders. What's
13:05
particularly poignant is the comparison
13:07
Kuger draws to Apollo 8, which orbited
13:10
the moon in December 1968.
13:13
That was a year of tremendous turmoil in
13:15
the United States and around the world.
13:17
And Apollo 8's Christmas Eve broadcast
13:20
from lunar orbit provided a moment of
13:22
unity and inspiration that transcended
13:25
borders and politics.
13:27
>> As Kuger writes in the article, "Not
13:29
every mission touches the collective
13:31
soul, but some do. Apollo 8, Apollo 11,
13:36
Apollo 13. These were less American
13:39
experiences than global dramas, global
13:42
triumphs, global joys. And he suggests
13:45
Artemis 2 could work similar magic
13:47
today.
13:48
>> The mission itself will push human
13:50
spaceflight to new limits. Artemis 2's
13:53
trajectory will take the crew 4,700
13:56
m beyond the far side of the moon,
13:59
farther than our species has ever
14:01
traveled. That will break the old record
14:03
of 158 miles past the moon, which was
14:06
held by the Apollo 13 astronauts during
14:09
that dramatic 1970 mission.
14:12
>> NASA administrator Jared Isikman posted
14:14
sidebyside Time magazine covers from
14:17
1968 and 2026 on social media, noting
14:20
that 58 years after Apollo 8's historic
14:23
trip, NASA is heading back. He
14:26
emphasized that through the Aremis
14:28
campaign, the agency aims to maintain
14:30
American leadership in space, land
14:32
astronauts on the moon, and establish a
14:35
lunar base all before the end of 2028.
14:38
>> What strikes me about both Apollo 8 and
14:41
Aremis 2 is their role in opening new
14:44
chapters. Apollo 8 proved humans could
14:46
safely journey to the moon and return,
14:49
paving the way for Apollo 11's landing.
14:52
Artemis 2 is similarly demonstrating the
14:55
capabilities that will enable Artemis 3
14:57
to put humans back on the lunar surface.
15:00
>> And as Kuger points out, the mission
15:02
represents not just a technological
15:04
achievement, but a significant edge in
15:07
any space race with China, while also
15:09
offering the kind of public uplift that
15:11
spaceflight has uniquely been able to
15:13
provide since the 1960s. It's a moment
15:16
when four people serve as emissaries for
15:19
the 8.3 billion of us who remain
15:21
earthbound. With the wet dress rehearsal
15:24
happening right now and launch
15:26
potentially just days away, this Time
15:28
magazine issue captures what could be
15:30
one of 2026's most inspiring moments.
15:34
And speaking of inspiration, we need to
15:36
remember someone who made a profound but
15:38
often overlooked contribution to how we
15:41
navigate our world. We're closing
15:44
today's show with a remembrance of Dr.
15:46
Glattis West who passed away Saturday at
15:48
the age of 95. West was one of the
15:51
hidden figures whose work fundamentally
15:53
shaped modern GPS technology. Yet her
15:56
contributions went largely unrecognized
15:58
until recently.
16:00
>> Glattis West's story is one of
16:02
extraordinary perseverance and
16:04
achievement in the face of significant
16:06
obstacles. She was born on October 27th,
16:09
1930 in rural Southerntherland,
16:11
Virginia, south of Richmond. Her parents
16:14
had a small farm and most of the
16:16
region's population were tenant farmers
16:18
known as sharecroppers. She initially
16:21
expected her future would lead to farm
16:23
work or a job at the tobacco processing
16:25
plant where her mother worked, but she
16:27
excelled academically, becoming
16:29
validictorian of her high school
16:30
graduating class. She earned a full
16:32
scholarship to Virginia State College,
16:34
which was a historically black
16:36
institution, and went on to earn both
16:38
her bachelor's and master's degrees in
16:40
mathematics. This was during the Jim
16:43
Crow era of racial segregation. Avery,
16:45
after graduating in 1955, the same year
16:49
President Eisenhower banned racial
16:51
discrimination in federal hiring, West
16:53
began working at what was then called
16:55
the Naval Proving Ground in Dogrren,
16:57
Virginia. She told NPR that there were
16:59
three other black professionals there
17:01
and they tried to treat the leaders with
17:03
respect while hoping for the same
17:05
treatment in return.
17:07
>> West stayed at Dogrren for 42 years and
17:10
her contributions were remarkable. In
17:13
the 1960s, she participated in a study
17:16
showing that Pluto's motion is regular
17:18
compared with Neptune. But her most
17:21
significant work came in the 1970s and
17:23
80s when she helped develop the
17:25
foundational mathematics for GPS.
17:29
>> What's fascinating is the complexity of
17:31
what she accomplished. West used
17:33
intricate algorithms to account for
17:35
variations in gravitational title and
17:38
other forces that distort Earth's shape.
17:40
She programmed the IBM 7030 computer,
17:43
also known as stretch, to deliver
17:45
increasingly refined calculations for an
17:48
extremely accurate model of Earth's
17:50
shape, specifically optimized for what
17:52
ultimately became the GPS orbit used by
17:54
satellite.
17:56
>> Her work essentially created the
17:58
mathematical framework that allows GPS
18:00
to function accurately. Today, there are
18:03
about 4 billion GPS users worldwide,
18:06
according to Loheed Martin. Yet, when
18:09
asked about using GPS herself, West told
18:12
an NPR affiliate in 2020 that she used
18:15
it on a minimal basis. She preferred
18:17
maps. West's career wasn't widely
18:20
recognized until the 2016 publication of
18:22
Margot Lee Shudderly's book, Hidden
18:24
Figures, and the Hollywood film based on
18:27
it. After that, the accolades came
18:29
quickly. She was inducted into the Air
18:31
Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of
18:33
Fame in 2018, received the Webbby
18:36
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, and
18:38
was honored with the Prince Philip Medal
18:40
by the UK's Royal Academy of
18:42
Engineering.
18:43
>> She was predecessed last year by her
18:45
husband of 57 years, Ira, whom she met
18:48
at the Naval Proving Ground. The couple
18:51
had three children and seven
18:52
grandchildren. Her family announced that
18:55
she passed peacefully alongside loved
18:57
ones. Blattis West's story reminds us
19:00
that some of the most important
19:01
scientific contributions come from
19:03
unexpected places and from people who
19:06
had to overcome tremendous barriers.
19:08
From a childhood in rural Virginia
19:10
during segregation to reshaping how the
19:13
entire world navigates. Her legacy
19:16
touches billions of lives every single
19:18
day. Every time someone uses GPS to find
19:21
directions, track a delivery, or
19:24
navigate by sea or air, they're
19:26
benefiting from the mathematical
19:28
foundations Glattis West helped
19:30
establish. It's a powerful reminder that
19:32
science is built by people from all
19:34
backgrounds, and that we should
19:36
celebrate those contributions while the
19:38
pioneers are still with us.
19:40
>> And that wraps up today's episode of
19:42
Astronomy Daily. We've journeyed from
19:44
SpaceX's ambitious satellite plans to
19:47
ancient star maps, from solar
19:49
observatories at special points in space
19:52
to stellar mysteries solved. From
19:54
upcoming lunar missions to the legacy of
19:56
a GPS pioneer,
19:58
>> it's been quite a tour through the
19:59
cosmos. Anna, as always, we're grateful
20:02
you joined us for this exploration of
20:04
space and astronomy news. If you enjoyed
20:06
today's episode, please subscribe to
20:08
Astronomy Daily on your favorite podcast
20:11
platform. You can also find us on social
20:13
media. We're @ astrodaily pod on
20:16
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok,
20:18
YouTube, and Tumblr. Visit our website
20:21
at astronomyaily.io
20:23
for more space news and to explore our
20:25
archive of past episodes.
20:27
>> I'm Avery.
20:28
>> And I'm Anna. Thank you for listening
20:30
and we'll see you tomorrow with more
20:32
news from the final frontier.
20:34
>> Clear skies. [music]
20:38
The stories we told
20:47
stories told [music]
20:54
stories