Made of Stars

On our 300th epiosde, a startup company is preparing to launch the first ever fully autonomous space mission to mine an asteroid. Forecasting weather on alien worlds outside out solar system is now a thing. An asteroid has now officially been named after Weird Al. Astronomers may have discovered the first moon outside our solar system. 

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The autumnal equinox means the beginning of aurora season. Research shows that the Sun may have swallowed a planet. SpaceX launch moved to next week. Plus new data from JWST and Hubble has driven reseach and shows how massive star clusters drive galaxy evolution. 

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A US Cold War era satellite broke apart in orbit and no one knows why. A French court has ruled that aviation radiation is real and that it qualifies as an occupational hazard for flight crews. SpaceX has a significant launch scheduled for next week. Vampire dwarf stars probably won't be a hot Halloween costume this year, but perhaps they should be. 

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China plans to beat the US to Mars with a mission that will return samples. The Roman Space Telescope had a better than perfect launch that will extend its life. Hubble is observing a decagon on Saturn. Virgin Galactic's new spaceplane will soon have a name. 

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Louisiana will be the home of SpaceX's new starbase and the revenue and tourism will have a massive impact. Have astronomers discovered the first starless galaxy? The Roman Space Telescope has successfully launched. Plus August saw two total eclipses just weeks apart. 

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Kim Steadman joins us to talk about her time with NASA's JPL, SHERLOC and the Dragonfly Mission. She will be joining Trina Ray at Dragon Con as part of the Space Track. 

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Trina Ray joins us to talk about her career at NASA's JPL and her work on Voyager, Cassini and Europa Clipper

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ISS astronauts are studying ways to help care for astronauts with experiments in radiation, bone density and IV fluid production. Astronaut Mike Fincke has restired from NASA. NASA is working to keep the Swift Observatory in orbit. Plus astronomers have discovered something new and amazing in a black hole star. 

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SpaceX hit the Moon and it was observed for science. NASA is several steps closer to its next Artemis mission. PUNCH has given us a new way to track CMEs heading for Earth. The Inouye Solar Telescope has given us an unprecedented look at the Sun. Plus, next week a total solar eclipse for part os Europe. 

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SpaceX finally launched Flight 13 successfully and Starship's landing was so soft that it's still afloat in  the Indian Ocean. What are the mysterious Little Red Dots? A terrestrial exoplanet only 49 light years away has an atmosphere! The Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is prepping for a late August launch ahead of schedule!

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SpaceX had an issue with 4 egines not firing last week so they rescheduled to launch later today. A young blue giant and a white dwarf star are compainions in spite of what appears to be different ages. Saturn could be forming a thousand tons of diamonds per year because of lightning storms.  Researchers know more about the rock that killed off the dinosaurs. 

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SpaceX says no to superstition with it's flight 13 test mission later today. China is on the board now with its own catch and re-use rocket system. Neptune-sized planets onced believed to be roaming are now believed to still have orbotal connections to their stars. And Euclid has identified t he oldest known quasars! 

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New Horizons was just awakened a long way from home. SpaceX celebrates the 36th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket. Earth reached its farthest point from the Sun on July 6. China has given us a close-up look at our mini-moon. And the South Pole Telescope has identified 7,000 galaxy clusters. 

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As America celebrates 250 years, we look at some of the incredible accomplishments of America in space exploration. SpaceX has now launched more satellites into space than everyone else combined. The Sun is putting on a fireworks show. Plus the Swift telescope needs a rescue. 

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SpaceX has successfully launched Starfall. Perseverance has given us more evidence that could prove life existed on Mars. A massive sunspot can be observed from Earth, with care. A meteorite that came to Earth in 1969 has been dated to be older than our solar system and therefore from another one. A Chinese company has produced a paint that absorbs over 99.9% of light. 

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SpaceX record-breaking IPO turns many of its employees into millionaires. SpaceX prepares to send a rocket to the Moon and NASA wants input from anyone who observes the impact. Hale-Bopp Comet's Alan Hale has passed away. And the longest day of the year will be Father's Day. 

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NASA has announced the Artemis III astronauts and one has Columbus ties. The ISS is leaking air.. again. Scientists have gotten better at locating gravitational waves which means they are finding more of them. A meteorite discovered in the Sahara Desert may have been part of an ancient Mars-sized planet from our own solar system. 

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Blue Origin has a relly bad day. A cannibal CME could bring aurora to middle latitude regions. Cape Cod experienced a big boom. And NASA says goodbye to MAVEN. 

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Get ready for a great view of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury in the evening sky. NASA has announced plans for the upcoming moon base missions. SpaceX has successfully tested their Starship V3 but the ship's end caught the attention of the FAA. A newly discovered FRB is giving new information about the mysterious phenomena. 

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An accident has taken the life of a contract employee causing a delay in the next launch of the Starship V3 out of respect and for an investigation into the cause. An asteroid passed by Earth this week that was close, but not too close. Scientists have learned an important lesson aboout attempts at mining asteroids. Plus the ESA's Gaia telecope shows evidence of a huge wave rippling through the Milky Way. 

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Blue Origin's lunar lander is ready for astronaut training. Spacex's new megarocket is set to launch next week. Get ready for more Methalox comets. And we now know more about the origin of 3I/ATLAS. 

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SpaceX is sending up 34th resupply mission to the ISS with lots of experiments. Virgin Galactic shows off its Delta Class spaceplane. Sea-based rocket launches could be coming sooner than you might think. JWST has observed the surface of an exoplanet!

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NASA's administrator says he thinks Pluto should be a planet again. Artemis III's core stage has arrived at KSC. Canada is preparing to look for Earth-sized exoplanets. The Sun is producing floating mountains AND arctic tongues of ionization. 

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Artemis III is now a step closer to launch which means Artemis IV is now a step closer to landing astronauts on the Moon. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is complete. Japan's MMX is on the launchpad and preparing for a late 2026 launch to Phobos. A double solar flare was detected on the Sun this morning. 

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Artemis II featured a Michael Bay level product placement. Artemis astronauts saw colors on the Moon better than camera equipment. 45 years ago, NASA launched and landed the first space shuttle.  Fireball season hasn't disappointed. 

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Artemis 2 is heading home and there's been some great examples of why we send humans to space and not robots. The Artemis 2 crew is expected to splash down Friday April 10 at 8:07PM Eastern. We lost a comet to the Sun but another comet is scratching our comet itch. 

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Recorded Live March 28,2026
This live edition of Made of Stars covers Artemis II's launch plans, nuclear Mars helicopters, Jared Isaacman's plans for the Moon, a 7 hour gamma ray burst, AI's use to "find" alien worlds and questions from the audience. 

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Artemis II is getting close to its next launch window and astronauts could be leaving Earth's oribit next week. Fireball season is upon us. Two baby planets have been spotted forming around a young star. NASA is set to deploy a tool for finding water. Plus a preview of Made of Stars Live 2!

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NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Chris Williams completed a spacewalk outside the ISS. Artemis II will soon roll back out to the launch pad for a possible early April launch. An asteroid was spotted over Ohio this week.Plus an update on Comet MAPS!

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Can we see that comet in the sky?? No signs of technology on K2-8b... and that might be a good thing. Rare evidence of two worlds colliding. And it's finally time to talk about Made of Stars Live 2.0!

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Artemis 2-5 has a new gameplan. Scientists may have a new way to provide oxygen to lunar and Mars missions. Martian soil may have a self defense against microbes from Earth. 

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The latest wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II showed a launch wouldn't be possible in March. We now know which Crew-11 astronaut had a medical issue. There's a few reasons to look at the night sky over the next week. JWST has given us another amazing image. 

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Artemis II does its latest tests to prepare for a possible early March launch. Firefly prepares to launch its 7th Alpha flight. Massive glaciers could be hiding on Mars. Astronomers detect a 7 hour signal from space. 

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Crew-12 is prepping for a Friday launch. NASA selects AXIOM for a fifth private mission to the ISS. China is a step closer to a lunar mission. Could the supermassive black hole in the middle of the Milky Way really be dark matter?

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NASA's wet dress rehearsal for Artemis II gave reasons to delay the Feburary launch. There's another risk of an X-flare today. We may see a new comet this Spring. And scientists have found more evidence that we are made of stars. 

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The Challenger tragedy's 40th anniversary is a time to remember and a time to reflect on the fact that in spite of how it sometimes looks easy, rocket science is hard. Artemis II is getting closer to a possible launch in about 2 weeks. Astronomers are leaning more about exoplanets thanks to the world's largest radio telescope project. 

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Artemis II has made the journey from the VAB and is now in place for launch. Crew-11 astronauts say that their training prepared them for the medicl emergency that ended their mission early. Earth was hit by the strongest solar storm in 2 decades and at least one pilot got incredible photos of the aurora. And astronomers may have located an interstellar tunnel that links us to other stars. 

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Three astronauts remain in the ISS after a medical emergency ended the mission for Crew-11 early. SpaceX has broken its own record for launch turnaround. What are the little red dots? A trimple superior conjunction of planets is happening... and you can see it, just not without the internet.  

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A Crew-11 astronaut's health has caused a delay in a planned spacewalk. NASA acknowledged the work done on the ISS in 2025. Doug Hurley is honored for his achievements by his hometown. NASA will announce the company soon that will produce its next lunar vehicle.  A blackhole is producing insane amounts of energy as it devours a massive star.  

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Let's look back at some of the biggest space news stories if 2025!

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