Cleared for Launch: Crew-12, Mars Organics, and an Interstellar Farewell

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Recorded07 Feb 2026

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## In Today's Episode: - **FAA clears Falcon 9 — Crew-12 launch set for February 11** — The four-day grounding ends after SpaceX identifies and addresses the upper stage engine ignition failure. Fourth upper stage issue in 19 months. - **NASA study: Non-biological sources can't fully explain Mars organics** — Researchers find that known non-biological processes don't account for the abundance of organic compounds discovered by Curiosity in Gale Crater. The team modelled 80 million years of cosmic radiation exposure. - **Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flares while exiting the solar system** — NASA's SPHEREx captures the comet dramatically brightening, releasing water vapour, CO₂, methane, methanol, and organic compounds from beneath its cosmic-ray-hardened crust. - **UK proposes 30% cut to astronomy and physics research** — The deepest funding cut in a generation threatens early-career researchers and the UK's role in major international projects including the Square Kilometre Array and ESO. - **New Glenn second stage reuse debate reignites** — Blue Origin's Project Jarvis faces the question: can a reusable upper stage beat expendable manufacturing costs? Bezos calls it a "horse race." - **Fraggles land at Kennedy Space Center** — Jim Henson's beloved characters star in "Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure," a new live show blending comedy, music, and NASA science. --- ## Links & Sources: - space.com — FAA clears Falcon 9, Crew-12 launch confirmed - science.nasa.gov — NASA study on Mars organics - space.com — SPHEREx observations of comet 3I/ATLAS - space.com — UK astronomy funding cuts - arstechnica.com — New Glenn second stage reuse debate - arstechnica.com / kennedyspacecenter.com — Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure --- ## Connect With Us: 🌐 Website: https://astronomydaily.io 📱 Social: @AstroDailyPod (all platforms) ⭐ Subscribe and leave a review to help other space fans find us! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/31553376?utm_source=youtube

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