Interstellar comet loses its surface & Japan launches Mars moon mission - Space News (Oct 21, 2026)

Support The Automated Daily directly: 15 free episodes a day, 5 editions, 3 languages, about $4 a day to produce. A coffee keeps it going: theautomateddaily.com/support Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad - Discover the Future of AI Audio with ElevenLabs - https://try.elevenlabs.io/tad Today's topics: Interstellar comet loses its surface - Solar heating may have stripped several meters from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, potentially exposing material less altered by its long journey through space. Keywords: 3I/ATLAS, interstellar comet, solar heating, comet chemistry. [151] Japan launches Mars moon mission - Japan’s MMX spacecraft successfully began its journey to Mars, where it will study Phobos and Deimos and attempt the first sample return from a Martian moon. Keywords: JAXA, MMX, Phobos, Mars sample return. [122][124] Russian satellite shadows commercial spacecraft - Russia’s Kosmos 2612 satellite made an unusually close, apparently unapproved approach to the commercial radar satellite ICEYE-X36. Keywords: Kosmos 2612, ICEYE-X36, satellite security, orbital rendezvous. [211][212] Pulsar timing reveals stellar trio - An apparently fast-slowing pulsar turned out to be part of a rare system containing a neutron star, a white dwarf and a Sun-like star. Keywords: pulsar, neutron star, white dwarf, triple-star system. [136] Big Bang helium measured precisely - Astronomers measured primordial helium with record precision, providing a stronger test of models describing the first five minutes after the Big Bang. Keywords: primordial helium, Big Bang, cosmology, early universe. [61] Exploded stars enriched galactic center - Webb observations indicate that gas around Sagittarius A-star contains elements probably deposited by past supernova explosions. Keywords: Sagittarius A-star, Milky Way, supernovae, metal-rich gas. [166][171] Episode Transcript Interstellar comet loses its surface We begin with interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, an object that formed beyond our Solar System and traveled through interstellar space before passing the Sun. Researchers have estimated how much material solar heating removed during that encounter. Gas-loss measurements suggest the equivalent of several meters of surface may have disappeared. If the comet also shed large quantities of dust, the total erosion could have been considerably deeper. That does not mean every part of the surface was worn down evenly, and the calculations do not yet prove that untouched material was exposed. Still, the possibility matters. Cosmic radiation can alter the exterior of an object during a journey lasting millions or even billions of years. Removing that weathered layer could reveal material that preserves a clearer chemical record of the planetary system where the comet formed. In other words, the Sun may have helped peel back part of this interstellar messenger’s travel-worn skin. [151] Japan launches Mars moon mission Turning to planetary exploration, Japan’s Martian Moons eXploratio