Hidden cluster rivals universe’s age & Swift telescope faces fiery return - Space News (Nov 3, 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: - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad - 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 Today's topics: Hidden cluster rivals universe’s age - Astronomers estimate that the dust-hidden globular cluster VVV CL001 is about 13.4 billion years old, making it a strong candidate for the Milky Way’s oldest known star cluster. The finding offers a rare window into the galaxy’s earliest formation period. [330][331] Swift telescope faces fiery return - NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is expected to make an uncontrolled atmospheric reentry on November 4 after nearly 22 years of gamma-ray astronomy. Most of the telescope should burn up, although the precise reentry location remains uncertain. [91] ESCAPADE twins prepare Earth slingshots - NASA’s twin ESCAPADE probes are preparing for unprecedented powered Earth flybys that will redirect them toward Mars. The maneuver combines Earth’s gravity with engine burns and could demonstrate a more flexible route for future planetary missions. [315] MAVEN failure cause comes clearer - NASA investigators say a computer reboot and faulty gyroscope data most likely sent the MAVEN Mars orbiter into an unrecoverable spin. The conclusion provides engineering lessons for spacecraft that use similar navigation and fault-recovery systems. [270][274] Two launches expand orbital fleets - Rocket Lab placed a Japanese radar-imaging satellite into orbit, while China’s Kinetica 2 deployed 18 satellites for the Spacesail communications network. The successful missions highlight the continuing expansion of commercial launch activity and low-Earth-orbit constellations. [31][346] China publishes crewed Moon roadmap - China has publicly outlined a sequence of tests leading toward a crewed lunar landing before 2030. The architecture uses separate launches for the crew spacecraft and lunar lander, followed by a rendezvous in lunar orbit. [300][302] Europe seeks broader space partnerships - The European Space Agency is pursuing closer cooperation with the United Arab Emirates as Europe seeks greater independence from American space systems. Potential projects include lunar exploration and human-spaceflight cooperation. [225] Episode Transcript Hidden cluster rivals universe’s age Astronomers have produced a striking new age estimate for VVV CL001, a globular cluster concealed behind thick dust near the center of the Milky Way. Their analysis places it at roughly 13.4 billion years old, with enough uncertainty that it should be described as a candidate rather than a confirmed record holder. Even so, that would make it one of the oldest clusters known in our galaxy and almost as old as the universe itself. The cluster’s stars contain very few heavy elements, which supports the idea that they