SpaceX's Starship Reusability, Ancient Galaxies' Secrets, and the Cosmic Dawn Unveiled

Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for

the latest developments in space exploration

and astronomical discoveries. I'm, your host,

Anna, and we have a packed show for you today

with some truly fascinating stories from

across the cosmos. We'll be diving into

SpaceX's upcoming ninth Starship test flight,

which represents a major milestone for the

programme as they attempt the first reuse of

a super heavy booster. Then we'll

explore a surprising discovery about galaxy

evolution. Astronomers have found a

massive galaxy that mysteriously stopped

forming stars when the universe was just a

cosmic toddler, challenging everything we

thought we knew about how galaxies develop.

We'll also examine a potential threat that

may be hiding in plain sight. Then,

from the International Space Station, we'll

look at the scientific treasures that just

returned aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule.

And finally, we'll shed light on what

literally turned on the lights in our early

universe. And ah, as new data reveals, the

surprising cosmic powerhouses responsible

for illuminating the darkness after the Big

Bang.

So let's get started with today's news.

SpaceX is gearing up for what could be a

pivotal moment in the Starship development

programme with its ninth test flight

scheduled for Tuesday, May 27.

Liftoff is targeted for 6:30pm Central

Time from SpaceX's Starbase facility in

Texas, with the launch window extending to

8pm this mission carries extra

significance as it marks the first time

SpaceX will reuse a Super Heavy booster.

Booster 14, which previously flew during

Flight 7 and was successfully caught by the

launch tower, will make its second journey to

space a crucial step toward SpaceX's

ultimate goal of full reusability.

The previous two Starship test flights ended

in disappointment, with both ships failing

just before reaching second stage engine

cutoff. Flight 7's ship 33

experienced fires in the attic above the

engine bay due to a harmonic response issue

during ascent, while Flight 8's Ship 34

suffered a hardware failure in one of its sea

level Raptor engines, leading to a fire in

the engine bay M. Despite these setbacks,

both missions saw successful booster

recoveries, providing valuable data and

hardware experience for the programme.

SpaceX has confirmed that the harmonic

resonance problem from Flight 7 has been

fixed and they've implemented additional

improvements for Flight 9. Ship 35

will be attempting to fly past the point

where its predecessors failed, aiming to

complete its full mission profile. If

successful, it would represent a major

breakthrough for the Starship programme. The

mission objectives remain similar to previous

flights, with the ship expected to perform a

splashdown in the Indian Ocean after

completing several experiments. These

experiments include deploying eight Starlink

satellite simulators, relighting a Raptor

engine in flight and testing various areas of

the heat shield. The heat shield will feature

metallic tiles, an actively cooled tile,

missing tiles to test durability during

reentry, and tapered edge tiles between the

aft flaps and catch points. While the

ship's trajectory remains largely unchanged

from previous flights, Booster 14 will follow

a different path this time. unlike Flight

7, SpaceX will not attempt to catch

the booster, instead directing it to perform

an experimental RE entry before splashing

down in the Gulf of Mexico. The stakes

couldn't be higher for SpaceX as they work to

demonstrate that starship can reliably reach

orbit, a capability essential for

NASA's Artemis programme and SpaceX's own

ambitious plans for Mars. After nearly

six months since the last test flight, all

eyes will be on whether the third time's the

charm for getting a ship past the critical

engine cutoff milestone.

Next Today, a deep space mystery.

In an unexpected discovery that's reshaping

our understanding of cosmic evolution,

astronomers have identified a massive galaxy

that stopped forming stars when the universe

was merely 700 million years old, long before

Earth even existed. This ancient galaxy, with

the technical designation Ruby's UDS

QGZ7, now holds the record as the

most distant dead or quiescent galaxy ever

confirmed. What makes this finding so

remarkable is that galaxies typically need

billions of years to grow large and then shut

down their star formation. Yet here was

this massive celestial structure that had

already completed its life cycle in the

universe's infancy. The powerful James

Webb Space Telescope made this discovery

possible, allowing astronomers to peer deeper

into cosmic history than ever before. The

galaxy managed to form an astonishing amount

of stars in its brief active period, with

stellar mass equivalent to more than 10

billion suns. Then, for reasons

astronomers are still trying to understand,

it simply stopped. All star formations ceased

completely, leaving behind what scientists

call a, quenched galaxy. Data from

Webb's Near Infrared Spectrograph confirmed

this quiet state during observations

conducted as part of the RUBIES survey that

stands for Red Unknowns Bright Infrared

Extragalactic Survey. The spectrum revealed

no signs of ongoing star formation, instead

showing strong balmar and calcium absorption

features characteristic of older stellar

populations. When astronomers determined its

redshift of 7.29, they realised they

were looking at a galaxy, as it appeared just

a few hundred million years after the Big

Bang. Further analysis suggests it had

already stopped forming stars around 50 to

100 million years before the light we're now

detecting left the galaxy. This means it

likely completed its entire star forming

phase even before redshift 8, pushing our

timeline of galaxy evolution into uncharted

territory. The discovery challenges

fundamental assumptions about how quickly

galaxies can form and evolve in the early

universe. Current theoretical models simply

don't account for galaxies growing so large

and then shutting down so rapidly in the

cosmic dawn era. This finding

suggests we may need to substantially revise

our understanding of the processes driving

galaxy formation and evolution in the

universe's earliest epochs. What

makes this discovery particularly remarkable

is the galaxy's extremely compact nature.

Despite its massive stellar content, Ruby's

UDS QG Z7 measures just 650

light years across. To put that in

perspective, our, Milky Way galaxy spans

approximately 100,000 light years.

This incredible density makes it one of the

most tightly packed galaxies ever observed.

Scientists believe this ancient compact

galaxy likely represents the core of what

would eventually become the giant elliptical

galaxies we see in today's universe. These

modern ellipticals are among the largest and

oldest galaxies we observe. Often found at

the centres of galaxy clusters, the structure

of Ruby's Udes QGZ7 closely resembles

what we see in the central regions of these

massive ellipticals in our cosmic

neighbourhood. As Anna DeGraaf, lead

investigator of the Rubies programme at the

Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, explains,

the discovery provides the first strong

evidence that the centres of some nearby

massive ellipticals may have already been in

place since the first few hundred million

years of the universe. The James

Webb Space Telescope has been absolutely

crucial in confirming this discovery.

Previous telescopes like Hubble and ground

based instruments simply couldn't see deep

enough into the infrared spectrum to detect

features like the Balmer break at such high

redshifts. While the Spitzer Space

Telescope offered some infrared capability,

it lacked the resolution and sensitivity

needed for definitive observations.

Webb's revolutionary infrared capabilities

have completely transformed our ability to

study the early universe.

Next up, a subject we keep returning to and

with good reason. While NASA has been

diligently tracking near Earth asteroids that

could threaten our planet for the past two

decades, recent research suggests we may have

a significant blind spot in our Planetary

Defence Strategy. Twenty years ago,

Congress tasked NASA with finding 90% of near

Earth asteroids that could pose a threat to

Earth. And they've made considerable

progress. However, astronomers are now

discovering a new category of potentially

hazardous objects that have largely escaped

our attention. Asteroids CO orbiting with

Venus. These Venus co orbital

asteroids follow the same path around the sun

as our neighbouring planet, but with a

concerning twist. They can cross Earth's

orbit. Currently, scientists have identified

20 of these CO orbital asteroids. But new

research indicates this may be just the tip

of the cosmic iceberg. What makes these

objects particularly concerning is their

elusiveness. Many of these asteroids remain

hidden in the sun's glare from our Earth

based perspective, making them exceptionally

difficult to detect with conventional survey

methods. When the Venus co orbitals are

positioned between Earth and the sun, they

become virtually invisible to our telescopes,

creating dangerous blind spots in our

monitoring systems. Perhaps even more

troubling is the unpredictable nature of

their orbits. According to the research,

these asteroids exhibit what scientists call

highly chaotic orbital patterns with

Lyapunov times of just 150 years.

In astronomical terms, the Lyapunov time

indicates how long it takes for an object's

orbit to become unpredictable due to chaotic

dynamics. This means that tracking these

objects trajectories beyond a century and a

half becomes extraordinarily challenging.

Lead researcher Valerio Carruba from Sao

Paulo University explains that co orbital

status protects these asteroids from close

approaches to Venus, but it does not protect

them from encountering Earth. This creates a

peculiar situation where objects that share

Venus's orbit can potentially pose a greater

threat to our planet than to Venus itself.

The research team defines these objects as

potentially hazardous if they have a minimum

diameter of about 140 metres and

come within 0.05 astronomical

units of Earth's orbit. For context,

an asteroid of this size striking Earth could

release energy equivalent to hundreds of

megatons of tnt, Thousands of times more more

powerful than the atomic bombs used in World

War II. Such an impact could devastate an

entire metropolitan area. As we expand

our understanding of these celestial

dynamics, it's becoming clear that our

planetary defence strategy may need

significant recalibration to address this

previously underestimated threat lurking

in the orbit of our nearest planetary

neighbour.

In the early hours of May 25,

SpaceX's Dragon capsule splashed down off

the California coast, Successfully completing

the company's 32nd commercial resupply

mission to the International Space Station.

The unpiloted spacecraft returned with an

impressive haul. Approximately

6,700 pounds of scientific

equipment, supplies and experiments

that had been conducted in the unique

microgravity environment of the orbiting

laboratory. This scientific treasure trove

represents some of the most cutting edge

research being conducted in space today. The

Dragon undocked from the station's Harmony

Module two days earlier before making its

journey home, carrying cargo that could

revolutionise everything from spacecraft

design to satellite maintenance.

Among the most fascinating returns was the

Missy20 experiment. Short for Multipurpose

International Space Station Experiment. This

project tested various materials by exposing

them directly to the harsh conditions of

space. The samples included radiation

shielding, solar Sail coatings, ceramic

composites for re entry vehicles and

specialised resins that might one day form

the basis of improved heat shields

mounted on the exterior of the station. These

materials endured extreme conditions that

can't be replicated on Earth. Ultraviolet

radiation, atomic oxygen charged

particles and dramatic temperature swings

that would destroy most conventional

materials. By analysing how these

samples performed, scientists can better

design spacecraft and satellites to withstand

the unforgiving environment beyond our

atmosphere. Perhaps the most visually

striking experiment returning to Earth was

Astrobreacch,

which stands for Responsive Engaging Arms for

Captive care and handling. This innovative

technology demonstrated something that sounds

straight out of science fiction. Robotic

tentacle like arms capable of grasping and

relocating objects in space. The

system used specialised adhesive pads to

capture items of different shapes and surface

materials. This capability represents a

major step forward in addressing one of the

growing challenges in Earth orbit. Safely

capturing and relocating debris and defunct

satellites. Such technology could eventually

help extend satellite lifespans through in

orbit servicing and potentially reduce the

hazardous debris field that increasingly

threatens spacecraft operations.

The Dragon's cargo also included some more

whimsical but no less important items.

Books from the Storytime From Space project

are returning after orbiting the Earth. This

educational initiative featured astronauts

reading science and mathematics related

children's books while floating in zero

gravity. The crew also recorded

themselves performing science demonstrations

that corresponded with the book's themes. All

these videos have been made available in an

online library with accompanying educational

materials inspiring the next generation of

space explorers. Additionally,

hardware and data from a one year technology

demonstration called Optica onboard

programmable technology for image compression

and analysis made the journey home. This

advanced imaging system was designed to

revolutionise how we transmit ultra high

resolution hyperspectral imagery from space

to Earth in real time, potentially

transforming everything from disaster

response to environmental monitoring.

Together, these returning experiments

showcase how the International Space Station

continues to serve as humanity's premier

orbital laboratory. Developing technologies

that not only advance space exploration, but

also deliver tangible benefits to life on

Earth. To wrap

up today, let's look at a solution to a great

scientific mystery that's finally been

sorted.

We finally have an answer to one of

cosmology's biggest mysteries. What

switched on the lights in our early universe?

For decades, astronomers have been puzzled by

how our universe transitioned from a dark

opaque fog to the transparent cosmos we

observe today. The answer, it turns out, is

surprisingly small. According to

groundbreaking new data from the Hubble and

James Webb space telescopes, it was tiny

dwarf galaxies that cleared the primordial

fog of neutral hydrogen filling intergalactic

space after the Big Bang. In the

beginning the universe was filled with a hot,

dense plasma that scattered light,

effectively making everything dark. As it

cooled, protons and electrons combined to

form neutral hydrogen gas. While this

gas allowed some wavelengths of light to pass

through, there weren't many light sources

around to illuminate the cosmos. That

changed with the birth of the first stars.

Their radiation was strong enough to strip

electrons from hydrogen atoms, reionizing the

gas and making the universe transparent to

light. By about 1 billion years after the

Big Bang, the period known as cosmic dawn,

the universe was fully reionized.

Scientists had long assumed that the primary

drivers of this reionization must have been

powerful sources, supermassive black holes,

or massive star forming galaxies. But the

Webb Telescope's unprecedented sensitivity

has revealed a different story. By examining

a galaxy cluster called

Abel2744, which

acts as a cosmic magnifying glass, through

gravitational lensing, researchers were able

to detect extremely faint dwarf galaxies near

the cosmic dawn. Their analysis revealed

something astonishing. These dwarf galaxies

outnumber larger galaxies by a ratio of 100

to 1. Even more surprisingly, these

tiny galaxies collectively emit four times

more ionising radiation than previously

assumed from larger galaxies. Despite their

diminutive size, they were extraordinarily

efficient at producing the high energy

photons needed to clear the cosmic fog.

As astrophysicist Hakim Atek described them,

these galaxies were truly cosmic

powerhouses whose abundance and collective

energy output was substantial enough to

transform the entire state of the universe.

It's a case where quantity truly overcame

quality. Their sheer numbers compensated for

their individual small size. This discovery

fundamentally changes our understanding of

how the universe evolved from darkness to

light, highlighting how even the smallest

cosmic structures can drive the most profound

transformations in our universe's history.

If confirmed across multiple observations,

this discovery represents one of the most

significant breakthroughs in our

understanding of cosmic evolution. It

suggests that the universe's most

transformative processes weren't necessarily

driven by the largest, most spectacular

objects, but by the collective influence

of countless smaller ones. A profound

lesson about how even the smallest entities

can collectively drive the most fundamental

changes in our universe.

And that's it for today's episode. Thanks for

joining me on Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna

reminding you to visit us at astronomydaily

IO, where you can find all of today's news

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platforms. I'll see you tomorrow for more

fascinating developments from the final

frontier. Until then, do as I do.

Keep looking up.

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