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Artemis II Astronauts Approaching Moon & Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 At Perihelion - Space News (Apr 4, 2026)
Published 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Episode Transcript
Artemis II Astronauts Approaching Moon
Let's start with our top story. The Artemis II crew has officially reached a historic milestone. At around midnight on April 4th, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen crossed an invisible boundary in space. They're now closer to the Moon than they are to Earth. That might sound like just a number, but it represents something profound: for the first time in over 50 years, humans have ventured this far from home. The crew is heading toward their lunar flyby, scheduled for Monday, April 6th, where they'll loop around the far side of the Moon and take observations that have never been captured directly by humans before. By the way, during their journey, the team did report a burning smell coming from the Orion spacecraft's toilet system on April 4th. NASA investigated and resolved the issue, so no need for concern there.
Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 At Perihelion
Switching to the cosmos now. Today, April 4th, marks a dramatic moment for Comet C/2026 A1, nicknamed MAPS. This comet just made its closest approach to the Sun, passing a mere 101,100 miles from the solar surface. To put that in perspective, the Sun's outer atmosphere extends much further. This is what astronomers call a sungrazer comet, and it's an extreme journey. The comet may have been vaporized by the intense heat, or it might have survived and could now be visible through space-based instruments like the LASCO coronagraph. Scientists expect to catch views of the comet as it emerges from behind the Sun's glare starting tomorrow.
Amazon Leo Satellite Constellation Grows
In satellite news, United Launch Alliance successfully deployed 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites to orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral. This mission, called LA-05, marked the heaviest payload ever flown on an Atlas V rocket, weighing 18 tons. Amazon continues its aggressive pace t
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Today's topics:
Artemis II Astronauts Approaching Moon - NASA's Artemis II crew crossed a major milestone on April 4th, becoming closer to the Moon than to Earth. The four astronauts aboard Orion will complete their lunar flyby on Monday before returning to Earth.
Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 At Perihelion - Comet C/2026 A1 MAPS made its closest approach to the Sun today, passing just over 101,000 miles from the solar surface. This rare sungrazer comet may be visible through specialized space telescopes if it survives its extreme encounter.
Amazon Leo Satellite Constellation Grows - United Launch Alliance successfully launched 29 Amazon Leo satellites aboard an Atlas V rocket, marking the heaviest payload ever flown on the vehicle. This deployment brings the broadband constellation closer to global coverage.
Mercury Reaches Greatest Elongation - Mercury reached its greatest western elongation on April 3rd, making it visible in the pre-dawn sky. This is the best viewing opportunity for the elusive planet this year, visible low on the eastern horizon before sunrise.
Episode Transcript
Artemis II Astronauts Approaching Moon
Let's start with our top story. The Artemis II crew has officially reached a historic milestone. At around midnight on April 4th, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen crossed an invisible boundary in space. They're now closer to the Moon than they are to Earth. That might sound like just a number, but it represents something profound: for the first time in over 50 years, humans have ventured this far from home. The crew is heading toward their lunar flyby, scheduled for Monday, April 6th, where they'll loop around the far side of the Moon and take observations that have never been captured directly by humans before. By the way, during their journey, the team did report a burning smell coming from the Orion spacecraft's toilet system on April 4th. NASA investigated and resolved the issue, so no need for concern there.
Sungrazing Comet C/2026 A1 At Perihelion
Switching to the cosmos now. Today, April 4th, marks a dramatic moment for Comet C/2026 A1, nicknamed MAPS. This comet just made its closest approach to the Sun, passing a mere 101,100 miles from the solar surface. To put that in perspective, the Sun's outer atmosphere extends much further. This is what astronomers call a sungrazer comet, and it's an extreme journey. The comet may have been vaporized by the intense heat, or it might have survived and could now be visible through space-based instruments like the LASCO coronagraph. Scientists expect to catch views of the comet as it emerges from behind the Sun's glare starting tomorrow.
Amazon Leo Satellite Constellation Grows
In satellite news, United Launch Alliance successfully deployed 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites to orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral. This mission, called LA-05, marked the heaviest payload ever flown on an Atlas V rocket, weighing 18 tons. Amazon continues its aggressive pace t