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Today's topics:

Puffiest cotton-candy exoplanets discovered - NASA’s TESS mission has revealed two super-puff exoplanets, TOI-791 b and c, with Jupiter-like sizes but only a few percent of Jupiter’s mass. The discovery challenges planet-formation models and sets up prime targets for future atmosphere studies.

NASA selects lunar rover teams - NASA has chosen Astrolab and Lunar Outpost to develop lunar terrain vehicles to support Artemis surface operations near the Moon’s south pole. The move strengthens plans for sustained lunar exploration by advancing practical mobility for astronauts and equipment.

Artemis II rocket reaches pad - NASA has rolled the Artemis II rocket and Orion spacecraft to the launch pad in a major readiness milestone. Pad operations and integrated testing now take center stage as the first crewed Artemis mission approaches.

Rocket Lab launches radar satellite - Rocket Lab’s Electron has launched Synspective’s tenth StriX synthetic-aperture radar satellite, expanding an all-weather Earth-observation constellation. More SAR coverage can improve infrastructure monitoring and speed up disaster-response mapping.

Neon auroras captured from orbit - Vivid green, purple, and red auroras seen from orbit highlight active space weather and Earth’s magnetic shielding in action. These displays are also a reminder that solar activity can influence satellites, communications, and power systems.

Episode Transcript

Puffiest cotton-candy exoplanets discovered
Astronomers analyzing observations from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, TESS, report two extraordinarily low-density exoplanets: TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c. Both are roughly Jupiter-sized by radius, but their measured masses are only a small fraction of Jupiter’s—putting them in the “super-puff” category with densities compared to cotton candy. Follow-up observations, including work with the ASTEP telescope in Antarctica, helped confirm the planets and refine their properties. The big scientific question now is how such balloon-like worlds form and survive: are they inflated by heat, shaped by migration history, or actively shedding atmosphere? Either way, their huge, low-gravity atmospheres make them compelling targets for future atmospheric spectroscopy.

NASA selects lunar rover teams
NASA is making its lunar surface plans more concrete by selecting two teams—Astrolab and Lunar Outpost—to develop next-generation lunar terrain vehicles. These unpressurized rovers are intended to expand astronaut range and capability near the lunar south pole, turning “walkable” exploration into true regional fieldwork with tools, instruments, and sample return logistics. The selections also reflect a push for resilience through multiple providers, a practical choice when surface mobility becomes mission-critical. The vehicles are expected to be delivered ahead of later Artemis surface operations, supporting the broader goal of sustained human activity on the Moon rather than brief, isolate