Cleared for Launch: Crew-12, Mars Organics, and an Interstellar Farewell

## In Today's Episode:

- **FAA clears Falcon 9 — Crew-12 launch set for February 11** — The four-day grounding ends after SpaceX identifies and addresses the upper stage engine ignition failure. Fourth upper stage issue in 19 months.

- **NASA study: Non-biological sources can't fully explain Mars organics** — Researchers find that known non-biological processes don't account for the abundance of organic compounds discovered by Curiosity in Gale Crater. The team modelled 80 million years of cosmic radiation exposure.

- **Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flares while exiting the solar system** — NASA's SPHEREx captures the comet dramatically brightening, releasing water vapour, CO₂, methane, methanol, and organic compounds from beneath its cosmic-ray-hardened crust.

- **UK proposes 30% cut to astronomy and physics research** — The deepest funding cut in a generation threatens early-career researchers and the UK's role in major international projects including the Square Kilometre Array and ESO.

- **New Glenn second stage reuse debate reignites** — Blue Origin's Project Jarvis faces the question: can a reusable upper stage beat expendable manufacturing costs? Bezos calls it a "horse race."

- **Fraggles land at Kennedy Space Center** — Jim Henson's beloved characters star in "Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure," a new live show blending comedy, music, and NASA science.

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## Links & Sources:

- space.com — FAA clears Falcon 9, Crew-12 launch confirmed

- science.nasa.gov — NASA study on Mars organics

- space.com — SPHEREx observations of comet 3I/ATLAS

- space.com — UK astronomy funding cuts

- arstechnica.com — New Glenn second stage reuse debate

- arstechnica.com / kennedyspacecenter.com — Fraggle Rock: A Space-y Adventure

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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/31553376?utm_source=youtube