Sun could unleash superflares & MIT makes Mars rocket fuel - Space News (Sep 21, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad - Discover the Future of AI Audio with ElevenLabs - https://try.elevenlabs.io/tad - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Today's topics: Sun could unleash superflares - New solar physics research suggests the Sun is physically capable of producing superflares, far more powerful than modern observed solar storms. The finding sharpens interest in space weather, satellite resilience, power grid protection, and long-term risk planning for Earth. MIT makes Mars rocket fuel - MIT researchers are advancing Mars in-situ resource utilization by developing ways to make rocket propellant from the Martian atmosphere. The work could reduce mission mass, support Mars return missions, and improve the sustainability of future human exploration. Starlink launch expands orbital internet - SpaceX launched another Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Vandenberg, adding 27 more satellites to its low Earth orbit broadband constellation. The flight highlights rapid launch cadence, reusable rocket economics, and the growing importance of satellite internet infrastructure. China launches AI satellite batch - China’s commercial launch sector stayed busy as CAS Space sent nine satellites into orbit on a Kinetica-1, or Lijian-1, mission. The payloads support remote sensing, disaster monitoring, AI onboard computing, and experimental 5G to future 6G space communications. Albania joins Artemis Accords - Albania is set to become the 73rd signatory of the Artemis Accords, expanding international support for rules-based lunar and deep space exploration. The move strengthens a growing coalition around transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance, and responsible space governance. Episode Transcript Sun could unleash superflares We start with the Sun. New reporting on recent research says our star is physically capable of producing so-called superflares, enormous eruptions much stronger than any solar flare recorded in the modern era. That does not mean one is about to happen, but it does mean scientists are taking a broader view of what the Sun may be able to do. For Earth, the real significance is practical: extreme space weather could threaten satellites, communications, navigation systems, and even power infrastructure. As our dependence on space-based technology grows, understanding the upper limits of solar activity becomes less of an academic question and more of a long-term resilience issue. MIT makes Mars rocket fuel Next, a story that could matter enormously for future human missions to Mars. MIT researchers are working on methods to turn the Martian atmosphere into rocket propellant, essentially making fuel on site instead of hauling every kilogram from Earth. The concept fits into the larger idea of in-situ resource utilization, where explorers use local materials to support exploration. If it works at scale, it could reduce mission cost, lower launch mass, and make return trips from Mars much more realistic. It is a reminder that the hardest part of deep-space travel is often not getting there, but building a sustainable way to come back. Starlink launch expands orbital internet Back in low Earth orbit, SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 carried 27 Starlink satellites and once again landed its first stage, continuing the company’s now routine but still remarkable pattern of rapid reuse. This was another incremental expansion of a constellation that already numbers in the many thousands, showing how satellite internet has shifted from an ambitious concept to ongoing infrastructure deployment. At the same time, every launch like this adds to a bigger conversation...