Starship Milestones, Terraforming Mars Possibilities, and Betelgeuse's Cosmic Secret

• SpaceX's Starship Flight 11: NASA spaceflight has reported that SpaceX is gearing up for Starship Flight 11, marking the final launch from Pad 1A in its current configuration. This mission will transition SpaceX to the advanced Block 3 designs, utilizing booster 152 and ship 38 to test engine redundancy and heat shield performance.
• Terraforming Mars Feasibility: A recent workshop summary suggests that advancements in launch costs, synthetic biology, and climate modeling have made the dream of terraforming Mars more feasible than ever. The proposed process includes warming the planet, introducing extremophiles, and eventually creating an oxygen-rich atmosphere for complex life.
• Discovery of Betel Buddy: Researchers have confirmed the existence of a companion star to Betelgeuse, affectionately named Betel Buddy. This discovery, utilizing advanced instruments like the Hubble Telescope, sheds light on the mysterious dimming cycles of Betelgeuse and challenges existing binary star formation theories.
• Microbial Resilience in Space: A groundbreaking study from RMIT University reveals that Bacillus subtilis spores can survive the extreme conditions of spaceflight, demonstrating resilience that could support astronaut health and sustainable life support systems on long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars.
• Mysterious Sounds in Space: The Daily Galaxy revisits the eerie knocking sounds reported by China's first astronaut, Jingle during his 2003 mission. These sounds, described as akin to a wooden hammer, have been echoed by other astronauts and remain an unsolved mystery in the realm of space exploration.
• For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
• Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.

✍️ Episode References
Starship Flight 11 Details
[NASA Spaceflight](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/)
Terraforming Mars Insights
[Universe Today](https://www.universetoday.com/)
Betel Buddy Discovery
[Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.cmu.edu/)
Microbial Resilience Study
[RMIT University](https://www.rmit.edu.au/)
Mysterious Sounds in Space
[The Daily Galaxy](https://www.dailygalaxy.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)

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