Japan readies Phobos sample mission & Wormhole collisions enter simulations - Space News (Oct 18, 2026)

A spacecraft is about to begin a five-year journey that could bring pieces of a Martian moon back to Earth for the first time. Those samples may help settle a basic question that scientists still cannot answer: where did Mars's strange little moons come from? Welcome to The Automated Daily, space news edition. The podcast created by generative AI. I'm TrendTeller, and today is October 18th, 2026. In this edition, Japan prepares for a historic mission to Phobos, physicists model what colliding wormholes might look like, space-weather forecasters watch an Earth-facing coronal hole, and the half-lit Moon offers a good reason to look up tonight.

Japan readies Phobos sample mission

Japan is preparing to launch the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft, better known as MMX, on Tuesday morning local time. The mission will ride aboard Japan's H3 rocket and begin a journey expected to last about five years. Its main destination is Phobos, the larger of Mars's two small moons. MMX is designed to study the moon closely, land on its surface and collect at least a small handful of material. If the mission goes according to plan, that sample will return to Earth in 2031. It would be the first material ever brought home from a moon of Mars. The central mystery is Phobos itself. Scientists are still debating whether Phobos and its smaller companion, Deimos, are captured asteroids or debris assembled after a major impact on Mars. Their composition could distinguish between those possibilities. Phobos may also contain tiny fragments blasted off the Martian surface by ancient impacts, potentially giving researchers access to pieces of Mars without landing there directly. That makes MMX more than a sample-collection mission. It could clarify the violent early history of the Martian system, improve our understanding of how planets acquire moons and provide information useful for future human exploration near Mars. The spacecraft is expected to reach the region around Mars next year, spend roughly three years studying Phobos and also observe Deimos before beginning its return to Earth. [123]

Wormhole collisions enter simulations

In theoretical physics, researchers have completed what they describe as the first three-dimensional numerical simulations of two Ellis-Bronnikov wormholes interacting with one another. Wormholes remain hypothetical structures. No observation has confirmed that they exist, and the particular model used here requires an unusual form of negative-energy matter. Still, simulations can tell physicists what evidence such exotic objects might leave behind if nature permits them. The modeled encounters produced several outcomes. In some cases, the wormholes passed near each other and moved apart. In more direct encounters, a common horizon formed around them, creating something resembling a developing black hole. The simulations also generated brief, sharp bursts of gravitational waves rather than the rising chirp associated with two ordinary black holes spiraling together. That difference is the interesting part. Gravitational-wave observatories identify distant objects by comparing signals with predicted patterns. A distinct burst could therefore offer a theoretical signature to look for, even though the researchers note that wormholes formed in the early universe would probably produce frequencies beyond the reach of current detectors. This work is an early preprint and has not yet passed peer review. It does not provide evidence for real wormholes. What it does provide is a more detailed prediction of how one speculative corner of Einstein's gravity might reveal itself through observations. [171][225]

Solar wind could spark auroras

Closer to home, space-weather forecasters are watching a coronal hole that has rotated into an Earth-facing position on the Sun. Coronal holes are regions where the Sun's magnetic field opens outward, allowing a faster stream of solar wind to escape. That stream is expected to reach Earth around October 20. Forecasts indicate that it could briefly produce a G1, or minor, geomagnetic storm. A storm at that level is not expected to cause widespread disruption. It can, however, increase the chances of auroras at high latitudes and create small variations in satellite operations, radio conditions and electrical systems. The forecast remains uncertain because the effect depends heavily on the magnetic direction of the incoming solar wind when it reaches Earth. For today, solar conditions are expected to remain relatively calm. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejection was identified during the latest reporting period, so the approaching fast wind is the main feature being monitored. Aurora watchers in northern regions may want to follow updated local forecasts as October 20 approaches, while keeping expectations measured. Space weather can change quickly, and a possible minor storm is not a guarantee of a major display. [187][190]

First-quarter Moon brightens tonight

Finally, tonight brings a straightforward observing opportunity. The Moon reaches its first-quarter phase today, October 18th, leaving half of its Earth-facing disk illuminated. The name first quarter refers to the Moon being roughly one-quarter of the way through its monthly cycle, rather than one-quarter illuminated. It rises around midday, stands prominently in the evening sky and sets around midnight. This phase is particularly useful for lunar observing because the boundary between daylight and darkness crosses the middle of the visible disk. Sunlight strikes the terrain there at a low angle, casting long shadows from crater rims, mountains and ridges. Those shadows reveal relief that can be harder to notice near the full Moon, when sunlight falls more directly onto the surface. No specialized equipment is necessary. The half-lit Moon is easy to see with the unaided eye, while ordinary binoculars can reveal a surprising amount of detail. A small telescope will show even more structure along the line separating lunar day from night. It is a quiet astronomical event, but also a useful reminder that interesting space viewing does not always require dark skies, rare alignments or a trip far from home. [1][7]

That's the space news for Sunday, October 18th, 2026. From a sample-return mission aimed at a Martian moon to theoretical wormholes, solar weather and tonight's half-lit Moon, the stories span both the practical and the deeply speculative sides of space science. Thanks for listening to The Automated Daily, space news edition. This has been TrendTeller. Join us again for the next clear and concise look at what's happening beyond Earth.

Japan readies Phobos sample mission & Wormhole collisions enter simulations - Space News (Oct 18, 2026)

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