The planet that disappeared & Twin probes depart for Mars - Space News (Nov 10, 2026)

Astronomers watched a giant planet cross its star for seven years. Then, while they were still observing it, the planet appeared to vanish. It is still there, but the reason it disappeared from view reveals a remarkably restless planetary system. Welcome to The Automated Daily, space news edition. The podcast created by generative AI. I’m TrendTeller, and today is November 10th, 2026. In this edition, we have a disappearing exoplanet, two spacecraft finally leaving Earth for Mars, the hidden object behind a star’s repeated eruptions, a major update to NASA’s lunar plans, and lessons from more than a year of simulated life on Mars.

The planet that disappeared

We begin roughly one thousand light-years away, where astronomers have identified what they call the first known disappearing planet. TOI-2535 b is a hot, Jupiter-sized world that circles very close to its star. NASA’s TESS telescope repeatedly saw the planet pass in front of that star between 2019 and 2026. But those crossings became shorter and shallower, and their timing shifted by hours. Eventually, the planet stopped crossing the star altogether. The world itself did not disappear. Instead, researchers conclude that the gravity of a second, unseen planet is steadily tilting its orbit. The two worlds make each other’s paths wobble, rather like spinning tops. TOI-2535 b has now moved out of the narrow alignment that allowed us to see its silhouette against the star. That makes this system an unusually clear example of planets reshaping one another’s orbits on a humanly observable timescale. Researchers estimate that TOI-2535 b may not cross its star again for another thirty to fifty years, although its hidden companion could become visible sooner. The strong orbital tilt also provides evidence about the system’s past. Hot Jupiters are thought to form farther from their stars before migrating inward. The unusual wobble suggests this journey was not entirely smooth and that the planets experienced a complicated gravitational history. [181]

Twin probes depart for Mars

Closer to home, NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft have completed their powered flybys of Earth and are finally headed for Mars. The probes launched in November of last year, when Earth and Mars were poorly positioned for a direct trip. Instead of waiting for the traditional launch window, mission planners sent the spacecraft on a long loop near Earth. They returned this month when the planets were more favorably aligned. The first probe swept past Earth on Saturday, and its twin followed on Monday. Both combined a sustained engine burn with the pull of Earth’s gravity to accelerate toward Mars. NASA says the two maneuvers were completed successfully. This was the agency’s first use of a powered Earth flyby to send a spacecraft to Mars, and it performed the maneuver twice within two days. That route matters beyond this mission. If it works as intended, similar trajectories could give some future Mars missions greater freedom over when they launch, rather than forcing them to wait for the best alignment every two years. ESCAPADE is expected to reach Mars in September 2027. Once there, the two probes will make coordinated observations of how the solar wind interacts with the planet and strips material from its upper atmosphere. Observing from two locations at once should help scientists separate changes that happen over time from differences between regions around Mars. [196]

Compact object triggers stellar outbursts

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has helped solve a fifteen-year stellar mystery. The massive star AT 2016blu repeatedly brightens in eruptions powerful enough to resemble a supernova. Yet the star survives every time, earning it the label of a supernova impostor. Astronomers recorded at least twenty-seven of these outbursts between 2012 and 2026, with the events returning roughly every one hundred and thirteen days. By arranging for Chandra to observe during an eruption, researchers detected a sharp increase in X-rays. Their leading explanation is that AT 2016blu has a compact companion: either a neutron star or a stellar-mass black hole. As the two objects make their closest approach, the companion captures material expelled by the unstable star. That material becomes intensely hot and produces X-rays, which then energize the surrounding gas and contribute to the visible flash. This is the first X-ray detection from this particular class of erupting star, and the first member of the class found with a neutron star or black hole companion. Astronomers do not yet know which of those two objects is present, but the result offers a new way to understand stars that brighten dramatically without exploding. It could also help researchers interpret unusual activity seen shortly before some genuine supernovas. [136]

NASA expands its Moon plans

NASA has also provided a clearer picture of its expanding plans for sustained activity near the Moon’s south pole. The agency established a new ten-year framework under which eight companies can compete for commercial lunar delivery work. The widely reported ten-billion-dollar figure is a maximum contract ceiling, not money being paid immediately. NASA also announced transportation projects intended to move cargo through the space between Earth and the Moon. One of the most distinctive elements is PROMISE, a rover adapted from an engineering model used to support the Curiosity and Perseverance missions. Its nuclear power source should help it survive the long, bitterly cold lunar night, a challenge that has limited the life of several solar-powered vehicles. NASA is targeting a 2028 mission to explore the south polar region. The update came with a dose of schedule reality. Three commercial lunar missions once expected this year have all moved into 2027. NASA now anticipates four such missions next year, while its more ambitious goal of ten missions per year has shifted to 2028. So the overall picture is mixed. NASA is widening the industrial base and funding new lunar capabilities, but the delays show how difficult it remains to turn a large portfolio of contracts into reliable hardware on the Moon. [257]

Mars simulation crew shares lessons

Finally, four research volunteers have shared their reflections after spending 378 days inside NASA’s simulated Mars habitat in Houston. The second CHAPEA crew emerged on October 31, but NASA’s newly published account focuses on what the volunteers learned during their year of isolation. They lived without windows or ordinary contact with the outside world, managed limited supplies, grew crops, maintained the habitat and conducted simulated excursions. Communications with mission support included delays of up to twenty-two minutes each way, reproducing one of the most important social and operational differences between Mars and low Earth orbit. Their comments repeatedly returned to teamwork. Medical officer Ellen Ellis said that a future Mars crew will depend on a tightly integrated ground team. Flight engineer James Spicer described the careful tracking of everyday resources, down to cleaning products and replacement filters. Commander Ross Elder emphasized the physical demands of preparing for surface excursions, while science officer Matthew Montgomery highlighted the importance of speaking up when equipment, safety or data quality seemed questionable. NASA will combine those experiences with the crew’s health and performance data. The objective is not simply to prove that four people can tolerate a year in a confined habitat. It is to understand how food, water, workload, exercise, communication and team dynamics must be balanced when rapid help from Earth is impossible. [76]

That’s today’s tour through space: a planet fading from view, twin probes beginning their final journey to Mars, a hidden compact object stirring up a giant star, lunar plans meeting practical delays, and a simulated Mars crew returning with lessons about human endurance. You’ve been listening to The Automated Daily, space news edition, with TrendTeller. Thanks for joining me, and I’ll be back with the next clear and concise roundup of developments beyond Earth.

The planet that disappeared & Twin probes depart for Mars - Space News (Nov 10, 2026)

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