Bring it on!
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
November 16, 2024
Pluto at Night
The night side of Pluto spans this shadowy scene. In the stunning spacebased perspective the Sun is 4.9 billion kilometers (almost 4.5 light-hours) behind the dim and distant world. It was captured by far flung New Horizons in July of 2015 when the spacecraft was at a range of some 21,000 kilometers from Pluto, about 19 minutes after its closest approach. A denizen of the Kuiper Belt in dramatic silhouette, the image also reveals Pluto's tenuous, surprisingly complex layers of hazy atmosphere. Near the top of the frame the crescent twilight landscape includes southern areas of nitrogen ice plains now formally known as Sputnik Planitia and rugged mountains of water-ice in the Norgay Montes.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
NASA warns of ‘unusual’ typhoon parade: Six devastating storms batter the Philippines in one month
November 16, 2024
The Philippines is again in the global spotlight as a relentless series of typhoons batter the archipelago.
NASA has described the occurrence as “unusual,” citing multiple storms’ consecutive formation and landfall in recent weeks.
Six typhoons—Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika, Ofel, and Pepito—have swept across the country in just one month.
Pepito, currently classified as a super typhoon, is expected to land on Saturday evening, adding to the mounting challenges millions of Filipinos face.
Satellite imagery from NASA has captured global attention, showing a striking “parade” of the last four typhoons forming across the Pacific Ocean.
NASA: Typhoon Overlap Is Rare
The United States space agency highlighted the overlapping nature of the storms, calling it an extraordinary weather event.
While the Philippines is no stranger to typhoons, the frequency and intensity observed this season are uncommon, according to NASA’s analysis.
Local meteorologists from PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration) attribute this surge to global climate patterns.
PAGASA weather specialist Joey Figuracion explained that the unusual frequency might compensate for the fewer storms during the El Niño period earlier this year.
However, he warned that the storms are becoming more intense due to the worsening effects of climate change.
Typhoons and Climate Change: A Double Blow
Climate experts have long warned that global warming exacerbates the strength of typhoons, and this year’s season appears to be a clear example.
Communities in the Philippines are grappling with back-to-back storms and struggling to recover from the destruction left in their wake.
“While typhoons are normal in this region, the rapid succession we’re witnessing is alarming,” said Figuracion.
He further emphasized that climate change amplifies these disasters’ impacts, leading to greater challenges for already vulnerable communities.
Global Attention on the Philippines
NASA’s satellite images have gone viral, showcasing the striking alignment of typhoons across the Pacific heading toward the Philippines.
The images have sparked discussions about the country’s vulnerability to climate-related disasters and the urgent need for global climate action.
Local officials are urging residents in affected areas to remain vigilant, as Pepito, the latest typhoon, is expected to cause severe flooding, landslides, and strong winds.
Disaster management agencies have already begun preemptive evacuations and are coordinating relief efforts to minimize casualties and damage.
Preparedness Amid Uncertainty
As the Philippines braces for Pepito, the sixth storm in just a month, concerns are mounting over the nation’s ability to recover from the compounded effects of these disasters.
With resources stretched thin, calls for international aid and collaboration are growing louder.
Experts emphasize the importance of preparedness and resilience, particularly in regions that have been repeatedly hit.
“The global community must recognize the urgency of addressing climate change,” Figuracion stressed. “This is not just a Philippine issue—it’s a global challenge.”
https://www.brigadanews.ph/nasa-warns-of-unusual-typhoon-parade-six-devastating-storms-batter-the-philippines-in-one-month/
Edge Hill University hosts historic gathering of NASA and ESA scientists
16 November 2024
The meeting - hosted in the UK for the first time - was an important milestone in global scientific collaboration
Edge Hill University is proud to have welcomed world-leading NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) scientists to its Ormskirk campus.
Academics hosted the bi-annual face to face meeting of the joint Multi-mission Algorithm and Analytics Platform (MAAP) project, a significant milestone in global scientific collaboration for the University as it’s the first time the meeting has been held in the UK.
Computer science and geography students enjoyed an opportunity to meet with the scientists for two inspiring seminars on the diverse career paths available with NASA.
Dr Nathan Thomas, senior lecturer in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing at Edge Hill University, co-ordinated the meeting.
He previously worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center during his tenure at the University of Maryland and still works as a scientist on the MAAP project.
Dr Thomas shared his excitement about hosting the groundbreaking event: “It’s a privilege to welcome world-leading scientists from NASA and ESA to Edge Hill University.
“This meeting signifies not only an opportunity for international collaboration but also an inspiration for our students and faculty, highlighting the global reach of our University's academic network.”
The MAAP project brings together data, algorithms and computing capabilities to address the challenges of sharing and processing data from the field, the air and space.
One ongoing experiment is mapping and measuring forests, focusing on areas of rapid change and deforestation to inform policy and decision-making.
The group meeting, which reviews progress and sets plans for the upcoming six months, is typically held twice a year - once at a NASA location in the United States and once at ESRIN, ESA’s European Space Research Institute in Rome.
While at Edge Hill, NASA mission scientists Dr Laura Duncanson, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, and Sam Niemoeller, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Software Engineer met with geography students and discussed the opportunities for geoscientists and how NASA’s technology is revealing Earth’s secrets.
And Sujen Shah focused on computer science and its use in space missions and research, and offered valuable career advice and insights into the skills needed to contribute to high-level scientific endeavours.
Dr Thomas added: “Hosting experts from NASA not only reinforces the University's commitment to global research collaboration but also provides an unmatched opportunity for our students to understand how their education can translate into impactful careers.”
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/edge-hill-university-hosts-historic-gathering-of-nasa-and-esa-scientists
https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/departments/academic/computerscience/courses/
NASA Receives 14th Consecutive ‘Clean’ Financial Audit Opinion
Nov 15, 2024
For the 14th consecutive year, NASA received an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion from an external auditor on its fiscal year 2024 financial statements.
The rating is the best possible audit opinion, certifying that NASA’s financial statements conform with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for federal agencies and accurately present the agency’s financial position.
The audit opinion reaffirms the agency’s commitment to transparency in the use of American taxpayers’ dollars.
“For the 14th year in a row, NASA has delivered a reliable, accurate, and transparent report of our fiscal operations as we explore the unknown in air and space,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“I thank NASA’s Chief Financial Officer Margaret Schaus for her leadership, and I am proud that NASA continues to uphold the public’s trust in our goals, our missions, and our financial reporting practices.
Such trust is critical to our agency’s success.”
The 2024 Agency Financial Report provides key financial and performance information and demonstrates the agency’s commitment to transparency in the use of American taxpayers’ dollars.
In addition, the 2024 report presents progress during the past year, and spotlights the array of NASA missions, objectives, and workforce advanced with these financial resources.
“I am proud NASA has achieved its 14th consecutive clean bill of health on its financial statements,” said NASA Chief Financial Officer Margaret Schaus.
“I want to recognize the outstanding commitment of our NASA team to ensuring sound stewardship and transparency over the resources entrusted to our agency.”
In fiscal year 2024, NASA continued preparation for Artemis II, a mission to send four astronauts around the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign.
The agency also publicly unveiled the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, which will change the way we travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound.
Among other highlights, NASA built upon our longstanding efforts to study our Earth as a system, advancing our work on the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite.
This joint mission between the agency and ISRO is the first radar of its kind in space to systematically map the Earth.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-receives-14th-consecutive-clean-financial-audit-opinion/
https://www.nasa.gov/budgets-plans-and-reports/agency-financial-reports/
Brightline Train Crashes into Front-End Loader Near East NASA Boulevard and Hickory Street
November 15, 2024
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA - On Friday, a Brightline train collided with a front-end loader, sending the operator to the hospital as a trauma alert.
According to the Melbourne Police Department, at 3:36 p.m., the Department was contacted about a Brightline train striking a front-end loader construction truck at a crossing near East NASA Boulevard and Hickory Street.
“The Brightline train was northbound and struck a front-end loader traveling on the gravel area between the two sets of railroad tracks,” said a Melbourne police spokesperson.
“The front-end loader operator sustained injuries and was transported to a local hospital. At the time of this reporting, the injuries do not appear life-threatening.”
This case is an active investigation.
https://spacecoastdaily.com/2024/11/brightline-train-crashes-into-front-end-loader-near-east-nasa-boulevard-and-hickory-street/
USC students set world record with high-flying rocket launch
November 15, 2024
The University of Southern California's student rocketeers have done it again.
The USC Rocket Propulsion Lab (USCRPL) — which in 2019 became the first student organization ever to launch a rocket to space — sent its Aftershock II vehicle 470,400 feet (89.09 miles, or 143.38 kilometers) above Earth last month.
That smashed the amateur altitude record of 380,000 feet (71.97 miles, or 115.82 km), which was set in 2004 by the Civilian Space Exploration Team.
"This achievement represents several engineering firsts," Ryan Kraemer, the executive engineer of USCRPL and an undergrad majoring in mechanical engineering, said in a statement on Friday (Nov. 15).
"Aftershock II is distinguished by the most powerful solid-propellant motor ever fired by students and the most powerful composite case motor made by amateurs."
USCRPL's groundbreaking April 2019 liftoff, from New Mexico's Spaceport America, involved a rocket called Traveler IV. (Traveler is also the name of the horse ridden by USC's Trojan mascot.)
That vehicle reached a maximum altitude of 339,800 feet (64.4 miles, or 103.6 km) — above the 62-mile-high (100 km) Kármán Line, which many people view as the boundary of space — and a top speed of 3,386 mph (5,449 kph).
Aftershock II's landmark launch took place on Oct. 24 from the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The 13-foot-tall (4 m), 330-pound (150 kilograms) rocket flew higher and faster than its predecessor, reaching a max speed of 3,602 mph (5,797 kph).
"This result establishes Aftershock II as the fastest and highest amateur rocket of all time," the team wrote in a white paper verifying the flight data, which was posted on Thursday (Nov. 14).
The student team made this leap thanks to a new avionics unit and other important upgrades.
"To exceed the standard we set for ourselves with Traveler IV, we had to solve many technical and operational challenges," Kraemer said.
"Thermal protection at hypersonic speeds is a major challenge at the industry level, and the protective paint system that we developed performed perfectly, enabling the rocket to return largely intact," he added.
"We also made an important upgrade to the fins, replacing the bare carbon edge of previous iterations with titanium leading edges.
The titanium not only prevented fraying but actually turned blue from the intense heat during flight through anodization, which really demonstrates the extreme conditions our rocket successfully endured."
Aftershock II also featured custom computer systems and circuit boards, which the students designed and built from scratch, according to the Nov. 15 statement.
"This is an exceptionally ambitious project not only for a student team, but for any non-professional group of rocket engineers," Dan Erwin, chair of the USC Department of Astronautical Engineering, said in the statement.
"It’s a testament to the excellence we seek to develop in our emerging astronautical engineers, who go on to achieve top roles in the space industry and in government positions."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/usc-students-set-world-record-with-high-flying-rocket-launch-video
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/549ce89be4b0cddb26c4894b/t/67373113f38a377fc5b7f800/1731670401993/Aftershock_II_Apogee_Whitepaper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5j74uv427g
New Shepard's 28th Mission Includes Emily Calandrelli and Two Returning Customers
Nov 15, 2024
Blue Origin today revealed the six people flying on its NS-28 mission.
The crew includes: Emily Calandrelli, Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Austin Litteral, James (J.D.) Russell, and Henry (Hank) Wolfond.
Sharon and Marc Hagle are both flying on New Shepard for the second time.
This mission will be the ninth human flight for the New Shepard program and the 28th in its history.
To date, the program has flown 43 humans above the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
Meet the Crew
Emily Calandrelli
Emily is an MIT engineer, Emmy-nominated TV host, and #1 NYTimes best-selling author known as @TheSpaceGal to her nearly three million followers.
With the premiere of Xploration Outer Space (2014-present), she became the first American woman to be the sole host of a nationally broadcast science series.
Through her activism, she helped write a bill to improve the TSA’s treatment of breastfeeding mothers and started a campaign which improved parental leave in the aerospace industry.
Host of Netflix’s Emily’s Wonder Lab, Emily's Science Lab on YouTube, and author of nine books, Emily works to inspire young people, particularly little girls, to see themselves in STEM.
Sharon Hagle
Sharon is the founder of SpaceKids Global, a nonprofit she created in 2015 whose mission is to inspire elementary students to excel in STEAM education, ensuring girls are equally represented.
SpaceKids hosts several annual challenges designed to inspire kids to pursue careers in the space industry, including national essay competitions, sending science projects to the International Space Station, and a partnership with Girl Scouts.
SpaceKids also participates in Club for the Future’s Postcards to Space program. To date, Sharon has reached over 867,000 students globally.
Sharon and her husband, Marc, first flew to space on NS-20 on March 31, 2022, becoming the first married couple to launch on a commercial space vehicle.
Marc Hagle
Marc is president and CEO of Tricor International, a residential and commercial property development corporation.
Under his direction, the company has developed and owned more than 17 million square feet of properties across the United States, including shopping centers, warehouses, medical facilities, recreational facilities, drug stores, and office projects.
Marc and his wife, Sharon, are avid philanthropists for numerous arts, sciences, health, and education-related charities. Marc first flew to space on NS-20 on March 31, 2022.
Austin Litteral
Austin works as a risk management professional in the financial services industry. He’s a husband and a father of two daughters.
Austin spends his free time hiking in state parks with his family and cheering for the local sports teams.
This trip will fulfill a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, having grown up with photos of NASA shuttle launches in his bedroom.
Austin’s seat is sponsored by Whatnot, the largest livestream shopping platform in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Austin won his seat as part of the Whatnot to the Moon giveaway.
James (J.D.) Russell
J.D. is a serial entrepreneur and founder of InfoHOA, a leader in technology-based community management solutions.
He was born into a military family at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, and earned the Billy Mitchell Award in the Civil Air Patrol.
Before starting his entrepreneur career, J.D. served as a federal law enforcement Marine, Fish, and Wildlife Game Warden. He founded the Victoria Russell Foundation to honor the memory of his deceased daughter.
The foundation is dedicated to supporting children’s education and assistance to families of first responders, and is a proud partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to bring the love of reading to children by gifting books free of charge to children.
Henry (Hank) Wolfond
Henry is Chairman and CEO of Bayshore Capital in Toronto, Canada.
A lifelong aviator, Henry holds an Airline Transport Pilots license for fixed wing aircraft and a Commercial Pilots License for Helicopters.
He moonlights as a professional pilot on charter, medevac, and organ retrieval flights.
Henry is the Chair of the Confronting Antisemitism Committee of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and currently serves on the boards of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC), the Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation (UHN Foundation), and on the Board of Governors for Hillel Ontario.
Henry is also a co-founder of the Autism Acceptance Project.
The flight date will be announced soon.
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/new-shepard-ns-28-mission
FAA moves forward with committee to review launch licensing regulations
November 15, 2024
The Federal Aviation Administration is moving ahead with a long-awaited committee to evaluate ways to improve launch licensing regulations as one executive calls for far greater changes.
The FAA announced Nov. 14 the establishment of an aerospace rulemaking committee, also known as a SpARC, that would examine potential changes to the FAA’s Part 450 rule for licensing launches and reentries.
The SpARC is expected to hold its first meeting in early December.
“The FAA is seeking to update the licensing rule to foster more clarity, flexibility, efficiency and innovation,” Kelvin Coleman, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said in a statement.
“Making timely licensing determinations without compromising public safety is a top priority.”
The Part 450 rules went into effect in March 2021 after an accelerated rulemaking process prompted by the first Trump administration’s Space Policy Directive 2.
The regulations were intended to streamline launch and reentry licensing, but many companies have reported problems applying for licenses under the new rules.
Part 450 was a key topic at a Sept. 10 hearing by the House Science Committee’s space subcommittee.
“The way it is being implemented today has caused severe licensing delays, confusion and is jeopardizing our long-held leadership position,” said Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, at that hearing.
At a Sept. 16 meeting of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), Coleman said the FAA plans to ask companies that have gone through the Part 450 licensing process to participate in the SpARC.
The FAA, in its Nov. 14 announcement, did not disclose the membership of the committee but said that it is “reaching out to invite stakeholders to participate.”
There is an urgency to update the Part 450 regulations since all existing licenses under older regulations must transfer to Part 450 by March 2026.
The FAA said the SpARC will provide a final report with recommendations in late summer of 2025, which the FAA will use to inform any future rulemaking to revise the regulations.
“We cannot wait to get this set up,” Coleman said of the SpARC at the COMSTAC meeting.
He said at that meeting, and other occasions, that the problems the companies were facing may be an effect at the speed at which the regulations were developed: about two years, versus the five years for the standard rulemaking process.
The new rule also shifts from prescriptive approaches, where the FAA directed specific ways to comply with the regulations, to one where the companies can develop their own approaches but must then demonstrate their effectiveness to the FAA.
“We knew at the onset that 450 was not a perfect rule,” he said at COMSTAC. “We knew we had to come back to the table at some point at take a fresh look at 450: not entirely, but fix some of the kinks and some of the problems and challenges.”
The timing of the FAA’s announcement led some to wonder if it was linked to plans by the incoming Trump administration to establish a “Department of Government Efficiency” committee with the goal of cutting government spending and regulations.
Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, will co-chair the committee.
However, the FAA announced in February its intent to establish the Part 450 SpARC. At the COMSTAC meeting in September, Coleman said he expected the SpARC to start its work some time in the fall.
https://spacenews.com/faa-moves-forward-with-committee-to-review-launch-licensing-regulations/
https://www.liberationtimes.com/home/cia-and-dod-engaged-in-decades-long-retrieval-tracking-and-exploitation-of-ufos-including-italian-magenta-craft-sources-reveal
CIA and DoD Engaged in Decades-Long Retrieval, Tracking and Exploitation of UFOs, Including Italian ‘Magenta Craft,’ Sources Reveal
10 November 2024
With a potentially explosive Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) hearing set to take place in the House of Representatives next week, sources connected with the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense (DoD) have disclosed new and controversial details to Liberation Times.
These sources allege that retrieval missions and covert legacy operations—stretching back as far as World War Two—were reportedly conducted by the CIA in collaboration with key elements of the U.S. Defense establishment.
The sources, who spoke under strict conditions of anonymity, describe a shadowy history of missions dedicated to recovering exotic materials of non-human origin under the utmost secrecy.
The revelations are expected to add weight to an already intense debate over U.S. government transparency regarding UAP, as officials and the public grapple with the implications of alleged, long-standing retrieval missions.
Liberation Times spoke with sources who stated that retrieval missions involving materials of non-human origin are hidden within legitimate retrieval programs.
Liberation Times has previously reported details of alleged undersea UAP retrieval missions.
Among those allegedly involved are the Maritime Branch of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, the U.S. Navy, the National Underwater Reconnaissance Office (jointly operated by the Navy and CIA), and the United States Special Operations Command.
It is further understood that the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has provided deep submergence vehicles to support these retrieval efforts.
Once recovered from undersea, these craft are allegedly transferred to the Office of Naval Research. From there, they are handed over to defense contractors for detailed analysis.
An Intelligence Community source informed Liberation Times that UAP missions on foreign soil have not typically involved the CIA’s Office of Global Access (now known as the Transnational Technology Mission Center), as these operations generally fall outside its primary scope.
However, the source explained that joint efforts between the U.S. and allied governments have sometimes led to collaborative recoveries—such as the reported incident in Varginha, Brazil.
The Varginha case, often dubbed ‘Brazil’s Roswell,’ revolves around reports of UAP debris, along with multiple accounts of sightings of non-human entities in 1996.
Eyewitnesses described both local authorities and what appeared to be U.S. personnel on-site, securing materials and conducting operations.
This event has since sparked widespread speculation about international collaboration in UAP retrieval missions.
Another source revealed to Liberation Times that, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and Russia cooperated on at least one undersea mission to retrieve a craft of alleged non-human origin that had crashed in Russian waters.
The source also told Liberation Times about the process of transferring materials to defense contractors:
"In terms of materials recovered, I know of one occasion whereby a designated individual within the CIA’s Directorate of Operations collaborated with other agencies to decide which contractor to engage for analysis and exploitation.
“Such a decision depends on the circumstances. For instance, if the object is submerged and capable of undersea propulsion, it would be prudent to perhaps involve General Dynamics; however, if it crashed into the sea from beyond Earth’s orbit, other contractors would be considered."
The source added that, until recently, U.S. and Chinese intelligence agencies had also been tracking UAP and exchanging data.
Liberation Times has been informed that reverse engineering efforts primarily fall under the DoD’s scope.
Meanwhile, the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology is understood to safeguard adapted technology derived from UAP research conducted by the DoD and its contractors.
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The source further clarified the division of responsibilities: the DoD focuses on analyzing the craft's structure and design, while the Department of Energy (DOE) specializes in studying its propulsion systems.
The source added that the CIA’s Weapons and Counterproliferation Mission Center (WCPMC) and wider Intelligence Community’s primary role in UAP research involves studying the phenomena, assessing potential non-human origins, categorizing the types of intelligence that may control them, and investigating their intentions.
As previously reported - according to sources, former CIA Director of Science and Technology Glenn Gaffney allegedly blocked an attempt to transfer alleged non-human materials from Lockheed Martin.
The alleged materials are believed to have been recovered since the 1950s.
Liberation Times understands that, due to recruitment challenges in engineering, James Ryder, Vice President of Lockheed Martin Space Systems at the time, proposed transferring these materials to an external organization to drive new breakthroughs.
Liberation Times also understands from sources that one of Gaffney's successors within the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology rebuffed engagement efforts from the now-disbanded UAP Task Force (UAPTF).
Based on the best available open source information, previous Deputy Directors of the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology include:
Albert Wheelon 1963-1966
Carl Duckett 1966-1967
Leslie Dirks 1967-1982
R. Evans Hineman 1982-1989
James Hirsch 1989-1995
Ruth David 1995-1998
Gary Smith 1999-1999
Joanne Isham 1999-2001
Donald Kerr 2001-2005
Stephanie O’Sullivan 2005-2009
Glenn Gaffney 2009-2015
Dawn Meyerriecks 2015-2021
Todd Lowery 2021-present
According to multiple sources, the CIA’s WCPMC has allegedly played a key role in UAP missions, and has historically provided analytical expertise on exotic, non-human materials.
While it does not directly participate in the operational component of current retrieval and reverse engineering efforts—coordinated by the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology and Directorate of Operations—it remains an integral source of intelligence.
Sources tell Liberation Times that the WCPMC receives space-based technical intelligence from National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) assets, along with technical analysis from DoD combat support agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Security Agency (NSA), and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).
This includes signals intelligence, measurement and signature intelligence, and geospatial intelligence.
The sources also tell Liberation Times that the WCPMC collects and analyses UAP data from all domains, including aerospace, space and undersea domains.
Of note, the CIA’s current Chief Operating Officer, Maura Burns - who manages the CIA on a day-to-day basis - previously served as Assistant Director of WCPMC, before earning a promotion in 2021.
A source connected with the Intelligence Community told Liberation Times that the WCPMC served as the CIA’s primary liaison to the UAPTF.
Understanding the CIA’s WCPMC (Weapons and Counterproliferation Mission Center) and its origins sheds light on the Agency’s—and its predecessors'—involvement in UAP research dating back to the 1940s.
1947: The origins of WCPMC can be traced back to the creation of the Scientific Intelligence Branch within the Office of Reports and Estimates (ORE), known as the CIA’s first center for intelligence analysis.
1949: The Scientific Intelligence Branch merged with the Nuclear Energy Group from the Office of Special Operations, forming the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI).
There are records which verify that OSI took an interest in unconventional scientific phenomena, including UAP, which were perceived as potential national security threats during the Cold War.
This interest led to the study of unexplained sightings to assess any foreign or technological origin that might impact U.S. defense.
1980: The OSI evolved into the Office of Scientific and Weapons Research (OSWR).
2001: OSWR was restructured and became the Office of Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation, and Arms Control (WINPAC).
2015: As part of a major CIA reorganization, WINPAC was restructured and renamed as the WCP (Weapons and Counterproliferation Mission Center).
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Liberation Times understands the CIA’s interest in alleged non-human materials dates back to World War Two, and its predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
Three separate sources have independently told Liberation Times that a mission to expedite the surrender of Italy, led by its director William Donovan and known as the McGregor Project possessed intelligence about a non-human craft that crashed in Magenta, northern Italy in 1933.
According to a microfilm roll preserved by Donovan, the McGregor Project was ‘transferred to Research and Development Branch on 6/21/44.’
The communication, seen below, indicates that Charles S. Cheston, Assistant Director of the OSS, informed the Chief of a Research and Development Branch that the McGregor Project was transferred to his branch in June 1944.
According to a source, the study of the recovered Magenta craft became closely integrated with Manhattan Project activities.
The source told Liberation Times that, starting in 1946, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) worked with Italian and German scientists at Wright Field to reverse-engineer the Magenta craft, carrying forward research that had initially commenced between Germany and Italy.
The source explained that the Central Intelligence Group (CIG)—the U.S. government agency that succeeded the OSS and preceded the CIA—later inherited the study of the Magenta craft when the Foreign Intelligence Branch was transferred from the Manhattan Project to the CIG.
Liberation Times understands that the transferred element from the Manhattan Project was initially established within the CIG’s Office of Special Operations before being incorporated into its Nuclear Energy Group.
Subsequently, within the CIA, the Scientific Intelligence Branch merged with this Nuclear Energy Group, forming the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI)—the precursor to today’s WCPMC.
The alleged implication? The CIA’s WCPMC traces its lineage directly to the Magenta craft, positioning it at the forefront of the Agency’s role into the study of UAP and the non-human intelligence which controls them.
To this day, Liberation Times understands that WCPMC can collaborate with the DoD and DOE, to offer its expertise in analysing materials of alleged non-human origin, in addition to collecting and analysing UAP intelligence from agencies across the U.S. government.
Sources have informed Liberation Times that when the CIG (and later CIA) inherited the Magenta craft study, it was the primary agency involved, preceding the establishment of the NSA, DIA, NRO, and NGA.
Today, Liberation Times understands that the WCPMC’s access to studying non-human materials is conditional, requiring authorization from both the DoD and the DOE. This means the DoD and DOE can choose to bypass the WCPMC, should they decide that the mission center’s external expertise is not needed.
In terms of retrieval operations, officers from the CIA’s Directorate of Operations are assigned to the WCPMC, granting its leadership direct access to intelligence on missions involving non-human material recovery.
This includes missions led by the Directorate of Operations’ Maritime Branch, which specializes in undersea retrievals.
Sources have informed Liberation Times that additional types of retrieval operations occur between the CIA and certain elements of the DoD.
These operations are understood to include recoveries of non-human materials in cave systems involving elements of the U.S. Army. However, Liberation Times currently lacks sufficient information to report in detail on these allegations.
The alleged network of retrieval operations, UAP tracking, agency responsibilities, and collaboration, including analysis and reverse engineering efforts, forms a highly complex web.
If accurate, it reveals a secrecy shrouded by multiple layers of bureaucracy, making it challenging for elected officials who are now striving to understand and address allegations of a coverup of monumental proportions.
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