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Watch SpaceX Starship test fire engines ahead of flight 7 launch
December 16, 2024
Things are getting hot for SpaceX's next Starship launch.
SpaceX fired up its next Starship spacecraft during an engine test over the weekend, ahead of the company's 7th orbital test flight of the gargantuan megarocket.
SpaceX ignited Starship's Raptor engines for approximately 10 seconds on Sunday, Dec. 15, as a part of a series of checkouts to ensure the vehicle is healthy before being transported to the launchpad where it will be integrated with its first stage Super Heavy booster.
Its next launch, Integrated Flight Test-7 (IFT-7), is expected around Jan. 11, based on communications between NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has yet to issue a launch license for the upcoming test.
Once mated, the Super Heavy/Starship stack towers a staggering 400 feet (122 meters) tall, with the Starship upper stage alone standing taller than the Statue of Liberty.
The engine static fire occurred yesterday, with SpaceX posting a photo and video of the test to the company's social media with the simple caption, "Static fire of Flight 7 Starship."
Once past its testing and development stage, Starship will become the first fully reusable rocket in history, with both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage designed for return and fast refurbishment back at SpaceX's Starbase launch and test facility in Texas.
SpaceX's current workhorse launch vehicle, the Falcon 9, features reusable first stage boosters and fairing halves, but the rocket's second stage must be expended after each mission.
Recovery at Starbase involves a pair of "chopstick arms" attached to the rocket's launch tower, which are designed to catch each stage mid-air as they descend.
SpaceX's first attempt at the novel landing technology came during IFT-5, and resulted in a complete success.
As planned, Starship's Super Heavy booster fired its engines back toward Starbase, and came to rest just above the ground after a picture-perfect embrace by the launch tower's chopstick arms.
Unfortunately, SpaceX's Super Heavy recovery during IFT-6 was forced into an abort procedure during its journey back to the pad, failing to meet mission criteria for the booster's safe return. Instead, the IFT-6 Super Heavy was directed for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX has yet to attempt to recover a Starship upper stage back at the launch pad, but the vehicle has progressively checked off milestones on each of its subsequent flights, softly splashing down in the Indian Ocean off the northwestern coast of Australia about 65 minutes after its last liftoff.
Starship managed a total of four test flights in 2024 — double the number of launches for the vehicle in 2023. For 2025, SpaceX is hoping to ramp that number up all the way to 25.
Starship's road to operational missions is one being closely followed by NASA, who has contracted the vehicle to land astronauts on the moon during the Artemis 3 mission, which is expected to launch sometime in 2027.
Still, with only two years between then and now, Starship has a long way to go toward a crewed lunar landing.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/watch-spacex-starship-test-fire-engines-ahead-of-flight-7-launch-video
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1868436135468552361
SpaceX’s 31st Dragon cargo capsule departs ISS to head home to Earth
December 16, 2024
SpaceX's 31st robotic cargo mission is headed back to Earth.
SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on schedule today (Dec. 16) at 11:05 a.m. EST (1605 GMT) today (Dec. 16).
The spacecraft will begin a series of deorbit burns to complete the company's 31st commercial resupply services mission (CRS-31) for NASA, splashing down of the coast of Florida tomorrow (Dec. 17).
The agency won't webcast the splashdown but will provide updates via its ISS blog.
CRS-31 is returning to Earth with thousands of pounds of equipment and experiment specimens from ongoing microgravity research aboard the space station.
Dragon is currently the only ISS cargo spacecraft capable of returning equipment and experiments safely to Earth.
The other two operational freighters — Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft and Russia's Progress capsule — face a fiery atmospheric incineration, burning up during reentry, along with whatever waste from the space station is packed aboard them.
The CRS-31 Dragon launched to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Nov. 4, riding a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to low Earth orbit.
The spacecraft rendezvoused with the orbital laboratory a day later, delivering about 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of science and supplies for the Expedition 71 astronauts aboard.
Among those astronauts are NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who originally launched to the station on the first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June.
Complications with Starliner turned an eight-day mission into an eight-month stint aboard the ISS for the two astronauts.
NASA eventually decided to return Starliner to Earth uncrewed; Wilmore and Williams will come home in February on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the station in September.
At the time of Starliner's launch, the ISS was in need of a pump replacement for its urine processing system, which Wilmore and Williams were tasked with delivering.
To make room aboard the spacecraft, however, the two astronauts were forced to leave their own luggage behind, including their change of clothes and other personal items.
Two other cargo missions preceded CRS-31 after Wilmore and Williams' arrival — a Cygnus and a Progress mission, which were able to relieve the astronauts of their space station hand-me-downs and supply them their own shirts and toothbrushes.
However, every cargo mission brings welcome goods to the station's entire crew, with a crowd-favorite supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Among the cargo CRS-31 delivered to the ISS last month were fresh food, research equipment, maintenance supplies and personal items to help sustain the orbiting astronauts.
NASA will be able to retrieve the CRS-31 Dragon spacecraft relatively quickly after splashdown tomorrow, reaping the benefits of any experiments in need of quick attending following atmospheric reentry.
These experiments will be transported to NASA's Systems Processing Facility at KSC, where scientists are able to continue research in the post-microgravity environment.
Today's undocking was originally supposed to occur on Dec. 6, but bad weather in the splashdown zone pushed it back repeatedly.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/spacexs-31st-dragon-cargo-capsule-departs-iss-to-head-home-to-earth
https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/12/16/dragon-cargo-spacecraft-leaves-station-packed-with-science/
https://www.space.com/m87-black-hole-unexpected-gamma-rays
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2024/12/aa50497-24/aa50497-24.html
1st monster black hole ever pictured erupts with surprise gamma-ray explosion
December 16, 2024
In 2018, it was revealed that a pioneering telescope the size of Earth had taken, for the first time, an image of a black hole.
That same instrument, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), has now witnessed the same black hole erupt with a powerful and unexpected explosion.
Scientists hope that by studying this emission, they can better model the structure surrounding supermassive black holes.
The flare, which lasted for about three days in April and May 2018, erupted from the supermassive black hole designated M87*, which lies at the heart of the galaxy M87, located around 55 million light-years away.
The 25 ground-based and orbiting telescopes that comprise the EHT saw the outburst as high-energy light called gamma rays.
Not only was this the first time M87* had flared since 2010, but the eruption was also more energetic than typical flares from this black hole.
Supermassive black holes are thought to exist at the center of all large galaxies, including our own, the Milky Way.
M87 stands out from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A (Sgr A). Our home supermassive black hole has a mass equal to that of around 4.3 million suns, while M87 has a mass equal to about 5.4 billion suns!
But M87 also differs from Sgr A as this more distant black hole is voraciously feeding. That feeding is responsible for the jets connected to high-energy flares, such as the gamma-ray eruption the EHT spotted in 2018.
"Together with the EHT's submillimeter observations, the new data collected in multiple bands of radiation offer a unique opportunity to understand the properties of the gamma-ray emission region, link it to potential changes in the M87 jet, and enable more sensitive tests of general relativity," project leader and University of Trieste researcher Giacomo Principe said in a statement.
"These observations can shed light on some of the main questions of astrophysics that are still unsolved.
"How do the powerful relativistic jets that are observed in some galaxies originate? Where are the particles responsible for the emission of gamma rays accelerated?
What phenomenon accelerates them to energies of the trillions of electron volts? What is the origin of cosmic rays?"
Black holes are messy eaters
What really sets black holes apart is the preponderance of matter that surrounds them.
While some like Sgr A exist in relatively empty larders (if our black hole was a human, it would exist on a diet of one grain of rice every million years), others like M87 have an abundance of matter to feed upon.
Yet, though our image of a black hole is one of an all-consuming, all-devouring cosmic titan from which nothing escapes, supermassive black holes like M87* are actually quite wasteful eaters.
Like grumpy toddlers, most of the food intended for these black holes ends up violently flung away.
The matter that surrounds supermassive black holes exists in a flattened cloud called an accretion disk and in the form of superheated gas called "plasma" because it still has angular momentum, or spin.
This angular momentum also means that this plasma can't fall directly to the black hole; instead, it swirls around the central supermassive black hole and is gradually fed to it.
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However, supermassive black holes are also surrounded by powerful magnetic fields.
These channel material from the accretion disk to the poles of the black hole. At some point, these particles are accelerated to near-light speeds and are blasted out as high-energy jets.
These jets are accompanied by bursts of electromagnetic radiation like the gamma-ray flare that the EHT witnessed.
The energetic outburst from M87* seen by the EHT showed that the near light-speed jet erupting from around this black hole is extended to a surprising distance.
The jet is tens of millions of times wider than the black hole itself. The size difference is so vast it is akin to a blue whale erupting from a single bacteria.
Quite how black holes launch these jets is still something of a mystery, one which EHT scientists hope these observations could help to get to the bottom of.
"In particular, these results offer the first-ever chance to identify the point at which the particles that cause the flare are accelerated, which could potentially resolve a long-standing debate about the origin of cosmic rays (very high-energy particles) from space detected on Earth," Principe continued.
The EHT is all about collaboration between instruments, and these results are a striking example of that.
In addition to the telescopes that already combine to turn the EHT into an Earth-sized telescope, this campaign turned to space-based instruments like Fermi, NuSTAR, Chandra, and Swift.
"Fermi-LAT has revealed a notable increase in flux in the same period as the other observatories, helping to identify the region of gamma-ray emission during these increases in brightness," Fermi-head Elisabetta Cavazzuti said.
"M87 It is a laboratory that demonstrates once again the importance of having coordinated observations at multiple wavelengths and also well sampled to fully characterize the spectral variability of the source, variability that probably extends over different time scales, with the widest possible vision, complete across the entire electromagnetic spectrum."
Thanks to the collaboration between these and other telescopes, scientists were able to distinguish a clear change in the angle of the jet from the nucleus of M87. This seems to occur on an annual basis.
The team also noticed correlated changes in the event horizon, the light-trapping outer boundary of every black hole. This suggests a connection between event horizons and the powerful jets launched by black holes.
"In the first image during the 2018 observational campaign, it was seen that this ring was not homogeneous, and therefore had asymmetries (i.e., brighter areas)," Principe concluded.
"The subsequent observations conducted in 2018 and linked to this publication scientific studies confirmed the data, but highlighted that the position angle of the asymmetry had changed."
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NRO hits milestone with more than 100 satellites in low Earth orbit
December 17, 2024
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has expanded its next-generation satellite constellation to more than 100 spacecraft, the agency said Dec. 17
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket early on Tuesday morning successfully launched the latest mission, NROL-149, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This marks the sixth deployment in the agency’s new proliferated architecture program and its final launch for 2024.
The latest launch follows on the heels of NROL-126, which took off on November 30, demonstrating a rapid pace of deployment for the intelligence agency’s ambitious space program.
The NRO’s proliferated architecture is made up of imaging satellites built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman.
The NRO, responsible for developing and operating U.S. spy satellites, is moving away from traditional large, expensive satellites toward a more distributed network of smaller spacecraft.
This approach, known as proliferated architecture, aims to enhance resilience and coverage while potentially reducing vulnerability to anti-satellite weapons.
The agency said it has placed more than 100 payloads into orbit over the past 18 months.
The NRO plans to continue expanding the constellation through 2028.
https://spacenews.com/nro-hits-milestone-with-more-than-100-satellites-in-low-earth-orbit/
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1869009649133048289
T-Mobile opens beta for Starlink smartphone connectivity
December 16, 2024
T-Mobile has opened beta registration for Starlink’s direct-to-smartphone satellite service, enabling text messaging early next year on select newer devices in most U.S. cellular dead zones with a clear sky view.
The free beta program is available to all T-Mobile customers with compatible devices and postpaid voice plans, the telco announced Dec. 16, although first responders will receive priority access due to limited initial capacity.
The company declined to detail capacity and device restrictions but said the beta program would gradually expand to more devices via software updates.
“Spots are limited but the service will be available in most areas and most of the time,” a T-Mobile spokesperson said.
SpaceX has launched over 300 Starlink satellites with direct-to-smartphone payloads and recently got permission to provide the service in the United States from up to 7,500 satellites.
The satellites would use T-Mobile’s radio waves to connect devices across the 1.29 million square kilometers of land in the country not covered by cell towers.
Unlike Apple’s space-enabled messaging for iPhones, introduced in 2022 via Globalstar’s constellation, T-Mobile said Starlink-powered connectivity will not require users to point their phones skyward in search of a signal.
T-Mobile also has reciprocal Starlink roaming agreements with telcos KDDI (Japan), Optus (Australia), One NZ (New Zealand), Salt (Switzerland), Entel (Chile and Peru), and Rogers (Canada), but declined to say when the service could be extended outside the United States.
The T-Mobile spokesperson said the duration of the beta test before a commercial launch will depend on user feedback.
The Federal Communications Commission’s approval for what the regulator calls Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) is contingent on the service not interfering with other networks.
The FCC has also deferred deciding whether to allow SpaceX to increase the radio emission power of its direct-to-smartphone satellites, which the company says is needed to support real-time voice and other higher bandwidth capabilities.
Meanwhile, U.S. telcos AT&T and Verizon are seeking FCC permission to test rival direct-to-smartphone services in partnership with AST SpaceMobile, which deployed its first five commercial spacecraft in September on a SpaceX Falcon 9.
https://spacenews.com/t-mobile-opens-beta-for-starlink-smartphone-connectivity/
USSF field commands successfully launch GPS III, demonstrating expedited launch capabilities
Dec. 17, 2024
U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and Space Operations Command executed an accelerated timeline to meet a specific warfighter need through a Rapid Response Trailblazer launch.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched this National Security Space Launch mission with a GPS III Space Vehicle aboard, named SV-07, Dec. 16, from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The mission successfully achieved a complex effort across multiple Space Force organizations to pull an existing GPS III satellite from storage, accelerate integration and launch vehicle readiness, and rapidly process for launch.
The success of the launch proved a two-fold concept of operations. For SSC, Assured Access to Space successfully demonstrated and highlighted its agility in partnership with industry to respond to changing national needs by executing an NSS-class launch in less than five months.
“This launch was a remarkable achievement that highlights the Space Force’s ability to execute high priority launches of major space systems on a significantly reduced timescale,” said Col. Jim Horne, senior materiel leader of Launch Execution for AATS.
“As an added benefit, it also demonstrates flexibility to adjust our manifest to minimize the impact of Vulcan delays. In this case, revised planning for this RRT began at launch minus-five months instead of our normal launch minus-24 months.
It not only demonstrates the teams’ ability to respond to emergent constellation needs but is a testament to our flexibility and responsiveness to deliver capability as rapidly as Space Vehicle readiness allows.
In this case, it’s not just the warfighter, but also the nation and our allies around the world that rely on GPS on a daily basis.”
For SpOC, the event not only marked a first for Mission Delta 31 as the SV lead but also demonstrated flexibility and responsiveness by reducing the typical six-month SV pre-launch processing timeline to approximately three months.
Similar to the flexibility with launch partners for AATS, this also included coordination with MD 31 and Lockheed Martin in Colorado to process SV-07 out of storage within the reduced timescale.
“This was an amazing effort across multiple teams and agencies,” said Col. Andrew Menschner, Delta 31 mission commander.
“This launch showed our ability to respond quickly to an operational need, such as an on-orbit vehicle failure of the GPS constellation, as well as demonstrating our willingness to challenge traditional timelines associated with launches in response to a realistic scenario.”
This launch was the first exercise of trailblazer capabilities for the GPS constellation.
“We have a very healthy GPS constellation, now with 31 active vehicles, seven on orbit in reserve status and three GPS III vehicles completed and awaiting launch,” Menschner said.
“Over six billion people use GPS on a daily basis, and we are always eager to update the global capability we provide by getting some new technology on orbit.”
Key enablers required to accelerate the mission spanned multiple disciplines and organizations, addressing technical matters such as space vehicle-to-launch vehicle integration, on-console satellite control preparedness, along with nimble contracting and procurement actions.
“The launch and spacecraft teams quickly aligned to execute this campaign and demonstrated the resiliency, communication and teamwork necessary to resolve schedule and technical challenges without compromising mission success,” said Dr. Walt Lauderdale, Falcon Systems and Operations chief and launch mission director.
“This partnership is an example of new and faster ways we can deliver launch in support of future warfighter needs. The Space Force quickly energized multiple organizations, and the joint team delivered a specific, important mission to orbit in record time.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4006580/ussf-field-commands-successfully-launch-gps-iii-demonstrating-expedited-launch/
Small drone found on grounds of Nantucket Memorial Airport
December 16, 2024
A drone was found on the grounds of Nantucket Memorial Airport Sunday, officials said, amid a slew of reported drone sightings across the East Coast.
At around 7:30 a.m., airport operations staff discovered a small, multi-rotor drone on the airfield, the airport said in a statement.
It was found on the pavement of an area “reserved for the safe operation of aircraft,” airport staff said.
Airport staff reported the finding to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, the statement said.
The drone, which weighs less than 0.55 pounds, is readily available online and “may not require FAA registration” if used recreationally, the airport said. However, regulations around airports are a bit tighter.
“Drone operators should avoid flying near airports and must receive an airspace authorization prior to operation,” the airport said.
No flights at Nantucket Memorial Airport were impacted and there were no reported threats to aircraft, according to the airport.
Back on the mainland, two men are accused of flying a drone near Boston’s Logan International Airport Saturday night.
https://whdh.com/news/small-drone-found-on-grounds-of-nantucket-memorial-airport/
Utah’s Hill Air Force Base confirms drone sightings
December 16, 2024 at 6:26 PM MST
Hill Air Force Base has confirmed that Utahns recently spotted unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, flying near the base in Davis County.
In a statement, officials said they will continue to monitor the area and are working with local authorities to track the drones.
“To date, unmanned aerial systems have not impacted Hill AFB operations and all appropriate measures are being taken to safeguard Hill AFB personnel, assets, and infrastructure,” the statement read.
Nationwide, unidentified drones and lights have sparked curiosity and concerns about national security. On Dec. 15, Utahns reported seeing lights in the sky above Davis County on the social media site Reddit.
Hill Air Force Base is requesting people report any suspicious activity to local police or base security.
For some in the industry, the increased sightings and attention on drones is a byproduct of change overhead.
“We're sort of entering what I like to call the new golden age of aviation,” said Brendan Stewart, vice president of regulatory affairs at drone company Red Cat, which owns and operates Salt Lake City-based Teal Drones.
“The makeup of operations in the national airspace is changing, and folks who've not spent a lot of time sort of looking up at the sky and wondering what's going on are now realizing that the day-to-day operations in the airspace are different than they used to be,” Stewart said.
The Federal Aviation Administration regulates drone use, and Stewart said those regulations have loosened in recent years, allowing for more waivers.
That means more drones in the skies at night and other times when people may not be used to seeing them.
Teal recently secured a $260 million contract with the U.S. Army, but it isn’t just the military that uses drones. Photographers, hobbyists, law enforcement, and even search and rescue teams all use unmanned aerial vehicles.
Stewart said Teal’s factory is in South Salt Lake, but they try to be cognizant of the neighborhood so they conduct most of their testing in Utah’s West Desert.
“There's probably a lot of folks who are not used to seeing that activity, and especially because drones fly lower than most manned aircraft, it could be a little surprising or unsettling to see them show up.”
For Stewart, the best way to identify what’s in the sky is to download an app that tracks the signals of drones and planes.
The holidays are another reason sightings may be on the rise at this particular moment. When drones end up as gifts, that lifts the number of people, many of them new, flying them.
The FAA requires passing an online safety training course to operate a drone recreationally, but not everyone knows that.
“They're probably not nefarious,” Stewart said. “It's probably, frankly, a pretty boring operation that's going on that just happens to be conspicuous.”
https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2024-12-16/utahs-hill-air-force-base-confirms-drone-sightings
Mysterious drones spotted in Tacoma, WA
December 16, 2024 9:51pm PST
On the heels of a drone scare in New Jersey where federal and government officials are investigating multiple reports of drones, people in Tacoma claim to be seeing similar objects in the night sky.
People claim these "drone-like" flying objects range in size. Some are the size of a small car, others a little bigger than a typical consumer drone.
Regardless of size, some have been seen flying over military bases and various infrastructure.
Dozens of people across the Puget Sound region have claimed to see these drones at night, including Shane and Kristen Elduen.
They live in West Tacoma and claim to have seen 10 large drones moving towards water.
"They had their own little light show going on up there," said Kristen Elduen. "They were flashing red, green and white lights, and then when you do get a shape of it, it’s almost like a a small plane."
"It doesn’t seem like anybody really knows what it is and it’s happening all over the place, now in Tacoma," said Kristen’s husband, Shane.
The couple shared video of the mysterious drone event. It’s a three-minute-long interview.
According to reports, these Tacoma drones are similar to the ones seen popping up in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and beyond.
Local officials say they have received reports of drones flying near the Narrow’s Bridge, flying over Commencement Bay, and most recently above the Elduen’s family home.
Despite these sightings, local and federal officials said these "mystery drones pose no threat or security risk."
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/mysterious-drones-spotted-tacoma-wa
NYPD Recovers Drone in Brooklyn Amid ‘Mysterious’ Sightings
December 17, 2024
The New York Police Department (NYPD) recovered a massive drone measuring more than 5 feet in diameter that was reportedly abandoned in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The New York Post reports cops responded to a tip via email of the drone sighting, which they found on the sidewalk.
The source of the drone, identified by a passer-by, is Amogy, Inc., a “sustainable-energy startup working to use ammonia as a renewable fuel resource, including for aerial vehicles,” according to The Post.
Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo confirmed that the drone is his company’s property, noting that it was placed on the sidewalk after a company party about one month ago.
According to a spokesperson from the company, the drone, which is now inoperable, was used in a demonstration of its “clean energy technology” three years ago. It has been on display outside of the company’s headquarters since that time.
Amogy has fully cooperated with law enforcement since it was taken into possession by the NYPD for a brief period. After determining that the drone was not a threat, the NYPD returned it to the company.
The discovery of this drone comes as others flying over New York City and other states have drawn national attention and concern.
After stealing headline after headline, Americans have grown worried about the drone sightings as the reason for their presence has yet to be explained.
According to the New York Post, “Rebecca Weiner, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of counterterrorism and intelligence, told reporters at an unrelated briefing that despite drone mania taking hold in New York and New Jersey over the past month, the perceived surge in sightings may be attributable to the power of suggestion.”
Weiner explained that the sightings of drones flying above New York City are nothing out of the ordinary and “quite normal” given the numerous drones seen everyday.
Weiner added that there are about 2,000 drone flights each week in the city, but a lack of reporting about them has left their use essentially unrecognized by New Yorkers.
Recently, the drone sightings over New York and New Jersey have grabbed headline after headline, leading some to panic over the mystery behind the devices.
What is happening now, Weiner said, is an increase in reports of the drones which does not mean that there is an increase in threats.
New Yorkers, including congressional leaders, have demanded an explanation for the drone sightings, but thus far, all the federal government has shared is that the devices are “legal and lawful drones,” according to National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby.
In an appearance on FOX News, Kirby said, the government’s assessment is that the aircraft activity is not a national security threat because of the detection analyses done by officials including the FBI and the Department of Defense.
The sightings near and over military bases are being investigated in a different category, Kirby added, noting that there has been no disruption at military bases because of the sightings.
In response to President-elect Trump calling out the Biden administration for not telling Americans exactly what is going on and keeping them in suspense, Kirby reiterated and maintained that there is no indication of a national security threat, but legislation is currently being drawn up to respond to concerns over drones.
https://saraacarter.com/nypd-recovers-drone-in-brooklyn-amid-mysterious-sightings/
More Than 5,000 Drone Sightings Reported, FBI Says
Updated Dec 17, 2024 at 5:15 AM EST
What's New
A joint statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies released on Monday has confirmed there have been more than 5,000 drone sightings over East Coast states in recent weeks.
Why It Matters
Residents across several East Coast states have reported seeing uncrewed aerial systems, also known as drones, flying in the sky.
Speculation is growing over why the number of sightings has increased, where the drones may have come from and who is flying them.
The majority of the sightings have been reported in New Jersey, with reported drone activity also temporarily closing runways at New York's Stewart International Airport for about an hour on Friday.
On the same day, airspace above Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio was restricted because of drone activity.
What To Know
In its statement, the government agencies said the FBI had "received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated" and that the federal government was "supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports."
Who is operating the drones remains unknown, but according to the statement, there appears to be no threat to public safety or national security.
It said: "Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.
"We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast."
At present, there are almost 800,000 drones registered with the Federal Aviation Authority. Any drone that weighs more than 0.55 pounds must be registered.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: "If there is any reason for concern, if we identify any foreign involvement or criminal activity, we will communicate with the American public accordingly. Right now we are not aware of any."
President-elect Donald Trump: "Our military knows where they took off from … And for some reason they [federal officials] don't want to comment.
And I think they'd be better off saying what it is. Our military knows, and our president knows. And for some reason they want to keep people in suspense." He did not cite evidence for his claims.
New Jersey Republican Representative Chris Smith: "The elusive maneuvering of these drones suggests a major military power sophistication that begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities—or worse—by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia, or China, or Iran, or North Korea."
Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder: "There are thousands of drones flown around the U.S. on a daily basis.
So as a result, it's not that unusual to see drones in the sky, nor is it an indication of malicious activity or any public safety threat. And so the same applies to drones flown near U.S. military installations."
What's Next
While the Biden administration has said there is no major concern over the increased drone sightings, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer has called for "special drone detection" to be deployed over New Jersey and New York. Other lawmakers have backed his call.
https://www.newsweek.com/more-5000-drone-sightings-fbi-says-2001877
https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-new-states-recent-drone-sightings-2001858
Drone sightings live updates: NJ mayor rips ‘dismissive’ FBI, White House drone briefing with local officials
Updated Dec. 17, 2024, 1:33 p.m. ET
Weeks into the drones-over-New Jersey mystery, the FBI and Homeland Security are finally stepping up to investigate and determine what threat, if any, they might pose.
Garden State residents have reported thousands of drone sightings going back as far as Nov. 18.
Despite the eerie flying objects taking to the skies above the Eastern Seaboard nightly ever since — and calls by local and state politicians, and President-elect Donald Trump, to shoot them down — federal authorities have given no explanation about what the drones might be.
Trump on Monday said the “government knows what is happening,” and accused President Biden and the Pentagon of hiding information.
A New Jersey mayor warned Tuesday that the troubling drone sightings over the state may be linked to missing radioactive material, although federal officials say the amount poses no serious threat either way.
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said the drones flying in a grid-like pattern over his Essex County township appear to be “looking for something.
“What might they be looking for? Maybe that’s radioactive material,” Melham told Fox TV’s “Good Day New York.”
cont.
https://nypost.com/2024/12/16/us-news/drone-sightings-live-updates-12-16-2024/
Donald Trump says he likely won't go to Bedminster due to reported drone sightings
Updated 2:36 p.m. ET December 16, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump made comments about the alleged drones that have been flying over New Jersey this past month in a press conference on Monday afternoon, saying he believes that the United States government is not sharing the full information.
"The government knows what is happening. Our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went, and for some reason they don't want to comment," Trump said.
Trump said he does not believe foreign countries are flying the drones into the state, despite comments from fellow Republicans.
"I can't imagine it is the enemy because if it was the enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it. Something strange is going on, and for some reason they don't want to tell the people," said Trump.
The president-elect also added that because the drones are flying close to Bedminster, where his golf course is located, that he will avoid the area.
"They (the drones) happened to be over Bedminster. I think maybe I won't spend the weekend at Bedminster. I've decided to cancel my trip," he said.
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2024/12/16/nj-drones-donald-trump-cancels-bedminster-visit/77025676007/