Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 9:52 a.m. No.22187397   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7403 >>7516 >>7863 >>8022 >>8109

Paris Hilton’s Powerful Speech in DC: Ending Abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry

Dec 18, 2024

 

#stopinstitutionalchildabuseact #Advocacy #ParisHilton

 

Join Paris Hilton as she delivers a compelling speech in Washington, D.C., advocating for the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.

Drawing from her personal experiences, Paris sheds light on the harrowing realities of the troubled teen industry and calls for urgent reform to protect vulnerable youth.

Watch as she uses her platform to inspire change and stand up for those who have endured abuse in institutional settings.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcHXWc7N2xc

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:01 a.m. No.22187444   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7452 >>7468 >>7516 >>7863 >>8022 >>8109

Chinese space defence expert Zhang Xiaoxin dies in car crash in Beijing

8:44pm, 17 Dec 2024

 

A top Chinese space expert who specialised in weather monitoring and early warning systems died in a car crash in Beijing on Sunday night aged 62.

Zhang Xiaoxin, a space expert who had long been involved in space weather research, was mourned in an obituary issued on Tuesday by the National Satellite Meteorological Centre (NSMC), an affiliate of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), where he worked.

 

Zhang won a top award given by the Chinese military for science and tech progress, although little information is available about his research project.

He is the second Chinese scientist with close ties to the military to die in a car crash in recent years.

 

In July last year, Feng Yanghe, an outstanding young expert in artificial intelligence related to China’s defence sector, died in Beijing on the way to “a major mission” at the age of 38.

Feng was an associate professor at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) in Changsha, Hunan province, and led teams in developing the War Skull I and War Skull II AI programs used by the People’s Liberation Army to simulate joint operation military war games.

 

Zhang was born in 1962 in Shandong province in eastern China. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Jilin University in 1987 and a doctorate in space physics from Auburn University in the United States in 2003.

In 2007, he returned to China as a high-level overseas talent and served as a special expert for the CMA, giving up a US green card to devote himself to building and developing China’s space weather sector.

Regarded as “one of the important pioneers and founders” of his field, Zhang is remembered for his outstanding contribution to monitoring and warning technologies and platforms.

 

According to a 2021 article by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the team led by Zhang implemented and expanded weather application services in key areas such as space, aviation and communications, serviced missions, including Shenzhou and Chang’e, and established business relationships with users like the air force and the civil aviation sector.

As the chief expert in an 863 Programme, also known as China’s State Hi-Tech Development Plan, Zhang led the initial completion of a space weather disaster observation network for short-wave communication, a star-ground radio link and long-distance power grid.

 

He was also one of the leading scientists behind China’s FengYun series of meteorological satellites.

Among his many positions, Zhang was director of the space weather office of the NSMC, co-chair of the international space weather coordination group of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and an expert adviser to the aviation meteorology working group of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

His achievements earned him many honours, including the titles of outstanding senior returned scholar, CMA leading talent and leadership contribution award from the WMO commission on observing technology systems.

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3291249/chinese-space-defence-expert-zhang-xiaoxin-dies-car-crash-beijing

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:14 a.m. No.22187500   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7516 >>7863 >>8022 >>8094 >>8109

SpaceX wants Starbase to become an official city in Texas

December 17, 2024

 

SpaceX is hoping to officially make its Starbase facility a new city in South Texas.

 

The private spaceflight company submitted a petition to local authorities on Dec. 12, requesting an election on incorporating the Starbase launch site as its own city.

The Starbase facility located near Boca Chica, Texas, has seen some of SpaceX's most ambitious launches, including the recent Starship rocket catch, and will become the company's new headquarters in a move from California to Texas.

 

"To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community," SpaceX said in the petition, which was shared in a post on X (formally Twitter).

"That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley."

 

The petition was addressed to Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., the county's top elected official.

The next step will be for officials to review the petition to determine if it complies with statutory requirements. Then, an election would be held to incorporate Starbase.

 

Starbase serves as SpaceX's primary launch site for Starship test flights, which demonstrate its reusable rocket technology.

The most recent launch on Nov. 19 represented the sixth test flight of the Starship launch vehicle, which proved successful with the first in-space burn of a single Raptor engine for deorbiting processes.

SpaceX is preparing for a seventh test flight in January 2025, which will attempt another booster recovery at the launch site.

 

Thousands of SpaceX employees work at Starbase, with several hundred living on-site. The company credits the generation of "hundreds of millions in income and taxes for local businesses and government" to the launch facility.

Given the remote location of the launch site, SpaceX already helps manage the area's roads and utilities, and assists with schooling and medical care for residents through agreements with the county.

 

With Starship expected to "fundamentally alter humanity's access to space," SpaceX aims to make the area of the Starbase launch site the "Gateway to Mars," the company wrote in the petition.

This is not the first time turning Starbase into its own city has come up. SpaceX founder Elon Musk previously proposed the idea on social media in 2021; however, it was not until Dec. 12 that a petition was officially filed with the support of Starbase residents.

"Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live — for hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanity's future in space," SpaceX officials said in the petition.

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/spacex-wants-starbase-to-become-an-official-city-in-texas

https://x.com/jessica_kirsh/status/1867375268936982742

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:21 a.m. No.22187528   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Chinese astronauts conduct record-breaking 9-hour spacewalk outside Tiangong space station

December 18, 2024

 

Two Chinese astronauts just secured a spot in spaceflight history.

Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong, part of China's three-person Shenzhou 19 mission, spent more than nine hours spacewalking outside the Tiangong space station from late Monday night (Dec. 16) through Tuesday morning (Dec. 17), according to officials with China's Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).

 

That broke the previous duration record for a single extravehicular activity (EVA), which was eight hours and 56 minutes, according to NASA.

That mark was set by NASA astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms outside the International Space Station back in March 2001.

This week's EVA was the first for the Shenzhou 19 mission, which arrived at Tiangong on Oct. 29 for a six-month stay.

 

During the spacewalk, Cai and Song — along with crewmate Wang Haoze, who remained inside Tiangong — "worked closely together, and with the support of the space station's robotic arm and ground scientific researchers, completed the installation of the space station's space debris protection device, the inspection and disposal of extravehicular equipment and facilities, and other tasks," CMSEO officials said in a WeChat update on Tuesday.

 

"The extravehicular activities were a complete success," they added, also noting that Song, 34, "became China's first astronaut born in the 1990s to conduct extravehicular activities."

According to SpaceNews, the spacewalk began on Monday at 11:51 p.m. EDT (0451 GMT on Dec. 17), when Cai, the Shenzhou 19 commander, exited Tiangong's Wentian module.

Song followed suit more than 90 minutes later, at 1:32 a.m. EDT (0632 GMT).

 

Both astronauts went back inside Wentian at 8:57 a.m. EDT (1357 GMT) on Tuesday, CMSEO officials wrote in the update.

Those numbers put the EVA's duration at nine hours and six minutes, meaning it broke the old record by just 10 minutes.

 

The record-setting EVA was the 17th overall outside of Tiangong, according to SpaceNews. The space station's core module, called Tianhe, reached orbit in April 2021.

Two more modules — Wentian and Mengtian — arrived in July 2022 and November 2022, respectively, completing the T-shaped orbital outpost.

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/chinese-astronauts-conduct-record-breaking-9-hour-spacewalk-outside-tiangong-space-station-photos

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:34 a.m. No.22187585   🗄️.is 🔗kun

OSTP releases cislunar science and technology plans

December 18, 2024

 

The Biden administration is releasing some final space policy documents focused on cislunar activities and technology development.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published Dec. 18 a policy memorandum directing the development of a cislunar reference system needed for future navigation on and around the moon as well as a cislunar science and technology action plan.

 

The memorandum directs the federal government, led by NASA, to develop “common reference systems” for the moon, providing an implementation plan to the White House by the end of 2026.

Such reference systems provide a means to determine position and direction and the ability to convert them to other reference systems, like Earth-centered ones.

 

“A shared understanding of reference systems at the Moon is essential for safe navigation, scientific discovery, and commercial activity, just as it is at Earth,” Arati Prabhakar, director of OSTP, stated in the memo.

“Now is the time for the U.S. to lead a coordinated approach to establishing reference systems at the Moon, while these and complementary foundational standards for Cislunar activities are being defined and infrastructure at the Moon is being built.”

 

The cislunar reference frame memo follows up on a similar memo from OSTP in April directing the work on a timing system for the moon.

That time standard must account for the effects of general relativity that would cause a clock on the lunar surface to lose nearly 60 microseconds per day compared to a clock on Earth, creating navigation and other challenges.

 

NASA would lead the development of this new cislunar reference system, working with the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Interior, State and Transportation.

The memo also calls on the agencies to work with the international community on the proposal.

 

OSTP also released a 15-page National Cislunar Science and Technology Action Plan. That plan is intended to implement a cislunar science and technology strategy the office released in 2022.

That strategy set four objectives to support research and development for cislunar activities, expand international science and technology cooperation, extend space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities into cislunar space and develop cislunar communications and navigation systems.

 

The first objective, to support research and development for cislunar activities, includes a series of tasks on enabling an “enduring” human presence in cislunar space, conducting science and supporting the workforce.

NASA is the lead for most of those tasks, although the Defense Department is the lead agency on tasks on workforce issues.

 

The second objective, to expand international science and technology cooperation, endorses the concept of an International Lunar Year by the end of the decade, with the State Department leading that work and a goal of submitting a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly by 2026. Another key area is international cooperation on best practices for safe cislunar activities.

 

For cislunar SSA, the action plan directs work to identify needs and gaps, and efforts to develop or improve ground- and space-based sensors.

It includes development of an “integrated cislunar object catalog” jointly by NASA, the Defense Department and the Commerce Department, as well as efforts to share data with others that operate in cislunar space.

 

The final objective calls for the creation of a National Communication and Position, Navigation, and Timing Architecture, with an interagency group led by NASA charged with developing and overseeing that architecture.

The plan endorses the development of standards to make that architecture interoperable with commercial and international systems.

 

In most cases, the plan does not set specific deadlines for the actions included other than stating that it covers efforts over the next five years.

“Federal departments and agencies should implement these actions in accordance with a core principle of the Strategy: that a key long-term interest of the United States in Cislunar space is to lead in shaping future ‘rules of the road’ and international governance for outer space activities, consistent with the U.S. Space Priorities Framework and National Security Strategy,” the plan states.

 

https://spacenews.com/ostp-releases-cislunar-science-and-technology-plans/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lunar-Reference-System-Policy.pdf

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cislunar-Implementation-Plan-Final.pdf

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:41 a.m. No.22187617   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7620 >>7863 >>8022 >>8109

https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-revises-space-station-assembly-plans/

 

Axiom Space revises space station assembly plans

Dec 18, 2024

 

Axiom Space is revising the assembly sequence for its commercial space station, a move it says will allow it to get to a free-flying station sooner while addressing NASA’s needs to prepare for the deorbiting of the International Space Station.

The company announced Dec. 18 a revised sequence of modules it will deploy through the end of the decade to assemble its Axiom Station, starting with a Payload Power Thermal Module (PPTM) that will be installed on the ISS.

 

Axiom originally planned to install a habitat module on the ISS in late 2026, followed by a second habitat module and a research module.

Finally, a power and thermal module, with an airlock, would be attached, allowing those modules to undock from the station around the end of the decade to be a free-flying station.

 

One issue with that approach, Axiom executives said in an interview, is that the company would have installed those modules on a docking port called Node 2 Forward on the ISS under an agreement with NASA in early 2020.

That is the port that will later be used by the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV), the spacecraft that will provide the final maneuvers to deorbit the station into the South Pacific at the end of its life.

 

NASA approached Axiom earlier this year to find ways to deconflict USDV from the Axiom modules. One option would have been for the USDV to dock to the Axiom modules.

“That potentially presents a risk to Axiom if, for some reason, they had to deorbit and we weren’t ready to separate,” said Mark Greeley, chief operating officer of Axiom Space and program manager for Axiom Station.

 

The company decided to revise the sequence of the station’s assembly. It will now start with the PPTM, which includes power and thermal systems as well as eight science racks for research payloads.

Rather than dock PPTM to Node 2 Forward, it will instead berth to one of two ports currently used by cargo spacecraft like Cygnus.

 

“The huge advantage here to both NASA and Axiom is the fact that they do not have to reconfigure the forward port,” said George Motter, chief engineer and architect of Axiom Station.

“They can bring the deorbit vehicle at any time. They can prepare for deorbit on their schedule, and once we arrive, we can stay there for a short time or a long time. We’re not in the way.”

 

Axiom would then launch the first habitat module, Hab1. However, rather than dock it to the ISS, the PPTM would depart the ISS and dock with the habitat module, enabling a free-flying station with just two modules, supporting four crew members.

That could take place as soon as 2028, the company said, sooner than previous plans.

 

“The dream sequence would be to go to ISS, be there for a bit, wait for Hab1 to launch, leave ISS and dock fairly directly with Hab1,” Motter said.

However, both the habitat module and the PPTM have the ability to loiter in orbit independently if needed.

 

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Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:42 a.m. No.22187620   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7863 >>8022 >>8109

>>22187617

Once the station is free flying, Axiom will add an airlock module, a second habitat module and a research module.

Each module will have its own power and thermal capabilities, and the first habitat module also has a robotic arm used to reconfigure the station.

 

Thales Alenia Space Italia (TASI) is producing the modules for Axiom. It has started work on the PPTM by using components that were originally manufactured for the two habitat modules.

Motter said TASI will deliver the PPTM to Axiom in 2025 for final outfitting and a launch no earlier than 2027.

 

How long PPTM remains at the ISS before departing to link up with the first habitat module remains to be determined.

“We can stay for a short period of time, or we can extend that stay,” said David Romero, deputy program manager for Axiom Station.

“We have the ability to spend time up there, testing, practicing, learning how to operate in space, burning down some of the risks.”

 

He added the company could transfer some ISS payloads and equipment to the PPTM before it departs, particularly if that takes place close to the end of the life of the ISS.

“You want to be there as long as they can accommodate us. We also want to be there as close to the end of life as possible, so they’re ready to give up that equipment and let it move over to our vehicle.”

 

With the PPTM installed on the station, but without a habitat module, Axiom plans to continue to send private astronaut missions, or PAMs, to the ISS.

The company has flown three to date and is training the crew for the fourth mission, now projected to launch in spring 2025. However, Axiom will have to compete for limited PAM opportunities offered by NASA.

 

Greeley said the revision does not change the overall cost of Axiom Station, which the company has not disclosed. “It does favorably impact our cash flow needs,” he said. “It really is just a matter of phasing our cash flow needs to accommodate the new sequence.”

“In a sense, we’re a station in two [launches] instead of a station in four,” Motter said, with full capability added in a third launch of the airlock module. “The two gives us everything you need to be a functioning space station.”

 

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Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:46 a.m. No.22187639   🗄️.is 🔗kun

In Fifth Year, Space Force Commander Details Service's Stellar Accomplishments

Dec. 17, 2024

 

America's newest military service, the U.S. Space Force, stood up five years ago this Friday. In advance of an out-of-this world birthday celebration, the service's commander, Gen B. Chance Saltzman, reflected on half a decade of accomplishments.

"From … humble beginnings, we have laid the foundations of a space service that is dedicated and laser focused on achieving space superiority, a service that is unparalleled in its talent and capabilities in the domain, a service that every day is increasing our readiness to secure our nation's interests in, from and to space," Saltzman said today during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

 

In the past five years, Saltzman said, the Space Force has increased its budget, largely through the absorbing of other space-related agencies, and has grown considerably since it stood up.

"Although still not where we need it, our budget has increased substantially with a number of mission aggregations and some new investments since activation," he said.

"On average, we have tripled in size every year for the last five years in personnel, an astounding growth rate for any government organization.

We have reimagined operations, redefined policies [and] reworked processes from the ground up to forge a service purpose-built for great power competition. All of this in just five years."

 

More than anything, Saltzman said, the Space Force can now apply a service-level focus to the space domain in the same way the Army focuses on land, the Air Force focuses on the air and the Navy focuses on the sea.

Space Force, like other services, has also fielded service components to combatant commands in the same way as other services.

Already, there are Space Force components to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command, European Command and Africa Command, with "more coming right behind it," Saltzman said.

 

The Space Force has also redesigned its professional military education and officer training programs and is working to replicate that for its enlisted personnel as well, Saltzman said.

With the help of Congress, Saltzman said, the Space Force has also found new ways to attract and manage talent.

 

"We won the authority to create a part-time workforce inside our single active component," he said.

"This unprecedented approach will be crucial for retaining talent [and] improving quality of life in a way never before seen in the Department of Defense."

Right now, Saltzman said, the Space Force's personnel staff is working to develop the administrative mechanisms needed to take advantage of those authorities.

"[It's] tremendously exciting, though, because it gives us so much latitude, so much career flexibility," he said.

 

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4008806/in-fifth-year-space-force-commander-details-services-stellar-accomplishments/

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 10:58 a.m. No.22187676   🗄️.is 🔗kun

National Space Defense Center spearheads NACE experiments

Dec. 18, 2024

 

The National Space Defense Center has created the NSDC Advanced Concept Experimentation to innovate and optimize the NSDC’s ability to execute the protect and defend mission.

The NACE program’s mission is to rapidly iterate and improve space superiority, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and defensive cyber command-and-control processes and procedures.

NACE is the NSDC’s operationally and tactically focused venue to rapidly improve its ability to execute assigned missions through experimentation, utilizing space warfighters in live-ops and tabletop exercises using current and near-operational capabilities.

 

NACE is the next generation of experimentation within the NSDC designed to focus efforts on advancing mission execution, generating a warfighter mentality, and defining operational imperatives.

NACE is not an exercise or evaluation used to validate processes and procedures or operator training.

NACE events are designed to leverage mission partner opportunities while incorporating experimentation into existing integration efforts when possible.

 

“The NACE experiments are focused on integration and synchronization with mission partners and improving processes and operations holistically,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Utulo, Operations Experimentation director.

“These experiments enable collaboration to see what processes enable tactical units the flexibility to achieve their warfighting functions.

This will help understand what feedback mechanisms the center needs to fulfill Global C2/Battle Management obligations … and just get better at warfighting.”

 

NACE development and execution methodology are uncommon in the military operations community.

Military operators usually have exercise, training, and/or test experience and often seek to fit NACE inside one of those constructs.

Although NACE has some common elements and can support those efforts, it is different.

Instead, NACE leverages the Agile Development Sprint concept, defined as a short period of focused effort seeking to rapidly advance an operational or tactical issue in new ways.

Additionally, NACE utilizes a “scientific method like” approach to define a hypothesis and develop a scenario to prove or disprove the hypothesis.

 

The primary objectives of the NACE program are to:

  • Improve and prepare the NSDC through rehearsal and refinement of existing C2 procedures to plan, execute, and assess space, cyber, and intelligence operations with the whole-of-center approach.

  • Optimize support to real-world testing and future capability process and procedure development.

  • Identify risks, issues, and gaps in current capabilities, processes, and authorities that support execution of space operations.

 

NACE events are free or low-cost experiments using tabletop, small scale, and large-scale field experimentation to rapidly identify operational and tactical level issues and then develop, refine, and prototype solutions.

These events may be overlaid with other higher headquarters experimentation, advanced training and exercise events in support of common goals and may also contribute to NSDC operational crew advanced training through their participation in creative problem solving.

With the support of mission partners and tactical units, through NACE, the NSDC implemented a space tasking cycle and flexible battle rhythm schedule ensuring the NSDC is providing the best support to the joint warfighter in defense of the nation.

 

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4009813/national-space-defense-center-spearheads-nace-experiments/

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:05 a.m. No.22187693   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Webb mail: US Priority Mail stamps to star deep space images in 2025

December 16, 2024

 

The universe of United States postage stamps featuring James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) imagery is set to expand again in 2025.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on Monday (Dec. 16) revealed that its upcoming Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express flat rate stamps will feature two deep space vistas captured by the Webb observatory.

Scheduled for release on Jan. 21, the stamps will be the second set to use JWST photos after the pair issued this year.

 

"USPS celebrates the continued exploration of deep space with an extremely high-definition image of a spiral galaxy 32 million light-years from Earth … [and] a star cluster approximately 1,000 light-years from Earth," the postal service announced on its website on Monday (Dec. 16).

"The [images were] captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope."

Both stamps feature images taken in 2023, in the first and year and a half since the Webb — the world's most powerful telescope — was deployed one million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth at a gravitationally-stable point with the Sun (Lagrange Point 2 or L2).

 

The 2025 Priority Mail stamp focuses on Spiral Galaxy NGC 628, showing stark shades of orange and red representing the gas and dust revealed in near- and mid-infrared light.

The image, which debuted to the public on Jan. 29, 2024, was taken as part of the PHANGS (Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS) program, a project that includes observations from several space- and ground-based telescopes of many galaxies.

"The image … helps researchers update their models of star formation and allows them to better understand the origins of our universe," the USPS description read.

 

Star Cluster IC 348 is the subject of the 2025 Priority Mail Express stamp.

The wispy violet curtains that fill the image are interstellar material reflecting the light from the cluster's stars, hence it being referred to as a "reflection nebula."

"Hidden within the cloud of celestial dust are floating brown dwarfs — objects too small to be stars but larger than most planets.

Studying these brown dwarfs will help scientists explore how star-formation processes operate for very small masses," read the USPS announcement.

 

Both stamps were designed by Greg Breeding, an art director for the USPS.

The Webb images were provided by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency, partners in the telescope's operation, together with Janice Lee of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Thomas Williams with the University of Oxford and the PHANGS team for NGC 628 and Kevin Luhman with Penn State University and Catarina Alves de Oliveira of ESA for IC 348.

 

The stamp designs and subjects are still subject to change, pending a review by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

If approved, both the Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps will be issued during a first-day-of-issue ceremony in Big Sky, Montana.

 

Details with regards to first-day-of-issue pictorial cancellations and cachets are still to be announced.

The stamp designs were unveiled among a second group of stamp subjects to be released in 2025, with additional topics to be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

Thus far, the Webb stamps are the only space-themed issues planned for the coming year.

 

The 2024 Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps featured Webb's version of the "Pillars of Creation," one of the Hubble Space Telescope's most iconic images, and "Cosmic Cliffs," one of Webb's first targets.

They remain available from the USPS, though due to a temporary price change, require added postage when used to send Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express shipments.

The James Webb Space Telescope was also the subject of a 2022 USPS Forever denomination stamp that featured an artist's rendering of what the observatory looked like after it entered service in deep space. It too remains for sale from the postal service.

 

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121624a-usps-james-webb-space-telescope-2025-priority-stamps.html

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2024/1216-usps-announces-more-stamp-subjects-for-2025.htm

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:14 a.m. No.22187719   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7863 >>8022 >>8109

Drones latest: Biden insists flying objects pose ‘no danger’ as FBI issues urgent firearm and laser warning

Wednesday 18 December 2024 18:00 GMT

 

President Joe Biden insisted that there is “no sense of danger” surrounding the mysterious spate of drone sightings across the US.

“Nothing nefarious apparently, but they’re checking it all out,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday amid growing public demands for an explanation.

“We’re following this closely, but so far no sense of danger.”

 

The FBI also issued a warning to New Jersey residents, urging them not to shoot down or shine lasers at suspected drones flying overhead.

The bureau, along with state police, noted an increase of pilots being hit in the eyes with lasers, after those on the ground have mistaken planes for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS’s).

“There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS,” the agency added in a statement.

 

Members of Congress were briefed on the potential origins of the drones in a classified House Intelligence Committee meeting on Tuesday by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder.

Officials continue to brush off claims that the UAS’s are linked with anything more clandestine, with Ryder telling reporters: “Completely understand the concerns, completely will reinforce we’re taking it seriously.”

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/drones-new-jersey-east-coast-updates-b2666486.html

https://www.westchestergov.com/images/stories/newsroom/2024/drones-final.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ntUsOUldIU

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:30 a.m. No.22187790   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7809 >>8022 >>8109

Nancy Mace suggests mysterious drones are from 'outer space'

Tue, December 17th 2024 at 4:39 PM

 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., suggested during an interview recorded Monday a recent surge in unexplained drone activity in the U.S. could be coming from “outer space.”

Unexplained drone sightings have been reported in multiple states recently, including New Jersey, New York and Maryland. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., last week accused the Pentagon of being “incredibly stupid” with its handling of sightings in his home state.

 

The Biden administration’s Department of Defense denied the congressman's claim that an Iranian "mothership" is involved with the drones.

During an appearance on “OutKick The Show with Clay Travis,” Rep. Mace said the government is not being honest with Americans about the sightings.

“My concern is, if it’s not craft from outer space — because I think that has to be on the table, that has to be an option — is it our technology?”

she asked. “Or is it Russia or Iran or China? Is there someone who’s winning the arms race, and are we behind?”

 

The drones, she said, could be searching for "radiation" or a “missing nuclear warhead.” For this reason, Rep. Mace added, the government is purposefully obscuring the facts.

"The government is doing what the government does,” she added. “They are not being forthcoming, they are lying to the American people about these drones in New Jersey. How can we ever trust them?”

 

President Joe Biden may have even received briefings that confirm such information, Rep. Mace claimed. He may be one of the key figures in keeping such findings concealed from the public, she said.

Rep. Mace also addressed speculation that the drones are evidence of alien ships which crash landed on Earth and are unable to return to space.

 

The congresswoman nodded in agreement as Travis suggested such a notion was not a “crazy argument.”

“I will tell you, given the size of the universe and the number of planets and systems that are out there and galaxies that are out there, the odds are in your favor,” she said.

“The question is are we being visited or are we not?” she added.

 

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday said he spotted “dozens” of drones over his home.

New York Post journalist Steven Greenstreet suggested, however, the lights in a video shared by the former governor matched the constellation Orion.

Flight data around the time Hogan claimed to have filmed the video, Greenstreet added, showed three planes flying near his location.

 

https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/nancy-mace-suggests-mysterious-drones-are-from-outer-space-new-jersey-drone-sightings-pentagon-outkick-the-show-with-clay-travis

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:37 a.m. No.22187810   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7820 >>8022 >>8109

Multiple drones spotted flying in North Texas city, feds investigating

Updated: 10:41 AM CST December 18, 2024

 

WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas — Federal and local officials are investigating after multiple drones were spotted flying in a North Texas city Tuesday.

White Settlement police say they began receiving reports of multiple drones flying near neighborhoods in the city as well as near federal and military properties shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

White Settlement is home to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.

 

White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook said in a statement that officers saw drones flying near Bomber Road, Silver Creek and North Las Vegas Trail and they began working with staff at federal and military property to try to find the pilot.

They responded to more reports of drone sightings shortly before 9 p.m. and shortly before 10:30 p.m., officials say.

 

“As a reminder, the City of White Settlement and adjacent areas near federal and military properties are ‘NO FLY ZONES’ due to being a military operation area in the national airspace,” Cook said in a post on social media.

Cook said drone sightings have been reported to the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Air Force Office of Special Investigations as they work to determine who was piloting the drones.

 

“While we do not believe there were any immediate threats related to last night's activities, it is concerning due to operating in ‘NO FLY ZONES’ near federal and military properties,” Cook added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 817-246-4973 or 817-246-7070

 

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/multiple-drones-spotted-flying-north-texas-city-feds-investigating/287-ab2fdab8-9e62-472d-9bad-f164a8acb381

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:45 a.m. No.22187840   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8022 >>8109

Burchett says government lying about drone activity: ‘I don’t think they have control of it’

12/17/24 9:08 PM ET

 

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday said he believes the government is lying about recent drone activity.

“You think the government is lying?” NewsNation’s Blake Burman asked Burchett on “The Hill.”

“I don’t wanna put words in your mouth, but you think they’re — they’re lying on this issue, Congressman?”

 

“Oh yeah, I mean, when — when have they ever told us the truth on anything … Come on, this thing has been going on, and …

I don’t think they have control of it, and they don’t know what to do, so they’re just gonna lie,” Burchett responded.

 

Drone sightings have rattled multiple Northeastern states, most notably New Jersey, over the past month.

Federal government officials said in a Monday statement that recent drone sightings have included a combination of “lawful” drones, other aircraft and stars.

 

“We recognize the concern among many communities,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) said in their joint statement.

“We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement.

We urge Congress to enact counter-[unmanned aircraft systems] legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge,” they added.

 

On Monday, President-elect Trump said that the Biden administration knows what is happening with the drone sightings, implying that they are not due to a foreign adversary.

The Tennessee Republican later added that he believes Trump will “go a long way in solving” the drone sightings.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5045606-burchett-says-government-lying-about-drone-activity-i-dont-think-they-have-control-of-it/

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:49 a.m. No.22187855   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8022 >>8109

Reports of Drone Incursions Taken Seriously, DOD Spokesman Says

Dec. 17, 2024

 

The Defense Department is taking all reports of drones seriously and working with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to examine the sightings and assess the situation, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said today.

 

It is a big job.

 

"Just to kind of put this into context, … [there are] over a million drones registered in the United States, and on any day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight," Ryder said at a news conference.

"The vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist. They're going to be commercial drones used in things like architecture, engineering, farming or they could be used for law enforcement."

 

It is possible some of the drones could be up to malign activities, "but for the vast majority that is not the case," he said.

Drones flying near or over U.S. military installations is not something new, the general said. "We take all of those [reports] seriously," he said.

"Typically, when we detect them, we attempt to classify them and take appropriate measures. Is it possible that some of those are surveillance?

Absolutely. Can you make that assumption in every case? Not necessarily so."

 

Local installation commanders have the authorities to respond appropriately and will continue to do so.

DOD is sending additional resources to Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle — both in New Jersey — to better enable the installations to detect, track and monitor drone activity, Ryder said.

Commanders can use the recently released counter unmanned systems strategy to craft their responses to any incursions.

 

The recent strategy looks at the priority installations and what the department needs to do to address the issue — particularly when the systems pose a threat to personnel or security.

"The thing is, I think we've all recognized the fact that unmanned systems are here to stay," Ryder said. "They are a part of modern warfare, whether it's here in the homeland or overseas.

We want to make sure that we're doing due diligence to protect our forces and protect our equities from a national security standpoint.

You will see us continuing to look at that, and it's something we're going to continue to take seriously."

 

DOD is also taking the situation in Syria seriously and still concentrating on the Defeat-ISIS mission in the country.

The overthrow of the Assad regime opened up areas where ISIS was sheltering and those have become targets.

"We all have a vested interest in ensuring that groups in the region capitalize on the situation there, to enable the people of Syria to be able to have a better life than they did under the Assad regime," Ryder said.

 

Even with the confusion in Syria, the mission against ISIS continues, "as evidenced by the counter ISIS strike, we took a couple days ago," Ryder said. "[U.S. forces] are able to conduct their mission.

And, as it has always been, force protection remains a top priority for our forces."

 

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4008836/reports-of-drone-incursions-taken-seriously-dod-spokesman-says/

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 11:59 a.m. No.22187875   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Renewal of counter-drone authority, China crackdowns in last-minute government funding extension

December 18, 2024 11:37am EST

 

Congress is set to pass legislation to avert a government shutdown that will reauthorize the government’s ability to intercept and track unauthorized drones and crack down on U.S. investment in China.

The 1,500+ page continuing resolution (CR), which will fund the government until March 14, includes a provision reauthorizing a Department of Homeland Security program allowing agencies to coordinate and counter threats from drones.

That authority, passed in 2018, was set to expire Friday – at a time when concerns about drone incursions are at an all-time high.

 

However, it is a simple reauthorization of a program many drone experts say is outdated.

Congress has not hashed out legislation that would grant the government greater detection capabilities and give state and local law enforcement authorities to deal with unauthorized drones.

"The security industry wants folks to know the technology is out there to identify and socially mitigate these drones," Brett Fedderson, chair of the Security Industry Association’s Counter-UAS Working Group, told Fox News Digital.

 

"Congress is not enabling state and local law enforcement to actually do the work that is needed on the front lines, regardless of the fact that the FBI, DHS, DOJ have all come to Congress several times and said they cannot do the job effectively, that they need to be able to be supported by state and local law enforcement."

"We are worried that a drone catastrophe is going to be the motivation for them to sit down at the table and actually vote on something to push the authorities out."

 

A drone phenomenon that started in New Jersey a month ago has since led to 6,000 tips being called in to the FBI. Umanned aerial systems (UAS) have since been reported flying near military bases like Picatinny Arsenal.

"The idea of drone detection needs to be reformed," said Ryan Gury, CEO of military drone manufacturer PDW.

"We need radar instead of listening to radio waves… an active approach where we have radar stations and camera stations set up like cell towers to detect things like drones."

 

"There’s no stopping the power of small drones. We need to be ready. This is just a small glimpse into our future."

Also included in the CR is a provision that was left out of the NDAA and would prevent the U.S. from investing in the development of military technologies.

 

The rule prohibits U.S. financing of some China-based ventures and requires Americans to notify the government of their involvement in others.

It restricts and monitors U.S. investments in artificial intelligence, computer chips and quantum computing, all of which have a dual use in the defense and commercial sectors.

The rule seeks to limit the access "countries of concern," like China, including the Hong Kong and Macao regions, have to U.S. dollars to fund the development of high-level technologies like next-generation missile systems and fighter jets they could then use for their own military. It is set to take effect Jan. 2.

 

Lawmakers have criticized financial institutions for pouring billions of dollars from U.S. investors into Chinese stocks of companies the U.S. believes the CCP is using to build up China’s military.

The legislation codifies a recent Treasury Department rule restricting outbound investment in China and expands on it, including a requirement to investigate the national security risks posed by Chinese-made consumer routers and modems and implement reviews of Chinese real estate purchases near sensitive sites like military installations.

 

It would also require the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish every company that holds an FCC license and is owned or partially owned by adversarial governments like China.

The CR, released Tuesday night, is a short-term extension of government funding at 2024 levels intended to give lawmakers more time to agree on funding for the rest of 2025. It is the second such extension since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

 

It must pass the GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate by Friday and hit President Biden’s desk by midnight that day to avoid a partial government shutdown.

It is expected to pass both chambers, despite grumblings from both chambers, particularly among conservatives who want to cut costs in the 2025 budget.

 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/continuing-resolution-drones-china

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:08 p.m. No.22187906   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7974 >>8022 >>8109

NFL reiterates call to Congress to safeguard events from drones

December 18, 2024 11:22 AM

 

Forty-five years after a drone, technically, killed an NFL fan at Shea Stadium, the league is trying to avoid similar outcomes.

Via Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the NFL has renewed its call to Congress to safeguard major sports events against drone activity.

 

“Over the past several years, an increasing number of drones have flown into restricted airspace during NFL games,” NFL senior V.P. of security Cathy Lanier said in a statement.

“With the nation’s attention now focused on drones, we again call on Congress to protect critical infrastructure and mass gatherings such as major sporting events.”

 

As Maske notes, the most recent AFC Championship, in Baltimore, was delayed by drove activity. The incident resulted in felony charges.

Per the league, “threats, incidents, and incursions by unauthorized drones over NFL games jumped from a dozen in 2017 to more than 2,800 in 2023.”

 

It should be a no-brainer for Congress to ensure that any large gathering is properly secured, from anything that could put attendees at risk. Whether it’s a drone or a flying lawnmower.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-reiterates-call-to-congress-to-safeguard-events-from-drones

https://x.com/MarkMaske/status/1869399390227718302

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:15 p.m. No.22187938   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Radiation spike in New York after flood of drone sightings as Americans warned 'plan for the worst'

11:16 ET, DEC 18 2024

 

A US-China relations expert has issued a chilling warning for Americans to "plan for the worst" in light of the ongoing New Jersey drone mystery, following reports of unexplained radiation spikes in the area.

The Geiger Counter World Map, a tool that monitors global radiation levels, flagged two areas in the New York metro region as red this week.

These areas are reportedly exceeding the safety threshold of 200 counts-per-minute. Similar red flags have been raised further north, near Connecticut.

 

This comes on the heels of claims that the drones are searching for a nuclear warhead that was lost during the Cold War era.

Gordon Chang, an expert on US-China relations, told Forbes that the drones could be linked to the radiation.

 

He said: "There have been reports of spikes and radiation in the New York metropolitan area. Two of them, one on each side of the Hudson.

That leads to the conclusion that maybe they're looking for an implanted nuclear weapon."

 

Chang's latest book, Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America, explores the looming threat of a surprise Chinese attack on American soil.

He drew parallels between the current drone situation and the 2023 "spy balloon" crisis, when a Chinese craft was detected in US airspace.

 

In both instances, Chang noted "the apparent failure of the federal government both the military and the president to protect the American people," and he suspects that China's leadership is now prepared to wage war against America.

Chang expressed that the vague reassurances from authorities are not sufficient and emphasized the urgency for transparency.

He stated: "At this point we really need the president of the United States to actually address the American people and tell us what the federal government knows and what it doesn't know."

 

He described a worrisome picture of an alliance forming between some of America's foes, adding:

"For more than a decade US officials have been worried about the North Koreans taking apart a device, smuggling the parts into the United States and reassembling it in the location of their choice.

This is not something which is just wild speculation."

 

Chang suggested that drones, possibly operated by the Department of Homeland Security or the FBI, might be scouting for nuclear materials.

He said: "If the danger is serious enough, we could see the US taking emergency action like that so until we hear from the president, until we get more consistent information, then we have to plan for the worst."

 

He warned that the detonation of a nuclear warhead, or even a so-called "dirty bomb" on American soil would cause widespread panic and challenge the government's ability to provide safety.

Chang concluded: "The detonation of a nuclear device on American soil will not only cause panic but it will cause, at least for some time an inability of government to take care of people."

 

Chang added that people will require access to basic necessities such as food, water, and iodine pills, saying that precautions like these have not been an issue in the United States for a considerable time.

He added that Americans have grown complacent about defending their country's borders, stating: "We are risk-averse because we've lived in peace for a long time. But we're no longer in a peaceful world."

 

Even chillingly, he suggested a third world war is already happening. Chang concluded: "We have a Russia that is waging war we have a China that talks about war all the time.

"China and Russia are are involved in conflicts and wars on three continents and we need the president of the United States to have an honest conversation with the American people about the state of the world because this is not peacetime any more."

 

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/radiation-spike-new-york-after-866103

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:19 p.m. No.22187960   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7966 >>8022 >>8109

Drone almost crashes into passenger jet near Port of Spain

December 18, 2024

 

On December 8, a passenger plane over Port of Spain descending into the Piarco International Airport, came within six metres (20 feet) of unmanned drone.

The near miss has been reported to police and is being investigated by the Trinidad and Tobao Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) which issued a statement on what was a potentially catastrophic crash.

 

Drone operators were reminded of the height restriction for flying drones in all areas of the country.

In the case of the December 8 incident, the commercial flight was approaching the airport and at 1,067 metres (3,500 feet) when the left wingtip came close to the drone.

 

The TTCAA reminded that it was unlawful to operate a drone above 120 metres (400 feet).

"Thee TTCAA considers the operation of this drone in the vicinity of a manned commercial aircraft as a reckless and a very serious threat to the safety of the flight.

Operators are being warned that using a drone with intent to disrupt or endanger civil aviation of any public or private property shall attract a fine of $350,000 and five years prison.

 

https://trinidadexpress.com/newsextra/drone-almost-crashes-into-passenger-jet-near-port-of-spain/article_6f5a1a96-bd2c-11ef-95db-33dd06f865e6.html

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:22 p.m. No.22187972   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8022 >>8109

Rep. Carlos Giménez: ‘Drones pose a threat,’ feds don’t know anything

12/18/24 7:10 AM ET

 

Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) warned Tuesday that the federal government lacks a clear understanding of widespread drone sightings across the U.S., calling the situation a potential national security vulnerability.

Giménez, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” that he is deeply concerned about the government’s inability to track or identify the origins of numerous drone flights.

 

“The federal government hasn’t the faintest idea what’s going on with these drones,” the Florida Republican said. “That concerns me more than anything else.”

The comments come after multiple drone sightings across the East Coast, including near military installations in New Jersey and Ohio.

While White House and Pentagon officials have downplayed the incidents, suggesting most are recreational or commercial aircraft, Giménez argues more investigation is needed.

 

Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder acknowledged that over one million drones are registered in the U.S., with approximately 8,500 in flight on any given day. Most are used for recreational or commercial purposes, he said.

“Drones pose a threat and they’re going to be an increasing threat and one day they’re going to do something bad,” Giménez said.

A closed-door House Intelligence Committee briefing on the drone sightings has further fueled speculation.

The Florida lawmaker suggested that the classified meeting was an attempt to gain more information after previous public briefings revealed “nothing.”

 

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby stated that initial analysis shows the aircraft are “a mix of law enforcement drones, commercial drones and hobbyists,” with no indication of public safety or national security risks.

Giménez, who has been raising concerns about drone threats since his time as Miami-Dade County mayor, warned that technological advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, could make future drone incidents more dangerous.

“With the advent of artificial intelligence, when you don’t need a pilot anymore, those drones are going to pose a significant problem,” he said.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5045702-carlos-gimenez-mystery-drones-pose-threat/

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:30 p.m. No.22188005   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8013

Pilot Reports Near UFO Strike; Similar Object Seen Over Boise ID

December 18, 2024

 

We've been hearing some pretty crazy reports of unidentified crafts throughout the United States in recent days, but one incident that took place over Oregon a few days ago is being considered a very close call. A similar object to the one that nearly struck an airplane recently was reported in the sky above southern Idaho on December 13.

 

Unexplained drone activity is being reported from coast to coast and being discussed nightly by news sources such as FOX and CNN.

A wave of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and drone sightings in which New Jersey has had the most incidents over the past week have been flooding into police departments across the U.S. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has now gotten involved.

 

Three Idaho witnesses described the object as flying at a low elevation and having multiple colored lights. The UAP was also described as rectangular and having the ability to accelerate to rapid speeds.

Perhaps the most serious incident happened in the sky above Oregon on December 7 when multiple private and commercial pilots reported "strange looking" crafts flying at excessive speeds; one pilot radioed an airport in Seattle saying one of the UAPs came very close to striking the airplane.

 

On December 15, the National UFO Reporting Center published its incident report involving a similar-looking UAP above Boise, Idaho.

Three Idaho witnesses described the object as flying at a low elevation and having multiple colored lights. The UAP was also described as rectangular and having the ability to accelerate to rapid speeds.

 

Have you seen any of these UAPs that are being reported throughout the country in southern Idaho?

 

https://newsradio1310.com/ixp/97/p/pilot-reports-near-ufo-strike-similar-object-seen-over-boise-id/

https://nuforc.org/sighting/?id=185264

Anonymous ID: 975ada Dec. 18, 2024, 12:33 p.m. No.22188023   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8029 >>8033

7,000-year-old alien-like figurine from Kuwait a 'total surprise' to archaeologists

December 17, 2024

 

Archaeologists in Kuwait have discovered a 7,000-year-old clay figurine that looks eerily similar to a modern-day depiction of an alien.

But while this figurine may look more supernatural than human, its style was common in ancient Mesopotamia, although it's the first of its kind ever to be found in Kuwait or the Arabian Gulf.

 

The small, finely crafted head, with slanted eyes, a flat nose and an elongated skull, was found during excavations this year at Bahra 1, a prehistoric site in northern Kuwait where a joint Kuwaiti-Polish team has been excavating since 2009.

Bahra 1 was one of the Arabian Peninsula's oldest settlements, with occupation lasting from around 5500 to 4900 B.C.

 

During this time, Bahra 1 was settled by the Ubaid, a culture that originated in Mesopotamia and is known for its distinctive pottery, including its alien-like figurines.

The Ubaid intertwined with Neolithic, or New Stone Age societies in the Arabian Gulf in the sixth millennium B.C. and turned the area into a sort of ancient melting pot, said Agnieszka Szymczak, an expedition leader at Bahra 1 in charge of the small finds at the site, like the newly discovered figurine.

 

The collision of these peoples and their cultures resulted in a "prehistoric crossroads of cultural exchange," Szymczak, an archaeologist at the University of Warsaw's Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, told Live Science in an email.

Part of this exchange included art, like the recently unearthed figurine.

 

"[The] discovery of the figurine was a total surprise for the whole team, as it was the first such find not just among the over 1.5k [1,500] small finds excavated from the Bahra 1 site but also from the Arabian Gulf region," Szymczak said.

Moreover, it's made of Mesopotamian clay, not like the "Coarse Red Ware" ceramics local to the Arabian Gulf, meaning the Ubaids were actively importing their homegrown traditions into the region.

 

Ubaid figurines are sometimes called "lizard-headed," "bird-like," or "ophidian" meaning "snake-like," according to University of Chicago publications.

The newfound figurine is likely "imbued with symbolic meaning," Szymczak said, even though the figurine was discovered in a "mundane activity area," not in a special or symbolic place — like the graves they've been found in throughout Mesopotamia.

 

Aurelie Daems, a Near Eastern archaeologist at Ghent University in Belgium who has written book chapters on Ubaid ophidian figurines but was not involved in the current study, praised the find at Bahra 1 as having the "potential to clarify research questions related to ritual and social practices" of the Ubaid, as well as the relationships between the prehistoric Gulf region and Mesopotamia.

 

Various theories have attempted to explain the unusual facial features of these figurines. One idea suggests the sculptures show artificial cranial deformation, otherwise known as "head-shaping," a practice followed in Ubaid society, and evidenced in skeletal remains excavated in Mesopotamia.

Achieved by wrapping bandages around an infant's malleable skull, head-shaping could have been utilized by the Ubaids as a symbol of identity, such as class, culture or belonging to a special group within their settlement.

The Ubaid may have picked up this practice in what is now Iran in the eighth and seventh millennia B.C., and head-shaping hit its peak in Ubaid society during the fifth millennium B.C.

 

Excavations at the site are ongoing, as are studies on the clay figurine head found this year.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/news/7-000-year-old-alien-like-figurine-from-kuwait-a-total-surprise-to-archaeologists/ar-AA1w2yId