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US needs to engage, as well as deter, China to maintain space leadership: CFR report
February 11, 2025 at 2:10 PM
In order to protect its leadership in space, the United States needs to out-compete China and deter its ability to successfully attack US space assets, but also needs to seek “targeted” engagement with Beijing to improve communications and find areas of mutual benefit such as space traffic management, finds a new report by the Council on Foreign Relations.
The report, “Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action,” was crafted by an expert task force co-chaired by retired Space Force Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno and former California Congresswoman Jane Harman.
Recognizing that space has become both a “strategic vulnerability” and a “strategic imperative” for the United States, the report lays out both hard and soft power actions that the authors maintain are necessary for the US government in order to keep its current leadership role in the face of increased competition.
“In the increasingly chaotic realm of space, the United States’ position is slipping. In 1957, the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik satellite was a wakeup call, spurring the United States to assume a dominant role in space.
Today, nearly seventy years later, the United States is in danger of losing that privileged position. In many ways, the country risks another Sputnik moment,” the report finds.
The US government thus “needs to act now to address threats to space assets; champion space traffic management to support the growing space economy; and incorporate commercial perspectives into civilian and national security space policy,” it sums up.
The CFR report makes seven recommendations for the new Trump administration as it crafts its approach to space across the civil, commercial and defense spheres:
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Make space a top national priority. The report urges President Donald Trump to call a cross-sector space summit to assess national priorities, including relooking the controversial question of declaring “some key space systems” as “critical infrastructure.”
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Revitalize American international leadership in space. This includes giving the National Security Council a strong hand in guiding policy, and at least considering the potential value of continuing the National Space Council. (A number of Trump advisers, reportedly including Vice - - - President J.D. Vance and Elon Musk, have been questioning the viability of the council.)
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Fix the vulnerability problem and enhance deterrence. Measures should include “enhancing domain awareness, proliferating and widely distributing space assets to increase their resiliency, hardening space assets against various modes of attack, providing space assets with defensive capabilities, and developing replacement assets that can be deployed quickly when needed.”
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Sharpen policy on China and seek strategic engagement on hotline issues — such as communications, space traffic management and astronaut rescue.
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Build on existing international regimes to improve space traffic management. “This effort should involve developing ‘rules of the road’ to deconflict space activities, avoid collisions and other accidents, and mitigate risk from space debris. And it should involve U.S. allies, partners, and even adversaries,” the report elaborates.
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Incorporate the commercial sector and other relevant nonstate actors. One way to help accomplish this, the CFR authors suggest, would be to develop an advisory council that would meet regularly to provide the government with expertise on space traffic management issues.
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Treat space as global commons. The report cautions that the United States “may not always be the first to reach new destinations in space,” and thus argues that Washington should strongly support continued adherence to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty in ensuring that space cannot be claimed as territory by any country.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/02/us-needs-to-engage-as-well-as-deter-china-to-maintain-space-leadership/
https://www.cfr.org/task-force-report/securing-space/recommendations
https://www.space.com/highest-energy-ghost-particle-neutrino-12-suspect-blazars
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08543-1
Scientists detect highest-energy ghost particle ever seen — where did it come from?
Feb 12, 2025
Scientists have detected the highest-energy "ghost particle" ever seen.
The particle, a type of neutrino, arrived at Earth at nearly the speed of light and with 30 times the energy of the previous most energetic neutrino ever glimpsed.
This is the first solid evidence that neutrinos with such high energies can be produced in the universe.
This particle's high-energy nature indicates that the neutrino originates from outside the Milky Way, and though the ghost particle's source is yet to be determined, the team has 12 suspects in mind.
The suspects are all "blazars," or the energetic cores of "active galactic nuclei" (AGN) that are powered by feeding supermassive black holes.
Blazars are types of quasars that stand out because the beams of high-energy particles and light they blast out are pointed directly at Earth.
Another possibility, however, is that the high-energy neutrino was created when an ultramassive cosmic ray particle slammed into particles of light, or "photons," left in the universe after some event that occurred just after the Big Bang.
The neutrino was spotted via the detection of a single muon by the Kilometer Cubic Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT), located 11,300 feet (3,450 meters) beneath the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, on Feb. 13, 2023.
During the event, designated KM3-230213A, the muon crossed the entire KM3NeT detector and lit up one-third of the deep sea instrument's thousands of active sensors.
"This neutrino is very likely of cosmic origin, and its energy is such that it's in a completely unexplored region of energy," Paschal Coyle of the French National Centre for Scientific Research said in a press conference held on Tuesday (Feb. 11).
"History shows us that whenever you do open a new 'energy window,' you never really know what you're going to find. It's completely unexplored.
"It's finding unexpected things which drive many of us," Coyle added.
Catching high energy cosmic ghosts
Neutrinos are often nicknamed "ghost particles" because they lack a charge and have a pretty non-existent mass. In fact, about 100 trillion neutrinos can pass through your body every second without you noticing a thing.
Thus, though neutrinos represent the second most abundant particle in the universe after particles of light, photons, they are notoriously difficult to detect and require detectors to go deep underground, or, in this case, deep under the sea.
"Neutrinos are one of the most mysterious of elementary particles," Rosa Coniglione, KM3NeT team member from the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy, said during the press conference.
"They have no electric charge, almost no mass, and interact only weakly with matter. They are special cosmic messengers, bringing us unique information on the mechanisms involved in the most energetic phenomena and allowing us to explore the farthest reaches of the universe.”
Even though the KM3NeT detected a flash of light from an electron-like muon — not a neutrino — it was the qualities of this elementary particle that indicated it had been created when an unusually high-energy neutrino struck another particle.
"There are many muons going through the detector coming from above, produced in the Earth's atmosphere, and they are not interesting.
We detected roughly 110 million of them in 2023," the experiment's physics coordinator at the time of the detection, Aart Heijboer of Nikhef National Institute for Subatomic Physics in the Netherlands, said at the press conference.
"It turns out that this particle was [oriented] horizontally. To produce a horizontal muon, there must have been a neutrino because these are the only particles that can traverse the required amount of material, 87 miles [140 kilometers] of rock and water to produce this horizontal particle in the detector."
The team was able to determine the energy of the neutrino from the amount of light registered by the detector.
They found that energy was 220 million billion electron volts, which Heijboer explained is 30,000 times the energy that Earth's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is capable of achieving.
For context, Coyle explained that to accelerate a particle to such energies, the LHC would have to be expanded from its current length of 17 miles (27 kilometers) to around 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers). That's the circumference of the Earth.
"It would require having a global LHC accelerator all around the world to reach such an energy," Coyle said. So, what kind of natural cosmic particle accelerator could have launched a neutrino with such energy?
Though the researchers don't yet have a conclusive answer, they suspect that the solution lies at the hearts of AGNs.
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Supermassive black holes as cosmic particle accelerators
The high-energy universe is flooded with a variety of violent and powerful events, from the explosive supernova deaths of massive stars to gamma-ray bursts, which are brief explosions of high-energy light.
Though they often last for fractions of a second, gamma-ray bursts can pump out more energy than the sun will radiate in its entire lifetime.
All of these events could act as particle accelerators, but the prime suspects in this case are supermassive black holes with masses millions or billions of times that of the sun.
When these supermassive black holes are surrounded by vast amounts of matter in AGNs, they are known as "quasars," powering vast jets of matter that can stretch for hundreds of light-years. When these jets point right at us, the quasar is referred to as a "blazar."
The jets emitted in blazar flare events are composed of high-energy particles known as cosmic rays that can extend well beyond the limits of the galaxies housing the black hole that created them.
These jets also consist of electromagnetic radiation ranging from low-energy radio waves to extreme high-energy gamma rays. When such particles strike others in the galaxy of origin, they send showers of high-energy neutrinos raining through the cosmos.
Coniglione explained during the press conference that, by measuring the direction of the particle, the researchers were able to trace it back to the border of the Milky Way.
With no sources to explain the high-energy ghost particle traceable in our galaxy, the team found 12 interesting sources: all blazars beyond the boundaries of the Milky Way.
One of those 12 could be the origin point of this newly discovered particle. There is another suspect, however.
The researchers think this high-energy neutrino could have been generated when an ultra-high energy cosmic ray, most likely a proton, struck a photon in the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
This cosmic fossil represents the first light capable of freely traveling through the cosmos after electrons bonded with protons, allowing photons to travel freely without being endlessly scattered.
An interaction between a cosmic ray and the CMB would have created a shower of high-energy neutrinos. If that is the case, this would be the first detection of a so-called "cosmogenic neutrino."
Scientists are sure such neutrinos must exist, even though they have remained frustratingly elusive.
The potential detection of a cosmogenic neutrino is exciting because these high-energy particles could open up a new form of astronomy.
This would bolster the unification of "traditional astronomy" that taps into electromagnetic radiation and gravitational wave astronomy that focuses on tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime.
The third arm of these innovative ways of investigating the cosmos is referred to as multi-messenger astronomy, and neutrino-based versions of this would expand it into new high-energy domains.
At the moment, with one single detection, the team can't distinguish whether this high-energy neutrino came from a cosmic particle accelerator like a blazar or if it originated in a cosmic ray/CMB collision.
However, the fact that KM3NeT made this first-of-its-kind historic detection while still under construction should offer some confidence that this cosmic mystery could soon be solved.
"In the next year, KM3NeT will deliver more and more data with improved angular resolution," Coniglione said. "In the near future, we will have a more refined pointing of this event and probably a more firm conclusion on the origin of this event."
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Scientist image 3-million-light-year-long 'cosmic web' ensnaring 2 galaxies for 1st time
February 12, 2025
Astronomers have imaged a spectacular thread in the cosmic web, connecting two actively forming galaxies that existed when the universe was just 2 billion years old. Both galaxies at hand are home feeding supermassive black holes.
The cosmic web stretches for an incredible 3 million light-years, making it about 30 times longer than the Milky Way. It is the vast scaffold upon which the structure of the visible universe is formed.
Gas had flowed along its filaments, providing galaxies with the raw material needed for star formation and, thus, for their growth.
That makes the study of the cosmic web crucial for our understanding of cosmic evolution.
"By capturing the faint light emitted by this filament, which traveled for just under 12 billion years to reach Earth, we were able to precisely characterize its shape," Davide Tornotti, team leader and a researcher at the University of Milano-Bicocca, said in a statement.
"For the first time, we could trace the boundary between the gas residing in galaxies and the material contained within the cosmic web through direct measurements."
How to see an invisible cosmic web
Studying the cosmic web is no mean feat; this difficulty arises because these web lines are composed of dark matter, the universe's most mysterious "stuff," which does not interact with light and is, therefore, effectively invisible.
The gas that flows down these lines, like traffic along a cosmic highway, does interact with light, but it is still tricky to image.
That's because even hydrogen, by far the universe's most abundant element, emits only a faint glow that our astronomical instruments have struggled to observe between stars and galaxies.
When the gas that exists between stars is detected, this is done indirectly via the light it absorbs from bright background sources.
The team behind the new observation overcame these difficulties using MUSE (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer), a second-generation instrument Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.
Even with the aid of this sophisticated instrument, however, observing this strand of the cosmic web required hundreds of hours of observing time during one of the most ambitious MUSE campaigns ever conducted in a single region of the sky.
The team then turned to supercomputer simulations of the universe run at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) to calculate emissions that should be seen from filamentary gas based on the standard model of cosmology, the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model.
“When comparing to the novel high-definition image of the cosmic web, we find substantial agreement between current theory and observations," Tornotti said.
The cosmic web observation and its conformity to the predictions of the standard model of cosmology are encouraging, but it is very clear what the team feels they need to do next: find more cosmic web lines.
"We are thrilled by this direct, high-definition observation of a cosmic filament. But as people say in Bavaria: 'Eine ist keine' – one doesn't count," team member Fabrizio Arrigoni Battaia, a staff scientist at Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), said in the statement.
"So we are gathering further data to uncover more such structures, with the ultimate goal to have a comprehensive vision of how gas is distributed and flows in the cosmic web."
https://www.space.com/cosmic-web-two-galaxies-image
https://www.mpg.de/24060014/researchers-capture-direct-high-definition-image-of-the-cosmic-web
SpaceX rocket launch spawns dazzling 'space jellyfish' in evening sky
February 12, 2025
When SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California on Monday evening (Feb. 10), it was just another flight for the company to boost its growing Starlink internet satellite constellation.
For spectators on the ground, however, it was night sky art.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, took flight during evening twilight, when light from the recently set sun reflects off the exhaust plume of the rocket to create a spectacular effect that has been dubbed a "space jellyfish" by some observers.
"Absolutely stunning!" wrote one photographer, who goes by FirePhotoGirl on the social media site X, of the sight while sharing a photo and video of the launch.
The view show the bright rocket plume over an illuminated pool.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 4 East pad, with its first stage returning to Earth for a landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.
It was the 18th Falcon 9 launch of 2025 for SpaceX.
Skywatcher Dima Zeniuk shared a video on X of the Starlink launch as it appeared to arc over Los Angeles, then created a stunning timelapse that showed the dramatic moments of stage separation between the Falcon 9's first stage booster from its upper stage.
"Stunning timelapse of a SpaceX launch over downtown Los Angeles," Zeniuk wrote in a post with the video.
SpaceX's rocket "jellyfish" even managed to photobomb one of the company's future passengers, a private space station module called Haven-1 built by Vast, as it was undergoing testing in California's Mojave Desert.
"Haven-1 primary structure qualification article at Vast’s Mojave test site, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lighting up the evening sky—Haven-1’s future ride," Vast representatives wrote in a social media post accompanying the photo.
Vast's Haven-1 module is a prototype for a commercial space station the company hopes to build in low Earth orbit. The company has tapped SpaceX to launch the module into orbit by May 2026.
For its part, SpaceX released a trio of photographs of the Starlink launch, including one view of the "jellyfish" effect, an image of the rocket ascending toward space and a long-exposure view that showed the launch as a brilliant arc of light across the cloudy sky.
SpaceX is off to a fast clip with its rocket launch pace. Monday's rocket launch was the first of two back-to-back Starlink missions on Falcon 9 boosters.
The second flight, which launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, delivered 21 Starlink satellites to orbit on Tuesday (Feb. 11).
SpaceX currently has about 6.990 operational Starlink satellites in orbit today, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and satellite tracker who regularly monitors Starlink launches.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-rocket-launch-spawns-dazzling-space-jellyfish-in-evening-sky-photos
US engineers 3D-print tiny coin-sized engines to steer small satellites in space
Feb 12, 2025 08:18 AM EST
Shoe box-sized CubeSats are becoming increasingly important in space exploration and collecting scientific data. But these tiny satellites need efficient and precise propulsion systems for in-orbit maneuvers.
One promising solution is electrospray engines, which use electric fields for propulsion.
The standard electrospray engines are effective, but their complicated and costly manufacturing restricts their use. MIT has developed a new, innovative approach to address this limitation.
For the first time, engineers have created a fully 3D-printed electrospray engine that emits droplets. Notably, the production of this innovative device is quick and much cheaper than traditional thrusters.
This 3D printing technology could allow astronauts to manufacture satellite engines in space, eliminating the need for Earth-based launches.
Advanced 3D printing techniques
Electrospray engines use electric fields to create high-speed jets of charged droplets to propel spacecraft. These small engines are well-suited for CubeSats used in research.
Moreover, these engines are more fuel-efficient than chemical rockets, making them ideal for orbital adjustments.
In this new work, the research team combined two different 3D printing methods: two-photon printing for the intricate emitter modules, and digital light processing for the larger manifold block.
This helped in creating a complex device with both large and tiny, interconnected parts.
A prototype 3D-printed thruster with 32 electrospray emitters was built and tested. This demonstrated stable propellant flow and generated equal or greater thrust than current droplet-emitting electrospray engines.
The emitter array consists of eight modules, each containing four individual emitters. These 32 emitters must operate in a coordinated fashion as a single, interconnected system.
Higher thrust efficiency
The emitter modules were made using two-photon printing, which uses a focused laser to solidify resin. This precise method allowed for the creation of sharp emitter tips and narrow, consistent channels for propellant.
The emitter modules are housed within a manifold block, which both secures them and provides propellant.
Instead of using two-photon printing for the manifold block (due to size and throughput limitations), the researchers employed digital light processing. This method solidifies resin layer by layer using a projector.
“Each technology works very well at a certain scale. Combining them, so they work together to produce one device, lets us take the best of each method,” said Luis Fernando Velásquez-García, a principal research scientist at MIT.
Researchers tested the 3D printing materials to ensure they wouldn’t react with the conductive liquid propellant. Compatibility is crucial to prevent corrosion or cracking.
In testing, the 3D-printed prototype achieved higher thrust efficiency than larger, more expensive chemical rockets. Moreover, it surpassed the performance of current droplet electrospray engines.
Interestingly, adjusting the voltage allowed for greater thrust control. This voltage modulation could simplify the engine design, resulting in a lighter, and more efficient thruster.
“We were able to show that a simpler thruster can achieve better results,” Velásquez-García stated in the press release.
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/us-engineers-3d-print-tiny-coin-sized-engines-to-steer-small-satellites-in-space
https://news.mit.edu/2025/mit-engineers-develop-fully-3d-printed-electrospray-engine-0212
Ticket details for Durham's 'epic' drone show The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
16:21, 12 FEB 2025
The stage is all set for a showpiece drone light show in Durham which promises to take audiences on a dazzling journey featuring the characters of a classic family film.
The story of musical favourite The Wizard of Oz will be told in hundreds of illuminated drones which will light up the night sky above Durham cricket ground this March in what's billed as an epic 'stadium-scale experience'.
And there are limited tickets still available for the unique sight which will recreate the much-loved characters of Dorothy, her dog Toto and friends from the magical land of Oz.
The 45-minute light and sound show The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be stopping off at Seat Unique Riverside in Chester-le-Street for one night only on March 29.
The watching audience can expect to see sparkling scenes beginning with the cyclone that starts the story and then including the likes of the cowardly lion, tin man, scarecrow, munchkins and the witch appearing in lights.
This will be its final stop on a UK tour so will mark a last chance to catch what its creator Celestial calls 'a celebration of courage, connection and the magic that lives within us all'.
Celestial combines cutting-edge technology with artistic skill to create drone light shows for brands across the globe, including Amazon and Eurovision, and its whose previous drone shows Evolution - which also visited the Riverside - and A Christmas Carol have proved huge hits.
It has collaborated on its new show with experience company Yuup, with the Seat stadium being a venue partner.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the original title of the 1900 fantasy story, written by L. Frank Baum, which inspired the famous 1939 film The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland as Dorothy.
John Hopkins, founder of Celestial which also promotes its shows as being a carbon-neutral alternative to fireworks, said:
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved tale that has been endlessly retold across various genres.
This time, it is uniquely presented through drone art, elevating it beyond a traditional drone light show to an epic, stadium-scale experience."
Dominic Mills, founder of Yuup, added:
“We are the first to bring storytelling in this form and length to audiences around the UK, with our show lasting 45 minutes, compared to a typical drone light show of eight-12 minutes.”
The audience can enjoy it at the Riverside alongside a food village and entertainment.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/ticket-details-durhams-epic-drone-30988347
https://www.yuup.co/wizard-of-oz
Drone causes flight diversions to Tenerife South Airport from Gran Canaria, Spain
12-02-2025
The sighting of a drone near Gran Canaria Airport in the early hours of this morning, Wednesday, led to the diversion of three flights to Tenerife South Airport.
According to sources from AENA, the drone was spotted at approximately 1:00am, flying close to the perimeter of the airport.
As a precautionary measure, the standard protocol was activated, which involves diverting flights to prevent any potential incidents that could affect air traffic safety.
As a result, three flights were rerouted to Tenerife South Airport. Once authorities confirmed that there was no further risk, all three aircraft took off again and were able to land safely at Gran Canaria Airport.
Sources from the Guardia Civil noted that identifying the operator of a drone is particularly challenging, as they can be controlled from virtually any location, including rooftops of residential buildings.
However, a search was conducted around the airport in an attempt to locate the person responsible.
https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/Drone-causes-flight-diversions-to-Tenerife-South-Airport-from-Gran-Canaria
Anduril and Microsoft Partner to Advance Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Program for the U.S. Army
2/11/2025
Microsoft Corp. and Anduril Industries, a leader in defense technology, today announced an expanded partnership to drive the next phase of the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program.
Through this partnership agreement, and pending Department of Defense approval, Anduril will assume oversight of production, future development of hardware and software, and delivery timelines.
This agreement also establishes Microsoft Azure as Anduril’s preferred hyperscale cloud for all workloads related to IVAS and Anduril AI technologies.
As warfare grows more complex, the need for intuitive, information-rich tools becomes increasingly urgent.
Traditional mission command systems— that rely on flat maps, static dashboards and verbal communication—are ill-suited to the dynamic nature of modern battlefields.
The IVAS program represents a groundbreaking step forward in military technology, providing soldiers with a comprehensive, body-worn system that integrates advanced augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to give warfighters beyond line-of-sight perception capabilities, increasing combat effectiveness, survivability against drones, and accelerating mission command of unmanned systems.
This collaboration between Anduril and Microsoft leverages the distinct strengths of each company, ensuring continuity in the program while advancing IVAS goals of enhancing combat effectiveness, awareness and decision-making on the battlefield.
Anduril’s mission focus on innovation in defense technology, deep understanding of military requirements, and unique approach to manufacturing defense products will ensure future program development specifically tailored to the evolving needs of the Army as well as production at scale and at lower unit cost.
Microsoft’s advanced cloud infrastructure and AI capabilities will continue to provide a robust backbone for the program, enabling seamless data integration and real-time insights critical to soldier effectiveness.
Artificial intelligence will be foundational to all technical innovations for national security missions, and the cloud is essential to successfully delivering AI whenever and wherever it is needed.
Through this agreement, Anduril will establish Azure as its preferred hyperscale cloud to support its AI development.
Azure, through its commercial, U.S. government and classified clouds, provides high resiliency, sophisticated capabilities, flexibility and advanced security, designed to meet the stringent compliance requirements of the nation’s most sensitive data.
Since its founding in 2017, Anduril has focused exclusively on developing advanced defense technologies to solve unique challenges for warfighters.
Palmer Luckey, Anduril’s Founder, who previously revolutionized the VR industry with Oculus, brings unparalleled expertise and vision to this effort.
“The IVAS program represents the future of mission command, combining technology and human capability to give soldiers the edge they need on the battlefield,” said Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries.
“The ultimate goal is to create a military ecosystem where technology acts as an extension of human capability.
By empowering soldiers with the tools they need to make faster, smarter decisions, we’re building a future where technology and human ingenuity combine to ensure mission success.”
“We are incredibly proud of the work our teams have put in to help the U.S. Army transform its concept of a soldier-borne, AR headset into reality with the IVAS program.
Our Soldier-Centered Design approach helped reimagine technology development with the Army that continuously took in real-world soldier feedback to develop a product that soldiers love,” said Robin Seiler, Corporate Vice President, Mixed Reality, Microsoft.
“We are excited to partner with Anduril for the next phase of IVAS and leverage our combined strengths to meet our commitments on this vital program and deliver a game-changing capability for every U.S. soldier.”
Microsoft and Anduril have previously collaborated to integrate Anduril’s Lattice platform into IVAS to provide rapid AI-enabled situational awareness capabilities to enhance soldier safety and operational effectiveness.
This new agreement brings Microsoft and Anduril closer together to maximize their unique expertise in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and defense manufacturing to further enhance technical developments and operational efficiencies.
https://www.anduril.com/article/anduril-and-microsoft-partner-to-advance-integrated-visual-augmentation-system-ivas-program-for/
https://www.realcleardefense.com/2025/02/12/drone_maker_anduril_to_take_over_microsoft_goggles_for_us_army_1090827.html
USAF Invests $100M in Firestorm Labs for 3D Printed UAS
February 12th 2025 - 7:50am
irestorm Labs, a company specializing in additively manufactured unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has been awarded a five-year, $100 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Air Force.
The agreement is structured to support the development and procurement of UAS solutions, with a focus on modular, cost-effective designs that integrate advanced autonomy.
This new contract allows the Air Force to issue multiple task and delivery orders over five years, with performance periods extending up to 24 months after the final order.
By leveraging additive manufacturing and rapid production methods, Firestorm Labs aims to address operational needs in contested environments where traditional supply chains may be disrupted.
The San Diego-based firm designs drones classified within Group 1-3, a U.S. Department of Defense categorization for small to medium-sized UAS with weights under 1,320 pounds.
These systems are used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and tactical support.
Firestorm’s approach to drone development centers on scalability and rapid deployment.
Additive manufacturing techniques allow for the localized production of UAS components, reducing reliance on centralized factories and enabling on-demand fabrication closer to the point of use.
This capability is particularly relevant for military operations requiring adaptable logistics.
“Our vision is to enable the production of systems, parts, and prototyping at the edge, agnostic of vendor,” said Chad McCoy, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Firestorm Labs. “xCell is our response to the challenges of an uncertain supply chain, isolated geography, and contested logistics that demand innovation.”
Dan Magy, Firestorm Labs CEO and Co-Founder, described the contract as a validation of their work in modular UAS development.
“This award reflects the Air Force’s confidence in our ability to deliver adaptable, cost-effective UAS solutions that redefine operational possibilities,” Magy said.
Additive Manufacturing Expands UAS Capabilities
Cummings Aerospace, an Alabama-based aerospace and defense manufacturer, recently completed flight trials for a new 3D printed turbojet loitering munition named Hellhound S3.
This kamikaze-style drone weighs under 25 pounds with its launch canister and ground control system. Engineers designed it for single-soldier deployment and swift precision strikes against armored targets.
The company tested the munition at the Pendleton Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Range in Oregon, where it exceeded 350 miles per hour at half throttle and maintained stable operation in cold, windy, and snowy conditions.
Ursa Major, a Colorado-based propulsion company, recently completed successful flight tests of a new 3D printed solid rocket motor (SRM) developed in partnership with Virginia-based Raytheon Technologies.
The test, conducted at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, demonstrated the long-range missile capabilities of the 3D printed SRM, which was produced using Ursa Major’s Lynx additive manufacturing technology.
This production method allows for simultaneous fabrication of multiple SRMs on a single production line, reducing costs and accelerating development timelines.
https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/usaf-invests-100m-in-firestorm-labs-for-3d-printed-uas-236259/
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/12/firestorm-3d-printing-drones-california
https://www.airmeet.com/e/b988b970-de50-11ef-a619-33e0ce456b50
Las Vegas Man Claims Alien Influence in Father’s Fatal Shooting
February 11, 2025 3:58 pm
In a case that challenges our understanding of mental health and personal responsibility, 35-year-old Timothy Sahrang La has been charged with the murder of his 73-year-old father, Eun Jin La, in their southwest Las Vegas home.
According to the arrest report, La alleged that “aliens had told him to kill his father and that he felt like he was on a different planet.”
The incident unfolded on February 5 when La’s mother made a frantic call to authorities, reporting her husband was unconscious and not breathing.
Responding officers discovered Eun Jin La in the master bedroom with a fatal gunshot wound to the back right side of his head. A 9mm firearm and casing were recovered at the scene.
La was apprehended nearby and, during police interviews, claimed he believed he was “saving someone, a ‘worker,’ from being tortured” and that this individual was “wearing the skin of his father’s face.”
These statements suggest a profound disconnection from reality, raising questions about his mental state at the time of the incident.
As La awaits his preliminary hearing scheduled for February 25, this case underscores the critical importance of addressing mental health issues proactively.
It also highlights the need for personal responsibility in seeking help before situations escalate to violence.
How can society better identify and support individuals struggling with severe mental health challenges to prevent such tragedies?
https://thenevadaglobe.com/702times/las-vegas-man-claims-alien-influence-in-fathers-fatal-shooting/
Robert Xavier Burden Unveils The Alien Painting at Oceanside Museum of Art
February 12, 2025
After two years in the making, The Alien Painting at Oceanside Museum of Art is finally complete!
Renowned artist Robert Xavier Burden returns to OMA for a special pop-up exhibition unveiling this monumental 12ft x 8ft artwork that first came to life during his live painting residency in 2023.
A One-Time Viewing of Two Epic Works
During his residency, Burden painted live at OMA four days a week, offering us a rare glimpse into his meticulous process.
Now, The Alien Painting will be displayed alongside The Lagomorph Painting, a newly completed piece featuring nearly 100 depictions of rabbits, hares, and pikas.
This one-time exhibition is the only opportunity to see both paintings together before they move into private collections.
Opening Night Celebration
Join OMA for a special celebration on Friday, February 14, from 5 PM to 7 PM to toast Burden’s latest works.
Meet the artist, experience the scale and detail of his paintings up close, and enjoy an evening surrounded by creativity. The event is free with museum admission.
Experience The Alien Painting at Oceanside Museum of Art from February 12 to 23.
https://theresandiego.com/event/robert-xavier-burden-alien-painting-oceanside-museum-art/
https://oma-online.org/