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SpaceX Starlink Mission
February 15, 2025 1:14 a.m. ET
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, February 15 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Liftoff is targeted for 1:14 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 2:15 a.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Sunday, February 16 starting at 12:41 a.m. ET.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This is the 26th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Marah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A, and 14 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-8
Britain planning fleet of drone vessels to patrol Atlantic
February 14, 2025
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is pursuing “a deployable and persistent wide area ASW search capability” built around the new Type 92 Sloop – an uncrewed surface vessel – and the Type 93, a drone submarine, according to an industry notice.
Imagery associated with the programme suggests the aim is to monitor the GIUK (Greenland-Iceland-UK) gap.
The initiative, called Project CABOT, seeks to “accelerate the RN’s pivot to autonomy with a specific focus on Anti Submarine Warfare,” integrating “lean-crewed, remote-operated and autonomous airborne, surface and subsurface vehicle, sensor and node.”
According to the MOD, “Project CABOT is the plan to deliver remotely operated and autonomous ASW capabilities, allowing UK to pivot to vision of ‘Digitalisation of the North Atlantic’.”
This project builds on Project CHARYBDIS, previously delivered by the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) under the Defence Innovation Unit’s “ASW Spearhead” programme.
Recent “technological and digital breakthroughs achieved by the (UK) ‘NATO ASW Barrier’ Smart Defence Initiative” have also helped pave the way for CABOT’s next steps.
According to a Pre-Procurement Notice published in the UK government’s Contracts Finder, the MOD is launching an early market engagement to “commence a conversation between the Royal Navy and Industry Partners on capability’s that will accelerate the RN’s pivot to autonomy”.
The notice clarifies that Project CABOT will proceed in two phases:https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain-planning-fleet-of-drone-vessels-to-patrol-atlantic/
Phase 1 – ATLANTIC NET
Delivering “ASW as a service” through a Contractor Owned, Contractor Operated, Naval Oversight (COCONO) model.
“Lean crewed, remotely operated or autonomous uncrewed systems, delivered by an industry mission partner,” will gather “acoustic data, triaged by AI/ML algorithms,” then transmit it to a “secure Remote Operations Centre (ROC) for analysis by RN staff.”
This setup aims to “significantly increase mass and persistence at sea whilst releasing traditional RN platforms for other tasking.”
Phase 2 – BASTION ATLANTIC
Shifting to a government-owned, government-operated (GOGO) model in which the Royal Navy “own and operate USVs (Type 92 Sloops) and UUVs (Type 93 Chariots).”
This phase also considers “a host of other sensors, to deliver mass and persistence in the North Atlantic,” as well as exploring “UK developed Underwater Battlespace Area Denial (UBAD) capabilities.”
As part of CABOT’s broader heritage, the SDA has commissioned the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to seek “innovative related technologies and sub-systems,” inviting submissions from across the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) spectrum.
The broader aim
The MOD emphasises that the objective is to “build a better understanding of current market capability and potential developments to inform decisions on how best to go ahead and deliver Project CHARYBDIS.”
This could include evaluating “opportunities for disruptive future capability,” determining “the required level of modularity for future systems,” and clarifying “choice of interfaces.”
Although this process does not yet commit the MOD to any specific development path, it highlights the Royal Navy’s drive toward scalable, autonomous anti-submarine warfare solutions.
When and indeed if fully implemented, Project CABOT aims to bolster the Royal Navy’s capacity to detect, track, and deter submarines across the North Atlantic, particularly around the vital GIUK gap.
By employing drone ships and submarines in tandem with advanced sensor networks and AI-driven analysis, the Royal Navy stands to enhance its maritime surveillance, free up crewed warships for other missions, and fulfill an evolving strategic requirement to protect sea lines of communication.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/britain-planning-fleet-of-drone-vessels-to-patrol-atlantic/
>>22580888 PB
U.S.-Russia Talks 'Obsolete' After Chernobyl Drone Strike – Kallas
February 14, 2025
MUNICH — The European Union’s top diplomat said that any talks between the United States and Russia were now “obsolete” following a drone strike at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant that Kyiv blamed on Moscow.
“It clearly shows that [the Russians] don't want peace,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
“All these other talks have been totally obsolete because of the bombing of the nuclear station, bombing of civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure.
“What is up to us right now is to decide and discuss how we support Ukraine right now in this endeavor because our values haven't changed, the goals of Russia haven't changed either, so we need to stick to our ground and really see what is at stake here.”
Earlier this week at the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Kallas had accused U.S. President Donald Trump of “appeasement” following his conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and stressed that any peace deal must be negotiated with European and Ukrainian involvement.
Trump’s Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet Friday during the three-day conference in southern Germany.
Zelensky told journalists on Friday that he did not believe Washington had a “ready-made plan” to end the war.
Kallas, a former prime minister of Estonia, has long been a vocal supporter of Ukraine. During her premiership, Estonia donated more aid per capita to Ukraine than any other country, at 3.55% of GDP.
She has said Trump was right to criticize Europe for only spending an average of 1.9% of GDP on defense, saying it was “clearly not enough” in comparison to Russia’s 9%.
Kallas told The Moscow Times on Friday that Washington and Europe needed to provide similar messages about supporting Ukraine and ending the war.
“I hope to keep united with our American allies, because it's Iran, Russia, also North Korea, but more covertly China teaming up against us, so we need to stick to our ground,” she said.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/14/us-russia-talks-obsolete-after-chernobyl-drone-strike-kallas-a88015
https://kyivindependent.com/chornobyl-nuclear-plant-shelter-damaged-in-russian-drone-strike/
Some drones over US bases may have been conducting surveillance: NORTHCOM general
February 14, 2025 4:00am EST
A senior U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) official told members of the Senate that some of the 350 drones that flew over military installations and sensitive areas last year may have been conducting surveillance.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, who is commander of NORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), was questioned about the drones during a Senate Armed Services Committee Budget hearing on Thursday.
Drones were spotted flying all over the country last year, though most notably in New Jersey. They were also flying over military installations, including Joint Base Langley, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Guillot about the threat the unmanned aircraft pose to military operations, facilities and personnel.
"Senator, the primary threat I see for them in the way they've been operating is detection and perhaps surveillance of sensitive capabilities on our installations," Guillot said.
"There were 350 detections reported last year on military installations, and that was 350 over a total of 100 different installations of all types and levels of security."
He confirmed that base commanders at sensitive sites like nuclear bases have the authority to protect their airspace from drone incursions, adding that those particular military sites account for about half of what the U.S. operates.
Cotton was flabbergasted that only about half of the bases have the ability to protect themselves from drones.
He said base commanders at every base in the U.S. have the ability to protect their ground if a terrorist drove a dump truck though the front gate of a military facility, which Guillot agreed.
Cotton also raised concerns that at the southern border last week, Mexican cartels were reportedly authorized to use drones equipped with explosives against U.S. Border Patrol agents.
He asked Guillot if the Department of Defense needed authorization to share information with the Department of Homeland Security and other border patrol agencies about drone incursions and was told that was the case.
Guillot advocated for an expansion of military capabilities when it comes to drones, especially when it comes to protecting bases and being able to exchange data with other government agencies about drones, seamlessly.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters late last month that the drones seen flying over New Jersey in large numbers recently were "authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons."
In addition to those authorized by the FAA, other drones flown by hobbyists were sighted, and that number increased as curiosity about the phenomenon grew, the White House said.
"This was not the enemy," Leavitt said.
The drone sightings in November and December originally raised public concerns and even attracted the attention of the FBI.
"The FBI Newark, NJ State Police, and NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness are asking for the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of possible drones flying in several areas along the Raritan River," a Dec. 3 FBI statement noted.
The Federal Aviation Administration even issued temporary flight restrictions after the large number of sightings, prohibiting drone flights over parts of New Jersey.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/some-drones-over-us-bases-conducting-surveillance-northcom-general
https://defensescoop.com/2025/02/13/drone-incursions-us-military-bases-norad-northcom-counter-small-uas/
EXCLUSIVE: How the FBI's 'Suddenly Discovered' 2,400-Page Stash of JFK Files Is Set to Also Lift Lid on Secrets Including Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Assassinations… And Existence of ALIENS
Feb. 14 2025, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
A Donald Trump task force will blow the lid off a raft of federal secrets including bombshells on a second JFK shooter and the existence of UFOs.
Appointed to spearhead the crack team is Florida rep Anna Luna, who announced files about sex beast Jeffrey Epstein and aliens would be released to the public, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Trump signed an executive order directing his Director of National Intelligence to put together a plan within 15 days for the full release of documents about the JFK assassination.
And other blockbuster files will follow.
"That's a big one, huh?" he said as he placed his signature on the order. "A lot of people are waiting for this for a long… for years, for decades," he added.
The republican's executive order said: "More than 50 years after the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Federal Government has not released to the public all of its records related to those events.
"Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay."
It was revealed on Monday the FBI had discovered thousands of new top-secret JFK files as they carried out Trump's demands.
Luna, 35, said: "For too long, the American spirit has been dimmed by a veil of secrecy, by a government that has grown too comfortable in the shadows, denying us the transparency we deserve."
She claimed the government "has been hiding information for decades” and vowed to “restore trust through transparency".
Luna also declared the taskforce would investigate UFOs, or what the government calls Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.
The US has a long history of UFO sightings, which kicked off in modern times in 1947 when pilot Kenneth Arnold claimed to see a string of "flying saucers" near Mount Rainier, Washington.
Other famous cases include The Roswell Incident, also in 1947, when UFO hunters claimed to have captured an alien aircraft in New Mexico.
There was a flurry of reports in The Hudson Valley, New York State when people claimed to have seen V-shaped UFOs with multicolored lights in the sky.
Alongside Luna was James Comey, Kentucky representative, who said: "(Luna) is committed to throwing open the windows for the American people to allow the sunlight of truth shine on the federal government."
Luna added she wants to expose any cover-up protecting people involved in financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation.
Some names from Epstein's "black book" have already been revealed in court documents.
That list drew ties between the disgraced financier and a number of high-profile names including Prince Andrew, President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Trump himself, although there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, said after Trump's inauguration: "I have been working on this for years, trying to get those records of who flew on Epstein's plane and who helped him build this international human trafficking, sex trafficking ring."
Trump says he fell out with Epstein in the 1990s, years before the child sex offender was first arrested in 2008.
The president also insisted he never went to the pedophile sex trafficker's sex island home and knew nothing about the abuse of underage girls.
Epstein apparently killed himself in a Manhattan prison in August 2019 while awaiting trial on fresh charges of trafficking teenage girls – though millions believe he was assassinated to protect the secrets of the rich and powerful, or by his spymasters as he was also a suspected spook.
After his death, his ex-girlfriend and socialite fixer Ghislaine Maxwell, now 63, was convicted of child sex trafficking for her role in supplying girls to the island and jailed for 20 years.
https://radaronline.com/p/fbi-2400-page-stash-jfk-files-secrets-of-robert-kennedy-martin-luther-king-assassinations-existence-of-aliens/
UFOs have earned a new name – and the right to serious study
Fri 14 Feb 2025 13.23 EST
Much as in the US, with the recent congressional hearings on unidentified anomalous phenomena, the UK government is apparently less than transparent in its handling of UAP sightings (formerly called UFOs) – as your article about the Calvine photo shows (What really happened in Calvine?
The mystery behind the best UFO picture ever seen, G2, 11 February). And, as in the US, any hope for imminent and trustworthy disclosure about what these objects may be is probably futile.
Those who do not a priori consider this topic ludicrous, or exploit it in a sensationalist manner, are increasingly taking a more nuanced and independent approach.
If there are such phenomena, it stands to reason that they can and should be studied with the necessary rigour.
The unspoken implication is that at least a small proportion of these sightings may relate to what is called NHI – non-human intelligence.
If that were to turn out to be true, the consequences for our worldview as the human species would make the Copernican revolution pale into insignificance. Serious research is more than warranted.
I recommend Robert Powell’s new book, UFOs. It is a highly readable and scientifically solid introduction to the field of UAP studies.
Your readers may also be interested in the interdisciplinary international symposium Grounding the SETI and UAP debate at Durham Law School on 24 April.
It has taken astronomical research into SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) many decades to lose its stigma as pseudo-science and a reputation-wrecking endeavour.
The same needs to happen for UAP research.
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Prof Michael Bohlander, Chair in global law and SETI policy, Durham Law School
As the person who first analysed the Calvine photograph for Dr David Clarke in June 2022, I am perhaps more familiar than most with the image.
We should always remember there is no proof of where and when the Calvine photograph was taken, or who the photographer was.
An Teampan mountain above Calvine is the most likely location, based on the original witness statement.
However, we do not yet have an exact match. Dr Clarke’s team has traced someone with the same name as that on the back of the photograph, but they deny all knowledge of the incident.
The available evidence suggests that the print and negatives were not “disappeared”, as some have suggested, but simply returned to the photographer or newspaper as the Ministry of Defence claims.
What has disappeared is the original typewritten witness report faxed to the MoD by Craig Lindsay, along with the analysis produced by its image analysts, the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre.
There is no credible evidence to support Sean Kirkpatrick’s suggestion that the photograph is the reflection of a rock in a lake, nor is it an image of a mountain top peeking through low-lying cloud as the MoD suggests.
It should be noted that in 1992 British intelligence shared the photograph with the US Department of Defense, which undertook its own analysis.
It would be interesting indeed if these missing documents were to be located and released.
The Calvine story remains open for believers, sceptics and other interested parties to provide their own interpretations, and in this way a contemporary folklore of competing narratives has grown up around the image.
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Andrew Robinson, Senior lecturer in photography, Sheffield Hallam University
This is the level of reportage and analysis that the public is crying out for on “the phenomenon” (a catch-all phrase to cover the whole gamut of data, collected over eight decades, relating to something potentially non-human among us).
More please. A series of articles would be very welcome: on Berwyn Mountain, Broad Haven School, Rendlesham Forest and more.
Data is not evidence, and is certainly not “proof” of anything, but it must be gathered and interrogated properly.
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Aideen Carty, Dublin, Ireland
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/14/ufos-have-earned-a-new-name-and-the-right-to-serious-study
Heaven’s Gate and Beyond: Understanding UFO Religions at MTSU
Feb 14, 2025 at 12:12
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — One of the world’s experts on the Heaven’s Gate cult will serve as keynote speaker for the Middle Tennessee State University Religious Studies Colloquium later this month.
Benjamin Zeller, professor of religion at Lake Forest College near Chicago, will present “Why UFO Religions Matter” at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in Room 220 of the Student Union, 1678 MTSU Blvd.
“If you look at the night sky, the vastness of the universe can be awe inspiring,” said MTSU Religious Studies professor Jenna Gray-Hildenbrand, who teaches the popular “Cults and New Religious Movements” course.
“It causes us to ask questions. For religious people, it can inspire religious questions.”
Although the curiosity about extraterrestrial life dates back to ancient times, the “flying saucer craze” of the 20th century saw the formation of religions like the Unarius Academy of Science, the Aetherius Society, the Valley of the Dawn and others.
As people grapple with existential questions of the universe and God, UFO religions can serve as a way to connect the science and spirituality within the framework of a theology.
“For Heaven’s Gate, they did use the Bible and understood religion through a Christian lens,” said Gray-Hildenbrand, who has done extensive research in the “snake-handling” religions of Appalachia.
Gray-Hildenbrand said the relationship between religion and science is a topic of ongoing debate and UFO religions — and broader UFO spirituality — raise fundamental questions about the nature of religious identity, belief, community and practice.
And they show that the search for the transcendent is broader than traditional forms of belief in the supernatural, and that the lines between religious belief, scientific knowledge, and spiritual claims is permeable, she said.
Along with his book, “Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion,” Zeller has appeared on podcasts and a documentary on the suicide cult, which was founded in the early 1970s and led to mass suicides among its members in 1997.
His research focuses on religious currents that are new or alternative, including new religions, the religious engagement with science, and the quasi-religious relationship people have with food.
Sponsored by the MTSU Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Zeller’s presentation is free and open to the public.
https://www.wgnsradio.com/article/91356/heavens-gate-and-beyond-understanding-ufo-religions-at-mtsu
https://philosophy.mtsu.edu/
Barack Obama Breaks Silence on UFOs & Aliens—Reveals the ‘Truth’ We Weren’t Expecting
February 13, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Barack Obama, former US President, once opened up about ‘the truth’ he had learned when it came to the existence of aliens and UFOs.
If these species, what we call aliens, do really exist, and Area 51 is packed with life from different planets, then you would reckon it is the sort of thing you are told about when you become president.
Once you are completely aware of the unknown, you can call the people in charge of the staff for a roundtable discussion.
Then, everyone can know the truth about the various supposed sightings that have given rise to a wave of conspiracy theories.
So, who better to answer about this than someone who has done the job?
That may be the reason why Barack Obama was once quizzed about what exactly he knew when it came to the mysteries and secrets of alien life.
In an interview with The Late Late Show with James Cordon, the former president was asked about ‘dem aliens’ Reggie Watts.
He was also asked about UFOs and any other theories he might have on this topic.
Obama, however, kept things close to their chest and joked about it.
He said, ‘when it comes to aliens there are some things I just can’t tell you on air’ (that made everyone suspicious).
He then opened up about his own interests in extraterrestrial beings.
Obama claimed, “The truth is that when I came into office, I asked, I was like, ‘All right, is there a lab somewhere we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?’ “
They did a little bit of research, and the answer was no.”
However, when some people were dissatisfied with his answers, some speculated that maybe his sarcasm was a disguise.
Netizens felt that he was lying to protect the secrets of UFOs and aliens, which could really exist.
Obama even said, ‘There’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are.’
As far as the official meaning of UFO goes, it is defined as some flying objects that have remained unidentified.
He said in the interview that ‘there are things in the sky which we cannot figure out. He said, ‘We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory’.
The former president then said jokingly that Watts was ‘deflecting’ and then flipped the topic back on the musician by saying that ‘he could secretly be an alien,’ and Watts apparently agreed to the same.
When Donald Trump appeared on an American talk show, Gutfeld, he was questioned about this fascinating subject as well.
He was asked, ‘Are there aliens at Area 51?’ which instantly caught people’s attention. Trump answered the curiosity related to the topic, saying, “It is the craziest thing.”
Even as he confessed, “I don’t think I’m a believer,” he revealed compelling insights from his exchanges with airforce pilots.
In fact, the fascination with aliens and UFOs dates back to 1990 when two men went hiking on the moors that surrounded Calvine.
They had claimed to have seen a giant diamond-shaped aircraft that flew above them. The object left no smoke or made any sound; it was absolutely silent and static as if frozen in time.
The men were terrified, and they hid behind a tree. One of the men snapped some photographs before the bizarre craft flew vertically and disappeared into thin air.
The question of whether or not we are alone in this universe is an endless debate for many of us.
In fact, the idea that we might have already been visited by extraterrestrial life, and there might be evidence behind it, is an obsession for many.
But what really was behind Obama’s ‘can’t tell you on air’ is perhaps a mystery for many.
https://www.inquisitr.com/barack-obama-breaks-silence-on-ufos-aliens-reveals-truth-we-werent-expecting
https://twitter.com/ShadowofEzra/status/1867343590256783711
https://twitter.com/TheProjectUnity/status/1868721929785688149
https://twitter.com/TheJRECompanion/status/1872589850861564144
UFO Spotted In New Mexico? Mysterious Large White Disc Sparks Speculation
Updated Feb 14, 2025, 03:15 IST
Pictures of a mysterious white structure on a mountain in New Mexico have gone viral on social media, and users are speculating if its a UFO.
The large, white metallic disc was spotted by Google Maps users at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Its coordinates are 34°24'21.6"N 107°05'44.5"W.
The location is about 34 miles from the Sevilleta National Refuge in La Joya in Socorro County, New Mexico, with no roads or homes in the vicinity.
Users flooded social media platform X with speculation that the structure might be a "UFO" or something extraterrestrial.
"Ceiling hatch of a subterranean hangar for UAP?" a user wondered. "Does this mean there could be an intelligent life in New Mexico?" said another.
Some users looked back at historical images of the area on Google Maps and found a black, box-shaped structure in the same spot in 1975 and a white disc in 2003.
"Used some historic imagery…. What is this ….. Seems it appeared in 2003-2005¿" an X user wrote.
A user opined that the white disc might have been a water tank for wildlife in the area, and such structures have been confused for something extraterrestrial in the past due to their remote location.
Meanwhile, another user said it is a storage tank. "Near a wildlife refuge, so possibly a water tank for the critters.
The tanks have been confused with "vehicles" before, because they are in the middle of nowhere," a comment read. "Sent to a local rancher out there. Says is water storage tank," another user reported.
Near a wildlife refuge, so possibly a water tank for the critters. The tanks have been confused with "vehicles" before, because they are in the middle of nowhere.
https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/ufo-spotted-in-new-mexico-mysterious-large-white-disc-sparksspeculation-article-118225856
FAA didn’t approve NJ UAPs, Sen. Booker says: “I was told directly by officials that that is not the case”
Feb 13, 2025
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) — Senior US Senator, New Jersey
Ask a Pol asks:
What do you make of the White House explanation that the FAA approved all of the ‘drones’ flying over New Jersey?
Key Booker:
“The fact is clear that there were drones being flown in ways that were not FAA approved,” Sen. Cory Booker exclusively tells Ask a Pol. “So I'm not sure exactly what they're talking about.”
Caught our ear:
“I was told directly by officials that that is not the case,” Booker tells us.
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/sen-booker-says-faa-clueless-on-nj-uaps