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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
April 26, 2025
Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 5335
This stunning portrait of NGC 5335 was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Some 170,000 light-years across and over 200 million light-years away toward the constellation Virgo, the magnificent spiral galaxy is seen face-on in Hubble's view. Within the galactic disk, loose streamers of star forming regions lie along the galaxy's flocculent spiral arms. But the most striking feature of NGC 5335 is its prominent central bar. Seen in about 30 percent of galaxies, including our Milky Way, bar structures are understood to channel material inward toward the galactic center, fueling star formation. Of course, distant background galaxies are easy to spot, scattered around the sharp Hubble image. Launched in 1990, Hubble is now celebrating its 35th year exploring the cosmos from orbit around planet Earth.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Crew Studies Space Biology Advancing Health in Space and on Earth
April 25, 2025
Synthetic DNA, how cells respond to weightlessness, and cognitive performance in space wrapped up the week aboard the International Space Station.
The Expedition 73 crew is also gearing up for a spacewalk to ready the orbital outpost for a new rollout solar array.
Space biology is helping doctors understand how humans adapt to living in space and providing countermeasures to keep crews healthy on long duration missions farther away from Earth.
Results may also provide advanced treatments for ailments on Earth.
A new experiment recently delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is exploring the ability to manufacture DNA-like nanomaterials that could be used to deliver therapeutics, vaccines, and regenerative medicine.
NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers kicked off that experiment on Friday mixing solutions to create the nanomaterial products inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox.
Ayers then pointed an electromagnetic light tool at the newly created materials, measured the wavelengths emitted, and evaluated their space-manufactured quality. The samples will be returned to Earth for further analysis.
McClain and Ayers are also getting ready for a spacewalk scheduled for May 1.
The duo will exit the Quest airlock into the vacuum of space and spend six-and-a-half hours preparing the station’s port side truss structure for a new rollout solar array and relocating an antenna that communicates with visiting vehicles.
McClain spent an hour-and-a-half on Friday studying the paths she and Ayers will take to their worksites outside the space station.
A second investigation unloaded from Dragon and activated by station Commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) is observing how cells sense gravity.
Onishi spent Friday processing cell samples inside Kibo’s Cell Biology Experiment Facility before placing the samples inside a confocal microscope for observation.
How those cells samples adapt to microgravity may help scientists provide advanced treatments for space-caused as well as Earth-based conditions such muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, and aging-like symptoms.
NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim focused his research activities on learning how living in space is affecting his cognition, or the ability to think and perform actions in microgravity.
CIPHER is a suite of 14 human research studies looking at the physical and mental changes an astronaut experiences during spaceflight. Kim first collected his blood samples for processing and analysis.
Next, he took a series of tests that included simulating Canadarm2 robotic arm maneuvers on a computer.
The Spatial Cognition portion of the CIPHER study will help doctors learn about and prevent any adverse effects of space on a crew member’s brain structure and function.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov wrapped up an Earth observation experiment that imaged the planet’s nighttime atmospheric glow in near-ultraviolet wavelengths.
Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky spent their day on life support maintenance throughout the orbiting lab’s Roscosmos segment.
Robotics controllers completed the extraction late Thursday of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) experiment from Dragon’s unpressurized trunk.
ACES will be installed outside the Columbus laboratory module for a variety of tests including testing Einstein’s theory of general relativity as well as researching fundamental physics using high accuracy atomic clocks in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/04/25/crew-studies-space-biology-advancing-health-in-space-and-on-earth/
DEADLY CRASH Horror moment police plane nosedives into sea killing at least 5 as aircraft ‘splits in two’ after crashing into water
Updated: 12:37, 25 Apr 2025
THIS is the horrifying moment a police plane crashed into the sea and left at least five people dead.
The aircraft was caught on camera nosediving into the water while on a test flight in Thailand before reportedly being split in two upon impact.
The propeller plane appeared to be a Viking DHC-6 Twin Otter with images showing the wreckage floating on the sea in the Hua Hin district.
The plane crashed near Hua Hin Airport just after 8am.
Officials confirmed it was just over 300ft off shore at the time of the fatal plummet.
Only one passenger is said to have survived the horror smash, according to Royal Thai Police spokesperson Archayon Kraithong.
Four died upon impact with their bodies being recovered by emergency crews as a fifth was declared dead in hospital.
The condition of the survivor is still unknown.
All of those on board were police officers, Kraithong later confirmed.
The cause of the crash is still unknown with investigations ongoing.
Archayon said officials are starting to gather evidence, including black box data to help with their inquiry.
Horrified guests at the Baby Grand Hua Hin Hotel watched on as the aircraft slammed into the Gulf of Thailand.
Onlooker Isara Supasa said: "I was shocked and ran onto the beach. There was no sign of life coming from the plane."
National Police Chief Police General Kitrat Phanphet confirmed the victim's families will be closely supported.
Just weeks earlier, three people died after a medical helicopter carrying a patient plunged into the sea in Japan.
The coast guard deployed two planes and three ships to the area as part of the rescue operation with three survivors being found.
The pilot, Hiroshi Hamada, 66, Katsuto Yoshitake, helicopter mechanic and nurse, Sakura Kunitake, 28, were all rescued by the coast guard shortly after the crash.
The trio were found in the water clinging to inflatable lifesavers before they were rushed to hospital.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/34634619/thailand-police-plane-crash-dead/
ACES finds its home in orbit
25/04/2025
The Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES), ESA’s state-of-the-art timekeeping facility, has been successfully installed on the International Space Station, marking the start of a new chapter in space-based precision science.
ACES lifted off on 21 April 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States, as part of the 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.
On 25 April, the Station’s Canadian robotic arm installed the payload on the Earth-facing side of ESA’s Columbus laboratory, where it is set to operate for 30 months.
Developed by ESA in collaboration with European industry led by Airbus, ACES carries the most accurate atomic timepieces ever launched into space: PHARAO, a caesium-based fountain clock developed by the French space agency CNES, and the Space Hydrogen Maser built by Safran Timing Technologies in Switzerland.
These clocks will work in tandem with a cutting-edge microwave and laser link system to deliver time from orbit with unprecedented precision and allow ACES to establish a “network of clocks”, comparing the most accurate clocks on Earth and in space to explore the nature of time, test general relativity and help pave the way for a redefinition of the second based on next-generation optical clocks.
With installation now complete, the next step is the first switch-on of the system, scheduled for 28 April.
This initial activation will establish communications with ground control, enabling telemetry – data transmitted from ACES to Earth – and telecommands – instructions sent from engineers on the ground to ACES – while stabilising thermal systems in preparation for clock operations.
A six-month commissioning phase will follow, during which engineers and scientists will calibrate the instruments, test time transfer links and characterise the performance of the ACES clocks.
ACES will connect with clocks at selected ground stations several times a day as it orbits Earth on the International Space Station.
When multiple clocks are in the same field of view for the Station, such as two located in Europe, ACES can achieve a precision of one part in 10-17, or about 10 quintillionths of a second, within just a few days.
This is between one and two orders of magnitude better than today's systems using navigation satellites such as GPS.
Comparisons between distant clocks across continents, never directly compared to this accuracy before, will take about a week.
By the end of commissioning, the best operating parameters for PHARAO will be defined. ACES will then begin its two-year science phase, with ten planned sessions of 25 days of data-taking.
After validation by the ACES science team, results will be shared with the global scientific community, opening new frontiers in fundamental physics and the science of time.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/ACES_finds_its_home_in_orbit
Ghostly Plasma Storms Found in Supposedly Empty Space Around Earth
April 26, 2025
Scientists using South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope have peered into the interstellar medium like never before, uncovering unexpected turbulence and plasma structures around the nearest millisecond pulsar to Earth.
Challenging Old Models of Space Turbulence
One of the first things many people learn in astronomy is that stars twinkle, while planets do not. But twinkling isn’t limited to visible light—some objects in the radio sky also appear to flicker, or “scintillate.”
Among these are pulsars, rapidly spinning neutron stars that emit beams of radio waves.
Now, a team of Australian scientists has used the twinkling signal from a nearby pulsar to probe the structure of the interstellar medium—the space between stars—within our galaxy.
By analyzing how the pulsar’s radio waves flickered, they were able to map previously hidden layers of plasma, including features inside a rare and turbulent structure known as a bow shock, where fast-moving stellar winds collide with surrounding space.
New research published on April 21 in Nature Astronomy challenges long-held ideas about the structure of the local interstellar medium, the space just beyond our solar system, and offers fresh insight that could reshape models of pulsar bow shocks.
High-Precision Observations with MeerKAT
The findings come from a study led by Dr. Daniel Reardon of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery and Swinburne University of Technology.
Over six days, the team observed the closest and brightest known millisecond pulsar to Earth using South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope, the most sensitive of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
Although pulsars don’t shine in visible light like ordinary stars, they emit radio waves that appear to “twinkle” as they pass through the turbulent plasma that fills space between stars.
“This plasma is created from gas that is heated and stirred up by energetic events in our galaxy, like exploding stars,” explained Dr. Reardon.
Scintillation as a Window into Interstellar Weather
“When a pulsar scintillates, it reveals valuable information about the location, structure, and motion of the plasma, as well as about the dynamics of the pulsar—we use scintillation to get unique insights about these interstellar storms.”
The pulsar in question, unimaginatively named J0437-4715, is located relatively close to our solar system, in an area of our galaxy called the Local Bubble—a region almost devoid of gas and dust, created by the explosions of 15 stars about 14 million years ago.
Surprising Plasma Structures Discovered
Using the data gleaned from MeerKAT, the scientists studied patterns called “scintillation arcs,” which provide a three-dimensional map, of plasma structures in the galaxy that are impossible to study using other methods.
“These scintillation arcs revealed an unexpected abundance of compact solar-system-sized blobs of plasma within our Local Bubble, which was thought to be more smooth,” Dr. Reardon said.
For the first time, the team also used scintillation to study the bow shock created by the pulsar as it ploughs supersonically through the interstellar medium.
“Travelling at Mach 10, the pulsar and its energetic wind of fast-moving particles create a shock wave of heated gas.” The shock is akin to the bow wave at the front of a ship.
A New Frontier in Measuring Plasma
While most pulsars should create bow shocks, only about a dozen have ever been observed as a faint red glow of energised Hydrogen atoms.
This study marks the first time scientists have been able to peer inside a pulsar bow shock to measure plasma speeds.
“To our surprise, the scintillation arcs revealed multiple sheets of plasma inside the shock, including one unexpectedly moving towards the front of the shock,” Dr. Reardon said.
This groundbreaking study, made possible by the pulsar’s closeness to Earth and the power of the MeerKAT telescope, achieved several significant firsts including a measurement of the three-dimensional shape of a bow shock, measurement of plasma speeds inside the shock, and the most detailed view of plasma structures within our Local Bubble.
“We can learn a lot from a twinkling pulsar!”
https://scitechdaily.com/ghostly-plasma-storms-found-in-supposedly-empty-space-around-earth/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02534-6
A 1,000-pound space object orbiting Earth since 1972 is expected to crash-land in May
Apr. 26, 2025, 8:00 a.m.
We’ve all heard of space debris that sometimes falls back to Earth. But the next hunk of space junk set to crash-land on our planet is a little bigger than just “debris.”
A Kosmos 482 spacecraft, built by the former Soviet Union, has been doing circles around our planet for more than 50 years after its original mission to fly to Venus was cut short by an equipment malfunction in 1972, EarthSky reported.
It is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere sometime between May 8 and May 11. The issue?
It was designed with a heat-resistant shield - which means it might hang together instead of disintegrating upon re-entry.
And it weighs more than 1,000 pounds, the space website reported.
“Although the odds that it occurs over land or a populated area are small, the inconvenient detail with Kosmos 482 is that it was a probe similar to the Venera mission landers,” EarthSky reported.
“That is, they were built to withstand acceleration and the high pressures and extreme heat of Venus. So most of the lander, even if not intact, may still reach our planet’s surface.”
We’ll watch for more details as this re-entry window gets closer. If the re-entry is visible overhead, it may look like the arc of a slow-moving meteor.
https://www.mlive.com/news/2025/04/a-1000-pound-space-object-orbiting-earth-since-1972-is-expected-to-crash-land-in-may.html
https://earthsky.org/space/kosmos-482-soviet-spacecraft-to-fall-to-earth-may-2025/
Space discovery shows that the pyramids were built using ingenious method
April 26, 2025
A landmark discovery on an ancient branch of the River Nile may have solved the mystery of how the pyramids in Egypt were built centuries ago.
The now dried-out waterway, which once ran through Giza might have been used to transport the materials that were used to construct the pyramids.
The proximity to the waterway might also suggest why there is such a cluster of pyramids in that particular area of Cairo, as the large amount of water would have been able to support the various building blocks needed for the colossal structures.
The discovery was made by Dr Eman Ghoneim who used radar satellite data from space to study the Nile Valley which showed an "invisible world of information beneath the surface."
Ghoneim presented her research to the 13th Congress of Egyptologists earlier this year.
Speaking to IFLScience Ghoneim said: "The length probably was really, really long, but also the width of this branch in some areas was huge.
We're talking about half a kilometer or more in terms of width, which is something that is equivalent to today's Nile course width. So it wasn't a small branch. It was a major branch."
The defunct waterway has been dubbed the Ahramat Branch and ran from Giza to Faiyum and amazingly passed through 38 different pyramid sites.
However, without confirmation of whether the river was active during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, around 4,700 years ago, cannot fully determine if water was used to help build the pyramids.
One indication that it could have been used is that according to Ghoneim these pyramids were "located exactly at the bank of the branch that we found" which could mean that they were "valley temples" which acted like ancient ports.
The research might not just unlock the secrets of the pyramids but it could also uncover parts of ancient Egypt that have long been lost as towns disappeared when the Nile naturally migrated.
Ghoneim added: "As branches disappeared, Ancient Egyptian cities and towns also silted up and disappeared, and we have no clue actually where to find them."
This article was originally published on 2 December, 2023.
https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/pyramids-built-water-river-nile-2671848606
https://www.iflscience.com/discovery-of-ancient-waterway-may-solve-mystery-of-how-the-pyramids-were-built-71776
https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/the-discovery-of-the-ahramat-nile-branch-a-hidden-ancient-waterwa
Russian satellite at centre of nuclear weapons allegations is spinning out of control, analysts say
Sat 26 Apr 2025 02.19 EDT
A secretive Russian satellite in space that US officials believe is connected to a nuclear anti-satellite weapons program has appeared to be spinning uncontrollably, suggesting it may no longer be functioning in what could be a setback for Moscow’s space weapons efforts, according to US analysts.
The Cosmos 2553 satellite, launched by Russia weeks before invading Ukraine in 2022, has had various bouts of what appears to be errant spinning over the past year, according to Doppler radar data from space-tracking firm LeoLabs and optical data from Slingshot Aerospace, shared with Reuters.
Believed to be a radar satellite for Russian intelligence as well as a radiation testing platform, the satellite last year became the centre of US allegations that Russia for years has been developing a nuclear weapon capable of destroying entire satellite networks, such as SpaceX’s vast Starlink internet system that Ukrainian troops have been using.
US officials assess Cosmos 2553’s purpose, though not itself a weapon, is to aid Russia’s development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.
Russia has denied it is developing such a weapon and says Cosmos 2553 is for research purposes.
Russia has for decades been locked in a security race in space with the US that, in recent years, has intensified and seeped into public view as Earth’s orbit becomes a hotspot for private sector competition and military technologies aiding ground forces.
The Cosmos 2553 satellite has been in a relatively isolated orbit about 2,000km above Earth, parked in a hotspot of cosmic radiation that communications or Earth-observing satellites typically avoid.
LeoLabs in November detected what appeared to be errant movements with the satellite using Doppler radar measurements from its global network of ground stations.
The company in December upgraded its assessment to “high confidence” that it was tumbling based on additional radar data and imagery of the satellite taken by another space company, Darren McKnight, a senior technical fellow at LeoLabs, told Reuters.
Russia’s defence ministry did not return a request for comment.
“This observation strongly suggests the satellite is no longer operational,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based thinktank, said of LeoLabs’ analysis in its annual space threat assessment, published on Friday.
US Space Command, which tracks objects in space and has condemned Russian military satellites in the past, said it was aware of a change in Cosmos 2553’s altitude but declined to provide further assessment on its current state.
The satellite earlier showed signs of odd behaviour. Slingshot, whose global telescope network has been tracking the spacecraft since its launch on 5 February 2022, detected movements in May 2024.
“Slingshot noted that the object’s brightness became variable, indicating a potential tumble,” a company spokesperson said.
But according to Slingshot’s latest observations, Cosmos 2553 appears to have stabilised, according to Belinda Marchand, the company’s Chief Science Officer.
Commercial space-tracking services are relatively young but fast-evolving and in high demand as the number of civil and military satellites in space soars.
The US defence department and other countries’ militaries, keen on avoiding military miscalculation, have made better eyesight in orbit a high priority to better distinguish between various types of spacecraft manoeuvres and whether objects are civil or military assets.
Russia, a US Space Command spokesperson said, has claimed Cosmos 2553’s mission is to test onboard instruments in a high-radiation environment, “but this does not align with its characteristics”.
“This inconsistency, paired with a demonstrated willingness to target US and allied on-orbit objects, increases the risk of misperception and escalation,” the spokesperson said.
Cosmos 2553 is one of dozens of Russian satellites in space with suspected ties to its military and intelligence programs.
The country has viewed SpaceX’s Starlink, a formidable constellation of thousands of satellites, as a legitimate military target as Ukrainian troops use the service in conjunction with weapons on the battlefield.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/26/russia-satellite-space-nuclear-weapons-allegations-spinning
‘Fantastic tales about space travel technology’ from fake Bay Area company were ‘science fiction’
UPDATED: April 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM PDT
Ramesh Nathan told investors his Bay Area spacecraft company had seven offices around the world, employed more than 15,000 people, and generated $30 billion in profit in a single quarter.
But, according to the indictment that just led to his fraud conviction, the company had no offices, no workers and no revenue.
A jury on Thursday found Nathan, 43, found guilty of fraud and money laundering after an eight-day trial.
In 2016 and 2017, and possibly earlier, Nathan took about $50,000 from six investors, including U.S. military veterans, his indictment said.
He reeled them in with false promises that his San Francisco-based Relativity Research Fund was involved in development of interstellar space travel technology, prototype spacecraft, combustion-free propulsion systems, cutting-edge robotics, and other innovations, the indictment said.
Relativity had an office in the city’s Financial District, according to the indictment.
His statement to investors that Relativity had completed the requirements for listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange were also false, the indictment said.
So was a statement that the company would merge with another firm, according to the indictment.
“Ramesh Nathan spun fantastic tales about space travel technology and advanced robotics to entice investors into funding his company, but all he had to offer was science fiction,” federal prosecutor Patrick Robbins said after the jury’s verdict in San Francisco U.S. District Court.
“He deceived his investors, many of whom were veterans, about a nonexistent business. Then he used the ill-gotten funds to line his own pockets.”
Relativity, Robbins said, was “a nonexistent business.”
Nathan laundered investors’ funds through various bank accounts, prosecutors said.
He used the money for personal expenses including travel, and also transferred funds to an overseas bank account, his mother, and his former girlfriend, the indictment said.
Nathan was arrested in 2019 while trying to leave the U.S., according to court documents.
Convicted of six counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering, Nathan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each fraud charge and 10 years for the two money-laundering counts, but federal sentencing guidelines make maximum sentences rare.
He also faces forfeiture of any property gained through his crimes. He is to appear in court again June 13.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/04/25/fantastic-tales-space-travel-technology-fake-bay-area-company-science-fiction/
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/man-who-defrauded-investors-sham-technology-company-found-guilty-wire-fraud-and-money
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/private-spaceflight/we-learned-so-much-that-we-didnt-know-firefly-aerospaces-blue-ghost-moon-lander-mission-was-full-of-surprises
'We learned so much that we didn't know': Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost moon lander mission was full of surprises
April 26, 2025
Lessons learned and on-the-spot surprises from the first fully successful commercial lunar lander mission bolsters the chances of long-term robotic and human operations on the moon.
The Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Mission 1 safely touched down on March 2 within the targeted Mare Crisium landing zone.
Plopping down on its four landing legs, the spacecraft delivered ten science instruments and technology demonstration gear through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.
Blue Ghost completed more than 14 days of surface operations during 346 hours of daylight, stretching its lifetime for a little over 5 hours into the super-chilly lunar night.
Center of gravity
On moon landing day, "I should have had a heart monitor. My heart was racing. But I had full confidence in the team," recalled Jason Kim, Firefly's Chief Executive Officer during the 40th Space Symposium held here April 7-10 by the Space Foundation at The Broadmoor.
The trek to the moon involved seven major engine burns, doing so with the company's in-house engine technology that performed with precision, Kim said. "So we're going to use that engine over and over."
A key to Blue Ghost's spot-on landing was plotting out the spacecraft's changing mass properties, to ascertain the craft's constantly changing center of gravity, said Kim. The team was smart enough to design the vehicle with four propellant tanks, side by side.
"So having that balanced design really helped land on the moon and stick that landing," Kim told the audience. "It's just what commercial companies do.
They come up with creative solutions and innovation to attack the problem." Firefly also conducted robust testing that included 500 hours of rehearsals using multiple simulations to design the system, he said.
Doubling-down on autonomy
Another checklist success was the Blue Ghost's autonomous landing.
"There were no communication outages that we had to worry about. No latencies we had to worry about or false alarms from human error.
It was just doing everything autonomously in the last hour. That's what made it successful … but also that's why it was so challenging," Kim said.
As a big believer of autonomy, Kim said the company is doubling-down on that capability. "All of our spacecraft going forward are going to have some level of autonomy," he said as "that's where the future is going."
Surprise finding
After landing, Blue Ghost immediately got to work.
Kim spotlighted two payloads, the LISTER drill to probe the moon's subsurface and the Lunar PlanetVac that successfully collected, transferred, and sorted lunar regolith from the moon using pressurized nitrogen gas.
It proved to be a low cost, low mass solution for future robotic sample collection.
LISTER was developed jointly by Texas Tech University and Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company that also provided the Lunar PlanetVac.
The LISTER drill, plowing down an unprecedented three feet instead of a projected 10 feet, "did hit some really hard rock formations," related Kim, "and that's the whole discovery.
We learned so much that we didn't know."
A surprising finding from Blue Ghost was the lunar temperature.
"Nobody has ever done noon operations on the lunar surface. We found out that it's hotter than expected and modeled."
It actually starts sooner and it lasts longer, Kim said, observing that the temperature swings on the moon "were really, really crazy."
Crater-generated heat
Adding to the temperature revelation was another Blue Ghost surprise finding.
"We didn't know we were going to land next to a huge crater. The sun does hit us from one side and heats us up. But the sun reflected off one side of that crater and hit us from the back.
So we actually got hotter because of that reason," said Kim. "So there's so much new discovery that we found and we can pass that forward to other CLPS missions."
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All the lunar landing components operated through the thermal swings, Kim said, even though they exceeded their thermal limits.
"So in the future, we know we need to model the geographic features of the moon a lot better with higher fidelity," Kim added.
Made in the shade solution
Blue Ghost mission controllers came up with a clever "beat the heat" idea during lunar operations.
When the lander was going through lunar noon and was over-heating, Earth operators wanted to assure radio operations were maintained.
Blue Ghost's rectangular antenna on the lander's top deck was gimbaled in such a way as to shade the area in which the radio was contained.
"We're from Texas so we know about shade," Kim said. Indeed, that "made in the shade" approach got the radio back into operational configuration.
Blue Ghost's five-hour sojourn into the lunar night also provided some takeaway messages.
"NASA wanted us to turn on the payloads, so we did, and we actually got some payload data," Kim said. "The LISTER was the last payload standing. That was pretty spectacular."
Survive the night
Information gleaned from the short foray into lunar night, said Kim, shows that there are ways to design lunar lander systems in a modular way to survive and thrive in the night.
The Blue Ghost batteries used on the lander exceeded expectations. Taking a modular approach, Kim said more batteries could be added in the future to sustain specific components, enabling them to live on through the cold lunar night.
"We could add radiators as well," he said. Looking ahead, Firefly is ramping up for annual missions to the moon.
The team has begun qualifying and assembling flight hardware for Blue Ghost Mission-2, which will utilize Firefly's Blue Ghost lander stacked on the group's Elytra Dark orbital vehicle for operations in lunar orbit and on the far side of the moon.
Incremental design
That far side lander, also designed to operate for 14 days on the moon, is based on a slightly incremental design of the Blue Ghost-1 mission, Kim said.
"It will require us to have a tandem orbiter, to provide communications to and from the Earth," he said, "so we're going to be operating two spacecraft simultaneously."
That moon orbiter is expected to last quite a few years," Kim noted, "so we're already looking at putting things like high-resolution cameras on it."
In appraising the Blue Ghost Mission-1, Kim saluted the company's 750 employees that include the 60-person lander team's commitment and bold approaches taken.
"For some of them, this was their first spacecraft … never having built and operated a spacecraft, but they nailed it," said Kim. T
he $101 million mission called upon the team to do whatever it took to out-think the problems, he said, and keep the program on cost and schedule.
"They are unstoppable," he concluded.
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Alien Day 2025
Alien Day is celebrated on April 26. It is a day accompanied by celebrations aimed not only to appreciate science fiction but also educate people about it.
The day provides science fiction lovers with the opportunity to partake in everything sci-fi. It is spiced up by organizing sci-fi competitions for interested persons to win alien collectible and wearable prizes.
Did you know that “Blade Runner,” rated by critics as the most influential sci-fi movie ever, was directed by Ridley Scott?
Ridley Scott also directed the famous movie titled “Alien,” where Alien Day draws its inspiration.
History of Alien Day
Alien Day is a widely acclaimed holiday sponsored by the film production company, 20th Century Fox.
It was first celebrated in 2015 as an unofficial holiday in Brooklyn, New York, by a group of folks who aimed to glorify the world of science fiction.
In 2016, it became even more organized and recognized as trivia competitions, comic books, alien video games, clothes, and collectible prizes became parts of events marking its celebration.
The creation of the holiday was inspired by Ridley Scott’s movie “Alien” which was released in 1979.
The choice of April 26 as the date of celebration does not reflect the day the movie was released; rather, it was adopted from the fictional name of a planet where aliens were discovered in the movie.
The year 2016 held a special place in the alien world because it corresponded with the 30th anniversary of the release of the ‘Alien’ narrations.
The reason behind the observation of Alien Day is to reach out to many people across the globe and get them to appreciate the extraordinary world of aliens in style.
Do you know that you can learn a lot about science and technology in science fiction movies? “Blade Runner” is a sci-fi movie you will not regret watching.
The history of the “Alien” movie is incomplete without Ridley Scott. Sir Ridley Scott, born November 30, 1937, is an English film director and producer.
He is notable for his sci-fi movies collections such as “Alien” released in 1979, “Blade Runner” in 1982, “The Martian” in 2015, and the 2001 war film “Black Hawk Down,” among many others.
The British director is an authority in the making of sci-fi movies.
https://nationaltoday.com/alien-day/
Axiom Space names new CEO
April 25, 2025
Commercial space infrastructure developer Axiom Space has named its chief revenue officer, Tejpaul Bhatia, as its new chief executive.
Axiom announced April 25 that it promoted Bhatia, who had been chief revenue officer of the company since 2021, to the CEO post.
He succeeds Kam Ghaffarian, co-founder and executive chairman of the company.
Ghaffarian, who will remain executive chairman, stepped into the CEO role last August on an interim basis when Michael Suffredini, who has been chief executive for eight years, stepped down and joined the company’s board.
Suffredini said personal reasons led him to step down as CEO. Ghaffarian cited Bhatia’s work as chief revenue officer at Axiom as a key reason to make him CEO.
Axiom noted in a statement that Bhatia secured more than $1 billion in contracts since joining Axiom, including overseeing the company’s series of private astronaut missions to the International Space Station.
“Axiom Space was founded to expand the boundaries of what’s possible in space, and Tej has been instrumental in turning that vision into a reality,” Ghaffarian said in a statement.
“His blend of entrepreneurial drive, global perspective and deep commitment to our mission will ensure Axiom Space’s leadership at the forefront of the rapidly growing commercial space market.”
Bhatia came to Axiom from Google, where he was involved in its cloud computing business. He earlier founded and led several startups and worked on ESPN’s video streaming business.
“I’ve been inspired by space exploration since childhood, and leading Axiom Space at this critical inflection point in human spaceflight is the realization of a lifelong ambition,” said Bhatia in the company statement.
Besides its series of private astronaut missions, the fourth of which is slated to launch as soon as May, the company is developing a private space station.
It also has a contract from NASA to develop spacesuits astronaut will wear on Artemis lunar missions.
Earlier this month, Axiom announced plans for fly orbital data centers on satellites being build by Kepler Communications, a step towards long-term plans for larger data centers that will leverage the company’s space station technology.
https://spacenews.com/axiom-space-names-new-ceo/
US Space Force seeks to overhaul 3 million lines of code of nuclear tracking system to make it cloud-ready
April 26, 2025
The US Space Force is seeking sources to help upgrade a nuclear weapons tracking system that will involve overhauling more than 3 million lines of code to make it ready for cloud environments.
The Space Force is looking to upgrade the compute and software that handle nuclear monitoring and international nuclear weapons treaties.
The project involves replacing the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) National Data Center with a Geophysical Signal Exploitation System (GeoSES) that can also use cloud computing, reports Military Aerospace Electronics.
The Space Force put out a sources-sought notice earlier this week on Sam.gov.
A document included in the notice states: "The US NDC software baseline dates to the 1990s.
It comprises over 3 million lines of code (logical SLOC), written in over a dozen programming languages (including: C, C++, csh, Fortran, Java, Python, Perl, Scheme, SQL).
"The current architecture, characterized by its monolithic nature and tightly coupled components, presents significant challenges to maintainability.
This legacy software, developed prior to the adoption of modern architectural and security practices, is incompatible with cloud-ready environments in its current form."
By overhauling the code and upgrading the "core capabilities" of the National Data Center, the Space Force will instead be able to use cloud computing "to further enhance scalability, reliability and cost-efficiency" where practical for its mission to "detect nuclear explosions anywhere on earth, the atmosphere, or in space."
The current National Data Center software dates from the 1990s and is incompatible with cloud environments.
Currently, the Space Force is looking to industry for information about the cost and workload required to move to the GeoSES cloud platform.
Details about hardware upgrades are limited, but the notice states that all hardware must conform to AFTAC's Enterprise Infrastructure Baseline.
It adds that "hardware, storage, and database requirements must be identified as soon as possible and presented to the AFTAC Infrastructure Strategy Council for approval.
AFTAC maintains a system of more than 3,600 sensors worldwide along with a global network of nuclear event-detection equipment.
Its central location is at the Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, and it has 11 laboratories for research and analyzing data and "actual nuclear debris."
The main lab, known as the Ciambrone Radiochemistry Lab, spans 38,000 sq ft (3,500 sqm).
Last year, the US Space Force expanded its contract with General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) for a cloud-based classified environment for industry collaborations.
The expansion aimed to bring in more stakeholders and open up the environment to public cloud providers.
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/us-space-force-seeks-to-overhaul-3-million-lines-of-code-of-nuclear-tracking-system-to-make-it-cloud-ready/
https://sam.gov/opp/9724b499f8734e8bab63b1c502cf4498/view
Egyptian professor uses drone to monitor students during exam
updated: April 26, 2025 | 19:59
Dubai: While teachers and professors traditionally rely on vigilance and direct observation to prevent cheating during exams, one Egyptian professor has taken a far more unconventional approach: using a drone inside the exam hall.
A widely circulated video last week showed a professor at a university in Egypt deploying a small drone to monitor students during a written examination.
The footage captures dozens of students seated in rows, closely observed by supervisors and teaching assistants. Hovering quietly above them, the drone scans the room, providing a bird’s-eye view intended to deter and detect any potential cheating.
According to local reports, the professor, who was responsible for the course being tested, introduced the drone as an additional layer of oversight, aiming to enhance fairness during exams by minimizing opportunities for dishonest behavior.
The scene, filmed inside one of the college’s large examination halls, quickly went viral on social media.
Some praised the innovative use of technology to maintain academic integrity, while others questioned whether such surveillance was appropriate in an educational environment.
https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/watch-egyptian-professor-uses-drone-to-monitor-students-during-exam-1.500106987
https://twitter.com/gorgeous4ew/status/1915528545956200939
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/5267473-drone-strikes-mexican-cartels-threat/
America is not prepared for drone warfare in the homeland — yet
04/26/25 10:00 AM ET
Earlier this month, the White House announced it would consider drone strikes against Mexican drug cartels.
Although it is important to keep options open when dealing with viable threats, we must also remember that in military planning, the enemy gets a vote.
Stated plainly: We must consider how the enemy will respond to our actions.
In the case of potential drone strikes against the cartels, a predictable response would be that the cartels retaliate with their own version of drone warfare.
Cartels are already using drones daily to track the movements of American law enforcement agents at the border and to transport contraband into our country.
We also know that cartels have shown a willingness to weaponize drones and have used them to attack law enforcement, the Mexican National Guard and criminal rivals within Mexico.
Given this, it seems likely the cartels would retaliate with drone strikes of their own, which invites the question: Are we ready for such a scenario?
A similar question was recently raised in a March inter-agency letter penned by Reps. John McGuire (R-Va.) and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) to the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission and Department of Defense.
The authors noted that, in a recent congressional delegation to the southern border, personnel on the ground shared their concerns regarding their ability to defend themselves should the cartels attempt a drone attack.
Unfortunately, the ability to defend against drone attacks from any enemy, foreign or domestic, is severely hampered by a legal framework that has lagged behind this emerging threat.
It turns out there is a complex web of federal laws that criminalize efforts to damage, disable or even detect or track drones.
While Congress has carved out some ability to conduct drone detection and mitigation activities, this limited authority has only been extended to a select few federal government departments.
State and local governments, not to mention private businesses and individuals, are almost completely stifled in their ability to protect against drone threats.
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Federal criminal laws that apply to protect traditional aircraft are also interpreted to apply to protect drones.
Therefore, someone who damages or disables a drone would theoretically be guilty of violating the Aircraft Sabotage Act, just as if a 737 were attacked.
Interfering with a drone may also violate the Aircraft Piracy Act, the Pen Trap statute, Wiretap Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and prohibitions on GPS interference.
Currently, the only entities statutorily allowed to conduct counter-drone activities, notwithstanding other potentially applicable laws (such as those mentioned above), are the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense and Energy.
However, even these agencies are mostly only allowed to engage in limited mitigation activities to counter drones presenting a credible threat to designated facilities or assets.
State, local, tribal and territorial leadership and law enforcement have not been granted authority to conduct such counter-drone operations.
Even if federal departments had broader authority to conduct counter-drone activities on American soil, such agencies would not have the resources to protect the expansive area of the country’s 55 states and inhabited territories.
A good first step to fix this problem would be a legislative update to clarify that statutes like the Aircraft Sabotage Act do not apply to unmanned aircraft.
It is also imperative to empower non-federal entities to partner with law enforcement and federal agencies in a mutually supportive effort to address drone threats.
Until such legislation can be enacted, it would be helpful to have an executive order guiding agencies on how to interpret applicable laws and exercise enforcement discretion.
The goal of such a directive would be that law enforcement, at the federal level and below, could feel secure in their ability to engage drones presenting a credible threat without fear of being prosecuted.
In the end, the potential for nefarious drone activities by cartels or other bad actors necessitates a robust counter-drone framework.
Alongside legislative and policy changes allowing both federal and non-federal entities to contribute to counter-drone efforts effectively, it is essential to educate potential stakeholders in conducting counter-drone operations in collaboration with the appropriate governmental entities.
Such education should cover legal considerations, operational procedures, technology utilization, communication protocols, counter-drone devices and activities’ potentially adverse secondary effects.
These steps could go a long way in addressing the drone threat in a responsible manner, and thus enhancing domestic security and response capabilities.
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Punjab Police & BSF recover drone, ammunition & narcotics from border in joint op
26th April 2025, 22:15 GMT+11
Tarn Taran (Punjab) [India], April 26 (ANI): The intelligence wing of Border Security Force (BSF) launched a joint search operation with the Punjab Police on Friday evening, recovering contraband objects.
Acting on a tip-off, BSF, in collaboration with Punjab Police, recovered one drone and two heroin packets over the last 24 hours, as per a press release from the Public Relations Officer of Border Security Force, Punjab Frontier.
The joint search operation of BSF and Punjab Police led to the recovery of one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone along with one packet of suspected heroin from a farming field in Tarn Taran district.
On Saturday, one packet of suspected heroin with a gross weight of 550 grams was recovered from a farming field adjacent to Chindu Wala village of Ferozepur, Punjab, as per the release.
The robust technical counter-measures deployed on the border and diligent efforts of BSF troops along with Punjab Police thwarted yet another smuggling attempt and intrusion of illicit drones from across the border.
On Thursday, in a series of successful joint operations, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police recovered arms, narcotics, and drones along the Punjab border, following specific intelligence inputs from BSF sources.
According to the press release, in the first recovery near the village of Daoke in the Amritsar district, a damaged DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone was found along with a pistol and a magazine from a harvested field.
In another recovery near the village of Wan in the Tarn Taran district, a packet of suspected heroin (550 grams) was retrieved.
Later in the day, in a third episode, another damaged DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone was recovered near Rattankhurd, Amritsar.
These recoveries underscore the relentless efforts of BSF and Punjab Police to foil cross-border smuggling attempts and dismantle networks of anti-national elements.
https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278187985/punjab-police-bsf-recover-drone-ammunition-narcotics-from-border-in-joint-op
Turkey launches drone attack on north Iraq
Apr 26, 2025, 2:16 PM
Arab soruces, citing eyewitnesses, reported that Turkish drones carried out heavy attacks that targeted the village of Miji and several other villages.
Reports added that the Turkish attacks left at least two people injured.
From time to time, the Turkish military carries out air strikes on PKK positions, which is listed as a terrorist group by the EU, US, and Turkey.
The Turkish military is said to have more than a dozen military bases in northern Iraq and many more in Syria under the pretext of fighting PKK terrorism.
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/231056/Turkey-launches-drone-attack-on-north-Iraq
Anti-drone system deployed across all IPL 2025 venues for safety
Saturday, Apr 26, 2025 9:20 pm
An Indian anti-drone system, known as the Vajra Super Shot, will be deployed at every Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 venue to safeguard the airspace near the grounds.
The initiative is being taken by a private company, with the initiative of prioritising the commitment to national security in lieu of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir.
The anti-drone system will help identify any drones in the 4-kilometre radius of the stadium. It can disrupt the communication signals of the drone, therefore neutralising any potential threat.
Starting with the ongoing Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the anti-drone system will be deployed in the remaining IPL 2025 matches.
Ever since the Pahalgam terror attack took place on April 22, cricket has become a major talking point.
Earlier today, former India cricket team captain and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President, Sourav Ganguly, talked about cutting all cricketing ties with Pakistan.
“100 per cent, India should do this (break ties with Pakistan). Strict action should be taken.
It has turned out to be a joke that such things are happening every year. Terrorism cannot be tolerated,” Ganguly told reporters.
BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla had also stated that there is no chance of bilateral cricket resuming between India and Pakistan.
The neighbouring countries haven’t played a series since 2012, and that will remain the case, assured Shukla.
“We are with the victims, and we condemn it. Whatever our government says, we will do. We don’t play with Pakistan in a bilateral series because of the government’s stand.
And we will not play with Pakistan in bilaterals going forward. But when it comes to ICC events, we play due to ICC engagement. ICC is also aware that whatever is happening, they will look into it,” Shukla told on Thursday.
https://www.insidesport.in/cricket/anti-drone-system-deployed-across-all-ipl-2025-venues-for-safety/
One wanted, 8 others arrested in connection to stolen drones in Henderson
Apr. 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM PDT | Updated: 12 hours ago
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Bullhead City Police Department report multiple people have been arrested after being accused of stealing 600 drones in Henderson.
Officials report on March 4, $1.2 million worth of drones were stolen.
Henderson Police Department notified BCPD that Eric Guy Loftin, 44, was believed to be a suspect.
Police say through the investigation multiple stolen items were found including vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and firearms at the residence of the Loftin brothers in Bullhead City.
A trafficking stolen property ring was discovered, where other suspects were identified.
According to police on April 24, HPD located and arrested Eric Loftin. Loftin faces multiple felony charges in Arizona.
Multiple people were arrested following multi-agency search warrant operation:
Jeffrey Loftin, 66
Randall Moore, 41
Amanda Kerekes, 37
Michael McIntosh, 48
Stephanie Williams, 32
Jeanna Kreamier, 37
Anthony Wadley, 42
Two suspects face charges for stolen property and the others for the possession of drugs. All seven suspects were booked into the Mohave County Jail.
Police are looking for Chad Henry Loftin, 41, wanted for trafficking stolen property.
https://www.fox5vegas.com/2025/04/26/one-wanted-8-others-arrested-connection-stolen-drones-henderson/
"Russia" strikes Kharkiv with drones, hits reported
Sat, April 26, 2025 - 06:50
Early in the morning on April 26, Kharkiv was hit by a drone attack from Russian forces.
Explosions were heard throughout the city, according to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov.
The mayor reported an explosion heard in the Kharkiv area at 06:06 Kyiv time. Just a minute later, Terekhov reported a new explosion.
He urged residents to remain in shelters until the air raid alert was lifted and mentioned that the city was under attack by enemy drones.
The head of the Regional Military Administration confirmed the reports of explosions in Kharkiv and also urged residents to stay in safe places.
Later, the mayor clarified that one of the strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv. "Smoke was observed at the impact site," Terekhov added.
The head of the Regional Military Administration also stated that, according to preliminary information, the Russian army targeted the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, and the details regarding the consequences are currently being verified.
Later, the head of the Regional Military Administration shared that, according to preliminary information, the enemy UAV struck the roadway in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv.
"No information about casualties has been received at this moment. Relevant services are heading to the impact site," the official reported.
According to Mayor Terekhov, there was a strike near a high-rise building in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, and as a result of the attack, balconies were damaged, and windows were shattered.
"Inspection of the impact site is ongoing. No information about casualties has been received so far," he reported.
Night attack of Shahed drones
As early as the previous evening, the Russian army was recorded launching kamikaze drones towards Ukraine for another airstrike.
Later that night, several explosions were heard in Kropyvnytskyi, with the movement of several enemy UAV groups detected heading towards the city.
As the head of the Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration later reported, as a result of the kamikaze drone strikes in Kropyvnytskyi, warehouse facilities were damaged.
Additionally, an enemy UAV struck a mobile communication tower in the Lypnyazka community of the Novoukrainnka district.
Moreover, the city of Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk region was also hit by a drone strike.
The attack caused a fire in a residential high-rise building, and it is known that three people were injured, including a child.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/israel-reports-missile-attack-from-yemen-1745636563.html
K9 and drone team help locate armed robbery suspect, police say
Updated: 4:55 PM EDT Apr 25, 2025
EASLEY, S.C. —
Easley police said a man is facing charges after being accused of robbing the Ross on Calhoun Memorial Highway.
Officers said the robbery happened around 8:45 p.m. Thursday when a man went into the store, showed a weapon, and demanded money.
Police said the man then ran from the scene before receiving any money.
When authorities arrived at the scene, officers said the suspect had already left, and a search began.
Officers said the search was assisted by their drone unit and a K9 team from the Pickens County Sheriff's Office.
According to police, the suspect was located within about 30 minutes and taken into custody.
The suspect was identified as Jeremy Miller, 42.
He is charged with attempted armed robbery and possession of less than one gram of methamphetamine.
No one was injured in the incident.
https://www.wyff4.com/article/k9s-and-drone-team-help-locate-armed-robbery-suspect-police-say/64592777
WCC condemns drone attack in Ethiopia
25 April 2025
On 23 April, more than 100 civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed while gathered at a primary school for community activities.
“This atrocity adds to a growing list of similar incidents in recent months, including another devastating drone strike in 2024 that targeted civilians,” said Pillay.
“The World Council of Churches condemns in the strongest possible terms such attacks on civilian-populated areas.”
Pillay also expressed concern over the increasing use of autonomous or semi-autonomous armed drones in conflict settings, without strict adherence to international humanitarian law and safeguards to protect non-combatants.
“The situation raises deep moral and ethical questions,” he said. “We call on all parties to the ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia to respect international humanitarian law, to refrain from attacks on civilians and civilian communities, and to commit to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.”
Pillay also urged national and international stakeholders to pursue inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution as the only sustainable path to justice and peace.
“We call on the churches and religious communities in Ethiopia to commit to be voices for justice, reconciliation, peace, and unity,” he said.
“The World Council of Churches stands in solidarity with the victims and their families, and extends heartfelt condolences to all who are grieving.”
https://www.oikoumene.org/news/wcc-condemns-drone-attack-in-ethiopia
https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/world-council-of-churches-statement-on-drone-attack-in-gedeb-ethiopia
Yemen's Houthis claim to launch two drone strikes inside 'Israel'
April 26, 2025
The Houthi movement in Yemen announced on Saturday that it launched two simultaneous drone strikes targeting 'Israel', one in Tel Aviv and the other in Ashkelon in the south. The attacks are part of a continuing escalation in the region.
In a televised statement, Houthi spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that the first drone targeted a vital 'Israeli' objective in the occupied city of Tel Aviv, while the second drone struck a key target in the southern city of Ashkelon.
The Houthi spokesperson explained that these operations were in retaliation for the ongoing US aggression against Yemen, which he said has been taking place daily.
He further stressed that the group will continue to carry out military operations deep within 'Israeli' territory, regardless of the US's actions.
The Houthis have also vowed to escalate their attacks in response to what they perceive as American support for 'Israeli' actions against Gaza.
“We will not stop,” said Sari. “We will respond to the US escalation with similar intensity.”
Additionally, the Houthi group reported that it had successfully targeted the Negev Nuclear Research Center with a "Palestine 2" hypersonic missile earlier on Saturday.
The 'Israeli' military, in turn, announced that it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli airspace, while sirens were heard in several regions.
The Houthi group also confirmed that it had targeted 'Israeli' military assets in the Red Sea, particularly American warships, as part of its broader strategy of resistance against Israel’s air campaign in Gaza.
Earlier, the group’s foreign ministry claimed that the US had launched over 1,200 airstrikes against Yemen since mid-March 2024, causing significant civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure.
The Houthi group has accused the U.S. of committing war crimes in violation of international law.
These developments come amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 168,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded since the escalation began on October 7, 2023.
The Houthis’ continued military activity against 'Israel' has sparked international concerns about further destabilization in the region, with several countries calling for an immediate ceasefire and peaceful negotiations.
https://en.royanews.tv/news/59170