TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
April 28, 2025
Gum 37 and the Southern Tadpoles
This cosmic skyscape features glowing gas and dark dust clouds alongside the young stars of NGC 3572. A beautiful emission nebula and star cluster, it sails far southern skies within the nautical constellation Carina. Stars from NGC 3572 are toward top center in the telescopic frame that would measure about 100 light-years across at the cluster's estimated distance of 9,000 light-years. The visible interstellar gas and dust, shown in colors of the Hubble palette, is part of the star cluster's natal molecular cloud, itself cataloged as Gum 37. Dense streamers of material within the nebula, eroded by stellar winds and radiation, clearly trail away from the energetic young stars. They are likely sites of ongoing star formation with shapes reminiscent of the Tadpoles of IC 410 – better known to northern skygazers. In the coming tens to hundreds of millions of years, gas and stars in the cluster will be dispersed though, by gravitational tides and by violent supernova explosions that end the short lives of the massive cluster stars.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Step Into Idaho’s Fiery Moonscape Where NASA’s Apollo Astronauts Learned to Moonwalk
April 27, 2025
In a fascinating intersection of space exploration and Earth science, NASA’s Apollo astronauts once trained on the alien-like lava fields of Idaho’s Craters of the Moon, preparing to explore the Moon’s surface.
This volcanic terrain mirrors lunar and Martian geology, with lava tubes, cinder cones, and vast basaltic flows. Over time, resilient ecosystems emerged among the rocks, from lichens to ancient juniper-filled kipukas.
The site remains a prime testing ground for Mars-bound technology and a window into how life may persist on other planets.
Training Ground for Lunar Pioneers
In the summer of 1969, four astronauts from NASA’s Apollo program traveled to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in southern Idaho. Although they were experienced pilots, they weren’t trained geologists.
Their mission was to explore the volcanic terrain, similar to what they would encounter on the Moon, and learn the field geology skills they would need to investigate and collect samples during their lunar missions.
Craters of the Moon shares a striking resemblance to the Moon’s surface, with wide stretches of hardened lava. While most volcanic activity on the Moon ended over a billion years ago, the lava flows in Idaho are relatively recent, between 15,000 and 2,100 years old.
These flows erupted from a network of cracks in the Earth’s crust called the Great Rift, which stretches more than 50 miles (80 kilometers), forming a vast plain of dark basalt rock.
Satellite Views Through the Seasons
Satellite images taken in summer and winter capture the stark beauty of the lava fields of Craters of the Moon. The summer image (above, upper) was taken by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 in July 2024, and the winter image (above, lower) by OLI-2 on Landsat 9 in January 2025.
Photos at the bottom of the page show the landscape up close—from the ground in 2024 and in 1969, when astronauts Eugene Cernan and Joe Engle trained there with NASA geologist Ted Foss.
The assemblage of lava flows in the area contains nearly every type of volcanic feature associated with basaltic eruptions. Many, including lava tubes and three distinct types of ropy pahoehoe lava, are too small to be visible at the scale of these images.
A number of cinder cones—conical hills formed when gas-filled magma erupted in fiery fountains—stand out in the snowy winter scene above. These features are usually topped by a prominent crater.
(Note that the craters of Craters of the Moon are volcanic in origin, whereas the round depressions on Earth’s Moon formed when meteoroids, asteroids, and comets struck its surface.)
Lava, Life, and the Harsh Environment
The area’s ecology is closely connected to the volcanic landscape. Lichens are some of the first organisms to colonize new lava flows, and plants gradually find places to grow in the cracks in the lava.
Sagebrush is common in the park, especially where rocks are older and soil is more developed.
Islands of lusher plant life called kipukas are scattered throughout the region, becoming isolated when lava flowed around elevated patches of land. Hundreds exist in the park, ranging in size from less than one acre to tens of thousands of acres.
Larger kipukas may be crisscrossed by roads and altered by other human activity, while smaller ones are relatively undisturbed. These ecological havens contain some of the oldest juniper trees in Idaho and are valuable for long-term scientific study.
Flora, Fauna, and Winter Resilience
The plant and animal life here, in addition to coexisting with lava rock, must also endure long winters. At approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation, the area can experience cold, snowy conditions from November through March.
From Moon to Mars: A Continuing Legacy
In the decades since the Apollo program, Craters of the Moon has continued to garner interest from scientists for its commonalities not only with the Moon but also with Mars.
Subsequent research programs have used the lava landscape to test instrumentation and advance our planetary exploration capabilities.
In one recent study, researchers pointed out that Craters of the Moon lava tubes support diverse microbial communities and have some structural similarities to lava tubes on Mars.
These Martian features, shielded from less hospitable surface environments, are of particular interest to scientists because of their potential to harbor biological communities.
https://scitechdaily.com/step-into-idahos-fiery-moonscape-where-nasas-apollo-astronauts-learned-to-moonwalk/
Move Over Wall-E
Apr 26, 2025
Airmen from @DyessAFBPAshowcased Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment at the Wings Over West Texas airshow.
The @UsAirforce's quad-legged unmanned ground vehicles or robot dogs are used to enhance perimeter security and provide real-time intelligence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLLYaLg_aJo
Newly launched NASA satellites open eyes to start studying 'auroral electrojets' in Earth's atmosphere
April 28, 2025
The first bits of data have come back from the trio of small satellites that make up NASA's EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) mission, which aims to solve some mysteries surrounding the "auroral electrojet" phenomena in our atmosphere.
The "first light" observations are promising, and NASA says the EZIE satellites are "poised to reveal crucial details about Earth's auroral electrojets."
After launching March 14 from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on SpaceX's Transporter 13 rideshare mission, EZIE's three suitcase-sized cubesats now orbit a few hundred miles above Earth in a string-of-pearls configuration.
"The EZIE team is very excited about these first-light results," Sam Yee of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the mission's principal investigator, said in a statement.
"The observations demonstrate that both the spacecraft and the MEM instrument onboard are working as expected."
MEM, short for Microwave Electrojet Magnetogram, measures a phenomenon called Zeeman splitting.
This method will give NASA researchers insight into the structure and evolution of the electrojets system, which has never been available to scientists before.
Auroral electrojets are intense currents created by the massive energy transferred by the solar wind when it hits Earth's upper atmosphere.
The electrojets push about 1 million amps of electrical charge around Earth's magnetic poles every second.
While they flow some 65 miles (100 kilometers) above the ground, auroral electrojets are responsible for some of Earth's largest magnetic disturbances.
They can also impact the safety of astronauts and cause satellite interference. Understanding these electrojets has been a priority at NASA for a while, and the EZIE mission marks the first time scientists will have the chance to map them up close.
The mission is funded by the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington and is managed out of Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Next, the team will run final checkouts and calibrations for the three EZIE cubesats. If everything goes well, NASA says the mission will start formal science investigations in a month.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/aurora-borealis/newly-launched-nasa-satellites-open-eyes-to-start-studying-auroral-electrojets-in-earths-atmosphere
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/ezie/2025/04/22/nasas-ezie-mission-captures-first-light/
Scrub - Alpha FLTA006 "Message In A Booster"
April 28, 2025
Alpha FLTA006 is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first of Firefly’s multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin that includes up to 25 missions over the next five years.
This mission will launch Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 tech demo to prove out the risk-reduction and pathfinding efforts the company has done for its multi-mission satellite bus.
Launching the mid-size satellite to low Earth orbit, FLTA006 will further validate Alpha’s robust performance to take customers directly to their preferred orbits as the only operational 1 metric ton rocket.
The Alpha FLTA006 Message In A Booster mission is prepared to launch no earlier than Monday, April 28, 2025.
A 52-minute window begins at 6:37AM PDT. Message In A Booster will launch from Firefly’s SLC-2 complex at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
https://fireflyspace.com/missions/alpha-flta006/
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/firefly-aerospace-alpha-rocket-launch-lm-400-lockheed-martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4wYA10FzI8
SpaceX launches 250th Starlink satellite mission, lands rocket at sea
April 28, 2025
SpaceX launched a milestone mission on Sunday night (April 27).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of the company's Starlink broadband satellites — including 13 with direct-to-cell capability — lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday at 10:09 p.m. EDT (0209 GMT on Monday, April 28).
It was the 250th time SpaceX had sent a batch of Starlink craft skyward, the company noted via X shortly after launch.
About eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical touchdown as planned.
It landed on the SpaceX drone ship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
It was the 20th liftoff and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Thirteen of those flights have been Starlink missions.
The rocket's upper stage did its job, too. It deployed the 23 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) about an hour after launch, SpaceX announced in an update on X.
Sunday night's launch was the 48th Falcon 9 flight of 2025, and the 31st dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation.
That network currently consists of more than 7,200 operational satellites and is growing all the time.
The first dedicated Starlink launch occurred in May 2019 (though SpaceX launched two prototype broadband craft more than a year earlier, in February 2018).
Over the past six years, SpaceX has lofted nearly 8,400 Starlink satellites on those 250 launches, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-250th-starlink-satellite-mission-lands-rocket-at-sea-photos
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-23
SpaceX Starlink Mission
April 28, 2025
SpaceX is targeting Monday, April 28 for a Falcon 9 launch of 27 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Liftoff is targeted for 1:39 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 5:25 p.m. PT. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Tuesday, April 29 starting at 1:11 p.m. PT.
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 will be the 25th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, Iridium OneWeb, SDA-0B, NROL-113, NROL-167, NROL-149, and 16 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-11-9
Long March 3B launches Tianlian-2 (05) satellite to boost space data relay network
April 27, 2025
China added a new satellite to its geostationary Tianlian data tracking and relay communications satellite series Sunday with its latest launch.
A Long March 3B lifted off at 11:54 a.m. Eastern (1554 UTC) April 27 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced the success of the launch around an hour after liftoff.
The previously undisclosed payload was confirmed as Tianlian-2 (05) data tracking and relay communications satellite.
The launch inserted the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Tianlian-2 (05) will later maneuver itself to take up a position along the geostationary belt (GEO), around 35,786 kilometers above the equator.
The launch follows just over a month after the launch of Tianlian-2 (04), another second-generation Chinese data tracking and relay communications satellite.
The satellite will provide data relay and telemetry, tracking and command services for crewed spacecraft and the Tiangong space station.
It will also provide similar services for medium and low Earth orbit satellites, and support for launches, according to Chinese media.
Tianlian satellites are key pieces of China’s space infrastructure and integral to its operations, performing a similar role as the U.S. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS).
The Tianlian system, with satellites placed at various points around GEO, provides near constant coverage for Tiangong as it orbits the Earth.
China launched its first Tianlian satellite—Tianlian-1 (01)—in 2008.
It, and the subsequent Tianlian-1 (02) and (03) satellites, are now in graveyard orbits above the geostationary belt, according to U.S. Space Force space tracking data, having completed their missions.
Tianlian-1 (04) and (05), together with the new generation Tianlian-2 (01-04) satellites, remain active in GEO.
Tianlian satellites are developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), a major spacecraft-making institute under CASC, the country’s state-owned main space contractor.
While the Tianlian-1 satellites are based on the DFH-3 satellite platform, the newer Tianlian-2 satellites use the DFH-4 communications satellite platform, providing improved bandwidth and higher data transmission rates, and operational lifespans of up to 15 years.
Sunday’s launch was China’s 22nd orbital launch of 2025. It follows the April 24 launch of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft atop of a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan.
The mission saw three astronauts arrive at Tiangong to begin a six-month stay aboard the space station.
China’s next launch is expected to be of a Long March 5B rocket with a Yuanzheng-2 upper stage from the coastal Wenchang spaceport, Monday, April 28.
The next action for the Long March 3B rocket—a hypergolic launcher frequently used for launches to GTO—could be the launch of the Tianwen-2 near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission.
While there is no official announcement of a precise launch date, indications are that the launch is scheduled for late May from Xichang.
Unlike previous years, CASC has not publicly released an overview of its launch plans for 2025.
Last year it stated a goal of around 70 launches, with a further 30 or so attempts expected from commercial actors, while reaching a total of 68 launches.
Trends suggest a similar target of around 100 launches can be expected for 2025, with an expected increase in commercial activity, with a number of new, medium-lift and potentially reusable rockets targeting debut flights, supported in part by an expansion of launch facilities.
Such a target would, however, require an increase in launch cadence as the year progresses.
https://spacenews.com/long-march-3b-launches-tianlian-2-05-satellite-to-boost-space-data-relay-network/
1 person dead, another hospitalized after police shoot knife-armed man at Va. senior community
April 26, 2025, 5:25 PM
One person is dead and another is in the hospital after police shot a man armed with a knife Saturday morning at the Westminster at Lake Ridge senior living home in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham detailed during a news conference that officers were called to a privately-owned apartment at the senior living community just before 10 a.m. for a man in distress who was armed with a knife and wanted to harm himself.
Once on the scene, two responding officers were confronted by the man, who proceeded to lunge at officers with a knife after disregarding orders to cease. Officers discharged their firearms during the initial confrontation.
According to Newsham, officers fired again after the man began stabbing a 91-year-old woman who lived inside the apartment.
Preliminary findings later revealed she was the grandmother of the man, who has only been identified by police as a 26-year-old male.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene after life-saving measures were administered by officers.
The grandmother, who sustained stab wounds and a gunshot wound, was transported to an area hospital. She remains in stable but serious condition, Newsham said.
A second woman was found inside the apartment but she didn’t sustain any injuries. The responding officers weren’t injured.
“This is tragic,” Newsham told reporters during a press briefing. “For the grandmother, for the mother of this 26 year old who lost his life.
And then we also have two officers involved and the last thing in the world that these officers wanted to do when they came to work today was be in this type of an incident.”
Newsham said it remains unclear how many bullets were fired during the confrontation, and that an investigation would be overseen by the regional Critical Incident Response Team.
A full report would be released to the public in the future.
The police chief said that no calls had been made to the Prince William Police Department about the pair prior to the Saturday shooting.
Both officers — one described as a veteran and the other with 18 months on the job — will be placed on routine administrative leave for the duration of the investigation.
https://wtop.com/prince-william-county/2025/04/1-dead-another-hospitalized-after-police-shoot-man-armed-with-a-knife-at-woodbridge-senior-living-community/
US FCC to review spectrum sharing rules to boost space-based telecom
April 28, 20257:52 AM PDT
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday voted to open a review of the decades-old spectrum sharing regime between satellite systems sought by SpaceX.
The review aims to allow a greater and more intensive use of spectrum for space activities.
Existing reductions approved in the 1990s limit power usage that prevent better coverage from SpaceX's Starlink and other systems.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the power limits "hamper satellite broadband by degrading signal quality, reducing coverage, limiting capacity, and making it harder to share spectrum with other satellite systems."
https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/us-fcc-review-spectrum-sharing-rules-boost-space-based-telecom-2025-04-28/
Space Station Camera Captures Mysterious Symbols in the Tunisian Desert—Even Experts Can’t Explain What They Mean
04/28/2025 08:30
While we all know by now that circles in the middle of nowhere are not made by aliens, it is still a curious occurrence when they are picked up by satellites in the sky.
What we can see form space is a fascinating take on how we live, as the people watching are so close and yet so far away that it really underscores how perspective is key.
The latest of this phenomena was picked up by a camera affixed to the International Space Station as it went over the Tunisian desert.
The International Space Station serves a multitude of purposes, mostly related to conducting scientific experiments in microgravity and studying the space environment, it also has multitude of cameras affixed to it that allows both governments and some private companies to survey not just space, but the areas of the earth they go through, which is how we saw this image of carved symbols in the desert.
The Tunisia desert carvings seen from space
Sen, a company with three cameras mounted on the International Space Station, has one lens directed directly at Earth, capturing a view roughly 250 by 150 kilometers in scale.
This footage is available as a high-resolution 4K livestream, offering Ultra HD visuals with a pixel width of around 4,000.
Installing these cameras on the International Space Station involved a rigorous approval process.
Sen’s equipment had to undergo Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) testing to confirm it would not disrupt the station’s communications or radio systems. Additionally, it faced three rounds of NASA safety evaluations.
To finalize placement, Sen needed a hosting partner on the expansive, multinational station, eventually securing a spot on a European Space Agency module via an Airbus platform, which supplies both power and partial access to a NASA data downlink.
In some of the latest recordings, Sen noted what looked like large, unexplained markings appearing in the sand below, prompting intrigue over their origin and nature.
Charles Black, the founder of the Earth and space livestreaming company Sen, which picked up the original images, spoke to Mashable about the phenomenon “This caught our attention. […] You never know what you might see.”
In this particular case, what we can see is obvious and was immediately picked up as part of agriculture activity patterns.
The fact that the images were picked up a bit farther into the desert than some might have anticipated is what makes them exciting and stand out, as they contrast very well the barren desert plains in Tunisia.
But although this case is obvious, Sen does not always explain the images they capture with their cameras, instead letting viewers make their own suggestions and have their own opinions on what is shown.
“We want the audience to be engaged,” Black said. “It’s promoting debate, discussion, and interest. We’ll label the location, but we want the viewers to decide, discuss, and make comments.”
Engagement is important as space is expensive and the company has to maintain viewers interested, although one could argue that the new sights that come in every week are engaging enough by themselves as the International Space Station revolves around Earth.
As Black confirms “Whenever you log on, you can see something different. You never know what you might see.”
This is because the International Space Station goes around the Earth about 16 times every single day, but it does not maintain the same orbit, it moves a little to the west with every rotation as it continues to take impulse from the Earth’s gravitational pull and then fall down.
This means that the spectacular views are always changing, and if you watch the livestream, you will find that “You see a beautiful planet and a borderless world,” Black said.
https://www.blanquivioletas.com/en/space-station-camera-symbols-tunisian/
https://en.as.com/latest_news/mysterious-symbols-in-the-desert-captured-by-international-space-station-cameras-you-never-know-what-you-might-see-n/
https://twitter.com/sen
https://www.youtube.com/@Sen
Head of FAA’s commercial space office takes buyout
April 28, 2025
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration’s commercial space transportation office is leaving the agency through a deferred resignation program.
The FAA confirmed to SpaceNews that Kelvin Coleman, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, is among those who opted into the second round of a program intended to reduce the overall workforce at the Department of Transportation, which includes the FAA. Reuters first reported Coleman’s departure.
“The FAA provided employees with a second chance to voluntarily resign or retire through the Deferred Resignation Program,” an FAA spokesperson told SpaceNews.
“The agency is working with employees who accepted the offer to transition their work and complete the offboarding process.”
The department reopened the program at the beginning of April after an initial round of offers just after the start of the Trump administration.
The program allows participants to resign but continue to be paid through the end of the fiscal year.
Coleman has led the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation, known as AST, since 2022, after being named deputy associate administrator in 2017.
During that time, the amount of commercial launch activity has grown enormously, from 23 licensed launches in 2017 to 157 in 2024.
That has put a strain on the office, which the FAA has responded to by seeking additional staff and other resources, as well as streamlining the licensing process.
The latter included new launch and reentry licensing regulations, called Part 450, that took effect in 2021.
Industry, though, has complained about the implementation of Part 450, leading the FAA to create a space-related Aerospace Rulemaking Committee, or SpARC, to collect industry input on ways to improve Part 450.
FAA officials said at the Commercial Space Conference in February that the SpARC was expected to complete its work by July, and that it was working on other improvements, such as a new electronic system for license applications.
Key member of Congress at the conference, though, raised their own concerns about the pace of licensing.
Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), chairman of the House Science Committee, announced there that he and the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), asked the Government Accountability Office to review Part 450.
Industry officials, while frustrated at times with Part 450, have privately expressed concerns about the departure of Coleman and, potentially, other key people at AST.
They worry that the loss of senior leadership would exacerbate workforce challenges in the office.
The FAA noted in its statement that employees who have “safety-critical functions” were not eligible for the buyout.
“We have a deep reserve of experienced talent, and we ensure orderly transitions by continuously training people to move up and assume leadership roles,” the agency stated.
https://spacenews.com/head-of-faas-commercial-space-office-takes-buyout/
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-commercial-space-associate-head-opting-buyout-agency-says-2025-04-24/
Armed services committees propose $150 billion funding boost for defense
April 27, 2025
The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees unveiled legislation Sunday that would increase Pentagon spending by $150 billion, with $25 billion earmarked for a new missile defense initiative known as Golden Dome.
The proposal, released by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, would push total defense spending above $1 trillion for fiscal year 2025 when combined with the already approved $886 billion defense budget.
“Our defense industrial base has weakened. America’s deterrence is failing and without a generational investment in our national defense, we will lose the ability to defeat our adversaries,” Rogers said in a statement.
The Golden Dome initiative, established through a White House executive order, aims to create a comprehensive shield protecting the United States against ballistic, hypersonic and advanced cruise missiles.
Of the $25 billion proposed for the program, about $15 billion would fund satellites, space-based sensors and interceptors, and launch infrastructure.
The funding package is being advanced through a budget reconciliation bill, which allows the majority party to pass spending legislation without the threat of a Senate filibuster.
The House Armed Services Committee is scheduled to debate and mark up the bill on April 29.
“This legislation represents a generational upgrade for our nation’s defense capabilities, including historic investments in new technology,” Wicker said.
The legislation funds 11 priority areas. Besides missile defense, other top priorities include shipbuilding, munitions production and programs to improve military readiness and quality of life. Funding would begin flowing as soon as the bill is enacted.
“The House and Senate Armed Services Committees developed this legislation in close conjunction with the White House to modernize America’s military, secure the border, and strengthen national security,” the chairmen said in a statement.
The $25 billion earmarked for Golden Dome includes about $15 billion for satellites, sensors, launch infrastructure and interceptors:
$2 billion for military satellites with air moving target indicators
$500 million for national security space launch infrastructure
$400 million to expand the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed
$5.6 billion to develop space-based and boost-phase missile interceptors
$2.4 billion for military non-kinetic missile defense effects, such as electronic warfare tools
$7.2 billion to develop, procure, and integrate military space-based sensors
$183 million for Missile Defense Agency special programs
$250 million for directed energy technology development and testing
$300 million for classified military space superiority programs overseen by the Strategic Capabilities Office
Democrats criticize partisan approach
The top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee voiced strong opposition to the reconciliation approach Sunday, criticizing both the legislative strategy and potential impacts on social programs.
“While there may be bipartisan support for investing in defense spending that supports the quality of life of our service members and their families, readiness, innovation, and modernization, these investments should be considered through the normal authorization and appropriations process,” Rep. Adam Smith (D., Wash.) said in a statement April 27.
Smith characterized the legislation as a “partisan budget reconciliation gimmick” that would require offsetting cuts to social safety net programs.
https://spacenews.com/armed-services-committees-propose-150-billion-funding-boost-for-defense/
https://armedservices.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bill_text.pdf
Astronomers gaze into 'dark nebula' 60 times the size of the solar system
April 28, 2025
Astronomers have discovered a dense stellar nursery packed with infant stars in a vast "cosmic ink blot."
The team made the discovery using one of the most powerful digital cameras in the world: the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile.
The dark shadow overlaid on a starry background is known as the Circinus West molecular cloud. Circinus West is a cold, dense cloud of gas and dust that stretches out for 180 light-years, around 60 times the size of our solar system.
Nebulas like this are so dense that light cannot pass through them, resulting in their dark, ink-like appearance and the fitting nickname "dark nebulas."
With a mass around 250,000 times that of the sun, the Circinus West molecular cloud, located 2500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Circinus, is jam-packed with the raw material for star formation.
Despite being a "dark nebula," the Circinus West molecular cloud isn't so dark that it can completely hide its young stellar population, however.
The team zoomed in on this region with the powerful DECam instrument to see these stellar infants and their associated phenomena in greater detail.
One dead giveaway of newborn stars is occasional pockets of light punctuating the inky tendrils of the molecular cloud.
These are created during star formation when so-called "protostars" — stars that haven't yet gathered enough material to trigger the fusion of hydrogen to helium in their cores — launch jets of material into space, carving cavities in the dense molecular gas and dust.
Astronomers find these high-energy outflows are easier to see than the protostars that launch them.
That is because protostars are still wrapped in natal blankets of gas and dust from which they continue to gather mass on their journey to becoming main-sequence stars like the sun.
This makes these outflows and cavities a great indicator of the location of protostars.
Multiple outflows can be seen in the central black tendril of the Circinus West molecular cloud, named the Cir-MMS region.
At the heart of the Cir-MMS region is a large cavity that is being cleared by radiation blasting out for an infant star. Another stellar newborn is clearing a similar cavity at the bottom left of the Cir-MMS region.
The abundance of "Herbig-Haro" (HH) objects in Circinus West is another indication of active star formation.
HH objects are glowing red patches of nebulous gas and dust commonly found near newborn stars. They are created when fast-moving gas ejected by stars slams into slower-moving surrounding gas.
Circinus West is packed with such objects, punctuating the dark lanes of gas and dust.
It isn't just newborn stars that populate Circinus West. This molecular cloud is also home to many stars at the other end of the stellar cycle of life and death.
Planetary nebulas, seen by the DECam in Circinus West as red blotches, are the remains of red giant stars, stellar bodies that have reached the end of their hydrogen supplies and their main sequence lifetimes.
At this point, they shed their outer layers, with this material dispersing and cooling, creating a planetary nebula (which somewhat confusingly actually have nothing to do with planets).
The team behind this research hopes that by studying the infant and aging stars of Circinus West and their outflows can reveal more about how they shape their immediate environments
Ultimately, this could reveal the processes that govern the evolution of galaxies like the Milky Way.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/astronomers-gaze-into-dark-nebula-60-times-the-size-of-the-solar-system-video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdpVn-3tK-4
Scientist claims Big Bang theory is WRONG as revolutionary idea could change our understanding of universe
27/04/2025 - 19:17
A controversial new theory claims the Big Bang never happened, challenging one of the most fundamental beliefs in modern cosmology.
Professor Richard Lieu of The University of Alabama in Huntsville has published research suggesting the universe wasn't born from a single massive explosion.
Instead, he proposes that the cosmos grew through numerous rapid-fire bursts throughout history.
His alternative explanation, published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, introduces the concept of "temporal singularities" that blasted new matter and energy into space.
This groundbreaking idea directly challenges scientific consensus that has stood since the 1960s.
According to Lieu, each of these 'temporal singularities' sent bursts of energy and matter into space, which eventually formed planets, stars and galaxies. These bursts weren't confined to a single explosive beginning like the Big Bang theory suggests.
Instead, they have continued throughout cosmic history, collectively pushing the universe to expand.
"The new model can account for both structure formation and stability, and the key observational properties of the expansion of the universe at large," Lieu explains.
These random bursts occur rarely and quickly, dissipating before they can be detected by current technologies like telescopes.
The traditional Big Bang theory proposes that the universe began as an infinitely small, hot point of densely packed matter and energy that exploded and continues to expand. However, this model cannot work without dark matter and dark energy.
Dark matter is theorised to be the invisible scaffolding holding cosmic structures in place. Meanwhile, dark energy is believed to be the undetectable force pushing the universe to expand faster.
Scientists have yet to prove these mysterious substances actually exist. Despite this, Lieu has attempted to rework our understanding of the universe to align with known laws of physics without relying on unproven forces.
The theory could explain why the universe is expanding rapidly without needing dark energy. It also addresses how galaxies and galaxy clusters formed without requiring dark matter.
"These singularities are unobservable because they occur rarely in time and are unresolvedly fast, and that could be the reason why dark matter and dark energy have not been found," Lieu stated.
The physicist describes his approach as "radically different" from conventional models.
However, he acknowledged the theory had drawbacks. The temporal singularities he proposes are, by definition, unobservable, similar to dark matter and dark energy.
There is currently far more indirect evidence supporting dark matter and dark energy than these temporal singularities.
His theory also fails to explain what causes these bursts in the first place.
https://www.gbnews.com/science/scientist-claims-big-bang-theory-wrong-revolutionary
https://www.uah.edu/news/items/uah-physics-researcher-proposes-first-time-model-replaces-dark-energy-and-dark-matter-explaining-nature-of-universe
Drone dumps a million baby clams in Grant-Valkaria to help cleanse Indian River Lagoon
April 27, 2025, 5:05 a.m. ET
Can a few good drones and a billion "super clams" save the Indian River Lagoon?
Maybe not all by themselves, but these shellfish ways are well worth a try, according to the Indian River Lagoon Billion Clam Initiative, spearheaded by the Coastal Conservation Association Florida, a nonprofit sportfishing and marine advocacy group.
A drone hovered above the lagoon in Grant-Valkaria Friday to spread 'super-clam cluster bombs' in hopes to seed a once natural defense mechanism long lost from a lagoon that's been under ecological assault for decades.
Friday's drone-clam deployment was part of ongoing Earth Day-themed efforts by CCA, Duke Energy Florida, marine-products company Star brite and other conservation partners.
It was a kickoff event to a weekend-long Clean Water Collective, a community conservation event. In total, they plan to deploy 4 million clams throughout the weekend.
The effort continues the so-called Billion Clam Initiative, a large-scale effort led by CCA Florida in partnership with the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory and Capt. Blair Wiggins.
The project, which began in 2017, uses state-of-the-art technology to deploy clams in effort to improve water quality and restore ecological balance throughout the lagoon. To date, the initiative — with the hovering help of clam-dumping drones — has put 49 million clams in the lagoon.
Last year, CCA joined scientists at Hog Point, south of Melbourne Beach, to spread 3 million clams in the lagoon.
For every $1 donated to the initiative, 100 clams are released in the lagoon. To help kick start the initiative, CCA Florida and the Duke Energy Mariculture Center donated $100,000 in October 2023.
Drones soar above clam-planting by hand
Clams are filter feeders that remove algae and excess nutrients from coastal waters. They can also help to blunt waves, lessening shoreline erosion.
Whatever genes it takes to survive our collective waste, these clams seem to have the right stuff. They are, in the words of one researcher, "super clams."
Survival of the fittest shellfish
These clams would make Darwin proud. University of Florida researchers began to put the earliest batches of super clams in the lagoon at River Rocks restaurant off U.S. 1 in 2020.
Todd Osborne, a biochemist at UF, had searched far and wide in the lagoon for clams with the genetic "right stuff" to survive the estuary's harsher conditions — made harsher by decades of overfertilizing, leaky septic tanks, sewer systems and stormwater runoff.
He searched throughout the 156-mile-long lagoon for any clams that survived the recent years of severe algal blooms until finally striking shellfish gold several years ago: one pocket of crazy-tough clams in southern Mosquito Lagoon, where he harvested 39 palm-sized clams.
They were about eight years old. A clam typically lives about 15 years
According to some scientists, these bivalve superheroes could be a key to helping restore the lagoon and help solve the problem of one of Florida's worst man-made environmental messes.
Our sewage, fertilizer and runoff fuels algae for clams and oysters to feed on, and despite dips in the lagoon's salt and oxygen levels and thick mats of seafoam, the baby clams transplanted from the hardy lineages in Mosquito Lagoon to a lab, then back to less healthy parts of the lagoon, are providing glimmers of hope that the "super clams" could join an army of other filter feeders to help cleanse the ailing estuary.
Most local clammers stopped making a decent living in the lagoon more than three decades ago. Theories vary as to why.
Some blamed the economy, others state rules that were too expensive to follow and/or all the new homes, roads and resulting runoff.
But researchers point more to prolonged periods of extremes: droughts or periods when heavy rains dumping too much fresh water into the lagoon for too long.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2025/04/27/drones-seed-clams-indian-river-lagoon-grant-valkaria/83271389007/
https://www.itnewsonline.com/PRNewswire/USNDA-Launches-DroneWERX-White-List-Program-The-Warfighters-Reddit-for-Emerging-Drone-Technologies-Set-to-Pilot-in-2025-Events/1054171
https://www.usnda.org/dronewerx
USNDA Launches DroneWERX White List Program: "The Warfighter's Reddit for Emerging Drone Technologies" Set to Pilot in 2025 Events
April 28, 2025
The U.S. National Drone Association (USNDA) today announced the launch of its DroneWERX White List Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at breaking down bureaucratic barriers to innovation by directly connecting warfighter-identified challenges to American-made drone and counter-drone solutions from academia, startups, and industry.
Nicknamed "The Warfighter's Reddit," the USNDA's DroneWERX White List Program reignites and amplifies the success of DroneWERX program originally launched in 2017 as a U.S. Special Operations Command initiative funded through the Special Capabilities Office, reinvigorating a transparent, collaborative ecosystem for sourcing operational problems, crowdsourcing solutions, and accelerating field-ready capabilities—all with the goal of igniting the American drone industrial base and reducing reliance on China's drone supply chain.
Accelerating Hands On Evaluation
Department of Defense (DoD) programs currently governing small drone acquisition remain complex and restrictive, resulting in a systemic bottleneck.
Warfighters across the country are unable to access or experiment with new technologies at the speed of relevance, stifling both operational adaptability and domestic innovation.
"Congress has handed the DoD two difficult simultaneous tasks; to prepare for a drone war with China by 2027, and to develop a strong U.S. drone industrial base" said Nathan Ecelbarger, USNDA President.
"It should not require a General Officer or Senior Acquisitions Manager's signature to allow warfighters to access and train with emerging NDAA compliant, American-made drone technologies while they await final 'approvals'.
The DroneWERX White List will give the operational community the technology toolbox they need and clear the runway for innovators—creating transparency and consistency across the board.
We look forward to working with our industry, academic, and operational unit partners to spearhead this effort in the State of Florida."
Not a Gating Mechanism — A Live, Open Repository
The DroneWERX White List will not be a traditional down-select process or approval threshold. It will be structured as a living, transparent repository that crowdsources feedback from operational end users and creates transparency for problem-solvers with potentially viable solutions.
As the DoD works to loosen policy and delegate approvals, operational commanders will have direct access to emerging solutions to integrate into their training and experimentation.
There is no "didn't make the list."
If you: 1) Identify a legitimate operational UxS problem, 2) Offer a solution from academia, startup firms or commercial industry, and 3) Are committed to pursuing NDAA compliance and scaling to meet DoD needs— Then you belong on the list.
How the DroneWERX White List Works:
Crowdsourced Problem Sets
USNDA engages directly with its trusted networks of warfighters, national defense leaders, and public safety professionals to surface real, unstructured problem sets that reflect current gaps in drone and counter-drone capabilities.
Open Solution Sourcing
U.S. startups, university labs, and industry partners submit proposed solutions—regardless of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) or existing vendor status.
Feasibility Evaluation by Government End Users
Operational end users from across the DoD and public safety sectors evaluate the relevance and viability of proposed solutions, prioritizing those with clear field utility.
Grant Support for Prototyping
Early-stage solutions receive USNDA-administered grants for classroom-based prototyping, aligning with the program's mission to partner academic research with mission-driven outcomes.
Field Testing at USNDA Drone Crucibles
Promising solutions are fielded and stress-tested in realistic operational scenarios during USNDA's Drone Crucible competitions and in other organized combat evaluation exercises where government teams evaluate technical performance and mission impact.
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Scaling Support for Startups and Early Prototypes
USNDA helps successful concepts attract follow-on investment, connect to NDAA-compliant component supply chains, and secure private or public funding to scale for mission demand.
Navigating the "Last Mile" of DoD Acquisition
The program supports teams through the minimum required steps to meet acquisition needs based on the specific demands of the acquiring DoD component, avoiding over-engineered, one-size-fits-all procurement processes.
Ready to Pilot in 2025 USNDA Drone Crucible
In July 2025 the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's 75th Ranger Regiment is set to take on the U.S. Marine Corps Attack Drone Team at the first USNDA Drone Crucible, a closed competition that will bring both mature and early prototype American made drones to the same field, to help the service teams develop TTPs and identify the best emerging technologies.
The USNDA will pilot this program directly with Special Operations Command (SOCOM) UxS Task Force as the lead DoD partner, evaluating emerging technology on behalf of operational requirements.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Labs (MIT LL) will participate as the lead academic partner alongside several other universities, leveraging the SOCOM Ignite model to bring operational prototypes to the field.
Timeline of Launch
The DroneWERX White List Program initial design architecture will be designed through a hackathon event in partnership with Dr. Eric Schmidt's Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) during the AI+ Expo for National Competitiveness, taking place June 2"4, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
"The DroneWERX White List is an important step toward highlighting and accelerating the incredible work being done by American industry and academia to restore our national competitiveness.
It brings visibility to the innovators who are helping to rebuild a resilient domestic supply chain and reduce our dependence on foreign—particularly Chinese—drone technology.
This is exactly the kind of mission-aligned initiative the U.S. needs right now." - Ylber Bajraktari, Senior Advisor, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP).
The program will enter a live prototyping and collaboration phase over the summer and fall, with a soft launch and public showcase planned during the USNDA National Drone Conference in December 2025 hosted at Full Sail University in Orlando.
The USNDA has selected the State of Florida to pilot this initiative, given the deep intersection of industry, academia, and DoD stakeholders in the region.
"Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has become the most military-friendly state in the nation—home to more than 20 major military installations, three combatant commands, and numerous military-friendly universities and industry partners," said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly.
"We are committed to establishing Florida as best state in the nation to lead in drone manufacturing and R&D—serving our nation's warfighters and supporting a growing industry creating opportunities for Florida's job seekers and job creators."
"From talent to technology solutions, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) works to get the best solutions from students and startups from across the country in key technology areas like autonomy.
Unmanned systems like drones have changed the battlespace and DIU is excited about this new opportunity to be an onramp to emerging technologies and systems that help provide the lethality our warfighters need."- Beverly Seay, Southeast Regional Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Supplementing, not Replacing, Critical Vulnerability Analysis
The DroneWERX White List program is not designed to be a replacement for critical "last mile" analysis of systems being recommended and authorized for use in operational contexts.
This initiative is recognizes the urgency of democratizing access to operational problems and promising solutions in real time for the purpose of training and evaluation in benign environments, giving operational commanders the ability to go hands on with emerging technology at the speed of relevance.
The DroneWERX White List Program aims to become a cornerstone of America's drone modernization strategy and rapid acquisition strategy.
Through this new platform, the USNDA is building a resilient and self-reinforcing ecosystem—one that gives the warfighter a voice, the innovator a pathway, and the nation a competitive edge.
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Russia claims massive drone attack on Bryansk, where microelectronics plant is located
28/04/2025
Russian officials report that Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Bryansk Oblast overnight on 28 April, with the Russian Defense Ministry claiming to have shot down 102 Ukrainian drones over the area.
Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in his Telegram channel that air defense systems destroyed several dozen unmanned aerial vehicles over our oblast.
According to Bogomaz, one person was killed and another injured in Bryansk city during the attack.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that its defense system intercepted a total of 115 Ukrainian drones overnight on 28 April.
Some 102 drones were shot down over Bryansk Oblast, 9 over occupied Crimea, 2 over Kursk Oblast, 1 over Belgorod Oblast, and 1 over the Black Sea, according to the ministry.
Local Telegram channels mentioned several fires in Bryansk, particularly on Moskovskaya and Krasnoarmeyskaya streets.
The Kremny El plant, one of Russia’s major military microelectronics suppliers, is located at 103 Krasnoarmeyskaya Street in Bryansk.
This facility produces a wide range of microchips and components used in strategic weapons systems, including Topol-M and Bulava missile complexes, S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, and combat aircraft electronics.
The plant has reportedly been targeted before. According to the source, Ukrainian Security Service and Special Operations Forces drones struck the Kremny El facility in January 2025.
There was reportedly an attack on the plant in October 2024.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/04/28/russia-claims-massive-drone-attack-on-bryansk-where-microelectronics-plant-is-located/
Cruel men fly terrified dog through air with drone
Updated April 28, 2025 10:19 am
Cruel men flew a terrified dog through the air with a drone.
The authorities are investigating after a video of the sick stunt emerged.
It shows how a group of young people cackled as the poor pooch thrashed its legs in distress.
The pup – just a few months old – was airborne for more than 10 seconds before being lowered and caught by one of the group.
The cruel stunt took place in Xul-Ha, Mexico, near the border with Belize, as reported by Need To Know.
Under local law, those convicted of cruelty towards animals can expect prison sentences of one to five years.
They could also face a hefty fine. If the animal dies, the jail term can be increased to six years.
Lucio Cruz of the Office for Environmental Protection of the State of Quintana Roo says the case is under investigation.
He told local media that a detective had been sent to the area to gather information. The stunt took place last Wednesday (23 Apr).
https://needtoknow.co.uk/2025/04/28/cruel-men-fly-terrified-dog-through-air-with-drone/
Old images of drones trigger conspiracy theories about New Jersey fires
April 28, 2025 at 08:57
Social media posts are claiming drone activity over the US state of New Jersey is responsible for a large wildfire burning in Ocean County.
But this is false; authorities have charged a local resident with aggravated arson in connection with the blazes, and AFP found that the video cited online as evidence of drone involvement is old and unrelated.
"Does anyone else think that maybe just maybe all those Drones flying around New Jersey may have had something to do with this big Forest fire going on right now," says one April 23, 2025 post on Facebook.
The post and other similar messages blaming drones for the historic blazes that ravaged New Jersey in April come after reports of unidentified aircraft flying over the northeastern state dominated social media in late 2024 and early 2025, stoking fears among residents.
Some posts have claimed these drones ignited the blazes using directed energy weapons, which harness concentrated electromagnetic energy and are being developed in the United States for drone and missile defense.
The wildfires erupted April 22 in the pine forests of New Jersey and grew to 15,000 acres, devastating one of the largest protected areas on the east coast and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The state was put under drought alert in March (archived here).
But the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said in an April 24 statement that "the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an improperly extinguished bonfire," alleging that a 19-year-old resident set wooden pallets on fire and then left the area without it being fully extinguished.
Authorities charged the individual with aggravated arson.
New Jersey's Commissioner of Environmental Protection, Shawn LaTourette, told AFP in an April 23 email that they "have not received any credible report of mysterious drone activity and we are not aware of any legitimate evidence that suggests such activity, if it exists, is related to the cause of the Jones Road Wildfire."
The claims about directed energy weapons ignited the blazes are also baseless – and echo conspiracy theories previously shared about similar disasters.
In an article on the technology, Iain Boyd, director of the University of Colorado's Center for National Security Initiatives explained that "the power level needed to ignite vegetation with a high-energy laser from the sky would require a large power source installed on a large aircraft" (archived here and here).
As of time of publication, 65 percent of the fire had been contained and evacuation orders fully lifted.
Old drone footage
Drones are not allowed to fly during fire emergencies. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has repeatedly reminded its residents to refrain from flying recreational drones in fire zones.
"Please remember, 'No Drones in Fire Zones - If YOU fly, WE can't!'" the agency said on Facebook April 25 (archived here).
The video shared in some of the posts on social media faulting drones for the fire has been online for months, reverse image searches revealed. The clip dates to at least December 2024, when public hysteria over the drone sightings peaked.
Despite assurances from the Biden administration, narratives about foreign attacks and UFOs gained massive traction in late 2024.
In December, the Department of Defense said an investigation concluded: "To date, we have no intelligence or observations that would indicate that they were aligned with a foreign actor or that they had malicious intent" (archived here).
Just after taking office, the Trump administration also responded to the situation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a January 28, 2025 press briefing: "
The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for research and various other reasons," (archived here).
"Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying drones," she said, adding: "It got worse due to curiosity, this was not the enemy."
AFP has previously debunked similar claims about wildfires and directed energy weapons.
https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.43DL6ZW
Russia launches over 160 Shahed drones at Ukraine: Air defense's work reported
Mon, April 28, 2025 - 18:34
The Russian army has launched 166 Shahed-type strike drones across Ukrainian territory in the past 24 hours.
Air defense forces operated in the central and eastern regions, according to the Air Force on Telegram.
On the night of April 28, 2025, starting from 11:30 PM Kyiv time on April 27, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 166 strike drones and other types of drone imitators from the following areas:
Kursk
Millerovo
Oryol.
The main direction of the enemy's attack was the Sumy and Cherkasy regions.
The air defense forces, including aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, repelled the attack.
As of 5:00 PM Kyiv time, 40 Shahed-type strike drones were confirmed to have been shot down in the east, north, and center of Ukraine.
Additionally, 74 enemy drone imitators were lost in certain locations without any negative consequences.
As a result of the enemy's attack, the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Cherkasy regions were affected.
Russian airstrikes
Russian army launched strike drones across Ukrainian territory during the night of April 28. However, by morning, the Russian forces intensified their attack, and drones were spotted in several central regions.
By 11 AM Kyiv time, it became known that a drone had been spotted over Cherkasy, and the city suffered a massive attack.
Later, the mayor of Cherkasy, Anatolii Bondarenko, reported that Russia has damaged an infrastructure facility in the city.
He urged residents to urgently turn off all gas appliances and refrain from using gas in private homes.
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/what-happens-to-face-in-old-age-after-using-1745843296.html
It's SPREADING - WORLDWIDE ALERT - Something is Happening!
Apr 27, 2025
#MrMBB333 #fyp #worldwide
Strange phenomena are appearing in the skies above - and the world is taking notice.
In today's video, viewers from around the globe share stunning footage of UAPs, mysterious lights, and bizarre sky events.
Could this be new technology, natural anomalies, or something even more extraordinary.
https://www.mrmbb333.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X38Rc_A5bmo
UFO Insider Calling on Next Pope to Share Locked-Up Secrets
Sunday, 27 April 2025 02:42 PM EDT
A new Pope could assist President Donald Trump's pursuit of transparency when it comes to UFO secrets that might be archived by historians in documents locked up in the Vatican Library, according to a UFO lobbyist.
"The truth is coming," Paradigm Research Group Executive Director Steve Bassett told The U.S. Sun. "We've got to get ready."
There has been wide speculation that historians and religious leaders have chronicled reports, if not evidence, of UFO activity over centuries with the Catholic Church, which could be included in long-held documents at the Vatican.
Bassett believes documents on UFO activity could contain "extraordinary" information collected from confessions of sighting and close encounters, including Pentagon whistleblower David Grusch's claim Italy uncovered a UFO during Mussolini's Italian reign in 1933, according to the report.
"Millions of Catholics over the last 800 years bringing every rather unusual encounter they had to the priests," Bassett said. "Where do you think that information is gonna go?
"It's going to go straight up to the Vatican." A new Pope could work with Trump in providing the world transparency, according to Bassett.
"This is a political matter to be resolved through political action," he told the Sun. "I do not think that the next Pope is going to be selected on the fact that he's a pro ET.
"It's got to be the heads of state – and we are very close to that happening."
Ultimately, while religion seems a bit of a counterintuitive place to look for UFO evidence, the Vatican could use it to its advantage.
"The Catholic Church can step in and say, God's universe is far greater than we thought: Isn't that wonderful?" Bassett told the Sun.
"And of course, if you're troubled by any of this, feel free to come to your priest and talk about it."
UFO evidence remains "a matter of national security," regardless of religious doubt about creation, Bassett contended.
"This is not the Pope's job to come out and say, I can confirm today this is in fact advanced technology non-humans," he said." That is not a religious-based role.
"That's why it has to begin with a single head of state, which I believe is going to be Donald Trump."
Trump has already proved to be a transparent president with the JFK files, among other long-blocked releases.
"He may be the president that ends this truth embargo, and it will be one of the greatest political legacies of all time for anyone," Bassett said.
"And if you don't like that, I don't care. This issue is bigger than your political dislikes."
Grusch's whistleblowing to Congress including allegations of government-held evidence of a "craft" of "nonhuman origin."
An Air Force intelligence officer added Italy had uncovered one of those UFOs in the 1930s and then-Pope Pius XII had "backchanneled" it to former President Franklin Roosevelt who "ended up scooping" up the craft, according to Bassett.
"I have never seen a president more likely to act in a much more independent way than President Trump," according to Bassett, who made his comments in the aftermath of the death this week and Saturday burial of Pope Francis, 88.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/ufo-vatican-documents/2025/04/27/id/1208527/