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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
April 30, 2025
A Happy Sky over Bufa Hill in Mexico
Sometimes, the sky itself seems to smile. A few days ago, visible over much of the world, an unusual superposition of our Moon with the planets Venus and Saturn created just such an iconic facial expression. Specifically, a crescent Moon appeared to make a happy face on the night sky when paired with seemingly nearby planets. Pictured is the scene as it appeared over Zacatecas, México, with distinctive Bufa Hill in the foreground. On the far right and farthest in the distance is the planet Saturn. Significantly closer and visible to Saturn's upper left is Venus, the brightest planet on the sky. Just above the central horizon is Earth's Moon in a waning crescent phase. To create this gigantic icon, the crescent moon phase must be smiling in the correct direction.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Help Classify Galaxies Seen by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope!
Apr 29, 2025
NASA needs your help identifying the shapes of thousands of galaxies in images taken by our James Webb Space Telescope with the Galaxy Zoo project.
These classifications will help scientists answer questions about how the shapes of galaxies have changed over time, what caused these changes, and why.
Thanks to the light collecting power of Webb, there are now over 500,000 images of galaxies on website of the Galaxy Zoo citizen science project—more images than scientists can classify by themselves.
"This is a great opportunity to see images from the newest space telescope,” said volunteer Christine Macmillan from Aberdeen, Scotland.
“Galaxies at the edge of our universe are being seen for the first time, just as they are starting to form.
Just sign up and answer simple questions about the shape of the galaxy that you are seeing. Anyone can do it, ages 10 and up!"
As we look at more distant objects in the universe, we see them as they were billions of years ago because light takes time to travel to us.
With Webb, we can spot galaxies at greater distances than ever before. We’re seeing what some of the earliest galaxies ever detected look like, for the first time.
The shapes of these galaxies tell us about how they were born, how and when they formed stars, and how they interacted with their neighbors.
By looking at how more distant galaxies have different shapes than close galaxies, we can work out which processes were more common at different times in the universe’s history.
At Galaxy Zoo, you’ll first examine an image from the Webb telescope. Then you will be asked several questions, such as ‘Is the galaxy round?’, or ‘Are there signs of spiral arms?’.
If you're quick, you may even be the first person to see the galaxies you're asked to classify. "I'm amazed and honored to be one of the first people to actually see these images! What a privilege!" said volunteer Elisabeth Baeten from Leuven, Belgium.
Galaxy Zoo is a citizen science project with a long history of scientific impact. Galaxy Zoo volunteers have been exploring deep space since July 2007, starting with a million galaxies from a telescope in New Mexico called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and then, moving on to images from space telescopes like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ESA (European Space Agency)'s Euclid telescope.
The project has revealed spectacular mergers, taught us about how the black holes at the center of galaxies affect their hosts, and provided insight into how features like spiral arms form and grow.
Now, in addition to adding new data from Webb, the science team has incorporated an AI algorithm called ZooBot, which will sift through the images first and label the ‘easier ones’ where there are many examples that already exist in previous images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
When ZooBot is not confident on the classification of a galaxy, perhaps due to complex or faint structures, it will show it to users on Galaxy Zoo to get their human classifications, which will then help ZooBot learn more.
Working together, humans and AI can accurately classify limitless numbers of galaxies.
The Galaxy Zoo science team acknowledges support from the International Space Sciences Institute (ISSI), who provided funding for the team to get together and work on Galaxy Zoo.
https://science.nasa.gov/directorates/smd/astrophysics-division/help-classify-galaxies-seen-by-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope/
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo/
Sols 4522-4524: Up on the Roof
Apr 29, 2025
Earth planning date: Friday, April 25, 2025
On Sols 4520 and 4521, Curiosity was supposed to study layered rocks in its workspace, then drive on. Unfortunately, a communications pass didn’t go as expected, preventing this plan from being transmitted.
Our rover is fine, but it has been metaphorically “twiddling its thumbs” waiting for the expected Wednesday contact from Earth. This is a process known as “runout,” which happens when Earth fails to call a spacecraft at the appointed time.
The communications stations are back up now, so the team assembled a weekend plan made from Wednesday’s postponed activities plus an extra day of untargeted science observations after the drive.
The additional two days prior to plan execution allowed our science team to add another interesting target to contact science at the starting location.
On Sol 4522, Curiosity will start science observations with a Mastcam 14 x 3 mosaic on the new target “Mesa Peak,” a flat-topped, layered outcrop named for a mountain in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California covered with sandstone pinnacles and offering an ocean view toward Channel Islands National Park.
This will be followed by two Mastcam examinations of troughs to document evidence of differential ground motion.
ChemCam will then shine its laser on the “Fan Palm” nodular rock to determine its surface composition. Its telescopic RMI camera will then image distant “Torote Bowl.”
After a set of REMS observations, Curiosity will un-stow its arm and begin a detailed study of “Hale Telescope,” a finely layered stone with a target name honoring the famous 200-inch telescope (5.1 meters) on Palomar Mountain, northeast of San Diego.
Despite being close to 80 years old, Palomar Observatory’s Hale Telescope still enables world-class astronomy with teams from Caltech and its partner organizations competing for observing time every year.
Here, 5,500 feet “up on the roof” (thank you, Carole King!) of Southern California is where I spent some of my happiest times in graduate school.
Curiosity’s arm will first deploy the APXS to touch “Hale Telescope.” Then, the MAHLI microscopic imager will take extreme close-up pictures of this rock and the neighboring “Cerro Alto” target.
Finally, APXS will measure the composition of “Hale Telescope” in a measurement lasting two hours, similar to the exposure time required for the actual 200-inch telescope to measure the redshift of quasars, determining that they were located at cosmological distances.
Sol 4522 ends with Curiosity stowing its arm in preparation for the next sol’s drive.
On 4523, Curiosity will perform Mastcam mosaics of “Puerto Suelo” and “Potrero Seco,” as well as companion observation of the ChemCam target “Fan Palm” and an AEGIS-selected target from Sol 4919.
ChemCam will then use laser spectroscopy to obtain surface composition of “Mesa Peak” and train the RMI telescope on intriguing formations along the side of Texoli Butte. Mastcam will follow up with an “after the laser zap” picture of “Mesa Peak.”
The science block ends with a Navcam 360-degree dust-devil survey. Afterwards, Curiosity will drive around 20 meters (about 66 feet), passing near or over some large rocks, followed by post-drive imaging with the Hazcams, Navcam, and Mastcam.
Afterwards, the rover will do AEGIS observations and take a MARDI picture of the ground underneath the rover.
On Sol 4524, the science block will focus on the atmosphere, with a super horizon cloud movie, a dust-devil survey, and Mastcam dust opacity observation. There will also be ChemCam laser spectroscopy of a target selected by AEGIS.
Early on the morning of Sol 4525, Curiosity will wake to take a morning-light mosaic of the “boxwork” formations to the west with Navcam, then turn Navcam toward the sky for suprahorizon and zenith cloud movies and a dust opacity observation across Gale Crater.
Mastcam will then perform its own dust observation, which will wrap up the plan. If the team finds that Curiosity’s wheels are firmly seated on Martian soil and not rocks, our rover will again do contact science on a new set of rocks and continue its journey toward the boxwork formation.
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4522-4524-up-on-the-roof/
NASA Gathers Experts to Discuss Emerging Technologies in Astrophysics
Apr 29, 2025
The future of astrophysics research could unlock the secrets of the universe, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, and advanced materials may hold the key to faster, more efficient discovery.
Advancements and implementations of new technologies are imperative for observational astrophysics to achieve the next level of detection.
NASA’s Emerging Technologies for Astrophysics workshop brought together subject matter experts from industry, government, and academia to explore the state of new and disruptive technologies.
The meeting was an effort to identify specific applications for astrophysics missions and better understand how their infusion into future NASA space telescopes could be accelerated.
The workshop took place at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley,. supporting the agency’s efforts to make partnership with public and private industry and collaborative mission planning possible.
“The profound questions about the nature of our universe that astrophysics at NASA answers require giant leaps in technology,” explained Mario Perez, chief technologist for the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“Spotting potential in early-stage tech by encouraging discussions between imaginative researchers helps expand the scope of science and lessen the time required to achieve the next generation of astrophysics missions.”
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can support the design and optimization of future missions, and participants focused efforts on combining technologies to push research further.
“Cross-pollination” of advanced materials like composites with advanced manufacturing, metamaterials, and photonic chips could support advancement in imaging missions beyond existing mechanical stability needs.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has dubbed 2025 the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology” in recognition of a century of quantum mechanics.
Workshop participants discussed how quantum sensing could enable more precise measurements, achieve “super resolution” by filling in missing details in lower resolution images, and provide greater capabilities in forthcoming space telescopes.
“This gathering of experts was an opportunity to find ways where we can increase the capabilities of future space instrumentation and accelerate technology development for infusion into NASA astrophysics missions,” said Naseem Rangwala, astrophysics branch chief at NASA Ames.
“We can speed up the process of how we develop these future projects by using the emerging technologies that are incubated right here in Silicon Valley.”
The findings from this workshop and ongoing discussions will support efforts to study and invest in technologies to advance astrophysics missions with greater speed and efficiency.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-gathers-experts-to-discuss-emerging-technologies-in-astrophysics/
Robots, Rovers, and Regolith: NASA Brings Exploration to FIRST Robotics 2025
Apr 29, 2025
What does the future of space exploration look like? At the 2025 FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, NASA gave student robotics teams and industry leaders a first-hand look—complete with lunar rovers, robotic arms, and real conversations about shaping the next era of discovery.
NASA engaged directly with the Artemis Generation, connecting with more than 55,000 students and 75,000 parents and mentors.
Through interactive exhibits and discussions, students explored the agency’s robotic technologies, learned about STEM career paths and internships, and gained insight into NASA’s bold vision for the future.
Many expressed interest in internships—and dreams of one day contributing to NASA’s missions to explore the unknown for the benefit of all humanity.
Multiple NASA centers participated in the event, including Johnson Space Center in Houston; Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Kennedy Space Center in Florida; Langley Research Center in Virginia; Ames Research Center in California; Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; and the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility in West Virginia. Each brought unique technologies and expertise to the exhibit floor.
Displays highlighted key innovations such as:
Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems: A modular system of small robots and smart algorithms that can autonomously assemble large-scale structures in space.
Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration: A team of small lunar rovers designed to operate independently, navigating and making decisions together without human input.
Lightweight Surface Manipulation System AutoNomy Capabilities Development for Surface Operations and Construction: A robotic arm system built for lunar construction tasks, developed through NASA’s Early Career Initiative.
Space Exploration Vehicle: A pressurized rover prototype built for human exploration of planetary surfaces, offering attendees a look at how future astronauts may one day travel across the Moon or Mars.
Mars Perseverance Rover: An exhibit detailing the rover’s mission to search for ancient microbial life and collect samples for future return to Earth.
In-Situ Resource Utilization Pilot Excavator: A lunar bulldozer-dump truck hybrid designed to mine and transport regolith, supporting long-term exploration through the Artemis campaign.
“These demonstrations help students see themselves in NASA’s mission and the next frontier of lunar exploration,” said Johnson Public Affairs Specialist Andrew Knotts.
“They can picture their future as part of the team shaping how we live and work in space.”
Since the FIRST Championship relocated to Houston in 2017, NASA has mentored more than 250 robotics teams annually, supporting elementary through high school students.
The agency continued that tradition for this year’s event, and celebrated the fusion of science, engineering, and creativity that defines both robotics and space exploration.
Local students also had the chance to learn about the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program, which offers Texas high school juniors hands-on experience designing space missions and solving engineering challenges—an early gateway into NASA’s world of exploration.
As the competition came to a close, students and mentors were already looking ahead to the next season—energized by new ideas, strengthened friendships, and dreams of future missions.
“It was a true privilege to represent NASA to so many inspiring students, educators, and mentors,” said Jeanette Snyder, aerospace systems engineer for Gateway.
“Not too long ago, I was a robotics student myself, and I still use skills I developed through FIRST Robotics in my work as a NASA engineer.
Seeing so much excitement around engineering and technology makes me optimistic for the future of space exploration. I can’t wait to see these students become the next generation of NASA engineers and world changers.”
With the enthusiastic support of volunteers, mentors, sponsors, and industry leaders, and NASA’s continued commitment to STEM outreach, the future of exploration is in bold, capable hands.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/robots-rovers-and-regolith-nasa-brings-exploration-to-first-robotics-2025/
NASA Advances Precision Landing Technology with Field Test at Kennedy
Apr 29, 2025
Landing on the Moon is not easy, particularly when a crew or spacecraft must meet exacting requirements.
For Artemis missions to the lunar surface, those requirements include an ability to land within an area about as wide as a football field in any lighting condition amid tough terrain.
NASA’s official lunar landing requirement is to be able to land within 50 meters (164 feet) of the targeted site and developing precision tools and technologies is critically important to mission success.
NASA engineers recently took a major step toward safe and precise landings on the Moon – and eventually Mars and icy worlds – with a successful field test of hazard detection technology at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida.
A joint team from the Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s in Houston and Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, achieved this huge milestone in tests of the Goddard Hazard Detection Lidar from a helicopter at Kennedy in March 2025.
The new lidar system is one of several sensors being developed as part of NASA’s Safe & Precise Landing – Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) Program, a Johnson-managed cross-agency initiative under the Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop next-generation landing technologies for planetary exploration.
SPLICE is an integrated descent and landing system composed of avionics, sensors, and algorithms that support specialized navigation, guidance, and image processing techniques.
SPLICE is designed to enable landing in hard-to-reach and unknown areas that are of potentially high scientific interest.
The lidar system, which can map an area equivalent to two football fields in just two seconds, is a crucial program component.
In real time and compensating for lander motion, it processes 15 million short pulses of laser light to quickly scan surfaces and create real-time, 3D maps of landing sites to support precision landing and hazard avoidance.
Those maps will be read by the SPLICE Descent and Landing Computer, a high-performance multicore computer processor unit that analyzes all SPLICE sensor data and determines the spacecraft’s velocity, altitude, and terrain hazards.
It also computes the hazards and determines a safe landing location. The computer was developed by the Avionics Systems Division at Johnson as a platform to test navigation, guidance, and flight software.
It previously flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard booster rocket.
For the field test at Kennedy, Johnson led test operations and provided avionics and guidance, navigation, and control support.
Engineers updated the computer’s firmware and software to support command and data interfacing with the lidar system.
Team members from Johnson’s Flight Mechanics branch also designed a simplified motion compensation algorithm and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California contributed a hazard detection algorithm, both of which were added to the lidar software by Goddard.
Support from NASA contractors Draper Laboratories and Jacobs Engineering played key roles in the test’s success.
Primary flight test objectives were achieved on the first day of testing, allowing the lidar team time to explore different settings and firmware updates to improve system performance.
The data confirmed the sensor’s capability in a challenging, vibration-heavy environment, producing usable maps.
Preliminary review of the recorded sensor data shows excellent reconstruction of the hazard field terrain.
Beyond lunar applications, SPLICE technologies are being considered for use on Mars Sample Return, the Europa Lander, Commercial Lunar Payload Services flights, and Gateway. The DLC design is also being evaluated for potential avionics upgrades on Artemis systems.
Additionally, SPLICE is supporting software tests for the Advancement of Geometric Methods for Active Terrain Relative Navigation (ATRN) Center Innovation Fund project, which is also part of Johnson’s Aeroscience and Flight Mechanics Division.
The ATRN is working to develop algorithms and software that can use data from any active sensor – one measuring signals that were reflected, refracted, or scattered by a body’s surface or its atmosphere – to accurately map terrain and provide absolute and relative location information.
With this type of system in place, spacecraft will not need external lighting sources to find landing sites.
With additional suborbital flight tests planned through 2026, the SPLICE team is laying the groundwork for safer, more autonomous landings on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-advances-precision-landing-technology-with-field-test-at-kennedy/
https://www.nasa.gov/safe-and-precise-landing-integrated-capabilities-evolution-splice/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/juno/nasas-juno-mission-gets-under-jupiters-and-ios-surface/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno/
NASA’s Juno Mission Gets Under Jupiter’s and Io’s Surface
Apr 29, 2025
NASA’s Juno mission has gathered new findings after peering below Jupiter’s cloud-covered atmosphere and the surface of its fiery moon, Io.
Not only has the data helped develop a new model to better understand the fast-moving jet stream that encircles Jupiter’s cyclone-festooned north pole, it’s also revealed for the first time the subsurface temperature profile of Io, providing insights into the moon’s inner structure and volcanic activity.
Team members presented the findings during a news briefing in Vienna on Tuesday, April 29, at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly.
“Everything about Jupiter is extreme. The planet is home to gigantic polar cyclones bigger than Australia, fierce jet streams, the most volcanic body in our solar system, the most powerful aurora, and the harshest radiation belts,” said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.
“As Juno’s orbit takes us to new regions of Jupiter’s complex system, we’re getting a closer look at the immensity of energy this gas giant wields.”
Lunar Radiator
While Juno’s microwave radiometer (MWR) was designed to peer beneath Jupiter’s cloud tops, the team has also trained the instrument on Io, combining its data with Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) data for deeper insights.
“The Juno science team loves to combine very different datasets from very different instruments and see what we can learn,” said Shannon Brown, a Juno scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
“When we incorporated the MWR data with JIRAM’s infrared imagery, we were surprised by what we saw: evidence of still-warm magma that hasn’t yet solidified below Io’s cooled crust. At every latitude and longitude, there were cooling lava flows.”
The data suggests that about 10% of the moon’s surface has these remnants of slowly cooling lava just below the surface.
The result may help provide insight into how the moon renews its surface so quickly as well as how as well as how heat moves from its deep interior to the surface.
“Io’s volcanos, lava fields, and subterranean lava flows act like a car radiator,” said Brown, “efficiently moving heat from the interior to the surface, cooling itself down in the vacuum of space.”
Looking at JIRAM data alone, the team also determined that the most energetic eruption in Io’s history (first identified by the infrared imager during Juno’s Dec. 27, 2024, Io flyby) was still spewing lava and ash as recently as March 2.
Juno mission scientists believe it remains active today and expect more observations on May 6, when the solar-powered spacecraft flies by the fiery moon at a distance of about 55,300 miles (89,000 kilometers).
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Colder Climes
On its 53rd orbit (Feb 18, 2023), Juno began radio occultation experiments to explore the gas giant’s atmospheric temperature structure.
With this technique, a radio signal is transmitted from Earth to Juno and back, passing through Jupiter’s atmosphere on both legs of the journey.
As the planet’s atmospheric layers bend the radio waves, scientists can precisely measure the effects of this refraction to derive detailed information about the temperature and density of the atmosphere.
So far, Juno has completed 26 radio occultation soundings. Among the most compelling discoveries: the first-ever temperature measurement of Jupiter’s north polar stratospheric cap reveals the region is about 11 degrees Celsius cooler than its surroundings and is encircled by winds exceeding 100 mph (161 kph).
Polar Cyclones
The team’s recent findings also focus on the cyclones that haunt Jupiter’s north.
Years of data from the JunoCam visible light imager and JIRAM have allowed Juno scientists to observe the long-term movement of Jupiter’s massive northern polar cyclone and the eight cyclones that encircle it.
Unlike hurricanes on Earth, which typically occur in isolation and at lower latitudes, Jupiter’s are confined to the polar region.
By tracking the cyclones’ movements across multiple orbits, the scientists observed that each storm gradually drifts toward the pole due to a process called “beta drift” (the interaction between the Coriolis force and the cyclone’s circular wind pattern).
This is similar to how hurricanes on our planet migrate, but Earthly cyclones break up before reaching the pole due to the lack of warm, moist air needed to fuel them, as well as the weakening of the Coriolis force near the poles.
What’s more, Jupiter’s cyclones cluster together while approaching the pole, and their motion slows as they begin interacting with neighboring cyclones.
“These competing forces result in the cyclones ‘bouncing’ off one another in a manner reminiscent of springs in a mechanical system,” said Yohai Kaspi, a Juno co-investigator from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.
“This interaction not only stabilizes the entire configuration, but also causes the cyclones to oscillate around their central positions, as they slowly drift westward, clockwise, around the pole.”
The new atmospheric model helps explain the motion of cyclones not only on Jupiter, but potentially on other planets, including Earth.
“One of the great things about Juno is its orbit is ever-changing, which means we get a new vantage point each time as we perform a science flyby,” said Bolton.
“In the extended mission, that means we’re continuing to go where no spacecraft has gone before, including spending more time in the strongest planetary radiation belts in the solar system.
It’s a little scary, but we’ve built Juno like a tank and are learning more about this intense environment each time we go through it.”
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https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/nasas-lunar-drill-technology-passes-tests-on-the-moon/
NASA’s Lunar Drill Technology Passes Tests on the Moon
Apr 29, 2025
NASA’s PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1) mission was designed to demonstrate technologies to help scientists better understand lunar resources ahead of crewed Artemis missions to the Moon.
During the short-lived mission on the Moon, the performance of PRIME-1’s technology gave NASA teams reason to celebrate.
“The PRIME-1 mission proved that our hardware works in the harshest environment we’ve ever tested it in,” said Janine Captain, PRIME-1 co-principal investigator and research chemist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
“While it may not have gone exactly to plan, this is a huge step forward as we prepare to send astronauts back to the Moon and build a sustainable future there.”
Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission launched to the Moon on Feb. 26, 2025, from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, as part of the company’s second Moon delivery for NASA under the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign.
The IM-2 Nova-C lunar lander, named Athena, carried PRIME-1 and its suite of two instruments: a drill known as TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain), designed to bring lunar soil to the surface; and a mass spectrometer, Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO), to study TRIDENT’s drill cuttings for the presence of gases that could one day help provide propellant or breathable oxygen to future Artemis explorers.
The IM-2 mission touched down on the lunar surface on March 6, just around 1,300 feet (400 meters) from its intended landing site of Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau near the Moon’s South Pole.
The Athena lander was resting on its side inside a crater preventing it from recharging its solar cells, resulting in an end of the mission.
“We were supposed to have 10 days of operation on the Moon, and what we got was closer to 10 hours,” said Julie Kleinhenz, NASA’s lead systems engineer for PRIME-1, as well as the in-situ resource utilization system capability lead deputy for the agency.
“It was 10 hours more than most people get so I am thrilled to have been a part of it.”
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Kleinhenz has spent nearly 20 years working on how to use lunar resources for sustained operations. In-situ resource utilization harnesses local natural resources at mission destinations.
This enables fewer launches and resupply missions and significantly reduces the mass, cost, and risk of space exploration.
With NASA poised to send humans back to the Moon and on to Mars, generating products for life support, propellants, construction, and energy from local materials will become increasingly important to future mission success.
“In-situ resource utilization is the key to unlocking long-term exploration, and PRIME-1 is helping us lay this foundation for future travelers.” Captain said.
The PRIME-1 technology also set out to answer questions about the properties of lunar regolith, such as soil strength.
This data could help inform the design of in-situ resource utilization systems that would use local resources to create everything from landing pads to rocket fuel during Artemis and later missions.
“Once we got to the lunar surface, TRIDENT and MSOLO both started right up, and performed perfectly. From a technology demonstrations standpoint, 100% of the instruments worked.” Kleinhenz said.
The lightweight, low-power augering drill built by Honeybee Robotics, known as TRIDENT, is 1 meter long and features rotary and percussive actuators that convert energy into the force needed to drill.
The drill was designed to stop at any depth as commanded from the ground and deposit its sample on the surface for analysis by MSOLO, a commercial off-the-shelf mass spectrometer modified by engineers and technicians at NASA Kennedy to withstand the harsh lunar environment.
Designed to measure the composition of gases in the vicinity of the lunar lander, both from the lander and from the ambient exosphere, MSOLO can help NASA analyze the chemical makeup of the lunar soil and study water on the surface of the Moon.
Once on the Moon, the actuators on the drill performed as designed, completing multiple stages of movement necessary to drill into the lunar surface.
Prompted by commands from technicians on Earth, the auger rotated, the drill extended to its full range, the percussion system performed a hammering motion, and the PRIME-1 team turned on an embedded core heater in the drill and used internal thermal sensors to monitor the temperature change.
While MSOLO was able to perform several scans to detect gases, researchers believe from the initial data that the gases detected were all anthropogenic, or human in origin, such as gases vented from spacecraft propellants and traces of Earth water.
Data from PRIME-1 accounted for some of the approximately 6.6 gigabytes of data collected during the IM-2 mission, and researchers will continue to analyze the data in the coming months and publish the results.
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EXCLUSIVE: In First 100 Days, NASA Moves Toward Trump’s Goal of US Flag on Mars
April 28, 2025
During the Trump administration’s first 100 days, NASA has made significant moves toward planting an American flag on Mars and getting a man back on the moon.
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said America “will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
In just a few months, NASA has expedited the return of American astronauts stranded in space; brought Panama and Bangladesh on as signatories of the Artemis Accords, which establish shared space exploration principles; and started the process of getting man to both Mars and the moon.
“Here at NASA, we’re putting the America First agenda into play amongst the stars, ensuring the United States wins the space race at this critical juncture in time,” NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens said.
Teams began testing on the first of three 12-kW solar electric propulsion thrusters, which offer the necessary fuel economy and mission flexibility for long-duration missions to the moon and Mars.
Solar electric propulsion, which uses electricity generated by solar panels to power electric thrusters, offers sustained cargo transport, orbital maneuvering, and transit operations necessary for a Mars landing.
NASA completed its fourth “entry, descent, and landing” technology test in three months, accelerating innovation to achieve precision landings on Mars.
NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment enabled the high-bandwidth connections essential for communications with crewed missions to Mars.
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One successfully delivered 10 NASA payloads to the moon, advancing landing, autonomy, and data collection skills for the future Mars mission.
A payload is a portion of a spacecraft or rocket that is responsible for achieving the mission’s primary objectives.
NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Workshop gathered industry, academic, and international partners to refine exploration plans and identify collaboration opportunities.
On Dec. 11, 2017, Trump in his first term signed Space Policy Directive 1, which stated that “the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.”
It has now been more than 52 years since an American has landed on the moon.
Trump’s second-term NASA has been preparing for Artemis II, the 2026 mission to the moon.
Teams at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, have joined the core stage with the solid rocket boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
The core stage is the backbone of the rocket, supporting other components and carrying the payload.
Engineers lifted the launch vehicle stage adapter atop the Space Launch System core stage, connecting key systems to power the lunar return.
NASA attached the solar array wings that will help power the Orion spacecraft on its journey around the moon.
Technicians also installed the protective fairings on Orion’s service module to shield the spacecraft during the launch and ascent phase.
NASA joined forces with the Department of Defense for Artemis II recovery training to make sure the U.S. is prepared to retrieve our astronauts after their historic mission around the moon.
The space agency unveiled the Artemis II mission patch, designating the mission as “AII.” That signifies the second major flight of the Artemis campaign, as well as an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all.
NASA also finished stacking the twin solid rocket boosters for Artemis II. “In just 100 days, under the bold leadership of President Trump and acting Administrator Janet Petro, NASA has continued to further American innovation in space,” Stevens, the NASA spokeswoman, said.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/04/28/exclusive-first-100-days-nasa-moves-toward-trumps-goal-american-flag-mars/
Man exploring Florida Everglades finds massive abandoned NASA facility with 1960s rocket left behind
updated on Apr 29, 2025 at 9:28 PM (UTC+4)
While exploring the Florida Everglades, this American came across an abandoned NASA facility with a 1960s Aerojet rocket left behind.
Instagram user Captain Mike Friedopfer explored the area with a couple of friends and was amazed to discover what NASA had left at the site.
The rocket was built in the 1960s, but NASA decided to abandon the project late in the decade.
That is what led to it being left in the Everglades.
NASA was exploring the use of solid rocket fuel
Described as the largest solid-fuel motor ever built, the rocket lies abandoned in its concrete silo, forgotten even by those at NASA.
It was built by Aerojet-General, and the AJ260 rocket was designed to use solid fuel technology.
There was also the potential for it to be used in Apollo’s Saturn V.
With that in mind, the U.S. Air Force provided Aerojet with $3 million to construct the manufacturing and test site found by the explorers.
The location lies less than five miles away from the Everglades National Park.
Transporting the rocket to the site was a challenge due to its size.
When it arrived, it was then placed into a 180-foot deep concrete silo.
However, despite its potential, tests proved problematic for the Aerojet rocket.
Problems led to Aerojet abandoning the project
Initial tests went well, but the third test saw a rocket nozzle ejected.
That led to a propellant made of hydrochloric acid spreading across the wetlands.
It damaged crops and caused major disruption to residents.
Such was the volatility of the acids that it even damaged the paint on Floridians’ cars.
These tests took place from 1965-1967.
But in 1969, NASA had decided to abandon the project in favor of liquid fuel.
Workers at the Everglades plant were laid off, and NASA and Aerojet abandoned the facility.
Remarkably, the rocket remains in this silo to this very day.
In 2013, the shed around the silo was dismantled, with the silo itself covered with 33-ton concrete beams.
This is what the explorers were able to find and share with followers on Instagram.
The abandoned AJ260 now stands as a reminder of the space race.
https://supercarblondie.com/abandoned-nasa-aerojet-rocket-found-in-florida-everglades/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIMXUQ8P3J-/
Watch Trump's pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman return to Capitol Hill for Senate vote today
April 30, 2025
Billionaire philanthropist and private astronaut Jared Isaacman is headed back to Washington, D.C. as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation votes to advance his confirmation as NASA Administrator.
Isaacman was nominated by President Donald Trump last December, and sat before the committee once already during a hearing on April 9.
Now, the committee will vote Wednesday (April 30) whether or not to send the tech billionaire's confirmation to the full Senate.
If confirmed, Isaacman stands to replace former administrator Bill Nelson, and take the reins from the current acting administrator, Janet Petro.
The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) and will stream live on the Senate committee website.
Isaacman is the CEO of Shift4 payments, a role that helped him acquire his fortune.
With his wealth, Isaacman started Draken International, which provides fighter aircraft services and training to government and private customers, and the Polaris Program, which has flown two privately-funded SpaceX missions to space (Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn) with him aboard as commander.
Through those SpaceX missions, Isaacman helped raise over $250 million for Saint Jude's Research Hospital.
During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Senators questioned Isaacman on his visions for NASA as they pertain to climate research, planetary science funding, the Artemis Program and his private relationship with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
For his part, Isaacman largely held a firm line during his questioning, committing to NASA's current programs like Artemis, tacking on bigger-picture goals like a crewed Mars mission, while stopping short of full-on commitments to specific policy changes at the agency.
He also signaled a willingness to cooperate with President Trump's efforts to drastically shrink the Federal government.
"First, American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate 'high ground' of space. As the president stated, we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars," Isaacman said during his opening remarks April 9.
In response to many of the questions thrown his way, Isaacman emphasized the importance of American dominance in space, especially as China eyes a crewed moon landing to beat NASA's return to the lunar surface with Artemis 3.
If confirmed, Isaacman will very likely have to put his personal space endeavors on hold, which means pausing future Polaris missions.
At least one of those was slated to fly as the first crewed mission of SpaceX's Starship, once SpaceX completes development on the next generation heavy-lift launch vehicle.
Starship has also been contracted by NASA as the lunar lander for Artemis 3, which is currently slated for 2027 — one year short of Isaacman's potential administrative tenure at the space agency, should he be confirmed and remain the length of Trump's term.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/watch-trumps-pick-for-nasa-chief-jared-isaacman-return-to-capitol-hill-for-senate-vote-tomorrow
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/4/executive-session-9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3nZ7kY1LYs
China's Shenzhou-19 astronauts back on Earth after six months in space
April 30, 2025 / 8:58 AM
The three Chinese astronauts that served as the Shenzhou-19 crew returned to Earth Wednesday after a 183-day long mission about the Tiangong space station.
Song Lingdong, Wang Haoze and Commander Cai Xuzhe spent nine hours on the trip home after it undocked from Tiangong Tuesday afternoon and landed at the Dongfeng landing site near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The return had been originally set for Tuesday but held off a day due to high winds at Dongfeng.
The trip was especially notable as Cai and Song spent more than nine hours straight in space back in December during a spacewalk, which set a new record for extravehicular activity.
The walk took place so Cai and Song could install a new space debris shield on Tiangong.
The Shenzhou-19 crew also performed over 80 experiments while in orbit, with one especially notable as it saw the crew place a brick made from simulated lunar soil on the exterior of the space station, in order to determine if this could help when China builds a moon base in the 2030s.
"At this moment, I feel incredibly proud, happy, and full of anticipation," Song said to China Central Television, "We've transformed the dedication and hard work of all our researchers into scientific research achievements, and we are very proud of that."
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2025/04/30/Shenzhou-19-astronaut-return-Earth-Tiangong/3511746013652/
New Mexico Adds First Space Tourism Director
April 30, 2025
Decades ago, President John F. Kennedy set a plan in motion that would send Neil Armstrong to explore the Moon.
Now, a different Kennedy and Armstrong are teaming up to try to entice space tourists to explore New Mexico.
Sheli Hinds Armstrong will serve as the first director of space tourism at the SpaceValley Foundation, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit led by executive director Bryce Kennedy.
SpaceValley aims to combine space and science with arts, culture, travel, and education to foster conversation and innovation to shape the future of space.
Road trip: From the tourism perspective, Armstrong wants all people who visit New Mexico to experience the enormous grandeur that includes Spaceport America.
But the officials also see the spaceport— which offers a near-unpopulated environment near White Sands Missile Range, meaning there’s already minimal flights overhead— as a tool to ease congestion at other US launch ranges.
“Spaceport America is this rare, rare gem that…we’re hoping to shape that narrative [for] and bring attention to this so we can start utilizing it,” said Kennedy.
What to expect: Armstrong will help develop a state-wide space tourism strategy, and establish new tours and programs, for travelers to the Land of Enchantment.
While tour details are still being finalized, SpaceValley hints that visitors may be able to:
Sled down dunes at White Sands Missile Range and explore its missile and rocket history.
Navigate lava tubes at El Malpais National Monument, which is a NASA rover testing ground.
Explore UFO history at sites in Socorro or Roswell.
Stargaze at Cosmic Campground, an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in Gila National Forest with a pristine view of the night sky.
Space for all: Armstrong brings decades of experience in event planning, business ops, and hospitality.
Her focus is on crafting visitor experiences with SpaceValley that complement New Mexico’s broader tourist ecosystem.
“It’s really [about] making space for everyone, so everyone can experience it,” said Armstrong. “
…In New Mexico, we have so many opportunities in so many different areas…what I am trying to create is something different, so that people don’t have to travel far to have a unique experience.”
https://payloadspace.com/new-mexico-adds-first-space-tourism-director/
Portugal in the spotlight for opening a campus of the International Space University
30 April 2025, 9:00
The International Space University (ISU) is the world’s only higher education institution dedicated to space education.
Now, it is seeking partnerships to open new campuses globally, including in northern Portugal.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the ISU president has already met with the University of Minho.
Last week, John Wensveen, president of the ISU, based in France, met with Rui Vieira de Castro, rector of the University of Minho, to discuss the possibility of forming a partnership between the two institutions and potentially building an ISU campus in the North of Portugal, according to Público.
“Honestly, I’m keeping an eye on Portugal to create an ISU flag where we can offer educational and training programmes,” said John Wensveen, as quoted by the newspaper.
Nothing has been formalised yet, and a decision is expected by the end of 2025.
However, if the project goes ahead, it is most likely that the new ISU campus will be built in Guimarães.
“We don’t really know what the future will hold, but I can assure you that Portugal is an extremely attractive opportunity for the ISU to consider establishing a larger presence,” the ISU president added, speaking to the newspaper.
According to the same publication, the ISU is also seeking partnerships in other parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, and other European countries.
https://www.idealista.pt/en/news/lifestyle-in-portugal/2025/04/30/69348-portugal-in-the-spotlight-for-opening-a-campus-of-the-international-space-university
https://www.publico.pt/2025/04/22/ciencia/noticia/portugal-calha-receber-futuro-polo-universidade-internacional-espaco-2130500
Senate committee advances Trump's nomination of Jared Isaacman for NASA Chief forward
April 30, 2025
The confirmation of President Trump's pick for NASA Administrator is one step closer to completion.
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted today (April 30) to advance his confirmation as Administrator to the full Senate. The votes tallied 19 to 9 in favor of Isaacman's advancement, but for some it came with stipulations.
"I will support his nomination, and hope that we will continue to get leadership out of the administration on clarification of supporting a robust NASA budget," said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, of Washington State (D), before the vote was called.
Reports recently emerged that NASA's science budget could face a 50% budget cut. She also recognized his commitment, "to the current plan for both lander redundancies, Space Launch Systems and returning to the to the moon as fast as possible," under NASA's Artemis program.
Isaacman was nominated by Trump in December, and sat before the committee for a hearing on April 9.
With the vote to secure his position as NASA Administrator on an imminent path, Isaacman stands to replace former administrator Bill Nelson, and take the reins from the current acting administrator, Janet Petro.
A billionaire philanthropist and entrepreneur, Isaacman is the CEO of Shift4 payments, a role that helped him acquire his fortune.
With his wealth, Isaacman started Draken International, which provides fighter aircraft services and training to government and private customers, and the Polaris Program, which has flown two privately-funded SpaceX missions to space (Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn) with him aboard as commander. Through those SpaceX missions, Isaacman helped raise over $250 million for Saint Jude's Research Hospital.
During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Senators questioned Isaacman on his visions for NASA as they pertain to climate research, planetary science funding, the Artemis Program and his private relationship with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
For his part, Isaacman largely held a firm line during his questioning, committing to NASA's current programs like Artemis, tacking on bigger-picture goals like a crewed Mars mission, while stopping short of full-on commitments to specific policy changes at the agency.
He also signaled a willingness to cooperate with President Trump's efforts to drastically shrink the Federal government.
"First, American astronauts will lead the way in the ultimate 'high ground' of space. As the president stated, we will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars," Isaacman said during his opening remarks April 9.
In response to many of the questions thrown his way, Isaacman emphasized the importance of American dominance in space, especially as China eyes a crewed moon landing to beat NASA's return to the lunar surface with Artemis 3.
If confirmed, Isaacman will very likely have to put his personal space endeavors on hold, which means pausing future Polaris missions.
At least one of those was slated to fly as the first crewed mission of SpaceX's Starship, once SpaceX completes development on the next generation heavy-lift launch vehicle.
Starship has also been contracted by NASA as the lunar lander for Artemis 3, which is currently slated for 2027 — one year short of Isaacman's potential administrative tenure at the space agency, should he be confirmed and remain the length of Trump's term.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/watch-trumps-pick-for-nasa-chief-jared-isaacman-return-to-capitol-hill-for-senate-vote-tomorrow
New Zealand Air Force to set up space squadron as it grows in importance
30 Apr 2025 01:13PM
WELLINGTON : The New Zealand Air Force will establish a small space squadron to signal its growing commitment to space-based defence and international security, a senior military official said on Wednesday.
Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb said the Air Force had a team already focused on space, but creating a squadron symbolized its growing significance.
“A space squadron essentially just formalises the fact that space is here with us now.
It's going to be more and more important into the future so let's perhaps put a little bit of bricks and mortar around that and provide a mechanism to enhance that growth,” Webb, who is chief of the Air Force, told Reuters in an interview.
The space squadron will sit within the Air Force, but Webb said he would love to see Navy and Army involvement.
It will be Squadron Number 62 - a nod to a radar squadron that served during World War Two and will have just 15 personnel when it is created on July 1.
New Zealand has just released a defence capability plan which outlines plans to boost defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP over the next eight years, after decades of reduced funding.
The Air Force is expected to replace its aging Boeing 757 and Seasprite helicopters but there are no plans to reinstate a fighter jet programme, which was cut in 2001.
The squadron emerges as tensions rise over space infrastructure, with increasing concerns around risks to satellite security and potential disruptions to global communication networks.
New Zealand recently joined the U.S.-led Operation Olympic Defender, a seven-nation multinational space defence initiative.
Webb said joining gave New Zealand a voice and view in the grouping about responsible space behaviour.
“Primarily, it is about ensuring the continued, free, safe and assured access to space-based services… through deterring any likely action that might occur,” Webb said.
He said part of the military’s role was to protect and defend strategic assets and “space is definitely one of those.” He did not specify which countries' action were of concern.
Webb said what New Zealand could contribute to the operation was at an “evolving stage.”
“We clearly don't have an enormous range of space-based capabilities. We rely on access of others.
So that's an important point. But we are unique in our location in the world,” Webb said, and wouldn’t rule out the use of New Zealand’s ground-based space infrastructure by foreign militaries in the future.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/new-zealand-air-force-set-up-space-squadron-it-grows-importance-5099201
See photos snapped in space by Europe's 1st private reentry capsule
April 29, 2025
A European reentry capsule notched some important milestones on its first-ever spaceflight last week — and took some photos to commemorate the trip.
Phoenix 1, a prototype spacecraft built by German company Atmos Space Cargo, rode to the final frontier on April 21 via SpaceX's Bandwagon-3 rideshare mission.
Phoenix 1 was tasked with demonstrating some key reentry tech, such as the capsule's inflatable heat shield.
Atmos also aimed to collect information about the flight and record scientific data from the customer experiments that flew aboard Phoenix 1 as well.
All of these objectives were indeed met during the flight, according to Atmos.
"Phoenix 1 was a milestone mission that showcased the incredible capabilities of our team," Marta Oliveira, Atmos' co-founder and chief operating officer, said in an April 23 update.
"This mission proves that we’re not only solving the technical challenge of re-entry — we're laying the groundwork for a future where space is accessible, testable and impactful for innovation here on Earth."
That update included two photos of Phoenix 1 in space. In one image, it's still attached to the Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage; in the other, the capsule has just separated and started its return to Earth.
Phoenix 1 reentered Earth's atmosphere southeast of the Brazilian coast about two hours after launch, according to update. The capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers) offshore.
Atmos could not retrieve data from the final stages of Phoenix 1's descent; the company didn't recover the capsule and said in the update that it hadn't planned to, given how far out to sea the craft landed.
Atmos says it developed the Phoenix 1 pathfinder in less than a year. The recently completed mission will help the company build Phoenix 2, which is expected to launch in 2026 and will be more capable than its predecessor.
"Atmos' current roadmap for Phoenix 2 confirms to feature its own propulsion system, enabling the capsule to choose its reentry trajectory and splashdown zone, enabling swift recovery," the company wrote in the April 23 update.
Over the longer haul, Atmos aims to provide customers with a cost-effective and efficient way to bring valuable materials from space down to Earth.
"Our mission is to revolutionize space logistics, enabling groundbreaking advancements in microgravity research, in-orbit manufacturing, defense applications and life sciences," the company's website reads.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/see-photos-snapped-in-space-by-europes-1st-private-reentry-capsule
https://atmos-space-cargo.com/milestones/mission-completion-update/
A resort in space coming in 2027 with restaurants, gym, and even villas! Here's all about Voyager Station
Updated: 29 April, 2025 10:49 AM -7 GM
Space travel, once the domain of elite astronauts and government agencies, is rapidly opening up to private enterprises—and even luxury tourism thanks to billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson.
Their ventures have helped pave the way for a future where space travel might one day be as routine as international air travel.
Now, a new milestone in this journey is approaching with the world’s first space hotel, the Voyager Station.
What is Voyager Station?
Voyager Station is a luxury orbital resort designed as a massive rotating wheel, capable of hosting 280 guests and 112 crew members.
The space hotel, envisioned by Sacramento-based Orbital Assembly Corporation (which is now known as Above Space), is slated for launch in 2027.
The futuristic facility will feature a wide range of amenities, including:
Restaurants and bars
A cinema and concert venue
A gym and recreation space
Residential-style villas and commercial areas
In total, the station will span 125,000 square feet, divided among 24 modules that will include luxury accommodations, retail spaces, and even areas for industrial use.
Gravity in Space? Yes, Really.
One of Voyager Station’s most groundbreaking features is its ability to simulate gravity using centrifugal force.
Its rotating design, inspired by German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, will initially generate gravity equivalent to that of the Moon—about one-sixth of Earth's.
Future versions may offer Martian or even near-Earth gravity levels.
OAC boasts, “We provide gravity,” on its website. Chief Operating Officer Tim Alatorre noted that the artificial gravity will allow guests to experience space in comfort—while still enjoying weightless fun like slam dunks and lifting heavy objects effortlessly.
How Will It Work?
Guests will first arrive at a central zero-gravity hub before taking elevators out to the rotating outer modules where gravity is simulated.
This setup balances the thrill of microgravity with the functionality of gravity-assisted living spaces.
The Cost of Space Luxury
Current space tourism is still costly—one early civilian paid $28 million to join Jeff Bezos on a Blue Origin flight.
However, Alatorre told The New York Times, “We want it to be a question of preference, not of money.”
With launch systems like SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy in development, transportation costs are expected to decrease significantly, potentially making space stays more accessible.
While SpaceX is not currently involved in the Voyager Station project, they commented on Instagram:
"Maybe @SpaceX can offer a two-way ticket by the time it’s finished? We’re curious to see if this plan becomes reality."
Next Steps: Testing the Concept
To ensure feasibility, OAC is currently working on smaller prototypes such as the Gravity Ring and Pioneer Stations, designed to test the key technologies and design concepts.
Alatorre remains confident: “There’s nothing technologically standing in our way. It’s just a question of time and money—and we can overcome those.”
As plans for Voyager Station move forward, it could redefine the future of vacations—offering a once-unimaginable getaway: a luxury stay in Earth’s orbit.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/a-resort-in-space-coming-in-2027-with-restaurants-gym-and-even-villas-heres-all-about-voyager-station/articleshow/120753963.cms
China launches world’s fastest submersible drone with rocket-drilling capabilities
Updated: Apr 30, 2025 10:18 AM EST
China has launched the “Blue Whale,” the world’s first high-speed, uncrewed submersible vessel. This advanced boat can operate independently for a long time in very tough ocean conditions.
The hybrid platform is designed to operate above and below the waterline and marks an important advancement in China’s indigenous marine technology development, according to Xinhua News.
The launch took place on April 28 in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai under the auspices of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunzhou Tech.
World’s first fast submersible drone
Measuring 11 meters long and displacing 12 tonnes, the Blue Whale integrates high-speed surface transit functionality with submersible endurance.
It can reach surface speeds up to 36 knots, a velocity comparable to that of naval destroyers and heavyweight torpedoes, enabling rapid deployment over long distances.
Once in operational proximity to its designated area, the vessel can execute a dive to depths of up to 60 meters, where it may remain suspended and fully functional for over 30 days.
Its ability to operate in such a dormant, low-observable mode draws clear parallels to the stealth characteristics of nuclear-powered submarines.
Professor Chen Dake, lead scientist of the project and a senior figure at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua News that the Blue Whale represents a “milestone in China’s independent marine technological innovation,” supporting the country’s ambition to achieve strategic autonomy in key maritime domains.
Though officially designated for civilian applications, particularly oceanography and meteorology, the vessel’s specifications and modular architecture imply potential dual-use utility.
Modern tech
The vessel is equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence decision-making system powered by deep learning algorithms capable of autonomous route planning, real-time mission adaptation, and hazard avoidance.
Wu Guosong, chief engineer at Yunzhou Tech, told Xinhua News that the vessel’s AI-driven autonomy has tripled mission efficiency in complex operational environments compared to manual navigation protocols.
Its core mission set includes typhoon tracking and atmospheric data collection through the launch of onboard meteorological rockets, which can be deployed while tracking cyclonic systems.
The Blue Whale’s endurance profile enables operations under Category 12 typhoon conditions, environments characterized by winds exceeding 130 km/h, and hazardous sea states.
Submerged, the platform utilizes an advanced propulsion system that alternates between high-speed waterjets and silent magnetic fluid drives.
Proprietary acoustic-dampening coatings reduce operational noise to ambient sea levels, enhancing their utility for hydroacoustic monitoring and stealth operations.
Its payload capacity exceeds 20 mission-specific modules, enabling operations including meteorological surveillance, ocean floor mapping, photogrammetry, water quality sampling, and subsea infrastructure inspections.
During recent trials in the South China Sea, the vessel successfully mapped 3,000 square kilometers of seabed in just 15 days, a rate five times greater than conventional manned survey vessels.
Additional capabilities include real-time ecological monitoring facilitated by onboard sensors and acoustic detectors capable of observing phenomena such as red tides, fish migrations, and coral bleaching.
These functions are particularly relevant given the increasing ecological degradation in the South China Sea, as noted in recent assessments by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-first-fast-submersible-drone
stay away from the DMV
Drone spotted dangerously close to falcon nest
April 30, 2025
A bird charity has issued a warning after a drone was spotted illegally flying near the nest of a rare bird just as its eggs are due to hatch.
The aerial camera was seen close to the peregrine falcon breeding site at Norwich Cathedral on Monday.
The birds have laid four eggs, with the chicks expected to emerge over the next few days in the cathedral spire nest.
"This is extremely dangerous for the birds and a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981," said the Hawk and Owl Trust, which manages the site.
"Peregrine falcons are protected and currently nesting - disturbance can cause stress, nest abandonment or harm to the chicks."
They urged anyone who saw any more drones in the area to call the police on 999.
The birds of prey have nested at Norwich Cathedral for 16 years and the charity has opened its watch point in the grounds this week, ahead of the eggs hatching.
Hundreds of thousands of people eager to catch the moment have also been watching the charity's 24-hour live webcam.
The first egg of the year was laid on 21 March and three more have since appeared.
In the first year of life, the peregrines have a 60% mortality rate.
Norfolk Police have been contacted for comment by the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rgnm0mvdmo
World's 1st medical rescue drone: China's game-changer in emergency response
Apr 30 2025, 07:31 PM
In a groundbreaking development, China has introduced the world's first emergency medical rescue drone, designed to operate in extreme conditions and deliver critical medical aid where traditional methods fall short, reports Xinhua.
Developed by Haishen Medical Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this 600-kilogram unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) marks a significant advancement in disaster response technology
Advanced Medical Capabilities
The drone is equipped with state-of-the-art medical functionalities, including:
Respiratory support systems
Intravenous infusion equipment
Vital signs monitoring
Defibrillation devices
Real-time video surveillance for remote medical consultation
These features enable the drone to provide immediate medical assistance, stabilize patients on-site, and facilitate remote diagnosis and treatment guidance.
Designed for Extreme Environments
Engineered to perform in the harshest conditions, the drone can operate in temperatures ranging from -25°C to 46°C and at altitudes up to 5,000 meters.
Its robust design allows it to conduct precise search and rescue missions in challenging terrains, including humid, salty, and turbulent sea environments.
Operational Efficiency
With a payload capacity of 300 kilograms, the drone can transport medical supplies or evacuate injured individuals swiftly.
It integrates autonomous flight modes such as waypoint navigation and hovering, along with remote ground control, ensuring rapid deployment during disasters and epidemics .
Implications for Emergency Response
This innovation addresses critical gaps in emergency medical services, particularly in areas where access is hindered by geographical or infrastructural challenges.
By combining advanced medical equipment with cutting-edge drone technology, China aims to enhance its emergency response capabilities and set a precedent for integrating UAVs into healthcare logistics.
The unveiling of this medical rescue drone signifies a pivotal step towards more resilient and responsive emergency medical systems, potentially transforming how aid is delivered in crisis situations worldwide.
https://newsable.asianetnews.com/world/world-first-medical-rescue-drone-china-unveils-game-changer-in-emergency-response-watch-video-ddr/articleshow-dl35v5f
https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1917557048574881912
First UK strikes on Houthis in Yemen under Trump
April 30, 2025
The UK has launched air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the first time since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets, working with the US, hit a "cluster of buildings" used by the Houthis to manufacture attack drones.
Since November 2023, the Houthis - a rebel group in control of much of Yemen - have been carrying out attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which the US has responded to by leading a bombing campaign designed to weaken the group.
Houthi leaders said the UK should "anticipate the consequences of its aggression", according to a statement published by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.
These are the first RAF air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen approved by Sir Keir Starmer's government – and the first direct UK participation in US-led strikes since Trump was re-elected.
Defence Secretary John Healy said the strikes were successful and carried out to protect British and international shipping.
In a statement, he said all UK personnel and aircraft had returned safely to base.
"A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK," he continued.
The MoD said the strikes were carried out after a drone production facility was identified around 15 miles (24km) south of Yemen's capital Saana.
It said the strikes were carried out using "precision guided bombs" after "very careful planning" to hit targets "with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure".
They were launched at night "when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further", the MoD added.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Healy said the government's "initial assessment is that the planned targets were all successfully hit and we've seen no evidence of civilian casualties".
Earlier in the Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the "professionalism and bravery of all our service men and service women".
The US military has launched hundreds of strikes against Houthi targets in recent weeks - claiming to have killed hundreds of fighters, including leaders of the group and commanders overseeing drone and missile production.
Houthi-run authorities have claimed the strikes have killed dozens of civilians, but have reported few casualties among the group's members.
On Monday, they reported at least 68 African migrants killed in a US air strike on a detention centre in north-western Yemen.
Casualty reports could not be immediately verified, but Al Masirah TV's videos showed first responders recovering the bodies of at least a dozen men.
Since November 2023, the Iran-backed Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
They have sunk two vessels, seized a third, and killed four crew members.
The Houthis have said they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed - often falsely - that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
In response to the most recent strikes, the Houthi authorities said they were in "support [of] Israel's war and genocide in Gaza".
It added that "no matter the challenges" the group will resist the "trio of evil" - the US, UK and Israel - and their allies.
In March, Trump ordered an intensification of the bombing campaign, and two US aircraft carriers have been deployed to the region.
RAF jets have participated in US-led airstrikes before, but under the last Conservative government and when President Joe Biden was in power.
Earlier this year, an RAF tanker aircraft was deployed to refuel US warplanes.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently criticised European countries for their contribution to efforts to weaken the Houthis.
In a leaked message from a Signal chat with other senior officials, Hegseth referred to Europe as "freeloaders" and called their response "pathetic".
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k41z4g3pzo
Authorities investigating case of dog attached to drone
April 30, 2025
Othón P. Blanco, Q.R. — Authorities are investigating a case of a dog being attached to a flying drone. The incident happened April 24 in the town of Xul-Ha when three boys were videoed flying the dog over a house.
The dog has since been located and removed from the home where it lived. It was found unharmed. The State Attorney General (FGE) says they have placed the dog in protective custody.
The case is being investigated in collaboration with the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the FGE, “the Environmental Protection Agency is protecting a Chihuahua after it was attached to a drone on Thursday, April 24, flying several meters above the ground in the townof Xul-Ha.
“The pet’s owner appeared before the Public Prosecutor’s Office to give his statement after the incident became known on social media.
A veterinarian with the Secretariat of Ecology and a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency were also present at the hearing,” the FGE said in a statement.
The FGE says they are part of the investigation. They ordered the dog to be placed under the custody of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment while the investigation continues to determine responsibility.
“It should be noted that the FGE has collaborated with the pet owner to provide the necessary information to clarify the facts,” they added.
https://riviera-maya-news.com/authorities-investigating-case-of-dog-attached-to-drone/2025.html?
Anti-Drone Systems for all Marines
04/30/2025
In response to the escalating threat posed by small-unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), the US Marine Corps has announced plans to deploy dismounted counter-drone capabilities across all Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) units in 2025.
This initiative aims to empower Marines with the tools necessary to detect, track, identify, and neutralize adversary drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
The systems are designed to be lightweight, user-friendly, and compatible with existing weaponry, ensuring that Marines can effectively defend themselves.
From the pictures it is seen, that SMARTSHOOTER combat-proven SMASH 2000L Fire Control System will be issued to US Marines.
Low-cost sUAS have introduced significant tactical challenges, as adversaries increasingly utilize these drones for reconnaissance, surveillance, and attack missions.
Recognizing the risks associated with the agility, low signature, and ease of deployment of such systems, the Marine Corps emphasizes the importance of integrating counter-UAS solutions.
These solutions provide protection against threats in diverse operational environments.
This strategic move aligns with the Marine Corps' emphasis on maneuver warfare and dispersed operations.
By decentralizing defensive measures, the CORPS ensures that all elements of the MAGTF can operate effectively in contested environments.
Continuous evaluation and adaptation of these systems will be crucial to keep pace with evolving sUAS technologies and tactics, thereby enhancing the Marine Corps' defensive posture and ensuring mission success in increasingly complex threat landscapes.
https://spartanat.com/en/anti-drone-systems-for-all-marine-units
'5 explosions' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian military plant in Murom, source claims
April 30, 2025 12:34 PM
Ukrainian drones struck the Murom Instrument-Making Plant in Russia's Vladimir Oblast overnight on April 30, damaging two buildings and sparking a fire, a source in Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
The facility, known locally as the city's "powder factory," produces ignition components for ammunition used by Russia's Armed Forces, Interior Ministry, and Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Russia's National Defense magazine.
It is under Ukrainian and EU sanctions for its role in supporting Russia's war effort.
"There were five explosions at the facility," the SBU source said. "Two buildings were preliminarily damaged, and a fire broke out."
"It specializes in the production of ammunition ignition devices, as well as components and products for the Russian Navy and Air Force," they added.
Vladimir Oblast Governor Alexander Avdeev confirmed a fire occurred at a warehouse in Murom and attributed it to downed drones.
"The attack of several drones was recorded; they were suppressed by electronic warfare equipment," he wrote on Telegram.
Residents confirmed to the independent Russian outlet Astra that the Murom plant had been hit.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 34 Ukrainian aircraft-type drones were intercepted and destroyed overnight across multiple regions.
These included three over Vladimir Oblast, 15 over Kursk Oblast, eight over Bryansk Oblast, seven over Orel Oblast, and one over Belgorod Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Vladimir Oblast, located roughly 190 kilometers (120 miles) east of Moscow, hosts several sensitive military sites.
On April 22, explosions rocked the 51st Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate — one of Russia's largest weapons depots — triggering a fire.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-strike-russian-igniting-ammunition-plant-in-vladimir-oblast/
Drones flying ‘unchallenged’ a problem for US: Former DOD official
Updated: Apr 30, 2025 / 11:39 AM CDT
A former leader of the Defense Department’s advanced aerospace threat identification program told “CUOMO” that he believes “mysterious drones” have become a huge problem for the United States.
Luis Elizondo said America consistently does not know what’s operating in its skies.
“We’ve been saying now for years, ever since, frankly, Sept. 11, that we do not have complete U.S. air domain awareness of our skies.
The bottom line is, we do not know what’s in our skies all the time,” Elizondo said.
House Oversight Committee gives no answer on UAP sightings
The House Oversight Committee met on Tuesday to discuss unauthorized drone activity over U.S. military sites. Lawmakers pressed Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration officials about the reports and their response.
The hearing was held months after the White House said the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey at the end of 2024 were not “the work of an adversary.” The sightings in New Jersey prompted concern from residents for weeks.
Following Tuesday’s hearing, Elizondo reiterated America’s vulnerability to drone attacks.
“Drones fly completely unchallenged. We still don’t know where they’re coming from, we still don’t know who’s behind the wheel. We still don’t know where they’re going.
This is a big problem. And we’ve known about it for a long time,” Elizondo said.
Lawmakers are slated to continue questioning the drone sightings and their place in national security.
The House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs has said sightings of UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena, above military bases have increased and that those sites are being exposed to surveillance, espionage and potential weaponization.
The White House had said in January the drones were authorized by the FAA. However, Elizondo told “CUOMO” this was not accurate.
“Sen. Cory Booker… spoke to the FAA, and on the record, he said, ‘No, guess what, FAA does not know what all these drones are,” Elizondo said.
Elizondo also rebuked claims that drone sightings above military bases were sanctioned.
“You do not close sensitive military installations and airspace because you have an authorized drone flight,” he said.
“That does not make sense, and you heard it today again: We simply do not know what’s in our skies.”
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/drones-military-bases-luis-elizondo/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14659731/Identity-whistleblower-exposed-secret-Pentagon-UFO-program-revealed-says-fears-life.html
https://www.weaponizedpodcast.com/episodes-3/episode-74
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxI-LDrDqA
Pentagon whistleblower fears execution after revealing bombshell UFO program secretly studying alien tech
Updated: 03:50 EDT, 30 April 2025
The whistleblower behind a stunning report submitted to Congress - exposing what he claims is a secret Pentagon program tracking unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) - has now revealed his identity and says he fears for his future in speaking out.
Matthew Brown is a former U.S. national security official who previously served as a Policy Advisor for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a Technical Advisor for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security, and a Program Advisor for the Department of State.
He publicly identified himself as the whistleblower in WEAPONIZED Episode 74 - a podcast released Tuesday that is hosted by investigative journalists and UFO experts Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp.
Brown is the author of the Immaculate Constellation Field Report, a document entered into the Congressional Record earlier this year that alleges the Executive Branch has been secretly managing UAP programs for decades - without congressional oversight.
'This is absolutely what I did not want to do,' Brown said during the podcast. 'I am, on a personal level, giving up the future that I made for myself and was going to try to make for a family.
My hope is that the stakes are not paid out, but they are life imprisonment and the possibility of execution.'
Brown, who held Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearances with a Counterintelligence Scope Polygraph (CI Poly) during his government career, is bound by strict secrecy agreements that carry steep penalties if classified information is improperly disclosed.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Corbell said those fears are not unfounded - even if rarely enforced to the extreme. 'When you're in the classified world, you sign your life away,' Corbell explained.
'There are serious consequences for leaking national security information - and yes, on paper, that includes life imprisonment or even capital punishment in rare cases tied to espionage.'
However, Corbell stressed that the real threat whistleblowers often face comes not from criminal prosecution, but from being systematically dismantled through legal, bureaucratic, and other coordinated nefarious means.
He said whistleblowers can see their lives destroyed through 'weaponized bureaucracy, targeted investigations, character assassination'.
'It happened to a number of friends of mine. It's very concerning.' He added: 'We've seen it before. The system can grind you to dust.'
Still, Corbell emphasized that Brown had been meticulous in following all legal protocols.
'He did everything lawfully,' he said. 'He pushed his material through pre-publication review at the State Department. They didn't push back. He did everything by the book.'
Brown said he discovered references to the program in 2018 while reviewing classified materials at the Pentagon.
It was '100 percent accidentally,' he said on the podcast. 'So the first exposure, or the exposure to Immaculate Constellation, happened on a shared server that was shared by all the offices in OSD… I was opening files that were clearly misfiled.'
Among the files was a transcript of a classified briefing to members of Congress. What Brown read, he said, confirmed his worst fears.
'When I was in USDI, I read the transcripts of Sean Kirkpatrick briefing Senator Rubio, Senator Warren and Senator Gillibrand,' he said.
'My blood ran cold at a specific point… Mr. Rubio's response was, 'Well, what the hell is the Executive Branch doing? Have they been running this for 60 years without congressional oversight?'
Brown revealed that he had read through classified mission reports, one of which documented a naval operation in the Pacific where a large black triangle-shaped UFO 'decloaked' out of thin air over several Russian vessels.
The Russian ships appeared to be waiting for this ship to appear and, according to the photos in the report, Brown believes the US photographed the incident using a top-secret submersible vehicle.
The whistleblower explained that the ultimate goal of Immaculate Constellation is to achieve global surveillance of all UAPs worldwide.
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Brown said he ultimately decided to go public - not for political reasons, but because he believed the truth could no longer be buried.
'Ultimately, my biggest fear is what humanity will do to itself out of fear and greed,' he said. 'We have built a prison around ourselves. It's invisible, but it's not complete, and there is still time to maybe alter our trajectory.'
Corbell told DailyMail.com that Brown's decision to reveal his identity was made both to protect himself and to catalyze action in Congress.
'I have seen problematic, even nefarious pressures put upon individuals as they are preparing to come forward,' Corbell said.
'The time is now… not just to report the truth, but to protect those who will not - or cannot - protect themselves.'
He said Brown initially fought hard to avoid going public, but that whistleblower protections inside the government had 'fallen flat'.
'This was the last thing he wanted to do,' Corbell said. 'We tried to keep his identity confidential, to walk him through the proper channels.
But those options proved to be false promises. Ultimately, his best protection was to come forward boldly.'
Brown's field report describes encounters involving orb-shaped UAPs and massive triangular craft being observed by US intelligence.
At the same time, Brown mentioned the existence of RVs (reproduction vehicles) and ARVs (alien reproduction vehicles), possibly meaning that governments on Earth have allegedly built craft which mimic or replicate the capabilities of UFOs.
He alleges the Pentagon has maintained surveillance programs on UAPs while withholding information from Congress for decades - an accusation that cuts to the heart of ongoing calls for greater transparency.
'This isn't just technology,' Brown said in the episode. 'This isn't something somebody came up with in a lab…
The answer is no, [we're not alone] and the secrecy that has been defended is at the cost of, in my mind, human dignity, freedom and progress.'
Corbell said Brown's testimony is only the beginning.
'There's a small army of whistleblowers ready to come forward, we have already recorded with them,' Corbell said. 'The levee is breaking. The American public has not just a right, but a need to know.'
He also warned that threats and intimidation tactics have already targeted Brown and others who have begun speaking out.
'We have had very disturbing personal threats that we take extremely seriously - not just with Matt, but with some of the other whistleblowers who have already recorded with us,' Corbell said. 'This is serious. It's happening.'
Corbell said the next parts of Brown's testimony will be released in a three-part series, culminating ahead of anticipated UAP-related hearings in Congress set for May of this year.
The urgency surrounding Brown's revelations comes amid heightened congressional scrutiny of UAP programs.
In November 2024, the House Oversight Committee held a high-profile hearing featuring whistleblowers and former officials, including Luis Elizondo and Michael Shellenberger.
Witnesses testified about alleged secret government programs -including the 'Immaculate Constellation'.
Elizondo, a former Department of Defense official, claimed that the U.S. government possesses advanced technologies not made by any known nation and that elements within the military and intelligence community are engaged in disinformation campaigns to discredit UAP whistleblowers.
Although journalist Michael Shellenberger referenced the Immaculate Constellation report during the hearing, Shellenberger did not submit it and only obtained the document after the hearing took place.
The report had already been officially submitted to Congress by him through a multi-month process on behalf of whistleblower Matthew Brown.
Lawmakers, including Rep. Nancy Mace, expressed concern over the lack of transparency and potential constitutional violations, emphasizing the need for greater oversight and accountability.
The hearing underscored the increasing congressional interest and concern surrounding UAPs, highlighting the need for further investigation into whistleblower claims and alleged secret programs.
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PROOF These Are NOT Man-Made | Shocking Crop Circle UFO Footage Analyzed
Apr 27, 2025
Newly re-examined footage AND scientific data shows clear evidence that crop circles may not be a human-made phenomenon after all.
Across fields worldwide, strange lights and UFOs have been caught on camera forming intricate patterns with precision beyond explanation.
Watch the evidence and decide before the next pattern appears…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gpYRVIgKp4
UFO town Roswell becomes first US city to hold Bitcoin reserves
Apr 30, 2025
Roswell, New Mexico, famous for a UFO incident alleged to have occurred near the city in 1947, has become the first city in the United States to establish a Bitcoin (BTC) reserve.
The news was first broken by pseudonymous cryptocurrency YouTuber Crypto Rover in an April 30 X post.
Per the shared document, the Roswell Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has received a “first seed” donation of 0.3050233 BTC, worth roughly $2,906 at the time of receipt.
How the Roswell Bitcoin reserves will be used
The UFO capital’s intention is for the reserves to hold funds for no less than 10 years, after which the proceeds can be used to alleviate a percentage, up to 100%, of the water bills of all the senior citizens in Roswell.
In addition, after the value of the reserves surpasses $1 million, the Bitcoin holdings can be used as a “liquid emergency fund”.
To be more precise, up to 21% of the value of the reserves can be used every five years for disaster relief — but only with the unanimous approval of the Roswell City Council.
While 2025 hasn’t been a great year for BTC returns thus far, the leading cryptocurrency has show signs of resilience, and has recently exhibited price action that does not correlate with the stock market.
Moreover, as the Roswell Bitcoin reserves will be funded exclusively from donations and sponsorships, the city is not exposing itself to any financial risk from the cryptocurrency’s volatility.
https://finbold.com/ufo-town-roswell-becomes-first-us-city-to-hold-bitcoin-reserves/
https://twitter.com/rovercrc/status/1917501759150502130