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Great week, great morning
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 9, 2025
IXPE Explores a Black Hole Jet
How do black holes create X-rays? Answering this long-standing question was significantly advanced recently with data taken by NASA’s IXPE satellite. X-rays cannot exit a black hole, but they can be created in the energetic environment nearby, in particular by a jet of particles moving outward. By observing X-ray light arriving from near the supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy BL Lac, called a blazar, it was discovered that these X-rays lacked significant polarization, which is expected when created more by energetic electrons than protons. In the featured artistic illustration, a powerful jet is depicted emanating from an orange-colored accretion disk circling the black hole. Understanding highly energetic processes across the universe helps humanity to understand similar processes that occur on or near our Earth.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
NASA Astronaut Anne McClain Works on Space Station
May 08, 2025
In this May 1, 2025, photo taken by fellow NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain works near one of the International Space Station’s main solar arrays during a spacewalk.
During the May 1 spacewalk – McClain’s third and Ayers’ first – the astronaut pair relocated a space station communications antenna and completed the initial mounting bracket installation steps for an International Space Station Rollout Solar Array, or IROSA, that will arrive on a future SpaceX commercial resupply services mission, in addition to some get ahead tasks.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-astronaut-anne-mcclain-works-on-space-station/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
>Did I ever tell (You) the definition of insanity?
Biotech and Health Research Top Thursday’s Workday, Crew Completes Training
May 8, 2025
Biotechnology work and health research was the main focus on Thursday aboard the International Space Station.
Five Expedition 73 crew members also scheduled some time for training and additional experiment cleanup duties.
Understanding how the human body reacts to spaceflight is crucial as humans prepare for missions to the Moon and beyond.
The CIPHER investigation, or the Complement of Integrated Protocols for Human Exploration Research, is one of many ongoing health-focused studies in microgravity that looks at how various systems in the body—the heart, muscles, bones, and eyes—adapt to longer missions.
NASA Flight Engineer Anne McClain dedicated a large portion of her week to CIPHER activities and continued through today as she collected biological samples for processing and analysis.
Later on, she completed a cognition test, then teamed up with NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim, as he guided her through a vestibular exam before a scan that measures the pressure in her eyes.
Kim also spent a portion of his day working with the Life Sciences Glovebox.
He and NASA Flight Engineer Nichole Ayers conducted biotechnology work that aims to understand in-space manufacturing of nanomaterials that mimic DNA in space.
Throughout experiment operations, three different products will be manufactured and returned to Earth for analysis.
In the afternoon, current station commander Takuya Onishi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) continued this work while Kim and Ayers moved onto other tasks.
After donning the Bio-Monitor for 48 hours to investigate the effects of microgravity on the cardiovascular system, Ayers doffed the headband and garment to collect data.
She was then joined by McClain, Kim, Onishi and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Kirill Peskov to complete a round of training in the event an emergency were to occur aboard station.
Afterward, the five residents held a conference with ground teams to go over the materials.
Before winding down for the evening, Ayers cleaned out the Veggie facility after APEX-12 experiment operations wrapped.
As part of the investigation, earlier this week, she and McClain harvested thale cress plants to observe how space radiation affects plant genetics.
Peskov, along with Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, completed some orbital plumbing duties today.
Additionally, Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky both completed a virtual reality test that tracks their eye and brain movement.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/08/biotech-and-health-research-top-thursdays-workday-crew-completes-training/
NASA Earns Two Emmy Nominations for 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Coverage
May 08, 2025
NASA’s coverage of the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse has earned two nominations for the 46th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominations on May 1, recognizing NASA’s outstanding work in sharing this rare celestial event with audiences around the world.
The winners are set to be unveiled at a ceremony in late June.
“Total solar eclipses demonstrate the special connection between our Earth, Moon, and Sun by impacting our senses during the breathtaking moments of total alignment that only occur at this time on Earth,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“NASA’s Eclipse coverage team perfectly encapsulated the awe-inspiring experience from start to finish for viewers around the world in this once-in-a-lifetime moment in American history.
Congratulations to the entire NASA Eclipse coverage team for their two much-deserved Emmy award nominations!”
The two nominations include:
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Outstanding Live News Special for the agency’s live broadcast coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse.
NASA’s live broadcast coverage of the 2024 total solar eclipse was the most ambitious live project ever attempted by the agency.
The broadcast spanned three hours as the eclipse traveled 3,000 miles across seven states and two countries. From cities, parks, and stadiums, 11 hosts and correspondents provided on air commentary, interviews, and live coverage.
Viewers tuned in from all over the world, including at watch parties in 9 locations, from the Austin Public Library to New York’s Times Square. An interactive “Eclipse Board” provided real time data analysis as the Moon’s shadow crossed North America.
Live feeds from astronauts aboard the International Space Station and NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft were brought in to provide rare and unique perspectives of the solar event.
In total, NASA received almost 40 million views across its own distribution. Externally, the main broadcast was picked up in 2,208 hits on 568 channels in 25 countries.
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Outstanding Show Open or Title Sequence – News for the agency’s show open for the 2024 total solar eclipse.
NASA’s show open for the 2024 total solar eclipse live broadcast explores the powerful connections between the Sun, humanity, and the rare moment when day turns to night.
From witnessing the Sun’s atmosphere to feeling the dramatic drop in temperature, the video captures the psychological, emotional, and cultural impact of this celestial phenomenon.
https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-earns-two-emmy-nominations-for-2024-total-solar-eclipse-coverage/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MJY_ptQW1o
NASA Telescopes Tune Into a Black Hole Prelude, Fugue
May 08, 2025
NASA released three new pieces of cosmic sound Thursday that are associated with the densest and darkest members of our universe: black holes.
These scientific productions are sonifications — or translations into sound — of data collected by NASA telescopes in space including the Chandra X-ray Observatory, James Webb Space Telescope, and Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE).
This new trio of sonifications represents different aspects of black holes. Black holes are neither static nor monolithic. They evolve over time, and are found in a range of sizes and environments.
WR 124
The first movement is a prelude to the potential birth of a black hole. WR124 is an extremely bright, short-lived massive star known as a Wolf-Rayet at a distance of about 28,000 light-years from Earth.
These stars fling their outer layers out into space, creating spectacular arrangements seen in an image in infrared light from the Webb telescope. In the sonification of WR124, this nebula is heard as flutes and the background stars as bells.
At the center of WR124, where the scan begins before moving outward, is a hot core of the star that may explode as a supernova and potentially collapse and leave behind a black hole in its wake.
As the scan moves from the center outward, X-ray sources detected by Chandra are translated into harp sounds.
Data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is heard as metallic bell-like sounds, while the light of the central star is mapped to produce the descending scream-like sound at the beginning.
The piece is rounded out by strings playing additional data from the infrared telescopic trio of ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Herschel Space Telescope, NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, and NASA’s retired Wide Image Survey Explorer (WISE) as chords.
SS 433
In the second movement of this black hole composition, listeners can explore a duet. SS 433 is a binary, or double, system about 18,000 light-years away that sings out in X-rays.
The two members of SS 433 include a star like our Sun in orbit around a much heavier partner, either a neutron star or a black hole. This orbital dance causes undulations in X-rays that Chandra, IXPE, and ESA’s XMM-Newton telescopes are tuned into.
These X-ray notes have been combined with radio and infrared data to provide a backdrop for this celestial waltz. The nebula in radio waves resembles a drifting manatee, and the scan sweeps across from right to left.
Light towards the top of the image is mapped to higher-pitch sound, with radio, infrared, and X-ray light mapped to low, medium, and high pitch ranges.
Bright background stars are played as water-drop sounds, and the location of the binary system is heard as a plucked sound, pulsing to match the fluctuations due to the orbital dance.
Centarus A
The third and final movement of the black hole-themed sonifications crescendos with a distant galaxy known as Centaurus A, about 12 million light-years away from Earth.
At the center of Centaurus A is an enormous black hole that is sending a booming jet across the entire length of the galaxy. Sweeping around clockwise from the top of the image, the scan encounters Chandra’s X-rays and plays them as single-note wind chimes.
X-ray light from IXPE is heard as a continuous range of frequencies, producing a wind-like sound. Visible light data from the European Southern Observatory’s MPG telescope shows the galaxy’s stars that are mapped to string instruments including foreground and background objects as plucked strings.
For more NASA sonifications and information about the project, visit https://chandra.si.edu/sound/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasa-telescopes-tune-into-a-black-hole-prelude-fugue/
https://science.nasa.gov/universe
Sols 4532-4533: Polygon Heaven
May 08, 2025
Earth planning date: Monday, May 5, 2025
Our 29-meter weekend drive (about 95 feet) was successful, and we are still in the band of polygon-rich bedrock.
The origin of these cracks is not clear — could they have formed as desiccation cracks as Mars began to get drier, billions of years ago? Or during later periods when groundwater moved through the bedrock?
Spending time in this area will help us to tease out their origin by sampling as much of the diversity as we can, from regular bedrock to the stranger textured targets.
Touch and Go plans allow only a few hours of science at a given workspace — in this plan, the rover turns on around 9 a.m. local time, and by 2 p.m. we have picked up and moved on to the next stop.
So planning on a day like today is quite the balancing act, trying to cram in as much science, as efficiently as possible, in a small amount of time.
On Friday, I helped plan APXS on some of the polygon features, so today we were able to concentrate on more typical bedrock without polygonal features, to compare with our last targets.
We wiIl acquire a short APXS integration on the brushed target “Encinitas,” and image the target with MAHLI.
In contrast, ChemCam will use LIBS to analyze “Jack Creek,” an elongated vein feature about 30 centimeters long (about 12 inches), which may be related to the polygon features. Both Mastcam and MAHLI will image this vein.
Beyond the workspace, but relatively closer to the rover, Mastcam will image "Loma Verde” on a small, overturned block and "Temescal Canyon,” looking at a larger expanse of bedrock with polygonal structures.
Further afield, ChemCam will acquire a long-distance image at “Agua Tibia,” which is close to “Torote Bowl,” a circular feature that we have been imaging periodically since sol 4486.
Once all the science has been gathered here in our very busy morning, we move on in a 26-meter drive (about 85 feet).
We are edging closer to the “boxwork structures” — it feels like we have been saying this in every blog for a long time, but we will have “wheels on” for the first time within the next few drives.
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-4532-4533-polygon-heaven/
Black Hole TDE AT2024tvd
May 8, 2025
This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy located 600 million light-years away that is host to the telltale signature of a roaming supermassive black hole.
Visible in the Hubble image is a tidal disruption event (TDE), an intense flash of radiation caused by the supermassive black hole eating a star.
The TDE appears as an isolated blue point source of ultraviolet light, while the galaxy is colored orange in visible light.
The source is one of the first examples of a TDE significantly offset from the host galaxy's core by 2,600 light-years – where an even more massive active black resides.
Hubble's precise angular resolution clearly shows this offset and confirms independent observations made with NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory.
The photo taken on January 16, 2025 with Hubble's WFC3 detector in UV and visible light wavelengths.
https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/black-hole-tde-at2024tvd/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-pinpoints-roaming-massive-black-hole/
Trump administration to revive National Space Council
05/09/2025 10:23 AM EDT
The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration’s ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk.
The revival of the council ends speculation that President Donald Trump would not bring back the office following lobbying from Musk’s SpaceX company.
The council, which Trump also revived in 2017 after it had been dormant for 24 years, is chaired according to law by the vice president.
A White House official, who was granted anonymity to discuss plans that had not been announced, confirmed that the White House was staffing the council.
The council is normally staffed by an executive secretary and a small number of officials.
The council serves as an executive branch body for developing space policy and keeping agencies with space portfolios on task, from the Space Force to the Department of Commerce’s space offices.
The council will likely take on the Trump administration’s already lengthy space ambitions, including building a space-based missile shield called Golden Dome, beating China to a moon landing before 2030, landing astronauts on Mars, and supporting commercial space companies.
That includes potentially launching new rockets next year to trial systems for landing astronauts on Mars.
The council could dilute the influence of Musk, founder of SpaceX and confidante to Trump, who plans to step away as top adviser to the president. Reuters in January reported that SpaceX opposed the return of the National Space Council, and Trump was “likely” to end it.
The council would also provide an avenue for industry to inform White House space policy through the body’s Users’ Advisory Group.
Vice President JD Vance has made few public pronouncements on space, making it unclear how he might lead the council.
However, as a senator he served on the committee that covers space, and was a co-sponsor on a space bill. His former position as a senator for Ohio put him in contact with major NASA research facilities in Cleveland.
The office was founded in 1989, but was unstaffed from 1993 to 2017, when Trump brought it back in his first term in a ceremony that included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon.
That council, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence with Scott Pace as its executive secretary, was viewed as influential in helping establish the Space Force, NASA’s planned return to the moon under the Artemis program, and ushering in regulatory reform in support of commercial space companies.
Then-President Joe Biden continued to staff the space council, but the body was viewed as less influential by some due to diminished public engagement from Vice President Kamala Harris.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/09/trump-national-space-council-00337874
Kazakhstan to regain legendary Soviet space launch site, 'Gagarin's start'
09/05/2025 - 14:57 GMT+2
The transfer of "Gagarin's Start", the launchpad for the world's first spaceflight, will be finalised by June.
Russia will return the oldest and most famous launch pad in the Baikonur Cosmodrome, also known as “Gagarin’s Start,” to Kazakhstan, handing it over by 1 June.
Kazakhstan plans to turn the world’s first crewed space launch site — which was decommissioned back in 2019 — into a museum.
“The Gagarin’s Start was decommissioned due to its unsuitability for launching the new Soyuz-2 rockets, which are now launched from the 31st platform of the cosmodrome,” said the spokesperson for the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry.
To fund the site's modernisation, Russia and Kazakhstan partnered with the United Arab Emirates and signed a trilateral agreement in 2021.
However, the project stalled amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. Russia’s war in Ukraine forced countries to reevaluate their partnership and the use of Soyuz-2 rockets.
In the meantime, Russia turned its attention to its own launching sites of Plesetsk and Vostochny, shifting commercial launches to one of them.
While it still leases Baikonur from Kazakhstan until 2050, it has presented Kazakhstan with a list of 234 facilities it no longer needs, to be struck from the lease agreement.
According to authorities, 53 have already been accepted by the Kazakh side.
“The Russian side will continue to use the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the future. A total of nine launches were planned for 2025, of which two were completed,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan continues to develop its own Baiterek space complex, though progress has been slow.
Experts warn that delays, coupled with the waning relevance of Baikonur, could result in outdated infrastructure and missed economic opportunities.
From launch site to heritage landmark
The Gagarin’s Start, also known as Baikonur Site 1 or Site 1/5, holds deep historical significance.
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into space from this pad. The Earth’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was also launched from this pad.
After mulling over an upgrade, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos initially proposed turning the launch pad into a museum, citing the importance of preserving the site as a global heritage site.
Soon to be in charge of the project, Kazakhstan hopes to increase Baikonur's tourism potential by opening it to the public.
“Given the historical significance of the Gagarin’s Start and for the purpose of developing tourism at the Baikonur complex, the Kazakh side, in collaboration with the Russian side, plans to create a museum complex dedicated to the history of space exploration,” said the statement by the Kazakh ministry.
The future museum will showcase rockets, space equipment and other artefacts from Baikonur’s 70-year history.
Both sides will also work on including the launch pad in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Currently, visiting Baikonur requires a special permit issued two months in advance, limiting broader access.
The ministry said it was working on reducing the time needed to obtain the access permit and develop a digital pass.
Officials hope the museum project will boost the region's domestic and international tourism.
https://www.euronews.com/2025/05/09/kazakhstan-to-regain-legendary-soviet-space-launch-site-gagarins-start
Cosmic imposter bathes distant nebula in fiery red glow: 'This star should not be here'
May 9, 2025
A dazzling new image from the European Southern Observatory's VLT Survey Telescope in Chile has revealed an unusual cosmic tale unfolding 6,000 light-years away in the Serpens constellation.
The snapshot features the vivid red nebula Sh2-46 — also known as Gum 80 — lit up in a fiery hue due to intense radiation coming from a brilliant blue-white star nestled at its heart.
The stellar behemoth is among the rarest and most luminous stars in the universe, wielding significant influence over its surroundings.
Despite its dominant presence, astronomers believe this stunning centerpiece is actually a cosmic interloper — a runaway star that may have originated in a nearby stellar nursery.
"This star should not be here," a statement from the European Southern Observatory reads. "In space, not everything is what it seems."
The clue to the central star's nomadic past comes in the form of a distinct bow shock observed adjacent to the star — a telltale sign the star is plowing through the nebula, compressing gas and dust into the visible arc, not unlike the wake of a ship moving through water.
Astronomers suspect the star, called HD 165319, was once part of a young cluster in the nearby Eagle Nebula, a bustling star-forming region best known for the iconic "Pillars of Creation."
Astronomers have observed dozens of similar bow shocks across the Milky Way, often associated with so-called runaway stars.
Those observations have suggested that in dense, young star clusters, complex gravitational interactions — particularly close encounters between three or more stars — can propel some stars with enough velocity to force them out of their natal homes and into nearby space.
These stellar exiles can travel across space for eons before ending up infiltrating unrelated nebulas like Sh2-46, according to the statement.
Although HD 165319 currently dominates the appearance of Sh2-46, its presence may be fleeting. If the star continues on this trajectory, it may eventually exit the nebula, potentially altering the region's shape and brightness.
"Perhaps this nebula will end up looking differently if the star ends up leaving it behind," the statement reads.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/stars/cosmic-imposter-bathes-distant-nebula-in-fiery-red-glow-this-star-should-not-be-here
https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2518a/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yY0dscvuEA
A failed Soviet Venus probe is expected to fall to Earth today, but when and where? Here's what we know
May 8, 2025
Update for 9 a.m. ET on May 9: According to the European Space Agency, the current reentry window for the Kosmos 482 Venus probe is 2:26 am ET on May 10 +/- 4.35 hours.
This story was updated to reflect the most current prediction.
In 1972, the Soviet Union launched the Kosmos 482 lander, a spacecraft designed to reach Venus and land on its surface. The craft never reached Venus, however.
The rocket that launched it suffered an anomaly, stranding the probe in an elliptical orbit around Earth where it has remained for over 50 years.
That five-decade stay in space could come to an end today. Kosmos 482 is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere and possibly crash somewhere on the surface of the planet.
The probe consists of a 3.3-foot-wide (1-meter-wide) titanium shell lined with thermal insulation, designed to withstand the heat of entry into Venus' atmosphere. The craft weighs about 1,190 pounds (495 kilograms).
It's still quite uncertain just where and when the craft will fall, although it is expected to reenter at 2:26 a.m. ET (0626 GMT) on May 10 +/- 4.35 hours, according to the European Space Agency.
Based on current tracks and the dead probe's orbital inclination of 52 degrees, the craft's reentry could occur anywhere between 52 degrees north latitude and 52 degrees south — an area that covers most of Earth's surface.
However, the reentry of Kosmos 482 might not be as dangerous as other space junk falls.
"As it will likely reach earth surface as only one single object, the risks involved are lower than for example those created by a Falcon 9 upper stage reentry, which showers multiple meter-sized objects over a large area," Dutch satellite tracker Marco Langbroek wrote in a blog post tracking the reentry of Kosmos 482.
But there's no need to fear being struck by the falling probe, according to CORDS.
After all, 71% of Earth's surface is covered in water, and much of the land on the surface is unpopulated.
The odds are that the probe will land somewhere harmless.
"While the risk is nonzero, any one individual on Earth is far likelier to be struck by lightning than to be injured by Cosmos 482," according to The Aerospace Corporation.
"If it remains intact all the way to the surface, we project a risk of 0.4 in 10,000 — which falls well within the current safety threshold."
Satellite trackers and astronomers have been tracking Kosmos 482 for years. In 2019, there were reports that the craft might fall within a year, which didn't happen.
Astrophotographer Ralf Vandebergh of the Netherlands has been capturing the probe on camera for over a decade, and recently captured imagery suggesting its parachute might be out while it circles Earth.
Some experts have cast doubt on that speculation, however. Langbroek writes that the 'tail'-like structure in Vandebergh's photos is likely the result of "camera/telescope shake and atmospheric distortion"
Kosmos 482 was part of the Soviet Union's historic Venera program of Venus exploration, which landed the first probe on the planet's surface in 1970 with the Venera 7 craft, and later sent back the first color pictures of Venus' surface in 1982 with the Venera 13 probe.
Stay up to date with the reentry of Kosmos 482 with ESA's live blog or Marco Langbroke's website SatTrackCam.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/a-failed-soviet-venus-probe-is-expected-to-fall-to-earth-today-but-when-and-where-heres-what-we-know
https://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/2025/05/07/reentry-prediction-soviet-era-venera-venus-lander-cosmos-482-descent-craft/
https://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2025/04/kosmos-842-descent-craft-reentry.html
China uses 'gravity slingshot' to rescue pair of wayward moon satellites
May 8, 2025
After launching a pair of satellites last year that failed to reach the right orbit around the moon, China's Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) came up with a novel tactic — using a gravity "slingshot" to get the satellites in the correct spot.
China launched the satellites, named DRO-A and DRO-B, in March 2024 atop a Long March-2C rocket, according to the state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN).
They were supposed to go to distant retrograde orbit — the DRO in the pair's name — around the moon, to help provide navigation and tracking for spacecraft in Earth-moon space.
The rocket's first and second stages worked as planned. But a technical issue with the Yuanzheng-1S upper stage prevented the satellites from achieving their intended orbit, and CSU lost contact with the duo.
"If the satellites were destroyed, that would have been a waste of the years of effort that we put in and the money invested in the mission.
It would also be a mental blow to the team," Zhang Hao, a member of the team who worked to save the satellites, told CGTN.
When CSU managed to locate the wayward satellites, they were spinning in an orbit much closer to Earth than intended. So, the team began to work out a solution to deliver the satellites to their intended path.
"We divided into two teams," Hao said. "One team remotely controls the satellites' thrusters to slow down the spinning. The other team, my team, calculated the best route to move the satellites back on track."
Because the satellites were partially damaged during the launch, they were unable to get enough sunlight to provide power for the turn that was required.
So, the team solved the issue by using gravity from the Earth, moon and sun to "slingshot" the satellites to their destination.
The procedure took 123 days to complete.
"If you don't want to consume much energy, you must replace it with something else," CSU researcher Mao Xinyuan told CGTN. "We chose to consume more time in order to save energy."
The rescue operation was complete by mid-July 2024, and the two satellites separated from each other six weeks later, according to SpaceNews.
DRO-A and DRO-B are now circling the moon and working with a third satellite, DRO-L, which had previously launched to low Earth orbit.
"They will act as lighthouses in space," Mao said. Now, with these satellites in position, "we can locate a spacecraft in just three hours, unlike the two days or more with traditional, land-based positioning."
https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/china-uses-gravity-slingshot-to-rescue-pair-of-wayward-moon-satellites
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-04-17/Behind-China-s-123-day-space-rescue-The-math-that-defied-the-odds-1CCSpnwYuxa/p.html
https://spacenews.com/mission-team-details-complex-rescue-of-chinese-lunar-spacecraft/
Satellites show 28 US cities are sinking, including NYC and Chicago: 'Infrastructure can be silently compromised'
May 8, 2025
A new study has found that the 28 most populous cities in the United States — including New York, Chicago, Dallas and Denver — are sinking at rates between two and 10 millimeters (0.08 and 0.4 inches) per year.
Using satellite-based radar measurements, a team of researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University developed high-resolution maps of sinking land, or subsidence, across major U.S. cities.
In each of the 28 cities studied, at least 20% of the city was sinking; in 25 of the cities, at least 65% of the land was sinking.
Cities across Texas show the greatest rates of subsidence, with Houston taking the lead.
There, some 40% of the city is sinking at more than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) per year, while 12% of the city is sinking at 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) per year.
"Even slight downward shifts in land can significantly compromise the structural integrity of buildings, roads, bridges, and railways over time," Leonard Ohenhen, a former Virginia Tech graduate student and the study’s lead author, said in a statement.
Land subsidence isn't uncommon around the world, with many areas subsiding due to natural geological processes.
However, the Virginia Tech team concluded that 80% of urban subsidence in the U.S. is caused by groundwater removal for human use. And, as cities grow, this problem may be further exacerbated.
While subsidence certainly poses a risk for coastal cities, which are also under threat of sea level rise exacerbated by human-driven climate change, it also endangers inland cities, making them more prone to flooding.
Plus, uneven subsidence across a city can destabilize buildings and infrastructure.
"The latent nature of this risk means that infrastructure can be silently compromised over time with damage only becoming evident when it is severe or potentially catastrophic," Manoochehr Shirzaei, associate professor at Virginia Tech's Earth Observation and Innovation Lab, said in the statement.
While we can't entirely stop land subsidence under urban areas, we can work on mitigating it.
According to the study, potential steps to take include improving land subsidence monitoring, revised groundwater management policies, and infrastructure resilience planning.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/satellites-show-28-us-cities-are-sinking-including-nyc-and-chicago-infrastructure-can-be-silently-compromised
https://news.vt.edu/articles/2025/05/science-nature-sinking-cities.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00240-y
US Space Force, Italian Air Force sign statement to expand space security cooperation
May 9, 2025
U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and Italian Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Luca Goretti signed a statement of understanding aimed at expanding mutual collaboration in the crucial sector of space security on May 8.
The signing took place during the 2025 Aerospace Power Conference in Rome, and reinforces the joint commitment to protect and defend the space domain in shared recognition of its importance to deterrence and defense.
The statement of understanding aims to strengthen interoperability between the U.S. Space Force and the Italian Air Force in light of space security changes and the need to strengthen services, missions and activities.
In a context of increasing strategic importance of space, the statement of understanding between the U.S. Space Force and Italian Air Force represents a valuable opportunity to improve skills and contribute to collective security.
The document also consolidates bilateral cooperation within the framework of the pre-existing Military Personnel Exchange Program between the two nations, providing for the potential opportunity to send a team of USSF experts to Italy and, reciprocally, of highly qualified personnel of the Italian Air Force to the U.S. Space Force.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4179676/us-space-force-italian-air-force-sign-statement-to-expand-space-security-cooper/
Trump calls for ‘unconditional ceasefire’ in Ukraine
8 May, 2025 22:32
US President Donald Trump has expressed hope that Moscow and Kiev will soon agree to a month-long truce following his call on Thursday with Vladimir Zelensky, amid a 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire that was unilaterally declared by Russia.
Starting at midnight on Thursday, Russian forces ceased hostilities and remained at previously occupied positions, only providing a “tit-for-tat reaction” to violations by Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Ukrainian troops reportedly carried out at least 488 attacks and attempted two incursions into Russia’s Kursk Region, according to the ministry.
Zelensky, who had previously dismissed the Russian peace initiative as “manipulation” while Kiev intensified drone strikes on Russian territory, held a phone call with Trump later in the day.
After the call, he claimed that “Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire today, right from this moment,” but insisted that the truce should last for at least 30 days.
“Talks with Russia/Ukraine continue,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social after the call.
Trump warned that if a ceasefire is reached but “is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.”
Moscow has repeatedly stated its readiness to begin negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions.
In March, it agreed to a US-brokered 30-day partial ceasefire focused on halting strikes on energy infrastructure.
However, according to the Russian military, Kiev violated the truce on numerous occasions.
Announcing the ceasefire last week, President Vladimir Putin described it as a humanitarian gesture to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany – and one that could also serve as a catalyst for “the start of direct negotiations with Kiev without preconditions.”
While calling for a longer “unconditional ceasefire” on Thursday, Trump stressed that the truce “must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement,” reiterating his commitment to secure a “lasting” peace between Russia and Ukraine.
“It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment’s notice if my services are needed,” he added.
https://www.rt.com/news/617071-trump-ukraine-russia-ceasefire/
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114474136794655068
Ukraine accuses EU state of spying
9 May, 2025 15:52
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said it dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network allegedly operating in Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost region.
In a statement on X on Friday, SBU spokesman Artyom Degtyarenko said two Ukrainian military veterans – a man and a woman – were detained as part of the operation.
The network, Degtyarenko claimed, was run by Hungary’s military intelligence service and tasked with gathering sensitive data on Ukraine’s defenses in Transcarpathia.
It also reportedly collected information on local socio-political views, including how residents might respond to a potential Hungarian military incursion.
“For the first time in the history of Ukraine, the Security Service has exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network, which carried out espionage activities to the detriment of our state,” Degtyarenko said.
The SBU also released a video that purportedly shows the apprehension of the male suspect.
Both detainees are in custody and face charges of high treason. If convicted, they could face life in prison and property seizure, the spokesman said.
Asked to comment on the situation, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the SBU’s accusations as anti-Hungarian propaganda.
“In the past three years, it has unfortunately been proven that the Ukraine conflict is partly a propaganda war as well,” he told reporters on Friday.
“It is clear that anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used in Ukraine, which in many cases has been found to have no basis whatsoever.”
In a separate Facebook post, Szijjarto said the “intensifying smear campaign” by the Kiev regime stems from Hungary’s refusal to support Ukraine militarily in its conflict with Russia.
He warned that Ukraine’s EU accession depends partly on Hungary’s backing and said Budapest “won’t tolerate” slander from Kiev.
Szijjarto added that Hungary expelled two individuals on Friday who he said were Ukrainian agents operating under diplomatic cover at the embassy in Budapest.
Tensions between Kiev and Budapest have been growing over the Ukraine conflict, with Hungary refusing to supply weapons or support Ukraine’s EU bid while maintaining ties with Moscow despite pressure from Brussels.
Budapest has also long accused Kiev of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
Hungary has criticized Ukrainian laws that limit education and public administration in minority languages as infringing upon the rights of ethnic Hungarians.
https://www.rt.com/russia/617176-ukraine-hungary-spy-network/
>>23011990 both LB
Putin speech at Victory Day parade: Key takeaways
9 May, 2025 12:20
Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the sacrifices of the Soviet people in defeating Nazism, during the annual military parade in Moscow.
This year’s event marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
During the address, the president highlighted the significance of the event, vowing that Russia will “faithfully preserve the memory” of the “glorious” victory over the Nazis.
He noted that, as heirs of the victors, Russians celebrate Victory Day as their “most important holiday.”
Here are the key takeaways from Putin’s speech.
Enduring battle against destructive ideas
The president stressed that Russia has always fought against Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism, and will continue to do so no matter what.
“Russia… will stand in the way of the violence perpetrated by the champions of these aggressive and destructive ideas.
Truth and justice are on our side,” he stated, noting that the entire country supports the troops taking part in the military operation against the Kiev regime, which Moscow has long accused of adhering to Nazi ideology.
Remembering the lessons of history
Putin said Russia remembers the lessons of World War II and will not allow the atrocities committed during those years to be repeated.
“We remember the lessons of World War II and will never agree with the distortion of those events or attempts to justify the murderers and slander the true victors,” he stated.
Pledging to uphold the nation’s values
The president vowed to uphold the values and principles that the Soviet people fought for during World War II. “Our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers saved the Fatherland.
And they bequeathed [defending it to us], to stay united and firmly defend our national interests, our thousand-year history, culture, and traditional values – everything that is dear to us, that is sacred to us,” Putin said.
“We will always rely on our unity in battle and in peaceful endeavors, in striving for strategic goals and tackling problems for the benefit of Russia and its greatness and prosperity.”
Recognizing the contribution of the allied forces
Putin credited the European front with “hastening victory” during World War II and said that Russia “highly appreciates” the contribution of the soldiers of the allied armies.
He noted, however, that the most “decisive” battles of the war were fought in the Soviet Union.
“The Soviet Union bore the brunt of the enemy’s most savage and relentless assaults,” the president said, adding that it was the Soviet people who “determined the outcome” of World War II through “decisive victories in major battles.”
Honoring war veterans
The president pledged to cherish the tradition of Victory Day and honor the veterans who fought or helped fight the Nazis.
“We will continue to look up to our veterans, taking [an] example from their wholehearted love of the Motherland and commitment to defending our homeland and the values of humanism and justice.
We will give these traditions and this great heritage the biggest place in our hearts and will pass them on to future generations,” Putin stated.
https://www.rt.com/russia/617159-putin-victory-day-speech-recap/
Pak using airlines as shield? Its skies saw over 100 flights since drone attack
UPDATED: May 9, 2025 21:46 IST
Pakistan has been using commercial flights as a shield to protect itself from Indian aerial attacks by keeping its airspace open along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian armed forces said on Friday.
India, on the other hand, has kept its airspace along the border closed to avoid accidentally hitting any aircraft.
Flight tracking data shows that more than 100 flights flew in Pakistani skies along the IB and LoC since Pakistan launched drone and missile attacks in Punjab and nearby areas at around 8:30 pm on May 7 and at midnight on May 8.
After the Pakistani attack, India sent dozens of drones into Pakistan during the day on May 8. By 8:20 pm, Pakistan launched another volley of drone and missile attacks on Jammu and several other cities.
The attack continued late into the night. The projectiles were intercepted by Indian air defences.
Since the time of the last Pakistani drone/missile attack is unknown, we took 11:59 pm on May 8 as the cutoff time for our analysis.
According to flight tracking data, at least 104 domestic and international flights flew from and landed at Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi airports.
Many of these flights were in the skies in close proximity to the border when Pakistan launched drone strikes on India.
For instance, AirSial’s Karachi-to-Lahore flight was in the skies near Lahore when Pakistan launched drone attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Amritsar in Punjab, and Pokhran in Rajasthan around 9 pm on Friday night.
While Lahore airport is situated at a flight distance of 17 km from the international border, Karachi is 173 km, and Islamabad airport is within a distance of around 133 km from the LoC.
As per Flightradar24, at least 39 flights were operated by foreign airlines such as Etihad, Emirates, Flynas, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, and Jazeera.
Dubai, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Sharjah, Kuwait City, and Medina are among the international destinations these flights flew to.
Pakistan using open airspace as shield. As a standard practice, nations shut their airspace for commercial flight operations during and before any potential conflict events to avoid aviation mishaps.
India shut down dozens of its airports along the PoK and the IB since.
However, Pakistan has kept its airspace largely open even as its top leadership predicted an imminent attack by India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack a fortnight ago.
The concern was highlighted by Wing Commander Vyomika Singh during a press conference on Friday. “Pakistan is using civil airliners as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response.
This is not safe for the unsuspecting civil airliners, including international flights that were flying near the IB between India and Pakistan,” she said while stressing India’s decision to shut down airports in border areas.
As many as 24 airports will remain shut until May 15 as the conflict widens.
These airports include Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Halwara, and Pathankot in Punjab; Bhuntar, Shimla, and Kangra-Gaggal in Himachal Pradesh; Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Kishangarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner in Rajasthan; and Mundra, Jamnagar, Hirasar, Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla, and Bhuj in Gujarat.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-pakistan-tensions-commercial-flights-flew-in-pakistani-skies-since-its-drone-attacks-2722440-2025-05-09
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/09/india-accuses-pakistan-drones-attack-cities-bases
Pakistan accused of launching fresh wave of drone strikes on India
Fri 9 May 2025 11.24 EDT
Pakistan has been accused of launching a fresh wave of drone strikes against India on Friday night, with projectiles reported over the states of Indian-administered Kashmir and Punjab.
Explosions were heard in areas of Indian Kashmir and the bright flash of intercepted drones were seen over the Punjab city of Amritsar.
Eyewitnesses said the drone strikes were heavier than those that took place on Thursday night.
Earlier in the day, India accused Pakistan of launching an attack using up to 400 drones to target cities, military bases and places of worship across the north of the country on Thursday night, as the Pakistani military said it would “not de-escalate with India”.
India claimed to have intercepted hundreds of Pakistani drones, which it said came across the border into Indian-controlled Kashmir, as well as Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.
It said a first wave of drones came on Thursday evening and another wave hit close to dawn on Friday.
India said it had launched four drone strikes at Pakistan, directly targeting military defence infrastructure.
In a press conference on Friday, the Indian military alleged that Pakistan’s drone attacks on Thursday had targeted a gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, injuring a civilian, and that the drones had also targeted Christian churches.
“The targeting of temples, gurdwaras, convents is a new low by Pakistan,” said India’s foreign secretary, Vikram Misri.
Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, denied the drone attacks, calling the Indian army statement “baseless and misleading”, and said Pakistan had not undertaken any “offensive actions” within Indian-controlled Kashmir or beyond Pakistan’s border.
However, a Pakistan security official told the Guardian that Thursday night’s drone strikes were just to “heat things up” before Pakistan launched a fully fledged retaliatory attack.
“When we hit back, everyone will know,” they said. Misri called Pakistan’s denial of the drone attacks “farcical” and “another example of its duplicity”.
The tit-for tat allegations were yet another alarming confrontation between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed countries, since India’s missile strikes on nine sites in Pakistan on Wednesday killed 31 people.
Pakistan said it considered the attack an “act of war” and vowed to retaliate.
“We will not de-escalate – with the damages India did on our side, they should take a hit,” Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said at a media briefing.
“So far we have been protecting ourselves but they will get an answer in our own timing.”
The Pakistani army gave new details of Wednesday’s strike in which it claimed Pakistan had deployed more than 100 planes to ward off the strikes by Indian planes that carried out the attacks from Indian airspace.
It said the two sides had engaged in an hour-long aerial dogfight.
Pakistan claimed it used Chinese-made weapons and ground air defences to help bring down five Indian fighter jets.
India has yet to respond to allegations that Pakistan shot down its planes, but debris from at least three fighter jets, including that of at least one elite French Rafale jet, was seen in Indian-controlled Kashmir and Punjab.
The worst-affected area from Thursday’s drone attacks was the city of Jammu, in India-administered Kashmir, which is close to the line of control (LoC), the heavily militarised border dividing the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
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Despite decades of conflict in the region, people in the city said they had never witnessed such an aerial onslaught.
They described a barrage of fiery projectiles streaking across the sky as air-raid sirens wailed and the city was plunged into an enforced blackout overnight.
Videos shared with the Guardian showed glowing orange dots piercing Jammu’s night sky before flashing and fading – probably drones intercepted by Indian air defence systems.
Local officials confirmed debris from the projectiles had been recovered from several areas, including densely populated neighbourhoods in and around Jammu, but no casualties were reported.
Ajay Lakhotra, a 24-year-old student in Kanachak, a suburban area close to the Pakistan border, said:
“Skirmishes and exchanges of gunfire are nothing new to us, but what happened on Thursday night was extraordinary.
We saw fiery objects launching from the Pakistani side; the barrage was so intense it looked like fireworks lighting up the sky.
Flames streaked everywhere. It was terrifying to witness.”
He said it had quietened down after midnight but restarted at 4am. “Most of us couldn’t sleep all night.”
Lethal aggression continued along the LoC as soldiers from both sides continued to fire across the border, killing and injuring civilians.
With Pakistan’s threats to retaliate still looming, Indian-administered Kashmir and states across northern India remained on high alert.
The mounting aggressions and allegations have resulted in a growing information – and disinformation – war on both sides of the border.
India accused Pakistan of a flood of dangerous disinformation and “grossly exaggerated claims” across its media, including reports that dozens of Indian drones had been shot down over Pakistan, calling it a “gross misrepresentation of facts”.
“What should have been a moment of international reckoning against terror has instead been manipulated into a disinformation war, where truth is the first casualty,” India’s ministry of information and broadcasting said in a statement.
However, mainstream Indian media has also been flooded with misinformation and fake or unsubstantiated reports, including false claims of an attack on Karachi Port, reports of a military coup and the arrest of Pakistan’s army chief.
Images of Turkish military personnel were broadcast as “captured Pakistani pilots”. Images of powerful bomb strikes on Gaza have been widely shared as showing India’s attack on Pakistan.
As part of its alleged crackdown on misinformation, India ordered the social media platform X to block more than 8,000 accounts, including those of Pakistani politicians, celebrities and media organisations, as well as Indian independent news organisations and Indian-Kashmiri journalists.
The move was confirmed by X in a statement, which said in many cases the Indian government had not provided legal justification for the blocks.
However, X said it had no choice but to comply and remove the 8,000 accounts or it would face “penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees”.
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Drone tells woman to close window during military parade in Kazakhstan
Fri 9 May 2025 at 7:00 am GMT-7
Unusual scenes were captured on May 7 in Astana, Kazakhstan, when a drone approached the window of a high-rise apartment and warned a woman filming a military parade to close her own window and move away.
The drone reportedly told the family to comply because it was for their own safety while the event was taking place below.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/drone-tells-woman-close-window-140000100.html
BCSO drone video shows children with loaded gun
Updated: 7:57 AM MDT May 9, 2025
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Drone video by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office shows two children armed with a firearm in Albuquerque.
The two children were ages 9 and 7, according to BCSO. Its drone was credited for allowing law enforcement to monitor the situation live for better situational awareness and to provide updates.
Video shows a non-lethal weapon was shot at the two children, which caused one of them to point the weapon at law enforcement.
Deputies were able to secure the area and prevent anything further from happening.
BCSO also said this highlights how valuable its drone program is to responding to people in crisis. The incident happened in February 2025.
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-kids-guns-drone-video-new-mexico/64720974
Drone Strike Hits Belgorod Gov’t HQ, Deputy Governor Injured
May 9, 2025, 4:00 pm
A drone struck the government building of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast on the morning of Friday, May 9, injuring the deputy governor, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Gladkov shared the first video of the aftermath on Telegram at 8:43 a.m.
“In Belgorod, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone attacked the government building of the Belgorod region. There are no casualties. All emergency services are working at the site,” he initially reported.
Later, he clarified that the attack was carried out by an aircraft-type drone and confirmed two injuries.
A Russian Guard officer suffered a shrapnel wound to the thigh and is hospitalized. Deputy Governor Alexandr Lorenz was also near the building when the explosion occurred.
“After laying flowers at the Eternal Flame, Alexandr Alexandrovich was examined by doctors at the regional clinical hospital. He has a concussion and acoustic trauma. He will continue treatment as an outpatient,” Gladkov said.
Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
At Moscow’s Victory Day parade Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, invoking unity, sacrifice, and pride – while defending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
More than 20 world leaders attended, including China’s Xi Jinping, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic, and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.
Over 11,500 troops marched, including 1,500 who had fought in Ukraine, alongside soldiers from 13 “friendly” nations.
Calling the invasion a “special military operation,” Putin claimed: “The whole country, society, and people support [it]. We are proud of their courage and determination.”
It is illegal in Russia to speak out against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine or even to refer to it as a “war.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/52354