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'Each Dot Is A Boat': NASA Astronaut's Picture Shows China's Vast Fishing Fleet Visible From Space
May 12, 2025
The massive scale of China's fishing fleet was recently captured by a NASA astronaut from the International Space Station (ISS).
The picture taken by Don Pettit during his time at the orbital lab shows the vast fleet of fishing boats in the South China Sea, which are very distinct from orbit.
A. Pettit, Don's son shared the image which was taken from the space station last month. Pettit Jr. revealed that each bright dot visible in the picture is a boat.
"Chinese fishing fleets are so large you can see them from space. My father took this image from the ISS last month.
That is not a city. Every single dot is a boat trawling the seabed," he posted on X.
Responding to his post, entrepreneur Wang Chun, who recently completed SpaceX's first mission to Earth's poles - Fram2 - as the commander, shared a stunning video of the fishing boats.
Chun with three others spent more than three days in orbit flying over the polar regions.
"When I saw this with my own eyes, one thought that came to mind was the famous opening line from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens:
It is the best of times for fishing, it is the worst of times for fish…" Chun captioned the video captured from inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
While the boats made for a thrilling view from space, the fishing fleet is a cause for concern among environmentalists.
According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, China has the world's largest fishing fleet with an estimated 5,64,000 vessels (data up to 2020) which are allegedly indulging in overfishing, causing a reduction in fish stocks, and ecological damage.
https://in.mashable.com/science/94078/each-dot-is-a-boat-nasa-astronauts-picture-shows-chinas-vast-fishing-fleet-visible-from-space
https://twitter.com/satofishi/status/1921727799036919998
https://twitter.com/PettitFrontier/status/1894497444303396978
https://scitechdaily.com/nasa-just-got-a-rare-look-inside-uranus-heres-what-they-found/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLBIjyiDYyM
NASA Just Got a Rare Look Inside Uranus – Here’s What They Found
May 11, 2025
A rare celestial alignment in April 2025 gave NASA scientists the chance to study Uranus in exceptional detail as it passed in front of a distant star.
This stellar occultation, visible only from parts of western North America, allowed researchers to measure changes in Uranus’ atmosphere that haven’t been studied this thoroughly in decades.
Rare Uranus Event Offers a Glimpse Into Its Atmosphere
On April 7, Uranus moved perfectly between Earth and a distant star, creating a rare cosmic event known as a stellar occultation.
But for NASA scientists, this wasn’t just a beautiful alignment. It was a golden opportunity to study the mysterious ice giant in ways we haven’t been able to in over 30 years.
By watching how the star’s light dimmed and brightened as it passed behind Uranus, scientists were able to measure key features of the planet’s atmosphere, like its temperature, pressure, and density, in incredible detail.
This flickering of starlight creates something called a light curve, and it’s a powerful tool for unlocking secrets hidden high in the planet’s skies.
A Light Curve Unlocks Atmospheric Secrets
“Uranus passed in front of a star that is about 400 light years from Earth,” said William Saunders, planetary scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and science principal investigator and analysis lead, for what NASA’s team calls the Uranus Stellar Occultation Campaign 2025.
“As Uranus began to occult the star, the planet’s atmosphere refracted the starlight, causing the star to appear to gradually dim before being blocked completely.
The reverse happened at the end of the occultation, making what we call a light curve.
By observing the occultation from many large telescopes, we are able to measure the light curve and determine Uranus’ atmospheric properties at many altitude layers.”
“We are able to measure the light curve and determine Uranus’ atmospheric properties at many altitude layers.” William Saunders, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center
This detailed data from Uranus’ stratosphere, the middle layer of its atmosphere, will help scientists understand how the planet’s climate works today, how it’s changed over decades, and what to expect for future missions to this distant, icy world.
A Coordinated Global Effort to Observe Uranus
To observe the rare event, which lasted about an hour and was only visible from Western North America, planetary scientists at NASA Langley led an international team of over 30 astronomers using 18 professional observatories.
“This was the first time we have collaborated on this scale for an occultation,” said Saunders. “I am extremely grateful to each member of the team and each observatory for taking part in this extraordinary event. NASA will use the observations of Uranus to determine how energy moves around the atmosphere and what causes the upper layers to be inexplicably hot. Others will use the data to measure Uranus’ rings, its atmospheric turbulence, and its precise orbit around the Sun.”
Unraveling Uranus’ Orbit and Ring Mysteries
Knowing the location and orbit of Uranus is not as simple as it sounds. In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft became the first and only spacecraft to fly past the planet, 10 years before the last bright stellar occultation occurred in 1996.
And, Uranus’ exact position in space is only accurate to within about 100 miles, which makes analyzing this new atmospheric data crucial to future NASA exploration of the ice giant.
These investigations were possible because the large number of partners provided many unique views of the stellar occultation from many different instruments.
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NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility Joins the Effort
Emma Dahl, a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech in Pasadena, California, assisted in gathering observations from NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii – an observatory first built to support NASA’s Voyager missions.
“As scientists, we do our best work when we collaborate. This was a team effort between NASA scientists, academic researchers, and amateur astronomers,” said Dahl.
“The atmospheres of the gas and ice giant planets [Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune] are exceptional atmospheric laboratories because they don’t have solid surfaces.
This allows us to study cloud formation, storms, and wind patterns without the extra variables and effects a surface produces, which can complicate simulations very quickly.”
Test Run Over Asia Sharpens April Predictions
On November 12, 2024, NASA Langley researchers and collaborators were able to do a test run to prepare for the April occultation.
Langley coordinated two telescopes in Japan and one in Thailand to observe a dimmer Uranus stellar occultation only visible from Asia.
As a result, these observers learned how to calibrate their instruments to observe stellar occultations, and NASA was able to test its theory that multiple observatories working together could capture Uranus’ big event in April.
Researchers from the Paris Observatory and Space Science Institute, in contact with NASA, also coordinated observations of the November 2024 occultation from two telescopes in India.
These observations of Uranus and its rings allowed the researchers, who were also members of the April 7 occultation team, to improve the predictions about the timing on April 7 down to the second and also improved modeling to update Uranus’ expected location during the occultation by 125 miles.
What Makes Uranus an Ice Giant
Uranus is almost 2 billion miles away from Earth and has an atmosphere composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. It does not have a solid surface, but rather a soft surface made of water, ammonia, and methane.
It’s called an ice giant because its interior contains an abundance of these swirling fluids that have relatively low freezing points.
And, while Saturn is the most well-known planet for having rings, Uranus has 13 known rings composed of ice and dust.
Looking Ahead: A Brighter Occultation in 2031
Over the next six years, Uranus will occult several dimmer stars.
NASA hopes to gather airborne and possibly space-based measurements of the next bright Uranus occultation in 2031, which will be of an even brighter star than the one observed in April.
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“Avatars” Making Big Strides in Precision Health Care
May 7, 2025
A Model of a Human Organ That Fits in the Palm of a Hand
Genetics are “fingerprints” that do more than determine our outward appearance, such as eye color and height — they also affect how our bodies react to various types of diseases and medications.
So, imagine if small devices, called organ-chips, which are roughly the size of a credit card or USB drive, could be used to predict how your body might respond to a specific medical treatment.
Organ-chips are small avatars for human organs.
These chips contain cell cultures that model the structures and functions of specific human tissues and organs, such as the lungs, heart, pancreas, and liver.
They can also be linked together to mimic entire human systems.
Known by various names — such as organ-on-a-chip, tissue chips, tissue-on-a-chip, microphysiological systems (MPS), and 3D tissue chips — these devices usually function for about 30 days.
However, NASA and other research organizations are working to extend their lifespan to allow scientists to study the longer-term effects of diseases and treatments.
Where Do the Tissues Come from and Why Do We Study Them in Space?
Organ-chips can be made from adult human cells donated by volunteers and patients. They’re created from a blood draw, skin cells, or stored cell cultures.
These cells are converted to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that can become nearly any type of cell in the human body.
Researchers culture iPSCs in an organ-chip — an engineered environment similar to the human body — to create miniature avatars of the human organ they’re interested in studying.
Since organ-chips are made directly from human cells, they are considered more accurate models for comparing scientific and biomedical data.
They can be used to understand how and why the human body adapts to changes in the spaceflight environment and other extreme conditions.
Sending organ-chips beyond the protective shield of Earth’s Van Allen Belts enables researchers to study the effects of extreme stressors, particularly radiation, on human cells without putting humans at risk.
Health Benefits from the Ground to the Stars
Organ-chips are being used by NASA and other researchers today — and could contribute to big leaps in precision health care, including a deeper understanding of human biology and disease, preventative measures for disease, and personalized therapeutic treatments.
For example, on Earth, cancer, which has both environmental and genetic components, affects lives around the world and is among the leading causes of death.
Researchers are using organ-chips as an essential scientific tool to significantly advance the discovery of how cancer cells originate, grow, and spread.
Researchers and oncologists use organ-chips today to test new pharmaceutical treatments and understand how a specific patient’s cancer reacts to different treatments.
Findings and data from these studies could enable clinicians to tailor cancer treatments to individual patients and decrease the time for screening.
These advancements could also reduce secondary effects of the treatments and increase quality of life.
For NASA, this research could be used to safeguard astronaut health on deep-space missions.
The chips can provide insights on how deep-space stressors, including extreme radiation and microgravity, might affect astronauts on an individual level.
As we go farther and stay longer in space, crew will have limited access to on-site clinical healthcare.
Therefore, it’ll be critical to understand if there are unique and specific healthcare needs of each astronaut so that we can test potential countermeasures and send the right supplies with them on missions.
NASA could also potentially use this information to personalize medical kits to each crew member during long-duration missions, including the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/avatars-making-big-strides-in-precision-health-care/
https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/an-avatar-for-studying-human-health-tissue-chips/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/delivering-most-favored-nation-prescription-drug-pricing-to-american-patients/
The Eternal Return of the National Space Council?
May 12, 2025
If the Trump administration’s space policy seems scattershot to you, you’re not the only one noticing.
Amid clamor from industry for more coordination, it appears the National Space Council (or something like it) is coming back.
No duh: Talk of advancements in space science, discovery, and warfighting doesn’t match proposed budget cuts that threaten the sector.
One reason why? There aren’t voices in the executive branch who care about space writ large.
“[There is] no space council, no space person…There is nowhere in this administration where that sophisticated balancing of needs, of requirements, is happening,” one space policy veteran complained to Payload in April.
Traditionally, that happens at the NSpC, which has come and gone (based on the White House’s interest in space policy) after it was first created under then-president George H.W. Bush in 1989.
Squeaky wheel: Creating a go-to person or entity for space at the White House is the top ask from the Aerospace Industries Association:
“Maintain an active space policy function within the executive office of the president to coordinate a whole-of-government strategy with input from all stakeholders.”
Musky: During the first Trump term, the NSpC under VP Mike Pence was active, and made key decisions on issues including lunar exploration and space traffic management—which are still guiding policy today.
When Trump was reelected, SpaceX’s top lobbyist Mat Dunn pushed to nix the council as an alternate power center.
Rumors spread in recent weeks that an opening to pivot back to the NSpC will happen with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s expected exit from the White House, when his period as a special government employee ends around the end of this month.
Politico reported Friday that it’s happening; the White House hasn’t offered any official comment.
What it do:
“A new NSpC would help centralize the policy-making process in the White House and help ensure that the broad range of space policy issues facing the nation, such as the US retreat from space science, are properly considered within the context of the president’s goals of space leadership,” Planetary Society policy chief Casey Dreier told Payload.
https://payloadspace.com/the-eternal-return-of-the-national-space-council/
Viasat's Arctic Broadband Dedicated Coverage Advances as Payloads Enter Service Onboard Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission Spacecraft
May 12, 2025 4:00am
Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, has confirmed the GX10A and GX10B satellite payloads are now available to deliver services for government customers, with commercial maritime and aviation services anticipated to follow throughout fiscal year 2026. Viasat successfully completed in-orbit testing of the payloads late last year and government services are now available.
Launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in August 2024, the GX10A and GX10B payloads are housed on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission spacecraft — ASBM-1 and ASBM-2.
The satellites feature hosted payloads for the Norwegian Military and the U.S. Government, as well as a radiation monitoring capability for the European Commission.
For Viasat, the GX10A and GX10B payloads are aimed to provide broadband satellite coverage over the Arctic region for government and commercial customers.
The connectivity demands of governments, commercial mobility services and scientists over the Arctic region have been rapidly growing.
These new payloads will expand the coverage area served by Viasat, further strengthening the company’s global coverage capabilities with this dedicated capacity for the Arctic region.
These payloads also support Viasat’s roadmap of delivering multi-orbit services to support customers across markets.
The satellites operate in a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) and extend Viasat’s network for markets including aviation, maritime, and governments beyond geostationary orbit for the first time.
For Government customers, Viasat’s Global Xpress (GX) network provides high-speed Ka-band services across land, sea, and air, with the Arctic coverage extension now offering uninterrupted connectivity across the polar region.
Girish Chandran, Chief Technology Officer and President, Global Space Networks, said: “We would like to thank Space Norway, our project partners, and our teams for their continued hard work to make this project a reality.
Bringing these payloads into service for government will help our vision to deliver the flexibility, coverage, and connectivity our customers need – wherever they operate.”
Susan Miller, President, Viasat Government, said: “We’re excited to begin delivering services in the Arctic region to support scientific research and enable assured, resilient communications for tactical and strategic government missions. T
his is another step in Viasat’s ability to provide innovative, multi-orbit solutions and services to meet the changing connectivity requirements of government customers worldwide.”
Viasat is planning to further expand its high-speed broadband capacity and capabilities for government and commercial mobility customers with five new Ka-band satellites currently under construction, which are expected to enter service during the course of the next few years.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/globe-newswire/9449194/viasats-arctic-broadband-dedicated-coverage-advances-as-payloads-enter-service-onboard-space-norways-arctic-satellite-broadband-mission-spacecraft
https://investors.viasat.com/news-releases/news-release-details/viasats-arctic-broadband-dedicated-coverage-advances-payloads
Gilmour Space Technologies prepares for first Eris rocket launch in Bowen
May 12, 2025 - 1:59PM
The countdown is on to a milestone moment in Australian space and manufacturing history, with Gilmour Space set to launch its first Eris rocket into space on Thursday morning.
The launch, if successful, would mark Australia’s first-ever domestically designed and produced rocket launching into orbit and would make the country only the 12th in the world to achieve the complex engineering feat.
Blast-off will take place from a launch pad in Bowen, North Queensland, and Gilmour CEO and co-founder Adam Gilmour said he would “hit the town” hard with a successful launch.
“I think it will be like winning an Olympic gold medal,” he told NewsWire.
“I think I’ll be extremely happy, and I’ll give my brother a big hug.
“I intend to hit the town of Bowen hard that night for a party and buy everyone a beer.”
Mr Gilmour and his brother James founded the Gold Coast company in 2015 to uplift Australia’s sovereign space capabilities and compete with American giants like Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The company’s Eris rocket is designed to send small satellites into low earth orbits for commercial and government customers.
The countdown window to launch has now begun following final approvals from CASA and the Australian Space Agency and Mr Gilmour said he was feeling “pretty good”.
“The weather forecast looks really good for Thursday to Sunday,” he said.
“We’re going to give it a good crack. We’ve started the launch countdown process already.”
Key “dry” checks take place 36 hours out from launch, with the Gilmour crew checking avionics and power systems, before moving to fluid checks closer to launch.
“That basically happens pretty much right up to the launch window. That will keep us busy,” he said.
“We’ve done two wet dress rehearsals before … so there is some confidence we can proceed through, but you never know on the day.”
Mr Gilmour said his key metrics for success were getting off the pad and then flight time, with 10 seconds a crucial marker.
“That’s like winning a soccer match one-nil,” he said. “Two-nil is 30 seconds and all the way to first stage is three-nil and then it just gets better from there.”
No space company has successfully entered orbit on its first launch attempt. SpaceX achieved orbit on its fourth attempt in September 2008.
Mr Gilmour said the company hoped to reach orbit on its third attempt. A jar of vegemite and a camera will ride on the rocket.
“If the payload fairing goes off, that’s halfway to space already, and then we can take some fantastic shots of space and the earth,” he said.
“If we get to orbit, that camera will be taking shots of the earth.”
The company is backed by venture capital firms Blackbird and Main Sequence, the Queensland Investment Corporation and superannuation funds HESTA and HostPlus and last year raised $55m to fund its manufacture and test of Eris.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/gilmour-space-technologies-prepares-for-first-eris-rocket-launch-in-bowen/news-story/63d3462365711bab9e5d0f73519b22b1
The 2025 full Flower Moon rises tonight: Here's what to expect
May 12, 2025
The Full Flower Moon 2025 rises tonight!
The May full moon gets its name from the abundance of wildflowers that spring into life at this time of year, and it promises a stunning view for skywatchers around the world.
The Flower Moon will be 100% illuminated at 12:56 p.m. EDT (17:56 GMT) today (May 12), at which point Earth's closest celestial companion will be well below the horizon for skywatchers across the U.S.
This sets the stage for a dramatic lunar entry when the full moon rises over the southeastern horizon around 8:30 p.m. local time.
If you miss the moon tonight, don't worry; it will still appear full to the casual stargazer for another night or two.
The exact timing of the full moon will differ based on where you are in the world, so be sure to check out a stargazing app like Starry Night or a trusted astronomy website such as in-the-sky.org to find the exact timing for your locale.
Also be sure to check out our guide to the best stargazing apps in 2025, which are a must have if you're planning on observing the night sky.
Tricks of the light and the mind
The moon may appear a little bigger than usual to the naked eye tonight when it's near the horizon — a trick of the mind known as the "moon illusion."
In reality, the moon's size in the sky doesn't change significantly whether it's directly overhead or close to the horizon.
Despite this, our brains tell us that the moon is larger when it's close to the horizon.
Leading theories suggest that the aptly named phenomenon occurs as a result of how the human brain perceives the sizes of objects at differing distances, but NASA has acknowledged that there still isn't a single scientific reason that explains why it happens.
As flowers come in a variety of colors, so too may the full moon bearing its name. More specifically, the lunar disk may be seen taking on a yellow or orange hue in the moments following moonrise.
When the moon is close to the horizon, the sunlight reflected from its surface must travel further through Earth's atmosphere to reach an observer compared to when it's overhead.
This process scatters the shorter, bluer wavelengths of light, while allowing the longer, redder ones through, which can give the moon a yellow, or rusty hue.
Opportunities bloom
The full Flower Moon will present a tantalizing target for the astrophotography community, particularly during moonrise, when photographers can get creative combining their lunar subject with the landscape below.
Check out our guide to lunar photography if you want to try your hand at capturing the full Flower Moon.
Looking to upgrade your gear? Then be sure to read our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography to ensure you're ready for whatever the night sky throws your way.
Of course, the Flower Moon won't be the only thing to see in the night sky tonight. The moon will rise with the stars of the constellation Libra on its left-hand side, while the bright stars Spica and Arcturus will glitter prominently above.
Jupiter and Mars will also be visible in the western sky around moonrise, and Venus and Saturn will be seen rising in the east as the moon sets on the morning of May 13.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-2025-full-flower-moon-rises-tonight-heres-how-to-see-it
Ancient zircon crystals shed light on 1 billion-year-old meteorite strike in Scotland
May 12, 2025
An ancient meteorite strike hit what is now Scotland significantly later than previously thought, scientists say.
The finding will rewrite the region's geological history and change what researchers thought they knew about some of the U.K.'s earliest land life.
Researchers initially believed the unnamed meteorite hit Earth 1.17 billion years ago, creating the Stac Fada Member rock layer in northwestern Scotland.
However, a new study has determined that the meteorite actually hit 990 million years ago — around 200 million years later than previously thought.
The date difference is significant because it changes the geological timeline of the region, which during the days of the strike hosted some of what is now the U.K.'s earliest nonmarine life — microscopic freshwater organisms that became the ancestors to plants, animals and fungi, according to a statement released by the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
The Stac Fada Member — part of the supercontinent Rodinia 1 billion years ago — preserves what Earth's surface environments were like before and after the impact, study co-author Tony Prave, an emeritus professor of geoscience at the University of St Andrews, told Live Science.
"Those environments (rivers, lakes, estuaries) contained well-established microbial ecosystems," Prave said in an email.
"Thus the region provides a natural laboratory to examine what microbial ecosystems and their habitats were like before the impact and, importantly, how they recovered following that dramatic event."
Meteorites are meteoroids — pieces of asteroids or comets — that make it through a planet's atmosphere without burning up and strike the surface.
In this case, the strike occurred on Earth during the Precambrian period (4.6 billion to 541 million years ago), when life first evolved and diversified.
To better understand the impact date, researchers analyzed the crystals of zircon minerals in the Stac Fada Member. Zircon is highly resistant and can last for billions of years.
Additional rings of zircon grow around the mineral's crystal core over time, like the rings in a tree trunk, and in doing so, they can preserve a record of geological events, according to the American Museum of Natural History.
Zircon also has tiny amounts of the radioactive element uranium in its crystal structure, which decays over a long period of time and changes into lead, Prave noted.
Researchers can measure this decay and use it to date ancient geological events. "The decay of uranium to lead is like a time clock hence, when the meteorite impacted the rocks, it 'reset' the time clock in the zircon crystals," Prave said.
"My colleagues then extracted those zircons from the rock and analysed the ratio of lead to uranium within the crystals…"
The results showed that the impact occurred 200 million years later than researchers thought.
The new estimate helps researchers better understand Scotland's ancient geology and early freshwater life, but there's still a lot they don't know about the impact, including the size of the meteorite.
To estimate that, researchers would need access to the impact crater, but its location is unknown.
Prave noted that the environment of Stac Fada returned to normal after the impact, and sediment then slowly buried the impact rocks and associated ancient land surface over the next tens of millions of years.
These sediments are now the Torridonian mountains. The crater could be beneath them or under the nearby sea, Prave said. Either way, it likely won't be found anytime soon.
"Basically, we'll have to wait another few tens of millions of years for the Torridonian mountains to be eroded away to see if we can find the impact beneath those or, more likely, the impact occurred in what became (about 950 million years later) the north Atlantic Ocean and hence its location will forever remain unknown," Prave said.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/ancient-zircon-crystals-shed-light-on-1-billion-year-old-meteorite-strike-in-scotland
https://standrewsuni-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/billion-year-old-impact-in-scotland-sparks-questions-about-life-on-land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=visgt2zmkSg
SpaceX Launches
Starlink Mission
May 10, 2025 at 2:28 a.m. ET
On Saturday, May 10 at 2:28 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the 11th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31, Astranis: From One to Many, IM-2, and now six Starlink missions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-6-91
Starlink Mission
May 12, 2025 11:36 p.m. ET
SpaceX is targeting Monday, May 12 for a Falcon 9 launch of 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Liftoff is targeted for 11:36 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until Tuesday, May 13 at 3:31 a.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Tuesday, May 13 starting at 11:06 p.m. ET.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This is the 28th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, Koreasat-6A, and 16 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-6-83
India-Pakistan conflict: Drones intercepted in Samba soon after PM Modi's address to nation; sirens blare in Amritsar
12 May 2025, 10:14 PM IST
India-Pakistan conflict: Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Monday, red streaks filled skies again, after 10 to 12 drones were intercepted in Samba, prompting a blackout in the region and Jammu, for the fourth consecutive night.
Sometime after the first wave of drones was intercepted, no more drone activity has been observed for the past 15 minutes in Samba, as per sources.
There have also been reports of suspected drone sightings from multiple locations in Punjab, with sirens being sounded in Amritsar. However, no explosions have been reported so far.
As compared to the drone attacks in the previous days, on Monday, a very small number of drones appeared in the Samba sector.
The drones are being engaged and there is nothing to be alarmed, ANI reported quoting Army officials.
Authorities also informed that the situation is being closely monitored.
On Monday morning, the northern and western frontiers of the country remained largely peaceful, marking a pause after four tense days of cross-border firing, drone strikes, and air raid sirens that had gripped cities and towns across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
The ‘normalcy’ however, was torn down by the drone attacks and consequent blackouts at night.
Drone attack in Samba
The drone attack in Samba happened merely some minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation — his first since Operation Sindoor — where India targeted nine terror beds across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
https://www.livemint.com/news/breaking-drone-attack-in-samba-soon-after-pms-address-to-nation-11747065613569.html
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1921956089274224737
Ukraine Says Russia Fired 108 Drones Overnight Despite Ceasefire Deadline
May 12, 2025
Ukraine said Russia had fired over a hundred drones overnight despite attempts from Kyiv’s allies to get Moscow to begin a 30-day ceasefire on Monday.
Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin answered to the ceasefire proposal by suggesting to first hold direct talks, in a bid to appease US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a quick peace.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to meet Putin on Thursday in Turkey but insisted that Russia agree to the 30-day ceasefire, which allies hoped would start Monday.
“From 11:00 pm on May 11, the enemy attacked with 108 Shaheds and other types of drones,” the Ukraine air force said, adding that “as of 08:30 am, 55 drones were confirmed downed.”
The overnight attacks wounded one person and damaged residential buildings in the southern Odesa region, the military administration said.
They also damaged railway infrastructure and wounded a train driver in the eastern Donetsk region.
“Ceasefire proposals are being ignored, and the enemy continues attacks on railway infrastructure,” Ukrainian national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said.
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/05/12/ukraine-russia-drones-ceasefire-deadline/
Ukraine ramps up domestic drone production amid foreign military aid cuts
12 May 2025 01:44PM
Ukraine is intensifying efforts to scale up domestic drone production, with a target of manufacturing a few million more units each year as part of a push to build a self-sustaining defence industry.
Kyiv has relied on allies for military aid since Moscow’s full-scale invasion, but it hopes to eventually export drone technology, which could fit in with Europe's plans to boost its own defences.
Last year, Ukrainian officials said the country made more than 2 million drones. Their aim is to manufacture 5 million drones each year.
RAMPING UP DRONE PRODUCTION
Drones have become a critical component of Ukraine’s war with Russia, currently accounting for about 70 per cent of casualties on both sides.
In March alone, Ukraine carried out more than 77,000 such attacks.
Oleksii Zhulinskiy, chief technology officer of Kyiv-based drone manufacturer 3DTech, said the country’s battlefields have been a vital testing ground.
“We are in contact with soldiers maybe every day to ask feedback about our products, to make our products better and develop some features or resolve problems,” he added.
The drone manufacturer has been able to produce up to 3,000 drones per month.
This comes as drone producers across the country have made ramping up production a major focus.
Ukraine has allocated US$2.6 billion for first-person view drone procurement this year alone.
Zhulinskiy said Ukraine’s drone sector is attracting interest from allies, especially those close to Russia’s borders.
“There are many requests from European countries and European companies, and they want to buy or know something about our drones because they are scared of Russian aggression,” he added.
BOOSTING EUROPE’S DEFENCE
However, drone makers said scaling up requires raw materials and money. They added that they are vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
While Ukraine is working to boost its domestic capacity, defence experts noted that funding remains an issue, especially with US support no longer a guarantee.
Oleksandra Azarkina, co-founder of Independent think tank We Build Ukraine, said: “We still have a gap in the contracts because unfortunately the Ukrainian budget isn’t strong enough to cover it all.”
For now, the focus is on supporting Ukrainian soldiers.
Still, officials hope its drone industry can soon help allies bolster their own security needs.
“We definitely see that we can add to the European defence,” said Mykhailo Hrebeniuk, head of office of the Global Promotion of Ukrainian R&D, which is charged with advancing research and development efforts.
“There is no need for us to substitute any European developers but we can be a partner. We can produce together, develop together and defend Europe together.”
The European Commission’s ReArm Europe plan, which calls for a significant surge in defence spending across member states, could unlock more than US$800 billion for the bloc’s defence sector.
With drones becoming a key component of modern warfare, Ukraine’s first-hand experience and battle-tested technology could see the demand for its military hardware take off.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-russia-war-kyvi-drone-production-defence-europe-5123546
Ukrainian Drones Torch $25M Russian Tor-M2 Air Defense System
May 12, 2025, 9:06 am
Ukrainian National Guard fighters have struck and destroyed a Russian Tor-M2 short-range air defense missile system, costing around $25 million, in the south of Ukraine using drones. “Another enemy Tor-M2 air defense system was destroyed in the south!
Thanks to the coordinated actions of intelligence and UAV operators, the enemy suffered significant losses,” the National Guard said in a Telegram post, accompanied by a video of the attack.
Kyiv Post could not independently verify the time or location of the video. The footage shows drones dropping explosives repeatedly on the Russian system.
After several hits, the missile launcher caught fire as Russian troops began fleeing the area. The fate of the crew remains unknown.
The Tor-M2 (NATO: SA-15 “Gauntlet”) is a Russian-made short-range mobile air defense system developed by Almaz-Antey to intercept a variety of aerial targets, including airplanes, helicopters, drones, and guided missiles flying at low altitudes.
The system uses a tracked chassis for its self-contained TELAR (transporter, erector, launcher, and radar) launch vehicle platform.
First unveiled at the Moscow Air Show in 2007, the Tor-M2 is an upgrade of the Tor-M1, with enhanced radar capabilities, the ability to launch while on the move, and an improved digital fire-control system.
It can guide up to four missiles simultaneously and carry up to 16 9M338 missiles, which boast greater accuracy and expanded range.
The system is also available in a wheeled version (Tor-M2K) and can operate in all weather conditions. In 2020, Russia announced it had modified the Tor-M2 to help protect oil and gas infrastructure.
In July 2024, the Atesh partisan movement reported spotting a Tor-M2 system deployed above a popular beach in Russian-occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.
“The Russians have chosen another ‘ideal’ place to place their anti-aircraft missile system,” Atesh wrote, sharing photos of the system’s position.
According to Atesh, the placement of the Tor-M2 directly above the beach once again endangered civilians in the area.
The movement added that Ukrainian forces have been systematically targeting air defense assets and radar stations to open a “kind of corridor to the Crimean Bridge.”
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/52451
California police use drone to find burglary suspect hiding in ceiling of shopping center
UPDATED: May 12, 2025 at 5:36 AM PDT
Oceanside police had already spotted the burglary suspect inside the strip mall early Friday morning. They knew he was in the building. Question was, where?
The answer came after officers flew a drone between the ceiling tiles and the roof of the building, where they found their suspect feigning sleep before he partially fell through the tiles, Oceanside police said in a news release Friday.
Just after 3:15 a.m., police responded to a burglary alarm in a business on Mission Avenue just west of Canyon Avenue. When officers got there, they saw a suspect inside the premises, police said.
Several officers, including a K-9 unit from the Sheriff’s Office, searched inside but could not find him. They thought he might be in the ceiling crawlspace — so they put a drone above the ceiling tiles and found a man.
He fell through the ceiling tiles, but a wire caught him and saved him from crashing to the floor, Lt. Michael Provence said. Officers were able to help him down.
The 36-year-old was arrested and booked into Vista Detention Center on suspicion of burglary and what police said was an outstanding warrant.
Oceanside police have used drones since 2016, and while this was not the first time a suspect has been located in a ceiling, it is not common, Provence said.
The drone use Friday was not related to a still-in-the-works program to send a drone to a scene immediately after a call and possibly before officers arrive.
The Oceanside City Council voted last month to approve the proposal as a 13-month pilot program.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/12/oceanside-police-use-drone-to-find-burglary-suspect-hiding-in-ceiling/
UFOs seen on border may be high-tech cartel drones: Ex-Trump ICE director
Updated: May 12, 2025 / 12:27 AM CDT
A former Trump administration official has a conventional theory for UFO sightings along the Southern border: Criminal cartels are using advanced drone technology, he said.
“They’ve got unlimited funding,” Ron Vitiello, a senior adviser for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told “NewsNation Prime” on Sunday. “Maybe they’ve got technology that we’re not used to seeing in the drone space.”
Nominated by President Donald Trump in 2018, Vitiello served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is a former chief of the U.S. Border Patrol in Laredo, Texas.
Another ex-employee of the latter agency compiled videos of “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena,” or UAPs, that agents have seen across Arizona in recent years.
The visual material supplied by whistleblower Bob Thompson was examined in the recent NewsNation special report “Hunting UFOs: The Desert Sky Mystery.”
While some observers say the unexplained objects could be of non-human origin, Vitiello leans toward a less dramatic source.
He says drug cartels are known for using innovative aerial technology to surveil government agents and to try to move drugs.
“I suspect that this is the cartel on the cutting edge of technology, using different techniques, maybe different kinds of machines,” he said.
“That’s part of their business model, to always be able to iterate and innovate, so that they can continue to sell their poison into the United States.”
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/ufos-southern-border-cartel-drones/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSaOCD40DD4
https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/australia-s-ancient-cave-art-includes-ufo-shapes-finger-mazes-and-way-too-many-kangaroos/ss-AA1Ezibi
Australia’s Ancient Cave Art Includes UFO Shapes, Finger Mazes, and Way Too Many Kangaroos
May 11, 2025
Few places on Earth can rival the haunting beauty and enigmatic power of Australia’s ancient cave art.
Imagine standing in the cool, shadowy silence of a sandstone overhang, your flashlight catching glimpses of ochre and charcoal shapes that have outlasted empires and continents.
These masterpieces are more than mere decoration—they are echoes from the world’s oldest surviving culture, offering a thrilling glimpse into the dreams, fears, and daily lives of people who walked this land over 40,000 years ago.
But just when you think you understand them, the art throws a curveball: mysterious UFO-like shapes, swirling finger mazes, and, almost comically, an endless parade of kangaroos.
What are these images trying to tell us? And why do they still spark so much awe—and debate—today?
The Astonishing Age of Australia’s Rock Art
Australia’s cave art is among the oldest on the planet, with some sites dating back at least 40,000 years.
In the rugged wilderness of Arnhem Land and the Kimberley, researchers have uncovered paintings that outdate the Egyptian pyramids by tens of thousands of years.
This staggering timeline changes our understanding of human creativity and spiritual expression.
The fact that these artworks have survived such immense stretches of time is a testament to both the durability of their makers’ techniques and the significance of the stories they wanted to preserve.
Archaeologists often describe these ancient artists as “the world’s first storytellers,” painting vibrant scenes long before written language existed.
Their creative legacy is a living bridge between the distant past and the present, drawing us into a timeless conversation.
Decoding the Bizarre UFO Shapes
Perhaps the most surprising discovery in Australia’s rock art is the presence of shapes that eerily resemble flying saucers and other so-called “UFO” forms.
These motifs, sometimes called “Wandjina” in Aboriginal lore, often feature round heads, large eyes, and radiating lines. Some look almost like beings in spacesuits, which has fueled endless speculation from both scientists and UFO enthusiasts.
While it’s tempting to leap to alien explanations, most experts believe these images represent ancestral spirits or sky beings, crucial figures in Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.
Still, the resemblance is uncanny, and it’s easy to see why these mysterious shapes ignite the imagination. They remind us that ancient people, just like us, gazed at the sky and wondered what might be out there.
The Mystery of Finger Mazes
Hidden in dark recesses and on high cliff walls are intricate patterns made by dragging fingers through wet clay or soft rock.
These finger mazes, or “meanders,” twist and turn in mesmerizing paths. Some are thought to be maps of the landscape or spiritual journeys, while others seem abstract, almost hypnotic in their repetition.
Anthropologists have speculated that they might have served as meditative tools, teaching aids, or even coded messages for those who could read them.
The act of making these mazes—feeling the earth with one’s own hands—suggests a direct, tactile connection to the land.
Their purpose remains tantalizingly uncertain, but their beauty and complexity reveal a sophisticated understanding of both art and meaning.
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The Unstoppable Kangaroo Parade
If there’s one theme that repeats endlessly in Australian cave art, it’s kangaroos. Bounding, standing, fighting, or simply grazing, these animals appear in dizzying numbers across thousands of sites.
Why so many kangaroos? For the ancient artists, kangaroos weren’t just food—they were powerful symbols in Dreamtime stories, representing strength, survival, and the rhythms of nature.
Some researchers believe that painting kangaroos was a way to honor the animal’s spirit or ensure successful hunts. Others suggest that their abundance in the artwork mirrors the animal’s central role in daily life.
Whatever the reason, the sheer volume of kangaroo images is both amusing and awe-inspiring—a testament to the animal’s deep cultural significance.
The Palette of the Ancients
Australia’s first artists had a remarkable eye for color and resourcefulness. Using natural pigments—like red ochre, yellow clay, white chalk, and black charcoal—they created vibrant, lasting hues that still dazzle today.
These colors weren’t chosen at random; each had symbolic meaning. Red ochre, for instance, was often linked to blood, life, and the earth itself.
The process of grinding, mixing, and applying these pigments was almost ritualistic, connecting the painter to the land in a profound way.
Even today, Aboriginal artists continue some of these traditions, keeping the ancient palette alive.
Dreamtime Stories Encoded in Stone
At the heart of much of Australia’s cave art are the Dreamtime stories—the foundational myths and spiritual beliefs of Aboriginal cultures.
These tales explain the creation of the world, the origins of animals, and the rules for living in harmony with nature.
Many artworks are not simple illustrations but are layered with meaning, acting as visual memory aids for stories passed down through generations.
Some figures represent ancestral beings whose actions shaped the landscape, while others mark sacred sites or record epic journeys.
To truly “read” this art, you need to understand the spiritual context—a reminder that every line and shape is part of a much bigger story
Human Figures: More Than Meets the Eye
While animals take center stage, human figures are also a fascinating part of Australian cave art. Some are stick-like and simple, but others are incredibly detailed, showing elaborate headdresses, body paint, and ceremonial poses.
These images often depict dances, hunts, or rituals, offering a rare window into social life thousands of years ago. Many figures are believed to be shamans or elders, bridging the world of humans and spirits.
Their presence underscores the importance of community, leadership, and spiritual connection in ancient Aboriginal societies. Each figure tells a story—sometimes joyful, sometimes tragic, but always deeply human.
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Ancient Techniques and Modern Discoveries
The techniques used by Australia’s early artists were both ingenious and effective. Some images were painted, while others were engraved, carved, or even “pecked” into the rock surface.
Brushes made from twigs, reeds, or even human hair allowed for fine detail. In some cases, artists used stencils—blowing pigment around their own hands to create haunting silhouettes.
Recent advances in dating technology have helped scientists pinpoint the age of these works with greater accuracy, revealing that artistic traditions evolved over thousands of years.
Each new discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of Australia’s ancient past.
Sites of Power and Mystery
Australia’s cave art sites are not just random galleries; they are sacred places, chosen for their spiritual significance and natural beauty.
Many are hidden in remote, hard-to-reach locations, protected by cliffs, rivers, or dense bushland. Visiting these sites is often described as a transformative experience—one that connects you to both the land and the people who came before.
Some locations, like Kakadu and the Kimberley, are UNESCO World Heritage Areas, drawing visitors from around the world.
Yet many sites remain closely guarded secrets, known only to local Aboriginal communities who act as their protectors and storytellers.
The Ongoing Role of Aboriginal Artists
Far from being relics, the traditions of Australia’s ancient artists are alive and evolving.
Contemporary Aboriginal artists draw inspiration from cave art, using traditional symbols and stories in modern media like canvas, sculpture, and even digital art.
This continuity is a powerful reminder that Aboriginal culture is not frozen in the past but is dynamic and thriving.
By sharing their stories with the world, today’s artists help keep ancient wisdom alive while forging new paths for creative expression.
Their work is a bridge—spanning generations and reminding us of the enduring power of art.
Preserving a Fragile Legacy
Australia’s cave art faces threats from erosion, vandalism, and climate change. Many sites are incredibly fragile; a single careless touch can erase centuries of history.
Aboriginal communities, scientists, and conservationists are working together to protect these treasures, using everything from digital mapping to traditional knowledge.
Preserving this legacy isn’t just about saving beautiful pictures—it’s about honoring the world’s oldest continuous culture and ensuring future generations can learn from its wisdom. The urgency is real, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Australia’s ancient cave art is a breathtaking testament to human creativity, mystery, and resilience.
From UFO shapes and finger mazes to an endless parade of kangaroos, these images invite us to look deeper and ask bigger questions about our shared past.
What secrets still lie hidden in the rocks, waiting to be discovered?
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Hundreds gather in Eastbourne for rumoured UFO appearance
Updated 12th May 2025, 16:46 BST
Hundreds gathered on Eastbourne seafront in the hope of spotting an alien spacecraft.
Just before 8pm on Saturday (May 10), an excited crowd began forming on the Wish Tower Slopes.
As music blared from speakers, anyone walking past may have believed some kind of festival was taking place. But if you listened carefully, you’d notice a theme amongst the songs.
A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay and Aquarius by The 5th Dimension rung out across the seafront as participants looked to the sky for signs of alien life, following reports that Eastbourne had been chosen as the location for a UFO flyover.
This prediction came from Galactic Informers Spiritual Connection (GSIC), a global organisation created to ‘prove the existence of our off-world ET brothers and sisters’, according to its website.
The group had just hosted a convention at the Devonshire Park Theatre, where tickets would set you back at least £433.
In a YouTube video posted by Dani Henderson last week, the GSIC founder, said: “Did you know there’s a fleet of spacecraft flying over Eastbourne beach on May 10, 2025 at 8pm at night?
“I’m guaranteeing at least two real spacecraft.” She urged people to ‘come in your millions’.
8pm passed and the crowd was only growing larger as more and more intrigued locals stumbled across the group.
With still no sign of a UFO, the crowd was asked to sing One Love by Bob Marley to encourage the extra-terrestrials to make an appearance.
Halfway through the evening, Ms Henderson said she ‘had it on good authority’ that the spacecrafts were finally on their way.
At about 9.30pm, the crowd was told to ‘look up’ as flashing objects moved slowly across the sky – but whether they were satellites, planes or an alien spacecraft, we may never know.
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/hundreds-gather-in-eastbourne-for-rumoured-ufo-appearance-5124791
https://www.galacticspiritualinformers.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7DV2Rkup5M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHKMA1K_yfA
https://www.ufonews.co/post/nazca-bodies-drive-global-scientific-investigation-part-1
https://www.ufonews.co/post/nazca-bodies-drive-global-scientific-investigation-part-2-with-dr-ruiz
https://www.ufonews.co/post/the-three-fingered-mystery-how-a-desert-discovery-is-rewriting-human-history
https://www.ufonews.co/post/what-peru-s-ministry-of-culture-doesn-t-want-you-to-know-about-the-nazca-bodies-discoveries-part-4
https://www.ufonews.co/post/researchers-silenced-what-nazca-body-tests-actually-found-part-5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1wXDpGBwU8
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLneWjPNXc1RxfMFVI3A178lfnY5rG6cmw
https://www.youtube.com/@JaimeMaussan1
RESEARCHERS SILENCED: What Nazca Body Tests ACTUALLY FOUND - Part 5
May 12, 2025
In a revealing interview with Cristina Gomez, veteran journalist Jois Mantilla shared his journey investigating what he describes as “the most important discovery in history” — the controversial Nazca bodies found in Peru.
With over three decades of experience in journalism, including coverage of wars, natural disasters, and political upheavals across Latin America, Mantilla has staked his professional reputation on the authenticity of these unusual specimens.
Mantilla’s involvement began in 2017 when the Nazca mummies first appeared on social media.
At that time, he had transitioned from his career as a war correspondent to running his own production company creating content for major networks like History Channel.
Despite living “very peacefully with important clients,” Mantilla’s journalistic instincts were piqued by the unusual reports coming from his native Peru.
After noticing that Jaime Maussan’s investigative team lacked Peruvian representation, Mantilla reached out via Twitter offering his assistance navigating local customs and connections.
He claims he approached the investigation with professional skepticism, even warning Maussan that he would report any attempt to cover up or misrepresent findings.
According to Mantilla, he maintained complete editorial independence throughout the investigation, allowing him to document his observations without interference.
The specimens at the center of this controversy possess several anatomical anomalies that Mantilla claims cannot be explained by conventional science.
In his presentation he mentioned that most notably, they are tridactyl — having three fingers on each hand — along with eyes angled at approximately 45 degrees, linear fingerprints unlike those of humans or primates, and proportionally larger cranial capacities.
Mantilla specifically mentions specimens named “Maria,” “Sebastian,” and “Monserrat,” describing them as preserved beings with intact internal organs covered in a white substance known as diatomaceous earth.
Perhaps the most extraordinary claim involves a specimen carrying a fetus. Mantilla states that CT scans revealed a tiny being within one of the specimens, which he says proves the authenticity of the remains.
“This can’t be faked,” Mantilla insists, challenging skeptics to explain how someone could “open a pregnant human mummy, mutilate its fingers to make it tridactyl, and leave no evidence.”
The preservation of these specimens is another point of emphasis in Mantilla’s testimony.
He describes a white coating that critics have dismissed as plaster but which he claims is actually diatomaceous earth mixed with cadmium chloride — a toxic substance he says was used as an adhesive in the preservation process.
According to Mantilla, this technique has maintained the bodies in remarkable condition for over 1,500 years.
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Mantilla expresses frustration with what he characterizes as a coordinated effort by the scientific establishment to discredit the investigation.
He claims that without proper examination, scientists rushed to label the specimens as manipulated human remains modified for commercial purposes.
In contrast, Mantilla asserts that over 50 professionals have now examined the specimens, including researchers from four Peruvian universities who risk their academic reputations by studying these controversial remains.
The DNA analysis of these specimens represents another extraordinary claim.
Mantilla describes the genetic makeup of “Maria” as a “tetra hybrid” containing human DNA, bonobo DNA, “bonobo in transformation” DNA, and an unknown genetic component not found in genetic libraries.
He challenges skeptics to explain how such genetic manipulation could have been accomplished 1,800–2,000 years ago when “we can’t even do it now.”
Mantilla also points to historical evidence of tridactyl beings in ancient art across multiple continents.
He cites examples from Iraq, Chile, Mexico, California, Australia, and various regions of Peru, including cave paintings allegedly dating back 11,000 years.
Even more surprisingly, Mantilla claims that Peru’s own Ministry of Culture has exhibited textile dolls with three fingers in the Museum of Art in Lima, suggesting that the ancients were depicting beings they actually encountered.
The Peruvian government’s response has been dismissive, according to Mantilla. He describes a “pompous press conference” where officials presented confiscated airport handicrafts to discredit the university-based research.
“That’s why I jokingly call them doll experts,” Mantilla says, “because they are experts in dolls, they analyze dolls, we analyze desiccated bodies.”
He argues that if officials conducted proper examinations at the University of Ica where several specimens are kept, they would find evidence supporting the authenticity of these remains.
Despite facing ridicule and professional risk, Mantilla remains committed to bringing attention to what he considers an unprecedented scientific discovery.
He emphasizes that he’s not asking people to accept everything as “absolute and truthful” but rather advocating for continued investigation by leading experts worldwide.
His ultimate goal is for the Peruvian government to permit international scientists to examine the specimens at the University of Ica and conduct comprehensive laboratory testing.
What’s clear is that Jois Mantilla, a journalist with decades of experience covering world events, believes he has encountered something that defies conventional explanation — something he considers worth risking his professional reputation to investigate and share with the world.
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Spanish television echoes a Pentagon discovery: "Biological remains recovered from a crashed UFO"
12/05/2025 - 08:32 CDT
UFO matters are the main attraction in 'Cuarto Milenio', which focused its broadcast on Sunday, May 11, on a series of revelations with UFOs and featured the direct testimony of Luis Elizondo, who served as director of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program before resigning in 2017 due to the high level of secrecy in the US government, as he indicated.
In his talk with Iker Jimenez, the show's host, Elizondo explained that he currently devotes his time to writing books and outreach.
"When I entered the Pentagon, I came across some very intriguing videos, in fact in 2017 it was very difficult for me to get those three famous videos leaked," he revealed.
"The publication of these videos was a very important risk to my career and my own safety, but thanks to that people were able to find out that we were studying unidentified flying objects, we are talking about technologies that far exceed any weapon we have in our arsenal," he added.
The secrecy of the United States with UFOs
Elizondo also said that certain people in the US government do not want this type of information to come to light and, in his opinion, it is a matter of national security, providing data on a case in which he himself was a witness.
"These objects have the ability to interfere with our military capabilities and fly in defiance of our restricted airspace. I myself have witnessed some UFO incidents.
During my testimony before Congress in 2024, I testified under oath that I was aware of the recovery of biological remains from a crashed UFO, but the government made me sign a waiver to talk about this matter in my book," Elizondo told 'Cuarto Milenio'.
Among those present on the set, there were those who did not believe Elizondo and others, although they did, were skeptical of the US leaders and their intention to ever talk about the subject.
"You were very optimistic, especially with the arrival of Trump, but the first 100 days of his term have already passed and they have not even talked about UFOs," said Fernando Camara.
https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/world-news/2025/05/12/6821f651ca4741d2028b4592.html