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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 24, 2025
Deimos Before Sunrise
Deimos takes 30 hours and 18 minutes to complete one orbit around the Red Planet. That's a little more than one Martian day or sol which is about 24 hours and 40 minutes long, so Deimos drifts westward across the Martian sky. About 15 kilometers across at its widest, the smallest of Mars' two moons is bright though. In fact Deimos is the brightest celestial object in this Martian skyscape captured before sunrise by Perseverance on March 1, the 1,433rd sol of the Mars rover's mission. The image is a composed of 16 exposures recorded by one of the rover's navigation cameras. The individual exposures were combined into a single image for an enhanced low light view. Regulus and Algeiba, bright stars in the constellation Leo, are also visible in the dark Martian predawn sky.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Moon and Flag at NASA Michoud
May 23, 2025
Just after sunrise, the waning gibbous moon sets just behind a waving United States flag on March 19, 2025, in this image from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
The waning gibbous moon phase comes after the full moon. As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light.
The lighted side appears to shrink, but the Moon’s orbit is simply carrying it out of view from our perspective. The Moon also rises later and later each night.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/moon-and-flag-at-nasa-michoud/
SpaceX Dragon Undocks from Station for Splashdown on Sunday
May 23, 2025
At 12:05 p.m. EDT, the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the zenith, or space-facing, port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module following a command from ground controllers at SpaceX.
After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down at approximately 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 25, off the coast of California.
NASA will post updates on the agency’s space station blog but will not stream the splashdown.
Filled with about 6,700 pounds of crew supplies, science investigations, and equipment, the spacecraft arrived to the orbiting laboratory on April 22 after it launched April 21 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the agency’s SpaceX 32nd commercial resupply services mission.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/05/23/spacex-dragon-undocks-from-station-for-splashdown-on-sunday/
The First American To Fly Into Space Had To Pee In His Space Suit
May 24, 2025
The year 1961 was the beginning of human exploration of space. On April 12, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space and the first one to orbit the Earth.
Weeks later, on May 5, Alan Shepard will become the first American in space. NASA was playing catch-up to the USSR, geopolitics and engineering ingenuity interlaced in a dangerous mix.
The goal was to be the first and the best, the human element was secondary – but not to the people outside of the agencies. One such person was Brenda Kemmerer of Cherryville, Pennsylvania.
On February 1, 1961, she wrote to NASA to ask a simple question, a question that people have asked many times since the first astronauts: How do they go to the toilet?
Some might consider it silly or even a low-brow question. We are talking about sending a human being beyond our ancestral home in the cosmos, using the most advanced technology to fly above the sky.
We can’t possibly talk about the physical needs of urination and defecation.
But Brenda’s question received a reply from Dr Freeman H. Quimby, of the Office of Life Science Programs at NASA.
As reported in a paper called Forgotten hardware: how to urinate in a spacesuit by Hunter Hollins from the National Air and Space Museum, Quimby’s reply was simple: “The first space man is not expected to have ‘to go’.”
The proverbial famous last words, as Alan Shepard would find out in a matter of months.
Let’s not be too harsh on Quimby’s viewpoint. On paper, Shepard’s flight might not have been one that needed to have human waste taken into account.
The flight was suborbital, meaning that Shepard would not go around the Earth. It took 15 minutes and 28 seconds, and reached an altitude of 187.4 kilometers (116.5 miles). You can hold off peeing for 15 minutes, if you have to.
On that pivotal day, Shepard ascended the gantry at 5:15 am local time and was in the capsule at 5:20. At that point, he’d been in his spacesuit for about two hours.
Launch was expected at 7:25, but delay after delay accumulated, and he was there for over four hours.
So the ideal plan had Shepard in the suit from four hours before launch to one after, but reality had him pushing seven hours without even having left the atmosphere.
But like a great chaotician once pointed out, when you've got to go, you've got to go.
So Shepard had to ask ground control for permission to pee in his suit. As Shepard himself wrote in his book about the space race, medical sensors had to be switched off to avoid short-circuiting them.
Ultimately, it was a risk to pee in the suit. Fortunately, nothing bad happened apart from being uncomfortable. Urine pooled on his lower back and was absorbed by his suit undergarments.
The early Space Age was not glamorous, but sacrifices are necessary for bold new adventures.
Brenda was right in asking the question. NASA had considered various options already in the days before Shepard's launch, but they were not practical for the setup of the Mercury missions.
In the second Mercury flight in July of that year, Gus Grissom's suit was equipped with a Urinary Collection Device.
Space exploration is often viewed as an idealized sci-fi version of the real thing. It's not all chrome and digital displays.
The human element and our very human needs have to be taken into account if we want to be a space-faring civilization.
https://www.iflscience.com/the-first-american-to-fly-into-space-had-to-pee-in-his-space-suit-79342
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00175.2012
Pluto's 'extreme cousin' is a dwarf planet found at the far reaches of our solar system
May 24, 2025 8:30 a.m. ET
Earth has a newly-discovered neighbor in the solar system.
But the heavenly body – possibly a dwarf planet a la Pluto – isn't a frequent visitor. Located beyond Neptune, its extreme orbit circumnavigates the sun once every 25,000 years, taking it beyond our solar system.
The new object, named 2017 OF201, was discovered by researchers in an astronomical image database while searching for trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and possible new planets in the outer solar system.
Sihao Cheng, an astrophysicist at the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences, led the team that discovered the object, which he described as an "extreme 'cousin' of Pluto," in a comment on his personal website.
2017 OF201 is about one-third the size of Pluto, which was reclassified as a dwarf planet in August 2006, and "is likely large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, and its orbit is extremely wide," Cheng said.
New tough-to-detect dwarf planet has an extreme orbit
“The object’s aphelion – the farthest point on the orbit from the Sun – is more than 1600 times that of the Earth’s orbit,” Cheng said in a synopsis of the findings posted May 22 on the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) website.
"Meanwhile, its perihelion – the closest point on its orbit to the Sun – is 44.5 times that of the Earth’s orbit, similar to Pluto's orbit."
The researchers identified 2017 OF201 using 19 different astronomical database exposures, captured over seven years.
The International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center officially announced the new object's discovery on May 21, the IAS said. 2017 OF201's extreme orbit makes it detectable about 1% of the time, the researchers said.
Spotting 2017 OF201 beyond the Kuiper Belt, a donut-shaped section of space past the orbit of Neptune filled with icy debris, suggests the region may not be as empty as previously thought.
"The presence of this single object suggests that there could be another hundred or so other objects with similar orbit and size; they are just too far away to be detectable now,” Cheng said in the synopsis.
“Even though advances in telescopes have enabled us to explore distant parts of the universe, there is still a great deal to discover about our own solar system.”
The extreme orbit of 2017 OF201 also suggests the object "must have experienced close encounters with a giant planet, causing it to be ejected to a wide orbit,” said Eritas Yang, a Princeton University graduate student who assisted in the research, in the study synopsis.
More than one galactic event could have created 2017 OF201's orbit, Cheng added. "It’s possible that this object was first ejected to the Oort cloud, the most distant region in our solar system, which is home to many comets, and then sent back," he said.
New dwarf planet could dash Planet X hypothesis
The new object could also challenge the hypothesis that there's a "Planet X" or "Planet Nine" beyond Pluto, with gravity affecting dwarf planets and other objects in the Kuiper Belt.
That's because 2017 OF201's orbit is "well outside the clustering observed in extreme (TNOs), which has been proposed as dynamical evidence for a distant, undetected planet," the researchers write in a draft version of their submitted research.
"The existence of 2017 OF201 might suggest that Planet 9 or X doesn't exist," said Jiaxuan Li, another Princeton University astrophysical sciences grad student who collaborated on the research, on his personal website.
But research will continue. "I hope Planet 9 still exists, because that’ll be more interesting," Cheng told the New Scientist.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/24/space-new-dwarf-planet-beyond-neptune/83822315007/
https://sihaocheng.github.io/
https://www.ias.edu/news/extreme-cousin-pluto-possible-dwarf-planet-discovered-solar-systems-edge
James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Mysteries in “Largest and Deepest” Sample of Galaxies Ever Detected
May 23, 2025
The James Webb Space Telescope has yielded the largest galaxy group sample ever observed after scanning a region known as the COSMOS Web, offering a large-scale look at the universe and illuminating galaxy evolution over time.
The new Webb images offer astronomers a glimpse at a portion of the universe so distant and so large that it took between one and twelve billion years for their light to reach Earth.
The massive data set reveals about 1,700 galaxy groups, with one of them more than 6 billion light-years away claiming the title of the European Space Agency‘s picture of the month.
“We’re able to actually observe some of the first galaxies formed in the universe,” said Ghassem Gozaliasl of Aalto University, and head of the galaxy groups detection team, who led the study.
“We detected 1,678 galaxy groups or proto-clusters – the largest and deepest sample of galaxy groups ever detected – with the James Webb Space Telescope.”
“With this sample, we can study the evolution of galaxies in groups over the past 12 billion years of cosmic time,” Gozaliasl said.
Since its activation in 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope has increased the distance and clarity with which astronomers can peer into the cosmos, thanks to its high resolution and sensitivity.
This also gives astronomers a deeper look at the universe’s past, as the vast distances involved can take billions of years even for light to cross, bringing images to Earth of what once was at the edges of the universe.
Those faint, distant galaxies may be a billion times dimmer than the human eye can detect, yet such strict limitations do not hamper the advanced instrumentation aboard the space telescope.
Galaxy Clusters
The enormous spans referred to as galaxy groups and clusters contain hot gas, dark matter, and galaxies with supermassive black holes at their centers, creating a dynamic environment.
“The complex interactions between these components play a crucial role in shaping the life cycles of galaxies and driving the evolution of the groups and clusters themselves,” Gozaliasl explained.
“By uncovering a more complete history of these cosmic structures, we can better understand how these processes have influenced the formation and growth of both massive galaxies and the largest structures in the universe.”
Instead of an even distribution, astronomers have found galaxies to cluster in dense regions due to the cosmic web, interconnections of filaments and walls that hold the clusters together.
A small group may range in size from dozens of galaxies to single digits, yet single, unconnected galaxies remain a rarity. Larger clusters also form when gravity bands together hundreds or even thousands of galaxies as a single unit.
The Milky Way lives in just a small galaxy group alongside Andromeda and a few dozen others that astronomers collectively dub “the Local Group.”
“Like humans, galaxies come together and make families,” explains Gozaliasl. “Groups and clusters are really important, because within them galaxies can interact and merge together, resulting in the transformation of galaxy structure and morphology.
Studying these environments also helps us understand the role of dark matter, feedback from supermassive black holes, and the thermal history of the hot gas that fills the space between galaxies.”
Formation and Evolution
The new collection represents such a broad time period that scientists can better compare galaxy structures to understand galactic evolution.
Additionally, this historical survey aids astronomers in studying how the brightest group galaxies (BGGs), large galaxies at the center of clusters, form as repeated mergers occur.
“When we look very deep into the universe, the galaxies have more irregular shapes and are forming many stars.
Closer to our time, star formation is what we refer to as ‘quenched’– the galaxies have more symmetric structures, like elliptical or spiral galaxies.
It’s really exciting to see the shapes changing over cosmic time. We can start to address so many questions about what happened in the universe and how galaxies evolved,” said Gozaliasl.
https://thedebrief.org/james-webb-space-telescope-unveils-new-mysteries-in-largest-and-deepest-sample-of-galaxy-groups-ever-detected/
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1084361
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/05/aa53759-25/aa53759-25.html
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RFOoB2gxMvVDpvpPsocRIs6KXL91xjqD
Scientists spot high-speed galaxy collision 11 billion light-years away: 'We hence call this system the cosmic joust'
May 24, 2025
Using a telescope in Chile, astronomers have captured a high-speed collision between two galaxies located more than 11 billion light-years away, getting a rare direct glimpse into how the universe's most luminous sources of energy, known as quasars, can sculpt their surroundings and influence the evolution of galaxies.
The new findings describe a galactic battle between the galaxy on the right in the image above, which hosts an actively feeding black hole, a quasar, at its center, and its neighbor on the left, which is being bombarded by intense radiation that disrupts its ability to form new stars.
"We hence call this system the 'cosmic joust,'" Pasquier Noterdaeme, a researcher at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris in France, who co-led the new study, said in a statement.
Named J012555.11−012925.00, the quasar is generally so bright that it outshines its surroundings, dominating optical images as a single point of light.
However, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a network of 66 radio dishes in the Chilean Andes working together as one giant telescope, astronomers were able to distinguish the second galaxy.
The observations revealed the companion galaxy is moving toward the quasar-hosting galaxy at about 1.2 million miles per hour (2 million kilometers per hour), indicating the two are in the midst of a high-speed collision.
To study how the quasar's radiation affects the companion galaxy, the researchers used the X-shooter instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), also located in Chile.
By analyzing the quasar's light as it passed through the other galaxy, they found the radiation blasts apart the gas in the companion galaxy, leaving behind compact cloudlets that are too small to form new stars.
"We see for the first time the effect of a quasar's radiation directly on the internal structure of the gas in an otherwise regular galaxy," Sergei Balashev, a researcher at the Ioffe Institute in Russia, who co-led the study, said in the statement.
The gravitational forces at play are also pulling more gas toward the black hole, allowing it to continue feeding and powering the quasar, the study found.
"These mergers are thought to bring huge amounts of gas to supermassive black holes residing in galaxy centres," said Balashev.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/galaxies/scientists-spot-high-speed-galaxy-collision-11-billion-light-years-away-we-hence-call-this-system-the-cosmic-joust
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2509/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08966-4.epdf
Venus, Saturn and the moon dazzle at dawn in 'romantic' photo from Chew Valley Lake
May 23, 2025
Astrophotographer Josh Dury captured a stunning celestial scene early Friday morning (May 23), as the planets Venus and Saturn aligned with the thin waning crescent moon above the still waters of Chew Valley Lake, Somerset, U.K.
The image was taken at 4 a.m. BST (11 p.m. EDT / 03:00 GMT) and showcases a fleeting "celestial triangle" that appeared just before sunrise.
"The planets Saturn, Venus and the waning crescent moon formed a beautiful cosmic display," Dury told Space.com in an email.
This cosmic meetup unfolded in the quiet moments before dawn, with Venus shining brightly just below the moon and Saturn positioned higher in the sky. The peaceful lake and early morning mist offered the perfect foreground.
"For this scene, I had drawn attention to a simple, natural composition," Dury said. "Picture the scene at dawn break; rolling mist over the Great Lake, the sound of a distant cuckoo fills the air and water so still — it was like a mirror.
All together, making for an overly romantic scene that lasted only for a matter of minutes before the light of dawn emerged."
Dury used a Sony A7S II camera with a Sigma 85mm F/1.4 Art lens mounted on a Benro Tortoise Tripod to capture the shot.
If you missed this early morning display, don't worry: You still have a chance to catch a similar view early Saturday (May 24), when the crescent moon shifts to Venus' left, with Saturn positioned higher to the right.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/venus-saturn-and-the-moon-dazzle-at-dawn-in-romantic-photo-from-chew-valley-lake-photo
The moon doesn't have a magnetic field, so why does it have magnetic rocks?
May 23, 2025
For decades, scientists have been trying to understand why some rocks on the moon are strongly magnetized even though the moon has no magnetic field today.
Moon rocks brought to Earth during NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and '70s, as well as data from orbiting spacecraft, have shown that parts of the lunar surface — particularly on the farside — contain rocks with surprisingly strong magnetic signatures.
New computer simulations suggest a massive asteroid impact billions of years ago may have briefly amplified the moon's old, weak magnetic field, leaving behind a magnetic imprint still detectable in lunar rocks.
"The majority of the strong magnetic fields that are measured by orbiting spacecraft can be explained by this process, especially on the far side of the moon," Isaac Narrett, a graduate student in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, who led the new study, said in a statement.
While the moon once had a weak magnetic field generated by a small molten core, the team's research suggests it likely wouldn't have been strong enough on its own to magnetize surface rocks.
However, a massive asteroid impact may have changed that — at least briefly.
Simulations by Narrett and his team show that a powerful impact, quite possibly the one that created the moon's massive Imbrium basin, would have vaporized surface material and created a cloud of superheated, electrically charged particles known as plasma.
As the plasma enveloped the moon, much of it would have concentrated on the opposite side of the impact, temporarily amplifying the moon's magnetic field in that region.
Rocks in the area could have captured this short-lived magnetic surge before the field faded away, according to the new study.
The findings suggest the impact would have triggered seismic shockwaves that swept through the moon and converged on the far side.
These waves likely "jittered" the electrons in nearby rocks just as the magnetic field peaked — effectively locking in the field's orientation like a geological snapshot.
The researchers estimate the entire sequence would have played out in less than an hour, but likely left behind a magnetic signature that's still detectable today.
"It's as if you throw a 52-card deck in the air, in a magnetic field, and each card has a compass needle," study co-author Benjamin Weiss, who is a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at MIT, said in the statement.
"When the cards settle back to the ground, they do so in a new orientation — that's essentially the magnetization process."
Future missions could put the team's theory to the test. The most strongly magnetized rocks lie near the moon's south pole, on the farside — an area that several international missions, including NASA's Artemis program, plan to explore in the coming years.
If those rocks show signs of both shock and ancient magnetism, it could confirm that the moon's magnetic anomalies were due to a colossal asteroid impact.
"There are large parts of lunar magnetism that are still unexplained," said Narrett.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/the-moon-doesnt-have-a-magnetic-field-so-why-does-it-have-magnetic-rocks
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1084254?
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7401
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from California, completed 450th booster landing
May 23, 2025
SpaceX kicked off a busy weekend with the launch of a batch of Starlink satellites this evening (May 23) from California, the first of up to three potential Starlink launches between Friday and Sunday.
A Falcon 9 rocket launched SpaceX's Starlink 11-16 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 4:36 p.m. EDT (1:36 p.m. local time; 2036 GMT).
The stack of 23 Starlink satellites began their journey into low Earth orbit (LEO) aboard a Falcon 9 first-stage booster designated B1075. This was the 18th launch of B1075, which has supported 14 previous Starlink missions.
The nine Merlin engines at the business end of B1075 cut off approximately 2.5 minutes into flight, followed in short order by the separation of the booster from the rocket's upper stage.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster landed safely on SpaceX's Of Course I Still Love You drone ship, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This was the 450th successful landing of a Falcon 9 rocket, according to SpaceX.
The rocket's upper stage continued toward LEO with the 23 Starlink satellites, where they were released from the rocket's payload adapter about one hour into flight.
Each satellite will maneuver into more specific orbits to within the Starlink megaconstellation over the next few days.
SpaceX's Starlink network consists of more than 7,000 operational satellites and counting. As a whole, they operate in a lattice that provides a blanket of coverage to nearly all of the planet.
Starlink offers users a high-speed internet connection from anywhere customers are able to point their Starlink receiver toward the sky (other than the poles).
Tonight's launch was SpaceX's 61st Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 63rd liftoff so far this year. The other two missions involved Starship, SpaceX's next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket.
SpaceX announced Friday the next test flight of Starship will take place Tuesday, May 27.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-11-16-b1075-vsfb-ocisly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkuDcuXh7Dw
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-11-16
SpaceX Starlink Mission
May 24, 2025
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, May 24 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Liftoff is targeted for 1:19 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities until 5:04 p.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Sunday, May 25 starting at 12:51 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 24th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and 18 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-22
SpaceX blames Starship Flight 8 mishap on engine hardware failure
May 23, 2025
The failure of SpaceX’s Starship on its most recent test flight had a different root cause than the previous failure, despite happening at about the same time.
SpaceX released details May 23 about the cause of the Flight 8 mishap that took place March 6, when several Raptor engines on the Starship upper stage shut down and the vehicle started to tumble.
The vehicle reentered, breaking up over the Caribbean.
The timing of the Flight 8 failure was similar to Flight 7 in January, which also featured several engine shutdowns and a loss of communications about eight and a half minutes after liftoff. However, SpaceX says the two failures had different causes.
“While the failure manifested at a similar point in the flight timeline as Starship’s seventh flight test, it is worth noting that the failures are distinctly different,” the company stated.
In the case of Flight 8, SpaceX said one of the center Raptor engines in Starship suffered a hardware failure, details of which the company did not disclose.
That failure enabled “inadvertent propellant mixing and ignition” that caused the loss of the Raptor.
Immediately thereafter, the other two center Raptor engines shut down, along with one of the three outer vacuum-optimized engines with larger nozzles. The vehicle then lost control authority.
The company said it made changes to the Raptors in the Starship upper stage, with “additional preload” on key joints and a new nitrogen purge system as well as improvements to the propellant drain system.
A future version of Raptor in development will also have reliability improvements to address the problem seen on Flight 8.
On Flight 7 in January, SpaceX, said the vehicle suffered a harmonic response several times stronger than expected, creating additional stress on the vehicle’s propulsion system. That caused leaks that triggered a fire in the engine bay.
“The mitigations put in place after Starship’s seventh flight test to address harmonic response and flammability of the ship’s attic section worked as designed prior to the failure on Flight 8,” SpaceX said.
The SpaceX statement about Flight 8 came a day after the Federal Aviation Administration provided its final approval for the next Starship test flight, Flight 9, which SpaceX confirmed is scheduled for no earlier than May 27 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
A major change for Flight 9 involves the Super Heavy booster. Flight 9 will involve the first reflight of that booster, using a booster that originally launched on Flight 7.
Some components of the booster were replaced after Flight 7, but SpaceX said a “large majority” of the booster will be hardware that previously flew, including 29 of its 33 Raptor engines.
Unlike the previous four test flights, SpaceX will not attempt to recover the Super Heavy booster with a “catch” by the launch tower at Starbase.
The booster will instead test new flight profiles after separation, including controlling how it flips to orient itself for a boostback burn and use a higher angle of attack on its descent, both intended to reduce the propellant needed to recover the booster. SpaceX will also test alternative engine landing profiles.
“To maximize the safety of launch infrastructure at Starbase, the Super Heavy booster will attempt these experiments while on a trajectory to an offshore landing point,” SpaceX said, with a “hard splashdown” planned off the coast from Starbase.
The Starship upper stage will attempt many of the same demonstrations planned for previous flights but which could not be carried out because of the failures.
That includes a Raptor engine relight while in space, deployment of eight mass simulators of next-generation Starlink satellites and tests of reentry technologies.
https://spacenews.com/spacex-blames-starship-flight-8-mishap-on-engine-hardware-failure/
https://www.spacex.com/updates/#flight-8-report
Spacecom Leader Outlines Vision for Space Security
May 23, 2025
As Russian forces attacked Ukraine's communication infrastructure in 2022, the Ukrainian military turned to a commercial satellite system to maintain operations.
With over 7,000 satellites in orbit, that system provided internet access, which enabled battlefield communications, drone coordination and real-time intelligence imagery that revealed Russian troop movements.
The use of commercial space technology in conflict marked a turning point, demonstrating that even countries with limited space infrastructure can leverage space-based capabilities during war.
That shift was the focus of an event hosted yesterday by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, titled "Securing the Final Frontier with Gen. Stephen Whiting of U.S. Space Command."
Whiting, commander of Spacecom and a Space Force officer with a background in satellite operations, launch systems and policy, highlighted the growing commercialization of space and the emerging threats from adversaries like China and Russia.
"Over the last 10 to 15 years, [the] U.S. commercial space industry has become the driving force of innovation," he said, pointing to commercial reusable rockets and large satellite constellations.
While these advancements support global services and military operations, they also create new vulnerabilities.
Whiting warned that rivals possess cybertools, jammers, lasers, direct ascent antisatellite weapons and co-orbital systems to disrupt U.S. space capabilities.
He called recent reports that Russia may be exploring a nuclear weapon for space "incredibly irresponsible," citing the potential to disrupt satellite networks critical to both civilian life and military readiness.
"We can't defend our country without space capabilities," Whiting said, noting that adversaries have studied U.S. reliance on space since the 1991 Gulf War.
He pointed to a 2021 Russian antisatellite test that created 1,500 pieces of debris and China's testing of fractional orbital bombardment systems as signs of the evolving threat landscape.
Even everyday functions — financial transactions, emergency services and navigation apps — depend on GPS, which could be disrupted in a space conflict.
The 2019 creation of the Space Force and Spacecom reflects a growing recognition of these risks. While the Space Force recruits, trains and equips personnel, Spacecom conducts operations.
"We plan each and every day with the goal of deterring conflict," Whiting said.
To that end, Spacecom works closely with allies such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia to project strength.
A recent executive order launching the Golden Dome missile defense initiative further highlights space's central role in national security.
Whiting said commercial innovation enables the development of space-based sensors and interceptors needed to track hypersonic and orbital threats.
Reflecting on Ukraine's use of commercial space systems, Whiting identified three key lessons: smaller nations can now access advanced capabilities, cyberattacks on satellites are a major risk and space-based tools — such as GPS, communications and intelligence — are essential to battlefield success.
These takeaways guide Spacecom's current priorities, including strategies to counter China's surveillance. We don't want a war in space," Whiting said, "but we must be prepared to win if it comes."
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4196957/spacecom-leader-outlines-vision-for-space-security/
Drones hit the Azot chemical plant in Russia
May 24, 2025
In Russia, strike drones hit the Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Tula region.
The Telegram channel Exilenova+ published a video showing smoke in the area around the plant.
The fire broke out in the morning of May 24 as a result of a drone attack, according to local residents.
The Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Tula region, is one of the largest chemical plants in Russia.
The plant specializes in the production of nitrogen fertilizers, including ammonia, urea, and other chemical products.
In particular, the plant is capable of manufacturing chemical components necessary for the production of explosives.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it had managed to shoot down only one drone over the Tula region.
In total, more than a hundred drones attacked Russia, targeting various objects in different regions of the country.
According to their data, during the night and morning of May 24, 94 Ukrainian drones were allegedly destroyed by air defense forces.
They cite the following unconfirmed data on downed UAVs:
64 UAVs over the Belgorod region,
24 UAVs over the Bryansk region,
two UAVs over the Kursk region,
two UAVs over the Lipetsk region,
one UAV over the Voronezh region,
one UAV over the Tula region.
The effectiveness of Ukrainian drone strikes on targets in Russia is growing with each month of the war.
Ukrainian drones regularly hit targets deep behind enemy lines, sometimes at distances of over 1,000 km.
Recently, a new long-range strike drone, the Batyar, capable of covering distances of over 800 km, was unveiled in Ukraine for this purpose.
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drones-hit-the-azot-chemical-plant-in-russia/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drbwrg1j9kM
Ukraine says 15 injured in Russian missile-drone attack on its capital
20:49, 24-May-2025
Russian forces fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at the Ukrainian capital early Saturday, leaving at least 15 people injured, the Kyiv city military administration said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from Russia on the overnight attacks.
The attack, whcih the statement said was one of the largest air assaults on Kyiv since the start of the conflict, caused damage to residential and non-residential infrastructure in six of the city's 10 districts.
Kyiv police reported that a shopping mall, several apartment buildings and an educational facility were among the damaged sites.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia deployed 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 drones in the overnight attack on Ukraine, and Kyiv was the primary target. The air defense intercepted six missiles and 245 drones.
The strike followed Russia's attack on port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern city of Odesa with two ballistic missiles on Friday, killing three people and injuring six others, according to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States, Europe and other countries to impose new sanctions on Russia.
"Only additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to cease fire," the Ukrainian president said on the social media platform X.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-05-24/Ukraine-says-15-injured-in-Russian-missile-drone-attack-on-its-capital-1DDML3SjZh6/p.html
Anti-drone ‘invisibility cloaks’ make Russian soldiers sitting ducks
23 May 2025 4:54pm BST
Russian soldiers are struggling to hide from Ukrainian drones, despite being given coats and blankets designed to hide them from thermal and night vision sensors.
The garments are intended to mask body heat, making soldiers harder to detect with night-vision and infrared optics.
However they are constructed with faulty technology, and troops are often given inadequate training in how to use them.
Rather than concealing body heat, the coats create cold spots against a warmer natural environment, making bold black targets for Ukraine to strike.
“This is no invisibility cloak,” Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army colonel and chemical weapons expert, told The Telegraph. “In fact, because of the contrast, it makes them more acquirable than less.”
Ukrainian drones, often operated by special forces or intelligence units, combine thermal imaging with real-time targeting capabilities.
This technology allows Ukraine to conduct precise strikes even at night, taking out hidden or camouflaged Russian positions.
Russian soldiers are now being sent towards the enemy believing the equipment will keep them safe from attacks.
But video footage and photographs taken in Lyman earlier this week show soldiers standing out more than ever as Ukrainian drones hover low behind them.
The soldiers moved towards positions held by the Ukrainian army’s 63rd Mechanised Brigade with coats draped over their shoulders before a barrage of first-person view (FPV) drones descended on them.
The “funny occupiers in the Lyman region… put on anti-drone raincoats and thought that now they are safe”, the brigade said after the attack.
A different Russian assault group used higher-quality thermal blankets but lacked proper training on how to use them effectively.
They could be seen with their legs, arms, or heads peeking out from the covers, suddenly highlighting where they were standing.
Nick Reynolds, research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that there have been “instances of incompetence by Russian personnel who clearly do not understand how to use their equipment”.
Mr de Bretton-Gordon added: “It does highlight how difficult it is to hide on today’s battlefield… They need to cover their whole bodies.”
Details found online showed Russian versions of the suits on sale for just $47. Improvements in Ukrainian technology are also making it even harder for Russians to hide.
“Thermal cameras on drones are both improving and becoming cheaper as manufacturing processes improve,” Mr Reynolds said.
Ukrainian soldiers have previously used thermal camouflage suits, reportedly to much better effect than their Russian adversaries.
The suits, which weigh 2.5 kilograms, are made by a variety of multilayer materials, in particular polymers, microfibres, and fabrics interspersed with metal particles.
“Our goal is to disguise the military and equipment from the enemy as reliably as possible,” Vitalii Polovenko, the deputy defence minister, said last year.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/23/russian-soldiers-drone-proof-thermal-coats-mark-attack/
First-of-its-kind drone video taken inside a tornado
Updated: May 23, 2025 / 11:27 PM EDT
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In today’s Berardelli Bonus, we take you on a tour inside the funnel of a tornado with dramatic, first-of-its-kind video.
With winds over 100 mph, it may seem impossible to fly a drone into the buzz saw of a tornado. But it’s now been done three times by Nelson Tucker, Louis Tucker and Tanner Beard.
They founded a non-profit called the Otus project — observations of tornadoes by UAV systems.
Berardelli spoke to Beard, the project’s engineer, and he said the team was thrilled at the achievement.
“I did some math to show that it would be possible but there’s always the theory vs the reality, and seeing it actually happen was amazing,” Beard said.
The goal of the intercepts is to obtain hard to get data like moisture, heat and wind inside the tornado.
Up until now that’s been a huge challenge, with chasers struggling to place sensors on the ground precisely in the path of the tornado.
Beard explained, “A lot of people struggle with intercepts. What we are doing with the probes is we put all the sensors on the drone, and we can fly that right into the tornado. It helps keep it safer and get more intercepts.”
And their method helps them measure the attributes of the air around the funnel too. Beard said that data helps meteorologists to understand what is going on near the tornado to improve forecasts.
“We do circles around the tornado,” Beard said. “This gives us a sample of the surrounding environment, and then as we circle in, we go through the middle, and we are able to get both a measurement of the environment inside the tornado and video of it.”
The Otus project partners with researchers to help them better understand and simulate tornadoes — and also measure 3D wind loads to improve the construction of buildings.
They also 3D-print their own drones to maximize flexibility and minimize cost. Talk about innovative! The video was provided by Otus Project via SevereStudios.
https://www.wfla.com/weather/first-of-its-kind-drone-video-taken-inside-a-tornado/
https://www.theotusproject.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CRqidfuNXM
US Drone Strikes Kill At Least Six In Suspected Al-Qaeda Hideout In Yemen
May 24, 2025
Aden: US drone strikes overnight targetted a suspected al-Qaeda hideout in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan, killing at least six people, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua news agency on Saturday.
The strikes hit the mountainous Marakisha area in eastern Abyan late Friday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
All those killed were believed to be members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the Yemen-based branch of the militant network.
The operation was carried out in coordination with Yemeni government forces, the official added.
The targetted site had reportedly served as a launch point for attacks against government forces and recent bombing operations in the province, according to the source.
However, conflicting accounts have emerged. A local tribal leader confirmed two overnight drone strikes but claimed they targetted tribal elements not affiliated with the AQAP.
There has been no official statement from the AQAP regarding the incident.
Abyan has been a key battleground in Yemen’s counter-terrorism efforts since late 2022.
Forces from the pro-government Southern Transitional Council, backed by government troops, have sought to root out AQAP fighters entrenched in remote areas.
Government officials say the group continues to operate active cells in the region, often targeting security personnel with improvised explosive devices.
Yemen’s long-running civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa, has allowed extremist groups like the AQAP to exploit the power vacuum.
The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions to the brink of famine, according to United Nations estimates.
https://ommcomnews.com/world-news/us-drone-strikes-kill-at-least-six-in-suspected-al-qaeda-hideout-in-yemen/
SCOOP: Luna says Secrets Task Force secured 6 month extension
May 23, 2025
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) — Chair, Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets
paywall
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/scoop-secrets-task-force-granted-6-month-extension
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hjYUqqFqI4E
Pope Leo to lead ET Disclosure, DNA manipulation, and the Pineal Gland
May 24, 2025.
Exopolitics Week in Review
Topics
Former University Professor claims Contact with Pleiadian ETs – Interview with Dr. Andrea Martin https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1924423877754491147
Sarfatti is here talking about the organic consciousness that animates advanced NHI craft.https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1924268557182886342
Did Enki/Ea and his scientific team upgrade primitive hominids into present day Adamic humans, or downgrade 12-standed DNA ancient humans into 2 strands for control purposes? https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1924075393717260655
Kerry Cassidy’s latest article discusses the idea of an alien invasion and an AI takeover. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1924071241285087621
How will the downsizing of the NSC impact the management of Unacknowledged SAP’s run out of the White House, without the President’s knowledge? https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1923877402167455861
MAGA politicians are the ones leading UFO disclosure but MAGA audiences think it’s a distraction. https://x.com/Kabamur_Taygeta/status/1923774313372753931
Pope Leo XIV & Vatican will lead official Extraterrestrial Disclosure https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1925511840689275242
Open-source advances in laser technology lag behind those in the classified world by more than three decades.https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1924835506946232828
If the @DeptofDefense cleared public statements confirming recovery of biological specimens from UAP crash retrieval operations, it constitutes de facto acknowledgment of non-human materials. https://x.com/disclosureorg/status/1925223240785449156
After more than 70 years, UFO researchers continue to ignore contactee reports of NHI, and focus exclusively on the cover-up of UFO sightings and, more recently, crash retrievals by authorities. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1925499405089509754
David Wilcock’s analysis of the Pineal Gland provides many insights into its core functions and how it relates to dreams, visions, and the 3rd Eye. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1925900583665275082
Representative Anna Luna commented on the role the CIA has played in “blocking the release of truth pertaining to the assassination of President Kennedy.” https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1925906350917202122
https://exopolitics.org/pope-leo-to-lead-et-disclosure-dna-manipulation-and-the-pineal-gland/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7yoSD1A-74
extra
Psychic Healing, Angelic Contact and Reverse Aging: An Interview with Jerry Wills (May 12, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2GkaOkypqA
Pope Leo XIV & Vatican will lead official Extraterrestrial Disclosure (May 22, 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE6py6onX0Y
Trump admin thinks US can ‘handle the truth’ of UFOs: Elizondo
Updated: May 23, 2025 / 09:19 PM CDT
Americans could soon learn more about what many have long suspected regarding unidentified flying objects.
UFO whistleblower Luis Elizondo, a former Pentagon official, joined “CUOMO” on Friday to discuss the FAA admitting a UFO crashed into a fighter jet in 2023 and the Trump administration’s openness to discussing the subject.
“We’ve been saying for the last eight years … that there have been dozens upon dozens of these near-air collisions that have occurred with military and civilian and commercial pilots,” Elizondo said.
“This is not just happening with military aircraft.” The whistleblower believes the Trump administration’s actions are due to the existence of UFOs being the “worst-kept secret in American history.”
“It’s been 80 years of suppression and misinformation, and we’re at the point now where I think … the administration realizes that America can handle the truth.”
Elizondo has been working with the FBI in some of their investigations and says the agency is “running laps around the Department of Defense’s” UAP program.
“I think we’re finally getting a congealing, if you will, of the right people, the right resources, the right authorities to finally shed some light on this incredible mystery and give the information not only to Congress, but the American people,” Elizondo added.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/trump-admin-thinks-us-can-handle-the-truth-of-ufos-elizondo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0reLhlD04
Mysterious UFO Flies Past Cruise Ship Docked in Mexico
May 24, 2025
There are a lot of sights cruisers can expect to see while sailing on a getaway cruise to Cozumel, Mexico – such as sandy beaches, deep blue waves, and even Mayan ruins.
However, a possible extraterrestrial sighting verges very far into the unusual category.
But on May 18, 2025, in the late afternoon, some of the lucky guests onboard may have caught a glimpse of an unidentified flying object (or UFO) while Margaritaville at Sea’s Islander was docked in Cozumel, Mexico.
A live webcam that was filming the 2,650-guest vessel captured a dark, metallic, circular object as it flew past the camera at an incredibly fast speed.
The footage appears to have been taken from Park Royal, a popular resort that is located directly across from Cozumel’s International Pier – where Margaritaville Islander usually docks – and not far from the Punta Langosta Pier.
Cruise fans were left scratching their heads over what the object could have been. The answers were divided between genuine curiosity, possible alien sightings, and blaming a combination of poor image quality paired with a bird or insect.
It’s also possible that onlookers had spotted a drone – as these devices have become incredibly popular with influencers for creating more impressive content.
The UFO sighting is particularly unique though, as when cruisers experience something strange or supernatural – the alleged culprit is usually ghosts of hauntings.
As recently as March of this year, Carnival cruise guests were relaying ghost stories to brand ambassador John Heald on his public Facebook page after being “haunted” on their past sailings.
While many guests told their stories in jest, some genuinely believed that they had made content with searfaring spirits.
But no matter what you believe, cruisers sailing on Margaritaville Islander in the near future should keep an eye out – as the 85,700-gross ton vessel will be returning to Cozumel many more times before the year is out on 4-night, 5-night, and 7-night sailings.
While most cruisers likely won’t spot anything out of the ordinary, you might leave with a cool story if you pay extra close attention.
Another UFO Sighting?
It’s not the first time a ship has possibly made content with a UFO – and it may not be the last, as reports of sightings in general have increased in recent years.
Earlier in 2025, another cruise fan took to Reddit to search for answers after their friend captured a UFO on video from their balcony cabin one night.
While the poster did not confirm the cruise ship, she did state that the sighting took place while cruising in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Caught by my friend off her cruise ship balcony last night in the Gulf of Mexico,” the short clip was captioned.
As in the new footage from Cozumel, the UFO appears to be quite shiny and fast.
But in this case, some smart internet sleuthers were able to come up with a plausible explanation. After zooming in on the footage and looking at different angles, the UFO appeared to look a lot like a seagull.
Seagulls can fly quite far – sometimes going more than 20 miles offshore in one foul swoop (pun intended) – so it’s not out of the realm of possibility for one of those birds to visit a cruise ship.
“Seagulls tryna score a feed off the deck. In the first shot you’ll see the slight zig zag in flight before a curved bomb downward. You’ll see the outline of the wings appear right before the dive down,” one person confirmed.
“The white orb type flashes are actually their bellies being lit from underneath. Signed, bird appreciator and fisherman (you’ll see the same off the end of most piers in the world at night time),” they continued.
https://www.cruisehive.com/mysterious-ufo-flies-past-cruise-ship-docked-in-mexico/175174
Chief science advisor had 7 staffers investigate UFOs
24 May 2025, 8:00 am
Canada's chief science advisor Dr. Mona Nemer allocated seven employees to investigate unidentified flying objects, generating tens of thousands of pages of research that a federal survey found most Canadians considered insignificant.
The Department of Industry, which oversees Nemer's office, confirmed the staffing allocation but did not disclose a budget for the initiative, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
"Seven employees were involved in the project," the Department of Industry stated.
The department further noted that "there are 42,500 pages of records," adding that "a sample of 500 pages has revealed approximately ten percent of those records require consultations with other government departments.
The Department of Industry expects consultations will be numerous and time consuming."
Blacklock's, which sought the records through an Access to Information Act request, was informed that it would take seven years to publicly release all files related to the Sky Canada project.
Nemer, a biochemist, testified in 2024 before the Commons science committee that she initiated Sky Canada. "It's about unidentified aerial phenomenon," she explained.
"The reason we have taken this on is not because we believe one way or the other about extraterrestrials or anything like that.
It's because we believe it's important that we have a scientific approach and transparency in how we assemble the information precisely to avoid any conspiracy theories and so on."
When pressed by then-Conservative MP Larry Maguire (Brandon-Souris, MB) about the project's completion and public release, Nemer replied, "We haven’t taken it a step further."
She elaborated, "We sent questionnaires and requests for information to several departments that we think have been involved over the years or that may be involved right now.
I will say that at the working level we have received information from some. The enthusiasm and responses have been uneven."
A $34,369 opinion survey commissioned by Nemer revealed that most Canadians found the research to be of little consequence.
"Unidentified aerial phenomenon is not an issue of high concern," according to the Study on Sky Canada: A Nationwide Survey for the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada.
The survey found that "just seven percent say they pay a lot of attention to the topic."
"Support for actual public spending on unidentified aerial phenomenon investigation is not strong," the Nationwide Survey concluded, noting that "only 1 in 10 feel it is very important to dedicate funds to investigate reported sightings."
The report also indicated a "limited degree of real alarm" among Canadians regarding UFOs. When asked about the source of unidentified aerial phenomena, ten percent attributed them to aliens.
Other responses included "the weather" (5%), "foreign governments" (4%), drones, satellites, or weather balloons (4%), "my government" (3%), and "the military" (3%).
Furthermore, only 10% strongly agreed with the statement, "This represents an issue for flight safety in Canada."
https://www.westernstandard.news/canadian/chief-science-advisor-had-7-staffers-investigate-ufos/64969