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'Cosmic miracle!' James Webb Space Telescope discovers the earliest galaxy ever seen
Fri, May 30, 2025 at 2:00 PM PDT
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) excels at a lot of things, but there are two things it does better than any other scientific instrument in human history: spotting early galaxies and breaking its own records!
Now, the $10 billion NASA space telescope has done both things again, detecting a galaxy that existed just 280 million years after the Big Bang, a feat that the team behind this research has dubbed a "cosmic miracle."
Currently, as the earliest and most distant galaxy ever detected, this "the mother of all early galaxies," this new JWST discovery has been fittingly designated "MoM z14."
"First and foremost, at the moment, this is the most distant object known to humanity.
That title changes every so often, but I find it is always cause for pause and reflection," team member and Yale University professor of Astronomy and Physics Pieter van Dokkum told Space.com.
"MoM z14 existed when the universe was about 280 million years old - we're getting quite close to the Big Bang.
"Just to put that in context, sharks have been around on Earth for a longer timespan!"
The JWST is seeing red again
Since it began sending data back to Earth in the summer of 2022, the JWST has excelled in detecting galaxies at so-called "high redshifts."
Redshift refers to the phenomenon of the wavelength of light from distant and thus early sources being stretched and shifted toward the "red end" of the electromagnetic spectrum as it traverses expanding space.
The earlier and thus further away an object is, the greater the redshift.
Prior to the discovery of MoM z14, the galaxy holding the title of earliest and distant was JADES-GS-z14-0, which existed just 300 million years after the Big Bang, or around 13.5 billion years ago.
This previous record galaxy has a redshift of z =14.32, while MoM z14 has a redshift of z = 14.44.
What do we know about the mother of all early galaxies?
There is a wider context to the observation of MoM z14 than the fact that it has broken the record for earliest known galaxy by 20 million years, though, as van Dokkum explained.
"The broader story here is that JWST was not expected to find any galaxies this early in the history of the universe, at least not at this stage of the mission," van Dokkum said.
"There are, very roughly, over 100 more relatively bright galaxies in the very early universe than were expected based on pre-JWST observations."
Also, in addition to detecting this new, earliest, and most distant galaxy, the team was able to determine some of its characteristics using the JWST.
The researchers were able to determine that MoM z14 is around 50 times smaller than the Milky Way. The team also measured emission lines from the galaxy, indicating the presence of elements like nitrogen and carbon.
"The emission lines are unusual; it indicates that the galaxy is very young, with a rapidly increasing rate of forming new stars," van Dokkum said.
"There are also indications that there is not much neutral hydrogen gas surrounding the galaxy, which would be surprising: the very early universe is expected to be filled with neutral hydrogen.
"That needs even better spectra and more galaxies, to investigate more fully."
The presence of carbon and nitrogen in MoM z14 indicates that there are earlier galaxies to be discovered than this 13.52 billion-year-old example.
That is because the very earliest galaxies in the universe and their stars were filled with the simplest elements in the cosmos, hydrogen and helium.
Later galaxies would be populated by these heavier elements, which astronomers somewhat confusingly call "metal," as their stars forged them and then dispersed them in supernova explosions.
"MoM z14 is not one of the very first objects that formed in the universe, as the stars in those galaxies are composed of hydrogen and helium only - we would not see carbon or nitrogen," van Dokkum said.
"It could be part of the first wave of formation of 'normal' galaxies, that is, the first galaxies that have elements like nitrogen and carbon - but we've thought that before!"
https://www.yahoo.com/news/cosmic-miracle-james-webb-space-210000747.html
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.11263
Space Is the Most Undervalued Industry In the World
May 31, 2025
The most undervalued industry in the world is the space industry. It is particularly unappreciated in Europe, which has now fallen hopelessly behind the United States and China.
The US carried out 153 launches last year, China 68 and Europe three.
The science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke wrote back in 1977: “The impact of satellites on the entire human race will be at least the same impact as the advent of the telephone in so-called developed societies”.
And he was right. Satellite mega-constellations such as Starlink, Qianfan, Kuiper, and Sat Net will ensure that the third of the world’s population that does not currently have access to the internet will soon be connected – with far-reaching economic implications.
CNBC has called space “Wall Street’s next trillion-dollar industry”, and according to a study by the World Economic Forum in April 2024, the space economy is expected to be worth USD 1.8 trillion by 2035.
Morgan Stanley expects a space-based business to create the world’s first trillionaire. Following the moon landings at the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, manned space flight in the U.S. all but stalled, largely due to political interference.
Each new president came to office with new ideas and new priorities, and contracts were too often awarded or simply cancelled on blatantly political grounds.
NASA’s space shuttle program failed to live up to expectations. Despite the substantial investments made in the International Space Station (ISS), questions remain as to whether the money was spent wisely.
And the launch costs, measured as the cost of getting one kilogram of payload into space, more or less stagnated for almost four decades.
It was private companies that achieved the breakthrough, driving launch costs down by approximately 80%. And this is just the beginning. Space exploration once again proves the superiority of capitalism.
The space race between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1960s has now been replaced by a contest between the United States and China.
But there is one crucial difference: during the original space race, the U.S. and USSR space programs were both state-led.
Yes, private companies also built rockets for the Apollo program, but those companies were given strict and narrow guidelines by the state space agency NASA, which told them exactly how to construct a rocket and led to high costs as the companies followed NASA’s instructions meticulously. Through cost-plus programs, there was not the slightest incentive to reduce costs; instead, the companies were incentivized to increase costs.
The relationship between NASA and private companies has changed dramatically in recent years. Elon Musk insisted on fixed prices and instead of telling SpaceX what to build, NASA specified what services it wanted to buy.
The result: of 261 space missions worldwide in 2024, 134 were launched by SpaceX. If SpaceX were a country, it would by far surpass the second-largest country in the world, China, which registered 68 launches.
Even today, private space travel is hampered by superfluous regulations and government interference, particularly in Europe, but also in the United States.
I suspect that a key reason for Elon Musk’s foray into politics is that he wanted to find a way to liberate private space companies from the growing bureaucratic burdens in the U.S.
The outcome of the new space race – whether China or the United States emerges victorious – will largely depend on which country grants more freedom to the growth of private space exploration.
Currently, the United States is well ahead, but it would be dangerous to underestimate developments in China, which is also reducing its reliance on an exclusively public sector space program and is increasingly involving private companies.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2025/05/31/space_is_the_most_undervalued_industry_in_the_world_1113640.html
https://kfor.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/817558447/titans-space-industries-appoints-space-training-experts-dr-vladimir-pletser-and-dr-mindy-howard-to-advisory-board/
Titans Space Industries Appoints Space Training Experts Dr. Vladimir Pletser and Dr. Mindy Howard to Advisory Board
May 30, 2025, 1:22 PM ET
Titans Space Industries Inc. (TSI), an innovator in commercial space exploration and cis-lunar infrastructure development, today announced the appointments of renowned space training experts Dr. Vladimir Pletser (PhD, MSc, MEng) and Dr. Mindy Howard (PhD, MSc.) to its Advisory Board.
They join recently appointed veteran NASA astronaut Bill McArthur, TSI’s Chief Astronaut and Missions Commander, forming a powerhouse trio to guide the comprehensive training and preparation of all TSI astronauts.
These strategic appointments underscore TSI's commitment to assembling world-class expertise to support its ambitious upcoming missions, including the development of its lunar base, Titania Lunar, and its unique "Inaugural Astronauts" and "Titans Astronauts" programs.
Bringing Together Expertise
Dr. Mindy Howard played a key role in strengthening TSI’s advisory leadership by introducing Dr. Vladimir Pletser to the organization.
Recognizing the critical importance of combining physical and psychological astronaut training, Dr. Howard advocated for Vladimir’s unparalleled operational training expertise, which perfectly complements TSI’s mission objectives.
This strategic connection has ensured that TSI benefits from a seamless integration of world-class training methodologies spanning all aspects of astronaut development.
Dr. Vladimir Pletser
Dr. Vladimir Pletser (PhD, MSc, MEng) will be instrumental in assisting TSI Chief Astronaut Bill McArthur in developing the physical and operational training of TSI astronauts, including R&D and E&D astronauts, as well as career astronauts.
Dr Pletser holds a MEng in space systems, an MSc in space geodesy and a PhD in Astrophysics. He brings tremendous training experience from his extensive career.
He managed the European Space Agency’s (ESA) aircraft parabolic flight program, where he logged 7,380 parabolas equivalent to 26 Earth orbits, plus 53 minutes and 50 minutes at Mars and Moon gravity levels, holding the official Guinness World Record for the number of aircraft (14) on which he flew parabolas.
He was involved in more than a thousand experiments in physical and life sciences, and he developed scientific instruments for microgravity research in physical and life sciences for missions on Spacelab and the International Space Station.
Dr. Pletser trained NASA and European astronauts for parabolic flights and Spacelab missions.
Astronaut Candidate for Belgium, he took part in three Mars mission simulation campaigns in the Arctic and twice in the Utah Desert, and as Crew Commander on his last campaign.
Dr. Pletser will fly as a selected astronaut and trainer on TSI’s inaugural orbital spaceplane mission in March 2029 and to the Titans OrbitalPort Space Station (TOPSS) in Q4-2029, and frequently thereafter.
Dr. Mindy Howard
Dr. Mindy Howard (PhD, MSc) will lead the development and implementation of TSI’s astronaut mental preparedness training programs, bringing a vital and visionary dimension to the training of Titans Space astronauts.
She will also contribute directly to the broader astronaut training program, working alongside Chief Astronaut Bill McArthur and the TSI leadership team.
An American-Dutch national with a PhD and MSc in Industrial Engineering, specializing in Human Factors Engineering, Dr. Howard is a former NASA 'Highly Qualified Astronaut Candidate' and a global authority on mental preparedness for spaceflight.
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Dr. Howard is the founder of Inner Space Training, the world’s first dedicated mental preparedness training program for commercial astronauts.
She is also the founder and CEO of the Cosmic Girls Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of female astronauts, as well as the author of Blast Off! Train Like an Astronaut for Success on Earth and a TEDx speaker.
Underscoring her pivotal role in Titans Space’s long-term mission, Dr. Howard has been selected to fly as both astronaut and trainer on TSI’s inaugural orbital spaceplane mission in March 2029, and will continue her work aboard the Titans OrbitalPort Space Station from Q4-2029.
In her advisory capacity, Dr. Howard will collaborate closely with Chief Astronaut Bill McArthur, Dr. Pletser, and the broader TSI leadership to shape the psychological readiness strategies essential for sustaining peak performance in space.
These comprehensive training programs, encompassing physical, operational, and psychological preparedness, will be delivered through the newly established Titans Space Academy.
The Academy will serve as the central hub for astronaut development, offering state-of-the-art facilities for in-person and hybrid training models, as well as coordinating crucial off-site expeditions and analog missions to simulate various space environments.
A key focus for Pletser and Dr. Howard, in collaboration with McArthur, will be the development of a specific tailored training regime for the Titans Astronauts.
These individuals, paying $25M per person for unlimited access to space, are the first frequent space travelers and crucial enablers of space travel for the masses.
They will be actively helping build TSI’s lunar base, Titania Lunar, and are as such among the greatest adventurers of all time.
All TSI astronauts will be involved from the beginning in the design philosophy of the TSI vehicles for the multi-vehicle cis-lunar transportation infrastructure.
Introducing Two New, Specialized Astronaut Categories
A cornerstone of TSI's innovative approach is the introduction of two new, specialized astronaut categories designed to meet the evolving demands of in-space commerce and infrastructure expansion: Research and Development (R&D) Astronauts and Expedition & Development (E&D) Astronauts.
The R&D Astronauts will focus on pioneering scientific discovery, conducting cutting-edge experiments, and advancing new space technologies in microgravity, encompassing professionals from diverse scientific fields.
These astronauts will be instrumental in validating experimental technologies and collaborating on research with partners on Earth, utilizing TSI's spaceplanes for short-duration work and its space stations or lunar facilities for long-term investigations.
Complementing this, the E&D Astronauts are the designated builders of TSI's ambitious future, tasked with the hands-on construction, assembly, deployment, and maintenance of vital in-space and lunar infrastructure.
Their responsibilities will range from building lunar habitats and establishing facilities for sustained lunar presence to potentially constructing large-scale systems like space-based solar power.
These E&D specialists will integrate with TSI teams on Earth before their missions, ensuring seamless translation of blueprints into tangible structures in space.
Both new astronaut roles, along with TSI's career astronauts, are designed to establish new global standards in space human capital, with pathways for high-performing R&D and E&D specialists to transition into career astronaut roles, all while contributing to TSI’s multi-vehicle cis-lunar transportation infrastructure from the design phase.
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A fireball over desert mountains
May 30, 2025
What is it?
A bright meteor, also called a fireball, is seen falling into Earth's atmosphere.
From the perspective of the camera, it appears in the sky above the dome of Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Where is it?
Kitt Peak National Observatory is in the Sonoran Desert, in Tucson, Arizona.
The area was chosen for its access to dark skies and its altitude — over a mile (2.1 kilometers) above sea level — placing the telescope above most of our planet's thick atmosphere.
Why is it amazing?
According to NOIRLab (National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory), which, like, Kitt Peak is a project of the National Science Foundation, a meteor streak has to be brighter than how the planets appear in the sky (an apparent magnitude of –4 or brighter) to be considered a "fireball."
https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/a-fireball-over-desert-mountains-space-photo-of-the-day-for-may-30-2025
FAA requires SpaceX to investigate Starship Flight 9 mishap
May 30, 2025
SpaceX needs to figure out what happened on the ninth test flight of its Starship megarocket, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decreed.
Flight 9, which lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas on Tuesday (May 27), ended in the destruction of both of Starship's stages — its Super Heavy booster and Ship upper stage (which is also sometimes known, somewhat confusingly, as Starship).
But the FAA, which grants launch licenses for U.S. operators, is only concerned about one of those explosive events.
"The mishap investigation is focused only on the loss of the Starship vehicle, which did not complete its launch or reentry as planned," FAA officials wrote in an update today (May 30).
"The FAA determined that the loss of the Super Heavy booster is covered by one of the approved test induced damage exceptions requested by SpaceX for certain flight events and system components," the agency explained.
"The FAA evaluated each exception prior to launch approval and verified they met public safety requirements."
SpaceX broke new ground on Flight 9, reusing a Super Heavy for the first time ever. This particular booster first flew on Flight 7 in January, acing its engine burn and then returning to Starbase for a successful and dramatic catch by the launch tower's "chopstick" arms.
The company did not attempt another catch on Flight 9. It conducted a variety of experiments with the booster, including bringing it down to Earth on a higher "angle of attack" to increase atmospheric drag.
So, for safety's sake, SpaceX steered Super Heavy toward a "hard splashdown" in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. This didn't quite work out, however.
"Contact with the booster was lost shortly after the start of landing burn when it experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly approximately 6 minutes after launch, bringing an end to the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster," SpaceX wrote in a Flight 9 recap.
Ship had an even harder time on Flight 9. The upper stage was supposed to make a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia about 65 minutes after launch, but it suffered an "attitude control error" that prevented the vehicle from getting into the proper orientation for reentry.
"Starship then went through an automated safing process to vent the remaining pressure to place the vehicle in the safest condition for reentry," SpaceX wrote in the recap.
"Contact with Starship was lost approximately 46 minutes into the flight, with all debris expected to fall within the planned hazard area in the Indian Ocean."
This was still a considerable improvement over Ship's performance on its previous two liftoffs. On both Flight 7 and Flight 8 (which launched in March), Ship was lost less than 10 minutes after liftoff, raining debris down over the Atlantic.
There have been no reports of injuries or damage to public property as a result of the Flight 9 mishap, according to the FAA. There were also minimal effects on flights in U.S. airspace — an improvement over the previous two Starship launches.
"The FAA activated a Debris Response Area, out of an abundance of caution, when the Super Heavy booster experienced its anomaly over the Gulf of America during its flyback toward Texas," FAA officials wrote.
"The FAA subsequently determined the debris did not fall outside of the hazard area," they added. "During the event, there were zero departure delays, one flight was diverted, and one airborne flight was held for 24 minutes."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/faa-requires-spacex-to-investigate-starship-flight-9-mishap
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/statements/general-statements
Why is the European Space Agency beaming a waltz at NASA's Voyager 1 probe this weekend?
May 30, 2025
With its sweeping tempo and ethereal melody, Austrian composer Johann Strauss II's "The Blue Danube" waltz has become synonymous with outer space and science fiction ever since it was chosen by Stanley Kubrick for 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Now "The Blue Danube" waltz with its whirling orbital rhythms will truly become the music of the cosmos when the European Space Agency broadcasts the lilting classical piece into deep space in celebration of the agency's 50th anniversary this year, in addition to the bicentennial of Johann Strauss II's birth in 1825.
Performed by the Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony Orchestra), this definitive anthem of space and sci-fi will be transmitted towards NASA's Voyager 1 probe by ESA's 35-meter Deep Space Antenna in Cebreros, Spain.
Space fans and music lovers can watch an entire 15-minute livestream on the event's official website and on their YouTube or Instagram Channel regardless of your location, starting at 3:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT) on Saturday (May 31).
Known in its native German as "An der schönen blauen Donau" which translates into "By the Beautiful Blue Danube," the sublime composition's 13,743 notes are being broadcast into the interstellar void on a mission that "is both a tribute to the past and a testament to the future – a Viennese Waltz that will echo through space forever," according to the event's website.
Composed by Strauss in 1866 as a consolatory gift to the Viennese people after defeat in the Austro-Prussian War, "The Blue Danube" was conceived from a poem describing the Danube River by Karl Isidor Beck that contained the phrase "beautiful blue Danube."
It's one of the most widely recognized pieces of classical music in the world, partly due to its Hollywood history, its associations with space, and being a universally-loved audience favorite in concert halls around the globe.
In a pivotal transition scene from director Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus "2001: A Space Odyssey," the film cuts from a twirling bone during the dawn of early humans to an orbiting nuclear weapons platform in the future as the camera follows a needle-nosed Pan Am spaceship drifting towards a gently turning space station.
The tune continues on as another shuttle docks at the Clavius moonbase built on the lunar surface.
Fans also might recall "The Blue Danube Waltz" being employed in an episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer opens a smuggled bag of potato chips ("Careful, they're ruffled!") inside a space shuttle and proceeds to catch floating chips in his mouth along to the swaying melody of the Strauss melody.
The King of Waltz's iconic musical masterpiece wasn't included in NASA's Voyager space probes' Golden Records launched into space back in 1977, but this Waltz into Space aimed at Voyager 1 will correct that glaring oversight.
Currently, Voyager 1 is traveling 15.4 billion miles (24.8 billion kilometers) from Earth, taking this celebratory signal roughly 23 hours and 3 minutes to reach the historic spacecraft.
https://www.space.com/entertainment/why-is-the-european-space-agency-beaming-a-waltz-at-nasas-voyager-1-probe-this-weekend
https://space.vienna.info/en-US
Climate scientists are hosting a 100-hour YouTube livestream in response to Trump's research funding cuts
May 30, 2025
More than 200 climate and weather scientists from across the U.S. are taking part in a marathon livestream on YouTube, planning to share their scientific work and answer questions from viewers for a grand total of 100 hours over the course of five days.
The event is non-partisan, and aims to prove the value of climate science in light of the Trump administration's funding cuts to organizations like NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The stream kicked off on Wednesday (May 28( at 1 pm ET (1700 GMT), starting with scientists documenting their last few hours at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) as the office was shuttered.
It will run until 5:30 pm ET (2130 GMT) on Sunday (June 1), which marks the official start of hurricane season in the U.S.
Margaret Duffy, whose research focuses on atmospheric responses to global warming, first caught wind of the event in late April when Jonah Bloch-Johnson, a collaborator and fellow climate scientist, messaged her with a wild idea.
"It was basically to do a marathon livestream," she told Space.com. "I think I responded within minutes." Now, Duffy is one of about a dozen organizers behind the stream.
"We just immediately started reaching out to every contact we knew," Marc Alessi, another livestream organizer and a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Space.com.
The team's efforts were successful. The marathon stream features mini-lectures, panels and question-and-answer sessions with hundreds of scientists, each speaking in their capacity as private citizens rather than on behalf of any institution.
These include talks from former National Weather Service directors, Britney Schmidt, a groundbreaking glacier researcher, and legendary meteorologist John Morales. In its first 30 hours, the stream got over 77,000 views.
Ultimately, the goal of the event is to give members of the public the chance to learn more about meteorology and climate science in an informal setting — and for free.
"We really felt like the American public deserves to know what we do," Duffy said. However, many of the speakers and organizers also hope the transference of this knowledge will spur people to take action.
The event's website features a link to 5 Calls, an organization that makes it easy for folks to contact their representatives in Congress about the importance of funding climate and weather research.
The current administration has already gutted thousands of federal jobs and slashed millions of dollars in climate funding — and Congress is eyeing further cuts, which some experts fear will spell disaster.
"There's a difference between pruning your flowers and taking a chainsaw and just cutting through the entire garden," meteorologist Alan Sealls said on the livestream.
The loss of federal funding for meteorology can (and likely will) have dire consequences.
For example, many U.S. farmers rely on tools like the US Drought Monitor — a collaboration between NOAA, USDA and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — to predict if and when their crops will get rain.
Coastal communities rely on NOAA's hurricane forecasts to know whether to evacuate during a storm. And countless US citizens depend on predictions provided by the National Weather Service to help plan their daily lives.
In addition to short-term forecasting, the cuts could seriously damage global climate research. As the world warms, we are increasingly entering uncharted climate territory.
The models developed by climatologists and other researchers will prove invaluable in helping humanity cope with dangers like sea level rise, extreme heatwaves and increasingly frequent tornadoes.
"These talks serve as a reminder of the fact that the American public has invested in weather and climate research for decades," said Alessi. "This is not something new."
The livestream is available to watch on YouTube. Full sessions from each day will be available on the Weather & Climate Livestream's channel archives while the event lasts, and shorter clips from individual lectures will be made available after June 1.
https://www.space.com/science/climate-change/climate-scientists-are-hosting-a-100-hour-youtube-livestream-in-response-to-trumps-research-funding-cuts
https://www.youtube.com/@wclivestream
https://spacenews.com/nasa-budget-would-cancel-dozens-of-science-missions-lay-off-thousands/
NASA budget would cancel dozens of science missions, lay off thousands
May 30, 2025
NASA released more information about its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget May 30, outlining new investments in exploration at the expense of canceling dozens of science missions and cutting thousands of jobs.
The documents provide greater detail about the top-level budget proposal from what the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) disclosed in its “skinny” budget released four weeks earlier.
NASA published the budget documents on its website late on a Friday with no fanfare and without the traditional budget briefing by agency leadership.
That top-level budget of $18.8 billion would be a cut of about a quarter from the nearly $24.9 billion it received in fiscal year 2025.
That is the sharpest year-over-year cut proposed for NASA and would bring the agency’s budget down to levels last seen in 1961 when corrected for inflation.
With the budget cuts will come jobs cuts at NASA. A table in the budget document notes that NASA has 17,391 direct-funded civil servants in fiscal year 2025, but that would drop to 11,853 under the fiscal year 2026 proposal, a cut of one-third.
The document does not go into detail about the cuts, with only passing references to “workforce impacts” and “workforce reshaping efforts.”
Dozens of canceled missions
The documents confirm steep cuts in NASA’s science programs. NASA is proposing $3.9 billion for all of NASA science in fiscal year 2026, a 47% cut from what the agency received in 2025.
Those reductions come in large part from canceling many science missions still in development or in extended operations after completing their primary missions.
Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, said in an interview that more than 40 science projects, including standalone missions and contributions to other missions, were zeroed out in the budget.
“It’s generally pretty much what we expected,” he said, based on the figures previously released.
Those cuts include the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, which the skinny budget highlighted for cancellation, and Landsat Next, a future Earth observation program that was the other science mission mentioned in the skinny budget.
NASA will instead work to restructure Landsat Next in unspecified ways through a separate program, Sustainable Land Imaging.
In Earth science, the budget proposes to cancel missions in the Earth System Observatory line of missions recommended by the most recent decadal survey other than GRACE-Continuity, the latest in a series of missions to monitor the planet’s gravity field.
Some extended missions would also be affected, such as the CYGNSS satellites used for studying tropical cyclones, and some smaller venture-class missions in developed would be terminated.
In addition to MSR, the budget proposes to end funding for the Mars Odyssey and MAVEN missions orbiting Mars.
It would also cancel NASA’s support for the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover mission, where NASA agreed to provide thrusters, radioisotope heating units and a launch vehicle.
Other planetary science missions that the proposal seeks to cancel include DAVINCI and VERITAS, two Discovery-class missions to Venus selected four years ago. NASA would also terminate its participation in ESA’s EnVision mission to Venus.
The budget terminates several planetary science missions in extended operations, including Juno, New Horizons and OSIRIS-APEX, the repurposed OSIRIS-REX spacecraft headed to the near Earth asteroid Apophis.
In astrophysics, NASA will continue development of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, contrary to a OMB “passback” budget document in April.
However, it proposes $156.6 million for Roman, less than half the $376.5 mission that NASA projected spending on the mission in 2026 in its fiscal year 2025 budget request.
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“NASA is actively evaluating cost-saving strategies and identifying schedule optimization opportunities to enable the mission to proceed with this reduced funding level,” the budget document said.
The Planetary Society’s Dreier noted it’s not clear whether costs could be saved at this point, since the telescope is far along in its development and currently on track for a launch as soon as the fall of 2026.
The budget would terminate many ongoing astrophysics missions, including the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and Fermi.
It would cancel the Astrophysics Probe program, which was studying concepts for a billion-dollar space telescope, as well as smaller Explorer-class missions in development such as the Compton Spectrometer and Imager as well as Ultraviolet Explorer.
The heliophysics budget proposal would also end funding for several ongoing missions, like Magnetospheric Multiscale, and reduce funding for others.
NASA’s biological and physical sciences division would see its budget cut by more than two-thirds, from $87 million to $25 million, “to support higher priorities within the agency.”
Dreier said he was surprised some missions were included, like MAVEN, Juno and New Horizons, given their scientific performance and, in the case of MAVEN, providing communication services at Mars.
He noted that the budget would effectively end production of plutonium-238 needed for missions in the outer solar system as well as heating units on other spacecraft.
New exploration initiatives
The steep cuts to NASA science, as well as in space operations, space technology and several other areas, contrast with new initiatives in exploration.
As disclosed in the skinny budget, NASA seeks to cancel the lunar Gateway and end the Space Launch System and Orion after the Artemis 3 mission.
The budget instead includes $864 million for a new “Commercial Moon to Mars (M2M) Infrastructure and Transportation Program.”
That would go towards developing a commercial system to replace SLS/Orion as well as early work on “a space suit appropriate for use by astronauts on the Martian surface.”
The program will also fund lunar and Martian relay satellites and be the new home of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, currently hosted by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.
The budget overall offers more than $1 billion for projects associated with human Mars exploration.
That amount includes $200 million mission for “a near-term entry, descent, and landing demonstration for a human-class Mars lander” and another $200 million for commercial payload deliveries to Mars.
The budget documents, though, provide few specifics about those new initiatives.
Reaction
Dreier said that The Planetary Society has seen a strong response to the proposed cuts in the skinny budget and expects the detailed budget to amplify those concerns.
“There’s definitely a lot of significant concern about what this does to the workforce,” he said. That budget will go to Congress, where even Republican members are expected to push back against the cuts.
Dreier said he has heard from even Republican offices on Capitol Hill that the budget is “dead on arrival.”
“No one is eager to cut NASA science. No one is out there openly defending and saying that this is a great idea,” he said. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) also criticized the cuts in a statement late May 30.
“The proposed budget falls short, making heavy-handed cuts to mission-critical programs that could jeopardize our space leadership,” said Eric Fanning, president and CEO of AIA.
The organization recommended that NASA be funded at an overall level of $25.6 billion or more in 2026.
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Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink goes on Space Warfighting Immersion Tour
May 30, 2025
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) – Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink visited with Space Operation Command (SpOC) at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, May 28, 2025, for a firsthand look at the Space Force’s operational capabilities and integrated mission support.
During the visit, Guardians and Airmen from various units within SpOC demonstrated their combat readiness and warrior ethos, providing Meink with in-depth briefings on several core mission areas.
These included Space Domain Awareness; Electromagnetic Warfare; Missile Warning; Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting; Orbital Warfare; and Positioning, Navigation and Timing.
The tour also highlighted the vital support functions delivered by U.S. Air Force personnel in sustaining joint space operations.
Meink’s engagement underscored the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to advancing space superiority and ensuring strategic integration across all domains.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4202016/secretary-of-the-air-force-troy-meink-goes-on-space-warfighting-immersion-tour/
Russian satellite with suspected weapon maneuvers near US space asset, sparks fear
May 31, 2025 04:07 AM EST
In an increasingly contested orbital domain, a recent series of maneuvers by a Russian satellite near a critical U.S. government asset has significantly heightened international concerns.
This activity is sparking renewed fears that Moscow may be developing and deploying co-orbital anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, despite Russia’s consistent claims that these spacecraft are intended solely for space monitoring and inspection.
Russia’s orbital activity prompts scrutiny
According to U.S. Space Command, a recently launched Russian satellite has entered an orbit near a U.S. government spacecraft.
The agency noted that Russia continues to pursue a range of counterspace capabilities that pose risks to the safety and stability of the space domain.
As with all objects in orbit, U.S. Space Command says it will closely monitor the satellite for any potentially concerning behavior, Breaking Defense reports.
The Russian satellite Cosmos 2588, launched on May 23, was placed in a coplanar orbit with USA 338 — a satellite widely believed to be part of the National Reconnaissance Office’s KH-series electro-optical surveillance network, known as the Crystal constellation.
Independent satellite tracker Bart Hendrix was the first to report the launch and orbital characteristics of Cosmos 2588 on the NASA SpaceFlight Forum, a hub where space enthusiasts and amateur astronomers collaborate to analyze new satellite activity.
Dutch astronomer Marco Langbroek later noted on the forum that the satellite appears to be following a trajectory similar to two earlier Cosmos missions, indicating it may have been purpose-built as an anti-satellite (ASAT) platform.
Recent Russian Cosmos satellites differ from the U.S. military’s mobile GSSAP spacecraft, which maneuver to inspect others in orbit. Instead, these Russian satellites remain largely fixed in position, closely shadowing U.S. government satellites thought to belong to the KH-series reconnaissance fleet.
Tracking data suggests satellite may carry kinetic weapon
U.S. satellite tracking company Slingshot Aerospace shared a tracking image of Cosmos 2588 on LinkedIn Thursday.
Based on open-source data from Seradata, Cosmos 2588 is believed to be a NIVELIR military inspection satellite potentially equipped with a kinetic weapon.
The satellite appears to be focused on USA 338, which lacks publicly available orbital data. Slingshot suggests that Cosmos 2588 may be tracking this uncatalogued, co-orbital U.S. satellite.
A spokesperson from Slingshot Aerospace told Breaking Defense that in its current orbit, Cosmos 2588 will come within approximately 58 miles of its target.
Because the satellites operate at different altitudes and are not expected to maneuver further, they will pass close to each other about every four days, resulting in repeated fly-bys.
Slingshot Aerospace is closely monitoring Cosmos 2558 and Cosmos 2576—both linked to suspected anti-satellite capabilities—and will keep watch on Cosmos 2588 for any signs of secondary payload deployment.
Although the company hasn’t detailed why it suspects Cosmos 2588 could be a weapon, past patterns have made Western astronomers increasingly cautious.
According to Langbroek, the launch of Cosmos 2588 marks the fourth time in five years that a Russian military satellite has been placed in a co-orbital path with a U.S. optical reconnaissance satellite.
Previous cases include Kosmos 2542/2543 with USA 245, Kosmos 2558 with USA 326, and Kosmos 2576 with USA 314.
While the first incident resembled an inspector mission, the more recent patterns suggest a possible strategy of positioning dormant co-orbital anti-satellite weapons.
https://interestingengineering.com/military/russian-satellite-weapon-maneuvers-us-asset
Kremlin fabricated story on Putin’s near-miss with Ukrainian drones, Moscow Times reports
May 31, 2025 2:34 AM
Claims of Russian President Vladimir Putin's helicopter being "at the epicenter" of a Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk Oblast were reportedly fabricated by the Kremlin, the Moscow Times reported on May 30, citing four Russian government sources.
A Russian military commander claimed on May 20 that Putin's helicopter was subject to a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia's Kursk Oblast, as Putin made his first known visit to the region since Moscow claimed its recapture.
"We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight," Yury Dashkin, commander of an air defense division, said, as cited by the Russian news agency RBC on May 25.
"The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack."
Multiple sources in the Kremlin told the Moscow Times that Russia's Defense Ministry had disseminated the story to Russian-state media as a means to make Putin appear as though he "shares the danger" of the war, in an attempt to garner support for the Russian president by painting him as more closely involved in the fighting.
Despite the claims, Putin's visit to Kursk Oblast was conducted in secrecy, with Russian-state media reporting on the trip after it had concluded, according to the Moscow Times.
"President Putin himself is suffering, struggling, and even risking his own life. Your problems are trivial. You must grit your teeth and endure," a government official told the Moscow Times, in describing the Kremlin's motivation behind the staging.
The reportedly fabricated story comes as Kyiv has ramped up its attack on Moscow, launching hundreds of Ukrainian kamikaze drones towards the Russian capital.
While none have appeared to have reached Moscow, the attacks have caused significant disruptions to commuter air traffic.
Ukrainian drones have forced at least 218 temporary airport closures across Russia since Jan. 1, independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on May 14, citing data from Russia's state aviation agency Rosaviatsia.
During his visit to Kursk, Putin met with Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein, heads of local municipalities, and members of volunteer organizations.
He also visited the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, the Kremlin's press service said. The exact date of the visit was not revealed at the time of publication.
Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, marking the first large-scale invasion of Russian territory by foreign forces since World War II.
The operation aimed to disrupt a planned Russian offensive on the neighboring Sumy Oblast and draw Russian forces away from the embattled Donetsk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the Moscow Times' reporting or claims made about the alleged attack.
https://kyivindependent.com/kremlin-staged-putins-near-miss-with-ukrainian-drones-moscow-times-reports/
Drones hit alleged Russian military positions in Kursk amid threats of new offensive from this direction
31/05/2025
Drones struck multiple locations in Russia’s Kursk Oblast on the border with Ukraine during the night of 31 May, with various media reports suggesting the attacks targeted positions housing Russian military personnel.
The strikes hit the city of Rylsk and the Lgov district, with acting Kursk governor Alexander Khinshtein claiming the attacks hit residential areas.
However, the Russian media outlet Pepel reported that the drones specifically targeted locations where Russian soldiers were stationed, information that Ukrainian OSINT resources have corroborated.
According to Khinshtein, the attacks in Rylsk involved drones striking two five-story apartment buildings, causing fires that spread between units and damaged building facades.
In the village of Artakovo in Lgov district, the strikes hit a garage and two other structures, which subsequently caught fire. The attacks resulted in 14 injured people across both locations.
Russian authorities have attributed the drone strikes to Ukraine, though official representatives in Kyiv have not yet issued any statement regarding the incidents.
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/05/31/drones-hit-alleged-russian-military-positions-in-kursk-amid-threats-of-new-offensive-from-this-direction/
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1928714064831914093
Local Hezbollah rocket unit commander killed in south Lebanon drone strike, IDF says
May 31, 2025 2:02 pm
A local Hezbollah commander in charge of a rocket unit was killed in a drone strike in southern Lebanon overnight, the Israel Defense Forces said Saturday.
According to the military, the strike near Deir ez-Zahrani killed Muhammad Ali Jamoul, the commander of Hezbollah’s rocket unit in the Beaufort Castle area.
The IDF said Jamoul had advanced numerous rocket attacks on Israel during the war and was recently involved in attempting to restore Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.
His actions “constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the military added.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) said a man was killed when an Israeli drone targeted his car as he was heading to pray at a mosque in Deir ez-Zahrani, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Israeli border.
During the ongoing ceasefire in Lebanon, the IDF has continued to strike Hezbollah operatives and sites it says violate the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
Since the start of the ceasefire, the IDF says it has killed over 180 Hezbollah operatives, including 38 senior commanders and another 28 lower-ranking officers in the terror group.
The November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting, including some two months of open war, between Israel and Hezbollah.
The fighting began on October 8, 2023, when the Iran-backed terror group started attacking Israel daily with missiles and drones in support of Hamas.
Under the terms of the deal, Israel was obligated to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon under the ceasefire.
It pulled out from all but five strategic posts located several hundred meters inside Lebanon, which it says are necessary to defend Israeli communities.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Lebanon’s army has dismantled most of Hezbollah’s posts and weapons stockpile in the country’s south, with the help of Israeli intelligence passed along by the US, with Israeli and American officials said to be pleasantly surprised by the progress.
But the report, which also cited Arab officials, noted that the army still faces the challenge of completing the job and implementing its plan to disarm the Iran-backed terror group and assert control over the entire country.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/local-hezbollah-rocket-unit-commander-killed-in-south-lebanon-drone-strike-idf-says/
Aid ship to set sail for Gaza despite drone attack on similar mission
Update: Saturday, 31 May 2025 2:12 PM
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s (FFC) next ship, Madleen, is scheduled to depart for Gaza on Sunday, as part of the group’s ongoing effort to break the Israeli regime’s “illegal blockade” of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, best known for his role in Game of Thrones and his vocal support for Palestinian rights, are among the prominent figures joining the mission.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese took to her X page to express concern for the participants, writing, “Stay safe, my friends. I am painfully aware of the risks you are taking on behalf of all of us—of Humanity.”
She further called on global leaders to ensure the flotilla’s safety. “Diplomats and politicians around the world: The Flotilla Giants are taking the heavy lift. PLEASE make sure they are protected, will you? This is the least you can do,” she added.
The mission follows a previous attempt that ended with a flotilla being targeted in a drone attack, raising renewed alarm over the safety of such humanitarian voyages.
Joining the mission are other prominent figures, including Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian-American attorney and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; Dr. Mohammed Mustafa, a British-Australian emergency physician based in Perth; and Ann Wright, a retired US Army colonel and former US diplomat.
The passenger list also includes Yasemin Acar, a Turkish human rights advocate; Nicole Jenes, a producer and activist; Brazilian campaigner Thiago Ávila; and Zohar Chamberlain Regev, a flotilla organiser based in Spain.
The coalition says the international lineup aims to spotlight its call to end “state terrorism, media silence, and global complicity” in Gaza’s prolonged siege.
Named after Gaza’s only known female fisher in 2014, Madleen has become a symbol of Palestinian resilience. It will carry humanitarian supplies along with a message of international solidarity for Palestinians living under blockade.
The voyage follows last month’s incident in which the FFC’s previous civilian aid ship, Conscience, was struck by Israeli drones in international waters, heightening global concern over the safety of such missions.
The attack on the vessel Conscience, which injured four crew members and, according to the group, violated international law, has drawn a limited response from world governments or major media outlets.
Turkey, however, condemned the strike “in the strongest terms,” vowing to bring those responsible to justice. Six Turkish nationals were aboard the targeted ship.
“This was yet another test on the world’s principles, and once again, the world failed,” said Tan Safi, a volunteer with the coalition. “But we won’t let Israel silence us through violence, or allow Europe’s silence to frighten us.”
The FFC, which brings together volunteers from more than 20 countries, including doctors, teachers, engineers, and artists, says its mission is driven by the belief that “no people should be deliberately starved, maimed, murdered, or forced to suffer.”
The launch of Madleen also marks the 15th anniversary of the deadly Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, in which ten humanitarian activists were killed during a similar attempt to deliver aid to Gaza.
The group is urging civil society, the media, and world governments to demand justice for the drone attack on Conscience and to ensure safe passage for Madleen and future humanitarian missions.
“We will not be deterred. We will not be silenced,” the coalition said. “Gaza must live—and freedom must sail.”
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/05/31/748986/Gaza-bound-aid-ship-to-set-sail-for-Gaza-following-drone-attack-on-earlier-attempt
https://twitter.com/FranceskAlbs/status/1928541270458163464
Punjab Police Conducts Drone Attack on Notorious Gang
May 31, 2025 | 6:29 pm
Punjab Police carried out an intelligence-based targeted operation against notorious criminals in the Kacha area of Rahim Yar Khan, using drones and advanced weaponry.
According to the Punjab Police spokesperson, the operation was based on intelligence reports and aimed at dismantling the hideouts of notorious criminals who have long operated in the region’s difficult terrain.
During the recent operation, police deployed drones to locate and strike gang hideouts. The drone attack resulted in several gang members being injured and their hideouts destroyed, significantly disrupting the criminal network.
The District Police Officer (DPO) of Rahim Yar Khan stated that these intelligence-based operations will continue until the area is fully cleared of criminal elements.
This operation is part of a broader strategy by Punjab Police to modernize their approach to crime control, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas like Kacha.
In September 2024, Punjab Police announced plans to acquire heavy-duty drones capable of carrying and deploying 60mm mortar shells, as well as providing real-time surveillance with high-resolution cameras.
The initial plan includes the purchase of 25 such drones, with a budget of Rs. 35 million allocated for the project.
The summary for acquiring these drones has been submitted to the Federal Ministry of Interior for approval, and the tender process will begin once the No Objection Certificate (NOC) is granted.
https://propakistani.pk/2025/05/31/punjab-police-conducts-drone-attack-on-notorious-gang/
Parker Police Drone Rescues Missing Child in Colorado
May 31, 2025
On May 30, 2025, Parker Police in Colorado used a DJI Matrice drone to locate a missing child, demonstrating the value of aerial technology in search-and-rescue missions.
After ground crews failed to find the child in a remote area, the drone’s bird’s-eye view proved crucial, reflecting a growing reliance on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in public safety.
Drone Technology Boosts Search Efforts
The incident unfolded when a child didn’t return from a playground in Parker, a Denver suburb, reports Fox 31 News.
The Parker Police Department shared in a Facebook post that the family, new to the area, reported the disappearance.
Officers searched local parks and the Cherry Creek Trail, engaging with nearby parents and kids, but the child remained missing.
The department then deployed a drone to expand the search. Its aerial perspective quickly located the child in a remote part of the trail, far from visible paths.
“A Parker resident who moved to a new neighborhood recently experienced every parent’s worst fear: their child didn’t return from a trip to the playground,” the police stated.
They added, “With a view from above, the drone located the child,” highlighting the technology’s ability to navigate challenging terrain.
Impact on Public Safety Operations
This rescue showcases drones’ potential in public safety. Capable of covering large areas quickly, drones can reach speeds of 51 mph and operate at altitudes up to 16,400 feet.
They’re also cost-effective, with operational costs far lower than helicopters, which can run $1,000 per hour. Drones require only battery recharges and minimal upkeep, making them a practical choice for agencies.
The FAA’s Part 107 rules support such operations, often granting waivers for nighttime or beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions, enabling broader use in emergencies.
A 2024 report noted over 1,500 U.S. public safety agencies now use drones, a 40% rise since 2020, signaling a clear trend in the industry.
Looking Ahead for Drone Applications
The Parker case underscores drones’ transformative role in search-and-rescue, offering speed and efficiency over traditional methods.
For drone professionals, it also emphasizes the need for responsible operation in public spaces. As UAS technology advances, its integration into public safety will likely deepen, balancing innovation with privacy and regulatory considerations.
https://dronexl.co/2025/05/31/parker-police-drone-rescues-missing-child-colorado/
Drone Taxi Market Is Booming Worldwide | Wisk, Airbus, Hyundai, Archer
May 31, 2025
HTF MI just released the Global Drone Taxi Market Study, a comprehensive analysis of the market that spans more than 143+ pages and describes the product and industry scope as well as the market prognosis and status for 2025–2032.
The marketization process is being accelerated by the market study’s segmentation by important regions. The market is currently expanding its reach.
Major companies profiled in Drone Taxi Market are:
Joby Aviation, Volocopter, EHang, Lilium, Wisk, Airbus, Hyundai, Archer, Joby Aviation (U.S.), Delta and Uber; Archer Aviation (U.S.), United Airlines and Stellantis, aiming for FAA , Lilium (Germany), Volocopter (Germany), EHang (China), Wisk Aero (U.S.), Vertical Aerospace (UK), Airbus (Netherlands) and Boeing (U.S.), Eve Air Mobility (Embraer), Supernal (Hyundai Motor Group), Bell Textron, and Beta Technologies,
Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Drone Taxi Market:
Chapter 01 – Drone Taxi Executive Summary
Chapter 02 – Market Overview
Chapter 03 – Key Success Factors
Chapter 04 – Global Drone Taxi Market – Pricing Analysis
Chapter 05 – Global Drone Taxi Market Background or History
Chapter 06 – Global Drone Taxi Market Segmentation (e.g. Type, Application)
Chapter 07 – Key and Emerging Countries Analysis Worldwide Drone Taxi Market
Chapter 08 – Global Drone Taxi Market Structure & worth Analysis
Chapter 09 – Global Drone Taxi Market Competitive Analysis & Challenges
Chapter 10 – Assumptions and Acronyms
Chapter 11 – Drone Taxi Market Research Method Drone Taxi
https://www.newstrail.com/drone-taxi-market-is-booming-worldwide-wisk-airbus-hyundai-archer/
https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3644586-global-drone-taxi-market-growth
Solar Storm Coming, Big Flare/CME Aimed At Earth | S0 News
May.31.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQekusHMNRM
https://spaceweathernews.com/
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g4-severe-geomagnetic-storm-watch-effect-2-june-utc-day
Mars Base, Space Ark Activations, and Golden Dome to Shoot Down UFOs
May 31, 2025
Exopolitics Today – The Week in Review
Topics
There’s a massive underground pyramid buried in the Alaskan wilderness. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1926451230278119786
Most people think a vajra is just a religious trinket…. But in the 1930s, British intelligence confiscated one in remote Nepal that wasn’t symbolic at all. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1926631398871379974
JP Update 46 – Space Ark Activations and the Deep State https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1926963054450786807
Tic Tac craft was of terrestrial origin and was being tested against the Navy’s new radar tracking technology in 2004. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1926973614210916420
The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) wasn’t created to investigate UAPs — it was built to sanitize the truth. https://x.com/MikeDisclosure/status/1927870657070588040
Golden Dome is allegedly aimed at developing futurist space based weapons to stop potential ballistic missile attacks against the US/North America https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928027392171463132
Confederation of Planets & Galactic Federation of Worlds – A Contrast in Galactic Conflict Resolution https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928071727906500760
US Navy acknowledges that an official policy of stigma and ridicule of UFOs dated back to the 1950s and the CIA. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928221567852372323
Another former government official has come forward to confirm that crashed UFOs involving NHI have been secretly recovered and photographed.https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928224938332139793
This is an incredible story of ET contact involving Jordan Maxwell that got him started on his unconventional career. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928227711773819294
Jerry Wills describes how he offered to introduce Dr. Steven Greer to Pleiadian ETs in Peru. Greer declined the offer and told Wills not to contact him again. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928270389710332131
Starlink has become so successful that it is now funding future SpaceX missions to Mars. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928365524788072759
Donald Trump was on the verge of sharing some hints of what he was told about life on Mars and an underground base there, but Joe Rogan shut him down in an interview. https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928430599963894139
https://exopolitics.org/mars-base-space-ark-activations-and-golden-dome-to-shoot-down-ufos/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HChYnIfnD2Q
>The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) wasn’t created to investigate UAPs — it was built to sanitize the truth.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
@RepLuna
Clearly, the government has a spending problem. After reviewing our investigations through the Oversight Task Force, I am now convinced that AARO should be defunded.
There is another organization doing a better job than AARO— and they’re offering full transparency.
Defund AARO!
12:59 PM · May 28, 2025
https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1927817024874394038
>US Navy acknowledges that an official policy of stigma and ridicule of UFOs dated back to the 1950s and the CIA
Michael Salla
@MichaelSalla
Good to see the US Navy acknowledging that an official policy of stigma and ridicule of UFOs dated back to the 1950s and the CIA.
The panel that made these recommendations that became part of an official public education program was the 1953 Robertson Panel that was funded by the CIA.
3:47 PM · May 29, 2025
https://x.com/MichaelSalla/status/1928221567852372323
https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1kydyt0/navy_document_shows_a_us_govt_panel_in_1963/
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/foia/readingroom/CaseFiles/UAP%20INFO/UAP%20DOCUMENTS/UAPTF%20HPSCI%20Brief%20Redacted.PDF
Andre Carson — "Godfather of UAP hearings" — is upset Secrets Task Force didn't invite him to UAP briefing at FBI HQ
May 30, 2025
Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) — House Intelligence Committee
Ask a Pol asks:
Do you know Secrets Task Force / UAP Caucus was at the FBI at 2 o'clock today for a UAP briefing?
Key Carson:
“No,” Rep. Andre Carson exclusively told Ask a Pol. “Were any Dems there?”
Just talked to Secrets Ranking Member Robert Garcia (more from him and Moskowitz below) and he couldn’t make it, but I think it was bipartisan — he said they alerted him.
“How do you not have the godfather of UAP hearings on it?” Carson lamented.*
ICYMI — *Carson chaired 2022 House UAP hearing, breaking 50 years of congressional UFO silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaJ6mFiqN1k
“My bestie,” Carson told us of now-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.*
*During Gabbard’s Senate confirmation fight, Carson — the second highest ranking Democrat on HPSCI who previously served alongside Gabbard in the House — was one of the few Democrats to stand up for her, countering arguments that Gabbard posed a security risk to America.
Where all the Dems been?
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) — Ranking Member, Secrets Task Force
During the UAP Caucus’ recent SCIF briefing and then the classified meeting at the FBI headquarters, the top Democrat on the Secrets Task Force, Rep. Robert Garcia, was tied up with committee hearings — including one with FAA officials.
“I’ve been in hearings all morning,” Garcia told Ask a Pol Thursday, May 15, 2025. “I think we just found out about that meeting today…”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) — Congressional UAP Caucus*
*in this new, 119th Congress Moskowitz had to leave the Oversight Committee after being awarded a coveted spot on the powerful House Judiciary Committee
Where you at the FBI HQ briefing?
“I was not,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz told Ask a Pol Thursday, May 15, 2025. “[Chair Anna Paulina Luna] did invite me. I couldn’t go because I had a meeting with an ambassador.”
So you’re still active on the Congressional UAP Caucus even though you’re no longer on the Oversight Committee?
“Correct,” Moskowitz told us. “But she did invite me.”
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/godfather-of-uap-hearings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74qKd3wjPT0
SOMETHING STRANGE IS APPEARING IN THE SKY WORLDWIDE!
May 30, 2025
mysterious black ring sky
end times events - Jason A - world news
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLKklBiXqg
Jaime Maussan
Spiders and the Enigma of the Buga Sphere
May 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_S-9g6TqVM
UNAM confirms the discovery of optical fiber in the Buga sphere 🛸🇨🇴
May 30, 2025
In these episodes of Interstellar, journalist and researcher Jaime Maussan discusses the incredible sightings of unidentified flying spheres in Buga, Colombia, presenting irrefutable evidence of the presence of these objects on Earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjL-1tnzLrg
I've went looking for a source for this and haven't found it, yet.
Anybody know where it's at, or more like it?
Whatever happened to the Russian lady with the eyes?
EastEnders icon reckons aliens have lived amongst us for thousands of years
18:28, 31 May 2025
Soap star John Altman believes aliens have been living amongst us for thousands of years. John- who played ‘Nasty’ Nick Cotton on EastEnders - has joined Britain’s UFO Disclosure Group.
The 73-year-old actor – famous for playing ‘Nasty’ Nick on-and-off for 30 years – is part of the organisation which is pushing for transparency on the subject of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), commonly referred to as UFOs.
John has joined the ET hunting group - spearheaded by renowned UFO investigator and filmmaker Mark Christopher Lee – because his own research has led him to believe that extra-terrestrials have been interacting with the human race since 2700BC .
Speaking at the group’s official’s launch at the Karma Sanctum Hotel in London, John said: “I do have a belief in intelligence from other galaxies.
“Just look at some of the cave paintings down in South America. They’re actually paintings of what can only be space outfits.
“Think about the pyramids and the expertise put into them. Nobody knows how they built them so accurately, aligned with the stars.
“I think the extra-terrestrials can come here, because they have invented a craft that is so fast it can go at the speed of light.
“That could be the reason why there have been visitations. There’s been so much evidence over the years.”
Mark – whose documentaries include The King of UFOs and God Versus UFOs – launched the UFO Disclosure Group because he does not believe the Government takes UFO sightings seriously.
Mark said: “We don’t take UFOs seriously in the UK, it’s snigger, snigger.
“People don’t want to report them for fear of ridicule. We need to get rid of that stigma.
“We have whistleblowers ready to come forward in the UK. Serious people, with serious stories to tell.
“We need to take away that stigma, and we need to create a safe platform. This is what we’re trying to do with this group.
“I want to make a start and get you guys talking and let’s create something in this country because we are so behind the US, it’s embarrassing. UFOs don’t just exist in the Midwest in America, they are all over the world.”
Supermodel Christie Brinkley also believes in UFOs - and claims to have seen one while on holiday.
Globe-trotting Christie was in Heraklion, the capital of Greek island Crete, when she recalled everyone "fell stock-still" and faced skywards.
She continued: "There in the noonday sky, four overpowering lights shone brightly, even in broad daylight, forming a square that pulsed in and out over and over again, as though some ancient god had decided to dazzle the crowd with a New Age aerial show.
“In between gasps and murmurs in Greek, I understood a gruff string of English letters: ‘U,’ ‘F,’ ‘O.’"
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/eastenders-icon-reckons-aliens-lived-35313676
Watch: Multiple Witnesses Film 'Mothership' UFO Over Guatemalan City
May 30, 2025
Multiple witnesses in Guatemala captured footage of a curious UFO that some have likened to an alien mothership.
According to a local media report, the intriguing mass sighting occurred on Wednesday evening in and around the city of Villa Nueva.
An impressive collection of videos filmed by several bewildered observers (seen above) shows that, from some perspectives, the peculiar object appeared to sport six horizontal lights.
The eerie anomaly is said to have hovered in the night sky for several minutes before vanishing from sight, leaving many to wonder what appeared over Villa Nueva on Wednesday evening.
Remarkably, when asked about the UFO at the center of the weird incident, the director of the Guatemalan Association of Astronomy indicated that he was as mystified as the witnesses who spotted the oddity.
Calling the object an "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon," Edgar Castro Bathen mused "they are now everywhere."
Among viewers online, various theories have been offered for what the UFO could have been with some suggesting otherworldly visitors and others positing a more prosaic explanation such as a drone.
With that in mind, what do you think of the puzzling object seen by so many people? Weigh in with your thoughts on the case at the C2C Facebook page.
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/watch-multiple-witnesses-film-mothership-ufo-over-guatemalan-city/
https://emisorasunidas.com/nacional/2025/05/30/experto-habla-del-ovni-captado-en-villa-nueva/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R5fEja0jQQ
A UFO over the airport was caught on video in the UK
May 30, 2025
New footage of a mysterious ball the size of a car over Manchester Airport in Britain has appeared online.
A year after the first incident, in the sky above Manchester Airport, again noticed a mysterious object resembling a UFO.
This time it was captured on video by local resident Jordan Evans. The recording shows a metal ball the size of a car, which smoothly floated in the air.
Curiously, in March last year, the co-pilot of an airplane already recorded something similar – then the object hovered right above the runway.
“I noticed it out of the corner of my eye when I was passing by the airport. It was spherical and moving in a straight line at a constant speed. It was definitely not a balloon.
There was a strong wind blowing that day and the object remained stable,” Jordan told What’s The Jam.
According to the eyewitness, the UFO did not look like a normal aircraft and did not react to weather conditions.
Ufologist Mark Christopher Lee, who studied last year’s footage, is convinced: the object could indeed have been an unidentified object.
He drew parallels with the story of 1957, when in Australia observed a similar ball of unknown material, which was kept in the air without visible engines.
While the experts argue about the nature of the phenomenon, users of the network are wondering what this time was caught in the frame.
https://ua-stena.info/en/a-ufo-over-the-airport-was-caught-on-video-in-the-uk/
https://whatsthejam.com/strange-and-bizarre/car-sized-ufo-spotted-hovering-above-airport-one-year-after-first-sighting/
Brazil: National Archives publishes documents on nearly 900 UFO sightings
31/05/2025
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) – The Brazilian National Archives “Arquivo Nacional” has published online documents and materials – including photos, audio recordings, drawings and reports – on 893 UFO sightings in Brazil.
As the radio station “CBN” reported, the documents currently contain 893 sightings from Brazil from the years 1952 to 2023. These are arranged chronologically according to the date of the incident.
Here's how to access the Brazilian UFO files:
1) On the SIAN (Sistema de Informação do Arquivo Nacional) website, you can either log in with a registered account by clicking on "Access" (Acessar) or create a new account by clicking on "Nao tenho cadastro."
In addition to the Brazilian or Portuguese website, an English-language version is also available. However, the majority of the documents and records are in Portuguese.
Non-Brazilian citizens (who can log in using their Brazilian tax ID (CPF) and a password) should, after entering their address and password, select "Foreigner" under "Documentation" and "Alemanha" (Germany) as the country of address.
Then check the box next to "I am not a robot" and confirm by clicking "Enter."
2) After successful registration, log in again on the homepage under “Access” and after logging in, select “Favorites” (Favorites) in the menu and then “Unidentified Flying Objects” or “Unidentified Flying Objects”.
3) Here you can now select the desired cases to view the information available in the National Archives.
In addition to viewing the documents and materials, internet users can also contribute to the archive by sending content via email to supra_normalizacao@an.gov.br.
Another option is to personally deliver documents for review at the National Archives headquarters at Praça da República 173, in downtown Rio de Janeiro.
The National Archives explains that this is an unevaluated case collection of UFO sighting reports from Brazil.
The inclusion of cases and materials in this collection says nothing about the status and nature of the phenomena described and demonstrated.
Presumably, the majority can even be explained conventionally.
Note: The files were originally scheduled for release on June 13, 2025. The early release surprised even insiders. An evaluation of the Brazilian UFO files is likely to take some time.
https://www.grenzwissenschaft-aktuell.de/brasilien-nationalarchiv-veroeffentlicht-dokumente-zu-fast-9
https://sian.an.gov.br/sianex/consulta/login.asp00-ufo-sichtungen/