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https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-uncovers-galaxy-population-driving-cosmic-renovation/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
NASA’s Webb ‘UNCOVERs’ Galaxy Population Driving Cosmic Renovation
Jun 11, 2025
Astronomers using data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have identified dozens of small galaxies that played a starring role in a cosmic makeover that transformed the early universe into the one we know today.
“When it comes to producing ultraviolet light, these small galaxies punch well above their weight,” said Isak Wold, an assistant research scientist at Catholic University of America in Washington and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“Our analysis of these tiny but mighty galaxies is 10 times more sensitive than previous studies, and shows they existed in sufficient numbers and packed enough ultraviolet power to drive this cosmic renovation.”
Wold discussed his findings Wednesday at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.
The study took advantage of existing imaging collected by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument, as well as new observations made with its NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument.
Image A: Webb search finds dozens of tiny, young star-forming galaxies
The tiny galaxies were discovered by Wold and his Goddard colleagues, Sangeeta Malhotra and James Rhoads, by sifting through Webb images captured as part of the UNCOVER (Ultradeep NIRSpec and NIRCam ObserVations before the Epoch of Reionization) observing program, led by Rachel Bezanson at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
The project mapped a giant galaxy cluster known as Abell 2744, nicknamed Pandora’s cluster, located about 4 billion light-years away in the southern constellation Sculptor.
The cluster’s mass forms a gravitational lens that magnifies distant sources, adding to Webb’s already considerable reach.
Image B: Galaxy cluster helps reveal young, low-mass galaxies bursting with stars
For much of its first billion years, the universe was immersed in a fog of neutral hydrogen gas.
Today, this gas is ionized — stripped of its electrons. Astronomers, who refer to this transformation as reionization, have long wondered which types of objects were most responsible: big galaxies, small galaxies, or supermassive black holes in active galaxies.
As one of its main goals, NASA’s Webb was specifically designed to address key questions about this major transition in the history of the universe.
Recent studies have shown that small galaxies undergoing vigorous star formation could have played an outsized role.
Such galaxies are rare today, making up only about 1% of those around us. But they were abundant when the universe was about 800 million years old, an epoch astronomers refer to as redshift 7, when reionization was well underway.
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The team searched for small galaxies of the right cosmic age that showed signs of extreme star formation, called starbursts, in NIRCam images of the cluster.
“Low-mass galaxies gather less neutral hydrogen gas around them, which makes it easier for ionizing ultraviolet light to escape,” Rhoads said.
“Likewise, starburst episodes not only produce plentiful ultraviolet light — they also carve channels into a galaxy’s interstellar matter that helps this light break out.”
Image C: A deeper look into small, young, star-forming galaxies during reionization
The astronomers looked for strong sources of a specific wavelength of light that signifies the presence of high-energy processes: a green line emitted by oxygen atoms that have lost two electrons.
Originally emitted as visible light in the early cosmos, the green glow from doubly ionized oxygen was stretched into the infrared as it traversed the expanding universe and eventually reached Webb’s instruments.
This technique revealed 83 small starburst galaxies as they appear when the universe was 800 million years old, or about 6% of its current age of 13.8 billion years. The team selected 20 of these for deeper inspection using NIRSpec.
“These galaxies are so small that, to build the equivalent stellar mass of our own Milky Way galaxy, you’d need from 2,000 to 200,000 of them,” Malhotra said.
“But we are able to detect them because of our novel sample selection technique combined with gravitational lensing.”
Image D: Tiny but mighty galaxy helped clear cosmic fog
Similar types of galaxies in the present-day universe, such as green peas, release about 25% of their ionizing ultraviolet light into surrounding space.
If the low-mass starburst galaxies explored by Wold and his team release a similar amount, they can account for all of the ultraviolet light needed to convert the universe’s neutral hydrogen to its ionized form.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory.
Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it.
Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
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Tuning a NASA Instrument: Calibrating MASTER
Jun 11, 2025
NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley houses a unique laboratory: the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF).
The engineers at the ASF are responsible for building, maintaining, and operating numerous instruments that get deployed on research aircraft, but one of their most important roles is instrument calibration.
Think of calibration like tuning a piano between performances: A musician uses a tuner to set the standard pitch for each string, ensuring that the piano remains on pitch for every concert.
The “tuners” at ASF include lasers, mirrors, and a light source called an integrating sphere – a hollow sphere about 36 inches in diameter that emits a set amount of light from a hole in the top.
By checking an instrument against this baseline between each mission, engineers ensure that the instrument sensors provide accurate, reliable data every time.
In the photo above, electrical engineer Nikolas Gibson performs calibration tests on the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) spectrometer, co-developed by NASA Ames and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
A spectrometer separates light into individual wavelengths, providing researchers with information about the properties of whatever is creating or interacting with that light.
The MASTER instrument measures about 50 individual spectral channels, providing data on wavelengths from the visible spectrum through the infrared.
When it comes to calibration, each of these channels functions like a specific key on a piano and needs to be individually checked against the “tuner.”
By pointing the instrument’s sensor at a known quantity of light coming from the integrating sphere, the team checks the accuracy of MASTER’s data output and repairs or adjusts the sensor as needed.
In this image, MASTER had returned from an April 2025 scientific campaign observing prescribed fires in Alabama and Georgia with NASA’s FireSense project.
It was recalibrated before heading back into the field for the Geological Earth Mapping Experiment, or GEMx, mission in late May 2025, which will use the instrument to help map critical minerals across the southwestern United States.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/ames-science/tuning-a-nasa-instrument-calibrating-master/
Field of Soy Dreams in Illinois
June 12, 2025
In Illinois, soybeans are big business. The state’s farmers harvested 64 bushels per acre in 2024, producing a record 688 million bushels of the versatile legume.
The plant’s protein-rich beans are widely used as food for both livestock and people, as well as for the production of biodiesel and other industrial products.
The map above depicts data from the Cropland Data Layer, an annual, geo-referenced, crop-specific land cover dataset created by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) for the contiguous United States.
It uses data collected by Landsat satellites and Sentinel-2 to identify crop types. The elevation data layered onto the image comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM).
Areas classified as soybean fields in 2024 are light green. Farmers in the Midwest often grow soybeans in rotation with other crops, usually corn and wheat.
The 2024 soybean harvest in Illinois was the nation’s largest, amounting to 16 percent of the total U.S. crop.
A harvest of that scale supports tens of thousands of jobs and generates roughly $7 billion in economic output.
Iowa trailed closely with 597 million bushels, followed by Indiana and Minnesota with 341 million and 329 million bushels, respectively.
Illinois growers benefit from having access to fertile soils, flat terrain that enables easy harvesting, and convenient transportation options and processing facilities.
Soybeans are grown widely, with the exception of the Chicago area and the hilly region in the southern part of the state.
McLean County, in east central Illinois, had the largest harvest of any U.S. county in 2024, producing 22.6 million bushels.
Illinois is also an important hub of agricultural innovation and research.
Through the NASA Acres consortium, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is working with other universities on 14 programs designed to convert satellite data into useful information for farmers.
For instance, University of Illinois researcher Kaiyu Guan, chief scientist for NASA Acres, is leading an effort to combine satellite data with ground sampling and hyperspectral imaging to determine the optimal nitrogen levels for crops.
Guan and colleagues recently released an online calculator—the Maximum Return To Nitrogen (MRTN) Tool—designed to help Illinois farmers maximize profit while minimizing environmental problems.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154418/field-of-soy-dreams-in-illinois
Curiosity Rover Blog — Sols 4566-4567: Drilling Success
Jun 11, 2025
Earth planning date: Monday, June 9, 2025
The image above shows the drill poised on the surface of Mars at the start of our attempt to collect sample at “Altadena” over the weekend.
Now we know, from subsequent imaging and telemetry, that the drill activity was successful, allowing planning today to focus on delivering sample powder to CheMin and SAM.
CheMin and SAM will give us their distinct and valuable insights into the mineralogy (CheMin) and volatiles and organic compounds (SAM) within Altadena, which are key to our continued unravelling the history of Mt. Sharp.
It is always exciting to find out what each of these instruments uncovers from Martian samples.
In addition to those sample deliveries, we had three other Altadena-focused activities. We acquired ChemCam RMI of the drill hole which helps ChemCam refine their laser targeting for future LIBS analyses of the drill hole.
We planned a ChemCam passive spectroscopy observation of the cuttings around the drill hole for more insight into the mineralogy of the sample.
We also included a single Mastcam M100 image of the drill hole which helps us track the wind activity at the drill site and thus the stability of the cuttings ahead of planned observations with APXS and MAHLI.
The weekend activities ran faster and more efficiently than modeled so that we had power to add additional science observations into the plan.
We gathered more ChemCam data from the bedrock near Altadena at the target “Bolsa Chica,” and planned two ChemCam RMI long distance mosaics on sedimentary structures within “Texoli” butte and nearby boxwork structures.
We kept track of the environment around us with yet more Mastcam imaging for wind-induced changes in the “Camp Williams” area, regular RAD and REMS measurements, two DAN measurements, and Navcam dust devil imaging and cloud movies.
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/sol-4564-front-hazard-avoidance-camera-front-hazcam/
NASA, Axiom Space Delay Axiom Mission 4 Launch to Space Station
June 12, 2025
NASA and Axiom Space are postponing the launch of Axiom Mission 4 to the International Space Station.
As part of an ongoing investigation, NASA is working with Roscosmos to understand a new pressure signature, after the recent post-repair effort in the aft most segment of the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module.
Cosmonauts aboard the space station recently performed inspections of the pressurized module’s interior surfaces, sealed some additional areas of interest, and measured the current leak rate. Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure.
The postponement of Axiom Mission 4 provides additional time for NASA and Roscosmos to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary.
NASA defers to Roscosmos to answer specific questions about the Zvezda module.
A new launch date for the fourth private astronaut mission will be provided once available.
Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot.
The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
The crew will lift off aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/06/12/nasa-axiom-space-delay-axiom-mission-4-launch-to-space-station/
To Study Cancer “Kill Switch,” UC San Diego Scientists Will Send Stem Cells to Space
June 12, 2025
Anew cancer treatment discovered by the University of California San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI) and developed by Aspera Biomedicines will undergo testing in outer space this spring — this as researchers prepare to launch a clinical trial of the drug on Earth.
Rebecsinib, an investigational cancer drug slated to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial this year for patients with high-risk myelofibrosis or secondary acute myeloid leukemia, will be tested aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on four of the deadliest cancer types: ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, acute myeloid leukemia and glioblastoma multiforme.
Rebecsinib targets ADAR1, a gene known to drive cancer progression and drug resistance.
On prior space missions, the drug showed the ability to halt the growth of cancer organoids, miniature versions of cancerous tumors, offering hope that it could stop disease recurrence and metastasis — thought to be the primary cause of cancer deaths.
Rebecsinib holds promise for fighting 20 types of cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer, leukemia and any cancer that involves the gene ADAR1 in its development and progression.
“Microgravity is an extremely stressful environment for cells, accelerating processes like inflammation, aging and cancer progression,” said Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chief of the division of Regenerative Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and SSCI director.
“That makes space the perfect place to test how cancer and other age-linked diseases evolve — and how we can stop them.
By sending organoids and stem cells to the International Space Station, we’re not just studying disease — we’re compressing decades of biological change into a single month and using those insights to develop better treatments on Earth, faster.”
The Cancer in Low Earth Orbit (CLEO)-4 study is a collaboration between SSCI and Axiom Space.
This investigation also involves SSCI’s Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center, which uses microgravity to study age-related diseases rapidly.
Axiom Space will be conducting its fourth mission to the ISS to perform studies by leading researchers, including those at SSCI.
SSCI’s study of rebecsinib on triple-negative breast cancer tumor organoids aboard Axiom Mission 3 was recognized by NASA Strategic Advisor Lynn Harper as one of only 11 “exceptional” experiments ever performed aboard the ISS — so exceptional, that the results required “extraordinary evidence and third-party review” before entering the next phase of funding and flight opportunities.
On that mission, completed in early 2024, rebecsinib acted as a sort of “cancer kill switch” by halting the growth of ADAR1-expressing breast cancer organoids.
The study proved that microgravity is a uniquely accelerating environment for understanding stem cell dysfunction that leads to pre-cancer initiation and loss of immune surveillance against cancer.
As of August 2024, Jamieson’s team had completed seven spaceflights with research payloads investigating a variety of stem cell- and cancer-related topics.
These pioneering experiments are made possible by philanthropic support and public investment.
In particular, the new rebecsinib payload is supported in part by a $4 million NASA In-Space Production Applications (InSPA) Phase 2 award, of which SSCI received $1 million; and a $3.2 million California Institute for Regenerative Medicine CLIN 1 Late Stage Preclinical Project grant.
Donor Rebecca “Becky” Moores has played a pivotal role in enabling cancer research at UC San Diego for decades, having helped fund the foundational work that led to rebecsinib’s development.
“It’s exciting to be part of medical advancements of this caliber,” said Moores. “I never thought that space could play such an important role in advancing cancer therapies.”
“With the support of NASA, philanthropic funders — like Moores — and our partners in commercial spaceflight, this is just the beginning of a long line of exciting and impactful health science advances that will be enabled by space,” said Jamieson.
“The time to invest in space science is now.”
This new space study will help guide future clinical studies by identifying which cancers are most vulnerable to rebecsinib — insights that could take decades to gain on Earth.
Researchers have determined that cancers triple in size in 10 days in space, a process that could take 10 years terrestrially.
“Cancer doesn’t wait,” Jamieson added. “But in space, neither do we.”
https://today.ucsd.edu/story/to-study-cancer-kill-switch-uc-san-diego-scientists-will-send-stem-cells-to-space
https://stemcells.ucsd.edu/
UAF Geophysical Institute, Alaska Aerospace to boost space opportunity
Jun 12, 2025
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace Corp. will work together under a new agreement to jointly develop and offer spaceport services to the booming commercial rocket and satellite industry.
The partnership, announced today with a memorandum of understanding, aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing U.S. commercial space industry for suborbital and orbital launches.
The Geophysical Institute owns Poker Flat Research Range, about 30 miles north of Fairbanks, and operates it under a contract with NASA.
The Alaska Aerospace Corp. owns and operates the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, about 45 miles south of the city of Kodiak.
The agreement could lead to commercial launches at Poker Flat.
“We want to make Alaska the low-cost gateway to space,” Geophysical Institute Director Bob McCoy said. “Other launch ranges are pretty full, so customers are looking to Alaska. We have a lot of capacity.”
Alaska Aerospace President and CEO John Oberst said formalizing a collaboration between Alaska’s two launch facilities will increase the state’s attractiveness while also reducing costs.
“Working together, we are better at creating efficiencies and adding capacity to meet the nation’s demand for access to space, to advance science and to lead in all things space from the last frontier to the final frontier,” he said.
“The nation is at a point where access to space is at an unprecedented level of demand,” he said. “Spaceports are like beachfront property — very few and in high demand.”
The agreement calls for development of Poker Flat spaceport operations that complement the Kodiak site. The spaceport would support government and commercial customers, providing national security, transportation and other services.
Separately, the Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace are seeking a commercial launch license for Poker Flat from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Those launches could someday include missions to put payloads into orbit, now that the technology exists to have a rocket’s booster stage return to the launch pad rather than fall back to Earth.
Orbital rockets launched from Poker Flat now would likely drop their booster stages on Norway.
“Having a booster return to its pad is a new paradigm,” McCoy said. “In principle you could launch into orbit out of Poker Flat and have the booster return.”
Poker Flat has been a noncommercial launch site since its 1972 completion. It primarily launches NASA suborbital sounding rockets for scientific research and does not have the infrastructure to launch an orbital rocket.
Alaska Aerospace, seeing increased demand, is seeking FAA approval to launch up to 25 rockets annually.
Collaborating with the Geophysical Institute for use of Poker Flat will reduce launch pressures at the Kodiak site as demand increases, Oberst said.
“The Pacific Spaceport Complex has been in the business of orbital launching for 27 years,” he said. “We have experienced mission teams that can support Poker Flat missions. This is a cost advantage for both sites.”
Poker Flat is the world’s largest land-based rocket research range and the only high-latitude rocket range in the United States. The facility’s launch site encompasses 5,132 acres and includes four launch pads capable of handling rockets weighing up to 35,000 pounds.
It is equipped with a mission control center, rocket assembly buildings, a two-story science observatory, a payload assembly building and assorted other support buildings. Rockets fly over sparsely populated forests and tundra in an approved flight range that extends to the Arctic Ocean.
The Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, approximately 45 miles south of the city of Kodiak, was the first FAA-licensed commercial spaceport in the United States not co-located on a federal range.
The site has pads for orbital and suborbital launches, a 17-story rocket assembly building and associated buildings for operations. Rockets launched from Kodiak fly in unrestricted airspace above the North Pacific Ocean.
The agreement between the Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace Corp. expands on a relationship specified in state law, which states that the public corporation is “affiliated with the University of Alaska but with a separate and independent legal existence.”
The corporation’s board of directors by law includes the University of Alaska president and the Geophysical Institute director or their designees.
https://alaska-native-news.com/uaf-geophysical-institute-alaska-aerospace-to-boost-space-opportunity/79122/
https://www.uaf.edu/news/uaf-geophysical-institute-alaska-aerospace-to-boost-space-opportunity.php
Roscosmos Says It Plans to Build Nuclear Power Plant on the Moon
June 12, 2025
Russia’s state space agency on Thursday announced plans to build a nuclear power plant on the Moon as part of its long-term ambitions for lunar exploration.
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov unveiled the plans in a statement published on Telegram marking Russia Day, saying that his agency is “creating new reasons to be proud and laying the foundation for economic growth and a better quality of life.”
He said that Russia plans to expand its satellite network to improve internet speeds and coverage, upgrade its global navigation system, as well as “move forward with building a new Russian orbital station to succeed the International Space Station.”
Russia is also preparing “to launch the first-ever nuclear power station on the Moon — a cornerstone for future lunar bases,” Bakanov said.
“And we will explore Venus. After all, we remain the only country to have successfully landed a spacecraft there.”
The Soviet Union’s Venera program was the first and only mission to land a probe on the surface of Venus, accomplishing the feat in 1970.
“There are grandiose goals ahead,” he said. “We will have to realize such projects that require courage, scale of thought, and engineering genius.”
Bakanov became head of Roscosmos in February after President Vladimir Putin dismissed his predecessor, Yury Borisov, whose term was marked by high-profile failures and stalled programs.
Last August, Russia’s first post-Soviet lunar lander, Luna-25, crashed into the Moon during a pre-landing maneuver.
The mission had been touted as a revival of Moscow’s lunar ambitions after decades of limited space activity and growing isolation from the West.
Russia last landed a spacecraft on the Moon in 1976, before shifting its focus to Venus exploration and construction of the Mir space station.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/12/roscosmos-says-it-plans-to-build-nuclear-power-plant-on-the-moon-a89423
Space Force’s first next-gen missile warning launch pushed to 2026
Jun 11, 2025, 01:12 PM
Despite expectations for an on-time satellite delivery, the Space Force has opted to delay the launch of its first Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared spacecraft until at least next spring due to high demand for launch services.
The satellite is one of two Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft designed to provide early missile-warning capabilities from geosynchronous Earth orbit as part of the Next-Gen OPIR GEO program.
According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, the first satellite will now stay on the ground until at least March of 2026 “due to a crowded 2025 launch manifest.”
GAO has long warned that the program’s schedule was likely too ambitious due to the technology requirements for its mission payload, and the agency predicted its launch would likely be delayed by at least one year.
Those projections could prove true, but perhaps for more nuanced reasons.
RTX, the program’s payload supplier, faced development challenges that delayed its delivery by 13 months to August 2024.
While that slowdown consumed most of the program’s margin, the satellite has since progressed well through its testing milestones.
The service now anticipates the spacecraft will be delivered by September. That means it could have flown this year had there been room in the launch manifest.
GAO notes in its report, released today, that despite those successes — and because of the lack of schedule margin — the program still risks further delay if any issues arise during final integration.
“The program has no buffer in its schedule to first launch; any payload and space vehicle integration delays will likely result in launch delays and program cost increases,” the watchdog agency said.
Next-Gen OPIR is part of a larger multi-orbit strategy to provide missile-warning and tracking capabilities from space.
Along with the two GEO satellites, the Space Force has contracted with Northrop Grumman to build two polar-orbiting spacecraft as part of Next-Gen-OPIR.
These four satellites will eventually replace the existing Space-Based Infrared System. The two GEO spacecraft are expected to cost $9.5 billion, and the polar satellites have a total cost estimate of $5.9 billion.
Separately, the Space Development Agency is leading an effort to develop a missile-tracking constellation in low Earth orbit made up of hundreds of small satellites. And the Space Force’s primary acquisition arm, Space Systems Command, is spearheading a medium Earth orbit constellation.
GAO’s report evaluated progress on the two Next-Gen OPIR Polar spacecraft, finding the program is on track for delivery and launch in 2028 and is meeting its schedule for various program reviews.
The report notes that the polar satellites are integrating a modified version of the same mission payload as the GEO spacecraft, which could introduce schedule risk when the program reaches the integration phase.
The report notes that the program approved a cybersecurity strategy last year and plans to run a series of tests this year and a full system assessment in 2027.
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/06/11/space-forces-first-next-gen-missile-warning-launch-pushed-to-2026/
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107569
June full moon shines on SpaceX Dragon
June 12, 2025
The month of June hosted some stunning moon watching in the night sky, as this photo from SpaceX shows.
What is it?
On June 11, 2025, SpaceX's X account posted this photo of the Dragon spacecraft basking in the light of the June full moon.
Dragon is the only spacecraft currently flying that can return large cargo from the International Space Station to Earth, according to SpaceX.
It is large enough to carry seven passengers on its voyages.
Where is it?
The private spacecraft sits on Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on the coast of Florida.
Why is it amazing?
This year, June's full moon is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades, due to a process known as "major lunar standstill".
This happens during a two-year period when the moon's orbit is the most tilted compared to Earth's celestial equator, essentially Earth's equator projected into space.
This standstill causes the moon to rise and set higher and lower in the horizon than normal.
June's moon also has something extra, as it's considered a "Strawberry Moon."
This name was given due to the corresponding farming season of picking strawberries, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
The luminosity of the full moon comes from its position as it sits directly opposite from the sun in relation to Earth, and can fully reflect its light back down onto our planet.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/june-full-moon-shines-on-spacex-dragon-space-photo-of-the-day-for-june-12-2025
Slam it on the table like dominoes, sir
After a Century of Searching, the Source of Mysterious Space Rays May Be Revealed
June 11, 2025
Researchers at Michigan State University have taken a significant step toward solving one of astrophysics’ longest-standing puzzles: the origins of galactic cosmic rays.
By leveraging data from X-ray observatories and focusing on a newly identified cosmic accelerator, the team published two new studies that illuminate the elusive nature of these high-energy particles.
Their findings were presented at the 246th American Astronomical Society Meeting and are detailed in The Astrophysical Journal and Research Notes of the AAS.
A Century-Old Mystery and the Power of PeVatrons
Cosmic rays, discovered in 1912, are particles—mostly protons—that travel through space at nearly the speed of light. For over a century, their exact point of origin has remained unknown.
Scientists have long speculated they are born in cataclysmic events such as supernovae, black hole jets, or star-forming regions. These phenomena are also known to produce neutrinos, subatomic particles that can pass through entire planets without interacting.
Assistant Professor Shuo Zhang and her team at MSU have been investigating cosmic PeVatrons—natural accelerators capable of boosting particles to petaelectronvolt (PeV) energies, well beyond the reach of human-built accelerators.
Their research focused on one of the most mysterious PeVatron candidates detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), which had not been associated with any known astrophysical object until now.
Discovery of a Pulsar Wind Nebula Sheds New Light
The team’s breakthrough came when Stephen DiKerby, a postdoctoral researcher in Zhang’s group, used data from the XMM-Newton space telescope to identify a pulsar wind nebula associated with the PeVatron candidate 1LHAASO J0343+5254u.
A pulsar wind nebula is an expanding cloud of particles energized by a spinning neutron star, or pulsar. This discovery is one of the rare cases where scientists have successfully linked a PeVatron with a known class of astrophysical object.
“Cosmic rays are a lot more relevant to life on Earth than you might think,” Zhang said. “About 100 trillion cosmic neutrinos from far, far away sources like black holes pass through your body every second. Don’t you want to know where they came from?”
By confirming the presence of this nebula, the researchers were able to provide strong evidence that pulsar wind nebulae can indeed function as PeVatrons.
This insight offers a new framework for tracing cosmic rays and neutrinos back to their energetic birthplaces.
Expanding the Cosmic Catalog With Student-Led X-Ray Studies
In a complementary effort, three undergraduate students from Zhang’s group—Ella Were, Amiri Walker, and Shaan Karim—conducted an X-ray survey of additional PeVatron candidates using NASA’s Swift telescope.
Though the sources were faint or undetected, the team calculated upper limits for X-ray emissions, helping to narrow down possible emission scenarios.
Their findings, published in Research Notes of the AAS, serve as a foundation for more targeted future studies.
“Through identifying and classifying cosmic ray sources, our effort can hopefully provide a comprehensive catalog of cosmic ray sources with classification,” Zhang said.
“That could serve as a legacy for future neutrino observatories and traditional telescopes to perform more in-depth study of particle acceleration mechanisms.”
This initiative not only contributes valuable data but also underscores the role of early-career scientists in advancing high-energy astrophysics.
The methodology demonstrated by the MSU team could be scaled up into a systematic survey of the sky, integrating findings from multiple observatories and wavelengths.
Next Frontier: Linking Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos
The next phase of the research will involve correlating X-ray and gamma-ray data with neutrino detections from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.
The goal is to uncover why some cosmic ray sources produce neutrinos while others do not. This will require cross-disciplinary collaboration between fields that often operate separately: particle physics and astronomy.
“This work will call for collaboration between particle physicists and astronomers,” Zhang said. “It’s an ideal project for the MSU high-energy physics group.”
By combining datasets across different observatories, the researchers hope to isolate the mechanisms of neutrino generation, revealing not only where they form but also how the universe’s most extreme environments operate.
This kind of work could lead to new understanding in areas ranging from galactic evolution to the nature of dark matter.
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/source-of-mysterious-space-rays-revealed/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/adccb9
Aurora alert! Moderate geomagnetic storm could spark northern lights as far south as New York and Idaho on June 14 (Trump's Birthday)
June 12, 2025
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a geomagnetic storm warning for June 12 due to incoming turbulent space weather.
Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).
That's good news for aurora chasers! The predicted G2-level storm could bring northern lights as far south as New York and Idaho, provided conditions align.
However, with the northern hemisphere nearing the summer solstice on June 20-21, extended daylight hours mean less time for aurora viewing, making sightings more challenging.
The spike in geomagnetic activity is driven primarily by a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) — a turbulent region in the solar wind in which fast-moving streams collide with slower wind ahead of them.
CIRs can generate shock waves similar to those produced by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and are capable of triggering geomagnetic storms and amplifying space weather effects.
The incoming CIR originated from a colossal coronal hole now turning to face Earth. Coronal holes are regions where the sun's magnetic field opens up, allowing high-speed solar wind to readily escape into space.
They appear darker in ultraviolet images because they are cooler and less dense than the surrounding regions, lacking the hot glowing gases normally trapped by magnetic fields.
NOAA's SWPC forecasts the Kp index — a scale from 0 to 9 that measures global geomagnetic activity — to peak at 5.67 on June 14.
Higher values indicate stronger geomagnetic storms and increase the chances of seeing auroras at lower latitudes.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-moderate-geomagnetic-storm-could-spark-northern-lights-as-far-south-as-new-york-and-idaho-on-june-14
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fJqu0xS6so (Pole Shift Extinctions, Solar Magnetic Reversal | S0 News Jun.12.2025)
Satellite images show a dramatic decline in Antarctica's emperor penguin population — and it's happening faster than we thought
June 12, 2025
We're witnessing a march of the penguins — not to the edge of the ice, but to extinction.
According to new research by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the population of emperor penguins in western Antarctica is declining faster than our most pessimistic predictions.
Using satellite images to survey colonies across the Antarctic Peninsula, the Weddell Sea and the Bellingshausen Sea, BAS researchers determined that the emperor penguin population in the region decreased by 22% between 2009 and 2024.
By contrast, the previous estimated global population decline, dating to the period between 2009 and 2018, was just 9.5%. The new work suggests that emperor penguins could approach extinction around the year 2100.
Emperor penguins face numerous challenges for breeding success, from changes in weather patterns to increased competition for food to increased levels of predation. And, of course, there's the issue of climate change.
The seabirds are reliant upon Antarctica's seasonal sea ice for mating and rearing chicks, and in recent years, some areas of that sea ice have become more unstable — and a warming world could be partially to blame.
"The fact that we're moving to a position faster than the computer models project means there must be other factors we need to understand in addition to loss of breeding habitat," BAS emeritus fellow Phil Trathan said in a statement.
"The only way we'll see a turnaround for the population is if we stabilize greenhouse gas emissions. If we don't, we'll probably have relatively few emperor penguins left by the turn of this century," he added.
The slightly optimistic news is that this drastic rate of decline has so far been observed only in one region of Antarctica. But that region is home to 30% of the global emperor penguin population.
"There's quite a bit of uncertainty in this type of work and what we've seen in this new count isn't necessarily symbolic of the rest of the continent," said BAS scientist Peter Fretwell.
"But if it is — that's worrying because the decline is worse than the worst-case projections we have for emperors this century."
BAS will be conducting satellite research across the Antarctic continent to determine the emperors' global rate of decline — and hopefully they'll have some better news.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/satellite-images-show-a-dramatic-decline-in-antarcticas-emperor-penguin-population-and-its-happening-faster-than-we-thought-photos
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02345-7
James Webb Space Telescope sees 1st exoplanet raining sand alongside 'sandcastle' partner world
June 11, 2025
Noted sand-hater Anakin Skywalker may want to cross the planetary system of YSES-1 off his list of potential summer vacation locations.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have discovered a planetary system orbiting a youthful star located 300 light-years away.
The system's two planets, YSES-1 b and YSES-1 c, are packed with coarse, rough, and frankly irritating silica material (we get you, Anakin, it does get everywhere).
Astronomers say this discovery around a star that is just 16.7 million years old could hint at how the planets and moons of our 4.6 billion-year-old solar system took shape.
As both planets are gas giants, they could offer astronomers an opportunity to study the real-time evolution of planets like Jupiter and Saturn.
"Observing silicate clouds, which are essentially sand clouds, in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets is important because it helps us better understand how atmospheric processes work and how planets form, a topic that is still under discussion since there is no agreement on the different models," team member Valentina D'Orazi of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) said in a statement.
"The discovery of these sand clouds, which remain aloft thanks to a cycle of sublimation and condensation similar to that of water on Earth, reveals complex mechanisms of transport and formation in the atmosphere.
"This allows us to improve our models of climate and chemical processes in environments very different from those of the solar system, thus expanding our knowledge of these systems."
Building a 'sandcastle' world
One of these extrasolar planets, or "exoplanets," YSES-1 c, has a mass around 14 times the mass of Jupiter.
On YSES-1 c, this silica matter is located in clouds in its atmosphere, which gives it a reddish hue and creates sandy rains that fall inward towards its core.
We guess that the future Darth Vader didn't build too many sandcastles in his youth, but that process is analogous to the formation of sandy matter that YSES-1 b is undergoing.
Already possessing a mass around six times that of Jupiter, the still-forming sandcastle planet YSES-1 b is surrounded by a flattened cloud or "circumplanetary disk" that is supplying it with building materials, including silicates.
Not only is this the first direct observation of silica clouds (specifically iron-rich pyroxene or a combination of bridgmanite and forsterite) high in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, but it is also the first time silicates have been detected in a circumplanetary disk.
The JWST was able to make such detailed direct observations of both planets thanks to the great distances at which they orbit their parent star, which is equivalent to between 5 and 10 times the distance between the sun and its most distant planet, the ice giant Neptune.
Though this technique is still restricted to a small number of planets beyond the solar system, this research exemplifies the capability of the JWST to provide high-quality spectral data for exoplanets.
This opens the possibility of studying both the atmospheres and circumplanetary environments of exoplanets in far greater detail.
"By studying these planets, we can better understand how planets form in general, a bit like peering into the past of our solar system," added D'Orazi.
"The results support the idea that cloud compositions in young exoplanets and circumplanetary disks play a crucial role in determining atmospheric chemical composition.
"Furthermore, this study highlights the need for detailed atmospheric models to interpret the high-quality observational data obtained with telescopes such as JWST."
The team's results were published on Tuesday (June 10) in the journal Nature, the same day as they were presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Anchorage, Alaska.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/james-webb-space-telescope-sees-1st-exoplanet-raining-sand-alongside-sandcastle-partner-world
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09174-w.epdf?sharing_token=5BzTOhpkQKTHMUc0wEAbY9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MsHgms7qJzLfZGfJR11eb-vvEQdUtgFRiob9i301fI7J8gb8bCK4RiXs-Koj_Ny5GbAkH-vF9ljAg2F3qY5QcnNEJW6lsUvEuZztb72uS8QJg-2UENcktitedrT8xNrZ7x-juY06KeFegjJBZquoA8u9czjWYk5-c-sbNbjWHgcS4jOk2czWWhbJg5QnWeDMg%3D&tracking_referrer=www.space.com
>https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09174-w.epd…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09174-w.epd
https://spacenews.com/pentagons-mega-constellation-still-hampered-by-supply-chain-issues-gao-report/
Pentagon’s mega-constellation still hampered by supply chain issues: GAO report
June 11, 2025
More than two years after the Space Development Agency first flagged supply chain risks in its low Earth orbit satellite program, problems persist that could disrupt deployment schedules, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released June 11.
GAO’s latest annual assessment of Defense Department weapons systems scrutinizes the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a program managed by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) that aims to deploy hundreds of interconnected satellites to provide global missile tracking and secure data transport.
The GAO specifically looked at the forthcoming deployments of portions of the PWSA: 86 missile-tracking satellites estimated to cost $6.6 billion; and 336 data transport satellites projected to cost $8.3 billion.
The PWSA represents a major shift in U.S. military space strategy — from relying on a small number of large, expensive satellites to fielding a resilient network of smaller, faster-built spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
But the rapid cadence the agency envisions continues to run headfirst into production and logistics hurdles, GAO said.
Optical terminals not yet delivered
SDA officials over the past year said satellite manufacturers under contract to build spacecraft for the PWSA have moved to shore up their supplier base.
But the GAO report reveals continued shortages in a key area: optical communications terminals. These are the laser links that enable data communications between satellites.
Transport Layer Tranche 1 alone requires more than 500 of these terminals. As of January 2025, only 20 had been delivered, said GAO.
The agency noted that SDA has provided additional funding to terminal manufacturers to scale up production. The launch of Tranche 1 satellites already slipped from fall 2024 to summer 2025.
A Space Development Agency spokesperson said June 11 in a statement to SpaceNews that SDA “is on track to launch the first Tranche 1 satellites of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture by the end of this summer.”
To mitigate further delays, said GAO, SDA is taking calculated risks with encryption devices required for its satellites.
Rather than waiting for full certification, the agency is working with the National Security Agency to launch satellites under a temporary “authority to operate” that will remain in place while final testing and documentation are completed.
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Old debate continues
The new report also shows that longstanding disagreements between GAO and SDA about development methodology remain.
GAO continues to raise concerns about SDA not doing enough testing with one tranche of satellites before launching another one — an issue that was raised previously by GAO in a February report, prompting SDA to issue a rebuttal defending its strategy.
In recent months, SDA announced plans to implement new processes and due diligence measures. Starting with Tranche 3, it will rely on a contractor to serve as network integrator to make sure satellites from different vendors are interoperable.
But GAO does not appear to be satisfied that SDA is doing enough to demonstrate it has a “minimum viable product” before deploying the next tranche.
“Although the program identified the capabilities for an MVP, it is not taking the important step of fully demonstrating the MVP before moving forward with the next iteration,” said the report.
SDA officials told GAO that “performance outcomes of the MVP in one tranche will not affect the schedule of other tranches.”
GAO noted that it “previously found that demonstrating an MVP — or capability — before starting the next iteration is an important aspect of iterative development used by leading companies.”
SDA maintains that its technical approach remains sound. Tracking Layer Tranche 0 satellites — eight satellites launched in 2024 as a demonstration — reduced risk for Tranche 1 “by demonstrating suppression of unwanted signals and shared tracks with the Missile Defense Agency, Space Systems Command, and others,” SDA officials told the congressional watchdog agency.
The Transport Layer Tranche 0, SDA said, reduced risk for Tranche 1 by demonstrating laser space links as well as demonstrating a radio frequency link from space to land, sea, and air assets for the first time.
SDA expects Tranche 1 to provide global communications and deliver regional data connectivity to military combatant commands.
PWSA’s structure
The PWSA is structured in layers, each providing functions such as global communications, missile warning and tracking, battle management, and secure data transport.
The agency employs a spiral development model, delivering new satellites every two years in “tranches.”
The Tracking Layer Tranche 1 represents the first tranche of low-Earth orbit satellites equipped with infrared sensors that will provide missile warning and missile tracking capabilities.
The Tracking Layer will be interconnected via laser communications in orbit with the Transport Layer that provides data communications.
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House appropriators call for new Space Force acquisition pilot
June 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM
In their just-passed version of the fiscal 2026 defense budget, House appropriators instruct Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to create a Space Force pilot project that would organize acquisition programs and personnel by “mission areas.”
The call is the result of House Appropriations Committee (HAC) concern “that the Department of Defense continues to struggle with delivering critical capabilities on-time and on-budget,” according to the bill report language released on Tuesday.
Schedule delays and cost overruns have been the bane of DoD space acquisition for decades.
The HAC, chaired by Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., finds that a key reason underlying the Pentagon’s acquisition woes is that the military services do not allow program officers responsible for acquisition oversight to remain in their posts long enough.
Fixing this is especially important at a time when “program manager technical competency is more critical than ever as defense systems and weapons platforms are more technologically complex than ever, such as with space systems,” the report stresses.
The HAC report points out that “statutes have been in place for years requiring tenure of program managers, but sadly the Department routinely ignores the statute, favoring instead to rotate officers frequently in order to better position them for promotion.
The Committee feels strongly that promotions should be based on merit and accomplishment, not based on getting the plum assignments to ‘punch the right tickets.'”
Thus, the appropriators “encourage” DoD to ensure that the new Space Force pilot allows program managers to remain in place for longer than current practice of about three years in order to allow them to build the technical and management skills required to adequately ensure program success.
“The intent of the pilot program is to implement mission area program offices with responsibility, authority and accountability for the entire life-cycle of a mission, from system concept, through acquisition, development, fielding, and operational life,” the HAC report explains.
The committee also urges the Space Force to consider reorganizing how Guardians are ranked and assigned jobs as part of the pilot.
The pilot “should examine combining the enlisted and officer ranks into a single system with fewer ranks, elimination of the current occupational specialty categories, such as acquirers or operations, in favor of specializations focused on mission areas, such as missile warning or satellite communications, with assignments focused on developing deep expertise in all aspects of a mission area,” the report said.
That provision echoes similar acquisition reforms laid out by the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., in a wide-ranging draft bill called the SPEED Act released Tuesday.
The proposed bill likewise compels the Pentagon to begin looking at how to organize program officers around “major capability activity areas,” rather than individual weapons programs.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/house-appropriators-call-for-new-space-force-acquisition-pilot/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9y6__Y993k
Delta 11 Changes Command at Schriever SFB, Welcomes New Leader
June 11, 2025
U.S. Space Force Col. Agustin “Rico” Carrero assumed command of Space Delta 11 from Col. Jay M. Steingold during a ceremony held June 10, 2025, at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.
The ceremony, hosted by Space Training and Readiness Command, marked a leadership transition for the service’s range and aggressor delta, responsible for delivering advanced training and threat replication in support of space warfighters.
Steingold, who took command of DEL 11 in July 2023, led the organization through a period of rapid expansion and high operational tempo.
Under his command, the unit hosted or supported more than 30 joint and coalition exercises, including RED FLAG, SPACE FLAG, BLACK SKIES, ASTERX, COSMIC AXOLOTL, and others.
“Col. Steingold carried forward the legacy of the range and aggressor mission with unmatched dedication,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Sebja, STARCOM’s commander.
“You served STARCOM, the Space Force, and the nation very honorably, and for that, we’re all thankful. Your leadership has strengthened Delta 11 and sharpened our force’s combat readiness.”
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and interservice transfer from the Navy, Steingold brought a unique blend of maritime and space experience to the role.
He now departs for a new assignment as deputy commander of Space Forces Indo-Pacific.
Taking command, Carrero brings extensive experience in the space domain, including prior roles in satellite command and control, electronic warfare, and space range operations.
Most recently, he served as the Director of Reserve Component Forces and Manpower at U.S. Space Command.
“Col. Carrero embodies the ‘all-in’ leadership philosophy that defines our best warfighters,” Sejba said.
“He’s commanded at the squadron and group levels and understands the technical, operational, and cultural demands of the aggressor mission. I’m confident DEL 11 will continue to thrive under his leadership.”
As Delta 11 navigates a period of base transition and evolving mission scope, Carrero emphasized his intent to build on the warfighting culture instilled under Steingold’s command.
“I am honored to join your ranks,” Carrero said. “Together, we will prepare our warfighters to compete and win, while upholding the Guardian core values, which guides our commitment to generate combat credible space power while upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism.”
Space Delta 11 is headquartered at Schriever SFB and operates under STARCOM.
The Delta is responsible for delivering live, virtual, and constructive range and aggressor capabilities to support joint and coalition space operations training.
https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4212134/delta-11-changes-command-at-schriever-sfb-welcomes-new-leader/
Drone as First Responder program set for takeoff following Trump executive order
June 12, 2025
Dive Brief:
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order June 6 to advance U.S. drone capabilities by accelerating integration into the National Airspace System, supporting domestic manufacturing and streamlining regulatory processes.
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“Unleashing American Drone Dominance” directs the U.S. Transportation Secretary to issue a proposed rule to standardize remote flights beyond sight of the operator for commercial and public safety drones within 30 days and publish that rule within 240 days. It also directs the Federal Aviation Administration to deploy AI tools to streamline and expedite waiver reviews for drones.
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This will fuel “one of the most significant technological advances for law enforcement in decades,” said Charles Werner, director of public safety drone network DroneResponders.
Dive Insight:
Police Drone as First Responder, or DFR, programs send camera-equipped drones to respond to 911 calls, giving officers a view of the scene before they arrive.
The Chula Vista, California, police department, which launched the first DFR program in 2018, calls it “a transformational method of policing that has demonstrated the ability to increase officer and community safety and reduce overall police response times.”
Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy cited drones as one of her most important tools for improving situational awareness and de-escalating dangerous situations, according to a Chula Vista police department web page.
“The most valuable piece of this asset is that true situational awareness that helps officers make better decisions because they have a better picture of what’s going on before they get on scene,” said Lieutenant William Hutchinson of the Palm Springs Police Department, which launched the largest radar-enabled DFR program in the U.S. — covering 37 square miles — in May.
Hutchinson said Palm Springs officers love the program. “They know they’re safer. They can calm down.
They can think a little bit slower but more methodically and more tactically because they know where the people are on these calls and what they’re getting into,” he said.
There are now about 260 DFR and 7,000 public safety drone programs in the U.S., Werner said.
He is hopeful that standardizing the Beyond Visual Line of Sight rule, which can impose additional restrictions on drones when they’re flying beyond the operator’s direct line of sight, will allow police and other public safety departments to operate DFR programs without filing waivers.
This would “open the floodgates” for more drone programs, he said.
Werner said the White House began making inquiries about the waiver process about three months ago, and since then the FAA has accelerated the time it takes to approve DFR waivers from about 11 months to a day or two.
“The FAA has reported upwards of over 20 DFR applications in a single day,” he said. As of Wednesday, Werner said 260 DFR waivers have been approved and 78 more were in process.
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/drone-as-first-responder-set-for-takeoff-trump-executive-order-FAA/750548/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/06/president-trump-signs-executive-orders-on-drones-flying-cars-and-supersonics/
LA cops shoot photojournalist in the head
10 Jun, 2025 23:50
A California police officer shot a New York Post photojournalist in the head with a rubber bullet during pro-immigration protests and riots in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The incident occurred as Toby Canham was photographing a standoff between protesters and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) during anti-immigration crackdown riots that swept through parts of the city area.
According to the Post, Canham was wearing his press pass when he was struck and fell to the ground. He spent Monday in the hospital with whiplash and neck pain, and was left with a large bruise on his forehead, the paper reported.
“When I got whacked, to my best recollection, it was just me filming with my cameras on – and then I got shot,” Canham said. “I wasn’t surrounded, so I was an easy target.”
He added that shortly before he was hit, someone to his left had thrown a bottle at officers and then fled the scene.
On the same day, an officer shot Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi in the leg with a rubber bullet as she was covering the protests for broadcaster ABC.
Footage of the shooting caught by her camera crew suggest the reporter was specifically targeted.
The unrest began on Friday after federal agents detained several individuals as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The demonstrations quickly escalated into clashes with police, widespread looting, and uncontained vandalism, prompting Trump to deploy the National Guard and active-duty Marines.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the president’s actions as unlawful.
https://www.rt.com/news/618932-la-cops-shoot-journalist/
https://twitter.com/KristyTallman/status/1932454547051737551
Ukrainian attacks on Russian planes ‘Western’ intel op – Jeffrey Sachs
12 Jun, 2025 14:53
Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian military airfields earlier this month were a “Western intelligence operation” orchestrated by the CIA and MI6, American public policy analyst Jeffrey Sachs has claimed.
In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson released on Wednesday, Sachs accused Western intelligence services of covertly working to undermine peace efforts aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict, acting on orders from the US “deep state.”
On June 1, Ukrainian drones struck several Russian airbases in a coordinated assault across five regions – from Murmansk in the north to Irkutsk in Siberia – which Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky later called Operation Spider’s Web.
Kiev claimed that around 40 Russian military aircraft were damaged or destroyed, including long-range bombers.
Moscow has dismissed the numbers and extent of damage, saying some of the aircraft were damaged, but that it was minimal and will be repaired. It added that most of the drones were intercepted.
The attacks were reportedly carried out using commercial trucks rigged with explosive-laden drones smuggled into Russia.
Asked whether the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) could have executed such a large-scale attack on its own, Sachs replied, “of course not.”
“This was a Western intelligence operation. Without question,” he said, adding that the plan was likely prepared in secret by the CIA with help from the British.
Sachs was also asked whether US President Donald Trump, who has been actively mediating peace efforts, could have been unaware.
He replied that the CIA is “self-operating” and “out of control,” and has not been held accountable by Trump or previous presidents for over 50 years.
He believes the agency answers to the “deep state” and military companies that fund its operations.
Sachs called the attacks a “reckless” escalation that risked a direct confrontation between the two nuclear superpowers.
“Whether or not the White House knew, the operation itself is completely reckless and alarming, because attacking part of the nuclear triad in this way is a step towards nuclear Armageddon.”
Sachs argued that to prevent the Ukraine conflict from escalating further, the US must cut funding for the “desperate” Kiev regime and negotiate directly with Russia.
“In the end, we can’t control Ukraine, but they can’t fight without the US,” he said, noting that Trump has the constitutional authority to end the conflict by changing US foreign policy.
Western officials have denied involvement in the attacks. Russian investigators have launched a probe, and the Russian military has since targeted strategic military sites across Ukraine, including weapon design bureaus, repair facilities, and airfields used by Ukraine’s tactical aircraft.
https://www.rt.com/news/619018-sachs-ukraine-drones-western-intelligence/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=677g2SsetMs (The Tucker Carlson Show - Jeffrey Sachs: Ukraine/Russia Dangerous New Escalation, & the Dark Forces Pushing for War With Iran June 11, 2025)
Russia and Ukraine exchange more POWs
12 Jun, 2025 12:54
Moscow and Kiev exchanged a third group of POWs on Thursday under a major prisoner swap agreed to in Istanbul earlier this month, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.
The freed soldiers are currently in Belarus and will be transferred to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation, the ministry said in a statement.
A group of Ukrainian POWs has also been handed over to Kiev, the military added, without specifying the number of exchanged soldiers.
The Defense Ministry released a video showing the freed servicemen phoning their relatives and waving Russian flags before boarding a bus at an undisclosed location.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky confirmed the swap, describing it as the “second stage” of an exchange of “seriously wounded and gravely ill soldiers.” He did not provide details on the number of soldiers swapped.
Moscow and Kiev agreed to exchange certain categories of POWs, including those who are seriously injured, ill and those under the age of 25, during the second round of direct negotiations held in Istanbul on June 2.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Kiev has been behind schedule with the exchange and was unable to perform the swaps “daily” as agreed in Istanbul.
“Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is not ready to conduct exchanges in that swift mode,” the military said in a statement.
The first swap under the deal was held on Monday, involving prisoners under the age of 25, according to the Russian military. Another exchange took place on Tuesday.
While the Russian ministry did not comment on the categories of POWs included in this exchange, Kiev said it involved those “seriously wounded and ill.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/619021-russia-ukraine-pow-swap/
Rubio sends congratulations on Russia Day
12 Jun, 2025 07:32
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has congratulated the Russian people on Russia Day, while vowing to work toward reaching a resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
Rubio delivered the message on Wednesday, saying “the United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on their aspirations for a brighter future.”
The secretary of state took the opportunity to “reaffirm the United States’ desire for constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
He added that “It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”
It was the first such public statement by a US secretary of state since 2021, when Antony Blinken marked Russia Day by saying the US is “steadfastly committed to supporting the Russian people as they continue to build on the aspirations outlined in the Declaration of Russian State Sovereignty and their desire to work together with the international community and cooperate peacefully on matters of global concern.”
Russia and the US have had strained relations for years, hitting an all-time low under then-US President Joe Biden following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
However, since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved to restore direct dialogue with Moscow.
On Tuesday, Russia’s new ambassador to the US, Aleksandr Darchiev, reported that he met with Trump at the White House to present his credentials.
Darchiev said he promised Trump that the embassy would “do everything to restore Russian-American relations,” adding that he believes the two great powers “are destined for non-confrontational peaceful coexistence.”
He went on to say that there is now a “window of opportunity” to resume full intergovernmental ties and to seek “mutually respectful and equal solutions” to global problems.
https://www.rt.com/news/618999-rubio-congratulations-russia-national-day/
Russian envoy reveals details of Trump meeting
12 Jun, 2025 02:28
Russia’s new ambassador to the US, Aleksandr Darchiev, said he held a brief but “very constructive” meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, after formally presenting his credentials at the White House.
Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 4 – their fourth conversation since Trump returned to the White House.
“We agreed on the need to restore ties in accordance with the instructions issued by Presidents Putin and Trump during their phone conversation,” Darchiev told RIA Novosti at the Russian Embassy following the meeting.
“I assured the president that, in line with the directives I received, I will do everything possible to help restore Russian-US relations and return them to a state of normalcy and common sense,” he added.
“A window of opportunity has opened to rebuild relations on the basis of mutual trust and equality,” the envoy said. “Russia and the United States are destined, as great powers, to have a non-confrontational and peaceful coexistence.”
Darchiev noted that the two sides are discussing business initiatives and the resumption of direct flights. He told TASS earlier that the embassy would work toward lifting what he called “absurd” restrictions on Russian diplomatic activity in the US, as well as simplifying visa procedures.
Under former President Joe Biden, the US severed nearly all direct contact with Russia in 2022 over the Ukraine conflict and imposed sweeping sanctions on Russian officials and businesses.
Trump has criticized his predecessor for sidelining diplomacy and pledged to broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev.
While Moscow has praised Trump and his team for their shift in rhetoric and willingness to engage, no breakthrough has been achieved.
Trump has threatened to impose additional measures on Russia if a ceasefire is not reached, but he has not endorsed the sanctions bill currently under consideration in the Senate.
https://www.rt.com/russia/618991-russian-envoy-meets-trump/
DHS Confirms Predator Drones Fly Over LA Protests
June 12, 2025
Overhead footage from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) seems to suggest that domestic predator drones are being used to show the rest of the world what’s going on in L.A.
The last time drones like these were used for public consumption was for the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, following the killing of George Floyd.
DHS posted its high-altitude surveillance on X, seemingly confirming the footage was gathered by an MQ-9 from CBP Air and Marine Operations, known colloquially as a predator drone.
The video showed vehicles on fire, windows being smashed and what appeared to be some kind of a firecracker shot off by a protester from a corner of the street in Downtown L.A. It didn’t look like anyone was hit.
“This is not calm. This is not peaceful,” the DHS wrote. “California politicians must call off their rioting mob.”
An aviation tracking enthusiast from 404 Media confirmed it was an MQ-9 that captured the moments shown in the viral video, which now has about 350,000 views on X.
“This is anarchy & insurrection,” one verified X user wrote.
Another jabbed back at DHS’ caption, writing, “Oh so now it’s the politicians directing the mob…y’all are laughable.”
The city is still in a state of “local emergency,” according to Mayor Bass, who issued a curfew on Tuesday.
Hundreds were arrested that night, with charges ranging from failure to disperse and illegal possession of a firearm.
https://lamag.com/news/dhs-confirms-predator-drones-fly-over-la-protests
https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1932554361840022016
U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Says Statement On Drone Strike Retracted Due to “Administrative Error”
June 12, 2025
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin Massinga held a press conference today addressing a wide range of issues, including the recent retraction of a controversial statement on drone strikes, the United States’ approach to humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, and the current political and security situation in the country.
One of the central questions raised was why Ambassador Massinga retracted his original May 23 statement, which had called on the Ethiopian federal government to “immediately cease the use of drone strikes against its own people and facilitate resolutions.”
The statement was revised just hours later, replacing the phrase with a more measured call for the government to “continue seeking peaceful resolutions without violence and prioritize the safety and well-being of its citizens.”
Speaking on this issue, Ambassador Massinga clarified: “That was a mistake—nothing more, nothing less.
We took an earlier draft that I had never seen, never approved, and due to an administrative error, it was unfortunately posted.
We quickly replaced it with a message that better reflects where we’re coming from. I’m pleased to say the intended audiences understood that and responded accordingly.”
The Ambassador emphasized that the core message was directed at all Ethiopians and their leaders.
“I don’t think anybody disagrees with the idea that it’s time to put people first,” he said, highlighting the U.S.’s long standing partnership with Ethiopia, particularly in providing humanitarian aid.
“We’re proud to do all that, but we recognize it’s not sustainable outside of a political resolution of this conflict. I think everyone understands that.”
When asked whether the U.S. government is actively facilitating peace talks between the Ethiopian government and armed groups such as Fano and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), Ambassador Massinga was cautious:
“Our mission is public diplomacy. We’re engaging with the Ethiopian government at a government-to-government level. This is one of the areas we’re working on moving forward.”
On the May 23 call for Fano to adopt “realistic and peaceful objectives,” the Ambassador explained, “What those terms mean—being peaceful and realistic—that’s for Fano and the federal government to determine, just as long as there is a pathway forward. All stakeholders recognize that this is what the people want.”
Addressing questions about U.S. humanitarian assistance, especially after cuts to USAID, the Ambassador revealed that a substantial portion of preprogrammed aid is being restored.
“Eighty-nine percent of the previously programmed humanitarian assistance will continue. About 77% of overall development and humanitarian aid is still available to us.”
He detailed continued support in sectors such as health—especially HIV and maternal health—agriculture, and assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“But aid is not sustainable for either the U.S. or Ethiopian governments. The IDPs must be able to return home safely and rebuild their lives.”
Ambassador Massinga also noted a shift in strategy toward private sector-led growth.
“We’re focusing on a fundamental programming shift—from assistance to private sector engagement,” citing collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing, as well as support for infrastructure projects like the new airport in Bishoftu.
Responding to concerns about press freedom and media restrictions, the Ambassador said, “As someone who has spent ten years in Ethiopia, I understand the challenges.
But just like the U.S. went through civil wars and difficult times before achieving its current civil and press freedoms, Ethiopia must also work toward that path. All stakeholders must act to restore constitutional order.”
Ambassador Massinga reaffirmed the U.S.’s strong support for Ethiopia’s economic reforms, saying, “Let’s be clear: It’s hard.
But we applaud the government and the Ministry of Finance for accepting the challenge to shift toward a market economy.”
He praised Ethiopia’s ambition to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) by next year and expressed U.S. support for improving regulatory conditions and expanding foreign market access.
Commenting on the ongoing conflicts in Amhara and Oromia, the Ambassador warned that continued instability poses a major barrier to Ethiopia’s future.
“As long as conflict continues, it will be difficult for the country to achieve the stability it desires. All actors—especially the federal government—must lead Ethiopia forward, not backward.
The full potential of the country depends on it.”
https://borkena.com/2025/06/12/u-s-ambassador-to-ethiopia-addresses-retraction-of-drone-strike-statement-humanitarian-aid-peace-talks/
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