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NASA Assessing One of Two Satellites Set to Study Magnetic Reconnection
July 25, 2025
After launch of NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) mission on July 23, the team successfully achieved telemetry lock and command functions with each of the two satellites.
During the commissioning process, the team made routine adjustments to the power subsystem on both vehicles.
While the adjustments achieved the desired results on one satellite, the other satellite requires further investigation by the team.
Commissioning operations are temporarily paused while the team analyzes the situation and determines the appropriate response.
NASA will provide additional updates online at: https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/tracers
The TRACERS mission launched to study magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the Sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/tracers/2025/07/25/nasa-assessing-one-of-two-satellites-set-to-study-magnetic-reconnection/
Celebrating 25 Years of Continuous Human Presence Aboard the International Space Station
Jul 25, 2025
NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000.
A truly global endeavor, the International Space Station has been visited by more than 280 people from 23 countries and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft.
The unique microgravity laboratory has hosted more than 4,000 experiments from more than 5,000 researchers in more than 110 countries.
The space station also is facilitating the growth of a commercial market in low Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation.
NASA created a dedicated logo to symbolize this historic achievement. The logo is visible in the cupola of the space station in this July 17, 2025, image.
The central astronaut figure is representative of all those who have lived and worked aboard the station during the 25 years of continuous human presence.
In the dark sky of space surrounding the astronaut are 15 stars, which symbolize the 15 partner nations that support the orbiting laboratory.
There is a visual representation of the space station toward the edge of the design, where humans have had a continuous presence for the past 25 years.
The Earth represents the planet which the station orbits and that science conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory is for the benefit of all.
Integrated into the border of the design is the number “25” to further represent the 25 years of human presence aboard the space station.
After 25 years of continuous human presence, the space station remains a training and proving ground for deep space missions, enabling NASA to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/celebrating-25-years-of-continuous-human-presence-aboard-the-international-space-station/
NASA Rehearses How to Measure X-59’s Noise Levels
Jul 25, 2025
In a stretch of California’s Mojave Desert, NASA conducted a full-scale “dress rehearsal” to prepare how it will measure the noise generated by the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft.
The team behind the successful test flight series operates under NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology project.
Beginning June 3 and concluding this week, researchers conducted a dry run for Phase 2 of NASA’s Quesst mission, when it will capture audio of the sonic thumps the X-59 will produce, rather than loud sonic booms associated with supersonic flight.
“The dress rehearsal was critical for us,” said Larry Cliatt, sub-project manager for the Quesst acoustic validation phase, who is based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.
“It gave us the opportunity to run through every aspect of our operation, from flight planning to data collection.
In between those activities, we practiced aircraft operations, setting up the Ground Recording Systems, meteorological data collecting, and refining control room procedures.
We were able to fine-tune our timelines, improve communication across teams, and ensure that when we perform these test with the X-59 aircraft, everything will run smoothly.”
During the tests, at NASA Armstrong, an F-15B aircraft served as a stand-in for the X-59, flying faster than the speed of sound and making multiple passes over the Mojave sands.
While it flew, researchers captured acoustic data using a linear array of ground recording systems spaced across miles of open desert, recorded weather readings, and measured the shock waves it generated.
For a supersonic aircraft like the F-15B, shock waves typically result in loud sonic booms, but the X-59 is designed to diffuse them in a way that will dramatically limit noise.
NASA’s Quesst mission aims to enable quiet supersonic flight over land using data from the X-59. The experimental aircraft will begin making its first flights this year – the first phase of Quesst.
But even before it takes to the air, the mission began its preparations for Phase 2 with the dry run, which focused on practicing under realistic test conditions and identifying issues before the official campaign begins, not collecting data from the F-15B.
Through Quesst’s development of the X-59, NASA will deliver design tools and technology for quiet supersonic airliners that will achieve the high speeds desired by commercial operators without disturbing people on the ground.
NASA will also validate design tools through ground and flight testing, providing aircraft manufacturers the ability to explore new quiet supersonic concepts and have confidence that their resulting designs will meet requirements for quiet flight.
Most importantly, Quesst will gather data to understand community response to sounds generated during flight – key knowledge for a quiet supersonic future.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/armstrong/nasa-rehearses-how-to-measure-x-59s-noise-levels/
https://www.thesun.ie/tech/15598922/nasa-protect-aliens-disaster/
PLANET DEFENDER I was hired by NASA to protect Earth from aliens – here’s what happens when they find us… & why it may spark disaster
11:57, 26 Jul 2025
AN EX-NASA chief has sensationally revealed plans for intelligent alien visitors.
John Rummel was twice NASA’s Planetary Protection Officer - from 1987 to 1993 and 1997 to 2006.
His objective was to prevent the contamination of other planets during exploratory missions, and also to ensure alien samples didn’t contaminate Earth.
But he also contemplated what he would do if intelligent aliens were to visit.
And Rummel, now retired, has even outlined what could happen if there was a full-scale alien invasion.
Rummel told The Sun: “An alien visitor would provide mutual benefit.
“We could imagine standard microbial sampling, such as swabs and wipes for our part.
“Conceptually, it could be like the Danish film, The Visit, where we have somebody who is coming here but not invading, and they’re interested in finding out more.
“I would insist we sample the visitor to make sure we have no microbial hitchhikers and also that we do not introduce anything to hurt the visitor.
“As for alien invasions, you could end up with the Martians being killed off by the first pathogenic bacteria, and the other way around.
“If we go to Mars, we become the Martians. We have to be careful that when we do get there we don’t bring back unknowns that might otherwise be a problem.
“A lot of people go, oh well, we haven't found life on Mars so far, so it shouldn't be a problem.
“There are a lot of people with big enough egos to say ‘trust me’.
“But that’s not really a good idea. Ignorance is not bliss. Let's go ahead and take some data.”
He added: “We are just getting started in looking for signs of life. I will vote for aliens finding us first.
“We are otherwise in the ‘selfie’ stage of understanding what to look for, and where.”
Rummel said there were no official NASA plans to prepare for an invasion, insisting his views are personal.
But in that scenario, he says the agency would be unlikely to have any jurisdiction for a response.
Rummel spoke after his successor, Catharine Conley, exclusively told The Sun she had been fired by NASA in 2013 for claiming its plan to return Mars samples to Earth was not safe, something Rummel agrees with.
Conley said her job, like Rummel's, was to protect Earth from rogue alien life entering the atmosphere.
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But she believes that if there was an alien invasion, the response would be led by the US Air Force.
She told The Sun: “They would very much more likely be tiny little aliens.
“But if there were any intelligent ones, that would be the Air Force's problem, not NASA's, at least for the US.
“But again, we don't know what we’re preparing for.”
Rummel continued to work for NASA as a senior scientist at the Astrobiology Program after leaving his PPO role before retiring.
He added: “If somebody were to come in and land on the Earth, it's unlikely that they're going to cause a problem in my opinion.
“But I wouldn't trust my opinion on this because I don't have data.
“I believe that there's life out there but it wouldn't consider itself alien. Because they're out there and we're the aliens if we go out there.
“They're not the aliens themselves. I hope intelligent alien life is out there, and I certainly think it could be. We have a chance of seeing them in our lifetime.
“It changes all the time, but the search for extra terrestrial intelligence or technology has the potential to reveal if there’s something else going on in the galaxy that’s not us.
“At one point in time, I was the SETI program person at NASA headquarters.
"And some very smart people are dedicated to seeing what's out there.”
NASA says on its website it hopes to send humans to Mars as early as the 2030s to explore signs of alien life.
It was planning to return Mars samples before then as part of its Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign.
But that has been scrapped by Donald Trump’s cuts, and NASA instead says it anticipates returning samples through lower-cost options.
China remains on course with its own plans to return Mars samples through its Tianwen-3 Mars mission, set for launch in 2028 and bringing samples back by 2031.
Rummel says he agrees with Catharine that NASA’s current plans to bring samples back to Earth are not safe.
But he says he’ll be keeping an eager eye on the Chinese.
He said: “Mars sample return by robotic space vehicles is not currently funded by the US, so Catharine is right.
“It will be interesting to see the details of whatever the Chinese do.”
He added: “The bottom line is that we're looking for life on Mars and if we think there's a credible possibility of finding life on Mars, then it would be nice to know something about whether or not that life form was benign or whether or not it somehow might affect us.”
“You don't want it to go badly.” The Sun has approached NASA for a response to Rummel's comments.
On questions surrounding the safety of samples returned to Mars, NASA previously said: "It is anticipated that future missions to Mars will return samples for study on Earth.
"NASA will never compromise on safety."
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IN THE STARS Stunning space snap hides rare ‘one-in-a-thousand’ secret – and it may be the first time it has ever been seen by humans
14:48, 26 Jul 2025
A STUNNING photo has captured a rare secret among the stars - and it could be the first time the phenomenon has ever been seen.
Astronomers believe they have photographed the first ever birth of a supermassive black hole.
While experts have gained an understanding of what these supersized giants are, they previously didn't know how they were created.
A supermassive black hole weighs millions, to tens of billions, of Suns, and form the centre of almost every galaxy.
It forms the gravitational centre for everything else - including stars and planets - to revolve around.
However, scientists now believe they have seen a supermassive black hole being formed for the first time ever.
This could provide valuable insight into the space wonder.
The process was captured in a pair of galaxies whose light has travelled for 8.3 million years according to Science Alert.
The discovery was made by a Yale-led astronomy team, in a galaxy they've called "Infinity".
Its name comes from its figure-eight shape, as three supermassive black holes can be seen as the galaxies collide.
Within each galaxy a supermassive black hole can be seen at its nucleus, with a third glowing at their overlap.
The team used a James Webb Space Telescope to observe the two recently-collided galaxies.
Within the cloud of gas at its centre, they identified a supermassive black hole.
Unusually, the black hole was not located at the nucleus of the vast galaxy, but rather in the middle of where they were colliding.
This gave them an indication that they might be witnessing an unprecedented event.
Yale astonomer Pieter van Dokkum said: "We think we're witnessing the birth of a supermassive black hole - something that has never been seen before."
There are currently a number of theories regarding the formation of black holes.
This includes the "light seeds" theory, in which small black holes are believed to have been formed when stars' cores collapsed and exploded.
These smaller black holes are believed to have then merged into the supermassive versions.
However, this theory has been somewhat debunked by research that found supermassive black holes that were born too early for this long-term merging to have taken place.
Instead, the "heavy seeds" theory has been favoured by some astronomers. This argues that larger black holes can form when large clouds of gas collapse, although typically this is known to form stars.
The Infinity galaxy could support the "heavy seeds" theory by showing how, in extreme conditions, a gas collapse could create a black hole.
The team is pursuing ongoing research to confirm the findings.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/36024127/stunning-space-snap-hides-rare-secret/
https://news.yale.edu/2025/07/15/infinity-and-beyond-look-newborn-black-hole
For the First Time, a Satellite Just Made Its Own Decision in Space
26 July 2025
For the first time, a satellite has used artificial intelligence to decide where and when to take scientific photos, all in under 90 seconds and without human control.
Earlier this month, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) tested the new technology, called Dynamic Targeting. The system ran aboard CogniSAT-6, a briefcase-sized satellite built by UK company Open Cosmos.
It carried a machine learning processor developed by Dublin-based firm Ubotica.
How Dynamic Targeting Works
In the trial, the satellite angled itself forward to scan 500 kilometres ahead along its path and captured an initial image. The onboard AI system from Ubotica examined the picture to check for cloud cover.
If the sky was clear, the satellite shifted back to take a detailed photograph of the surface. When clouds were present, it skipped the capture entirely, conserving storage space and reducing unnecessary data transmission.
“If you can be smart about what you’re taking pictures of, then you only image the ground and skip the clouds,” said Ben Smith of JPL, which funds the Dynamic Targeting work.
“This technology will help scientists get a much higher proportion of usable data.”
Smarter Satellites for Faster Insights
Traditionally, satellites act as passive data collectors. They photograph whatever is beneath them and transmit all data back to Earth, whether useful or not. Researchers must then sift through the backlog to find what matters.
“It takes post-processing, which could be days later, to say, ‘Hey, there was a fire. Hey, there was a harmful algal bloom’,” said Brian Quinn, chief strategy officer at Ubotica, in an earlier NASA article.
Dynamic Targeting aims to change this by letting satellites make real-time choices. The system could be expanded to detect wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and severe storms more quickly from orbit.
A Decade in the Making
JPL has spent over ten years developing Dynamic Targeting. The concept allows satellites to process and analyse images onboard, then adjust their instruments in seconds.
The current test focused on avoiding clouds, which block satellite optical sensors as much as two-thirds of the time. The next stages will include targeting storms and spotting events like wildfires and volcanic activity.
Future missions could use Dynamic Targeting across multiple spacecraft. One satellite could analyse images and relay targets to others, enabling a fleet to track short-lived events.
Chien’s team is also studying how the technology might work beyond Earth, using lessons from past work on ESA’s Rosetta mission, which autonomously imaged plumes from a distant comet.
https://orbitaltoday.com/2025/07/26/a-satellite-just-made-its-own-decisions-in-space/
Scientists Find Evidence That Original Life on Earth Was Assembled From Material in Space
Jul 26, 6:00 AM
The molecules that form the building blocks to life may be far more common in space than once thought, according to researchers from the Max Planck Institute.
Their work, published in The Astrophysical Journal, reports the detection of over a dozen types of complex organic molecules swimming closely around a protostar in the constellation Orion, suggesting that the chemicals can survive the violent processes that give birth to stars and thus may abound in space, instead of having to wait for a planet with the right conditions to form them.
Two of the most notable organic molecules detected in the system — tentatively, the astronomers stress — are ethylene glycol and glycolonitrile. Both are precursors of the nucleic acids that form DNA and RNA.
"Our finding points to a straight line of chemical enrichment and increasing complexity between interstellar clouds and fully evolved planetary systems," lead author Abubakar Fadul, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute, said in a statement about the work.
And thus, quoting the researchers' statement: "this suggests that the seeds of life are assembled in space and are widespread."
Until now, the assumption has been that most organic molecules would be destroyed when a star system is born from a chilly cloud of collapsing gas called an interstellar cloud.
When this happens, the protostar undergoes a violent, tumultuous change, blasting out damaging radiation that heats the surrounding gas while pummeling it with powerful shockwaves.
This leaves behind a protoplanetary disk that can eventually form little worlds in the star's orbit.
But in the process, this was also believed to "reset" all the progress that'd been made towards seeding the system with chemical building blocks, which wouldn't start again until the right planet with the ideal conditions came along.
"Now it appears the opposite is true," study co-author Kamber Schwarz, a fellow astronomer at MPI, said in a statement about the work.
"Our results suggest that protoplanetary disks inherit complex molecules from earlier stages, and the formation of complex molecules can continue during the protoplanetary disk stage."
Complex organic molecules are difficult to detect because they're typically trapped in shards called icy dust grains, where they first formed. But in the V883 system, the star is still blasting bursts of radiation into space as it feeds on the leftover gas in its disk.
"These outbursts are strong enough to heat the surrounding disk as far as otherwise icy environments, releasing the chemicals we have detected," Fadul said.
Once liberated, the gases quickly heat up and produce emissions that astronomers can see.
The researchers spotted them, fortuitously, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a huge radio telescope in Chile made of 66 separate antennas working in tandem.
Poetically, it appears that a young star's destructive tendencies are freeing the seeds of life to roam space.
If the precursors to life's building blocks can survive a system's violent formation, that means their chemical evolution can start way before planet formation begins.
In short, it looks like life's building blocks can form in space, and may be rife throughout the cosmos.
Follow-up observations will need to confirm the detections, but the results have the researchers buzzing.
"Perhaps we also need to look at other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum to find even more evolved molecules," Fadul said. "Who knows what else we might discover?
https://futurism.com/life-assembled-material-space
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adec6e
2 stars in 'serpent god of destruction' system are hurling their blazing guts at each other, James Webb telescope reveals
July 25, 2025
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of two dying stars wreathed in a spiral of dust.
The highly rare star system is located some 8,000 light-years from Earth, within our Milky Way galaxy.
Upon its discovery in 2018, it was nicknamed Apep, after the ancient Egyptian serpent god of chaos and destruction, as its writhing pattern of shed dust resembles a snake eating its own tail.
Now, a new image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the system in unprecedented detail, revealing that it doesn't contain just one dying star, but two — with a third star chomping on their dust shrouds.
The researchers published their findings July 19 in two papers on the preprint server arXiv, and they have not been peer-reviewed yet.
"We expected Apep to look like one of these elegant pinwheel nebulas," study co-author Benjamin Pope, a professor in statistical data science at Macquarie University in Sydney, wrote in The Conversation. "To our surprise, it did not."
Nebulas such as these are formed by Wolf-Rayet stars. These rare, slowly dying stars have lost their outer hydrogen shells, leaving them to spew gusts of ionized helium, carbon and nitrogen from their insides.
Wolf-Rayet stars explode as supernovas after a few million years of sputtering, at most. But until then, the radiation pressure from their light unfurls their innards, stretching them out into giant phantom jellyfish in the night sky.
These superheated contents, especially carbon dust that is later recycled into planets and the material in our own bodies, is so hot that it glows brightly in the infrared spectrum.
By capturing these infrared photons with the Very Large Telescope in Chile, astronomers got their first peek at the system in 2018.
Now, by training JWST's sensitive Mid-Infrared Instrument on Apep, the team has captured it in even more detail, revealing it to be even more unusual than first thought.
"It turns out Apep isn't just one powerful star blasting a weaker companion, but two Wolf-Rayet stars," Pope wrote.
"The rivals have near-equal strength winds, and the dust is spread out in a very wide cone and wrapped into a wind-sock shape."
Making the situation even more complex is a third star — a stable giant that's carving out a cavity in the dust spit out by its dying siblings.
Beyond making for a stunning picture, Pope said, studying Apep could tell us more about how stars die and the carbon dust they leave behind.
"The violence of stellar death carves puzzles that would make sense to Newton and Archimedes, and it is a scientific joy to solve them and share them," Pope wrote.
https://www.livescience.com/space/2-stars-in-serpent-god-of-destruction-system-are-hurling-their-blazing-guts-at-each-other-james-webb-telescope-reveals
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14610
SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Florida on Saturday doubleheader
July 26, 2025
A new group of Starlink satellites are circling the Earth after an early Saturday morning (July 26) launch from Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:01 a.m. EDT (0901 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The booster's upper stage reached a preliminary orbit about nine minutes after leaving the ground.
The 28 broadband internet satellites (group 10-26) were released into low Earth orbit about an hour into the flight.
"Deployment of 28 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX confirmed on the social media network X.
The launch is the first of two Starlink missions planned for the day.
SpaceX has scheduled a second launch with 24 satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 8:55 p.m. PDT local (11:55 p.m. EDT or 0355 GMT on July 27).
As planned, the Falcon 9's first stage separated from the upper stage at about 2 minutes into the ascent and then performed a propulsive return to Earth, firing one of its engines to land on "A Shortfall of Gravitas," an autonomous droneship stationed in the Atlantis Ocean. The booster (B1078) completed its 22nd flight.
The launch came two days after the Starlink network experienced a 2.5-hour outage, affecting customers across the globe.
The problem was traced back to a "failure of key internal software services that operate the core network," according to an update posted to the Starlink account on the X social media network.
"The network issue has been resolved, and Starlink service has been restored. We understand how important connectivity is and apologize for the disruption," SpaceX officials wrote.
Saturday's launch raised the total of active Starlink satellites in orbit past 8,000. SpaceX is currently licensed to deploy 12,000 of the relay units.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-10-26-b1078-ccsfs-asog
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-26
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-2
European Vega C rocket launches CO2-mapping satellite, 4 Earth-observation spacecraft to orbit
July 25, 2025
A carbon dioxide-mapping satellite and four Earth-observation spacecraft launched successfully tonight (July 25) from South America.
A Vega C rocket, operated by the French company Arianespace, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on schedule tonight at 10:03 p.m. EDT (11:03 p.m. local time in Kourou; 0203 GMT on July 26).
The four-stage, 115-foot-tall (35 meters) Vega C is carried five satellites on the mission, which Arianespace called VV27.
One was MicroCarb, a project led by the French space agency CNES.
This 400-pound (180-kilogram) satellite "is designed to map sources and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2) — the most important greenhouse gas — on a global scale," CNES officials wrote in a mission description.
MicroCarb will be able to determine CO2 concentrations with a precision of one part per million. The satellite will operate in sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 404 miles (650 kilometers), for at least five years, if all goes to plan.
The other four satellites will make up CNES' CO3D ("Constellation Optique en 3D") Earth-observing constellation.
Each spacecraft in the quartet weighs about 550 pounds (250 kg) and will operate in sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 312 miles (502 km) for at least six years, according to CNES.
The satellites, which were built by Airbus, "have a unique optical instrument with a spatial resolution of approximately 50 cm [20 inches] in the red, green and blue visible bands and in the near-infrared," CNES wrote in a mission description.
"After processing on the ground, their data will yield 3D maps of all of Earth’s land surfaces between -60 degree and +70 degree latitudes."
The CO3D satellites were deployed on schedule around 57 minutes after liftoff, and MicroCarb followed suit 44 minutes later.
VV27 was the fifth launch overall for the Vega C, and the third since an anomaly in the rocket's second stage caused a mission failure in December 2022. The most recent three flights, counting tonight's have all been successful.
The Vega C also lofted the Sentinel-1C Earth-observation satellite and Biomass forest-monitoring spacecraft, both of them European Space Agency missions, in December 2024 and April 2025, respectively.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/european-vega-c-rocket-launches-co2-mapping-satellite-and-4-earth-observation-spacecraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdhkX1z2_mg
Blue Origin to fly AI-powered space surveillance sensor on 1st flight of Blue Ring spacecraft
July 25, 2025
Blue Origin has announced a partnership with Scout Space, a company focused on orbital domain awareness and safety in space.
Scout's Owl sensor will be the first payload to fly on Blue Origin's Blue Ring spacecraft, integrating the advanced space domain awareness (SDA) sensor into the payload delivery vehicle.
The mission is expected to launch in Spring 2026, and will deliver the Owl sensor to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), before the instrument transitions to operational activities in geostationary orbit (GEO).
Blue Ring is Blue Origin's modular, multi-destination satellite bus, with the ability to support up to 13 payloads across multiple ports.
Blue Ring can carry up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms) of mission cargo and is designed for high maneuverability.
The spacecraft is capable of launching into a variety of destinations in Earth orbit and can also go to deep space — to the moon and Mars, for example.
The spacecraft will launch on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, which lifted off for the first time in January 2025.
That mission reached orbit with a pathfinder version of Blue Ring meant to validate the spacecraft's mechanics and avionics.
The upcoming Owl sensor integration will be the platform's first operational flight.
Blue Ring's 2026 mission aims to demonstrate the spacecraft's capabilities while the onboard Owl sensor supports national security and commercial interests in space situational awareness.
"Integrating Scout’s Owl sensor on this first mission marks a significant step forward in advancing SDA capabilities and underscores our commitment to supporting the nation’s mission requirements," Paul Ebertz, senior vice president of Blue Origin’s In-Space Systems business unit, said in a statement.
The Owl sensor is designed to detect, track and characterize objects in orbit — including satellites, debris and other space flotsam — from long distances to support SDA initiatives.
Owl is powered by artificial intelligence to autonomously identify and classify threats or anomalies.
On this mission, the sensor will support the U.S. Space Force's goal to maintain space superiority, according to the Blue Origin release.
The partnership highlights Blue Origin's growing focus on missions in support of national security and U.S. dominance in space amid growing orbital congestion and geopolitical tensions around orbital real estate.
"We've always believed that no single company can bring the best space superiority capabilities to the market alone," Scout Space CEO Philip Hover-Smoot said in the release.
"We’re thrilled to work with Blue Origin to bring Scout’s secure solutions onboard this historic first Blue Ring mission."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/blue-origin-to-fly-ai-powered-space-surveillance-sensor-on-1st-flight-of-blue-ring-spacecraft
https://www.blueorigin.com/news/first-blue-ring-mission-to-demonstrate-space-domain-awareness-with-scout-space-sensor
https://www.blueorigin.com/blue-ring
U.S. Space Forces - Indo-Pacific holds first change of command ceremony
Jul. 25, 2025 at 9:29 PM PD
U.S. Space Forces - Indo-Pacific held its first change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, July 25, 2025, in another significant milestone for the two-and-half-year-old command.
Maj. Gen. Anthony Mastalir relinquished command to Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro, who accepted the guidon from Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, who presided over the ceremony.
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman gave remarks at the historic ceremony.
“In many ways, space capabilities, with radically different speed and distance characteristics, are uniquely postured to help ensure the safety and effectiveness of our joint force,” said Saltzman.
“That’s why it was so critical for us to establish Space Forces—Indo-Pacific, bringing space expertise and capabilities into the fight to defend U.S. interests and deter aggression in the region."
Mastalir, who led the command since its inception Nov. 22, 2022, said integrated space operations have never been more important to military operations and the growth of USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC reflects that reality.
“These are not ceremonial milestones. They were necessary steps to ensure we could do the one thing we were created to do: integrate space operations across the Joint Force and our Allies to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Mastalir said.
Among the many accomplishments under Mastalir’s command, USSPACEFOR-INDOPAC stood up subordinate component field commands in Korea in 2022 and Japan in 2024, as well as deepened relationships and coordination with allies and partners throughout the region to provide peerless space capabilities to friendly forces.
Along with praising Mastalir for shepherding the early years of the command and welcoming Denaro, Saltzman noted the criticality of the Space Force’s presence in the region and its vital function as USINDOPACOM’s one voice for all space-related activities in the area of responsibility.
“His team delivered electromagnetic warfare, space domain awareness, orbital warfare, and navigation capabilities to enable nearly a dozen tier-one combatant command exercises,” Saltzman said of Mastalir.
“These critical events hone our skills, refine our tactics, and help us learn key lessons as a joint force. Gen. Mastalir ensured that we train like we fight– focused on deterring war, but standing prepared to act swiftly and decisively if conflict does arise.”
The command, which is headquartered at Hickam, has a primary mission to plan, integrate, synchronize, and execute command and control of space operations in support of regional combatant command priorities and objectives.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this team and its vital mission,” said Denaro, addressing Guardians, Airmen and ceremony attendees for the first time as commander.
“U.S. Space Forces – Indo-Pacific will continue to develop and provide critical capabilities to the joint force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Denaro was previously the Director of Plans and Programs in the Office of the Chief Strategy and Resource Officer, Headquarters Space Force at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/543919/us-space-forces-indo-pacific-holds-first-change-command-ceremony
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/07/26/us-space-forces-indo-pacific-welcomes-new-leader/
SecAF visits Asia-Pacific to strengthen alliances, assess readiness
July 25, 2025
Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink departed July 24 on his first international trip as SecAF, traveling throughout the U.S. Asia-Pacific area of responsibility to reinforce international partnerships and meet with Airmen and Guardians supporting the Department of the Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise.
Meink’s visit underscores the United States’ ongoing commitment to its allies and partners across all warfighting domains. It emphasizes the Department of the Air Force’s role in enhancing regional security through integrated operations.
“The United States remains committed to deterring potential threats in the Asia-Pacific,” Meink said. “This trip reinforces the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to prevent aggression and defend our allies and partners in the region.”
The secretary’s first stop included meetings with leadership from Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii to receive a strategic overview of the mission in the region.
He also received an update on the DLE series, which began July 10.
This DLE series is incorporating multiple command exercises into one overall threat deterrence scenario and is featuring 12,000 U.S. Air and Space Force personnel, more than 350 bomber, fighter, cargo and refueling aircraft, and space-based and space-enabled capabilities to include, but not limited to, space electromagnetic warfare, space domain awareness, orbital warfare and navigational warfare.
“This is a first-in-a-generation large-scale exercise for our Air Force and Space Force,” Meink said. “Bringing together Airmen and Guardians with our allies and partners strengthens our ability to operate jointly and reestablish deterrence across the Asia-Pacific.”
Meink’s trip will include Guam, the Philippines, Japan, and Alaska, where the delegation will engage with international senior leaders and visit Airmen and Guardians deployed and stationed throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4255852/secaf-visits-asia-pacific-to-strengthen-alliances-assess-readiness/
Vandenberg SFB hosts NASA TRACERS mission brief
July 25, 2025
Vandenberg Space Force Base hosted a mission brief for NASA’s upcoming Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites mission on July 21.
The event brought together attendees from Vandenberg SFB, NASA, the University of Iowa and the local community to discuss the TRACERS mission and its scientific goals.
Vandenberg SFB Guardians and U.S. Air Force Airmen are scheduled to support the launch of NASA's TRACERS mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East no earlier than July 22.
TRACERS will be the second NASA mission launched from Vandenberg SFB in 2025, following the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer mission launched in March.
Vandenberg SFB continues to help meet the space launch needs of the United States, propelling scientific and technological innovation while fulfilling the requirements for the Space Force and its mission partners.
NASA’s TRACERS mission will help researchers understand magnetic reconnection and its effects in Earth’s atmosphere. Magnetic reconnection occurs when activity from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.
By understanding this process, scientists will be able to better understand and prepare for impacts of solar activity on Earth.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4255669/vandenberg-sfb-hosts-nasa-tracers-mission-brief/
Trump says Putin-Zelensky meeting ‘is going to happen’
25 Jul, 2025 20:43
US President Donald Trump has said a face-to-face meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky “is going to happen.” The Kremlin insists such a summit should only be held to seal a final peace agreement.
Trump made the comments on Friday when asked by reporters what it would take for Putin and Zelensky to sit down together – possibly with him in the room.
”It’s going to happen, but it should have happened three months ago. It’s going to happen,” he said, without offering a timeframe. Trump has pushed for a settlement to the conflict since taking office in January.
Earlier this month, he threatened to impose “severe” secondary tariffs of up to 100% on Russia’s trading partners unless a deal is reached within 50 days – by early September.
Moscow maintains it is open to a diplomatic settlement, but in a way that would address the conflict’s “root causes” and its security concerns. It insists on Ukraine’s neutrality and recognition of the “territorial reality on the ground,” as well as demilitarization and denazification.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for a direct meeting with Putin. Ukrainian negotiators also raised the idea at this week’s bilateral talks in Istanbul, framing such a summit as essential to ending the fighting.
The Kremlin has not ruled out a meeting but insists the groundwork must be in place first.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said the two men should meet only after meaningful progress has been achieved at the working level. “It is impossible to do the opposite,” he stressed.
Moscow has also raised concerns about Zelensky’s legal authority. His five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to call new elections, citing martial law.
Russian officials have suggested that any documents signed under his name could later be challenged. Putin said last month he was open to a meeting with Zelensky – if it came at the final stage of talks.
In addition, Russia has demanded that Ukraine lift martial law and hold elections within 100 days as part of any lasting ceasefire.
https://www.rt.com/news/622007-trump-putin-zelensky-meeting/
IDF says drone strike killed Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon
Today, 4:49 pm
A Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil earlier today, the military says.
According to the IDF, the commander, Ali Abed al-Qader Ismail, was involved in efforts to restore Hezbollah capabilities in the Bint Jbeil area, adding that his actions “constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-drone-strike-killed-hezbollah-commander-in-southern-lebanon-3/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/gazan-officials-say-at-least-25-killed-most-by-gunfire-while-waiting-for-aid/
Gazan officials say at least 25 killed, most by gunfire while waiting for aid
Today, 5:04 pm
Israeli airstrikes and gunshots killed at least 25 people overnight and early Saturday, with the majority of victims being shot while awaiting aid deliveries, Gaza hospital officials said, in the latest of a string of deadly incidents at aid sites in the Strip as Gazans face mounting hunger.
The victims killed by gunfire were waiting for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were brought.
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a request for comment.
Those killed in airstrikes included four people in an apartment building in Gaza City, among others, according to hospital staff and the ambulance service. The death tolls could not be verified.
The reports from Gaza come after the Hamas-run health ministry in the coastal enclave said on Friday that 89 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours.
Later Saturday, the IDF released footage showing airstrikes on a cell of terror operatives that detonated a bomb against troops operating in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis.
According to the IDF, no soldiers were wounded in the attack. Troops of the 188th Armored Brigade spotted the operatives and directed drone strikes that killed them.
Meanwhile, in Gaza City, the military said troops of the 7th Armored Brigade directed airstrikes on launchers used to fire anti-tank missiles at the forces.
In the past day, the IDF said the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on over 100 terror targets across Gaza, including cells of operatives, tunnels, buildings used by Hamas, weapon depots, and anti-tank launch positions.
One rocket was fired from Gaza toward Israel on Saturday. According to the IDF, the rocket, which caused sirens to sound, struck an open area near the border community of Kissufim, but no injuries or damage were reported.
Earlier in the day, sirens were activated in Nir Am near the Gaza border, but the military said the alert was a false alarm.
UK to take part in air drops
The continued fighting and violence, particularly around aid sites, comes amid an apparent breakdown in hostage-ceasefire talks, mounting signs of widespread hunger in the Strip, and spiraling international pressure on Israel to ease the entry of aid into Gaza.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has sparked international condemnation, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres writing on X on Saturday that widespread hunger in Gaza is a “moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”
“We will continue to speak out. But words don’t feed hungry children,” his post said. “The UN stands ready to make the most of a ceasefire to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations.”
Concern was also expressed in a joint statement by the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, who said the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza “must end now” and that “the time has come” for the war to end.
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“We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work in order to take action against starvation,” read the joint statement by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay,” they said. “Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.”
“Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law,” they added. “We stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.”
The statement came a day after Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state in September, prompting condemnation from Israel and responses from Germany and the UK that they would not follow suit.
According to a statement from Starmer’s office, the British premier spoke to Macron and Merz to outline UK plans to get aid to people in Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children.
“The prime minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance,” the statement said.
NYT: No evidence of Hamas stealing UN aid
Citing two senior Israeli military officials and two other Israelis involved in the matter, The New York Times reported on Saturday that Israel has no evidence that Hamas regularly steals aid from the United Nations.
The claim that Hamas steals aid has been Israel’s main justification for the establishment of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group backed by the US and Israel that has distributed tens of millions of meals in southern and central Gaza, but has seen hundreds of reported deaths of Palestinians at and near its distribution sites.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the UN system for distributing aid was the most reliable and effective method of distributing aid, while Hamas would steal from smaller organizations that contributed aid.
The IDF told The Times in a statement that Hamas’s looting of aid is “well documented” and that the terror group “exploited humanitarian aid to fund terrorist activities.”
The Times’ report came after more than 100 trucks’ worth of aid coming in from Israel were collected and distributed by the UN and other international organizations on Friday, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said.
According to COGAT, some 90 trucks of food were also unloaded at the crossings and were waiting to be collected.
“Hundreds of trucks still await pickup. We continue to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” COGAT added.
The war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people and kidnapping 251. The IDF has confirmed the deaths of 28 of the 50 remaining hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 58,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far, though the toll cannot be verified and does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.
Israel says it has killed some 20,000 combatants in battle as of January and another 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught. Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 456.
Israel has said it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools and mosques.
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Strikes on Iran thwarted fission and fusion nukes, and ‘electronic pulse’ bomb – report
July 26, 2025 12:24 pm
Israeli sources believe US and Israeli strikes in Iran last month hampered the Islamic Republic’s development of two types of nuclear warheads and an “electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon that could cripple Israel electronically,” the Washington Post reported Saturday.
According to the report, the 12-day war with Iran also destroyed roughly half of Tehran’s 3,000 ballistic missiles and 80% of its 500 missile launchers.
Unnamed Israeli sources were cited as saying Tehran was planning to raise its ballistic missile stockpile to at least 8,000, meaning any further delay to the strike against Iran would have exposed Israel to much greater damage from missile strikes.
However, along with Israel’s successes, Jerusalem was dealt an “unwelcome surprise” when it discovered Iran had more solid-fuel missiles than previously expected, the report said.
Such missiles are more difficult to shoot down, according to an Israeli source cited by the Post.
The damage to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs was compounded by Israel’s assassination of the first tier, second tier and most of the third tier of Iranian physicists and nuclear scientists, sources cited by the Post said.
Israeli officials were cited as saying it was expected that younger Iranians would be deterred from pursuing careers in those fields as a result of the killings.
The revelations were reported in an opinion piece by Washington Post foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius.
Ignatius also writes that when US President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire, “Israel was moving into a final phase of attacks intended to topple the regime,” but does not elaborate.
Hours after Trump announced the ceasefire, on June 24, he ordered Israel to recall planes that Israel had said would “forcefully strike the heart of Tehran” after a post-ceasefire Iranian missile attack, and publicly castigated Israel for ostensible ceasefire violations.
The assassinations reportedly halted Iran’s development of the EMP device. Such weapons emit powerful bursts of electromagnetic energy that can paralyze electrical networks.
Development of an EMP device was said to have been promoted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as an alternative to nuclear arms, since atomic weapons are nominally banned under a religious decree by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Despite the fatwa, Israeli sources said they believe Iran was making progress on two types of nuclear warheads: a standard fission warhead, which splits atoms, and a more complex fusion warhead, which forces atoms together.
According to the Post, the fusion-warhead project was halted as a result of Israel’s strikes against Iranian nuclear scientists.
A well-informed Israeli source cited in the report said “Iran is no longer a nuclear threshold state” — echoing a similar assessment by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir — and would require one to two years to build a nuclear weapon, if it could do so covertly.
The source was also cited, saying Israel would likely be able to detect and destroy a potential Iranian effort to quickly build a crude nuclear device.
Israel has said its June 13 opening strike against Iran came as the Islamic Republic, which is sworn to destroy Israel, was taking steps toward nuclear weaponization.
Though Iran denies seeking nuclear arms, it has amassed uranium enriched to 60% — far beyond what is needed for civilian use, and a short step away from weapons-grade.
US and Israeli sources speaking to the Post on condition of anonymity said the White House had okayed Israel’s opening strike, but signaled that US forces would intervene only if the Israeli campaign proved successful.
Iran retaliated to the Israeli strikes with deadly ballistic missile attacks that killed 28 people, caused heavy damage in Israeli cities and displaced thousands of people.
On June 24 — a day before a US-brokered ceasefire ended the Israel-Iran war — US bombers struck three key Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground facility at Fordo, which was thought to be penetrable only with US “bunker-buster” bombs.
While US President Donald Trump has said the attack set Iran’s nuclear program back “decades,” Western intelligence has indicated the damage was more limited and that Iran was may have been able to relocate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium ahead of the US and Israeli strikes.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/strikes-on-iran-thwarted-bomb-designed-to-cripple-israel-electronically-report/
Enemy struck Sumy with drone for fourth time in day
26.07.2025 15:58
Another Russian drone strike has been recorded in Sumy, targeting a non-residential building.
This was reported on Telegram by the acting mayor of Sumy, Artem Kobzar, according to Ukrinform.
“Another UAV strike was recorded on a non-residential building. Information about the consequences is being clarified,” Kobzar wrote.
Later, the Sumy region police reported that law enforcement officers were working at the site of the enemy drone strike on an administrative building in Sumy.
“The police are working at the site of the enemy drone strike in the center of Sumy. Today, Russian troops launched another strike on the peaceful infrastructure of the city of Sumy.
As a result of the strike, an administrative building was damaged and windows were broken in a neighboring apartment building. There were no reports of casualties,” the post said.
Police officers from the Sumy District Department quickly arrived at the scene, secured the area, blocked access to the potentially dangerous zone, and conducted an initial check for explosive devices.
Police investigators and bomb disposal experts are examining the scene, collecting evidence, recording the extent of the damage, and taking photos and videos.
Earlier, Ukrinform reported that on Saturday, three Russian UAVs were spotted in Sumy, targeting civilian infrastructure.
Parts of Sumy and the surrounding area are without electricity as a result of the Russian strike.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4019153-enemy-struck-sumy-with-drone-for-fourth-time-in-day.html
SSU drones strike Russian radio electronics plant in Stavropol
26.07.2025 11:40
Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) struck with drones the Signal radio plant in Stavropol, one of the largest radio electronics manufacturers in Russia.
This was reported to Ukrinform by a source in the SSU.
“Last night, long-range SSU drones struck the production facilities of the Signal radio plant in Stavropol.
It specializes in the production of various types of electronic warfare equipment, radar and radio navigation equipment, remote control radio equipment, and works for the Russian military-industrial complex,” the report said.
The plant is subject to international sanctions.
One of the strikes hit building No. 2 (workshop No. 5), where expensive imported equipment is located — numerically controlled machine tools.
The second strike was recorded in building No. 1, where the radio-electronic device workshop No. 17 is located.
“The SSU continues to systematically disable enemy facilities working against Ukraine.
Each such strike stops production processes and reduces the enemy's military potential. This work will continue,” said a source in the SSU.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4019089-ssu-drones-strike-russian-radio-electronics-plant-in-stavropol.html
AI Drones from Ex-Google CEO Help Ukraine Down Russian Shaheds
July 26, 2025, 11:34 am
AI Drones from Ex-Google CEO Help Ukraine Down Russian Shaheds
Ukrainian military sources say Schmidt’s firm, Swift Beat, supplied three drone types responsible for downing about 90% of intercepted Russian Shaheds.
AI-powered interceptor drones built by a tech company founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt are playing a major role in helping Ukraine shoot down Russian Shahed drones, according to a report by Ekonomichna Pravda.
Ukrainian military sources told the outlet that Schmidt’s company, Swift Beat, has provided three types of drones to Ukraine’s defense forces.
Though the names of the models were withheld for security reasons, officials said the systems are responsible for downing roughly 90% of Russian Shaheds intercepted by drones.
The drones are said to be equipped with advanced AI targeting technology and a secure communication system that has so far proven resistant to Russian electronic warfare.
“These drones are extremely accurate in identifying Russian drones in the night sky,” one anonymous source told Ekonomichna Pravda.
Close ties to Ukraine
Schmidt, who helped turn Google into one of the world’s most powerful tech companies, has become an influential figure in both Ukraine’s political and military leadership, the report says.
Earlier in July, he was seen meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, as Swift Beat signed a long-term strategic partnership with Ukraine.
A Ukrainian defense source said Schmidt “understands well what is happening” on the battlefield and believes that AI, drones, and autonomous systems will shape the future of warfare.
While many in Ukraine’s defense community praise Schmidt’s contribution, others are more cautious. Some critics believe the billionaire is using Ukraine’s war as a testing ground for Swift Beat’s technology, hoping to cash in on future sales.
“He says he’s not making money on this, but we know he wants his drones battle-tested,” one industry insider reportedly told the outlet.
Some also fear that Swift Beat’s growing influence could push out local Ukrainian developers.
Still, there’s little doubt that Schmidt’s drones have become one of Ukraine’s most effective tools in the fight against Russia’s increasingly drone-heavy assault tactics.
With the skies over Ukraine now a key battleground, the role of AI and autonomous systems is only expected to grow.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57014
Police seize drone-dropped narcotics consignment in border village of Samba
July 26, 2025 4:30 pm
Samba, July 26: The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Saturday to have seized drone-dropped narcotics consignment in border area of Samba district in Jammu region.
The officials said that on the intervening night of 25/26-07-2025, Samba police recovered narcotics consignment dropped by a drone from across the border at village Chillyari, Tehsil Rajpura in district Samba.
They said the consignment was wrapped in yellow tape and was lying in open field at village Chillyari along the international border.
The recovered consignment was heroin-like substance weighing about 498 grams approximately and was seized by the police.
A search operation was immediately launched in the area after the recovery of drone-dropped narcotics consignment, the said.
They added that a case FIR No. 77/2025 U/S 8/21/22 NDPS Act, 13 UAPA Act has been registered at Police Station Ghagwal and investigation has been started.
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/jammu/police-seize-drone-dropped-narcotics-consignment-in-border-village-of-samba/
Yemeni missile, drones attack 4 vital Israeli targets
Jul 26, 2025, 12:55 AM
According to Yemeni Al-Masirah TV, the Yemeni armed forces announced that they had carried out a special military operation against a sensitive target belonging to the Zionist enemy in the Beer Sheva region with the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile.
The Yemeni armed forces’ statement read out by the spokesman General Yahya Saree continued to say, "The Yemeni drone force also carried out three military operations, during which three vital targets were targeted in the areas of Eilat, Ashkelon and Hadera, south of occupied Haifa.
The Yemeni armed forces announced that this series of military operations successfully hit the previously designated targets.
The Yemeni military statement continued to say that, "with God’s help, they (Yemeni armed forces) are mulling over further options to intensify and expand military responses to help stop the brutal war, siege and genocide that is being carried out with the direct participation of the United States against the oppressed people of Gaza."
The Yemenis further emphasized in their statement, "Our position is firm and irreversible, and we will continue to support the Palestinian people until justice is achieved, regardless of any consequences."
The Yemeni armed forces finally emphasized that, "Our operations will only stop when the war in Gaza ends and its complete siege is lifted."
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/234724/Yemeni-missile-drones-attack-4-vital-Israeli-targets
https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2025/07/25/these-wargames-explored-drone-attacks-on-us-military-bases/
These wargames explored drone attacks on US military bases
Jul 25, 2025, 01:00 PM
In March 2025, the U.S. government conducted a wargame on how to defend military bases in the United States from drone attacks.
Just three months later, what had seemed a theoretical possibility became frighteningly close to reality. In June 2025 came Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb.
Ukrainian agents had spent months smuggling hundreds of drones deep inside Russia. In a coordinated strike, more than 100 small drones destroyed 20 to 40 Russian warplanes on five airbases scattered from Moscow to Siberia.
The damage extended to more than Russian airpower or the Kremlin’s pride. The drone’s-eye videos of burning bombers sent a chilling signal to nations around the world. If this could happen to Russia, then it could happen to any country — including the United States.
Since 2022, the U.S. Army’s Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office, or JCO, and the RAND Corp. think tank have held six wargames on how to mitigate the drone threat.
“We are trying to understand the policies and authorities we have in place to prevent us from contending with a scenario like Operation Spiderweb,” said Paul Lushenko, an assistant professor at the U.S. Army War College who helped run the drone wargame.
Many of the details of these wargames are classified, but one key finding is that protecting domestic U.S. bases can’t be just the military’s job.
“The tabletop exercise emphasized the need for a framework to integrate, enable, and synchronize state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities into counter-drone operations at or near military bases,” noted an essay by the game’s designers.
But this, in turn, raises a slew of jurisdictional and communication issues.
By itself, Operation Spiderweb would have been an unpleasant reminder that the advent of small, easily transportable drones means that even installations thousands of miles from the battlefield aren’t safe.
This is especially true for the U.S., which has been protected for centuries by two oceans and the absence of any significant adversary on its borders.
Until recently, military bases had more to fear from terrorists or a crazed gunman crashing the gate, rather than a gaggle of small attack drones executing a miniature airstrike.
But, in fact, there have also been omens for years that drones were becoming a threat to U.S. installations. In 2016, the use of small weaponized drones by the Islamic State in Iraq made some American commanders uneasy.
Then, in 2023, came a wave of mysterious drones that overflew Langley Air Force Base, causing no damage but generating much buzz about potentially hostile unmanned aerial vehicles in U.S. airspace.
The U.S. government estimates that there were 350 drone incursions over military installations in 2024. While most came from careless or curious drone enthusiasts, the potential for hostile reconnaissance or attack is there.
Initially, the JCO/RAND wargames focused on the technical challenges of counter-drone defense. But the March 2025 exercise tackled a much more complex question: Who exactly has the responsibility — and the authority — for defending bases from drones?
“Let’s say you’ve got a drone flying down the Potomac,” said Christopher Pernin, a RAND researcher who helped run the drone wargames. “Maybe the FAA has signed off that the drone is approved to fly.
Well, how can the people at the Pentagon know? They have to interrogate the system and look it up. Well, guess what? You’ve got 67 seconds to figure this out.”
In particular, the March wargame explored the conditions under which U.S. Northern Command — which is already responsible for securing North American airspace — would coordinate counter-drone defense of military bases.
The exercise also explored how the joint military services and government agencies can maximize data sharing and situational awareness, as well as how to foster the use of counter-drone technologies such as jamming GPS signals.
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Using Fort Bliss, Texas, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as the targets, the tabletop game included scenarios where the defender faced attacks by drones launched at various altitudes, bearings and distances.
This served as a backdrop to stimulate discussions by over 100 participants from more than 30 federal and state agencies in what Lushenko described as “the largest interagency tabletop exercise in five years.”
The wargame identified three conditions under which NORTHCOM could support anti-drone defense of homeland bases.
“These include drone incursions that overwhelm the organic defensive capabilities of the services; are simultaneously conducted at different military bases, especially those performing essential missions; and, undermine public trust in the military and government,” the RAND essay said.
The exercise also endorsed the idea of NORTHCOM’s “flyaway kits,” which consist of mobile counter-drone systems and trained personnel that can be deployed via commercial aircraft as needed.
However, these kits can do more than supplement what ideally would be a multilayered defense at military installations, including jamming, microwave and laser weapons and kinetic weapons such as machine guns.
Interestingly, the wargames suggested that the National Guard could play a crucial role in defending homeland military installations.
Especially valuable would be the National Guard’s Civil Support Teams, which are available 24/7, can be deployed with 90 minutes and “have large budgets that can offset the equipping and training costs for counter-drone operations,” the RAND essay noted.
“There are some imaginative things we can do to further optimize our state-based military, through the National Guard, to respond to these drone incursions,” Lushenko added.
The defense of military bases is as much a matter of law as it is a matter of technology. For example, per Section 130i under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, the commanders of some bases are authorized to use force against drone intrusions, while others could face prosecution.
Compounding the problem is that with around 500 military installations around the U.S, there are a hodgepodge of different rules of engagement.
At some sites, the instructions from commanders are “‘no drones on my installation, you have carte blanche to do whatever you need,’” said Pernin.
“They know exactly what they’re doing and they know what their goals are. I suspect there are a lot of places that don’t have that kind of goal setting.
They see a UAV flying on the other side of the installation, and they think, ‘I’m not sure if I should take it out or just let it go.’” Ultimately, the drone wargames were valuable simply by bringing together people from different agencies.
“We had a lot of crosstalk that I don’t think had happened before,” Pernin recalled. “We had a lot of occasions where people said, ‘I think this is so-and-so’s role.’ But that person was in the room, and they would say, ‘no, it’s not ours.’”
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Ukrainian drone intercepts Russian Orion
Jul 26, 2025
Ukrainian drone operators with the Security Service’s “A” Center for Special Operations (CSO “A”) have intercepted a Russian Orion unmanned aerial vehicle in what appears to be the most advanced drone-on-drone engagement recorded to date.
The intercept, reported by the Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi, was confirmed through video footage published by the SBU.
The Orion UAV—Russia’s primary medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) strike and reconnaissance drone—was reportedly returning from a mission when it was engaged mid-air by a smaller Ukrainian intercept drone.
According to video reviewed by Militarnyi, the Ukrainian drone struck the Orion’s nose section, which houses critical avionics, communication systems, and flight controls.
While it remains unclear whether the Orion was completely destroyed—due to the absence of objective visual confirmation—the damage appears sufficient to have disabled the aircraft.
It is the largest airborne target to date successfully intercepted by one of Ukraine’s drone-based air defense teams.
The Orion, developed by Russia’s Kronshtadt Group, has been used by Russian forces for both reconnaissance and precision strike missions.
The drone has a wingspan of 16.3 meters, a length of 8 meters, and a height of 3.2 meters. Its maximum takeoff weight is approximately one metric ton.
The UAV can operate at altitudes up to 8,000 meters for durations of up to 30 hours and is capable of carrying a 200-kilogram payload, including guided munitions.
Video released by the SBU shows no visible external ordnance mounted on the downed Orion, suggesting the drone had already completed its strike mission and was en route to base when it was intercepted.
Ukraine’s push to develop and field indigenous drone defense solutions has gained urgency amid Russia’s expanded use of UAVs such as the Shahed-136, Lancet, and now the Orion.
https://defence-blog.com/ukrainian-drone-intercepts-russian-orion/
Looks like some kind of outpost