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Join Second Lady Usha Vance as She Reads to Children at NASA Johnson
Jul 28, 2025
As part of her Summer Reading Challenge, Second Lady Usha Vance will host an event for children in grades K-8 on Monday, Aug. 4, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Media are invited.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams will join Ms. Vance to read a space-related book to children and participate in other space-related activities.
Live coverage of the reading will stream about 2:45 p.m. EDT on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
U.S. media interested in participating in this event must RSVP to NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens at: bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov, as well as Office of the Second Lady Communications Director Nicole Reeves at: nicole.e.reeves@ovp.eop.gov.
Requests must be made no later than 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31. Confirmed media will receive additional details from NASA. The agency’s media accreditation policy is online.
Through her reading challenge, the Second Lady is encouraging youth to seek adventure, imagination, and discovery between the pages of a book.
Students interested in participating in the challenge must read 12 books by Friday, Sept. 5. Additional details, including where to download a reading log, and how to submit it to the White House, are available online.
As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars, inspiring Golden Age explorers, and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/join-second-lady-usha-vance-as-she-reads-to-children-at-nasa-johnson/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/read/
Station Gearing Up for New Crew as Another Preps for Return to Earth
July 28, 2025
The seven-member Expedition 73 crew is gearing up to welcome four new crewmates at the end of the week.
Shortly after that another quartet that has been living and working aboard the International Space Station since March will return to Earth.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has rolled out to its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center and is counting down to its launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission at 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday. NASA+ will begin its Crew-11 launch coverage beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, both NASA astronauts, and Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos will ride inside the Dragon spacecraft atop Falcon 9 for an automated, day-and-a-half long trip to the orbital outpost’s space-facing port on the Harmony module.
Once there, the four Crew-11 members will join Expedition 73 beginning a seven-month research mission in low Earth orbit.
Following the new crew’s arrival, four Expedition 73 crew members representing NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission will begin handing over their science and maintenance responsibilities in preparation for their departure about a week later.
The homebound quartet has also been ramping up its packing duties loading science, cargo, and personal items inside the Dragon docked to Harmony’s forward port.
Anne McClain will lead Nichole Ayers, both NASA astronauts, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov for reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and a parachuted splashdown inside Dragon.
McClain, Ayers, and Onishi spent Monday in the Harmony module cleaning their crew quarters’ ventilation systems and airflow sensors.
McClain also set up a sleeping bag inside Dragon that she will be using until her departure early next month.
Ayers configured an extra sleep station in the Columbus laboratory module to accommodate the upcoming crew swap period.
Onishi will now be sleeping in the Kibo laboratory module until he departs with his Crew-10 crewmates.
Peskov has also been preparing for his Dragon departure as he tested the lower body negative pressure suit.
Roscosmos scientists are investigating the suit’s ability to counteract space-caused head and eye pressure and help crews adjust quicker to the return to Earth’s gravity.
He also continued gathering his personal items and Roscosmos cargo for loading inside Dragon.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky started his day assisting Peskov with the experimental suit study then measured the vibrations the space station experiences while jogging on the Zvezda service module’s treadmill.
Veteran cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov tested new freeze-dried food packs for their ease of use for both eating and drinking then set up Earth observation gear to photograph landmarks in the Pacific Ocean and across North America.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/07/28/station-gearing-up-for-new-crew-as-another-preps-for-return-to-earth/
NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins, First to Sequence DNA in Space, Retires
Jul 29, 2025
NASA astronaut and microbiologist Kate Rubins retired Monday after 16 years with the agency.
During her time with NASA, Rubins completed two long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station, logging 300 days in space and conducting four spacewalks.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Kate for her dedication to the advancement of human spaceflight,” said Steve Koerner, acting director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“She is leaving behind a legacy of excellence and inspiration, not only to our agency, but to the research and medical communities as well. Congratulations, Kate, on an extraordinary career.”
Rubins’ first mission to the orbiting laboratory began in July 2016, aboard the first test flight of the new Soyuz MS spacecraft.
As part of Expedition 48/49, she contributed to more than 275 scientific experiments, including molecular and cellular biology research, and she was the first person to sequence DNA in space.
Her work enabled significant advances with in-flight molecular diagnostics, long-duration cell culture, and the development of molecular biology tools and processes, such as handling and transferring small amounts of liquids in microgravity.
Rubins also led the integration and deployment of biomedical hardware aboard the space station, supporting crew health and scientific research in space and on Earth.
She again launched in October 2020, aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, taking part in Expedition 63/64.
Alongside her crewmates, Rubins spent hundreds of hours working on new experiments and furthering research investigations conducted during her mission, including heart research and multiple microbiology studies.
She also advanced her work on DNA sequencing in space, which could allow future astronauts to diagnose illness or identify microbes growing aboard the station or during future exploration missions.
“From her groundbreaking work in space to her leadership on the ground, Kate has brought passion and excellence to everything she’s done,” said Joe Acaba, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA Johnson.
“She’s been an incredible teammate and role model. We will miss her deeply, but her impact will continue to inspire.”
In addition to her flight assignments, Rubins served as acting deputy director of NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate, where she helped guide strategy for crew health and biomedical research.
More recently, she contributed to developing next-generation lunar spacesuits, helping prepare for future Artemis missions to the Moon.
Before her selection as an astronaut in 2009, Rubins received a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of California, San Diego, and a doctorate in cancer biology from Stanford University Medical School’s Biochemistry Department and Microbiology and Immunology Department.
After returning from her second space mission, Rubins commissioned as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving as a microbiologist in the Medical Service Corps.
She currently holds the role of innovation officer with the 75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command’s MedBio Detachment, headquartered in Boston.
A frequent keynote speaker at scientific, educational, and industry events on space biology, biomedical engineering, and human exploration, Rubins has advocated for NASA’s scientific and exploration missions.
As she transitions from government service, she remains committed to advancing innovation at the intersection of biology, technology, and space.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to live and work in space,” said Rubins. “I am grateful for the extraordinary advances at NASA, and it was a privilege to serve and contribute to something so meaningful.
The mission of exploration continues, and I can’t wait to watch this nation do what once seemed impossible.”
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronaut-kate-rubins-first-to-sequence-dna-in-space-retires/
She promised to take them to the moon right then. They could be somewhere in an underground lunar complex by now.
Today in the history of astronomy, President Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act
July 29, 2025
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the Space Race exploded as the U.S. and Soviet Union competed to show their dominance in the technology and military spheres.
Sputnik 2 and then 3 followed, and real concerns about the U.S. falling behind were raised. Congressional hearings began in 1957, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower formed the President’s Scientific Advisory Committee (PSAC).
In February 1958, PSAC recommended a civilian space agency be established; in April, Eisenhower asked Congress to pass legislation to that end.
By July 16, the bill had passed, and on July 29, Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA.
https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/july-29-1958-nasa-is-founded/
https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/a-brief-history-of-human-spaceflight-in-the-united-states/
https://www.nasa.gov/history/65-years-ago-the-national-aeronautics-and-space-act-of-1958-creates-nasa/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a65523696/birth-of-a-monster-black-hole/
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.15618
Scientists Witnessed the Birth of a Monster—8.3 Billion Years After It Happened
Jul 29, 2025 9:00 AM EDT
Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:
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Observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and other telescopes have shown what appears to be a supermassive black hole forming right between two merging galaxies.
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There have been multiple hypotheses surrounding supermassive black hole formation, but these observations support the hypothesis that suggests these behemoths are the result of immense clouds of shocked and compressed gas collapsing in on themselves.
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Future observations with Webb may finally confirm how supermassive black holes come into being.
Supermassive black holes lurk in almost every large galaxy, including our own, but their origins are more elusive.
Did they appear after the demise of gargantuan stars in the early universe? Do they form from smaller black holes that merge?
Is it possible they emerge from monstrous clouds of star-forming gas that collapse in on themselves? That last hypothesis might be onto something.
The pair of galaxies merging into what is now known as the Infinity Galaxy (so named because of its uncanny resemblance to the infinity symbol) is 8.3 billion light-years away, meaning we are seeing events unfold as they did that many billions of years ago.
Between them is what astronomers now believe to be a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in its infancy. Whatever the object is, it is accreting tons upon tons of material, and supermassive black holes are known for their voracious appetites.
Observations of this galaxy and the thing spawning in the middle might be the first hard evidence of a supermassive black hole being born.
Each of the galaxies that collided to form the Infinity Galaxy have their own glowing nuclei containing supermassive black holes, but the one supposedly forming in between is unrelated to either of them—its source is apparently something else.
The mystery convinced astronomers Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University and Gabriel Brammer of the University of Copenhagen, who discovered the nascent black hole while analyzing images from the COSMOS-Web survey of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, that what they were seeing was no ordinary star.
Van Dokkum and Brammer backed their findings up by poring over data from observations made by the W.M. Keck Observatory, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and more data from the archives of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array.
It was already strange that this black hole was not hiding in the nucleus of a galaxy, never mind that it was at the beginning of its life.
Shrouded by clouds of gas between the two galaxies was most likely a supermassive black hole that probably formed from gas that had been shocked and compressed during the galactic merger, then collapsed in on itself.
Witnessing one being born is unprecedented.
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“The gas spans the entire width of the system and was likely shocked and compressed at the collision site,” they and their colleagues said in a study soon to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
“We suggest that the SMBH formed within this gas in the immediate aftermath of the collision, when it was dense and highly turbulent.”
There are two main hypotheses for how supermassive black holes form.
The “light seeds” theory claims that supermassive black holes are the product of black holes that form after massive stars go supernova, collapsing in on themselves in violent explosions. These black holes then merge into larger black holes.
The problem is that it would not only take an extremely long time for a supermassive black hole to form this way, this theory also cannot explain the existence of supermassive black holes, already observed by Webb, which were around when the universe was still young.
The “heavy seeds” hypothesis suggests that immense clouds of gas that collapse usually form stars, but sometimes, the gases collapse directly into supermassive black holes.
This is the theory that seems to align with the more recent observations. About a few hundred million years after the universe dawned, clouds of gas in the middle of what would become galaxies collapsed.
Hiding in those gaseous clouds were the seeds of supermassive black holes, whose powerful outflows and magnetic storms caused surrounding gas to collapse into multitudes of new stars.
This explains the high populations of stars around galactic nuclei.
“If our proposed scenario is confirmed, the Infinity galaxy provides an empirical demonstration that direct-collapse formation of SMBHs can happen in the right circumstances—something that has so far only been seen in simulations and through indirect observations,” Brammer and van Dokkum said.
More observations with Webb and other telescopes could finally reveal what a supermassive black hole’s baby pictures look like.
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‘Earthrise’ explained as stunning footage from Japanese space orbiter resurfaces
Updated 13:39 29 Jul 2025 GMT+1
Mind-blowing footage of 'Earthrise' captured by a Japanese space orbiter has resurfaced online.
The birth of space exploration has brought us to the attention some incredible marvels from millions of miles away.
From a terrifying snap of an astronaut floating in space to an asteroid against the vast darkness of the void, they're truly spectacular.
And now, footage from Japan's Kaguya moon mission has gone viral on social media.
A video captured by the space orbiter shows the Earth appearing to rise from behind our moon - an unusual sight to behold and reminiscent of a sunrise - in what's been appropriately dubbed 'Earthrise'.
Kaguya was the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) second mission to explore the moon from orbit, launching on September 14, 2007.
On November 7, the spacecraft captured the spectacular footage of the 'Earthrise' - the first since the Apollo missions some 39 years prior.
Taking to Reddit's R/SpacePorn community, one person posted a GIF of the space phenomenon and added: "Earth rise is beautiful."
The post has since been upvoted more than nine thousand times and received hundreds of comments.
As to be expected, these ranged from awe-struck to tongue-in-cheek.
"I don't mean to brag but… I live over there," one person typed, as a second simply remarked: "Incredible."
"Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us," a third wrote, quoting US astronomer Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot.
Meanwhile, another quipped: "Post this in the flat Earth sub."
Earthrise was first witnessed and captured by humans on December 24, 1968, when NASA astronaut Bill Anders took what became a literal world-first photo.
"Taken aboard Apollo 8 by Bill Anders, this iconic picture shows Earth peeking out from beyond the lunar surface as the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, with astronauts Anders, Frank Borman, and Jim Lovell aboard," NASA explains of the iconic photo.
It was dubbed 'the most influential environmental photograph ever taken' by nature photographer Galen Rowell.
The sight of our planet was one that caught the Apollo 8 crew totally off-guard.
As historian Robert Poole explained, the lack of preparation made the sight of Earth feel like a revelation - not just for the astronauts in orbit, but for everyone watching from the ground.
"We came all this way to explore the Moon, Apollo 8 and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth," astronaut Bill Anders said of the photo.
https://www.unilad.com/technology/space/earthrise-kaguya-orbiter-nasa-apollo-8-explained-628666-20250729
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KWtG66lEQ
Gaza famine visible from space as UN declares ‘worst-case scenario’
29 July 2025 1:34pm BST
The hunger crisis in Gaza has become visible from space as thousands of Palestinians can be seen crowding around aid trucks in new satellite imagery…
paywall
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/07/29/gaza-famine-visible-from-space-as-un-declares-worst-case-sc/
'Ghost island' appears after underwater eruption, then vanishes into the Caspian Sea — Earth from space
July 29, 2025
A striking series of satellite photos shows the brief lifespan of a "ghost island" that emerged and quickly disappeared in the Caspian Sea after an underwater mud volcano blew its top.
The fleeting landmass emerged at the end of January 2023 above Kumani Bank, an underwater volcano about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the east coast of Azerbaijan.
By the time it was fully formed, on Feb. 4, the island measured around 1,300 feet (400 meters) across, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.
However, the island was unstable, and by the time the last photo was taken in December 2024, it had "nearly eroded away, retreating from view like an apparition," Earth Observatory representatives wrote.
By now, the island has likely vanished.
Kumani Bank has erupted eight times since it was first discovered in 1861. Each outburst lasted just a few days, yet all of these events resulted in at least some form of temporary island.
The strongest recorded eruption, which occurred in 1950, resulted in a 2,300-foot-wide (700 m) landmass that stood 20 feet (6 m) above sea level.
Kumani Bank is a mud volcano, meaning it spews a superheated slurry of mud and water instead of lava and ash.
Azerbaijan has one of the highest concentrations of mud volcanoes anywhere on Earth, with more than 300 muddy vents on the mainland or offshore.
This is due to the country's position above a "convergence zone" where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, leading to increased geothermal activity.
Mud volcanoes are not as violent or destructive as other volcanoes. However, they do contain high levels of pressurized natural gas. This gas can be ignited by sparks from colliding rocks, leading to sporadic fiery outbursts.
An underwater mud volcano near Kumani Bank is believed to have triggered a towering inferno, several hundred feet tall, that exploded above the Caspian Sea in 2021.
Other volcanic "ghosts"
Normal, non-mud volcanoes can also create temporary islands when they erupt beneath the waves.
In 2015, a 0.7-square-mile (1.9 square kilometers) island emerged in the southern Pacific Ocean above the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in Tonga.
However, it was wiped out by the same volcano in January 2022, when the underwater mountain unleashed one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions ever recorded.
Researchers later revealed that the colossal explosion likely killed never-before-seen microbe species that evolved on the isolated landmass.
In October 2023, a violent eruption off the coast of Japan's Iwo Jima island also created a temporary landmass, dubbed Niijima, or "New Island."
It grew to be around 330 feet (100 m) wide and 66 feet (20 m) tall, and was clearly visible from space.
But in March 2024, drone footage revealed that the island had started to quickly sink into the sea, despite continued signs of volcanic activity, according to Newsweek.
https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/ghost-island-appears-after-underwater-eruption-then-vanishes-into-the-caspian-sea-earth-from-space
Life could survive beneath the surface of Mars and other planets using high energy particles from space
July 28, 2025
A new study from NYU Abu Dhabi has found that high-energy particles from space, known as cosmic rays, could create the energy needed to support life underground on planets and moons in our solar system.
The research shows that cosmic rays may not only be harmless in certain environments, but could actually help microscopic life survive. These findings challenge the traditional view that life can only exist near sunlight or volcanic heat.
Published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, the study was led by the Principal Investigator of the Space Exploration Laboratory at NYUAD's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), Dimitra Atri.
The team focused on what happens when cosmic rays hit water or ice underground. The impact breaks water molecules apart and releases tiny particles called electrons.
Some bacteria on Earth can use these electrons for energy, similar to how plants use sunlight. This process is called radiolysis, and it can power life even in dark, cold environments with no sunlight.
Using computer simulations, the researchers studied how much energy this process could produce on Mars and on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
These moons, which are covered in thick layers of ice, are believed to have water hidden below their surfaces.
The study found that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus had the most potential to support life in this way, followed by Mars, and then Jupiter's moon Europa.
"This discovery changes the way we think about where life might exist," said Atri.
"Instead of looking only for warm planets with sunlight, we can now consider places that are cold and dark, as long as they have some water beneath the surface and are exposed to cosmic rays.
Life might be able to survive in more places than we ever imagined."
The study introduces a new idea called the Radiolytic Habitable Zone.
Unlike the traditional "Goldilocks Zone"—the area around a star where a planet could have liquid water on its surface—this new zone focuses on places where water exists underground and can be energized by cosmic radiation.
Since cosmic rays are found throughout space, this could mean there are many more places in the universe where life could exist. The findings provide new guidance for future space missions.
Instead of only looking for signs of life on the surface, scientists might also explore underground environments on Mars and the icy moons, using tools that can detect chemical energy created by cosmic radiation.
This research opens up exciting new possibilities in the search for life beyond Earth and suggests that even the darkest, coldest places in the solar system could have the right conditions for life to survive.
https://phys.org/news/2025-07-life-survive-beneath-surface-mars.html
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-astrobiology/article/estimating-the-potential-of-ionizing-radiationinduced-radiolysis-for-microbial-metabolism-on-terrestrial-planets-and-satellites-with-rarefied-atmospheres/187F317A3974A2008227C707538785E9
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/gps-jamming-extends-to-leo/
GPS Jamming Extends to Low-Earth Orbit as Pentagon Races to Bolster Constellation
July 28, 2025
The jamming of GPS signals around Ukraine has become so severe it is even affecting satellites up to 1,200 miles above the Earth’s surface—a striking example of why the Space Force and the Pentagon are moving to bolster the ubiquitous service, experts say.
“We have images showing [GPS reception details] for all the cubesats that the Aerospace Corp. flies in low-Earth orbit, and there’s a giant hole above the Ukraine region,” John Janeski of the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center, told Air & Space Forces Magazine on the sidelines of ASCEND, an annual industry space conference.
Both Russia and Ukraine are broadcasting powerful signals to interfere with guidance systems for precision weapons and drones. But that jamming “is bleeding up into the space environment and impacting satellites,” Janeski said.
The center’s tiny 10-cubic centimeter satellites are fitted with GPS receivers, so they can tell what time it is, where they are and how fast they’re moving, Janeski said. Given the speed at which LEO satellites orbit over the Earth—about 17,500 miles per hour—the interference only affects them for “a few minutes” at a time as they pass over Ukraine.
“But if that becomes more and more prevalent, it could create regions in space where satellites in LEO cannot get [position, navigation and timing] signals from medium-Earth orbit” where GPS and other PNT constellations are, 11,000-15,000 miles above the surface, Janeski said.
GPS jamming, interference, and spoofing have become common, well-known features in areas of conflict like Ukraine and the Middle East, affecting aviation and maritime traffic. The effects on other satellites have been less reported—but could be no less critical.
Satellites in large LEO constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink need to know exactly what time it is and where they are so they can synchronize operations with other satellites in the constellation and know when and how to send signals to the ground.
And the Defense Department is aggressively expanding how much it uses such constellations—the Commercial Space Office expanded its Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services program from a maximum of $900 million to $13 billion late last year, citing demand across DOD.
Indeed, most satellites in low-Earth orbit use GPS—another reminder of how ubiquitous and essential in the global economy, said Christopher Erickson, PNT chief for the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration.
Most people think of GPS as a way find their way around, Erickson said, stressing he was speaking in a personal capacity and not representing the views of the Air Force or the Defense Department.
But in fact, for businesses and the global economy, the timing service it offers is even more important.
The financial system, the power grid, the internet, and indeed any computer network all need exact timing to operate properly, he said, a fact that is poorly understood.
“Many [enterprises] don’t even know what their timing requirement is,” he said. “If you are making an autonomous taxi, or whatever, and you put GPS in it, it has fantastic time.
If suddenly you don’t have GPS, what kind of timing requirement does that car need for its systems to operate properly? How do you know? You never had to solve that problem.”
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Jamming and Anti-Jamming
Both the Pentagon and private businesses can no longer afford to take GPS for granted, Janeski warned, in no small part because its signals are relatively easy to jam. While satellite communication signals “blast out,” GPS signals are inherently quieter, he said.
“It’s like a noisy room,” he explained, “A SATCOM signal would be like somebody yelling in that room. You can hear them clearly. A GPS signal would be somebody whispering.”
Normally, because you know the signal’s code structure, “the receiver can basically pull it out of the noise floor and process it.”
But the weakness of the signal relative to the noise floor makes it “relatively straightforward to interfere with, as we’ve seen,” he said.
Spoofing is somewhat harder, but the state of technology is such that Janeski said it is “certainly feasible” both nation states and extremist organizations could buy the hardware needed to do it.
“The good news,” Janeski added, is that there’s been progress developing anti-jamming technology to make “elements of GPS that might seem fragile, more resilient.”
Controlled reception pattern arrays, for example, are antenna systems that use multiple antenna elements. The receivers sense where the strong interference signal is coming from and shut off the antenna’s reception from that direction.
Combined with sophisticated signal processing, Janeski said, these antennas “basically remove the jamming signal from the receiver’s processing chain, so that that jamming power doesn’t make it into the receiver, and the receiver can still operate.”
CRPAs are available commercially, although the more sophisticated models with a larger number of elements are restricted under arms export control regulations.
“If you put one of those on an airliner, it can only fly domestic,” Janeski said, meaning they can’t currently be used to counter GPS jamming in Europe or the Middle East.
For the military, there are also more powerful, encrypted signals broadcast by the latest generation of GPS satellites, and even more anti-jamming improvements coming with future upgrades, according to Malik Musawwir, vice president for navigation systems at Lockheed Martin Space
Of the 31 satellites currently in service in the GPS constellation, eight of them are the latest generation, called GPS III, Musawwir explained.
These satellites broadcast a new kind of GPS signal, known as M-Code. It’s more powerful and therefore more resistant to jamming, and also encrypted, which makes it very hard to spoof.
Two more GPS III satellites will be launched before the program transitions to the GPS III Follow-On satellite for vehicle 11 and beyond, Musawwir said.
In addition to M-Code, the IIIFs will also have a new capability called regional military protection (RMP). RMP allows the satellite to focus an M-Code broadcast over a much smaller area, just 1,200 kilometers in diameter, meaning the signal is 60 times stronger.
“Think of it as putting your thumb over the end of a gardening hose and increasing the velocity of all the water that comes out of it,” he said.
Ultimately, the characteristics of the radio frequency spectrum and the distance that GPS transmissions have to travel means that physics favors the jammer, experts say.
Which is why the Space Force is seeking GPS alternatives like quantum inertial positioning.
But even a replacement positioning and navigation system, which would allow users to “limp through” GPS-denied environments, wouldn’t provide the crucial timing element, Janeski said.
“So there’s not one silver bullet out there,” he said. Like the internet, since GPS provides many different services, no single alternative would likely be able to replace all of them.
“It’s like the internet goes down. What’s your favorite alternative to the internet?”
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Scientists analyze 76 million radio telescope images, find Starlink satellite interference 'where no signals are supposed to be present'
July 29, 2025
There's no doubt that SpaceX's Starlink internet service has connected the world like never before — but at what cost?
Astronomers have long voiced concerns about Starlink's satellite constellation interfering with observations of the universe, and a new survey by Curtin University confirms those fears.
An analysis of 76 million images from a prototype station for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope found Starlink satellite emissions affected up to 30% of images in some datasets; such interference could affect research outcomes that depend on that data.
The survey identified more than 112,000 radio emissions from 1,806 Starlink satellites, and found that uch of the observed interference is not intentional.
"Some satellites were detected emitting in bands where no signals are supposed to be present at all, such as the 703 satellites we identified at 150.8 MHz, which is meant to be protected for radio astronomy," study lead Dylan Grigg, a Ph.D. candidate at Curtin University, said in a statement.
Grigg noted these unintended emissions might come from onboard electronics. "Because … they're not part of an intentional signal, astronomers can't easily predict them or filter them out," he said.
While the International Telecommunication Union does regulate satellite emissions to protect astronomical observations, current rules "focus on intentional transmissions and do not cover this type of unintended emission," said Steven Tingay, a Curtin professor and executive director of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy.
However, it's not only Starlink satellites that are the problem.
The study team's survey focused on Starlink because it currently has the most extensive constellation, with more than 7,000 satellites deployed at the time of the survey, but other satellite networks can "leak" unintended transmissions, too.
"It is important to note that Starlink is not violating current regulations, so is doing nothing wrong. Discussions we have had with SpaceX on the topic have been constructive," said Tingay.
"We hope this study adds support for international efforts to update policies that regulate the impact of this technology on radio astronomy research that are currently underway."
https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-analyze-76-million-radio-telescope-images-find-starlink-satellite-interference-where-no-signals-are-supposed-to-be-present
https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/interference-to-astronomy-the-unintended-consequence-of-faster-internet/
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/07/aa54787-25/aa54787-25.html
SpaceX Launches
Starlink Mission
July 29. 2025
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to launch 28 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This is the 26th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and 21 Starlink mission.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-29
Starlink Mission
July 30, 2025
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to launch 19 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This will be the 27th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, Transporter-13, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, NROL-192, and 15 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-13-4
Military drone with Ukrainian inscriptions downed in Belarus – officials
29 Jul, 2025 13:19
A drone carrying explosives crashed in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, early Tuesday, according to local officials. The aircraft reportedly contained components of Western origin and markings in the Ukrainian language.
The incident was first reported by the Belarusian military, which said it detected the aircraft around 3:30 a.m. and used electronic countermeasures to bring it down.
The country’s Investigative Committee later confirmed that no detonation had occurred on the ground, allowing the debris to be analyzed.
Recovered materials included the drone’s explosive payload, described as containing TNT and a large number of ball bearings, commonly used in military charges and improvised explosive devices to increase lethality.
Footage released by the Committee showed components from the downed drone, including inscriptions in Ukrainian that warned against improper handling.
The electronic parts appeared to be manufactured by defense firms in Taiwan, Germany, and the US.
Belarusian officials did not explicitly assign responsibility to Ukraine, saying that further findings would be disclosed as the investigation proceeds.
Ukrainian officials have touted the country’s reliance on Western-funded drones as a central element of its strategy against Russian forces, calling Ukraine a leader in drone warfare innovation.
The development comes as Kiev faces pressure from Western donors over a recent move to consolidate control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
The agencies were established following the 2014 coup to target high-level corruption as a condition for foreign financial assistance.
Reports this week indicate that a significant portion of international aid has been frozen to pressure the government to reverse the changes.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622143-minsk-kamikaze-drone-crash/
Graphic depicting Clementine orbit around the Moon
07.27.2025 11:23
The recent interpretation of data from the Clementine spacecraft mission, a joint Ballistic Missile Defense Organization/NASA venture, has revealed that deposits of ice could exist in permanently dark regions near the South Pole of the Moon.
Initial estimates suggest that the ice deposit area is the size of small lake (60 to 120 thousand cubic meters), and that the lunar crater containing the ice deposit has a depth greater than the height of Mount Everest, and a rim circumference twice the size of Puerto Rico.
The discovery of ice on the Moon has enormous implications for the potential return of humans to the Moon's surface and the establishment of a permanent lunar station.
The lunar ice could be mined and dissociated into hydrogen and oxygen by electric power provided by solar panels or a nuclear generator, providing both breathable oxygen and potable water for the permanent station on the Moon.
Hydrogen and oxygen are also prime components of rocket motor fuel and could potentially result in the establishment of a lunar filling station making transport to or from the Moon more economical by at least a factor of ten.
The Clementine spacecraft was launched aboard a Titan II missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Jan. 25, 1995.
Its primary military mission was to qualify lightweight sensor and camera technology for possible application for ballistic missile defense programs, but it also demonstrated a capability for low-cost, high-value space exploration missions.
DoD graphic.
https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9207624/graphic-depicting-clementine-orbit-around-moon
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/clementine/
Ukrainian drone raid leaves 150,000 without power in Russia
29 Jul, 2025 03:23
A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack overnight has left more than 150,000 people without electricity in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), with additional damage and casualties reported in the southern Rostov Region, local officials have confirmed.
The assault began late Monday night and continued for over an hour. Ukrainian forces reportedly launched dozens of UAVs that targeted infrastructure across Donetsk, Makeyevka, and Yasinovataya, causing widespread blackouts after several electrical substations were struck.
Local witnesses reported loud explosions and the sound of UAVs across several districts, with air defenses active throughout the night.
A major blaze was seen in Donetsk’s Kuibyshevsky district, while one drone reportedly crashed into a residential building in the Kievsky district.
Emergency crews were deployed to multiple sites. No civilian injuries were reported in Donetsk as of Tuesday morning.
In the neighboring Rostov Region, Governor Yury Slyusar confirmed that Ukrainian drones were intercepted over five districts: Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Salsk, Volgodonsk, Bokovsky, and Tarasovsky.
Despite air defenses, several drones struck civilian areas. One fatality was reported in Volgodonsk, where a drone strike damaged a vehicle, killing the driver.
A private home in Salsk sustained roof damage and broken windows, while a fire also broke out at a local railway station.
At least one passenger train “was moved to a safe distance” amid the raid, according to Slyusar.
Russian Railways (RZhD) reported that train traffic through Salsk station in Rostov Region was temporarily suspended after drone debris caused a fire on a freight train.
There were no injuries, and the blaze was quickly contained, the company said.
Ukraine has been conducting UAV raids deep into Russian territory for months, often striking residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
The Russian government has condemned the attacks as “terrorist acts” that deliberately target civilians.
In May, a string of suspected Ukrainian sabotage operations on Russian railroads caused the derailment of a passenger train in Bryansk Region, killing seven civilians and injuring dozens more.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622123-donetsk-rostov-civilian-infrastructure/
https://t.me/itsdonetsk/285594
Dozens dead as China hit with year’s rainfall in days
29 Jul, 2025 16:11
Torrential rains and floods in China have killed at least 38 people, damaging roads, cutting power, and prompting mass evacuations, state media have reported. Heavy rains began last Wednesday in Northern China, affecting 11 regions in total.
The deluge peaked on Monday in the capital, Beijing, and surrounding provinces, where 30 people were killed and over 80,000 evacuated, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.
It also triggered landslides near Chengde City in northern Hebei province, where eight people died and are four missing, according to the media. Around 100,000 people were relocated in southwest China and near the capital.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered “all-out” search and rescue efforts to minimize casualties.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army, the People's Armed Police Force, and local militias have deployed troops to join disaster relief efforts in flood-stricken areas.
Beijing’s rainfall record of 534mm (21 inches) was set in the Miyun district, approaching the capital’s average annual rain volume of 600 mm, Xinhua reported.
The city of Baoding, which neighbors Beijing, also experienced a record-breaking downpour with 540 mm (21,3 inches) over an eight-hour period on Saturday, exceeding the city’s average annual rainfall of about 500 mm.
The National Meteorological Center has predicted some regions will see up to 300 mm of rainfall within the next 24 hours.
Northern China has experienced heavy precipitation in recent years, exposing densely populated cities to flood risks, according to Reuters.
In 2023, Beijing saw extreme floods caused by the heaviest rainfall recorded in at least 140 years at the time. Dozens of people were killed while 1 million were relocated.
Other countries across Asia have also suffered from water-related disasters this summer.
The tropical storm Wipha - combined with the East Asian monsoon - battered countries in Southeast Asia last week, resulting in multiple casualties.
https://www.rt.com/news/622157-dozens-killed-after-china-records/
https://twitter.com/ShanghaiEye/status/1949346118824874294
Ukraine shows footage of FPV drones attacking Russian-held gas rig in first such deployment
July 29, 2025 4:04 pm
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) released exclusive footage on July 29 showing the country's first deployment of first-person-view (FPV) drones on the high seas.
The video, showing a new phase in Kyiv's maritime drone warfare, documents a previously unreported Sept. 11, 2024, operation off the coast of occupied Crimea.
During the raid, Ukraine's Raven Group deployed FPV drones launched from boats in open waters to target Russian forces entrenched on the Petro Hodovalets gas production platform in the Black Sea, which Russia had converted into a military site.
HUR claims that the drones helped suppress Russian firepower, causing unspecified personnel and equipment losses.
Russia has heavily fortified strategic points across occupied Crimea, including oil and gas platforms, since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Petro Hodovalets platform, previously used by Russian forces for surveillance and military logistics, was reported by Ukraine to be under its control as of September 2023.
The footage of the operation confirms the attack occurred in September 2024, a timeline later verified by HUR to the Kyiv Independent. This suggests a continued Russian presence on the platform.
FPV drones, small and agile devices often equipped with explosive payloads, have proven highly effective in damaging tanks, artillery, and other high-value targets at low cost.
https://kyivindependent.com/exclusive-footage-shows-ukraines-first-open-sea-fpv-drone-attack-near-crimea/
https://t.me/DIUkraine/6525
Putin’s Security Detail Spotted Armed With Interceptor Drone
July 29, 2025, 6:55 pm
Ukrainian military analyst and electronic warfare expert Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov published a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin inspecting a military parade, with a member of his Federal Protective Service providing security detail carrying a probable interceptor drone.
Although the location where the footage was obtained was not declared, it is presumably filmed following the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow.
Putin, accompanied by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, May 9 parade commander Oleg Salyukov and other members of the presidential entourage, is seen in the background of the video greeting the ranks of uniformed senior officers.
The visible parts of the object display characteristics consistent with those of the Russian Yolka interceptor drone – a kinetic drone designed to intercept first-person view (FPV) kamikaze, reconnaissance, bomber drones and other loitering munitions by physically colliding with its target.
The Yolka is launched using a reusable catapult before acquiring and engaging an incoming drone using what is described as its “self-homing” capability.
In the lead-up to this year’s parade on Moscow’s Red Square, Russia’s security services became concerned about the threat from drones as Ukraine stepped up its ability to strike targets in central Russia.
During preparations for the parade and on the day it took place, images of troops carrying anti-drone guns in parts of Moscow appeared in the media.
Mobile internet services throughout the capital became restricted, and for the first time, a special anti-drone canopy was erected over the main saluting dais.
Several events traditionally held to celebrate Russia’s armed forces and the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany have been curtailed or even cancelled in the face of the ever-growing threat from Ukraine’s drones.
The May 9 Victory parades in Crimea, Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions and the July 27 Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg were all cancelled this year.
The Yolka interceptor drone
Detailed technical specifications for the Yolka are not widely available. Information relating to its capabilities, range, altitude, and other performance metrics is limited.
It is known that it is a kinetic Interceptor that brings down enemy drones by colliding with them, destroying both the target drone and itself in the process.
It is launched from a reusable catapult and uses its “self-homing” capability to autonomously acquire, track and pursue its target.
While primarily an interceptor, it is believed that the Yolka can also be equipped with a warhead, allowing it to act as a kamikaze drone.
A video published on YouTube by “Armourdesia Military Hardware” gives an idea of the functioning and the fire-and-forget capability of the interceptor.
Although the narration portrayed the system in a positive light, the images don’t necessarily bear out his assessment.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57190
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjvIkqOVJVk
Ukrainian drone operators destroy Russian tank in Pokrovsk sector
29.07.2025 12:29
Operators from the Korsar Battalion of strike unmanned aerial systems, part of the 38th Separate Marine Brigade named after Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi, successfully destroyed a camouflaged Russian tank in the Pokrovsk sector using drones.
According to Ukrinform, the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group of Forces reported the strike on Telegram and released an accompanying video.
“A camouflaged enemy tank was eliminated in the Pokrovsk direction. Operators from the Korsar Battalion tracked the vehicle concealed within a forest plantation and carried out a precise drone strike,” the statement said.
As earlier reported by Ukrinform, soldiers from the 35th Separate Marine Brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi used drones to destroy a Russian multi-purpose light armored personnel carrier in the Donetsk region.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4019902-ukrainian-drone-operators-destroy-russian-tank-in-pokrovsk-sector.html
One killed, four injured as Israeli drone strikes southern Lebanon
Last Update: Tuesday, 29 July 2025 11:15 AM
Lebanese authorities say the Israeli military has attacked the southern province of Nabatieh, killing at least one individual and injuring four others in the latest flagrant violation of a shaky ceasefire agreement.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center at the Lebanese Health Ministry said in a press release that an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in Bint Jbeil district on Monday evening.
A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, identified the victim as Haitham Mohammad Idris, a local member of the Hezbollah resistance movement.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade over the village of Ramieh in Bint Jbeil district, where Israeli soldiers carried out sweeping offensives using machine guns.
Following significant losses sustained over nearly 14 months of conflict and the failure to meet its objectives in the offensive against Lebanon, Israel was compelled to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah, which took effect on November 27.
Since then, Israeli forces have been launching attacks on Lebanon, including airstrikes, in breach of the ceasefire.
On January 27, Lebanon announced its decision to extend the ceasefire with Israel until February 18.
However, Israel continues to maintain its occupation of five significant regions in southern Lebanon, namely Labbouneh, Mount Blat, Owayda Hill, Aaziyyeh, and Hammamis Hill, all situated near the border.
Lebanon has condemned the continued presence of Israeli military forces as a violation of the ceasefire agreement and the established timeline for withdrawal.
Senior officials in Beirut have expressed their commitment to take “all necessary measures” to remove the occupying troops from the nation.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/07/29/752068/One-killed,-four-injured-as-Israeli-drone-strikes-southern-Lebanon-despite-ceasefire
Drone Drops: Heroin Seizures Surge at Jammu Border
Updated: 29-07-2025 20:53 IST
A yellow packet containing 500 grams of heroin, valued at over two crore rupees, was intercepted by security forces near the international border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district.
The interception occurred shortly after the packet was dropped by a drone originating from Pakistan, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
This incident marks the second such occurrence within a span of four days where heroin packages were dropped by Pakistani drones across the Jammu region.
Just days prior, on July 26, law enforcement uncovered half-a-kilogram of heroin following its drop in the Chillyari border village, located in the Samba district.
The recent seizure, made by the diligent personnel of the Border Security Force in Hiranagar sector of Kathua, came during an active operation sparked by reports of suspected drone activity.
At the time of the last updates, operations were ongoing, officials reported.
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/3521887-drone-drops-heroin-seizures-surge-at-jammu-border
Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-Year-Old Invention Might Fix the #1 Problem With Drones
Jul 29, 2025 8:30 AM EDT
Even a cursory bit of casual research on Leonardo da Vinci—the Rennaissance polymath behind the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper—will uncover theoretical inventions sketched centuries before any engineer would actually make a comparable machine.
His notebooks were filled with ideas for machines that would allow for travel through the air and underwater, innovations in weaponry, and even a self-propelled cart.
Closer reads of da Vinci’s ideas have found that some of these sketches still offer something beyond their aesthetic and historic value.
There was, for example, the instance of the British dentist who found a new shape hidden within Leonardo’s famed Vitruvian Man.
And now, as reported by IFLScience, a new paper from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University suggests that one of his designs for a flying machine might hold the secret to quieter, more efficient drones.
“Leonardo da Vinci’s aerial screw, conceived in the 15th century, represents one of the earliest conceptualizations of lift-generating rotary flight,” the authors of the paper note in their opening abstract.
Leonardo’s aforementioned design—replicated in countless textbooks and museum exhibits—featured a singular corkscrew propeller, intended to be spun by men turning it at its base in order to initiate flight.
“Despite its historical significance,” the paper’s authors say of the design, “…the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of this rotor has received limited scientific attention.”
It’s this latter concern, the aeroacoustic, that led to these researchers to attempt to find a very modern application for Leonardo’s design.
We are not, as of now, living in the delivery-drone-driven utopia tech CEOs swore we would be in when UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) were all the rage.
And one of the paper‘s authors, PhD student Suryansh Prakhar, had a theory for why this particular vision had yet to come to pass.
“While food and parcel delivery using drones is growing,” Prakhar told IFLScience, “…the aeroacoustic noise remains one of the issues preventing their wide scale use in densely populated areas.”
It might strike some as odd to jump, then, to the aerial screw design of Leonardo da Vinci as a solution to this problem, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone has transposed the polymath’s helicopter design onto modern day drones.
Back in 2020, when the Vertical Flight Society put out a challenge as part of their annual Student Design Competition which called for reimagining Leonardo’s aerial screw, the winning idea was the University of Maryland’s Elico, a “fully autonomous, manned quadrotor vehicle” which “improves on [Leonardo da Vinci’s] design by using a tapered aerial screw rotor to provide all lift, thrust and control of the vehicle.”
For their quiet drone experiments, the John Hopkins team utilized “direct numerical simulations to analyze the aerodynamic forces and acoustic emissions of a modernized da Vinci aerial screw design across a range of Reynolds numbers” (a dimensionless quantity used in the study of fluid dynamics).
They then compared the results to those of the traditional two-bladed rotor commonly used in modern drone design.
They found that while Leonardo’s aerial screw “has a lower lift coefficient” than the two-blade rotor (points to you, Bell Helicopter inventor Arthur M. Young), the aerial screw also “…requires significantly less mechanical power and generates substantially lower acoustic intensity for the same net lift.”
The study cites “the screw’s large wetted area and lower rotational speed” as the primary reason for these advantages, while conceding that “the design is not optimized for performance.”
In the end, the paper—which has not yet been peer-reviewed—does not suggest replacing all drone two-blade rotors with a design pulled from the famous artist’s notebook.
Rather, it uses this data to demonstrate “the potential benefits of unconventional rotor geometries for noise-sensitive applications.”
So, rather than the future of unmanned flight being entirely held within the calculations made by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance, the answers may instead come from embracing Leonardo’s remarkable ability to think outside the proverbial box and experiment with unconventional ideas.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a65529376/leonardo-da-vinci-drones/
https://arxiv.org/html/2506.10223v1#S4
Houthi ballistic missile fired at Israel intercepted — IDF
July 29, 2025 8:39 pm
A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen at Israel a short while ago was intercepted by air defenses, the military says.
There are no immediate reports of impacts or injuries. Sirens had sounded across central Israel and the Jerusalem area.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 66 ballistic missiles and at least 17 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/houthi-ballistic-missile-fired-at-israel-intercepted-idf/
IDF transports 52 aid packages into Gaza as counterterror ops. continue
Updated: JULY 29, 2025 20:30
The IDF, led by the Coordinator for the Government's Activities in the Territories (COGAT), facilitated the entry of 52 aid packages into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon, the military confirmed.
The UAE, Jordan, and Egypt all cooperated in the aid packages, which contained food for residents in both the south and north of the enclave, the military noted.
The aid packages were airdropped, the military clarified.
IDF soldiers operating in southern Khan Yunis conducted raids on terror weapons storage locations on Tuesday, the military confirmed in a separate statement.
The weapons seized included grenades, munitions, cartridges, diving equipment, and combat uniforms, the military added.
In addition, soldiers from the Golani Brigade, serving under the IDF's 36th Division, along with Yahalom Combat Engineers, located and partially destroyed a terror tunnel in Khan Yunis.
The tunnel was approximately one kilometer in length and 15km deep, the military confirmed.
Hamas weapons were found inside the tunnel, including explosives, Kalashnikov rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.
A soldier was injured in the north Gaza Strip earlier on Tuesday, Maariv reported.
The soldier was evacuated to the hospital for further medical treatment, and his family was informed.
IDF soldiers falling in combat in Khan Yunis
Capt. Amir Saad, 22, from the Druze village Yanuh-Jat, and Sgt. Inon Nuriel Vana, 20, from Kiryat Tivon, an officer and a soldier in the Golani Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion, were killed in Khan Yunis on Saturday, the IDF said on Monday.
More than 20 Palestinian civilians were killed on July 16 at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site in Khan Yunis, most of them appearing to have been trampled, according to the aid agency.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-862631
IDF to continue attacking Hezbollah until it disarms, even if leads to another war
JULY 29, 2025 16:58
The IDF has said that it will continue regular attacks on Hezbollah – despite the November 2024 ceasefire – until it disarms, even if this leads to another war.
A significant part of this calculation is the ongoing substantial harm that the IDF has caused to Hezbollah’s ability to threaten Israel to date.
If pre-war Hezbollah had around 150,000 rockets and tens of thousands of launchers for firing rockets, as of now, the number of launchers is down to a couple of thousand, with the total number of rockets down between 70-80%.
In practical terms, the implications are staggering given that this means that if pre-war Hezbollah could easily fire around 1,500 rockets at a time, now the Lebanese terror group can only fire some dozens at a time.
Hezbollah also has lost virtually all of its multiple rocket launching platforms.
This completely changes how Hezbollah operates, and limits its options for coordinated attacks, since it only has individual rocket launchers, which makes each rocket launch a strenuous and exposed effort.
Hezbollah retains a small number of long-range precision rockets, but would struggle to fire them given that the areas where it would need to move them to in order to fire could leave them exposed to IDF attacks, and many of these areas have already been attacked in the past.
Hezbollah’s loss of Syria for smuggling weapons has hit the group hard in any rearming efforts.
The new Syrian Sunni regime is blocking the vast majority of Iran's weapons smuggling efforts from Syria to Hezbollah on its own initiative and without any Israeli assistance as part of its opposition to the spread of Shiite influence.
The IDF has attacked some cross-border positions between Syria and Lebanon as many as five times to determine whether they still represent a smuggling threat.
IDF sources expressed some hope that Lebanon might eventually get Hezbollah to disarm, and are confident for now that Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem is heavily deterred and intimidated from launching a rocket attack on Israel.
On the other hand, IDF sources said Iran continues to stream around one billion dollars into Hezbollah to prop it up, whereas the West is only sending Lebanon up to $250 million.
This disparity could keep Hezbollah overall in power even if it has lost some of its standing.
Also, the military said it has attacked Hezbollah over 500 times since the November 2024 ceasefire.
Some 230 of the attacks were killing Hezbollah terrorists, 90 were attacks on rocket launchers, 20 were attacks on Hezbollah bases or outposts, 40 were attacks on weapons storage areas, and three were attacks on Hezbollah’s special forces Radwan training camps.
These numbers, added to the Hezbollah terrorists killed before the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, mean that 4,000-5,000 operatives are dead and around 9,000 are wounded badly enough to be permanently out of fighting.
Hezbollah manpower, munitions, threat to Israel significantly reduced since before war
The IDF said that this meant over half of Hezbollah’s standing army of 25,000 is out of service.
Before the war, Hezbollah was also said to have tens of thousands more reservist fighters, but IDF sources estimate that only 10% of them are still active now.
This is due to fear of being killed, or their commanders being killed, leaving no one really in touch with them, or a lack of weapons and arms.
Also, the Radwan forces are down to 2,500-3,000 from their pre-war 6,000 numbers.
They have also been reassigned to internal security issues, given how much smaller Hezbollah’s forces are across the board, as opposed to being focused on potential attacks.
Further, the IDF has said that, at least for now, there is no Hezbollah invasion threat, given how far they are being kept from the border.
This does not mean that a small group of Hezbollah fighters could not surprise Israel in one or two spots.
But the scenario of 6,000 Radwan invaders striking Israel all over the north simultaneously is not and will not be a threat for some time to come.
The IDF is complimentary to the US on handling the dispute mechanism for resolving Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire, as opposed to UNIFIL pre-war.
The IDF has submitted 1,263 violations. Of these, around 456 were new threats, many of which the IDF in the end dealt with, and 666 were passed on to the Lebanese army, which dealt with 546 of them, or 82%, properly.
This is a high percentage of success, and the IDF credits the US for helping the Lebanese army follow through against Hezbollah.
At the same time, the IDF still acts whenever needed, and some violations, which have multiple aspects to them, are dealt with by a mix of the IDF, the mechanism, and the Lebanese army.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-862607
IDF publishes video it says shows Hamas terrorists looting humanitarian aid in Gaza
July 29, 2025 10:32 am
The IDF publishes footage it says shows armed Hamas operatives looting a truck of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip last week.
The IDF does not explain how it was able to identify the individuals seen as Hamas operatives.
The clip, which the IDF says is from Friday, shows gunmen on top of a truck carrying aid, while a crowd of Palestinians surrounds it.
The military claims the video shows “armed Hamas terrorists… violently looting humanitarian aid that had been transferred into the Gaza Strip, preventing it from reaching the civilian population of Gaza.”
“Contrary to Hamas’s false claims that the individuals in the video are security personnel, they are in fact Hamas terrorists who arrived to seize the aid from Gaza’s residents.
Even when aid is delivered into Gaza, Hamas loots it for its own use, blatantly disregarding the needs of the population,” the IDF says, adding that “this footage is further evidence that Hamas is the primary obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip.”
The military says it is publishing the video after Hamas in recent weeks “spread false claims about a deliberate starvation campaign in Gaza.”
Last week, a senior Israeli defense official said that nearly all of the trucks heading to the warehouses of aid organizations and the UN were looted by Gazan mobs, not Hamas.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-publishes-video-it-says-shows-hamas-terrorists-looting-humanitarian-aid-in-gaza/
https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1950092457179279765
IDF: Dozens of terror targets hit in Gaza airstrikes over past day
July 29, 2025 11:33 am
Dozens of terror targets were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military says.
According to the IDF, the targets included operatives, buildings used by terror groups, tunnels, and caches of weapons.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported yesterday that 100 people had been killed in the previous 24 hours.
The military releases footage showing a strike on a Hamas weapons depot in the Khan Younis area. The strike was directed by troops of the 36th Division during operations in the area.
In Gaza City, the IDF says the 98th Division is expanding its operations in the Shejaiya and Zeitoun neighborhoods, in an effort to destroy Hamas infrastructure and prevent rocket fire on Israel.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-dozens-of-terror-targets-hit-in-gaza-airstrikes-over-past-day/
https://twitter.com/idfonline/status/1950109729629299072
New subsurface structure detected near Great Pyramid at Giza
29 July 2025 08:51
Using advanced geophysical techniques, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), researchers have identified a man-made L-shaped structure just two metres (approximately 6.5 feet) below the surface near the Western Cemetery — a historically significant area known for the tombs of ancient Egyptian nobility.
Published in the journal Archaeological Prospection, the study details how the team, led by Professor Motoyuki Sato of Japan’s Tohoku University, detected a large, electrically resistive anomaly beneath the L-shaped structure, located at a depth of around 5 to 10 metres (16 to 33 feet).
The anomaly’s high resistivity suggests it may be composed of different material than the surrounding ground — or potentially, a void, such as a hidden chamber.
The Western Cemetery, situated to the west of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, has been a key site for exploring the lives and burials of Egypt’s elite during the Fourth Dynasty.
But despite extensive archaeological work on the Giza Plateau over the past two centuries, this area remains relatively under-explored compared to the pyramids themselves.
“The sharp, defined angles of this formation suggest that it is man-made, as natural formations typically exhibit more irregular shapes,” the researchers noted, indicating a strong likelihood of human construction.
While the L-shaped feature does not resemble known architectural forms from the Giza complex, the team speculates it could represent an entrance or boundary to a deeper chamber or passage.
Ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography have become invaluable tools for non-invasive archaeological exploration.
GPR works by emitting radar pulses into the ground and recording their reflections to reveal buried structures, while ERT measures variations in electrical conductivity to identify underground materials or voids.
When used together, these technologies provide a detailed 3D picture of subsurface features — without disturbing the fragile layers of archaeological history.
Although the findings are still preliminary, the team’s discovery has reignited speculation about what other secrets the sands of Giza might conceal.
The anomaly’s proximity to known tombs raises the possibility that more elaborate or previously undocumented burial complexes remain hidden below.
Further investigation, potentially including limited excavation or additional remote sensing, will be needed to determine the exact nature and purpose of the anomaly.
Still, the results serve as a powerful reminder that even at one of the world’s most explored archaeological sites, the past has yet to fully reveal itself.
https://caliber.az/en/post/new-subsurface-structure-detected-near-great-pyramid-at-giza
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/arp.1940
UFOs Shut Down America’s Nukes — Full Story from two AIR FORCE OFFICERS Who Were There…EXCLUSIVE!
Jul 27, 2025
🛑 UFOs disabling nuclear weapons? It happened—twice. In this explosive episode of Total Disclosure, two former U.S. Air Force nuclear missile officers—Robert Salas and Dave Schindele—reveal their firsthand encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) that shut down up to 10 nuclear missiles at two different bases just one year apart.
Was it a warning? A show of power? Or something else entirely? These events have been buried, denied, and dismissed for decades.
Now, you’ll hear the chilling truth—directly from the men who lived it.
📍 INCIDENTS DISCUSSED: - 1967 Malmstrom AFB Missile Shutdown — Robert Salas - 1968
Minot AFB Missile Interference — Dave Shindele - The Bigger Picture: UAPs, Nuclear Weapons & National Security
🧠 THIS EPISODE EXPLORES: - Military cover-ups and FOIA documents - The global pattern of UAP interference near nuclear sites - The philosophical and existential implications of these encounters
https://poddtoppen.se/podcast/1544297063/total-disclosure-ufos-coverups-conspiracy/ufos-shut-down-americas-nukes-full-story-from-two-air-force-officers-who-were-thereexclusive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZv0WG3bJLY
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/intercepting-3i-atlas-at-its-closest-approach-to-jupiter-with-the-rejuvenated-juno-spacecraft-334939feca22
https://lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/Juno.pdf
Intercepting 3I/ATLAS at Its Closest Approach to Jupiter with the Rejuvenated Juno Spacecraft
July 28, 2025
The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025. It is expected to arrive at a distance of 53.6 million kilometers from Jupiter on March 16, 2026.
In a new paper (accessible here) that I wrote with the brilliant Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl, we show that applying a thrust of 2.675 kilometers per second on September 14, 2025 can bring the Juno spacecraft from its orbit around Jupiter to intercept the path of 3I/ATLAS.
The Juno spacecraft, named after the wife and sister of Jupiter in Roman mythology, was launched from Cape Canaveral on August 5, 2011, and entered a polar orbit around Jupiter on July 5, 2016 to conduct scientific measurements of Jupiter’s composition, gravitational field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere. Juno was originally planned to be intentionally deorbited into Jupiter’s atmosphere, but has since been approved to continue orbiting.
The close encounter of 3I/ATLAS to Jupiter provides a rare opportunity to shift Juno from its current orbit around Jupiter to intercept the path of 3I/ATLAS at its closest approach to Jupiter.
The instruments available on Juno, namely a near- infrared spectrometer, magnetometer, microwave radiometer, gravity science instrument, energetic particle detector, radio and plasma wave sensor, UV spectrograph and visible light camera/telescope, can all be used to probe the nature of 3I/ATLAS from a close distance.
Our analysis exploits the software package known as Optimum Interplanetary Trajectory Software (OITS), developed by Adam Hibberd. OITS solves the Lambert problem for one orbital cycle only: given two times, what are the 2 orbital arcs that connect them?
Assuming that the positions at the beginning of the arc and the end of the arc are known, then there are 2 solutions, a short way and a long way. Having the short way and long way solutions, the way with the maximum velocity thrust ∆V is rejected, leaving the lowest ∆V solution.
This procedure is conducted iteratively with different trial values of the initial and final times, until OITS has converged on the overall minimum ∆V solution.
Our calculation focuses on an intercept, namely a flyby, since a rendezvous, where the target’s velocity is matched by the spacecraft, is out-of-the- question, owing to the excessively high hyperbolic speed of 3I/ATLAS relative to Jupiter, 65.9 kilometers per second.
Based on this approach, we used OITS for a Juno ∆V application window covering the present as at the time of writing (July 27, 2025) to the possible end of the mission which is currently scheduled to occur in September 2025.
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The feasibility of intercepting 3I/ATLAS depends on the current amount of fuel available from the propulsion system of Juno. However, some inferences can be drawn from the total ∆V available at the beginning of the Juno mission.
On its interplanetary trajectory, Juno conducted 2 Deep Space Maneuvers, and 1 Jupiter orbital insertion, both of which would have placed a significant demand on the chemical propulsion employed by Juno (Hydrazine and oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide).
The fuel reservoir on Juno allows an overall initial ∆V available of 2.74 kilometers per second, similar to the ∆V of 2.675 kilometers per second required to intercept 3I/ATLAS.
However, the similarity of these numbers motivated our paper. This value is similar to the required ∆V for Juno to intercept 3I/ATLAS. Although the engine of Juno was not operated since 2017, the required ∆V might potentially be within Juno’s performance envelope.
In that case, Juno would be able to get close to 3I/ATLAS and use its instruments to probe the nature of the interstellar object and any cloud of gas or dust around it.
Our paper shows that applying a thrust of 2.6755 kilometers per second on September 9, 2025, can potentially bring the Juno spacecraft from its orbit around Jupiter to intercept the path of 3I/ATLAS.
With Juno’s many instruments, a fly-by can probe the nature of 3I/ATLAS far better than telescopes on Earth.
The desired thrust constitutes a Jupiter Oberth Maneuver which requires an application of ∆V only 8 days prior to the originally intended termination date for Juno’s plunge into the atmosphere of Jupiter.
Having delivered this thrust to diminish Juno’s altitude, a further ∆V is subsequently delivered, constituting a Jupiter Oberth Maneuver and resulting in an eventual intercept of the target 3I/ATLAS on March 14, 2026.
In total, an overall ∆V of 2.1574 + 0.5181 = 2.6755 kilometers per second is utilized.
If doable, this exciting new goal will rejuvenate Juno’s mission and extend its scientific lifespan beyond March 14, 2026.
Small corrections to Juno’s path might be needed if cometary activity 3I/ATLAS will be intensified as it comes closer to the Sun and its non-gravitational acceleration will change its expected trajectory.
Over the coming decade, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is expected to discover new interstellar objects every few months. A similar approach can be taken with other spacecraft which happen to be close to their paths.
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The Interstellar Comet could be a "non-human" intelligence vessel, according to Cornell University
Jul 28, 2025
In this episode of Interstellar, Jaime Maussan analyzes the recent Cornell University study that suggests an interstellar comet might not simply be a natural object, but a possible non-human intelligence vessel.
Are we looking at evidence of alien technology? What implications does this discovery have for the future of humanity?
Research that breaks with the established norm and opens the door to new possibilities in the exploration of the cosmos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Si-TJUrsyY
Video: German Farmer Harvests Crop Circle
July 28, 2025
A crop circle that suddenly appeared in a German field lasted just a few days as the farmer who owns the property harvested the design before too many people could swarm the site.
The mysterious design was reportedly discovered on July 19th when a balloonist passed over Franz Zerhoch's land and noticed the curious formation (seen below) that resembled the spiked ball atop the Morning Star medieval weapon.
With crop circles being fairly rare in Germany, where they are known as Kornkreise, the farmer knew it was only a matter of time before his property was crawling with curious onlookers.
His suspicions proved correct as word of the wondrous discovery quickly spread online, and within days, visitors began arriving at the farm to see the strange formation.
On Wednesday of last week, with help from local police who prevented people from venturing onto the property, Zerhoch harvested what he estimated to be "95 percent of the crop" that comprised the design.
Had he not acted when he did, the farmer explained "I wouldn't have been able to get the wheat off the ground" due to the "mass influx" of visitors flocking to the location.
Remarkably, while all that remained of the formation was a barren circle (seen featured in the video above), the spot continued to captivate people throughout the week.
To that end, Zerhoch recalled meeting two "friendly" women who visited the site and were "not upset that I had mowed everything. They said you just had to walk into the field and you could feel the energy."
For his part, the farmer was seemingly immune to such a sensation as he amusingly indicated that "I didn't feel anything when I drove over it."
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/video-german-farmer-harvests-crop-circle/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gh__GVgz6U
https://cropcircleconnector.com/2025/Frieding/Frieding2025a.html