TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
August 10, 2025
Zodiacal Road
What's that strange light down the road? Dust orbiting the Sun. At certain times of the year, a band of sun-reflecting dust from the inner Solar System appears prominently just after sunset or just before sunrise and is called zodiacal light. Although the origin of this dust is still being researched, a leading hypothesis holds that zodiacal dust originates mostly from faint Jupiter-family comets and slowly spirals into the Sun. Recent analysis of dust emitted by Comet 67P, visited by ESA's robotic Rosetta spacecraft, bolsters this hypothesis. Pictured when climbing a road up to Teide National Park in the Canary Islands of Spain, a bright triangle of zodiacal light appeared in the distance soon after sunset. Captured on June 21, 2019, the scene includes bright Regulus, the alpha star of the constellation Leo, standing above center toward the left. The Beehive Star Cluster (M44) can be spotted below center, closer to the horizon and also immersed in the zodiacal glow.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Returns, Splashes Down Off California
Aug 09, 2025
The first crew to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program completed the agency’s 10th commercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Saturday.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov returned to Earth at 11:33 a.m. EDT.
Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and reunite with their families.
“Splashdown! Crew-10 is back on Earth from the International Space Station marking the completion of another successful flight,” said NASA acting Administrator Sean Duffy.
“Our crew missions are the building blocks for long-duration, human exploration pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
NASA is leading the way by setting a bold vision for exploration where we have a thriving space industry supporting private space stations in low Earth orbit, as well as humans exploring the Moon and Mars.”
The agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission lifted off at 7:03 p.m. on March 14, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
About 29 hours later, the crew’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward-facing port at 12:04 a.m. on March 16. Crew-10 undocked at 6:15 p.m. Aug. 8, to begin the trip home.
During their mission, crew members traveled nearly 62,795,205 million miles and completed 2,368 orbits around Earth.
The Crew-10 mission was the first spaceflight for Ayers and Peskov, and the second spaceflight for McClain and Onishi.
McClain has logged 352 days in space over her two flights, and Onishi has logged 263 days in space during his flights.
Along the way, Crew-10 contributed hundreds of hours to scientific research, maintenance activities, and technology demonstrations.
McClain, Ayers, and Onishi completed investigations on plant and microalgae growth, examined how space radiation affects DNA sequences in plants, observed how microgravity changes human eye structure and cells in the body, and more.
The research conducted aboard the orbiting laboratory advances scientific knowledge and demonstrates new technologies that enable us to prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
McClain and Ayers also completed a spacewalk on May 1, relocating a communications antenna, beginning the installation of a mounting bracket for a future International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Array, and other tasks.
It was the third spacewalk for McClain, the first for Ayers, and the 275th supporting space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Crew-10’s return to Earth follows the Crew-11 mission, which docked to the station on Aug. 2 for its long-duration science expedition.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program provides reliable access to space, maximizing the use of the International Space Station for research and development, and supporting future missions beyond low Earth orbit, such as to the Moon and Mars, by partnering with private U.S. companies, including SpaceX, to transport astronauts to and from the space station.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-spacex-crew-10-mission-returns-splashes-down-off-california/
NASA research jet sparks online buzz with unusual flight pattern over New Jersey and New York City
August 10, 2025
Trenton, NJ – A low-flying NASA Gulfstream III research aircraft drew attention and speculation Saturday after executing a series of symmetrical east-west passes across New Jersey skies.
The twin-engine jet, designated NASA 520 and operated out of NASA’s Langley Research Center, was conducting methane mapping flights as part of the APMAC CONUS program, which aims to create high-resolution, regional-scale datasets of methane emissions.
The plane’s repetitive flight tracks, visible on public flight radar websites, fueled social media chatter from curious residents.
NASA says the mission uses specialized instruments — including MethaneAIR and HALO — to measure methane concentrations in targeted areas.
The aircraft’s nadir portals allow scientists to collect atmospheric data over large swaths of land, including parts of the Appalachian Basin and the Washington, D.C./Baltimore urban region.
The symmetrical grid flights over New Jersey were part of a survey designed to repeatedly scan the same region over a two-day period, enabling researchers to tightly measure methane emission patterns and validate climate models.
Speculation on the ground and social media went from curious to bizarre, with many thinking the flight was ‘cloud seeding’ the atmosphere to produce rain.
However, the longrunning research is part of NASA’s overall climate impact projects.
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2025/08/10/nasa-research-jet-sparks-online-buzz-with-unusual-flight-pattern-over-new-jersey-and-new-york-city/
August full moon 2025 captivates skywatchers worldwide as Sturgeon Moon lights up the sky
August 9, 2025
August's full moon, known as the 'Sturgeon Moon' made a splash when it leapt above the southern horizon on Aug. 9 earlier this week, illuminating the summer sky mere days before the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
The Sturgeon Moon gets its name from the large lake fish that were once abundant around this time of year and which served as an important source of food for several Native American tribes.
It's also sometimes known as the 'Red Moon', on account of the ruddy hue it has been known to adopt in the summer haze, while the Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes knew it as the 'Ricing Moon' and used it as a sign that it was time to bring in the harvest.
Each full moon is a spectacular sight to the naked eye and a prized target for astrophotographers worldwide, who bent their knowledge and skill to the task of capturing the majesty of August's fully-lit lunar disk.
Some photographers aimed their lenses at the moon during moonrise, capturing its dramatic yellow-orange glow as Earth's atmosphere scattered the bluer wavelengths of sunlight in a process known as Rayleigh Scattering.
Others snapped the moon as it tracked a low path through the summer sky, recording spectacular detail on the lunar surface, while lining up impressive shots that blended the ancient and the new in a single frame.
Read on to see a selection of some of the best August full moon photos from around the world.
cont.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/august-full-moon-2025-captivates-skywatchers-worldwide-as-sturgeon-moon-lights-up-the-sky-photos
ULA Vulcan to launch USSF-106 national security mission Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Aug. 10, 2025 a.m. ET
United Launch Alliance officials are prepping a Vulcan rocket to send up a pair of Space Force national security satellites on one of the company's longest-ever launches — lasting more than seven hours and extending more than 22,000 miles above Earth to complete deployment.
For comparison's sake, the International Space Station orbits about 250 miles above the Earth's surface.
"(Vulcan) is specifically designed for these exotic orbits that are primarily for the government. And this particular mission is a quintessential example," ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno said Thursday, April 7, during a media roundtable.
"It is a direct injection to geosynchronous orbit. That means that it is a very, very long-duration mission," Bruno said.
The silver-and-red Vulcan — equipped with four side-mounted solid rocket boosters — will lift off Tuesday, Aug. 12, during a yet-undisclosed time from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
ULA reported the weather forecast showed a 75% chance of favorable conditions, but primary meteorological concerns include cumulus clouds, surface electric fields and lightning.
Tuesday's USSF-106 mission will represent the Vulcan rocket's third flight:
On Jan. 8, 2024, the first Vulcan notched its maiden liftoff and propelled Astrobotic's ill-fated Peregrine robotic lunar lander into space. The lander developed a propellant leak and burned up in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean.
On Oct. 4, 2024, a Vulcan carried an inert payload into deep space. However, a nozzle malfunctioned on one of the two solid-rocket boosters — spraying a shower of sparks about 38 seconds after liftoff.
The USSF-106 launch is the Vulcan's first national security mission for the Space Force's Space System Command.
Looking ahead, the Space Force has assigned more than two dozen national security launches to Vulcan rockets at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Little information has been released about the USSF-106 payloads, which ULA reported will feature "demonstrations and experiments from Department of Defense customers."
One payload is the Air Force Research Laboratory's Navigation Technology Satellite-3, DoD's first experimental navigation satellite system in nearly 50 years.
Bruno said he forecasts ULA will reach nine total launches this year.
"Earlier we had expected more, but it's a simple matter of getting started a little bit later in the year as we resolved the (solid-rocket booster) and had to synchronize with customer satellite deliveries and whatnot.
So now it'll be more like nine," Bruno told reporters. "We expect to hit our twice-a-month tempo before the end of the year.
So that as we roll into 2026, that forecast is somewhere between 20 and 25 launches, based on weather being good and all things else being the same, and satellites being available," he said.
At Launch Complex 41, Bruno said crews continue constructing a second vertical integration facility and a second Vulcan mobile launch platform.
He said he expects Vulcan rockets to start launching Amazon Project Kuiper satellite missions later this year, with ULA reaching a ratio of roughly ⅔ commercial flights and ⅓ Space Force flights.
"For this year, for '25, we're fully booked up. '26? It's pretty crowded. Someone would have to drop out of line in order for us to make a slot for someone else — that does happen, by the way.
And then as we go into 2027, it's really the same story," Bruno said.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/08/10/ula-vulcan-rocket-launch-national-security-mission-from-cape-canaveral-space-force-station-florida/85572340007/
https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/vulcan-ussf-106
https://twitter.com/ulalaunch/status/1953458504141803671
https://www.youtube.com/@unitedlaunchalliance
Nasa astronaut shares picture of mighty Ganga river delta taken from space
UPDATED: Aug 10, 2025 13:32 IST
Nasa astronaut Don Pettit has shared a breathtaking near-infrared image of the Ganges River delta, captured from the International Space Station (ISS) during his Expedition 73 mission.
Posted on social media, Pettit’s image offers a rare, high-contrast perspective of the world’s largest river delta, dramatically highlighting its vast, fertile landscapes spanning parts of eastern India and Bangladesh.
The Ganges–Brahmaputra Delta, also known as the Bengal Delta or Sundarbans Delta, covers more than 100,000 sq km and empties into the Bay of Bengal.
This region is not only a lifeline for millions with its rich agricultural soils and diverse ecosystems, but it also hosts the UNESCO-listed Sundarbans mangrove forest and is renowned for its dynamic waterways and seasonal flooding.
Pettit’s use of near-infrared photography amplifies distinctive features of the delta, making the lush vegetation and sprawling river networks glow with remarkable clarity.
“Ganges river delta, over India and Bangladesh, photographed in near-infrared from the ISS. It is the largest river delta on Earth,” Pettit shared, pointing to the scientific and aesthetic value of Earth observation from space.
The technique enables unique detection of plant health, water distribution, and landscape changes—assets for researchers monitoring the pulse of one of Asia’s most vital natural resources.
The astronaut’s post has garnered widespread acclaim across social media and science channels, with commentators praising both the technical expertise and artistic beauty evident in the shot.
Pettit, celebrated for his contributions to space photography, continues to use his platform to foster greater appreciation for Earth’s geography and the importance of environmental stewardship.
This latest image of the Ganges delta shows the unifying power of science and the enduring allure of our planet when seen through the lens of space.
https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/nasa-astronaut-shares-picture-of-mighty-ganga-river-delta-taken-from-space-2769047-2025-08-10
Rods from god: Is this space weapon more dangerous than nuclear missiles?
Updated: Aug 10, 2025, 12:46 IST
‘Rods from God’ are space weapons that drop tungsten rods from orbit for kinetic strikes, but they remain theoretical for now due to several limitations.
Today, anti-satellite tests pose real risks with debris and escalation. Know more about the myth and reality of space weapons.
What are ‘rods from God’
These are hypothetical space weapons that drop dense tungsten rods from orbit to hit targets using pure kinetic energy, also known as kinetic orbital bombardment or Project Thor.
The concept idea promises high-speed impacts without explosive warheads but it faces hurdles in accuracy, guidance and launch cost.
How would they cause damage
A deorbited rod would accelerate to hypersonic speed and release energy on impact. Supporters claim effects like a small nuclear strike but without radiation.
Analyses highlight major technical issues including heat, atmospheric drag, terminal guidance and the high cost of placing mass in orbit.
Do they exist today
There is no public evidence that any nation has deployed orbital rod weapons.
The concept remains theoretical and is popular in fiction and in concept studies. Open sources describe it as proposed but not fielded by any space power.
Treaty limits on space weapons
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans placing nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or stationing them in space, and prohibits WMD on celestial bodies.
While it does not explicitly ban all conventional systems, many see it as reinforcing the principle of peaceful purposes.
Real space warfare today ASAT tests
Several states have tested anti satellite missiles. Russia’s 2021 direct ascent ASAT destroyed Cosmos 1408 and created more than 1,500 trackable debris pieces, posing long lasting collision risks to spacecraft and ISS operations.
Debris clouds persist and raise safety concerns for all space users.
Would rods be more dangerous than nukes
Nuclear weapons produce immense blast and radiation. WMD bans keep them out of orbit, and their destructive area is unmatched.
Studies suggest kinetic rods are unlikely to achieve bunker busting, nuclear level devastation as often claimed, especially against hardened targets.
Bottom line myth versus reality
Rods from God are an interesting idea with potential precision and no fallout, but they remain unbuilt due to physics, guidance and cost, and they face legal scrutiny in space.
Today’s practical space weapons are ASATs and counterspace tools, which already create dangerous debris and raise escalation risks.
https://www.wionews.com/photos/rods-from-god-is-this-space-weapon-more-dangerous-than-nuclear-missiles-1754809395325/1754809395332
'Ice cube' clouds discovered at the galaxy's center shouldn't exist — and they hint at a recent black hole explosion
August 10, 2025
Two of the strangest structures in the galaxy just got even stranger.
Ballooning above and below the Milky Way's center like a massive hourglass, the mysterious Fermi bubbles loom large over our galaxy.
These enormous twin orbs of superheated plasma have been gushing out of the galactic center for millions of years.
Today, they span some 50,000 light-years from tip to tip, collectively making them half as tall as the Milky Way is long.
Now, scientists studying the perplexing bubbles with the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia have discovered something shocking:
Nestled deep within the superhot bubbles are gargantuan clouds of cold hydrogen gas that have inexplicably survived in an extreme environment.
According to the researchers, these bewildering clouds are likely the remnants of much larger structures that puffed out of the galaxy's center several million years ago.
"Think of it like dropping an ice cube into boiling water: a small one melts quickly, but a larger one lasts longer — even as it dissolves," lead study author Rongmon Bordoloi, an associate professor in the Department of Physics at North Carolina State University, told Live Science in an email.
"We believe these clouds may be remnants of much larger structures that are currently being eroded by the galactic wind."
The discovery could indicate that our galaxy's central black hole experienced a violent outburst of matter more recently than previously thought, Bordoloi added.
The research describing the clouds was published July 7 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Baffling bubbles
Towering over the galactic center, the Fermi bubbles were discovered in 2010 by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
Despite being comparable to our galaxy in size, the bubbles are visible only in gamma-rays, and they overlap with an equally mysterious X-ray counterpart known as the eROSITA bubbles.
These bubbles are incredibly hot, with the plasma that makes up the Fermi bubbles reaching more than a million kelvins (nearly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit).
It's thought that the bubbles are likely the result of an ancient, violent outburst from the Milky Way's central black hole, which spewed twin jets of matter above and below the galactic plane simultaneously, scooping up nearby matter in the process and flinging it outward into space.
The newly discovered cold hydrogen clouds may be remnants of some of that matter, according to the study authors.
Spotted with the Green Bank Telescope, the cold clouds range from about 13 to 91 light-years across, making each one many times larger than our solar system.
However, for those cold clouds to survive in the superhot environment where they were discovered — well within the Fermi bubbles, about 13,000 light-years above the galaxy's center — they must have been significantly larger when they were first swept up into the thrall of the bubbles, Bordoloi said.
"In principle, these clouds shouldn't have survived this long," he added. "Yet they do exist, which gives us a kind of clock: their survival implies that the black hole at the Milky Way's center erupted just a few million years ago.
In cosmic terms, that's a blink of an eye."
This discovery could help solve a major mystery about the Fermi bubbles by significantly constraining how old they are.
This age, in turn, hints that our galaxy's monster black hole may experience violent, sporadic outbursts whenever large amounts of material fall into it, with the last one occurring more recently than previously thought.
However, the precise schedule of black hole eruptions in our galaxy remains an open question.
"What's clear is that features like the Fermi Bubbles — and more recently, the eROSITA Bubbles — suggest the center of the Milky Way has been much more active in the recent past than we once believed," Bordoloi concluded.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/ice-cube-clouds-discovered-at-the-galaxys-center-shouldnt-exist-and-they-hint-at-a-recent-black-hole-explosion
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/addd16
On this day in space! Aug. 10, 1972: 'Great daylight fireball' zooms over North America
August 10, 2025
On Aug. 10, 1972, an Earth-grazing fireball burst through the sky over North America. It didn't hit the ground, but instead it passed straight through the sky.
The fireball entered the atmosphere somewhere over Utah and passed northwards, leaving the atmosphere over Alberta, Canada about 100 seconds later.
Analysis of its trajectory showed the object was about 10 to 45 feet in diameter, depending on whether it was an icy comet or a denser, rocky asteroid.
https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html
New York to Los Angeles in 3 hours? Executive order could make it possible by 2027, reopening the door for commercial supersonic flight
August 9, 2025
Supersonic commercial travel could soon be coming to the U.S. following a new executive order lifting a 52-year ban on overland commercial supersonic flights.
While supersonic flights could cross the Atlantic, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned overland commercial supersonic flights in 1973 in response to public pressure over noise concerns.
The new executive order, issued on June 6, lifts that ban and lays out a timeline for the introduction of noise-based certification rules for supersonic flights.
This move could cut travel time between New York and Los Angeles almost in half, from six to just 3.5 hours.
Before the ban, the U.S., France, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union all pursued commercial applications for supersonic aviation technology.
But each country’s supersonic aircraft created deafening, window-shattering sounds at ground level.
The Soviet Union's Tu-144 design, meanwhile, depended heavily on loud afterburners for the aircraft to reach Mach 1 (767 mph, or 1,235 km/h) — or faster than the speed of sound.
Today, companies like Boom Supersonic create "boomless cruise" where an aircraft can fly above 30,000 feet (9,100 meters), reach Mach 1 and produce no ground-level sounds — a phenomenon known as Mach cutoff.
Boom's aircraft achieved this milestone in January 2025, when it completed a test flight that successfully propelled sonic booms upward, causing them to dissipate before reaching the ground.
Boom faces competition from Lockheed Martin and its research partner NASA in the form of their X-59 supersonic demonstrator jet.
The X-59's design places the airplane's engines on top of the fuselage, helping to limit the shock waves, and the resulting noise, that reach ground level.
The regulatory timeline for this technology can be considered aggressive.
The new directive calls for a repeal of prohibitions on supersonic flight by Dec. 3, establish noise certification standards by Dec. 6, 2026, and implementation of final rules by June 6, 2027.
By comparison, rulemaking for usage of commercial drones went from government mandate to final implementation in four years.
https://www.space.com/technology/aerospace/new-york-to-los-angeles-in-3-hours-executive-order-could-make-it-possible-by-2027-reopening-the-door-for-commercial-supersonic-flight
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/leading-the-world-in-supersonic-flight/
New Line’s ‘Space Invaders’ Movie is Back in Business
August 9, 2025
Next up on the ever-expanding list of video game adaptations? A movie for Space Invaders, apparently.
Per Deadline, New Line Cinema is finally making good on its hopes to bring Taito’s shoot ’em up to life.
First announced back in 2019, the studio and production company Safehouse Pictures have put comedy writers Ben Zazove and Evan Turner on script duties.
Individually, they’ve written or produced for movies like Sherlock Gnomes (Zazove) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (Turner), but as a pair, they wrote the 2023 Netflix film The Outlaws and wrote an action-comedy called Officer Exchange in development with John Cena attached to star.
Developer Taito released Space Invaders first hit arcades in 1978, and has gone on to become one of the highest-grossing video games ever.
Since its release, it’s become a franchise with remasters, remakes, and sequels spread across console generations, PC, and mobile phones.
As of 2025, the most recent installment is the iOS and Android title Space Invaders Infinity Gene Evolve.
Space Invaders is the latest retro game Hollywood wants for the silver screen. Also on the docket are films based on Sega’s OutRun and Shinobi franchises, and Pac-Man from Bandai Namco.
We’ll see if Space Invaders gets to the finish line in the next few years, or just shoots and shuffles its way to development hell.
https://gizmodo.com/new-line-is-finally-ready-to-make-its-space-invaders-movie-2000641041
North Korea dismantling loudspeakers at border – Seoul
9 Aug, 2025 14:37
North Korea has begun dismantling some of its border loudspeakers, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). It appears to be a reciprocal step after Seoul removed around 20 of its own devices earlier this week.
Pyongyang had installed roughly 40 loudspeakers to transmit a mix of unsettling noises, from metallic scraping to eerie, ghost-like sounds, toward the South.
These broadcasts had been a persistent irritant for residents in border areas such as Paju, Gimpo, and Yeoncheon for nearly a year.
North Korea halted the noise campaign at midnight on June 12, hours after South Korea stopped its own loudspeaker broadcasts following an order from newly elected President Lee Jae-myung.
Lee, who took office in June after a snap election, has sought to reverse years of escalating tension under his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.
Shortly after his inauguration, Lee suspended the South’s cross-border propaganda campaign, which had featured K-pop, news, and political messages.
He also urged civic groups to stop sending anti-North propaganda leaflets and signaled an openness to talks without preconditions.
In 2018, the two Koreas dismantled all loudspeakers under the Panmunjom Declaration, but the agreement unraveled.
The South had resumed loudspeaker operations in mid-2024 in response to Pyongyang sending thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border in retaliation for South Korean activists launching leaflets into the North.
The broadcasts, capable of traveling more than 20 kilometers, were framed by Seoul as a way to deliver “messages of light and hope” to the North’s people and military.
The new South Korean president has promised to end both the propaganda broadcasts and the leaflet campaigns.
His predecessor, Yoon, was impeached in December and indicted on insurrection charges after briefly imposing martial law, citing a looming “rebellion” by pro-Pyongyang forces in the opposition.
Seoul and its key ally, Washington, have technically remained at war with Pyongyang since 1953. North Korea has repeatedly denounced joint military drills between South Korea and the United States over the past years, calling them rehearsals for an attack.
https://www.rt.com/news/622705-north-korea-dismantling-loudspeakers/
Unique CIA and FBI boss dies
10 Aug, 2025 06:44
William H. Webster, the only US official to head both the FBI and CIA, died Friday at age 101, his family has announced.
A former judge, he became FBI Director in 1978 as the agency reeled from corruption and surveillance scandals, serving nearly a decade before leading the CIA from 1987 to 1991 under US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
His family described him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and patriot. The FBI called him a “dedicated public servant” who spent over 60 years serving the country and said it would be “forever grateful” for his contributions.
Born on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri, Webster served as a US Navy lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War. He earned a law degree from Washington University in 1949, later working as a federal prosecutor and district judge.
His FBI appointment came as the agency reeled from scandals over warrantless surveillance and break-ins. Six weeks into his tenure, a federal grand jury indicted former officials from the bureau for illegal raids targeting associates of far-left fugitives.
Webster said after accepting the post that CIA and FBI directors should be ready to resign if asked to do something they know is wrong.
At the CIA, Webster steered the agency through the fallout of the Iran-Contra affair, a scandal in which senior US officials secretly sold arms to Iran, then under an arms embargo, and diverted the proceeds to Nicaraguan rebels despite a congressional ban.
He retired in 1991 but remained active in public service, advising on homeland security and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Despite his high reputation, Webster faced criticism. At the CIA, he was faulted for not detecting Soviet mole Aldrich Ames sooner, and some questioned his lack of foreign policy experience.
Others questioned his intelligence assessments during the Gulf War and the USSR’s collapse.
In 2002, he briefly chaired a board overseeing accounting practices but resigned before its first meeting amid controversy over ties to a company accused of fraud.
Some also criticized his cautious approach to domestic surveillance during his tenure at the FBI.
https://www.rt.com/news/622714-unique-cia-fbi-boss-dies/
US is ‘done’ funding Ukraine — Vance
10 Aug, 2025 15:20
Washington is not going to fund Ukraine anymore, US Vice President J.D. Vance told Fox News on Sunday.
Ukraine’s European backers can buy the weapons from American producers if they want to continue supporting Kiev, and the US will be “okay with that,” Vance added.
“But we're not going to fund it ourselves anymore,” he said.
The interview was published after Vance met with several European and Ukrainian officials in London, including UK Foreign Minister David Lammy.
According to media reports, Vance’s trip was intended to pave the way for a summit between the Russian and US presidents in Alaska on Friday, where resolving the conflict between Kiev and Moscow is expected to be at the top of the agenda.
Vance suggested that Kiev’s European backers should play a bigger role providing funding if they “care so much about this conflict.”
“Americans, I think, are sick of continuing to send their money, their tax dollars, to this particular conflict.
But if the Europeans want to step up and buy the weapons from American producers, we're okay with that. But we're not going to fund it ourselves anymore,” he said.
The US president had said earlier that the ideas under discussion include “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” sides, adding that Vladimir Zelensky would need to find a way to approve such a deal under Ukrainian law.
Zelensky has rejected any such agreement, claiming that “nobody can or will” make concessions on the issue. “The Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupiers,” he proclaimed.
Moscow’s senior negotiator Kirill Dmitriev has warned that countries trying to prolong the Ukraine conflict will likely go to great lengths to derail the planned meeting between Putin and Trump.
https://www.rt.com/news/622731-us-done-funding-ukraine-vance/
Zelensky rejects land swap floated by Trump
9 Aug, 2025 21:22
Vladimir Zelensky has reiterated his commitment to the country’s territorial integrity, confirming that Kiev still lays claim to all the territories which have been incorporated into Russia.
The remarks come shortly after US President Donald Trump suggested that a potential peace deal between Moscow and Kiev could involve a “swapping of territories” between Moscow and Kiev “to the betterment of both.”
Zelensky firmly rejected the idea of making any territorial concessions on Saturday, claiming that was exactly what Russian President Vladimir Putin was after, and accusing him of seeking to exchange a “pause in war” for the “legalization of occupation of our land.”
“Now Putin wants to be forgiven for seizing the south of our Kherson region, Zaporozhye, the entire territory of Lugansk region, Donetsk region, and Crimea.
We will not allow Russia to make this second attempt to divide Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a video address.
Crimea broke away from Ukraine in early 2014 in the aftermath of the Maidan coup in Kiev that toppled the country's then-president, Viktor Yanukovych. The peninsula subsequently joined Russia via a referendum, with the idea overwhelmingly backed by locals.
Four other territories were incorporated into Russia in September, 2022 after a series of referendums held independently in each region.
Of these, the Russian military has recently liberated Lugansk People’s Republic in its entirety. The others remain partly under Ukrainian control.
Apart from that, Russia controls patches of land along the border in the Ukrainian regions of Kharkov and Sumy, which it took earlier this year after the defeat and the expulsion of the Ukrainian invasion force that attacked Russia’s Kursk Region last August.
Moscow has demanded a full withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops from the territories it claims, reiterating the position in a draft memorandum outlining Moscow’s roadmap toward ending the conflict during recent direct talks with Kiev hosted by Türkiye.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622713-zelensky-trump-land-swap/
Zelensky not invited to Putin-Trump summit – WaPo
10 Aug, 2025 08:48
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has not been invited to attend next week’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump in the US, the Washington Post has reported, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
On Friday, Trump announced he would meet Putin on August 15 in Alaska. In the hours after the announcement, several outlets reported that Zelensky might take part in some form, with a senior White House official telling CBS News the planning was “still fluid” and that Zelensky could be involved.
However, the Washington Post has reported that no invitation has been extended to Zelensky so far.
Reuters has also said, citing sources, that the White House is still considering inviting him, but is currently focused on organizing a bilateral meeting, at Russia’s request.
CNN sources, however, said that the Trump administration hasn’t ruled out Zelensky being in Alaska during the summit.
One White House official also told CNN that “anything involving Zelensky” would likely take place after the Trump-Putin meeting.
Putin has said he will not rule out a meeting with Zelensky, but the Kremlin has stressed that the conditions for such talks have not been met.
Trump has suggested that upcoming negotiations could involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”
However, on Saturday, Zelensky rejected any land-swap proposals, citing limitations imposed by Ukraine’s constitution.
The Washington Post has noted that, given the strained relationship between Trump and Zelensky after their tense Oval Office meeting earlier this year, Zelensky’s refusal to consider territorial concessions could risk potential blowback from Trump, who has previously described him as difficult to negotiate with.
Russian officials have repeatedly said that any peace deal must address the root causes of the conflict and reflect the realities on the ground, including the status of Crimea as well as the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, which joined Russia after referendums in 2022.
https://www.rt.com/russia/622720-zelensky-not-invited-alaska/
IDF officials say unclear how many troops needed for Gaza City op but reservists to be called up
August 10, 2025 5:50 pm
The IDF is still examining how many troops it will need for the planned offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, according to military officials.
Military officials say it may take at least another week to complete the general outline of the plans, and from there, the IDF will know how many troops are required and for how long.
Regardless, reservists will need to be drafted for the offensive itself and/or in order to swap out standing army forces on other fronts, the officials say.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-officials-say-unclear-how-many-troops-needed-for-gaza-city-op-but-reservists-to-be-called-up/
IDF says two rockets fired from Gaza earlier today struck open areas
August 10, 2025
The IDF says the two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel earlier today struck open areas.
Unsuccessful interception attempts were made.
No injuries were caused in the attack.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-two-rockets-fired-from-gaza-earlier-today-struck-open-areas/
IDF says it foiled weapons smuggling attempt from Egypt using drone
August 10, 2025 3:43 pm
The IDF says it foiled another attempt to smuggle weapons into Israel from Egypt using a drone today.
The drone had been identified crossing the border from Egypt into Israel before it was downed.
Troops located the drone, which was found to be ferrying 10 rifles, the military says, adding that the contraband and drone were handed over to the police.
In the past year, there have been frequent attempts to bring weapons and drugs over the Egyptian border using drones. There have also been attempts to smuggle similar contraband from Israel into Gaza using drones.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-foiled-weapons-smuggling-attempt-from-egypt-using-drone/
Thanks Rosie!
IDF to remain in Samaria camps through 2025
Aug. 10, 2025
Israel Defense Forces units will remain stationed in northern Samaria’s refugee camps—Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur al-Shams—at least until the end of 2025, following a sweeping military offensive aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure in the region, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday.
Katz said that these camps, once hubs for attacks throughout Judea and Samaria, had operated under Iranian backing, acting as a “front against Israel.”
He noted that the recent IDF operations resulted in the evacuation of residents, elimination of terrorists and destruction of terrorist networks.
As a result of these actions, “there is no terrorism in the camps, and the volume of terror alerts in Judea and Samaria has decreased by 80%,” Katz said.
He described the approach as a model for counter-terrorism, emphasizing aggressive pursuit and dismantling of threats in Judea and Samaria and Gaza.
IDF arrests 70 wanted suspects, seizes weapons
Israeli forces arrested approximately 70 wanted individuals and confiscated dozens of weapons in a sweeping operation across Judea and Samaria this past week, according to a statement released on Sunday.
As part of the crackdown, IDF troops searched more than 50 villages and targeted suspects involved in stone-throwing and Molotov cocktail attacks on Israeli civilians.
In Balata, Samaria, the elite Duvdevan undercover unit apprehended a weapons dealer accused of supplying arms to terrorists.
Additional operations in Qabatia resulted in the arrest of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist operative and another weapons dealer.
https://www.jns.org/idf-to-remain-in-samaria-camps-through-2025/
Three people killed in Kherson region following Russian drone attack
10.08.2025 15:43
A 37-year-old resident of the village of Stanislav in the Kherson region was killed as a result of a Russian drone strike.
This was reported on Telegram by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, according to Ukrinform.
“The Russian military killed a resident of Stanislav. The enemy targeted a man born in 1988 using a UAV. He sustained injuries incompatible with life,” the statement reads.
Later he posted that the Russian military attacked the village of Kachkarivka in the Mylove community with a drone.
“Three men came under enemy fire. One local resident died en route to the hospital. Two others sustained serious injuries,” Prokudin reported.
He added that both injured men are currently in intensive care, where doctors are fighting to save their lives.
Prokudin later reported that at approximately 11:30, Russian forces attacked a 48-year-old man with a drone in the village of Dniprovske, part of the Bilozerka community. The man was killed in the strike.
As previously reported, two people were killed and 17 others injured in Russian attacks on the Kherson community over the past day.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4024131-man-killed-in-kherson-region-following-russian-drone-attack.html
Russia strikes Sumy Regional Military Administration building with drone
10 August 2025, Sunday, 15:25
On Sunday morning, August 10, russian troops struck the building of the Sumy Regional Military Administration with a strike drone; no one was injured as a result of the strike.
This was reported by the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh Hryhorov.
"The enemy is systematically striking at administrative and civilian infrastructure, trying to pressure and intimidate people.
I urge residents and guests of the Sumy Region to refrain from being near administrative buildings and critical infrastructure during air alerts," Hryhorov added.
According to him, despite the shelling, the Sumy Regional Military Administration team continues to work.
"Despite the shelling, the Sumy Regional Military Administration team is working in a coordinated manner so that all necessary decisions are made without delay," the head of the Regional Military Administration added.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on the morning of July 25, russian occupiers attacked the city of Sumy. An administrative building was damaged, a fire broke out.
On July 29, a russian attack on the Sumy Region damaged the premises of a taxpayer service point. The employees were not injured.
Meanwhile, the counterintelligence of the Security Service detained an agent of the russian military intelligence (GRU), who was preparing a breakthrough of sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the aggressor country of the russian federation in the direction of Sumy.
https://ukranews.com/en/news/1098911-russia-strikes-sumy-regional-military-administration-building-with-drone
Ukrainian air defense neutralizes 70 of 100 Russian drones overnight
10.08.2025 08:56
Ukrainian Air Defense Forces neutralized 70 out of 100 drones launched by Russian forces against Ukraine on the night of August 9-10.
This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, according to Ukrinform.
Starting at 23:00 on August 9, the enemy deployed 100 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of decoy drones.
The drones were launched from multiple directions: Shatalovo, Kursk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in the Russian Federation, as well as Hvardiyske in temporarily occupied Crimea.
The aerial attack was countered by a coordinated response involving Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups.
According to preliminary data as of 08:00, Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or jammed 70 Shahed UAVs and decoy drones in the northern and eastern regions of the country.
Thirty UAVs struck 12 locations across frontline regions including Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions. Additionally, drone wreckage was found at three other sites.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4024025-ukrainian-air-defense-neutralizes-70-of-100-russian-drones-overnight.html
Drones attack oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov – media
10.08.2025 08:35
A group of drones targeted an oil refinery in the Russian city of Saratov during the night of Sunday, August 10.
That is according to BBC News Russian, as reported by Ukrinform.
The governor of the Saratov region, Roman Busargin, stated that Ukrainian drones attacked Saratov overnight, resulting in damage to one of the industrial facilities. He did not provide further details.
Meanwhile, local residents began sharing videos of the nighttime strike, showing plumes of smoke and open flames—likely at the local oil refinery.
Earlier, the Federal Air Transport Agency temporarily closed the local airport for takeoff and landing. This occurred shortly after Busargin, citing military sources, warned of a potential drone threat.
Later, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defense forces had “destroyed and intercepted 121 Ukrainian drones” overnight.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, a drone attack recently caused fires at the Afipsky oil refinery and a military site in Krasnodar Territory.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4024021-drones-attack-oil-refinery-in-russias-saratov-media.html
https://t.me/exilenova_plus/11346
https://t.me/astrapress/89115
Punjab launches anti-drone systems to tackle cross-border smuggling
August 10, 2025 18:10 IST
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday deployed three anti-drone systems along the international border to counter the smuggling of drugs and weapons through drones from Pakistan.
Mann, who along with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, unveiled the anti-drone systems in Tarn Taran, said that Punjab is the first state in India to deploy such a system in its border areas.
The anti-drone system will be called ‘Baaz Akh’ (Hawk Eye), the chief minister said, adding that it will be deployed from Pathankot to Fazilka as the second line of defence in the border districts in coordination with the Border Security Force.
Mann explained that the second line of defence refers to the deployment of the Punjab Police in border districts, working alongside the BSF stationed at the international border.
He emphasised that this initiative marks a significant step for the Punjab government in the fight against the smuggling of drugs and arms across the border. “In the coming days, we will expand the anti-drone system throughout the state,” he added.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment to maintaining peace and harmony in the state, Mann said this initiative will play a crucial role in the government’s anti-drug drive, Yudh Nasheyan Virudh (war against drugs).
To enhance border security and address challenges posed by drone activities from Pakistan, nine anti-drone units are being established along the international border for Rs 51.4 crore, Mann informed, asserting that the anti-drone system will significantly counter the activities of drug smugglers.
“The enemies of the country have turned drones into weapons to harm Punjab’s youth, using them to smuggle drugs across the border,” Mann said, praising the security forces for their relentless efforts to combat cross-border drug trafficking.
He said that in 2024, a total of 283 drones loaded with heroin, weapons, and ammunition were seized, and as of 2025, 137 drones have already been recovered.
Expressing confidence that the anti-drone system will assist the security forces in combating the smuggling of drugs and weapons, Mann said it will be deployed at specific border points where high drone activity has been observed.
Mann claimed that the Punjab Police did not have any such system to neutralise drones previously.
Further informing that the anti-drone system is equipped to accurately detect the drone’s position and its ground control stations, the chief minister stated that this system comes with an automated alert technology, which immediately notifies authorities upon detecting drone movement, thus eliminating the need for manual monitoring.
To ensure effective implementation, coordination will be maintained with the BSF, the Air Force, the Army, and other relevant agencies, Mann stated.
During the launch, Kejriwal stated that another chapter has been added to their fight against drugs.
He highlighted the AAP government’s efforts to tackle the drug menace while criticising previous governments for their alleged collusion with drug smugglers, which he claimed contributed to the state’s drug problems.
Announcing that a crackdown against drug trafficking has begun, and the ‘big fish’ involved in this trade have been rounded up, Kejriwal further claimed that a notorious and feared drug lord has been put behind bars by the Bhagwant Mann government.
He mentioned that the Punjab Police is actively taking action against drug smugglers, including demolishing properties acquired through drug trafficking as part of their anti-drug campaign.
“We know that most drugs enter from Pakistan through drones. Today, the Punjab government is implementing the anti-drone system, which will neutralise any drone that crosses into Punjab from Pakistan,” the former Delhi chief minister said.
Three anti-drone systems were launched on Saturday, with plans to deploy six more.
If necessary, additional systems will be purchased, Kejriwal stated, emphasising the government’s commitment to eradicating the drug menace in Punjab.
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-launches-anti-drone-systems-border-smuggling-10181374/
University tests autonomous drones in NATO challenge
August 9, 2025
Four university teams from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Austria tested autonomous drone technology in simulated disaster relief scenarios during a NATO-supported competition in Huntsville, Alabama, from 6 to 10 July, according to a NATO press release.
The event was hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville as part of the “SAPIENCE” initiative under NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme.
It marked the second in a three-part series of competitions designed to explore how autonomous drones working cooperatively can support crisis management.
Unlike the first event, held indoors in London in August 2024, the Huntsville competition took place outdoors and focused on conditions typical of the southeastern United States following severe storms and tornadoes.
Teams of seven researchers and professors were tasked with conducting damage assessments, performing search and rescue operations, and delivering medical supplies.
The competition required the drones to operate fully autonomously and in coordination with each other, with teams encouraged to use multiple platforms simultaneously.
NATO says the challenge was intended to demonstrate innovative approaches to the technical and operational complexities of autonomous multi-drone systems.
The final SAPIENCE competition is scheduled for 2026 in the Netherlands, combining indoor and outdoor environments to build on lessons from both London and Huntsville.
NATO officials say the initiative highlights how academic research can be applied to real-world humanitarian and disaster response challenges.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/university-tests-autonomous-drones-in-nato-challenge/
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/the-u-s-armys-answer-to-drone-swarms-fry-them-with-lasers/
The U.S. Army’s Answer to Drone Swarms: ‘Fry’ Them With Lasers
August 10, 2025, 08:36 AM EDT
Key Points and Summary – The war in Ukraine has proven the urgent need for advanced air defense, and top U.S. Army officials say now is the time to field battlefield lasers.
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With drones and missiles dominating modern combat, traditional interceptors are insufficient.
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Directed energy weapons offer a “non-kinetic” solution with a virtually unlimited supply of firepower.
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While challenges with heat and weight remain for mobile platforms, the Army believes the technology is “pretty mature” and is pushing programs to get 20- to 300-kilowatt laser systems onto its vehicles to counter the growing threat of drone swarms.
Now Is the Time for Lasers On the Battlefield for the U.S. Army
The U.S. Army’s Air Defense Artillery is always in demand.
Commanding officers want a protective shield over their troops at all times, and soldiers who work in air defense are usually busy, whether during training exercises or real engagements with an enemy.
The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of drones and missiles. Whichever side in a conflict can figure out how to keep munitions from falling on friendly troops and armored vehicles is far likelier to win on the battlefield.
Lasers Can ‘Fry’ the Way to Victory
What is the best way to achieve this task? The Patriot and THAAD air defense systems depend on ballistic interceptors, which can run out quickly.
Another system may offer greater advantages: lasers that can fry an incoming drone, destroy a conventional airplane, or down an enemy missile.
Directed energy systems have an unlimited supply of firepower, but they require a hefty package of advanced technologies and continued innovation before they can be placed on light armored vehicles.
They are often too heavy for mobile platforms, and they create high levels of heat that hinder performance. For now, the battlefield laser has great potential.
“We can contribute these non-kinetic effects,” Keith Krapels, head of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Technical Center, said at a conference on August 4.
“The technologies for laser directed energy right now are pretty mature. … We just need to pull laser directed energy across the finish line … and start producing the numbers.”
The War in Ukraine Shows That Lasers Are Needed Desperately
Krapels’ statement is exciting for defense analysts, like myself, who have called for the Army to use lasers. My 2021 book on future warfare included ground-battle scenes resembling something out of Star Wars.
The Army has been working hard on such capabilities for years, and now, using the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, is the best time to begin deploying directed energy systems.
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Basis for the Golden Dome
If the Army could successfully wield such systems from armored vehicles, it would be a good sign for President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, which would highly benefit from ground-based lasers.
The Programmatic Infrastructure Exists
The Fiscal Year 2026 proposal from the Department of Defense includes a set-aside for the “Enduring High Energy Laser” program.
Another program, called the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, will also seek to shorten the timeline to bring lasers to the battlefield.
Directed energy systems likely will be first deployed on infantry squad vehicles, and on the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. These weapons will be 20- to 30-kilowatt lasers.
The new Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense is a more vigorous system with 300-kilowatt directed energy blasts.
“We fielded prototypes in every one of those arenas. We tested them and tested them on our instrument and ranges.
And then at the request of leaders, we did what we didn’t think we were going to have to do or that team did what we didn’t think we had to do:
We put them on planes, and we sent them down range in harm’s way to see how they would really work, put them at the pointy end of the spear,” Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch said at the Aug. 4 conference.
There Will be a Drone In Every Backpack
In this new era of warfare, soldiers carry their own loitering munitions. They can simply reach in their rucksacks and pull out a kamikaze drone to attack enemy troops and armored vehicles.
Forces protected by laser defenses are likelier to survive on this battlefield. Thousands of swarming drones are being produced in Ukraine and Russia every month. They have taken over the fight, and soon, no army will engage in battle without some type of drone support.
In this context, lasers cannot be deployed fast enough. Personnel need to be trained, new technical manuals must be written, and the armored vehicles of the future need their lasers to be accurate and fire true. This is the only way to survive against drones.
Engineers and technicians working for U.S. defense contractors are working overtime to solve the drone question. Soldiers are ready to train on the systems, but further research needs to work out how to mount lasers onto armored vehicles.
Then, training and doctrine must be changed as the fight evolves. A future military occupational specialty will be dedicated to counter-drone warfare, and Army Basic Combat Training will evolve to prepare soldiers for this type of fight.
Lasers make the most sense to conduct counter-drone warfare. They may fire unlimited shots. If the Army can solve the problems of heat and weight, directed energy systems can be deployed soon on many armored vehicles. There will be a learning curve for the individual soldier.
Defense contractors, as well, are struggling to keep up with changing needs of the battlefield, and doctrinal concepts are shifting rapidly. Let’s look forward to an Army that has answers to the menace of kamikaze drones.
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I guess these were uploaded by AARO recently but because they date anything I'm not really sure.
Yo Kosloski fix this shit man!
PR-001, Unresolved UAP Report, Africa 2022
UAP Video - PR-001, Unresolved UAP Report, Africa 2022
In 2022, the United States Africa Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of thirty-one seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform.
The footage shows an apparent heat signature with characteristics consistent with those of a physical object.
However, AARO cannot determine whether the observed signature originates from a physical source, either as a thermal emission or a thermal reflection, or other source, such as a heat differential in the environment or sensor display error.
The available data is insufficient to evaluate the phenomenon’s performance characteristics.
PR-002, Resolved as Migratory Birds, Africa 2024
UAP Video - PR-002, Resolved as Migratory Birds, Africa 2024
In 2024, the United States Africa Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of one minute and eighteen seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform.
AARO assesses, with high confidence, that the objects depicted in the video are almost certainly (≥95% likelihood) a group of migratory birds.
AARO bases its assessment on the objects’ strong morphological consistency with other resolved imagery depicting birds and the objects’ flight behavior corresponding to known migration routes.
An external Intelligence Community partner concurred with AARO’s assessment.
PR-003, Unresolved UAP Report, Africa 2023
UAP Video - PR-003, Unresolved UAP Report, Africa 2023
In 2023, the United States Africa Command submitted a report of an unidentified anomalous phenomenon to the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) consisting of four minutes and fifty-eight seconds of video footage from an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform.
The footage shows an apparent heat signature with characteristics consistent with those of a physical object.
However, AARO cannot determine whether the observed signature originates from a physical source, either as a thermal emission or a thermal reflection, or other source, such as a heat differential in the environment or sensor display error. The available data is insufficient to evaluate the phenomenon’s performance characteristics.
https://www.aaro.mil/UAP-Cases/Official-UAP-Imagery/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kSXqtosToM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPjLzU-FVug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ6mSQT27_8
Chinese scientists create harder-than-nature ‘Alien’ diamond
August 09, 2025, 08:54 PM
Chinese researchers have successfully synthesized a rare form of diamond, known as hexagonal diamond or lonsdaleite, previously found only in meteorites, marking a major breakthrough in the development of super hard materials.
According to Chinese media reports, the achievement was detailed in a study published Wednesday in Nature by scientists from the Centre for High-Pressure Science & Technology Advanced Research.
They transformed high-purity natural graphite single crystals into hexagonal diamonds under precisely controlled high-temperature, high-pressure, and quasi-hydrostatic conditions.
Hexagonal diamonds are believed to be harder than conventional cubic diamonds found on Earth, which have structural weaknesses due to slippage along certain planes. Lonsdaleites possess a more robust atomic arrangement, but past laboratory attempts often yielded ordinary diamonds instead.
The breakthrough was achieved using in-situ X-ray monitoring to observe structural changes during synthesis, enabling the creation of highly ordered, micrometer-sized hexagonal diamond samples.
Lead researcher Yang Liuxiang said the method overcomes long-standing challenges in diamond synthesis and lays a foundation for future innovation in material science.
Ho-kwang Mao, a renowned high-pressure science expert and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described it as a “new pathway” for developing next-generation super hard materials and advanced electronic devices.
The lab-grown hexagonal diamonds, currently produced at a hundred-micron scale, could redefine industrial applications requiring extreme durability and potentially outperform traditional diamonds in both mechanical and electronic uses.
https://unb.com.bd/category/Science/chinese-scientists-create-harder-than-nature-alien-diamond/165847
Did Donald Trump see a UFO? What we know
August 10, 2025
A viral livestream titled “Trump Sees A UFO, Reveals Shocking Details” has stirred online speculation.
But there is no verified evidence that Donald Trump has ever personally seen a UFO.
Trump has, however, shown interest in the topic.
He has spoken about the possibility of declassifying UFO-related information if he returns to office, saying he supports more transparency on unidentified flying objects, now officially called Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs).
The United States has been increasing its focus on UAPs in recent years. Congressional hearings have been held to discuss military sightings and unexplained aerial objects.
The Pentagon’s investigation unit continues to review hundreds of reports. While most have been linked to balloons, drones, or debris, a small number remain unexplained.
Whistleblowers have claimed the government has secret programs to recover and study alien technology, though officials deny having proof of extraterrestrial life.
As for Trump, while he talks about making UFO information public, there’s still no confirmation that he has ever seen one himself.
https://kirib.co/did-trump-see-a-ufo-what-we-know/
World should draft UFO policy, says professor eyeing strange comet
Updated: Aug 9, 2025 / 12:22 AM CDT
The Havard University professor who has raised questions about an interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS — namely, that it may be some sort of alien tech — has some advice for the international community: Figure out a plan on dealing with UFOs.
“I believe that we need an international organization that will make policy decisions about such an object,” theoretical physicist Avi Loeb told “Banfield” on Friday.
“We are worried about existential threats from artificial intelligence, from global climate change, from an asteroid impact, but we never discuss alien technology.”
In scientific circles, 3I/ATLAS is thought to be a comet. But Loeb said the object from outside our solar system seems to be unusually large, doesn’t appear to have a typical comet’s tail and has a puzzling trajectory.
“The response has to depend on its properties and its intent — what is it doing as it comes closer to us?” Loeb said. “And it’s just like having a visitor in your back yard.
You can’t decide on the policy for all visitors. It really depends on the intent of the visitor, and it’s just next door.”
NASA says 3I/ATLAS is not on a collision course with Earth.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/world-ufo-policy-3iatlas/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5tH3Qa_p4w
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/
“Haven't sensed that at all,” UAP Caucus member denies GOP leadership meddling
Aug 09, 2025
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) — Member, Congressional UAP Caucus
Ask a Pol asked:
In the 118th Congress, UAP was a hot topic on Capitol Hill — hot enough for Ask a Pol UAP founder Matt Laslo to ask all 100 US Senators about it… — but now, eight months in, the mood surrounding UAP feels different in this 119th Congress. Have you sensed that?
Key Ogles:
“We've had so much going on with the agenda and whatnot that — it's not taking a back seat, but it's just — it's a slow process,” Rep. Andy Ogles exclusively tells Ask a Pol UAPs.
“It’s everybody's trying to manage the calendar, if nothing else.”
Newly minted Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) — who was top Dem on the Secrets Task Force — says the sluggish pace of this year’s UAP investigation makes it feel like a top down command from GOP leadership?
“I haven't sensed that at all,” Ogles says.
Caught our ear:
“I've been so tied up with my committees,” Ogles tells Ask a Pol UAP.*
*Ogles serves on the House Financial Services and Homeland Security Committees, though he’s also been an active member of the Congressional UAP Caucus.
While Ogles is not on the Oversight Committee — which is leading the ongoing UAP investigation in the House of Representatives — he’s been allowed to participate in public UAP hearings and classified SCIF briefings.
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/havent-sensed-that-at-all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RvcOSjZbw
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14940473/Explosive-new-claims-iconic-Tic-Tac-UFO-reveal-shocking-secrets.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go74U7WVejs
Explosive new claims around iconic 'Tic Tac' UFO reveal shocking secrets
Updated: 12:00 EDT, 10 August 2025
Fresh claims about the infamous 2004 'Tic Tac' UFO encounter are reigniting fierce debate over the true nature of the mysterious craft observed by US Navy pilots off the coast of Southern California.
Journalist and UFO investigator Ross Coulthart has sparked controversy by asserting that the craft, captured on video and later released by the Pentagon, is actually advanced man-made technology developed by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.
Coulthart suggested the craft may have been operated psionically, controlled through advanced mental or neurological means, and could be the product of reverse-engineering non-human technology recovered by the US government.
However, leading experts in the field of unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) rejected this explanation.
UFO researcher Mark Christopher Lee argued that the Tic Tac's silent propulsion, instantaneous acceleration, and lack of visible lift mechanisms closely match sightings of similar craft documented centuries before modern aviation, making it unlikely to be current military tech.
'There have been documented sightings of the same type of craft even before the technological age,' Lee told the Daily Mail.
'This continuity suggests an intelligent, non-human presence operating beyond our understanding.' The 2004 incident remains one of the most well-known UFO encounters in recent history.
During training exercises, Navy pilots aboard the USS Nimitz tracked multiple unidentified objects descending from 80,000 feet in under a second.
Cmdr. David Fravor described a white, capsule-shaped craft, the now-iconic Tic Tac, which appeared to respond intelligently to their maneuvers before rapidly accelerating out of sight.
Coulthart, who has long investigated UAP secrecy, suggested the encounter was part of a covert military program rather than an alien visitation.
'I now know categorically that the Tic Tac is Lockheed Martin technology,' he claimed, adding that multiple similar craft were spotted over several days, possibly indicating advanced tests of this classified technology.
Yet Lee suspected such claims are deliberate misdirection aimed at hiding the true extraterrestrial origins of these crafts.
He noted historical records, including the 1561 Nuremberg 'cylindrical flying objects' and the 1890s US 'airship wave,' as evidence of long-standing unexplained aerial phenomena beyond human capabilities.
'There is a strong chance that what we are seeing is beyond human technology, and attempts to explain it as secret military hardware serve only to distract the public,' Lee said.
Some experts, like Dr Ajaz Ali from Ravensbourne University, caution that many UFO sightings stem from advanced but earthly technology.
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Cold War-era reconnaissance missions by the US and Soviet Union, such as U-2 spy plane flights, and modern drone developments have often been mistaken for extraterrestrial craft.
'The shapes and behaviors of modern drones and spy aircraft closely mimic those reported in UFO encounters,' Ali said, noting that declassified documents have linked covert aerial operations to the rise of UFO lore.
Despite decades of investigation, the true identity of the Tic Tac craft remains a mystery, fueling an ongoing clash between believers in secret military tech and advocates of alien visitation theories.
'It's possible we'll never fully understand this intelligence,' Lee concluded. 'It may be far beyond anything we currently comprehend.'
However, the mystery of the Tic Tac remains unsolved, leaving both believers in extraterrestrial intelligence and advocates of secret military technology debating what exactly is flying above our heads.
'It's conceivable that it was being operated neuro-meditatively, psionically, by a human psionic,' Coulthart said.
'It makes no scientific sense to me that the Tic Tac UFO is Lockheed Martin technology,' Lee told the Daily Mail.
'There have been many documented sightings throughout history of the same type of craft, even before the technological age.
'These sightings are well-documented. There was definitely something technological in their skies, but it wasn't ours.
'What it is or where it comes from, I do not know. That is the question we are all trying to answer.'
Lee agreed that there may be attempts to reverse-engineer alien technology and suspects that the reporting around the Tic Tac sighting is intended to divert attention from this.
He claimed efforts to portray such craft as secret military technology are designed to prevent the public from realizing that aliens regularly visit Earth.
'I suspect the US military is diverting us away from what they actually know about this technology, which is most likely extraterrestrial in origin,' he said.
'However, I'm also sure that reverse engineering programs are ongoing—this has been confirmed to me by a senior intelligence contact in the UK military, though with limited success.'
'There are a lot of so-called UFO experts making wild claims, all wanting to be the messiah who brings us the truth, but the reality is we do not know, and maybe never will fully understand what this intelligence is. It may be far beyond anything we can comprehend.'
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