TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
August 14, 2025
M13: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
n 1716, English astronomer Edmond Halley noted, "This is but a little Patch, but it shews itself to the naked Eye, when the Sky is serene and the Moon absent." Of course, M13 is now less modestly recognized as the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, one of the brightest globular star clusters in the northern sky. Sharp telescopic views like this one reveal the spectacular cluster's hundreds of thousands of stars. At a distance of 25,000 light-years, the cluster stars crowd into a region 150 light-years in diameter. Approaching the cluster core, upwards of 100 stars could be contained in a cube just 3 light-years on a side. For comparison with our neighborhood of the Milky Way, the closest star to the Sun is over 4 light-years away. Early telescopic observers of the great globular cluster also noted a curious convergence of three dark lanes with a spacing of about 120 degrees, seen here just below the cluster center. Known as the propeller in M13, the shape is likely a chance optical effect of the distribution of stars viewed from our perspective against the dense cluster core.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Alligator Goes for a Swim
Aug 13, 2025
An alligator moves through a brackish waterway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this May 8, 2017, photo.
The center shares space with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
More than 330 native and migratory bird species, 25 mammals, 117 fishes and 65 amphibians and reptiles call NASA Kennedy and the wildlife refuge home.
The refuge is also home to over 1,000 known plant species.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/alligator-goes-for-a-swim/
NASA Glenn Earns Commercial Invention of the Year Award
Aug 14, 2025
NASA’s Inventions and Contributions Board (ICB) has awarded Commercial Invention of the Year to NASA Glenn Research Center’s GRX-810: A 3D Printable Alloy Designed for Extreme Environments.
NASA Alloy GRX–810, an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy, can endure temperatures over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It is more malleable and can survive more than 1,000 times longer than existing state-of-the-art alloys.
This new alloy can be used to build aerospace parts for high-temperature applications, like those inside aircraft and rocket engines, because ODS alloys can withstand harsher conditions before reaching their breaking point.
The NASA Glenn team of inventors includes Dr. Timothy Smith (co-lead), Dr. Christopher Kantzos (co-lead), Robert Carter, and Dr. Michael Kulis.
Four American companies have been granted co-exclusive licenses to produce and market GRX-810 material.
All four have replicated NASA Glenn’s patented process and are selling fully coated materials. This benefits the United States economy as a return on investment of taxpayer dollars.
For more information on this technology, visit 3D Printed Alloy and New Material Built to Withstand Extreme Conditions.
Additionally, the ICB selected NASA Glenn’s High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN) project for an honorable mention in the Software of the Year category.
HDTN is a protocol suite that extends terrestrial internet principles to the space environment, creating a high-speed data transfer path for spacecraft and different communication systems.
It is an optimized version of the DTN standard for high-rate radio frequency and optical links.
The ICB reviews and recommends awards for significant scientific and technical contributions to the agency’s aeronautical and space activities.
These awards recognize technologies that not only advance NASA’s mission but also benefit the public through commercialization.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-earns-commercial-invention-of-the-year-award/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DJ4ti1h7rU
NASA Tests Research Aircraft to Improve Air Taxi Flight Controls
Aug 14, 2025
Flying the friendly skies may one day include time-saving trips in air taxis to get from point A to point B – and NASA researchers are currently working to make that future a reality.
They are using wind tunnel and flight tests to gather data on an electric Vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) scaled-down small aircraft that resembles an air taxi that aircraft manufacturers can use for their own designs.
As air taxis take to the skies, engineers need real-world data on air taxi designs to better understand flight dynamics and design better flight control systems.
These systems help stabilize and guide the motion of an aircraft while in flight, making sure it flies safely in various conditions.
Currently, most companies developing air taxis keep the information about how their aircraft behaves internal, so NASA is using this small aircraft to produce public, non-proprietary data available to all.
“NASA’s ability to perform high-risk flight research for increasingly automated and autonomous aircraft is really important,” said Siena Whiteside, who leads the Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies (RAVEN) project.
“As we investigate these types of vehicles, we need to be able push the aircraft to its limits and understand what happens when an unforeseen event occurs…”
For example, Whiteside said, “…when a motor stops working. NASA is willing to take that risk and publish the data so that everyone can benefit from it.”
Testing Air Taxi Tech
By using a smaller version of a full-sized aircraft called the RAVEN Subscale Wind Tunnel and Flight Test (RAVEN SWFT) vehicle, NASA is able to conduct its tests in a fast and cost-effective manner.
The small aircraft weighs 38 pounds with a wingspan of six feet and has 24 independently moving components.
Each component, called a “control effector,” can move during flight to change the aircraft’s motion – making it an ideal aircraft for advanced flight controls and autonomous flight research.
The testing is ongoing at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Researchers first used the center’s 12-Foot Low-Speed Tunnel in 2024 and have since moved on to flight testing the small aircraft, piloting it remotely from the ground.
During initial flight tests, the aircraft flew while tied to a tether. Now, the team performs free flights.
Lessons learned from the aircraft’s behavior in the wind tunnel helped to reduce risks during flight tests. In the wind tunnel, researchers performed tests that closely mirror the motion of real flight.
While the scale aircraft was in motion, researchers collected information about its flight characteristics, greatly accelerating the time from design to flight.
The team also could refine the aircraft’s computer control code in real time and upload software changes to it in under 5 minutes, saving them weeks and increasing the amount of data collected.
Partners in Research
NASA developed the custom flight controls software for RAVEN SWFT using tools from the company MathWorks.
NASA and MathWorks are partners under a Space Act Agreement to accelerate the design and testing of flight control approaches on RAVEN SWFT, which can apply to future novel aircraft.
The work has allowed NASA’s researchers to develop new methods to reduce the time for an aircraft to achieve its first flight and become a finished product.
RAVEN SWFT serves as a steppingstone to support the development of a potential larger, 1,000 pound-class RAVEN aircraft that will resemble an air taxi.
This larger RAVEN aircraft is being designed in collaboration with Georgia Institute of Technology and also would serve as an acoustical research tool, helping engineers understand the noise air taxi-like aircraft create.
The larger aircraft would allow NASA to continue to collect data and share it openly.
By performing flight research and making its data publicly available, NASA aims to advance U.S. leadership in technology development for safe, quiet, and affordable advanced air mobility operations.
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/air-taxi-flight-controls/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KB6FZ2kjT8
Yank Technologies to advance NASA wireless power systems for Moon and Mars rovers
Aug. 14, 2025
What is Yank Technologies developing for NASA? Yank Technologies is advancing wireless power receiver converters that can transfer energy to rovers and other equipment without physical connectors, reducing maintenance issues caused by lunar regolith or Martian dust.
Why are these converters important for Moon and Mars missions? They improve efficiency by consolidating multiple converters into one and allow charging even when there is misalignment or distance variation, which is common in space environments.
What stage of development will the project reach? The NASA Phase II contract aims to advance the converters to Technology Readiness Level 6, meaning they will be ready for demonstration in relevant space environments.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Yank Technologies in Brooklyn, N.Y., has received a two-year follow-on Small Business Innovation Research Phase II contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to advance wireless power receiver converters for use on lunar and planetary surfaces.
The converters are designed to improve rover system efficiency and reduce mass by consolidating multiple converters into a single stage.
Their wide input voltage range supports charging despite misalignment or variable distances, which can occur during wireless power transmission on the Moon and Mars.
NASA officials say the technology could help mitigate problems caused by lunar regolith and Martian dust storms, which can clog traditional electrical connectors.
Solutions
Yank Technologies has previously delivered wireless power receiver converters to NASA and will continue development for future missions.
The company specializes in customizable wireless power solutions for industrial, automotive, consumer, and space applications, and holds 20 patents with about 50 more pending.
The new contract work will focus on advancing the converters to Technology Readiness Level 6, optimizing size, weight, and power, and adding features such as programmable output voltages to support different rover models.
"With this follow-on NASA Phase II contract, we will prepare wireless power receiver converters for a variety of power interfacing solutions for NASA to establish long-lasting habitats on lunar and planetary surfaces," said Josh Yank, CEO of Yank Technologies.
"This development further emphasizes NASA's commitment to wireless power for solving mission-critical challenges on the Moon and Mars."
https://www.militaryaerospace.com/home/news/55309592/yank-technologies-to-advance-nasa-wireless-power-systems-for-moon-and-mars-rovers
NASA Contractor Layoff Update
August 13, 2025
WARN notices were sent to some Human Space Flight Technical Integration Contract (HSFTIC) employees.
Integrated Mission Operations Contract (IMOC) folks received generic 60 day WARN notices last week and there will be individual layoff notices sent out at the beginning of September to the specific folks who are being laid off.
This is all being done according to the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for FY 2026 – even though NASA says that they are going to follow direction from Congress.
This all comes to a head in September when Congressional budget stances, the PBR, threats of rescissions, and all of the other political nonsense that infects Washington, collides in advance of the end of FY 2025 on 30 September.
https://nasawatch.com/personnel-news/nasa-contractor-layoff-update/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-uncovers-rare-white-dwarf-merger-remnant/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02590-y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyWuLSIoosk
NASA’s Hubble Uncovers Rare White Dwarf Merger Remnant
Aug 13, 2025
An international team of astronomers has discovered a cosmic rarity: an ultra-massive white dwarf star resulting from a white dwarf merging with another star, rather than through the evolution of a single star.
This discovery, made by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope’s sensitive ultraviolet observations, suggests these rare white dwarfs may be more common than previously suspected.
“It's a discovery that underlines things may be different from what they appear to us at first glance,” said the principal investigator of the Hubble program, Boris Gaensicke, of the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
“Until now, this appeared as a normal white dwarf, but Hubble's ultraviolet vision revealed that it had a very different history from what we would have guessed.”
A white dwarf is a dense object with the same diameter as Earth, and represents the end state for stars that are not massive enough to explode as core-collapse supernovae. Our Sun will become a white dwarf in about 5 billion years.
In theory, a white dwarf can have a mass of up to 1.4 times that of the Sun, but white dwarfs heavier than the Sun are rare.
These objects, which astronomers call ultra-massive white dwarfs, can form either through the evolution of a single massive star or through the merger of a white dwarf with another star, such as a binary companion.
This new discovery, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, marks the first time that a white dwarf born from colliding stars has been identified by its ultraviolet spectrum.
Prior to this study, six white dwarf merger products were discovered via carbon lines in their visible-light spectra.
All seven of these are part of a larger group that were found to be bluer than expected for their masses and ages from a study with ESA’s Gaia mission in 2019, with the evidence of mergers providing new insights into their formation history.
Astronomers used Hubble’s Cosmic Origins Spectrograph to investigate a white dwarf called WD 0525+526. Located 128 light-years away, it is 20% more massive than the Sun.
In visible light, the spectrum of WD 0525+526’s atmosphere resembled that of a typical white dwarf. However, Hubble’s ultraviolet spectrum revealed something unusual: evidence of carbon in the white dwarf’s atmosphere.
White dwarfs that form through the evolution of a single star have atmospheres composed of hydrogen and helium.
The core of the white dwarf is typically composed mostly of carbon and oxygen or oxygen and neon, but a thick atmosphere usually prevents these elements from appearing in the white dwarf’s spectrum.
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When carbon appears in the spectrum of a white dwarf, it can signal a more violent origin than the typical single-star scenario: the collision of two white dwarfs, or of a white dwarf and a subgiant star.
Such a collision can burn away the hydrogen and helium atmospheres of the colliding stars, leaving behind a scant layer of hydrogen and helium around the merger remnant that allows carbon from the white dwarf’s core to float upward, where it can be detected.
WD 0525+526 is remarkable even within the small group of white dwarfs known to be the product of merging stars.
With a temperature of almost 21,000 kelvins (37,000 degrees Fahrenheit) and a mass of 1.2 solar masses, WD 0525+526 is hotter and more massive than the other white dwarfs in this group.
WD 0525+526’s extreme temperature posed something of a mystery for the team. For cooler white dwarfs, such as the six previously discovered merger products, a process called convection can mix carbon into the thin hydrogen-helium atmosphere.
WD 0525+526 is too hot for convection to take place, however. Instead, the team determined a more subtle process called semi-convection brings a small amount of carbon up into WD 0525+526’s atmosphere.
WD 0525+526 has the smallest amount of atmospheric carbon of any white dwarf known to result from a merger, about 100,000 times less than other merger remnants.
The high temperature and low carbon abundance mean that identifying this white dwarf as the product of a merger would have been impossible without Hubble’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light.
Spectral lines from elements heavier than helium, like carbon, become fainter at visible wavelengths for hotter white dwarfs, but these spectral signals remain bright in the ultraviolet, where Hubble is uniquely positioned to spot them.
“Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph is the only instrument that can obtain the superb quality ultraviolet spectroscopy that was required to detect the carbon in the atmosphere of this white dwarf,” said study lead Snehalata Sahu from the University of Warwick.
Because WD 0525+526’s origin was revealed only once astronomers glimpsed its ultraviolet spectrum, it’s likely that other seemingly “normal” white dwarfs are actually the result of cosmic collisions — a possibility the team is excited to explore in the future.
“We would like to extend our research on this topic by exploring how common carbon white dwarfs are among similar white dwarfs, and how many stellar mergers are hiding among the normal white dwarf family,” said study co-leader Antoine Bedrad from the University of Warwick.
“That will be an important contribution to our understanding of white dwarf binaries, and the pathways to supernova explosions.”
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NASA Taps Chief for Lunar Fission Power
August 14, 2025
NASA has chosen Steven Sinacore to lead the small team of NASA engineers standing up the fast-moving commercial program to put a nuclear reactor on the Moon in the next five years, an agency spokesperson told Payload.
Sinacore, currently the director of aeronautics at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, was previously the deputy program manager for the power and propulsion element of the agency’s Gateway lunar station.
Get moving: Two weeks ago, NASA acting administrator Sean Duffy tasked the agency with hiring two companies to develop lunar nuclear reactors in a stripped-down, public-private partnership for fission surface power (FSP).
Sinacore’s first job is authoring an RFI expected to be released before November.
“To get this done in the desired time frame, they will require outstanding program leadership, a close partnership with the DOE, and excellent industry partners that are strongly motivated to accomplish the goal by the right contract and milestone structure,” Roger Myers, a former NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne advanced propulsion engineer, told Payload before Sinacore’s selection. The agency’s previous effort targeted a 40kW reactor, but now it is asking companies to scale up to 100kW, a target that emerged from plans for commercial in-situ resource utilization schemes.
The beginning is a delicate time: “Delivering a system of this scale purely through commercial means could be tough,” Bhavya Lal, a former NASA associate administrator and current space nuclear advocate, told Payload.
The project will need significant funding, Lal said. It would be on the order of $3B over five years, alongside technical assistance from NASA centers and DOE National Labs, where the nation’s nuclear expertise resides.
“Without that scale of resourcing and integration, it is likely to prove extremely challenging to achieve a launch by 2030,” she predicted.
Clear the path: Part of the challenge is the huge amount of infrastructure and regulatory assistance that will be needed, according to a recent report from Lal and Myers:
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Existing US supplies of enriched uranium may not be sufficient to support even one full-scale reactor program.
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Most test facilities, including thermal vacuum chambers and post-irradiation evaluation labs, “are either at capacity, not nuclear-rated, or inaccessible to commercial teams,” the report said.
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Launch sites aren’t ready for nuclear payload handling and integration.
There’s also a work to be done on the regulatory front at the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation—which might be one benefit of Duffy’s complex dual role as acting NASA administrator and Secretary of Transportation.
Vision statement: While FSP is a nuclear reactor for the Moon, it’s really a nuclear reactor for space, Lal says, with the potential to transform how science is done in the solar system.
https://payloadspace.com/nasa-taps-chief-for-lunar-fission-power/
https://www.nasa.gov/people/steven-a-sinacore/
Cyber A.I. Group Announces the Appointment of NASA Astronaut Charles J. Camarda as Strategic Innovation Advisor
August 14, 2025 10:35 ET
Cyber A.I. Group, Inc. (“CyberAI” or the “Company”), an emerging growth Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and IT services company engaged in the development of next-generation market disruptive AI-driven Cybersecurity technology, announced today the appointment of NASA astronaut Charles J. Camarda, Ph.D. as Strategic Innovation Advisor.
Dr. Camarda, a veteran of NASA’s 2005 STS-114 “Return to Flight” mission, brings world-class expertise in aerospace engineering, systems innovation and advanced problem-solving to CyberAI’s global technology initiatives.
Dr. Camarda will collaborate with CyberAI’s executive leadership to accelerate the Company’s innovation strategy, leveraging his experience in high-stakes engineering and breakthrough methodologies to guide the evolution of CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™.
His appointment reinforces CyberAI’s commitment to providing transformative low-cost AI-powered cybersecurity solutions on a subscription-based model for enterprises worldwide.
“Charlie is an extraordinary innovator whose career embodies the fusion of science, engineering and problem-solving at the highest levels,” said A.J. Cervantes, Jr., Executive Chairman of CyberAI.
“His unique experience—from pioneering thermal protection systems at NASA to solving critical challenges on the International Space Station—will help CyberAI push the boundaries of innovation in AI-driven cybersecurity.”
Dr. Camarda joined NASA in 1974 and was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He served as a Mission Specialist on STS-114 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, NASA’s first mission following the Columbia accident, where he played a vital role in the mission’s inspection and repair procedures.
In addition to his flight experience, Dr. Camarda has held leadership roles as Senior Advisor for Innovation at NASA’s Office of Chief Engineer and is the founder of the Epic Challenge program, which fosters global innovation and STEM problem-solving.
“Cyber A.I. Group represents a bold and forward-looking approach to innovation, combining AI and cybersecurity to address one of the most urgent challenges of our time,” said Dr. Camarda.
“I’m excited to contribute my experience in complex systems and creative problem-solving to help CyberAI drive transformative solutions for organizations worldwide.”
CyberAI Sentinel 2.0™ is CyberAI’s next-generation AI-driven cybersecurity platform, designed to provide a holistic, intelligent and adaptive defense against digital threats.
As part of its global expansion and innovation roadmap, CyberAI aims to deliver scalable solutions to enterprises while pursuing its strategic goal of achieving $100 million in revenue and an anticipated listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Main Market.
Dr. Camarda holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in Engineering Science from George Washington University and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (NYU Tandon).
He is an elected Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and continues to lead initiatives in STEM, innovation and entrepreneurial leadership.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/08/14/3133654/0/en/Cyber-A-I-Group-Announces-the-Appointment-of-NASA-Astronaut-Charles-J-Camarda-as-Strategic-Innovation-Advisor.html
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/camarda_charles.pdf
NASA's Perseverance rover spies mysterious 'helmet' on Mars
August 13, 2025
NASA's Perseverance rover has stumbled across a curious, volcano-shaped rock on the surface of Mars that looks rather like a weathered battle helmet.
Captured by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument on Aug. 5, 2025, the rock displays a pointed peak and pitted nodular texture that evokes an image of armor forged centuries ago.
On Earth, similar nodule textures can form through chemical weathering, mineral precipitation or even volcanic processes. Perseverance found a similar rock in March 2025.
And it's these spherules that have scientists intrigued. "This hat-shaped rock is composed of spherules.
This rock's target name is Horneflya and it's distinctive less because of its hat shape (which looks to me to be generally consistent with the pyramid shape we often see in of wind-eroded float blocks on the surface of Mars) and more because it's made almost entirely of spherules," David Agle, a spokesperson for the Perseverance team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Space.com.
Scientists think that in some rocks seen on Mars, these spherules form when groundwater passed through pores in sedimentary rocks.
But they're not sure if all of them formed this way; Perseverance's science team will have its work cut out for it analyzing more rocks to search for answers to this Martian geology mystery and other burning Red Planet questions.
The Mastcam-Z instrument, a pair of zoom-capable cameras on Perseverance's neck-like mast, allows scientists to capture high-resolution stereo images and spot unusual features like this spherule-covered "helmet" rock from a distance.
Perseverance has uncovered a growing gallery of odd rock shapes, from donut-like meteorites to avocado-like stones.
These types of images are examples of a phenomenon known as pareidolia, which describes the human brain's tendency to impose a familiar pattern on otherwise random visual data — whether that's a face in the clouds, a rabbit in the moon, or a medieval helmet on the Martian surface.
For now, the helmet rock remains a compelling snapshot of Martian history.
Features like this help scientists piece together the Red Planet's environmental history, showing how wind, water and internal processes may have sculpted the landscape over billions of years.
Perseverance is currently exploring the northern rim of the Jezero Crater, having successfully completed a challenging ascent to the crest known as "Lookout Hill" late last year.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-perseverance-rover-spies-mysterious-helmet-on-mars-photo
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/trump-signs-executive-order-to-boost-commercial-space-and-shift-nasas-balance-of-power
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/enabling-competition-in-the-commercial-space-industry/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/08/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-enables-competition-in-the-commercial-space-industry/
Trump signs executive order to boost commercial space — and shift NASA's balance of power
August 14, 2025
President Trump signed a new executive order Wednesday (Aug. 13) aimed at accelerating U.S. commercial space activity by slashing what are described as regulatory delays and expanding the nation's launch infrastructure.
The order, "Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry," directs multiple federal agencies to streamline launch licensing, fast-track spaceport construction and better support emerging in-space industries.
Transportation Secretary and acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy joined Trump during the signing, calling it a pivotal move to "unleash the next wave of innovation" and secure long-term American leadership in orbit, but the order also hands more authority to politically appointed roles outside the space agency's jurisdiction.
The directive calls on the Department of Transportation to simplify how launch and reentry approvals are handled, with a focus on shortening environmental reviews that have bottlenecked rocket development schedules in the past.
It also pushes agencies to clear what is described as redundant permitting steps to more quickly greenlight new spaceport construction — especially in cases where multiple federal offices are involved.
Under the order, a streamlined approval system will be created for emerging space technologies like orbital refueling and manufacturing in microgravity, encouraging rapid growth for "novel space activities" in untapped sectors.
To back the push, the White House is reshaping or adding leadership roles across multiple agencies, though none are inside NASA.
They include a senior advisor on commercial space to the Department of Transportation, upgrading the FAA's commercial space chief to a politically appointed senior position, and elevating the Office of Space Commerce to sit directly within the Office of the Commerce Secretary, strengthening the department's voice in shaping national space policy.
Under the new framework, NASA, DOT, the Office of Space Commerce and the Department of Defense are expected to streamline their combined review processes, and ensure they aren't stepping on each other's toes when it comes to launch and infrastructure oversight.
The order also takes aim at state-level environmental roadblocks, and how the Coastal Zone Management Act may be interfering with commercial spaceport projects, such as SpaceX's Starbase launch site for the company's Starship rocket being developed on the coastal tip of southern Texas. Environmental advocacy groups have raised repeated alarms over the potential harm the SpaceX facility may cause the local ecosystem.
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But government officials stress that the directive won't cause any harm. "This order safely removes regulatory barriers so that U.S. companies can dominate commercial space activities," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.
Jared Margolis, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, disagrees. "This reckless order puts people and wildlife at risk from private companies launching giant rockets that often explode and wreak devastation on surrounding areas," he said in a statement issued on Aug. 14.
"Bending the knee to powerful corporations by allowing federal agencies to ignore bedrock environmental laws is incredibly dangerous and puts all of us in harm's way. This is clearly not in the public interest."
NASA is named throughout the order, but mostly as a coordinating agency rather than a lead. It's tasked with the same directive to streamline reviews and evaluate paths to faster innovation, but isn't granted any new authority.
Duffy said the move will support NASA's work with commercial providers and improve access to launch infrastructure. But in practice, it seems more regulatory weight is being shifted to DOT, Office of Space Commerce and FAA.
The order reflects a growing trend of divestments and sweeping changes in arguably one of the most recognizable government agencies in the world. As space policy and licensing are rerouted to outside departments, NASA is also facing the largest budget cut in its history.
The executive order signals a continued move toward commercially-led space development, with new power centers emerging beyond NASA's control.
Supporters see it as a chance to speed up innovation and clear the path for greater momentum in the private sector.
Varda Space Industries, a private in-space manufacturing startup, for example, encountered major delays with the return of its first reentry capsule to U.S. soil last year.
The vehicle remained in orbit for months while the company awaited FAA approval — a holdup that underscored how drawn-out licensing timelines can stall even relatively small-scale commercial missions.
However, critics warn moves like this executive order could weaken NASA's authority and shift national priorities toward market-driven objectives over science and exploration.
With key decisions now moving to DOT and the Office of Space Commerce, the order raises questions about how space priorities will be set — and who gets the final say when innovation and oversight collide.
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Why Space Needs Lawyers: Ole Miss Leads the Conversation
August 14, 2025
OXFORD, Miss. – The quickening pace of this generation's race to the moon provides a perfect opportunity to learn why space needs lawyers, and the University of Mississippi is opening the door on this frontier.
The UM School of Law and the Center for Air and Space Law will host a panel discussion exploring the legal issues of space exploration and commercialization at 12:30 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Robert C. Khayat Law Center's Weems Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
The panel discussion will be launched by astronaut, former NASA administrator and retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden.
"I am happy to offer some of my thoughts on the business of space today, as it is ever evolving, and my belief that space law will be the fastest growing area of the law in coming years," Bolden said.
Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the air and space law center, agrees that the field is one of the fastest growing areas of law and affects almost every aspect of life.
In fact, space is projected to become a $1.8 trillion industry by 2035.
"The rules of space are already influencing life on Earth, shaping how we communicate, navigate, forecast weather and respond to disasters," Hanlon said.
"This session will introduce the fundamentals of space law while exploring the gaps in today's legal framework and the tensions emerging from the rapid growth of commercial space."
The panel will also feature the expertise of other members of the Ole Miss law faculty.
Charles Stotler, the center's director of academic research; Antonia Eliason, the school's academic dean; and Aaron Brynildson, law instructor and retired Air Force JAG, will provide insights.
"Space is more than moon rocks," Hanlon said. "It's a dynamic environment where science, business and international relations collide.
"Understanding the legal framework today means being prepared to help shape the policies and agreements that will guide exploration and commerce for decades to come."
https://olemiss.edu/news/2025/08/why-space-needs-lawyers-panel/index.html
Viasat launches HaloNet to unify space and terrestrial connectivity
August 14, 2025
Viasat has introduced its HaloNet portfolio, a modular suite of capabilities featuring a next-generation connectivity architecture that seamlessly integrates space and terrestrial networks into a single, cohesive service.
Developed by global teams within Viasat Government and the company’s Defence and Advanced Technologies segment, HaloNet is aimed at transforming near-Earth communications with flexible, multi-orbit network and data services tailored to meet specific mission needs.
The system addresses the growing demands of government and commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) operators, who require agile, secure and cost-effective infrastructure to transport mission-critical data.
As LEO operations expand, operators face the challenge of moving large volumes of information back to Earth for analysis and distribution while maintaining real-time command and control, managing latency, and ensuring continuous connectivity.
HaloNet is capable of providing simultaneous communications to thousands of space vehicles across all orbital inclinations, including polar and retrograde paths, and can operate at any latitude.
The service supports missions in LEO up to 1,100 km as well as medium Earth orbit, offering multi-band GEO-relay and Direct-to-Earth (DTE) satellite communications for a wide array of applications.
Craig Miller, President of Viasat Government, said: “With today’s space environment becoming increasingly complex, customers need agile, reliable and secure communications infrastructure that can support real-time command and control and data transport needs.
Our HaloNet portfolio enables us to continue meeting these evolving near-earth mission communications needs, as well as government customers’ capability requirements for critical scientific and defense missions.”
By combining Viasat’s advanced space and ground systems, HaloNet offers an integrated approach to command, control and data dissemination.
Its core services include Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TT&C) Data Relay Service, Launch Telemetry DRS, High-Capacity DRS, Direct-to-Earth Service, and Mobile Command & Control, creating a comprehensive and scalable communications solution for the next era of space operations.
John Reeves, Vice President of Space and Mission Systems, Viasat Government, added: “HaloNet is helping transform near-Earth communications, combining our advanced space, ground, and networking infrastructure into a solutions portfolio addressing customer needs.
Through HaloNet services, Viasat is providing a one-stop-shop for multi-band, multi-path, secure connectivity and data transport solutions that will enable both government and commercial customers’ missions.”
Based on mission parameters, HaloNet will use GEO relay satellites to dynamically deliver data.
The relay transport paths will be L-band, Ka-band or optical links with expected data rates ranging from 10’s of Kbps to more than 10 Gbps for secure data dissemination on demand or pre-scheduled.
Viasat’s global DTE ground antennas provide increased optionality and further resilience. HaloNet’s portfolio will provide a comprehensive solution for government and commercial users to access diverse data transport options that can be leveraged for different mission requirements.
https://satelliteprome.com/news/viasat-launches-halonet-to-unify-space-and-terrestrial-connectivity/
https://www.viasat.com/government/connectivity/space/near-earth-communications/
Experts to preview launch of historic NOAA space weather satellite observatory
August 14, 2025
Experts from NOAA, NASA, BAE Systems, academia and industry will hold a virtual media briefing to preview the upcoming mission of NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory.
SWFO-L1 will be NOAA's first satellite observatory designed specifically for – and fully dedicated to – continuous, operational space weather observations.
Space weather can severely affect our nation's power grid, communication systems, aviation industry and agricultural sector.
SWFO-L1 will monitor solar eruptions and serve as an early warning beacon for hazardous space weather events that could profoundly impact our technology-dependent infrastructure and industries.
The satellite observatory is scheduled to lift off no earlier than September 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Once in orbit, SWFO-L1 will be positioned toward the sun at Lagrange point 1, which is approximately one million miles away from the Earth.
WHAT
Virtual media briefing about the upcoming launch of NOAA’s SWFO-L1 space weather observatory.
WHEN
Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, 11:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
WHO
In order of presentation
Irene Parker, performing the duties of the assistant administrator, NOAA Satellites
Richard Ullman, deputy director, NOAA Office of Space Weather Observations
Dimitris Vassiliadis, Ph.D., program scientist, NOAA Space Weather Follow On Program
Shawn Dahl, forecaster, Space Weather Prediction Center, NOAA’s National Weather Service
Jim Morrissey, project manager, NASA SWFO-L1 Flight Project
Jim Masciarelli, project manager, SWFO-L1, BAE Systems
Edward Oughton, Ph.D., assistant professor, George Mason University
John Dudley, Captain, managing director, American Airlines
Terry Griffin, Ph.D., professor, Kansas State University
https://www.noaa.gov/media-advisory/experts-to-preview-launch-of-historic-noaa-space-weather-satellite-observatory
https://events-na13.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/2358677976/en/events/event/shared/10623749719/event_landing.html?sco-id=10623793643
AI helps astronomers make a potentially major find — an exploding star being attacked by a black hole
August 13, 2025
Astronomers have observed what may be the first known case of a massive star exploding while interacting with a black hole, marking a discovery that could reveal an entirely new class of stellar explosions.
The event, named SN 2023zkd, was first spotted in July 2023 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California.
Located in a galaxy with little ongoing star formation about 730 million light-years away, it was detected by a new artificial intelligence (AI) system built to flag unusual cosmic events in real time.
The early alert allowed telescopes worldwide and in space to begin observations immediately, capturing the event from its earliest stages, according to a statement.
"2023zkd shows some of the clearest signs we've seen of a massive star interacting with a companion in the years before explosion," Ashley Villar, an assistant professor of astronomy at Harvard University in Massachusetts and a co-author of the new study, said in the statement.
"We think this might be part of a whole class of hidden explosions that AI will help us discover."
At first, SN 2023zkd appeared to be a typical supernova: a bright flash signaling the death of a massive star that slowly fades over time. But months later, astronomers noticed it brightened again.
Looking back at archival data, they found the system had been gradually increasing in brightness for about 1,500 days — roughly four years — before the explosion.
Such a long-lived pre-explosion phase is rarely seen, and it suggests the star was under intense gravitational stress.
The researchers say the most likely explanation is the star was locked in orbit with a black hole. Evidence from light curves and spectra indicates the star underwent two major eruptions in the years before it died, shedding large amounts of gas.
The explosion's first light peak came when the blast wave struck low-density material, while the second peak months later was caused by a slower, sustained collision with a dense, disk-shaped cloud.
Over time, the black hole's gravity could have destabilized the star, pushing it to collapse.
Another possibility, the team believes, is the black hole destroyed the star before it could explode naturally. In that case, the debris would have produced the supernova's light as it crashed into surrounding gas. In either scenario, the aftermath would be a single, heavier black hole.
SN 2023zkd "is the strongest evidence to date that such close interactions can actually detonate a star," study lead author Alexander Gagliano, a researcher at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions, said in the statement.
"We've known for some time that most massive stars are in binaries, but catching one in the act of exchanging mass shortly before it explodes is incredibly rare."
The findings highlight how AI can spot rare cosmic events in time for detailed study, the astronomers say.
They also point to the role upcoming facilities such as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will play over the next decade, thanks to its ability to document the entire southern sky every few nights from its vantage point in the Chilean Andes mountains.
Combined with real-time AI detection, observations gathered by the Rubin Observatory will enable astronomers to identify and study more of these rare, complex events, helping to build a clearer picture of how massive stars live and die in binary systems.
"We're now entering an era where we can automatically catch these rare events as they happen, not just after the fact," Gagliano said in the statement. "That means we can finally start connecting the dots between how a star lives and how it dies, and that's incredibly exciting."
https://www.space.com/technology/ai-helps-astronomers-make-a-potentially-major-find-an-exploding-star-being-attacked-by-a-black-hole
Hidden fault beneath Canada could trigger massive earthquake after 12,000 years of silence
August 14, 2025
A long-overlooked geologic fault in Canada's remote north may be capable of producing a massive earthquake, according to new research.
The Tintina Fault, stretching about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) from British Columbia to Alaska, was once thought to be inactive for at least 40 million years. Now scientists say it has a history of large ruptures within the last 2.6 million years and could do so again.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Victoria (UVic) identified an 81-mile (130-km) section of the fault near Dawson City where multiple past quakes have left their mark on the landscape.
The team used high-resolution topographic data from satellites, aircraft and drones to detect fault scarps, narrow ridges formed when the ground shifts during an earthquake, that were previously hidden under dense forest and glacial deposits.
"Lidar and satellite data are incredibly important for this kind of work, and have revolutionized the field of paleoseismology," lead author Theron Finley told Space.com in an email.
"There are many other cases in Canada and beyond where previously unrecognized faults have been discovered thanks to this technology."
Evidence of ancient, powerful earthquakes
By measuring how far landforms have been displaced, scientists pieced together the fault's recent activity.
Glacial features 2.6 million years old have shifted sideways by about 0.62 miles (1 km), while features 132,000 years old are offset by 246 feet (75 meters). Significantly, features just 12,000 years old show no displacement at all.
This long, quiet period is not necessarily good news. Based on tectonic strain rates of about 0.008 to 0.03 inches (0.2 to 0.8 millimeters) per year, researchers estimate the fault has built up about 20 feet (6 meters) of slip deficit since its last major earthquake.
"Though our observations indicate a substantial slip deficit, we don't yet have a good sense of how frequently large ruptures occur on the Tintina fault," Finley said. "At this point we can't really say whether another rupture is likely in the short term, or in thousands of years."
To gain a better understanding of how often large earthquakes strike the Tintina fault, Finley said they plan to excavate a paleoseismic trench across it. This would allow the team to examine offset sediment layers and date past quakes, providing a clearer picture of the fault's recurrence rate.
The Tintina fault is a right-lateral strike-slip fault, the same type as California's San Andreas fault, meaning the two sides of the fault grind past each other horizontally.
This kind of fault can produce sudden, powerful shifts of several meters in a single event, releasing enormous amounts of stored energy.
But Finley stressed that while the Tintina fault extends about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), the largest strike-slip ruptures in the world rarely exceed 186 miles (300 kilometers).
"The entire length of the fault would not rupture all at once," he said. "However, our findings do motivate further scrutiny on other sections of the Tintina fault that might also prove to be active."
Risk to the Yukon and beyond
The team's analysis suggests a rupture on this section of the Tintina fault could exceed magnitude 7.5, strong enough to cause severe shaking in Dawson City, damage highways and mining operations, and trigger landslides.
The Moosehide and Sunnydale landslides near Dawson City already show signs of instability.
Despite this, the Tintina fault is not currently listed as a separate seismic source in Canada's National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM), which informs earthquake building codes and engineering standards.
These findings will be incorporated into future updates and shared with local governments to improve emergency planning, according to the press release.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/hidden-fault-beneath-canada-could-trigger-massive-earthquake-after-12-000-years-of-silence
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL116050
>Admiral Rico Botta
https://www.epnaao.com/BIOS_files/DECEASED/Botta-%20Rico.pdf
https://exopolitics.org/navy-admiral-oversaw-29-spies-in-nazi-germany-started-us-secret-space-program/
https://www.thefastmode.com/expert-opinion/43983-space-based-quantum-key-distribution-a-new-era-in-global-network-security
Space-Based Quantum Key Distribution: A New Era in Global Network Security
August 14, 2025
This article is co-authored by Chris Janson from Nokia and Stefan Lespezeanu from Honeywell.
Quantum computing will create limitless potential for society, solving problems in minutes that would take conventional supercomputers thousands of years to crack.
But that power could also be used by malicious actors to break the encryption protecting financial transactions, government communications and other sensitive data.
If we are to safeguard the world’s digital infrastructure against the looming threat of quantum attacks, multiple advanced cryptographic techniques will need to be deployed in a layered and complementary way.
One of those techniques is quantum key distribution (QKD). By using satellites to expand the reach of QKD beyond what’s achievable through terrestrial infrastructure, it could bring about a new era in global network security.
The limitations of terrestrial QKD
At a high level, QKD uses the principles of quantum mechanics to securely generate and transmit cryptographic keys between Point A (Alice) and Point B (Bob).
Any attempt to eavesdrop on the quantum channel will alter its quantum state, so the system can then alert Alice and Bob to the intrusion.
In theory, a system using QKD should be secure against any attack, including those from quantum computers. But there are practical challenges to making QKD viable in real-world settings.
The biggest obstacle is the fact that it’s very difficult to establish a dedicated quantum channel on optical fiber over a long distance.
After 100 to 150 kilometers, the fiber has absorbed and scattered light to such a degree that it becomes impossible for both Alice and Bob to recover the photons containing the quantum key information.
To address that issue, trusted nodes can be installed every 100 kilometers or so. While that’s a practical solution over short distances, if you’re trying to securely distribute keys between, say, New York and Los Angeles — a span of about 4,000 kilometers — a “daisy chain” of nodes quickly becomes prohibitively expensive.
And that’s not even considering that terrestrial networks can’t reach every location due to water, mountains and other difficult terrain. Fortunately, there is a way around these limitations. We just have to look up.
Why space is the future of QKD
Satellites can greatly extend the reach of QKD, making it possible to send cryptographic keys even if Alice is thousands of kilometers from Bob. Here’s how it works.
First, a key management system on the ground makes a request for keys to be generated. That request is sent through a conventional radio frequency (RF) channel to a satellite, which carries a specialized payload that produces quantum keys.
Rather than using bits of data to create a random sequence of ones and zeros, the key is encoded within the physical properties of a sequence of photons.
Using the principles of free-space optical communications, a laser terminal on the satellite transmits the photons through the air to receivers on the ground.
By measuring the polarization and timing of the photons, the receivers can decode and convert the sequence into the typical ones and zeros of a key.
Once both receivers have matching keys, the encryption is activated and data can flow securely between Alice and Bob over traditional channels like subsea cables.
One of the advantages of free-space transmission is that, unlike with fiber, the physical properties of the photons can be preserved over massive distances.
When you also consider the position of satellites relative to the receivers on the ground, this overcomes much of the typical QKD distance limitations.
A satellite can support global QKD coverage, albeit at different times over a 24-hour window as it passes over various parts of the planet.
As more satellites get put in the sky, more keys can be distributed to more locations, making space-based QKD far more scalable than terrestrial QKD.
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Of course, space-based QKD isn’t perfect. Preparing the payload and launching a satellite requires significant upfront capital costs, so the technology won’t be an option for every service provider.
There’s also the logistics of maintaining a communications link between a receiver on the ground and a satellite hundreds of kilometers above that is moving at speeds of up to 28,000 kilometers per hour. As the satellite passes overhead, it has a window of only about six minutes (if using a low-earth orbit satellite) to transmit cryptographic information to the receiver — and that’s under ideal conditions.
The transmission time could be even shorter due to atmospheric turbulence, which can distort the way light travels through the atmosphere.
To compensate, it’s possible to send many keys down to a receiver in one shot, rather than just the single key that’s valid in the moment.
A communications channel might rotate keys every hour, so this gives the receiver a buffer of several keys it can store and use as needed, even when conditions aren’t ideal for sending new keys.
While this buffering is limited to about a dozen keys right now, over time, advancements in areas like adaptive optics will allow more links to be established between ground and space, so more keys can be sent simultaneously.
How space-based QKD will be used
The biggest benefit of QKD via satellite is that it will add another element to the defense-in-depth approach to building quantum-safe networks — in particular, for transcontinental and intercontinental communications.
When married with symmetric key infrastructure (SKI) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) at the application layer, a crypto-resilient, persistent network connection will be formed.
The first adopters of this technology will likely be organizations responsible for vast amounts of sensitive data, like financial firms with offices around the world that handle transactions worth trillions of dollars each day.
At some point in the future, they’ll simply be able to ask their service provider for a quantum-safe connection between London and New York, for instance.
Depending on the service provider’s infrastructure, this connection will make use of various technologies to deliver crypto-resilience.
This will likely include a mix of PQC, SKI, terrestrial QKD and space-based QKD, all working together to help prevent the kinds of breaches and attacks that lead to financial theft and fraud.
For similar reasons, healthcare and pharmaceutical companies should also be interested in quantum-safe networks.
After that, the next wave of adopters will likely be government agencies looking to protect diplomatic communications or national defense infrastructure.
But that’s only the start. QKD is afirst use case of a quantum network — and could even be considered the first real application of quantum communications.
In the future, satellites could provide not just the keys but also the connectivity for quantum sensors, data centers, computers and more.
Putting the theories to the test
Although space-based QKD could represent a major breakthrough in how the industry approaches quantum-safe networks, it’s important to temper expectations. The first commercial application of this technology is still a few years away, but it’s actively being advanced now. That includes work done through a partnership between Nokia (a network equipment manufacturer), Honeywell Aerospace (a satellite manufacturer) and Colt Technology Services (a communications service provider). Together, they’re about to conduct the first commercial trial of space-based QKD, with satellite launches scheduled for 2026 and 2027. If those proofs of concept go well, the first operational use cases could be in place in 2028, providing an additional layer of protection against quantum threats.
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US Space Force prepares X-37B Mission 8 for launch
Aug. 14, 2025
The U.S. Space Force, in partnership with the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and SpaceX, is making final preparations to launch the eighth mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8) on Aug. 21 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
The eighth mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, designated USSF-36, with a wide range of test and experimentation objectives.
These will include demonstrations of high-bandwidth inter-satellite laser communications technologies and enhanced space navigation using the highest performing quantum inertial sensor in space.
"OTV-8 exemplifies the X-37B's status as the U.S. Space Force's premier test platform for the critical space technologies of tomorrow.
Through its mission-focused innovation, the X-37B continues to redefine the art of the possible in the final frontier of space," said AFRCO Acting Director William Blauser.
The X-37B program, which first launched in April 2010, has accrued 4,208 days in operation.
Previous X-37B missions have successfully demonstrated the X-37B spacecraft’s ability to alter its orbital trajectory using a novel aerobraking maneuver, experimented with space domain awareness technologies, successfully tested Naval Research Laboratory technology designed to harness solar energy and transmit power to the ground, and subjected seeds to the radiation environment of space for the purpose of better understanding how to sustain humans on long-term crewed missions to the moon and beyond.
The X-37B is a dynamic and responsive spacecraft responsible for conducting a range of tests and experiments that expedite the development of critical next-generation technologies and operational concepts for reusable space capabilities.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4274438/us-space
Secret US military space mission aboard Vulcan Rocket sparks strange light sightings across US skies
Last Updated: 13 August, 2025 01:33 PM -7 GMT
The US Space Force’s Space Systems Command partnered with United Launch Alliance (ULA) for the inaugural National Security Space Launch mission using a Vulcan VC4S
(Vulcan with Centaur upper stage and four solid rocket motors) rocket on Aug. 12 at 8:56 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
“It’s an exciting day for us as we launched the first NSSL flight of Vulcan, an outstanding achievement for United Launch Alliance and the nation’s strategic space lift capability.
This is an important milestone for the Space Force and all involved,” said Col. Jim Horne, USSF-106 mission director, , as stated in the US Space Force press release released by the Space Systems Command.
The USSF is leveraging the newly certified Vulcan Centaur rocket to deliver demonstrations and experiments to geosynchronous orbit on behalf of Department of Defense customers.
The mission’s primary experiment, Navigation Technology Satellite-3, is an Air Force Vanguard project led by the Air Force Research Laboratory and built by L3Harris Technologies.
The payload includes a secondary adapter demonstrating resilient satellite navigation through reprogrammable signals, an electronically steerable antenna, and advanced timekeeping algorithms.
Strange light displays reported across Eastern and Midwestern US
Shortly after the Vulcan rocket’s launch, residents from New York to the Midwest reported seeing strange light formations in the night sky.
The bright, cloud-like spirals and shimmering shapes led some to speculate about unidentified flying objects before officials confirmed the source as the classified USSF-106 mission.
"Rocket launch? During my search for meteor showers on the Island’s North Shore, this appeared, and it crossed the Long Island Sound. It lasted several minutes.
When I noticed it, I believed it was a rocket that was launched from Florida, but I did not know for sure. I found out later that it was a rocket," said Don Manchester of Long Island.
The timing coincided with the Perseid meteor showers, amplifying the visual spectacle for many viewers.
National security significance of Vulcan program
United Launch Alliance President and CEO Tory Bruno described Vulcan as “a catalyst to supporting national defense in the strategic warfighting domain of space.”
He added, “Vulcan is the world’s most capable, high energy orbit rocket meeting the demand for expanding space competencies. Vulcan provides flexibility to our nation’s decision makers as we combat our adversaries attempt ..
The rocket traveled approximately 22,000 miles during its mission.
Assured Access to Space, a Space Force function, secures reliable launch services to deploy space-based capabilities for US warfighters, intelligence professionals, and allies.
Space Systems Command manages a $15.6 billion annual space acquisition budget, working with joint forces, industry partners, and allied nations to protect America’s strategic advantage in space.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/secret-us-military-space-mission-aboard-vulcan-rocket-sparks-strange-light-sightings-across-us-skies/articleshow/123300296.cms?from=mdr
China launches 8th batch of satellites for 13,000-strong internet megaconstellation
August 13, 2025
China is ramping up construction of its national satellite-internet megaconstellation.
A Long March 5B rocket lifted off from Wenchang Space Launch Center on the island of Hainan on Wednesday (Aug. 13) at 2:43 a.m. EDT (0643 GMT; 2:43 p.m. local time), carrying a batch of satellites aloft for the Guowang broadband network.
The mission to low Earth orbit (LEO) was a complete success, according to the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
Guowang, whose name translates as "national network," will be operated by China Satnet, a state-run company established in 2021. The constellation will eventually consist of about 13,000 satellites, if all goes to plan.
Guowang is a long way from that goal. Wednesday's launch was just the eighth overall for the network, and each mission lofts just eight to 10 spacecraft, apparently because each satellite is quite large.
For comparison, SpaceX launches 24 to 28 satellites on each mission to assemble its Starlink broadband megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 8,100 operational spacecraft.
But China is picking up the Guowang pace: Wednesday's liftoff was the fourth for the project in less than three weeks.
Guowang isn't the only Chinese broadband megaconstellation in the works. Another one, called Qianfan ("Thousand Sails"), began construction last year, like Guowang — and it's envisioned to be just as big.
And the megaconstellation push extends beyond Starlink, Guowang and Qianfan. On Monday (Aug. 11), for example, SpaceX launched a batch of satellites for Project Kuiper, Amazon's planned LEO broadband network, which will eventually feature about 3,200 spacecraft.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-launches-8th-batch-satellites-guowang-satnet-internet-megaconstellation-video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os0rtN6vy8s