TYB
Astronaut posts mind-blowing video from space that 'proves' flat Earth theory is wrong
16:04 17 Aug 2025 GMT+1
A mind-blowing video taken in space looks to have finally put the flat Earth debate to bed.
While most sensible folks have accepted that the world is round for about 1,800 years, with the earliest evidence of people realising the planet is spherical dating from the third century BC, there are still some people who ignore all scientific evidence, such as Wiz Khalifa.
The saying goes that the Flat Earth Society has members all around the globe and that group seems to still be going strong, even with Katy Perry of all people putting an end to the rumours with her videos taken from space.
Well, if the many pictures of the Earth, scientific proof and experts all saying the same hasn't already convinced you, then a new video from NASA astronaut Don Pettit definitely should.
He uploaded the video to social media, which appears to be taken from SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft orbiting Earth, and it's very clear that it isn't flat.
Users on X were quick to point that, despite the lack of light in space, it's as clear as day that the Earth is round.
One user wrote: "Seriously, how can anyone be a flat-earther?"
Another said: "How fun. What a great view, and you can tell the earth is round. I had an Over [sic] driver who believes the Earth is flat. He said all pictures from space are doctored. He tried to convince me."
The video shows the spacecraft remarkably travelling from Europe to Asia in just seconds, capturing night and day on our home planet.
But that didn't stop some Flat Earthers from chiming in. Someone piped up in the comments: "It's flat and stationary!"
Multiple people also questioned if the video was real, with one writing: "Why do all the space videos look so fake lol," and another responding: "Because they ARE."
If you need it spelling out for you then fear not, Professor Brian Cox has also shut down any Flat Earthers with a brutal statement.
He said: "There is absolutely no basis at all for thinking the world is flat. Nobody in human history, as far as I know, has thought the world was flat.
"The Greeks measured the radius of the Earth. I cannot conceive of a reason why anybody would think the world is flat.
"The very simple fact we've taken pictures of it. I'm lost for words, it's probably the most nonsensical suggestion that a thinking human being could possibly make. It is drivel."
So, there you have it, if you still genuinely believe that the world is flat then I really can't offer you any more advice at this point.
But in a time where conspiracy theories and misinformation is rife online, it's worth remembering that much like doctors know much more about our health than we do, astronauts and scientists know much more about space, so we should probably listen to them over random TikTok accounts.
https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/astronaut-space-video-flat-earth-don-pettit-156981-20250817
https://x.com/astro_Pettit/status/1956752084629426528
Giant 'X' appears over Chile as 2 celestial beams of light cross
August 17, 2025
This stunning image from astrophotographer Petr Horálek captures two of the night sky's most glorious sights in one — the glowing heart of the Milky Way and the elusive "zodiacal light."
Despite appearing alongside one another, these two streaks of light could not be more different in origin and composition.
Astronomers have constructed some of humanity's best telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere to better see the bright core of the Milky Way — dense with stars and nebulae.
That core passes through constellations including Scorpius, Sagittarius and Ophiuchus, which are higher in the sky the farther south they're viewed from.
This image was taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), located at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) in the Chilean Andes within the southern Atacama Desert.
At this height, above the densest and warmest part of Earth’s atmosphere, incredibly clear and dark skies are the norm, enabling observers to see not only the bright band of the Milky Way but something less obvious that resides in the solar system — zodiacal light.
The biggest visible solar system phenomenon in the night sky, zodiacal light is a faint, diffuse glow in the night sky that casual observers often miss.
It consists of sunlight reflecting off dust in our cosmic neighborhood, possibly from passing asteroids and comets or from the leftovers of planet formation.
In 2020, a paper also claimed that zodiacal light may be primarily made of dust blown off Mars. Either way, the glow of the solar system is an arresting sight, but hard to see.
Zodiacal light is at its brightest around the equinoxes and is visible along the ecliptic — the apparent path the sun takes through the sky — as a triangular beam of light on the horizon a few hours before sunrise or after sunset.
That timing has led to it being called either the "false dawn" or "false dusk," though its name comes from the fact that it’s visible over the 13 constellations that make up the zodiac.
Horálek’s spectacular image was taken in 2022 when he was an audiovisual ambassador for NOIRLab, which operates CTIO.
In the photo, from left to right, are the U.S. Naval Observatory Deep South Telescope, the DIMM1 Seeing Monitor, the Chilean Automatic Supernova Search dome, the UBC Southern Observatory and the Planetary Defense 1.0-meter Telescope.
https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/giant-x-appears-over-chile-as-2-celestial-beams-of-light-cross-space-photo-of-the-week
https://www.petrhoralek.com/
https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/08/russia-to-launch-noahs-ark-mission-space/
Russia Set to Launch “Noah’s Ark” Mission: Mice, Fruit Flies, and Lunar Simulants to Explore Space
August 17, 2025
On August 20, 2025, Russia will launch the Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, marking a key step in studying the effects of spaceflight on living organisms.
As reported by Space.com, the spacecraft will carry 75 mice, over 1,000 fruit flies, and other biological specimens for a 30-day mission in space, exposing them to high levels of radiation.
The goal is to gain insights into the biological effects of space travel, crucial for advancing deep-space missions and understanding long-term impacts on human health.
Dubbed “Noah’s Ark” for its diverse payload, the mission also carries lunar simulants—dust and rocks mimicking materials found on the moon’s surface.
These simulants will be studied after returning to Earth to assess how they react to space radiation and the vacuum of space, aiding plans for future lunar construction.
The mission aims to gather critical data on microgravity and radiation’s effects on organisms, with potential applications in astronaut health and space medicine.
Examining the Impact of Space Radiation on Mice and Other Organisms
One of the key experiments onboard the Bion-M No. 2 mission involves studying the effects of space radiation on mice.
These animals were chosen for the experiment due to their genetic similarity to humans, their short life cycles, and their heightened sensitivity to radiation. This experiment could have wide-reaching implications for human space travel.
The mice will be divided into three distinct groups: the first group will live in normal conditions on Earth, the second group will be housed in a simulated flight environment on Earth as a control, and the third group will spend 30 days in orbit.
The results will allow researchers to compare the health and biological responses of these groups.
The mice will be monitored closely throughout the mission. Each mouse-carrying unit is equipped with essential systems, including feeding, lighting, ventilation, and waste disposal mechanisms.
Specialized cameras and sensors will provide real-time data on the mice’s condition, and some rodents will be implanted with chips to track physiological changes.
Upon return to Earth, the researchers will analyze how the mice adapted to space conditions and how they readapted after returning to Earth’s gravity.
This data will help scientists understand the long-term effects of spaceflight on living organisms and the potential risks involved.
Lunar Simulants to Test Space Effects on Moon Construction
Another significant component of the Bion-M No. 2 mission involves the study of lunar simulants. These are materials designed to mimic the dust and rocks found on the moon’s surface, specifically those from the high latitudes.
The purpose of this experiment is to assess how space radiation and the vacuum environment affect these materials.
The results of this experiment will have broad implications for future moon construction projects, where the ability to use local materials to build structures will be critical for long-term lunar habitation.
The lunar simulants will be carefully analyzed after their return to Earth to see how they were altered by their exposure to space conditions.
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The collaboration between the Vernadsky Institute and the IMBP in preparing the lunar simulants underscores the importance of this mission in advancing the scientific understanding of space construction materials.
The testing of these materials in space will also help scientists determine how radiation and microgravity might affect future building materials used in extraterrestrial environments.
How Spaceflight Impacts the Biological Health of Organisms in Space
The Bion-M No. 2 mission will collect invaluable data on the biological effects of spaceflight, specifically focusing on how organisms respond to microgravity and radiation.
Researchers hope to gain insights into how these factors contribute to the deterioration of biological systems in space.
The experiment will provide essential information on how microgravity influences the radiation susceptibility of living organisms, which could significantly impact the design of future deep-space missions.
The data gathered could also be used to improve astronaut health management strategies, making long-term space travel safer and more sustainable.
In addition to the mice, more than 1,000 fruit flies are also part of the mission. Fruit flies are commonly used in biological experiments due to their relatively short life cycles and well-understood genetic makeup.
Their inclusion in this mission provides another level of insight into how space conditions affect organisms at various levels of complexity.
With multiple types of organisms being studied, the Bion-M No. 2 mission is expected to yield diverse and comprehensive data on the impact of spaceflight.
The Role of Radiation in Long-Duration Space Missions
One of the most crucial elements of the Bion-M No. 2 mission is its focus on radiation. Space radiation is a major concern for long-duration space travel, as it can cause significant harm to living tissues and increase the risk of cancer.
The Bion-M No. 2 spacecraft will be placed in a nearly circular orbit with an inclination of around 97 degrees, which will increase the level of cosmic radiation that the organisms are exposed to.
This orbital position is specifically chosen to increase radiation exposure by at least an order of magnitude compared to previous missions like Bion-M No. 1.
By studying the effects of this radiation on the mice and other specimens, the mission aims to better understand how space radiation influences biological systems and how to mitigate these risks for future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
The data gathered from this experiment will be critical for developing new technologies and strategies to protect astronauts from the harmful effects of radiation.
Space agencies worldwide are keenly aware of the risks posed by space radiation, and the findings from this mission could pave the way for new innovations in space health and safety.
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Instructor and student pilot injured in small airplane crash near Titusville airport
August 16, 2025
Two people were injured in the crash of a small plane near the Titusville airport on Friday, Aug. 15.
No details were available on the possible cause of the crash, but one of those aboard suffered serious injuries while the other person sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Amy Werring, spokeswoman for the city of Titusville.
The occupants of the aircraft, identified only as an instructor and a student, were able to call 911 to report the crash at approximately 2:13 p.m. in a wooded area west of Space Coast Regional Airport and north of Shepard Drive.
According to Titusville police, a federal agency will be conducting an investigation into the crash. No further details were immediately available.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/instructor-and-student-pilot-injured-in-small-airplane-crash-near-titusville-airport/ar-AA1KBrSM
Indian Flag Hoisted On Seattle's Iconic Space Needle For First Time
Aug 16, 2025 12:07 pm IST
In a landmark and historic first in Seattle, the flag of India was raised on top of the Space Needle today in honour of India's 79th Independence Day celebrations.
Built in 1962 for the World Fair, the Space Needle stands as a symbol of Seattle's skyline and epitomizes the tech-driven future of the US Pacific Northwest region, the Consulate General of India in Seattle said in an official statement.
The Consul General of India in Seattle, along with Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle, and other select dignitaries from Seattle city leadership, joined in the historic occasion and acknowledged the contributions of the Indian American diaspora in shaping Seattle's journey as a tech hub in the US Pacific Northwest, the release added.
A Historic Milestone: Indian Tricolor Hoisted for the First Time Ever Atop Seattle's Iconic Space Needle
A community reception was separately hosted by the Consulate at the scenic Kerry Park, which offered sweeping views of the Seattle skyline, with India's flag atop the Space Needle in the backdrop.
Large numbers of Indian American community members turned up to witness the historic sight, the Consulate noted in the statement.
Several US dignitaries also graced the Kerry Park reception, including U.S. Congressman (WA-9th district) Adam Smith, Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court Debra L. Stephens, Seattle Port Commissioner Sam Cho, and Superintendent/Director of Seattle Parks & Recreation AP Diaz.
Addressing the gathering, US Rep. Adam Smith welcomed the historic celebration, noting that the Indian Tricolour hoisted atop the Space Needle is a tribute to the region's diversity and the strong bonds between India and the Pacific Northwest, the release said.
The celebrations included a vibrant cultural segment featuring national anthems, a cultural dance performance showcasing the rich diversity of Indian art forms, and a poetic recital by renowned artist and actor Piyush Mishra, according to the Consulate.
In a special gesture to honour India's 79th Independence Day in the Greater Seattle area, King County, along with Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Bellevue, issued official proclamations marking August 15 as India Day, the statement added.
Separately, several iconic buildings in Seattle were also lit up in Indian tricolours. These included Lumen Stadium, T-Mobile Stadium, Westin, Seattle Great Wheel, and the Space Needle.
The Indian flag was also hoisted at the Tacoma Dome, Tacoma City Hall, and at the headquarters of Tacoma Police and Fire Departments.
It may be noted that India opened its 6th Consulate in Seattle in November 2023 and has since actively deepened its engagements with the US Pacific Northwest, the Consulate highlighted.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indian-flag-hoisted-on-seattles-iconic-space-needle-for-first-time-ever-to-mark-79th-independence-day-9096543
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2frDiq-6cT8
Glacial Cycle Coming, Ocean Collapse, Space Weather | Suspicious 0bservers News
Aug.17.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcOrAtXhgSc
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62960-y
On this day in space! Aug. 17, 1877: Asaph Hall discovers the Martian moon Phobos
August 17, 2025
On Aug. 17, 1877, American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered Mars's moon Phobos.
Moons of Mars: Amazing Photos of Phobos and Deimos
Hall was working at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. and looking through a 26-inch refractor telescope — which was then the largest in the world — when he first spotted the moon.
Six days earlier, he had discovered another, smaller moon that he first described as "a faint star near Mars."
Upon further inspection, not only did he realize that this star was actually the Martian moon Deimos, but he also discovered a second, larger moon now known as Phobos. He announced both discoveries the following day on Aug. 18, 1877.
Phobos is the largest moon of Mars. Its dimensions measure 10 by 14 by 11 miles (17 by 22 by 18 km) across and orbits Mars three times each Martian day at a distance of about 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers).
https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html
https://youtu.be/lAYxDGt2PLM?si=xiqDhRlT-MetSjGC
Canada's 1st commercial spaceport is officially under construction. When will it open for launches?
August 15, 2025
Private Canadian company NordSpace has started construction on its Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX) in Newfoundland and Labrador, marking a major milestone toward the country's first operational commercial launch facility.
The budding infrastructure, near the town of St. Lawrence, will support NordSpace's Tundra orbital rocket and the upcoming first test flight of the company's suborbital Taiga vehicle.
Other launch providers who want to use the spaceport are welcome as well, NordSpace says. The facility is "strategically positioned," according a NordSpace press release, to launch missions into orbital inclinations between 46 to 100 degrees — inclinations capable of serving equatorial to polar orbits.
NordSpace CEO Rahul Goel said the groundbreaking was a "historic moment for Canada" and a step toward its sovereign space access.
ASX, previously known as Spaceport Canada, is designed as a cornerstone of NordSpace's end-to-end space mission capability, as it was fully sourced and built from within Canada.
The company's rockets currently in development are assembled using parts sourced from around the country as well as in-house, 3D-printed rocket engines.
The introductory $10 million phase of development for the site includes two facilities:
Space Launch Complex-01 (SLC-01) will house two pads for orbital rockets like NordSpace's future Tundra vehicle, and SLC-02 will support suborbital flights and tracking infrastructure for "space domain awareness," the release says.
ASX's position at 46 degrees latitude enables a wide range of launch inclinations, giving it an edge over other North American spaceports that avoid certain trajectories due to safety regulations over populated areas.
NordSpace's first launch will be of its suborbital Taiga rocket, powered by the company's 3D-printed Hadfield Mk III engine.
The mission, dubbed "Getting Screeched In," follows a successful test series of engine and vehicle shakedowns completed earlier this year, including a fully-integrated vehicle test that took place in January and a month-long engine qualification that fell in July.
The official launch window for Getting Screeched In opens on Aug. 25, though it's unknown when the mission will be ready. NordSpace is taking a realistic approach for Taiga's debut, and won't be aiming for orbit on its first mission.
"Our first flight of that vehicle this summer is going to be a low-altitude demonstration," Goel told Space.com. "The intent behind that is just to make sure it all goes really well and we get this win under our belts," he said.
"Then we'll attempt the second flight … early next year to demonstrate its full capability."
After Taiga, NordSpace plans to look toward its Tundra orbital launch vehicle that's still under development.
Tundra will be comparable in capability to Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, which is able to launch 1,100 pounds (500 kg) to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and 550 pounds (250 kg) to sun-synchronous orbit.
Part of Tundra's development includes NordSpace's first satellite, Terra Nova, which is launching in 2026 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission to test in-space propulsion and imaging technologies.
NordSpace is eyeing 2027 for Tundra's first mission.
ASX will also support NordSpace's SHARP (Supersonic and Hypersonic Applications Research Platform) initiative, which includes three hypersonic research vehicles designed for national defense applications.
NordSpace says it's time to end reliance on foreign rockets to launch Canadian-built space hardware, and Canadian officials have voiced strong support for the company's efforts.
NordSpace estimates the introduction of a domestic launch capability will create nearly 650 jobs and contribute $2.5 billion in economic activity through 2035.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/canadas-1st-commercial-spaceport-is-officially-under-construction-when-will-it-open-for-launches
https://www.einpresswire.com/article/837724005/construction-begins-at-nordspace-s-atlantic-spaceport-complex-asx-in-canada-ahead-of-first-commercial-rocket-launch
SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 10 test flight on Aug. 24
August 17, 2025
SpaceX says the 10th integrated test flight of its Super Heavy Starship launch vehicle could launch as soon as Aug. 24.
Liftoff from the company's Starbase, Texas, manufacturing and test site is expected during a launch window that begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT).
SpaceX announced the launch date on X Friday (Aug. 15), about one week later than SpaceX CEO Elon Musk predicted in mid-July when he estimated Starship would launch again in "about three weeks."
Flight 10 will be Starship's fourth launch of 2025, and comes at a critical junction in the spacecraft's development.
Starship's three previously flights this year have ended with the loss of the upper stage, and with each loss comes a tighter squeeze on the timeline to ready the vehicle to serve as the lunar lander for the astronauts on NASA's Artemis 3 mission to the surface of the moon, slated for sometime in 2027.
The fully stacked, the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage stand about 394 feet (120 meters) tall.
Flight 10 will fly Booster 16 and Ship 37, both Block 2 variants of the evolving launch vehicle, as SpaceX introduces incremental upgrades for each mission.
The launch follows Flight 9, which lifted off May 27 and ended with the Ship upper stage breaking apart in space about 45 minutes into flight.
Less than a month later, on June 18, a static test fire at Starbase resulted in an explosion, destroying Ship 36 — the vehicle original slated for Flight 10 — and damaging SpaceX test infrastructure.
Those mishap investigations completed, Starship Flight 10 is headed to the launchpad with a fresh set of mission objectives.
Once in space, after stage separation, Starship will deploy eight Starlink satellite mass simulators, perform an in-space Raptor engine relight and attempt a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Booster 16, meanwhile, will alter its trajectory for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The tenth flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Sunday, August 24 → https://t.co/UIwbeGoo2B pic.twitter.com/j0YKKgAxAVAugust 15, 2025
Of the nine Starship test flights so far, several have achieved partial success — including catching a Super Heavy booster using the launch tower "Mechazilla" chopstick arms and refurbishing it for reuse — but not have yet met all mission objectives from launch to landing.
SpaceX is developing Starship as part of Musk's vision to make human life multiplanetary by sending people to Mars, and is also central to NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon for long-duration missions.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-targeting-date-for-10th-starship-rocket-test-flight
https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-10
>>23473443
Show us on this globe replica where the weather man hurt you
Former Space Force analyst who shot and killed Colorado teen sentenced to 54 years in prison
Updated: August 15, 2025 / 10:21 PM MDT
A former U.S. Space Force signals intelligence analyst was sentenced to decades behind bars in Colorado on Friday for shooting two suspected teen car thieves and killing one of them.
An Adams County judge sentenced Orest Schur, of Aurora, to 54 years in prison following his conviction in June.
Schur was a sergeant in the Army before he transferred to work at Buckley Space Force Base until the end of his service a year ago.
In July 2023, Schur chased the 13 and 14-year-olds down in the 19500 block of East 58th Circle after allegedly catching them trying to take his wife's car.
Although they didn't succeed in taking the car, Shur chased after them. Investigators say Schur started shooting at them and wounded the 13-year-old with a gunshot wound to the back.
He ultimately killed 14-year-old Xavier Kirk. Neither of the boys were armed, and the investigation found 11 shots were fired even as the boys ran away.
Family members spoke at the sentencing, asserting that the teens made a mistake, but didn't deserve to die.
One family member said, "You know, kids make mistakes, and so, I always teach my kids in my family, like my nephews and nieces, about consequences and repercussions.
We're not trying to excuse any wrongdoing of Xavier, or wrong they were involved in. The part that's messed up is Orest Shur's car was never stolen."
The judge said Schur, a discharged soldier, should have known not to take lethal action that night.
Prosecutors read a statement in Friday afternoon's court hearing written by the teen who survived.
It said, "An adult chose to use deadly force against two unarmed teenagers. That is not justice, that is not safety, that is not accountability. I survived, but I am not the same.
My friend didn't survive at all. And no matter what we did that night, I didn't deserve to be shot, and Xavier didn't deserve to die."
Before his sentencing, Schur addressed the court and pleaded for mercy, stating, "I am sorry for the events that occurred that night, for the pain, for the grief and trauma that have followed and for the impact that my case had on so many lives.
Schur will serve 36 years in prison for one count of second degree murder. For the count of attempted murder in the second degree, he will serve 18 years.
The maximum overall sentence he could have received was 80 years in prison. The minimum was 26. He was taken away to begin his sentence immediately.
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/orest-schur-murder-colorado-teenager-xavier-kirk-sentenced-prison/
https://www.persuasion.community/p/im-a-space-force-colonel-trump-fired
I'm a Space Force Colonel. Trump Fired Me for Being Transgender
Aug 17, 2025
I know what it feels like to stand on the shore as a hurricane makes landfall. I saw the storm forming in the distance when over $200 million was spent in the last two months of the 2024 presidential campaign on anti-transgender advertising.
It strengthened after the election when President Trump declared that he would end the “transgender lunacy” on Day One. The language used in the executive order on January 27, 2025 was Category 5.
Transgender service members like me were labeled undisciplined, dishonorable liars, who lacked the humility required for military service.
I joined the Air Force after the attacks on 9/11 and served 18 years before recommissioning into the Space Force, rising to the rank of colonel.
But this year, the White House began the process to remove me and other transgender service members from the military.
Despite nearly a decade of serving openly as transgender, we were no longer measured by our ability to meet standards or accomplish missions, but by a characteristic unrelated to our performance.
The message was unmistakable: our service is suspect and unwanted, not because of what we’ve done, but because of who we are.
I wish I could say I was surprised. We’d weathered a similar storm before. So how did we arrive here again—and what do we do now?
The First Storm
In 2016 I came out the day the military first allowed transgender people to serve openly. My authenticity didn’t distract from the mission—it fueled it.
I became a stronger leader when I stopped hiding who I was. My colleagues and I performed better together because we trusted each other.
One year later, the storm found us. In 2017, during the first Trump administration, the attempt to bar transgender people blasted like a lightning bolt from a clear blue sky—tweets announcing that our government “will not accept or allow” us to serve.
We were stunned, but we endured. We kept showing up, kept meeting the standard, kept doing the jobs we’d sworn to do.
The policy that eventually settled into place was a ban. No one could come out while in service and no openly transgender person could join the military.
Those of us who had already come out were an endangered species expected to just peter out.
The years that followed proved that service, done openly and with integrity, transforms an organization from the inside. It also changes the person serving.
My colleagues and I have built resilience through adversity, developed enhanced empathy, and seen good leadership triumphing over fear. Our authentic service wasn’t a distraction; it was a force multiplier—building trust and enhancing performance.
By 2019, Americans had largely judged our service on the evidence. Roughly 85% of adults under 30, and over 70% of adults overall, supported open transgender military service.
That support didn’t materialize because of a slogan. It came from seeing us execute the mission: from watching my colleagues lead companies, teach cadets, fly aircraft, penetrate adversary networks, deploy to combat zones, and bring troops safely home.
The Second Storm
In 2025, the storm didn’t strike like lightning; it churned like a growing tropical depression. Models wobbled.
Tracks shifted. We watched the projected storm surge and wondered whether it would wash our careers—and our contributions—out to sea. Then, Hurricane “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” came ashore.
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The policy flowing from the executive order wasn’t just a ban on accessions. It was a purge striking people who had been serving with distinction.
Implementation timelines were spelled out in weeks and service members were given a choice of taking the carrot of a “voluntary” separation or the stick of an “involuntary” one with unknown consequences.
If it was a choice it was Sophie’s version—it wasn’t voluntary for any of us.
The courts did step in, but despite rulings that said the government’s case lacked merit and was dripping with animus—that our records were Exhibit A as to why we should be serving—the reprieve was temporary.
In May, the Supreme Court, seemingly ignorant of the real harms being done by the purge, answered the government’s emergency appeal and the injunctions were lifted, allowing enforcement.
With new deadlines in place, all transgender troops would be dismissed before the cases made it through the appellate process and back to the Supreme Court.
The chill that set in reached beyond policy into people’s lives. Friends hesitated to publicly like or comment on posts about what was happening.
Colleagues messaged me privately, sharing their fear of being seen, as if visibility itself had become an operational risk. Senior leaders knew that if they spoke publicly in our defense, they would be the next ones fired.
Erasure crept in—on websites, in school libraries, in official language. When participation in ordinary civic conversation is dangerous, democracy itself feels brittle, like it could fracture at any moment. That is the chilling effect of cruelty in power.
I felt the freeze personally. Crisis response became my full-time second job: scanning for the next policy shoe to drop, bracing for impact, trying to steady others.
My curiosity—so necessary for good leadership—narrowed to survival. The best antidote I knew was the one I’ve preached for years: hope in action.
Hope is not naïveté; it is discipline. It’s persistent truth-telling; it’s choosing to speak even when your voice shakes; it’s asking, “Who needs me now?” and showing up for them.
While the crisis was happening, my day job continued: defining the space capabilities that would ensure America’s ability to prevail in future conflicts, including implementing this administration’s priorities.
We were as busy as we’d ever been and my boss was pleading up the chain of command to do whatever could be done to keep me. I continued to give everything I had to the nation that called me to service.
But then I found myself placed on administrative leave—a new concept for the military, one that was implemented just for us.
Now there was a uniform hanging in my closet like a promise I wouldn’t be allowed to keep. My government said my willingness and service record no longer mattered.
Why We Serve
People often ask me why I kept going and what keeps me dedicated to public service.
The answer is simple: I serve because I still care—about the ideals embedded in the Constitution I swore an oath to defend; about leaving the institution better than I found it; about the people to my left and right; about shattering stereotypes simply by showing up and doing the work well.
If prejudice writes transgender service members out of the ranks, I want history to record only the bias of those who attempted the erasure—not any failure on our parts to meet the standard.
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That standard matters. The U.S. military has always been at its best when it judges people by performance and provides everyone the opportunity to show it. Our diversity of experience and background is a strategic advantage.
When transgender people meet or exceed the same standards as every other American in uniform—and we do—our service strengthens national security.
Turning away qualified volunteers or removing proven performers because of gender identity is not only wasteful; it violates the principles that define us as a nation. If you meet the standard, your service should be welcomed.
I’ve seen the power of that ethos. Serving openly creates space for trust—the kind that lets you solve problems together. Colin Powell said, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.
They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care.” When I let my shields down with my gender transition, I let others in.
Several of my officers brought me deeply personal challenges they were experiencing which were bleeding into their work performance.
Before, they thought I wouldn’t care, but when they saw some of my humanity they brought the issues to me and we were able to solve them together.
America’s Promise
In the eye of the storm, transgender service members have done what Americans in uniform always do: keep faith with our oath, take care of our people, plan for the worst, work for the best.
Policy can end our careers, but it cannot undo what we have proven under pressure and in harm’s way.
By the end of 2025, my administrative leave will become a final termination. I will trade the combat boots I can no longer wear for shoes fit for different battlefields, where the same oath can be lived in new ways.
And when I step into whatever comes next, I intend to lead with the same steadiness and hope that carried me through these storms.
The patriotism I claim is contribution, not grievance; resolve, not bitterness. I’m grateful for the years I wore our nation’s cloth, and I will keep serving the same ideals out of uniform: equal justice, equal opportunity, consent of the governed.
Those words do not enforce themselves; people enforce them. Excluding capable Americans from that work weakens the republic we swear to defend.
So we will do what good leaders and good teammates do. We will tell our stories, show our results, stand up for one another, and make it easier for the next person to be judged by their performance. Storms pass.
Standards endure. And if we hold fast—to our oath, to each other, and to the evidence of our service—America’s promise will outlast this weather.
Bree Fram is a colonel in the U.S. Space Force, currently on administrative leave. The views presented are hers and do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government or the Department of Defense.
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