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Fluid Flow in Ceres Due to Core Heating
Aug. 20, 2025
This illustration depicts the interior of dwarf planet Ceres, including the transfer of water and gases from the rocky core to a reservoir of salty water as a consequence of internal heating.
A couple examples of molecules carrying chemical energy – carbon dioxide and methane – are included in the illustration.
Research published in Science Advances on Aug. 20, 2025, relies on data from NASA's Dawn mission to find that chemical energy inside Ceres may have lasted long enough to fuel microbial metabolisms.
Although there is no evidence that microorganisms ever existed on Ceres, the finding supports theories that this intriguing dwarf planet, which is the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, may have once had conditions suitable to support single-celled lifeforms.
A division of Caltech in Pasadena, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory managed Dawn's mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
Dawn was a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. JPL was responsible for overall Dawn mission science.
Northrop Grumman in Dulles, Virginia, designed and built the spacecraft. The German Aerospace Center, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Italian Space Agency and Italian National Astrophysical Institute were international partners on the mission team.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia26570-fluid-flow-in-ceres-due-to-core-heating/
Expedition 73 Studies How Space Affects the Brain and the Body
August 20, 2025
Maintaining sense of balance and protecting immunity in space were the top human research experiments aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday.
The Expedition 73 crew members also practiced medical emergency procedures, continued more Earth observations, and finished packing a cargo craft.
NASA Flight Engineers Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman joined each other in the Columbus laboratory module and explored how weightlessness affects the central vestibular system, the part of the brain that processes balance and spatial orientation.
Kim, with real-time assistance from doctors on the ground, operated the computer hardware and aided Cardman as she wore virtual reality goggles while responding to digital stimuli helping researchers understand how she is adapting to life in microgravity.
Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) completed his cellular immunity research removing his blood samples stowed overnight from a research incubator, spinning them in a centrifuge, and preserving them in a science freezer for later analysis.
The Immunity Assay study tests an astronaut’s blood and saliva samples for space-caused conditions, helps doctors understand how living in space affects cellular immunity, and may improve crew health monitoring.
NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fincke spent most of his day on lab maintenance first inspecting hatch seals on the Columbus and Kibo lab modules.
Next, he checked components and configured the Tranquility module’s advanced resistive exercise device, equipment that mimics free weights on Earth, for an investigation measuring the muscle forces and bone stresses an astronaut experiences when working out in space.
Fincke also took a short computerized test measuring how microgravity is affecting his cognition, or reasoning, decision making, and visual tracking skills.
At the end of his shift, Fincke joined Kimiya, Cardman, and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov and conducted an emergency drill aboard the orbital outpost.
The quartet reviewed emergency procedures, practiced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, deployed medical gear, then discussed crew communications and care coordination.
Platonov also continued his Earth observation duties pointing his camera out a space station window and photographing the effects of natural and manmade catastrophes.
Next, he activated multispectral imaging hardware to automatically photograph Earth landmarks during the crew’s overnight sleep shift.
Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Roscosmos Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky finished packing the Progress 91 cargo craft with trash and outdated gear on Wednesday.
Ryzhikov closed the hatch on the resupply ship docked to Zvezda‘s rear port and performed the standard leak and pressure checks before its departure in September.
Zubritsky earlier jogged on the Zvezda service module’s treadmill for a regularly scheduled fitness evaluation.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/08/20/expedition-73-studies-how-space-affects-the-brain-and-the-body/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
X-ray and Radio go ‘Hand in Hand’ in New Image
Aug 20, 2025
In 2009, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory released a captivating image: a pulsar and its surrounding nebula that is shaped like a hand.
Since then, astronomers have used Chandra and other telescopes to continue to observe this object.
Now, new radio data from the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), has been combined with Chandra’s X-ray data to provide a fresh view of this exploded star and its environment, to help understand its peculiar properties and shape.
At the center of this new image lies the pulsar B1509-58, a rapidly spinning neutron star that is only about 12 miles in diameter.
This tiny object is responsible for producing an intricate nebula (called MSH 15-52) that spans over 150 light-years, or about 900 trillion miles.
The nebula, which is produced by energetic particles, resembles a human hand with a palm and extended fingers pointing to the upper right in X-rays.
The collapse of a massive star created the pulsar when much of the star crashed inward once it burned through its sustainable nuclear fuel. An ensuing explosion sent the star’s outer layers outward into space as a supernova.
The pulsar spins around almost seven times every second and has a strong magnetic field, about 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth’s.
The rapid rotation and strong magnetic field make B1509-58 one of the most powerful electromagnetic generators in the Galaxy, enabling it to drive an energetic wind of electrons and other particles away from the pulsar, creating the nebula.
In this new composite image, the ATCA radio data (represented in red) has been combined with X-rays from Chandra (shown in blue, orange and yellow), along with an optical image of hydrogen gas (gold).
The areas of overlap between the X-ray and radio data in MSH 15-52 show as purple. The optical image shows stars in the field of view along with parts of the supernova’s debris, the supernova remnant RCW 89.
A labeled version of the figure shows the main features of the image.
Radio data from ATCA now reveals complex filaments that are aligned with the directions of the nebula’s magnetic field, shown by the short, straight, white lines in a supplementary image.
These filaments could result from the collision of the pulsar’s particle wind with the supernova’s debris.
By comparing the radio and X-ray data, researchers identified key differences between the sources of the two types of light. In particular, some prominent X-ray features, including the jet towards the bottom of the image and the inner parts of the three “fingers” towards the top, are not detected in radio waves.
This suggests that highly energetic particles are leaking out from a shock wave — similar to a supersonic plane’s sonic boom — near the pulsar and moving along magnetic field lines to create the fingers.
The radio data also shows that RCW 89’s structure is different from typical young supernova remnants. Much of the radio emission is patchy and closely matches clumps of X-ray and optical emission.
It also extends well beyond the X-ray emission. All of these characteristics support the idea that RCW 89 is colliding with a dense cloud of nearby hydrogen gas.
However, the researchers do not fully understand all that the data is showing them. One area that is perplexing is the sharp boundary of X-ray emission in the upper right of the image that seems to be the blast wave from the supernova — see the labeled feature.
Supernova blast waves are usually bright in radio waves for young supernova remnants like RCW 89, so it is surprising to researchers that there is no radio signal at the X-ray boundary.
MSH 15–52 and RCW 89 show many unique features not found in other young sources. There are, however, still many open questions regarding the formation and evolution of these structures.
Further work is needed to provide better understanding of the complex interplay between the pulsar wind and the supernova debris.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/x-ray-and-radio-go-hand-in-hand-in-new-image/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adf333
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/chandra-x-ray-observatory/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4636-4637: Up Against a Wall
Aug 20, 2025
Earth planning date: Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025
What does a good rover do when her back is up against a wall? Fight for science!
Curiosity indeed fought the good fight at “Río Frío,” the wall of one of the many ridges cutting through the boxwork terrain we have been systematically exploring.
The observations along the wall today provide insight into the internal structure and chemistry of the ridges, hopefully giving us clues as to why they are standing proud relative to the surrounding terrain.
The structural story will be told by the large Mastcam mosaics we planned, covering the ridge from base to top, and from a MAHLI mosaic covering a horizon of the wall filled with resistant nodules and smooth, swooping surfaces cutting in all directions that are likely veins.
The mosaic target, “Jardín de las Delicias,” will surely yield a surfeit of Martian delights. The chemical story will be told by APXS analysis of the nodule-filled target “Minimini” and SuperCam analysis of a vein at “El Tapado.”
In contrast to the ridge itself, we planned a Mastcam mosaic of part of the hollow at the base of the ridge at target “Playa Zapatilla.”
Beyond the ridge, we planned Mastcam and ChemCam imaging of the "Paniri” and “Mishe Mokwa” buttes, respectively, and sky observations with Navcam and Mastcam. DAN, RAD, and REMS run periodically through the plan keeping their eye on the Martian environment.
Our drive will take us to a smaller ridge perpendicular to Río Frío, where we will once again fight to learn the secrets these ridges have to tell about Mars’ past.
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4636-4637-up-against-a-wall/
TOMEX+ Launch Update – Aug. 20
August 20, 2025
The TOMEX+ sounding rocket mission is now targeting no earlier than Saturday, Aug. 23, for the first launch attempt due to high sea states in the recovery area from Hurricane Erin.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/wallops/2025/08/20/tomex-launch-update-aug-20/
NASA to Announce New Astronaut Class, Preview Artemis II Moon Mission
Aug 20, 2025
NASA is opening media accreditation for multi-day events to introduce America’s newest astronaut class and provide briefings for the Artemis II crewed test flight around the Moon. The activities will take place in September at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
After evaluating more than 8,000 applications, NASA will debut its 2025 class of astronaut candidates during a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 22. Following the ceremony, the candidates will be available for media interviews.
The astronaut selection event will stream live on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, NASA’s YouTube channel, and the agency’s X account.
The selected candidates will undergo nearly two years of training before they graduate as flight-eligible astronauts for agency missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars.
Next, NASA will host a series of media briefings on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and Wednesday, Sept. 24, to preview the upcoming Artemis II mission, slated for no later than April 2026.
The test flight, a launch of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon.
Artemis II will help confirm the systems and hardware needed for human deep space exploration.
This mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward new U.S.-crewed missions on the Moon’s surface that will help the agency prepare to send American astronauts to Mars.
The Artemis II events briefings will stream live on the agency’s YouTube channel and X account. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms.
Following the briefings, NASA will host an Artemis II media day at NASA Johnson on Sept. 24, to showcase mission support facilities, trainers, and hardware for Artemis missions, as well as offer interview opportunities with leaders, flight directors, astronauts, scientists, and engineers.
Media who wish to participate in person must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov and indicate which events they plan to attend.
Confirmed media will receive additional details about participating in these events. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is available on the agency’s website.
Media accreditation deadlines for the astronaut candidate selection and Artemis II events are as follows:
U.S. media interested in attending in person must RSVP no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17.
International media without U.S. citizenship must RSVP no later than 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10.
Media requesting in-person or virtual interviews with the astronaut candidates, Artemis experts, or the Artemis II crew must submit requests to the NASA Johnson newsroom by Wednesday, Sept. 17.
In-person interview requests are subject to the credentialing deadlines noted above.
Information for the astronaut candidate selection and Artemis II events, including briefing participants, is as follows (all times Eastern):
Monday, Sept. 22
12:30 p.m.: 2025 Astronaut Candidate Selection Ceremony
Tuesday, Sept. 23
11 a.m.: Artemis II Mission Overview Briefing
Lakiesha Hawkins, acting deputy associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Judd Frieling, lead Artemis II ascent flight director, NASA Johnson
Jeff Radigan, lead Artemis II flight director, NASA Johnson
Rick Henfling, lead Artemis II entry flight director, NASA Johnson
Daniel Florez, test director, Exploration Ground Systems, NASA Kennedy
1 p.m.: Artemis II Science and Technology Briefing
Matt Ramsey, Artemis II mission manager, NASA Headquarters
Debbie Korth, deputy Orion Program manager, NASA Johnson
Jacob Bleacher, manager, Science, Technology Utilization, and Integration, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Mark Clampin, acting deputy associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Media who wish to participate by phone must request dial-in information by 5 p.m., Sept. 22, by emailing NASA Johnson’s newsroom.
Wednesday, Sept. 24
10 a.m.: Artemis II Crew News Conference
Reid Wiseman, commander
Victor Glover, pilot
Christina Koch, mission specialist
Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist
Media who wish to participate by phone must request dial-in information by 5 p.m., Sept. 23, by emailing NASA Johnson’s newsroom.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-announce-new-astronaut-class-preview-artemis-ii-moon-mission/
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/
This Nighttime Spectacle was Not a UFO, Just a Fireball That Stunned Japan
August 20, 2025
On August 19, 2025, shortly after 11:00pm in Western Japan, a bright flash lit up the night sky.
Yoshihiko Hamahata was driving in Miyazaki when he saw a white light so bright the outlines of nearby houses became visible as if the sun had returned. However, this was no UFO, but rather a fireball.
Fireballs are meteors with drama. When a space rock, or meteoroid, hits the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, friction ignites it and you get a streak of light.
Most meteors are tiny and flash briefly. NASA states that a fireball is brighter than Venus and has a visual magnitude of -3 or higher.
These celestial firecrackers, often triggered by objects over a meter in diameter, can light up entire regions.
In Japan, this fireball was visible for hundreds of miles, from Kyushu’s southwestern coast to Osaka’s city, showing its power.
Videos showed a series of green-blue flashes, then a final burst of orange-red as the fireball disintegrated near the horizon.
Some witnesses reported a low, loud boom, meaning the object had broken the sound barrier. Daichi Fujii, a fireball expert and curator of Hiratsuka City Museum, calculated its speed at 21 km/s (47,000 mph).
After analyzing its motion against the stars, Fujii thought it came from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, a cosmic junkyard of stony debris from the early days of the solar system.
Cameras at Kagoshima, Fukuoka and Matsuyama airports caught the fireball at 11:08pm.
Toshihisa Maeda, director of the Sendai Space Museum in Kagoshima, confirmed it was a fireball and said it made the night sky feel like daytime.
He thinks it ended its journey in the Pacific Ocean, a watery grave where no fragments can be recovered. This is a loss for scientists like Luke Daly, a planetary geoscience professor at the University of Glasgow.
Daly told The Washington Post that if we could recover these objects we could learn about the solar system’s early days billions of years ago.
https://www.techeblog.com/fireball-western-japan/
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8zae-v5a8q4
USSF-36 Mission
August 21, 2025
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, August 21 at 11:50 p.m. ET for Falcon 9’s launch of the USSF-36 mission to orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available on Friday, August 22 at the same time.
SpaceX’s live webcast of this mission will begin about 20 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This will be the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-69, CRS-32, GPS III-7, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
USSF-36 is the eighth launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8) and third Falcon launch of the spacecraft, after SpaceX previously launched OTV-5 and OTV-7 (USSF-52).
https://www.spacex.com/launches/ussf36
NASA Invites Media to Joint Launch of Sun, Space Weather Missions
Aug 21, 2025
Media accreditation is open for the launch of three observatories that will study the Sun and enhance the ability to make accurate space weather forecasts, helping protect technology systems that affect life on Earth.
NASA is targeting no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 23, for the launch of the agency’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Follow On–Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) observatory.
The observatories will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Accredited media will have the opportunity to participate in prelaunch briefings and interviews with key mission personnel prior to launch, as well as cover the launch. NASA will communicate additional details regarding the media event schedule as the launch date approaches.
Media accreditation deadlines for the launch are as follows:
International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 31.
U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations must apply by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4.
All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-joint-launch-of-sun-space-weather-missions/
Everyday Magnets Could Be The Surprising Key To Producing Oxygen In Space
August 19, 2025
The availability of oxygen beyond Earth is a crucial factor for human exploration of space. We do need it to breathe after all. Already, there have been tests for extracting the precious element both in microgravity and on Mars.
There is a major challenge when it comes to microgravity production, and researchers now report an effective solution that doesn’t require any new tech, just some good magnets.
A very handy source of oxygen is water. While we do not go extracting water from comets or the dark craters of the Moon (at least not yet), being able to extract oxygen from the precious liquid can be mission-critical.
The way to extract it is simple: a process known as electrolysis. Electrodes are placed in water, and the electricity separates oxygen from hydrogen, and bubbles of these gases form on the electrodes.
On Earth, the bubbles, being less dense than the surrounding liquid, just float up. This doesn’t work in space. Bubbles do not float up as there is no up. The current system uses a centrifuge to pull the oxygen out of the water.
The system is no longer small and simple, but needs extra mechanical setup and more electricity to work.
The team focused instead on using magnetism to separate the bubbles from the electrodes, using commercially available neodymium magnets. Thanks to a phenomenon called diamagnetism, the team can guide the bubbles to specific collection points.
The interactions between the electric currents generated by the electrolysis in the water and the magnetic field can produce a spinning motion, similar to the mechanically induced.
“One may think that extracting gas bubbles from liquids in space is as simple as opening a can of soda here on Earth.
However, the lack of buoyancy makes the extraction process incredibly difficult, undermining the design and operation of oxygen production systems,” co-corresponding author Álvaro Romero Calvo, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech, said in a statement.
“In this paper, we demonstrate that two largely unexplored magnetic interactions – diamagnetism and magnetohydrodynamics – provide an exciting pathway to solve this problem and develop alternative oxygen production architectures.”
The team tested this by dropping a system to simulate microgravity from a bespoke tower located at the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) at the University of Bremen.
The tower is 146 meters (479 feet) high; this allowed 9.3 seconds of microgravity experiment time. The system with the neodymium magnets released 240 percent more oxygen.
“After four years of hard work, showing that magnetic forces can control electrochemical bubbly flows in microgravity is an exciting step towards more efficient and reliable spacecraft life support systems.
Working with our collaborators and stakeholders has been incredibly fulfilling, and we can’t wait for the next steps," said Romero-Calvo.
https://www.iflscience.com/everyday-magnets-could-be-the-surprising-key-to-producing-oxygen-in-space-80460
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-025-01890-0
Watch 2 fiery blasts erupt from the sun — is Earth in the danger zone?
August 21, 2025
The sun unleashed two spectacular prominence eruptions on Aug. 20 — and they may be among the most jaw-dropping events of the entire solar cycle.
First came a colossal eruption off the sun's southeastern limb, caught in stunning detail by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and NOAA's GOES-SUVI instrument.
Aurora chaser Jure Atanackov called it "one of the top events of Solar Cycle 25," praising its "spectacular structure and plasma knots" as a massive cloud of solar material tore away from the surface.
Another aurora chaser, Vincent Ledvina, was equally stunned, writing: "Good God look at this gorgeous prominence eruption … one of the best I've ever seen."
Solar physicist Ryan French added, "A stunning eruption of filament plasma from the sun this morning! This size of event can cause strong aurora activity if directed towards Earth, but alas — this one was not."
The immense blast hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space, confirmed by imagery from the SOHO spacecraft's LASCO coronagraph. Fortunately for Earth, the CME is moving well away from our planet.
Space weather forecaster Sara Housseal shared this view showing the CME firing out to the southeast east "the Sun said none for you," Housseal wrote in a post on X.
Still, the sheer scale of the event, with giant arcs of plasma looping high above the solar limb before breaking free, makes it a standout moment in recent solar activity.
And the show wasn't over. Just hours later, SDO and GOES-SUVI recorded another eruption, this time from the sun's northeastern limb. A second prominence lifted off dramatically, again releasing a CME that SOHO tracked racing into interplanetary space.
Solar prominences are enormous loops of hot plasma that erupt from the sun's surface, tethered by magnetic fields. They can extend hundreds of thousands of miles into space, and when they destabilize, the trapped material can blast away as a CME, according to NASA.
Together, the twin eruptions mark one of the most dramatic days of Solar Cycle 25 so far. While neither is heading our way, they will not spark auroras here on Earth, space weather watchers are buzzing over the spectacle.
Vast fountains of plasma sculpted by the sun's tangled magnetic fields, captured in exquisite detail by satellites. What's not to love?
https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/watch-sun-unleash-back-to-back-plasma-blasts-in-spectacular-prominence-eruptions-video
https://twitter.com/SNHWx/status/1958186704998736066
https://twitter.com/JAtanackov/status/1958480156013588828
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJNEl6s0aUs (Another Big Solar Blast, Magnetic Navigation | S0 News Aug.21.2025)
Russia launches mice, microbes and more on monthlong mission to Earth orbit
August 20, 2025
Russia just sent a mini menagerie to orbit.
The Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today (Aug. 20), rising off the pad at 1:13 p.m. EDT (1713 GMT; 10:13 p.m. local time in Kazakhstan).
Onboard are 75 mice and 1,000 fruit flies, along with a variety of microbes, cell cultures and plant seeds. These living payloads will spend a month circling Earth, to help scientists gauge the effects of spaceflight on organisms and their various systems.
As its name suggests, the newly launched mission is the second in Russia's Bion-M line of space-medicine investigations, the successor to the nation's previous Bion program. (The last of the original Bion missions, Bion 11, flew in 1996.)
Bion-M No. 1 launched in April 2013, sending a diverse assemblage of creatures to low Earth orbit for 30 days.
These payloads included "rodents, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, insects, bacteria, plant and animal cell cultures," according to a NASA mission description.
Bion-M No. 2 was supposed to follow in 2016 or 2017 but was beset by a series of delays, as Anatoly Zak of RussianSpaceWeb.com noted. Everything was finally ready today, and the spacecraft got off the ground at long last.
Like its predecessor, Bion-M No. 2 is expected to circle Earth for a month. It will do so in a different orbit, however — one that takes it over the poles, increasing the exposure to cosmic radiation substantially compared to Bion-M No. 1.
The mission's capsule will then parachute back to Earth, where it will be retrieved and taken back to the lab.
Researchers will pore over the payloads, studying how the various organisms — and simulated moon dirt and rock, which also launched on Bion-M No. 2 — were affected by microgravity and radiation.
Such work is designed to help Russia prepare for human exploration of deep-space locales, particularly the moon.
Russia is targeting Earth's nearest neighbor in the relatively near future: It's a partner on the International Lunar Research Station, a China-led effort to establish a crewed moon base in the 2030s.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russia-launches-mice-microbes-and-more-on-mission-to-earth-orbit-bion-m-number-2
https://www.russianspaceweb.com/2025.html#bion
https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-trace-massive-cosmic-explosion-back-12-billion-years-this-is-the-most-distant-event-where-we-can-directly-see-light-escaping-from-around-stars
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/new-research-shines-light-on-how-stars-end-their-lives-and-the-distant-universe
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02612-9
Astronomers trace massive cosmic explosion back 12 billion years. 'This is the most distant event where we can directly see light escaping from around stars'
August 21, 2025
Astronomers have used a newly discovered and still mysterious class of cosmic explosions to better understand the process of stellar life and death in the distant universe.
The blasts in question are Fast X-ray Transients (FXTs), recently discovered outbursts of X-rays that last for just a few minutes. The source of FXTs has been shrouded in mystery.
Now, with the aid of the Einstein Probe X-ray space telescope, astronomers have tracked one FXT, designated EP240315A, back to its source after travelling towards Earth for 12 billion years.
"We've known that these unique explosions exist for some time, but it is only now, thanks to the new Einstein Probe mission, that we can pinpoint them in near real time," team member Peter Jonker, of Radboud University, said in a statement.
Occurring in galaxies located billions of light-years away and lasting anywhere from seconds to hours, FXTs have proved difficult to trace back to their sources.
Despite this, astronomers have theorized that FXTs may occur when massive stars go supernova, collapsing and leaving behind black holes.
"This event is novel and interesting because only a handful of FXTs had been discovered until very recently, and their origin was a mystery, primarily because they had been found in archival observations," team member and University of Lancaster researcher Samantha Oates said in the statement.
"By the time they were discovered, it was too late to perform follow-up of these transient X-ray objects at other wavelengths to get other information about what might be causing them."
The team thus perfected their mapping of EP240315A using the ATLAS optical telescope system, the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in northern Chile, and the Gran Telescopio Canarias, located in Spain.
"These observations show that this explosion happened when the universe was less than 10% of its current age - the light has been travelling to us for 12 billion years," team member Andrew Levan, of Radboud University, said.
"The combination of the distance and the brightness means this explosion gave off more energy in a few seconds than the sun will over its entire life."
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Are Fast X-ray Transients and Gamma-ray Bursts cousin cosmic explosions?
The extreme energy of the FXTs and data regarding blasts of energy called gamma-rays suggest that FXTs and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are, at least sometimes, related.
GRBs are the most powerful and violent explosions in the known universe, brief flashes of high-energy radiation that result from some of the universe's most explosive events, including the death of massive stars and the subsequent birth of black holes.
Unlike FXTs, GRBs have been studied by humanity for around half a century.
"A real question is whether all of the FXTs come from GRB-like systems, or if there is much more diversity," Jonker added. "Our paper shows that many of them might be gamma-ray bursts, but there are good reasons to think there is much more still to discover."
When the team looked at observations of EP240315A, collected by the VLT, they found that its source was surrounded by very little material. In particular, they noted a dearth of hydrogen in this region.
Hydrogen filters ultraviolet light, preventing it from effectively traversing the cosmos. When this FXT was launched, around 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang, hydrogen was bombarded by ultraviolet light, causing it to be ionized.
"Our observations show that perhaps 10% of the ultraviolet light created in the host galaxy of the FXT is escaping to ionize the universe," said team member Andrea Saccardi, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) Saclay.
"This is the most distant event where we can directly see light escaping from around stars.
"Galaxies like this are probably really important for reionization."
The FXT EP240315A was one of the first events detected by the Einstein Probe, which launched on Jan. 9, 2024. "In the year since this first object, we have found and studied another 20 of these outbursts," Levan added.
"They [FXTs] are living up to their promise as an exciting new way to explore both how stars end their lives, and also what the universe was like in the distant past."
Oates explained that this research exemplifies how the Einstien Probe is revolutionizing the detection of FXTs and their further study.
"The Einstein Probe has opened up a new window on the universe, allowing us to probe the origin of these transient X-ray phenomena and widen our knowledge of the behavior associated with the deaths of massive stars," she concluded.
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Space Force lets some guardians wear career-specific patches
August 21, 2025
Guardians with certain jobs may proudly display their area of expertise on their uniform, despite a move by the Air Force earlier this year to do away with duty identifier patches.
The Space Force in an updated dress and appearance policy issued last week authorizes 11 badges for personnel directly involved “in mission execution,” such as “EW” for electromagnetic warfare and “NAVWAR” for navigation warfare.
The other mission areas, according to the policy, are theater electromagnetic warfare, orbital warfare, cyberspace warfare, satellite communications, missile warning and tracking, space-based sensing and targeting, satellite control, and space lift and range control, according to the policy.
Staff and other support roles are not authorized to wear the mission-identifying patches, the new guidelines state.
The Air Force had more than 130 approved career-field patches, all of which were banned starting in February to promote unity, service leaders said at the time.
Airmen are still permitted to wear tabs signifying special duties, qualifications or training, such as honor guard or air adviser.
The Space Force’s 114-page policy, published Aug. 15, consolidates all uniform and grooming rules into a single document, the service said in a statement this week.
The guidance “provides clear standards that support our warfighting objectives and culture” for just under 10,000 guardians, Katharine Kelley, deputy chief of space operations for personnel, said in a statement Monday.
The mission tabs must be a textile. They are to be worn above the organizational unit patch and below the Commander’s Badge Insignia, the policy says.
Besides this authorization, which was first reported by Air and Space Forces Magazine, the Space Force standards closely align with those of the Air Force.
In some grooming categories, however, guardians appear to have a little more leeway.
The Air Force in February changed policy on fingernail adornment, going from 60 permissible nail polish colors to just three approved styles, “clear or French or American Manicure,” according to guidelines.
The Space Force says female guardians “may wear nail polish in a single, muted color that does not compromise the uniform’s appearance,” with the exception of gold, silver, black or fluorescent colors.
Also authorized are white-tip French manicures, American manicures, and natural ombre styles, the updated Space Force policy says.
Beards for men are banned without a medical waiver or religious accommodation, similar to the Air Force. Still in the works is an official Space Force service dress uniform.
The service has said it expects to roll out the uniform in early 2026, after several years of testing.
https://www.stripes.com/branches/space_force/2025-08-21/space-force-issues-updated-appearance-rules-18833641.html
Amentum Awarded $4B Space Force Range Contract to Modernize Launch Infrastructure
August 21, 2025, 10:51 am
Amentum, through its wholly owned subsidiary Jacobs Technology, has secured the potential $4 billion Space Force Range Contract by Space Systems Command to support the modernization of the Launch and Test Range System.
The 10-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract requires providing systems engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, sustainment and operations support to Assured Access to Space, SSC’s largest organization, comprising Space Launch Delta 45, Space Launch Delta 30 and the Launch Enterprise, Amentum said Monday.
Supporting Space Force’s Multi-User Spaceports
According to the company, modernizing the LTRS will enable a high-cadence, multi-user spaceport model for national security, space exploration and commercial launch operations.
Work will be performed in the eastern and western ranges, including Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Vandenberg Space Force Base and several geographically separated units.
“Our team has the unmatched experience and expertise to enable the Space Force to meet its mission demands today and transform for the space launches of tomorrow,” said Mark Walter, president of Amentum’s engineering and technology group.
Amentum Focuses on Modernization and Talent
Amentum will implement a consolidated LTRS strategy, a Spaceport Concept of Operations, enhanced range resilience, and digital transformation and modernization.
The company will also be involved in the recruitment and retention of low-density or high-demand technical talent such as machinists, radar specialists, data scientists and engineers.
Steve Arnette, Amentum’s chief operating officer and a 2023 Wash100 Award recipient, said the award builds on decades of trusted support for space launch infrastructure.
“We’re leveraging that deep institutional knowledge, combined with our modern capabilities, to help the Space Force drive mission assurance, accelerate launch readiness, and realize the full potential of a multi-user spaceport future.”
Contract work began on June 1, with transition activities to commence soon to maintain continuity and readiness in anticipation of growing launch demand.
https://www.executivebiz.com/articles/amentum-ssc-4b-ltrs-modernization-contract
>We're going to do a job.
US to dismantle center tasked with countering ‘Russian influence’
21 Aug, 2025 04:26
The US will scale back an intelligence body created to counter foreign influence in the wake of alleged Russian election interference.
The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader campaign to cut wasteful spending and depoliticize federal agencies.
In a statement on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the core functions of the “redundant” Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC) will be transferred to other bodies.
Congress established the FMIC in 2019 following claims of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, which Trump won.
While Moscow denied seeking to sway the vote, Trump and the Republicans argued the allegations were part of a Democratic effort to delegitimize his victory and undermine his presidency.
“FMIC and its predecessor entities were used by the previous administration to justify the suppression of free speech and to censor political opposition,” Gabbard said.
Since mid-July, Gabbard has released multiple documents she claims expose a coordinated effort by senior Obama-era officials to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia.
On Tuesday, she added that, contrary to some claims, Moscow “did not appear to have any preference for one candidate over the other.”
According to Gabbard, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence became “hyper-focused” on elections in 2017 after the CIA prepared a “manufactured” report falsely claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help Trump win.
https://www.rt.com/news/623348-us-dismantle-russian-influence/
DNI Gabbard Launches ODNI 2.0: Reduce bloat by over 40% and save taxpayers $700+ million per year
August 20, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced a long-overdue transformation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to refocus on executing its core national security mission with integrity in the most agile, effective, and efficient way.
This will reduce ODNI by over 40% by the end of fiscal year 2025 and save taxpayers over $700 million per year and better enable ODNI to focus on fulfilling its critical role of serving as the central hub for intelligence integration, strategic guidance, and oversight over the Intelligence Community.
ODNI was created after the horrific Islamist terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, exposed systemic failures across the Intelligence Community (IC).
Its purpose was to integrate intelligence from and provide oversight over all IC elements (currently 18) in order to ensure the intelligence provided to the President and policymakers is timely, accurate, and apolitical.
Unfortunately, two decades later, ODNI has fallen short in fulfilling its mandate.
“Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence,” said DNI Tulsi Gabbard.
“ODNI and the IC must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers.
Ending the weaponization of intelligence and holding bad actors accountable are essential to begin to earn the American people’s trust which has long been eroded.
Under President Trump’s leadership, ODNI 2.0 is the start of a new era focused on serving our country, fulfilling our core national security mission with excellence, always grounded in the U.S. Constitution, and ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people.”
ODNI 2.0 eliminates redundant missions, functions and personnel, and makes critical investments in areas that support the President’s national intelligence priorities, and focuses on rebuilding trust, exposing politicization and weaponization of intelligence, holding bad actors accountable, saving American tax dollars, and focusing on our core mission: protecting the safety, security, and freedom of the American people.
https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2025/4100-pr-24-25
https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/ODNI-20-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Ukraine ready to accept frontline ‘freeze’ – top Zelensky aide
21 Aug, 2025 16:41
One scenario for ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict is for Kiev to accept freezing the hostilities along current battle lines, Mikhail Podoliak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, has said.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica in an interview published on Thursday, the top aide commented on potential concessions Kiev could make for a peace deal.
“Ukraine’s preliminary position is as follows: we understand that one of the basic scenarios to get out of this war is freezing the conflict along the front line,” Podoliak said. Some territories would remain “de facto” Russian, he added.
“De jure no one would recognize those territories as Russian,” and great efforts would need to be exerted through “economic, diplomatic and other tools” to get them back, Podoliak said.
In such a scenario, Kiev would also need to be included in an alliance, Podoliak added. “Not NATO, but an alliance nonetheless,” he said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly ruled out Ukrainian membership in NATO.
According to Podoliak, the deployment of military contingents to Ukraine from “various countries” is under discussion with around ten countries, including France.
Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it will not accept the UK- and France-led initiatives to send forces from NATO countries to Ukraine, warning that such a move could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the West.
Russia has insisted that any lasting settlement in the Ukraine conflict must address the core causes of the conflict, address Moscow’s security concerns and recognize the current territorial realities.
This includes the status of Crimea and the four new Russian regions: the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, as well as Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions, which voted in referendums to join Russia in 2022.
https://www.rt.com/russia/623380-ukraine-accept-frontline-freeze-podoliak/
India test-fires new nuclear-capable missile
21 Aug, 2025 06:21
India has successfully tested the Agni-5, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile with an intermediate range that can reach targets at a distance of up to 5,000km (3,106 miles), its Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The test, which was carried out from the Integrated Test Range in the eastern state of Odisha, “validated all operational and technical parameters,” the ministry said.
The intermediate-range ballistic missile can be deployed from mobile launchers and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads with high precision, with the help of advanced guidance systems.
The missile's coverage area includes almost all of Asia and parts of Europe.
India has already deployed the Agni-1 to Agni-4 missiles, with ranges spanning 700km to 3,500km (435 to 2,175 miles).
The South Asian country has also recently tested the Prithvi-II and Agni-I, both of which are nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missiles, as well as the newly developed Pralay tactical missile.
https://www.rt.com/india/623349-india-test-fires-new-nuclear/
https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/1958177499235397649
Ukraine strikes Novoshakhtinsk refinery, Russian drone hubs military supplies disrupted
21 August 2025 15:46
Ukrainian forces have struck the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, as well as a fuel depot in Voronezh and a drone storage and logistics base in Russian-occupied Donetsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has confirmed.
The attacks occurred overnight on August 21, with the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces coordinating alongside other defence units, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.
The Novoshakhtinsk refinery, a major fuel supplier to southern Russia and Russian military units, houses more than 210,000 cubic metres of fuel.
The General Staff reported multiple explosions following the strike. Additional hits on the Voronezh fuel depot are expected to disrupt Russian military logistics.
While the full impact is still being assessed, Ukrainian officials said the attacks had already significantly reduced the adversary’s fuel supply capacity and their use of drones.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces targeted a drone warehouse and logistics hub in occupied Donetsk.
The strike caused a series of explosions, substantially limiting the Russian military’s ability to deploy long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Novoshakhtinsk refinery has previously been targeted due to its strategic importance to Russia’s defence industry.
Satellite imagery from December 24 last year showed at least one fuel tank destroyed during an earlier attack, highlighting the facility’s vulnerability and ongoing significance.
https://caliber.az/en/post/ukraine-strikes-novoshakhtinsk-refinery-russian-drone-hubs
Ukraine destroys Russian patrol boat in Black Sea using drone-guided laser, intelligence says
August 21, 2025 9:30 am
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) struck a Russian patrol boat in the Black Sea near the occupied town of Zaliznyi Port in Kherson Oblast, killing five crew members, HUR reported on Aug. 21.
The Aug. 20 attack was carried out with a missile, guided by a laser designator operated from a drone, HUR claimed.
Earlier, the Ukrainian military had said that Ukraine was already using laser technologies to hit Russian targets.
Zaliznyi Port, once a popular Black Sea resort, was occupied by Russia in 2022. It is located some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Kherson.
In late July, Ukrainian special forces destroyed Russian weaponry and personnel during a combat operation on the Tendra Spit, an island off the coast of the occupied area of Kherson Oblast.
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-destroys-russian-patrol-boat-in-black-sea-using-drone-guided-laser-intelligence-says/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC9gl5GLzW8
Israel launches attack on Gaza City
21 Aug, 2025 07:49
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has begun “the first stages” of an operation to take over Gaza City, a military spokesman has announced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to seize the city in order to achieve full control of Gaza was approved by the Jewish state's security cabinet two weeks ago.
IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said on Wednesday that Israeli forces are already “holding the outskirts of Gaza City” and will “deepen” attacks on Palestinian armed group Hamas in the densely populated area.
Netanyahu later said he had ordered the military to “shorten the timelines for seizing the last terror strongholds and for the defeat of Hamas.”
The IDF is expected to present its plan for the capture of Gaza City to the prime minister on Thursday, military sources have told local media.
Earlier this week, the IDF announced it would be calling up another 60,000 reservists ahead of the operation.
Reports have also claimed that West Jerusalem has decided not to respond to Monday’s proposal by Hamas, which includes the release of ten Israeli hostages and a 60-day ceasefire.
The offer was based on the framework by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the group.
Hamas said “the start of an operation against Gaza City and its nearly one million residents and displaced persons… demonstrates… a blatant disregard for the efforts made by the mediators.”
On Wednesday, three IDF troops were wounded, including one severely, after 15 Hamas fighters emerged from tunnels and attacked them with firearms and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City.
The conflict in Gaza began after an incursion by Hamas into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Around 50 of them remain in captivity.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 62,000 people have been killed and around 156,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave since then.
https://www.rt.com/news/623354-gaza-city-israel-hamas/
as an observation, RT hasn't really reported on any of the strikes for a week or so, its been all through other sources
Massive Search Operation Launched after Suspected Drone Spotted near Jammu’s Gajansoo Border Area
August 21, 2025 16:57:51 IST
Jammu: Security forces launched a massive search operation in the Gajansoo-Marh belt along the Indo-Pakistan International Border in Jammu after a suspected hostile drone was spotted deep inside Indian territory on Wednesday.
According to officials, the drone movement was noticed in the evening hours, triggering immediate alert in the border belt.
Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, swiftly cordoned off the fields and adjoining residential areas to locate the flying object.
The area remained tense as search teams combed through agricultural lands and village clusters, amid apprehensions of a possible weapons or narcotics drop.
“Soon after receiving inputs of drone activity, teams of BSF and police rushed to the spot. A large-scale search operation is still underway,” an official confirmed.
The incident has revived concerns of renewed drone activity across the border.
In the past, security forces have foiled multiple drone-dropping attempts in the Jammu sector, recovering consignments of weapons, explosives and narcotics, believed to have been sent from across the border.
Officials said that security has been further tightened along the sensitive border belt to ensure that any infiltration or smuggling attempt is neutralised swiftly.
https://sundayguardianlive.com/news/massive-search-operation-launched-after-suspected-drone-spotted-near-jammus-gajansoo-border-area-137364/
Lithuania declares no-fly zone along part of Belarus border after drone incursions
August 21, 2025 at 8:52AM EDT
NATO member Lithuania has declared a 90-kilometres long no-fly zone near its capital along the country’s border with Belarus, in response to drones entering from there.
“This was done with regard to the security situation and the threats to society, including risks to civil aviation due to airspace violations by unpiloted aircraft,” a Defence Ministry spokesperson said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
The no-fly zone will allow Lithuania’s armed forces to react to airspace violations, said the statement.
Lithuania shares a 679-kilometre border with Belarus, a close ally of Russia. The capital Vilnius lies roughly 30 kilometres from the border.
The no-fly zone was established on August 14 and extends from the ground up to 12,000 feet (3.7 kilometres), according to the air navigation authority notice. Aircraft in that zone face the “risk of interception and/or engagement in the event of penetration.”
Lithuania has asked NATO for more air defenses after two unmanned military aircraft identified as Gerbera drones, which Russia builds and uses against Ukraine, flew into Lithuania from Belarus in July and crashed.
In the most recent incident, on July 28, a drone armed with 2 kg of explosives flew over Vilnius before crashing in a military training area used by the German army about 100 kilometres from the border.
Authorities said the drone was likely directed by Russia at Ukraine but got disoriented by Ukraine’s defenses.
Another Gerbera drone entered Lithuania from Belarus on July 10, leading to Gintautas Paluckas, then the prime minister, and Speaker of Parliament Saulius Skvernelis being briefly taken to bomb shelters before authorities determined the drone was not dangerous.
Polish officials reported on Wednesday that a Russian drone had crashed in a field in eastern Poland, an incident the country’s defense minister described as a provocation.
Estonia has established a no-fly zone along all of its Russian border from July 31 to Aug. 25, citing “unmanned aircraft activity,” according to the Estonian air navigation authority’s webpage.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/lithuania-declares-no-fly-zone-along-part-of-belarus-border-after-drone-incursions/
Software glitches plague US Navy drone programme
21 August 2025
The US Navy’s ambition to build a fleet of autonomous drones is running into major obstacles. Recent trials off the coast of California revealed software issues and communication failures that led to collisions between unmanned vessels, according to a new report by Reuters.
These incidents, involving prototypes from Saronic and BlackSea Technologies, highlight the complexity of developing reliable autonomous systems.
Human error also played a role, underscoring the need for better training and improved coordination between onboard systems and external software.
The Navy’s pursuit of drones is driven by the growing threat from China, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. US military leaders are now considering autonomous ships that can operate independently and coordinate their maneuvers.
However, developing these advanced systems is far more expensive than building simple remotely operated drones. Beyond the technical challenges, the Navy’s autonomous drone procurement unit is facing internal unrest.
The dismissal of the top admiral and concerns raised by a senior Pentagon official during a meeting with Navy leadership point to deeper issues within the programme.
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has suspended a contract with L3Harris, a supplier of autonomous software for some vessels, further highlighting the uncertainties surrounding the project.
Despite these setbacks, the Pentagon remains committed to accelerating its drone efforts through the $1 billion (€858 million) Replicator programme, which aims to acquire thousands of air and sea drones.
However, skepticism from the new administration raises questions about the program’s future trajectory.
https://www.techcentral.ie/software-glitches-plague-us-navy-drone-programme/
Florida man arrested after drone carrying drugs crashes into house: Sheriff
August 20, 2025 at 7:16 pm
A Florida man is facing charges after his drone carrying drugs including methamphetamine and fentanyl crashed into a home, authorities said.
The homeowners called authorities after they said a man showed up at their front door after crashing the drone into the home on Tuesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies responded and found the drone and multiple bags containing the methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The drone's owner, 49-year-old Jason Brooks, was taken into custody and arrested on charges including possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver, authorities said.
Body camera footage released by the sheriff's office showed deputies encountering Brooks outside the home as he was holding what appeared to be the drone's remote.
The video shows a deputy inspecting the bags of drugs, including one that was marked "share this."
Later in the video, Brooks is asked to hand over the remote and put his hands behind his back as he's arrested.
The sheriff's office said Brooks is facing additional charges related to his vehicle being unregistered and missing a proper tag.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/florida-man-arrested-after-drone-carrying-drugs-crashes-into-house-sheriff/3680443/
Three Space Lab: $3 Million Seed Funding Raised To Transform Real Estate With VR
August 21, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Three Space Lab (3SL), a company specializing in ultra-realistic virtual reality (VR) real estate visualization, has raised $3 million in seed funding.
This significant financial backing aims to transform the luxury homebuying experience, making it more interactive and engaging for prospective buyers.
The funding round was led by Arminius Verwaltung, an investment firm based in Switzerland, which will enable 3SL to expand its global sales team significantly and utilize AI in transformative ways.
With this capital investment, 3SL plans to accelerate its expansion efforts across key international markets, including North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
The company will initially target high-demand real estate hotspots such as Miami, known for its vibrant luxury market; St. Tropez, a classic destination for affluent buyers; and Dubai, a city renowned for its opulent properties and rapid growth in the luxury sector.
3SL was founded by Dr. Scott W. Greenwald, a former research scientist at MIT, who is driven by a vision to redefine the traditional real estate sales process.
By enabling sellers to present off-plan and remote properties with stunning levels of realism and detail, 3SL’s cutting-edge, proprietary immersive visualization platform sets a new standard for the industry.
This innovative approach not only enhances the buyer’s experience by offering a highly interactive and lifelike exploration of properties but also empowers potential buyers to make informed and confident purchasing decisions from anywhere in the world, at any time.
In doing so, 3SL aims to disrupt the established real estate market and usher in a new era of home buying.
KEY QUOTES:
“3SL brings luxury real estate to life for buyers worldwide, letting them step into their dream homes from anywhere using VR, bringing joy and magic to the biggest purchase decisions of their lives.
This not only helps our customers sell their properties faster and more efficiently — it also allows architects, designers, and developers to experience and emotionally connect with their projects even before they’re built.
Our novel approach brings unparalleled realism and usability to VR technology, breaking down stubborn barriers to adoption in the real estate space.”
“This funding bolsters our ability to scale, developing AI-based techniques to increase the sophistication of our offering while decreasing cost and accelerating execution.
This will allow us to bring our ultra-realistic content offerings to developers and buyers worldwide. Furthermore, we see this as a first step to VR adoption across numerous industry verticals.”
https://pulse2.com/three-space-lab-3-million-seed-funding-raised-to-transform-real-estate-with-vr/
An unidentified flying object has crashed and exploded in Poland’s east
Aug 20, 2025 8:57 AM EDT
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An unidentified flying object crashed into a cornfield and exploded in eastern Poland early Wednesday, the country’s news agency PAP reported.
Local police said they received reports of the crash around 2 a.m. and found burned metal and plastic debris at the scene, near the village of Osiny.
As a result of the explosion, windows were broken in some houses but nobody was injured, PAP reported.
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said Wednesday on social media that no violations of Polish airspace from neighboring Ukraine or Belarus were recorded overnight.
Officials initially said the explosion may have been caused by a part of an old engine with a propeller.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz later said the object was most likely a drone, adding that an analysis was underway to determine whether it was a military or smuggling one, PAP reported.
Lublin District Prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz told reporters several investigators — both civilian and military — were examining the crash site.
“We have a lot of manpower, we have the army to help us. I hope that we will be able to finish the operation by the evening,” Trusiewicz said.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, there have been a number of intrusions into Polish airspace, raising alarm in the European Union and NATO member state and reminding people how close the war is.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/an-unidentified-flying-object-has-crashed-and-exploded-in-polands-east
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/poland-says-air-defenses-didn-t-detect-a-russian-drone-entering-its-airspace-and-that-it-only-realized-in-the-morning/ar-AA1KV4lf
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14976021/underwater-city-turkey-Noahs-Ark-rewrites-Bible.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSfz9PDdnsc (Underwater Lost City in Türkiye | NEW Discoveries | Expedition - Matthew LaCroix, Matt Beall Jul 20, 2025)
Vast underwater city discovered near 'resting place of Noah's Ark' rewrites Bible story known to millions
Updated: 15:36 EDT, 6 August 2025
An ancient underwater city beneath Turkey's Lake Van could potentially reveal secrets that challenge the origins of Noah's Ark.
The sprawling ruins lie 85 feet below the surface near the town of Gevaş, just 150 miles from Mount Ararat, the mountain traditionally believed to be the final resting place of the biblical boat.
Geological evidence suggests that the ruins were submerged 12,000 to 14,500 years ago, when a Mount Nemrut eruption blocked the Mirat River, and caused massive flooding during the Younger Dryas, a period of extreme climate upheaval.
While mainstream scholars dismiss the theory, many independent researchers believe this disaster wiped out an advanced civilization, one so ancient that it may have inspired the earliest versions of the Great Flood story.
'As far as I'm aware, any civilizations in the last 6,000 years did not have the technological means to create the type of stonework we're seeing here,' said independent researcher Matt LaCroix, who spoke about the discovery on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast.
LaCroix and an international dive team are preparing to explore the site in September using advanced imaging tools to map the ruins, which he believes could help rewrite humanity's timeline.
The underwater complex spans more than half a mile, featuring a stone fortress flanked by circular temples with precisely carved masonry.
There is also a capstone engraved with a six-spoked 'Flower of Life' symbol, an ancient motif also found at sacred sites in Peru and Bolivia.
Discovered in 1997 by Turkish underwater filmmaker Tossen Salin while studying Lake Van's unusual micro-invertebrates, the ruins have remained largely unknown to the public.
While archaeologists confirm the structures exist, many attribute them to the Urartian period around 3,000 years ago, or even to the medieval era. But they have admitted that the site has yet to be fully studied or definitively dated.
LaCroix, however, said in a July episode of the podcast that geological data told a different story. He explained how soil sampling and analysis of Mount Nemrut show clear evidence of a massive eruption around 12,000 years ago.
As a result, Lake Van's water level rose dramatically, over 100 feet, according to some estimates.
Because stone cannot be carbon-dated, researchers hope to find organic material, such as sediment layers or artifacts, which could confirm the age of the ruins.
But collecting such evidence underwater poses major challenges.
1/2
The site’s sophisticated stonework, with tightly interlocking blocks, angular joints, and no visible binding agents, appears to rival the engineering seen in megalithic sites like Sacsayhuamán in Peru.
'You can see that the temple has been significantly damaged, said LaCroix. 'All the stones on the top have broken off except those at the edges.
The site resembles Peruvian masonry, with precisely angled stones forming triangular joints, and only the front appears flat. It's beautiful and would have been perfectly carved.'
He believes the shared architectural features, symbolic motifs, and astronomical alignments across sites in Turkey, South America and Asia suggest the existence of a long-lost global civilization.
Scholars have long acknowledged that the biblical flood story likely evolved from earlier Mesopotamian texts.
Ancient cuneiform tablets from Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian cultures, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Atrahasis, and the Eridu Genesis, describe a massive flood sent to destroy early civilization, and a chosen man who builds a vessel to save life on Earth.
In these tales, the survivor is called Ziusudra or Utnapishtim, names predating Noah by thousands of years.
Excavation logs from Shuruppak, Iraq, believed to be the home of this early flood survivor, show a distinct flood layer above ancient Sumerian ruins.
These records, uncovered at the Penn Museum, provide physical evidence of a catastrophic event similar to those described in the ancient texts.
Even the Babylonian Map of the World, the oldest known map, marks the Ararat region near Lake Van as a place of ancient significance, possibly linked to tales of a lone survivor who emerged after a global deluge.
LaCroix argues that the biblical version is not being dismissed but rather reframed in its historical and cultural context.
He told Beall to picture a thriving civilization along Lake Van, building temples and structures on stable, elevated ground they believed would last forever.
The lake’s water level was stable for millennia, until the eruption of Mount Nemrut changed everything. 'It’s not that Lake Van would have had to have been 85 feet lower,' said LaCroix.
"It would have had to have been more like 100 feet lower or more, because these ruins are at 85 feet deep. So, what could account for a lake rising over 100 feet?'
2/2
>Epic of Gilgamesh
Chris Fleming
@chrisfleming91
I wonder if the knowledge of this discovery was cataloged as a WMD (weapon of mass destruction) perhaps there was some other form of ancient technology within the tomb or nearby.
Open Minded Approach
@OMApproach
So, German archaeologists thought they found the tomb of the mythical king Gilgamesh, and 5 months later, Iraq was invaded.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most important recoveries from the ancient Sumerian world. Gilgamesh was portrayed as a giant, and, funny enough, there is an interesting story of soldiers encountering a giant in the desert in Afghanistan. Perhaps there is something more to this.
Was the invasion related to nuclear weapons or to securing ancient relics before anyone else?
Forbidden History Rabbit Hole Thread (1/8)🧵
4:29 AM · Nov 6, 2024
https://x.com/chrisfleming91/status/1854285257400279390
https://x.com/OMApproach/status/1854139117761622075
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/united-states-returns-iraq-rare-tablet-bearing-portion-epic-gilgamesh
https://foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/SearchResults.aspx?searchText=gilgamesh (pg 470)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AhCfmGyGpA (Video of the day when the tomb of GILGAMESH was found in Uruk, Iraq)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl8nFgEKZbo (NEPHILIM: From Kandahar to America Jul 26, 2025)