Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:10 a.m. No.23647383   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7391 >>7392 >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX Spacecraft to Slingshot Past Earth

September 23, 2025

 

At 12:56 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 23, NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer) spacecraft will fly within about 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers) of Earth. Passing about 100 times closer to Earth than the Moon’s orbit, the spacecraft will perform a gravity assist maneuver to alter the spacecraft’s direction and speed.

In comparison, satellites in low Earth orbit are typically at altitudes up to about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) above the surface.

 

During OSIRIS-APEX’s encounter with Earth, the spacecraft will use the planet’s gravity to change trajectory and then slingshot back out into space.

The Earth gravity assist will change the spacecraft’s velocity in its orbit around the Sun by 15,660 miles per hour (7 kilometers per second) and alter its orbital plane by about 1.5 degrees.

 

Throughout the approach and gravity assist, OSIRIS-APEX will turn its cameras back toward Earth and the Moon to capture images and collect data that will be used to calibrate the instruments.

More from OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security - Apophis Explorer)

 

https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/osiris-apex/2025/09/23/nasas-osiris-apex-spacecraft-to-slingshot-past-earth/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:17 a.m. No.23647413   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7418 >>7421 >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4661-4667-peaking-into-the-hollows/

https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity/science-updates/

 

Curiosity Blog, Sols 4661-4667: Peaking Into the Hollows

Sep 23, 2025

 

Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 19, 2025

 

Curiosity is currently driving along the ridges of a very uneven terrain. One of the bigger ridges we nicknamed “Autobahn,” which is the German word for a highway.

But the rover didn’t stay on that autobahn, now more officially named “Arare,” for very long. Instead it went on a trip along several of the smaller ridges and even into some hollows.

You can get a good impression of the landscape in the image above, or view a wider panorama image here.

 

Today, I was science operations working group (SOWG) chair, the one responsible for coordinating all the science planning and making sure we stay within power and data budgets.

As we have so much to do with imaging ridges and hollows, and the team members are also keeping APXS and LIBS busy planning to investigate the chemistry of the ridge tops, the sides of the ridges, and of course the rocks within the hollows, the demands on power and data volume are high.

Alongside the “geo” observations, we are still in aphelion cloud season and want to make sure we capture enough atmospheric and environmental observations, too.

In each plan, the DAN instrument and MARDI camera are regularly looking down. DAN informs us about hydrogen in the subsurface underneath the rover, which is most likely associated with water-bearing minerals.

MARDI is documenting the rocks underneath the rover, more precisely underneath the left-front wheel.

 

With so many demands, and the fact that we are just coming out of Martian winter, where cold temperatures demand more heating to keep the rover safe, there was lots of demand on the power budgets all of this week.

Thus, myself and my SOWG chair colleagues had many discussions to facilitate. What amazes me each time about our team, though, is how smoothly those discussions go and how deep an understanding we all have developed about the seasonality and cadence of each other’s investigations.

It is so nice to see how smooth it has become to — as a team — figure out what has the highest priority on a given planning day.

 

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Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:17 a.m. No.23647418   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7425 >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

>>23647413

After a range of good discussions, and luck that the rover was parked in a stable position for each planning cycle, we had many arm activities.

APXS and MAHLI focused on measuring and imaging the ridge tops — we call them bedrock — and those bedrocks look very smooth on top of the ridges.

Targets “Turbio,” “Río Aguas Blancas,” and “Isiboro” were measured and imaged earlier in the week, and today it was “Colonia Santa Rosa” and “Le Lentias.” (I am learning Spanish as we go; all those names are from the Uyuni region in South America.)

We entered the Uyuni quadrangle on sol 4573; you can read all about it in the blog post, 'Welcome to the Uyuni Quad.'

More chemistry investigations were added by ChemCam using the LIBS instrument on a wide range of smoother bedrock, complementing APXS observations in many places, and then adding chemical information from locations that have more variable features such as veins, nodules and fractures.

 

Mastcam and ChemCam, through its remote imager, are taking images of many different features in the landscape. You can see its variation in the image at the top of the blog.

What we are interested in is the variability of all those features, but also how they relate to each other. Are some features always on top of others, or are the veins cutting across the fractures?

Those are the questions that we can answer with the images taken from a distance for the wider context, and then close-up to see all the details.

We have taken overview images such as the one in the image above, and we have taken close-up images with the remote micro-imager and, of course, MAHLI.

Many of those images come from the sides of the ridges as this allows us to see “into” the rock record, and how the ridges are constructed. If you look at the image above closely, you can see some of this yourself.

You can spot some patterns, too. The ridge tops are more smooth, mostly at least. And that’s how the “Autobahn” was nicknamed in the first place! The hollows look more rough and a little more chaotic, too.

 

With all the excitement about the rocks, we didn’t forget the environmental observations. Those include temperature and wind, but also imaging of the atmosphere for its opacity and looking for dust devils.

We are just coming out of the season with the least dust in the atmosphere. That allowed us to do a first for the mission: image rocks outside the crater rim, 90 kilometers away (about 56 miles)!

We are very excited about those images taken with the remote micro-imager of ChemCam and with added Mastcam context.

They show what’s beyond the crater rim, and what will have been the source region for some of the sediments we saw very early in the mission, when we explored the Peace Vallis Fan!

Have a look at the wide overview image, and this close-up of rocks, 90 kilometers away, with the remote micro-imager.

 

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Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:20 a.m. No.23647441   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Artemis II Crew News Conference

Sept. 24, 2025

 

The four astronauts of Artemis II, which will lift off to fly around the Moon in early 2026, are sharing updates on the mission and taking questions from media.

 

Artemis II, a 10-day mission to confirm the systems and hardware necessary for human deep space travel, is the next step in our journey from the Moon to Mars.

 

Meet the crew, from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA):

  • Reid Wiseman, commander

  • Victor Glover, pilot

  • Christina Koch, mission specialist

  • Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mq_lb_SmKE

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/our-artemis-crew/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:28 a.m. No.23647476   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

NASA Flew Over a Fire — to Better Understand Future Ones

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

 

On April 14th-20th, 2025, NASA’s FireSense project led a multi-agency prescribed burn research operation at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Field, Georgia, in partnership with the U.S. Department of War (DoW).

 

The DoW led the prescribed burn activities, while NASA FireSense coordinated field and airborne sampling with academic and agency partners, including the DoW Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and DoW Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP).

 

The campaign targeted vegetation, fire, and smoke measurements, and aims to enhance understanding of fire behavior and smoke dynamics in order to provide actionable information to practitioners.

 

In a collaboration between NASA, the DoW, and wildland experts, NASA FireSense demonstrates how cutting-edge satellite and airborne technology is revolutionizing fire detection, prescribed fire, and ecosystem management—bringing real-time data to wildland fire managers.

 

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14894/

https://cce.nasa.gov/firesense/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:29 a.m. No.23647485   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7505 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Exercise Research and Computer Upgrades Keep Crew Busy on Tuesday

September 23, 2025

 

The Expedition 73 crew members explored how exercise in space affects the body, conducted an eye exam, and continued upgrading computer networking gear aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday.

The orbital residents also transferred emergency gear into the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, maintained life support equipment, and continued unpacking a Progress resupply ship.

 

Astronauts exercise daily for two hours aboard the orbital outpost to counteract accelerated muscle and bone loss caused by the lack of gravity.

Researchers monitor crew members during their workouts to keep crews healthy and design effective workout plans for long duration space missions.

 

NASA Flight Engineer Zena Cardman participated in the exercise portion of the CIPHER suite of 14 human research studies working out on the advanced resistive exercise device and pedaling on the station’s exercise cycle for insights into her heart health.

After her workout, she wore a sensor-packed Bio-Monitor headband and vest from the Canadian Space Agency beginning a 48-hour session measuring her health data.

Doctors will be observing how her cardiovascular health is adjusting to microgravity and comparing it to physical data collected from other astronauts before, during, and after a spaceflight.

 

NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fincke led an eye exam and operated medical imaging gear that Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) peered into as personnel on the ground monitored in real time.

Doctors are studying how microgravity affects the eye structure including the lens, retina, and optic nerve to understand potential vision issues during space missions and after the return to Earth.

 

Earlier, Yui was back inside the Kibo laboratory module on his second of replacing computer networking hardware. The ethernet hub upgrades will transmit data quicker and more efficiently throughout the orbital outpost.

Fincke and Cardman also joined NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim inside the SpaceX Dragon configuring the spacecraft for standard emergency preparations.

The trio outfitted the vehicle with emergency documents, pressure indicators, and seat components in the unlikely event a crew would need to evacuate the orbital outpost.

 

Station Commander Sergey Ryzhikov spent his shift installing a vacuum pressure gauge in the Nauka science module and servicing environmental control and life support systems in the station’s Roscosmos segment.

Flight Engineer Alexey Zubritsky was back inside the Progress 93 resupply ship unpacking some of the nearly three tons of food, fuel, and supplies it delivered on Sept. 13.

Afterward, Zubritsky jogged on the Zvezda service module’s treadmill while wearing chest electrodes that measured his cardiac activity for a physical fitness test.

Flight Engineer Oleg Platonov began his shift in Zvezda analyzing and testing the module’s power supply system before turning his attention to ongoing Earth observations photographing natural and man-made conditions on the seas, rivers, and mountainous areas.

 

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/09/23/exercise-research-and-computer-upgrades-keep-crew-busy-on-tuesday/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 8:37 a.m. No.23647507   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Astonishing images show Hurricane Gabrielle and Typhoon Ragasa from space

September 24, 2025

 

Astronaut Jonny Kim has shared jaw-dropping images of Hurricane Gabrielle.

 

Captured from aboard the International Space Station, the pictures posted Tuesday, Sept. 23, show the vast storm system churning across the Atlantic.

 

The hurricane rapidly strengthened from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 4 in less than 30 hours, and is currently tracking north-east in the central North Atlantic.

 

Posing no immediate threat to Bermuda or the US coast, it continues to generate high surf and rip current risks along the eastern seaboard.

 

Kim, a former US Navy SEAL and physician before joining NASA’s astronaut corps, has described watching such natural events from orbit as both awe-inspiring and sobering.

 

https://www.mydailyrecord.com/news/national/astonishing-images-show-hurricane-gabrielle-from-space/article_944809e9-c1f5-59e5-ac7d-c7e6197aad5e.html

https://x.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1970600322906419689

https://x.com/JonnyKimUSA/status/1970522747399790673

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:03 a.m. No.23647581   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Russian 'Noah's Ark' satellite carrying 75 mice and 1,500 flies lands back on Earth

September 23, 2025

 

They came from outer space: 75 mice, over 1,500 flies, cell cultures, microorganisms, plant seeds and more.

A Russian biological research satellite toting more than 30 experiments landed on Sept. 19 in the steppes of the Orenburg region after spending 30 days in Earth orbit.

The Bion-M No. 2 descent module has been called a "Noah's Ark" due to the mini-menagerie of specimens flown; it was lofted from the Baikonur cosmodrome on Aug. 20 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket.

 

After launch, the craft was placed into a polar orbit roughly 230 to 236 miles (370 to 380 kilometers) in altitude at an inclination of roughly 97 degrees.

Bion-M No. 2's payload of select biological specimens were thereafter exposed to a high level of cosmic radiation.

 

Initial examination

Photos taken of the recovered craft suggest the landing spurred a small brush fire. This fire was apparently extinguished quickly, allowing recovery crews to approach the descent module.

A trio of search helicopters carrying technical specialists touched down near the descent module to extract the living specimens as rapidly as possible to start an initial examination.

For example, on-site specialists were slated to assess the flies' motor activity to detect any nervous system problems.

 

Medical tent

The Bion-M No. 2 mission was a joint effort of Roscosmos, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBMP).

According to the IBMP in Moscow — the lead organization for the mission — the first post-flight studies were done in a deployed medical tent at the landing site.

The biological objects were expected to return to IBMP laboratories around midnight on Sept. 20.

 

Influence of spaceflight

Bion-M No. 2's scientific program of experiments and research consists of 10 "sections."

According to the IBMP, the first and second sections are devoted to experimental studies of gravitational physiology on animals.

The goal here is to help create new technologies for ensuring human life support during flights under the combined effects of weightlessness and cosmic radiation.

 

A third, fourth and fifth section are devoted to studies of the influence of space flight and outer space factors on the biology of plants and microorganisms as well as their communities. This can be thought of as understanding the general patterns of life in the universe.

The sixth, eighth and ninth sections include biotechnological, technological, physical and technical experiments, while a seventh section is a complex of radiobiological and dosimetric experiments necessary to help ensure the radiation safety of new crewed spacecraft.

A tenth section involves experiments prepared by students from various schools of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.

 

Panspermia experiment

Reportedly, one experiment, called "Meteorite," was carried out during the reentry of the lander.

This investigation focused on the prospect that life on Earth may have been introduced from outer space — a theory called panspermia.

Within the Bion capsule's hull, basalt rocks containing microbial strains were embedded to assess whether bacteria could survive the enormous thermal stress of reentry through the Earth's atmosphere.

This IBMP-released video shows several mice aboard the Bion-M No. 2 mission during their 30-day space journey.

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/russian-noahs-ark-probe-carrying-75-mice-and-1-500-flies-lands-back-on-earth

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:09 a.m. No.23647604   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7613 >>7617 >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

'A front-row seat to history': NASA's Artemis 2 moonshot could launch as early as Feb. 5

September 24, 2025

 

NASA's ambitious mission to return astronauts to the moon for the first time this century is on track to launch no later than April 2026, but it just might fly sooner if all goes well.

The 10-day-long Artemis 2 mission, which will fly four astronauts around the moon on NASA's Orion spacecraft, could lift off as early as Feb. 5, mission managers said today (Sept. 23) during an event here at the agency's Johnson Space Center (JSC).

"We together have a front-row seat to history: We're returning to the moon after over 50 years," Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, told reporters in a press conference today.

 

If Artemis 2 does lift off on Feb. 5, it will be at night, NASA officials said. The space agency has about five days apiece in February, March and April to launch the flight. The latest possible date is April 26, according to NASA.

NASA will aim to hit the earlier part of that launch window, Hawkins said, but she stressed that crew safety will drive the timeline.

"We want to emphasize that safety is our top priority," she said. "And so, as we work through these operational preparations, as we finish stacking the rocket, we're continuing to assess to make sure that we do things in a safe way."

 

Artemis 2, the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program, will launch to the moon atop the agency's towering Space Launch System megarocket (known as SLS), as the vanguard flight for a crewed U.S. return to the moon.

The mission will be commanded by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, with fellow agency spaceflyer Victor Glover as pilot. NASA's Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen round out the crew as mission specialists.

 

The mission will fly on a "free-return" trajectory, sending the Artemis 2 astronauts around the moon on a path that ensures their return to Earth without entering lunar orbit, let alone touching down on the surface.

"They're going at least 5,000 nautical miles [9,260 kilometers] past the moon, which is much higher than previous missions have gone," said Jeff Radigan of JSC, the lead Artemis 2 flight director.

"So, the moon's going to look a little bit smaller."

 

Artemis 2 follows the first Artemis test flight: the uncrewed Artemis 1, which launched an Orion spacecraft to lunar orbit in November 2022 and successfully brought it back to Earth about four weeks later.

Artemis 2 was initially expected to launch this year, but NASA pushed the mission into 2026 after the Artemis 1 Orion capsule's heat shield charred more severely than expected during its reentry to Earth's atmosphere.

 

The Artemis 2 team has studied this issue extensively and taken measures to minimize the chances of heat shield problems during reentry on the upcoming mission, said Rick Henfling of JSC, lead Artemis 2 entry flight director.

"We had a number of tests, and they all helped back up this understanding of what was going on in the char," Henfling said of the Artemis 1 heat shield data.

"And so the Artemis 2 trajectory that we're going to fly is going to be one that is not going to replicate that temperature environment, which was conducive to that increased gas generation rate."

 

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA's launch director for Artemis 2, further explained the liquid hydrogen leaks that delayed the Artemis 1 launch (it lifted off on its third try) should also be solved at this point.

The launch team has made modifications at the launch pad and adjusted the fueling process to reduce the risk of such leaks, she said.

 

"We learned an awful lot during Artemis 1," Blackwell-Thompson said. "We learned the relationship between the flow rates, the pressures and how those manifest, or could manifest, into leaks."

Artemis 2's Boeing-built SLS rocket is nearly complete at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida, with its Northrop Grumman-built solid rocket boosters attached, Blackwell-Thompson said.

In the coming weeks, the Orion capsule for the flight and its adapter will be added. NASA expects to show off the fully complete Artemis 2 rocket in October.

 

Blackwell-Thompson and the other NASA officials who spoke today repeatedly stressed that Artemis 2, though crewed, is still a test flight.

Thus, the agency will learn a lot from it while working hard to keep the astronauts safe and check off as many mission goals as possible.

"A test flight doesn't have one singular objective; it's got many of them," Radigan said. "To call this mission fully successful, we need to go fly by the moon, bring the crew home safely and welcome them back with open arms."

 

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/a-front-row-seat-to-history-nasas-artemis-2-moonshot-could-launch-as-early-as-feb-5

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:18 a.m. No.23647650   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Rare satellite footage shows the moon eclipsing the sun on a strangely crooked path

September 24, 2025

 

On Sept. 21, while skywatchers on Earth were eagerly watching a partial solar eclipse unfold, NOAA's space weather sentinel GOES-19 was also keeping watch from orbit.

From its vantage point high above Earth, the satellite's Compact Coronagraph-1 (CCOR-1) recorded something unusual: a natural solar eclipse from space.

 

CCOR-1 is designed to create its own "artificial eclipses." Like all coronagraphs, it uses an occulting disk to block direct sunlight so scientists can study the sun's faint outer atmosphere, known as the corona.

But this time, the moon itself scootched between the instrument and the sun, allowing CCOR-1 to briefly witness a true solar eclipse in space.

 

Eagle-eyed observers among you might have noticed the resulting imagery looked rather strange.

Instead of just the solar disk vanishing, the entire corona disappeared. That wasn't a cosmic anomaly; it was a consequence of image processing.

 

"Normally, each image seen by CCOR-1's detector is a combination of the corona and bright sunlight scattered within the telescope," Bill Thompson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center told Spaceweather.com.

"A model of the scattered light is subtracted to reveal the corona. During the eclipse, the scattered light went away, but the subtraction proceeded as if it hadn't. It ended up subtracting too much."

 

Because CCOR-1 orbits Earth, the moon can occasionally slip between the instrument and the sun.

That isn't possible for coronagraphs stationed farther away in space, such as SOHO at the L1 Lagrange point, because the moon would never pass through their field of view.

To our knowledge, this may be the first time a space-based coronagraph has ever recorded a natural eclipse.

 

The moon crosses CCOR-1's field of view roughly once a month, usually in a straight line. But this time, its path appeared to zig-zag.

That odd trajectory wasn't caused by the moon but was rather likely the result of a scheduled yaw-flip maneuver that took place on Sept. 22 to help calibrate the spacecraft.

 

The maneuver is designed to alter GOES-19's attitude, its orientation in space, and could have made the moon's otherwise straight path appear crooked in the coronagraph's processed imagery.

Although the flip occurred the day after the eclipse, it's possible that preparations for the maneuver the day before altered GOES-19's attitude, its orientation in space, and made the moon's otherwise straight path appear crooked in the coronagraph's processed imagery.

 

https://www.space.com/stargazing/solar-eclipses/rare-satellite-footage-shows-the-moon-eclipsing-the-sun-on-a-strangely-crooked-path

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=23&month=09&year=2025

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:26 a.m. No.23647678   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7695 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Space test program continues to expand, astronaut inspires future space test leaders

Sept. 23, 2025

 

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School Space Test Course started as a three-month program in January 2021, in collaboration with the newly formed U.S. Space Force, and has been growing ever since.

The program evolved to a year-long graduate certificate in Space Test Engineering in 2024 and is set to become a full 40-credit hour master’s degree program, known as the Space Test Engineering concentration in January 2026.

 

TPS graduate, Space Force Guardian and NASA Astronaut, Brig. Gen. Nick Hague, who played a crucial role in advocating for the expansion of the Space Test Course, recently visited Edwards Air Force Base to engage with K-12 students, TPS, airmen and their families.

From 2005-2006, he was the chief flight test engineer for the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards, previous director of Space Force Test and Evaluation, and is now the first-ever Space Force Guardian to travel to space as part of NASA’s Astronaut Corps.

 

“The strength of the Space Force lies in the dedication and expertise of our Airmen and Guardians,” said Hague. “It’s important to educate people on why research in space is so important and how it fundamentally impacts everyone’s lives on Earth.”

Fellow NASA Astronaut and retired Navy Capt. Sunita Williams was also a part of the Crew-9/Expedition 72 return from space and accompanied Hague during the visit to TPS.

 

“The fundamentals of test are universal, applying across all domains,” Karlen said. “This truth was on display as Brig. Gen. Hague and retired Navy Capt.

Williams spoke to the next generation of test leaders and Edwards Air Force Base. We are proud to walk in the footsteps of these test leaders.”

 

Hague's visit highlighted the critical role of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in national defense and space exploration.

“The graduates of the TPS Space Test Course have already been leading the charge in a variety of research development test and evaluation roles for the Space Force,” said Technical Director of Space at TPS, Andrew Freeborn, Ph.D.

“The partnership between the school and the Space Force has been nothing short of amazing. Brig. Gen. Hague has really personified that in his dual roles as a Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut.”

 

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, in collaboration with Space Training and Readiness Command and Space Delta (STARCOM) 12, educates up to 24 Guardians, Airmen, and joint partners annually to prepare them to assume leadership roles in the space test and evaluation enterprise.

This initiative will produce expert test leaders capable of developing and validating advanced space-based capabilities essential to maintaining the United States' strategic advantage.

Graduates will be equipped with specialized skills to plan, execute, analyze and report on developmental and operational tests of complex space systems.

 

“The Space Force through STARCOM, made significant investments into the partnership with U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and Edwards Air Force Baze to produce professional Guardian testers with a multi-domain mindset capable of leading the service in safely pushing the limits of our space systems by ensuring they are combat-credible and ready for the joint fight,” said Lt. Col. David Heinz, USSF Deputy Commandant-Space at USAF TPS.

 

Space Force Guardian and NASA Astronaut Brig. Gen. Hague speaks with Airmen and families during a base-wide presentation where he spoke about his experiences at the International Space Station. (Photo by Lindsey Iniguez)

“It becomes more critical as Guardians around the globe are responsible for bringing stability to the space domain,” said Hague. “What happens here at Edwards is extremely impactful to the space mission and I wanted to get out here and say thanks to the Air Force, Space Force and NASA.”

 

https://www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4313729/space-test-program-continues-to-expand-astronaut-inspires-future-space-test-lea/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:32 a.m. No.23647709   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7712 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4312838/saltzman-maintaining-us-lead-in-space-demands-faster-more-focused-capability-de/

 

Saltzman: maintaining US lead in space demands faster, more focused capability delivery

Sept. 23, 2025

 

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) – Winning in space and maintaining U.S. superiority demands a new approach to a decidedly earthbound activity – capabilities delivery, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said Sept. 23.

“Today, I want to … focus on force design and development,” Saltzman said in his keynote to an overflowing crowd of several thousand at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference.

“More specifically, capability delivery — how we acquire and field the systems that our Guardians employ to successfully accomplish our critical missions.”

 

The focus and timing were no accidents. Through-out his 30-minute remarks, Saltzman highlighted a number of successes and examples for “enhancing the speed and effectiveness of our deliveries.”

For example, he pointed to a significant advance in GPS, one of the few space systems that most Americans are familiar. “By combining new tactics, rapid upgrades and testing-in-ops, we boosted the average global GPS accuracy by 40%,” Saltzman said.

Such precision helps civilians in everyday life and, he added, “It can also guide B-2 bombers halfway around the world, and steer precision-guided bombs to within inches of their target in case that’s ever needed.”

 

He also highlighted the Space Force’s ability to rapidly reconstitute capability, if needed.

“Over the last year, we launched two state-of-the-art GPS satellites to continue providing timing and navigation to the world.

In the past, it took us almost two years to prepare, transport, stage and launch a GPS satellite. Now, it takes us only three months,” Saltzman said.

 

At the other, largely unseen end of the spectrum for most Americans, there also was success, Saltzman said.

“Just this month, the Space Development Agency successfully launched the first of their ‘Tranche One’ proliferated architecture,” he said.

“This system will provide missile warning, tactical communications, optical cross-links and more.

With more than 150 satellites in all, this capability will provide continuous overwatch and deny first mover advantage by making attacks against these systems less impactful.”

 

The reason for the intense focus and effort is obvious, Saltzman said.

“Now, high-quality space systems are mandatory, but they’re not relevant if we wait for them to be near-perfect before we put them in the hands of warfighters,” he said.

To succeed, Saltzman was blunt, saying the service as well as industry must move away from the ways of the past that slowed the development and production of critical equipment.

“Effective systems don’t require perfection to be combat credible. We need to consider rapid entry into operations, manage the capability with a smart risk posture, and then focus on rapid and continuous improvement of the capability in operations,” he said.

 

With the capabilities delivered through space more essential than ever in protecting national security and global economic stability, Saltzman said the Space Force must be able to identify, develop and deploy capabilities faster and more reliably than ever.

“Simply put, the Joint Force’s ability to project power, offer options to national leaders and provide security to the American people depends directly on how well we deliver and sustain our space systems,” he said.

 

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Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:33 a.m. No.23647712   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

>>23647709

As for timing, he said that the nearly six-year-old Space Force is at a point in its history that offers an opportunity to act.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally change and revolutionize how we develop and deliver the space systems our nation needs.

And because of this opportunity, I’m here to tell you, the Space Force is prepared to take decisive action,” he said.

 

Another key element, Saltzman said, is recalibrating the way the Space Force interacts – and collaborates – with industry.

“We’re leading a shift from a transactional relationship with industry to a collaborative one,” he said.

 

“We’re planning more high-level touchpoints with industry leaders to make sure our strategies align. … Closer collaboration to ensure mutual understanding of system requirements and the threat environment.

And a clearer understanding of how our shared investments will benefit all of us.”

 

A key part of that effort is the Front Door, an online portal “to gather innovative ideas from across the commercial sector.”

The portal allows the Space Force to evaluate industry ideas and products “against the needs of multiple organizations far beyond just SSC – including all Space Force Field Commands, broader Department needs, external government agencies, and allies and partners.

If it’s a good match, we’ll connect you with the right office to see where your great ideas might enable our missions,” he said.

 

In addition to real-time actions, Saltzman outlined changes in how the Space Force is moving to anticipate future needs by analyzing adversaries, the needs of combatant commanders and the evolving environment in space.

“We’re also building the architecture of the future and making sure we’re prepared for what our adversaries might do next,” he said.

 

The combination of this analysis, intelligence and strategy results in a clearly documented Future Operating Environment serving as an authoritative source for requirements planning.

With this planning, we are able to design and document our Objective Force – this is the ‘what, when, and how many’ for space systems and their supporting structures to include manpower.

This detailed assessment, planning and analysis will create a clear picture to the staffs for requirements and resourcing but also to industry on what the needs of the service will be for the next 15 years,” he said.

 

The thread connecting all the activity and change, Saltzman said, the performance and dedication of Guardians at every rank.

“You are the heart and soul of our mission. You fuel how we will win the fight,” he said. “Your nation needs you on the invisible front line every day. Continuous learning and rapid improvement is how we stay one step ahead of the adversary.”

“The Joint Force and the American people don’t always see what we do, but we still must deliver. And it makes me proud to watch you do it every day,” Saltzman said.

 

2/2

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:39 a.m. No.23647744   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7777 >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Ukrainian drones target multiple Russian regions

23 Sep, 2025 22:32

 

Russian air defenses shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones over several regions on Tuesday, with the authorities in Belgorod reporting civilian injuries and damage to infrastructure, local officials and the Defense Ministry said.

The Russian military stated that at least 89 drones were intercepted between 7pm Tuesday and 7am Wednesday Moscow time across Belgorod, Kursk, Volgograd, and Rostov regions, and over the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea. Earlier, the Defense Ministry reported that during the day on Tuesday, an additional 92 drones were destroyed across ten regions, including Moscow.

 

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that attacks on the region continued into the night, wounding at least six people in the city of Belgorod after missile strikes and injuring another civilian later when a drone hit a residential building.

The man suffered shrapnel wounds and barotrauma and was taken to the hospital in what doctors described as moderate condition. The blast damaged the facade of the building and struck an administrative office nearby.

 

Power and water supplies were disrupted in parts of the Krasnaya Yaruga district, where the entire area was temporarily left without electricity.

Emergency crews began repair work after clearance from the Defense Ministry, while the authorities organized water deliveries to residents. “The work will be completed by morning,” Gladkov wrote in a late-night update.

 

In Rostov Region, at least two people were taken to the hospital with shrapnel wounds, according to Governor Yury Slyusar.

In Taganrog, windows and balconies in several apartment buildings were damaged during the overnight raid, with drone fragments also found in residential yards and near a private business.

In the village of Bazkovskaya in Sholokhovsky district, a private home caught fire.

 

The incidents follow waves of Ukrainian drone raids across Russia in recent days.

On Monday evening and early Tuesday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defenses destroyed or intercepted 32 drones around the capital, with debris damaging several cars in nearby suburbs.

 

Ukraine has increasingly relied on drone strikes to hit targets deep inside Russia, including civilian areas and infrastructure.

Moscow has denounced the raids as “terrorism,” pointing to last weekend’s attack on a wellness complex in Crimea that killed three civilians and injured 16.

Russia has since launched retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian military sites, including drone assembly workshops and storage facilities, the Defense Ministry said.

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/625161-ukrainian-drones-russian-regions/

https://t.me/vvgladkov/16176

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:50 a.m. No.23647822   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Russia is a bear, not a ‘paper tiger’ – Kremlin to Trump

24 Sep, 2025 07:28

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has rejected US President Donald Trump’s description of Russia as “a paper tiger,” joking that the country is more commonly compared to a bear.

On Tuesday, following his meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Trump said he believes that Kiev is “in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back,” if the EU and NATO continue to support it.

He compared Russia to a “paper tiger,” claiming that the country is in “BIG Economic trouble” and that “this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

 

In an interview with Russian business daily RBK on Wednesday, Peskov disagreed with the US leader. “Russia is not a tiger.

Russia is more often associated with a bear. There are no such things as ‘paper bears,’ and Russia is a real bear,” he quipped.

Peskov added that the Russian economy has adapted to the ongoing conflict and has been able to provide its military with all the necessary equipment while acknowledging that it is facing certain “problems”, which are aggravated by unprecedented Western sanctions.

 

Trump is a “businessman,” he said, suggesting that he is trying to force the world to buy American oil and gas at a higher price.

Still, Peskov stressed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “highly values” Trump’s efforts to mediate the Ukraine conflict while describing their relationship as “warm.”

Talks between Russia and the US are moving slowly, he noted, explaining that Washington links the issue of restoring bilateral ties to the settlement of the Ukraine conflict.

 

Moscow remains open to seeking a peaceful resolution to the hostilities, Peskov said while Ukraine’s battlefield situation is deteriorating.

“The dynamics show that for those who do not want to negotiate today, their position will be much worse tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/625171-russia-responds-trump-paper-tiger/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 9:57 a.m. No.23647848   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Indian foreign minister calls for reboot in international relations

24 Sep, 2025 10:36

 

The concept of multilateralism is under attack and the nations of the Global South need to work with greater unity to combat this, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the High Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Jaishankar called for a joint effort to reform international institutions such as the UN.

 

”The very concept of multilateralism is under attack,” the Indian foreign minister said. “International organizations are being rendered ineffective or starved of resources.

The building blocks of the contemporary order are starting to come apart. And the cost of delaying much needed reforms is today starkly visible.”

 

He added that under these circumstances, “it is natural that the Global South turns to multilateralism for solutions.”

Jaishankar has voiced similar concerns in the past, stating that there are “strong sentiments” in the Global South regarding the unfairness of the current international order.

 

At the meeting in New York, the Indian foreign minister outlined a structured approach for the Global South, which includes groupings such as BRICS+, to engage with global issues.

He underscored the importance of maximizing existing forums to facilitate enhanced dialogue and cooperation among Global South nations, with a focus on strengthening solidarity and collaboration.

Jaishankar also called for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations and “multilateralism as a whole.”

 

Jaishankar highlighted the importance of the Global South showcasing its distinct capabilities, experiences, and successes on the global stage, pointing to areas such as vaccine production, digital technologies, education, and sustainable agriculture as key areas of expertise.

The Indian foreign minister also held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil was on the agenda.

 

https://www.rt.com/india/625184-concept-of-multilateralism-is-under/

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1970678172824875387

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:02 a.m. No.23647871   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Two dead in ‘horrific’ Ukrainian strike on southern Russian city – officials (VIDEOS)

24 Sep, 2025 11:00

 

At least two people have been killed and seven injured after Ukrainian drones struck central Novorossiysk, a Black Sea port city in southern Russia, at lunchtime on Wednesday, local authorities have said.

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev denounced the “horrific” strike, saying it hit near a hotel in central Novorossiysk. “Unfortunately, there are fatalities,” he wrote on Telegram.

 

Kondratyev initially said that three people had been injured, but officials later said the number of wounded had risen to seven, including a minor.

All were taken to the hospital, where three were confirmed to be in a serious condition.

 

Seven residential buildings, including the hotel, as well as 20 cars, were damaged, according to local authorities.

Video published in the Russian media showed students sheltering in school corridors, while eyewitness footage appeared to capture maritime drones approaching the city.

Another clip showed at least four cars burning in a parking lot.

 

According to the SHOT Telegram channel, Russian defenses had destroyed at least five Ukrainian maritime drones near the coastline.

The drone strike also damaged the office of Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which is jointly owned by several stakeholders from Russia, Kazakhstan, and overseas energy companies, such as US oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil, the company’s representatives said, adding that two people have been injured.

Local media reported that at least three people were trapped in the basement of a building housing an electric scooter rental, and said emergency services were on their way to rescue them.

 

Novorossiysk is a major hub for the Russian Black Sea Fleet, with media reports suggesting the importance of its facilities has only grown as Ukrainian drones have been increasingly targeting Sevastopol, another key navy base closer to Kiev’s UAV launch sites.

Kiev has also been routinely launching drone raids deep into Russia, often targeting residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Moscow has denounced the attacks as “terrorism.”

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/625185-ukraine-deadly-strike-novorossiysk/

https://t.me/astrapress/92947

https://t.me/ostorozhno_novosti/41531

https://t.me/bazabazon/41072

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:08 a.m. No.23647893   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Suspect in airport cyberattack held in UK

24 Sep, 2025 13:07

 

British police have arrested a suspect in the cyberattack that caused major disruptions at some of Europe’s busiest airports over the weekend.

A man in his forties was detained in West Sussex on suspicion of computer misuse offenses, and later released on conditional bail, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The suspect’s identity has not been revealed.

 

”Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” AP quoted Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s national cybercrime unit, as saying.

The official went on to describe cybercrime is a “persistent global threat.” Reports suggested ransomware may have been involved in the attack on airport check-in systems, although no group has claimed responsibility.

“It looks almost more like vandalism than extortion, based on the information we have,” James Davenport, a professor of information technology at the University of Bath, told AP.

 

Starting late Friday and continuing through the weekend, airports in Berlin, Brussels, and London experienced major disruptions to their electronic systems, causing long delays at check-in.

The breach targeted Collins Aerospace software, which manages passenger processing systems used for check-in, boarding passes, and baggage handling.

Airline staff were forced to fall back on manual methods, including handwriting boarding passes and using backup laptops to keep passengers moving.

 

https://www.rt.com/news/625196-arrest-suspect-airport-cyberattack/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:11 a.m. No.23647896   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Russian troops advance on key Donbass town – MOD

24 Sep, 2025 15:58

 

The Russian military has mounted a surprise attack on Ukrainian positions in the north of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), capturing the village of Kirovsk, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Wednesday.

 

The Russian village, known in Ukraine as Zarechnoye, was turned into a major stronghold by the Ukrainian forces with “every house and basement converted into well-fortified positions,” and the approaches to the villages densely mined, the ministry said in a statement.

 

Difficult terrain and Ukrainian forward positions along the Zherebets River, which covers Kirovsk from the east, further hampered the Russians.

 

The Ukrainian military gathered a sizable force in the immediate vicinity of Kirovsk, with up to 19 battalions involved in the defense of the stronghold, according to Russian estimates.

 

“Units with the troops grouping ‘West’ took advantage of the element of surprise and… immediately crossed the river and penetrated deep into the enemy’s defenses,” the ministry said, adding that the Russians have already reached the western outskirts of the village.

 

The troops are currently conducting search and destroy operations in the village, hunting down the remnants of Ukrainian units with the 63rd Mechanized Brigade, the ministry stated.

 

The liberation of Kirovsk paves the way to the town of Krasny Liman, a major logistics hub held by Ukrainian forces in the north of the DPR.

 

The town is located around 8km west of Kirovsk. Krasny Liman was liberated by Russia early on in the conflict but was recaptured by Ukraine in late 2022.

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/625206-donbass-advance-defense-ministry/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:14 a.m. No.23647903   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>7954 >>8065 >>8116

Former Philippines president charged with ‘crimes against humanity’

24 Sep, 2025 15:36

 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte with “crimes against humanity.”

The prosecutors have alleged that his ruthless war on drugs resulted in at least 76 killings, and have claimed that the real death toll is much greater.

 

The redacted 15-page charge sheet, dated July 4 but released only on Monday, alleges Duterte is responsible for murder during his time as Davao City mayor and as president, including 19 killings from 2013–2016, 14 “high-value target” deaths in 2016–2017, and 43 killings during broader “clearance” operations through 2018.

Prosecutors say thousands more were killed in the operations.

 

The ICC, however, has faced international criticism and accusations of bias over perceived failures to address atrocities committed by Western countries.

The United States, China, and Russia are not members, and the court has often struggled to enforce arrest warrants because it relies on state cooperation.

 

Duterte, now 80, launched his so-called “war on drugs” after his election in 2016, vowing that he would eliminate suspected drug dealers and urging the broader public to kill drug addicts.

The harsh crackdown led to the deaths of an estimated 30,000 people, mostly urban poor.

 

According to the Human Rights Watch, a significant portion of the killings was committed by police at the instigation of the Duterte government, although the former president denied having approved extrajudicial murder.

At the same time, Duterte admitted that he had kept a “death squad” of criminals to crack down on other gangs while serving as a mayor.

 

The ICC issued an arrest order for Duterte on March 7, and the Philippine authorities detained the former president days later and surrendered him to The Hague.

The move came despite the South Asian country withdrawing from the Rome Statute, which regulates the ICC, in 2019.

 

In a 2021 ruling, the Supreme Court of the Philippines insisted that the country still has an obligation to cooperate in the ICC proceedings.

Duterte’s legal team argues the ICC lacks jurisdiction after the withdrawal and has sought interim release on health grounds.

 

https://www.rt.com/news/625203-duterte-war-on-drugs/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:28 a.m. No.23647931   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Russian 'state of emergency' as Black Sea Fleet comes under massive Ukraine drone attack

Updated: 17:07, Wed, Sep 24, 2025

 

Russian authorities in Novorossiysk have declared a state of emergency after Ukraine launched a devastating drone attack on the base of the Black Sea Fleet.

The ferocious attack occurred simultaneously from the water and air, causing substantial damage.

 

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been decimated by Ukraine and was forced to move from Sevastopol in Crimea to the port city of Novorossiysk.

Drones hit an office complex belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a Russian-Kazakh oil project backed by major multinationals.

 

The company said two of its employees were injured and taken to hospital following the attack.

Several other people not employed by the company were “seriously” wounded, they added in a statement.

 

Emergency authorities reported two deaths and seven injuries, including a child.

Video images of the attack have been shared on social media channels, with one showing smoke coming from a hotel building and a nearby residential block.

Another shows what appears to be a submersible approaching the port before being fired upon and exploding.

 

Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Krasnodar Krai region, confirmed the attack in a post to his Telegram channel.

“Novorossiysk was subjected to a monstrous attack by the Kyiv regime this afternoon," he wrote. "The drones hit the city centre in the middle of the day."

He added that five residential buildings and a beachfront hotel were damaged.

 

More video footage showed burning parking lots and students taking cover in school hallways.

Earlier on Wednesday, drone alerts were issued across the Krasnodar region, where Novorossiysk is located.

 

Russia's Defence Ministry has not yet commented on the attack, saying only its forces shot down 16 drones over the Black Sea.

Ukraine's army has stepped up its attacks on Novorossiysk in recent weeks and hit a vessel of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on September 11.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2112956/russia-state-emergency-novorossiysk-black-sea-fleet

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-hits-oil-facilities-drone-production-site-in-russia-general-staff-confirms/

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4040004-drones-strike-caspian-pipeline-consortium-office-in-novorossiysk.html

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/09/24/ukrainian-drone-attack-on-novorossiysk-port-kills-at-least-2-a90614

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Novatek-Restarts-Oil-Export-Unit-After-Drone-Attack.html

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:42 a.m. No.23647991   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8065 >>8116

Ukraine deploys balloons to confuse Russian air defenses during drone strike

24.09.2025, 04:34

 

Ukrainian forces deployed a large number of balloons during a massive drone attack on Russian regions on Monday, an independent Russian media reported.

 

According to the outlet Meduza, Russian Defense Ministry sources said the scale of the balloon deployment had not previously been seen.

 

Although the ministry sources failed to provide any details as to the purpose of their use, balloons have been used repeatedly by both sides during the war to jam air defense systems and radars.

 

Each air defense system has a limited capacity to track flying objects. For instance, the Soviet-designed S-300 missile system can track up to 65 targets.

 

In addition, to tracking targets an air defense system must operate in active mode meaning switching on its radars, which allows the adversary to detect the radar emitters and plan a route for their strike assets, such as drones.

 

To confuse air defense systems, balloons are equipped with metal corner reflectors that distort and amplify their radar signature.

 

These reflectors bounce radar beams directly back, making the balloons more difficult to distinguish.

 

https://tvpworld.com/89096887/ukraine-combines-drone-blitz-on-russia-with-balloons

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:49 a.m. No.23648024   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8033 >>8065 >>8116

Activist Flotilla Claims Drone Strikes on Boats to Gaza

Wednesday, 24 September 2025 06:52 AM EDT

 

Activists taking part in a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones overnight while sailing south of Greece.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the night by “unidentified drones and communications jamming.”

It said that “at least 13 explosions" were heard on and around several flotilla boats, while drones or aircraft dropped “unidentified objects” on at least 10 boats.

 

No casualties were reported but there was damage to the vessels and “widespread obstruction in communications,” it added.

Activists posted a brief video on the flotilla’s social media account showing what appeared to be an explosion on or near one of the vessels.

Greece’s coast guard did not report any distress calls. There was no immediate response to questions regarding the attack from the Israeli military.

 

The flotilla, comprised of dozens of boats from several countries, is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has accused organizers of being linked to Hamas, and says it has proposed that the activists unload their aid in the Israeli port of Ashkelon for it to be transported into Gaza.

“Israel will not allow vessels to enter an active combat zone and will not allow the breach of a lawful naval blockade,” the ministry said on Monday.

“Israel urges the participants not to break the law and to accept Israel’s proposal for a peaceful transfer of any aid they might have.”

 

Italian citizens, including members of parliament and members of the European parliament, are participating in the flotilla, and Italy's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it had “notified the Israeli authorities that any operation entrusted to Israel’s armed forces be conducted in compliance with international law and the principle of absolute caution.”

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani “has asked the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to gather information and reiterate its previous request to the Israeli government to guarantee the absolute protection of the personnel on board,” it added.

 

The flotilla has reported several attacks since it set sail from Spain on Sept. 1, including two while some of its boats were in Tunisian waters.

The convoy is claimed to be the largest attempt to date to break the Israeli maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has now lasted 18 years, long predating the current war in Gaza.

 

The almost two-year war has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says more than half have been women and children.

The world’s leading authority on hunger crises said last month that Israel’s blockade and ongoing offensive had already pushed Gaza City into famine.

More than 300,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks as Israel has ordered the population to move south, but an estimated 700,000 remain, according to U.N. agencies and aid groups.

 

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants carried out an attack inside Israel that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, saw about 250 people taken hostage.

Israel says its operation in Gaza is aimed at pressuring Hamas to surrender and return the remaining 48 hostages. Israel believes around 20 of the captives are still alive.

 

It is not the first time that activists trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza have come under attack. Another vessel said it was attacked by drones in May in international waters off Malta.

An overland convoy traveling across North Africa also attempted to reach the border but was blocked by security forces aligned with Egypt in eastern Libya.

In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Mavi Marmara, a boat participating in an aid flotilla attempting to breach the blockade of Gaza, killing 10 Turkish activists on board.

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/israel-palestinians-gaza/2025/09/24/id/1227603/

Anonymous ID: 01e5d7 Sept. 24, 2025, 10:55 a.m. No.23648055   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>8070

Israeli army says drone from Yemen strikes Eilat; 20 people wounded

24 Sep 2025

 

Israel’s military says a drone launched from Yemen has struck the southern city of Eilat, and rescuers report that at least 20 people are wounded, including two in serious condition, as Israel conducts its genocidal war on Gaza.

A military statement said the drone “fell in the area of Eilat” on the Red Sea coast on Wednesday after air defences failed to intercept it.

 

“The public is requested to continue to follow the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines and further guidelines issued,” it said on Telegram.

The Magen David Adom emergency medical service said two people were seriously injured while others sustained moderate to minor injuries.

 

Police said bomb disposal experts were examining the nature of the object and warned the public to avoid approaching the crash site or touching any remnants that may contain explosives.

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, because Al Jazeera has been banned from Israel, said it was worth noting that this is not the first time Eilat has been struck or targeted.

 

“In fact, just last week another drone launched by the Houthis made an impact,” she added, referring to the Yemeni group that has been targeting Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“In that instance, Israel said it was investigating why the interceptors did not go off. So surely there will be an investigation as to how the interceptors failed this time around.”

 

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have carried out drone and missile attacks against it.

They have also targeted vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea, disrupting maritime trade passing through the water channel.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones launched have been intercepted or fallen short of Israeli territory.

 

Israel has carried out numerous attacks across Yemen, including on the capital, Sanaa. Earlier this week, Israel was accused of killing 31 journalists in Yemen.

Late last month, Israel assassinated Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi in an air strike in Sanaa. The group promised “vengeance” for his death and the deaths of almost half of his cabinet.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/24/israeli-army-says-drone-from-yemen-strikes-eilat-20-people-wounded