TYB
https://nasawatch.com/ask-the-administrator/project-athena-by-jared-isaacman/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16j95BNM4wDRD2bcHFhYJ7m-L3pAThuUf/view
https://x.com/rookisaacman
“Project Athena” by Jared Isaacman
December 6, 2025
A few weeks ago the existence of a “Project Athena” document prepared by NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman and a few close advisors emerged.
It had been written during his first nomination period as a shopping list, statement of purpose, first stab at a plan that he was working on for NASA. Then his nomination was pulled.
Then it was reinstated. Now it will most likely stick. In the months between this report’s writing and today, much has happened that will nullify, modify, and/or accentuate most aspects of what was written.
After its existence became known Isaacman wrote a summary of this summary to clarify a few things. But the actual document remained elusive until it started popping up on various social media accounts on Friday.
I have excerpted two main features – the “Workforce Speech – Day 1 Speech”, and “Executive Summary”.
You can download the PDF version of the full 62 page document that is circulating here on Google Drive or look at various Twitter and social media accounts for screen grabs and other links.
BTW the cover says “Confidential/ Proprietary Information” – well that is moot now – but it was leaked from within a very very very small group of people at NASA who had copies.
People leak things for their own purposes. This is a work in progress, subject to wholesale revision and even deletion, so caveat emptor, your mileage may vary, and ad astra y’all. Excerpts below.
IV. ALL HANDS SPEECH
Workforce Speech – Day 1 Speech
I am incredibly grateful to serve under President Donald J. Trump as the 15th Administrator of NASA. I am humbled by the opportunity to work alongside the greatest scientific and engineering minds this nation has to offer.
This is the agency that sent humans to the Moon and brought them home safely, that developed and launched world-changing scientific instruments across the solar system. that pioneered groundbreaking technology, and that showcased American ingenuity with every launch. It is also the agency that has energized a new space industry. restoring our capability to launch American astronauts and opening space to others- something I was fortunate to experience firsthand .
NASA is the most respected space agency in the world-simply seeing the insignia is enough to inspire people to look up and dream of the possibilities.
That is what separates NASA from every other government organization – we are leading the greatest adventure in human history-and we are bringing billions of inspired and hopeful people along for the ride.
Like any great organization, NASA is not without challenges. Since 1989, nearly every U.S. president has called for a return to the Moon and a path to Mars.
Well over $100 billion has been spent on the grand return and we still face an expensive and lengthy journey ahead.
The problems are not limited to human exploration. There is a history of programs running over budget and behind schedule.
When projects are delayed or eventually canceled, it not only wastes resources and opportunities for discovery, but it also leaves NASA’s orbital assets and Earth-based infrastructure even further behind.
I’ve heard the usual explanations- discontinuity between administrations. congressional restrictions. budget challenges, recruitment and retention issues. and more.
While there is much for me to learn, from what I can observe:
The agency is spread across many projects, some of which may not be aligned with NASA’s true mission: doing what no other agency or organization in the world can accomplish.
There is a top-heavy hierarchy that puts leadership on a pedestal instead of in the trenches, a crushing bureaucracy that paralyzes progress and as a result – I believe a culture has developed that accepts these inadequacies, not out of lack of passion or desire to win. but out of a belief that real change isn’t possible.
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I am not here to assign blame as I know everyone who shows up to work at NASA believes in the mission and is equally frustrated when progress stalls.
I am also sure many of the present challenges stemmed from historic decisions that were made with the best of intentions. This is not the time to dwell on the past.
when I am sure we all want to start looking to the future, but it is important to acknowledge we have problems that necessitate change, or we are never going to get back to achieving what this agency was established to accomplish.
With the support of the President, Congress, and NASA’s leadership, I will be issuing a series of Directives in the coming days.
But today, I want to give you a sense of the direction I intend to lead this agency.
We Will Relentlessly Serve Our Mission, by focusing on three challenging objectives:
1 – Lead the World in Human Space Exploration:
Our primary objective-in line with the President’s inaugural address-is for American astronauts to lead in human space exploration.
We will work urgently to accelerate the timeline of our immediate lunar ambitions while charting a bold and achievable course to Mars.
We are going to take a hard look at the factors that have historically contributed to delays-both within NASA and among our partners-and ensure that our current path is safe, executable, and positioned for the earliest possible launch opportunities. Even if we have to work around the clock- we will get Artemis II out to the pad and around the moon ahead of the current schedule.
At the same time, we will start preparing for the future beyond Artemis Ill by evaluating our architecture and working closely with commercial partners to determine the safest, most affordable, and sustainable approach for routine deep space missions.
As the logical evolution of our ‘big rocket’ efforts, we will dramatically increase investment and urgency around next-generation propulsion-specifically nuclear electric-with the goal in the next few years of having America underway on nuclear power in space.
In all cases. every program·must have clear objectives that maximize scientific. economic. and national security value for the American people.
2 – Ignite a Thriving Space Economy
After more than a half century. the space economy remains largely unchanged-built around launch capabilities. communications. and observation. with tax-payer funded government spending as the primary customer.
NASA will never be able to afford the future we all want to see in space, if the only viable economic model is perpetual government funding.
We need to help industry develop capabilities that only the unique environment in space and on the lunar surface afford. that necessitate jobs on and off the planet and ultimately generate value in excess of the initial investment.
We will prioritize scientific and tech initiatives that have the highest economic potential, working alongside our partners AND finding new partners that are looking to crack the code on the orbital economy.
The ISS will be the starting point before handing over to what we hope will be multiple LEO destinations, but the future will extend far beyond, as there will inevitably be economic implications from exploring the moon, Mars and other celestial bodies.
We will future-proof our mission control architecture to support numerous simultaneous operations and prepare for the inevitable flourishing activity that will take place across this great new frontier.
Over time. NASA should aim to become a partially self-sustaining agency, reducing its reliance on taxpayer funding, much in the way the FAA operates today.
3 – Become a force-multiplier for Science
We will leverage our resources and expertise to enable academic institutions and industry to invest alongside NASA with the aim of increasing the pace of groundbreaking discoveries.
We will accelerate scientific breakthroughs and look to prioritize areas that have world changing implications, enable human spaceflight objectives, increase domain awareness in support of planetary defense or could otherwise have economic or national security implications for the American people.
NASA has pioneered some of the world’s most exquisite exploration assets-Voyager, Hubble, Chandra, Curiosity, New Horizons, JWST-but we should aim to launch missions like this routinely and affordably.
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We will implement a repeatable framework and challenge our historic approach to include more frequent and lower cost missions, making use of commercial services from existing constellation providers and accepting more risk on uncrewed missions to ensure budgets and schedules are maintained.
The agency will leverage its buying power for launch vehicles or bus architectures ;:ind assign our talent to collaborate with commercial partners and academic institutions alongside their $1 trillion in endowments to fund more frequent and ambitious exploration missions.
A Reorganization is Necessary to Meet These Objectives
In addition to the institutional shortcomings. we are in a challenging budget environment and I support the President’s goal to reduce the deficit and restore America’s financial strength.
As a nation. we can’t print our way out of this problem-and if you care about the future of science and discovery. then a reorganization is long overdue. I’ve heard from hundreds of passionate scientists. engineers. and astronauts.
Many can recite the history behind every agency problem. but most believe real change is unachievable. I disagree.
This is a unique moment in history-one where NASA can and must be reorganized to concentrate resources on what truly moves the needle.
We will take on this obligation ourselves- because it is the right thing for the future of the agency.
We will eliminate the bureaucracy and implement a flatter organizational structure that enables clear communication and faster decision-making.
That means reducing unnecessary layers of leadership, committees, and review boards that slow progress- and shifting toward fewer managers and more doers.
We will remove unjustifiable expenses, consolidate departments. and challenge the justification. budget, and timeline of every program that may divert resources from our core mission.
To be clear. this integrated reorg effort will replace the existing reviews already underway, with the goal of completion before year’s end. I will be transparent. defend our decisions, and get NASA back to exclusively achieving world- changing projects as quickly as possible.
I’ve heard the doubts – that the mission can’t be achieved with less money. I’m not sure when we started believing a million dollars isn’t still a million, or that you can’t do much with billions.
At some point, we settled into the idea that everything worth doing must be expensive and take a long time. It doesn’t have to be that way – and it wasn’t in our past.
As a nation, we once did bold, ambitious things – quickly and affordably. And I suspect the best and brightest at this agency, and across public service, will soon showcase that ingenuity once again.
You have my commitment to fight for the programs and people that are the backbone of this agency.
We will never fly with reduced crews and waste precious opportunities to put explorers in space.
And if we are on the verge of something extraordinary-like launching Roman-I will explore every option to get the program to the pad, even funding it myself if that’s what it takes to deliver the science.
Alongside the reorganization we will ensure an intense. mission-focused culture centered on:
A relentless pursuit of the near-impossible for all humankind
Decision making with a bias toward action and urgency
Ownership and accountability at all levels
And A recalibrated risk framework:
We will ensure safety is at the forefront of our decision making but the mission of NASA means accepting that some risks are worth taking
I do want to take a minute to expand on what a Mission-driven agency means. I have heard the mantra “if we have 10 Healthy Centers. the science will take care of itself’.
When children dream of working at NASA, they don·t dream of healthy centers-they dream of launching rockets. building satellites. walking on the moon and Mars.
studying planets and helping unlock the secrets of the universe. That is the mission of NASA and
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when we deliver on our objectives, the inspiration, the STEM engagement, the recruiting and the science will all take care of itself.
To succeed, we must hire and promote based on merit and contract with vendors that deliver the best capabilities-on time and on budget.
We will align ourselves with international partners not for the sake of having partners, but for those nations looking to meaningfully contribute to our shared mission.
We will fund the centers, teams, and capabilities necessary to achieve our objectives as quickly as possible-not for the sake of creating jobs or m;:iintaining facilities. hut for executing urgently on the mission.
NASA is consistently ranked the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government. As an agency with such a challenging mission.
NASA should be ranked the hardest place to work in the federal government, the most demanding, the most intense AND the most frustrating when we are not delivering the breakthroughs the world expects from our agency.
If you’re satisfied with your job today-just imagine how you will feel when we return to the Moon, travel under nuclear propulsion, land astronauts on Mars, ignite the true space economy, and deliver the scientific headlines the world is waiting to read.
We are not the only ones pursuing this mission and these objectives. Our great competitor is making rapid progress-challenging us in human spaceflight, exploration, innovative technology. scientific discovery, and economic opportunities.
If we fail, the consequences go far beyond national pride-they are about breakthroughs that could shift the balance of power here on Earth.
President Kennedy stated America will lead in space under a banner of freedom and peace. Our President, Donald J. Trump, just reminded us of that when declaring American Astronauts will plant the ‘Stars & Stripes’ on Mars.
We are in a race-one with strategic implications in the ever-expanding high ground. If we do not lead. we will follow. And if we follow, we may never catch up. NASA was never meant to be a caretaker of history-it was built to make history.
This agency exists to break boundaries, pioneer new technology, take calculated risks, expand the frontier, achieve major discoveries, and inspire the world as to what is possible.
But history isn’t made by protecting the status quo. It is made by those who dare to act-by those who make decisions, move fast, harness the tools and talent this great nation provides, and refuse to accept anything less than success.
We are going to make history and I am honored to serve alongside you in the greatest adventure humankind has ever known. Now let’s get back to work.
The following is the draft plan of Administrator-nominee, Jared lsaacman, which aims to transform NASA into a mission-driven agency focused on achieving the near-impossible through a comprehensive reorganization and cultural overhaul.
Mr. lsaacman’s strategy emphasizes three core objectives: leading American human space exploration by accelerating lunar missions and advancing Mars exploration through nuclear electric propulsion; igniting the space economy by fostering commercial partnerships and maximizing ISS utilization; and becoming a force multiplier for science.
To execute this vision, Mr. lsaacman outlines his immediate directives, including workforce recognition reforms, organizational streamlining, programmatic reviews. financial and infrastructure audits. and investments in future technologies.
Mr. lsaacman also proposes consolidating NASA’s centers for efficiency, modernizing infrastructure, and establishing a “Starfleet Academy” study to develop a regulatory framework for the commercial space industry.
This draft plan, which is subject to refinement based on post-confirmation diligence and workforce input, remains in development and shall not be implemented without consent and approval of President Trump.
I. THE PLAN
NASA will return to focusing on achieving the near impossible-doing what no other agency, organization, or company is capable of accomplishing.
This will require a , reorganization and a reinvigorated culture, all aimed at delivering on the following challenging objectives:
Lead the world in human space exploration. We will accelerate current lunar ambitions and determine the scientific, economic, and national security value of sustained presence–while in parallel working alongside industry to determine a more affordable, repeatable architecture that applies to the Moon, Mars, and deep space. This includes demonstrating operational nuclear electric propulsion capability.
To fund the future we all envision in space, NASA must help unlock a broader orbital economy–one that extends beyond launch, observation, and communication–to support commercial activity and generate new sources of value.
Become a force multiplier for science. We will leverage talent, launch capacity, and standardized commercial bus architectures-working alongside industry and academia to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery.
Immediate Action and Directives
Within the first week, we will:
Begin hiring temporary and full-time experts, ‘strike teams’, to support the plan.
Set the stage and expectations with agency leadership alongside space media.
Communicate the plan agency-wide through an all-hands address alongside Q&A to align the workforce.
Launch a multi-pronged data-gathering initiative to inform a single, integrated reorganization plan, replacing the fragmented RIF and efficiency strategies currently in circulation.
Issue a series of Administrator Directives to set the tone to the workforce and put the plan in action. summarized below.
Administrator Directives
Directive #1: Recognize, Reward, Inspire (Day -3) • · Reform the performance system to properly evaluate the workforce – identifying those that should be recognized and those that need improvement or potentially separation from the agency.
Reinvigorate the recognition system to include flight and payload specialist opportunities.
Consolidate NASA social media accounts and partner with space media to communicate and document the agency transformation.
Directive #2: Organizational/Productivity Enhancement (Day ~3)
Request consolidation proposals from executive leadership.
Flatten the org structure and eliminate deputy/assistant roles and reinstate voluntary retirement.
End large recurring meetings and other productivity drags unless approved.
Suspend boards and committees that delay decision making and pivot towards individual ownership and accountability.
Directive #3: Programmatic Review (Day -6)
Launch deep-dive reviews of the top 10 programs to assess schedule, critical paths, and acceleration levers.
Initiate a broader phased review of all programs.
Deploy an engineering strike team to accelerate/fix/delete high priority programs.
Directive #4: Finance and Infrastructure Review (Day -6)
Stand up a “finance strike team” to perform a bottoms-up independent analysis to inform the broader reorganization effort.
Conduct a thorough infrastructure review to assess demand and determine opportunities for investment, decommissioning or potentially further monetization.
Implement commercially–friendly procurement reforms.
Directive #5: Invest in the Future (Day ~9)
Launch the Mars Program, Project Olympu,. including an expanded nuclear electric propulsion program.
Begin IT and communication modernization, Al integration, and workforce software alignment.
Develop the “Mission Control of the Future” initiative to consolidate and upgrade operations including modernization of communication systems.
Directive #6: Ignite the Space Economy and Accelerate Scientific Breakthroughs (Day -9) ” Appoint a Chief Commercial Officer and consolidate the “front door” for external engagement.
Prioritize and accelerate research throughput on the ISS to include external industry engagement.
Kick off bulk-buy and science-as-a-service programs to bring down the cost of routine science and energize academic institutions to fund their own flagship missions.
Reevaluate decadal prioritization process, expand access to existing data, Directive #7: Aeronautics Restructuring (Day 21)
Consolidate aeronautics related activities under a single Mission Directorate and at a primary operating facility.
Review all programs for relevancy and focus resources on cutting-edge technology.
Directive #8: Study:Starfleet Academy(~Day 60)
Begin outlining a regulatory framework for the maturing space industry.
Develop a training and certification roadmap for spaceflight crew, operators, vehicles, and spacecraft.
Reorganization Plan
We will consolidate all ongoing RIF and reorganization initiatives into a single, comprehensive plan informed by existing efforts, research requests and field teams as indicated in the directives. The goal is completion within 180 days.
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New moonquake discovery may force NASA to rethink lunar missions
December 07, 2025
A new study report has been published which demonstrated that shaking from moonquakes, rather than significant impacts from meteoroids, was the driving force behind the shifting terrain in the Taurus-Littrow valley.
The researchers also scrutinized the likely significant influence of cell fault movement for the changing surface features and evaluated plausible damage by applying updated models of lunar seismic activity.
Examination of Apollo 17 unveils Ancient Moonquake Activity
Watters and Schmerr analysed samples during Apollo 17. They documented that inundation and landslides appear to have been triggered by moonquakes.
Scientists have specifically analysed this geological evidence, and estimated how powerful these past quakes were and identified the most likely source for generating them.
The study further suggests that moonquakes with magnitudes near 3.0 repeatedly shuddered the area over the last 90 million years.
The patterns of seismic activity point to the possibility that this fault is just one of many young thrust faults pinpointed across the moon.
Examining daily risks for future lunar operations
Brief missions such as Apollo 17 experienced little danger due to their limited duration. The researchers concluded that projects involving longer stays face a danger.
However, the upcoming missions using taller lander designs, incorporating the Starship Human Landing System, may result in increased amplitude caused by moonquakes close to an active fault.
These concerns are especially crucial as NASA moves forward with the Artemis program, which aims to retain a continuous human presence on the moon.
Lunar Paleoseismology must forged ahead
This research was a part of an emerging field known as lunar paleoseismology, which focuses on past seismic activity.
In this connection, scientists can accelerate to higher resolution mapping as new technology and upcoming Artemis missions plan to establish seismometers far more advanced than those used during Apollo.
The recent study concludes that safety concerns for lunar exploration and investments that need careful consideration are new priorities.
In addition, researchers avoided the top of a scarp; instead, they found a point that was further away and less difficult.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1383949-new-moonquake-discovery-may-force-nasa-to-rethink-lunar-missions
"No way to fake it": Ex-NASA astronaut Mike Massimino reacts to Kim Kardashian's moon landing claim
December 7, 2025
(ANI): Astronaut and former NASA veteran Mike Massimino addressed reality star Kim Kardashian's claim about the Apollo 11 mission's authenticity, saying there is "no way to fake" one of humanity's most outstanding achievements.
In a strong response to ongoing conspiracy theories that the 1969 space mission to land the first man on the Moon was faked, the ex-astronaut said the continued debate exists partly because the mission "seemed so unachievable back then," leading some to doubt its authenticity even decades later.
"I think that might be part of it. You know, people, there's always people that are going to doubt, you know, conspiracy people or whatever. But it did happen. It might be hard to believe, but it actually did happen," Massimino told ANI.
On the October 30 episode of The Kardashians, Kim had revealed that she doesn't believe the 1969 moon landing really happened. While on the set of 'All's Fair', she tried to convince her co-star Sarah Paulson, to buy into the conspiracy theory.
"I think it was fake," Kim said, as reported by People. Massimino, the veteran former astronaut with the US Space agency NASA, noted that the Apollo 11 programme itself proves the mission was real and there was "no way to fake about it"
"There's no way to fake that. It just can't be done. There are about 400,000 people around the world. It wasn't just the Americans, you know, it was around… 400,000 people that worked on that program.
None of them have said that they, that it was fake. " he said, adding that coordinating such a massive global effort secretly would have been impossible.
Highlighting the lack of evidence behind such claims, he said, "There, you know, there's no way that you could have that many people involved in, in, in, you know, it's just people funny outside.
I don't know why you have to ask them why they think the way they do, but there's no evidence. I mean, people can say all kinds of things that have no truth to them. And that's one of them.
"Reflecting on the historic milestone, the astronaut described the moon landing as a defining moment for humanity."It was a great achievement, not only for the United States, but for the whole world.
It might be the greatest achievement ever that people accomplished," he noted.He also recalled how the Apollo astronauts were welcomed across the globe after their return.
"They went on world tours… they visited everywhere. And no matter where they were like when they went to India it was never 'the Americans did it.' It was 'we did it.'
The whole world felt like they accomplished that."Calling any suggestion of fakery "disrespectful" to the astronauts and the thousands who contributed to the mission, he added, "We should celebrate the accomplishment rather than make up things that it didn't happen.
It actually kind of annoys me a little bit." (ANI)
https://www.aninews.in/news/entertainment/hollywood/no-way-to-fake-it-ex-nasa-astronaut-mike-massimino-reacts-to-kim-kardashians-moon-landing-claim20251207150727/
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/aliens-need-to-be-a-lot-smarter-to-reach-out-to-us-ex-nasa-astronaut-mike-massimino20251207143446/
https://www.youtube.com/@ANINewsIndia
https://x.com/Astro_Mike
Expedition 73/74 Change of Command Ceremony
December 7, 2025
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, is preparing to depart the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft and return to Earth.
Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will undock from the station’s Prichal module at 8:41 p.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 8, headed for a parachute-assisted landing at 12:04 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9 (10:04 a.m. local time in Kazakhstan), on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan.
Watch NASA’s live coverage of the crew’s return on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.
The space station change of command ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, on NASA+ and the agency’s YouTube channel.
Rzyhikov will hand over station command to NASA astronaut Mike Fincke for Expedition 74, which begins at the time of Soyuz MS-27 undocking.
Kim and his crewmates are completing a 245-day mission aboard the station. At the conclusion of their mission, they will have orbited Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles.
This was the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky to the orbiting laboratory, while Ryzhikov is ending his third trip to space.
After landing, the three crew members will fly by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are based.
Kim will board a NASA aircraft and return to Houston, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky will depart for their training base in Star City, Russia.
NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Sunday, Dec. 7:
10:30 a.m. – Expedition 73/74 change of command ceremony begins on NASA+ Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
Monday, Dec. 8:
4:45 p.m. – Farewells and hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
5:10 p.m. – Hatch closing
8:15 p.m. – Undocking coverage beings on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
8:41 p.m. – Undocking
10:30 p.m. – Deorbit and landing coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
11:10 p.m. – Deorbit burn
Tuesday, Dec. 9:
12:04 a.m. – Landing
For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-astronaut-jonny-kim-crewmates-return/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGG5hfoKEuw
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386155915112
Story of Hacker Gary McKinnon VS NASA
Dec 6, 2025
In 2010, a mysterious hacker broke into NASA and accessed restricted servers.
He used a program to grab as many top-secret files as possible, which would eventually be dubbed the largest military computer hack of all time.
This is the story of Gary McKinnon, the hacker who claimed to have found pictures of UFOs in government systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf6YySTRd6w
https://www.youtube.com/@GaryMcKinnonUFO
https://x.com/realGMcKinnon
IAEA issues new Chernobyl safety warning
7 Dec, 2025 07:33
The protective shelter over the reactor at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant can no longer guarantee radiation containment, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said. The agency added that urgent major repairs are now required.
The warning follows an inspection prompted by a drone strike in February, which marked the first major attack on the shelter. Moscow said the strike was a provocation orchestrated by Kiev, while the Ukrainian government blamed Russia.
The strike had pierced the outer shell of the massive steel arch known as the New Safe Confinement (NSC) and triggered a fire.
While the initial damage did not cause a radiation leak, the new assessment shows the structural breach has degraded the shelter’s ability to contain nuclear material.
The IAEA confirmed on Friday that the NSC, a 36,000-tonne steel structure built over the destroyed Unit 4 reactor at Chernobyl, “had lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability.”
Completed in 2019 at a cost of around €1.5billion (about $1.6 billion), the NSC was designed to contain radioactive material and seal the original concrete “sarcophagus” installed after the 1986 disaster.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that although the shelter’s loadbearing framework and monitoring systems remain intact, “limited temporary repairs have been carried out … comprehensive restoration is urgently required.”
IAEA inspectors have now dispatched additional nuclear safety experts to the site to assess the full extent of the damage.
Russia has accused Ukraine of repeatedly targeting the Zaporozhye (ZNPP) and Kursk nuclear power plants, describing the attacks as acts of “nuclear terrorism.”
A Ukrainian drone struck an auxiliary building at the Kursk NPP in late September, during a visit to Moscow by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
Just days earlier, power lines supplying the ZNPP were reportedly damaged by Ukrainian artillery, forcing the plant to switch to backup generators.
Russia took control of the ZNPP in March 2022, and the region later held a referendum to join the country. Kiev denies involvement in the Kursk incident and has accused Moscow of attacking the ZNPP.
Speaking in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was “playing a dangerous game” by attacking nuclear sites.
https://www.rt.com/russia/629129-iaea-chernobyl-safety-warning/
Locals report explosions near Engels airfield, oil depot in Russia's Saratov Oblast amid overnight drone attacks
December 7, 2025 1:01 pm
Unidentified drones struck Russia's Rostov and Saratov oblasts overnight on Dec. 7, with Ukrainian Telegram media channel Exilenova Plus reporting explosions near an airfield and oil depot in the city of Engels in Saratov Oblast.
Local and military authorities later said air defenses shot down multiple drones over the regions.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, air defenses shot down 77 Ukrainian drones over Russia overnight on Dec. 7, including 43 over Saratov Oblast and 12 over Rostov Oblast.
Residents in the affected regions reported hearing several explosions, according to Russian Telegram media channel ASTRA. In Saratov Oblast, Governor Roman Busargin said overnight that there was a threat of a drone attack.
In neighboring Rostov Oblast, drones reportedly attacked several districts, damaging a power line tower in Sholokhovsky district and leaving 250 residents without electricity, Governor Yury Slyusar wrote on Telegram on Dec. 7. No injuries were reported.
Ukrainian Telegram media channel Exilenova Plus said that local residents suggested that explosions occurred near an airfield and an oil depot in the city of Engels.
The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately verify the claims.
Engels has been a target before. Ukraine has previously targeted the Kristal Plant, an oil refinery in Engels that supplies fuel to Russia's Engels-2 military airfield.
The airfield is one of Russia's key strategic military bases. It hosts long-range bombers, including the nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-160 aircraft, and is regularly used to attack Ukraine.
Ukraine routinely targets military and industrial facilities in Russia with long-range drone strikes.
https://kyivindependent.com/explosions-and-power-line-tower-damage-reported-in-drone-strikes-on-russias-rostov-saratov-oblasts/
https://inkorr.com/en/u-saratovskij-oblasti-rf-progrimili-vibuhi-287780
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/12/07/russia-continues-missile-and-drone-strikes-as-u-s-and-ukraine-continue-talks/
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4066928-air-defense-forces-destroy-175-russian-drones-and-four-missiles.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/satellites-show-drones-hit-massive-fuel-storage-1765113140.html
https://kyivindependent.com/czech-president-pavel-says-europe-may-need-to-shoot-down-russian-aircraft-drones-violating-nato-airspace/
IDF says troops demolished Hezbollah tunnel, arms depot during Lebanon raids
December 7, 2025 4:41 pm
During recent raids in southern Lebanon, the IDF says it demolished a Hezbollah tunnel shaft and an arms depot.
The tunnel, located near the Lebanese town of Houla, and the arms depot, in Ayta ash-Shab, were “old infrastructures that are no longer active,” the army says.
The IDF says it demolished the sites “to prevent any possibility of future use.”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-troops-demolished-hezbollah-tunnel-arms-depot-during-lebanon-raids/
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-troops-shot-dead-terrorist-who-crossed-gaza-ceasefire-line/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/girl-3-said-killed-by-idf-fire-in-gaza/
https://worldisraelnews.com/idf-soldiers-foil-vehicular-assault-in-hebron-two-terrorists-eliminated/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-uninvolved-palestinian-shot-dead-at-scene-of-car-ramming-in-west-bank/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/damage-caused-to-ovda-airbase-due-to-wild-weather-over-weekend-idf-says/
https://vinnews.com/2025/12/07/idf-chief-of-staff-declares-gazas-ceasefire-yellow-line-a-new-border-during-visit-to-strip/
https://www.jns.org/idf-launches-military-drill-along-northern-border/
US condemns drone attack on UN food convoy in Sudan
Update : 07.12.2025
The US on Saturday condemned a drone attack on a UN truck carrying food to displaced persons in Sudan's Darfur region.
"The United States condemns the drone attack on a UN World Food Programme (WFP) truck carrying life-saving food to displaced persons in Darfur fleeing atrocities and famine," Massad Boulos, US State Department senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, said on US social media company X.
Boulos noted that this was the sixth attack on WFP aid in Sudan this year.
He accused both parties to the conflict of using denial of food to starving populations as a war tactic, stressing: "Humanitarian staff and assets must never be a target."
"The United States calls on Sudan's warring parties to cease hostilities and allow unhindered humanitarian access," Boulos added.
The WFP said the Thursday attack targeted one of its trucks near Hamra El Sheikh in North Darfur.
The truck was part of a 39-truck convoy transporting food assistance to families who fled to Tawilah seeking food and safety.
The attack destroyed the truck's cabin and seriously injured the driver, the WFP said, calling for an immediate independent investigation.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has killed thousands and displaced millions.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-condemns-drone-attack-on-un-food-convoy-in-sudan/3764208
https://x.com/US_SrAdvisorAF/status/1997366218085351560
Underwater UFOs new area of interest for lawmakers
Updated: Dec 6, 2025 / 07:34 PM CST
As lawmakers hope President Donald Trump will join efforts to create more transparency around government information on UFOs, they are also turning their attention to strange sightings in and around the ocean.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., is one of a bipartisan group of lawmakers pushing the Pentagon for more information on alleged secret programs regarding UFOs.
Several high-profile whistleblowers have come forward with allegations of secret programs, recovered UFO technology, and even alleging the government has remains of non-human intelligence.
Joining NewsNation’s Ross Coulthart, Burchett noted that he is concerned not just about unexplained objects in the air but also those in the ocean.
Burchett pointed out that many UFO encounters pilots have reported have been over the deep oceans, and there have been reports of things diving into the water.
Much of the world’s oceans remain unexplored, which Burchett noted would make an appealing location for any entity trying to go unnoticed.
“You would go where you would be least disturbed,” he said.
Burchett said Navy officials who have broached the subject with him suggested the existence of five or six underground bases. He believes those officials know more than they can let on.
On the campaign trail, Trump indicated that he would be in favor of more transparency. Burchett says he will be meeting with the president soon, and it is one subject he hopes to discuss.
“It still just bothers me that our government won’t come forward with it,” Burchett said. “I am part of the government, and I don’t trust it. You have to ask yourself, why are we being told to keep quiet? Why the secrecy?”
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/underwater-ufos-special/
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/catalina-uso-lit-up-baseball-stadium-witness/
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/video-ufo-over-miami-beach/
https://www.youtube.com/@NewsNation
Ross Coulthart Q&A: Is Marco Rubio backtracking on 'Age of Disclosure' comments? | Reality Check
December 7, 2025
Ross Coulthart explores untold stories using a fact-based approach to address various topics, from unidentified aerial phenomena to other mysteries that often go unreported. Now, he is turning to viewers, answering their pressing questions each week.
In this week's episode, Coulthart tackles questions about his recent trip to Peru, reaction to Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments about the film 'Age of Disclosure,' and the search resuming for the missing airplane MH370.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqHGHQQVzL8
https://x.com/rosscoulthart
https://x.com/AshtonForbes/status/1993059613697359902
The Night Brazil Scrambled 5 Fighter Jets to Chase 21 UFOs (May 19, 1986)==
Dec 6, 2025
"On May 19, 1986, 21 unidentified flying objects, some of them up to 100 meters in diameter, were sighted by multiple witnesses, both civilian and military, in four states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Goiás."
"Five Brazilian Air Force fighter jets were activated by the Air Defense Operations Center to intercept the alleged invaders." – Government of Brazil
6:30 p.m. - First visual sightings by control tower personnel at the São José dos Campos airport in São Paulo State. Controllers notice two intense lights aligned with the runway axis at 330 degrees azimuth and approximately 15 km [10 mi] distance from the tower.
7:00 p.m. — The control towers in São Paulo and Brasilia confirm to São José that they have three primary targets on their screens, and that there are no scheduled aircraft in those areas.
8:00 p.m. — CINDACTA (Brasilia) detects up to eight targets (echoes) on its screens.
8:30 p.m. — A new object is observed with binoculars at the São José tower; it shows defined edges and red-orange color; it approaches the tower and then retreats.
9:00 p.m. — The oil company Xingu executive turbo-prop with Col. Silva requests landing conditions at São José. Both Silva and Commander Alcir Pereira, the Xingu pilot, confirm visually the luminous objects at 330 degrees azimuth. The Xingu turbo-prop attempts to follow the UFOs for 10 minutes.
9:10 p.m. — The Xingu turbo-prop returns for landing when a new, large luminous object heads toward the aircraft. The São Paulo tower confirms two echoes: the Xingu and an unknown, which disappears from the screen 15 minutes later.
9:20 p.m. — The Air Control Center in Brasilia (ACC-BR) informs the Brazilian Air Defense Command about the situation.
9:25 p.m. — The Xingu returns for a second landing attempt when the São Paulo tower reports yet another object at 180 degrees south, which is observed and followed by Commander Pereira.
9:30 p.m. — The Xingu returns for a third landing attempt when ACC-BR reports the appearance of new objects. The Xingu, now at 3,000 meters [10,000 ft] of altitude, makes visual contact with three luminous objects flying low over Petrobrás refineries and heading towards Serra do Mar. The Xingu finally lands in São José dos Campos.
9:40 p.m. — More visual sightings of a round object at 320 degrees azimuth.
9:50 p.m. — A luminous yellow object surrounded by smaller lights is observed at 110 degrees azimuth.
10:23 p.m. — The first F-5E jet fighter, piloted by Air Force Lt. Kleber Caldas Marinho, is scrambled from Santa Cruz AFB in Rio State.
10:45 p.m. — The second F-5E jet, piloted by Captain Brisola Jordão, is scrambled from Santa Cruz. The first Mirage F-103, armed with Sidewinder and Matra missiles, is scrambled from Anápolis AFB in Goias State.
10:55 p.m. — Anápolis AFB detects the objects on radar. The Mirage piloted by Captain Viriato does not make visual contact with the UFO, but a target is detected on its onboard radar… Captain Viriato later explained at the press conference in Brasilia that he was chasing the UFO 'at 1,350 km./hr. [850 mph], approaching the object up to a distance of 6 miles [9.5 km]. The object was heading up front and moving from one side to the other (zig-zagging) on my radar scope. Suddenly, the blip disappeared from my radar scope.'
11:00 p.m — The second Mirage F-103 is scrambled from Anápolis.
11:15 p.m. — Lt. Kleber's F-5E makes visual contact with a ball of light and chases the UFO at Mach 1.1 (1,320 km/h or 850 mph)… Kleber later declared at the press conference: 'I had one visual contact and one contact with my aircraft radar of something that looked like a luminous point, which was 12 miles [19 km] in front of me, a distance confirmed by ground radar. The object was moving from left to right and then began to climb… [it] was at 10 km [6 mi] of altitude and flying over 1,000 km/h [600 mph]. I followed it up to 200 miles [320 km] over the Atlantic Ocean [limit of Brazil's territorial waters]. I wasn't afraid because I like the unknown.'
11:17 p.m. — The third Mirage jet is scrambled from Anápolis AFB.
11:20 p.m. — Captain Jordão's F-5E establishes radar contact… At the press conference a few days later, he stated: 'Near to São José dos Campos, radar detected several targets, 10 to 13 targets, at a distance of 20 miles [32 km.]. The sky was clear but I didn't see anything. Ground radar informed me that the objects were closing in: 20 miles, 15, 10, 5, suddenly there were 13 objects behind my aircraft, 6 on one side and 7 on the other, during several minutes. After I maneuvered the aircraft, the objects had disappeared.' [Captain Jordão flew for 1 hour 20 minutes.]
11:36 p.m. — The third Mirage is scrambled from Anápolis AFB.
1:00 a.m. (May 20) — By this time all jet fighters have returned to their bases."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW58Qjd5Q54
Patrick discusses the debate between Astronaut Charlie Duke and Moon Landing skeptic Bart Sibrel on the Danny Jones Podcast
Dec 4, 2025
This video gets crazy and what I uncover about Bart will change how you feel about him forever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRP7_Ns6bbk
https://x.com/VettedPodcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMn6sI4X66s (Danny Jones: NASA Apollo Astronaut Finally Faces Off Against #1 Moon Landing Skeptic)
Secrets Task Force getting extension in New Year, Oversight Chair says — just with a tweak or two
Dec 06, 2025
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) — Chair, House Oversight Committee
Ask a Pol asks:
You already extended the Secrets Task Force for a second 6-month stint — are you planning to do that again in the New Year?
Key Comer:
“We may change a thing or two, but yeah, we plan on continuing to do it, so there’s gonna be some more UFO stuff,” Oversight Committee Chair James Comer exclusively tells Ask a Pol UAP.
“You can only renew em like one time. I think that’s the rules. So we’re gonna keep doing it, and we might change a thing or two, but it…”
Change a word in the name?
“Yeah,” Comer says. “Change a word or so.”
Caught our ear:
“It’s just a tough issue, that UFO stuff,” Comer tells us.
https://www.askapoluaps.com/p/secrets-task-force-new-lease-on-life
https://x.com/AskaPol_UAPs/status/1997437855799398781
https://www.youtube.com/@AskaPol_uaps
Skywatch Signal
@UAPWatchers
🚨Dan Farah: The Genie Is Out Of The Bottle
Dan states that he receiving messages from senior senators and people in the administration saying that the the doors just been blown open and the government doesn't have any choice but to walk through it in some in some regard.
Dan also says: "I think it's only a matter of time before we see a sitting president step to the microphone and tell the world we're not alone in the universe.
He also goes on to say that he I doesn't think we're too far off from that point.
8:06 AM · Dec 6, 2025
https://x.com/UAPWatchers/status/1997336902685385137
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuEhY9Cl1YE
https://x.com/Dan_Farah