TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
December 15, 2025
Gemini Meteors over Snow Capped Mountains
Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the constellation of Gemini. That is why the major meteor shower in December is known as the Geminids – because shower meteors all appear to come from a radiant toward Gemini. Three dimensionally, however, sand-sized debris expelled from the unusual asteroid 3200 Phaethon follows a well-defined orbit about our Sun, and the part of the orbit that approaches Earth is superposed in front of the constellation of Gemini. Therefore, when Earth crosses this orbit, the radiant point of falling debris appears in Gemini. Featured here is a composite of many images taken over the past few days through dark skies from Slovakia and capturing the snow-covered peaks of the Belianske Tatra mountains Numerous bright meteor streaks from the Geminids meteor shower are visible. Orion is visible above the horizon, while the bright star nearest the radiant is Castor.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Pole Shift - 55% Loss, EM Plants, Solar Watch | S0 News and frens
Dec.15.2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhXny-dMwBk
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/forms-of-aurora-arcs-curtains-corona/
https://earthsky.org/todays-image/best-northern-lights-photos-of-2025/
https://www.space.com/live/aurora-forecast-will-the-northern-lights-be-visible-tonight
https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/geminid-meteor-shower-2025-thrills-skywatchers-with-an-end-of-year-celestial-firework-show-photos
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-radio-signal-that-predicts-aurora-storms
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2000324155057770632
https://www.SpaceWeatherNews.com
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
They're riding 3i atlas to the hearing
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/hawaii-telescope-captured-earliest-spectrum-3i-atlas-125-hours-after-discovery-1763069
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/why-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-close-earth-approach-is-an-early-christmas-gift-for-astronomers
https://usaherald.com/a-silent-visitor-brightens-egypts-black-desert-sky-as-3i-atlas-enters-a-critical-phase/#google_vignette
https://x.com/forallcurious/status/2000364871016501558
https://x.com/forallcurious/status/2000510788335796426
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2000425398996484439
https://x.com/bri8trose/status/2000568671429632348
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVjIgFHW1w (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3I ATLAS - the LONGEST Gamma Ray Burst GRB 250702B - COSMIC CONNECTION? I Took a PICTURE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxVyIzWNkk (The Angry Astronaut: 5 days to go!! 3I Atlas Q&A)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw2GGwhvMyU (Leak Project: NASA Spacecraft Tracks 3I/ATLAS.. Then Disappears)
Hawaii Telescope Captured Earliest Spectrum of 3I/ATLAS 12.5 Hours After Discovery
15 December 2025, 10:35 AM GMT
Imagine a piece of debris, ejected violently from a star system light-years away, now hurtling through our own cosmic neighbourhood.
It is not just a rock; it is a message in a bottle from an alien planetary birth — a tangible piece of evidence that could fundamentally change our understanding of where we come from.
This is the dramatic reality of 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever detected, and the data being gathered from it is already shaking up our comprehension of what lies beyond.
These cosmic trespassers — these 'ejected building blocks of other solar systems' — are perhaps the single most precious cargo astronomers can hope to examine.
They offer 'otherwise inaccessible information about nascent extrasolar systems', giving us a fleeting glimpse into the raw materials that formed worlds around stars far, far away.
Until now, our understanding of extrasolar planet formation has been largely limited to computer models and distant telescopic observations.
The arrival of an object like 3I/ATLAS provides a physical, untouched sample from a completely different stellar cradle, allowing scientists to directly 'compare it to the small bodies in our own' solar system, such as comets and asteroids.
This is a scientific opportunity that comes once in a generation, and the race to analyse it was intense.
The Extraordinary Speed and Composition of 3I/ATLAS
The scientific community's response to the object's discovery was nothing short of a frantic, global race against time.
This object was moving fast, and researchers knew they had a vanishing window to capture its most intimate secrets before it disappeared back into the darkness of space.
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In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, a dedicated team swooped in to capture crucial data.
Using the powerful SuperNova Integral Field Spectrograph on the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope, researchers managed to get an early look at this cosmic visitor.
The commitment and speed demonstrated by the astronomers was breathtaking: the earliest spectrum they captured, specifically at < 3800 A, was obtained an astonishing '~ 12.5 hours after the discovery announcement'.
They needed to see it quickly before it sped too far away.
This urgency paid off massively. The subsequent spectrophotometric observations confirmed 'previously reported cometary activity', but the analysis revealed something truly spectacular — the emission of both Ni (Nickel) and CN (Cyanogen).
It is this very cometary behaviour that makes 3I/ATLAS so incredibly special. Unlike 'Oumuamua and 'Borisov, the first two interstellar objects, 3I/ATLAS is actively shedding material as it heats up, turning from a dormant rock into a glowing, temporary comet as it makes its 'pre-perihelion (rh = 4.4 - 2.5 au) approach'.
Essentially, the object is opening up for us, giving scientists an unparalleled look at the raw elements sealed within.
The presence of nickel, in particular, raises fascinating questions about the temperature and pressure conditions in the distant system where the comet was born.
Decoding the Colour-Code: What the Data Reveals About 3I/ATLAS
For astronomers, the 'colour' of an object — which is to say, how it reflects and absorbs light at different wavelengths — is a critical chemical and mineralogical fingerprint.
The latest observations showed 'wavelength-varying spectral slopes (S ~ (0%-29%)/1000 A, depending on wavelength range)' throughout its close approach to the sun.
This variation in how light was reflected across the spectrum is a key clue to the complexity of its surface.
Despite this variability, a deeper analysis showed a remarkable stability in its overall surface colour evolution. The synthetic photometry performed on the spectra showed 'mostly stable colour evolution' throughout the observation period.
The precise colour readings remained within tight bands: 'g - r colours ranging from ~ 0.69 - 0.75 mag', 'r-i colours ranging from ~ 0.26 - 0.30 mag' and 'c - o colours ranging from ~ 0.50 - 0.55 mag'.
These seemingly small, highly technical variations are, in fact, incredibly significant.
They tell a coherent story about the surface chemistry and mineralogy of a body that formed around a completely different star, possibly one that was dramatically different to our own sun.
A stable colour profile suggests a uniform or slowly evolving surface composition, which is valuable information when trying to deduce the conditions of its cosmic birth.
While the initial data on 3I/ATLAS has answered some questions — confirming its cometary nature and revealing exotic elements — it has opened up a dozen more.
What does the consistent colour evolution imply about its formation history? Why is it so rich in nickel?
The international team is now eagerly anticipating the next phase of research, noting that the 'ongoing post-perihelion observations of 3I/ATLAS will provide further insight into its potentially extreme composition'.
The final, complete analysis of this interstellar visitor will not just reveal the history of a single comet; it promises to rewrite the cosmological rulebook on how planetary systems — including our own — are truly built.
The message is here, but the decoding is ongoing.
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NASA Continues MAVEN Spacecraft Recontact Efforts
December 15, 2025
NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission team, in partnership with the agency’s Deep Space Network, continues recovery activities after losing contact with the spacecraft on Dec. 6.
To date, attempts to reestablish contact with the spacecraft have not been successful.
Although no spacecraft telemetry has been received since Dec. 4, the team recovered a brief fragment of tracking data from Dec. 6 as part of an ongoing radio science campaign.
Analysis of that signal suggests that the MAVEN spacecraft was rotating in an unexpected manner when it emerged from behind Mars. Further, the frequency of the tracking signal suggests MAVEN’s orbit trajectory may have changed.
The team continues to analyze tracking data to understand the most likely scenarios leading to the loss of signal. Efforts to reestablish contact with MAVEN also continue.
NASA is also working to mitigate the effect of the MAVEN anomaly on surface operations for NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rovers. Four orbiters at Mars, including MAVEN, relay communications to and from the surface to support rover operations.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey, and ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter all remain operational.
For the next two weeks of scheduled surface operations, NASA is arranging additional passes from the remaining orbiters, and the Perseverance and Curiosity teams have adjusted their daily planning activities to continue their science missions.
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/maven/2025/12/15/nasa-continues-maven-spacecraft-recontact-efforts/
https://usaherald.com/nasas-maven-spacecraft-lost-contact-with-earth-after-close-encounter-with-3i-atlas-raising-new-questions-as-earths-own-encounter-is-now-imminent/
Isaacman’s Nomination Moves Up A Notch
December 14, 2025
Senate Majority Leader Thune has filed cloture (the formal process to end a filibuster and force a vote on a bill, motion, or nomination) as shown on Executive Calendar #593 for Jared Isaacman to become Administrator of NASA.
Final action is expected in the coming week.
https://nasawatch.com/ask-the-administrator/isaacmans-nomination-moves-up-a-notch/
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/executive_calendar/xcalv.pdf
NASA Tracking Bus-Sized Asteroid Approaching Earth This Week
Dec 15, 2025 at 09:49 AM EST
NASA is monitoring an asteroid that's hurtling towards the Earth at more than 33,000 miles per hour, according to the space agency's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
Designated “2025 XN4,” the space rock is expected to make its closest approach on Tuesday, says NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Estimated to be some 38 feet across, 2025 XN4 is projected will get within a cosmically slight 123,000 miles of our planet.
2025 XN4 is not the only space rock in the vicinity of our planet this week. NASA is tracking another bus-sized asteroid, called “2025 XX2,” that’s speeding towards the Earth at around 18,000 miles per hour.
Measuring around 33 feet in diameter, 2025 XX2 is projected to make its closest approach on Monday at about 580,000 miles from our planet, NASA says.
The space agency is also monitoring two plane-sized asteroids, known as “2016 YH” and “2025 TZ,” as well as a stadium-sized one called “2025 WA3,” that are heading for the Earth on Monday.
Asteroids are small, rocky masses left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago.
They are found concentrated in the main asteroid belt, which lies around the sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
"Near-Earth objects" are those asteroids whose orbits bring them within 120 million miles of the sun and into the Earth’s “orbital neighborhood.”
Earlier this year, in February, data from CNEOS showed that the impact probability of an asteroid known as “2024 YR4” in 2032 was at 3.1 percent, which was “the highest impact probability NASA has ever recorded for an object of this size or larger.”
Further studies led NASA to determine that “the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond.”
“The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact,” the space agency advises.
However, a small portion of them, known as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), do require closer attention.
Measuring over 460 feet in size, PHAs have orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles of the Earth’s orbit around the sun.
Despite the number of PHAs out in our solar system, none are likely to hit our planet any time soon.
"The 'potentially hazardous' designation simply means over many centuries and millennia, the asteroid's orbit may evolve into one that has a chance of impacting Earth.
We do not assess these long-term, many-century possibilities of impact," Paul Chodas, manager of the CNEOS, previously told Newsweek.
https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-tracking-bus-sized-asteroid-approaching-earth-2025-xn4-11212580
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch/next-five-approaches/
MetaSeismic material mitigates vibration and shock in NASA Marshall testing
December 15, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO – University of California spinoff MetaSeismic wasn’t focused on space applications when it began using an artificial intelligence platform to create materials to mitigate vibration and shock.
But tecent tests at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center showed that MetaSeismic material helped protect a key component during a simulated launch.
“The technology is interesting because it offers a damping solution for vibrations that comes in a smaller form factor than other solutions that we may typically use,” Aaron Miller, NASA Marshall lead structural integration engineer, told SpaceNews.
“It’s custom tunable for the specific vibration environment that the hardware, whether it be avionics, a battery or something else, may experience.”
Tests conducted under a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement showed that a thin layer of MetaSeismic material reduced the force of vibration on a launch vehicle battery from 20 times Earth’s gravity to 0.5 Gs in three directions across a frequency range of 0 to 2,000 hertz, according to a MetaSeismic news release.
“We reduce the vibration in all the directions with something which is very thin and light,” said MetaSeismic founder and CEO Noemi Bonessio.
“What really blew us away was how well it dampened vibrations across such a wide range of frequencies,” Steven DeLessio, Amentum Space Exploration Group flight structures analyst, said in a statement.
“That kind of performance is a game-changer to protect sensitive payloads.”
Space, Quantum and Robotics
MetaSeismic was founded by Bonessio, a scientist, inventor and entrepreneur with a PhD from the University of Rome and post-doctoral researcher from the University of California, San Diego.
Bonessio came up with the idea for the technology when she was a mechanical and aerospace engineering research scientist at the University of California, Irvine, and expanded the MetaSeismic platform as a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory fellow.
Initially, MetaSeismic focused on creating materials to protect sensitive electronics from the shock and vibration of earthquakes.
While that work continues, the Berkeley, California-based startup is offering its metamaterial-design platform “for multiple applications from quantum computing to space application to robots that need vibration control for manufacturing semiconductors,” Bonessio said.
NASA began working with MetaSeismic in 2022 because “the challenge we face is basically the same: whether it’s an 8.5 earthquake or 20 Gs during launch,” James “JR” Booker, NASA Marshall loads, dynamics and integrated design engineer, said in a statement.
“We’ve got to deal with extreme dynamic forces without adding a bunch of extra weight or bulk.”
Vibration and shock are concerns throughout spaceflight. “Obviously during the launch, but even when we get into space, there is shock or vibration during stage separation, descent and landing,” Miller said. “It’s almost cradle to grave.”
While the MetaSeismic platform was not intended for space applications, Bonessio said, working with NASA is “a dream and an honor.”
https://spacenews.com/metaseismic-material-mitigates-vibration-and-shock-in-nasa-marshall-testing/
Surprise! 2 private spacecraft rendezvous in orbit on newly revealed 'Remora' mission
December 15, 2025
Two commercial spacecraft pulled off a surprise rendezvous in Earth orbit recently, showcasing skills that could pave the way for satellite servicing missions down the road.
The milestone came on a mission called Remora, a newly revealed collaboration between the companies Starfish Space and Impulse Space.
One of Impulse Space's dishwasher-sized Mira orbital transfer vehicles used Starfish software to get within a mere 4,100 feet (1,250 meters) of another Mira, in a key demonstration of autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) tech.
"Together with our partners at Starfish, we brought this mission from concept to execution in less than a year," Impulse Space President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Romo said in a statement today (Dec. 15).
"Our team is ready and able to execute quickly and deliver versatile, complex operations where success is paramount. We’re looking forward to more RPO missions across more orbits in the future."
That statement announced the existence of Remora and gave some key details about the mission, which Impulse and Starfish developed in just nine months.
It involved outfitting a Mira with a single, lightweight camera and Starfish's core guidance, navigation and control (GNC) software suite —two programs called Cetacean and Cephalopod, which ran on a peripheral flight computer.
The modified Mira launched in January 2025 on SpaceX's Transporter 12 rideshare mission, which hauled 131 payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO).
This was the second Mira to reach orbit, as indicated by the name Impulse Space chose for its mission: LEO Express 2.
Mira conducted a number of operations on LEO Express 2; it deployed two cubesats, for example, and performed several precision engine burns to showcase the abilities of its propulsion system.
And then, unbeknownst to the rest of us, it embarked on the Remora mission.
Using Cetacean and Cephalopod, the spacecraft rendezvoused autonomously with the first space-flown Mira, which launched on SpaceX's Transporter 9 flight in November 2023 and performed the LEO Express 1 mission.
The close approach occurred in late October over a period of several hours. Mira chronicled the operation with its onboard camera, and we get to see a few snapshots of the progress:
Impulse and Starfish released photos showing the target Mira from a distance of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), 4 miles (6.5 km), 1.2 miles (2 km) and 4,100 feet (1,250 m).
"With Remora, we set out to validate our unique approach to autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations in orbit," Starfish Space Co-Founder Trevor Bennett said in the same statement.
"Proving this capability is a major milestone for Starfish, and gives us tremendous confidence as we move toward our first Otter launches next year," he added.
Otter is a small, versatile vehicle that Starfish is developing to provide a variety of satellite-servicing functions, from inspection, refueling and repair to the de-orbiting of dead or dying craft.
Remora wasn't the first demonstration of Otter's planned capabilities. A trailblazer called Otter Pup 1 launched on SpaceX's Transporter 8 mission in June 2023.
Otter Pup 1 was supposed to rendezvous with the space tug that deployed it into orbit, but that parent vehicle experienced an anomaly that scuttled that plan.
Starfish came up with a new idea, however, successfully maneuvering Otter Pup 1 within 0.6 miles (1 km) of a different space tug in April 2024.
And Otter Pup 2 launched this past June on SpaceX's Transporter 14, tasked with conducting the first-ever private satellite docking in LEO.
So there may be some more news coming from Starfish in the not-too-distant future…
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/starfish-impulse-space-remora-private-rendezvous-mission-earth-orbit
Japan just sent origami to space to unfurl possibilities for outsized antennas
Mon 15 Dec 2025 // 06:09 UTC
Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is celebrating after the successful Sunday launch of its Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration No. 4, which is packed with 16 intriguing payloads.
The aim of JAXA’s Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration Program is to test ideas proposed by researchers from academia and private industry.
The space agency issues an open call for proposals, then conducts a competitive evaluation process to select payloads. Advancing Japan’s capabilities in space, and the competitiveness of the nation’s space industry, are major goals of the program.
Sixteen experiments made the cut for this mission, which after a few weather-related delays made it into space on Sunday atop a Rocket Lab Electron that launched from New Zealand. You can watch the launch below.
The main payload aboard the rocket was RAISE-4, a 110-kg satellite carrying eight experiments, including:
LEOMI – an in-orbit demonstration of MIMO networking technology that aims to demonstrate a satellite internet-of-things platform;
GEMINI – A “civilian” GPU to perform high-speed signal processing, and a new method of rapid software development for the platform;
KIR-X – An experiment to use water as a propellant for satellites;
TDS-PPT – A pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) for small satellites to evaluate low-power, compact, and inexpensive electric propulsion for ultra-small and small satellites;
AIRIS – An AI-powered experiment to detect other objects in orbit, downlinking minimal data, and learning from observations to improve performance.
The launch also carried eight CubeSats into space, including OrigamiSat-2.
The 3U craft carries what JAXA describes as 10 cm cube containing “an unprecedentedly lightweight and highly packable deployable array antenna for space, with antenna elements attached to a two-layer deployable membrane that can be folded using origami techniques.”
When unfolded, the origami becomes “approximately 25 times larger” than the 10cm cube, giving the CubeSat a more efficient antenna.
Another interesting CubeSat on the mission is “WASEDA-SAT-ZERO-II,” as its creators at Waseda University 3D-printed the sat’s housing using a design that uses no screws, no mechanical parts, and hopefully produces zero debris.
Within the housing is a membrane made of planar elements that also resemble origami and will help with deployment experiments.
Other CubeSats on the mission include:
MAGNARO-II – Testing a new method for rotating and separating linked nanosatellites to form a constellation and demonstrate it in orbit;
Mono-Nikko – An in-orbit demonstration of an intelligent power supply unit that can acquire status data of batteries installed in ultra-small spacecraft and quickly detect battery deterioration or abnormalities in orbit.
PRELUDE – A sat equipped with a small electric field/plasma hybrid sensor to detect precursor phenomena and to perform global earthquake predictions.
JAXA plans to spend two months prepping the above experiments, and 13 months taking them for a spin.
The aerospace agency has already chosen two themes for a fifth Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration – testing consumer-grade electronics in space, and testing a CubeSat with a propulsion system that enables maintenance – but has also announced the program will transition into a new form called the Space Technology Demonstration Acceleration Program (JAXA-STEPS).
https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/15/jaxa_innovative_satellite_technology_demonstration/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMP328yoUu4
https://x.com/RocketLab/status/2000035638629023963
Scotland signs space link agreement with UAE
December 15, 2025
Scotland has taken a major step in strengthening its international space industry links with the signing of an agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
The Letter of Intent between industry group Space Scotland and the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) includes a commitment to deepen co-operation across key areas including satellite manufacturing, launch services and research.
It also paves the way for increased business cooperation, trade activity, and joint industry events to provide commercial opportunities for companies in both countries.
The strengthened partnership recognises Scotland’s emergence as Europe’s largest producer of small satellites and its progress towards achieving launch capability, which aligns closely with the UAE’s rapidly advancing space programme and its ambitions in lunar exploration, Earth observation and space science.
Scotland’s space sector employs more than 7,000 people, based on figures from 2017/18, generates £381 million in annual income. More than 240 organisations now operate within Scotland’s space ecosystem.
Business minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland’s space industry has for some time been punching above its weight internationally.
Strengthening our relationship with the UAE creates major new opportunities for collaboration, skills and investment.
“The UAE is an increasingly influential space nationand this agreement reflects the scale of Scotland’s ambition to lead in small satellite production, data-driven space services and sustainable space technologies.
“With the global space market projected to exceed £1.3 trillion by 2035, we are determined to ensure Scotland captures its share.”
Scottish Government Trade and Investment Envoy for Space Daniel Smith said:
“Scotland’s space industry is evolving rapidly, and partnerships like this Letter of Intent ensure that our sector continues to develop in a globally connected manner.
“It provides a practical framework for joint activity and reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to working with world-class partners to unlock new opportunities in space.”
Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said: “This is a significant step forward in international cooperation.
“Working more closely with MBRSC will open up substantial commercial and research opportunities in advanced satellite technologies, sustainability and space security.
“These collaborations will help drive the growth of high-value companies capable of delivering long-term economic benefit for Scotland.”
https://dailybusinessgroup.co.uk/2025/12/scotland-signs-space-link-agreement-with-uae/
blizzards from DQ
Space Force will not partner with NRO for next-generation surveillance satellites
December 15, 2025 8:05 am
SPACEPOWER 2025 — The Space Force intends go solo in developing a follow-on to the classified SILENTBARKER space surveillance constellation currently operated in tandem with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), according to a senior service official.
“The partnership with the NRO today is great and strong, [but we are] working to fully transition that [mission] to the Space Force for the future acquisition,” Col. Brendan Hochstein, commander of Space System Command’s new(ish) Combat Power System Delta (Delta 89), said today.
“We’re going to leverage what’s on orbit today, lessons learned there, but also what we’re doing on the reconnaissance mission with RG-XX,” he told reporters in the margins of the Space Force Association’s Spacepower 2025 conference.
RG-XX is the Space Force’s moniker for a planned constellation to replace the current Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) neighborhood watch birds.
Under the service’s current acquisition strategy, RG-XX satellites will be bought from commercial providers but owned and operated by the Space Force. A draft request for proposals is expected to be released by the end of the year.
Hochstein explained that the Space Force now sees the surveillance and reconnaissance missions as requiring separate assets:
surveillance as “scanning the environment;” reconnaissance as “closer in” viewing of specific objects with the aim of “informing the kill chain.”
“So, GSSAP and RG-XX are in that reconnaissance bucket, SILENTBARKER, and whatever follows on SILENTBARKER, is in that surveillance area,” he said.
The two missions, and constellations, are related in that the surveillance birds are used to “tip and cue” the reconnaissance satellites, Hochstein added.
The service on Nov. 26 issued a request for information (RFI) to industry for a “wide field of view” optical sensor that would equip the SILENTBARKER follow-on satellites, giving interested vendors until Jan. 9 to respond.
Neither Hochstein or the RFI provided details about the planned constellation, like, for example, how many satellites are envisioned.
The number of SILENTBARKER birds stationed in geosynchronous Earth orbit is classified, although the NRO has acknowledged that there is more than one.
However, the RFI did reveal that the new cameras should be capable of “detecting resident space objects at 14.5 visual magnitude with special interest in sensors capable of detection at 16+ visual magnitude.”
Somewhat confusingly, the higher a visual magnitude, the dimmer the object. Dimmer objects are harder for telescopes to spot — and experimentation by Russia and China with reducing satellite magnitude has been worrying Space Force leaders.
Indeed, in what may or may not be a coincidence, a Russia on Sept. 13 lofted a new experimental satellite, called Mozhayets-6, with a 16.5 magnitude that Slingshot Aerospace said remained elusive to the Space Force’s network for about five weeks until it was found by private space monitoring firm.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/space-force-will-not-partner-with-nro-for-next-generation-surveillance-satellites/
Ukrainian agents scamming vulnerable Russians into terror acts – FSB
15 Dec, 2025 10:58
Ukrainian intelligence services are exploiting phone-scam techniques to pressure Russian citizens into carrying out terrorist acts, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday.
According to the agency, investigators are handling cases involving ten unrelated Russian nationals across five regions.
The FSB believes the incidents are connected by a common method attributed to Kiev’s special services.
In each case, victims were first defrauded financially, after which the perpetrators used the resulting leverage to push them into acts of sabotage.
Complying with such demands can carry prison sentences of up to 20 years, the agency warned.
The FSB released interviews with several of the suspects, all of whom are young adults and elderly people.
Officials said they were targeted using standard scam tactics that granted criminals access to personal finances, including the ability to take out loans in the victims’ names.
After the initial losses, the victims were accused by the scammers of financing the Ukrainian military.
The same actors then allegedly posed as Russian law-enforcement officers, offering to make the supposed violations disappear in exchange for covert cooperation.
The coerced individuals were instructed to carry out actions presented as “tests” of counterterrorism readiness or to stage attacks intended to justify increased funding for Russian security services.
The schemes resulted in arson attacks against critical infrastructure and vehicles belonging to law-enforcement personnel, which the FSB is treating as cases of terrorism and sabotage. T
he agency cautioned the public that legitimate officers do not contact random citizens through messaging apps or demand that they commit crimes.
Ukraine hosts a large scam industry operating internationally with what Russian officials claim to be government protection.
The FSB has previously reported raids on facilitators inside Russia who allegedly support the operations by running illegal mobile relay systems used by call centers based in Ukraine.
https://www.rt.com/russia/629463-ukrainian-intelligence-scam-terrorism/
Western officials ‘alarmed’ over secret FBI-Ukraine meetings – WaPo
14 Dec, 2025 09:33
Western officials are concerned by the secrecy surrounding meetings between Ukrainian negotiators and the FBI, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing sources.
Kiev’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, has visited the US three times in recent weeks to meet with President Donald Trump’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, and also held closed-door talks with FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Several unnamed Western officials said the meetings could be aimed at speeding up Kiev’s acceptance of Trump’s peace roadmap.
Leaked versions require Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions, drop its territorial claims, and cap its army at 600,000 – terms which Kiev and its European backers believe favor Russia.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishina, confirmed the FBI meetings, but declined to provide details. Sources say the secrecy “has caused alarm” among those not privy to the talks over their true purpose.
Other sources say Umerov and his team could have sought FBI help to shield themselves from potential corruption allegations tied to a graft scandal linked to Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle and a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector.
Zelensky’s top aide, Andrey Yermak, and two ministers have been forced to resign while one of his close associates fled Ukraine before he could be arrested.
Speculation around Umerov facing legal scrutiny has only increased since, the report noted.
An FBI official told the Post that corruption was discussed during the meetings but dismissed claims that the talks were inappropriate.
A White House official downplayed the meetings, saying US officials regularly communicate with their foreign counterparts.
Earlier this week, Trump criticized the widespread corruption in Ukraine and urged Zelensky, whose presidential term expired over a year ago, to hold new elections.
Zelensky has refused to do so, citing martial law. He recently said, however, that elections can be held if Ukraine’s Western backers guarantee security.
Russia maintains that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said this week that Zelensky’s sudden interest in elections is a ploy to secure a ceasefire – which Moscow has rejected in favor of a permanent peace deal.
https://www.rt.com/news/629430-western-officials-alarm-ukraine-fbi/
Honestly, the situation may be ready to go crazy, for reals
Wave of Ukrainian drones targets Moscow in reported overnight strike
(Updated: December 15, 2025 6:45 am)
A wave of Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian capital overnight on Dec. 14-15, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed.
The attack comes less than a week after Ukraine reportedly attacked Moscow with over 30 drones in a mass strike on Dec. 10.
Russian air defense units have shot down at least 18 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) en route to Moscow, Sobyanin said. Emergency response crews are clearing wreckage from the attack sites.
No casualties or damage have been reported. Temporary restrictions have been imposed at Moscow's Zhukovsky and Domodedovo airports.
Residents of the Istrinksy district, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Moscow, have reported over a dozen loud explosions, according to the Russian Telegram news channel Shot.
Residents of Kashira and Kolomna in southern Moscow Oblast also reported explosions.
The Russian Defense Ministry later reported at 7:18 a.m. local time that 25 drones were shot down over Moscow Oblast, including 15 flying towards the capital.
A total of 130 drones were intercepted across Russia during the night, the ministry said. Sobyanin announced at 7:41 a.m. that three more drones were shot down during their flight to Moscow, bringing the total to 18.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports at the time of publication.
Ukraine regularly uses long-range drones to target military and industrial targets in Russia.
On Dec. 13, Ukrainian forces struck a number of assets in Russia and in occupied territories, including the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai, the Uryupinsk oil depot in Vologograd Oblast, and two fuel depots in Crimea.
Previous attacks on Moscow have disrupted aviation operations, grounding and delaying hundreds of flights despite the drones being intercepted by air defenses.
https://kyivindependent.com/wave-of-ukrainian-drones-targets-moscow-in-reported-overnight-strike/
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4069722-russia-reports-drone-attacks-on-moscow-and-eight-regions-hits-thermal-power-plant-in-belgorod.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4069645-drones-attack-moscow-region-explosions-reported.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://kyivindependent.com/belgorod-power-plant-hit-during-massive-overnight-drone-attacks-on-russia-media-reports/
https://kyivindependent.com/sbu-drones-hit-russian-caspian-sea-oil-platform-for-third-time-in-a-week-source-says/
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-claims-first-underwater-drone-sea-baby-strike-on-russian-submarine-knocking-it-out-of-service/
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/12/15/8011911/
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4069574-russian-drone-kills-cyclist-in-sumy-region.html
https://english.nv.ua/nation/drone-attack-targets-police-station-in-ukraine-s-chernihiv-oblast-50568493.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/12/15/soviet-missiles-us-electronics-chinese-modems-russias-frankenstein-drone-now-hunts-ukrainian-aircraft/
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/66234
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/66273
IDF destroys Hamas equipment, dismantles infrastructure along Gaza’s Yellow Line in eastern Rafah
DECEMBER 15, 2025 19:16
The IDF operated to dismantle terrorist infrastructure along Gaza's Yellow Line in eastern Rafah over the course of the last week, during which troops killed terrorists who posed threats, and located weapons, missiles, and filming equipment used by Hamas operatives, the military stated on Monday.
“The troops located weapons and surveillance equipment, including AK-47 rifles, RPG rockets, and cameras used by Hamas terrorists against IDF troops operating in the area,” the IDF noted.
The operation was conducted by the 143rd Gaza Division of the Golani Brigade, which also worked to dismantle tunnels and kill dozens of terrorists who posed threats to Israeli troops, the military added.
"IDF troops under the Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat," the IDF concluded.
IDF kills senior Hamas official in Gaza City strike
The IDF statement follows its killing of senior Hamas commander Ra'ad Sa'ad on Saturday, in what represents the elimination of one of the most senior terrorists within the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades since the beginning of the ceasefire.
The Israeli military, which did not name the target initially, said Sa'ad had recently been involved in attempts to restore and produce weapons for Hamas.
The IDF said the targeted terrorist had recently been involved in attempts to restore and produce weapons for Hamas.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-880386
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-to-demolish-25-residential-buildings-in-west-bank-refugee-camp-local-authorities/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/palestinian-teen-said-shot-dead-by-idf-in-southern-west-bank/
https://worldisraelnews.com/three-hezbollah-terrorists-killed-in-idf-strikes-within-hours/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-suspected-of-trying-to-stab-troops-in-west-bank-is-shot-seriously-hurt-by-forces/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/dutch-police-arrest-22-at-protest-of-hanukkah-concert-featuring-idf-cantor/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/israeli-strikes-killed-least-40-193008332.html
https://www.jfeed.com/middleeast/hamas-tent-rent-storm-byron
https://www.jfeed.com/analysis/october-7-investigation-idf