TYB
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/why-is-the-anti-tail-sunward-jet-of-3i-atlas-tightly-collimated-8d43d8f154f5
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-anti-tail-of-3i-atlas-wobbled-before-perihelion-3a0d286a6ad3
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/a-14th-anomaly-of-3i-atlas-alignment-of-its-rotation-axis-with-the-sunward-direction-at-large-e8a08a0705d4
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/uri-geller-atlas-aliens-space-36417035
https://x.com/JinxedHorizon/status/2001279597665468620
https://x.com/ExploreCosmos_/status/2001169970684686385
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-wasnt-supposed-to-be-there-meet-the-astronomer-who-discovered-it
https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/watch-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-make-its-closest-approach-to-earth-in-free-livestream-on-dec-18
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/37660623/3i-atlas-alien-comet-pass-earth/
https://www.geo.tv/latest/639887-did-comet-3iatlas-knock-maven-offline-nasa-faces-questions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC88rlutTwk (The Angry Astronaut: UNNATURAL! New 3I Atlas discovery reveals the craziest anomaly yet!!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtKix4Lu1jo (Dobsonian Power: 3I/ATLAS COMING ON FIRE!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7nLnfosfoo (Ray's Astrophotography: Comet 3I ATLAS – Something STRANGE Is Happening Near JUPITER – I Took a PICTURE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv_T987ZaYM (Chuck's Astrophotography: 3I/ATLAS Countdown Begins - Closest Approach to Earth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7bqseU83og (Maussan: Thousands of telescopes will observe 3I/Atlas this December 19th: the truth is yet to be revealed 🔭🌌)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DT73T959M (3I/Atlas Is ALMOST Here, and the TRUTH is coming out | Redacted News)
Why is the Anti-Tail Sunward-Jet of 3I/ATLAS Tightly Collimated?
December 17, 2025
My latest essay on the 14th anomaly of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS (available here) focused on the alignment of its rotation axis with the sunward direction at large distances.
The fact that a tightly collimated jet appears as the anti-tail in the direction of the Sun both before and after perihelion has a tiny probability of occurring at random, 0.000025.
But the collimation of the jet to within 8 degrees out to a distance of half a million kilometers, as seen in the latest images of 3I/ATLAS from December 15, 2025 (and discussed here), is also a highly unlikely occurrence.
My brilliant colleagues, Dr. Eric Keto and Dr. Frank Laukien, independently offered their important insights on this matter.
Eric wrote:
“The pre-perihelion anti-tail is a sunward jet located near the rotation axis that happens to align with the sunward vector. This makes it spin like a rifle bullet around its direction of travel which was sunward. There is no necessary connection between the jets on either side of perihelion.”
The paper that Eric and I co-authored about the Hubble Space Telescope image from July 21, 2025 (available here), concluded that the anti-tail before perihelion must be a tightly collimated jet that is about ten times longer than it is wide. This is because its long axis extends in the Hubble image towards the Sun twice as far as its width, but the jet is viewed from an angle of 10 degrees relative to its long axis — which adds an extra projection factor of [1/sin(10)]=5.8, making the actual length-to-width ratio about 11.6.
Indeed, the latest images of 3I/ATLAS from this week show a sunward jet that is about ten times longer than it is wide, with an opening angle of order 6–8 degrees.
What natural mechanism could explain a tightly-collimated anti-tail jet both before and after perihelion in the direction of the Sun?
The rotation axis of 3I/ATLAS in July-August 2025 was aligned to within 8 degrees with the sunward direction according to a new report here.
This implies that the base of the new anti-tail jet after perihelion must have been on the nightside of 3I/ATLAS before perihelion and the base of the old anti-tail jet must be on the nightside of 3I/ATLAS after perihelion.
For them to be active only when facing the Sun, they must be well insulated on the nightside, a non-trivial 15th anomaly for a natural comet.
1/2
Why would these independent bases near the opposite poles of the rotation axis both produce tight jets with an opening angle of order 6–8 degrees?
Frank wrote:
“Avi, Only a typical natural cometary tail (not anti-tail) could be tightly collimated by sunlight, since the Sun is essentially a point source from the point-of-view of the comet, and gas or dust that gets sublimated by sunlight into a full hemisphere of 2pi solid angle, then quickly gets pushed away in a tightly collimated comet tail by the solar wind and light.
On the other hand, I cannot see how a tightly collimated natural anti-tail could get created: any large or object-covering ice field would generate a forward plume that would fill a 2pi solid angle, assuming an approximately spherical object and sublimation primarily in a direction that is orthogonal to the surface, and not primarily colinear with the incident sunlight.
Hypothetically, a very deep ice pocket, shaped like a gun barrel, may emit a tightly collimated natural gas and dust beam, but the sunlight would only shine down that ‘gun barrel’ of a rotating object for a brief moment.
If the collimated, modulated anti-tails pointing towards the Sun are technological, they could be:
· for propulsion (doesn’t make sense), unless propulsion away from the Sun had some intentional navigational effects to achieve or avoid ‘something’, or
· as directed weapons (doesn’t make sense after perihelion, as they no longer ‘clear the way’ of the object of debris), or
· to create a directed shield against sunlight and solar wind to protect the technological object’s electronics or biological content or surface?
Best wishes, Frank”
As it turns out, I was just contemplating the last possibility in the context of a technological thruster before Frank’s message arrived. His insights are important.
Observing 3I/ATLAS on a retrograde trajectory which is aligned to within 5 degrees with the ecliptic plane of the planets around the Sun was the initial trigger to consider a technological origin for it.
The near alignment of its rotation axis with the direction of the Sun at large distances is another reason to consider this possibility. Finally, the appearance of tightly collimated anti-tails before and after perihelion add to the mystery.
These are all rare geometric coincidences that cannot be easily brushed aside by NASA’s narrative at the press conference here that: “3I/ATLAS is definitely a comet with qualities that can be naturally explained by its different birth environment.”
How can a different birth environment explain these geometric anomalies which are unique in reference to the Solar system orientation?
NASA’s suggestion that “rare things happen” must attend to the fact that the probability for the 5-degrees trajectory-alignment with the ecliptic plane (0.002) times the probability for the 8-degrees rotation-axis alignment with the direction of the Sun at large distances (0.005) times the probability of two independent bases that produce tightly-collimated jets to within 8-degrees from the rotation poles (0.000025), gives a net probability of one part in 4 billion!
This resulting probability of 0.00000000025 does not factor in other anomalies (as listed here), like the detection of much more nickel than iron as found in industrially-produced nickel alloys.
This raises two questions:
-
What is 3I/ATLAS?
-
Why are self-declared “comet experts” not curious about the first question.
2/2
https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/nasas-push-toward-commercial-space-communications-gains-momentum/
https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/tracking-and-data-relay-satellite-tdrs-fleet-characteristics/
NASA’s Push Toward Commercial Space Communications Gains Momentum
Dec 17, 2025
NASA’s commercial partners are actively demonstrating next-generation satellite relay capabilities for spaceflight missions, marking a significant step toward retiring the agency’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system and adopting commercial services.
The demonstrations – ranging from real-time spacecraft tracking during launch to transmitting mission commands and scientific data – are part of NASA’s Communications Services Project, which is modernizing how the agency communicates with its science missions in near-Earth orbit.
Managed by the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program, the project awarded funded Space Act Agreements in 2022 to six U.S. companies that are developing and testing commercial satellite communications services.
The initiative supports NASA’s broader strategy to retire the TDRS constellation and adopt a commercial-first model for near-Earth communications.
“In collaboration with our commercial partners, SCaN is ushering in a new era of space exploration that will deliver powerful, forward-thinking solutions that reduce cost, increase adaptability, and increase mission success,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for SCaN at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“This work advances our commitment to expanding the low Earth orbit economy, and our commercial space partners are leading the charge through these groundbreaking demonstrations, proving for the first time that commercial satellite relay services can work for NASA missions.”
By leveraging private-sector innovation, NASA aims to establish a more flexible, cost-effective, and scalable communications infrastructure for future science missions.
Amazon
Amazon Leo for Government, a subsidiary of Amazon, is demonstrating high-rate data exchanges over optical links using its satellite network in low Earth orbit
Amazon has developed the hardware and software components necessary to support optical communication links within its Amazon Leo satellite relay network.
Optical communications, also known as laser communications, use infrared light to transmit data at a higher rate compared to standard radio frequency systems.
The Amazon Leo demonstrations, scheduled to begin in early 2026, will test the pointing, acquisition, and tracking capabilities of their optical communications systems to ensure the technology can accurately locate, lock onto, and stay connected with a mission as it travels through space.
SES Space & Defense
SES Space & Defense is demonstrating high-rate data exchanges as well as tracking, telemetry, and command services using its O3b mPOWER satellite network in medium Earth orbit and its satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit.
Over the last two months, in collaboration with Planet Labs, SES conducted multiple flight tests of its near-Earth space relay services.
These demonstrations showcased uninterrupted, high-capacity connectivity between a Planet Labs satellite in low Earth orbit and SES communications satellites in geosynchronous Earth orbit and medium Earth orbit, demonstrating the ability to deliver real-time data relay across multiple orbits.
SES has validated two relay services, one for low-rate tracking, telemetry, and command applications via its C-band satellites, and one for high-rate data applications over its Ka-band constellation. Additional flight demonstrations are planned for early 2026.
1/2
SpaceX
SpaceX is demonstrating high-rate data exchanges over optical links using its Starlink network in low Earth orbit.
Since 2024, SpaceX has completed multiple demonstrations of on-orbit optical communications services.
During two human spaceflight missions, Polaris Dawn and Fram2, SpaceX leveraged the Starlink satellite constellation and an optical communications terminal installed on the Dragon spacecraft to demonstrate high-rate data relay services.
Optical communications technology is not currently available through TDRS. By demonstrating optical relay services with multiple commercial partners, the agency is unlocking new capabilities for emerging missions.
Telesat
Telesat U.S. Services LLC, doing business as Telesat Government Solutions, is demonstrating high-rate data exchanges over optical links using its anticipated Telesat Lightspeed network in low Earth orbit.
Development of the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network is currently underway, with satellite launches planned for late 2026.
These satellites will use innovative technologies, like optical inter-satellite links and advanced onboard processing, to establish a global, mesh network in space.
Software-defined networks aim to enable robust and reliable routing of traffic from a space-based or terrestrial terminal to its final destination autonomously.
In 2027, Telesat plans to complete multiple demonstrations of space-to-space connectivity, including an optical data exchange from a Planet Labs spacecraft in low Earth orbit to the Telesat Lightspeed constellation.
The data will then be routed over optical links before getting downlinked to a Telesat landing station on Earth, representing a full end-to-end capability.
Viasat
Viasat Inc. is demonstrating launch, tracking, telemetry, command, and high-data rate exchanges for launch vehicles and low Earth orbit operations.
In May 2023, Viasat completed the acquisition of Inmarsat, the sixth satellite communications company to win a contract award from NASA, combining the resources of both companies to form a unified global communications provider.
Viasat’s space demonstrations will use its established satellite networks in geostationary orbit to validate three primary capabilities:
launch telemetry over the L-band radio frequency to track and monitor spacecraft during ascent; command and control over L-band to maintain continuous spacecraft custody and enable real-time operations; and high-speed Ka-band data relay to transfer large volumes of mission data through next-generation spacecraft terminals.
Flights test began in November, when Viasat used its satellite network to successfully track the telemetry of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket as it launched into low Earth orbit.
Follow-on demonstrations are planned for 2026, including additional L-band launch services as well as high-capacity services over Ka-band frequencies.
Commercializing communications services for future near-Earth science missions enables NASA to focus resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign, in preparation for future human missions to Mars.
The agency will continue to work with these commercial partners to demonstrate next-generation services through 2027. By 2031, NASA plans to purchase satellite relay services for science missions from one or more U.S. satellite communications providers.
2/2
NASA IXPE’s Longest Observation Solves Black Hole Jets Mystery
Dec 16, 2025
An international team of astronomers using NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) has identified the origin of X-rays in a supermassive black hole’s jet, answering a question that has been unresolved since the earliest days of X-ray astronomy.
Their findings are described in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, by the American Astronomical Society, Nov. 11.
The IXPE mission observed the Perseus Cluster, the brightest galaxy cluster i observable in X-rays, for more than 600 hours over a 60-day period between January and March.
Not only is this IXPE’s longest observation of a single target to date, it also marks IXPE’s first time observing a galaxy cluster.
Specifically, the team of scientists studied the polarization properties of 3C 84, the massive active galaxy located at the very center of the Perseus Cluster.
This active galaxy is a well-known X-ray source and a common target for X-ray astronomers because of its proximity and brightness.
Because the Perseus Cluster is so massive, it hosts an enormous reservoir of X-ray emitting gas as hot as the core of the Sun.
The use of multiple X-ray telescopes, particularly the high-resolution imaging power of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory was essential to disentangle the signals in the IXPE data.
Scientists combined these X-ray measurements with data from the agency’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) mission and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.
Fast facts
Polarization measurements from IXPE carry information about the orientation and alignment of emitted X-ray light waves. The more X-ray waves traveling in sync, the higher the degree of polarization.
X-rays from an active galaxy like 3C 84 are thought to originate from a process known as inverse Compton scattering, where light bounces off particles and gains energy.
The polarization measurements from IXPE allow us to identify the presence of either inverse Compton scattering or other scenarios.
“Seed photons” is the term for the lower-energy radiation undergoing the energizing process of inverse Compton scattering.
You may remember the Perseus Cluster from this sonification replicating what a Black Hole sounds like from May 2022.
“While measuring the polarization of 3C 84 was one of the key science goals, we are still searching for additional polarization signals in this galaxy cluster that could be signatures of more exotic physics,” said Steven Ehlert, project scientist for IXPE and astronomer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
“We’ve already determined that for sources like 3C 84, the X-rays originated from inverse Compton scattering,” said Ioannis Liodakis, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics – FORTH in Heraklion, Greece, and lead author on the paper.
“With IXPE observations of 3C 84 we had a unique chance to determine the properties of the seed photons.”
The first possible origin scenario for the seed photons is known as synchrotron self-Compton, where lower-energy radiation originates from the same jet that produces the highly energetic particles.
In the alternative scenario known as external Compton, seed photons originate from background radiation sources unrelated to the jet.
“The synchrotron self-Compton and external Compton scenarios have very different predictions for their X-ray polarization,” said Frederic Marin, an astrophysicist at the Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory in France and co-author of the study.
“Any detection of X-ray polarization from 3C 84 almost decisively rules out the possibility of external Compton as the emission mechanism.”
Throughout the 60-day observation campaign, optical and radio telescopes around the world turned their attention to 3C 84 to further test between the two scenarios.
NASA’s IXPE measured a net polarization of 4% in the X-rays spectrum, with comparable values measured in the optical and radio data.
These results strongly favor the synchrotron self-Compton model for the seed photons, where they come from the same jet as the higher-energy particles.
“Separating these two components was essential to this measurement and could not be done by any single X-ray telescope, but by combining the IXPE polarization data with Chandra, NuSTAR, and Swift, we were able to confirm this polarization measurement was associated specifically with 3C 84,” said Sudip Chakraborty, a researcher at the Science and Technology Institute of the Universities Space Research Association in Huntsville, Alabama, and co-author on the paper.
Scientists will continue to analyze IXPE’s data from different locations in the Perseus Cluster for different signals.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/ixpe/nasa-ixpes-longest-observation-solves-black-hole-jets-mystery/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/imaging-x-ray-polarimetry-explorer-ixpe/
NASA Launches Research Program for Students to Explore Big Ideas
Dec 16, 2025
NASA is now accepting concepts for a new research challenge.
The Opportunities in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology (ORBIT) challenge is a multi-phase innovation competition designed to empower university and college students to develop next-generation solutions that benefit life on Earth and deep-space exploration.
With up to $380,000 in total prize funding, NASA’s ORBIT challenges student teams to bring their most forward-thinking concepts to the table, either utilizing NASA intellectual property or conceptualizing their own.
Teams are tasked with conducting targeted research, designing early mockups or models, and performing feasibility analyses to refine their ideas.
Finalists then advance to a live showcase where they present their work to a panel of expert judges, who evaluate the proposals and select winners based on the teams’ final pitches and responses to questions.
The ORBIT has two challenge tracks for teams to choose from. The ORBIT Earth track requires teams to select a NASA-owned patent and develop novel commercial or nonprofit applications addressing real-world problems.
From adapting aerospace materials for disaster response and preparedness, to repurposing space-based sensors for healthcare, students must demonstrate clear pathways to public benefit.
The ORBIT Space track asks teams to design new system concepts aligned with NASA’s current and future missions, particularly supporting the Artemis program’s goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and preparing for eventual missions to Mars and beyond.
Students will create technically feasible designs for everything from lunar habitats that could house future Artemis astronauts to deep space robotics that open more pathways to in-situ resource utilization.
Teams that successfully integrate objectives from both tracks may qualify for an optional integration bonus.
This challenge accelerates innovation in areas critical to NASA’s future goals while cultivating a pipeline of interdisciplinary talent.
By engaging the next generation in NASA’s dual mission to explore space and improve life on Earth, ORBIT inspires students to join the agency’s talent network while delivering tangible benefits to American communities and industries.
Beyond monetary awards, participants stand to gain mentorship from NASA experts, access to agency facilities, and hands-on experience in systems design, entrepreneurship, and commercialization.
For complete competition details, eligibility requirements, and official rules, visit: https://go.nasa.gov/4q2TS9u
Registration is open until Feb. 9, 2026, through the NASA STEM Gateway.
https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/research-program-for-students/
First NASA Scientific Balloon Launches from Antarctica
December 16, 2025
The first scientific balloon flight of this year’s NASA Antarctica Balloon Campaign reached its float altitude after lifting off from the agency’s facility located near the U.S. National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf at 5:30 a.m. NZST, Tuesday, Dec 16 (11:30 a.m., Monday, Dec. 15 in U.S. Eastern Time).
The balloon is carrying the GAPS experiment floating at an altitude of 120,000 feet above Earth’s surface.
The GAPS experiment is designed to help reveal the origin of dark matter – an invisible form of matter that makes up more than 80% of the total matter in the universe, yet little is known about its true nature.
Track the balloon in realtime: https://www.csbf.nasa.gov/map/balloon6/flight759N.htm
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/wallops/2025/12/16/first-nasa-scientific-balloon-launches-from-antarctica/
NASA Ignites New Golden Age of Exploration, Innovation in 2025
Dec 16, 2025
With a second Trump Administration at the helm in 2025, NASA marked significant progress toward the Artemis II test flight early next year, which is the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years, as well as built upon its momentum toward a human return to the lunar surface in preparation to send the first astronauts — Americans — to Mars. As part of the agency’s Golden Age of innovation and exploration, NASA and its partners landed two robotic science missions on the Moon; garnered more signatories for the Artemis Accords with 59 nations now agreeing to safe, transparent, and responsible lunar exploration; as well as advanced a variety of medical and technological experiments for long-duration space missions like hand-held X-ray equipment and navigation capabilities.
NASA also led a variety of science discoveries, including launching a joint satellite mission with India to regularly monitor Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces, as well as identifying and tracking the third interstellar object in our solar system; achieved 25 continuous years of human presence aboard the International Space Station; and, for the first time, flew a test flight of the agency’s X-59 supersonic plane that will help revolutionize air travel.
Sean Duffy, named by President Trump, is serving as the acting administrator while NASA awaits confirmation of Jared Isaacman to lead the agency.
Isaacman’s nomination hearing took place in early December, and his nomination was passed out of committee with bipartisan support.
The full Senate will consider Isaacman’s nomination soon. President Trump also nominated Matt Anderson to serve as deputy administrator, and Greg Autry to serve as chief financial officer, both of whom are awaiting confirmation hearings.
NASA named Amit Kshatriya to associate administrator, the agency’s highest-ranking civil servant position.
Key accomplishments by NASA in 2025 include:
Astronauts exploring Moon, Mars is on horizon
Under Artemis, NASA will send astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build upon our foundation for the first crewed mission to Mars.
The Artemis II test flight is the first flight with crew under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is slated to launch in early 2026. The mission will help confirm systems and hardware for future lunar missions, including Artemis III’s astronaut lunar landing.
NASA also introduced 10 new astronaut candidates in September, selected from more than 8,000 applicants. The class is undertaking nearly two years of training for future missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
Progress to send the first crews around the Moon and on the lunar surface under Artemis includes:
-
NASA completed stacking of its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft for Artemis II. Teams integrated elements manufactured across the country at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, including the rocket’s boosters and core stage, as well as Orion’s stage adapter and launch abort system, to name a few.
-
Ahead of America’s 250th birthday next year, the SLS rocket’s twin-pair of solid rocket boosters showcases the America 250 emblem.
-
The Artemis II crew participated in more than 30 mission simulations alongside teams on the ground, ensuring the crew and launch, flight, and recovery teams are prepared for any situation that may arise during the test flight. Soon, crew will don their survival suits and get strapped into Orion during a countdown demonstration test, serving as a dress rehearsal for launch day.
-
The agency worked with the Department of War to conduct a week-long underway recovery test in preparation to safely collect the Artemis II astronauts after they splashdown following their mission.
-
To support later missions, teams conducted a booster firing test for future rocket generations, verified new RS-25 engines, test-fired a new hybrid rocket motor to help engineering teams better understand the physics of rocket exhaust and lunar landers, as well using various mockups to test landing capabilities in various lighting conditions. Teams also conducted human-in-the-loop testing in Japan with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) with a rover mockup from their agency.
-
NASA also continued work with Axiom Space, to develop and test the company’s spacesuit, including completing a test run at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA Johnson ahead of using the suit for Artemis training. The spacesuit will be worn by Artemis astronauts during the Artemis III mission to the lunar South Pole.
yuge article cont.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ignites-new-golden-age-of-exploration-innovation-in-2025/
Blue Ghost Mission 2 Gets Stacked at JPL
Dec. 16, 2025
Engineers and technicians prepare full-scale models of the spacecraft for Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 2 for environmental testing in a clean room at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in October 2025.
They are securing the model of the Blue Ghost lunar lander atop the company’s Elytra Dark orbital vehicle, into which ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Lunar Pathfinder communications satellite has been integrated.
The structural qualification models of the spacecraft are used to prove the design is ready for space.
Standing 22 feet (6.9 meters) high, the towering full stack is being prepared for vibration testing, which assesses readiness to survive the stresses of launch.
The “shaker table” in JPL’s Environmental Test Laboratory repeatedly rattled the stack in three directions while hundreds of sensors monitored the rapid movement.
Figure A shows the team moving the lander atop the stack.
Figure B shows another angle of the team prepping the full stack.
Set to head to the Moon’s far side in 2026, Blue Ghost Mission 2 is part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative.
The Blue Ghost lander will touch down on the Moon’s far side, delivering payloads that include LuSEE-Night, a radio telescope that is a joint effort by NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory.
A payload developed at JPL called User Terminal will test a compact, low-cost S-band radio communications system that could enable future far-side missions to talk to one another and to relay orbiters.
The ETL team also led environmental testing for Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander in 2024 ahead of its successful soft Moon landing in March 2025.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia26598-blue-ghost-mission-2-gets-stacked-at-jpl/
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/jpl/nasa-jpl-shakes-things-up-testing-future-commercial-lunar-spacecraft/
Stem Cells, Robotics, and Spacesuits Top Station Crew Day
December 16, 2025
Stem cell research, a student robotics challenge, and spacesuit maintenance dominated the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday.
The Expedition 74 crew also rounded out its shift with Earth observations and cargo transfers throughout the day.
Repairing damaged organs or tissues is a key objective for a technology demonstration taking place onboard the orbital outpost that seeks to transform stem cells into any human cell type that are superior to those manufactured on Earth.
The stem cells are reprogrammed from adult skin or blood cells and may lead to advances in regenerative medicine and cancer therapies.
Station Commander Mike Fincke treated samples for the stem cell tech demo inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox then prepared them for preservation in cold stowage.
The experiment hardware and research samples were launched to the station in October aboard JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft.
JAXA Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui spent his shift testing a pair of small robotic helpers ahead of an upcoming student challenge to program and maneuver the free-flying devices on the station.
The main objective was a technical rehearsal of the toaster-sized Astrobee’s ability to identify and find hidden objects throughout the Kibo lab.
The second objective was to monitor the Int-Ball 2, a small sphere-shaped robotic camera designed by JAXA, as it autonomously worked alongside Astrobee and recorded its search activities.
Code written by student teams will operate the two robots together and will be judged for its accuracy, speed, and efficiency.
NASA Flight Engineers Zena Cardman and Chris Williams partnered together during the first half of their shift on Tuesday and resized a pair of spacesuits inside the Quest airlock.
The duo adjusted the suits’ arms, legs, and waist ahead of a pair of maintenance spacewalks planned for early 2026. Afterward, Cardman moved on and cleaned and inspected hatch seals throughout the space station’s U.S. segment.
Williams assisted Fincke and Yui during the second half of their shift as they loaded the HTV-X1 cargo craft with obsolete science hardware before the resupply ship’s departure in late January.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Platonov and Sergei Mikaev took part in a pair of Earth observation activities documenting the effects of natural and man-made conditions on the ground.
Platonov turned off and uninstalled imagery hardware that automatically photographed landmarks from Asia to Africa during the crew’s sleep shift.
Mikaev set up a digital multi-spectral camera linked to hardware that automatically operates and aligns the camera to target specific locations on Earth.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, on his second spaceflight, spent Tuesday inside the Nauka science module cleaning smoke detectors ensuring the safety gear operates in tip-top shape.
Kud-Sverchkov also spent a few moments with his cosmonaut crewmates Platonov and Mikaev reviewing procedures for unlikely emergency events such as a depressurization, a chemical leak, or a fire onboard the orbital outpost.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/12/16/stem-cells-robotics-and-spacesuits-top-station-crew-day/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/peekaboo-2/
ACROSS Web Portal and Software Tools Released
16 December 2025
We are pleased to announce the initial release of the Astrophysics Cross-Observatory Science Support (ACROSS) web portal and the associated ACROSS software tools.
The ACROSS initiative represents part of NASA’s response to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey’s identification of Time-Domain and Multimessenger Astrophysics (TDAMM) as a top priority for the 2020s.
ACROSS addresses coordination challenges that impact the capability for rapid response to new astrophysical events across NASA’s fleet (and ground- and space-based observatories globally).
ACROSS provides the infrastructure needed to implement a “whole-of-fleet” approach to TDAMM science, ensuring smaller missions like BurstCube achieve maximum impact alongside flagship observatories.
The software tools are open source. We look forward to your feedback and collaboration!
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/physics-of-the-cosmos/community/across-web-portal-and-software-tools-released/
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/physics-of-the-cosmos/astrophysics-cross-observatory-science-support-across-pilot/
VECNA APPROVED Bizarre formation on Jupiter’s moon looks a lot like Stranger Things’ Mind Flayer & NASA says it could hold life
Updated: 09:34, 17 Dec 2025
SCIENTISTS have discovered an unusual formation on Jupiter’s moon – and NASA says it may hold the secret to extraterrestrial life.
The bizarre pattern on the moon also resembles the spider-like entity in Stranger Things called the Mind Flayer.
Scientists have given the formation their own name, calling it Damhán Alla, a Gaelic word meaning “spider” or “wall demon.”
The “wall demon” was found on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, one of the solar system’s best chances of life outside of Earth.
It was discovered on the 13-mile-wide Manannán crater on Europa by NASA‘s Galileo spacecraft.
NASA believes that the 1.8-mile-wide pattern is not cracks in the moon’s surface, but evidence of salty liquid water, or brine, that once flowed and froze on Europa.
The branching pattern is similar to “lake stars” on Earth, which form as water pushes up through holes in the ice and refreezes into new formations across the ice.
Scientists believe that Europa may have an active ocean beneath the moon’s crust of ice.
If the liquid from the ocean is able to break through to the surface, then the material from the ocean could reach or mix with undiscovered microbes on the surface, a new study revealed.
This mixture of salty liquid water could be the key to unlocking life on Europa, since liquid water is an essential component to life as we understand it.
“Surface features like these can tell us a lot about what’s happening beneath the ice,” said study author and physicist Lauren McKeown.
“If we see more of them with [the NASA space probe] Europa Clipper, they could point to local brine pools below the surface.”
For extraterrestrial life, scientists look to the key components that have built life on Earth: liquid water, chemical building blocks like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and salts, and a source of energy.
NASA believes that Europa’s water has been able to avoid freezing because of the heat generated by Jupiter’s gravitational pull, which creates a tidal force on Europa much greater than that exerted on Earth’s oceans by our moon.
Scientists have found traces of the components of life on Europa’s icy surface – but believe the final piece may lie deep in the moon’s ocean.
Damhán Alla was first discovered through images taken by the Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The new research team compared the images to real lake stars at two frozen ponds in Colorado in 2022.
“Lake stars are really beautiful, and they are pretty common on snow or slush-covered frozen lakes and ponds,” McKeown said in a statement.
“It is wonderful to think that they may give us a glimpse into processes occurring on Europa and maybe even other icy ocean worlds in our solar system.”
https://www.the-sun.com/tech/15650993/jupiter-moon-bizarre-formation-stranger-things-mind-flayer/
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-damhn-alla-newly-christened-spider.html
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-study-suggests-saturns-moon-titan-may-not-have-global-ocean/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09818-x
NASA Study Suggests Saturn’s Moon Titan May Not Have Global Ocean
Dec. 17, 2025
Reanalysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission has revealed Saturn’s moon may instead have layers of slush with isolated pockets of liquid water.
A key discovery from NASA’s Cassini mission in 2008 was that Saturn’s largest moon Titan may have a vast water ocean below its hydrocarbon-rich surface.
But reanalysis of mission data suggests a more complicated picture: Titan’s interior is more likely composed of ice, with layers of slush and small pockets of warm water that form near its rocky core.
Led by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, the new study could have implications for scientists’ understanding of Titan and other icy moons throughout our solar system.
“This research underscores the power of archival planetary science data.
It is important to remember that the data these amazing spacecraft collect lives on so discoveries can be made years, or even decades, later as analysis techniques get more sophisticated,” said Julie Castillo-Rogez, senior research scientist at JPL and a coauthor of the study. “It’s the gift that keeps giving.”
To remotely probe planets, moons, and asteroids, scientists study the radio frequency communications traveling back and forth between spacecraft and NASA’s Deep Space Network.
It’s a multilayered process. Because a moon’s body may not have a uniform distribution of mass, its gravity field will change as a spacecraft flies through it, causing the spacecraft to speed up or slow down slightly.
In turn, these variations in speed alter the frequency of the radio waves going to and from the spacecraft — an effect known as Doppler shift.
Analyzing the Doppler shift can lend insight into a moon’s gravity field and its shape, which can change over time as it orbits within its parent planet’s gravitational pull.
This shape shifting is called tidal flexing.
In Titan’s case, Saturn’s immense gravitational field squeezes the moon when Titan is closer to the planet during its slightly elliptical orbit, and it stretches the moon when it is farthest. Such flexing creates energy that is lost, or dissipated, in the form of internal heating.
When mission scientists analyzed radio-frequency data gathered during the now-retired Cassini mission’s 10 close approaches of Titan, they found the moon to be flexing so much that they concluded it must have a liquid interior, since a solid interior would have flexed far less. (Think of a balloon filled with water versus a billiard ball.)
1/2
New technique
The new research highlights another possible explanation for this malleability: an interior composed of layers featuring a mix of ice and water that allows the moon to flex.
In this scenario, there would be a lag of several hours between Saturn’s tidal pull and when the moon shows signs of flexing — much slower than if the interior were fully liquid.
A slushy interior would also exhibit a stronger energy dissipation signature in the moon’s gravity field than a liquid one, because these slush layers would generate friction and produce heat when the ice crystals rub against one another.
But there was nothing apparent in the data to suggest this was happening.
So the study authors, led by JPL postdoctoral researcher Flavio Petricca, looked more closely at the Doppler data to see why. By applying a novel processing technique, they reduced the noise in the data.
What emerged was a signature that revealed strong energy loss deep inside Titan. The researchers interpreted this signature to be coming from layers of slush, overlaid by a thick shell of solid ice.
Based on this new model of Titan’s interior, the researchers suggest that the only liquid would be in the form of pockets of meltwater.
Heated by dissipating tidal energy, the water pockets slowly travel toward the frozen layers of ice at the surface.
As they rise, they have the potential to create unique environments enriched by organic molecules being supplied from below and from material delivered via meteorite impacts on the surface.
“Nobody was expecting very strong energy dissipation inside Titan. But by reducing the noise in the Doppler data, we could see these smaller wiggles emerge.
That was the smoking gun that indicates Titan’s interior is different from what was inferred from previous analyses,” said Petricca.
“The low viscosity of the slush still allows the moon to bulge and compress in response to Saturn’s tides, and to remove the heat that would otherwise melt the ice and form an ocean.”
Potential for life
“While Titan may not possess a global ocean, that doesn’t preclude its potential for harboring basic life forms, assuming life could form on Titan. In fact, I think it makes Titan more interesting,” Petricca added.
“Our analysis shows there should be pockets of liquid water, possibly as warm as 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), cycling nutrients from the moon’s rocky core through slushy layers of high-pressure ice to a solid icy shell at the surface.”
More definitive information could come from NASA’s next mission to Saturn. Launching no earlier than 2028, the agency’s Dragonfly mission to the hazy moon could provide the ground truth.
The first-of-its-kind rotorcraft will explore Titan’s surface to investigate the moon’s habitability. Carrying a seismometer, the mission may provide key measurements to probe Titan’s interior, depending on what seismic events occur while it is on the surface.
2/2
NASA Wallops Launch Range to Support Electron Launch
December 16, 2025
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia during a window extending from Dec. 18-23, 12-4 a.m. EST each night. This launch supports the United States Space Force.
The rocket launch may be visible from the Chesapeake Bay region. A launch livestream will be provided by Rocket Lab on their YouTube channel.
"Don't Be Such A Square" will launch the Space Test Program (STP)-S30 mission for the United States’ Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command from Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia.
The STP-S30 mission will deploy the first DiskSats to space: a disk-shaped spacecraft platform developed by The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace) and funded by NASA that offers an alternative approach to small satellites.
Electron will deliver the constellation of four DiskSats to a 550km low Earth orbit where Aerospace will test their maneuverability, launch dispenser mechanism and orbit-changing capabilities using electric propulsion - key features in flexible, responsive space operations.
‘Don’t Be Such A Square will be Electron’s 20th launch of the year and 78th mission overall.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/wallops/2025/12/16/nasa-wallops-launch-range-to-support-electron-launch/
https://rocketlabcorp.com/missions/next-mission/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCYZR_Btmys
Kari Lake says USAGM to vacate studios, relocate to NASA building
December 16, 2025
Key Points
-
USAGM will vacate its Washington, D.C. headquarters and relocate to a NASA-used building under cost-cutting ordered by President Trump.
-
The move follows cancellation of the current lease, triggering an estimated $15 million payment to the landlord.
-
The relocation comes amid legal challenges and controversy surrounding USAGM leadership and operational changes.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is moving out of its current television studios and administrative offices in Washington, D.C. and will relocate to a building used by NASA, according to a memo circulated among employees and obtained by The Desk.
The note, written by USAGM Special Advisor Kari Lake, said the move is part of a cost-cutting measure rooted in an Executive Order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, which requires that agency and six unrelated ones to implement steep cost-cutting with the goal of saving taxpayer funds.
“In today’s environment of heightened geopolitical competition and increased focus on protecting U.S. interests abroad, we must execute our governing statutes with precision and discipline, guided by an America First approach,” Lake, who considers herself the acting CEO of the agency, wrote in the memo on Monday.
“This ensures alignment with the National Security Strategy, which prioritizes safeguarding the American people, protecting taxpayer resources and advancing U.S. leadership globally.”
Earlier this year, Lake decided USAGM will move its operations to a new building along the 300 block of E Street Southwest early next year.
The address reviewed by The Desk corresponds to a building with television studios used by NASA for its live web streams and television production.
The USAGM operates the Voice of America, which has radio and television feeds that serve millions of foreign nationals with news programming in English and other languages.
It also oversees Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and Radio Marti in Cuba.
The decision to vacate its current headquarters along Independence Avenue is part of a larger plan within the Trump administration to tear down the long-time home of the USAGM and sell off the land once the building is demolished, a source said. Without preservation efforts, the destruction would likely lead to the loss of numerous Depression-era murals that are located within the building, the source noted.
It isn’t clear if there are legal efforts to preserve the building or block USAGM’s relocation to the NASA building.
Prior to the start of the year, the USAGM had plans to move out of its current headquarters into a new, privately-owned building with more-modern facilities.
But Lake decided to cancel that lease agreement, a move that resulted in a break-up fee of $15 million being paid to the private landlord, the source said.
Some of Lake’s prior efforts implemented through Trump’s Executive Order have been challenged by current and former USAGM employees and contractors, including mass firings, sweeping layoffs and the withholding of federal grant money earmarked for broadcast operations.
Federal judges overseeing those legal challenges have largely sided against USAGM along the way, finding the agency improperly withheld federal money from RFE/RL and Radio Free Asia and wrongfully terminated workers.
Lake, a former local TV news anchor who ran unsuccessfully for office, has long opined that the USAGM should be self-reliant and run a leaner operation.
To that effect, she unilaterally canceled numerous contracts with third parties, including news licensing agreements with global outlets like the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Controversially, Lake also entered into an agreement with Herring Networks, the parent company of One America News Network (OAN), to provide news content to Voice of America for broadcast overseas.
While a memorandum of understanding was executed between Lake and Herring Networks owner Charles Herring earlier this year, OAN programming has yet to air on Voice of America in any of the countries where it operates.
https://thedesk.net/2025/12/usagm-relocating-nasa-building-kari-lake/
https://hoyer.house.gov/media/press-releases/hoyer-maryland-congressional-delegation-hold-meeting-discuss-future-nasa
https://hoyer.house.gov/media/press-releases/hoyer-remarks-media-availability-following-maryland-delegation-meeting-future
https://www.youtube.com/live/cCal_TusnNE
Hoyer, Maryland Congressional Delegation Hold Meeting to Discuss Future of NASA, Maryland’s Role in Space Innovation
December 16, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Members of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation met with NASA officials and stakeholders to discuss protecting and supporting Maryland-based efforts to advance American leadership in space science and innovation.
They received updates on and discussed the importance of NASA Goddard’s workforce and missions, as well as other missions being built, led, and supported across Maryland.
Video of the members’ press availability following the meeting is available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/cCal_TusnNE
“NASA Goddard is vital not only to our local community in Maryland but to the entire country and world. Home to one of the greatest concentrations of scientists in the world, the team at Goddard is deepening our understanding of our planet and what lies beyond.
In the course of that pursuit, they are also helping America continue to stay ahead of China and other competitors when it comes to science, technology, innovation, and economic growth.
I was pleased our delegation could meet today to discuss how we can best support Goddard in that important mission,” said Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05).
“From NASA Goddard to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to nearby Wallops Flight Facility and the many additional science centers and related enterprises across the state, Maryland has been at the center of American space exploration and the forefront of technological advancements that have made our country stronger and safer.
The dedicated scientists, engineers, and contractors who power these facilities are central to America’s leadership in space and innovation, but these workers – and the critical work they do – have been under attack from the Trump Administration since day one.
For America to continue leading the world in space science, the Administration must start respecting the people who put us in that position.
Federal Team Maryland will continue pushing to maintain our leadership in cutting-edge missions while fighting to ensure the workers who drive them have the support they need to carry out these critical missions,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
“The work being done every day at Goddard Space Flight Center and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are the reason Maryland – and our nation – is a leader in science, technology, and research.
We are exceptional because of the scientists and engineers doing this incredible work - their innovation and talent is unmatched. But this Administration doesn't seem to care.
They have ripped apart the federal government including our work at NASA – ceding ground to global competitors.
I will continue to stand up to this Administration and keep fighting for investments that keep America at the forefront of scientific discovery,” said Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
1/2
"The research that happens at the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is work that cannot be reduced overnight.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump and the Department of Government Evil took a chainsaw to the field of science - threatening research, innovation, and America's competitive edge," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07).
"We hope to have some concrete action as we continue to support our local scientists and engineers across the state of Maryland."
“Maryland remains a cornerstone of America’s scientific community, and NASA’s Goddard has long driven space science research and innovation,” said Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08).
“Team Maryland condemns the Trump Administration’s threats to cut funding at Goddard which would be a disaster for all Americans.
I am grateful to the hundreds of NASA scientists and staff from the Free State who make Maryland a great home for natural discovery and scientific excellence.”
“At the worst possible moment, the Trump administration’s reckless cuts are hollowing out America’s space leadership. Driving our best scientists out of public service puts us on track for another Sputnik moment; this time with China in the lead.
We must invest in NASA and protect the mission-critical work at Goddard and Johns Hopkins APL,” said Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-04).
“From working with University Affiliated Research Centers, like the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory located in the Third District, to leading our nation in space flight missions, NASA Goddard’s importance to American leadership in space science cannot be overstated,” said Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03).
“As they look to expand their mission-critical work, the Maryland Delegation will have their back even in the face of closures by the Trump Administration.”
“NASA Goddard is a national jewel with a long and storied legacy of spaceflight and discovery made possible by our state's exceptional workforce and our ability to attract world-class academic and international partnerships.
It is imperative that our Congress and Team Maryland continue to push against these reckless cuts that will undermine our research, workforce, innovation, U.S. competitiveness, and national security.
As Maryland's only member of the House, Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I am standing with our delegation to demand accountability, restore NASA's public service mission, and ensure Maryland continues to lead in scientific discovery.
It is "mission critical" to preserve and protect our role as the world's leader on space innovation and technology policy,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (MD-06).
“Now more than ever, I believe in the power of evidence, facts, and science — and that we should invest in knowledge.
Goddard is home to thousands of the world’s best scientists who are helping us dominate the space race and reap the economic benefits that come with that.
I join my Maryland colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to honor our commitments to these civil servants and continue investing in their missions,” said Congressman Johnny Olszewski (MD-02).
2/2
NASA’s Two-in-One Satellite Propulsion Demo Begins In-Space Test
Dec 17, 2025
NASA is working with commercial partners to create high-performing, reliable propulsion systems that will help small spacecraft safely maneuver in orbit, reach intended destinations across the solar system, and accomplish mission operations.
Two new micropropulsion technologies are being tested in space onboard a CubeSat called DUPLEX (Dual Propulsion Experiment) that deployed into low Earth orbit from the International Space Station on Dec. 2.
The CubeSat is fitted with two thruster systems that use spools of polymer fibers to provide performance levels of propulsion comparable to existing systems but with greater safety during assembly and more affordability.
One of the propulsion technologies is a fiber-fed pulsed plasma thruster system which employs an electric pulse to vaporize Teflon material and uses the resulting ions to deliver strong, efficient thrust while using very little fuel.
The other propulsion technology is a monofilament vaporization propulsion system – inspired by 3D printers – which heats and vaporizes a common polymer material known as Delrin to create continuous thrust.
On orbit, DUPLEX will test its advanced propulsion systems by raising and lowering its orbit over two years, demonstrating the systems’ capabilities to maintain a vehicle’s orbit over time.
Micropropulsion solutions enable a variety of cost-efficient capabilities necessary for operators in a bustling low Earth orbit economy, including maintaining and adjusting orbits to avoid debris or nearby spacecraft, and coordinating maneuvers between spacecraft to perform maintenance, inspections, and other critical activities.
The systems tested on DUPLEX can also make spacecraft capable of lower cost extended missions in areas that are farther from Earth, such as the Moon and Mars.
Technologies like those demonstrated onboard DUPLEX open the door for U.S. industry to provide efficient, affordable spacecraft systems for various space-based applications, building a stronger orbital economy to meet the needs of NASA and the nation.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasas-two-in-one-satellite-propulsion-demo-begins-in-space-test/
2025 Has Been a Year of Unraveling Progress in Health
Dec 15, 2025 7:12 AM PT
In an era of fast-paced scientific advancements, it’s easy to take medical gains for granted.
We expect breakthroughs to occur on a regular basis, and 2025 delivered; successful trials of gene therapies for diseases that have no treatments, for example, filled scientists and the public with hope.
But bright spots like these were overshadowed by a series of political decisions in the U.S. that have already started to set public-health care back instead of pushing it forward.
The White House and the nation’s top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), took a number of unprecedented actions in fundamental areas of public health.
They kicked off the year with the dismantling of USAID, shutting down programs that provide life-saving global-health interventions including childhood vaccinations.
The Administration then slashed budgets and personnel at the National Institutes of Health, one of the world’s premier biomedical research centers and the springboard for innovations like the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and immunotherapies for cancer.
Meanwhile, despite the lack of any new data to justify skepticism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now sowing doubt about the long-established safety of vaccines, which public-health researchers say could lead to spikes in infectious diseases.
The profound consequences of this year’s retrenchments will be felt for years to come.
Vaccines in the crosshairs
Many of the changes revolve around the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda and a mistrust of vaccines led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic.
In the spring, HHS withdrew important investments in research into new mRNA vaccines, and Kennedy also announced on social media that the CDC would no longer recommend the yearly COVID vaccine for most Americans, which led some states to make their own guidelines—continuing to recommend these shots for residents and reimbursing the cost.
In June, Kennedy fired members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and replaced them with people who question the safety of vaccines, and in August, President Trump fired the CDC’s newly appointed head, Susan Monarez, when she clashed with Kennedy over his vaccine strategy.
The Administration also reinstated a previously disbanded task force to reinvestigate the safety of childhood vaccines, even though data show that the shots are safe.
Toward the end of the year, the CDC’s website changed to state that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim.”
Threats to future progress
Public-health experts are vocally pushing back, citing decades of strong scientific evidence showing that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.
The source of much of the evidence on which experts like these rely—not just about vaccines, but about every aspect of medicine—is scientific research funded by NIH.
What’s at stake when this foundation’s resources are eroded—and trust in science crumbles—is the scientific knowledge that drives many medical decisions in the U.S., as well as the pipeline of innovative treatments for all types of diseases.
Immunotherapies that save so many lives from cancer began with funding from the NIH, for example, as did several gene therapies that reported positive results for the first time this year in treating Huntington’s disease, a rare genetic disease in newborns, and high cholesterol.
These therapies and others could one day cure people of their conditions.
Without the basic research that made advances like these possible, the stream of innovative treatments that could save both lives and health care costs could be reduced to a trickle in coming years, experts worry.
And as people live longer, the protection from therapies scientists haven’t even dreamed up yet may be more urgently needed than ever.
https://time.com/7339884/2025-health-progress-vaccine-policy/
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2025/12/17/the-expanding-role-of-robotics-in-agriculture-on-earth-and-in-space/
Scientists prove “impossible” Earth-to-space quantum link is feasible
December 17, 2025
Quantum satellites are best known for sending entangled particles of light from orbit down to ground stations, a method used to create extremely secure communication links.
New research now shows that the process can also work in reverse, with quantum signals sent from Earth up to a satellite, an approach long considered impractical.
This finding removes several major limitations facing today's quantum satellite systems. Equipment on the ground can draw on far more power, is simpler to service, and can produce much stronger signals.
These advantages could be critical for building future networks that link quantum computers through satellites acting as relays.
Study Details and Recent Milestones
The research, titled "Quantum entanglement distribution via uplink satellite channels," by Professor Simon Devitt, Professor Alexander Solntsev and a research team from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), was recently published in the journal Physical Review Research.
Quantum satellite communication has already seen important advances. China's Micius satellite, launched in 2016, enabled the first demonstrations of quantum-encrypted data sent from space.
In 2025, the Jinan-1 microsatellite pushed this work further by establishing a 12,900 km quantum connection between China and South Africa.
Why Uplink Quantum Communication Was Dismissed
"Current quantum satellites create entangled pairs in space and then send each half of the pair down to two places on Earth – called a 'downlink'," said Professor Solntsev.
"It's mostly used for cryptography, where only a few photons (particles of light) are needed to generate a secret key."
Scientists largely ignored the opposite approach, in which entangled photons are produced on Earth and transmitted upward.
This idea was seen as unrealistic because of expected losses, interference, and the scattering of light as it travels through the atmosphere.
Modeling the "Impossible" Scenario
"The idea is to fire two single particles of light from separate ground stations to a satellite orbiting 500 km above Earth, traveling at about 20,000 km per hour, so that they meet so perfectly as to undergo quantum interference. Is this even possible?" said Professor Devitt.
According to the researchers, careful modeling suggests the answer is yes. "Surprisingly, our modeling showed that an uplink is feasible.
We included real-world effects such as background light from the Earth and sunlight reflections from the Moon, atmospheric effects and the imperfect alignment of optical systems," he said.
Toward a Scalable Quantum Internet
The team says the idea could be tested soon using drones or balloon-mounted receivers, providing a stepping stone toward large-scale quantum networks that span nations and continents using small satellites in low Earth orbit.
"A quantum internet is a very different beast from current nascent cryptographic applications. It's the same primary mechanism but you need significantly more photons more bandwidth to connect quantum computers," said Professor Devitt.
The uplink strategy may offer a practical solution. "The uplink method could provide that bandwidth.
The satellite only needs a compact optical unit to interfere incoming photons and report the result, rather than quantum hardware to produce the trillions upon trillions of photons per second needed to overcome losses to the ground, allowing for a high-bandwidth quantum link.
That keeps costs and size down and makes the approach more practical."
Quantum Entanglement as Everyday Infrastructure
Professor Devitt compares the long-term vision to modern electricity. "In the future, quantum entanglement is going to be a bit like electricity. A commodity that we talk about that powers other things.
It's generated and transmitted in a way that is often invisible to the user; we just plug in our appliances and use it. This will ultimately be the same for large quantum entanglement networks.
There will be quantum devices that plug into an entanglement source as well as a power source, utilizing both to do something useful," he said.
The project combines expertise from the UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT and the Faculty of Science, bringing together specialists in quantum networking, systems modeling, and photonics.
It demonstrates how collaboration across disciplines at UTS is helping address some of the most demanding challenges in emerging technology.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251217082515.htm
https://www.uts.edu.au/news/2025/11/scientists-reveal-it-is-possible-to-beam-up-quantum-signals
Space escape: astronomers find three thousand stars that fled the Pleiades
December 17, 2025
Scientists have discovered a hidden stream consisting of more than 3,000 stars. In the past, they were all part of the famous Pleiades cluster.
The Pleiades are one of the closest and brightest star clusters to Earth, known to mankind since ancient times. In many cultures, it was called the Seven Sisters.
Today, the seventh star is no longer visible, but the remaining six are clearly visible to the naked eye in the sky. In reality, the Pleiades are much larger. They consist of approximately 1,000 stars that formed about 100 million years ago from the same molecular cloud.
The Pleiades are a scattered cluster. This means that its members are bound by relatively weak gravitational forces and are gradually “getting lost.” In turn, this means that in the past, the cluster was much larger.
The results of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina suggest that in the past, the Pleiades consisted of at least three times as many stars.
Scientists began by analyzing data collected by the Gaia mission. They managed to identify more than 10,000 stars that could be associated with the Pleiades. What they have in common is that they move at the same speed around the center of the Milky Way.
The researchers then narrowed down this list using data on the rotation of stars obtained by the TESS space telescope. Its main task is to search for exoplanets using the transit method. However, the data collected by TESS can also be used to determine the rotation speed of stars.
Since stars slow down as they age, the researchers were able to select stars that were approximately the same age as the Pleiades. The team also studied the chemical composition of potential Pleiades members using data from ground-based missions.
As a result, astronomers have discovered a huge star stream called the Greater Pleiades Complex. It spans 1,900 light-years and consists of more than 3,000 stars.
It is possible that this is not the final figure and that the Pleiades were even larger in the past. Researchers are currently working on what they call the “TESS All-Sky Rotation Survey.”
This database will give researchers access to information about the rotation of more than 8 million stars, which will make it possible to discover even more hidden members of the Pleiades and other star clusters.
https://universemagazine.com/en/space-escape-astronomers-find-three-thousand-stars-that-fled-the-pleiades/