TYB
Ignis mission timelapses: Earth and Moon views from the International Space Station
23/01/2026
ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski captured these stunning timelapse videos during his 20-day stay aboard the International Space Station as part of Axiom Mission 4, known as Ignis.
Filmed from the Cupola – the Space Station’s iconic seven-windowed observation module – the footage showcases breathtaking views of Earth and the Moon from orbit.
Launched on 25 June 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Sławosz conducted 13 experiments proposed by Polish institutions in collaboration with ESA, plus three ESA-led investigations.
These spanned human research, materials science, biology, biotechnology and technology demonstrations.
The Ax-4 mission marks the second commercial human spaceflight for an ESA project astronaut.
Ignis was sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT) and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2025/09/Ignis_mission_timelapses_Earth_and_Moon_views_from_the_International_Space_Station
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos/2025/07/Slawosz_Uznanski-Wisniewski_Ignis_mission_-_ISS
https://www.sciencealert.com/earthquake-sensors-detect-sonic-booms-from-incoming-space-junk
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4676
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL_O7t3EBTk
Earthquake Sensors Detect Sonic Booms From Incoming Space Junk
23 January 2026
Scientists have just found a new way to track the uncontrolled reentry of falling space junk.
As they punch into the atmosphere, chunks of space debris create sonic booms that can be detected by ground-based instruments that are usually focused on what's happening below: the seismic sensors that monitor the internal rumbles of our restless planet.
It's not just theory, either: Planetary scientist Benjamin Fernando of Johns Hopkins University and engineer Constantinos Charalambous of Imperial College London tested their hypothesis on the 2024 reentry of the Shenzhou-15 orbital module.
The data collected by seismic sensors gave precision measurements, not just of the reentry itself, but also its speed, altitude range, size, descent angle, and timing of its fragmentation as it fell.
"Observations of cascading, multiplicative fragmentation offer insight into debris disintegration dynamics, with clear implications for space situational awareness and debris hazard mitigation," the researchers write in their paper.
Space debris is an escalating concern. According to an April 2025 report from the European Space Agency, an estimated 1.2 million pieces of potentially hazardous space junk are in Earth orbit – and that number is only going to increase as more satellites reach the end of their operational lifespans.
A 'dead' spacecraft of this nature cannot be communicated with or controlled; if it collides with another piece of junk, or its orbit decays sufficiently for reentry, all we can do is watch.
According to Fernando and Charalambous, however, we can do that watching much more effectively than we thought.
Knowing where, how high, how fast, and how a reentering piece of space debris broke apart can help us better understand the dynamics of atmospheric reentry and track where the pieces are likely to fall.
A sonic boom is what happens when an object travels faster than the speed of sound in a medium.
The name is a little misleading – It's not one discrete boom, but more of a wake, a shock wave formed by outward-moving pressure waves that get compressed into the shape of a cone behind the speeding object.
Objects entering Earth's atmosphere from space often fall faster than the speed of sound, reaching supersonic and even hypersonic velocities. They stream through the atmosphere, trailing a cone of acoustic energy that can be heard by listeners in its path as a boom.
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Seismic sensors are built for detecting acoustic signals from deep inside Earth. However, the researchers reasoned these instruments might be able to track the acoustic Mach cone of falling space debris, too.
On 2 April 2024, the discarded Shenzhou-15 orbital module reentered Earth's atmosphere over southern California. At 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) and 1.5 metric tons, it was large enough and heavy enough to pose a hazard to both aviation and ground-based infrastructure – the perfect test case for this kind of tracking.
The researchers accessed the publicly available Southern California Seismic Network and Nevada Seismic Network and looked for evidence of the module's passage.
They found signatures consistent with the booming Mach cone thumping down on Earth's surface and reconstructed the object's final flight and destruction.
According to the seismic data, the module was traveling at a speed of around Mach 25 to 30, which was consistent with the object's pre-entry orbital characterization, which determined its velocity at about 7.8 kilometers (4.8 miles) per second.
The researchers also found that while the earlier part of the fall produced a single large boom signal, it later decayed into a complex train of multiple, smaller boom signals – consistent with ground reports of the object's fragmentation.
Ultimately, the module burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere as it fell, but the results show that the characteristics of a reentry flight can be effectively and precisely tracked by seismic stations.
For objects that might not burn so completely, this could one day help locate the most likely debris field for pieces that fall to the ground.
"Because these objects necessarily reenter the atmosphere at supersonic speeds, if the largest fragments impact the ground, they will do so before their sonic booms are detected," the researchers write.
"However, detection and tracking based on seismoacoustic methods enable debris to be more rapidly and precisely located on the ground than could otherwise be achieved."
Another concern is the dispersal of potentially hazardous aerosol-sized particulates that may be released as the object burns and breaks apart. Knowing how these failure states play out could help scientists model where and how these clouds disperse.
For now, uncontrolled reentries remain precisely that. While we may not be able to prevent them, though, the new research shows a way we can use publicly available tools to watch and understand how they fall.
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Rocket Lab's new Neutron rocket suffers fuel tank rupture during test
January 23, 2026
It will be quite a bit longer before Neutron makes it to the launchpad.
Rocket Lab's medium-lift launch vehicle buckled under pressure Wednesday (Jan. 21), when the main stage tank of the company's first Neutron rocket ruptured during an overnight test in Wallops, Virginia.
The "hydrostatic pressure trial," according to a Rocket Lab statement, was meant to push the stage to its structural limit, but was not intended to destroy the vehicle.
The company says it is reviewing test data to determine a new timeline for Neutron's debut launch, which had been expected during the first quarter of 2026.
"We intentionally test structures to their limits to validate structural integrity and safety margins to ensure the robust requirements for a successful launch can be comfortably met," the Rocket Lab statement reads.
While the Neutron stage seems to be a total loss, Rocket Lab said no serious damage was caused to its facilities or the surrounding test structures.
It's a significant setback for Rocket Lab's newest vehicle, which aims to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 payload mass to orbit capacity and partial reusability.
Launching Neutron in Q1 2026, which now seems incredibly unlikely, was already a delay from a hoped-for debut by the end of 2025.
As data from the Jan. 21 test is analyzed, Rocket Lab plans to assess its repercussions and continue Neutron's development campaign using the next stage 1 tank already in production, according to the company's statement.
Neutron is a class heavier than Rocket Lab's Electron rocket workhorse, which has seen a steady and consistent increase in small-lift launches over the past few years.
Standing more than twice as tall as its Electron predecessor, Neutron clocks-in at 141-foot-tall (43 meters).
The rocket is powered by Rocket Lab's Archimedes engines. Neutron's first stage is designed to be reusable, and able to land on an ocean barge after delivering up to 28,700 pounds (13,000 kilograms) to low Earth orbit.
As for when Neutron will get the chance to deliver such a payload, Rocket Lab says it "intends to provide an update on the Neutron schedule during its 2025 Q4 earnings call in February."
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/rocket-labs-new-neutron-rocket-suffers-fuel-tank-rupture-during-test
https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-neutron-test-update/
>super stylin for sho
ISS astronaut spots Artemis 2 moon rocket on the launch pad from space
January 23, 2026
The lone U.S. astronaut currently in space took a picture of NASA's first rocket designed for a human moon mission in more than 50 years.
Artemis 2's rocket, called the Space Launch System, arrived at the launch pad Saturday (Jan. 17) — and may launch to the moon as soon as Feb. 6.
From the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Chris Williams captured a view of the rocket coastside at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"If you zoom in on the rightmost launch pad, you can see a shadow just to the left of the center of the pad," Williams said in an X post Monday (Jan. 19).
"That shadow is from the rocket (and launch tower) that will soon take four of my friends on a trip around the moon."
Artemis 2 is expected to carry four astronauts on a lunar mission: NASA's Reid Williams (commander), Victor Glover (pilot) and Christina Koch (mission specialist), along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
Glover will be the first person of color to leave low Earth orbit, while Koch will be the first woman and Hansen will be the first non-American.
The moon mission is the first to return astronauts to the lunar surface since Apollo 17's moon-landing excursion in 1972.
Williams, temporarily flying solo on the U.S. side of the ISS after the early and unprecedented medical evacuation of SpaceX Crew-11 on Jan. 15, said the space photo was not his best effort. ("Should have grabbed a different lens," he added.)
But it was a "special" image to him nonetheless, Williams said. The ISS coincidentally passed over Florida at about the same time SLS arrived at Launch Pad 39B on Saturday at 6:42 p.m. EST (2342 GMT).
The rocket spent nearly 12 hours carefully moving across KSC on top of a baseball-infield-sized "crawler-transporter" previously tasked for Apollo and space shuttle missions.
The crew of Artemis 2 aims to spend 10 days testing the Orion spacecraft on the capsule's third space mission.
The astronauts will first do a checkout in Earth orbit, and assuming all goes well, perform an engine burn (a trans-lunar injection) to bring them around the moon and home again. Artemis 2 will be the first crewed flight for Orion.
But an Orion flew uncrewed around Earth in 2014 for Exploration Flight Test-1 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, and another uncrewed Orion went around the moon in 2022 with Artemis 1 — which flew atop SLS on the rocket's first flight.
Artemis 2 will conduct a wide range of science and human health experiments to prepare for more long-duration moon missions.
Artemis 3 is scheduled to land with astronauts in 2027 or 2028, pending readiness of the SpaceX Starship lander currently tasked to land astronauts there.
More Artemis program missions are expected to follow, as NASA aims to build up a permanent presence on the moon.
The launch date of Artemis 2 is subject to change as the rocket and spacecraft undergo tests at the pad, most especially a "wet dress rehearsal" (or fueling of the rocket, in a simulated launch sequence) that required multiple attempts for certification of Artemis 1.
The rehearsal is scheduled for no later than Feb. 2. NASA has released windows for Artemis 2's launch in February, March and April.
Agency officials at KSC emphasized Jan. 16 they would launch Artemis 2 with safety in mind when the mission was ready, and not "rush" the process.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/iss-astronaut-spots-artemis-2-moon-rocket-on-the-launch-pad-from-space-photo
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/22/space-force-chief-gen-b-chance-saltzman-warns-weaponized-tactics/
‘There are threats in orbit’: Space Force chief sounds alarm over Chinese, Russian space assets
Janauray 23, 2026
The head of the U.S. Space Force says his job is to “think about worst-case scenarios” when it comes to potential threats in space, whether they are Russian “nesting doll” satellites or Chinese “grappling arm” tactics that could suddenly become weaponized.
“We used to say there are emerging threats. I don’t say that anymore. There are threats in orbit,” Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of Space Force operations, said in an exclusive video interview with Threat Status at The Washington Times.
Noting directed energy, lasers, radio frequency jammers and straight-up kinetic capabilities such as missiles, Gen. Saltzman said, “U.S. adversaries that are investing in all those categories of weapons. …
And we are seeing operational deployments of a great many of those categories of weapons today.”
The video interview was published Thursday amid a heightened Trump administration focus on the futuristic frontier, as evidenced by President Trump’s executive order last month titled “Ensuring America’s Space Superiority.”
The order carries significant weight for the Space Force, which was founded during Mr. Trump’s first term in 2019 as the newest of the U.S. military’s service branches.
“Clearly, the administration and the president understand how critical space is and how important it is that we secure the advantages that we enjoy from space capabilities,” Gen. Saltzman told The Times.
Although space has been important to the U.S. military for many decades, he said, the more pressing issue today is how vital it has become to the American way of life.
“That might be the thing that’s changed the most in at least the last 10 or 15 years,” he said. “Americans’ daily lives are affected by space capabilities in ways they don’t see — in ways they don’t even really recognize.”
“People know that, ‘My phone is connected to a map, and the map is guided by GPS,’ and they kind of generally appreciate that,” Gen. Saltzman said. “But the synchronization of signals, the timing synchronization provided by space capabilities, really enables the internet.
It controls all financial transactions. It really is a force multiplier … for all of the things that we’ve come to expect. Amazon deliveries … e-banking, these are things that are enabled by space capabilities.”
It has become “so critical,” he said, “that our adversaries pay attention.”
Few in the U.S. national security community dispute that Washington is in the throes of a 21st-century commercial and military space race with China and Russia.
China, specifically, has accelerated its space-based capabilities to a level almost unimaginable just a few years ago.
Beijing is fielding remote-sensing satellites, cutting-edge refueling assets, computing capabilities to process data in space and experimental spacecraft, some of whose missions have yet to be explained, in a bid to challenge and potentially supplant U.S. dominance in space.
Among the biggest challenges facing the Space Force has been U.S. adversaries’ blurring of lines between commercial and military assets in space.
In 2021, China launched an SJ-21 satellite that employs a large robotic grappling arm that Beijing claims is intended to clear space debris.
Within a year of the launch, the SJ-21 had grabbed a defunct Chinese satellite and moved into what is known as “graveyard” orbit.
Gen. Saltzman called the development “interesting.”
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“Could a grappling arm be used for non-weapons purposes? Absolutely. Our Space Shuttle had a grappling arm. But what we saw [was] them use the grappling arm to grab a satellite and pull it out of its operational orbit,” he told The Times.
“Could that be used for servicing satellites? Absolutely. Could that be used as a weapon? Absolutely. So now, we have to think about that.”
“My job is to think about worst-case scenarios,” he said. “My job is to make sure that we don’t get caught off guard if something is used as a weapon system.”
Russia, meanwhile, has launched Matryoshka, or “nesting doll,” satellites. Once in orbit, they can deploy smaller sub-satellites to track other space assets and act as anti-satellite weapons.
“Think about a satellite that deploys another satellite that maybe deploys something that’s intended to be more like a bullet trying to strike a satellite,” said Gen. Saltzman.
“So you have these nested capabilities that we would have to keep track of. That’s the key piece there.”
China’s space launch capabilities are expanding, giving Beijing greater ability to put various new satellites into orbit beyond the more than 1,300 it already has.
“It is just amazing how quickly the Chinese and other adversaries are advancing,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told an audience last month at the Spacepower 2025 conference, sponsored by the Space Force Association.
“Four or five years ago, we had been dominating in launch, and you can see them making massive improvements, really trying to catch up,” Mr. Meink said.
The number of U.S. space launches is also expanding dramatically.
Gen. Saltzman told The Times that “in very recent years, nine to 10 launches from one of our launch bases were … a full year of work, and now we’re 10 times that.”
More than 100 assets were launched last year from Cape Canaveral in Florida, and several dozen more are taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, he said. “This is a 700% to 800% increase in launch tempo.”
The rapid increase in tempo is prompting concern in some national security circles, particularly as private U.S. companies such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin compete for access to launchpads.
Debate is at times heated over the extent to which commercial rocket and satellite launches should or shouldn’t be given priority over more national-security-focused launches.
Asked whether the United States needs to expand the number of designated sites for launches, Gen. Saltzman responded: “It’s more of a question of when will we need new launch sites?”
It’s one of many questions facing the U.S. Space Force, whose operations are focused primarily on ground-based command and control of U.S. space assets.
In 2014, Space Force Guardian Col. Nick Hague became the first Space Force officer to visit the International Space Station, raising the prospect that more guardians may soon be sent into orbit for training and potentially combat missions.
Gen. Saltzman told The Times that the Space Force has “a tight relationship with NASA, and right now, NASA has the primary responsibility in terms of human spaceflight.”
“Do [I] need astronauts in space? Guardian astronauts in space to do our current missions? Right now, the answer is I don’t,” he said. “Satellites alone are sufficient. But we are early in the days of maturing the domain.
With regards to national security and warfighting, as those missions change, as we progress out into regimes beyond geosynchronous orbit, out to cislunar and beyond, there may very well be a need to actually have military presence in terms of personnel on orbit.
“The Space Force will have a role in protecting anything that’s a vital national interest in terms of in, from and through space,” Gen. Saltzman said.
“So to the degree that there are assets on orbit that are commercial, civil or military, or allies and partners, quite frankly, that are vital assets to the United States for the things that we want to do, then it’s my job to protect them.”
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https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4385946/ssc-commander-releases-2026-commitments-command-plan-updates
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Portals/3/Images/SSC%20Command%20Plan/SSC_Command_Plan_2026.pdf?ver=PEMi920bb15JP64fyNJ2lQ%3d%3d
SSC commander releases 2026 commitments, command plan updates
Jan. 22, 2026
EL SEGUNDO, Calf. – The commander of the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) released the 2026 commitments, command plan updates, and stakeholder feedback during a keynote address today as part of the opening of AFCEA’s annual Space Industry Days (SID).
During his keynote, USSF Lt. Gen. Philip A. Garrant, commander, SSC, underpinned the importance of accountability and feedback to continue growth that postures the command to meet the acquisition demand signal and reform necessary to improve lethality and maintain decisive advantage in, from, and to space.
As part of the address, he provided industry, military, and other government partners with an assessment of the field command since the release of the SSC Command Plan in late 2024, noting the importance of adherence to a high standard.
“Less than fifteen months ago, at our last Space Industry Days, I made a promise to you that we would conduct research, seek feedback, and evaluate ourselves,” Garrant said.
Through the use of data and performance sentiments from across its stakeholder groups, Garrant shared that the field command was able to capture and rank its ability to deliver and meet expectations.
“The data shows we are delivering and measures progress, but the sentiment helps us understand where friction still exists,” Garrant said.
A key sentiment highlighting an area of improvement within capability delivery was a demand signal for improved communication and coordination with capability users to enhance speed, requirements, and partnership—an area Garrant noted already has targeted action to address through the System Delta (SYD) integration with their counterparts across the service like the USSF’s Combat Forces Command’s Mission Deltas (MDs).
“By putting people side-by-side through our new SYD and MD structure, we expect to see continued improvements in understanding what our capability users need, which will ultimately increase speed, communication, and partnership,” Garrant said.
Another key sentiment from industry highlighted areas of improvement in translating the efforts of workshops and industry days into tangible outcomes, as well as improved communication on awareness of capability needs and future mission plans.
“We have opportunities to improve these areas through the Space Force Front Door, increased two-way engagements, and increased education on SYD and MD structures,” Garrant said.
“We are leaning in, and we have plans to make continued improvements throughout this year.”
Garrant’s keynote also highlighted stakeholder feedback showcasing a number of successes, among which included:
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Assured Access to Space (AATS) and its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program continue to deliver, including in its support to new providers.
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Operational Test and Training Infrastructure’s (OTTI) acquisition of new and needed capabilities are meeting the demands to support multi-mission and joint exercise training.
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SSC’s Commercial Space Office’s (COMSO) implementation of initiatives like Orbital Watch and Commercial Augmented Space Reserve (CASR) Wargames have been key to the USSF’s Commercial Strategy.
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Battle Management Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (BMC3I) portfolio’s expansion of opportunities and partnerships through programs like the SDA TAP Lab accelerate innovation with commercial, academic, and international partners.
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Garrant further emphasized the need for organizations to seek improvement and take accountability.
“Our grading scale is tough by design, because our warfighters and our Nation require nothing but the best,” Garrant shared.
“These results are a means for us to understand where we are, strategize how we can get better, and define the path forward.”
As part of SSC’s improvements, he asserted specific focuses for the year ahead.
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“We assessed the gap [between the data and sentiments], and it clarified where we need to focus, which was instrumental in shaping our 2026 commitments,” Garrant stated.
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The 2026 SSC Commitments include:
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Improve partnership and transparency across all stakeholders.
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Develop and implement a deliberate planning process to report and improve readiness of our Guardians.
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Implement acquisition reform initiatives as guidance is released, adding milestones as identified or needed.
“These commitments are informed by how we’ve evaluated ourselves, specifically targeting areas where we must continue to grow to ensure our position as a lead space acquisition arm is postured to meet the demands of the Joint Force, our Nation, and its allies and partners,” Garrant said.
In addition to the commitments, Garrant shared the launch of an updated version of the SSC Command Plan to reflect refined priorities and “a clearer path forward.”
Notable changes to the command plan include:
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Expanded language on the workforce, “SSC Warfighters,” as a stakeholder.
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Consolidation of the previous plan’s tenets to focus on the primary strategic imperative: “Deliver lethal, combat-credible, ready, and resilient military space capabilities.”
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Updated language to the Lines of Effort (LOEs) noting the implementation of the System Delta structure in the modernization of command structure, expansion of its approach to workforce development to highlight the aspects of equipping the “SSC Warfighters,” and a clear reaffirmation of the important role that accountability plays in creating credibility.
“Our Command will be challenged more than ever over the next two years, so we must train harder, deliver faster, operate with more tenacity, and field military space capability more effectively than ever before,” Garrant said. “
As the space domain continues to evolve, we must continue to outpace our adversaries through our partnerships. Together, we can ensure that our Nation remains the dominant force in the final frontier.”
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‘Smart’ crystals that self-repair at -320°F to unlock new space, deep-sea technologies
Jan 22, 2026 12:24 PM EST
Smart molecular crystals can restore their structure, even at extreme freezing temperatures, making them valuable for space applications.
A team of researchers at New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi discovered a new type of self-healing organic crystal. The new material repairs itself after sustaining damage, even at extremely low temperatures.
The research, performed in collaboration with scientists at Jilin University, China, could pave the way for the next generation of space materials.
According to the scientists, their durable, lightweight material can perform in some of the harshest environments on Earth and in space.
Abu Dhabi team’s self-healing smart molecular crystals
The team, led by NUY Abu Dhabi’s Panče Naumov, developed a material they dubbed smart molecular crystals. In a paper published in the journal Nature Materials, they outlined the observation process that allowed them to identify the material’s impressive properties.
During experiments, they observed that the material could be mechanically damaged in extreme cold and then repair itself. Importantly, it also recovered its ability to transmit light after being damaged.
This is essential for low-temperature flexible optical and electronic devices.
According to a press statement, the material can restore its structure even at temperatures as low as -196°C (-320°F), the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen.
The material also remains functional throughout a wide temperature range, going up to 150°C (302°F). The crystal material’s self-healing capability is thanks to its unique molecular structure, the scientists said in their statement.
The material’s molecules carry permanent dipole moments. This means they have both positive and negative ends attracting one another.
Importantly, the NYUAD team’s discovery is the first time self-healing has been observed in an organic crystal with such a wide temperature range.
Typically, self-healing has been observed in soft materials, including gels or polymers. These tend to stop working in extreme cold conditions.
A next-generation space material
The new material could play an important role in the future of space operations, where such durable materials are in high demand.
Space debris is becoming an overwhelming problem, as operators increasingly send satellites and other payloads to Earth’s orbit.
Between 2019 and 2023, SpaceX’s Starlink satellites made more than 50,000 collision avoidance maneuvers in low Earth orbit.
With debris flying around Earth at speeds of 8 kilometers per second—faster than a bullet—small collisions are inevitable.
Last year, a team from Texas A&M University also announced it had developed a polymer with self-healing properties. The team said their material could be used to protect spacecraft and orbital satellites.
Now, the team from NYUAD claims its smart molecular crystals can serve a similar purpose—and they are seemingly more durable than anything that has come before.
As the scientists pointed out in their statement: “By overcoming one of the biggest challenges in material durability at low temperatures, this research opens new possibilities for creating flexible electronic and optical devices that can function reliably in outer space or other extremely cold environments.”
https://interestingengineering.com/space/smart-crystals-unlock-space-technologies
https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/science-and-technology/2026/january/self-healing-crystalline-material.html
https://asgardia.space/en/news/Personal-Shield-How-Autoprobiotics-Protect-Microflora-in-Space
https://x.com/AsgardiaSpace
Personal Shield: How Autoprobiotics Protect Microflora in Space
Aqu 23, 10 Jan 23, 26
Asgardia’s primary scientific mission is the birth of the first human child in space. Achieving it requires addressing a broad range of biomedical challenges, including measures for protecting women's health in extreme conditions.
The findings of the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) demonstrate that general well-being and fertility depend also on one’s microbiota health status — the complex biocenosis of microorganisms inhabiting the intestines, mucous membranes, and, to a lesser degree, skin. IBMP researchers explain the way to protect one's microflora during spaceflight, isolation, and stress.
Microflora: an invisible guard of women's health
Space medicine has focused primarily on men's health for a long time. However, females taking part in long-term missions, and especially the impregnation prospect in space, called for the female body in-depth study.
Woman's microflora is a critically important parameter, as noted by Daria Komissarova, a lead researcher and a laboratory head at the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The imbalance may directly impact fertility. Moreover, studies show that an imbalanced microbiota increases the risk of premature birth or unsuccessful pregnancy, even when using assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF.
Therefore, monitoring microflora and timely remodelling when planning long-term space missions involving women become a critically important medical challenge.
Dry immersion and isolation: a stress test for microbiota
Scientists use dry immersion and isolation experiments for simulating zero gravity and confined space impact on the body.
Long-term observations of male subjects have shown that the gut microbiota undergoes negative changes in the above environment.
The beneficial bacteria decrease in number, while the quantity of opportunistic bacteria increase, possibly leading to various dysfunctions.
The first similar female testing — three-day and five-day dry immersion tests — confirmed that problems exist here, too.
Risk groups were identified with a predominance of microorganisms in the female microbiota that led to a general deterioration in its condition. This became the starting point for the search for effective means of prevention.
Autoprobiotics: a medicine grown inside us
Conventional pharmacy probiotics containing standard bacterial strains bear meaningful constraints.
The effect often lasts only for as long as the medication is taken, and in some people it can cause allergic reactions, as bacteria that are ‘alien’ to the body are used.
The innovative approach developed at the Institute of Biomedical Problems involves the creation of individualised autoprobiotics. Before testing, a subject does a sample of native ‘good’ microflora.
Then, the personalised capsules are produced from the biomass grown in vitro using this microflora, specifically the predominant lactobacilli. This preparation is ideally suited to the individual.
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Dry immersion experiments clearly demonstrated the benefits of this approach.
The durability of response of standard probiotics lasted only five days, with that microflora beginning to deteriorate again.
Autoprobiotics, however, maintained the protective effect for up to a month after completing treatment, giving support to the body through the recovery period.
Breakthrough at SIRIUS: microflora as a stress indicator
The research continued in large-scale isolation experiments within the SIRIUS project.
The personalised autobiotic capsules for the female test subjects have been prepared in advance on the occasion of the eight-month and year-long missions.
Microflora is particularly vulnerable at the beginning of isolation and when exposed to the familiar world, full of microorganisms, after the prolonged isolation.
Therefore, the medication intake was scheduled for the first 30 days (the acute adaptation phase) and the last 30 days before exiting the complex.
The results confirmed the method’s high effectiveness. Moreover, the most interesting discovery came from analysing the year-long experiment data.
On day 102, all the female participants experienced a sudden and sharp decline in the microbiota: the number of protective bacteria decreased.
Studying the extravehicular activity schedule identified no direct relationship, but a more in-depth analysis of the events during the isolation period revealed the cause.
It turned out that on that very day, the crew received news of a delayed cargo vehicle carrying provisions and hygiene supplies. Although starvation threatened no one, the situation became a powerful stress factor.
Psychological tests confirmed a spike in anxiety and fatigue during that period. Biochemical analysis revealed a decrease in the key female hormone estradiol and an increase in stress proteins.
Stress immediately affects the microflora, confirming its relationship with the nervous and endocrine systems.
This observation led to a practical conclusion: autoprobiotics should be used not only routinely, during periods of adaptation, but also selectively – during unforeseen stressful situations in the course of a long mission.
The prospects: from a space station to an ordinary first-aid kit
The benefits of autoprobiotics have been proven not only in short-term but also in long-term experiments.
The capsules, made from the microflora of participants in the year-long SIRIUS experiment, retained their properties even after 11 months of storage in isolation.
This opens up practical prospects for real space flights. The technology for manufacturing such preparations is simple enough to be implemented on board an orbital station or a future base on the Moon and Mars.
The crew will be able to create a personal ‘microbial shield’ for the entire duration of the mission in advance, while still on Earth.
The application of this development is not limited to space. Autoprobiotics are also gaining popularity in terrestrial medicine.
There are already clinics where a healthy person can submit a sample of their microflora and receive an individualised preparation with a long shelf life.
It can be used in emergency situations, during antibiotic therapy, or routinely before an expected stressful event, whether it be a difficult job or a medical procedure.
It is an effective tool for maintaining health, and for women, it is also an important factor in preserving fertility, which is relevant both on Earth and on the way to distant planets.
Thus, the research conducted for Asgardia's tasks not only paves the way for the birth of the first child in space, but also provides Earthlings with advanced, personalised healthcare technology based on symbiosis with their own bodies.
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Inside the Secret FBI Files: Comey, Trump & Divided America | Christina Bobb
Jan 22, 2026
Former Trump attorney and DHS executive Christina Bobb returns to the program to share what she knows about a previously undisclosed room of FBI files hidden inside former FBI Director James Comey’s office.
What was being kept there—and why—raises serious questions about power, secrecy, and accountability at the highest levels of federal law enforcement.
-
We then move beyond headlines into a real, candid conversation about Donald Trump’s intentions, the growing extremes on both sides of the political divide, and what this moment means for the country.
It’s the kind of discussion many Americans are already having privately in their homes and workplaces—but rarely hear addressed openly and honestly.
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You can learn more and purchase her books at https://ChristinaBobb.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyO-TjlBZd0
https://x.com/sarah_westall
https://x.com/christina_bobb
First Russia-US-Ukraine meeting will take place in Abu Dhabi – Putin aide
23 Jan, 2026 01:41
Russian, Ukrainian, and US negotiators will hold their first trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Friday, a senior Kremlin aide said after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in Moscow.
Putin spoke for nearly four hours with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum.
Putin’s aide, Yury Ushakov, and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev took part on the Russian side.
In a phone call with journalists, Ushakov hailed the talks as “substantive, constructive, and extremely candid.” Ushakov said the trilateral working group on security will meet for the first time in Abu Dhabi later on Friday.
He added that the Russian team led by Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the head of the GRU military intelligence, had received instructions from Putin and will fly to the UAE in the coming hours.
Witkoff and Dmitriev will meet separately in Abu Dhabi to discuss Russia-US trade, Ushakov said.
Ushakov said the Russian side stressed once again that peace between Moscow and Kiev is impossible “without resolving the territorial issue.”
“We remain interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis by political and diplomatic means. However, if it does not happen, Russia will continue accomplishing its goals on the battlefield where the Russian troops have the initiative,” he said.
On Thursday, Trump met with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He told later journalists aboard Air Force One that he remains optimistic about brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine, while acknowledging the “complicated” issue of borders.
“There were times then Putin didn’t want to make a deal, and times when Zelensky didn’t want to make a deal. Now I think they both want to make a deal,” Trump said.
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine withdraw troops from parts of Russian territory they control, and recognize Russia’s new borders, including Crimea and the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
Zelensky has ruled out making any territorial concessions.
https://www.rt.com/russia/631385-putin-witkoff-talks-moscow/
https://www.rt.com/russia/631409-ukraine-trilateral-talks-military/
https://www.rt.com/news/631388-trump-putin-zelensky-want-deal/
https://www.rt.com/russia/631380-putin-meets-witkoff-moscow/
https://www.rt.com/russia/631366-witkoff-arrives-in-moscow/
Poland owes Germany €1.3trn in ‘reparations’ over Nord Stream blasts – MP
23 Jan, 2026 17:17
Poland should compensate Germany for “complicity” in the 2022 explosions that put the Nord Stream gas pipelines out of operation, a right-wing German politician has claimed.
The amount cited by Kay Gottschalk, an MP from the opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, corresponds to the €1.3 trillion in compensation for World War II that Warsaw previously demanded from Berlin.
Gottschalk wrote in an X post on Wednesday that “1.3 trillion euros should suffice as reparations for complicity in the Nord Stream sabotage.”
Berlin authorities have attributed the act of sabotage that severely damaged the conduits, which carried Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea, to a small group of Ukrainian nationals.
Poland has rejected a German extradition request for a key suspect in the case. In November, AfD co-chairman Tino Chrupalla told the broadcaster ZDF that while Russia posed no immediate threat to Germany, neighboring Poland could conceivably emerge as one.
He cited the “current moral double standards” displayed by the Polish government in refusing to hand over a Ukrainian “terrorist” to German authorities.
Last October, the Warsaw District Court ruled that Berlin’s extradition request for the suspect in the attacks, Vladimir Zhuravlyov, was “unfounded.”
The judge argued at the time that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.”
A month earlier, the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita claimed that Warsaw, which has been one of Kiev’s staunchest backers since 2022, allegedly considered granting asylum to the Ukrainian national.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has publicly supported the idea.
Last Thursday, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice published a ruling dated December 10, according to which the Nord Stream explosions were likely an “intelligence service” operation ordered by a foreign government.
Russian officials have repeatedly expressed deep skepticism over Berlin’s version of events, saying that a small group of Ukrainian saboteurs could not have executed such a sophisticated operation in NATO-controlled waters without direct state assistance.
https://www.rt.com/news/631428-poland-owes-germany-reparations-nord-stream-blasts/
Russia develops new anti-drone bullet (VIDEO)
23 Jan, 2026 14:21
Russian arms conglomerate Rostec has announced the successful testing of a new dedicated anti-drone round, expected to greatly increase the capabilities of troops to fend off smaller UAVs.
The round, named Mnogotochie (Ellipsis), comes in several calibers commonly used by the Russian military.
The new round packs a separating bullet that splits into three pieces mid-air, more than doubling the chances of hitting an aerial target at distances of up to 300 meters, according to Rostec.
“Mnogotochie ammunition was developed to meet the realities of modern combat, where miniature drones have become one of the main threats to soldiers.
Experience shows that small arms are an effective means of defense against UAVs,” the industrial director of Rostec’s military cluster, Bekhan Ozdoev, said.
Footage released by Rostec shows a Russian serviceman trying out the new round at a shooting range. The soldier destroys a small drone from a distance of up to 70 meters on his first shot.
The round does not require any tampering with the service rifle, can be shot with muzzle attachments, and can apparently be intermixed with regular ammo.
The new ammunition has already been battle-tested during the Ukraine conflict, proving its high effectiveness, Rostec said.
While the company did not elaborate on how exactly the new bullet functions, it likely features a sabot-like shell that separates from the main projectile mid-air.
Assorted drones – ranging from bomblet-dropping quadcopters and kamikaze FPVs of different types, to heavy agricultural octocopters repurposed for carrying mortar shells and aerial bombs – have been dominating the battlefield in the Ukraine conflict for the past few years.
Both sides have been actively using shotguns to provide their infantry with anti-drone capabilities, as well as experimenting with canister shot munitions for standard-issue assault rifles.
The latter experiments have yielded mixed results, with some munitions proving to be too damaging for firearms, while others turned out to be dangerous to fellow servicemen due to sabots separating at high velocities.
https://www.rt.com/russia/631427-anti-drone-rifle-round/
Drone Attack Sparks Blaze at Key Fuel Facility Inside Russian Russian City of Penza
Updated Jan 23, 2026 12:58
Strike drones hit an oil storage facility in the Russian city of Penza, triggering a large fire, according to the OSINT channel Exilenova+, which published videos filmed by local residents on January 23.
The regional governor, Oleg Melnychenko, also confirmed that a fire broke out at the site following the strike.
Preliminary reports indicate that the drones hit the Penzanefteprodukt oil depot, which is located within the city limits.
Multiple explosions were heard in Penza at around 4:00 a.m. local time. Shortly afterward, residents reported seeing thick black smoke and flames rising from one district of the city.
Photos and videos shared online show an intense fire at the facility.
An aerial threat alert was issued across the Penza region at approximately 1:40 a.m. Temporary restrictions on arrivals and departures were also imposed at Penza Airport as a precaution.
Dozens of firefighters and more than ten units of specialized equipment were deployed to extinguish the blaze at the oil depot, local authorities said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claimed later in the morning that air defenses intercepted 12 drones overnight, including one allegedly over the Penza region.
Earlier, a drone strike hit oil infrastructure at Russia’s Black Sea port of Taman, triggering a large fire at a key energy export hub.
https://united24media.com/latest-news/drone-attack-sparks-blaze-at-key-fuel-facility-inside-russian-russian-city-of-penza-15265
https://112.ua/en/ukrainski-sili-znisili-sklad-bpla-na-lugansini-ta-naftopererobnij-zavod-u-rf-134893
https://twitter.com/Exilenova_plus/status/2014509701191614695
Russian 'Kalibr' Missile Submarine Crippled in Ukrainian Underwater Drone Strike
January 23, 2026 20:18
Ukrainian Submarine Drone Strike
According to TSN.ua: An underwater drone attack by Ukrainian forces has critically damaged a Russian Project 636.3 'Varshavyanka'-class submarine, a vessel designed to carry 'Kalibr' cruise missiles.
The strike left the submarine immobilized in the port of Novorossiysk. With four 'Kalibr' launch systems onboard, the loss of this vessel represents a significant strategic blow to Russia's naval capabilities in the region.
Satellite Imagery and Additional Operations
Satellite images from December 16 and January 19 confirm the submarine remained stationary in the same location at Novorossiysk port, indicating it is likely out of action.
In a related development, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) also claimed responsibility for a drone attack on the Korchagin oil production platform. This maritime campaign has seen previous strikes, including:
Ukrainian drone attacks on the Filanovsky platforms on December 11 and 12;
The targeting of the Korchagin platform in the Caspian Sea.
The successful strike on the 'Varshavyanka' submarine marks a significant escalation in Ukraine's naval operations within the Black Sea theater.
The 'Kalibr' missile system is a cornerstone of Russia's long-range strike capability, and neutralizing this platform reduces a key threat to Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
This incident underscores a broader shift in modern warfare, where asymmetric tactics and unmanned systems are increasingly used to challenge traditional naval power, altering the strategic balance in contested waters.
https://112.ua/en/ukrainski-pidvodni-droni-atakuvali-rosijskij-pidvodnij-coven-nosij-kalibriv-134935
https://safety4sea.com/drone-attack-on-russian-port-leaves-three-workers-dead/
other russia and Ukraine
https://moldova1.md/p/67208/russian-drone-strikes-kill-six-and-cripple-ukraine-s-energy-grid
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/western-tech-in-russian-bombs-moscow-strikes-ukraine-with-eu-u-s-components-geran-5-drone/videoshow/127309393.cms
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-increasingly-uses-starlink-on-drones-1769181583.html
https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/russian-drone-attack-injures-four-civilians-in-vertiivka-nizhyn-district/
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-launches-mission-control-drone-system-1769175173.html
https://www.dagens.com/news/a-single-ukrainian-drone-unit-has-cost-russia-4bn-in-a-year-agency-claims
https://unn.ua/en/news/russian-army-struck-a-civilian-car-with-a-drone-in-kharkiv-region-two-people-died-three-were-injured
https://112.ua/en/zelenskij-priznaciv-zastupnika-komanduvaca-ps-vin-vidpovidatime-za-antidronovij-kupol-134900
IDF: 14 terror suspects arrested, eight firearms seized during 4-day raid in Hebron
January 23, 2026 9:00 am
The IDF says it has wrapped up a four-day counter-terrorism raid in the West Bank city of Hebron, during which 14 wanted Palestinians were detained.
The raid conducted in the city’s Jabal Johar neighborhood was launched early Monday and was completed yesterday, according to the military.
The army says the operation was aimed at “thwarting terror infrastructures, removing illegal possession of weapons, and strengthening security in the area.”
In all, 350 buildings were scanned, 14 Palestinians suspected of terror activities were detained, and eight firearms were seized, the IDF says.
There were no reports of major clashes between troops and Palestinians amid the raid.
Multi-day IDF raids in West Bank Palestinian towns are a frequent occurrence.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-14-terror-suspects-arrested-eight-firearms-seized-during-4-day-raid-in-hebron/
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-idf-arrests-14-in-hebron-raid/
https://www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/idf-uncovers-and-dismantles-more-hamas-tunnels
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-drone-strike-reportedly-hits-northeast-lebanon/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkw00hwzize
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skeilbziwx
https://ianslive.in/worried-about-beijings-digital-espionage-network-israel-withdraws-china-made-vehicles-report–20260123193706
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-idf-details-how-hezbollah-exploits-civilian-areas/
https://worldisraelnews.com/idf-fears-road-blockages-by-israeli-arabs-during-wartime/
https://vinnews.com/2026/01/23/idf-chief-of-staff-meets-parents-of-last-remaining-hostage-in-gaza-reaffirms-commitment-to-bring-him-home/
AI on battlefield: China showcases next-gen combat tech; one soldier can control over 200 drones
Jan 23, 2026, 22:02 IST
The Chinese military has claimed a major breakthrough in drone warfare, with artificial intelligence enabling a single soldier to control more than 200 drones.
The development highlights the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) growing focus on AI-driven swarm combat capabilities.
In a defence news programme aired on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV said that the PLA had successfully tested AI-enabled drone swarm technology developed by the PLA-affiliated National University of Defence Technology.
The tests showed that one operator could launch and manage over 200 fixed-wing drones at the same time from multiple vehicles, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, drone swarm warfare uses artificial intelligence and data links to deploy large numbers of drones in a short span.
These drones can fly in coordinated formations, divide tasks autonomously and carry out multiple missions simultaneously, including reconnaissance, distraction and strike operations.
CCTV said that the drone swarms were trained through extensive offline simulations as well as real flight tests, enabling them to develop strong autonomous decision-making abilities.
Footage from the trials showed researchers monitoring the live status of dozens of drones on a single screen as they switched roles during operations.
Xiang Xiaojia, a research fellow at the university’s school of intelligent science, told CCTV that each drone is equipped with its own intelligent algorithm.
“Through interconnection and autonomous negotiation, they can form a powerful, collaborative intelligent swarm,” he said. Xiang added that the team had also tested an anti-jamming algorithm in environments with electromagnetic interference.
The system allows drones to autonomously plan flight paths and continue coordinated search operations even when signals are disrupted.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, which cited the CCTV report, said that the new control module enables precise coordination within the swarm, with different drones assigned specific roles such as surveillance, electronic jamming, decoy missions and direct attacks.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/defence/ai-on-battlefield-china-showcases-next-gen-combat-tech-one-soldier-can-control-over-200-drones/articleshow/127306111.cms
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/23/trump-says-us-armada-heading-middle-east-iran-death-toll
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/01/23/treasury-sanctions-iran-shadow-fleet-protests/4811769191780/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/us-targets-irans-shadow-fleet-over-crackdown-on-protesters/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2026/01/23/iran-protest-deaths-5000-as-trump-armada/88316218007/
other Iran
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/un-human-rights-council-special-session-to-address-the-deteriorating-human-rights-situation-in-the-islamic-republic-of-iran-23-january-2026
Trump says US ‘armada’ heading to Middle East as Iran death toll put above 5,000
Fri 23 Jan 2026 08.07 EST
Donald Trump has said an American “armada” is heading towards the Middle East and that the US is monitoring Iran closely, as activists put the death toll from Tehran’s crackdown on protesters at 5,002.
Speaking on Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos overnight, he said: “We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case.
I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely … we have an armada … heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers are due to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.
Additional air defence systems are being deployed, most likely around US and Israeli airbases. The UK said it would send RAF Eurofighter Typhoon jets from 12 Squadron to Qatar, at Doha’s request.
The US president pulled back from attacking Iran two weeks ago, despite promising “help is on its way”, largely because he felt he had been given no military option that would prove decisive in securing regime change in Tehran.
He was also urged to hold back by the Gulf states.
In an update on Friday, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said the death toll from the Iranian crackdown on protesters had reached 5,002 – comprising 4,716 demonstrators, 203 government-affiliated people, 43 children and 40 civilians not taking part in the protests.
The agency’s numbers have been accurate in previous unrest in Iran and rely on a network of activists there to verify deaths. HRANA said at least 26,541 people had been arrested.
The protests started on 28 December when traders took to the streets in Tehran in response to a sudden dip in the value of the rial.
As they spread, demands expanded to include calls for an end to the country’s government, creating the most serious and deadliest unrest in the country since the 1979 revolution.
Speaking at an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Türk, the UN commissioner for human rights, said thousands of people, including children, had been killed on the streets and in residential areas.
He said video evidence showed there were hundreds in morgues with fatal injuries to their heads and chests, while hundreds of security personnel had also been killed.
He urged Iran to “end their brutal repression”, including summary trials, and urged a complete moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Türk decried Iran’s judiciary chief this week saying there would be no leniency for the thousands detained, saying it was a “chilling development”.
“I am deeply concerned by contradictory statements from the Iranian authorities about whether those detained in connection with the protests may be executed,” he said, pointing out that Iran “remains among the top executioner states in the world”, with at least 1,500 people reportedly put to death there last year.
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The Iranian authorities have sought to delegitimise the protests by claiming rioters infiltrated peaceful protests. “None of this would justify resorting to disproportionate use of force or coercing families,” Türk said.
He claimed there had been 100 forced confessions and a lack of transparency about proceedings, with those arrested including lawyers, human rights activists, cafe owners, athletes and actors.
The internet shutdown was the longest recorded in Iran and had severely restricted communications making it difficult for families to check on the welfare of their loved ones, he said.
Mai Sato, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, demanded to be able to visit Iran for a thorough investigation. “The Iranian people have shown enormous courage by talking truth to power,” she said, and urged the international community to reciprocate.
“Lethal force can only be used as a last resort to protect life and must be lawful, necessary and proportionate. I’ve received countless videos showing security forces using lethal force against unarmed protesters.”
The protest movement has largely petered out in the face of the crackdown, which was accompanied by an unprecedented internet blackout, though chants of “death to the dictator” are taking place at bitter and often well-attended funerals.
Videos are still trickling out from inside Iran showing how security forces were given licence to shoot to kill protesters, especially from 5-8 January.
One of the main reformist newspapers, Ham-Mihan, has been shut down for printing two stories: one on the pursuit of protesters in a hospital and the other detailing the severity and brutality of the suppression more widely.
Many leading reformists have not been able to express their views on the crackdown, and the few that have been allowed to address wider audiences seem to be blaming both sides for a collapse in social solidarity brought on by a crash in the exchange rate.
The extent to which these problems are caused by sanctions or internal inefficiency is debated.
In his longest reflection to date on the violence, the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist elected 18 months ago, claimed “the civil and just protest of the people was turned into a bloody and violent battle due to a conspiracy by those who wish Iran ill will”.
Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, took credit while in Davos for the protests, saying US sanctions had led to the unrest and that maximum economic sanctions “worked because in December, their economy collapsed”.
He added: “We saw a major bank go under. The central bank has started to print money. There is a dollar shortage. They are not able to get imports, and this is why the people took to the streets.
This is economic statecraft, no shots fired, and things are moving in a very positive way here.”
Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israel’s 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
But the prospect of immediate American action seemed to have receded in recent days, with both sides insisting on giving diplomacy a chance.
Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, who heads Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates the army and the Revolutionary Guards, warned the US on Thursday that any military strike on Iran would turn all US bases in the region into “legitimate targets”.
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FAA institutes nationwide drone no-fly zones around ICE operations
January 22, 2026, 22:41 (UTC +3)
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a nationwide security notice, effectively creating a moving drone no-fly zone around operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other components of the Department of Homeland Security.
The notice, NOTAM FDC 6/4375, prohibits unmanned aircraft systems from operating within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet vertically of DHS facilities and mobile assets, including ground vehicle convoys and their escorts.
The restriction applies nationwide and continuously, rather than at fixed locations or during defined time windows.
Because ICE operates under DHS and routinely conducts enforcement actions using mobile vehicle convoys in public spaces, the restriction functions as a drone no-fly zone around ICE operations, including arrests, transport activities and other field actions.
The FAA classifies the restricted airspace as “national defense airspace,” and cites its authority under federal security statutes. Drone operators who violate the restriction may face criminal prosecution, civil penalties, administrative enforcement actions, or revocation of FAA operating privileges.
The notice also states that drones deemed a credible security threat may be intercepted, seized, damaged, or destroyed.
Unlike traditional Temporary Flight Restrictions, the NOTAM does not provide geographic coordinates, activation times, or public notification when the restriction is in effect near a specific location.
Instead, the restricted airspace moves with DHS assets, meaning the no-fly zone can appear wherever ICE or other DHS units operate.
The new NOTAM replaces an earlier security notice, FDC 5/6378, which covered similar federal agencies but was less explicit about mobile operations.
The updated version removes ambiguity by clearly stating that the restriction applies to moving DHS assets, including vehicles and convoys, and not just fixed facilities such as offices or bases.
That clarification has drawn attention from drone operators and civil liberties groups because it creates dynamic, invisible exclusion zones that may be impossible to identify in real time.
The FAA does not publish public tracking of DHS or ICE movements, and the NOTAM does not include a mechanism for drone pilots to determine when covered assets are nearby.
In practical terms, a drone operator flying legally in a public area could unknowingly enter restricted airspace if an ICE convoy passes within the protected radius.
The FAA instructs operators to “exercise caution” when flying near DHS facilities and mobile assets, but offers no specific guidance on how to do so in environments where enforcement activity is not publicly disclosed.
The notice mentions limited exceptions. Drone operations conducted in direct support of national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, or disaster response missions may be authorized with advance coordination.
Operators seeking approval are instructed to coordinate with DHS or other covered agencies, or contact the FAA’s System Operations Support Center.
The FAA cites multiple federal statutes as the legal basis for the restriction, including laws governing national defense airspace and counter-UAS mitigation.
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-drone-no-fly-zone-ice-dhs
https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_6_4375&ref=404media.co
This electric trike gives car safety with full bike lane access: The Superboo
January 13, 2026
The IRIS eTrike is an electric three-wheeler developed by UK-based designer Grant Sinclair, created as a practical alternative to cars for daily urban travel.
Classified as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle, it can legally use public roads, cycle paths, and low-traffic zones, making it well suited for crowded cities.
Lightweight Carbon Shell With Built-In Safety
At the core of the IRIS eTrike is a lightweight carbon fibre monocoque shell that helps reduce weight while maintaining strength. Integrated EPP impact-absorption zones add an extra layer of safety without increasing bulk.
The aerodynamic body shape minimizes drag, improving efficiency and extending range. Despite its protective shell, the total vehicle weight remains just 65 kg, excluding the rider and luggage.
Electric Assist and Riding Performance
The eTrike uses a dual mid-drive motor system that delivers up to 130 Nm of torque, providing smooth and responsive electric assistance.
It reaches speeds of up to 30 mph, or 48 km/h, and offers a real-world range of more than 50 miles, or around 80 km, on a single charge.
Power comes from a removable 1.3 kWh CYC A-65 lithium-ion battery built with Samsung 50S 21700 long-life cells. Charging from 20 percent to full takes approximately 3.5 hours.
Smart Cockpit and Driver Assistance
Inside, the IRIS eTrike features a modern cockpit with an ultrawide mirror-style dashboard and a responsive 12-inch touchscreen. Real-time 360-degree video from front, side, and rear cameras improves visibility and situational awareness.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems support safer riding with features designed to help in traffic, parking, and tight urban spaces. Filtered climate control inside the shell helps keep the rider comfortable in varying weather conditions.
Connectivity and Integrated Technology
The eTrike integrates modern connectivity features including GPS, Wi-Fi, voice control, and a parking monitor. Also, twin LED projectors, indicator repeaters, and wide-angle cameras are built directly into the body.
RFID keyless canopy entry allows easy access. These features combine to create a connected, car-like experience within a cycle-class vehicle.
Practical Storage and Everyday Usability
Despite its compact size, the IRIS eTrike offers up to 180 litres of cargo capacity, suitable for groceries, work gear, or daily essentials. The vehicle supports a maximum payload of 100 kg for the rider and luggage combined.
Wheel setup includes 24 x 1.75-inch carbon aero disc wheels at the front and a 26 x 1.75-inch carbon MTB wheel at the rear, paired with Shimano PD-T421 Click’R dual-sided pedals for efficient pedaling support.
Dimensions, Access, and Pricing
Moreover, the IRIS eTrike measures 2,760 mm in length, 880 mm in width, and 1,320 mm in height.
Giving it a narrow profile that fits easily into bike lanes and urban parking spaces. Pricing starts at around £10,000, approximately US$11,660.
https://www.thesuperboo.com/iris-etrike-electric-trike/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WZ4E-5vvXM
'Dorito' shaped aircraft spotted over Area 51 sparks fresh UFO mystery
13:07, 23 Jan 2026
A videographer said he spotted an unusual UFO over the notorious Area 51 military base - the alleged flying object was dubbed a 'Dorito'
An explorer snapped an eerie image of a mysterious UFO flying over the top secret Area 51 military base.
A backpacker was recording his stay in the desert by the Nevada base, on January 14, when he noticed something odd in the night sky.
Anders Otteson spotted an unidentified aircraft flying above the military site at 3am local time.
The off-grid videographer said this object appeared to be an "equilateral triangle" shape - which UFO researchers have dubbed the 'Dorito'.
Otteson noted that he had spotted a B-2 Spirit flying over two hours earlier, but this was a different shape to the 'Dorito'.
The videographer, who runs the channel Uncanny Expeditions, said the unexpected flying object he saw did not appear to have wings or flatter tailing edges.
He said: "Are we looking at a classified test flight or run-of-the-mill training sortie? I certainly think we have something interesting here."
With this baffling find, a scanner checking unencrypted radio frequencies around Area 51 picked up an unusual pattern made up of code words, the YouTuber claimed.
These code words were bizarrely related to snacks and food.
Otteson and UFO researcher Joerg Arnu alleged they heard phrases like "imperial with garlic", "pretzel snack" and "fridge hydrate" being passed about in the exchange.
Despite this bizarre sighting, Otteson said there was a chance the 'Dorito' object he saw could have been a bomber plane and the odd phrases might have been military jargon.
Otteson said he has spotted the 'Dorito' UFO shape in the skies two other times. The videographer claimed to have seen "an as yet unacknowledged triangle-shaped aircraft" back in 2014 over Wichita, Kansas, and Amarillo, Texas.
Area 51 has long been a mysterious military base totally closed off to the public - opening up to decades worth of conspiracy theories about the site and military activity there.
Believers have long claimed that extra-terrestrial life is being hidden at the high-security base in Nevada, with people claiming for years that they have spotted UFOs and other weird sightings around the remote location.
The US government has always maintained that Area 51 is simply a flight testing facility. Last year, a mystery tower spotted at the site on Google Earth launched terrifying "alien technology" claims from worried social media users.
A triangle tower creating a long shadow was surprisingly spotted on Google Maps and snapped by curious online viewers.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/dorito-shaped-aircraft-spotted-over-36602143
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xujbcCVvU
UFO disclosure 'unstoppable' as whistleblowers force 2026 revelations
13:00, Fri, Jan 23, 2026
Growing speculation from insiders suggests the United States may reveal authentic evidence concerning UFOs in 2026.
Over recent days, reports have emerged that fresh pressure from whistleblowers, political forces and new legislation are all indicating a major disclosure about how the White House has been storing information regarding unidentified craft.
Experts speaking to the Daily Mail indicate the volume of military and intelligence personnel prepared to give public testimony has reached a threshold where maintaining secrecy may no longer be viable.
The pace quickened following the November 2025 launch of The Age of Disclosure, a documentary showcasing 34 serving and former US government, military and intelligence personnel who claim there has been a cover-up spanning decades.
Director Dan Farah has stated the film placed the matter squarely on President Donald Trump's desk, bolstering his longstanding commitment to declassify what the government knows about unexplained aerial phenomena, reports the Mirror US.
The Us Congress has also taken action. The fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act mandates fresh briefings on UAP incidents stretching back to 2004 and demands an examination into whether crucial material has been excessively classified or kept from lawmakers.
According to filmmaker and researcher Mark Christopher Lee, this convergence of pressures makes the forthcoming year unprecedented.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he pinpointed 2026 as a crucial year due to "escalating congressional momentum, whistleblower activity, and cultural shifts that are building unstoppable pressure on government secrecy."
Lee further explained that recent legislation is adding fuel to this mounting pressure. "The fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes key provisions mandating the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office to brief Congress on UAP intercepts since 2004, review over-classification of related data, and streamline reporting," he stated.
However, Lee emphasised that whether substantial information comes to light hinges on political determination:
"With ongoing efforts like the proposed UAP Disclosure Act amendments and whistleblowers such as David Grusch continuing to advise congressional caucuses into 2026, the legislative push is intensifying."
In The Age of Disclosure, Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented: "We've had repeated instances of something operating in the airspace over restricted nuclear facilities - and it's not ours."
Rubio also claimed that presidents have "been operating on a need-to-know basis" regarding such incidents.
The potential fallout of such a revelation is now being seriously considered internationally. Helen McCaw, a former analyst for the Bank of England, has told The Times that such a disclosure could spark financial instability.
"The United States government appears to be partway through a multi-year process to declassify and disclose information on the existence of a technologically advanced non-human intelligence responsible for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs)," she penned.
"We may have to acknowledge the existence of a power or intelligence greater than any government."
McCaw cautioned that "UAP disclosure is likely to induce ontological shock," adding: "There might be extreme price volatility in financial markets due to catastrophising or euphoria."
https://www.express.co.uk/news/us/2161277/ufo-disclosure-unstoppable-whistleblowers-force
https://www.the-express.com/news/us-news/196942/ufo-disclosure-predicted-2026-congress
U.S. veteran found a high tech mask of non human tech
Jan 23, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbu2CmJ_sAo
https://x.com/maniaUFO
Rep. Burlison: Congress Must Act on UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protections
Jan 22, 2026
At a historic UAP press conference hosted by James Fox at the National Press Club, Rep. Eric Burlison called on Congress to act.
Burlison argued that no government has the right to withhold information about whether humanity is alone in the universe. Citing the JFK Disclosure Act as precedent, he stressed that transparency only happens when the public demands it.
He urged passage of the UAP Disclosure Act, expanded whistleblower protections, and continued pressure from journalists and citizens to force accountability.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40SljUpbmMs
https://x.com/RepEricBurlison