Thanks Baker, good morning all.
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
February 15, 2026
To Fly Free in Space
What would it be like to fly free in space? About 100 meters from the cargo bay of a space shuttle, Bruce McCandless II was living the dream – floating farther out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured, was floating free in space. During Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984, McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk". The MMU worked by shooting jets of nitrogen and was used to help deploy and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in orbit. The MMU was later replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion unit.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVpYiFxbCG4
Experts Predict a Super-Flare Before 2028 | S0 News and frens
Feb.15.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxIX8k9muOQ
https://scitechdaily.com/a-spacecraft-flew-closer-to-the-sun-than-ever-and-is-rewriting-a-century-old-mystery/
https://www.space.com/news/live/annular-solar-eclipse-february-2026-live-updates
https://112.ua/en/lutij-2026-spokijna-kosmicna-pogoda-zminitsa-na-silnu-magnitnu-buru-140223
https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-see-the-northern-lights-valentines-day-weekend-2026-11906299
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xy85_GllKM (Ray's Astro: Magnetic Pole Shift: Why the Poles Are Drifting FASTER — and the Magnetosphere Is WEAKENING)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK2qTMlc-SY (Ryan Hall Y'all: This Is The Strangest February Weather Pattern In Years…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU5FIfq4sfc (Max Velocity: This Winter Is About To Take A HUGE Turn…)
https://x.com/MrMBB333/status/2022784951197077717
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2022551590478000473
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2023034860999245943
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/presidential-priority-where-are-the-aliens-6ee50e09a0af
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI-hgSE5QIw&t=2635s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLAOXVkT2_o (Dobsonian Power: INTERSTELLAR ALERT: TWO OBJECTS FOUND AND QUICKLY BURIED!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Godgncnf1Gc (Randall Carlson: Breaking News: 7000 year Old Ruins Found Under The Sea)
https://x.com/drew4worldruler/status/2022771189270106623
https://x.com/dennis_asberg/status/2022429833717027274
https://x.com/dennis_asberg/status/2022982015583199398
https://x.com/nic_moneypenny/status/2022867879566205183
the comets are a little too quiet today
Presidential Priority: Where Are the Aliens?
February 15, 2026
During a Valentine’s Day interview on Saturday, February 14, 2026 with the journalist Brian Tyler Cohen, posted here (and transcribed here), Former President Barack Obama was asked: “Are aliens real?”
He responded: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them. They are not being kept in Area 51.” Cohen then asked: “What was the first question you wanted answered when you became president?” to which Obama replied: “Where are the aliens?”
This is not the first time that Obama has commented on this topic. In a 2021 interview, he told the comedian James Corden: “Look, the truth is that when I came into office, I asked … I was like, ‘All right, is there a lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceships?’…
They did a little bit of research … and the answer was, ‘No’… But what is true — and I’m actually being serious here — is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are…
We can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory … they did not have an easily explainable pattern … So, I think that people still take it seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is.”
These sentiments were echoed in a hearing on September 9, 2025 before the House Oversight and Government Reform Task Force in the Declassification of Federal Secrets, where military personnel described mysterious Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs).
The visionary Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna who chairs the UAP task force, accused the Pentagon and intelligence community of a “lack of transparency,” arguing the task force “has been denied access to video and files related to UAP incidents.”
Representative Luna added that “The American people are not fragile and do not need to be shielded like children from reality.”
“For too long, the issue of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena — commonly known as UAPs — has been shrouded in secrecy, stigma and in some cases outright dismissal,” Representative Luna said at the start of the hearing.
Indeed, governments and intelligence agencies are likely to notice unusual activity near Earth because their state-of-the-art sensors monitor the sky and oceans routinely for national security purposes.
But UAPs are under no obligation to be detectable only by government-owned sensors. And so, it makes sense to collect scientific quality data on them and figure out their nature.
There is bipartisan consensus on this issue, as evident in congressional hearings on UAPs.
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This is the stated goal of the Galileo Project under my leadership, as described here.
Our research team, which was reenergized by five new young scientists in spring 2026, is operating three scientific observatories in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, in an attempt to measure the distance, velocity and acceleration of rare outliers among millions of objects in the sky.
Our facilities include multiple units with infrared and optical cameras that monitor the entire sky at all times at these three locations. The data is analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms which aim to find objects that behave outside the flight characteristics of human-made technologies.
A key element in this identification procedure, which is not available for most UAP data reported so far, involves measuring distances reliably through the method of triangulation.
Fast angular motion on the sky could be associated with mundane objects at a close distance. Based on known physics, fast moving objects — including a hypothetical warp drive — are expected to shock the air around them and produce a bright glow as observed for meteor fireballs.
Whether Earth is visited by aliens is not a question for insiders who are privy of classified information that is withheld within the U.S. Government, but a scientific question that can be best answered openly within the mainstream of science.
Aside from UAPs near Earth, a new path for related scientific discoveries is offered within the new astronomical frontier of interstellar objects which pass near Earth — like 3I/ATLAS, or interstellar meteors which collide with Earth — as reported here in a new paper that I co-authored last week with Richard Cloete, the `Oumuamua-Laukien postdoctoral fellow within the Galileo Project.
Perhaps one day, the state of the Union address by the U.S. President will include an official statement on the “State of the Universe.”
We should welcome visitors from interstellar space who can inform us on what lies far and beyond our terrestrial experiences. After all, the cosmos includes much more real estate and resources than we possess here on Earth.
If we find no scientific evidence for aliens, so be it. But it is definitely worth trying to search for them before dismissing the notion of interstellar dating partners.
Staying alone is often a self-fulfilling prophecy voiced by people who refuse to admit that the search for a partner is worthwhile. This Valentine’s Day, we must remember that “Are we alone?” is the most romantic question in science.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
@NASAAdmin Crew-12 is now aboard the @Space_Station, advancing research, discovery, and operational excellence in the demanding environment of low-Earth orbit.
Human spaceflight is a major team effort and requires immense competence, precision and discipline.
Credit to the @NASA flight controllers guiding Dragon to station and overseeing ISS operations, the mission and payload teams delivering world-class science, our international partners, and @SpaceX for safely carrying our astronauts to and from orbit.
Quote
International Space Station
@Space_Station
16h
Hatches open! Four @SpaceX Crew-12 crew members have entered the station and joined Expedition 74 to begin a long-duration space research mission.
More… https://go.nasa.gov/4twQhDf
3:02 PM · Feb 14, 2026
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2022808599152496836
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/02/14/dragon-hatches-open-crew-12-enters-station-and-joins-expedition-74/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/02/14/spacex-crew-12-docks-to-station-beginning-long-duration-mission/
https://people.com/nasa-will-now-allow-astronauts-bring-smartphones-into-space-11906846
https://www.space.com/astronomy/earth/trumps-greenland-grab-is-part-of-a-new-space-race-and-the-stakes-are-getting-higher
Trump's Greenland grab is part of a new space race – and the stakes are getting higher
February 15, 2026
US President Donald Trump's position on Greenland has shifted almost daily, from threats to take it by force to assurances he won't. But one thing remains consistent: his insistence the Arctic island is strategically vital to the United States.
Within hours of the president's speech at this week’s Davos summit, Reports began circulating that Washington and Copenhagen had quietly discussed giving the US small, remote patches of Greenland for new military sites.
Nothing confirmed, everything whispered, but the speed of the speculation said a lot.
What once felt like Trumpian theatre suddenly looked like a real geopolitical move. It was also a hint Arctic power plays are now bleeding into the politics of outer space.
This all happened very quickly. The notion the US might buy Greenland from Denmark (which resurfaced in 2019) was at first treated like a late-night comedy sketch.
But behind the jokes lay a growing unease the Trump administration's fixation with Greenland was part of a wider geostrategic ambition in the "western hemisphere" – and beyond.
That's because Greenland sits at the crossroads of two fast-shifting frontiers: a warming Arctic that will change shipping routes, and an increasingly militarised outer space.
As global tensions rise, the island has become a geopolitical pressure gauge, revealing how the old international legal order is beginning to fray.
At the centre of it all is Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. Once a Cold War outpost, it's now a key part of the US military's Space Force hub, vital for everything from missile detection to climate tracking.
In a world where orbit is the new high ground, that visibility is strategic gold.
Space law in a vacuum
Trump has leaned hard into this logic. He's repeatedly praised Thule as one of the most important assets for watching what happens above the Earth, and has urged the US to "look at every option" to expand its presence.
Whether by force, payment or negotiation, the core message hasn't changed: Greenland is central to America's Arctic and space ambitions.
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This is not just about military surveillance. As private companies launch rockets at record pace, Greenland's geography offers something rare – prime launch conditions.
High latitude sites are ideal for launching payloads into polar- and sun-synchronous orbits. Greenland's empty expanses and open ocean corridors make it a potential Arctic launch hub.
With global launch capacity tightening due to fewer available sites and access problems, the island is suddenly premium real estate.
But American interest in Greenland is rising at the same time as the post-war "rules-based international order" has proved increasingly ineffective at maintaining peace and security.
Space law is especially vulnerable now. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty was built for a world of two superpowers (the US and Soviet Union) and only a few satellites, not private satellite mega constellations, commercial lunar projects, or asteroid mining.
It also never anticipated that Earth-based sites such as Thule/Pituffik would decide who can monitor or dominate orbit.
As countries scramble for strategic footholds, the treaty's core principles are being pushed to breaking point.
Major powers now treat both the terrestrial and orbital realms less like global commons and more like strategic assets to control and defend.
Greenland as warning sign
Greenland sits squarely on this fault line. If the US were to expand its control over the island, it would command a disproportionate share of global space surveillance capabilities. That imbalance raises uncomfortable questions.
How can space function as a global commons when the tools needed to oversee it are concentrated in so few hands? What happens when geopolitical competition on Earth spills directly into orbit?
And how should international law adapt when terrestrial territory becomes a gateway to extraterrestrial influence? For many observers, the outlook is bleak. They argue the international legal system is not evolving but eroding.
The Arctic Council, the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic, is paralysed by geopolitical tensions.
The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space can't keep pace with commercial innovation. And new space laws in several countries increasingly prioritise resource rights and strategic advantage over collective governance.
Greenland, in this context, is not just a strategic asset; it's a warning sign.
For Greenlanders, the stakes are immediate. The island's strategic value gives them leverage, but also makes them vulnerable. As Arctic ice melts and new shipping routes emerge, Greenland's geopolitical weight will only grow.
Its people must navigate the ambitions of global powers while pursuing their own political and economic future, including the possibility of independence from Denmark.
What started as a political curiosity now exposes a deeper shift: the Arctic is becoming a front line of space governance, and the laws and treaties designed to manage this vast icy territory and the space above it are struggling to keep up.
The old Thule Air Base is no longer just a northern outpost, it's a strategic gateway to orbit and a means to exert political and military power from above.
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NASA launches twin rocket missions from Alaska to study mysterious black auroras
February 15, 2026
NASA launched two rockets from Alaska this week to learn more about the electrical "circuitry" within auroras, the colorful light shows that occur when solar wind collides with Earth's atmosphere.
The missions saw two suborbital sounding rockets launch from the Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska loaded with scientific equipment that will fly into the atmosphere for a short period of time to gather data.
The destination for the rockets in both missions was the northern lights, or aurora borealis.
The Black and Diffuse Auroral Science Surveyor (BADASS) mission launched in the early morning of Feb. 9 to study black auroras, an event that occurs when electrons shoot up into space, instead of flowing toward Earth, which is what happens with other auroras.
The rocket reached an altitude of 224 miles (360 km) before falling back to Earth. The BADASS mission's principal investigator Marilia Samara said everything went according to plan and that the scientific instruments on the rocket performed as expected, returning high-quality data that NASA can use to study black auroras and what causes the electron stream reversal to happen.
The Geophysical Non-Equilibrium Ionospheric System Science (GNEISS) mission, pronounced "nice", used a pair of sounding rockets on a wider mission of creating a 'CT scan' of the electric currents flowing in the northern lights.
The GNEISS rockets launched back-to-back on Feb. 10 and reached peak altitudes of 198 miles (319 km) and 198 miles (319 km). The launches for the GNEISS mission went according to plan, gathering data that NASA will use to look into auroras' inner workings.
"We want to know how the current spreads downward through the atmosphere," Kristina Lynch, GNEISS principal investigator and Dartmouth College professor said in a NASA statement.
Using the two rockets with a network of ground receivers, the data gathered during the flight will allow researchers to create a three-dimensional view of an aurora's electoral environment.
"It's essentially like doing a CT scan of the plasma beneath the aurora," Lynch said.
Studying auroras is important, because they are associated with geomagnetic storms, which can cause all kinds of technical issues for satellites in space, as well as endanger astronauts.
On Earth, the storms can lead to power blackouts, cause air travel diversions, and interfere with radio transmissions.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/nasa-launches-twin-rocket-missions-from-alaska-to-study-mysterious-black-auroras
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/wallops/2026/02/05/nasa-rocket-to-conduct-ct-scan-of-auroral-electricity/
https://www.esa.int/Space_in_Member_States/Ireland/ESA_Phi-Lab_Ireland_launches_to_drive_space_tech_innovation
ESA Phi-Lab Ireland launches to drive space tech innovation
13/02/2026
Irish ambitions to grow its space manufacturing ecosystems have taken a major step forward today with the launch of the European Space Agency Phi-Lab Ireland, a facility that transforms cutting-edge research into commercial technologies.
ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, headquartered at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) in Mullingar and run in collaboration with the AMBER Centre at Trinity College Dublin, enables firms to mature technologies in response to market needs, bolstering the country’s position in the fast-growing European space economy.
The launch follows Ireland’s record commitment of €170 m into ESA over the next five years, announced at last year’s ESA Ministerial Council.
Ireland’s new facility is one of several ESA Phi-Labs located across Europe, and is part of ESA’s ScaleUp activities within its ACCESS programme.
Known as the Phi-LabNET, this network enables technology development that bridges the gap between research and commercial demands.
The Phi-LabNET supports activities in advanced manufacturing, materials discovery, AI, quantum computing, and robotics, with applications both in space and on Earth.
As a result, ESA Phi-Lab Ireland is positioned at the intersection between space technology development and industrial deployment.
The facility will benefit from Ireland’s well-established space manufacturing industry, which has already made strong contributions to ESA programmes – including flight systems developed by Réaltra for ESA’s Ariane 6 launcher and systems developed by SkyTek to support operations on the planned lunar Gateway.
Last year, ESA Phi-Lab Ireland announced its first open call for proposals – and the successful companies were announced during the launch event.
They include Galway-based MBRYONICS, a leader in photonic satellite communications hardware, software and technology; and Dublin-based Ubotica technologies, an Earth observation specialist that is using AI to enhance remote sensing.
It was also revealed that a second call for proposals is set to launch later this year. It will be open to space-active companies seeking to bring their innovations to larger terrestrial markets, as well as companies that are new to the space industry.
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Expert support will be provided throughout the whole application phase.
Philip Thomas, Head of the ScaleUp Programme Division in ESA’s Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness Directorate, said, “Through being part of the ScaleUp Phi-LabNET network, the ESA Phi-Lab in Ireland is able to help companies not only in Ireland but also in other participating ESA Member States, reach their full commercial potential by providing targeted and relevant support for their most innovative proposals.”
Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology at ESA, said, “ESA Phi-Lab in Ireland is a powerful example of how Europe is strengthening its technology by bringing cutting-edge research closer to industrial applications.
With ESA Phi‑Lab Ireland, ESA is investing in the technologies that will elevate the future of Europe’s space sector, strengthening industrial competitiveness while ensuring that innovation for space delivers value far beyond it.
It reinforces ESA’s commitment to fostering excellence across its member states and to ensuring that innovation developed for space delivers real benefits for industry, society and Europe’s long‑term competitiveness.”
Barry Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer of IMR, said, “Today marks a significant milestone in Ireland’s space and innovation ambition. IMR is proud to lead the launch of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland, establishing it as a national platform for space technology development.
This facility positions Ireland at the forefront of European space-enabled innovation, where advanced manufacturing, AI and data-driven technologies can be developed, tested and commercialised for global impact.
Ultimately, this is about translating world-class research into real economic and societal value.”
Peter Burke, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said, “ESA Phi-Lab Ireland strengthens Ireland’s position, and the midlands region, as a hub for advanced research, innovation and high-value enterprise.
It demonstrates our long-term commitment to supporting cutting-edge technologies that will drive competitiveness, create skilled jobs and deliver solutions to global challenges, from advanced manufacturing to industrial transformation.
The Government’s €170 million commitment to ESA over the next five years is about ensuring Ireland plays a leading role in Europe’s space future.”
Alan Dillion, Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, with special responsibility for Employment, Small Business and Retail, added, “Ireland’s growing leadership in space-enabled innovation is reflected in the establishment of ESA Phi-Lab Ireland.
This new national platform strengthens our position at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, next-generation research, and European collaboration.
By investing in cutting-edge technologies and deepening our partnership with ESA, Ireland is laying the foundations for high-value jobs, industrial competitiveness, and solutions that will benefit society for decades to come.”
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The star that vanished: Andromeda’s Black Hole Mystery
February 15, 2026 in Research
The star that vanished, M31-2014-DS1, represents a rare cosmic event where a massive star bypassed a supernova explosion to collapse directly into a black hole, observed through infrared brightening followed by a dramatic luminosity drop.
M31-2014-DS1 was previously one of Andromeda’s brightest stars until it vanished in 2016. NASA’s NEOWISE data tracked its infrared surge and subsequent collapse, marking a rare observation of a failed supernova event.
Unlike typical stellar deaths, this massive object bypassed the explosive stage to form a black hole directly. Scientists used this discovery to develop new theories on how convection influences core collapse.
The star that vanished refers to M31-2014-DS1, a massive object in Andromeda that collapsed into a black hole without a supernova.
This occurs when a failed neutrino shockwave allows core implosion while convective forces in the outer layers cause a slow, non-explosive expulsion of stellar material.
Analysis of NASA NEOWISE data confirms the object’s visible output plummeted to one ten-thousandth of its original state by 2023. This transformation provides a benchmark for understanding stellar black hole formation.
M31-2014-DS1: Direct Black Hole Collapse
Core collapse occurred after nuclear fusion ceased to balance the inward pull of gravity within the star that vanished.
Instead of a traditional explosion, the neutrino-powered shock failed to overcome gravity, forcing nearly all material to fall back into a dense newborn black hole rather than blasting into space.
Timeline of Stellar Disappearance
Monitoring from 2005 to 2023 revealed that infrared light intensified in 2014 before the star that vanished saw its visible output drop to one ten-thousandth of its former luminosity by 2023.
This event introduced a theory emphasizing convection, where temperature differences drive gas movement from the star’s center to its cooler outer regions.
Unlike traditional implosion models, this process explains why the dimming happens over decades rather than months, as angular momentum causes material to circularize.
Convective Forces and Accretion Rates
Convection prevents a total immediate implosion, allowing only one percent of the atmosphere to fall into the star that vanished initially.
This orbiting material creates a lingering infrared glow that will remain visible to the James Webb Space Telescope for several decades.
Patterns in Failed Supernovae
Researchers have identified that these silent collapses are not isolated anomalies but represent a specific class of stellar deaths.
Evidence suggests other massive stars follow this evolutionary path, avoiding the typical bright death usually associated with high-mass objects.
NGC 6946-BH1 followed a nearly identical non-explosive collapse pattern ten years ago.
Direct collapse bypasses the neutrino-powered shock wave required for a supernova.
Convective gas prevents immediate mass fallback into the core.
Long-term infrared monitoring will help astronomers determine which stars are destined for silent deaths. Future James Webb Space Telescope data will track the slowly fading debris to refine black hole formation models.
Conclusion
Identifying the star that vanished provides a rare window into the birth of black holes without the shroud of a supernova. Understanding these “failed” explosions is vital for mapping the final stages of stellar evolution.
https://nasaspacenews.com/2026/02/the-star-that-vanished/
On this day in space: Feb. 15, 2013: Meteor explodes over Chelyabinsk, Russia
February 15, 2026
On Feb. 15, 2013, a small asteroid exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia.
The shock wave from this explosion damaged thousands of buildings, and almost 1,500 people were injured by broken glass and other debris.
The Chelyabinsk meteor explosion was more powerful than a nuclear bomb, and it was so bright that it briefly outshone the sun! No one saw this giant space rock coming.
At 60 feet in diameter, it was the largest asteroid blast in more than 100 years.
It entered Earth's atmosphere traveling more than 60 times the speed of sound and exploded into countless pieces. The biggest fragments were later recovered in Lake Chebarkul.
https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html
SpaceX Starlink Mission
February 15, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
This is the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SES O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, mPOWER-D, CRS-33, and four Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-6-103
SpaceX launches 600th Falcon 9 rocket to date with Starlink flight from Vandenberg
Update Feb. 14, 10:45 p.m. EST (0345 UTC)
SpaceX continued its busy weekend with the launch of its 600th Falcon 9 rocket to date. The milestone mission comes hours after its Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station as part of its 20th human spaceflight mission.
The Starlink 17-13 mission launched Saturday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base. It sent 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened at 5:59:59 p.m. PST (8:59:59 p.m. EST / 0159:59 UTC), at the end of the launch window. The rocket flew on a southerly trajectory upon leaving the pad.
SpaceX launched the mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1081. This was its 22nd flight after launching four missions for NASA (Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, and TRACERS) among others.
More than eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned in the Pacific Ocean. This was the 178th landing on this vessel and the 571st booster landing to date for SpaceX.
Earlier in the day, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft named Freedom arrived at the ISS at 3:15 p.m. EST (2015 UTC). The orbital arrival of three astronauts and one cosmonaut came roughly 34 hours after launching from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/02/14/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-600th-falcon-9-rocket-to-date-with-starlink-flight-from-vandenberg/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftkae669T2w
SpaceX launch amazes Oro Valley as capsule heads to space station
February 14, 2026
ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KVOA) - Residents of Oro Valley witnessed the Space-X launch light up the sky as the capsule made its way to the International Space Station on Friday evening.
NASA announced that the new arrivals include two NASA astronauts, a European astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut, bringing the total crew to seven.
The four new members will remain on the station for eight months, conducting science experiments, including food production in space.
https://www.kvoa.com/news/spacex-launch-amazes-oro-valley-as-capsule-heads-to-space-station/article_329c9b72-5cd9-4031-aeea-95db8c50ded1.html
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-02-14/southern-california-sky-is-lit-up-by-valentines-day-spacex-launch
Thailand boosts space research with satellite in orbit
07:25, 15 February 2026
The 3U CubeSat, built almost entirely with domestic components, demonstrates growing national expertise in satellite engineering and space technology.
The mission provides a platform for testing new technologies while supporting the development of skilled personnel. A key feature of the satellite is its resource-sharing system, which allows multiple experiments to operate on a single platform.
Its applications include Internet of Things data relay, Earth observation, railway tracking, and amateur radio services, making space more accessible for scientific and research purposes.
Educational engagement is central to the mission, with students and researchers participating in satellite operations and telemetry analysis. The project offers hands-on experience across satellite engineering and mission management, fostering technical skills for the next generation.
Following deployment, KNACKSAT-2 began broadcasting telemetry and amateur radio signals, confirming its operational status. The mission highlights Thailand’s growing capabilities in space science and its long-term development of national space infrastructure.
Earlier, Qazinform reported on February 12, 2026, Proton-M carrier rocket carrying the meteorological satellite Elektro-L No. 5 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
https://qazinform.com/news/thailand-boosts-space-research-with-satellite-in-orbit-74364e
Something in the body of certain RT articles are causing a spam link error
Top Trump envoys to join Ukraine peace talks in Geneva – Reuters
14 Feb, 2026 18:27
https://www.rt.com/news/632516-trump-envoys-russia-us-ukraine-talks/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/632564-mayor-klitschko-kiev-brink-catastrophe/
https://www.rt.com/news/632574-nordic-leaders-back-long-range-weapons-ukraine/
Drone strike sparks fires at Russian Black Sea port ahead of fresh US-brokered talks
15 Feb 2026, 6:13 PM
A Ukrainian long-range drone strike triggered fires at a Russian Black Sea port on Sunday, officials said, as diplomatic efforts intensified ahead of a new round of US-brokered peace talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.
Authorities in Russia’s Krasnodar region said the attack targeted the port of Taman, injuring two people and damaging an oil storage tank, a warehouse and port terminals.
Regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev said emergency services brought the blaze under control after the strike.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials reported that falling debris from Russian drones hit civilian and transport infrastructure in the Odesa region, disrupting power and water supplies in parts of southern Ukraine.
Kyiv has increasingly used long-range drones to strike Russian energy and export facilities, arguing that the attacks are intended to reduce Moscow’s oil revenue and weaken its ability to sustain the invasion.
Russia, meanwhile, has continued aerial assaults on Ukrainian energy networks, which Ukrainian authorities say are aimed at denying civilians heat, electricity and running water during winter months.
The exchange of strikes came days before another round of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian envoys scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva, just ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 22 February.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said key questions remained over future security guarantees for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also raised concerns about a proposed US-backed free-trade framework linked to the Donbas region, large parts of which remain under Russian control.
Also Read: Ukraine ready for agreement to bring real peace: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
According to Zelenskyy, Washington is pushing for a rapid settlement and hopes to finalise multiple agreements simultaneously, while Ukraine insists that binding security guarantees must be signed first before any broader political arrangements.
Similar concerns were voiced by Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who warned that any peace deal lacking credible security assurances could leave the region vulnerable to renewed conflict.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia appeared to be seeking diplomatic gains that it had failed to achieve militarily and suggested Moscow was relying on US mediation to secure concessions at the negotiating table.
She added that key Russian demands — including sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets — would ultimately be decisions for European governments.
“If we want a sustainable peace then we need concessions also from the Russian side,” Kallas said at the conference.
Earlier US-led attempts to broker consensus have struggled to overcome deep disagreements, particularly over the future of Ukraine’s Donbas industrial region, much of which remains occupied by Russian forces.
Two previous rounds of talks held in Abu Dhabi failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving negotiators to confront unresolved issues as the war approaches its fourth year.
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/international/drone-strike-sparks-fires-at-russian-black-sea-port-ahead-of-fresh-us-brokered-talks
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/moscow-under-massive-drone-attack-what-we-1771172339.html
https://www.news18.com/world/ukraine-drone-strike-hits-black-sea-oil-warehouse-as-russia-claims-12-villages-ws-l-9905143.html
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/3806017-drone-defenses-moscow-under-siege-again
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/02/15/8021158/
https://united24media.com/latest-news/ukrainian-drone-operators-crushed-nato-troops-during-exercises-heres-how-15909
https://english.nv.ua/nation/russian-drone-strike-hits-civilian-railway-in-odesa-oblast-officials-report-50584003.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4091599-three-people-injured-in-russian-drone-strike-on-zaporizhzhia-house-damaged.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-12-said-killed-in-idf-gaza-strikes-including-senior-islamic-jihad-commander/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1ledlk00wx
https://nypost.com/2026/02/15/world-news/israels-war-between-the-wars-with-hamas-continues-despite-cease-fire/
https://voz.us/en/mundo/jns/260215/33402/idf-hits-hezbollah-weapons-storage-facilities-rocket-launchers.html
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-hamas-used-gaza-hospital-as-hq-after-doctors-without-borders-pulls-staff/
https://www.jns.org/idf-releases-footage-from-2024-gaza-rescue/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/422432
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1ktjradbx
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1ipbwyd11x
https://www.siasat.com/we-rape-palestinian-women-also-idf-soldier-confesses-to-livestreamer-3349659/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/daily-briefing-feb-15-toi-reports-from-yellow-line-as-gaza-conflict-smolders/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-it-will-hold-pre-planned-drill-today-in-modiin/
https://www.jns.org/enhancing-israels-resilience-in-a-post-oct-7-world/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lt-col-ella-waweya-takes-over-from-avichay-adraee-as-idfs-arabic-language-spokesperson/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/422434
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/241813/Israeli-drone-downed-in-southern-Lebanon
At least 12 said killed in IDF Gaza strikes, including senior Islamic Jihad commander
February 15, 2026 3:45 pm
At least 12 people were killed in overnight Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run civil defense agency said Sunday, with media reports saying that the dead included a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces, but a military official said the strikes came after a ceasefire violation by terror operatives.
Late Saturday night, the IDF said five gunmen were killed after they approached troops on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, in what the army said was a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
In past incidents of attacks on troops in Gaza during the ceasefire that has been in place since October, the IDF has launched waves of strikes against Hamas and allied terror groups.
According to Palestinian media reports, an Israeli airstrike on western Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa killed a senior commander in the al-Quds Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s wing, and wounded several other people.
Media outlets, including the PIJ-affiliated Palestine Today channel, identified the commander as Sami al-Dahdouh, 56.
Dahdouh’s three brothers, including former Quds Brigades commander Khaled Dahdouh, were reportedly assassinated by Israel in separate attacks in Gaza some two decades ago.
Other than Dahdouh, the identities of people reported killed were not immediately published in major Palestinian outlets.
The Gaza civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authorities, said one strike hit a tent of displaced people in northern Gaza and another targeted an area in the south.
Five people were killed and several injured when a separate airstrike targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in Jabalia in the north, the agency said in a statement.
“Israel doesn’t understand ceasefires or truces,” said Osama Abu Askar, who said his nephew was killed in the Jabalia strike. He said the people killed there were hit as they slept.
“We’ve been living under a truce for months, and they’ve still targeted us. Israel operates on this principle — saying one thing and doing another,” Abu Askar told AFP.
1/2
Five more people were killed and several injured in a separate early-morning strike in the southern city of Khan Younis, the city’s Nasser Hospital announced. According to the hospital, all five were men in their 20s.
Rami Shaqra told the Associated Press that his son, al-Baraa, was among a group of gunmen who were “securing the area” when they were killed by an airstrike.
AP footage from the morgue showed at least two of the men had headbands denoting membership in Hamas’s military wing.
The civil defense agency also said that one person was killed by Israeli gunfire in Beit Lahia in north Gaza. The reports did not differentiate between civilians and terror operatives.
Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, accused Israel of committing a new “massacre” against displaced Palestinians. An military official called Sunday’s strikes “precise” and in line with international law.
Nasser Hospital warns MSF over suspending work due to ‘armed men’
Meanwhile, after Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending nonessential activities at Nasser Hospital due to the presence of gunmen, the hospital on Sunday accused the aid group, known by its French acronym MSF, of “aiding in manufacturing consent” for potential attacks on the southern Gaza medical center.
The Khan Younis hospital said there will be “foreseeable and grave consequences” if MSF does not retract the statement.
In the English-language press release via the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, the hospital claimed the presence of armed men “is aimed at securing safety for the staff and patients.”
According to the hospital, the armed men seen on site are not military personnel but rather police carrying out “protective, civilian and lawful” action against “uncontrolled individuals and groups” that have attacked the hospital.
“Despite full transparency and repeated clarification, MSF issued statements that misrepresent facts and mirror narratives historically used to justify attacks on hospitals,” Nasser Hospital said. “MSF is aiding in manufacturing consent for attacks against the hospital.”
The hospital issued a “formal notice” to MSF to “immediately retract” its allegations.
“Failure to do so risks material contribution to the endangerment of a protected medical facility, with foreseeable and grave consequences,” said the hospital.
Last week, MSF said it was suspending its work at the facility due to “a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons.” The aid group also said that armed men had been arresting patients.
Israel has long offered evidence of medical facilities’ regular use by Palestinian terror groups as bases of operations due to their protected status. Hostages have also said they were held at Nasser Hospital.
Last year a doctor who also serves as a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital hinted that he had been threatened by Palestinian Islamic Jihad due to his refusal to let the terror group’s operatives enter and use the hospital.
Israel announced earlier this month that it was terminating all the organization’s activities in Gaza and the West Bank after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff.
MSF slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a “pretext” to obstruct aid. Israel has accused MSF of having at least two employees who held membership in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas terror groups.
MSF has been a key provider of medical and humanitarian aid in Gaza, particularly since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion and massacre in southern Israel triggered a two-year war in the enclave.
2/2
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202602154712
other Iran
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7091357
https://www.trtworld.com/article/a494eeceb1a9
Overnight chants in Iran follow mass diaspora rallies in global show of support
February 15, 2026
Summary
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Iran signaled limited openness in nuclear talks, saying it is ready to discuss steps on its highly enriched uranium stockpile in exchange for sanctions relief, but ruled out zero enrichment. Indirect talks with the United States are set to continue this week in Geneva.
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More than one million Iranians rallied worldwide on Sunday in solidarity with protesters inside Iran, marking one of the largest coordinated demonstrations by the diaspora in decades.
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Munich drew over 250,000 people, according to police, where exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi delivered a speech on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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Toronto and Los Angeles each saw about 350,000 demonstrators, local police said, while London drew around 50,000 and Vancouver 45,000, alongside large gatherings across Europe and Australia.
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The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, with the USS Gerald R. Ford redeployed, increasing military pressure amid rising tensions with Tehran.
22 minutes ago
BREAKING NEWS
US-Iran deal cannot stop at enrichment halt, Netanyahu says
A deal with Iran must include dismantling its nuclear infrastructure, not just stopping the enrichment process, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
1 hour ago
Taliban says it would support Iran if US attacks
The Taliban said it is ready to cooperate with Iran if Washington launches a potential attack, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday.
In an interview with Radio Iran’s Pashto service, Mujahid said that in the event of an attack — and if assistance were requested — Kabul would cooperate with the Islamic Republic.
He added that Tehran emerged victorious in June's 12-day war with Israel, adding that Iran would prevail again in the event of a US attack.
1 hour ago
BREAKING NEWS
Araghchi heads to Geneva ahead of Tuesday’s second round of Iran-US talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Tehran for Geneva with a diplomatic and technical delegation ahead of Tuesday’s second round of nuclear talks with the United States, state media reported.
1 hour ago
Iranian MP says talks with US ‘futile’
Negotiations between Iran and the United States are “futile” and could impose additional costs, Iranian lawmaker Kamran Ghazanfari said, adding that despite positive signals, no sanctions were lifted and new ones were imposed.
2 hours ago
‘We are dealing with radical Shiite clerics’ in Iran talks, Rubio says
“The President has made clear he prefers diplomacy and an outcome of negotiated settlement.
Now, we are dealing with radical Shiite clerics… We are dealing with people who make geopolitical decisions on the basis of pure theology, and it is a complicated thing,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, referring to negotiations with Iran.
"No one has ever been able to do a successful deal with Iran, but we are going to try,” he added, speaking at a press conference alongside Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Rubio said the United States remains militarily postured in the region to protect its forces but stressed that current efforts are centered on diplomacy.
“We are postured in the region for one simple reason, and that is that we understand that there could be threats to our forces in the region… We want to make sure that we have sufficient capacity to defend them if God forbid that were to happen,” he said.
He added that any future decisions would comply with US law and congressional requirements but emphasized negotiations remain the immediate priority.
“Right now we are talking about negotiations. We are focused on negotiations. That is what we are focused on. The President has made that clear,” Rubio said.
1/3
2 hours ago
Passive defense chief says Iran prepared for any scenario
Iran’s passive defense chief Gholamreza Jalali said the Islamic Republic is “fully prepared” for what he described as threat scenarios designed by the United States and Israel, Iranian state media reported.
Speaking at the start of a chemical emergency drill in Assaluyeh, in the Persian Gulf, Jalali said Iran’s defense planning has pushed threats from Washington and Israel to a “deterrence” stage, arguing adversaries must calculate the costs before taking action.
He outlined three scenarios he said opponents pursue, including media pressure and threats aimed at intimidation and forcing negotiations, limited and controlled actions, and attempts to trigger a broader regional war.
Jalali also said safety rules in high-risk sectors including chemical and nuclear industries are enforced strictly, and described drills as a way to identify weaknesses and improve coordination in crisis response.
3 hours ago
Rubio says Trump envoys traveling for Iran meetings, says president prefers diplomacy
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to hold “important meetings” related to Iran.
Speaking in Bratislava, Rubio said he believes the two aides are en route “right now” for discussions concerning Iran.
Rubio added that Trump still prefers diplomacy in dealing with Tehran.
3 hours ago
Iran says incentives for US central to sustaining any nuclear deal
An Iranian foreign ministry official said Tehran’s talks with Washington include proposals for economic cooperation ranging from oil and gas to mining investment and even aircraft purchases, Iranian media reported.
Hamid Ghanbari, deputy for economic diplomacy at Iran’s foreign ministry, told a meeting at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce that the negotiations include shared interests in areas such as energy, joint oil and gas fields, fast-return mineral investments, urban development and buying planes, according to Fars news agency.
"For the sake of an agreement's durability, it is essential that the US also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns… Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations."
He said the previous agreement failed in part because the United States did not secure economic benefits, arguing that any new deal would need opportunities with quick, high returns for Washington to make it durable.
Ghanbari also said any release of Iran’s blocked or restricted funds should be “real and usable,” not symbolic or temporary, and could be carried out step-by-step or in a single move, the report said.
4 hours ago
Iran denies security forces entered schools to detain students
Iran’s education ministry denied reports that security forces entered schools to arrest students during the recent unrest, saying no arrests took place on school grounds.
Ministry spokesman Ali Farhadi told Iranian news outlet ISNA that “no arrests happened,” and said that with follow-up by the education minister and coordination with other officials, no student remained in detention after the early days of the protests.
Farhadi said student safety and psychological well-being are the ministry’s “absolute priority,” and that schools should remain calm and free of tension.
He added that inquiries about detained students or teachers have been pursued through relevant bodies, but said details would be announced by judicial and law enforcement authorities.
2/3
4 hours ago
Iran MP says no plan to ship out uranium stockpile
An Iranian lawmaker said upcoming nuclear talks in Geneva will not include Iran’s missile program or regional issues, and insisted Tehran will not discuss stopping uranium enrichment or sending its nuclear stockpile out of the country.
Ebrahim Rezaei, a member and spokesman of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, wrote on social media that “in this round of negotiations, there is no discussion of stopping or abandoning uranium enrichment,” and that Iran’s stockpiles will not be transferred abroad.
He added the United States has already accepted those points in earlier discussions, and said the Geneva talks are limited to the nuclear file.
Rezaei said Iran’s negotiating team has prepared a proposal package “to avoid wasting time,” but added that Tehran is not optimistic about a result given what he described as Washington’s track record.
5 hours ago
Health ministry resisted request to hand over records of injured protesters - lawmaker
An Iranian lawmaker said a letter attributed to Tehran’s provincial security council seeking medical documents for people wounded in the January protests is authentic, and described a dispute between government bodies over whether patient information should be shared.
Homayoun Sameh-Yah Najafabadi, a member of parliament’s health committee, said there is disagreement between the health ministry and the interior ministry on transmitting patients’ information.
He said the health ministry, in a confidential correspondence, opposed the Tehran security council’s request for medical records of those injured in the protests.
6 hours ago
Iran issues death sentence for 19-year-old protester
Branch 15 of Iran’s Revolutionary Court, headed by Judge Abolghassem Salavati, has issued a death sentence for Mohammadamin Biglari, a 19-year-old detained during protests in Tehran, according to information shared with Iran International.
The case has been sent to Iran’s Supreme Court.
According to the information received, Biglari works at a men’s barbershop in Tehran and was arrested on January 8 while returning home from work.
The report said his mother has died and that authorities only informed his father of the arrest three weeks later, after he spent weeks searching for his son, including among bodies at Kahrizak morgue.
6 hours ago
Iran’s top military officer asks why Trump speaks of negotiations if he wants war
Iran’s armed forces chief Abdolrahim Mousavi warned US President Donald Trump that any conflict with Iran would be lesson for him, and questioned Washington’s stated interest in negotiations.
“He will enter a battle that will serve as a lesson, the outcome of which will ensure he no longer blusters on the world stage.”
He also challenged Trump’s approach, asking why the US president talks about negotiations if he intends to pursue war.
3/3
Civilian deaths reported in RSF drone strike on Blue Nile’s locality
14 February 2026
February 14, 2026 (ED DAMAZIN) -Civilian casualties were reported on Saturday following a drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied elements of the SPLM-N Joseph Tuka faction on the headquarters of the Qeisan locality in Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile region, local sources and officials said.
The RSF has increased the frequency of drone attacks on towns and villages near the Ethiopian border. The escalation follows failed attempts by the paramilitary group and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) to seize the strategic town of Kurmuk.
The Humanitarian Aid Commission in the Blue Nile Region issued a statement on Saturday strongly condemning the assault on civilian targets in the Bakouri area of Qeisan. According to the commission, the drones also targeted the premises of the Kalsotium Organization, a non-profit humanitarian facility that local residents rely on for essential aid.
Qisma Abdelkarim Daldoum, Deputy Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid, said the attack on a humanitarian service provider demonstrated a “clear disregard for the lives of civilians.”
The commission dismissed the RSF’s claims of targeting only military sites and characterized the militia’s declared commitment to a humanitarian truce as a “claim detached from reality” intended to gain international sympathy while continuing to violate humanitarian norms.
Despite the strikes, the commission sought to reassure citizens and international organizations that the situation remained stable. It credited the Sudanese Armed Forces and supporting units for maintaining security and preventing the region from being dragged into further chaos.
Military sources said Sudanese army drones carried out heavy strikes against SPLM-N positions led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu in Yabus, a remote town near the South Sudanese border. The army also targeted mobile RSF units near Malkan in the Bau locality.
The Sudanese government has accused Ethiopia of providing training and logistical support to both the RSF and the SPLM-N. An investigative report published by Reuters last week provided evidence supporting these claims.
https://sudantribune.com/article/310696
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/2/15/as-sudanese-city-returns-to-life-after-two-year-siege-drone-threat-lingers
Obama says aliens are ‘real,’ but aren’t in Area 51 in new interview
Updated: Feb 15, 2026 / 10:31 AM EST
In a wide-ranging interview published Saturday, former President Barack Obama confirmed what many have been waiting for: aliens are, in fact, real. They’re aren’t being kept in Nevada’s Area 51, however.
Progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen asked Obama the question outright during “a little bit of a lightning round” in an interview on Cohen’s “No Lie” podcast published on Saturday.
“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them,” Obama responded before adding that they are not being kept in Area 51.
“There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy, and they hid it from the president of the United States,” he added.
When asked what question he wanted answered first when he became president, Obama told Cohen, “Where are the aliens?”
Aliens and whether they exist have long been an area of interest for Americans – so much so, that Congress has held hearings in 2024 regarding UFOs and whistleblower reports.
A UFO whistleblower recently said President Donald Trump had been briefed on secret UFO programs and information about extraterrestrials.
A 2025 poll found that nearly half of Americans believe the federal government is hiding evidence related to UFOs.
There were no follow-up questions from Cohen, and Obama didn’t expand any further. Obama’s comments – much like those made by witnesses and lawmakers during Congressional hearings – remain unverified.
Obama discusses viral ape video, more
While the alien question came during a more light-hearted part of Obama’s conversation with Cohen, the former president also responded to the controversial video posted on Trump’s Truth Social account earlier this month.
“I think it’s important to recognize that the majority of the American people find this behavior deeply troubling,” Obama told Cohen.
Nexstar’s The Hill reports that Obama further spoke about recent immigration crackdown efforts, the White House’s rhetoric, and the frustration felt by some voters who feel Democrats aren’t doing enough to counter Trump.
https://fox56news.com/news/obama-says-aliens-are-real-but-arent-in-area-51-in-new-interview/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI-hgSE5QIw (Full Obama Interview)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkOM3rkWTJA (Red Panda Koala: President Obama says aliens are real)
https://barackobama.medium.com/my-conversation-with-brian-tyler-cohen-e25cac125f44
https://www.themirror.com/news/weird-news/obama-ufo-alien-presidents-1683172
Hugh Hefner Was The ORIGINAL Epstein! w/ Mikki Willis
Feb 15, 2026
Jimmy talks to filmmaker Mikki Willis about allegations surrounding surveillance and blackmail at the Playboy Mansion under Hugh Hefner, drawing parallels to Jeffrey Epstein and other high-profile figures allegedly involved in blackmail.
They reference claims from former insiders and media investigations suggesting hidden cameras, recorded encounters, and potential leverage over celebrities and politicians, while noting that many allegations remain disputed or unproven.
The conversation then shifts to broader concerns about pornography’s cultural and psychological impact, including its accessibility to minors and effects on relationships.
The segment blends media criticism, personal anecdotes, and speculation about elite influence, ending with a call for further investigation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpTjQyik8UU
https://x.com/mikkiwillis
https://x.com/jimmy_dore
CIA Chief Breaks Silence on Time Travel Abilities
Feb 14, 2026
Rolf Mowatt-Larssen spent 25 years in U.S. intelligence, holding multiple senior roles at the CIA and DOE, where he worked directly with U.S. presidents and foreign leaders.
After 9/11, CIA Director George Tenet appointed him to lead the agency’s WMD unit within the Counterterrorism Center, tasking him with preventing al-Qaeda from acquiring nuclear or biological weapons.
In that role, he personally briefed George W. Bush on emerging biological and nuclear threats.
In this 4-hour interview, Larssen describes traveling back in time to 14th century Mount Athos, Greece, where he lived as a monk for months and claims the experience was indistinguishable from waking reality.
He also describes encounters with the Virgin Mary, a prophetic nuclear war dream, and confirms he learned some of the nation’s most important secrets at the DOE, not the CIA.
Due to his role at the DOE, I questioned Rolf extensively on UFO crash retrievals, secrecy and reverse engineering (even coordinating with journalist Robert Hastings, UAPGerb and David Grusch on some of the questions).
Rolf expressed an open-mindedness on the topic but maintained that he was never briefed on it while at the DOE. It was a fascinating back and forth.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
6:37 A State of Mind
9:59 CIA and Spirituality
13:16 The CIA's Dark Side
13:47 9/11 and Its Aftermath
15:53 Weapons of Mass Destruction
17:48 Briefing the President
19:34 The Iraq War Decisions
24:08 Reflections on War
27:31 Nuclear Threats
31:01 Mystical Experiences
40:50 The Journey to Mount Athos
1:08:25 A Dream State Awakening
1:16:12 The Reality of Dreaming
1:19:19 Spiritual Growth Through Flight
1:22:50 The Dream Sequence
1:24:53 The Final Door and Revelation
1:25:13 A Night on the Beach
1:26:50 The Dream Begins
1:29:21 Encounter with the Virgin Mary
1:31:53 Monk Timotheus
1:35:59 Journey to Mount Athos
1:39:47 Life as Odius Maximus
1:42:34 Revelations with Evagrius
1:52:16 The Virgin Mary’s Message
2:01:45 Discussion on Faith
2:14:53 Culmination of Experiences
2:18:19 Response from the Vatican
2:39:04 Crisis in Moscow
2:44:21 Meeting Vladimir Putin
2:52:05 Understanding Russia's Identity
2:54:14 The Role of Individuality in Society
2:55:45 The Concept of Individual Rights
3:00:22 A Life-Changing Experience on a Train
3:05:32 Exploring the Meaning of Faith
3:10:56 The Conflict of Duty and Belief
3:19:58 The Secrets of the Department of Energy
3:32:26 The Nature of Secrecy in Government
3:54:03 Anticipating a Paradigm Shift
4:05:23 The Intersection of Faith and Reality
4:18:28 The Path of Selflessness in Humanity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATJwqp5twAg
https://x.com/AlchemyAmerican
El Paso airspace lockdown sparks UFO speculation and Reddit frenzy
15 February 2026
This week, The Cosmic Report rounds up three convergent stories detailing El Paso airspace lockdowns, Soviet space-age enigmas, and legendary UAP encounters.
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) issued a sudden "Zero-Notice" NOTAM over El Paso/Fort Bliss this week, explicitly authorizing deadly force.
On the night of Tuesday, February 10th, the FAA issued an emergency notice grounding all commercial, cargo, and general aviation flights, warning that any craft breaching this would be shot down.
Then, early Wednesday morning, it became apparent that local army base Fort Bliss and even the El Paso mayor were in the dark about the closure. Stunningly, even the White House was unaware.
However, the shutdown was abruptly rescinded on the morning of Wednesday, February 11th, lasting only about eight hours, fueling speculation about why such extreme measures were taken.
Airspace or excuse space?
The White House later reported that it was due to Mexican cartel drones breaching US airspace, whereas Pentagon sources said it was a coordination problem over laser testing. CBS News, meanwhile, reported that it was a party balloon that was shot down.
As newsreader Matt Ford said, “This has happened before, multiple times. And every time they hope you won’t connect the dots.”
And the Reddit community tried to do just that. As is often the case with the r/UFO channel, fans didn’t hesitate in debating the nuances.
One Redditor, the beautifully named @beautiful-garlic1353, even summed up the wider lens for the community with “we've gone from ‘UFOs aren't real’ to congressional hearings with credible witnesses in just a few years.”
A victory of sorts for the UAP community, in which the feds needn’t worry about their excuses. We’ll let it slide this time.
Fear and watchfulness
As the geopolitical shenanigans of today recall the Cold War, top UFO sleuth George Knapp unveiled a jaw-dropping government dossier that he smuggled out of Russia in 1993.
Alleged abductee Anatoly Malishev was taken to their planet and thoroughly examined, with the aliens concluding “very strong nerves; mental faculties below the average.”
While largely technical, the dossier gives plenty of context of why such matters remain(ed) furtive for so long.
“No words – just knowing”
And rounding us off is the marvel of two military veterans, oceans and decades apart, recalling incredibly similar telepathic incidents with extraterrestrials, both while on duty.
It looked like a star, and then there was a disc in the middle of it, and it was really bright, and it was shining light on the seat. I was just stood there looking at it. Wow!
There’s something quite moving about a witness account over 45 years since it happened. Was he afraid? We can’t be sure, but aside from the soldiers' bravery in speaking out, concealment from above has always cast the longer shadow.
https://cybernews.com/news/cosmic-report-elpaso-airspace-ufo-uap/
Real UFO 2026 | Clear & Raw UFO Sightings Compilation
Feb 12, 2026
UFO sightings are exploding in 2026 — and we’re only halfway through February. In this detailed compilation, we break down some of the clearest, rawest, and most shocking UFO videos captured so far this year.
From strange orbs in delta formation to metallic discs, triangular craft over Area 51, and even a giant saucer-shaped object seen above Earth from the International Space Station — this is one of the most intense waves of sightings we’ve ever covered.
In this video, you’ll see:
• The January 29, 2026 Miami UFO described as a “dimensional tear” in the sky
• Multiple delta formation UFO sightings filmed from a commercial airline and from the ground
• A stationary orb hovering in extreme winter winds over Chicago
• A bizarre energy-like anomaly captured in Russia
• A classic flying saucer over Australia
• Newly obtained U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone footage tracking three unknown orbs (via George Knapp & Jeremy Corbell)
• A metallic disc photographed over Chile
• Ireland Skywatcher telescope captures
• A massive saucer-shaped object seen near Earth from the ISS
• The triangular “Dorito-shaped” craft filmed over Area 51 and analyzed by physicist Dr. Michio Kaku and former UK MoD investigator Nick Pope
We also explore expert commentary on whether these UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) could be advanced classified military aircraft, reverse-engineered technology, next-generation drones like the MQ-25 Stingray… or something far more mysterious.
With the frequency of UFO sightings increasing in 2026, many are asking:
Are we closer to disclosure?
Are these advanced human-made craft?
Or are we witnessing genuine non-human intelligence in our skies?
This compilation presents the footage, the reactions, and the analysis — and lets you decide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=walPVXmloHg
https://x.com/ChaosMoogle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reOA0esssIs (Jaime Maussam: Intense dust devil activity continues over Ciudad Juárez and El Paso. Imminent danger! 🛸)
https://x.com/jaimemaussan1