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Simulate Future Space at NASA Ames SimLabs
February 17, 2026
Working on new concepts for lunar vehicles and operations?
See a lunar lander in simulation: the closest thing to landing on the Moon we can experience on Earth.
SimLabs has demonstrated success in past lunar lander simulation studies. Our in-house expertise and customizable hardware/software are ideal for new space systems research.
Possibilities include a lunar lander docking with a lunar gateway, landing on the surface of the Moon, and performing lunar operations.
Develop ideas and test the system as an integrated whole with immersive visuals and human-in-the-loop capability at any stage.
Explore, define, and solve issues in spacecraft design; optimize vehicle performance and controllability.
Designing the next generation of space vehicles?
Improve safety and operations in a low-cost, risk-free simulation environment!
Simulation studies at SimLabs evaluated the effects of engineering and operational changes for the Space Shuttle Vehicle.
With over 30 years of contributions to the Space Shuttle program, we have the experience and tools to test new ideas for future spaceflight.
Conducting simulation before launch benefits all participants as we optimize performance for the Moon to Mars journey.
Need a “one stop shop” for space studies?
NASA Ames Research Center is a premier location for aerospace research, right in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Co-located resources include several wind tunnel test sites, Arc Jet atmospheric reentry material/structures evaluation facility, hover testing facility, centrifuge, and much more.
Our simulation facilities at NASA Ames Research Center are conveniently located for multidisciplinary partnerships with commercial space companies, high tech start-ups, universities, and many other organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
We can also connect our labs (for example to provide simultaneous cockpit, space traffic control, and lunar surface perspectives) and virtually extend the capabilities of our labs to distant locations — this unique technology gives remote researchers tools for monitoring and controlling simulations in real-time.
https://www.nasa.gov/simlabs__trashed/simulate-future-space-at-nasa-ames-simlabs/
Home Reef Adds On
Feb 17, 2026
Home Reef, a mid-ocean volcano in the Tonga archipelago, continues to build onto its modest land area. Volcanic activity ramped up in December 2025, marking the latest in a series of periodic eruptions that began in 2022.
The eruption was ongoing as of mid-February 2026. Satellites are critical to monitoring volcanoes such as Home Reef in remote and difficult-to-access locations.
These images, from December 3, 2025 (left), December 27, 2025 (center), and January 28, 2026 (right), captured some of the volcano’s growth during its recent spate of activity.
They were acquired with the OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 and 9.
Thermal data from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) indicate that this eruptive phase began on December 17, 2025, after about five months of quiet, said Simon Plank.
Plank, a researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), has been studying Home Reef’s eruption dynamics and cycles of growth and erosion since it awoke in 2022 and emerged above sea level.
Beginning in December 2025, lava flows first extended the island’s footprint to the east and south, then to the northwest, and later to the north.
Based on synthetic aperture radar data from DLR’s TerraSAR-X satellite, the island had grown by nearly 8 hectares (20 acres)—about the size of 15 American football fields—by early February, Plank said.
Plumes of volcanic gases billowed from a 100-meter-diameter vent throughout the eruptive period.
Pilots in the area observed plumes increasing in height during the last week of January, Tonga Geological Services reported, and the agency raised the aviation color code to orange due to the possible presence of suspended ash.
The discolored water around the island is a sign of gases and magmatic fluids venting from the volcano.
Previous research has shown that such plumes of superheated, acidic water can contain particulate matter, volcanic rock fragments, and sulfur, and that they can appear before signs of an eruption above the surface.
Concentrations of yellow sulfur mixing with the blue ocean may account for the water’s greenish appearance.
Home Reef is part of the Tonga Volcanic Arc, a line of submarine and island volcanoes along the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone.
One of its neighbors, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, produced one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recent history—large enough to send a volcanic plume into the mesosphere.
The current activity at Home Reef is much tamer; officials say it poses low risk to inhabited islands nearby.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/home-reef-adds-on/
Gambling Site Essentially Took Bets On NASA Astronauts Dying In Explosion
February 15, 2026
Polymarket offered bets on the outcome of the upcoming NASA Artemis II mission, specifically on whether it would explode. Four astronauts are scheduled to be onboard.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years. The launch is expected this year, but the exact date remains undetermined.
Meanwhile, Polymarket, a stock-market-style prediction platform, allowed simple yes-or-no bets on whether Artemis II would explode. As of mid-February, more than $80,000 had been traded regarding potential mission failure.
Polymarket Tweaks NASA Market
Following public backlash, Polymarket changed the wording on its website from “explodes” to “booster rupture” and claimed the market has nothing to do with the crew’s safety.
According to the market’s original rules:
“This market will resolve to ‘Yes’ if the booster for the Artemis II mission explodes at any point during the test from the start of fueling operations to 60 minutes after it makes contact with Earth upon landing. Otherwise, this market will resolve to ‘No.’”
On its social media, Polymarket responded to the controversy.
“To clarify: this was a market about a potential booster-stage rupture — a defined hardware failure scenario — not about the Orion crew capsule or astronaut safety,” the company said. “This was not a market on crew injury or loss of life.”
It’s unclear how the crew would be safe following such a failure.
For context, the last rocket explosion resulting in the immediate death of people on board during launch was the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
Other Shockers on Polymarket
So-called “prediction markets” such as Polymarket don’t take bets explicitly on specific people dying (also known as “death markets” and “assassination markets”). However, the upcoming NASA lunar mission betting appears to come close to those banned markets.
For Polymarket, controversy appears to play a role in building its brand. It has an 11-figure valuation and is backed by Donald Trump Jr., Peter Thiel, and NYSE-owner Intercontinental Exchange.
The gambling site has taken bets on topics such as war, the Brown University shooting, and the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case.
Polymarket has US- and international-facing platforms that may offer different betting options for users. Numerous countries have banned Polymarket.
In the U.S., its product is facing fierce legal challenges from states concerned about its sports betting markets, which they say violate state-level laws.
https://gamblingharm.org/polymarket-nasa-artemis-mission-explosion/
Sen. McCormick tours Pittsburgh-based space technology developer headquarters
February 16, 2026 at 8:01 pm EST
Senator Dave McCormick walked around Astrobotic’s headquarters on the North Side with the company’s CEO, John Thornton, on Monday.
The senator said he believes the technology being made there could be beneficial for the Pittsburgh area.
“Space offers enormous opportunity for the country and there’s an enormous investment going in there, and Pennsylvania … is at the center of that,” McCormick said.
During his tour, he asked about Griffin: Astrobotic’s lunar lander. They’re targeting the end of the year to land Griffin on the moon.
“We’re going to be developing lunar infrastructure to put power on the Moon,” Thornton said.
Two years ago, Channel 11 spoke exclusively to Thornton shortly after Astrobotic’s Peregrine launched and headed for the Moon’s surface, but had to turn around and come back because it started losing propellant.
Thornton said they’d be using the successes and failures of that mission to develop Griffin.
“I’m excited about what you’re doing,” McCormick said. “This kind of industry and this kind of growth is really critical for America, but it’s also critical for Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is uniquely positioned for this moment.”
And today, McCormick said federal and state governments should want to help with that, not hinder.
“I view my job as working with great business leaders and others in the public sector to make sure those building blocks exist. I think if those building blocks exist, Pennsylvania is going to thrive,” McCormick said.
https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/sen-mccormick-tours-pittsburgh-based-space-technology-developer-headquarters/3MUYZZAZ4RG6BF7AIBIEQSWDJY/
https://www.post-gazette.com/business/tech-news/2026/02/16/astrobotic-senator-dave-mccormick-moon/stories/202602160057
https://www.mccormick.senate.gov/
https://x.com/DaveMcCormickPA
Moving space debris out of the way with OMLET
17/02/2026
The team explores the technical complexities of laser-based collision avoidance, an approach to safely redirect space junk away from the path of active satellites.
With space getting increasingly crowded, space debris represents a major problem to future missions. Vital services like communications, navigation and weather forecasting are severely limited without functioning satellites.
The European Space Agency is already making use of laser technology to detect and monitor space debris with the Izaña laser ranging station complex. But what if we could also use laser technology to actually prevent collisions?
ESA, from its European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), began exploring this concept with a general feasibility study funded by its Space Safety Programme.
This effort has since progressed: meet OMLET (Orbit Maintenance via Laser MomEntum Transfer), a ground-based solution being advanced to mitigate collision risk into low Earth orbit.
Based on a high-power laser platform integrated with precision pointing systems and adaptive optics, this concept will enable the application of small, controlled velocity changes to space debris objects.
Through the interaction between the laser beam and the illuminated object, a slight trajectory adjustment could reduce the probability of conjunction or even prevent collisions.
OMLET is currently transitioning from requirement definition stage to design and implementation. The current Phase A/B1 is carried out by an international consortiumconsortium led by the Institute of Technical Physics at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/02/Moving_space_debris_out_of_the_way_with_OMLET
NASA JPL and Proteus Space achieve successful on-orbit deployment using Additive Manufacturing
February 17, 2026
Proteus Space, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA, has achieved a successful on-orbit payload deployment in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The mission utilised the JPL Additive Compliant Canister (JACC), a deployable mechanism based on helical antenna systems, showcasing how Additive Manufacturing can simplify compliant mechanisms and deployable structures.
About the size of a small paperback book when stowed and weighing under 500 g, the jack-in-the-box–style system integrates its lid, canister, hinges, torsion springs, and deployable compression spring into a largely monolithic titanium structure.
According to Proteus, this reduces the part count by a factor of three compared with conventional designs.
The system features a novel, embedded kinematic hinge architecture and was developed and produced in-house at JPL in less than a year, from napkin sketch to delivery, leveraging the laboratory’s advanced Additive Manufacturing capabilities.
Its successful on-orbit demonstration aboard the Proteus Space M1 ESPA-class satellite underscores the utility of 3D printing for advanced deployable systems on future space missions.
The coiled spring used for on-orbit deployment was additively manufactured from Ti-6Al-4V on an EOS M290 system at JPL.
According to Douglas Hofmann, Senior Research Scientist and Principal at JPL, the laboratory has been exploring the novel capabilities of metal Additive Manufacturing to embed springs, flexures, and mechanisms directly into structural hardware for applications such as deployment, flexible thermal management, pointing, and manipulation or grasping.
The collaboration with Proteus Space enabled rapid flight infusion of the additively manufactured spring.
https://www.metal-am.com/nasa-jpl-and-proteus-space-achieve-successful-on-orbit-deployment-using-additive-manufacturing/
Chinese astronauts film music video in space to celebrate Lunar New Year 2026
February 17, 2026
Happy Lunar New Year 2026!
This holiday is celebrated by billions of people worldwide and marks the start of a new lunisolar calendar, which follows the phases of the moon as well as the changing positions of the sun and moon in the sky.
Because the holiday occurs on the second new moon that follows the winter solstice, the date moves from year to year. Lunar New Year 2026 occurs on Tuesday (Feb. 17) this year.
China's Shenzhou 21 crew rang in the Year of the Horse with an impressive celebration aboard the nation's Tiangong Space Station this week.
The three astronauts (or "taikonauts," a term that borrows from the Mandarin word for space, (太空), or "taikong") celebrated with a special feast, a party and traditional calligraphy.
But the crew went one step further this year, filming a zero-gravity music video that celebrates the nation's many recent spaceflight achievements — and it's a banger.
The song in the music video is sung by Shenzhou 21 commander Zhang Lu and features the refrain "let the five-star red flag fly high in space."
It's sung over a montage of recent Chinese rocket launches, spacecraft docking at Tiangong, spacewalks and science experiments conducted on the orbital laboratory.
Aside from the music video, the three taikonauts beamed down greetings. Shenzhou 21 flight engineer Wu Fei, celebrating his first spaceflight, sent a Lunar New Year message to people on Earth below.
"The Year of the Horse calls for the vigor of a galloping steed. Let us keep striving for our dreams and working for happiness," Wu said, according to Xinhua. "I wish you a safe and smooth journey ahead, and a life that gets better and better."
Lunar New Year has been celebrated for thousands of years, predominately throughout Asia.
During this holiday season, which lasts until the night of the first full moon to follow the holiday (falling on on March 3 this year), families and loved ones gather together to exchange gifts, eat traditional holiday meals and pay respects to their ancestors.
Many areas also celebrate Lunar New Year with fireworks and parades featuring colorful dancers dressed as dragons or lions.
2026 welcomes in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the twelve-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac.
Each year in the cycle is believed to represent characteristics of those animals, and people born in those years are believed by some to represent the respective animal's traits.
According to ChineseNewYear.net, the horse represents confidence and responsibility, and a fierce independence streak. People born in the Year of the Horse are believed to be fit and intelligent, seeking out tasks that require physical and mental exertion.
China's space agency and the Shenzhou 21 crew have plenty of reason to celebrate.
Late last year, the three astronauts were left "stranded" aboard Tiangong without a safe ride home after a piece of suspected space debris struck one of the two spacecraft docked at the station. The Shenzhou 21 crew had just arrived to relieve the previous crew, Shenzhou 20.
Shenzhou 20 ultimately came down on Shenzhou 21's spacecraft, and China's space agency launched an uncrewed capsule up to Tiangong to serve as a lifeboat for the three Shenzhou 21 taikonauts, ending the nearly 10-day emergency.
https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/chinese-astronauts-celebrate-lunar-new-year-2026-by-filming-music-video-on-tiangong-space-station
https://x.com/CNSpaceStation/status/2023700136736796816
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cy14IPVtMA
A 'ring of fire' just appeared in the sky over Antarctica. Here's what happened during today's annular solar eclipse
February 17, 2026
A magnificent annular solar eclipse just swept over Antarctica, putting on an impressive display of orbital mechanics as the moon passed in front of the sun at the perfect distance from Earth to create a fiery halo in a darkened sky — at least for the few souls lucky enough to be in a position to see it.
Feb. 17's annular solar eclipse occurred as the lunar disk slipped between the sun and Earth during its new moon phase. The alignment occurred as the moon travelled through a distant point in its elliptical orbit, making it appear smaller than usual in Earth's sky.
Today's eclipse got underway at 4:56 a.m. EST (0956 GMT), as the moon took an ever greater bite out of the solar disk, transforming its burning orb into a glowing crescent, before finally diving entirely within its fiery expanse.
The moon — appearing fractionally smaller than usual — was unable to cover the entirety of the sun's disk, leaving a thin sliver of its outer edge visible to surround Earth's natural satellite to create a ring in the skies over Antarctica.
This phase — known as annularity — lasted a little over two minutes and was visible across a remote, 383-mile-wide (616 kilometer) corridor of the Antarctic continent containing the Concordia research station, which hosts less than a hundred scientists and visitors at any one time.
A lesser partial eclipse was estimated to have been visible to roughly 176 million people — or 2% of the world's population — spread across the southern tip of South America and southern African nations including Madagascar, according to Time and Date.
The eclipse came to a global end at 9:27 a.m. EST (1427 GMT), when the moon's silhouette exited the solar disk, returning it to its former glory.
The next eclipse will be a spectacular "blood moon" total lunar eclipse, which will unfold early on March. 3, as our planet glides between the sun and its natural satellite, bathing its shadowed disk in the light of every sunrise and sunset on Earth.
Over 2.5 billion people will be treated to a front-row seat to totality, including skywatchers in North America, who will witness the blood moon slip below the horizon as the sun rises.
You won't need any eye protection to gaze upon the moon but it's an absolute necessity if you're hoping to view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12!
Be sure to check out our guide to checking the safety of eclipse glasses, along with our top 10 tips for planning your 2026 solar eclipse trip.
https://www.space.com/stargazing/solar-eclipses/a-ring-of-fire-just-appeared-in-the-sky-over-antarctica-heres-what-happened-during-todays-annular-solar-eclipse
https://www.space.com/news/live/annular-solar-eclipse-february-2026-live-updates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEMFDyhnYqE
Uzbekistan Takes Major Step Toward Space Exploration
17 Feb, 19:00
Uzbekistan has taken a major step toward becoming a spacefaring nation, launching the development of its first national scientific satellite and preparing to send its first astronaut into orbit within the next few years.
Uzbekistan has begun building an engineering corps and training specialists for the 6U CubeSat satellite project named “Mirzo Ulugbek,” scheduled for launch in 2028.
The satellite will support advanced scientific research and mark a historic milestone for the country’s space ambitions, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.
At the same time, preparations are underway to train Uzbekistan’s first national astronaut for a planned mission lasting 10 to 14 days. The mission will focus on key scientific fields, including medicine, biology, agriculture, and materials science.
Researchers plan to conduct experiments on remote medical diagnostics, test the effectiveness of locally developed medicinal extracts, and study plant genetics to develop drought- and salt-resistant crops-critical for Uzbekistan’s climate.
The mission will also explore closed agricultural biosystems and test innovative materials designed to improve heat retention and dissipation, potentially benefiting both space exploration and industries on Earth.
Uzbekistan is further strengthening its position in the global space community by considering hosting the prestigious International Astronautical Congress in the historic city of Samarkand in 2028.
Leading space agencies and organizations from the United States, Europe, China, India, Russia, and other countries have already expressed interest in participating.
https://caspianpost.com/uzbekistan/uzbekistan-takes-major-step-toward-space-exploration
https://www.zawya.com/en/business/technology-and-telecom/uae-space-agency-announces-extension-of-emirates-mars-mission-until-2028-q0ce4z69
UAE Space Agency announces extension of Emirates Mars Mission until 2028
February 17, 2026
The UAE Space Agency announced today the extension of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) – the first interplanetary exploration undertaken by an Arab nation – until 2028.
Building on the exceptional performance of the Mars Hope Probe, the extension of the mission will provide valuable science, operational and mission experience for ongoing and future deep space missions, while continuing to provide unique science data on the Martian atmosphere.
Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Space Agency, said that extending the EMM Hope Probe until 2028 reflects the UAE’s commitment to maximising the scientific value of its space investments and strengthening its role as a significant contributory partner to the global scientific community.
He noted that the mission highlights the UAE’s dedication to leveraging space science to serve humanity, improve understanding of climate change and support a future built on knowledge and innovation.
He added that the Emirates Mars Mission - Hope Probe represents a long-term strategic choice that embodies the wise leadership’s vision of the space sector as a foundational pillar for building a sustainable knowledge economy, empowering national talent and strengthening the scientific returns of the state’s strategic investments in this field.
He emphasised that the extension decision reflects confidence in the capabilities of national teams and in the probe’s technical readiness, affirming that what has been achieved is not a temporary milestone, but a sustained trajectory that reinforces the UAE’s presence and global standing in the space sector.
Dr. Al Falasi further noted that the Hope Probe has delivered tangible impact at both the societal and national levels.
Since the probe entered Mars’ orbit in 2021, the UAE has recorded marked progress in scientific outcomes, alongside the continued expansion of the national space ecosystem since 2020.
The number of entities operating in the sector have tripled in size from 2020 to 2025 with a notable increase in investment across research and development.
Between 2015 and 2025, the number of UAE universities offering aerospace engineering and space-related degree programs has approximately doubled, reflecting the country’s rapid expansion of its national space ecosystem and talent pipeline.
In October 2025, the Hope Probe expanded its scientific reach beyond Mars by capturing a series of images of Comet 3I/ATLAS.
The images were captured in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths using the EXI and EMUS instruments, as part of a dedicated campaign whereby the spacecraft directed its instruments away from Mars and toward the star-filled sky in an attempt to capture the interloping comet.
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Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third-ever detected interstellar object to enter the Earth’s solar system, creating a unique opportunity to study the composition of other star systems.
The comet made its closest approach to Mars on 3 October 2025, passing within approximately 0.2 astronomical units (around 30 million kilometres) of the Red Planet, giving Mars spacecraft a unique vantage point due to their proximity.
Originally launched as a two-year mission, Hope Probe has also supported operations beyond its original scope, including pioneering discoveries and observations of Mars’ auroral fields and a series of groundbreaking fly-bys of Mars’ moon, Deimos, that have provided a new understanding of Deimos’ origins.
With a goal of collecting a terabyte of novel data on Mars’ atmosphere and climate, the mission has, to date, gathered ten terabytes of information released in a series of 16 data releases to a global community of more than 200 academic and research institutions.
Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said, “The extension of the Emirates Mars Mission until 2028 is a remarkable testament to the design and construction of the probe and to its enduring contributions not only to Mars science, but to the development of the UAE space sector.
EMM has not only delivered new insights about Mars, leading to more than 35 published peer reviewed scientific papers in international journals, but it has also been at the core of a transformation of the Emirates’ education, science, research and innovation ecosystems.
It has created potential for tens of thousands of new career opportunities and built the foundations for many more.”
Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of Space Missions Department at UAE Space Agency, said, “In four years of operations, the mission exceeded all expectations, making vital new discoveries about the Martian atmosphere but also transforming the Emirates science, technology and education landscapes.
EMM and the Hope Probe have been the bedrock for the development of a fast-expanding, rich and vibrant national space and innovation ecosystem creating new skillsets and career opportunities for young Emiratis.”
The continued deep space mission operations required for the Emirates Mars Mission will provide valuable operational experience for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt team, who are set to launch a new ground-breaking mission to complete the most extensive survey into deep space and the main asteroid belt.
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https://phys.org/news/2026-02-3d-scanning-analysis-archaeologists-space.html
https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-02218-4
3D scanning and shape analysis help archaeologists connect objects across space and time to recover their lost histories
February 16, 2026
Today the world of Egyptology faces a silent crisis—not of looting, although that plays a part, but of disconnection.
Walk into any major museum, from Copenhagen to California, and you see glass cases filled with what could be called orphaned artifacts: remarkable objects, often acquired in the 19th and early 20th century, that have been completely stripped of their histories.
You can see what they are—a mummy's painted foot case, a golden mask—but we have no idea where they came from. They are beautiful, but historically they are mute.
Many objects entered museum collections at times when excavation and collecting practices were very different from today. In the past, excavated objects were often divided between institutions around the world, and display was prioritized over documentation.
Over time, connections between pieces were lost. As a result, museums around the world hold remarkable artifacts whose backstories are thin, fragmentary or missing altogether.
Archaeologists like me working in the field today regularly uncover fragments: broken pieces of objects that once formed part of something larger. In some cases, those fragments may share the same underlying geometry with objects already held in museums.
For example, a mummy's foot case and a newly found shard may have been produced using the same mold, so they share a consistent three-dimensional form even if they are now separated by time, distance and absence of documentation.
Traditionally, evaluating whether a fragment matches up with a specific museum object has relied on visual judgment and incomplete records, rather than a quantitative comparison of shape.
This gap between excavation archaeology and museum collections is one of the most persistent challenges in the field.
My research asks a simple question: Can we use digital tools to test whether fragments and museum objects might be related and, in doing so, recover parts of their histories that were previously inaccessible?
A long-standing problem in archaeology
Archaeology is, by nature, fragmentary. Objects break, decay or are disturbed over centuries. Traditionally, archaeologists have relied on visual inspection, stylistic comparison and written records to propose connections between fragments and objects.
These approaches are still essential, but they also have limits. Visual judgments can be subjective, and archival documentation is often incomplete or inconsistent.
As a result, many potential links between excavated material and museum artifacts have remained speculative or have never been proposed at all.
An object in a museum may appear complete yet still have a fragmented history. Without a way to test relationships systematically, fragments often remain sidelined as secondary or uninformative.
More than a century ago, the archaeologist Flinders Petrie argued that an object's value lies not in its beauty but in the information it carries. An unremarkable fragment with a known history, he believed, could be more important than a finely made object without one.
Today, digital tools are giving archaeologists new ways to put that idea into practice.
Turning objects into data that can be compared
One of those tools is 3D scanning. Using portable scanners, it is now possible to capture the full surface geometry of an object with high precision, without touching or damaging it. Every curve, contour and variation in thickness can be recorded digitally.
Once scanned, an artifact becomes more than an image. It becomes data: a detailed digital model that can be rotated, measured, compared and analyzed. Importantly, this process is noninvasive. Fragile objects do not need to be moved, dismantled or physically tested.
For archaeologists and museum curators, this process opens up new possibilities. Objects held in different institutions, or fragments stored in excavation archives, can be compared digitally, even if the originals never leave their locations.
Scanning is only the first step. The real challenge lies in comparison. Rather than asking whether two pieces look similar, computational shape analysis allows researchers to ask a more precise question: How similar are their shapes?
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In simple terms, the computer compares the geometry of two surfaces. It looks at curvature, thickness and spatial relationships, measuring how closely one surface matches another. It's like comparing a kind of geometric fingerprint.
This approach doesn't replace expert judgment. Instead, it supports it by providing measurable evidence that can confirm, refine or challenge visual impressions. It allows archaeologists to move from intuition to testing.
When a fragment meets a museum object
In a recent study published in the journal Heritage Science, I applied these methods to Graeco-Roman Egyptian funerary artifacts made of cartonnage, a composite material of linen, plaster and paint.
I created high-resolution 3D scans of excavated cartonnage fragments and compared them with an intact funerary mask held in a museum collection. The goal was not to reconstruct the object physically but to test whether their shapes were compatible in meaningful ways.
The comparison focused on three-dimensional geometry rather than decoration. This matters because cartonnage masks were often shaped in molds: If two objects were formed in the same mold, they can share highly consistent curvature and thickness patterns even when their painted surfaces differ.
I used a distance-mapping approach called deviation mapping. After aligning the 3D model of an excavated fragment to the corresponding region of the intact museum object, the algorithm calculates the distances between the two surfaces at thousands of points.
Areas where the distances were consistently small are geometrically very similar. Areas with consistently larger distances indicate that the fragment's shape diverges from the reference surface.
In this case, the surfaces corresponded closely, with differences generally of less than a millimeter—a level of agreement consistent with production in the same mold rather than a coincidental visual resemblance.
What mattered most was not a single "match" but the ability to evaluate relationships transparently and reproducibly, using shared digital evidence.
One of the most powerful aspects of this approach is that it works across distance. Researchers can easily share digital models, allowing them to compare fragments and objects held in different institutions, without transporting fragile artifacts.
Excavation archives, museum collections and research institutions can begin to speak the same digital language, reconnecting evidence that has long been separated by geography and history.
Digital tools are reshaping collections research
The work I describe here, part of my recent CRAFT Project, does not use artificial intelligence or machine learning. It relies on computer-based shape comparison and careful interpretation of metrological results. But it sits within a broader movement in heritage research.
Across the world, researchers and institutions are beginning to combine 3D scanning with machine learning to explore collections in different ways. For example, the RePAIR project uses AI and robotics to help reassemble fragmented archaeological artifacts, while major institutions such as the Smithsonian are experimenting with AI-driven analysis of large 3D collections.
Together, these projects point to a future in which digital tools play an increasingly active role in how museums and archaeologists understand the past.
Digital archaeology is sometimes associated with flashy reconstructions or virtual displays. But its deeper value lies elsewhere. By giving fragments a new analytical role, digital methods allow archaeologists to recover relationships that were long thought irretrievably lost.
New digital methodologies are breathing new life into a long-standing archaeological principle: Modest fragments can carry outsized significance when they clarify an object's origins and its lost context, finally allowing it to find its way back home.
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Astronaut left NASA concerned after describing sight he’d ‘never seen anything like’ in space
20:14 16 Feb 2026 GMT
Travelling to space was once something that only a very small percentage of the world's most qualified people could do.
The likes of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin will always be remembered as the first men on the moon but in the 2020s alone, we've seen the likes of Elon Musk, Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos head up above the world's atmosphere.
Seeing the Earth from above is undoubtedly a life-changing and eye-opening experience but the beauty of space travel is that to this day, we're still learning more and more about it.
Back in 1962, when things were a little newer, John Glenn became one of the lucky few to head up in a rocket, and he saw something which 'he'd never seen anything like'.
This is Friendship 7," Glenn said during that first orbit. "I'll try to describe what I'm in here. I am in a big mass of some very small particles, that are brilliantly lit up like they're luminescent. I never saw anything like it.
They round a little; they're coming by the capsule, and they look like little stars. A whole shower of them coming by."
"They swirl around the capsule and go in front of the window and they're all brilliantly lighted. They probably average maybe seven or eight feet apart, but I can see them all down below me, also."
Glenn, who was the third American in space, became the first human to orbit the Earth before returning home but it also became memorable for other reasons as he described the 'fireflies' to colleagues back on home turf, which left them concerned about the potential impact on the spacecraft.
"They're very slow; they're not going away from me more than maybe 3 or 4 miles per hour. They're going at the same speed I am approximately. They're only very slightly under my speed," he added.
"They do have a different motion, though, from me, because they swirl around the capsule and then depart back the way I am looking. There are literally thousands of them."
The mystery became a little clearer when they disappeared when he was in 'bright sun', having first noticed them when the Sun was 'coming up'.
He said at the time: "Now that I am out in the bright sun, they seem to have disappeared. It was just as the sun was coming up. I can still see just a few of them now, even though the sun is up some 20° above the horizon."
NASA later determined that the 'fireflies' were actually just tiny icy particles traveling alongside the spacecraft, which were illuminated by the Sun at certain angles.
Glenn would later die in 2016 at the age of 95, but there's no doubt that he will have remembered the beautiful sight of the mysterious 'fireflies' for the rest of his life.
https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/nasa-space-concerned-sight-science-fireflies-603133-20260216
https://thesentinelnetwork.substack.com/p/confirmed-nasa-admits-the-tess-contingency
https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.21569
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcPf9Rdy6lE (New report shows potential NASA cover-up of the 3i/Atlas Interstellar Object data - Psicoactivo #858)
https://x.com/thesentinelnet
https://x.com/pavelibarrameda
CONFIRMED: NASA Admits the TESS “Contingency”
Feb 16, 2026
How a $337 Million Satellite Went Dark at the Exact Moment It Could Have Proven 3I/ATLAS Isn’t a Comet — and Why NASA, the CIA, and the Academic Establishment Are All Running the Same Playbook
TheSentinel
On February 12, NASA’s TESS Science Support Center quietly released a paper. No press conference. No media advisory.
Just a technical document slipped onto the arXiv preprint server — arXiv:2602.12364v1 — authored by Jorge Martinez-Palomera, Amy Tuson, and the TESS Science Support Center.
They called it a “High Level Science Product.”
Buried on page one, a single sentence confirmed what The Sentinel reported thirteen days earlier: during the most critical observation window for Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS, their flagship $337 million space telescope went dark.
Their word for it was “contingency mode.” In The Three Days of Darkness, we called it a containment protocol.
In The Surge, we identified the motive. Today, they officially confirmed both. They just didn’t realize they were confessing.
WHAT IS ACTUALLY FLYING THROUGH OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Before we dissect the blackout, the data laundering, and the institutional coverup, you need to understand what’s at stake. Because the question NASA doesn’t want you asking isn’t whether TESS went offline. It’s what TESS would have seen if it hadn’t.
On December 18, 2025, we published The Sentinel Dossier — a comprehensive threat assessment identifying eighteen distinct anomalies associated with 3I/ATLAS. Not curiosities. Not “interesting features.”
Eighteen independent data points that, viewed in aggregate, form a statistically impossible cluster around a single conclusion: this object is not a comet.
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Consider the operational profile:
3I/ATLAS entered our solar system aligned within 5° of the ecliptic plane — the narrow disk where all our planets orbit. The probability of a random interstellar object threading this geometry: 0.2%. But that alignment wasn’t just lucky — it was tactically efficient.
It enabled what we identified as a “Grand Tour” trajectory, sweeping past Mars and Venus while threading Earth’s observational corridor at 1.8 AU. The cumulative probability of achieving these planetary encounters by chance: 0.005%.
It is accelerating under its own power. The orbital solution shows non-gravitational acceleration that, under the standard cometary model, would require the object to eject 10-20% of its total mass.
No commensurate debris field has been observed. Dr. Avi Loeb and the Galileo Project have demonstrated that this acceleration follows a smooth inverse-square relationship with distance from the Sun — precisely what you’d expect from solar radiation pressure acting on a thin, artificial structure. A light sail.
Its jets don’t smear. On a rotating body — 3I completes one revolution every 16.16 hours — outgassing should spiral like water from a spinning hose. Instead, the jets are tightly collimated: straight lines extending millions of kilometers.
As we wrote in the Dossier: “Rectilinear jets on a rotating body are a hallmark of Reaction Control Systems, not random cracks in an ice ball.”
It has a sunward jet — a jet firing toward the Sun, not away from it. A retro-rocket. A braking thruster visible to every telescope that looked.
It executed a Reverse Solar Oberth maneuver — shedding orbital energy at perihelion, the textbook technique for slowing down to park in a target system. And it did so while hidden behind the Sun from Earth-based observers.
Its surface exhibits “extreme negative polarization” — a property unprecedented in all known comets and asteroids, consistent with metamaterial surfaces.
Its chemical plume contains massive methanol, hydrogen cyanide, and an anomalous Nickel-to-Iron ratio orders of magnitude higher than any known comet — a ratio that mirrors industrial superalloys, not raw rock.
It turned blue near the Sun — a chromatic shift consistent with plasma drive emissions or ionization from an internal energy source hotter than the star itself.
And it is headed for Jupiter. Not past Jupiter. To Jupiter. The object will arrive on March 16 at a distance of 53.5 million kilometers — a figure that matches Jupiter’s Hill Sphere radius, the gravitational boundary where orbital insertion requires minimal fuel, with a margin of error of 0.06 million kilometers.
As we wrote in December: “If it maneuvers like a ship, targets planets like a ship, is made of industrial alloys like a ship, and transmits radio signals like a ship… it is a ship.”
The combined probability of these eighteen anomalies converging on a single natural object by chance is less than one in one billion.
This is what TESS was supposed to be watching.
yuge article cont.
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https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/whistleblower-alien-bodies-nasa-korea-1779585
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/theyre-already-here-uri-geller-claims-nasa-hiding-alien-bodies-linked-3i-atlas-1763803
https://x.com/theurigeller/status/2023033287824871545
UFO Whistleblower Claims He Saw Six 'Humanoids' at NASA's Goddard and Massive Craft Hidden in Korea
17 February 2026, 11:44 AM GMT
A former whistleblower has reignited global UFO speculation by claiming he personally saw six small humanoid bodies at NASA's Goddard Space Centre and that a massive extraterrestrial craft lies hidden in Korea.
The revelations come decades after his alleged experience, raising new questions about government secrecy, alien life, and just how much might be hidden from the public eye.
Shocking Humanoid Sightings at NASA
According to the whistleblower, he was escorted to a secure NASA facility by Wernher von Braun roughly fifty years ago. He describes a refrigerated room, three floors below ground, where six humanoid bodies were stored individually in thick, frost-covered glass coffins.
'They were clearly not from this Earth,' he claimed. 'Small, pale, almost fragile, and badly injured. I was instructed to wear a heavy insulated coat before entering, and the room was icy cold. I saw them with my own eyes.'
The witness emphasised that this room was located at Goddard Space Centre, just a few miles from Washington DC, and insisted he was not near Area 51, contradicting common assumptions about alien storage.
He stated the bodies may have been moved since, but the memory of the encounter remains vivid and undeniable to him.
Area 51 Is Not Where Aliens Are Kept
Clarifying his stance, the whistleblower noted that while Area 51 develops reverse-engineered technology from UFO wreckage, it is not a storage site for alien remains.
He highlighted that the general public, and even government officials, might be unaware of what is kept in classified facilities, suggesting a compartmentalisation of knowledge.
'Obama has confirmed aliens exist, but he also said he saw no evidence of them being stored at secret bases like Area 51,' the whistleblower said. 'That aligns with what I saw at Goddard decades ago.'
This claim has added fuel to ongoing debates surrounding UFOs, alien life, and government transparency, particularly in light of recent official confirmations of unexplained aerial phenomena.
Massive Craft Hidden In Korea
Perhaps the most sensational claim involves a gigantic recovered craft, allegedly too large to move in secret. The whistleblower stated it is currently hidden in Korea, with South Korea being the likely location after correcting an earlier misstatement about the North.
'This craft is enormous. There is no way it could be transported covertly,' he explained. 'Tunnels have been dug to access it, but its size makes movement nearly impossible. Anyone trying to cover it up would face extreme logistical challenges.'
While there is no independent verification of the craft's existence, the claim has prompted UFO enthusiasts to speculate about international cooperation and secretive storage of alien technology beyond US borders.
Public Reaction and Skepticism
Skeptics have questioned both the credibility of the whistleblower and the accuracy of his claims. Uri Geller, famous for alleged psychic feats in the 1970s, has a controversial history with debunkers, including James Randi.
While many dismiss him as a showman, he was reportedly tested by the CIA during the Cold War, suggesting government interest in his abilities.
'Whether his psychic powers were real is irrelevant,' an analyst said. 'What matters is that he had access to government programs and facilities, which could explain how he claims to have seen humanoids and a giant craft.'
Fans and conspiracy theorists alike have reacted with a mixture of awe and disbelief, debating the implications for extraterrestrial life, national security, and the possibility that some of the universe's greatest secrets remain hidden from humanity.
The revelations, if true, would add a startling chapter to decades of UFO lore, confirming that some encounters with alien life may have occurred far closer to home than anyone could imagine.
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Uri Geller
@theurigeller
Friends, Barack Obama just admitted aliens are real!
He also said they are NOT at Area 51.
But listen carefully to the precise language he used!
He knows he can say there's no aliens at Area 51, because that is & has always been the truth.
Area 51 is where they develop reverse engineered technology based on the wreckages of crashed UFOs, & from artefacts discovered at archaeological digs!
But it is NOT where the bodies of aliens have been stored!
How do I know that?
Because I've seen some of those bodies my self – and I was nowhere near Area 51!
50 years ago, I was taken to a NASA facility by Wener von Braun & taken into a refrigerated room, three floors down from the ground floor, in a secured building.
In that room I was shown the mangled & mutilated bodies of at least six, small, pale humanoid creatures that were VERY clearly NOT from this earth (or perhaps from this dimension!).
And, you know what, I’m not afraid to say exactly where this was anymore – it was at GODDARD SPACE CENTRE!
Just a few miles from Washington D.C!
The room I taken into was incredibly cold – there were padded, heavily insulated Arctic-like coats hanging up outside the doors & Werner von Braun instructed me to put one before we entered (the coat was orange & had a blue Nasa logo on it).
The bodies I saw in that room were all lying inside their own thick, misty, glass “coffins”, & they were all glazed and frosted with patches of ice!
I saw, with my own eyes, the injured bodies of these poor “pilots” or “astronauts” from another world.
So YES, I know – as Obama has now confirmed – that aliens DO exist!
And YES, I know – they are NOT being kept at Area 51!
Are the bodies that I saw still being kept at Goddard Space Centre? I don’t know…this was 50 years ago, so it’s feasible they may have been moved since then.
But I DO know about something that has definitely NOT been moved – and that is because it is too BIG to ever be moved!!
What is it?
A huge, recovered craft that it would be impossible to secretly move or transport!
And where is it?
NORTH KOREA!!
How do I know? – watch my video!
5:54 AM · Feb 15, 2026
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Ukraine should come to the table ‘fast’ – Trump
17 Feb, 2026 11:49
Ukraine must swiftly give up its uncompromising stance in the negotiations to settle the conflict with Russia, US President Donald Trump has warned.
He made the comments ahead of talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday and Wednesday. The parties previously held two trilateral meetings in Abu Dhabi in January. T
erritorial issues – namely Ukraine’s refusal to abandon its claim to Donbass – reportedly remain the key item hampering progress towards peace.
When asked about his expectations from the Swiss negotiations by journalists aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump said they will be “very big.”
“Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you… we want them to come,” the president insisted.
During his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky again ruled out any territorial concessions, claiming that it “would be an illusion to believe that this war can now be reliably ended by dividing Ukraine.”
Instead, he demanded more weapons from Kiev’s European backers and called for Ukraine to be included in NATO, which is one of Moscow’s clear red lines.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that only a few issues remain to be addressed by the sides in Geneva. “The bad news is they’ve been narrowed to the hardest questions to answer,” he stressed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the members of the Russian delegation in Geneva, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, “intend to discuss a broader range of issues, including the main questions concerning territories… and those related to the demands we have.”
Moscow maintains that any sustainable settlement requires Ukraine to withdraw from the areas still under its control in Donbass – which voted to join Russia in referendums in the fall of 2022 – give up on its NATO aspirations, and commit to demilitarization and denazification.
https://www.rt.com/news/632663-trump-ukraine-geneva-talks/
other RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/632659-foreign-military-pilots-ukraine/
https://www.rt.com/news/632624-rubio-ukraine-conflict-cheerleaders/
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/70202
https://www.myjoyonline.com/third-round-of-russia-ukraine-talks-to-take-place-as-strikes-continue/#google_vignette
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/sbu-drones-strike-tamanneftegaz-oil-terminal-in-russia-for-second-time-in-a-month-50584647.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/02/17/russian-military-reports-largest-wave-of-ukrainian-drone-attacks-since-early-january-a91970
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4092305-ukrainian-special-operations-forces-strike-russian-iskander-storage-site-rubikon-drone-control-point.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/strategic-defense-plant-hit-drones-strike-1771320073.html
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/russian-shahed-drone-attack-wounds-six-in-sumy-50584725.html
https://english.nv.ua/russian-war/ukrainian-troops-use-drone-loudspeaker-to-persuade-five-russians-to-surrender-50584731.html
https://english.nv.ua/nation/ukraine-says-it-hit-russian-ka-27-helicopter-in-occupied-crimea-50584721.html
https://kyivindependent.com/russian-drone-strike-on-civilian-car-kills-3-energy-workers-in-donetsk-oblast/
https://operativmm.az/en/post/oil-tank-catches-fire-in-kuban-after-drone-strike/67442
https://news.az/news/drone-strike-kills-ukrainian-power-workers
https://news.ssbcrack.com/russia-claims-destruction-of-over-150-ukrainian-drones-amid-new-peace-talks-in-switzerland/
https://kyivindependent.com/winter-has-grounded-ukraines-interceptor-drones-gutting-kyivs-air-defense/
https://lnginnorthernbc.ca/2026/02/17/a-ukrainian-drone-enters-a-russian-warehouse-looking-for-tanks-and-finds-the-unthinkable-we-didnt-expect-to-see-horses/
Drones Hit Oil Refinery and Major Military-Linked Chemical Plant Deep Inside Russia
Feb. 17, 2026, 11:03 am
Fires broke out at Russian energy and industrial facilities, including a methanol producer more than 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Drone attacks were reported across several Russian regions overnight into Tuesday, Feb. 17, with fires breaking out at energy and industrial facilities, according to Russian officials and local Telegram channels.
The Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region overnight, triggering a fire at the site.
The Krasnodar regional operational headquarters later confirmed that a drone attack caused a fire at the refinery.
According to officials, a petroleum storage tank was damaged, sparking a blaze covering about 700 square meters. Emergency crews deployed 72 personnel and 21 vehicles to extinguish the fire, and a fire train was sent to the scene.
Separately, the Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that drones struck the Metafrax Chemicals plant in the city of Gubakha in the Perm region, causing a fire.
Perm region governor Dmitry Makhonin confirmed that drones had reached the region but said no casualties were reported.
Local residents cited by Astra said they heard multiple explosions before the fire broke out. Reports from the region also indicated temporary disruptions to mobile internet services.
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Metafrax Chemicals is one of the largest producers of methanol in Russia and Europe. The plant manufactures methanol, hexamine, urea and pentaerythritol – chemical components used in the production of explosives and other military-grade materials.
After 2024, the enterprise came under Russian state control and is currently under Western sanctions. Due to its role in supplying Russia’s defense-industrial complex, it is considered part of the country’s military-industrial infrastructure.
The facility is located more than 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from the Ukrainian border, underscoring the growing range of Ukrainian long-distance drone operations.
In the Krasnodar region, debris from drones damaged a locomotive depot in the Krymsky district, the regional operational headquarters said. No injuries were reported.
In Izhevsk, authorities suspended classes in some schools after drone alerts were issued, the head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov said. Drone alerts were also reported in Kazan, according to local channels.
In temporarily occupied Mariupol in the Donetsk region, Telegram channels also reported a fire in the port area following drone activity, though there was no immediate official confirmation.
Meanwhile, in occupied Sevastopol, Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said air defenses intercepted more than 24 drones overnight in what he described as one of the longest attacks in recent months.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that overnight on Feb. 17 its air defenses “destroyed and intercepted” 151 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones.
According to the ministry, 50 were downed over the Black Sea, 38 over occupied Crimea, 29 over the Sea of Azov, 18 over the Krasnodar region, 11 over the Kaluga region, 4 over the Bryansk region and 1 over the Kursk region.
Between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Moscow time, the ministry said another 27 drones were intercepted, including 15 over the Black Sea, 4 over occupied Crimea, 4 over the Perm region, 3 over the Krasnodar region and 1 over the Belgorod region.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed the strikes, saying the Defense Forces hit the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight on Monday. According to the statement, the target was struck and a fire broke out on the facility’s premises.
The General Staff described the refinery as one of the largest oil-processing enterprises in southern Russia, with a total primary refining capacity of 6.6 million tons per year, and said it is involved in supplying the Russian military.
The statement added that Ukrainian forces also targeted Russian troop concentration areas in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, including near Rozivka and Lyubymivka.
Logistics facilities were reportedly hit in occupied Donetsk as well as near the settlement of Lidine in the Donetsk region.
In addition, a communications hub of Russia’s 127th Motorized Rifle Division was struck near Zelenopil in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region. The extent of the damage and Russian casualties is being clarified.
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IDF intensifies night operations in West Bank ahead of Ramadan
latest revision February 17, 2026 at 11:07 AM
As the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins this week, the Israel Defense Forces is finalizing extensive operational preparations across multiple fronts, with a particular focus on preventing unrest and attacks in high-tension areas.
According to the IDF, arrest operations and troop reinforcements are already underway in flashpoint locations, driven by concerns that Ramadan could see an escalation in violence.
One of the main focal points of these efforts is the northern West Bank city of Nablus, where Israeli forces have been conducting nightly operations aimed at disrupting militant activity.
Lt. Col. (Res.) Z, a battalion commander operating in the area, said the mission is to prevent attacks against Israeli civilians both in nearby settlements and inside Israel itself.
“We are conducting activities in Nablus to prevent terror attacks by individuals seeking to harm Israeli citizens,” he said during an overnight operation.
The IDF says it is simultaneously contending with threats from several arenas, including Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, but stresses that the West Bank remains a critical front.
Terrorist organizations, Israeli officials say, are investing significant resources in building infrastructure inside Palestinian cities in an effort to carry out attacks.
Reporting from the area, i24NEWS correspondent Adar Gitsis noted that preventing a repeat of the October 7 attack is a central objective of the ongoing operations.
“This reality requires the IDF to devote major attention to this front as well,” he said. Lt. Col. Z emphasized that constant presence is key.
“As long as we carry out these nightly operations, we ensure that October 7 will not happen again,” he said. “To prevent another such scenario, we must operate here day and night, everywhere, all the time.”
During the operation, forces moved freely through neighborhoods considered particularly volatile, including the heart of Nablus near the city’s central market and Joseph’s Tomb.
As dawn approached, the commander confirmed that troops were concluding their final target of the night in a nearby village.
The IDF said reservists from Battalion 9306 of the Menashe Brigade continue to deploy around the clock to dismantle terror cells.
“Security in the West Bank is security for central Israel,” Lt. Col. Z said. “Where we are not present, terror cells will take over.”
Ahead of Ramadan, the IDF’s West Bank Division has carried out a wave of arrests targeting individuals linked to past and ongoing terrorist activity, as well as figures identified as sources of incitement.
In parallel, warning conversations were conducted with hundreds of militants released in recent prisoner exchange deals.
Security preparations are also underway in Jerusalem, where authorities are still deliberating how many Palestinians from the West Bank will be permitted to enter the Temple Mount during Ramadan.
At the same time, dozens of Arab Israeli citizens have reportedly received orders barring them from the site, including former prisoners released in hostage-related deals and individuals deemed agitators.
Alongside the security measures, the Jerusalem municipality has allocated millions of shekels toward cultural and recreational programming in East Jerusalem.
Officials say these initiatives have helped reduce tensions in recent years by drawing young people away from traditional friction points such as Damascus Gate.
Israeli security officials say the combination of aggressive operational activity and civilian investment is intended to ensure stability during one of the most sensitive periods of the year.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/artc-idf-intensifies-night-operations-in-west-bank-ahead-of-ramadan
other Israel
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/IDF-strikes-Lebanon-Syria-border/65681394
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-886985
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/artc-idf-dismantles-hamas-weapons-cache-in-southern-gaza-live-blog
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-gazan-terror-operative-killed-after-nearing-troops-in-manner-that-posed-an-immediate-threat/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/palestinian-child-killed-2-injured-in-west-bank-blast-apparently-caused-by-unexploded-ordnance/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-police-nab-four-isis-linked-jihadists-in-west-bank-said-to-plan-terror-attack/
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1cruzwobl
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/idf-thwarts-attempt-smuggle-tobacco-222947442.html
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/easy-aerial-drones-idf/2026/02/17/id/1246384/