TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
February 18, 2026
Orion's Cradle
Cradled in red-glowing hydrogen gas, stars are being born in Orion. These stellar nurseries lie at the edge of the giant Orion molecular cloud complex, some 1,500 light-years away. This detailed view spans about 12 degrees across the center of the well-known constellation, with the Great Orion Nebula, the closest large star-forming region, visible toward the lower right. The deep mosaic also includes, near the top center, the Flame Nebula and the Horsehead Nebula. Image data acquired with a hydrogen-alpha filter adds other remarkable features to this wide-angle cosmic vista: pervasive tendrils of energized atomic hydrogen gas and portions of the surrounding Barnard's Loop. While the Orion Nebula and many stars in Orion are easy to see with the unaided eye, emission from the extensive interstellar gas is faint and much harder to record, even in telescopic views of the nebula-rich complex.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oap5lOoFo0
Galactic Dust, Big Announcement | S0 News and frens
Feb.18.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc4DEguOc70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1e8Ap053BQ (Observers Live #23 - Solar Superstorm Risk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJt_O5CrkyI (Stefan Burns: We're Not Ready for What's About to Go Down…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9-MfHxXr8 (Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center: A MAJOR Storm Is Developing Now…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp7KmJXf2EQ (NASA Goddard: Furious February Flares - F = 6 - FFF = 666)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw1ATxUbSC4 (Dobsonian Power: SOLAR ECLIPSE 2026 ENERGIZING THE EARTH!)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/why-auroras-suddenly-feel-like-theyre-everywhere-and-how-big-solar-storms-drive-the-search-spikes/articleshow/128493956.cms
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/carrington-event-of-1859-the-strongest-solar-storm-on-record/articleshow/128497512.cms
https://people.com/how-to-watch-the-northern-lights-february-17-2026-11908117
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2024033822572945919
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2023840734915555704
https://x.com/NASASolarSystem/status/2023818500561604752
https://x.com/Designed2Think/status/2023881896783212727
https://x.com/SchumannBotDE/status/2024137014757466344
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
Antarctica Has A Gravity Hole – And Now We Know How It Grew In Strength Over 30 Million Years Ago
February 17, 2026
While a "gravity hole" in Antarctica has been on scientists’ radar for some time, its history has never been fully understood.
New research is beginning to change that, and in doing so, suggest surprising connections between gravity, geology, and the continent’s massive ice sheets.
Earth may look like a smooth “blue marble” from space, but it’s better to imagine it as a slightly gnarled orange, with an inside that’s firm in parts, but squishier in others.
Since the planet isn’t a perfect sphere and its internal density varies across the globe, gravitational pull changes from place to place. Where there’s less mass in the underlying geology, gravity is weaker, and vice versa.
These dips in the gravitational field are formally known as gravity anomalies, but they're more commonly called “gravity holes".
The largest is found in the middle of the Indian Ocean, spanning over 3 million square kilometers (roughly 1,100,000 square miles), while the strongest is found in Antarctica.
In a new study, two geophysicists have mapped the South Pole gravity hole with the hopes of revealing how it developed over millions of years.
To achieve this, the pair combined global earthquake recordings with physics-based modeling to create 3D maps of Earth’s mantle density.
The results closely matched the “gold-standard” gravitational measurements collected by satellites, confirming the accuracy of the models.
“Imagine doing a CT scan of the whole Earth, but we don’t have X-rays like we do in a medical office. We have earthquakes.
Earthquake waves provide the ‘light’ that illuminates the interior of the planet,” Alessandro Forte, a professor of geophysics at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study, said in a statement.
The maps showed that the Antarctic gravity hole has been there for at least 70 million years, back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. However, it hasn’t remained constant.
The gravity anomaly started to gain strength between 50 and 30 million years ago, a time that loosely lines up with the period when Antarctica became covered in glaciers and entered its deep freeze.
The permanent glaciation of Antarctica began around 34 million years ago. Amid declining carbon dioxide levels, the planet’s temperature dropped.
Meanwhile, the shifting of tectonic plates created a large ocean current that flows clockwise from west to east around the continent, severing it from warm waters.
It appears that gravity, geology, and Antarctica’s glaciers are all deeply interconnected. The researchers speculate that changes in sea level, caused by slow movements deep inside the Earth beneath Antarctica, may have affected the conditions needed for ice sheets to start forming.
These sea-level changes happen because of shifts in the Earth's gravity field and movements of the land surface, both driven by processes in the mantle.
“If we can better understand how Earth’s interior shapes gravity and sea levels, we gain insight into factors that may matter for the growth and stability of large ice sheets,” added Forte.
“How does our climate connect to what’s going on inside our planet?” he asked.
It’s important to note, however, that this is a very different issue from modern climate change driven by fossil fuels. These processes that shaped Antarctica unfolded over millions of years, far slower than the rapid warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions today.
Still, understanding all of this could help scientists piece together the long-term history of Earth’s climate and provide glimpses into its future.
https://www.iflscience.com/antarctica-has-a-gravity-hole-and-now-we-know-how-it-grew-in-strength-over-30-million-years-ago-82581
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-28606-1
https://news.ufl.edu/2026/02/antarctic-gravity-hole/
https://www.valleyvanguardonline.com/comet-spins-backward-near-sun-leaving-scientists-baffled/
https://en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br/Astronomers-in-the-Atacama-Desert-have-discovered-a-kamikaze-comet-linked-to-the-legendary-giant-comet-of-1106traveling-at-32-million-km%2Fh-towards-the-sunand-it-could-appear-in-the-sky-in-2026./
https://glassalmanac.com/scientists-stunned-this-comet-may-be-a-10-billion-year-old-relic-from-the-dawn-of-the-universe/
https://lisboatv.pt/3i-atlas-comet-fades-fast-in-gemini-as-esas-juice-data-nears-release/
https://starlust.org/comet-29-p-schwassmann-wachmann-brightens-100-fold-after-eruption-releases-fossil-like-debris/
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-discovery-of-dark-comets
https://news.inbox.lv/14zvw7y-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-martian-probe-captured-it-at-an-unprecedented-moment
https://asgardia.space/en/news/New-Episode-of-Highway-to-Space-Tackles-the-Truth-Behind-Comet-3I-ATLAS
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/
https://medium.com/@nhojsull/does-3i-atlas-have-anegyptian-impact-connection-ataxtite-meteorites-are-16-nickel-cf4a084bcb26
https://medium.com/universe-condensate-space-theory-ucst/3i-atlas-ucst-predictions-outcome-receipts-void-qfmw-3i-atlas-data-observagtions-fa85b45163af
https://thesentinelnetwork.substack.com/p/confirmed-nasa-admits-the-tess-contingency
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcPf9Rdy6lE (New report shows potential NASA cover-up of the 3i/Atlas Interstellar Object data - Psicoactivo #858)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97V1_JZ59rg (Avi Loeb: Are 3I/ATLAS’s Jets Artificial?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaySA_b7s8k (John Lenard Walson: Delayed Post-Perihelion Activity of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o83O2OQaPBg (Ray's Astro: Great Comet 2026 - C/2026 A1 MAPS Is Waking up… It Could EXPLODE in BRIGHTNESS - I took a PICTURE)
https://x.com/WORLDUFOGROUP/status/2023914261735764339
https://x.com/coreyspowell/status/2023892600844120084
https://x.com/JinxedHorizon/status/2024135339556680185
Comets a go-go
Comet spins backward near sun, leaving scientists baffled
February 17, 2026, at 5:01 pm
Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák surprised astronomers by doing something few small solar system bodies have been observed to do: it essentially stopped spinning and then began rotating in the opposite direction.
The dramatic twist in its behavior was tracked by multiple space telescopes and has opened fresh questions about how comet activity—jets of vapor and dust driven by sunlight—can alter an object’s rotation so dramatically.
Scientists pieced together the event from observations taken during and after the comet’s 2017 close approach to the Sun.
What began as a gradual slowdown accelerated into a near-complete halt and then a reversal, a sequence that challenges expectations about rotational changes in these icy relics of the early solar system.
What telescopes revealed about 41P’s unusual spin
NASA’s Swift spacecraft first flagged oddities in the comet’s rotation, and follow-up imaging by the Hubble Space Telescope provided the detail needed to measure how much and how fast the motion changed.
Researchers tracked the comet’s rotation through light variations and direct imaging of the active nucleus.
Early 2017: Observations recorded a spin period on the order of tens of hours.
March–May 2017: The rotation slowed dramatically, increasing from roughly 20 hours to about 46 hours.
By December 2017: Data indicated the nucleus was rotating again but in the opposite direction, with a period near 14 hours.
UCLA astronomer David Jewitt and colleagues analyzed Hubble’s images to reconstruct the sequence.
The reversal wasn’t a small wobble—it was a large-scale change in angular momentum that required significant torque on the nucleus.
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How comet jets can act like rocket thrusters
Comets are mixtures of rock, dust and volatile ices. When they approach the Sun, heat causes surface ices to sublimate and escape as gas, sometimes carrying dust with them.
Those escaping materials can produce localized jets that push back on the nucleus.
Mechanics behind rotation changes
Asymmetric outgassing produces uneven forces on the nucleus.
If jets are concentrated in particular regions, they can apply sustained torque over weeks or months.
Small nuclei are especially susceptible because less mass makes it easier to change spin rate or axis.
Jets don’t need to be continuous or uniform—sporadic bursts from freshly exposed ice or seasonal illumination can produce the cumulative effect needed to first slow a rotation, then halt it, and finally reverse direction.
Most cometary spin variations are measured in minutes or hours; 41P’s change by tens of hours is exceptional.
Why the 41P flip matters for comet science and population studies
Large rotational jumps like 41P’s offer a rare window into the interplay between comet structure, activity, and longevity. Astronomers suspect such processes could influence how comets evolve or break apart.
Spin-up from jets may fragment weak nuclei, creating more small comet fragments than expected. Conversely, spin-down episodes could temporarily stabilize an object, altering patterns of surface erosion.
Understanding these dynamics helps refine models for comet lifetimes and for predicting when a comet might shed material or break up entirely.
One emerging idea is that many small comets observed today might be the products of prior objects that were spun to pieces by their own outgassing. If true, rotational dynamics become a key factor in the lifecycle of cometary bodies.
What astronomers will be watching in coming years
41P will return to the inner solar system in 2028, offering another opportunity to monitor its rotation and activity with improved instruments and broader surveys.
Facilities coming online—most notably the Vera C. Rubin Observatory—will provide continuous, deep sky monitoring capable of catching rotational shifts and fragmentation events across many comets.
Planned follow-ups will combine space telescopes and ground-based networks to measure nucleus rotation and jet behavior.
Large sky surveys will help build a statistical picture: how common are extreme spin changes, and how often do they lead to breakup?
Detailed studies of 41P and similar objects can help calibrate models of torques from asymmetric outgassing.
Keeping an eye on returning comets will let astronomers observe whether 41P repeats its dramatic behavior, settles into a new rotational state, or shows signs of progressive weakening or fragmentation.
Continuous monitoring also increases the chance of catching other comets in the act of spinning up or down, which is essential for understanding how these small worlds die—or transform—under the Sun’s influence.
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Artemis II Wet Dress Rehearsal: Countdown Begins
February 17, 2026 7:18PM
The countdown for the Artemis II wet dress rehearsal is underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The countdown clock began at 6:50 p.m. EST Tuesday, or L-49 hours, 40 minutes before the opening of a simulated launch window at 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19. The test is expected to go until approximately 12:30 a.m., Friday, Feb. 20.
The test will run the launch team, as well as supporting teams in the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and other supporting NASA centers, through a full range of operations, including loading cryogenic liquid propellant into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s tanks, conducting a launch countdown, demonstrating the ability to recycle the countdown clock, and draining the tanks to practice scrub procedures.
These steps ensure the team is fully prepared for launch day.
In parallel, teams are preparing to install temporary platforms onto the mobile launcher after a successful wet dress rehearsal and are staging associated equipment near the launch pad.
The platforms will allow technicians to service flight termination system elements in the upper left and right segments of the solid rocket boosters and core stage intertank for required testing of the system to meet Eastern Range safety requirements ahead of a potential March launch opportunity.
A 24/7 live stream of the rocket at the pad continues online. NASA will provide separate feed capturing tanking activities, and NASA will provide real-time blog post updates regarding the test during the fueling day.
Countdown Milestones
The countdown contains “L minus” and “T minus” times. “L minus” indicates how far away we are from liftoff in hours and minutes. “T minus” time is a sequence of events that are built into the countdown.
Pauses in the countdown, or “holds,” are built into the countdown to allow the launch team to target a precise launch window, and to provide a cushion of time for certain tasks and procedures without impacting the overall schedule.
During planned holds in the countdown process, the countdown clock is intentionally stopped and the T- time also stops. The L- time, however, continues to advance.
During the rehearsal, the team will execute a detailed countdown sequence. They will pause at T-1 minute and 30 seconds for up to three minutes, then resume until T-33 seconds before launch and pause again.
After that, they will recycle the clock back to T-10 minutes and conduct a second terminal countdown to approximately T-33 seconds before ending the sequence.
This process simulates real-world conditions, including scenarios where a launch might be scrubbed due to technical or weather issues. At the end of the test, the team will drain the propellant and review all data before setting an official target launch date.
While the Artemis II crew members are not participating in the wet dress rehearsal, crew milestones occurring during launch day will be incorporated into the test timeline and the Artemis closeout crew will practice their closeout operations, which include closing the Orion crew module and launch abort system hatches.
Below are some of the key events that take place at each milestone after the countdown
begins. All times are approximate for when these milestones are expected to occur.
cont.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/02/17/artemis-ii-wet-dress-rehearsal-countdown-begins/
https://nationaltoday.com/us/tx/houston/news/2026/02/18/nasa-confident-artemis-2-heat-shield-will-perform-after-artemis-1-issue/
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/the-artemis-1-moon-mission-had-a-heat-shield-issue-heres-why-nasa-doesnt-think-it-will-happen-again-on-artemis-2
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/artemis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCrPD7tfcr0
A Second Cyclone Slams Madagascar
February 18, 2026
Widespread flooding affected tens of thousands of people after cyclones Fytia and Gezani drenched the island.
For the second time in two weeks, a powerful tropical cyclone struck Madagascar.
On January 31, Fytia battered the remote northwestern coast of the island with destructive winds and torrential rains that displaced thousands of people.
Less than two weeks later, Gezani made a direct hit on one of the island's largest cities before sweeping past areas that Fytia had just flooded.
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of Gezani as it neared Madagascar on February 10, 2026.
At the time, the storm was undergoing rapid intensification. Its sustained winds peaked at 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour before making landfall at Category 3 hurricane strength.
According to meteorologists with the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the storm developed amid conditions "highly favorable" to strengthening, including sea surface temperatures above 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), wind shear below 20 kilometers (12 miles) per hour, and an unusually moist atmosphere.
As the storm passed near Toamasina, Madagascar's second-largest city, satellites that contribute to NASA's IMERG (Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM) product measured rain rates up to 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) per hour.
The deluge caused widespread flooding in Toamasina and several other parts of the island.
Preliminary damage assessments from Madagascar's National Office for Risk and Disaster Management linked the storm to dozens of deaths, hundreds of injuries, and damage to more than 27,000 homes.
Reports from news outlets and humanitarian groups described chaotic conditions in Toamasina, with widespread power outages, numerous collapsed roofs, and a lack of clean water.
The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this false-color image of severe flooding near Brickaville, just south of Toamasina, on February 14, 2026 (right). For comparison, the left image shows the same area before the storm.
Villages and farmland along the Rongaronga River appear particularly hard hit. Crops commonly grown in this area include rice, vanilla, lychees, black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, according to researchers from the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development.
Madagascar is one of the most cyclone-prone countries in Africa, with about six storms typically affecting the island each year and two making direct landfall.
The cyclone season generally runs from November through April, with peak activity between January and March.
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/a-second-cyclone-slams-madagascar/
Expedition 74 Expands to Seven as Science Speeds Up
February 17, 2026 11:55AM
The seven-member Expedition 74 crew is in its first full week together aboard the International Space Station following Saturday’s arrival of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
The orbital septet is resuming its full complement of advanced space science and lab maintenance as the Crew-12 quartet familiarizes itself with station operations.
Crew-12 members Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway of NASA, Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency), and Andrey Fedyaev of Roscosmos began their mission with a launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon on Friday, Feb. 13, and docked to the orbital outpost a day-and-a-half later.
After a standard safety review, the commercial crew foursome spent the weekend and worked into Monday unpacking science and cargo from Dragon and getting used to life in weightlessness.
The new crew members are also beginning their advanced research duties to benefit humans living on and off the Earth.
Meir, on her second spaceflight, swapped a camera inside the Destiny laboratory module‘s Microgravity Science Glovebox to explore ways to control a spacecraft’s fuel tank pressure due to cryogenic fuel propellants evaporating.
First-time space flyer Hathaway readied gear that will measure how a crew member’s body temperature adapts to microgravity then reviewed operations with the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox with assistance from NASA Flight Engineer Chris Williams.
Adenot, France’s second female astronaut to fly in space, swapped out computer hardware supporting research into manufacturing medicine in space then exercised for research as advanced video gear monitored her musculoskeletal system during her microgravity workout.
Fedyaev, who last rode to space in March of 2023 aboard a Dragon to join Expedition 69, began exploring how his sense of balance, orientation, and cognition, as well as his breathing, are affected by living in weightlessness.
Williams, who has been aboard the station since November with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev, began the week helping Crew-12 get used to station hardware, systems, and procedures.
On Tuesday, he continued helping the new crew unpack Dragon then investigated using ultraviolet light as a method to disinfect spacecraft inhibiting microbial growth to protect crew health and space equipment.
Station Commander Kud-Sverchkov and Flight Engineer Mikaev uninstalled hardware and wrapped up a session of automated Earth photography taken in a variety of wavelengths as the crew slept.
Kud-Sverchkov then worked on orbital plumbing and life support maintenance tasks inside the Nauka science module.
Mikaev located and inventoried a variety of Roscosmos station hardware then explored using artificial intelligence-assisted tools to boost crew efficiency aboard the orbital outpost.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/02/17/expedition-74-expands-to-seven-as-science-speeds-up/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/
NASA Advances High-Altitude Traffic Management
Feb 17, 2026
High-altitude flight is getting increasing attention from sectors ranging from telecommunications to emergency response.
To make that airspace more accessible, NASA is developing an air traffic management system covering those altitudes and supplementing its work with real-time data from a research balloon in Earth’s stratosphere.
Aircraft at high altitudes – 50,000 feet or higher, or roughly 10,000 to 20,000 feet above most commercial traffic – offer new possibilities for delivering internet connectivity in regions in need of reliable service.
And they can deliver unprecedented situational awareness for the ground below, providing early warnings for floods and other disasters.
For these types of operations, “station-keeping,” or remaining in the same region for extended periods of time, can be ideal for aircraft including balloons and airships.
These flights will require a different sort of air traffic management system from the ones that cover most commercial flights – and it needs to be dependable.
That’s why NASA is working to produce a system that ensures aircraft can operate safely in high-altitude airspace, with a particular focus on station-keeping.
“Current high-altitude air traffic management is manual and piecemeal,” said Jeff Homola, researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
“We saw the need for a scalable solution – something multiple operators in a shared airspace can safely rely on.
Our system provides shared awareness of the airspace, identifies potential conflicts, enables cooperative conflict resolution, and allows operators to complete missions safely.”
NASA’s expertise and technology, and the agency’s knowledge of the needs of the aviation industry, put it in an ideal position to perform the work.
And NASA researchers are collaborating with the companies Aerostar and Sceye, developers and operators of high-altitude aircraft, to evaluate the system.
“We’re leveraging decades of NASA’s air traffic management expertise to make this possible,” Homola said.
This NASA system enables operators to share live flight data, information about their flight plans, and potential conflict alerts. Based on this information, operators can coordinate flight plans in real time.
During a 2025 simulation at NASA Ames, researchers tested how efficiently that data sharing would be among operators of lighter-than-air vehicles – both balloons and airships.
For this test, NASA, Aerostar, Sceye acted as operators of high-altitude vehicles, sharing information from facilities in California, South Dakota, and New Mexico.
They were able to share flight information, as well as telemetry data from an Aerostar stratospheric balloon floating 66,500 feet above Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the time of the testing.
The simulation built on earlier tests, adding improved flight-intent visualization, conflict detection, and, for the first time, live flight data from the balloon.
NASA researchers also studied how operators make decision when planned aircraft trajectories overlap, which will help refine essential rules and guidelines for safer high-altitude airspace operations.
For decades, NASA has biggest air traffic management challenges facing the National Airspace System.
NASA innovations have helped cut fuel consumption, prevent accidents, enable precision navigation, and lay the groundwork for today’s modern air traffic management systems.
This specific work builds on the initiatives focused on drone operations.
NASA will share results and lessons learned from the simulation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to inform its approach to ensuring that higher airspace operations are accessible, safe, and scalable.
The agency will continue advancing the high-altitude traffic management system through continued collaboration with industry partners and the FAA.
NASA’s goal is to create a framework that opens the door to new commercial, scientific, and humanitarian missions.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/nasa-advances-high-altitude-traffic-management/
NASA’s Hubble Identifies One of Darkest Known Galaxies
Feb 18, 2026
In the vast tapestry of the universe, most galaxies shine brightly across cosmic time and space. Yet a rare class of galaxies remains nearly invisible — low-surface-brightness galaxies dominated by dark matter and containing only a sparse scattering of faint stars.
One such elusive object, dubbed CDG-2, may be among the most heavily dark matter-dominated galaxies ever discovered. (Dark matter is an invisible form of matter that does not reflect, emit, or absorb light.)
The science paper detailing this finding was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Detecting such faint galaxies is extraordinarily difficult.
Using advanced statistical techniques, David Li of the University of Toronto, Canada, and his team identified 10 previously confirmed low-surface-brightness galaxies and two additional dark galaxy candidates by searching for tight groupings of globular clusters — compact, spherical star groups typically found orbiting normal galaxies.
These clusters can signal the presence of a faint, hidden stellar population.
To confirm one of the dark galaxy candidates, astronomers employed a trio of observatories: NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, ESA’s (European Space Agency) Euclid space observatory, and the ground-based Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
Hubble’s high-resolution imaging revealed a close collection of four globular clusters in the Perseus galaxy cluster, 300 million light-years away.
Follow-up studies using Hubble, Euclid, and Subaru data then revealed a faint, diffuse glow surrounding the star clusters — strong evidence of an underlying galaxy.
“This is the first galaxy detected solely through its globular cluster population,” said Li. “Under conservative assumptions, the four clusters represent the entire globular cluster population of CDG-2.”
Preliminary analysis suggests CDG-2 has the luminosity of roughly 6 million Sun-like stars, with the globular clusters accounting for 16% of its visible content. Remarkably, 99% of its mass, which includes both visible matter and dark matter, appears to be dark matter.
Much of its normal matter to enable star formation — primarily hydrogen gas — was likely stripped away by gravitational interactions with other galaxies inside the Perseus cluster.
Globular clusters possess immense stellar density and are gravitationally tightly bound. This makes the clusters more resistant to gravitational tidal disruption, and therefore reliable tracers of such ghostly galaxies.
As sky surveys expand with missions like Euclid, NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, astronomers are increasingly turning to machine learning and statistical methods to sift through vast datasets.
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-identifies-one-of-darkest-known-galaxies/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adddab/meta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnzPNWDlSeM
NASA Astronaut Discusses Life In Space With Cranfield University
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 74 flight engineer Jack Hathaway of NASA, discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview February 18 with Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
Hathaway, a graduate of Cranfield University, is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxsFULDQ-fU
https://x.com/astro_hathaway
There's a mix up, Bakes
Several U.S. states, including California, Illinois, New York, [Wisconsin] and Colorado, have joined the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) in early 2026
should be
https://www.uah.edu/news/items/uah-rsesc-researcher-receives-nasa-exceptional-scientific-achievement-medal-for-advances-nuclear-fuel
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022311525007676
UAH RSESC researcher receives NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for advances in nuclear fuel
FEB 17, 2026
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, announced that Dr. Arne Croell, a researcher with the UAH Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center (RSESC), has been awarded NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal (ESAM), one of the agency’s most prestigious honors for scientific accomplishment. Dr. Croell received the medal during a ceremony at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) on January 28.
Established in 1961, the ESAM is presented to both government and non-government individuals for “an unusually significant scientific contribution toward the achievement of NASA’s aeronautical or space exploration mission.”
The award recognizes accomplishments that are fundamentally important to a scientific field or that enhance understanding within that field.
“Dr. Croell’s recognition by NASA underscores the world-class research conducted at UAH, the Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center and the strength of our longstanding partnership with Marshall Space Flight Center,” says Jerry Hendrix, director of the RSESC.
“His work exemplifies his great team and innovative spirit, as well as the scientific excellence that defines UAH and our Center.”
The researcher joins a distinguished roster of scientists who have received the medal over the past six decades. An internationally recognized expert in crystallography, Croell specializes in crystal growth processes critical to advanced technologies.
His research focuses include detached Bridgman growth of semiconductor single crystals; nucleation and impurities in multicrystalline silicon for solar cells; radiation detection materials; thermo- and solutocapillary convection in crystal growth; vibrational convection in floating zone (FZ) and Bridgman growth; and the influence of external fields on crystal growth processes.
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“I now work on materials for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP),” the honoree explains. “The extreme environment of NTP is a fascinating challenge from a materials science perspective.
As a crystallographer, I thought I could advance the analysis of these materials here at MSFC, employing X-ray diffractometry and other techniques to investigate uranium loss mechanisms.
In NTP, the heat from a solid-state nuclear reactor is the fuel, and hydrogen is the propellant. The hydrogen is heated up to temperatures of 3000K in that reactor; it allows a specific impulse that is several times better than chemical rockets.
A nuclear engine is not for launching; the thrust is not strong enough. It is only considered for space operations, such as traveling to Mars.”
Croell’s selection reflects decades of pioneering research in crystal growth and materials science, particularly in microgravity environments, where the researcher has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on five experiments conducted during crewed Spacelab and Spacehab missions; 11 experiments aboard unmanned Foton orbital satellites; 13 sounding rocket experiments; and three parabolic flight campaigns.
At UAH, he was recently engaged in preparing experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
“As you might imagine, NTP temperatures together with the hydrogen are attacking most materials including the uranium sources of the reactor,” the researcher notes.
“I perform experiments where we heat small samples of possible reactor materials – for example, uranium-containing mixed carbides – in hydrogen at temperatures close to 3000K in steps up to six hours.
We analyze the materials after each step with respect to mass loss, uranium loss, density, etc., trying to minimize mass and uranium losses through composition changes or small additives to the hydrogen flow.”
The process is detailed in a recent paper. Looking to the future of these kinds of advances, Croell notes his research is built on decades of foundational work.
“NTP is nothing new and was studied intensely until 1972 under Dr. von Braun, such as the Rover/NERVA program, etc., with a few starts and stops later.
Those scientists and engineers made it pretty far, and in the end started using similar materials to those we are testing now. So, to use the old expression, we are standing on the shoulders of giants.
“Modern equipment, such as those used for sintering [a process that transforms compacted powder materials (metals, ceramics or plastics) into solid, dense and durable components], and the improved analysis methods today, allow us much better insights into corrosion mechanisms, and thus devise possible mitigation approaches,” Croell concludes. “So, from a materials science perspective, I am optimistic.”
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Boeing Defense, Space & Security headquarters returns to St. Louis
February 18, 2026
Boeing named its St. Louis site the headquarters of the Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business.
The move emphasizes company leadership’s commitment to being present and engaged with teammates who are designing, producing and delivering vital defense and space products and capabilities for customers in the U.S. and around the world.
Boeing in the St. Louis region
Employees: 18,000+
Highlights:
Defense aircraft and munitions production and modernization
Advanced fabrication capabilities
Services and sustainment support
Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality and other capability centers
Phantom Works advanced prototyping and Virtual Warfare Centers
Employees in the St. Louis area also support Boeing Global Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes and enterprise functions.
“It’s important for leaders to be side-by-side with our teammates, listening to their feedback and acting to remove obstacles as we continue to stabilize and strengthen our business,” said Steve Parker, Boeing Defense, Space & Security CEO.
“The headquarters move, coupled with our senior leaders being based at and spending their time at major engineering, production and manufacturing centers across the U.S., reflects our continued focus on disciplined performance across our business.”
The change moves the defense headquarters from Arlington, Virginia back to St. Louis, Missouri, where it was located from 1997 to 2017.
Boeing is progressing on a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar investment in the world’s most advanced combat aircraft production facilities, including in St. Louis.
The site has a rich history designing and manufacturing some of the world’s most innovative spacecraft and most advanced and innovative tactical aircraft.
By aligning leadership with the workforce and investing in state-of-the-art facilities, Boeing is poised to strengthen its core business and drive innovation in defense solutions for the U.S. military and global allies.
https://www.boeing.com/features/2026/02/boeing-defense-space-and-security-headquarters-returns-to-st-louis
NASA’s next great space telescope is getting ready for launch
Feb 18 2026 - 7:29 am PT
As NASA moves deeper into a new era of space-based astronomy, another flagship observatory is quietly approaching the launch pad.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, designed to survey the universe at a scale no previous space telescope has achieved, has completed assembly and is undergoing final environmental testing ahead of being shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a planned liftoff as soon as late 2026.
The Roman Space Telescope is positioned as NASA’s next major astrophysics observatory after the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope.
It began as the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, a mission prioritized in the 2010 Decadal Survey as a top recommendation for advancing cosmology and exoplanet science.
Ten years later, the mission was renamed in honor of Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief of astronomy, who played a foundational role in establishing the agency’s space-based observatory program, which ultimately led to Hubble’s launch in 1990.
Unlike Webb, which specializes in ultra-deep infrared observations of targeted regions, Roman is designed for wide-field survey science.
Its 2.4-meter primary mirror – comparable in size to Hubble’s – feeds the Wide Field Instrument, which is capable of capturing images with an angular resolution comparable to Hubble’s across a field of view roughly 100 times larger.
That scale would allow Roman to observe vast portions of the sky with statistical power that previous space telescopes simply could not achieve.
One of Roman’s primary science goals is to investigate the nature of dark energy, the poorly understood phenomenon driving the accelerated expansion of the universe.
The telescope is expected to conduct high-precision measurements of weak gravitational lensing – tiny distortions in the apparent shapes of distant galaxies caused by intervening dark matter – as well as map large-scale galaxy clustering across cosmic time.
Together, those datasets are expected to provide new constraints on cosmological models and the growth of structure in the universe.
Roman will also conduct an extensive exoplanet microlensing survey toward the galactic bulge. Gravitational microlensing occurs when a foreground star briefly magnifies the light of a background star, revealing the presence of orbiting planets.
This method is particularly sensitive to planets in wider orbits, including cold, Earth-mass planets, and even free-floating planets not bound to any star.
NASA projects that the telescope could detect thousands of new exoplanets using this technique, filling in population gaps not accessible to transit surveys like Kepler or TESS.
In addition, Roman carries a technology-demonstration coronagraph instrument designed to suppress starlight and directly image faint circumstellar environments.
While not a primary science driver, the coronagraph is widely viewed as an important step toward future missions aimed at directly imaging Earth-like planets in habitable zones.
NASA has contracted SpaceX to launch Roman aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket. Liftoff is currently targeted for late 2026, with a window extending into early 2027.
Once in space, Roman will travel to the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. This is the same semi-stable gravitational region where the James Webb Space Telescope operates.
If schedules hold, Roman could soon begin delivering large-scale survey data that complements Webb’s deep, targeted observations.
Rather than replacing existing observatories, Roman is structured to expand the field, generating wide statistical datasets that could reshape cosmology and exoplanet demographics over the coming decades.
https://spaceexplored.com/2026/02/18/nasas-next-great-space-telescope-is-getting-ready-for-launch/
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope/
https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Nuclear Fail-Safe, and Space Security and Stability—Explained
Feb 18, 2026
NTI joined world leaders and policymakers at the 2026 Munich Security Conference to issue two new statements on reducing nuclear risks on earth and in space, and to host a side event on managing those risks in today’s global void of nuclear uncertainty.
Big thing at Munich: Two statements by the Euro-Atlantic Security Leadership Group (EASLG) during the Munich Security Conference, “Support for Space Security and Stability,” and “Support for Preventing the Accidental, Mistaken, or Unauthorized Use of a Nuclear Weapon: Nuclear ‘Fail-Safe.’”
Former officials, military leaders, and experts from Europe and the Asia-Pacific underline that “Every nation with nuclear arms bears responsibility for reducing the risk of unintended, mistaken, or unauthorized nuclear use,” and that “Without practical steps to prevent conflict in space, the danger of nuclear catastrophe—by design or by blunder—grows significantly.”
The big picture: New START, the last remaining arms control treaty numerically limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, expired on February 5th.
The erosion of arms control, disruptive new technologies, and heightened geopolitical tensions—including allegations of plans to place nuclear weapons in space—increases the danger that a nuclear weapon will be used.
Why it matters: Strengthening nuclear fail-safe measures and applying and adapting principles governing the use of outer space for peaceful purposes are essential to preventing nuclear use and maintaining strategic stability.
All for nuclear fail-safe: Seventy-five signatories representing 21 countries from the Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions agree that all nuclear-armed countries must strengthen safeguards to prevent unauthorized, inadvertent, or mistaken use of a nuclear weapon.
The signatories call on China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the five nuclear-weapons states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)) to make a Joint Statement in support of nuclear fail-safe during the upcoming NPT Review Conference in April-May 2026.
Space, the essential frontier: Fifty-two signatories representing 14 countries call on leaders of nuclear-armed nations and other states parties to the Outer Space Treaty to apply and adapt seven historic principles governing the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and support an inclusive dialogue on space security and stability to reduce the risks of conflict in space.
Connecting the dots: Nuclear weapons in space would increase the risk of unintended, mistaken, or unauthorized nuclear use and put increasing pressure on nuclear fail-safe measures designed to reduce nuclear risks.
Zoom in: The incorporation of artificial intelligence into attack warning systems, threat assessments, and decision-making processes could exacerbate the risk of nuclear use. Additionally, adversaries, including non-state actors, now possess the capability to launch cyberattacks that could disrupt nuclear command and control and early-warning systems.
Zoom out: Now with more than 10,000 active satellites from more than 100 nations and multi-lateral organizations in orbit, including for critical defense and national security interests, safeguarding the space environment has become one of the principal challenges of the 21st century.
The bottom line: On earth and in space, the world cannot afford to wait for more peaceful times to reduce the risks of nuclear use.
https://www.nti.org/risky-business/nuclear-fail-safe-and-space-security-and-stability-explained/
https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/support-for-space-security-and-stability/
https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/support-for-preventing-the-accidental-mistaken-or-unauthorized-use-of-a-nuclear-weapon-nuclear-fail-safe/
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Space_for_our_climate/Revealed_10_new_insights_in_climate_science
Revealed: 10 new insights in climate science
18/02/2026
Each year, the world’s leading climate scientists evaluate the most critical evidence on how our planet is changing.
Their assessments draw heavily on data from Earth-observing satellites – and the latest report delivers a stark warning: the planet’s energy balance is drifting further out of alignment, ocean warming is now accelerating, and the land’s capacity to absorb carbon is declining, along with other troubling trends.
Global climate indicators show growing cause for alarm. The World Meteorological Organization confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record.
This warming coincided with record ocean temperatures and sea-level rise, rapid glacier loss, low Antarctic sea ice, and more frequent extreme weather.
Against this backdrop of intensifying change, scientists are racing not only to document what is happening, but to understand the implications and communicate them to decision-makers.
Each year, Future Earth, the Earth League and the World Climate Research Programme bring together leading researchers from around the world to assess the most urgent advances in climate research.
Their mission is to curate and synthesise key messages across diverse fields of climate-change research, based on the latest relevant peer-reviewed literature to produce 10 New Insights in Climate Science.
The 2025 edition, released as both an academic paper and a science–policy report, draws on research published between January 2024 and June 2025.
This new easy-to-read guide reflects the collective effort of more than 70 researchers, incorporating input from over 150 experts worldwide – distilling the latest findings into clear, policy-relevant insights designed to support the timely uptake of new scientific evidence in decision-making through 2026 and beyond.
Sophie Hebden, ESA Climate Applications Scientist, said, “These findings are based on robust empirical data published in leading scientific journals, including data generated through ESA’s Climate Change Initiative – a major research and development programme that produces long-term global satellite data records to monitor key components of Earth’s climate system, known as Essential Climate Variables.
“Through the initiative, we transform satellite observations into high-quality data products to assess the state of the climate and know where we currently stand, to validate and improve climate models so we know where we’re heading, and to support ESA Member States with transparent information to help track progress in climate action and Paris Agreement reporting.
“Satellite datasets are a major source of information for climate scientists from around the world, with authoritative scientific assessments published periodically by the UNFCCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and annually in the 10 New Insights in Climate Science report.”
In brief, the new insights are as follows:
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Record-breaking warmth in 2023–2024 raises new questions
Although the shift to El Niño conditions amplified recent temperature extremes, natural variability alone cannot explain the scale of the anomalies. A sharp rise in Earth’s energy imbalance suggests that global warming may be accelerating.
In this context, the MOTECUSOMA project from ESA’s Climate Change Initiative quantifies changes to Earth’s energy imbalance using Essential Climate Variables to examine changes in climate system processes in response to rising greenhouse gas emissions.
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Rapid ocean warming and intensifying marine heatwaves
Sea-surface temperatures are rising at an unprecedented rate, and marine heatwaves are becoming more intense and prolonged.
These changes are causing severe ecosystem damage, undermining coastal livelihoods, increasing extreme weather risks and weakening the ocean’s capacity to absorb carbon.
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The global land carbon sink is weakening
A significant decline in land-based carbon uptake in 2023 raises concerns that more carbon may remain in the atmosphere, shrinking the remaining carbon budget. Northern hemisphere ecosystems – once considered relatively resilient – are increasingly affected by wildfires and permafrost thaw.
This insight is largely based on datasets available through the Climate Change Initiative’s RECCAP-2 project which clarifies global carbon sources and sinks.
The image below shows carbon storage change in northern ecosystems relative to 2010, with a drop in biomass from 2016 onwards. This could signal more carbon release from vegetation to the atmosphere.
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Climate change and biodiversity loss amplify one another
Growing evidence shows that climate change and biodiversity decline interact in a destabilising feedback loop, threatening ecosystem resilience and carbon storage.
Stronger coordination across the Rio Conventions could maximise synergies, avoid fragmented policies, and prioritise the protection and restoration of biodiverse ecosystems and natural carbon sinks.
Satellite observations make substantial contributions in this area by tracking ecosystem types, extent, and dynamics through various initiatives such as ESA WEED, as well as ecosystem functioning under climate change such as ESA FORTRACK and ECOMOSAIC.
The effective use of these capabilities depends on their integration with diverse complementary data sources.
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Climate change is intensifying groundwater depletion
Groundwater is being depleted faster than in previous decades, as climate change disrupts aquifer recharge and rising socioeconomic demands increase extraction.
The consequences include heightened risks to agriculture and food security, land subsidence and seawater intrusion in coastal regions.
This insight is largely based on data from the US-German GRACE mission, with more regional supporting studies using Copernicus Sentinel-1 to obtain high-resolution subsidence information.
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Climate change is driving the global surge in dengue
Dengue fever has surged to its largest global outbreak on record. Rising temperatures are expanding mosquito habitats and extending transmission seasons, compounding the effects of urbanisation, global travel and poor waste management.
Health systems are already under strain, and projections indicate further increases in risk this century.
The sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (whose international project office is hosted by ESA) supports work to understand the climate-related risk factors of vector-borne diseases, and predict future outbreak likelihoods.
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Heat stress is reducing labour productivity and incomes
Climate-driven heat stress is eroding labour productivity and income, particularly in developing countries. However, the economic impacts ripple through global supply chains and trade networks.
Projected annual gross domestic product losses are substantially lower under low-emissions pathways, underscoring the economic case for more ambitious mitigation.
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Carbon dioxide removal must scale up safely and responsibly
Carbon dioxide removal will be needed to address residual emissions and manage climate risks. However, it must complement, not replace, emission reductions.
Clear international governance frameworks, sustained research and innovation, and strong environmental and social safeguards are essential to close the growing carbon dioxide removal gap and support long-term climate stability.
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Strengthening integrity in carbon credit markets
The rapid expansion of carbon credit markets has exposed serious integrity concerns, including overestimated sequestration and weak additionality.
Reliance on low-quality credits risks delaying real decarbonisation. Emerging improvements in standards, transparency and benchmarking, along with a shift toward framing credits as contributions rather than offsets, offer a pathway to more credible markets.
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Policy packages outperform single measures
Integrated policy mixes consistently achieve greater emissions reductions than stand-alone interventions.
Approaches that combine measures such as carbon pricing and fossil fuel subsidy reform tend to be particularly effective, though policy design must reflect national contexts.
Coordinated cross-sector strategies and harmonised reporting can further enhance impact and shared learning.
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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket plume blossoms over Florida
Feb. 18, 2026
NASA has released a nebula-like view of the SpaceX/NASA Crew-12 mission launching to the International Space Station atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 13.
What is it?
SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets have been known to create dramatic "jellyfish" plumes of exhaust when viewed from afar, as their nine Merlin engines burn a mix of liquid oxygen and kerosene to generate the thrust needed to punch through Earth's dense atmosphere, resist the force of gravity and achieve orbit.
The image, captured by photographer John Kraus, provided a novel view looking almost directly up and into the rocket's intense exhaust plume as it was shaped and backlit by the furious labors of the Merlin engines.
Following its expulsion, the gas, vapor and soot expanded rapidly into the surrounding atmosphere, forming complex patterns reminiscent of a blooming flower, or a nebula formed in the wake of a supernova explosion in the moment the photograph was taken.
The mission
NASA's Crew-12 mission launched at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT) on Feb. 13, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway along with the European Space Agency's Sochie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev on a journey to the ISS.
Their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and docked with the orbital station on Feb. 14, marking the start of the quartet's eight-month stay in low-Earth orbit as part of Expedition 74.
The ISS had previously been operated by a skeleton crew of three — NASA's Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov — following the Jan. 8 medical evacuation of four Crew-11 astronauts due to an undisclosed health issue.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-plume-blossoms-over-florida-space-photo-of-the-day-for-feb-18-2026
Space Launch Delta 30, 2nd Space Launch Squadron Leadership Visit ULA Vulcan Rocket
Feb. 18, 2026
U.S. Space Force Col. James T. Horne III, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sgt. Shannan Sanchez, SLD 30 senior enlisted leader, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Malcolm Summers II, SLD 30 senior enlisted airman, 2nd Space Launch Squadron leadership, the 2nd SLS Vulcan Flight and United Launch Alliance personnel pose for a photo at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Feb. 4, 2026.
SLD 30 leadership joined 2nd SLS and ULA personnel at a horizontal integration facility on base housing newly arrived ULA Vulcan rocket components.
The 2nd Vulcan Flight is responsible for Space Force certification, launch site mission assurance and eventual fleet surveillance for launches of the ULA Vulcan rocket from the Western Range.
SLD 30 partners with ULA to prepare for a future launch of the ULA Vulcan rocket from Vandenberg.
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4408702/space-launch-delta-30-2nd-space-launch-squadron-leadership-visit-ula-vulcan-roc/
Trump envoy reports ‘progress’ at Russia-US-Ukraine talks
18 Feb, 2026 05:33
The Russian, US and Ukrainian delegations have achieved “meaningful progress” during the third round of trilateral negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has said.
The two-day talks aimed at settling the Ukraine conflict kicked off in Switzerland on Tuesday. The parties had previously held two meetings in a similar format in Abu Dhabi in January.
Witkoff wrote on X on Wednesday that “President Trump’s success in bringing both sides of this war together has brought about meaningful progress.”
Following the first day of discussions, the Russian and Ukrainian teams “agreed to update their respective leaders and continue working towards a deal,” he said.
The envoy also thanked the Swiss authorities for being “gracious hosts.”
According to an RT source, the talks in Geneva resumed on Wednesday, with the sides negotiating in a trilateral format behind closed doors.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, said on Telegram that during the first day of the talks, “discussions focused on practical issues and the mechanics of possible solutions.”
According to Umerov, he also held separate meetings with representatives of the US and Kiev’s European backers: France, the UK, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
“It is important to maintain a common vision and coordination of actions between Ukraine, the US and Europe. There is an understanding of joint responsibility for the result. Let’s work further,” he said.
There have so far been no statements from the head of the Russian team, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Moscow normally declines to publicly comment on the details of sensitive negotiations, arguing that Ukraine-style ‘megaphone diplomacy’ is counterproductive.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that the members of the Russian delegation in Geneva intended “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 of the Ukraine requires Kiev 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/russia/632698-witkoff-reports-progress-at-geneva-talks/
No time ‘for all this s**t’ – Zelensky on Russian position at peace talks
18 Feb, 2026 12:37
Russia’s stance that the Ukraine conflict can only be resolved if its root causes are addressed is “s**t,” Vladimir Zelensky has said.
The Ukrainian leader is increasingly using profanities in public statements and insulting those who disagree with his policies.
The latest verbal attack was quoted by Axios on Tuesday as Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Geneva for US-facilitated talks.
Zelensky lashed out at the head of the Russian team, Vladimir Medinsky. A historian by background, Medinsky argues – along with many Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin – that the crisis’s historical roots must be considered.
“We don’t have time for all this s**t,” Zelensky told the outlet. “So we have to decide, and have to finish the war.”
Moscow has long argued that no sustainable peace is possible unless Kiev pledges neutrality and reverses discriminatory policies targeting ethnic Russians and Russian culture.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian government is unique in trying to eradicate the language of one of the minorities living in the country.
Last week, Ukrainian Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya said her office is drafting a law banning Russian literature and books in Russian.
Zelensky earlier blasted European nations for not expelling Russian citizens. Russians “have a lot of real estate, they have children, relatives everywhere. F**k away to Russia. Go home,” he demanded.
He has also launched multiple tirades at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a vocal opponent of Ukraine’s EU bid.
Zelensky accused the Hungarian leader of selling out EU interests, said he should be hit on the head for it, and claimed Orban thinks “about how to grow his belly” instead of preparing Hungary for war with Russia.
In his recent Christmas address, Zelensky suggested that every Ukrainian’s greatest wish was Putin’s death – without naming the Russian leader directly.
Zelensky also claimed that the fact that he is younger than the Russian president gives Ukraine an advantage in the conflict.
https://www.rt.com/russia/632721-zelensky-medinsky-peace-talks/