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Japan’s Cargo Spacecraft Nears Departure as Crew Works Spacewalk Preps, Science
March 3, 2026 1:27PM
Mission managers have given the go for a Japanese cargo spacecraft to depart the International Space Station at the end of the week.
Meanwhile, the Expedition 74 crew is reviewing upcoming spacewalk procedures, packing a second cargo spacecraft for its departure, studying artificial intelligence tools, and conducting Earth observations.
JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft is packed with disposable cargo and ready to complete its mission at the orbital outpost in two steps.
First, at 1:25 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, the Canadarm2 robotic arm will uninstall the HTV-X1 from the Harmony module’s Earth-facing port and place it in a temporary parking position.
Japanese mission controllers will then conduct sensor demonstration tests on the HTV-X1 while it is still in the grips of the Canadarm2.
Finally, at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, Feb. 6, Canadarm2 will release it into Earth orbit where it will conduct three more months of science activities at a safe distance from the orbiting lab.
Live release coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. EST on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.
Spacewalk preparations are underway as the astronauts gear up to ready the space station for a new roll-out solar array later this month.
NASA will soon announce the date and name the two spacewalkers who will install a modification kit and route cables on the port side of the orbital lab where the roll-out solar array will be attached on a future spacewalk.
This will be the seventh roll-out solar array on the station augmenting the main solar arrays’ power generation capabilities.
Flight engineers Jack Hathaway of NASA and Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) joined each other in the first half of their Tuesday shift and reviewed procedures for the upcoming spacewalk.
The duo, both first-time space flyers, printed out checklists, familiarized themselves with tools and the Quest airlock where spacewalks are staged, and studied emergency procedures.
Hathaway also configured a spacesuit installing its components, checking a helmet, and cleaning suit seals.
NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Chris Williams began their shift partnering together and transferring standard emergency hardware from the space station to a docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that launched the Crew-12 mission.
Meir then moved on and assisted Adenot loading trash and obsolete gear inside the Cygnus XL cargo craft that is due to end its mission next week when the Canadarm2 grapples it and releases it for an atmospheric reentry above the south Pacific Ocean.
In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting laboratory, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov worked throughout the day using molecular beams to study the growth of high purity semiconductor materials in microgravity.
Flight engineers Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev took turns installing and operating a pair of Earth observation experiments. Fedyaev first configured photography equipment then captured imagery of landmarks across South America.
Afterward, Mikaev installed automated multi-wavelength photography gear and programmed it to capture more South American landmarks as well as African landmarks during the crew’s sleep shift.
Mikaev also continued studying using artificial intelligence tools as a way to improve crew operations and communications with mission controllers.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/03/japans-cargo-spacecraft-nears-departure-as-crew-works-spacewalk-preps-science/
extra NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/human-systems-integration-division/human-computer-interaction/earth-independent-operations/
https://www.nasa.gov/human-systems-integration-division/human-performance/fatigue-countermeasures-laboratory/
https://www.nasa.gov/human-systems-integration-division/human-computer-interaction/cross-program-integrated-data-system/
https://www.nasa.gov/human-systems-integration-division/airline-operations-research-group/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/searching-for-selenite/
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4818-4824: Thinking Out of the Boxwork
Mar 03, 2026
Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
This week we had three planning sessions, exploring the eastern side of the boxwork unit.
As a Rover Planner on Monday, I worked on the arm and drive activities, while on Friday I served as the Engineering Uplink Lead (planning all of our engineering activities like heating and managing our onboard data).
We had two small drives this week to put different targets into our workspace for each plan.
The months-long careful and systematic investigation of the boxwork unit will hopefully provide the science team insights on what was going on in this area of Mars that resulted in this interesting and unique terrain.
As we wrap it up, we are already thinking ahead to our future investigations of the sulfate unit, where we will be heading after finishing here and continuing our climb up Mount Sharp.
With three plans and short drives, we were able to do a total of 19 Mastcam stereo mosaics, getting a full 360-degree panorama as well as additional documentation of the nearby ridges/hollows and the nearby sulfate unit.
Some of the rocks in the hollows show a return of the polygonal structures that we saw in abundance prior to entering the boxwork unit, but have only seen sparsely in other hollows.
As we are entering deeper into the warmer months, the start of dust-storm season, we have also been doing a lot of atmospheric measurements.
We did multiple observations of the crater rim (to watch it fading into the haze), Mastcam solar Tau measurements (looking at the Sun to measure dust in the atmosphere), dust-devil movies, and other sky observations.
We investigated a total of four targets with MAHLI and APXS, two of which we were able to brush. The accompanying image shows the APXS down on one of the targets near the contact.
Most of the targets were not very complicated for the Rover Planners because the rocks have been mostly smooth and flat.
But our Wednesday target, “Los Monos,” was slightly under the front of the rover, and we had to do some additional intermediate arm motions to reach underneath safely.
We won’t actually know if today’s targets are on the other side of the contact (in the sulfate unit) or not until we can study the data.
Planning the short drives has been interesting, as with most of the boxwork unit drives, because we must navigate around the sand and steeper slopes in hopes of minimizing slip.
In this weekend’s plan our drive will head south towards the southern end of the boxwork unit, where the terrain smooths out a bit and driving should be easier.
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4818-4824-thinking-out-of-the-boxwork/
NASA Invites Proposals to Lease Land Parcels at Sandusky Facility
Mar 03, 2026
NASA’s Glenn Research Center is seeking proposals to lease select land parcels at its Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EST on July 2, 2026.
The parcels are part of an area of land that currently serves as a buffer for ongoing NASA operations. The solicitation includes the land parcels, any existing facilities on the property, and access to supporting infrastructure needed for a tenant to operate onsite.
The available land includes five parcels ranging in size from approximately 184 to 516 acres, for a total of about 1,736 acres.
Two of the parcels currently sit within Armstrong Test Facility’s controlled-access area. Proposers may submit proposals for individual parcels, portions of parcels, or combinations of parcels and acreage.
If selected, the proposer(s) would enter a lease with NASA using a Model Enhanced Use Lease Agreement, which provides the rights needed to occupy, operate, modify, and maintain the land for one 20-year base period and two consecutive 10-year option periods.
Proposals may identify other term options, which will be evaluated and considered by NASA.
During the proposal and review period, NASA plans to request feedback from the community on factors most important to them for NASA to consider when evaluating proposals.
NASA Glenn first announced plans to lease property and facilities in May 2024 under the government’s Enhanced Use Lease authority.
These lease agreements allow space, aeronautics, and other related industries to use agency land and facilities, reducing NASA’s maintenance costs while fostering strategic partnerships that spur innovation.
“As we modernize our Cleveland and Sandusky campuses to support NASA’s future missions, Enhanced Use Leases help ensure full use of government land and facilities while creating regional economic opportunities,” said Dr. Jimmy Kenyon, Glenn’s center director.
Armstrong Test Facility, formerly known as Plum Brook Station, spans more than 6,400 acres of controlled land. Located near Lake Erie and several popular tourist destinations, it is home to unique, world-class test facilities that support complex ground testing for the international aerospace community.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-land-lease-proposals/
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Rep. Burlison to Newsmax: Clinton Deposition Raised More Questions Than Answers
Tuesday, 03 March 2026 01:46 PM EST
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said on Newsmax Tuesday that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeatedly claimed a lack of memory during hours of closed-door testimony regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, calling the experience "remarkable."
Burlison, who sits on the House Oversight Committee, described on "National Report" what he called a tense setting as lawmakers questioned Clinton about her past interactions with Epstein and the financier's associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
"It was a wild two days," Burlison said. "It began with a very angry and, you know, defenses-up Hillary Clinton for four and a half, I think it was almost five hours that we sat through her really having no memory whatsoever … of the last 30 or 40 years."
"It just, it was remarkable."
Burlison said Clinton's repeated responses led him to question what would have qualified as memorable.
"So one had to ask the question, really, what would it have taken to even be on your radar for you to remember anyone?" he said.
He pointed to several instances he argued should have stood out, including a campaign donation and visits to the White House.
"Apparently, Jeffrey Epstein writing a $20,000 campaign contribution wasn't enough," Burlison said. "It wasn't enough that he visited 17 times and donated to the White House Historical Society, including photos with her at the event."
"It wasn't enough that Ghislaine Maxwell's … nephew was someone that Hillary Clinton had hired."
He added, "Ghislaine Maxwell attended her daughter's wedding. So all of that was just circumstantial."
"And she didn't admit having much of a relationship at all with Ghislaine. And no, almost no relationship with Jeffrey Epstein."
Asked whether any testimony from Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton directly contradicted each other, Burlison said he did not immediately recall factual conflicts.
"Not on facts directly," he said. "I would have to comb back through to see, but not that I can recall the details."
However, he suggested differences in how each described their relationship with Maxwell.
"You know, … it did not appear to be in lockstep because the [former] president indicated a close relationship or a closer relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell," Burlison said.
"Hillary, if anything, threw her daughter under the bus by … suggesting that her daughter had a closer relationship with Maxwell than she did, and her husband had a closer relationship.
So throwing both her husband and her daughter under the bus and not admitting to having much of a relationship."
Burlison also referenced an email exchange discussed during Bill Clinton's deposition.
"Now, the president said that he did not handle his emails," Burlison said. "It was handled by his body man, a gentleman named Doug Band."
"But these are very torrid emails and [includes] one in which she said that she has a crush on him and that he is, quote unquote, 'hung like a horse.'"
Pressed on whether he believed Bill Clinton's sworn testimony, Burlison expressed skepticism.
"I don't buy what he's saying because he has a history of evading the truth in these depositions," he said.
"I can see a narrative where … what he's saying could hold water and be true, but I think based on his history of lying, I don't trust him," Burlison said.
The depositions are part of the committee's ongoing inquiry into matters related to Epstein and Maxwell, and lawmakers have indicated further review of transcripts and testimony could follow.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/eric-burlison-hillary-clinton-jeffrey-epstein/2026/03/03/id/1248147/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h355lc3NfUU
Scientists Report New Quantum Teleportation Breakthrough, Toppling a Major Barrier to Practical Quantum Communication
February 27, 2026
Chinese researchers say they have demonstrated quantum teleportation under novel conditions, in an achievement that could have significant implications for the advancement of quantum communication technologies.
The breakthrough, reported by researchers at Shanxi University in China, involves a successful demonstration of simultaneous teleportation with multiple sideband qumodes—light-based carriers of quantum information that potentially offer a promising alternative to discrete qubits, which are currently viewed as the “gold standard” in quantum computation.
Having once been a longstanding obstacle to the technical realization of quantum teleportation, the successful transport of multiple qumodes in a continuous-variable system could signal a major leap in entanglement-based quantum communication capabilities in the years ahead.
Quantum Teleportation in the 21st-Century
While it may sound like science fiction, in the world of quantum communication, teleportation is very real.
Unlike its fictional counterpart, where large objects—and even entire human bodies—are capable of instantaneous travel across sometimes vast distances, quantum teleportation involves the transfer of information, rather than matter, which is carried from one location to another by exploiting the phenomenon in physics known as entanglement.
The combined use of entanglement with otherwise normal classical information has enabled researchers to achieve quantum teleportation in the past, typically involving only a single sideband qumode in continuous-variable experiments.
Such conditions rely on measurements of field amplitude and phase—known as quadratures—which assume a continuous range of values, making them ideal for applications requiring high-precision data collection.
This is important because it differs from the normal communication technologies we rely on daily, which send communications in parallel—think of a telephone, which collects audio from the voices of callers through a transmitter (or microphone) and delivers it to each handset’s receiver (or earpiece).
By contrast, quantum teleportation transfers information on a turn-for-turn basis, and achieving it across multiple channels—similar to everyday communication systems—has remained challenging.
A Quantum Communication Breakthrough
Now, according to a team led by Shanxi University researcher Xiaolong Su, the successful transmission of information, along with built-in controls, has been achieved, allowing them to demonstrate what they call “deterministic continuous-variable quantum teleportation” using several sideband qumodes simultaneously.
Their method relies on carefully tuned phases across a pair of classical communication channels in a system with adjustable frequency settings.
This, they say, allowed the team to leverage phase-control capabilities to achieve teleportation with as many as five sideband qumodes within a 24 MHz bandwidth.
By using this phase-tuning method, the team also says they were able to select how many qumodes were teleported in each demonstration, enabling an additional level of control over the setup, rather than being restricted to a fixed number of qumodes that were successfully teleported.
Passing the Non-Cloning Limit
In addition to the variable controls they achieved, the team also reports attaining teleportation outputs with fidelities of nearly 70%.
Significantly, the Chinese research team says that all instances they observed exceeded the non-cloning limit, a threshold that sets an upper bound on the fidelity of copies, as outlined in the related concept known as the no-cloning theorem.
This benchmark is often used as a boundary point for gauging bona fide quantum teleportation, as opposed to that which could feasibly be reproduced using purely classical methods.
Fundamentally, the team’s achievement demonstrates the teleportation of multiple sideband quantum states in parallel—itself a notable first—but also that the amount of sideband qumodes that can be teleported all at once is adjustable, with a little assistance from the phase of a classical channel.
“The results present a novel method for quantum teleportation of multiple quantum states simultaneously and take a crucial step in enhancing the teleporting ability of quantum teleportation,” the team writes.
The recent study, “Controllable deterministic quantum teleportation of multiple sideband qumodes,” was published in Science Bulletin.
https://thedebrief.org/scientists-report-new-quantum-teleportation-breakthrough-toppling-a-major-barrier-to-practical-quantum-communication/
https://thedebrief.org/nasa-issues-an-artemis-update-a-teleportation-breakthrough-and-tardigrades-in-martian-soil/
NASA releases image showing a UFO and it's 100% real
March 3, 2026
article will not copy
https://www.heraldousa.com/usnews/nasa-releases-image-showing-a-ufo-and-its-100-real–photo-20260303-0064.html
Uri Geller warns NASA of alien invasion after 'baffling discovery'
Updated 08:33, 04 Mar 2026
Uri Geller believes UFO sightings near nuclear facilities on Earth represent aliens "testing" technology, having forecast that an invasion is looming.
Uri has been examining sightings and purported encounters with extraterrestrial life, and is now persuaded that internet disruption and other unexplained occurrences stem from otherworldly forces.
He suggested something "major" is developing, with aliens "testing" systems, noting numerous UFOs have been spotted in proximity to nuclear installations.
In just one day in 2024, the US experienced over 10,000 flight cancellations or delays attributed to what officials described as a computer malfunction involving a corrupted database file, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
While they dismissed suggestions of a cyber attack, Geller remains convinced it was a deliberate strike - though not perpetrated by humans.
While presenting what seemed to be a UFO in the sky, believed to have been spotted recently, he noted an uptick in such sightings near nuclear facilities.
"Is this real, is it fake? It doesn't matter, this is just out now … all flights grounded after major system failure sparks travel chaos in the United States. I mean a few months ago we had the internet down, WhatsApp down," Uri began in a video on X.
"I have no doubt in my mind that aliens are testing our sophisticated, so-called sophisticated systems. This is major, lots of UFOs have been spotted over nuclear plants, nuclear submarines and so on, they are doing something, they are testing us."
He also wrote: "So Many UFO Sightings Near Nuclear Facilities!"
He also posted: "So Many UFO Sightings Near Nuclear Facilities!
"Started in 1940s, near A-bomb development sites. More recently, something has been stalking nuclear carrier strike groups. Pentagon says we don't know what these UFOs are."
This follows his earlier warning to NASA to brace for an impending alien invasion.
In 2023, upon the discovery of a massive energy source 4,000 light years away, which he suspects could be superior beings contemplating a relocation to Earth, he suggested the possibility of a "mass landing".
Uri took to Instagram to share: "A team mapping radio waves in the universe has discovered something unusual that releases a giant burst of energy three times an hour and it's unlike anything astronomers have seen before.
"No doubt in my mind that this is connected to alien intelligence way way superior than ours. Start deciphering their messages!
They are preparing us for a mass landing soon."
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/uri-geller-warns-nasa-alien-36805642
https://x.com/theurigeller/status/2028607263380758817
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Counting_craters
extra ESA
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/1118143
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Discovery_and_Preparation/ESA_seeks_your_ideas_to_advance_stratospheric_and_mesospheric_observation
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Discovery_and_Preparation/Building_a_circular_economy_in_space_ESA_studies_pave_the_way
Counting craters
04/03/2026
Craters, craters, and yet more craters: this snapshot from ESA’s Mars Express is packed full of them, each as fascinating as the last.
This view of the Red Planet – taken by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera – shows a slice of Arabia Terra, a large plain in Mars’s ancient highlands.
This part of Mars is known for being heavily pockmarked with craters, each formed as a space rock hurtled inwards to collide with the planet.
Ancient ground
The glut of craters seen here is no surprise. Arabia Terra is truly ancient. As a result, it’s had lots of time to add to its impressive crater collection – between 3.7 and 4.1 billion years, in fact.
The main image above shows just a few of these. Some are filled with strikingly dark material, others are home to lighter sands and rippling dunes, while yet others show signs of collapsing walls and worn-away rims.
The most prominent crater seen in the image, extending out of frame to the bottom-right, is Trouvelot Crater.
This crater is around 130 km across, and shows signs of being very old: it has a rim that has long since started to crumble away, uneven interior ‘terraced’ walls that have collapsed under their own weight over time, and a number of smaller overlapping and overlaid craters that have formed since the creation of Trouvelot Crater itself.
These, and other, features are all clearly labelled if you click on the image. Be sure to take a look to easily find features of interest and explore this intriguing landscape in detail.
Dark and volcanic
To the left of Trouvelot Crater sits another basin that appears to be even older and more eroded, with a wall that’s almost completely worn away. Trouvelot cuts through this crater, further indicating that this more deteriorated crater companion was there first.
The floor of this more ancient crater is nearly entirely covered in dark rock, which is rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron, pyroxine and olivine (known as ‘mafic’ rock, and often created by volcanism).
These volcanic rocks may have been thrown up by crater-forming impacts, and later moved around as winds swept across the terrain and gravity pulled material down crater walls.
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The other large craters seen here – and across Arabia Terra, beyond the edges of this frame – have similar dark deposits on their floors or walls, indicating that these processes are widespread across this part of Mars.
In Trouvelot Crater, the dark material has been shaped by wind into rippling dunes known as ‘barchan’ dunes. These are characteristically sickle- or crescent-shaped, and created when winds predominantly blow in one direction.
Mars Express has spotted barchan dunes on Mars before, such as in the planet's north polar region and near the large volcanic province of Tharsis.
From dark to light
Sitting amid the dark material in Trouvelot Crater is a sign that other processes have been at play here: a light-toned mound around 20 km long and covered in ridges and grooves.
Such mounds have been spotted elsewhere on Mars – in the nearby Becquerel crater, for example, as seen by Mars Express in 2013 and 2014. They typically show signs of minerals that have come into contact with, or formed in the presence of, water, and are usually far lighter than their surroundings.
Water is thought to play a key role in how the mounds themselves form, too, but this is still a topic of debate. The mounds may have formed in a lake or sea in Mars’s past.
Alternatively, layers of light-toned rock may have gradually built up as water in and below the martian surface (‘groundwater’) swelled upwards to mix with wind-swept sediments on the crater floor.
Decades of Mars exploration
This image was captured by one of eight instruments aboard Mars Express: the High Resolution Stereo Camera. The Mars orbiter has been exploring Mars’s many landscapes since it launched in 2003.
It has mapped the planet’s surface at unprecedented resolution, in colour, and in three dimensions for over two decades, returning insights that have drastically changed our understanding of our planetary neighbour (read more about Mars Express and its findings here).
The Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) was developed and is operated by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR). The systematic processing of the camera data took place at the DLR Institute of Space Research in Berlin-Adlershof.
The working group of Planetary Science and Remote Sensing at Freie Universität Berlin used the data to create the image products shown here.
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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/space-firms-to-scale-up-and-thrive-in-britain-with-government-backing-for-bolder-strategy
Space firms to scale-up and thrive in Britain with government backing for bolder strategy
4 March 2026
A bolder approach to space strategy will see £500 million allocated to national programmes to back high-growth technologies and help British companies scale and compete on the international stage.
Speaking today at Space‑Comm Expo in London, Minister Liz Lloyd set out a clear vision to make Britain a competitive, agile space power.
A major package of investment and reform will ensure public funding is focused more sharply on four areas that drive economic growth and national security outcomes:
Satellite Communications; In Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (such as refuelling and maintaining satellites and producing products like medicines and semiconductors in space);
Space Domain Awareness (such as tracking spacecraft, debris and space weather); and Launch for assured access to space.
A range of practical tools and support schemes for high-potential companies will complement the record levels of public funding available, to improve access to finance, develop the skills and talent pipeline, and ensure space regulation and standards keep pace with innovation.
Ministers are also open to using the government’s buying power to help British space firms scale faster – driving growth, boosting revenues and bolstering national security and defence.
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
The government recognises that the whole of the space sector – from curiosity driven science to commercial satellite services – makes an important contribution to the UK.
But to deliver growth and security for the British people, we need to take a much bolder approach to how we prioritise public funding and support.
Our vision is clear – to make the UK a competitive, agile space power. We’re allocating £500 million today, on top of ESA funding, to drive forward our priorities and will continue to work closely with industry and investors to maximise private capital flows and unlock the full potential of commercial space.
This is just the start, as we prepare to publish our full Plan for Space later this year.
In addition to the £1.7 billion committed to European Space Agency (ESA) programmes in November 2025, the government is allocating more than £500 million to national space programmes:
£105 million to develop civil capabilities for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing (ISAM) – an emerging market where the UK has a strong competitive edge and opportunities to deliver significant commercial returns and strengthen national resilience
£85 million to develop the National Space Operations Centre, including £40 million to build a new ground‑based sensing network, supporting the 24/7 requirement to protect satellites and manage an increasingly crowded space environment
£80 million to deliver the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme, including for a new £30m funding call opened today to support UK businesses developing smarter satellites, advanced hardware and AI‑enabled data delivery
£65 million for the National Space Innovation Programme to accelerate breakthrough technologies and boost commercialisation
£40 million for the Unlocking Space Programme to drive market demand for space technology, develop national security capabilities and attract private investment to support the scale up of UK firms
£37 million to develop space clusters, building on local strengths and ensuring the benefits of space reach every corner of the UK
£20 million to accelerate spaceport infrastructure development in Scotland
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Capitalising on the geographic advantage of UK spaceports and assuring access to space remains a key government priority.
The UK committed a record £162 million to ESA launch programmes in November, primarily through the European Launcher Challenge, and the focus now is on accelerating launch from Scotland.
The UK’s world-leading expertise in space science and astronomy is also backed with a £91 million injection into the UK Space Agency’s national space science programme.
A significant step towards improved coordination of the UK’s space endeavours is the merger of the UK Space Agency into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which will complete next month, bringing technical space expertise closer to central government.
A full Plan for Space will follow, setting out in detail how government departments will work together to deliver the nation’s space priorities over the coming years.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP said:
Space is vital to how we live our day to day lives, with satellites enabling us to communicate instantly around the world.
Our satellites also underpin our Armed Forces’ operations on sea, over land and in the air, and we are committed to protecting our assets in space from interference by adversaries who seek to disrupt us.
Space Academic Network Co-chairs Professor Mark Sims and Professor Anna Hogg said:
The Space Academic Network (SPAN) welcomes the integrated One Government approach and looks forward to academia playing its full role in driving sector growth through sustained investment in research and development.
Universities are central to strengthening industry capability, advancing new technologies and missions, and training the next generation of space professionals.
Overall, the UK Space Agency’s budget grew by 8% last year, with £2.8 billion allocated until 2030. This funding supports the UK’s dynamic space sector, which employs more than 55,000 people across the country, and the development of national space capabilities that contribute to wider economic growth and national security.
Colin Baldwin, Executive Director, UK Space said:
UKspace welcomes Minister Lloyd’s announcements at Space Comm regarding the UK Space Agency’s budget for the next four years, forming part of the Government’s £2.8 billion investment in the sector through to 2030.
This long‑term commitment will help industry to plan its own investments and strengthen the UK’s competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global space landscape.
The creation of the new UK Space Agency within DSIT marks an important moment to build a strong, strategic partnership with industry, ensuring that we work together with a shared ambition to deliver the UK’s requirements from, and aspirations for, space.
UKspace stands ready to support this new phase and to contribute the industrial insight needed to help the UK realise its full potential.
Alun Williams, Director for Space, ADS said:
We welcome the Minister’s announcement today of a new round of funding, which builds on the ESA CMIN25 settlement and the implementation of the One Government approach.
It provides a strong signal of intent to the sector and our global partners that the UK is a great place to do business.
In an ever more contested world, it is vital that Government recognises the strategic and commercial opportunity that space capability provides, and that funding levels are commensurate with ambition.
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SpaceX Starlink launch creates gorgeous 'jellyfish' in predawn Florida skies
March 3, 2026
A SpaceX Starlink launch put on a stunning sky show this morning (March 4), as its high-altitude plume was lit by the yet-to-rise Sun.
Sometimes likened to a jellyfish given its bulbous, translucent appearance, the effect could be seen over Florida on Wednesday after the 5:52 a.m. EST (1052 GMT) launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket lofted 29 Starlink satellites (Group 10-40) into low Earth orbit for SpaceX's broadband internet service.
The Falcon 9's first stage, Booster 1080, completed its 25th flight to space and back with a landing on the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" positioned off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean. According to SpaceX, it was the 580th landing in the company's history.
The 29 Starlink satellites added to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which is quickly approaching 10,000 units in orbit.
Wednesday's launch was SpaceX's 28th mission of the year out of more than 600 in the company's history.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-10-40-b1080-ccsfs-asog
https://x.com/weartv/status/2029238017680966041
https://x.com/BN9/status/2029225456185078078
GT 255: ICBM Test Launch Verifies Multiple Reentry Vehicle and System Reliability
March 4, 2026
An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time Mar. 3, 2026, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.
ICBM test launches help ensure the U.S. ICBM fleet is ready, reliable and effective. This launch, designated GT 255, was scheduled years ago, and was not in response to world events.
It is a key component of a data-driven program that has been in place for decades, involving over 300 similar tests designed to validate the performance of the weapon system.
The data collected from these routine tests is essential for ongoing and future force development. (U.S. Space Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi)
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4420560/gt-255-icbm-test-launch-verifies-multiple-reentry-vehicle-and-system-reliability/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4420581/gt-255-minuteman-iii-icbm-test-launch/
extra Space Force
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-03-04/cyber-space-warfare-cobra-gold-thailand-20946213.html
Ukrainian drone attacked Russian LNG tanker in Mediterranean – Moscow
4 Mar, 2026 13:39
Ukraine has carried out a drone attack on a Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker in the central Mediterranean off the coast of Malta, the Transport Ministry in Moscow has said.
Kiev has for months been attempting to target Russia-linked shipping both in the Black Sea and beyond, with Moscow accusing Kiev of “terrorism.” The attack on the tanker in Mediterranean waters represents a clear escalation in Ukraine’s war on Russian shipping.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry confirmed the raid on the Russia-flagged Arctic Metagaz vessel, which had been en route from Murmansk “with cargo processed according to all international rules” when Ukrainian unmanned boats launched from the Libyan coast struck the vessel.
All 30 Russian crew members abandoned the ship and were saved thanks to a rescue operation mounted by Russian and Maltese emergency services.
The strike was apparently the first instance of Ukraine targeting an LNG instead of an oil-laden tanker.
While a complete destruction of a gas carrier could produce less long-term environmental impact, an LNG blast would likely result in pool fires with far greater heat radiation than oil blazes – along with the risk of vapor cloud explosions capable of causing casualties at considerably greater distances.
Ukraine has for months sought to undermine Russia’s oil trade. In December 2025, Kiev acknowledged striking the Qendil, a Russia-linked and Omani-flagged oil tanker, in the eastern Mediterranean off Libya's coast.
At the time, Euronews cited a Ukrainian intelligence source describing the attack as “an unprecedented special operation.”
Kiev’s Western backers have also sought to crack down on Russia-linked vessels. In January 2026, the French navy boarded the oil tanker Grinch in the western Mediterranean.
In light of the crackdown, Russian officials have accused NATO of seeking to impose an illegal maritime blockade, warning of potential countermeasures.
https://www.rt.com/russia/633775-ukraine-drone-attacked-russian-lng/
https://twitter.com/trbrtc/status/2028920611905384702
Russia will return two Hungarian-Ukrainian POWs – Putin
4 Mar, 2026 16:45
Moscow has offered to return two Hungarian-Ukrainian nationals taken prisoner in the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
The president announced the move on Wednesday when he hosted Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto at the Kremlin. The issue of the POWs was raised earlier this week by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during a phone call, Putin noted.
“These are citizens who hold dual citizenship, both Ukrainian and Hungarian, and they were forcibly conscripted. I have decided to release two people. As the prime minister requested, you may take them with you right away,” Putin told Szijjarto.
Budapest has long raised concerns about ethnic Hungarians from Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region being conscripted by Kiev and killed in the conflict. The tensions between Kiev and Budapest over the Hungarian minority predate the Russia-Ukraine hostilities.
Budapest has repeatedly accused Kiev of violating the rights of ethnic Hungarians, limiting their educational options in their native language under the Ukrainization policies in force after the 2014 Maidan coup.
Kiev, in turn, has accused Budapest of meddling in the country’s domestic affairs, pointing at Hungary’s longstanding practice of issuing passports to ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine, which has caused multiple diplomatic incidents.
https://www.rt.com/russia/633798-putin-free-hungarian-pows/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/633782-slovakia-ukraine-emergency-electricity/
https://www.rt.com/russia/633761-dmitriev-eu-energy-decisions/
Russia continues to escalate drone attacks on passenger trains, railway infrastructure
March 4, 2026 12:53 pm
Russian drone strikes hit two passenger trains in one day, injuring a railway worker, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksii Kuleba said on March 4.
The strikes come amid intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine's railway infrastructure since July 2025. Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) said on March 4 that since the beginning of March, Russia has launched 18 strikes on railway infrastructure, an average of six per day.
"Despite all this, Ukrzaliznytsia continues to monitor the airspace along train routes in cooperation with the military. If a threat is detected, railway workers change the train route, quickly evacuate passengers from the carriages, and take other safety measures," it said.
Kuleba later reported another strike on railway infrastructure in Odesa Oblast which injured two children and a railway worker.
Earlier in the day in Mykolaiv Oblast, a Russian drone struck an empty train that had arrived for maintenance, and one worker of Ukrainian Railways was injured in the attack, Kuleba reported.
Regional Governor Vitalii Kim said at 9:17 a.m. local time that a fire broke out after a Shahed-type drone attack damaged transport infrastructure.
Ukraine's State Emergency Services reported that pyrotechnicians and chemists were working alongside rescuers at the site.
Kuleba also said that overnight on March 3, Russian drones targeted a passenger train on the route from Dnipro to Kovel.
"Railway workers quickly implemented safety protocols: they stopped the train and evacuated passengers as a precautionary measure.
As a result, the enemy drone struck a few meters away from the locomotive," Kuleda said. No one was injured in the attack, and the train continued running once the threat had passed, he added.
On March 2, another drone attack struck a passenger carrier in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killing one person and injuring 10.
Ukrainian Railways implemented on Jan. 28 additional security measures following a Russian attack on a passenger train in Kharkiv Oblast that killed five people and injured two others.
https://kyivindependent.com/f-2/
https://united24media.com/latest-news/russian-drone-strikes-mykolaiv-train-infrastructure-injures-railway-worker-16492
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4097933-russian-drone-strikes-village-in-kharkiv-region-leaving-three-injured.html
https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-experience-priceless-as-iran-war-sees-long-range-strike-drones-go-global/
https://united24media.com/latest-news/us-and-ukraine-transform-magura-naval-drones-into-ai-powered-shahed-interceptors-16506
IDF strikes major Iranian security compound in eastern Tehran
latest revision March 04, 2026 at 08:38 AM
The Israeli Air Force completed a wide-scale strike Wednesday targeting a large Iranian military compound in eastern Tehran, the IDF said. IDF intelligence precisely guided the operation.
The compound housed the headquarters "of all Iranian security organizations."
The strikes targeted command centers, including the IRGC headquarters, Intelligence Directorate headquarters, Basij headquarters, Quds Force headquarters, Internal Security Forces headquarters, Cyber Warfare headquarters, and the headquarters of the Internal Security unit responsible for suppressing protests.
According to the IDF, Iranian operatives managed operations from the targeted command centers, where they promoted terrorist attacks against Israel and the region and repressed the Iranian people.
"Iranian operatives who are responsible for managing the operation, promoting additional terrorist attacks against Israel and the region, and repressing the people of Iran were operating in the command centers that were targeted," the IDF stated.
The IDF said the compound "contained headquarters of all the Iranian security organizations." Activity by Iranian operatives was identified in the compound as well, the IDF said.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/iran-eastern-states/artc-idf-strikes-major-iranian-security-compound-in-eastern-tehran
Report: Israeli Air Force jets returning from Iran also attack Lebanon
Updated: March 3, 2026 08:51
Israeli Air Force jets striking targets in Iran are also dropping munitions in Lebanon before landing back in Israel, ynet has learned.
According to senior security officials, the aircraft carry munitions beyond those designated for their original targets in Iran and deploy the remaining weapons in an additional arena. In this way, Air Force pilots strike in two theaters during a single sortie.
The officials said Israeli fighter jets fly toward their targets in Iran and, on their return route, do not bring back unused munitions. Instead, they drop them on preselected targets in Lebanon.
The targets are provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate within minutes, while the pilots are already on their way back. As a result, a pilot who departed on a mission to Iran receives a new target in Lebanon before landing in Israel.
Such a dual-target sortie, involving two objectives in a single flight, was also carried out successfully during Operation Rising Lion.
Meanwhile, the IDF completed an extensive strike Wednesday afternoon on a large-scale military compound of the ayatollah regime that housed headquarters and personnel from across Iran’s security apparatus.
Israeli Air Force fighter jets, operating with precise guidance from Military Intelligence and in coordination with the Operations Directorate, carried out the strike in eastern Tehran.
The headquarters targeted included the IRGC General Staff, the Intelligence Directorate headquarters, the Basij headquarters, the Quds Force headquarters, the Internal Security Special Forces headquarters, cyber command centers and the headquarters of the Internal Security unit responsible for assistance and suppression of protests.
“The headquarters were struck while Iranian terror regime personnel responsible for managing the campaign, advancing terror plans against the State of Israel and regional countries and suppressing Iranian civilians were operating from them,” the IDF said.
“The IDF continues to deepen its strike against all components of the Iranian terror regime in Tehran.”
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1cotarywg
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-march-04-2026/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-03-04/live-updates-888739
other Israel
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-03-04/live-updates-888739
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/no-injuries-reported-in-latest-iranian-salvo-idf-1-missile-downed-2nd-fails-to-reach-israel/
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-888829
https://www.jta.org/2026/03/04/israel/israel-shoots-down-iranian-fighter-jet-iranian-drone-targets-turkey-as-war-enters-5th-day
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202602288143#202603049782
other Iran and not-frens
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/drone-strikes-on-aws-servers-coincide-with-fortnite-server-issues/1100-6538553/
https://www.navaltoday.com/2026/03/04/us-strikes-iranian-drone-carrier-denies-missile-hit-on-uss-abraham-lincoln/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/hundreds-of-drones-target-kuwait-iraq-saudi-arabia-uae-amid-iran-war
https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/3/4/drone-targets-military-base-in-bahrain
https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-intercepts-3-ballistic-missiles-and-over-120-drones-1.500463082
https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1185461/oman/rop/citizens-residents-urged-to-report-drone-sightings
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-iran-war-iranian-drone-attack-causes-fire-near-us-consulate-in-dubai-11165913
https://time.com/7382378/iran-war-us-consulate-drone-strike-retaliatory-attacks/
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/588543/live-nz-defence-force-planes-prepare-to-fly-to-middle-east-for-evacuations
Dozens killed in US strike on Iranian warship in Indian Ocean
March 3, 2026
Summary
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NATO units intercepted an Iran-fired ballistic missile headed toward Turkish airspace Wednesday, triggering Ankara’s protest and the alliance’s condemnation.
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Blasts were heard in Tehran as Israel launched a new wave of strikes on targets in the Iranian capital on Wednesday.
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Sri Lanka said on Wednesday that it launched a search south of the island after an Iranian warship sank in a submarine attack, leaving about 80 rescued and around 100 missing.
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The United States Central Command released an update on Operation Epic Fury on Tuesday, reporting that nearly 2,000 targets have been hit, 17 Iranian naval vessels - including the country’s most operational submarine - have been destroyed, and US forces have deployed one-way drones against Iran’s military infrastructure.
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Iran's Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei's son Mojtaba as the next Supreme Leader under pressure from the Revolutionary Guards, informed sources told Iran International.
16 minutes ago
BREAKING NEWS
White House denies report Trump discussed Kurdish forces entering Iran
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed as “false” reports that President Donald Trump had discussed a plan with Kurdish leaders to send forces into Iran, saying the conversation had instead focused on US military bases in the region.
Leavitt also defended the administration’s military campaign against Iran, calling Operation Epic Fury “a resounding success” and arguing the conflict could ultimately benefit global energy markets because the Islamic Republic would no longer be able to control the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
28 minutes ago
Netanyahu asks White House if Trump officials spoke with Iran - Axios
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the White House for clarification this week after Israeli intelligence suggested the Trump administration might have been communicating with Iranian officials, Axios reported.
Citing two sources familiar with the issue, the outlet said Netanyahu called White House officials on Monday to ask whether contacts or message exchanges had taken place regarding a possible ceasefire.
One source said the White House told him the administration was not speaking to Iranian officials “behind his back.”
49 minutes ago
Putin suggests Russia could stop gas exports to Europe
Russian president Vladimir Putin hints at halting gas exports to Europe.
"Everything now happening in the Middle East, including the aggression against Iran, adds up … producing a difficult, frankly harsh, outcome for consumers," he told reporters on Wednesday.
1 hour ago
Video: UAE oil terminal fire continues to burn
1 hour ago
Video: Caine says US has air superiority over southern Iran coast
1 hour ago
Shedding blood of Israelis, Trump is obligatory, senior Iranian cleric says
Senior Iranian cleric Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli said shedding the blood of US President Donald Trump and Israelis is obligatory for devout Shi’ite Muslims.
1 hour ago
Israeli says it completed large-scale strike on Iranian security compound
Israel’s military said it had completed a large-scale operation against a major military compound in Iran that it said housed headquarters of several branches of the country’s security apparatus.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli military said the compound included headquarters linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the Basij, the Quds Force and units of the national police, as well as cyber command centers.
The military said the site also included units responsible for supporting and suppressing protests.
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2 hours ago
Germany says Mideast conflicts not solvable by force alone
Germany’s defense minister said it is “illusory” to think that conflicts in the Middle East can be resolved “by military force and unilateral action alone.”
“We must emphasize this repeatedly to our American and Israeli friends, and we will continue to do so,” Boris Pistorius told the German parliament on Wednesday.
2 hours ago
Iran says US, UK ships carrying Israel cargo are targets
Iran will target US and British vessels and any ships carrying cargo for Israel in the Persian Gulf, regardless of their flag, Iranian state media reported, citing an unnamed commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy.
2 hours ago
Video: Iran's armed forces based in a civilian sport center
2 hours ago
Iran seeks to calm Arab neighbors amid war
Iranian officials are sending a coordinated message to Arab nations surrounding the Persian Gulf as tensions escalate across the region, insisting Tehran’s military actions are directed at the United States and Israel rather than neighboring countries.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been speaking with regional counterparts, including in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister in which he said Iranian missile strikes were aimed at American interests and did not target Qatar.
At the same time, Iran’s top political figures have echoed similar messaging publicly. President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post addressed to “friendly and neighboring countries” that Iran had tried to avoid war through diplomacy but that US and Israeli military attacks left Tehran with “no choice but to defend ourselves,” adding that Iran respects the sovereignty of regional states.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf also sought to reassure neighbors, saying Iran’s missile and drone capabilities were being used solely for “legitimate defense” against US and Israeli attacks and expressing hope that cooperation among regional countries would resume once the conflict ends.
3 hours ago
Qatar PM calls for immediate halt to Iranian attacks
Qatar’s prime minister has called for an immediate halt to Iranian attacks on countries in the region, accusing Tehran of striking civilian areas inside the Gulf state.
In a statement posted on X, Qatar’s foreign ministry said Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani made the remarks during a phone call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
According to the statement, Araghchi said Iranian missile strikes were aimed at US interests and did not target Qatar. Al Thani rejected the claim, saying the attacks hit civilian and residential areas, including near Hamad International Airport and industrial zones that house liquefied natural gas production facilities.
The prime minister said such attacks violate Qatari sovereignty and warned that they “cannot go unanswered,” citing the country’s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
3 hours ago
Turkey prepares plans for possible migrant influx from Iran
Turkey has drawn up contingency plans to manage a potential influx of people fleeing the war in neighboring Iran, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said on Wednesday, including the possibility of buffer zones along the border and temporary camps.
He said Turkey had prepared the capacity to accommodate up to 90,000 people in the event of a sudden surge, including through tent camps and temporary housing facilities.
He said there was currently no unusual movement at the three official Iran-Turkey border crossings, though a Reuters witness on Monday saw hundreds of Iranians crossing into Turkey.
Ciftci said authorities had been informed that Iran was restricting its own citizens from leaving the country, while allowing Turkish nationals and third-country citizens to exit.
3 hours ago
Iran intelligence signalled openness to CIA talks on ending war - NYT
Operatives from Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence signaled openness to talks with the US Central Intelligence Agency on ending the war, the New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing officials briefed on the matter.
The offer was made through an unnamed country’s spy agency, the report said, citing unnamed Middle Eastern officials and officials from a Western nation.
A source from Iran’s intelligence ministry rejected the report as “absolute lies and psychological warfare in the midst of war,” according to Iran’s IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News.
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'Total power cut' in Iraq as drones hit Iranian regime opponents in Kurdistan region
March 04, 2026
Drones struck an arms depot in an attack on the headquarters of an Iranian-Kurdish opposition group in the town of Dekala in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Wednesday, injuring two fighters.
The latest attacks on Iraq came as the country's Ministry of Electricity declared a "total power cut" in all provinces. It said the cause was being investigated.
Iran has long accused the Kurdistan region of sheltering militant groups involved in attacks against the Islamic Republic, with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps repeatedly targeting their bases.
US-Iran latest: America 'winning' war with Iranian navy and air force destroyed, Pentagon chief says
LiveUS ‘winning’ war with Iranian navy and air force destroyed, Hegseth says
Since the beginning of the US-Israel-Iran war, Tehran-aligned Iraqi militias have directed their attacks towards American bases in the country, specifically near Erbil International Airport.
But the scope has now expanded, with the IRGC claiming to have targeted Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups exiled in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The drone attacks come after reports that the CIA in the US was working to arm the groups and encourage them to spark a popular uprising in Iran.
US President Donald Trump has been holding discussions with Iranian opposition figures as well as Kurdish leaders in Iraq.
Mr Trump on Tuesday spoke to the president of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI), Mustafa Hijri, CNN and Kurdish news outlets reported.
Iranian-Kurdish opposition forces are expected to take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days, a source told CNN.
The opposition groups have been largely exiled to Iraqi Kurdistan and many of these factions are fractured, with a history of tension and differing ideologies.
Arming them would require approval from Iraqi Kurdistan leaders, who may be reluctant to make themselves a target of Iranian attacks.
On Tuesday, three Iranian drones hit the Azadi Camp that used to house the KDPI, in Koya, injuring one person. The Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) also said it had intercepted two drones.
Since the reports of dialogue between Mr Hijri and Mr Trump, a flurry of calls of have taken place. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Iraqi Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani discussed regional developments and the situation in Kurdistan on Wednesday.
Similarly, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), one of the main ruling Kurdish parties in Iraq, also held a phone call.
Turkey wants to avoid a potential firing up of separatist ambitions among some groups in Iran, especially within its Kurdish population, which could endanger recent efforts in Turkey to dissolve and disarm the PKK.
A statement from Mr Talabani's office said he had “underscored the need to pursue a peaceful solution” to Mr Araghchi. Sulaymaniyah, the PUK's base, came under attack on Tuesday evening, leaving two people injured.
The attack is part of a broader campaign across the Kurdistan region, including on the US consulate in Erbil.
Mr Barzani on Tuesday called on the federal Iraqi government to prevent the attacks carried out by “terrorist” groups, referring to the Iran-backed factions. The majority of the attacks in recent days have been claimed by a group called Saraya Awliya Al Dam.
An agreement on US withdrawal from Iraq provides for a presence in Erbil to remain for much of this year, even after a postponed withdrawal from Baghdad and the Ain Al Asad base in western Iraq, making the area a potential target of Iranian attacks.
In addition to the existing US personnel in the city, troops have been moved in from bases in Syria in recent weeks.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Kuwait have all come under Iranian attack since the US and Israel began launching strikes on Iran on Saturday morning.
All countries host American bases or forces in the region. A base near Baghdad International Airport has also come under attack.
https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/03/04/drone-attacks-hit-iranian-kurdish-opposition-factions-in-iraqi-kurdistan/
https://www.newarab.com/news/iraqi-militia-claims-drone-attack-jordan-support-iran
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/03/us-identifies-troops-killed-during-actions-against-iran/
US identifies troops killed during actions against Iran
Mar 3, 2026, 03:31 PM
The Pentagon has identified four service members who were killed in action over the weekend during operations against Iran.
Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa, died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, according to a DOD release.
The soldiers, who were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command in Des Moines, Iowa, were killed during an attack by an unmanned aircraft, the release added.
The incident is currently under investigation.
“We honor our fallen heroes, who served fearlessly and selflessly in defense of our nation,” Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, said in a release. “Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.”
U.S. Central Command officials announced Sunday that three service members were killed in action and five troops were “seriously wounded” during combat actions against Iran.
On Monday officials said a fourth service member seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks succumbed to their injuries. Later that day officials stated U.S. forces recovered the remains of two “previously unaccounted for” troops from a facility struck during Iran’s initial attacks, bringing the total number of service members killed in the operation to six as of Monday, according to a CENTCOM update.
Several other troops “sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions — and are in the process of being returned to duty,” CENTCOM officials said Sunday.
“To the families and teammates of these Cactus Nation soldiers: you have my deepest sympathy and my respect,” Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general, 79th Theater Sustainment Command, said in the release.
“Our nation is kept safe by folks like these — brave men and women who put it all on the line every single day. They represent the heart of America. We will remember their names, their service, and their sacrifice.”
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Khork enlisted as a 13P (multiple launch rocket system/fire direction specialist) in the National Guard in 2009, officials stated. He commissioned as a military police officer in the Army Reserve in 2014, deploying to Saudi Arabia in 2018, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2021, and Poland in 2024.
Khork’s awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 10 Year Device and “M” Device and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.
Amor enlisted in the National Guard as a 92A (automated logistics specialist) in 2005. She transferred to the Army Reserve in 2006 and later deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in 2019.
Amor’s awards include: the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.
Tietjens enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a 91B (wheeled vehicle mechanic). He previously deployed twice to Kuwait, once in 2009 and again in 2019.
Tietjens’ awards include: the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device.
Coady, who was posthumously promoted from specialist, enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2023 as a 25B (Army information technology specialist).
Coady’s awards include: the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
Additional details surrounding the circumstances of the other service members’ deaths have not yet been made available.
Iran has unleashed retaliatory strikes at U.S. military installations and civilian infrastructure across the Middle East amid ongoing bombardment by U.S. and Israeli forces.
The assault by U.S. and partner forces began Saturday at 1:15 a.m., CENTCOM officials stated, with the goal of knocking out “the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that posed an imminent threat.”
Among the primary targets of the operation were Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command-and-control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.
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