TYB
Artemis II Flight Day 9: Crew Prepares to Come Home
April 9, 2026 11:47AM
On their last full day in space, the Artemis II crew began the morning with “Lonesome Drifter” by Charley Crockett as they approached Earth at 147,337 miles.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will continue preparing for their return to Earth set for Friday, April 10, including reviewing re-entry and splashdown procedures and conducting a return trajectory correction burn.
Cabin configuration for re-entry
Koch and Hansen will begin by stowing equipment they have had out during the mission, removing cargo and locker netting, installing and adjusting crew seats to ensure all items are secured before their return to Earth.
As part of the day’s activities, the crew will review the latest weather briefing, recovery force status, and entry timeline. Throughout the day, they also will work through post‑landing operations.
Another push home
Orion’s thrusters are scheduled to ignite for the second return trajectory correction burn at 9:53 p.m. EDT to fine‑tune the spacecraft’s path toward Earth.
The maneuver will further refine Orion’s trajectory and ensure the spacecraft remains aligned for atmospheric re-entry. During the burn, Hansen will review the procedure steps and monitor Orion’s guidance, navigation, and propulsion systems.
Preparing for splashdown
As Artemis II nears its return to Earth, NASA teams on the ground are completing final preparations for Orion’s re-entry and splashdown around 8:07 p.m. (5:07 p.m. PDT) Friday, April 10, off the coast of San Diego.
The agency will continue to provide updates about the test flight during the daily mission briefing. Today’s mission status briefing is at 3:30 p.m. and will stream on NASA’s 24/7 coverage on the agency’s YouTube channel.
During re-entry, the service module will separate about 20 minutes before Orion reaches the upper atmosphere southeast of Hawaii.
If needed, a final trajectory‑adjustment burn will fine‑tune the flight path before the spacecraft begins a series of roll maneuvers to safely distance itself from departing hardware. Orion will reach its maximum velocity — approximately 23,864 mph — just before entry interface.
As Orion descends through about 400,000 feet, the spacecraft will enter a planned six‑minute communications blackout as plasma forms around the capsule during peak heating. The crew is expected to experience up to 3.9 Gs in a nominal landing profile.
After emerging from blackout, Orion will jettison its forward bay cover, deploy its drogue parachutes near 22,000 feet, and then unfurl its three main parachutes around 6,000 feet to slow the capsule for splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
Within two hours after splashdown, the crew will be extracted from Orion and flown to the USS John P. Murtha.
Recovery teams will retrieve the crew using helicopters, and once aboard the ship, the astronauts will undergo post‑mission medical evaluations before returning to shore to board an aircraft bound for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Watch live return coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Netflix, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock and Roku starting at 6:30 p.m.
Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. Coverage will continue until NASA and Department of War personnel safely assist the crew out of Orion and transport them to the USS Murtha.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/04/09/artemis-ii-flight-day-9-crew-prepares-to-come-home/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfhDuOHMp0A
extra Artemis II
https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/return-to-earth/
https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/lunar-flyby/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/solar-eclipse-of-the-heart/
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/artemis-campaign-development-division/human-landing-system-program/twin-nasa-control-rooms-support-artemis-safety-success/
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/healthcare/articles/wyss-institute-technologies-enable-breakthrough-150000796.html
https://www.stuff.tv/news/nasa-confirms-these-stunning-photos-of-earth-were-shot-on-the-iphone-17-pro-max/
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/04/the-moon-is-already-on-google-maps-did-artemis-ii-really-tell-us-anything-new/
https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/08/hot-sauce-nasa-artemis-astronauts-spicy-food
https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/09/nasa-sent-these-5-hot-sauces-to-space
https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/opinion/artemis-ii-nearly-erases-memory-of-katy-perry-gayle-king-in-space/
https://www.surfer.com/news/christina-koch-first-surfer-space
https://www.youtube.com/live/kkyUSFYrsKM (NASA's Artemis II Crew News Conference (April 8, 2026))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4FE0JocJpk (Artemis II Flight Day 8 Highlights)
NASA admits no plan B to avert disaster as Artemis II enters most dangerous part of mission
Updated 14:06 9 Apr 2026 GMT+1
Published 14:05 9 Apr 2026 GMT+1
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the return of the Artemis II team has been 'keeping him up at night'
NASA is 'making sure they don't take their eye off the ball' as its groundbreaking lunar flyby mission comes to a close - as the crew is bracing for the most dangerous part.
The Artemis II team are now making their way back down to Earth ahead of their scheduled splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California on Friday (10 April).
But the four astronauts onboard the Orion spacecraft aren't out of the woods just yet, as they've got to get back through a fiery wall of heat as they re-enter Earth's atmosphere.
The fate of NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen is all riding on a heat shield.
When the crew come blasting back through the atmosphere, the spacecraft they are in will be travelling at around 25,000mph and enduring temperatures up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about half as hot at the Sun.
As Dr Megan Argo, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Lancashire, previously told LADbible why this is a 'really, really risky' part of the mission.
She explained that when the original Artemis mission launched in 2022 it had some problems on re-entry, the heat shield cracked and the sustained a lot more damage than NASA had expected.
Engineers later determined 'gases generated inside the heat shield’s ablative outer material called Avcoat were not able to vent and dissipate as expected'.
"This allowed pressure to build up and cracking to occur, causing some charred material to break off in several locations," the US space agency said in 2024. Tweaks were then made to bolster the heat shield.
Explaining why this component of the Orion is so crucial, Dr Argo told LADbible:
"When the capsule comes back through the Earth's atmosphere it has a heat shield on the flat end of the spacecraft to try and take away some of the heat that's generated in that re-entry process.
"As it's flying through the atmosphere, you get what's called a bow shock built up at the front of it, and that bow shock generates an awful lot of heat, thousands of degrees.
"It can get to temperatures rivalling half the heat of the sun's surface, very, very high temperatures that can melt metal," Dr Argo explained.
"It can do serious damage to spacecraft and if you don't protect your astronauts inside the capsule, your astronauts don't make it through the atmosphere. So that heat shield is vital."
Although NASA has done all it can to toughen the heat shield up, one official has admitted that the return of the Artemis II crew has been 'keeping him up at night'.
Discussing how vital it is for the heat shield to do it's job properly, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said at a press conference on Tuesday (7 March):
"In terms of what keeps me up at night, my blood pressure will be elevated until they're under parachutes in the water off the West Coast. There's no plan B there. That is the thermal protection system. The heat shield has to work."
However, Isaacman did remain quite optimistic as he added: "I have no doubt the team did a great analysis, made the most of things. Most of the heat shields that we have available are not the right way to do things long term.
"And we are fixing it going forward. That's why we're increasing production rate, getting back into a good rhythm, getting a little bit closer to goodness there.
"But it is definitely an area we will all be thinking about until they're on the water."
Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA's acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, also said NASA is 'turning our attention to the return and getting the crew safely home'.
"When a mission goes well, it can look like flying to the Moon is easy," she said. "It certainly is not. "We can’t forget that this is a test flight, and are taking everything that we’re learning forward to support the next mission.
"This has been a good mission so far, and we’re nearing the end, having retired a significant number of risks over recent days, but the team remains focused, and we’re making sure that we don’t take our eye off the ball."
https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/artemis-ii-nasa-update-astronauts-dangerous-return-heat-shield-fears-652321-20260409
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/theres-an-issue-with-the-artemis-ii-heat-shield-but-nasa-isnt-worried-heres-why
even moar Artemis II
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2042030352911278191
https://x.com/NASA/status/2042011183801069751
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2041748590239084826
https://x.com/NASAArtemis/status/2042032641831002210
double dub dubs
these headlines kinda make it sound like that's the situation
NASA Artemis II Crew Preps for 'Fireball' Re-Entry to End Moon Mission
09 April, 2026
NASA Artemis II crew began final preparations Thursday for their high-stakes re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The Silicon Review reports as the Orion spacecraft braces for a 5,000°F "fireball" splashdown Friday.
NASA Artemis II crew began final preparations Thursday for the most dangerous phase of their historic moon mission: a blistering re-entry into Earth's atmosphere that will see their Orion spacecraft generate temperatures of nearly 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.
The Artemis II astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialists Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen have been in space for nine days, flying farther from Earth than any humans in history.
Their spacecraft, named Integrity, is currently on a trajectory that will bring it screaming back through the atmosphere at nearly 25,000 miles per hour.
"It's going to be a fireball outside that window," Wiseman said during a live broadcast from Orion on Thursday morning. "We've trained for this. The heat shield has been tested. But there's no way to fully prepare for the reality of it until you're inside it."
The re-entry sequence begins at 1:47 p.m. EDT Friday when the Orion service module separates and burns up in the atmosphere.
The crew module will then plunge through the upper atmosphere, with its heat shield absorbing temperatures half as hot as the surface of the sun.
Parachutes will deploy at approximately 25,000 feet, slowing the capsule to 17 miles per hour for a soft splashdown off the coast of San Diego.
NASA has positioned a fleet of recovery ships in the Pacific, including the USS Portland, which will hoist the Orion capsule aboard within two hours of splashdown.
The crew will undergo medical checks before being flown by helicopter to San Diego.
The Artemis 2 launch date was April 2, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B.
The mission marks NASA's first crewed moon flight since Apollo 17 in 1972 and paves the way for Artemis III, which will land astronauts near the lunar south pole in 2028.
"We've accomplished every objective we set out to achieve," Glover said. "Now we just have to survive the ride home. That's the deal. That's what we signed up for."
As NASA's Artemis II crew prepares for a 5,000°F 'fireball' re-entry to end their historic moon mission, The Silicon Review examines the final and most dangerous phase of a flight that has shattered records, captured imaginations, and proven that human spaceflight is far from finished.
https://thesiliconreview.com/2026/04/nasa-artemis-ii-crew-fireball-re-entry-moon-mission
https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/04/09/riding-a-fireball-through-atmosphere-how-artemis-ii-astronauts-will-return-to-earth
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/riding-a-fireball-artemis-2-crew-set-to-face-its-most-dangerous-moment-as-orion-hurtles-back-to-earth/articleshow/130140457.cms
strange upload from CNN
A silk figure floats at the edge of space
April 9, 2026
A silk-covered mannequin was launched into the stratosphere 33 km above Earth in a project that’s part science experiment, part environmental statement, according to its creators.
https://edition.cnn.com/science/video/silk-figure-floats-at-edge-of-space-ldn-digvid
https://www.thedorothyproject.ca/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zseZJBovaxM
This day in history: NASA introduces its first astronauts
Thu, April 9, 2026 at 2:56 AM PDT
On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduced its first group of astronauts to the world.
Known as the “Mercury 7,” these seven men were chosen to lead Project Mercury, America’s first program to send humans into space. The announcement took place in a crowded ballroom at the Dolley Madison House in Washington, D.C.
The seven men, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton, sat at a long table on a makeshift stage.
After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the U.S. felt great pressure to catch up in the space race. NASA began by reviewing records of over 500 military test pilots. They were looking for people with exceptional piloting skills and high physical fitness.
Initially, they chose 110 candidates. The candidates were divided into three groups; the first two groups reported to Washington. Because of the high rate of volunteering, the third group was eliminated.
Candidates traveled to the Lovelace Clinic in New Mexico for intense medical and psychological exams. From there, they went to the Wright Aeromedical Laboratory in Ohio, where they faced intense tests to see how they handled stress.
They were placed in heat chambers reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit and in pressure chambers simulating high altitudes. Out of the final 32 candidates, these seven men stood out as the strongest.
Each member of the Mercury 7 went on to achieve incredible things. Alan Shepard became the first American in space on May 5, 1961. He later became the only one of the group to walk on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission.
John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. In 1998, at age 77, he returned to space to study the effects of aging. Gus Grissom flew the second suborbital mission but tragically died in the Apollo 1 fire in 1967.
Wally Schirra made history as the only person to fly in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Deke Slayton was away from the scene for years due to a heart condition but finally flew in 1975 during the Apollo-Soyuz project.
LIFE magazine played a unique role in the early days of the Space Race by providing the public with access to the Mercury 7 astronauts and their families.
While the men were already seen as stars for their daring military backgrounds, LIFE helped build a more familiar image of them by reporting on the personal side of their journey through exclusive stories and photos.
Their coverage was so intimate that long-time photographer Ralph Morse was famously nicknamed the “eighth astronaut” by John Glenn because he spent so much time documenting their training and private lives.
https://www.aol.com/articles/day-history-nasa-introduces-first-095628943.html
little extra NASA
https://www.theledger.com/story/entertainment/events/2026/04/09/nasa-thunderbirds-to-headline-sun-n-fun-2026-in-lakeland/89506792007/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-in-the-shadow-of-the-andes/
Large Hadron Collider gives scientists their best look yet at conditions right after the Big Bang
April 9, 2026
The world's most powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, has given scientists their best look yet at quark-gluon plasma, the primordial matter that filled the universe moments after the Big Bang.
During the first fractions of a second of the universe's existence, the cosmos was filled with a hot and dense primordial soup called quark-gluon plasma.
At the nearly 17-mile-long circular particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that sits deep below the French Alps, CERN scientists recreated the quark-gluon plasma by smashing together atomic nuclei of iron at near-light speed. The project is called ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment).
The ALICE team obtained new information about the quark-gluon plasma (and thus the conditions in the early universe) when they spotted a pattern common to collisions between protons — the particles found at the heart of atoms — collisions between protons and lead nuclei, and collisions between lead nuclei themselves.
This pattern could reveal how the quark-gluon plasma formed right after the Big Bang, indicating it could be forged by smaller particle collisions than previously thought.
When scientists first started smashing protons together at the LHC, it was theorized that collisions between protons as well as between protons and lead would be too small to generate quark-gluon plasma.
However, tantalizing signs of this primordial matter have recently been seen in these small collisions as well as in the collisions between lead nuclei.
One of the signatures of quark-gluon plasma and its formation is the fact that particles aren't emitted evenly, but in a preferred direction, which scientists call anisotropic flow.
At intermediate speeds, the anisotropic flow of particles depends on the number of quarks that compose them. Baryons, particles composed of three quarks, exhibit a stronger flow than mesons, which are particles composed of two quarks.
Scientists theorize that this is linked to the process that brings quarks together to form larger particles. Baryons have more quarks and thus gain greater flow.
In new research the ALICE Collaboration explained how they measured the anisotropic flow for different mesons and baryons created by proton-proton and proton-lead collisions.
By isolating particles flowing together, the team confirmed that, just as is seen in heavy collisions, these lighter collisions give rise to baryons with stronger flow and mesons with weaker flow at intermediate speeds.
"This is the first time we have observed, for a large interval in momentum and for multiple species, this flow pattern in a subset of proton collisions in which an unusually large number of particles are produced," David Dobrigkeit Chinellato, Physics Coordinator of the ALICE experiment, said in a statement. "Our results support the hypothesis that an expanding system of quarks is present even when the size of the collision system is small."
The ALICE team compared the flow observations they made to models of quark-gluon plasma formation, finding the flow pattern closely fit models that account for the formation of baryons and mesons.
Models that don't factor in this quark coalescence, however, failed to replicate the observed flow pattern.
The researchers also found that even the best-fit models couldn't completely account for the observed flow. There are still some lingering discrepancies, wrinkles that the team thinks other collisions between particles with sizes between protons and iron could help to iron out.
"We expect that, with the oxygen collisions that were recorded in 2025, which bridge the gap between proton collisions and lead collisions, we will gain new insights into the nature and evolution of the quark-gluon plasma across different collision systems," ALICE Spokesperson Kai Schweda said in the statement.
Then, scientists will edge even closer to understanding the conditions found at the very dawn of the universe.
https://www.space.com/science/particle-physics/large-hadron-collider-gives-scientists-their-best-look-yet-at-conditions-right-after-the-big-bang
https://home.cern/news/news/physics/alice-sees-new-sign-primordial-plasma-proton-collisions
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67795-1
US’ nuclear fusion startup to build radioactive batteries for use in space
Apr 09, 2026 10:18 AM EST
Avalanche Energy, a fusion energy startup, has won a $5.2 million contract to build radioactive batteries that can power a laptop-class system for months.
The contract is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Rads to Watts Program, which aims to build next-generation, compact, resilient nuclear batteries with higher densities.
Radioactive batteries aren’t an entirely new concept. They have been around for years and have made their way even to Mars on NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity rovers.
Another type of radioactive battery is used in medical implant devices and sensors, but all these devices face the same issue: low energy density.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are used everywhere from wearables to grid-level storage facilities, have high energy densities, storing up to 300 watt-hours (Wh) per kilogram.
In comparison, radioactive batteries generate only about 2 watt-hours per kilogram, which the Rads to Watts Program aims to address.
What will Avalanche do?
The contract awarded to Avalance aims to build a radioactive battery that can power a laptop-class system for months.
However, the battery will weigh only a few kilograms and deliver more than 10 watts per kilogram of energy. This is a major jump in power output for radioactive batteries.
However, given that DARPA projects typically have defense and space applications in mind, these batteries will also need to be resilient in challenging environments, such as extreme temperatures and radiation exposure in space, where conventional electronics degrade rapidly.
Avalanche will work to build solid-state microfabricated cells that convert alpha particles emitted by radioactive isotopes into electricity (alphavoltaic cells).
This is quite similar to how photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into electricity. These cells will convert the kinetic energy of alpha particles into usable electricity, powering a laptop-class device.
Avalanche will test the battery’s operational resilience using particle accelerators and active radioisotopes. It will also lead a team of researchers from the universities of Utah, Caltech, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and McQuaide Microsystems.
How will it advance fusion energy tech?
Since Avalanche is a fusion energy startup, taking up a project that uses nuclear fission technology might seem counterintuitive to Avalanche’s core mission.
Yet the underlying physics is relevant to Avalanche’s long-term plan of building a portable fusion energy device.
During the project, Avalanche will build degradation-resistant microchips that will be used in alpha-voltaic cells and eventually in fusion devices.
“The DARPA contract represents a critical milestone in our path to practical fusion power,” said Robin Langtry, co-founder and CEO of Avalanche Energy, in a press release.
“The direct energy conversion technologies we’re developing under Rads to Watts will be essential for extracting power from fusion reactions efficiently.
We’re building the capabilities today that will enable tomorrow’s fusion systems to deliver reliable, portable energy for defense, space, and commercial applications.”
“The very same fusion machines that produce high-energy alpha particles will also produce high-energy neutrons.
The neutrons produced are also efficient at creating the same radioisotopes needed for the Rads to Watts program, creating a reinforcing supply-and-technology flywheel around Avalanche’s core fusion platform,” the company said in the press release.
Avalanche has already built its technology demonstrators but has not yet achieved a net-positive energy gain. So, a compact fusion energy device that is portable is a little way in the future. We will keep you posted if there are updates in that direction.
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/darpa-5m-contract-radioactive-batteries-space
https://www.avalanchefusion.com/news-release/avalanche-energy-awarded-5-2m-darpa-contract-to-develop-radioisotope-power-technology
https://thedebrief.org/tracking-debris-weapons-of-mass-destruction-u-s-naval-research-lab-just-launched-three-advanced-experimental-payloads-into-space/
https://www.nrl.navy.mil/Media/News/Article/4452962/nrls-advanced-payloads-soar-into-orbit-aboard-stpsat-7-mission/
Tracking Debris & Weapons of Mass Destruction: U.S. Naval Research Lab Just Launched Three ‘Advanced Experimental Payloads’ into Space
April 9, 2026
The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has announced the successful launch of three ‘advanced experimental payloads’ into space aboard the Department of War (DoW) Space Test Program’s (STP) Satellite-7 mission.
According to an NRL statement, the STPSat-7 spacecraft’s launch, which uses a Northrop Grumman Minotaur IV launch vehicle, occurred at approximately 4:33 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, April 7, from Vandenberg U.S. Space Force (USSF) Base in California.
Lab officials said the successful launch of the STP-S29A mission marks “a significant step forward in advancing U.S. space-based capabilities for the U.S. Navy and national security.”
Advanced Experimental Payloads Ensure ‘U.S. Maintains its Technological Advantage’
According to the same statement, the three experimental payloads included the Lasersheet Anomaly Resolution and Debris Observation (LARADO) instrument, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Orbiting Situational Awareness Sensor (GOSAS), and the Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet (GAGG) Radiation Instrument (GARI-1C).
LARADO: Tracking Dangerous Space Debris
Andrew Nicholas, NRL Sensor Development and Applications Section Head and LARADO principal investigator, said that the first of the USNRL’s advanced experimental payloads, which is designed to address the threat of orbital debris from rocket boosters, defunct zombie satellites, and other manmade objects in low Earth orbit, “is the next step in ensuring situational awareness in space.”
Equipped with a suite of sensors, LARADO will detect and characterize the smaller pieces of orbital debris that have proven virtually impossible to detect and track from ground observations alone.
Smaller debris traveling at nearly 18,000 miles per hour regularly impacts and damages other satellites, while larger pieces have periodically forced astronauts aboard the International Space Station to change their orbit to avoid a potentially catastrophic collision.
Nicholas said that tracking these damaging yet elusive pieces of smaller space debris is “vital to understanding the space environment.” The scientist also noted that the ability to test LARADO in space “will provide essential data to update orbital debris models.”
“These updates are important to the orbital debris research community, engineers designing spacecraft to survive and minimize growth of the debris environment, satellite operators, and policy makers,” Nicholas explained.
GOSAS: Improving the Reliability of Communication and Navigation
The second of the USNRL’s advanced experimental payloads, GOSAS, is designed to improve the reliability of navigation and communication systems that warfighters rely upon.
A follow-on to the NRL’s GROUP-C (GPS Radio Occultation and Ultraviolet Photometry-Collocated) experiment on the International Space Station, GOSAS’ mission directive includes predicting space weather conditions to protect critical assets, such as GPS and communication satellites, operating in the extreme environment of space.
1/2
According to Scott Budzien, Ph.D., NRL research physicist and GOSAS principal investigator, GOSAS is a dual GPS receiver “designed to characterize the orbital GNSS environment and produce high-quality ionospheric space weather products.”
The investigator also noted that GOSAS is “CubeSat-compatible,” further enhancing the advanced experimental payload’s versatility.
“Understanding and predicting space weather is critical for ensuring the accuracy of GPS and the integrity of military communications.”
GARI-1C: Monitoring Gamma Ray from Weapons of Mass Destruction
Perhaps the most sensitive and most critical advanced experimental payload launched on Tuesday was the NRL’s GARI-1C gamma ray detector.
Unlike astronomical satellites capable of deep space gamma-ray observations, the team said that GARI-1C will “pave the way for future defense applications from space” by monitoring Earth for signs of a nuclear explosion.
Lee Mitchell, Ph.D., NRL Research Physicist and GARI-1C principal investigator, noted that GARI-1C will ‘space-qualify’ a space quality gamma ray detector that was specifically designed to operate in the extreme environment of space.
The team noted that, since most off-the-shelf components are not radiation-hardened, understanding how they respond to the extreme radiation they will encounter in space is “critical for future operational use.”
Along with its critical primary mission, Mitchell also noted that GARI-1C offers improvements in energy resolution and power consumption.
The investigator also noted the advanced experimental payload’s reduced size compared to similar systems, which is “key to developing more advanced and efficient sensors for detecting threats from orbit.”
“Fundamental to Preserving America’s Strategic Edge in Space”
When discussing the successful launch of the STP-S29A mission and its trio of advanced experimental payloads, United States Space Force (USSF) Lt. Col. Brian Shimek, a system program manager and director for STP, highlighted the collaboration between the NRL and the DoW’s Space Test Program.
“The success of this mission…highlights how cutting-edge research and development are fundamental to preserving America’s strategic edge in space,” Lt. Col. Shimek explained.
When addressing the overall implications of the three test platforms, the team from the NRL’s Space Science Division, which regularly experiments with defense technologies spanning solar-terrestrial physics, astrophysics, upper- and middle-atmospheric science, and astronomy, noted the need to continue advancing defense technologies to address evolving threats.
“By improving understanding of the space environment and testing next-generation satellite technologies, NRL is ensuring the United States maintains its technological advantage and protects critical assets in orbit,” the team explained.
2/2
https://www.iflscience.com/operation-fishbowl-in-1962-the-us-nuked-outer-space-and-quickly-paid-a-grave-price-83128
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFXlrn6-ypg
Operation Fishbowl: In 1962, The US Nuked Outer Space – And Quickly Paid A Grave Price
April 9, 2026
On July 9, 1962, the night sky in Hawaii glowed with an eerie light from afar.
Its name was Operation Fishbowl, a sequence of military experiments conducted in 1962 in which the US detonated several nuclear bombs high in the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean.
Its goal was to determine how high-altitude blasts affected radio communications, radar, and satellites. Some also wondered whether a nuclear detonation in the atmosphere could act as a crude shield from incoming missiles.
However, in the relentless one-upmanship of the Cold War, another likely factor was that the USSR was starting to toy around with its own high-altitude nuclear tests.
To prove their technological and military might, the Americans had to get there before the Soviets did.
Under Operation Fishbowl, all of the missiles were set to be launched from Johnston Island, part of the remote Johnston Atoll controlled by the US Air Force, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean some 1,300 kilometers (over 800 miles) southwest of Hawaii.
Keeping with the tropical theme, the individual tests were given a collection of oddly aquatic names: Bluegill, Starfish, Starfish Prime, Bluegill Prime, and Bluegill Double Prime.
The most infamous of all was Starfish Prime.
On the night of July 9, 1962, a Thor missile carried a 1.4-megaton nuclear warhead into low-Earth orbit, detonating approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Johnston Island – well above the Kármán line, the official boundary of space, which sits at 100 kilometers (62 miles) above the Earth.
Unlike a conventional nuclear blast, a detonation at that altitude doesn't produce a classic fireball, mushroom cloud, or shockwave.
Because the atmosphere is so vanishingly thin, there is simply no medium for those phenomena to form. Instead, the bomb releases its energy as intense radiation and high-speed plasma, creating a strangely silent, expanding orb of light.
Within seconds of the Starfish Prime explosion, the sky across the Pacific was filled with an unnatural glow, especially curling wisps of artificial aurora, and an eerie silence.
“The visible phenomena due to the burst were widespread and quite intense; a very large area of the Pacific was illuminated by the auroral phenomena,” one eyewitness of the event wrote in a military report.
“No sounds were heard at Johnston Island that could be definitely attributed to the detonation. Strong electromagnetic signals were observed from the burst, as were significant magnetic field disturbances and earth currents,” the report notes.
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“A brilliant white flash burned through the clouds rapidly changing to an expanding green ball of irradiance extending into the clear sky above the overcast.
From its surface extruded great white fingers, resembling cirro-stratus clouds, which rose to 40 degrees above the horizon in sweeping arcs, turning downward toward the poles and disappearing in seconds to be replaced by spectacular concentric cirrus-like rings moving out from the blast at tremendous initial velocity, finally stopping when the outermost ring was 50 degrees overhead.”
“They did not disappear but persisted in a state of frozen stillness,” the report continues.
But it wasn’t just a harmless light show. The shower of high-energy particles caused significant electrical damage across Hawaii, knocking out streetlights, disrupting telephone networks, and triggering alarms across Honolulu.
Above the surface, things were even worse. Together with a similar high-altitude test by the Soviets in October 1962, it’s estimated that one-third of the satellites in orbit were broken by the waves of radiation.
This included the world’s first commercial communications satellite, AT&T's Telstar 1, which was (somewhat naively) launched the day after Starfish Prime. By February 1963, it had stopped working, with its electronics frazzled beyond recovery.
The scale of the damage is all the more striking when you consider that there were only 22 satellites in orbit at the time. Today, there are over 15,000, with the number growing rapidly.
If something like Starfish Prime were to occur in the 21st century, the consequences would be catastrophic; GPS and other navigational tools would be downed, financial systems that depend on satellite timing would collapse, essential weather forecasting would be impossible, and global communications would go dark.
Operation Fishbowl also encountered several mishaps.
The most disastrous occurred on July 25, 1962, during Bluegill Prime, when the Thor missile system exploded prematurely on land, sprinkling Johnston Island with plutonium and other nasty contaminants.
The operation was paused for several weeks, but it continued with a string of new tests: Double Prime Checkmate, Bluegill Triple Prime, Kingfish, and Tightrope.
The good news is that the world did eventually learn from the mistakes of Operation Fishbowl.
The fallout caused by high-altitude tests helped galvanize both the US and USSR with the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was agreed in August 1963, prohibiting nuclear detonations in the atmosphere, underwater, and in space.
This was followed by the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, which further restricted the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in space.
It was a rare moment of clarity in which two rival superpowers recognized together that they had crept too close to the edge, and carefully stepped back.
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Buckley SFB, Malmstrom AFB selected for Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program
April 8, 2026
The Department of the Air Force, in conjunction with the Defense Innovation Unit, has selected Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, and Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, as potential locations to site nuclear microreactors under the Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program.
This decision is a key step in ensuring the service can execute critical missions without interruption, thereby strengthening national security.
The ANPI partnership between the service and DIU aims to deploy advanced, contractor-owned and operated nuclear microreactors on DAF installations in partnership with commercial reactor companies.
It is anticipated those companies will site, license, construct, operate and decommission the microreactors.
“By advancing the use of next-generation nuclear energy, the DAF is strengthening the energy security of our power projection platforms and contributing to long-term national energy leadership,” said Nancy Balkus, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment.
“This initiative represents a critical step in ensuring the department remains the world's premier Air Force and Space Force.”
Subject matter experts from the DAF and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory performed extensive data and on-site analysis, evaluating environment, nuclear safety and energy integration.
Buckley SFB and Malmstrom AFB have been selected as preferred locations to site an ANPI reactor due to their utility infrastructure, land availability and critical mission requirements.
In the coming months, the bases will be paired with an ANPI nuclear vendor technology that best fits the installation’s energy needs, with an anticipated deployment date of 2030 or earlier.
This ANPI program is separate from the microreactor pilot program at Eielson AFB, Alaska, which is a stand-alone effort focused on demonstrating the feasibility and operational benefits of a microreactor at a single installation.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4454102/buckley-sfb-malmstrom-afb-selected-for-advanced-nuclear-power-for-installations/
very special reason for last?
Norway helping Ukraine prepare attacks on Russian commercial vessels – TASS
9 Apr, 2026 14:59 | Updated 9 Apr, 2026 16:00
Norway is assisting Ukraine with preparing “terrorist attacks” on Russian commercial vessels in the Barents and Norwegian seas, TASS has reported, citing a defense source.
Around 50 Ukrainian drone operators have already arrived in the NATO country and begun their training, the agency said in an article on Thursday.
According to the source, they are “practicing the use of submerged and surface unmanned systems in the Norwegian Sea in cold conditions together with experts of the Norwegian Navy’s special operations command.”
The plan by Kiev and Oslo is to target ships heading in and out of Murmansk, which is Russia’s largest Arctic port, located in the north-west of the country, a source told TASS.
“The Norwegian leadership’s assistance to the Kiev regime’s terrorist activities and the provision of its territory for preparation and execution of sabotage at sea directly draws Norway and the entire NATO bloc into a military conflict with Russia,” the source stressed.
The UK said on Thursday that British and Norwegian forces led an operation to deter Russian submarines suspected of “malign activity” in the North Atlantic.
According to UK Defense Secretary John Healey, a frigate and multiple aircraft monitored three subs for over a month until they left the area north of Britain.
In February, Norwegian intelligence agencies issued a report which described Russia as the “greatest threat” to the security of the Nordic nation and the whole of Europe.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the paper as a collection of “fantasies” and “baseless accusations,” stressing that “the deliberate escalation of tensions” by Norway contradicts the interests of both Moscow and Oslo.
The authorities in Moscow have repeatedly said they harbor no aggressive plans against NATO and will only fight the bloc if it attacks Russia first.
Ukrainian drones have previously targeted vessels transporting Russian oil and other goods in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
Kiev also attacked the port of Novorossiysk, which accounts for some 20% of Russia’s crude oil exports, and energy facilities in various parts of the country.
Moscow has retaliated with a long-range strike campaign of its own, targeting dual-use infrastructure, including power grid facilities and military sites in Ukraine with missiles and drones.
Russia maintains that it never targets purely civilian sites.
https://www.rt.com/news/637855-norway-ukraine-drone-attacks/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/637764-trump-weaponizing-christianity-iran/
https://www.rt.com/russia/637833-ukraine-russia-remains-repatriation/
https://www.rt.com/news/637713-israel-strikes-lebanon-iran-ceasefire/
https://www.rt.com/russia/637578-ukraines-mobilization-crisis-deepens/
Drone Strike Hits Substation at Krymskaya Oil Pumping Station in Krasnodar Krai
April 9, 2026
Ukrainian strike drones hit an electrical substation at the Russian Krymskaya oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai during the night of April 9.
Astra reported on this, which analyzed video footage from the scene.
Residents of the nearby city of Krymsk said on social media that they heard multiple explosions over about an hour.
Veniamin Kondratyev, the region’s governor, also confirmed the overnight drone attack, noting “falling debris” in various locations.
The strike targeted the Krymskaya Line Production Dispatch Station, a facility that is part of the oil pipeline infrastructure and belongs to Russia’s main trunk pipeline system.
As a result of the strike, a fire erupted at the 110 kV Krymskaya NPS electrical substation, located directly on the grounds of the oil pumping station.
The targeted Krymskaya station pumps crude oil and petroleum products through several main pipelines, including routes to the port of Novorossiysk and to the Ilsky and Afipsky oil refineries. The facility is part of JSC Chernomortransneft’s structure.
On the night of April 8, drones of the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck fuel storage tanks at an oil depot in temporarily occupied Feodosia.
This strategic transshipment facility for petroleum products on the Crimean Peninsula plays an important role in supplying fuel to Russian invading forces, particularly those conducting combat operations in the southern direction.
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drone-strike-hits-substation-at-krymskaya-oil-pumping-station-in-krasnodar-krai/
other Russia and Ukraine
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-deploys-elite-drone-unit-near-kupiansk-1775735763.html
https://defence-blog.com/ukrainian-drones-to-get-u-s-made-zeus-guided-missile/
https://www.marineinsight.com/russian-drone-hits-ukraines-key-danube-port-of-izmail-damaging-infrastructure/
https://censor.net/en/news/3609677/two-thermal-power-plant-workers-injured-in-kherson-drone-strike
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4110719-nova-poshta-branch-destroyed-by-drone-attack-in-zaporizhzhia-region.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4110911-russian-drone-attacks-civilian-car-in-ruska-lozova-killing-one-person.html
https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-s-drone-line-units-strike-every-fourth-1775751016.html
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/04/09/ukraines-drone-forces-destroy-9th-tor-m1-in-9-days-in-occupied-donetsk-oblast/
https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/news/ukraine-russian-drone-strikes-historic-19th-century-building-in-kharkiv-region
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/38767938/cat-dog-flown-safety-ukrainian-drone-save-russian-troops/
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/73593
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-04-09/live-updates-892404
https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/iran-israel-war-2026/iran-israel-war-2026-live-updates-1/april-8-2026-iran-israel-war-2026-live-updates-1/
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hezbollah-may-fire-rockets-at-additional-areas-in-israel-warns-idf/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hezbollah-rocket-fire-on-israel-proves-lebanon-lied-about-disarming-group-says-idf/
https://zeenews.india.com/world/idf-says-hezbollah-chief-s-nephew-killed-in-beirut-strike-amid-rising-tensions-3035509.html
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-hezbollah-salvo-targeted-nahariya-rockets-fell-in-open-areas/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-says-soldiers-killed-hezbollah-operative-seized-arms-in-south-lebanon-tunnel/
https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/idf-says-hezbollah-leaders-personal-secretary-ali-yusuf-harshi-killed-in-beirut-strike
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/idf-updates-nationwide-defensive-guidelines
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-892508
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjtg3gb311g
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bywwmvs2be
Live Updates: Netanyahu announces Israel to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon, US-Iran ceasefire holds
April 9, 2026
IDF kills Hezbollah chief's secretary • US military to stay in region until ceasefire complied with • Israeli arrested in Iranian plot to assassinate former PM Bennett
April 9, 8:55 PM
Title: IDF warns of expanded Hezbollah rocket attacks
The IDF on Thursday evening warned that Israeli citizens should prepare for possible rocket launches from Lebanese territory that extend past the Confrontation Line and border areas.
This comes shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would hold peace talks with Lebanon in the coming days.
April 9, 7:21 PM
Netanyahu initiates direct negotiations with Lebanon on disarming Hezbollah, establishing peace
"Negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations," the PM said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced that his cabinet would begin ceasefire and Hezbollah disarmament talks with Lebanon "as soon as possible," in light of the current active warfront between the IDF and Hezbollah and the upcoming peace talks with Iran in Islamabad.
"The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon," the prime minister said.
This announcement came just minutes before Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets, triggering sirens in northern Israel.
April 9, 7:20 PM
‘Forgetting the people’: Iranians fear regime will become more brutal after ceasefire
“As Kurdish people, we have opposed the Islamic regime in Iran for nearly five decades."
Iranians fear that the two-week ceasefire could stall momentum to topple the Islamic regime, potentially emboldening authorities and worsening repression, diaspora-based Iranians told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Kako Aliyar, a member of the leadership committee of the Kurdish Iranian opposition party Komala, who fled Iran at age 16 and joined the Kurdish opposition at 18, said that while war “is never desirable,” there was “no viable alternative” to removing the Islamic regime.
The war “inevitably carries risks for civilians,” but so too does the regime’s “killing, torturing, and persecution” of its own population, he continued.
April 9, 7:19 PM
Continued IDF ops. in Lebanon will ruin Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Iranian officials claim
"Continuation of these aggressions will render negotiations meaningless," Iran's president said.
Israel's strikes in Lebanon are a "blatant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a Thursday post on X/Twitter.
"The repeated aggression by the Zionist entity against Lebanon is a…dangerous sign of deception and lack of commitment to potential future agreements," Pezeshkian added, implying that the peace talks in Islamabad could be negatively impacted by the IDF's actions in Lebanon.
"The continuation of these aggressions will render negotiations meaningless. Our finger remains on the trigger. Iran will never abandon its Lebanese brothers and sisters," the Iranian president wrote.
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April 9, 7:18 PM
Nearly 30,000 property damage claims filed since start of Operation Roaring Lion
The fast-track program for damage claims can be made only for damages less than 30,000 NIS.
Almost 30,000 property damage claims have been filed by Israelis since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, the Tax Authority said on Thursday.
According to the Tax Authority, 65 compensation fund teams are currently operating across the country to assist civilians whose homes and property have been damaged in the war. A property tax team is also active in hotels throughout Israel, assisting evacuees.
A total of 28,237 property damage claims have been filed since the start of the war, including 18,408 for damage to a structure, 6,617 for damage to a vehicle, 2,594 for damage to a structure's content and equipment, and 618 for other damages.
April 9, 6:28 PM
Trump asks Netanyahu to scale back Lebanon strikes - report
US President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back Israel’s strikes in Lebanon in a phone conversation on Wednesday, NBC News reported on Thursday.
NBC cited an unnamed senior administration official as saying that Trump made the request to help ensure the success of negotiations with Iran.
April 9, 5:58 PM
Nearly 30,000 property damage claims filed since start of Operation Roaring Lion
According to the Tax Authority, 65 compensation fund teams are currently operating across the country to assist civilians whose homes and property have been damaged in the war.
Almost 30,000 property damage claims have been filed by Israelis since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, the Tax Authority said on Thursday.
According to the Tax Authority, 65 compensation fund teams are currently operating across the country to assist civilians whose homes and property have been damaged in the war. A property tax team is also active in hotels throughout Israel, assisting evacuees.
April 9, 5:21 PM
Lebanon's hospitals may run out of vital medical supplies within days, says WHO
Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday after launching its largest attacks of the war on Wednesday.
Some of Lebanon's hospitals could run out of life-saving trauma medical kits within days as supplies near depletion following mass casualties from large-scale Israeli strikes over the past day, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
The life-saving trauma kits include bandages, antibiotics, and anesthetics to treat patients who sustained war-related injuries, the WHO stated.
"Some of the trauma management supplies were in short [supply], and we may run out in a few days," Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO's representative in Lebanon, told Reuters.
April 9, 5:16 PM
IDF's 98th Division gains control over Hezbollah-ridden town in southern Lebanon
Per Israeli media citing the IDF's estimates, there are at least several dozen Hezbollah terrorists located in the town, including Radwan Force operatives.
The IDF's 98th Division is on the verge of gaining operational control over the town of Bint Jbail in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Thursday, according to Israeli media.
Per Israeli media citing the IDF's estimates, there are at least several dozen Hezbollah terrorists located in the town, including Radwan Force operatives. It has reportedly been a Hezbollah stronghold for several years, and the terror group's hold on the area has gotten tighter in the last year and a half, according to Israeli media.
Since Thursday morning, Hezbollah has fired about 50 rockets toward Israel, approximately 40 of which crossed into Israeli territory and were subsequently intercepted. According to Israeli media, citing Lebanese reports, 17 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday.
April 9, 5:16 PM
'Not buying it': Nearly half of Israelis say Israel and US did not win Iran war, poll finds
A new Walla and Maariv poll found that many Israelis are unconvinced by claims of victory over Iran, with broad dissatisfaction over the war’s outcome and mixed views on political leadership.
The Israeli public is deeply divided over the question of victory in the war with Iran, according to a Walla and Maariv poll published on Thursday.
According to the poll, the public is not buying the “image of victory” when it comes to Iran. Despite the ceasefire, it appears that most Israelis do not feel a sense of victory in the direct campaign against Iran.
Forty-six percent of respondents believe that Israel and the United States did not win the war. Only 22% of the public believes that victory was achieved.
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https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604067622
other Iran and not frens
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2639361/middle-east
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/artc-iranian-hackers-publish-dozens-of-photos-of-former-israeli-chief-of-staff
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/venezuela-iran-missile-system-2020-memo-00863522
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/9/has-irans-10-point-plan-changed-as-jd-vance-claims
https://www.usccb.org/news/2026/us-seeks-negotiated-end-war-iran-bishop-zaidan-calls-peace-and-humanitarian-assistance
https://time.com/article/2026/04/09/by-hosting-u-s–iran-talks-pakistan-eyes-an-unlikely-rebrand-as-peace-broker/
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/04/09/recriminations-over-iran-have-heightened-the-risk-of-a-break-up-of-nato
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zseGQuzfqP0 (Iranian Foreign Minister tells us Strait of Hormuz is open | Full interview)
Khamenei vows revenge as Trump warns of 'painful' outcome if no deal reached
April 9, 2026
Summary
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A long message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to “not let go” of attackers, seek compensation and “avenge” the dead, warned it would take Hormuz Strait “to a new phase,” and urged Arab neighbors to “stand in the right place” and turn away from Western powers.
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Iran's leaders are "agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military. If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful,” Trump told NBC on Thursday.
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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran may consider entering negotiations with the United States if Washington stops what he described as repeated violations of commitments, while warning that hostilities could resume otherwise.
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Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has entered its 41st day, with disruption exceeding 960 hours, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
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Iran’s nuclear chief said on Thursday that demands by adversaries to limit the country’s uranium enrichment program would fail.
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No Iraqi oil tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire between Iran and the United States was announced, Iraq’s oil ministry said on Thursday.
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The Strait of Hormuz has been fully closed, forcing oil tankers to turn back, Iran's state-run Press TV reported on Wednesday.
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Vice President JD Vance said Tehran’s negotiators thought the US-Iran ceasefire agreed on Tuesday included Lebanon, but Washington had in fact not agreed to that.
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Iran’s parliamentary speaker said several key clauses of Tehran’s proposed framework for negotiations with the United States have already been violated, casting doubt on the basis for talks expected to begin in Pakistan.
22 minutes ago
Iran says 53 foreign journalists highlighted its military strength during war
“Fifty-three prominent journalists from around the world entered Iran during the war and produced reports for global audiences that were fully aligned with Iran’s legitimacy and strength," media deputy of Iran's culture minister said Thursday.
"These reports were so impactful that they upset Trump’s team… leading them to impose restrictions on the journalists," Mohammad-Reza Norouzpour said.
33 minutes ago
Iran 'holds all the aces', cleric says in card-game taunt at Trump
Mojtaba Khamenei vows revenge, signals Hormuz shift, warns Arab neighbors
A long message attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to “not let go” of attackers, seek compensation and “avenge” the dead, warned it would take Hormuz Strait “to a new phase,” and urged Arab neighbors to “stand in the right place” and turn away from Western powers.
“Everyone must know that, God willing, we will certainly not let go of the criminal aggressors who attacked our country. We will definitely seek compensation for every damage inflicted, as well as blood money for the martyrs and compensation for the wounded of this war," said the message marking the 40th day after Ali Khamenei’s death.
“The nation… will keep alive in its heart a firm determination to avenge the blood of [the leader] and all those killed in the imposed wars.”
Addressing the Islamic Republic's supporters, Khamenei said, “It should not be assumed that announcing an intention to negotiate with the enemy means there is no need for a presence in the streets."
"On the contrary, even if, hypothetically, a period of silence on the military battlefield becomes necessary, the duty of all people who can be present in squares, neighborhoods, and mosques appears heavier than before. Your chants in the streets are effective in shaping the outcome of negotiations.”
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1 hour ago
Trump says Iran agreeing to everything, warns of ‘painful’ blow without deal
Iran’s leaders “talk much differently when you’re at a meeting than they do to the press. They’re much more reasonable,” US President Donald Trump said during a phone interview with NBC News.
“They’re agreeing to all the things that they have to agree to. Remember, they’ve been conquered. They have no military. If they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be very painful,” Trump added.
Trump also said he was “very optimistic” a peace deal with Iran was within reach.
1 hour ago
Trump says will have very good deal with Iran, Netanyahu 'on board' with it
"We are going to have a very successfull agreement. It's gonna be very good, everything's gonna work out very good," US President Donald Trump said on Thursday in a phone call interview with Israeli journalist Neria Kraus.
Asked about the Israeli prime minister, Trump said, "Netanyahu is on board with the agreement."
1 hour ago
Iran says Hormuz remains closed until full Lebanon ceasefire achieved - Fars
Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited an informed source as saying that the Islamic Republic rules out negotiations with Washington and keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed until a full ceasefire is established in Lebanon.
“One of the operational options on the table is keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed. According to data and field monitoring, it has been clear since this morning that this strategic maritime route remains closed, and this situation will continue until a full ceasefire with Lebanon is achieved," the source was quoted as saying.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly dropped since the start of the Iran war. On April 7, only five ships crossed the strait, according to MarineTraffic data.
2 hours ago
Iran’s Ghalibaf says talks possible if US halts ceasefire violations
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran may consider entering negotiations with the United States if Washington stops what he described as repeated violations of commitments, while warning that hostilities could resume otherwise.
“From now on, if the United States does not continue violating its commitments, it may be possible for us to enter negotiations; otherwise, we will restart the fire," Ghalibaf said, following Iran's condemnation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon's Hezbollah as a violation of the ceasefire.
Ghalibaf, who will likely head Iran's delegation in planned talks with the United States scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad, made the remarks in a message marking the 40th day since the killing of Iran’s supreme leader.
He added that Iran’s armed forces and the public were prepared for such a scenario.
Ghalibaf framed recent developments as a strategic gain for Tehran, describing what he called a shift in Washington’s position.
“We did not agree to negotiate with the United States under Trump’s ultimatum, and at that time he was forced, in order to control his country’s market, to falsely speak of negotiations with Iran and extend his ultimatum three times."
“The acceptance of Iran's 10-point plan as the framework of talks was not achieved through negotiation, but through an exchange of texts,” Ghalibaf said.
“Today we are witnessing part of this sense of victory. The arrogant US president’s historic retreat, abandoning the United States’ plan and accepting the generalities of the Islamic Republic’s 10-point plan — in which Iran’s rights are explicitly stated — is an undeniable victory for Islamic Iran in this civilizational war,” he said.
However, he cautioned that the outcome remained incomplete.
“We consider this victory only a first and unfinished step,” he said. “We do not believe in separating the field from diplomacy. We have only one field: defending the rights of the Iranian people. These rights are achieved either through military struggle or through diplomatic struggle — and together they lead us to success.”
2 hours ago
First round of Israel-Lebanon talks slated to be held in Washington - Axios
Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will begin next week, with the first meeting slated to be held at State Department in Washington, Axios reported citing a senior Israeli official.
Lebanon needs the United States as the guarantor of any deal with Israel, Reuters reported citing a senior Lebanese official.
3 hours ago
Iran says Mojtaba Khamenei ‘in full health, in control of everything’
Iran's deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Thursday Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "is well and in full health, is present in his office, and is in fact in control of everything."
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Drone strike kills over 40 at wedding in North Darfur’s Kutum
9 April 2026
More than 40 people, including members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were killed Wednesday evening in a drone strike on a social gathering in Kutum, North Darfur.
Kutum has been under RSF control since the early months of the conflict that began in April 2023. The town has faced repeated drone strikes, suspected to be carried out by the Sudanese army, targeting RSF positions, the local rural hospital, and the main market.
Local sources told Sudan Tribune that at least 40 people died and over 100 were injured when a drone hit a home during a wedding ceremony in the Al-Salam neighbourhood.
The strike reportedly destroyed dozens of houses, leaving many families displaced.
Alaeddine Naqd, spokesperson for the “Tasis” coalition, a political body aligned with the RSF, claimed in a statement that a Sudanese army drone strike killed 56 people, including 17 children, and wounded 107 others.
Naqd described the attack as an extension of the army’s “racist approach” and called on Sudanese citizens to denounce the armed forces and support the coalition to end what he termed “terrorism.”
The bombing in Kutum coincided with rising internal tensions within the RSF.
Military sources reported that the RSF leadership in North Darfur moved to disarm a prominent local field commander in Kutum over suspicions regarding his loyalty to Mahameed tribal leader Musa Hilal.
A large military force arrived from El Fasher to enforce the disarmament and arrest the commander. However, he refused to surrender his weapons and sought protection from his kinsmen, sparking fears of internal clashes within the RSF.
Relations between the RSF and Musa Hilal have deteriorated sharply in recent months. On February 22, Hilal survived an RSF drone strike targeting his guest house in Misteriya.
Following that incident, the RSF launched a ground offensive to seize the Mahameed stronghold of Misteriya. Hilal subsequently withdrew to Al Dabbah in Northern State before travelling to Khartoum.
Since the takeover of Misteriya, the RSF has been accused of committing abuses against members of the Mahameed tribe in North and West Darfur, including killings, arrests, and strict surveillance of tribal members serving within RSF ranks.
https://sudantribune.com/article/312585