TYB
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_Space_Warps_help_spot_galaxies_bending_spacetime
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/04/ESA_School_Days_2026_A_week_of_space_and_science/(lang)/it
https://www.esa.int/Education/AstroPI/A_stellar_milestone_Astro_Pi_programs_on_their_way_to_the_ISS
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Turning_data_from_space_into_action_for_Earth
Euclid Space Warps: help spot galaxies bending spacetime
21/04/2026
In brief
With the launch of Space Warps, a new citizen science project on the Zooniverse platform, you can now join in the search to find rare and elusive strong gravitational lenses in never-before-seen images captured by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope.
The project aims at shining a light on dark matter in galaxies and providing clues about mysterious dark energy.
In-depth
Warps in spacetime do not only show up in science fiction movies like Interstellar. In real life, we can see the warping effect that gravity has on spacetime in the form of gravitational lensing.
The enormous gravity of a massive object – such as a galaxy or cluster of galaxies – distorts the shape of spacetime and can bend the light rays coming from a distant galaxy behind. By warping spacetime, the foreground galaxy acts like a magnifying glass.
Light from the background object that would be obscured doesn’t travel in a straight line anymore. Instead, it curves around the intervening mass, often producing multiple images, stretched arcs, or even a complete ring known as ‘Einstein ring’, like the one recently discovered by Euclid.
Strong gravitational lenses offer a striking demonstration of Einstein’s theory of general relativity, showing that matter in the Universe can act as a natural telescope, bringing distant objects into sight.
ESA’s Euclid telescope is revolutionising the studies of strong gravitational lensing by providing very sensitive imaging over large swaths of the sky in unprecedented detail. This is exactly what is needed to identify rare gravitational lenses.
In March 2025, 500 galaxy-galaxy strong lenses were found nestled in just the first 0.04% of Euclid data, most of them previously unknown. This pioneering catalogue was created thanks to the combined effort from citizen scientists, artificial intelligence (AI) and researchers.
Early glimpse of new Euclid images
As Euclid continues its survey, sending around 100 GB of data back to Earth every day, ESA and the Euclid Consortium once again need help from citizen scientists to identify strong gravitational lenses in a large data set.
For this, the Space Warps team has launched a citizen science project based on new Euclid images, which will be part of the future Euclid Data Release 1. While this data is not public yet, by participating in this new citizen science project you can get an early glimpse of these new images of galaxies captured by the telescope.
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For this project, you will be inspecting new high quality imaging data from Euclid in which many previously unknown strong lenses are hiding.
About 300 000 images pre-selected by AI algorithms will be shown, which are fine-tuned with the results from the initial citizen-science Euclid strong lens search.
These are the highest ranked candidates from a whopping 72 million galaxies from DR1 that were classified by the AI algorithms. Scientists expect that this exquisite high-quality data will reveal more than 10 000 new lenses.
What can we learn from strong lenses
The Euclid mission explores how the Universe has expanded and how its structure has changed through cosmic history using mainly two methods: weak lensing and baryonic acoustic oscillations.
From this, scientists can learn more about the role of gravity and the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Strong gravitational lenses can also provide insights into these central questions. For example, strong lensing features can ‘weigh’ individual galaxies and clusters of galaxies.
This reveals the total matter (whether dark or light) and traces the distribution of dark matter. By studying strong lenses across cosmic time, scientists can trace the expansion of the Universe and its apparent acceleration.
This will provide additional insight into the role of dark energy.
“We’ve already seen the success of combining AI with visual inspection by citizen volunteers and scientists on Space Warps, efficiently finding hundreds of high‑probability lens candidates in an initial small Euclid search in 2024”, explains Aprajita Verma, Space Warps’ co-founder and project lead at the University of Oxford, UK.
“In this brand new DR1 data, 30 times larger than the initial search and together with our improved AI algorithms, we are expecting to find more than 10 000 high quality lens candidates.
This is more than four times the number of lenses than we have been able to find since the first gravitational lens was discovered nearly 50 years ago.”
This step-change is possible thanks to Euclid. The mission can map large areas of the sky with unique sharpness, an ideal combination for finding rare objects like strong gravitational lenses.
“We can’t wait to see what we will find within this unprecedented dataset. Join us on Space Warps to take part in this exciting search!” concludes Aprajita.
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Space Force Sets Up Office to Coordinate Cislunar Programs
April 22, 2026
The Space Force announced April 16 the establishment of a Cislunar Coordination Office to manage and craft a roadmap for the service’s nascent deep-space missions under the leadership of Jaime Stearns.
In a speech at the Space Symposium here, Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, senior advisor to the Air Force Secretary for space acquisition, announced the new civilian-led office.
“Let’s get these program management individuals and engineers together,” Purdy said. “We will build the roadmaps, we will build the scheduling, we will absolutely be looking to partner with industry.”
Stearns has held several program management roles within the Air Force Research Laboratory and most recently led strategic communications in the Space Rapid Capabilities Office.
She previously led an AFRL project called Oracle that aims to launch several cislunar domain awareness satellites in the coming years.
Cislunar space is generally defined as the region beyond geosynchronous orbit extending to the moon and even further. An Air Force Research Laboratory fact sheet describes its volume as being 1,728 times that of geosynchronous orbit.
While much of the U.S. government’s lunar focus today is centered on NASA and its push to return astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis program, the Defense Department has a handful of programs aimed at better understanding cislunar space.
The Space Force hasn’t dedicated significant funding to these efforts, but the creation of the Cislunar Coordination Office indicates the service is thinking more seriously about its role in the region.
Officials have said that shift is linked to a White House executive order, released in January, that describes the military’s space responsibilities as extending from very low Earth orbit to cislunar and calls for more investment in deep-space navigation capabilities.
Speaking with reporters in February at AFA’s Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo., Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said the executive order’s mention of cislunar operations is significant.
“Just having that discussion at that level is tremendous for us,” Saltzman said. “It helps with resources. … As U.S. interests go further and further into space, there’s going to be a need to protect and defend those interests.”
The Space Force’s new coordination office will partner with other entities like the intelligence community and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, but Purdy said it will work most closely with NASA.
“NASA has obviously got quite an accelerating plan going on there,” he said. “They have quite a lot of activity, from a [positioning, navigation, and timing] and comms perspective.
They own that mission, so we look forward to partnering with them and then getting out to industry and figuring out how you can plug in there.”
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-sets-up-office-to-coordinate-cislunar-programs/
other Space Force
https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/4465962/s4s-commander-at-space-symposium-space-as-a-warfighting-domain-has-been-establi/
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4466754/award-winning-performance-of-support-roles-across-the-delta/
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4465543/budget-request-directs-record-3388-billion-to-air-force-and-space-force-to-meet/
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4465939/space-coast-leads-the-way-as-250-students-take-oath-of-enlistment/
Space and the Future of Warfare with Gen. Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command
Apr 21, 2026
Please join the CSIS Aerospace Security Project on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, for the inaugural event of the Space Strategic Dialogue—a new initiative examining the most consequential trends and challenges shaping the space domain.
The event will open with a fireside chat featuring General Stephen N. Whiting, Commander of United States Space Command, who will discuss the evolving role of space effects in modern warfare, key trends in the space security landscape, and how U.S. space operations are informing priorities for capabilities and investment.
The fireside chat will be followed by a panel of government and industry experts who will share their perspectives on these security developments—what they’re seeing, why it matters, and what it means for U.S. policy, operations, and capability investments. Brig. Gen. (Retired) Scott Stapp, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Revenue Officer, DEFCON AI, will moderate this conversation with Tony Frazier, CEO, LeoLabs; Even Rogers, CEO, True Anomaly; Chirag Parikh, Founder and President of Indutara Space LLC, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary of the White House National Space Council; and Mike Gancio, Director of Analysis, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Space.
To ground the discussions, the event will feature a set of visual vignettes designed to make space activities more accessible and understandable.
These include real-world examples of satellite maneuvering and on-orbit behavior, as well as efforts to disrupt space-enabled military advantages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYdyIYDUOvk
https://x.com/csis
Ukrainian drone strike wrecks Russian apartment block, killing two – governor
22 Apr, 2026 09:34 | Updated 22 Apr, 2026 09:34
Two people were killed and at least 12 others injured when a Ukrainian drone strike led to the partial collapse of an apartment block in the city of Syzran in Russia’s Samara Region, local authorities have said.
The bodies of a woman and a child were recovered from the rubble of the four-story building, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev wrote in a post on Max on Wednesday morning.
Two of the injured required hospitalization, while the rest received treatment on site, he added.
“I express my sincere condolences to those who lost their loved ones. We’re seeing another inhumane criminal act against civilians,” the governor said.
The local emergencies ministry said earlier that there were at least two children among the wounded.
Some 300 rescuers and more than 80 units of specialized equipment had been involved in the search and rescue operation, which went on for several hours, according to the ministry.
A fire broke out in another multi-story apartment block in the same area of Syzran as result of a UAV attack, Shot Telegram channel reported.
There were no injuries and the blaze was being extinguished at the time the story was posted. Two cars parked outside were destroyed by fire due to being hit by debris from the drone, according to the channel.
Syzran, with a population of approximately 165,000, is the third largest city in Samara Region. It is located on the right bank of the Saratov Reservoir on the Volga River.
Russia was subject to another major Ukrainian drone attack overnight, with the Defense Ministry in Moscow saying that a total of 155 UAVs were destroyed by air defenses in Kursk, Samara, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Saratov, Penza, Ulyanovsk, Volgograd, Rostov and Krasnodar Regions as well as in Crimea and over the Black Sea.
The raids have intensified since mid-March, with Kiev deploying hundreds of fixed-wing UAVs almost on a daily basis, targeting critical infrastructure, manufacturing facilities, and residential areas inside Russia.
The officials in Moscow have described the aerial incursions as “terrorist attacks” meant to compensate for the setbacks Kiev’s military has been suffering on the battlefield.
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/russia/638904-drone-ukraine-syzran-samara/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/news/638920-hungary-ukraine-druzhba-oil/
https://www.rt.com/africa/638927-russia-helps-fight-african-disease/
‘Raining Oil’ – Drone Strikes Trigger ‘Man-Made Disaster’ in Tuapse
April 22, 2026, 3:12 pm
Two major oil refineries owned by Russian oil conglomerate Rosneft have halted operations following drone attacks in what appears to be a fresh blow to Russia’s energy sector amid escalating Ukrainian strikes.
According to Reuters, the Tuapse refinery on the Black Sea coast suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone attack on April 16, with further strikes reported on April 20.
The facility, which primarily exports its output, was forced to stop processing after damage to port infrastructure and a fire at oil storage facilities made shipments impossible, industry sources said.
The refinery, with a capacity of around 12 million metric tons per year (roughly 240,000 barrels per day), produces naphtha, diesel, fuel oil and vacuum gas oil.
Sources said it remains unclear when operations could resume. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Ukraine’s General Staff said Kyiv forces carried out a coordinated overnight strike on April 20, confirming that the Tuapse oil refinery was hit again, with a strike on a storage tank area triggering a fire.
The refinery, integrated with a Black Sea port export terminal, was struck for the second time in less than a week. A fire at the site on April 16 burned for days and required more than 150 firefighters and emergency personnel to extinguish.
Independent Russian outlet Astra reported that a large fire broke out in the storage tank area following the latest attack.
Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratyev said the strike caused a fire at the seaport and widespread damage across the city due to falling debris.
Windows were shattered at a school, kindergarten, church, museum, and an apartment building, while a gas pipeline was also damaged.
Ukrainian Telegram channels on Wednesday, April 22, published photos and videos indicating that fires following the attacks are still ongoing.
The Telegram channel Exilenova+ said a “man-made disaster” was unfolding in the city.
“It’s raining oil in Tuapse. We advise locals to put out barrels – finally, an oil and gas country is sharing oil with its people instead of sponsoring a war with it,” the report says in a sarcastic remark.
“We will not tire of repeating: These are the consequences of the war Russia unleashed. There is no talk of evacuating the population – slaves are enduring. A man-made disaster is unfolding in the city,” the channel added.
Earlier, the same channel reported that roads near the Tuapse oil refinery had begun to be covered with a layer of oil products.
Meanwhile, primary oil processing at the Novokuibyshevsk refinery has been halted since April 18 following another drone strike, according to two industry sources speaking to Reuters.
Local authorities had earlier confirmed attacks on energy infrastructure in the region.
In 2024, the Novokuibyshevsk facility processed 5.74 million metric tons of crude oil, producing over 1 million tons of gasoline and significant volumes of diesel and fuel oil.
Reuters said the escalation coincides with a shift in US focus toward the Middle East, where supply concerns have already affected global oil markets.
Washington has eased some sanctions on Russian oil in recent weeks to mitigate potential disruptions linked to tensions in the Gulf.
Kyiv’s escalating campaign on Russian oil
In recent months, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly targeted major export hubs, including the Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, as well as the Novorossiysk oil terminal – all critical to Russia’s oil exports.
In March alone, Russia is estimated to have lost close to $1 billion within a week due to repeated strikes on its Baltic ports.
Kyiv said the campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure aims to cut revenue from oil exports – a key source of funding for Moscow’s war effort.
Kyrylo Budanov, the Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said strikes on Russian oil terminals are strengthening Ukraine’s position in ongoing negotiations.
However, some allies have reportedly urged Kyiv to pause such attacks amid rising global energy prices.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74503
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74479
https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/transport/kazakhstan-says-ukrainian-drone-strikes-cause-of-oil-flow-stoppage-to-germany
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/04/22/pentagon-just-deployed-ukrainian-anti-drone-system-at-saudi-air-base-less-than-month-after-trump-said-ukrainian-help-wasnt-needed/
https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-target-russias-samara-oblast-in-overnight-attacks/
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/22/japan/japan-firm-drone-ukraine-deployed/
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/74465
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-04-22/live-updates-893795
extra Israel
https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/04/22/idf-replace-vandalised-statue-of-jesus-in-lebanon/
https://vinnews.com/2026/04/22/idf-troops-raid-hezbollah-compound-in-lebanese-village-strike-70-targets-before-ceasefire/
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news-corner/idf-israel-soldiers-alleged-desecration-christian-statue-lebanon-hezbollah/
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/idf-hezbollah-rocket-fire-violates-ceasefire
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/idf-eliminates-islamic-jihad-terrorists-in-southern-gaza
Live Updates: IRGC gunboat fires on container ship near Oman, Trump extends US-Iran ceasefire
April 22, 2026
Sa’ar: Hezbollah main obstacle to Israel-Lebanon normalization • IDF kills two Hezbollah terrorists after approaching troops in Lebanon • Houthis expected to resume Red Sea attacks
April 22, 8:56 PM
USS George W. Bush set to arrive in Middle East within days
A third US aircraft carrier, the USS George W. Bush, is set to arrive in the Middle East within 3-5 days.
April 22, 8:21 PM
Trump announces eight Iranian female prisoners will not be executed at his request
US President Donald Trump claimed he was informed by Iranian authorities that the eight women due to be executed tonight will not be killed, the president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Four of them will be released immediately, and the other four will be sentenced to one month in prison, he wrote.
Trump claimed responsibility for the lifting of the death sentence, based on a previous post where he told Iranian authorities that not executing the prisoners would be a "great start to our negotiations."
April 22, 8:12 PM
Iran given ‘limited’ number of days to submit proposal, source tells 'Post'
A source with knowledge told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Iran has been given a “limited” number of days to submit a proposal to the US.
April 22, 7:59 PM
Total ceasefire only makes sense if not violated by US naval blockade, Iran's top negotiator says
Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, said on Wednesday that a complete ceasefire only made sense if it was not violated by the US blockade of Iranian ports.
Ghalibaf said in a post on X/Twitter that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was impossible with such a "flagrant breach of the ceasefire."
April 22, 7:55 PM
Lebanese official claims Israeli drone dropped grenade on rescue of wounded journalist
An Israeli drone dropped a grenade on rescuers trying to lift a wounded journalist from rubble in Tayri, in southern Lebanon, a senior Lebanese military official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The official said the Lebanese army asked the Israeli military through a US-led mechanism to allow rescuers to retrieve the wounded journalist.
April 22, 7:34 PM
Critical roles of Eyal Zamir, Dan Caine, Brad Cooper in shaping the Iran war - exclusive
As US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have made the ultimate war decisions regarding Iran, IDF and US military figures have been the next most influential players.
Although US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have made the ultimate war and ceasefire decisions regarding Iran, The Jerusalem Post now reveals the details and extent to which IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, and CENTCOM Chief Admiral Brad Cooper have been the next most dominant figures.
In many ways, Zamir was key to convincing Caine and Cooper that such a war was feasible, such that they would support it, or at least not oppose it.
Caine was then critical in convincing Trump that such a war was viable, even as the US chairman himself held doubts about significant aspects of the war, the Post understands. General Caine has also hovered over Trump's decisions to repeatedly announce unilateral ceasefires with Iran out of concern that any upping the ante on the military playing field could cost him in both American lives and politically.
All three military high commanders can largely be held responsible for the war's successes and shortcomings, even as aspects of the war's architecture might not have always followed their personal preferences.
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April 22, 7:33 PM
Large Iranian missile fragment located in open area in central Israel
Israeli civilians discovered a large missile fragment near Ramat Hasharon, believed to be from Operation Roaring Lion. Police confirmed no danger and urged public vigilance.
Israeli civilians called the Israel Police after locating a large missile fragment in an open area near Ramat Hasharon, central Israel, on Wednesday.
The fragment is believed to be from an interception during Operation Roaring Lion, the police said.
Police officers, including sappers and bomb disposal officers, were dispatched to the scene in order to handle the possibility of any unexploded ordnance.
Israel Police confirmed that there were no casualties in the incident and that the fragment posed no danger.
April 22, 7:33 PM
Lebanon to propose extending ceasefire with Israel in next round of Washington talks
Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Mouawad will return to meet at the US State Department after meeting for the first time last week.
Israel and Lebanon will discuss a Lebanese proposal to extend their 10-day ceasefire and a halt to Israel’s demolition operations in villages and towns in the south of the country, President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the details.
The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States are set to meet on Thursday for a second round of talks between the two countries. The goal of the discussions is to advance the disarmament of Hezbollah and promote normalization between the two neighbors.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Mouawad are set to return to the United States to meet at the State Department, after their first meeting last week, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio convening the sides.
“It will be a significant extension, not just for a few days,” the source told The Jerusalem Post.
April 22, 7:32 PM
Trump, Pakistani sources say US-Iran talks could begin Friday as ceasefire extended - report
The New York Post reported that US President Donald Trump, when asked via text message about the possibility of talks happening on Friday, said: “It’s possible!”
US President Donald Trump said he expects negotiations with Iran to begin as soon as Friday, with Pakistani sources saying talks could take place in 36 to 72 hours, the New York Post reported on Wednesday.
The report mentioned that Trump, when asked via text message about the possibility of talks happening soon, said: “It’s possible! President DJT.”
Late on Tuesday, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had decided to extend the temporary US-Iran ceasefire until Iranian officials submit a “unified proposal” for discussion.
The decision to extend the ceasefire, which was set to expire on Wednesday, was made “based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured” and upon the request of Pakistani officials, Trump stated.
April 22, 7:32 PM
IDF escalates robot wars against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbail
The IDF has ramped up its use of robots in warfare against Hezbollah in Bint Jbail, accelerating the destruction of weapons infrastructure as military operations intensify.
The IDF revealed recently that it has escalated the use of robots in warfare against Hezbollah in Bint Jbail.
In this case, the robots are being used to speed up the pace of destroying Hezbollah's weapons infrastructure, given that it is unknown how long the diplomatic plane will allow the Israeli military to operate in southern Lebanon.
Photos taken by IDF robots, which Yahalom Combat Engineers placed in Hezbollah tunnels and other areas that were hard to reach, have sped up the process for destroying the terror group's long-term security investments in the area.
This is not the first time the IDF has used robots in war.
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Braker Breakthrough: Drone-Delivered Bunker-Busting Warhead Passes Test
April 22, 2026
In a significant leap forward for battlefield technology, Army infantry drone operators successfully tested a new warhead designed for delivery by an unmanned aerial system.
The live-fire demonstration of the bunker rupture and kinetic explosive round, which took place at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, March 26, comes only weeks after the initial design and rapid prototyping of the system, and showcases the Army's accelerated approach to innovation in the face of evolving threats.
The Army continuously transforms by using the latest technologies to gain a warfighting advantage, ensuring the force is lethal, modern and ready.
The development of this air-delivered munition directly supports that mission, as well as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's readiness and transformation priorities.
The Braker project, led by a team from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center and Project Manager Close Combat Systems, aimed to create a lightweight, powerful and lethal warhead that could be deployed from a small, agile drone.
"Our Picatinny team went from concept to live-fire in two weeks," said Army Col. Vinson Morris, project manager of Project Manager Close Combat Systems.
"Braker proves our ability to rapidly develop and safely deliver devastating effects from small, unmanned aircraft systems. We are now creating the architecture with Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit and the small, universal payload interface for industry to scale this critical warfighter advantage."
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is a safe and effective method for integrating lethal payloads with UAS platforms, designed and developed by engineers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center.
The rapid development-to-testing timeline of Braker was made possible by the Army's emphasis on additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing.
In early March, engineers from the Armaments Center began designing, explosive pressing, housing manufacturing and integrating the warhead to be used on a low-cost and expendable one-way attack drone.
Shortly thereafter, transfer and compatibility tests were conducted at Picatinny Arsenal, and approximately a dozen warheads were assembled, one of which was tested on a makeshift test range bunker.
After proving worthiness and validating effectiveness, the prototype warheads departed Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, for Redstone Arsenal, where a live demonstration was conducted for Army leaders.
The successful detonation of a target deployed by a device attached to a drone demonstrates a new and potent capability for the modern warfighter. It also illustrates how quickly engineers can design, fabricate and integrate hardware to meet urgent and compelling needs.
"Rapid demonstrations of overwhelming lethality, such as Braker, are attributed to years of continued technology investments and the organic core technical competencies and facilities resident at the [U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command] Armaments Center," said Anthony Sebasto, executive director of the Munitions Engineering and Technology Center.
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4466875/braker-breakthrough-drone-delivered-bunker-busting-warhead-passes-test/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ufo-writer-david-wilcock-death-conspiracy-theories-1793035
https://twitter.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/2046851644608922037
https://twitter.com/LearnToToad/status/2046709845538017447
https://x.com/CoreyGoode/status/2046715564245361130
https://x.com/timburchett/status/2046773364870483997
https://x.com/realannapaulina/status/2046759212491944088
https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2047010805317808347
https://x.com/MissMadMadamMim/status/2047026410703696162
as a side note, Hindustan Times was the first to report on this
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/what-happened-to-david-wilcock-boulder-death-probe-sparks-concern-about-writer-and-ufo-specialist-101776810725258.html
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/david-wilcock-nick-pope-erich-von-daniken-death-fears-ufo-expert-certainly-suspicious-ancient-aliens-nederland-101776819723823.html
Who Was David Wilcock? UFO Writer Death Probe Sparks Claims of Hidden Files and Government UFO Disclosure Pressure
22 April 2026, 12:31 PM BST
The death of UFO writer and public figure David Wilcock has triggered a wave of online speculation, conspiracy theories, and renewed debate over alleged government UFO secrecy.
Authorities in Boulder County, Colorado confirmed a death investigation following a mental health crisis call, where a man was found outside a residence holding a weapon and died at the scene.
While officials have not formally confirmed his identity at the time of reporting, tributes and online posts have widely linked Wilcock to the incident.
The development has reignited long-standing claims surrounding his work on UFOs, hidden files, and supposed pressure on governments to disclose classified information.
Wilcock's UFO Disclosure Beliefs
David Wilcock was a well-known author and media personality in the UFO and alternative research community, recognised for his appearances in documentary-style programming and online lectures.
He built a following discussing unexplained aerial phenomena, ancient civilisations, and theories of government secrecy surrounding extraterrestrial life.
Wilcock often promoted the idea that humanity was approaching a major 'disclosure event,' where hidden knowledge about non-human intelligence and advanced technologies would be revealed.
He also claimed that government institutions possessed classified information about UFO encounters but were withholding it due to concerns about public reaction and geopolitical consequences.
Over time, his views placed him at the centre of online conspiracy discussions, with supporters viewing him as a whistleblower figure and critics dismissing his claims as speculative and unverified.
Death Investigation Details
According to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, emergency services responded to a 911 call on Monday, 20 April 2026, in the 1400 block of Ridge Road near Nederland, Colorado. Dispatchers believed the caller may have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they encountered a man outside a residence holding a weapon. Within minutes, he used the weapon on himself and was pronounced dead at the location.
Authorities confirmed that no other individuals were involved and there was no ongoing threat to the public.
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A joint investigation involving the Sheriff's Office and the Coroner's Office is currently underway to determine the official cause and manner of death.
The identity of the deceased has not been formally released pending confirmation and family notification, although multiple online sources and public reactions have linked the case to Wilcock.
Claims of Hidden UFO Files
Following news of the incident, social media platforms saw an immediate surge of reactions from followers, researchers, and critics of Wilcock's work.
Many users expressed shock and sadness, describing him as a long-time figure in the UFO community who inspired curiosity about unexplained phenomena.
Some posts shifted quickly into renewed speculation about his research, suggesting that his work may have touched sensitive or classified areas involving government UFO disclosure.
These claims, however, remain unverified and are not supported by official statements. Others within online communities urged caution, pointing out that mental health struggles may have played a significant role in the tragedy.
Comments highlighted that individuals involved in long-term conspiracy research communities can experience isolation, financial pressure, and psychological stress.
Wilcock's legacy remains deeply divided. Supporters credit him with popularising interest in UFO research, alternative history, and spiritual interpretations of human evolution.
They argue that his work helped bring attention to questions about unexplained aerial phenomena and government transparency.
Critics, however, have long challenged his claims, arguing that much of his work relied on unverified sources and speculative interpretations of classified subjects.
Some former followers have also questioned earlier predictions that failed to materialise, suggesting his influence declined in recent years.
Despite this, his name continues to appear in broader discussions about UFO disclosure, especially as governments around the world gradually release limited information on unexplained aerial phenomena.
The recent death investigation has therefore reignited an already polarised debate, blending mourning, speculation, and renewed calls for transparency.
For now, officials continue to focus on establishing the facts surrounding the Colorado incident, while online communities continue to link the case to wider narratives about secrecy, belief, and the enduring mystery of UFOs.
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https://x.com/TheUfoJoe/status/2046749433854132333
E.T. Probably Not Kidnapping Scientists … Probably a Foreign Nation
April 21, 2026 3:09 PM PDT | Updated April 21, 2026 3:45 PM PDT
Rep. James Comer is telling people not to worry about aliens snatching up American scientists, because he says hostile foreign nations are more likely to blame. Great!
The reality is nearly a dozen scientists with knowledge of America's nuclear and/or space programs have either died or gone missing since 2022 … and House Oversight Committee Chairman joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to talk about government investigations into the mystery.
Comer makes it clear he doesn't think aliens are beaming up scientists to learn about humanity's weaknesses as some are theorizing online though he knows some of his colleagues think otherwise.
Instead, the Congressman from Kentucky says it's more likely the usual suspects are involved … Russian, Iranian or Chinese agents who want info on the USA's nuclear capabilities.
ICYMI … the mystery surrounding 11 scientists is now on the radar of the FBI, and even President Trump was briefed on it last week.
The incidents include people like Monica Reza, an aerospace engineer who went missing while hiking in L.A. last year … to William Neil McCasland, a retired Air Force major general who hasn't been seen since walking out of his home on February 27.
Comer says all these disappearances and deaths stacked together seem fishy … which is why Congress is investigating. He worries problems like interagency communication might be hiding the truth from Americans.
He says Congress also doesn't trust the Executive Branch to be forthcoming when it comes to classified files, Comer adds … citing difficulties with both the Biden and Trump administrations when it came to sensitive materials.
Bottom line … Americans probably don't need to worry about an "Independence Day" type of situation, but maybe "Red Dawn" ain't all that preposterous.
https://www.tmz.com/2026/04/21/james-comer-thinks-missing-scientists-not-due-to-aliens/
US Representative Claims 'Sinister' UFO Files Exist as He Reveals Death Threats and Underwater Alien Bases
04/22/26 AT 8:10 AM EDT
US Representative Tim Burchett has alleged that 'sinister' UFO files exist within government archives, while also revealing he has received death threats over his outspoken stance on disclosure.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, the Republican congressman insisted he has been briefed on unexplained sightings, including reports of underwater objects and advanced craft.
His remarks have intensified debate over whether governments are withholding information about possible non-human technology, or whether the claims reflect misinterpretations of classified military activity.
Full UFO File Disclosure
Burchett has publicly called for full transparency on government-held UFO, now officially referred to as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAP, files.
He said he has 'seen too much' during classified briefings to dismiss the issue and urged authorities to release documentation without filtering public understanding.
He argued that disclosure should not be restricted by assumptions about public reaction, stating that citizens have a right to decide what they can handle. According to him, successive governments have maintained secrecy due to concerns about potential implications of advanced non-human intelligence.
The congressman also claimed that President Donald Trump had initiated steps to release UFO-related files, with the process reportedly underway through the Pentagon.
Burchett welcomed the move but expressed scepticism that full, unedited information would ever be released.
Underwater Bases and Unexplained Craft
Burchett's comments involved allegations of underwater alien bases and unidentified objects tracked in deep ocean regions. He said he had been informed by high-ranking military sources, including a former naval admiral, about unusual sonar detections and high-speed underwater objects.
Burchett described reports of large, fast-moving craft allegedly observed in deep-water zones near US coastlines. He suggested that multiple categories of unexplained objects exist, including disc-shaped craft, plasma-like phenomena, and unidentified wedge-shaped structures.
While he admitted he has not personally witnessed such craft underwater, he said repeated accounts from trained military personnel and pilots made the claims difficult to dismiss.
He argued that the ocean remains far less explored than space, raising the possibility that unknown technologies could exist in deep waters.
Death Threats Over Disclosure
The congressman also revealed that he has received ongoing death threats linked to his public comments on UFOs and government secrecy. He said he has been warned to avoid certain public appearances and events due to security risks.
Burchett suggested that the threats may be connected either to his UFO remarks or his outspoken political style, adding that he refuses to be intimidated into silence.
He claimed that several individuals who previously worked on sensitive scientific or defence-related matters have died or disappeared under unclear circumstances, which he implied could be linked to efforts to suppress information.
He also urged media organisations to investigate such cases more aggressively, insisting that journalists should not simply accept official government explanations without scrutiny.
Government Secrecy, Debate and Scepticism
Burchett's statements have added fuel to an already polarised debate over UFO transparency in the United States. He claims that classified briefings include footage and images of unexplained objects observed by highly trained military personnel, including fighter pilots.
He further argued that the US government has a long history of redacting or limiting UFO-related reports before public release, which he believes prevents full understanding of the phenomenon.
However, he admitted he has not seen 'irrefutable proof' of extraterrestrial life, only consistent testimony and classified material.
Sceptics, meanwhile, argue that such claims rely heavily on anecdotal evidence and classified interpretations that cannot be independently verified. They caution that misidentified technology, atmospheric effects, or foreign surveillance systems may explain many of the reported incidents.
Despite the controversy, Burchett maintains that disclosure is inevitable and that public awareness of unexplained aerial phenomena is growing rapidly. He insists the real question is not whether people can handle the truth, but why it has been withheld for so long.
https://www.ibtimes.com/us-representative-claims-sinister-ufo-files-exist-he-reveals-death-threats-underwater-alien-3801707
https://www.billboard.com/lists/ufos-aliens-musicians-list/alicia-keys-11/
Demi Lovato, Kacey Musgraves, Kesha & More Artists Who Have Opened Up About UFOs & Alien Life
4/21/2026
What kind of music do they play on Mars?
Between the Artemis II launch and the success of the Ryan Gosling-led Project Hail Mary, it seems like everyone is interested in outer space right now. And a select few think outer space is interested in them too.
Over the last decade, alleged UFO sightings have become more frequent, thanks in part to cell phone cameras and social media allowing for easier documentation of bizarre events. And the conspiracy theories around aliens are not limited to internet-obsessed tin foil hat wearers.
A number of celebrities have shared their thoughts and personal experiences with aliens, making a compelling argument for extraterrestrial life. Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 fame, for example, has spent decades researching the matter.
The first instance of DeLonge’s alien obsession being made known publicly was in 1999, with Blink-182’s aptly named single “Aliens Exist.” Turns out the song wasn’t just a fun play on a favorite sci-fi topic; it was a confession of DeLonge’s beliefs.
Over the following two decades, DeLonge would go on to talk about the existence of alien life in countless interviews. There are so many instances of DeLonge referencing the extraterritorial that Billboard was able to compile a list of every time the pop-punk star mentioned our friends from above.
DeLonge is not the only musician to talk about aliens and encountering them. Though not as zealous as the Blink-182 member, several artists have also shared their alien encounters with the public.
Demi Lovato even once hung out with “one of the world’s foremost authority figures regarding Extraterrestrial Intelligence.”
From the aforementioned DeLonge and Lovato to Kacey Musgraves, here are a few musicians who’ve talked about their interactions with the extraterrestrial.
Tom DeLonge
The former Blink-182 star is perhaps Hollywood’s biggest UFO advocate, spearheading decades of research on the topic and efforts to publicize sightings. You can see our full timeline of his history with UFOs here.
In April 2020, the U.S. Navy officially released three clips of UFO sightings DeLonge has been talking about for years. The videos, titled “GIMBAL.wmv,” “FLIR.mp4” and “GOFAST.wmv,” were first published by The New York Times and DeLonge’s research organization, To the Stars Academy, in 2017 and 2018.
“With today’s events and articles on my and @TTSAcademy’s efforts to get the US Gov to start the grand conversation, I want to thank every share holder at To The Stars for believing in us,” he tweeted following the news.
“Next, we plan on pursuing the technology, finding more answers and telling the stories.”
Demi Lovato
In October 2020, the singer spent some time in Joshua Tree, California — which is known for its frequent UFO sightings — with Dr. Steven Greer, “one of the world’s foremost authority figures regarding Extraterrestrial Intelligence,” according to his Instagram bio.
She took to Instagram in a now-deleted post to share her experience with a series of photos of unusual orbs. “The past few days I’ve spent in Joshua Tree with a small group of loved ones and @dr.steven.greer and his CE5 team,” she wrote.
“Over the past couple months I have dug deep into the science of consciousness and experienced not only peace and serenity like I’ve never known but I also have witnessed the most incredibly profound sightings both in the sky as well as feet away from me.
This planet is on a very negative path towards destruction but WE can change that together. If we were to get 1% of the population to meditate and make contact, we would force our governments to acknowledge the truth about extraterrestrial life among us and change our destructive habits destroying our planet.
This is just some of the evidence from under the stars in the desert sky that can no longer be ignored and must be shared immediately.”
In January 2021, Lovato uploaded another Instagram video, in which she’s heard off-camera saying, “Another day, another UFO sighting.”
“Wow,” she says as the camera follows unidentified lights in the sky, ping-ponging in the air in broad daylight. “What the f—. They’re coming.”
1/3
Kesha
Kesha included several spaceships on her 2017 Rainbow album cover after experiencing a UFO sighting. In an interview on the Zach Sang Show she didn’t mention an actual encounter with any extraterrestrials, but she did see what looked like “little balls of fire in the sky.”
“I was in Joshua Tree, totally sober, let me preface — completely f—ing sober … I think people would be like, ‘She was on acid’ or something. I wasn’t. I was on nothing. I was a totally sober Sally, just a lady in the desert,” Kesha said. “I look up in the sky and there’s a bunch of spaceships.”
“I swear to God, there were like five to seven, and I don’t know why I didn’t like try to take a picture of it — I just looked at it,” she continued. “I was sitting on a rock, and I was like, ‘What in the hell is that?’ I was trying to figure it out, and then they went away. And then they came back.”
The singer found a “new hobby” at the beginning of 2021 after chatting with fellow UFO-believer Demi Lovato on her podcast, Kesha and the Creepies. “I loved the conversation we had because… there were a couple books she mentioned and an app she mentioned that I immediately downloaded,” the “High Road” singer told ET. ”… [I told my family,] ‘All I want for Christmas is for us all to meditate and try to channel extraterrestrials.’ And they’re like, ‘OK.’”
“I’m like trying to get all my friends and family into meditating the aliens to us. It’s my new hobby because of Demi Lovato,” she continued.
Nick Jonas
Kesha isn’t the only singer influenced by Lovato. While appearing on Late Night With Seth Meyers in 2015, Nick Jonas shared that he and his fellow former Disney Channel star “have talked about [UFOs] a lot.”
“I am on board. When I was 14 maybe, I was in my backyard playing basketball with some friends, and I looked up in the sky and there was three flying saucers,” he shared of his personal experience with otherworldly life.
“This is Hollywood, so everyone was like, ‘It’s a movie, it’s a movie set.’ I was convinced it was real, and I looked up online and there was three identical sightings in other states. So, I am a firm believer in aliens.”
Machine Gun Kelly
In August 2020, MGK teamed up with Travis Barker for a collaboration titled “Concert for Aliens,” and in the accompanying animated lyric video, the duo escape a group of “space invaders,” stealing a UFO before they crash land on Mars.
Making the most of their new living situation, the duo win over the aliens by throwing them a banging pop-punk concert.
The video’s extraterrestrial theme is not random for MGK, who is a strong believer in life outside of Earth. In a January 2021 interview for Late Late Show With James Corden, the star shared, “Homie, I saw life on this planet that was from another planet two nights ago, over a lake in Thousand Oaks. A red orb came out of nowhere, went and disappeared again.”
Miley Cyrus
In October 2020, Cyrus discussed extraterrestrial life with Rick Owens for Interview Magazine, following the designer’s collaborative experiment with Italian label Moncler, in which he decked out a custom vehicle and matching attire for a road trip from Los Angeles to Nevada.
In the conversation, Owens admitted that he doesn’t “really” believe in extraterrestrial beings, “it seems a little arrogant to assume there’s nobody else but us.”
“That’s what I f—ing think!” Cyrus replied, before sharing that she’s had her own experience with otherworldly life.
“I was driving through San Bernardino with my friend, and I got chased down by some sort of UFO,” she explained, before cheekily adding, “I’m pretty sure about what I saw, but I’d also bought weed wax from a guy in a van in front of a taco shop, so it could have been the weed wax.
But the best way to describe it is a flying snowplow. It had this big plow in the front of it and was glowing yellow. I did see it flying, and my friend saw it, too. There were a couple of other cars on the road and they also stopped to look, so I think what I saw was real.”
She added that she didn’t feel threatened by the experience at all. “I did see a being sitting in the front of the flying object,” she said. “It looked at me and we made eye contact, and I think that’s what really shook me, looking into the eyes of something that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.
But you’re so right to say that it’s a form of narcissism to think that we’re the only things that could be in this vast universe.”
2/3
Post Malone
In August 2020, Post Malone was a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where the rapper discussed a number of past experiences with UFO sightings.
“I was probably 16, in upstate New York, and it would just stay there [in the sky],” he said “My aunt and uncle were very strict and we had to go to bed at a very strict deadline probably 10 p.m.
I was looking out the window with my cousin and it’s just a light that stays there and then just f—ing goes off. Just ‘whoosh,’ you can’t explain it.”
“I used to live in Tarzana,” he continued of another experience in Los Angeles. “There was a balcony, and it sounds corny, but there was a classic force field.
When you think of a force field, and it’s kinda like a dome, in a circular shape and it just [quickly] goes back in. In Tarzana, looking down at the f—ing city. I’m like, ‘how did nobody else see this?’ But I was there with four other people and they saw it, too.”
Alicia Keys
In an October 2013 interview with Buzzfeed, the Grammy-winning singer shared that not only does she believe in aliens, but she also thinks “they’re here [on Earth] now.”
“I’ve met some serious aliens in my life, for sure,” she joked. “I’m sure you’ve seen a UFO. Haven’t all of us seen something flying in the sky, and it’s at some random time of night that doesn’t make sense, and it’s not the shape of a plane?”
Kacey Musgraves
It shouldn’t be to anyone’s surprise that someone whose Instagram handle is @spaceykacey would believe in the extraterrestrial.
In an Instagram Story shared on April 10, 2026, Kacey Musgraves recounted a flight during which she swore she saw alien spaceships, calling the encounter the “craziest f–king orb UFO experience.”
“We just watched these orbs — there were three of them — but I was about to lay down and take a nap and saw these lights that caught my eye and just didn’t look normal,” Musgraves said.
“These orbs were not moving like any craft we can control. They were intermittently coming and going, forming triangle patterns. Sometimes they would get extremely bright and change color, change size.”
Musgraves shared that she watched the orbs for a whole 45 minutes and that they trailed her flight from around Little Rock to Nashville. After landing, Musgraves spoke with the pilots about the weird experience and they said to her that, “We’ve seen these every single night.”
Musgraves goes on to say that other pilots have seen the orbs as well and “nobody knows what they are.”
3/3
UFOs in Ancient Art
April 21, 2026
In this video, we go back nearly 12,000 years — from prehistoric cave art to mass UFO sightings witnessed by thousands — uncovering a pattern that appears again and again throughout human history.
Before radar.
Before flight.
Before modern technology…
People were already describing objects in the sky — structured, controlled, and often impossible for their time.
Are these just myths and misinterpretations?
Or evidence that this phenomenon has always been with us?
What this video explores:
This is a chronological journey through some of the most compelling historical UFO / UAP sightings and depictions ever recorded — showing how the same shapes, behaviours, and encounters appear across different cultures and centuries.
From c. 10,000 BCE → 1954, we examine:
Ancient battlefield sightings described as “flame-like objects”
Prehistoric cave art showing disc-shaped forms
Renaissance paintings with unexplained aerial objects
Mass sightings witnessed by entire cities
Early reports of controlled flying craft before human flight existed
Different names. Same phenomenon.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – The ancient account that started it all
00:40 – Are we alone? The enduring question
01:25 – Phrygia battlefield sighting
02:00 – 10,000 BCE cave paintings (India)
02:30 – Miracle of the Snow (Rome, 352 CE)
02:55 – Orthodox frescoes & sky objects
03:30 – Renaissance UFO imagery
05:51 – Nuremberg sky battle (1561)
06:07 – Transylvania & early American encounters
06:50 – Utsuro-bune (Japan, 1803)
07:30 – Airship sightings (1800s)
08:10 – Florence mass UFO sighting (1954)
08:50 – Final thoughts: this isn’t new
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6alOVhboPbg
extra disclosure dejour
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2A4NN2Dj1M (ChaosMoogle: Clearest UFO Footage of Modern History! BOMBSHELL UAP SIGHTINGS!)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXL4UyDNyqI (Episode 247: Angelic Contact Experience | Bledsoe Said So)
https://www.ufonews.co/post/congressman-warns-ufo-knowledge-makes-you-a-target