TYB on this marvelous Wedensday Frensday
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
May 20, 2026
The Dark Wolf Nebula
A dark wolf lies in gum. No, this isn’t a riddle! Today's image features the Dark Wolf Nebula (Sandqvist–Lindroos 17), a spooky dust cloud embedded within the Gum 55 (RCW 113) Nebula in the Scorpius constellation. While dust is a pest to us, it serves a vital role in creating the necessary conditions for stars to be born. The Dark Wolf absorbs the intense ultraviolet and visible light emitted by young stars in Gum 55 and re-emits it at longer, mainly infrared, wavelengths. This prevents the higher energy light from heating up the gas in the region. When a region of gas is cool enough, gravity takes over and causes the gas to collapse into a star. Not only does dust act as an interstellar thermostat, but it is also the meet-cute for single hydrogen atoms forming molecular hydrogen, the building block for stars. The seemingly sinister Dark Wolf is actually a harbinger of cosmic life.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz1RrRy_NAI
sounds about right
The Sky is Falling (Actually) | S0 News and frens
May.20.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxSAN5UXZ94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6_M0uEQUP0 (S0: Few Years Remain Until the Pole Shift)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-UIOt9-8qg (On the Pulse with Silki: BREAKING: Turkey HIT AGAIN on North Anatolian Fault in DISASTER ZONE - Foreshock or Aftershock ?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSp0IlbsDgU (EarthMaster: 5.9 Earthquake Japan area. Flare activity low for now. Far side is super busy. Tuesday Night update.)
https://watchers.news/epicenter/solar-radio-bursts-reveal-possible-magnetic-switchbacks-near-the-sun-parker-solar-probe-data-suggest/
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/peru-earthquake-quake/2026/05/20/id/1256910/
https://www.voiceofemirates.com/en/news/world/2026/05/20/a-5-8-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-east-central-turkiye-and-its-effects-are-felt-in-syrian-territory/
https://www.livemint.com/news/world/japan-earthquake-today-massive-6-2-quake-strikes-kagoshima-prefecture-deaths-injuries-11779247040391.html
https://www.ktiv.com/video/2026/05/19/ef-1-tornado-confirmed-winnebago-ne/
https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2026/05/19/weather-service-receives-7-tornado-reports-during-severe-kansas-storms/90152040007/
https://www.thetraveler.org/severe-storms-trigger-flight-chaos-ahead-of-memorial-day/
https://www.insauga.com/tornado-warning-pair-of-twisters-reported-in-southern-ontario/
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/05/the-next-era-of-atlantic-hurricanes-could-be-far-more-destructive/
https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquake/news/302940/World-Earthquake-Report-for-Wednesday-20-May-2026.html
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/
LIVE PROF.AVI LOEB ON THE DR.VILLARROEL DEBATE
May 19, 2026
Harvard Astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb joins the channel live today to address the recent scientific and public debate surrounding anomalous space observations and the controversy involving Dr. Beatriz Villarroel.
Professor Loeb recently laid out his thoughts on this exact dynamic in his latest article, which serves as the foundation for tonight's discussion.
You can read the full piece here: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/the-difference-between-scientific-research-and-social-media-opinions-007f56580a43
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEaFPXg9ouw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbZqhcLk2QI (Angry Astronaut: EXCLUSIVE LIVE INTERVIEW - UFO researcher Beatriz Villarroel makes her case! LIVESTREAM)
https://x.com/dennis_asberg/status/2056698184039059850
https://x.com/ProfAviLoeb
https://x.com/DrBeaVillarroel
Manhattan Sky Fills With Smoke As Vehicle Explodes Into Fireball Near New York's Iconic Charging Bull Statue
May 20, 2026, 7:25 a.m. PT
A shocking incident was caught on camera after a vehicle burst into flames and exploded near the famous Charging Bull statue in Lower Manhattan on May 19, triggering panic among tourists and office workers in the busy Wall Street area.
The incident took place near Broadway and Stone Street at around 5:42 pm, according to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).
Videos circulating on social media showed the vehicle suddenly bursting into flames while parked along the roadside. Within moments, the blaze intensified, engulfing the vehicle before a powerful explosion sent a massive fireball into the air, shocking tourists and office workers nearby.
Eyewitness footage showed people gathered near the popular tourist attraction running away in panic as smoke spread rapidly through the area.
The vehicle reportedly appeared to be linked to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), although officials have not yet confirmed ownership details.
Soon after the incident, FDNY firefighters rushed to the spot after receiving emergency calls about the blaze. Emergency responders worked for more than an hour to bring the fire under control and secure nearby streets.
Authorities said the fire was fully extinguished shortly before 7 pm. Police also temporarily restricted access to parts of the area as a precautionary measure.
Officials confirmed that no injuries or deaths were reported in the incident. Despite the intensity of the explosion, firefighters successfully prevented the flames from spreading to nearby buildings and vehicles.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities said mechanical failure and other possible causes have not been ruled out.
https://www.thedailyjagran.com/world/manhattan-sky-fills-with-smoke-as-vehicle-explodes-into-fireball-near-new-yorks-iconic-charging-bull-statue-video-10313002
https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/car-explodes-near-wall-streets-charging-bull-video/
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/2057050384909099069
Astronauts Work Cancer, Cartilage Treatments, Cosmonauts Prep for Spacewalk
May 19, 2026 3:27PM
The Expedition 74 crew explored advanced treatments for cancer and cartilage injuries on Tuesday using the weightless environment to gain new biomedical insights.
The orbital residents also continued gearing up for a spacewalk planned at the end of the month outside the International Space Station.
Space Cancer Therapeutics, one of the newest investigations delivered aboard the SpaceX Dragon, is getting underway aboard the orbital outpost.
NASA flight engineer Chris Williams set up the cancer research hardware inside one of the Kibo laboratory module’s research racks to begin observing microgravity’s effect on an anti-cancer drug and its molecular mechanisms.
Results may lead to the development of more effective therapies to treat pancreatic cancer both on Earth and in microgravity.
NASA flight engineer Jessica Meir is exploring ways to grow cartilage tissue in space using specialized hardware to form more natural structures.
Meir processed and preserved cartilage samples—grown on Earth and launched aboard Dragon—inside Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox.
The tissue samples will be incubated inside the Space Automated Bioproduct Laboratory to learn how to improve cartilage tissue engineering methods in weightlessness.
Insights may provide new fitness regimens to protect astronaut health and promote the development of advanced implants to repair and regenerate injured cartilage in patients on Earth.
NASA flight engineer Jack Hathaway kicked off his shift swapping hardware inside the Advanced Space Experiment Processor-2 to support a biotechnology study that explores the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds.
Next, Hathaway serviced a centrifuge in the Columbus laboratory module’s Human Research Facility.
At the end of his shift, he photographed new botany research hardware delivered aboard Dragon that will support the growth of microgreens, or plants with higher vitamin and mineral content than mature leaves, as part of a healthy diet for astronauts.
Flight engineer Sophie Adenot of ESA (European Space Agency) worked throughout Tuesday supporting a variety of research taking place aboard the orbital outpost.
Adenot began her shift inside the cupola and pointed a camera toward the Moon capturing imagery of Earth’s light reflecting off the lunar surface.
Next, she installed a humidifier on the Cell Biology Experiment Facility-L that is housing samples collected for William’s cancer research.
Finally, she processed tubes containing biological and material samples shipped on Dragon for a variety of student-designed experiments.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev inspected a pair of Orlan spacesuits ensuring life support and communications components were installed correctly and functioning correctly.
The duo then studied the procedures for a spacewalk planned at the end of the month with a time and date to be officially announced soon by NASA.
Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev uploaded data to a computer configuring the European robotic arm for its use during the upcoming spacewalk.
Next, he joined his cosmonaut crewmates and reviewed the spacewalking activities slated to be conducted outside the orbiting lab.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/05/19/astronauts-work-cancer-cartilage-treatments-cosmonauts-prep-for-spacewalk/
extra NASA
https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/science/nasa-shares-rare-orbital-view-of-milky-way-internet-is-in-awe-ws-l-19909642.htm
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYhqaremniv/
https://www.ibtimes.sg/nasas-wholesome-reply-8-year-old-space-fans-website-error-discovery-melts-internet-were-86686
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/17-year-old-nasa-intern-discovers-planet-with-two-suns/articleshow/131220904.cms
https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/nasa-lunabotics-uva-moon-mining-robot
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/psyche-mission/nasas-psyche-mission-aces-mars-flyby-targets-metal-rich-asteroid/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-images-the-crescent-of-mars/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-sees-mars-south-pole-after-flyby/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/psyches-high-resolution-view-of-mars-south-pole/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-spies-mars-wind-blown-craters-during-close-approach/
https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/nasas-psyche-mission-images-mars-huygens-crater/
NASA’s Psyche Mission Aces Mars Flyby, Targets Metal-Rich Asteroid
May 19, 2026
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface.
This flyby used a gravity assist from Mars to provide a critical boost in speed and to adjust the spacecraft’s orbital plane without using any onboard propellant, sending it on its way toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.
The spacecraft is now headed directly toward the asteroid, located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
After the Mars flyby, the flight team analyzed radio signals between the spacecraft and NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), the agency’s global system for communicating with interplanetary spacecraft, to confirm that Psyche was on the correct trajectory.
“Although we were confident in our calculations and flight plan, monitoring the DSN’s Doppler signal in real time during the flyby was still exciting,” said Don Han, Psyche’s navigation lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
“We’ve confirmed that Mars gave the spacecraft a 1,000 mile‑per‑hour boost and shifted its orbital plane by about 1 degree relative to the Sun. We are now on course for arrival at the asteroid Psyche in summer 2029.”
Unique Martian view
In the days running up to and during close approach, all of Psyche’s instruments were powered up for calibration efforts, including its imagers, magnetometers, and gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer.
The planetary encounter provided the mission a valuable practice run for when it reaches the asteroid Psyche; as a bonus, it captured Mars images from a rare perspective.
Because Psyche approached Mars from a high phase angle, the planet appeared as a thin crescent in the days running up to the close approach, lit by sunlight reflecting off its surface.
In observations from the spacecraft’s multispectral imager, the crescent appeared brighter and extended farther around the planet’s disk than anticipated because of the strong scattering of sunlight through the planet’s dusty atmosphere.
As Psyche passed from Mars’ nighttime skies to daytime, it took a rapid series of pictures of the surface around the time of closest approach.
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“We’ve captured thousands of images of the approach to Mars and of the planet’s surface and atmosphere at close approach.
This dataset provides unique and important opportunities for us to calibrate and characterize the performance of the cameras, as well as test the early versions of our image processing tools being developed for use at the asteroid Psyche,” said Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe.
“As the spacecraft continues its journey after the flyby, we’ll continue calibration imaging of Mars for the rest of the month as it recedes into the distance.”
Bell also leads the Mastcam-Z imaging investigation on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover mission team, which was among several missions that provided complementary surface and atmospheric imaging as well as navigation data during the flyby to help with calibration efforts.
Other missions involved include NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, and Curiosity rover, along with ESA’s (European Space Agency’s) Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.
In addition to the imager, early calibration measurements made by Psyche’s magnetometers may have detected Mars’ bow shock as the spacecraft passed the planet.
The gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer team was also quickly gathering data to calibrate the instrument by comparing their measurements with the large pool of existing Mars data.
Onward to asteroid Psyche
With Mars in the rearview mirror, the spacecraft will soon resume using its solar-electric propulsion system to make a beeline to the main asteroid belt.
When it arrives in August 2029, it will insert itself into orbit around the asteroid Psyche, which is thought to be the partial core of a planetesimal, a building block of an early planet.
Through a series of circular orbits that go lower and then higher in altitude around Psyche, which is about 173 miles (280 kilometers) across at its widest point, the spacecraft will map the asteroid and gather science data.
If the asteroid proves to be the metallic core of an ancient planetesimal, it could offer a one-of-a-kind window into the interior of rocky planets like Earth.
“We’ve been anticipating the Mars flyby for years, but now it’s complete. We can thank the Red Planet for giving our spacecraft a critical gravitational slingshot farther into the solar system,” said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, principal investigator for Psyche at the University of California, Berkeley.
“Onward to the asteroid Psyche!”
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https://science.nasa.gov/missions/fermi/nasas-fermi-glimpses-power-source-of-supercharged-supernovae/
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2026/05/aa58547-25/aa58547-25.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq9C7XTrFxk
extra extra NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/fire-chars-santa-rosa-island/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/i-am-artemis/i-am-artemis-tim-goddard/
https://science.nasa.gov/people/rosa-avalos-warren/
https://hoodline.com/2026/05/houston-area-ex-scout-leader-and-nasa-engineer-hit-with-80-year-prison-term/
NASA’s Fermi Glimpses Power Source of Supercharged Supernovae
May 20, 2026
An international team studying data from NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope concludes the mission detected a rare, unusually luminous supernova.
The researchers say it likely received its power-up from a supermagnetized neutron star born in the stellar collapse that triggered the explosion.
The Fermi mission is part of NASA’s fleet of observatories monitoring the changing cosmos to help humanity better understand how the universe works.
“For nearly 20 years, astronomers have searched Fermi data for gamma-ray signals from thousands of supernovae, and while a few intriguing hints have been reported, none were definitive until now,” study lead Fabio Acero at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the University of Paris-Saclay.
A paper describing the findings published Wednesday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Core-collapse supernovae occur when the energy-producing center of a star many times our Sun’s mass runs out of fuel, collapses under its own weight, and explodes.
During the collapse, a city-sized neutron star or an even smaller black hole may form. A blast wave blows away the rest of the star, which rapidly expands as a hot, dense cloud of ionized gas.
In the last couple of decades, nearly 400 exceptional core-collapse supernovae have been identified. Each of these events, dubbed superluminous supernovae, produced 10 or more times the amount of visible light normally seen.
In 2024, a study led by Li Shang at Anhui University in Hefei, China, noted that Fermi’s Large Area Telescope may have seen gamma rays — the most energetic form of light — from a superluminous supernova that occurred years earlier.
Dubbed SN 2017egm, this supercharged outburst occurred in galaxy NGC 3191, located about 440 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Even at this distance, the explosion remains one of the closest of its type to us on Earth.
“We searched for gamma rays from the six nearest superluminous supernovae seen during the first 16 years of Fermi’s mission,” said Guillem Martí-Devesa, a researcher previously at the University of Trieste in Italy and now a fellow at the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona, Spain.
“Only SN 2017egm shows evidence for gamma rays, confirming earlier hints that some supernovae can be as luminous in gamma rays as they are in visible light. This opens up a new window for studying these fascinating events.”
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Theorists have debated the possible energy sources that give these explosions their extra punch.
High on the list has been the formation of a magnetar, a type of neutron star with the strongest magnetic fields known — up to 1,000 times the intensity of typical neutron stars.
That’s 10 trillion times stronger than a refrigerator magnet.
The team undertook a deeper analysis of the supernova’s observed optical and gamma-ray features to compare how well different theoretical models reproduced them.
A model developed by co-authors Indrek Vurm at the University of Tartu in Estonia and Brian Metzger at Columbia University in New York City traced how light and particles produced by a newborn magnetar would move outward and interact with the supernova’s expanding debris.
Scientists expect a newly formed magnetar to spin a few hundred times a second. This rapid rotation produces a strong outflow of electrons and positrons, their antimatter counterparts, that forms a vast cloud of energetic particles.
Within this cloud — called a magnetar wind nebula — various interactions fuel the production and absorption of gamma rays. For example, an electron and a positron can annihilate into a pair of gamma-ray photons, or two gamma rays can collide and produce the particles.
In these and other ways, gamma rays interact with the supernova debris. Unable to escape directly, they become reprocessed, downshifted into lower-energy visible light that provides the supernova with its extra boost in luminosity.
“About three months after the collapse, as the supernova debris expands and cools, the gamma rays can begin to leak out,” Acero said.
“This magnetar model best reproduces the supernova’s luminosity and the arrival time of its gamma rays during the first months, but we see room for improvement at later times, when the visible light fades quite irregularly.”
Acero and his colleagues suggest that additional processes likely played contributing roles during SN 2017egm’s long fade-out. These include debris falling back onto the magnetar and interactions between the blast wave and matter ejected by the star in the centuries prior to its demise.
The team also examined how well a new ground-based gamma-ray facility, the Cerenkov Telescope Array Observatory, might detect events like SN 2017egm. With about 50 hours of observing time, they say, a similar supernova could be detected out to about 500 million light-years.
Our understanding of phenomena like SN 2017egm will improve thanks to cooperation between such facilities and NASA’s fleet of space-based observatories that watch for rapid changes in the universe.
“The magnetar central engine mechanism discussed in this paper builds upon a lot of observational and theoretical advances in magnetars over the last 20 years,” said Judy Racusin, a deputy project scientist for the Fermi mission at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Observing gamma rays from supernovae will give us a new way to explore their inner workings.”
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Starship's Twelfth Flight Test
May 21, 2026 15:30 - 17:00 PT
The twelfth flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Thursday, May 21. The launch window will open at 5:30 p.m. CT.
A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 45 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app.
As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.
The upcoming flight will debut the next generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles, powered by the next evolution of the Raptor engine and launching from a newly designed pad at Starbase.
Read about the upgrades debuting on Starship, Super Heavy, Raptor, and the launch pad on Flight 12.
The flight test’s primary goal will be to demonstrate each of these new pieces in the flight environment for the first time, with each element of the Starship architecture featuring significant redesigns to enable full and rapid reuse that incorporate learnings from years of development and test.
Watch “Test Like You Fly”, the first episode in a new Starship series that takes you inside the factories and onto the launch pads as these first vehicles prepared for flight.
The booster’s primary test objective will be executing a successful launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn, and landing burn at an offshore landing point in the Gulf of America.
As this is the first flight test of a significantly redesigned vehicle, the booster will not attempt a return to the launch site for catch.
The Starship upper stage will target multiple in-space and reentry objectives, including a payload deployment of 20 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, and two specially modified Starlink satellites.
The two modified satellites will test hardware planned for Starlink V3 and will attempt to scan Starship’s heat shield and transmit imagery down to operators to test methods of analyzing Starship’s heat shield readiness for return to launch site on future missions.
Several tiles on Starship have been painted white to simulate missing tiles and serve as imaging targets in the test. All of the deployed payloads will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship. A relight of a single Raptor engine while in space is also planned.
For Starship entry, a single heat shield tile has been intentionally removed to measure the aerodynamic load differences on adjacent tiles when there is a tile missing.
Finally, the ship will perform experimental actions tested on previous flight tests, including a maneuver to intentionally stress the structural limits of the vehicle’s rear flaps and a dynamic banking maneuver to mimic the trajectory that future missions returning to Starbase will fly.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-12
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launching-new-v3-starship-megarocket-for-1st-time-on-may-20-watch-live
https://www.space.com/news/live/spacex-starship-flight-12-launch-updates-may-19-2026
extra SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-31
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-17-42-b1103-vsfb-ocisly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBcldGapcYs
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-spacex-rocket-moon-space-private.html
SDA director Sandhoo takes on broader Space Force missile warning portfolio
May 19, 2026
WASHINGTON — The acting director of the Space Development Agency, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo, has been appointed to a dual role overseeing both the agency and a new U.S. Space Force acquisition office responsible for missile-warning satellite procurements.
In the new assignment, Sandhoo will serve as director of SDA and as Portfolio Acquisition Executive, or PAE, for missile warning and tracking, SDA said.
The appointment formalizes a broader restructuring underway inside the Space Force as it reorganizes procurement programs around mission portfolios rather than individual satellite systems.
A PAE oversees acquisition decisions, budgets and program integration for an entire mission area.
Sandhoo has led SDA as acting director since September 2025. His selection as missile-warning PAE had been reported previously by SpaceNews and other industry publications but was formally announced May 19.
Under the arrangement, Sandhoo will continue overseeing Tranches 1 and 2 of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, or PWSA, that remain under SDA management.
At the same time, in his role as missile-warning PAE, he will oversee future tranches of the missile-warning portion of the architecture as those programs transition into the Space Force’s new acquisition structure.
The Transport Layer portion of PWSA — a constellation of communications satellites designed to relay military data through optical intersatellite links — will not continue into Tranche 3.
The Pentagon is folding that transport mission into a larger initiative known as the Space Data Network, assigned to another PAE overseeing broader space sensing and targeting.
“Our guiding principle is to provide every PAE with the things they need to succeed including the authority, the resources, and the talent to execute their mission,” Thomas Ainsworth, the Space Force’s top acquisition official, said in a statement.
He said the restructuring reflects an effort to align accountability with operational missions, including global missile warning and tracking.
The agency also named Michael Eppolito deputy director of SDA.
The leadership changes come as the future of SDA as a standalone organization remains under review.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Fernengel, the Space Force’s director of plans and programs, said last week at a Mitchell Institute event that SDA “will be folded into the missile warning and tracking PAE … and more to follow on how that organization evolves over time.”
SDA was established in 2019 to accelerate military space acquisitions by relying on fixed-price contracts, commercial technology and rapid procurement cycles known as tranches.
The agency was intended to break from the Pentagon’s traditional acquisition system by fielding large constellations of lower-cost satellites in low Earth orbit on shorter timelines.
That approach, initially viewed inside the Pentagon as an experiment, is being adopted across the Space Force as proliferated constellations become more central to missile warning, communications and data transport missions.
https://spacenews.com/sda-director-sandhoo-takes-on-broader-space-force-missile-warning-portfolio/
https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/19/sandhoo-named-space-development-agency-director-pae-for-missile-warning-and-tracking/
extra Space Force
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/4495908/dow-space-test-program-launches-dual-missions-to-iss-to-expand-space-technologi
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4496851/secaf-visits-space-systems-command-to-meet-with-air-and-space-force-leaders-and/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4496676/gt-256-icbm-test-launch-verifies-system-reliability/
https://www.sofx.com/space-force-guardian-completes-first-joint-airborne-operation-with-army-special-forces/
ESA and Spain strengthen ties for secure connectivity
20/05/2026
The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Agencia Espacial Española (AEE) signed a Memorandum of Intent on 20 May to strengthen cooperation on secure satellite connectivity, reinforcing Spain’s growing strategic role in Europe’s space and resilience ambitions.
We rely on internet connectivity every day, from reading this article to sending money through banking applications, but how secure are these connections?
Now imagine the security and bandwidth of connectivity required for critical infrastructure such as national power grids or border surveillance systems.
Ensuring these connections remain resilient against potential threats – while maintaining European autonomy – is essential. ESA is actively working to strengthen secure connectivity for European governments and institutions.
ESA works closely with the European Commission to support the development of the European Commission’s Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS2) programme.
In parallel, ESA is also supporting the development of technologies and complementary capabilities, namely the preparation for new services that could later be used within the operational programme itself.
Spain is the main contributor to Low-LEO related activities, as part of ESA’s programme that’s supporting and contributing to the EU secure connectivity programme, IRIS2; where the Element 3 of the programme was approved at the last ESA Ministerial Council in December 2025.
The signature event – which took place during the third Spanish Space Congress in Madrid – further reinforces the country’s capabilities as Europe’s fifth largest space power.
The Memorandum of Intent was signed by ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher and Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant.
During the signature, Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA’s Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, and Juan Carlos Cortés, Director of Agencia Espacial Española, were present.
Through the agreement, ESA and AEE intend to strengthen cooperation on the ESA programme related to EU secure connectivity.
It aims at establishing a framework for exploring increased programme activities in Spain and foster closer technical cooperation between ESA and AEE.
This includes the creation of a dedicated IRIS2 Integrated Project Team in Spain, with particular focus on ESA’s Low-LEO layer activities.
Ultimately, the agreement opens the door to broader future collaboration in areas such as resilience, navigation, and connectivity.
Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said: “With IRIS2, Europe is building the next generation of secure connectivity from space.
Through this agreement with Spain, ESA is advancing the technologies and partnerships needed to ensure these systems are resilient, trusted, and under European control.”
Diana Morant, Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, said:
“Spain has stopped looking at the future with resignation and has started building it with technological and industrial ambition”, and expressed her conviction that “space must serve to improve the lives of those of us living on Earth.”
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Connectivity_and_Secure_Communications/ESA_and_Spain_strengthen_ties_for_secure_connectivity
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Europe_s_Spaceport/Hyguane_towards_low-carbon_hydrogen_for_Europe_s_Spaceport
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Greenlight_for_next_two_ESA_Scout_missions
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/05/Smile_launch_highlights
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Discovery_and_Preparation/Satellite_Evidence_in_the_Courtroom
>What kind of clown BS is this?
British, which for some reason makes me crave some fish and chips