TYB
Big Sunspots Coming, Los Angeles Quake Risk | S0 News and frens
June.18.2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nu6maEj7Pc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7UJ5Yu56Gg (Max Velocity: GIANT Severe Threat Is Coming Today…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4V6UUt6NhE (Live Storms Media: 06-17-2026 Effingham, IL - Violent Tornado Sends Debris Flying Near Effingham, IL | Close Range)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ28Wtplds8 (Global Crisis: The Devastated Philippines and Tornadoes in Europe: Why Cataclysms Leave No Time to Catch a Breath)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYO8Dek2t0 (Ray's Astro: SOMETHING Huge Is Buried Under Antarctica — And We Still Don’t Know What Made It)
https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Severe-Storms-And-Flooding-Concerns-Across-The-Eastern-US
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/additional-rounds-severe-storms-heavy-rain-flash-flooding-threat-central-plains-midwest
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/days-rain-potentially-life-threatening-flash-flooding-plague-south-amid-post-tropical-storm-arthur
https://backfirenews.com/tornado-levels-mid-america-motorworks/
https://x.com/StefanBurnsGeo/status/2067622785745334396
https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast
https://www.spaceweather.gov/news/learn-about-various-solar-storms-and-phenomena
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php
https://weather.substack.com/
https://www.tornadohq.com/
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/311696/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Thursday-18-Jun-2026.html
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=18&month=06&year=2026
https://x.com/CharlesPeekWX/status/2067561769367687388
THE LARGEST HAZARDOUS OBJECT TO PASS EARTH THIS DECADE!
Jun 17, 2026
Right now, a massive object known as Asteroid 152637 (1997 NC1) is making its closest approach to Earth in over 400 years.
While planetary defense networks classify it as a "Potentially Hazardous" Aten-class space rock, thirty years of tracking data have revealed an impossible scientific contradiction.
Different astronomical teams keep getting completely different data. Is it a massive, dark carbon titan, a highly reflective metallic anomaly, or something entirely artificial utilizing advanced physics?
In this video, we break down the different competing scientific hypotheses, the bizarre albedo problem that defies standard models, and how NASA's Goldstone planetary radar is about to solve this cosmic identity crisis during the June 27, 2026 close approach.
We also dive into the terrifying blind spots of planetary defense—including the twilight zone hidden by the Sun and the strict 100-year expiration date on our orbital trajectory mathematics.
What do you think 1997 NC1 will turn out to be? Let's discuss in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E5atRV-8S8
extra space objects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlxjaYHWUmM (Chuck's Astro: LIVE: See Venus Disappear in Broad Daylight on June 17th)
https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mineral-garnet-mars-meteorite-reveal.html
NASA Announces Public-Private Partnership to Advance Mars Science
Jun 17, 2026
NASA Wednesday announced a new public‑private partnership to advance Mars science by combining the agency’s scientific leadership with commercial innovation.
Under this model, NASA will provide the Aeolus atmospheric‑science instrument payload suite, while Relativity Space supplies the spacecraft, rocket, and cruise operations necessary to deliver the instruments to Mars.
This partnership reflects NASA’s growing commitment to approaches that accelerate discovery, expand mission cadence, and strengthen the foundation for future human exploration.
By leveraging commercial investment and development capacity, NASA can focus resources on high‑value science while enabling more frequent opportunities to gather critical data about Mars, data essential to safely navigating the Martian atmosphere and ultimately landing humans on the surface.
“Public-private partnerships like this are a force multiplier for science,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
“By pairing NASA’s world‑class instruments with commercial innovation and investment, we can deliver more science, more often, and reduce the time it takes to get essential data into the hands of researchers preparing for future human missions to Mars.”
Aeolus, scheduled to launch in 2028, is a NASA‑developed suite of four complementary instruments designed to provide the first integrated, daily, global view of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds.
By improving models for dust, winds, temperature, and seasonal atmospheric behavior, Aeolus will generate the detailed environmental knowledge required to reduce risk for future crewed and uncrewed landings.
These measurements will directly inform entry, descent, and landing systems and support safer, more predictable mission planning for astronauts.
Aeolus builds on more than two decades of NASA missions that have studied the Martian atmosphere, including orbiters such as MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Odyssey, while taking the foundation laid by earlier missions even further, continuing NASA’s tradition of expanding the frontiers of Mars science.
Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will design, build, and integrate the payload, while Relativity Space will manage spacecraft development and mission operations.
“As NASA’s Innovation Center of Excellence, Ames is committed to delivering the technologies, capabilities, and creative partnerships that enable the agency’s boldest missions,” said Dr. Eugene Tu, center director, NASA Ames.
“Aeolus reflects how innovative collaboration accelerates science and strengthens the foundation needed for one day landing humans on Mars.”
The Aeolus payload suite includes four NASA‑built instruments:
Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS‑Ozone): Measures wind and temperature profiles from the surface up to approximately 37 miles (60 km). A collaboration with GATS.
Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS): Provides vertical temperature profiles and observations of dust and water‑ice clouds. A collaboration with Xiomas Technologies.
Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP): Measures surface energy balance, dust, and cloud properties.
Wide‑Field Context Camera (WFCC): Captures daily global images of atmospheric activity.
NASA will support operations of science instruments for at least one Martian year, while Relativity Space maintains the spacecraft.
As part of the agreement, NASA will develop the data‑processing pipeline needed to transform raw measurements into high‑quality, ready‑to‑use data products for broad scientific use.
This effort is supported under NASA’s first six‑year reimbursable Space Act Agreement, providing a stable framework for sustained collaboration, predictable development, and mission continuity.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-public-private-partnership-to-advance-mars-science/
https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/nasa-awards-mars-mission-to-eric-schmidt-led-relativity-space-what-are-the-risks-article-154671541
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2067366240763699273
Godlike
Advanced Health Research on Station Using Augmented, Virtual Reality Tools
June 17, 2026 2:32PM
Biomedical tests using augmented and virtual reality tools to advance space health dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday.
The Expedition 74 crew is also turning its attention to a spacewalk at the end of the month following the departure of a U.S. cargo spacecraft.
NASA flight engineers Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway began their shift in the Columbus laboratory module conducting vein scans with guidance from doctors on the ground.
The duo took turns scanning each other with the EchoFinder-2 ultrasound device that collects health data using augmented reality and artificial intelligence tools.
The medical hardware provided by ESA (European Space Agency) provides a screen using augmented reality to guide the operator’s probe motion and artificial intelligence software to detect the subject’s organs.
The lightweight, easy-to-use gear may enable independent crew health monitoring on spacecraft travelling to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Afterward, Hathaway moved to the Harmony module and loaded bacteria samples into a portable DNA sequencer to read their genetic code.
Scientists will use the knowledge to understand bacterial resistance to antibiotics in the space environment potentially affecting an astronaut’s ability to fight an infection.
Meir assisted NASA flight engineer Chris Williams who wore virtual reality goggles for a test measuring his ability to detect balance, movement, orientation in microgravity.
The goggles recorded Williams’s eye movements as he responded to visual stimuli generated by computer software operated by Meir.
The vestibular system investigation, just one part of the CIPHER suite of 14 human research experiments, is studying how astronauts neurologically adapt to weightlessness to improve crew training and safety.
ESA flight engineer Sophie Adenot helped her crewmates with the digital health science on Wednesday first setting up the EchoFinder-2 hardware, connecting it to a computer tablet, and installing a camera to track the vein study.
Next, Adenot configured Harmony’s maintenance work area and retrieved a mini-cold bag to house the bacteria samples for the antibiotics study. Finally, she took pictures of the Moon to observe Earth’s light reflecting off the lunar surface.
All four astronauts gathered together at the end of their shift for a conference call with spacewalk experts on the ground.
The quartet and the engineers discussed the tools and procedures necessary to repair a wrist joint on the Canadarm2 robotic arm during a spacewalk planned for June 30.
NASA will soon announce the spacewalkers and provide a live televised briefing for more details before the end of the month.
Roscosmos flight engineer Andrey Fedyaev conducted another neurological study while wearing a virtual reality headset and responded to computerized stimuli as electrodes measured brain activity and tracked eye movement, testing his sense of direction, movement, and position.
Station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, both from Roscosmos, started their shift in the Nauka science module checking the operation of components supporting the Elektron oxygen generator.
Kud-Sverchkov then tested communications gear inside the Soyuz MS-28 crew spacecraft. Mikaev took a computer quiz documenting his mental state before terminating a 24-hour heart and blood pressure monitoring session.
A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is back on Earth following its undocking from the orbital outpost on Tuesday and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 5:11 a.m. PDT/8:11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.
Dragon returned sensitive scientific samples from investigations studying stem cell manufacturing, cartilage tissue printing, and more to treat a range of conditions from blood diseases, cancers, and cartilage injuries.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/06/17/advanced-health-research-on-station-using-augmented-virtual-reality-tools/
extra NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/fermi/nasas-fermi-sibling-supernova-remnants/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-glimpses-merging-galaxy-clusters/
https://www.nasa.gov/gallery/artemis-iii-astronauts/
https://www.visionmonday.com/eyecare/article/us-navy-captain-kyle-dohm-od-named-first-ever-aerospace-optometry-fellow-at-nasa/
El Niño Is Underway
Jun 18, 2026
El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific, made its return in June 2026.
Observations of sea surface height from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite that month indicated that the 2026 event was continuing to strengthen.
The natural, recurring phenomenon can have widespread effects, typically bringing wetter conditions to the U.S. Southwest and drought to countries in the western Pacific, such as Indonesia and Australia.
NOAA declared an El Niño on June 11, after sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific measured at least 0.5 degrees Celsius above average for several consecutive months.
Meanwhile, NASA scientists have been observing a complementary sign of El Niño: areas of elevated sea surface height.
When ocean water warms, it expands in volume and causes the sea surface to rise—making the water’s height a reliable indicator of ocean temperatures.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures, hence higher sea surface heights, in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean are associated with El Niño.
The map above depicts sea surface height anomalies across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean as observed on June 8, 2026. Shades of red indicate sea levels that were higher than average.
Normal sea level conditions appear white, and lower areas are blue.
Data for the map were acquired by the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite—launched in 2020 by NASA and led by ESA (European Space Agency)—and processed by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Note that signals related to seasonal cycles and long-term trends have been removed to highlight sea level anomalies associated with El Niño and other short-term natural phenomena.
Earlier in spring 2026, the satellite started to detect precursor signs of El Niño as swells of warm water hundreds of miles wide, known as Kelvin waves, moved from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific.
That happens when trade winds in the western equatorial Pacific weaken and then temporarily reverse to blow from the west.
Warm water piles up in the east, deepening the warm surface layer, lowering the thermocline, and suppressing the upwelling that usually keeps waters along the Pacific coasts of the Americas cooler.
This buildup of heat beneath the water’s surface is what sea surface height observations capture. It goes beyond surface temperature measurements to indicate how much heat is stored in the subsurface.
That’s important because a shallow warm layer might not have much impact on climate and weather, while a large reservoir of heat below the surface can matter more.
According to JPL sea level researcher Severine Fournier, deputy project scientist for Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, conditions in the western Pacific on June 8 looked similar to those from the same time in 1997, a year when an exceptionally strong El Niño emerged.
Warm conditions in the eastern Pacific in 2026 have lagged behind, however, with fewer Kelvin waves built up by the same date.
Still, more warm Kelvin waves appeared to be approaching the eastern Pacific, meaning El Niño was still strengthening. Whether it catches up to 1997 depends on ocean activity in the coming weeks.
“For now, it looks like it’s going to be a big one—more so than I would have said last week—but we still need more observations to know what’s going to happen.”
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/el-nino-is-underway/
extra extra NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/get-involved/citizen-science/search-for-hidden-cosmic-companions-in-suns-backyard/
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/wildfires-krasnoyarsk-siberia
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/6/18/800055958/series/43-years-ago-sally-ride-became-the-first-us-woman-in-space/
https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-perseverance-rover-just-ran-a-marathon-on-mars-could-you-do-the-same
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/location-map/
https://www.aol.com/articles/inside-nasas-daring-mission-rescue-144308963.html
Interestingly enough, the official cover art for GTA 6 dropped today, and it also takes place in Florida.
https://x.com/RockstarGames/status/2067594067030979053
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/its-quite-a-bit-more-than-we-expected-satellite-reveals-immense-scale-of-gps-signal-tampering
extra general space
https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/astrophotographer-captures-a-cosmic-lagoon-glowing-5-200-light-years-from-earth-photo
'It's quite a bit more than we expected': Satellite reveals immense scale of GPS signal tampering
June 18, 2026
An experimental satellite has mapped the scale of GPS jamming across Europe and the Middle East from space for the first time.
The data surprised the team behind the project and indicated that satellites orbiting far from Earth aren't the only ones that experience degradation of their positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals, which could affect their performance and the safety of their operations.
The new measurements were made by Pulsar-0, the first satellite of the novel Pulsar navigation constellation developed by California-based Xona Space Systems.
The experimental satellite orbits 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth, testing Xona's technology before the company begins deploying its navigation constellation of 300 spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) later this year.
The purpose of the Pulsar constellation is to provide a more resilient PNT service compared to the United State's GPS network and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), such as Europe's Galileo or China's Beidou.
The PNT signals distributed by GNSS satellites underpin many systems that our civilization relies on in everyday life, including the operation of power grids, finance operations and oil drilling.
But because GNSS satellites orbit quite far from Earth — at altitudes abve 12,000 miles (19,000 km) — the signal that ground-based receivers detect is weak and can be easily jammed.
GNSS jamming (the overpowering of GNSS signals with noise) and spoofing (which involves overriding the original signals with false ones carrying incorrect coordinates), have become almost a global emergency over the past five years.
For example, Russian jammers have been disrupting GNSS signals along Russia's western borders, officially to protect the country from Ukrainian drone attacks.
Every month, this interference affects tens of thousands of flights that cruise over the region. The warring parties in the Middle East, too, use jamming and spoofing to deflect drone attacks and hide the positions of illegal ships at sea.
Xona's satellites will use a similar signal, but one that's 100 times stronger, to offer greater resiliency against such deliberate interference. But the Pulsar-0 spacecraft also carries a GPS receiver to make sure the two systems will be able to work together.
When the Xona team first turned on that receiver a few months after Pulsar-0's launch last year, they were shocked by the scale of signal degradation the receiver was reporting above Europe and parts of the Middle East.
"When we fly over North America, for example, we see a beautiful signal all the time," Kaz Gunning, Xona's co-founder, told Space.com.
"But as soon as we started doing any operations above Europe, we noticed that there was really something going on there. We thought we were going to see some jamming, but it's quite a bit more than we expected."
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In the hardest-hit areas, the strength of the GPS signals at the satellite's altitude dropped from the regular 40 decibels to as little as 10 decibels.
Gunning says that, due to the altitude of the Pulsar-0 satellite, the map may not truthfully reflect where jamming is worst for users on the ground.
The data, however, revealed that satellites in heavily used LEO suffer from some degree of GPS signal disruption all the way from France in the west to the borders of Pakistan in the east.
The measurements mean that satellites in LEO are not out of the reach of ground-based jammers, and that the PNT signals those satellites need to time-sync their operations and determine their position in space can't always be relied upon.
"You lose the GPS capability as soon as you pass over these regions," said Gunning. "That may be a problem for imaging satellites that are trying to position themselves to take images of a certain region.
You can't do altitude determination, you can't do the positioning without the GPS signal. You can't even accurately point at your telecommand antenna on the ground. That's generally going to disrupt satellite operations."
Satellite constellations such as SpaceX Starlink also rely on GPS to avoid collisions with other spacecraft.
It's not just deliberate jamming and spoofing that can wreak havoc with the precious PNT signal. Severe solar storms, too, can cause serious disruptions.
The Gannon superstorm in May 2024, for example, distorted the GNSS signal so much that precision farming machinery in parts of the U.S. couldn't operate for days.
Technologists are therefore racing to find backup solutions to transmit the PNT signal to everyone who needs it whenever GNSS is down.
Xona hopes that the Pulsar constellation, once up and running, will make the lives of those dependent on GNSS much easier.
Gunning says that, with the superior strength of the PNT signal transmitted by the company's planned LEO constellation, existing jammers would only be able to affect about 5% of the area they can currently disrupt.
"The effect of the jamming is going to be reduced to a smaller radius," Gunning said. "The degradation area will go down, and the full lock-out radius will also go down."
Xona plans to launch a batch of six satellites in October and begin ramping up production shortly thereafter. The company raised $170 million in a "Series C" funding round this March and hopes to begin delivering basic service in early 2027.
"We expect early customers in timekeeping to begin utilizing Pulsar at the end of this year with intermittent coverage," Max Eunice, Xona's head of communications, told Space.com.
"Pulsar's capability will increase with every subsequent launch, unlocking new advantages for new customer segments as our constellation fills out."
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https://www.mitre.org/news-insights/employee-voice/mitre-theres-space-implementing-more-national-security
https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-presses-mitre-answers-uap-records-ffrdc-accountability-and-compliance
https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/27/rep-eric-burlison-request-for-uap-records-mitre/
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/ufo/lawmaker-ufo-talk-private-contractor/
At MITRE, There’s Space for Implementing More National Security
Jun 18, 2026
Robert Sumner looks up and sees big challenges, and huge opportunities.
As a 2026 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellow with the Center for a New American Security, he’s thinking critically about the evolving domain of space-system cybersecurity—how emerging technologies and national security policy come together in this new realm.
“As space systems become more complex, interconnected, and cyber-dependent, mission success requires a more integrated approach to how they’re designed, integrated, developed, and sustained,” he says.
By day at MITRE, Sumner addresses space-based capability issues as a principal applied cybersecurity engineer in our National Space Program Department.
He says working for MITRE provides unmatched “freedom to pursue hard problems freely, for the betterment of national interests.”
He brings to MITRE a background rich in education, experience, and service to the country, all of which inform his contributions to security in this final frontier.
An All-Encompassing Field
As leader for Project 60 under the System and Engineering Directorate at MITRE’s National Space Program, Sumner says he’s involved “in everything from digital engineering and space systems, to space system cybersecurity, to modeling and simulation.”
Project 60 addresses the need for threat-informed space systems engineering and architecture support across national space missions.
In addition, Sumner steers Project STEEL TOWN, a MITRE National Space Program/Space Enterprise Mission.
It’s a division-led initiative that fills a critical gap across the Department of War and the Intelligence Community by providing a uniform, repeatable framework for conducting end-to-end cyber threat enumeration specific to space systems.
Using a novel methodology for the end-to-end life cycle of space systems, STEEL TOWN advances the cyberthreat intelligence landscape applied against commercial and U.S. government space interests.
Sumner says it’s the first approach of its kind—with the capability of “looking at the entire life cycle as opposed to individual snapshots,” he explains.
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And with what Sumner calls the “phenomenal” MITRE ecosystems of ATT&CK® and D3FEND™ in place, the team doesn’t have to start from scratch in these efforts.
“We don’t need to build something new,” he says. “My role is helping to leverage what we have in a new way and bringing concepts to fruition.”
My role is helping to leverage what we have in a new way and bringing concepts to fruition.
Robert Sumner
Fellowship Offers a Deep Dive into National Security
As a Next Generation Fellow, Sumner has even greater scope in addressing these kinds of topics. He says he first learned about the Shawn Brimley fellowship while working for Booz Allen Hamilton.
Developed for younger professionals between the ages of 27 and 35, the program steers and supports emerging leaders in the national security space.
“It’s a think tank dedicated to cultivating a bipartisan network of emerging leaders who will shape the future of U.S. national security policy,” he explains.
Although Sumner wasn’t selected when he first applied, his determination to try again helped fuel both his education and aspirations.
Subsequently, after completing master’s degrees at The George Washington University and the University of New South Wales and entering the final stretch of his doctoral program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, he made it this year as one of 26 fellows selected from a field of hundreds.
The fellowship includes publishing opportunities, monthly opportunities for interaction with political appointees, and a trip to Taiwan to meet with the country’s national security leaders in industry and government.
Through Lines to a Mission
An ingrained belief in service to our country has driven Sumner throughout his career.
His father and grandfather served in the U.S. Air Force and Navy, respectively. After graduation from The Citadel with a bachelor’s degree in history, Sumner served in the Army as an infantry officer.
He then had a stint with the Joint Readiness Training Center as an observer-controller, where he says he was struck by “seeing—firsthand—new technology being tested and implemented.”
And it seems Sumner himself has inspired a career path—with a twist. His mother, Erika Sumner, recently joined MITRE as a principal decision analyst after a long government career.
“National security is steeped within our family tree,” he observes.
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Quantum Space Awarded a Department of War Contract to Advance On-Orbit Refueling Capabilities
Jun 18, 2026, 07:00 ET
Contract Supports Development of Orbital Fuel Depot and Logistics nInfrastructure for National Security Space Operations
Quantum Space has secured a Department of War (DoW) Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF) contract for a fuel depot spacecraft demonstration that enables routine in-space refueling, extends spacecraft operational lifetimes, and provides the U.S. Space Force with greater flexibility and resilience across the space domain.
Quantum Space is building the fuel depot on its highly maneuverable Ranger platform. The depot architecture refuels spacecraft and provides on-orbit logistics capabilities critical for sustaining U.S. space superiority in contested domains.
"National security in space depends on the ability to maneuver, adapt, and sustain operations over time," said Jim Bridenstine, CEO of Quantum Space.
"This fuel depot contract is a transformational step toward building the in-space logistics architecture the United States requires for resilient, enduring space operations.
It extends the life of high-value assets and creates operational options that fixed architectures simply cannot provide."
Quantum Space also holds a contract for the U.S. Space Force's Andromeda program, emphasizing the critical importance of on-orbit refueling and logistics.
This partnership reflects a growing institutional recognition that dynamic space operations require persistent, maneuverable, and serviceable infrastructure across multiple orbits.
"For years, in-space refueling has been a concept on our capability roadmaps. Today, we are investing to make it an operational reality.
The OECIF award accelerates the deployment of critical refueling infrastructure, answering the urgent call for a persistent, maneuverable space logistics network.
By removing traditional fuel constraints, we are not just keeping our vital assets ready—we are unlocking entirely new mission sets and novel operations, giving our space warfighters the sustained agility they need to outmaneuver threats in a dynamic domain." says Chris DePuma, OECIF's Operational Energy and Combat Power portfolio lead.
"The time for a shift from demonstrations toward operational depots is now," says Ben Reed, Co-Founder of Quantum Space.
"The technologies are mature, the mission need is urgent, and Quantum Space possesses capital for delivery."
Reed brings two decades of NASA experience, including work as a key member on three Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and leadership as Division Chief responsible for the agency's robotic satellite servicing program.
This DoW award builds on Quantum Space's strategy for development of maneuverable, re-fueling capable spacecraft, and orbital infrastructure for national security, civil, and commercial missions.
The company engineers its Ranger platform for operations across multiple orbital regimes, including geostationary orbit and cislunar space, with a patented multimode propulsion system that combines chemical and electric capability on a single vehicle using a single fuel type, enabling both high-thrust maneuvering and high-efficiency sustained operations.
The company secures multiple DoW awards for advancement of these capabilities.
Quantum Space recently announced a proposed business combination with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VI (Nasdaq: IPFX), which is expected to result in a company listing on Nasdaq later this year, subject to customary closing conditions, including required shareholder approvals and regulatory clearances.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quantum-space-awarded-a-department-of-war-contract-to-advance-on-orbit-refueling-capabilities-302803727.html
extra Space Force
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4519977/daf-updates-uniform-guidance-for-chaplain-corps-air-force-maternity-uniforms/
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4521065/tsgt-anthony-necker-named-air-force-occupational-safety-career-professional-of/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4520406/guardian-resilience-teams-promote-holistic-health-culture-of-fitness/
https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4520200/vandenbergs-hawk-of-the-week-award-on-june-17th/
NROL-179 Mission
June 18, 2026
SpaceX is targeting Friday, June 19 for a Falcon 9 launch of the NROL-179 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The 35-minute launch window opens at 1:40 a.m. PT with a backup opportunity available at 1:26 a.m. PT on Saturday, June 20.
A live webcast of the NROL-179 mission will begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.
This will be the third flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
There is the possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/nrol179
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-spy-satellite-launch-nrol-179-nro
extra SpaceX
https://geekspin.co/chinese-rocket-breaks-apart-in-space/
ESA Council appoints two new directors
17/06/2026
The European Space Agency Council has approved the appointment of two new directors: Christine Klein as Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement, and Jean-Luc Trullemans as Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs.
ESA Member States approved the Director General’s proposal at the 347th ESA Council at delegate level taking place on 16-17 June 2026, at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France.
"I am very pleased to welcome Christine and Jean‑Luc to their new roles. Both bring strong experience and a deep understanding of ESA.
I look forward to working with them as we continue to support our teams and Member States and deliver for Europe together," said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement
Christine Klein will take up her new role as Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement (CFO) at ESA Headquarters in Paris on 1 July 2026.
Christine has been serving as Acting Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement since 1 April 2026.
"I look forward to working with teams across the agency to ensure strong and sustainable financial management. In the months ahead, I will focus on enhancing governance and procurement efficiency, while also working to establish a unified CFO team," she said.
Since joining ESA in 2020 as Head of the Workforce Management Office, she has worked across a range of senior roles, building strong expertise in governance, industrial policy and organisational oversight.
Before joining ESA, Christine worked at the German Space Agency at DLR, including as Head of the German Delegation to the ESA Industrial Policy Committee and Budget and Planning Team Leader, and also acting as Chairperson of the ESA Administrative and Finance Committee.
She began her career working on ISS commercialisation projects. The Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement is a new position which follows a broader reorganisation of the agency.
Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs
Jean-Luc Trullemans will take up his role as Director of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs at ESA Headquarters in Paris on 1 January 2027.
Jean-Luc currently serves as Head of the European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC) in Belgium, within ESA’s Directorate of Strategy, Legal and External Affairs.
"I take up this role at an important moment for ESA and Europe’s space sector. Our focus will be on implementing Ministerial priorities to strengthen Europe’s autonomy, resilience and competitiveness in space, while ensuring ESA remains a reliable and effective global partner,” he said.
Since joining ESA in 2020 as Security Advisor in the Director General’s Services, he has contributed to strengthening the agency’s approach to security, resilience and coordination.
Jean-Luc brings more than 30 years of experience in governance, security policy and international cooperation. Prior to ESA, he held senior positions within the Belgian Federal Police and worked as advisor at ministerial level within the Belgian Federal Government.
Jean-Luc Trullemans will replace Eric Morel de Westgaver, who is retiring from his position as Director of Strategy, Legal and External Matters.
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_Council_appoints_two_new_directors
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/06/Liftoff_first_Ariane_6_liftoff_with_P160C-based_boosters
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/Sophie_Adenot_s_mid-mission_highlights
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Dozens_of_dust_devils_hidden_in_plain_sight
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Preparing_for_tomorrow/Don_t_miss_the_Earth_Explorer_12_User_Consultation_Meeting
https://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_Academy/Inside_ESA_Academy_s_training_programme_innovation_exploration_and_collaboration_in_early_2026
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/06/347th_ESA_Council_Media_information_session
https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/thai-space-scientists-join-global-team-behind-new-esa-mission-553987
Ukraine launches almost 200 drones at Moscow
18 Jun, 2026 06:06 | Updated 18 Jun, 2026 12:41
Blazes have been reported in the Russian capital and more than a dozen people wounded in the surrounding region, in one of Kiev’s largest aerial attacks
At least 17 people have been wounded after the Ukrainian military launched one of its largest drone raids against Moscow, Russian officials have said.
Air defenses shot down at least 194 UAVs on the approach to the Russian capital overnight, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin wrote in a Telegram post on Thursday morning.
Some drones made it through and caused blazes, with witnesses reporting large plumes of thick black smoke in several areas in and outside the city.
Several drones reached the Moscow Oil Refinery in the southeastern Kapotnya district of the city, Sobyanin said. Firefighters have been deployed to the site.
Debris from a downed UAV delivered minor damage to a building at the Sadovod shopping center in southeastern Moscow, according to the mayor.
Two children among civilians wounded in Moscow Region
Nine people, including a three-year-old child, suffered shrapnel wounds and other injuries in the town of Kotelniki east of the capital as a result of the Ukrainian drone raid, Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyev said on Telegram.
In Ramenskoye, south-west of Moscow, three people were wounded, including a ten-year-old girl, he said.
A drone struck an apartment block in the city of Zhukovsky, located 20 km southeast of the capital, the governor said. One person was hospitalized in the city with a wound to his neck, he added.
Debris from destroyed drones fell in several locations in Lyubertsy, east of Moscow, according to Vorobyev. Two men were hospitalized there, with one sustaining a hip injury and the other fracturing his arm, he wrote.
The roof of the nearby Belaya Dacha mall on the Moscow Ring Road caught fire during the raid by Ukrainian forces, Vorobyev said. The administration later announced that it was temporarily shutting down the mall as firefighters tackled the blaze, which was extinguished after several hours.
One person was also injured in Solnechnogorsk and another in the attack on the Sadovod shopping center, the governor said.
Falling drone debris damaged private homes and vehicles in the cities of Chekhov and Elektrostal as well as other areas, he added.
Hundreds of flights delayed at Moscow airports
The drone raid prompted temporary airspace restrictions around the Russian capital, affecting all four of Moscow’s international airports, according to the federal air transport agency, Rosaviatsia.
A total of 527 flights were delayed or canceled at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports, Interfax reported, citing airport timetable data.
Over 550 drones downed across Russia
The Russian Defense Ministry said more than 550 Ukrainian UAVs had been shot down across the country since Wednesday evening.
The interceptions took place in Moscow, Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Vladimir, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Orel, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Tula, Rostov, and Ryazan regions, as well as in Crimea and over the Sea of Azov, it said.
One person was killed and two others wounded in a drone attack on the town of Gukovo in Rostov Region, according to Governor Yury Slusar.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said on Thursday that Russian forces carried out another strike overnight against Ukraine’s military-linked energy infrastructure in response to terrorist attacks by Kiev.
A fuel depot outside Kiev and an oil refinery in Poltava Region were hit with missiles and drones, it said.
https://www.rt.com/russia/641760-ukraine-drone-moscow-sobyanin/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/641748-ukrainian-drone-attack-bus-belarusian-children-experts-to-rt/
https://www.rt.com/news/641708-eu-targets-russia-dialogue-kartheiser/
Moscow Drone Attacks Seen as Pressure Tool Against Trump
19:58 18-06-2026
Military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk says Kiev is using drone attacks on Moscow to pressure Donald Trump and shape views on the Ukraine conflict.
The Kiev regime is trying to use mass drone attacks on Moscow as a tool of pressure on U. S. President Donald Trump, hoping to influence his position on the Ukrainian conflict, retired special forces colonel and military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk said.
According to Matviychuk, Ukraine is relying not only on military means but also on psychological impact. He said this is why the Russian capital has become one of the main targets for strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Matviychuk named two reasons behind the attacks on Moscow. The first, he said, is that European states have established regular drone supplies to Kiev. The second is Moscow’s role as the symbol of Russia.
The retired colonel argued that Vladimir Zelensky believes strikes on Moscow could increase the chances of the United States changing its view of the conflict.
He also said Zelensky had presented Trump with a ballistic missile and claimed it would shift the course of events on the battlefield.
In Matviychuk’s view, Ukrainian attacks on Moscow are a psychological and information operation aimed at an external audience, since most drones do not reach their targets in Russia.
Matviychuk also suggested that Ukrainian drones targeting the Moscow Region may have been launched from Russian territory by so-called sleeper cells.
According to the latest data, more than 190 drones launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed on approach to Moscow during the night of June 18 and the following morning.
https://voennoedelo.com/en/posts/id16973-moscow-drone-attacks-framed-as-pressure-on-trump
other Russia and Ukraine
https://ukranews.com/en/news/1158389-residents-of-the-moscow-region-reported-an-oil-rain-following-a-drone-attack-on-the-moscow-oil
https://united24media.com/world/us-embassy-warns-american-citizens-in-russia-of-drone-strike-threat-for-first-time-19965
https://ukranews.com/en/news/1158395-the-navy-denied-rumors-of-a-maritime-drone-attack-on-odesa-and-announced-that-the-incident-was-part
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/78454
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/78445
https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/massive-drone-attack-rocks-crimea-hits-critical-railway-bridge-over-north-crimean-canal-19941
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/750-million-package-to-provide-ukraine-with-150000-drones-and-boost-air-defence