TYB
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4534219/maj-gen-sherman-visits-space-launch-delta-45-looking-to-streamline-the-launch-p/
Maj. Gen. Sherman visits Space Launch Delta 45 looking to streamline the launch process
July 7, 2026
Space Launch Delta 45
The commander of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center visited Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, June 5, 2026, to tour the Eastern Range and review the unique civil engineering and infrastructure demands of the world's busiest spaceport.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman, who leads the commands responsible for delivering installation and mission support capabilities across the Department of the Air Force, met with local leadership to discuss how enterprise-level support integrates with rapid space operations.
During the visit, U.S. Space Force Col. Brian Chatman and his team outlined the specialized civil engineering mission and the vast scope of responsibility managed by Space Launch Delta 45 personnel.
Several briefings were provided by local subject matter experts, ranging from resource protection and Cape expansion to financial chokepoints for funding processes needed to support infrastructure projects and delegated authorities for ensuring those projects keep pace with commercial launch partners.
The Eastern Range, the world's premier gateway to space, presents a distinct operational challenge within the Department of War.
Several SLD 45 subject matter experts emphasized that infrastructure and engineering projects must move faster to match the speed of the launch service providers to sustain high-tempo national security and commercial missions.
To meet these demands, launch service providers are increasingly requesting the opportunity to invest in infrastructure projects outside of their leased areas, recognizing these developments as critical to their future mission success.
"The spaceport of the future will require changing legacy mindsets and patterns of decision-making to move toward a modern, intentional bed-down strategy that matches our strategic national launch priorities and capacity needs moving toward 2040," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Clark Smith, the SLD 45 civil engineer squadron commander.
Many of these overlapping requirements are beneficial to building the “spaceport of the future” or the “unified spaceport” and senior leaders recognize they are critical to the future of U.S. space launch.
The U.S. government benefits directly from launch partners moving at this accelerated pace, as it enhances National Security Space Launch provider resiliency and encourages the build-up of redundant space launch capabilities.
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This collaborative investment is part of a broader effort across the Eastern Range.
SLD 45 is actively working toward solutions to meet the Chief of Space Operations' intent for 2040, which projects an increased launch cadence from about 100 launches per year to nearly 1,000 launches per year from the Space Coast.
Surging this operational tempo requires logistical support that spans SLD 45 operational functions, as well as LSP operations and Kennedy Space Center operations.
During the visit leaders from the Delta warned that personnel shortages pose a significant hurdle.
"One of the biggest limitations we are facing is scarcity of labor," said U.S. Space Force Col. Brian Chatman, SLD 45 commander.
"The jurisdiction for SLD 45 spans across the Eastern Range, with a mission to protect and defend NSSL assets and infrastructure, regardless of if the assets are on KCS or CCSFS property."
Subject matter experts from SLD 45 highlighted that the launch mission at the Eastern Range cannot be conducted safely without essential roles staffed by U.S. Air Force members.
These critical USAF capabilities span security forces, civil engineering, HVAC specialists, comptroller services, contracting, emergency management, fire and rescue, and safety.
Their functions range from procuring, producing and securing the infrastructure across the Eastern Range that enables rapid launch operations.
The Eastern Range operates in practice as a joint base, though it lacks the formal titles and authorities associated with that designation.
Guardians, Airmen, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and Soldiers all call the Space Coast home, creating a highly collaborative environment that inherently introduces upfront logistical and coordination complexities to the decision-making process.
Space Launch Delta 45 experts also explained the importance of delegated authorities and the impact those will have as a function for empowering the LSPs to move fast and shift toward the 2040 objective of over 1,000 launches per year off the Eastern Range.
While all partners operating out of Cape Canaveral are working toward the shared vision of a "unified spaceport," administrative progress is frequently slowed by conflicting contracting authorities and legal requirements.
Leaders note that streamlining these processes as points of friction through expanded delegated authorities would better align policy with strategic national security priorities and ensure safe and continuous launch operations.
"Delegated authorities are how the U.S. Government will match the speed of our commercial partners' ability to push toward 1,000 launches a year from this range," said U.S. Space Force Col. Joyce Bulson, SLD 45 deputy commander for operations.
"It will enable modernized legal processes that work with the uniqueness of space launch at all USG ranges, ensuring our contracting, acquisitions, and finance lanes of effort work with the launch service providers in the best interest of national security."
In order to support the spaceport of the future and meet the CSO’s intent for space launch by 2040, it will take resourcing increases, primarily across manpower, and modernized policy changes that are adaptive to the distinct needs of space launch.
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Shenzhou-23 crew bake cakes in space
14:10, July 07, 2026
The Shenzhou-23 crew bake cakes aboard the Tiangong space station, using pans built for microgravity, in this video released on July 5, 2026.
https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0707/c90000-20475218.html
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Meteorological_missions/meteosat_third_generation/Unpacking_Europe_s_new_weather_imagers
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Hellenic_Fire_System_achieves_first_light
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Careers_at_ESA/Hear_from_Romain_Esteve
Unpacking Europe’s new weather imagers
07/07/2026
The second Meteosat Third Generation Imager satellite (MTG-I2) has begun its launch campaign, during which it will go through final inspections before being fitted inside the fairing of the Ariane 6 rocket that will launch it into space towards the end of the summer.
So how will this 3800 kg satellite help improve weather forecasts for Europe and North Africa?
MTG-I2 was taken out of its protective casing at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana yesterday and the teams on the ground are ready to begin the weeks of testing and inspection leading up to launch.
The preparatory activities will include ‘health’ checks to ensure the satellite’s electrical and mechanical systems are working optimally after its long journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
These checks also include a series of detailed inspections to ensure the satellite passes cleanliness tests. Then the satellite battery will be charged and the propellant tanks filled before attaching it to the launch vehicle adapter.
Finally, the satellite and its adapter will be ‘encapsulated’, or firmly fitted, inside the fairing (upper module) of the Ariane 6 rocket, ready for launch.
Each of these steps will be undertaken with the same meticulousness and teamwork that have characterised the past 15 years – the time it has taken to develop one of the most advanced sets of remote-sensing weather satellites to be placed in geostationary orbit.
MTG-I2 unboxed
This is the first time the team saw the satellite since it left Europe. James Champion, ESA’s MTG Project Manager, said, “It has taken more than 15 years of extremely hard work to create the systems and technology for this next-generation satellite.
We’ve worked on technology that didn’t previously exist, including the all-important detectors and their coolers used on both the Sounder and Imager MTG satellites, as well as special materials that absorb vibrations to ensure stability in space.
As a team, we are all very proud of what has been achieved so far and the thought that this high-performance satellite will contribute to more accurate and reliable forecasts that will benefit everyone in Europe and North Africa, is a huge motivating factor.”
MTG-I2, the third satellite for the MTG mission, will complete the first family of MTG satellites. From 2033, the second batch of MTG satellites will be launched in sequence to extend the mission’s duration.
The MTG family currently has two satellites in orbit, both of which have been fully commissioned and handed over to Eumetsat for operational service.
The MTG satellites continue the services previously provided by the four Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites, which were placed in orbit between 2002 and 2015.
MTG to boost forecasting accuracy for Europe’s weather
So how will MTG-I2 improve data for weather forecasts in Europe and in North Africa? The answer is simple: with two of the most powerful and impressive imaging instruments ever to be placed in geostationary orbit.
This is an orbit that is sometimes compared to a ‘hawk’s eye’ position because the satellites follow the same point on Earth’s surface as it rotates, observing detail from a great distance of 36 000 km.
One of the instruments is the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), which provides a rapid scanning service every 2.5 minutes over Europe. Both the MTG-I satellites carry an FCI on board.
The first MTG-I is in orbit at zero degrees longitude (in line with London in the UK). MTG-I2 will be positioned at 9.5 degrees East (from a position in line with Germany and Sardinia).
Both satellites are focused on Europe and, together, they will provide forecasting data for Europe and North Africa. But it is the rapid scanning service, providing data on a repeat cycle every 150 seconds, that will be the game-changer in terms of weather forecasting.
This service will come into effect once Eumetsat, with the support of ESA and the industrial teams, has completed the commissioning of both the MTG-I2 satellite and its ground segment in 2027.
As well as providing a huge increase in the quality, quantity and frequency of data for European weather forecasting, the Flexible Combined Imager also senses data about climate.
It provides precise information about Earth’s atmosphere and surface environments, from clouds to water vapour, and from oceans to local fires.
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The other instrument on board MTG-I2 is the Lightning Imager. This too, is an innovative and powerful instrument, able to capture individual lightning events, by day and night.
When it was launched on the first MTG-I in 2022, it was the first of its kind in Europe. The Lightning Imager carried on MTG-I2 provides exactly the same capabilities and can be used for very accurate, short-term forecasting of rapidly evolving weather conditions.
The more frequent data acquisitions enable forecasters to model weather just hours ahead, sometimes referred to as ‘nowcasting’.
Another innovative product that will be possible once all three of the MTG satellites are in orbit is the weather cube, which will combine data from both the Imager and Sounder satellites to create three-dimensional representations of lightning, winds, internal clouds dynamics and other atmospheric gases, including greenhouse gases and air pollutants.
Weather forecasters, climate scientists and researchers benefit from the advanced data and images provided by the Meteosat series of satellites and MTG is designed to extend that legacy.
The constellation also provides key information and imagery for monitoring hydrology, agriculture, environmental studies as well as risk prevention and disaster warnings.
Partnerships for space
All three of the MTG satellites have been developed by ESA and built by a large consortium of European industries led by Thales Alenia Space with main partners OHB System in Germany and Leonardo in Italy.
Eumetsat operates the satellites once in orbit and disseminates the scientific data.
ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Simonetta Cheli, said, “The ESA team has worked tirelessly to develop the innovative MTG mission, which will enhance our understanding of Earth’s climate and weather systems, building on the legacy of the Meteosat series of satellites.
The improved quality and frequency of information will bring us better risk warnings ahead of cases of extreme weather, and this should benefit the citizens and help services that protect our communities and infrastructure.
We look forward to the next steps and to the continuation of ESA’s excellent contributions together with its European partners.”
Looking ahead
The next steps for the MTG-I2 satellite? Now that the spacecraft with its instruments has been unboxed, it will undergo a series of checks over the next few weeks.
Launch is scheduled for August 2026, with a date to be announced within the next few weeks.
This will be the ninth launch of Europe’s heavy-lift rocket Ariane 6. For the August launch, Ariane 6 will be configured with two P120C-based solid-propellant rocket motors to launch MTG-I2 to a geostationary transfer orbit.
This will be the first mission to this destination for Ariane 6 and the farthest the rocket will have flown so far.
ESA manages the Ariane 6 development programme, ensuring autonomous access to space for the benefit of European citizens. Arianespace is the launch service provider for this flight, VA270.
MTG-Imager mission kit
Find more information about the MTG mission, the instruments on board and the upcoming launch, in the MTG-Imager mission kit.
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Ukraine stored depleted uranium munitions in populated area – ex-MP
6 Jul, 2026 17:59 | Updated 6 Jul, 2026 19:00
Russian strikes hit the alleged depot during the latest wave targeting military-industrial sites
The latest Russian missile strike on a Kiev suburb hit a weapons depot storing depleted uranium (DU) munitions, Ukrainian journalist and former legislator Igor Mosiychuk claimed on Monday.
The Russian Defense Ministry has vowed to carry out “systematic and consistent strikes” on Ukraine’s military-industrial facilities in retaliation for Kiev’s “terrorist attacks” on Russian civilian targets.
The campaign has already significantly degraded Ukraine’s ability to produce long-range weapons, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Overnight on Monday, Russian forces launched another large-scale strike on Ukraine, with missiles hitting the Kiev suburb of Vishnyovoe. Videos circulating online showed powerful secondary explosions, indicating that a munitions depot or military production site had been struck.
“A munitions depot in Vishnyovoe was hit by Russian missiles. I don’t know which bastards placed it there on the outskirts of Kiev. It’s detonating right now,” Mosiychuk said in an interview on YouTube.
“The depot contained cluster munitions and shells with depleted uranium warheads,” he claimed, adding that while the material would not generate dangerous radiation levels, it was “amplifying the explosions.”
“[Ukrainian leader Vladimir] Zelensky is silent… the Defense Ministry advisers are silent,” Mosiychuk said. “They’re keeping quiet about the situation.” He added that residents had been ordered to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.
The air quality index in Vishnyovoe briefly reached the “red” category, indicating hazardous conditions, before later improving, according to Ukrainian outlet RBC.
DU munitions have long been controversial because of their radioactive properties and heavy-metal toxicity. If such ammunition was present, the explosion could have dispersed radioactive and toxic DU particles, which can pose health risks if inhaled or ingested.
The Kremlin has previously linked NATO’s use of DU munitions during the Yugoslav conflict to sharp increases in cancer and other diseases.
After the US supplied the rounds to Ukraine in 2023, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that “the consequences become noticeable in subsequent generations,” saying responsibility would lie with Washington.
Moscow has long argued that Ukraine’s Western backers are waging a proxy war against Russia by supplying weapons to Kiev. Last month, President Putin said Ukraine had been turned into a “battering ram” against Russia “without any sympathy for the Ukrainian people.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/642643-depleted-uranium-depot-kiev/
https://www.rt.com/russia/642672-ukraine-drones-nato-summit/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/642651-trump-consistent-position-ukraine-conflict/
https://www.rt.com/news/642681-nato-nation-no-weapons-ukraine/
https://www.rt.com/news/642652-poland-missiles-ukraine-scandal/
Ukrainian Drone Strike Halts Russia’s Largest Oil Refinery in Omsk
Jul 07, 2026 19:19
The Omsk oil refinery, Russia's largest, has halted processing after a Ukrainian drone strike, two industry sources told Reuters on July 7.
The strike landed on July 6. It ranked among Ukraine's longest-range attacks of a war now in its fifth year, the outlet reported. The plant, deep in Siberia, is Russia's top gasoline producer, and its shutdown is likely to deepen nationwide fuel shortages.
Anatoly Seryshev, the representative of Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Siberia, confirmed the damage in a statement on July 7. "Facilities at the Omsk oil refinery were damaged as a result of the attack. No plant personnel were injured," he stated.
Seryshev noted that a damage assessment was underway and that restoration crews had been mobilized, without specifying how the refinery's operations were affected. According to Reuters, Gazprom Neft, which owns the plant, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the two sources, a crude distillation unit, CDU-10, caught fire and was damaged. The unit accounts for roughly 38% of the plant's capacity and can process 24,580 metric tons a day.
A second primary unit, CDU-11, was also shut down, according to the sources. It was not struck directly, but network links vital to its operation were damaged.
CDU-11 handles about 37% of the plant's capacity, or 24,000 tons of oil a day. It entered service in 2023 and could restart in the near future, according to the sources.
Omsk has stopped selling gasoline and diesel on the Saint Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange since July 7, according to exchange data.
The plant processed 22 million tons of oil in 2024, or around 440,000 barrels a day, according to source-based figures cited by Reuters. That output included 5 million tons of gasoline and 8 million tons of diesel—volumes now at risk while the two main units stay offline.
The shutdown followed the first known strike on the plant a day earlier. Ukrainian long-range drones reached the Omsk refinery on July 6, marking the first time Russia's largest oil facility had been hit.
The drones flew roughly 3,000 kilometers to strike the ELOU-AVT-11 crude processing unit, which has a design capacity of 8.4 million tons a year. The attack set off multiple fires, making Omsk the last of Russia's 11 largest gasoline-producing refineries to be targeted.
https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukrainian-drone-strike-halts-russias-largest-oil-refinery-in-omsk-20546
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/07/07/ukraine-says-drones-hit-russian-fuel-tankers-supplying-occupied-crimea/
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Geopolitical-Risk-Returns-as-Drone-Strikes-Hit-Hormuz-Shipping.html
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79786
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79779
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-07-07/live-updates-901668
other Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/troops-uncover-hezbollah-weapons-cache-in-civilian-home-in-south-lebanon-idf-says/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-nukhba-force-commander-intel-officer-killed-in-recent-gaza-strikes-idf-and-shin-bet-say/
https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/iaf-strike-targets-vehicle-carrying-four-suspects-near-lebanon-border
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-901686
Live Updates: Netanyahu warns against F-35 sales to Turkey after several attacks on tankers reported in Hormuz
July 7, 2026
Iranian Foreign Ministry calls for Germany to pay for strait rhetoric • Defense Minister threatens Iranian regime during Khamenei's funeral • Hamas begins dissolving its Gaza government
July 7, 8:52 PM
Netanyahu reiterates concern that US sale of F-35s to Turkey could disrupt regional power balance
Netanyahu told CNN that he had spoken to Trump about his concerns regarding the possibility that the sale could disrupt the balance of power in the region.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to CNN on Tuesday regarding the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, shortly after US President Donald Trump discussed the sale with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a press conference in Ankara.
Netanyahu told CNN that he had spoken to Trump about his concerns regarding the possibility that the sale could disrupt the balance of power in the region.
July 7, 8:48 PM
Prime Minister Netanyahu visits wounded IDF soldiers at Haifa's Rambam Hospital
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited wounded IDF soldiers at Rambam Hospital in Haifa on Tuesday, according to a post on his X/Twitter account.
"I am moved by your spirit," Netanyahu told the soldiers. "You represent the unity of the nation."
July 7, 7:39 PM
WATCH: Hezbollah RPG, missile launchers found in civilian home in southern Lebanon, IDF says
On Monday, the IDF announced it had found over 150 weapons in the southern Lebanese village of Hadatha over the past month, also located in the Security Zone.
RPG and anti-tank missile launchers were found in the bedroom of a civilian home in the village of Tallousa in southern Lebanon, the IDF announced on Tuesday.
Also found in the home, whose village is located within the IDF Security Zone, were RPG ammunition, anti-tank missiles, vests, helmets, and Hezbollah terrorist organization flags, the military added.
July 7, 5:28 PM
Two ships attacked in Hormuz following reported Iranian missile strike on Qatari tanker
Both ships sustained structural damage, according to UKMTO, though no casualties or environmental impact were reported in either case.
Two tankers were attacked off the coast of Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) announced following earlier reports of an Iranian missile attack on a Qatari vessel in the region.
In the first incident, the ship was struck by an unknown projectile; in the second, the vessel was hit by a drone of unknown origin, UKMTO said.
July 7, 4:31 PM
Tanker hit by unidentified projectile in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
A tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.
The tanker is believed to have suffered "structural damage," the UKMTO said, adding that there were no casualties or environmental impact.
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July 7, 4:04 PM
Qatar says Iran bears full legal responsibility for attack on Qatar tanker near Hormuz
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said on Tuesday the targeting of Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat near the Strait of Hormuz was an unacceptable attack on the security of international navigation and global energy supplies.
Describing the incident as a clear violation of international law, he urged Iran to immediately halt actions threatening regional security and maritime navigation, and said Tehran bore full legal responsibility for the attack and any resulting damage or consequences.
July 7, 3:12 PM
IDF kills Hamas Nukhba commander in Gaza as joint op with Shin Bet kills intelligence commander
The IDF killed Hamas Nukhba commander Ahmad Yahya Ibrahim Batsh in northern Gaza on Sunday, the military announced on Tuesday.
In addition, the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) killed Hamas intelligence commander Hamouda Abu Daqa in southern Gaza on Monday.
Abu Daqa had been involved in planning terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
July 7, 12:30 PM
Saudi-Flagged crude oil tanker damaged near Hormuz after LNG tanker hit, sources say
A Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker was damaged near the Strait of Hormuz close to the coast of Oman after a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was struck in the same area, maritime security sources said on Tuesday.
The cause of the blast was not known, and the crude tanker hit was believed to be the Wedyan supertanker, the sources said.
The Wedyan's last position was inside the Gulf on July 3, according to ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform. Saudi officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
July 7, 11:20 AM
IDF commanders doubt Lebanon's military will effectively destroy Hezbollah infrastructure
The officers find it hard to believe that the LAF will carry out the framework signed by Jerusalem and Beirut, due to a high percentage of Shiite soldiers who may hold Hezbollah sympathies.
IDF Northern Command officials believe there is no set deadline by which the military will evacuate several points north and south of the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon. When it eventually happens, however, the Lebanese Armed Forces is expected to be the military that will search the area, destroy Hezbollah infrastructure and strip it of terrorists, Walla learned on Tuesday.
The officers find it hard to believe that the LAF will carry out, in a professional and thorough manner, the framework signed by Jerusalem and Beirut, because a high percentage of the LAF is made up of Shiite soldiers who would not dare confront the Shiite Hezbollah organization on the ground.
Therefore, until the LAF begins the pilot program, the IDF will not withdraw from any point in southern Lebanon.
July 7, 10:19 AM
Hamas dissolution of Gaza government is a trick to keep weapons, expert warns
"The bottom line is that this is pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. There is nothing real here, especially for us," says Dr. Moshe Elad.
Hamas's announcement on the dissolution of its government was a ruse meant to maintain its weaponry, Col. (Res.) Dr. Moshe Elad, a Palestinian affairs expert from the Western Galilee Academic College, said on the 103FM radio show "Five in the Evening" on Monday.
"The intention is obviously mostly public, to pretend as though they have no interest in the current government," Elad clarified.
"When someone is told to give up their main asset, they say, 'I will give up something else instead.' They are being told to give up their weapons, so instead, they supposedly give up their governance. With the weapons left in their hands for the time being, they will be able to rule, without a shadow of a doubt. No other government will step into the slot they are vacating, which is why I think they are playing a very big trick here, and everyone understands it is a trick."
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“Just show the alien”: Neil deGrasse Tyson urges greater transparency from government after UFO files release
Jul 7, 2026
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson wants the U.S. government to release conclusive proof of alien life.
We are ready for aliens, says Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson had a strong message for the U.S. government following the release of the third batch of the infamous UFO files on June 12.
During his appearance on ‘The Fox News Rundown' last month, Tyson bluntly argued that after years of speculation surrounding alien life, the public is more than ready to see some actual proof, if it exists.
The UFO files are not enough for Tyson
The U.S. Department of War began releasing the UFO files back in May as part of the Trump administration's "historic transparency effort."
The files contain documents, images, and recordings that provide a look at how the government has tracked and investigated unidentified aerial phenomena over decades. But they do not contain the kind of proof that Tyson has been seeking.
The Department of War released the third tranche of records under PURSUE on June 12, 2026.
It concerns Barnes’ reported incident of what was believed to have involved unidentified anomalous phenomena.
Aliens would not freak out the public, argues Tyson
Tyson thinks that the public has been exposed to alien movies so much that their reaction to an actual extraterrestrial being would be "anticlimactic."
“Is it too much to ask at this point for them to just show the alien? That’s all. I don’t think I’m asking too much here,” the 67-year-old said.
“We’ve already been told this, so to say if they rolled out an alien, we’d somehow freak out given the century of alien movies we’d been treated to and alien stories… I don’t see that we’d freak out at all.”
But there's one thing that would genuinely surprise Tyson
While he argued that the public would have a lukewarm reaction to actual aliens, Tyson also revealed that there is one thing that would genuinely surprise him—a humanoid extraterrestrial being.
"I would only be shocked if the alien were in fact humanoid because of just the statistics of biological variation on Earth, where we have DNA in common with all other life, and most life is not humanoid on Earth," he said.
https://starlust.org/gallery/just-show-the-alien-neil-degrasse-tyson-challenges-government-dismissing-ufo-files-hype-mrafu8n9/
Congressman Eric Burlison Says US Gov't Has Been 'Doing Some Really Cool Things' at UFO Facility
07 July 2026, 10:28 AM BST
Missouri lawmaker details White House-backed UAP facility visit
Congressman Eric Burlison has offered a rare glimpse inside a US government facility frequently linked to UFO speculation, revealing that a casual conversation with a White House staffer led to an unexpected breakthrough in his efforts to secure greater access to classified information on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs).
The Missouri Republican said he used the opportunity to voice frustrations over what he described as repeated obstacles to congressional oversight of the issue before requesting the same level of briefing provided to the US president.
Burlison's Request Was Granted
Speaking on Jesse Michels Clips, Burlison said he approached the staffer while discussions were taking place on unrelated legislation.
He said lawmakers tasked with investigating UFOs and UAPs had repeatedly encountered institutional barriers.
When the staffer asked what he wanted, Burlison requested 'a full briefing, the same White House-level briefing that the president gets on this topic.'
He also asked for permission to visit several facilities frequently linked to UAP speculation, including Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Whiteman Air Force Base, Area 51, Groom Lake and the alleged S-4 site.
Burlison said he has not yet visited all of the locations he requested, although he described Naval Air Station Patuxent River as the most achievable starting point.
He added that the response proved more significant than expected. According to Burlison, the staffer relayed the request to senior officials and, within a week, a Department of Defense liaison visited his office.
The official reportedly told him they had been instructed by the White House 'to make it happen,' suggesting the administration was prepared to facilitate at least part of the congressman's long-standing request for greater access to UAP-related information.
What Congressman Burlison Saw at the Facility
Burlison was later asked to describe what he saw during his visit. Although he said he did not see anything 'wildly exotic' or any classified UFO material, the visit gave him an opportunity to inspect the site first-hand.
'I didn't see anything wildly exotic, but I saw some really cool stuff. Our government's doing some really cool things,' Burlison said.
He added that the visit allowed him to verify elements of a long-running narrative about the role of the facility at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, commonly known as Pax River.
'If anything, what I was able to confirm is that some of the narrative that has been around what Pax River, its role in the UFO/UAP, like, history. I was able to actually be on site and see the facility that would have been that facility that they were going to transfer from Lockheed Martin to Bigelow Aerospace,' he explained.
'And if I'll tell you just being there and seeing it, if you were ever going to do a transfer, it would be logistically the perfect venue to do that.'
Lawmakers from both parties have pressed the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies for greater transparency over historical records.
However, official reviews have continued to find no verified evidence that the US government has recovered or concealed extraterrestrial technology.
Burlison's comments are likely to generate renewed interest in ongoing congressional oversight of UAP investigations. However, they do not provide evidence that extraterrestrial craft or technology exist.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/congressman-burlison-us-ufo-facility-access-1807292
https://www.christianpost.com/news/rep-eric-burlison-claims-clandestine-force-investigating-ufos.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su5kEQApGLI (clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2-y_HasHEw (full)
Brazil's 'Chupa-Chupa' Alien Claims and 'Operation Saucer' UFO Investigation Still Mystery Nearly 50 Years Later
07 July 2026, 9:01 AM BST
Some documents from the investigation are reportedly hidden from the public
Amid continuing global discussions about UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), YouTuber and storyteller MrBallen has revisited one of the most enduring and mysterious alleged alien encounters on record.
In 1977, Dr Filagi Carvalho examined a middle-aged woman suffering from a large circular burn across her chest.
The injury was unlike anything she had previously treated. Roughly the size of a football, the burn was perfectly round and resembled severe sunburn. At its centre were two small puncture marks that looked almost like bite wounds.
When Carvalho asked what had happened, the frightened woman described an extraordinary encounter.
She claimed a metallic flying cylinder had appeared before firing a beam of light that 'latched' on to her chest.
She felt two sharp punctures, followed by the sensation that her blood was being drawn from her body, before the object vanished.
Carvalho listened carefully but privately dismissed the account, believing the patient may have been suffering from psychological distress.
She arranged for the woman to be transferred to a larger hospital around three hours away for specialist treatment. However, the woman reportedly died within 24 hours.
Days later, another patient arrived with virtually identical injuries. This time it was a middle-aged man whose burns appeared less severe.
Carvalho questioned him while treating the wound, and the man calmly repeated almost the same story as the woman who had just died.
The 'Chupa-Chupa'
Over the following weeks, the number of similar cases steadily increased. By late 1977, Carvalho was reportedly treating new patients almost every day.
'I don't know what to believe,' Carvalho reportedly concluded as more people arrived with similar unexplained injuries.
Residents across Colares began describing mysterious lights, flying cylinders and glowing aerial objects appearing after dark. Many claimed the lights emitted focused beams that caused burns, weakness, dizziness and puncture wounds.
Witnesses also reported symptoms including fatigue, anaemia and temporary paralysis.
The incidents became known locally as attacks by the 'Chupa-Chupa' — Portuguese for 'sucker-sucker' — a nickname inspired by widespread claims that the mysterious lights appeared to extract blood from victims.
Scepticism gave way one evening in late November. While walking home along the beach, Carvalho heard screams as people fled from the shoreline. She said she saw what appeared to be a metallic cylindrical object hovering about 100 feet above the sea.
Unlike everyone else, Carvalho moved towards it. Standing beneath the object, she later recalled feeling overwhelming awe as she stared upwards before it suddenly accelerated away and disappeared.
Military Investigation Failed to Find Answers
As reports mounted, Brazil's military launched an official investigation known as Operation Saucer (Operação Prato), led by the Brazilian Air Force.
Investigators documented hundreds of reports from Colares and surrounding communities. Official records describe numerous sightings of luminous aerial objects and alleged beam attacks.
According to accounts from the investigation, more than 400 people reported injuries linked to mysterious beams of light, while several deaths were also attributed by local residents to the unexplained incidents.
However, no definitive medical or scientific evidence has established a direct causal relationship between the reported UAPs and the fatalities.
The investigation was suspended in 1978. Brazilian authorities have since declassified much of the Operation Saucer archive. Nevertheless, one military officer who participated in the investigation later claimed that some material remained withheld from the public.
Nearly five decades later, the events surrounding the so-called 'Chupa-Chupa' attacks remain one of Brazil's most enduring UFO mysteries, with declassified files providing few definitive answers.
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mysterious-chupa-chupa-phenomenon-brazil-1807266
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPepYOiRDq0
Pitching UAP for the Astros Fans
July 7, 2026
Today, I received an unexpected phone call. The caller said: “Hi Avi, this is Kyle from the Astros.”
My first inclination was to associate the caller with a group of astrophysicists, and so I asked: “Who are the Astros?”
Kyle clarified that he is speaking on behalf of the Houston Astros and they are inviting me to throw the first pitch in their baseball game with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 3, 2026.
The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding tradition in baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game.
The earliest recorded instance involving a political figure was in 1892, when future U.S. President William McKinley — then serving as the Governor of Ohio, tossed a ball onto the field from the stands during an opening game.
Major League Baseball officially integrated the tradition during the Washington Senators’ Opening Day game on April 14, 1910 against the Philadelphia Athletics.
The Senators owner invited President William Howard Taft to attend as a public relations move to establish baseball as America’s true national pastime.
Following Taft, nearly every sitting U.S. president has thrown out at least one first pitch during or after their term, establishing a long-standing tie between the White House and the baseball diamond.
A video compilation of these presidential first pitches is accessible here.
During an unannounced 1988 visit to a Baltimore Orioles game, President Ronald Reagan changed the tradition forever. Instead of staying in the box seats, he walked out onto the actual field and threw the pitch directly from the rubber to home plate.
This established the modern format used today. Coincidentally, during the same year of 1988 I arrived in the U.S. as a result of leading the first international project supported by President Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”).
A year earlier, on September 21, 1987, President Reagan delivered an address to the 42nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York (accessible here), where he famously stated how quickly global conflicts would vanish if humanity faced an extraterrestrial threat.
These days, the guest of honor stands on or in front of the pitcher’s mound and throws towards home plate. The recipient of the pitch is usually a player from the home team.
What started as a simple throw from the luxury box seats evolved into a highly anticipated pre-game ritual performed from the pitcher’s mound by world leaders, celebrities, and community heroes.
The Houston baseball team is called the Astros in honor of Houston’s status as the hub of the U.S. space program and its close proximity to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Four years ago, I shared a stage with Vanessa Wyche, the Johnson Center director, at the International Women’s Forum in Las Vegas (as described here).
NASA opened its Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston in 1961, establishing Houston’s identity as “Space City, U.S.A.” The official name assignment of the Houston Astros coincided with the 1965 move into their home stadium, the Astrodome.
By now, they moved to a new stadium, called Daikin Park.
Kyle and I agreed that I will also give a brief update to the Astros fans about the preliminary findings of the UAP Science Advisory Council for the U.S. Government (https://uapsac.com/).
Everybody wants to know whether we are being visited by alien probes. In addition, a partner of the Houston Astros, Adam Ross Custom Clothiers, generously offered to make me a custom UAP-themed suit of my choice.
Kyle explained that “Adam makes high-end custom suits for many celebrities and is a big fan of yours.” He shared a video snippet from Adam, accessible here.
Upon my arrival at Daikin Park on August 3, 2026, I will take part in a Batting Practice and wear a custom Space City Astros jersey before the start of the game at 7:10 PM local time.
The Astros theme song (posted here) is titled: “Go Go Astros!” If we ever meet aliens and arrange a baseball match with them, I will contact Kyle and insist on having the game at the Earth’s surface gravity of 1-gee in Daikin Park.
The Universe will be rooting for our Astros.
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/pitching-uap-for-the-astros-fans-02bc995a9434
moar Avi Loeb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvfLquchS20 (Avi Loeb: Why This New UAP Council Changes Everything)
https://avi-loeb.medium.com/are-uap-orbs-meteoritic-dust-clouds-7dd5394f8a5f
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpMffiEmyuE (Are UAP Orbs Meteoritic Dust Clouds?)
Mark Christopher Lee
@Thekingofufos
BREAKING - UFO Disclosure IS! Coming Soon!
Read my attached statement xx
1:21 PM · Jul 6, 2026
https://x.com/Thekingofufos/status/2074227154716418472
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQmX5V43Qo (The Day After Disclosure - (Disclosure Day) Full Movie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhBKtBbzMqQ (The Day After Disclosure 2: Grusch Bombshells, UFO Demons, King Charles & Are They Our Own Craft? 4k)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWYUsf8GbiA(Disclosure Day - July 8: The Day Everything Changes?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YSVFFgRqb4 (THE HAUNTED EMPIRE | Full Movie | 2026 Roman Paranormal Prophecy?)
extra
https://x.com/chrisbledsoeufo/status/2074266123483385858
https://x.com/ufouapam/status/2074251187105169719
https://x.com/wow36932525/status/2074473016931573982
https://x.com/ufoaliensecrets/status/2074485104626278567
https://x.com/ufoaliensecrets/status/2074202323312640335
wow
@wow36932525
BREAKING🔥@LueElizondo Reveals: Monoliths on the Moon Have Been Photographed - A Public Release May Be Imminent.
5:38 AM · Jul 7, 2026
https://x.com/wow36932525/status/2074473016931573982
https://quickmap.lroc.im-ldi.com/
MOAR!
https://x.com/TuttleCapital/status/2074513326789333337
https://x.com/ExploreSCU/status/2074296277970399496
https://x.com/MAGA_Aliens/status/2074522157053272235
https://x.com/Disclosure413/status/2074516699668218125
https://disclosurepress.com/
she may be partial to frogs
Uri Geller's Spoon Bending Was Real Enough That Three Governments Hired Him
July 7, 2026
Uri Geller and Russell Targ on the Stanford SRI experiments the CIA funded for 20 years — and the 10% of our minds they proved actually works.
Geller's spoon bending was tested under controlled conditions at Stanford Research Institute and worked.
FOIA docs confirm three-letter agencies in the US, UK, Mexico and Israel hired him for decades. Russell Targ — co-founder of the CIA's Stargate Program — backs the science. "The last frontier is not space," Geller says. "It's the mind."
📍 CHAPTERS
0:00 — Introducing Uri Geller — Three Governments And A Spoon
3:50 — Old Jaffa, Studio 54, And Where Spoon Bending Started
5:30 — "My Spoon Bending Is Real" — The Magicians Who Could Only Fake It
7:50 — Spoon Bending Becomes Iconic Through The Matrix And George Clooney
10:00 — "The Last Frontier Is Not Space — It's The Mind"
13:00 — Implanted Telepathy, Dematerialisation, Quantum Entanglement
18:30 — Russell Targ Joins — Stanford SRI Remote Viewing
24:00 — Hal Puthoff, Ingo Swann, And The Stargate Program's First Years
32:00 — 20 Years Of CIA Funding And The Files They Buried
40:00 — FOIA Document Releases And What Three Governments Confirmed
48:00 — Why Consciousness Research Was Allowed To Lapse
🎯 KEY MOMENTS
👉 3:50 — "I'm hugely controversial. If I wasn't controversial I wouldn't be talking to you now."
👉 10:00 — "The last frontier is not space. It's the mind."
👉 13:00 — Geller predicts implanted telepathy chips and dematerialisation as near-future tech.
👉 32:00 — 20 years of CIA funding for Stanford's remote viewing — then quietly buried.
👉 40:00 — FOIA confirmation: US, UK, Mexico, Israel all hired Geller — documented.
Featured: Uri Geller + Russell Targ
Uri Geller (b. 1946) is an Israeli psychic best known for spoon-bending and telekinesis demonstrations.
His Stanford Research Institute trials in 1972 with Russell Targ launched legitimate parapsychology research. FOIA documents confirm his consultations with US, UK, Mexico, and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Russell Targ (b. 1934) is an American physicist who co-founded the Stanford Research Institute's remote-viewing program — later known as Project Stargate — funded by the CIA from 1972 to 1995. He authored "Limitless Mind" and "The Reality of ESP."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf8LtI_yWxY
https://x.com/theurigeller
extra disclosure dejour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4jvdrN-FQw (Brian Keating and Beatrice Villaroel: She Found Objects Near Earth Science Can't Explain)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWJTZIX7gmo (Mayim Bialik: Why UFOs Are Hiding Our Oceans & How The CIA Trained Psychic Spies | Admiral Tim Gallaudet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS-4hepwMPI (Shaun Attwood: REPTILIAN SHAPESHIFTERS, NEPHILIM & MERMAIDS! — JOSUE GUTIERREZ LIVE Part 2 | AU)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ct0oW3IIc (Last Cartographer: What the Hopi Said Was Living Beneath the Grand Canyon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6BjLy7mY0Q (Walk in the Footsteps of the Ancient Egyptians with Billy Carson)
https://www.youtube.com/live/KIWiE0CT3Cc (Ismael Perez: Alliance Update: Trump UFO Advisory Team Pushes Defence Firms to Disclose Secret Alien Tech)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTApS3u6hII (WeAreChange: WHOA! David Icke F***ING Called This…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8wDkGnysj0 (Ted Gunderson Private Investigator: Mysteries from Beyond Earth 1975 (CONTENT WARNING))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXqoZnZm3bk (That UFO Podcast: Eric Davis Fires Back: Gerb, Gatekeepers & The Secret UFO Legacy Program)