>>24920463

TYB

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

August 10, 2026

Three Galaxy Pairs

Each of these pairs of galaxies is different. The two galaxies at the top are likely not interacting, at least presently. However, the top galaxy with the blue stripe, NGC 4650A, is a polar ring galaxy and may be the result of a past galaxy collision. The two galaxies in the middle of the featured image appear like they could be interacting gravitationally – but their relative speeds make this unlikely. Of these two, the larger galaxy, NGC 4650, is a spiral galaxy with a bright bar of stars across its center. The two galaxies at the bottom are actively interacting. Possibly in a billion years or so, NGC 4622A and NGC 4622B will merge and become one single galaxy. All of these galaxies are likely members of the larger Centaurus Galaxy Cluster.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U30-Agktar0

Powerful 7.4M Mega Earthquake Rocks Colombia: Buildings Have Collapsed, Widespread Damage Reported - Dahboo7 and frens

August 10, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YdNJUo9DyY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Y2KY2GpMk (Mr Weatherman: Tropical System Forming…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFLvVWXOfDs (MrMBB333: A Disturbance is BREWING!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O4YH-rNwxg (Max Velocity: A RARE August Storm Is Coming…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4kGfUCtkY (EarthMaster: Earthquakes increasing around Lōʻihi Seamount Hawaii.. 5.5 EQ East Pacific. Sunday Night)

• storms and floods and heatwaves

https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Severe%20Storms%20Erupt%20Across%20Ohio%20Valley%20?source=news

https://weather.com/2026/08/10/storms/severe/video/severe-storms-midwest-great-lakes-wind-flood-threat

https://www.bom.gov.au/video/severe-weather-update-damaging-winds-and-flooding-for-the-south-east

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/08/09/dangerous-heat-severe-storms-wildfire-danger-united-states/91235909007/

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/10/monsoon-storms-hit-phoenix-area-with-rain-strong-winds/

https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/08/09/severe-storms-hit-western-massachusetts-springfield-declares-state-of-emergency/

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/strong-winds-and-flooding-will-be-possible-today-for-the-pittsburgh-area/

https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2026/08/10/typhoon-dolphin-floods-chinas-eastern-coast-prompting-evacuations/91240186007/

https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/6071475-typhoon-dolphin-triggers-level-iii-flood-emergency-response-in-suzhou

https://watchers.news/2026/08/10/five-stations-break-daily-rainfall-records-following-typhoon-dolphins-double-landfall-china/

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-08-10/Typhoon-Dolphin-hits-Zhejiang-power-plant-floods-Shanghai-streets-1PuoBLimeRy/p.html

https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/assam-floods-death-toll-reaches-100-as-sivasagar-cachar-and-other-districts-remain-under-water-amid-ongoing-rescue-and-relief-operations

https://report.az/en/other-countries/at-least-16-killed-by-heavy-rains-and-flooding-in-philippines-updated

• wildfires

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/Space_for_our_climate/Wildfires_drought_and_extreme_heat_2026

https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-wildfires-burning-across-us-and-canada-as-evacuations-ordered-12302839

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/08/09/wildfires-evacuations-firefighters-united-states-canada/91237773007/

https://www.northernag.net/armstrong-declares-statewide-fire-emergency-as-drought-intensifies-wildfire-risk-increases/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/08/10/wildfire-smoke-is-once-again-pouring-across-united-states/

https://www.krqe.com/news/wildfires/frijoles-wildfire-triples-in-size-as-firefighters-attempt-containment/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/eighth-day-wildfires-indonesian-national-073250704.html

• tornadoes

https://www.insauga.com/2-tornadoes-confirmed-in-southern-ontario-on-weekend/

https://en.econostrum.info/powerful-storms-slam-the-midwest/

• earthquakes

https://www.uniladtech.com/science/news/earthquake-risk-elevated-americans-hazard-zone-grows-135071-20260810

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16041951/7-4-magnitude-earthquake-hits-Colombia-causing-significant-damage-injuries.html

https://watchers.news/2026/08/10/major-m7-4-earthquake-hits-choco-colombia/

https://colombiaone.com/2026/08/10/earthquake-shakes-much-of-colombia/

https://colombiaone.com/2026/08/10/colombia-earthquake-damage/

https://colombiaone.com/2026/08/10/colombia-earthquake/

• volcanoes

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2237792/mount-etna-eruption-live-sicily-catania

https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2026/08/09/video-kilauea-volcano-update-lava-fountain-science/

• dailys

https://schumannresonance.today/

https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/nfn

https://www.tornadohq.com/

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

https://www.spaceweather.gov/

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=10&month=08&year=2026

https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/323350/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Monday-10-Aug-2026.html

>>24920925

>>24920937

Comet 220P McNaught Is Exploding — Something Is Opening Up

August 10, 2026

Comet 220P/McNaught appears to be exploding—and my telescope captured something extraordinary opening around its bright central region. Could this be another major outburst, and what exactly are we seeing?

In this video, I investigate the continuing activity surrounding Comet 220P/McNaught using my own backyard telescope images.

The photographs reveal a brilliant central condensation, an enormous turquoise-green coma, a faint extended tail and an unusual structure that appears to be opening outward from the comet’s central region.

220P/McNaught is a periodic Jupiter-family comet discovered by Australian astronomer Robert H. McNaught in 2004 using the Uppsala Southern Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. It travels around the Sun approximately once every 5.5 years.

Between May 30 and June 1, 2026, the comet experienced an extraordinary outburst that increased its brightness from approximately magnitude 17.5 to around magnitude 8.5.

Its coma expanded dramatically, transforming an ordinarily faint periodic comet into one of the most unusual comet events of 2026.

Now, my latest telescope images raise more questions:

• Is Comet 220P/McNaught experiencing another outburst?

• What is the structure that appears to be opening around its center?

• Are we seeing outgassing, an expanding dust envelope or activity beneath the surface?

• Could part of the nucleus have collapsed or fragmented?

• Did solar activity or a coronal mass ejection play any role?

• Why is this comet remaining so active as it travels away from the Sun?

The bright feature visible in these photographs is the comet’s central condensation and inner coma—the solid nucleus itself remains far too small to resolve directly from Earth.

However, changes in the material surrounding that nucleus may help us understand what is happening beneath its surface.

These are my real telescope photographs of Comet 220P/McNaught—not an AI reconstruction. Let’s examine the evidence, compare the observations and investigate what may be happening to this remarkable comet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGahBREMe6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syeyXqLZh60 (Something LARGER Than Jupiter Has Appeared Beyond Earth’s Orbit…| 220P/McNaught)

other space object people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5fxfPn5tpo (Dobsonian Power: THIS COMET IS ACTING WEIRDLY!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVnlXL9Qlt0 (Ancient Astronaut: Life on Venus - We were SO WRONG!)

From abandoned village to NASA eclipse headquarters: the surprising story of a village just two hours from Madrid

August 10, 2026

Villalibado, a small village in Burgos, will be the location from which NASA will broadcast the August 12 solar eclipse live to the entire world.

In addition to the Community of Madrid, the path of totality for the eclipse on August 12 will cross areas in twelve other autonomous communities.

In Castile and León, the total solar eclipse will be visible from nearly all provinces; several of them have reached 100% occupancy and are expected to become destinations for thousands of “eclipse chasers” in the coming days .

One of the places that will be fully booked on August 12 is Villalibado, in the province of Burgos, although its guests are not amateur “eclipse chasers.”

A team of thirty scientists and technicians from NASA and the Exploratorium—a museum of science, art, and technology in San Francisco—will be staying there.

They will be responsible for studying the solar eclipse and broadcasting it live to the whole world via the Exploratorium’s website and YouTube channel.

The observation point will be located at the Church of San Salvador, a 12th-century Romanesque church built on a hilltop in the village.

NASA’s choice was not based on the historical significance of Villalibado, but rather on the fact that its location offers unbeatable viewing conditions: it lies within the path of totality, has good communications infrastructure, and, due to its elevation, provides a perfect view of the sky with unobstructed horizons.

A village abandoned in 1998

The idea that Villalibado would host a team of NASA scientists would have been unimaginable in 1998, when the last two residents of this hamlet of Villadiego left.

In 2006, Juan Ansótegui bought the entire village and, together with his brothers, turned it into a tourist complex, launching the town’s first rural guesthouses in 2023.

Speaking to the Diario de Burgos, Ansótegui said that when he received the call from NASA to rent out all of Villalibado (including the church) for the eclipse, he thought “it was a scam.”

"They went there without saying a word and chose it after having visited many other places, ”he explained to the Burgos newspaper.

The broadcast of the eclipse will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Spain (10:30 a.m. Pacific Time) and, in addition to being streamed online, will also be aired live on U.S. television networks such as CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox.

https://madridsecreto.co/en/abandoned-village-nasa-eclipse-headquarters/

https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/livestream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWy4P4wRG2w

moar solar eclipse NASA

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/like-a-hole-in-the-universe-artemis-2-astronaut-victor-glover-reflects-on-seeing-a-total-solar-eclipse-while-flying-by-the-moon-180989284/

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1411749-nasa-eclipse-mission-will-chase-moons-shadow-over-iceland

https://www.wionews.com/trending/aug-12-solar-eclipse-nasa-pilots-totality-will-last-nearly-3-minutes-1786348602534

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Look: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Captures Striking New Images That Bring the ‘Lion Nebula’ Roaring to Life

August 10, 2026

Stunning new imagery of the distant celestial object NGC 2392, better known as the “Lion Nebula,” has been obtained by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The cosmic vista captured by Webb reveals a colorful view of the ancient nebula, whose characteristic appearance resembles one of nature’s most respected apex predators, complete with a bushy-looking “mane” composed of hazy stellar gases and objects similar to comets.

The new high-resolution imagery offers one of the clearest and most detailed views of the Lion Nebula ever seen. Previous images captured by Webb’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, were obtained in 2000, featuring the same celestial feature in visible light.

With the added spectral ranges Webb’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) can capture, the Lion Nebula now appears in colorful pinks and indigo hues, surrounded by distant galaxies blazing in brilliant orange from across vast cosmic distances, whose light has traveled billions of years to reach our Solar System.

A Lion Roars Across the Cosmos

A particularly striking feature about the new imagery is the way cosmic dust and regions of ionized gas are showcased in the new Webb imagery.

“It’s taken several thousand years for this collection of gas and dust to reach its current shape, and the nebula’s components continue to be altered,” read a portion of a statement released by the European Space Agency (ESA) that accompanied the new images.

One reason that helps account for the changing appearance of the Lion Nebula over time can be found at its center, where the remnants of a slowly dying white dwarf star (which effectively forms the nose in the lion’s face after which the nebula is named) continues to supercharge the surrounding cosmic structures made visible in the new Webb imagery.

The rest of the lion’s face is composed of an expanding bubble of ionized gas, the nature of which remains somewhat mysterious.

Presently, astronomers are uncertain about what exact mechanisms give rise to the complex appearance of this gassy bubble and its internal structures, which are a recurring element in ancient nebulae such as this.

NGC 2392 isn’t the only celestial feature known as the “Lion Nebula.” An entirely separate diffuse nebula located in the Cepheus constellation, known as Sharpless 2-132, also shares this nickname due to its shape, which resembles a lion’s body seen from the side.

A Cosmic Visage Frozen in Time

For now, the Lion Nebula is captured in the Webb imagery, which, despite its almost serene beauty, represents a highly active area of the cosmos, undergoing constant change as material is continually ripped away from the stellar central core.

Sometime in the next 10,000 years or so, this striking celestial feature will eventually be destroyed, once the white dwarf powering the nebula completely dies and the remnants of stellar material are completely dispersed into the surrounding space.

Until then, this remarkable cosmic feature will remain a target of study by astronomers, whose inquiries are helped significantly by the unprecedented clarity offered in the latest Webb images.

https://thedebrief.org/look-nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-captures-striking-new-images-that-bring-the-lion-nebula-roaring-to-life/

https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/lion-nebula-miri-image/

moar

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/el-nino-alters-marine-life-in-the-pacific/

https://www.military.com/56-nasa-astronauts-graduated-from-the-naval-academy-heres-why

https://mezha.ua/en/news/nasa-modified-iss-laptops-to-use-one-charger-314024/

https://needtoknow.co.uk/2026/08/10/i-dont-believe-weve-landed-on-the-moon/

Anil Menon

@astro_anil

Dragon window on Earth Moonlight Sonata. Orion’s rise at about 0:45 - speeds changed on Timelapse. 15mm Aperture priority and auto ISO from today.

6:56 AM · Aug 10, 2026

https://x.com/astro_anil/status/2086813918974878007

extra

https://x.com/Scavino47/status/2086637556792209755

https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2086622627716612538

https://x.com/TimSheehyMT/status/2086602497867591777

https://x.com/LearnWithNASA/status/2086815411564147079

Watch Japanese H3 rocket launch 10,800-pound navigation satellite to orbit today

August 10, 2026

Liftoff is scheduled for 3:23 p.m. ET.

Japan's H3 rocket will fly for the ninth time ever this afternoon (Aug. 10), and you can watch the action live.

The H3 is scheduled to lift off from Tanegashima Space Center today during an hour-long window that opens at 3:23 p.m. EDT (1923 GMT; 4:23 a.m. on Aug. 11 local time), carrying the Michibiki 7 navigation satellite aloft.

You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency or directly via JAXA. Coverage will start about an hour before launch.

The two-stage H3 is the successor to Japan's workhorse H-2A rocket, which retired last year after a total of 50 flights.

The H3 — which stands 187 feet or 207 feet (57 or 63 meters) tall, depending on what type of payload fairing it employs — debuted in March 2023 and has eight liftoffs under its belt to date.

Two of those eight have been failures — the debut flight and the launch of Michibiki 5 in December of last year. But the H3 has already bounced back from that latter anomaly, successfully delivering six satellites to orbit on June 11.

Michibiki 7 will be part of Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), a homegrown navigation system that operates high above Earth in geosynchronous orbit.

"This system is compatible with GPS satellites and can be utilized with them in an integrated fashion," Japanese officials wrote in a description of the QZSS project.

"QZSS can be used even in the Asia-Oceania regions with longitudes close to Japan, so its usage will be expanded to other countries in these regions as well."

The QZSS network will eventually consist of 11 satellites, if all goes according to plan. There are five such spacecraft operating in orbit at the moment.

Michibiki 7 is carrying a payload for the United States as well — the Situational Awareness Camera Hosted Instrument (SÃCHI), which was developed for the U.S. Space Force by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

This will be the second of two SACHIs to go up on a QZSS satellite; Michibiki 6, which launched atop an H3 in February 2025, hosts the other one. (Yes, Michibiki 6 launched before Michibiki 5.)

"This program will allow the United States to monitor satellite behavior within the GEO belt over a very interesting part of the world," Mark Huber, a technical staff member in the Lincoln Laboratory's Space Systems and Technology Division, said in a statement in December 2020.

"It is also a pathfinder in several ways," he added. "The U.S. team is blueprinting methods to allow sensitive data sharing between the United States and Japan."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/japan-h3-rocket-launch-navigation-satellite-michibiki-7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH9hQn8ebp4

https://www.starcom.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4567173/historic-first-space-force-bmt-graduate-returns-to-train-next-generation-of-gua/

extra Space Force

https://x.com/USSpaceForce/status/2086556929833226496

Historic first: Space Force BMT graduate returns to train next generation of Guardians

Aug. 10, 2026

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Since becoming an independent military branch in 2019, the task of turning civilians into service members has fallen on Guardians who began their military careers in other branches of the armed forces.

Instructors from across the joint force set those key moments every Guardian remembers: the bus ride in the middle of the night, military training instructors creating a wall of sound and chaos, and lining up in their first formation prior to joining their squadron.

That’s now changed.

Sgt. Morgan O. Thompson became the first Guardian to complete Space Force Basic Military Training and later graduate from Military Training Instructor School as a Space Force MTI during a ceremony July 24.

This fundamental transformation falls directly under Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). As the Space Force's warfighting crucible, STARCOM’s vital mission is to prepare and forge combat-credible space forces, transforming raw recruits into combat-capable Guardians prepared to win in contested domains.

Unlike the Space Force MTIs who preceded her as interservice transfers, Thompson entered military service as a Guardian and completed BMT in 2021.

Her return marks the first time a Guardian has progressed through the service’s own BMT pipeline and returned to help train its newest members.

“Graduating from MTI School just means it’s time to get started,” Thompson said. “It’s one thing to pass a class to be an MTI. It’s a whole different thing to actually be an MTI.”

Thompson enlisted at a time when Space Force BMT was still in its infancy. Her flight was mostly led by Airmen, and instructors were also adjusting to new Space Force uniforms and requirements.

“I remember how new it was,” Thompson said. “We’re at a point now where we’re standing on our own, separate from the Air Force and truly building our own culture.”

Lt. Col. Brett A. Tuning, commander of the 535th Training Squadron, Space Delta 1, which leads BMT, said Thompson’s graduation demonstrates how far the service and its training program have progressed.

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>>24921197

“This accomplishment highlights a significant milestone in the growth of the Space Force,” Tuning said. “At almost seven years old, the Space Force now has Guardians who have not transferred from another service available to fill these critical training positions.”

Before becoming an MTI, Thompson served in intelligence and command support positions at assignments in the United States and overseas.

Tuning said her operational experience as a noncommissioned officer will help trainees understand how the standards and lessons taught during BMT apply throughout their careers.

“Her real-world knowledge, hands-on experience and NCO experience are critical to success as a Space Force MTI,” Tuning said. “Current operational experience helps drive home the ‘so what’ during the academic lessons trainees receive.”

Thompson said standards, customs and courtesies played an important role in her decision to become an instructor. She wants trainees to understand the responsibility that comes with military service and continue meeting those expectations after graduation.

“I first want trainees to understand and appreciate the importance of serving their country,” she said. “Everyone has their own why, but at the end of the day, you are serving your country and need to be dedicated to that.

“I also want trainees to hold themselves to the standards they met during BMT throughout their entire career,” she continued. “Just because someone isn’t telling you to do the right thing doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done.”

Thompson said effective instruction requires MTIs to remember they once faced the same challenges as their trainees.

“There’s not a single MTI who didn’t go through what they’re going through,” Thompson said. “While we want them to be better and succeed, it’s a journey.”

Tuning said the strongest MTIs combine strict adherence to standards with compassion and resilience while modeling the Space Force core values.

This milestone brought Thompson’s journey full circle as one of her former BMT instructors presented her campaign hat at graduation, while another was serving with the 535th TRS when she arrived. Thompson said both helped shape her first impression of military service.

“They were, of course, scary to me then, but they cared, and you could tell they cared,” Thompson said. “I was, and still am, an incredibly curious individual, and I almost always have a question when I’m learning. I was never made to feel wrong or dumb for asking questions.”

As the Space Force continues to grow, MTIs like Thompson will be essential in turning civilians into Guardians, space domain warfighters vital to the joint fight.

“I had very limited interaction with USSF members or instructors during my BMT experience,” Thompson said. “Now there is an entire squadron dedicated to Space Force BMT, with MTIs, standards and evaluations, and even our own in-house Guardian resilience team.

The Space Force is its own organization, and we are recognized as that.”

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>>24921190

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/Ground_Control_to_Galileo_Second_Generation

extra ESA

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/How_ESA_mimics_and_models_the_2026_total_solar_eclipse

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Satellite_navigation/(archive)/650

https://x.com/Soph_astro/status/2086842643351306579

Ground Control to Galileo Second Generation

10/08/2026

On 3 July 2026, an invisible signal travelled across Europe.

From Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, to Rome, Italy, the signal connected the Galileo Ground Control Centre to a Galileo Second Generation satellite for the first time, marking a major step forward in the programme’s marathon of compatibility tests.

Twelve Galileo Second Generation (G2) satellites will join the current Galileo fleet in the coming years. To make this happen, teams across Europe are working on building components, assembling the satellites and testing the system to ensure the new spacecraft integrate seamlessly with the first-generation constellation to deliver unprecedented positioning, navigation and timing capabilities.

Half of the new satellites are being built by Thales Alenia Space (TAS) and the other half by Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) under contract with ESA, design authority and system development prime for Galileo.

In addition to the new G2 satellites, Galileo's ground segment is also being upgraded. Thales Alenia Space, GMV, Thales SIX GTS and their industrial partners are developing the new ground segment to support, monitor and ensure the G2 satellites blend seamlessly into the current Galileo constellation. All these elements need to undergo rigorous testing to show that they work individually and as an integrated system.

A fundamental piece of this effort is the System Compatibility Test Campaign (SCTC), a series of evaluations that ensure that the infrastructure on Earth and the satellites can communicate and operate together as intended.

The SCTC is divided into multiple phases, with each test case gradually increasing in complexity.

“In Galileo, the System Compatibility Test Campaigns mark a pivotal moment in the development lifecycle of new generations of satellites and ground segment.

It is the moment where requirements, reviews and subsystem development pass the torch to the reality of hardware and software validation across all industrial actors,” says Miguel Manteiga Bautista, Head of ESA's Galileo Programme.

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>>24921256

In a first round of compatibility tests last year, a representative model of the satellite was able to connect and communicate with test equipment emulating ground control in a clean room test in Rome.

Now, for the first time, the Thales Alenia Space satellite model in the TAS integration facilities in Rome, Italy, has been successfully connected to the operational Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, which is managed by Spaceopal's Galileo operational teams.

Together with the Control Centre in Fucino, Italy, these facilities generate the navigation message, keep satellites on time, pinpoint their position and sense possible drifts, process data and monitor the reliability of the constellation.

“The first end-to-end SCTC tests with the TAS satellites, combined with the upcoming tests for the ADS satellites will ensure that Galileo Second Generation risks are mitigated well ahead of their launch, through early identification of inter-compatibility issues that need to be resolved,” notes Daniel Docal Lareu, ESA Galileo System Qualification Manager.

During the test, the control centre activated the payload in the satellite model, which generates the navigation signal, and delivered commands that the satellite was able to acquire, interpret and execute.

The satellite model also sent back telemetry data on its operational status. “We have seen a very successful compatibility test, confirming that the new ground segment will be able to operate the Galileo Second Generation satellites.

We are now eager to complete satellite integration and begin testing the first flight models and all their innovative capabilities,” says Dr. Sven Erb, ESA project manager for the Thales Alenia Space satellites.

The equivalent compatibility tests for the Airbus Defence and Space G2 satellites are planned in the coming weeks.

Once Thales Alenia Space and Airbus Defence and Space finalise the flight model integration and the engineering models complete this phase of compatibility testing, the flight models (the satellites that will fly in space) will take centre stage.

In a few months, the first satellites destined for orbit are expected to enter their own series of compatibility tests. These tests will also mark the verification of the reconfigurable payloads, one of the most groundbreaking innovations of Galileo Second Generation.

In parallel to compatibility testing, development activities continue. For the Thales Alenia Space satellite family, the propulsion module is undergoing testing.

The atomic clocks are being integrated in the timing sub-system by Thales Alenia Space Spain in Madrid and are expected to arrive in Rome in autumn for installation aboard the satellites.

With fully digital navigation payloads, electric propulsion, a better-performing navigation antenna, inter-satellite link capacity and an advanced atomic clock configuration, G2 satellites will provide more robust and reliable positioning, navigation and timing.

Galileo Second Generation satellites will integrate seamlessly with the current fleet to form the largest European satellite constellation and enable a wide array of new applications that will benefit users in Europe and around the world.

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Russia rules out Ukraine conflict ‘freeze’

10 Aug, 2026 01:55 | Updated 10 Aug, 2026 03:00

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said peace can only be achieved by addressing the “root causes” of the hostilities

Moscow will not settle for “freezing” the Ukraine conflict without addressing its origins and resolving its underlying causes, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has said.

Russia’s demands include Ukraine abandoning its plans to join NATO and adopting neutral status, accepting restrictions on its armed forces, and formally recognizing Crimea and four former Ukrainian regions as Russian territory.

Crimea voted to join Russia shortly after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, and the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson did the same in September 2022.

“As Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said, there can be no ‘freeze’ of the conflict without addressing the root causes of the crisis,” Galuzin told TASS in an interview published on Monday.

He added that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has “completely lost touch with reality” and is seeking to further escalate the conflict.

Galuzin condemned what he called “barbaric” Ukrainian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure, including strikes on a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, which handles the flow of Kazakh oil to Europe and Asia.

CPC shareholders include major Western oil companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell.

Putin has said that Russia was forced to send troops into Ukraine to protect civilians in the largely Russian-speaking Donbass. Moscow also views Ukraine’s military cooperation with NATO members as a major security threat.

Last year, Moscow presented conditions for a ceasefire along the current front line, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from parts of Russian territory they control, an end to mobilization, and an end to Western military aid to Ukraine.

Putin argued that otherwise Ukraine would use a pause in the fighting to regroup and replenish its military. Zelensky rejected Russia’s terms and ruled out recognizing the country’s new borders.

Russian officials have repeatedly accused the West of sabotaging the 2022 Istanbul peace talks, which Moscow says could have ended the conflict after just several weeks of fighting.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644047-russia-rules-out-ukraine-conflict/

extra RT

https://www.rt.com/russia/644053-tatarstan-ukrainian-drone-raid/

https://www.rt.com/russia/644040-russian-drones-krasny-liman/

https://www.rt.com/russia/644063-kazakh-oil-rerouted-china/

https://www.rt.com/news/644038-ukraine-too-corrupt-eu-membership/

Black Sea drone strikes send CPC tanker rates to $400,000 a day

August 10, 2026

Repeated attacks around Novorossiysk have more than doubled tanker rates as soaring war risk costs deter owners from Black Sea trades.

Repeated drone strikes on tankers loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk have more than doubled rates since June to about $400,000 a day.

The Baltic Exchange’s tanker metric, TD6, which tracks rates from the CPC terminal to Augusta in the Mediterranean has shot up from about WS230 in mid-June to around WS530, equivalent to about $400,000 a day and similar to rates prevailing in the Middle East.

The CPC terminal is important for both Russia and Kazakhstan but Russia has other export options. The vast majority of Kazakhstan’s exports – about 80% – are loaded on tankers from the 1,510km Caspian Pipeline at the Novorossiysk terminal.

Analysts are warning that unpredictable drone strikes on ships operated both by both friends and foes of the warring parties have pushed up the cost of war risk cover, deterring some owners.

London broker Gibson, said this could transform what has been a reliable alternative source of crude oil and put energy supply chains under further pressure.

The deteriorating security situation is driving up war risk insurance for both ships and their cargoes. Black Sea port call cover is now estimated to have doubled since late July, now as high as 2% of the value of the ship. Cargo cover has climbed by a similar quantum.

Vessels continue to be hit despite their owners having no prior involvement in Russian trade, Gibson said, and in some cases despite those owners being domiciled in countries allied to Ukraine. The lack of an obvious pattern has added to the uncertainty, the firm said.

Last week, Reuters warned that the wave of attacks on ships, ports and export terminals in the Black Sea is disrupting grain and oil supplies, turning the region into what it described as "the latest strategic trade chokepoint".

Russia is the world’s largest grain exporter and agricultural exports are also important for Ukraine. Both countries have intensified attacks on each other’s agricultural export facilities as well as commercial vessels.

Black Sea export constraints on both grain and oil are likely to fuel inflation further causing hardship for many in the months ahead.

https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/security/black-sea-drone-strikes-send-cpc-tanker-rates-to-400-000-a-day

other Russia and Ukraine

https://www.foxnews.com/world/moscow-kyiv-assassins-hunt-weapons-bosses-ukraine-war-spills-beyond-battlefield

https://report.az/en/other-countries/zelenskyy-discusses-drone-deal-with-saudi-crown-prince

https://kyivindependent.com/moldova-recalls-ambassador-from-moscow-following-drone-crash/

>>24921307

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-08-10/live-updates-905029

other Israel

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/netanyahu-rejects-trump-gaza-peace-plan-1813402

https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/08/10/israel-admits-we-may-clash-with-trump-administration-over-gaza/

https://vinnews.com/2026/08/10/idf-chief-of-staff-credits-troops-for-multi-arena-achievements-hosts-u-s-centcom-commander-at-operational-forum/

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/431511

https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/idf-warns-gaza-hamas-outdated-currency

Live Updates: Iran releases video claiming Khamenei unharmed, shares new demands for re-opening Strait of Hormuz

August 10, 2026

Netanyahu reportedly agrees to Trump's Gaza plan • Houthis continue strikes in Yemen • Iran says 'no reason' to fear new Mecca defense pact

August 10, 7:47 PM

Iran demands compensation from Ukraine over deadly Caspian Sea vessel strike - report

Iran has demanded compensation from Ukraine over a deadly strike on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, rejecting Kyiv's assertion that the attack was accidental, CBS News reported on Monday.

One sailor was killed in the strike last month, which Ukraine later said had been carried out by mistake.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei disputed Kyiv's explanation on Monday, saying Tehran had not been persuaded that the vessel was unintentionally targeted.

August 10, 7:45 PM

Khamenei names new Iran military, IRGC chiefs after commanders killed in Israeli-US strikes

Ahmad Vahidi was formally named IRGC chief as Khamenei filled six senior military positions following the deaths of their predecessors in Israeli-US strikes.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday issued decrees appointing six military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials to leadership positions after the preceding holders were killed in Israeli-US strikes during operations Roaring Lion and Epic Fury.

Ali Abdollahi was appointed as chief of staff of Iran's Armed Forces, with Kioumars Heydari named as his deputy.

Additionally, Ahmad Vahidi was named as head of the IRGC, with Mostafa Izadi named as his deputy.

August 10, 7:42 PM

Israel unlikely to compromise security for peace agreements with post-October 7 trauma, expert says

Israel is unlikely to make security concessions as part of any new peace agreement with regional countries, making it difficult for those seeking to lull Israel into a false sense of security before launching an attack to succeed, Prof. Eytan Gilboa told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

Gilboa is an expert on diplomacy at Bar-Ilan University and Reichman University and a senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies.

Gilboa spoke with the Post after KAN reported that officials from a regional country advised another to agree with Israel to “lull it to sleep” before an attack.

August 10, 7:39 PM

IDF halts strikes in Gaza after weeks of accelerated fatalities, as BoP seeks Hamas disarmament

Defense officials confirmed on Sunday that opportunities to strike Hamas military wing operatives had been missed over the past week because of government policy.

The IDF increased the pace of its strikes over the past two weeks, with the number of fatalities rising accordingly, before restricting them under a new policy, following a series of targeted killings across the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire took effect, which, according to IDF statistics, resulted in the deaths of around 500 terrorists.

Defense officials confirmed on Sunday that opportunities to strike Hamas's military wing operatives had been missed over the past week because of government policy.

However, senior political officials told Walla on Monday that "This is a complete lie. The IDF did not bring a single targeted killing for approval over the past week."

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>>24921363

August 10, 7:37 PM

IDF urges Gaza residents to exchange old banknotes, prevent Hamas's financial exploitation

"Most of the old-issue banknotes have already been replaced with new ones some time ago. If any of you still possess those old banknotes, you face a serious financial risk," Waweya wrote.

The IDF urged residents of the Gaza Strip to protect themselves from financial exploitation by Hamas and to replace old-issue banknotes with current ones on Monday, warning that soon the old notes could lose all value.

"Most of the old-issue banknotes have already been replaced with new ones some time ago. If any of you still possess those old banknotes, you face a serious financial risk. In the very near future, these banknotes will be worth nothing, and you will be left with nothing," IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt.-Col. Ella Waweya wrote on X/Twitter.

August 10, 7:36 PM

Iran to release footage of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in the future - report

Basij deputy Ghasem Ghoraishi said that footage and other documentation showing Khamenei among the public and out in the streets would be released in the future.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei around the start of the president's third year in office in late July, state media said on Sunday, and a paramilitary leader promised footage of Khamenei in the future.

Pezeshkian has given differing accounts in recent weeks about his access to Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his father in the role in March.

On July 21, the president said interactions with the supreme leader were "increasing day by day", but in early August he said communicating with Khamenei was "very difficult."

August 10, 7:34 PM

Hamas’s waiting game buys terror group time as Israel rejects Gaza plan, Palestinian analysts claim

"Hamas was hoping for Israeli rejection to delay disarmament," a Palestinian source claims; "Netanyahu's government is not a partner for peace, but only for war," PA official tells the 'Post.'

Several Palestinian analysts affiliated with Hamas dismissed Israel's official rejection of the Board of Peace's recent 15-point Gaza plan, arguing that Israel will be compelled to accept the terms of the agreement due to American and international pressure.

They welcomed Hamas's public apparent commitment to move forward with the roadmap despite Israeli opposition to the proposal, which conditions withdrawal on the full disarmament of Hamas, and claimed that Hamas's stance demonstrates that the Palestinian side is not the obstacle to progressing to the next phase of the agreement.

August 10, 3:22 PM

Trump willing to end war, declare victory on Iran with no nuclear deal, officials say - report

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump privately floated the idea with senior aides, with Iran's reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping a key condition.

US President Donald Trump has been weighing the possibility of declaring victory against Iran without achieving a nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US officials.

According to the officials, Trump privately floated the idea to his senior aides. If the US can keep Iran's nuclear program in check and traffic resumes in the Strait of Hormuz, then Trump would be more likely to extend the ceasefire "indefinitely," the officials told WSJ.

In recent weeks, the president told senior aides privately that Tehran is "likely unable to revive its nuclear work," after Operation Midnight Hammer caused heavy damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure in June 2025, the officials added.

August 10, 3:19 PM

Netanyahu willing to give Trump's Gaza plan a chance, IDF retreating to Yellow Line - report

According to the Axios report, the US and the mediators in talks are demanding that Hamas begin the process of disarmament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Jared Kushner last week and pledged to give US President Donald Trump's 15-point disarmament plan a chance, Axios reported Sunday evening, citing a US official.

Previously, Netanyahu rejected Trump's plan for Hamas' disarmament in a Sunday cabinet meeting.

“The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed,” Netanyahu declared.

August 10, 3:19 PM

Iran fears economic sanctions more than military strikes, Trump's UN envoy Mike Waltz says

'When they’re coming to the table with our negotiators, they are talking about cash, cash, cash…'

Iran is more afraid of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent than Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

“When they’re coming to the table with our negotiators, they are talking about cash, cash, cash. Because they’ll absorb the bombings," he said.

"They don’t care about their military, they don’t care about their soldiers, or even the Iranian people after they massacred 40,000 of them.”

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