TYB
https://nypost.com/2026/08/11/science/solar-eclipse-perseid-meteor-shower-more-how-to-watch-4-in-1-cosmic-event/
https://www.space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/will-perseid-shooting-stars-be-visible-during-the-aug-12-total-solar-eclipse
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/998196/eyes-to-the-skies-perseid-meteor-shower-to-reach-maximum-activity-on-aug-12-2026/story/
https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/perseid-meteor-shower-solar-eclipse-2026-1813461
https://www.ibtimes.sg/scientists-develop-new-instrument-capture-suns-corona-during-august-12-eclipse-91911
extra space objects
https://www.counton2.com/news/mt-pleasant-pd-dash-cam-catches-meteor-flying-across-sky/
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/on-this-day-in-space-august-10-2026
Solar eclipse, Perseid meteor shower, and more: How to watch the rare 4-in-1 cosmic event this week
Aug. 11, 2026, 6:20 a.m. PT
The stars will align on Wednesday.
Stargazers should prepare for a series of space spectacles on August 12, as a solar eclipse, meteor shower, and a planetary parade are all gracing the skies on the same night.
“It’s a very exciting opportunity for amateur astronomy observers, or really anyone who can get a shot at the clear sky,” Darryl Seligman, an astronomy professor at Michigan State University, told the Post.
Kicking off this cosmic decathlon is the planetary alignment, in which Saturn, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will appear in the sky simultaneously, Fox News reported.
Skywatchers can catch the celestial sextet by looking toward the Eastern horizon around 30 minutes to an hour before sunrise.
Saturn and Mars will be easiest to spot, followed by Mars and Mercury, although the latter two will sit low on the horizon and therefore clear, unobstructed view to catch them before they get lost in the sun’s glare.
Meanwhile, viewing Uranus will require binoculars, while a telescope will likely be necessary to see Neptune, according to Seligman.
Stargazers don’t need to wait until August 12 to see the show. “The arrangement won’t change much in the next few days,” Qicheng Zhang, of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, told the Post.
“So you should be able to basically see it now, with the further addition of a crescent moon that won’t be there by/after the 12th.”
Despite their peculiar formation, the planets aren’t actually aligned.
The event is an optical illusion that occurs when the cosmic bodies appear in the sky simultaneously, even though they’re really millions to billions of miles apart and orbiting the Sun’s ecliptic plane at different speeds and distances.
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Eclipse
This heavenly happy hour will also see the arrival of a solar eclipse, in which the moon passes between the sun and the Earth.
Unfortunately, the total version — when the sun is completely blotted out, seemingly turning day into night — will only shroud certain parts of Europe.
However, parts of North America will have the opportunity to witness a partial eclipse, when the moon only overlaps a small portion of the Sun, meaning we won’t get the eerie twilight effect.
In New York, the partial eclipse will last for roughly an hour and a half, beginning at 1:07 p.m., peaking at 1:54 p.m. and ending at 2:38 p.m.
Despite the muted effect, New Yorkers will still need to don special certified eclipse glasses — and not regular sun shades — to avoid permanent retinal damage.
Great balls of fire
What better way to end this skywatching extravaganza than by glimpsing what NASA calls the “best meteor shower of the year.”
Dubbed the Perseid Meteor Shower, this annual spectacle occurs when the Earth passes through the Comet Swift-Tuttle’s debris stream, causing “tiny bits of comet dust” to hit our atmosphere at high speed and burn up as streaks of light.
There can be 50 to 100 meteors per hour during this interstellar fireworks display, making the Perseids the most prolific of all annual meteor showers.
“If you go stargazing for 10 minutes you should be able to see 10-20 shooting stars!” exclaimed Professor Seligman.
Along with the volume, this shower is also known for creating “fireballs,” bursts of light and color that last longer than the average meteor.
While this pyrotechnic phenomenon lasts until August 24th, it will reach its peak “on the night of Aug. 12 into the early morning of Aug. 13,” according to NASA.
For optimal viewing, stargazers are advised to look to the Northeast for the constellation Perseus — after which the shower is named — when it’s fully dark.
Fortunately, finding this star cluster is not a must, as the “meteors can appear anywhere overhead,” per NASA.
“The best way to watch the Perseid meteor shower is to find a location with dark skies, give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and simply look up,” the org advises.
“Then sit back, be patient, and enjoy one of the year’s premier celestial shows.”
New moon rising
Fortunately, viewing of the Perseids will be especially good to this year due to the new moon, which will make “the sky much darker and easier to see,” according to Seligman.
Although, as Zhang explained to the Post, the new moon “isn’t out of the ordinary” as they always coincide with “solar eclipses” like the one on August 12.
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Isro gets Nasa Moon Base invite as India, US deepen space cooperation
Aug 11, 2026, 16:03:45 IST
India and the US are expanding their space partnership, with both sides discussing new cooperation in human spaceflight, scientific research, lunar exploration and data sharing.
Nasa has also invited Isro to join its Moon Base programme, building on the countries’ existing cooperation under the Artemis Accords.
India and the United States are looking to expand their cooperation in space, with discussions covering human spaceflight, scientific research, lunar exploration and commercial space activities.
The talks took place during the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at Isro headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5 and 6.
The meeting brought together officials from Isro, Nasa and the US State Department to review ongoing cooperation and discuss new areas of partnership.
One of the key developments was Nasa’s invitation to Isro to join its Moon Base programme. The proposal builds on the cooperation between the two countries under the Artemis Accords, which provide a framework for international collaboration in lunar exploration.
India and the US also agreed to continue discussions on sharing open scientific data under the Artemis framework. Both sides discussed ways to develop future partnerships in space science and human spaceflight technologies.
The talks follow the successful launch of the Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission last year. The joint mission is designed to study changes on Earth’s surface and provide data for scientific research and monitoring natural phenomena.
The two countries are now looking to build on that cooperation through additional scientific and space technology projects.
The meeting also covered the long-term sustainability of activities in outer space. India and the US reaffirmed their support for guidelines developed through the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
Officials also reviewed ongoing multilateral efforts aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of the committee and promoting responsible use of space.
The discussions are part of the broader India-US strategic technology partnership. The US Embassy said the space cooperation is being advanced under the India-US Transforming the Relationship Utilizing Strategic Technology (TRUST) initiative, in line with the joint statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February 2025.
Isro chairman and Department of Space secretary Dr V Narayanan and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor addressed the opening session of the meeting.
The discussions were co-chaired by M Sankaran, director of Isro’s UR Rao Satellite Centre, on the Indian side. The US side was represented by Dr Wesley Brooks, assistant secretary of state for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Kathleen Karika, Nasa associate administrator for International and Interagency Relations.
The latest talks point to a wider space partnership between India and the US, covering not only satellite missions but also lunar exploration, human spaceflight and scientific research.
The two sides are expected to continue discussions on these areas as they develop specific programmes and projects.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/isro-gets-nasa-moon-base-invite-as-india-us-deepen-space-cooperation-14037448.html
https://x.com/USAmbIndia/status/2087121761045541307
moar NASA
https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4968-4974-rock-climbing-towards-the-discontinuity/
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/bountiful-roebuck-bay/
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/08/10/nasas-roman-telescope-team-begins-integrated-operations-for-launch/
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/quesst/2026/08/10/nasa-x-59-explainer-science-of-sonic-booms/
NASA brings space-age technology home
August 10, 2026
When NASA’s Artemis II mission circled the moon in April, it carried scientific data that could lead to medical advances back home.
By comparing changes to tissue samples flown on missions to matching samples stored on Earth, scientists can pinpoint how space travel changes human biology, says Dr. Arun Sharma, director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Space Medicine Research.
“We know that astronauts’ bones and muscles” atrophy in space, he says, adding that improved understanding of those changes can speed the development of new drugs to better protect astronauts on longer missions.
“Those same drugs could be applied [on Earth] to diseases of bone or muscle degradation, like osteoporosis or sarcopenia,” says Sharma, whose lab produces “organ chip” devices that contain human cells and are flown on NASA missions.
The research, expected to inform development of new drugs, continues NASA’s long-standing tradition of converting space-travel innovations into technologies used on Earth.
From the moon to your living room
Since NASA’s founding in 1958, agency scientists and engineers have worked with the private sector to develop technologies that advance the space age while improving life on Earth.
Daniel Lockney, who leads NASA’s Technology Transfer Program, says thousands of NASA innovations have been applied to fields from medicine and manufacturing to transportation and consumer goods.
These innovations date to NASA’s Apollo program that landed astronauts on the moon from 1969 to 1972. In partnership with Black & Decker, NASA developed lightweight, portable tools, including drills and a vacuum, to collect samples on the moon.
The need to collect moon rocks and dust led to the development of cordless power tools, including the Dustbuster handheld vacuum introduced in 1979.
Untangling communications
Astronauts navigating through space shouldn’t have to worry about floating wires getting tangled in low gravity. NASA’s push to improve its space communications led to the development of the first wireless headsets, precursors to many modern Bluetooth devices.
The agency’s plans to send astronauts on longer missions have even helped make the food we eat more nutritious . Astronauts “needed lightweight, sustainable food you could grow that was nutrient dense,” Lockney says.
That led to NASA’s experiments with algae, rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. “We found a way to isolate and synthesize” those essential nutrients, Lockney says, adding that the innovation went “global almost overnight.” Now everything from milk and cereal to peanut butter and baby formula is fortified with the nutritious ingredients.
Stable rockets, safer skyscrapers
In preparation for Artemis missions, NASA discovered the Space Launch System rocket was vibrating on the launch pad, which could endanger astronauts.
So NASA devised stabilization technology that prevents rocket fuel from sloshing around and causing vibrations, Lockney says.
Architects and builders have now adapted the technology to stabilize skyscrapers, protecting people in the world’s tallest buildings from earthquakes and high winds.
“As we develop the technologies needed for a sustained presence on the Moon and prepare for human exploration of Mars,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman says, “those innovations will continue to unlock new capabilities across medicine, aviation, agriculture, and other critical sectors, delivering lasting benefits to Earth.”
https://share.america.gov/nasa-brings-space-age-technology-home/
moar more
https://science.nasa.gov/learning-resources/science-activation/community-college-instructors-bring-astronomy-textbook-into-21st-century/
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-debuts-on-discovery-coming-soon-to-hbo-max/
https://science.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasa-telescopes-create-colorful-craft-from-nearby-nebula/
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/physics-of-the-cosmos/community/ao-astrophysics-explorers-program-2026-smex-amended/
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/nasa-shares-station-research-today-supporting-moon-mars-tomorrow/
even moar, moar even
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/08/10/station-crew-gears-up-for-next-spacewalk-keeps-up-microgravity-research/
https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/programs/physics-of-the-cosmos/community/physcos-third-early-career-workshop-sept-2026/
https://spaceq.ca/canadian-robotics-mission-controllers-celebrated-during-nasa-johnson-space-center-tour/
https://www.space.com/stargazing/solar-eclipses/nasa-will-chase-the-aug-12-total-solar-eclipse-with-balloons-and-a-high-altitude-jet
NASA Shares Station Research Today Supporting Moon, Mars Tomorrow
Aug 11, 2026
The International Space Station has been busy throughout 2026, as it continues to be a bustling workspace for astronauts conducting a variety of scientific experiments that lay the groundwork for missions to the Moon and beyond.
NASA’s Artemis II mission in April was the first crewed flight around the Moon in more than 50 years, marking a major milestone for humanity’s return to the lunar surface.
While the mission validated key systems needed for future deep space human exploration, work aboard the International Space Station continues to support those goals.
Astronauts on the orbiting laboratory are testing technologies, studying how the human body adapts to long-duration spaceflight, and conducting experiments to help ensure crews can live and work safely in deep space.
Research aboard the space station, coupled with Artemis and Moon Base programs, will continue to demonstrate how NASA is preparing for sustained astronaut exploration of the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
Optimizing space technology
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station demonstrate and optimize innovative technologies to support exploration missions, reduce the technology footprint, and fine-tune systems ahead of travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Exercise equipment is important for long-duration spaceflight. On average, astronauts lose between 1% and 1.5% of their bone density each month while in microgravity, increasing the potential risk for fractures and other bone-related issues.
Regular exercise can help counteract these effects and keep astronauts healthy. The European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D) is a compact, versatile system now being tested aboard the space station for exploration crews.
The system supports a variety of exercises, can simulate different gravity levels and may lead to even more compact exercise technology for exploration crews.
During deep space missions, astronauts may need medical care but could be too far from Earth to receive a resupply spacecraft with additional equipment. To prepare for that possibility, researchers are testing medical technologies aboard the station.
One of these investigations, the Intravenous Fluid Generation – Mini (IVGEN Mini),evaluates producing intravenous (IV) fluids using the station’s potable water supply.
Because commercially available IV fluids have a shelf life of only about 16 months, successful demonstrations of this technology could help meet medical needs while reducing launch mass and volume.
Medical care is one hurdle crews may face during future missions, while another is the limited time astronauts have to complete tasks that require human intervention.
Robotic technologies, such as the Test facility for lab-aUtomation System in Kibo (TUSK), may help address these time constraints.
This investigation studies how microgravity affects delicate robotic operations that rely on precise movement.
Insights could help improve the design of future automated systems that can execute tasks independently, freeing up astronauts’ valuable time during future missions.
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Studying the body in space
Astronauts also serve as test subjects. They collect biological samples, conduct medical exams, and perform scans to understand how bodies adapt to life in space.
This research helps scientists and medical personnel understand the effects of spaceflight and protects crew health as missions extend farther into the solar system.
Past research shows weightlessness during spaceflight can sometimes disrupt astronauts’ normal blood flow, which may increase health risks for conditions, such as blood clots.
The Spaceflight Thrombosis and Risk Factors (Venous Haemostasis) experiment examines changes in blood flow to identify unique physiological correlations and create preventative measures for at-risk crew members.
Astronauts also may experience changes to their cardiovascular and respiratory systems during spaceflight, which could affect blood pressure regulation.
Research with the Causal Analysis of Cardiorespiratory Coupling on the ISS (CARDIOBREATH) uses the Bio-Monitor “smart shirt” to track heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and activity during exercise sessions aboard the orbiting complex.
Results will improve understanding of cardiovascular health in microgravity and inform treatments for cardiorespiratory risks during and after long-duration missions.
Maintaining mental health in space is as important as physical health. Prolonged isolation and confinement can impact a crew member’s sleep, morale, and decision-making.
The Mind/Body Practices for Deep Space Exploration (RelaxPro) experiment evaluates non-invasive practices, such as meditation, to develop a structured system to reduce stress and improve sleep on future missions.
Refining next-generation spaceflight
Spacecraft are a critical aspect of deep space missions, providing shelter from the harsh environment of space, along with oxygen, water, and other life-support systems.
Testing systems aboard the International Space Station allows researchers to refine technologies for next generation spacecraft traveling beyond low Earth orbit.
The Fiber-optic Active Dosimeter (Lumina) demonstrates real-time radiation monitoring using optical fibers that darken when exposed to radiation. Monitoring ionizing radiation keeps astronauts safe and remains one of the key challenges for future deep space exploration.
Many spacecraft use cryogenic, or extremely cold, fuels for propulsion. These fuels must remain cold to stay in liquid form, but temperature fluctuations in space can cause them to slowly evaporate and escape the tank, affecting fuel efficiency.
The Zero Boil-Off Tank Noncondensables (ZBOT-NC)investigation evaluates how gases that do not liquify at low temperatures impact pressure control, evaporation, and condensation rates inside propellant tanks.
Data from this experiment will help validate models and support the design of more efficient cryogenic fuel storage systems.
As the crew’s living environment, the spacecraft must also be monitored for microbial activity to help ensure a safe and healthy habitat.
The Genomic Enumeration of Antibiotic Resistance in Space (GEARS) investigation surveys the space station for antibiotic-resistant organisms to better understand how bacteria may adapt in space.
The study uses DNA sequencing techniques to advance onsite identification and diagnostic capabilities that will be important for future missions.
International Space Station science still is buzzing for the remainder of 2026.
To learn more about ongoing research aboard the space station, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station/space-station-research-and-technology/latest-news-from-space-station-research/
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Jessica Meir
@Astro_Jessica
While I wasn’t gazing at @astro_anil during last week’s spacewalk, my eyes were drawn downward to our majestic Mother Earth. Here’s how she looked from my spacesuit.
Photo 1: Coastal view framed by the @Space_Station solar arrays.
Photo 2: The sun sets behind our newly installed IROSA mod kit, a mounting platform for new arrays to be installed on an upcoming spacewalk (like the shorter array in lower left of photo 1).
Photo 3: Mountain views framed by the @Space_Station solar arrays.
4:14 AM · Aug 11, 2026
https://x.com/Astro_Jessica/status/2087135494236737808
extra
https://x.com/MattAadastra/status/2086950311130697732
https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2087217642641743971
https://x.com/NASA/status/2087221757065203715
https://x.com/NASA/status/2086853708533440600
Rocket Lab Unveils GHOST Deployable Launch System to Enable Responsive Space Missions Worldwide
August 10, 2026
LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Rocket Lab Corporation (Nasdaq: RKLB), a global leader in launch services and space systems today unveiled GHOST: a new globally-deployable containerized launch system to enable suborbital and orbital launches from anywhere in the world.
The GHOST (Global Hypersonic & Orbital Spaceport Technology) system transforms Rocket Lab’s Electron and HASTE rockets into a launch-anywhere, launch-anytime capability for multi-launch flight campaigns and critical national security missions.
Packaged entirely within standard shipping containers, GHOST deploys complete rockets, launch infrastructure, ground support, and range control systems anywhere in the world.
GHOST’s first location – named Rocket Lab Launch Complex 4 – will be at the Pacific Spaceport Complex at Kodiak, Alaska, with two pads to be established for high-frequency launch campaigns.
The two pads will complement Rocket Lab’s existing suborbital and orbital launch sites at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, and Launch Complex 2 and Launch Complex 3 in Virginia, bringing the total number of pads operated by Rocket Lab to six across two hemispheres.
The system is set to make its operational debut with a suborbital launch from Alaska in 2027.
Because both Electron and HASTE use the same ground infrastructure, GHOST delivers a dual-launch capability across new locations, allowing Rocket Lab to expand the mission profiles of both vehicles and meet increasing international demand for orbital and suborbital sovereign launch capability.
GHOST’s modular and small footprint is purpose-built to support responsive launch needs and time-critical national security missions, enabling rapid site activation and simultaneous launch possibilities.
Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, says: “We’ve been leading the field in small launch for missile defense and national security for years.
Our reliability, repeatability, and affordability sets us apart from everybody else, and creating GHOST is about packaging that up into a deployable system that can serve the world’s most important programs from wherever those missions need.
Whether it’s for missile defense and deterrence, or opening up more trajectories, orbital missions, and sovereign launch capabilities in allied nations, GHOST is the answer to launching anywhere, anytime, and without compromise.”
https://investors.rocketlabcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rocket-lab-unveils-ghost-deployable-launch-system-enable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA7sWXTGcsg
SpaceX Starlink Missions
August 11, 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is targeting the launch of 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.
This will be the fifth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-179, SDA-T1TL-E, and two Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
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/sl-17-49
https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-10-19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMsqa3xGQTo
extra
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/vietnams-vinspace-signs-deal-elon-musks-spacex-launch-135536822
Dust and water spotted close to giant black hole
11/08/2026
Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to the supermassive black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.
The observations reveal that the evolved star IRS 3 continues to enrich its surroundings with newly formed material despite the intense radiation environment around Sagittarius A*.
The new observations provide the most detailed mid-infrared view yet of the highly evolved star IRS 3, which is located just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way galaxy's central supermassive black hole.
IRS 3 has reached a stage near the end of its life called the asymptotic giant branch phase. Stars in this phase of life are huge, cool, and luminous, and they shed gas into space with their powerful stellar winds.
This cast-off stellar material is one of the most important sources of cosmic dust, but it was not clear if it could be produced by a star so close to a supermassive black hole.
By analysing the star’s infrared light with Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), the research team identified clear signatures of oxygen-rich dust and, for the first time, detected water in the star’s surrounding envelope.
The results show that even under the harsh conditions near a supermassive black hole, evolved stars like IRS 3 can still produce dust and other materials important for the creation of future generations of stars and planets.
“Galactic centres are among the most extreme environments, so understanding whether stars can continue enriching their surroundings there is an important question,” said lead author Florian Peißker of the University of Cologne in Germany.
“With Webb, we can directly observe how stars behave under these conditions and see that dust production remains remarkably resilient.”
IRS 3 is one of the brightest mid-infrared sources in the galactic centre and has long stood out because of its enormous dusty envelope. Previous studies suggested the star could be carbon-rich, but the new observations paint a different picture.
The Webb data revealed two strong infrared signatures associated with silicate dust, which is composed of silicon and oxygen. These features identify IRS 3 as an oxygen-rich evolved star, which is nearing the end of its life and shedding material into space.
“This discovery was possible because of Webb’s highly capable infrared instruments,” said Macarena Garcia Marin of ESA, a co-author of the study and PI of the MICONIC programme.
“This is the first time a continuous mid-infrared spectrum has been collected for this star, allowing us to detect the features from the silicate dust and uncover the star’s true chemical identity.”
By combining Webb’s observations of the star’s spectrum with simulations of how its light would move through different models of the surrounding envelope, the team were able to reconstruct the structure of the star’s envelope.
Their results indicate a layered, shell-like distribution of dust extending roughly 10 000 astronomical units from the star, with temperatures falling from approximately 1200 Kelvin close to the star to around 100 Kelvin in the outer regions.
The observations also revealed evidence for water within the envelope of IRS 3: the first clear detection of its kind for this object.
“The detection of water is especially exciting because it shows that molecular material can survive in an environment dominated by intense radiation,” said Macarena.
“This tells us that even close to a supermassive black hole, stars can continue contributing material back into their surroundings.”
From the observations and stellar modelling, the researchers estimate that IRS 3 has a mass of approximately six times that of the Sun and is around 72 million years old.
The star appears to be undergoing intense mass loss, ejecting material into space and creating the extended envelope seen by Webb.
These results suggest that evolved stars may continue playing an important role in supplying dust to galactic centres — regions that were previously thought to be especially hostile to these processes.
The observations were obtained in 2025 as part of the Mid-Infrared Characterisation of Nearby Iconic galaxy Centres (MICONIC) Guaranteed Time Observations programme using Webb’s MIRI instrument.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Dust_and_water_spotted_close_to_giant_black_hole
extra ESA
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/08/A_total_solar_eclipse_is_coming_to_Europe
https://news.ssbcrack.com/total-solar-eclipse-to-be-broadcast-live-by-esa-on-august-12-2026
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/08/Sophie_Adenot_s_first_spacewalk
https://x.com/Soph_astro/status/2087196969257021631
Russia pounds key Ukrainian logistics and defense industry sites – MOD
11 Aug, 2026 07:20
The strikes targeted military-related sites, including a steel plant, in Kiev and Zaporozhye, the Defense Ministry has said
Russian forces have carried out new overnight strikes targeting military-related facilities in Kiev and Ukrainian-controlled Zaporozhye, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has reported.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the attack used high-precision ground-based weapons, and struck a Kiev Nova Poshta terminal – an automated sorting complex it said was used to store and distribute dual-use goods, including components for long- and medium-range drones, robotic systems, and electronic-warfare equipment.
Also hit was the Kiev-3 transport-logistics center, a roughly 50,000-square-meter site storing up to 15,000 FPV strike drones – some fitted with thermal-imaging cameras – along with ground control stations and components.
In the city of Zaporozhye, the ministry said it struck the Zaporozhstal steel plant, a leading producer of flat-rolled steel used to produce body armor and to plate fortifications and vehicles. The facility was also involved in fitting heavy armor with anti-drone screens, the statement added.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed the overnight barrage, saying a ballistic missile strike on Kiev injured one person, adding that a fire broke out at the warehouse in the Shevchenkovsky district but was later extinguished.
Local Ukrainian authorities in Zaporozhye said Russian forces had launched a combined attack using rockets and guided aerial bombs on the regional center, damaging several non-residential facilities and residential buildings, with six people killed and 52 injured.
Ukraine also launched drone barrages deep into Russia, with air defenses intercepting 396 Ukrainian UAVs across 15 regions, the Defense Ministry said.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 237 drones had been detected heading toward the capital region, adding that while most of them were neutralized at long range, 13 of them were destroyed on closer approaches.
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported fires at two warehouses of a “large company,” adding that drone debris killed a 49-year-old man during strikes on the wider region.
While the governor did not name the affected firm, e-retailer Wildberries confirmed blazes at its facilities and reported an evacuation, adding that merchandise “was mostly not affected.”
Ukraine has for months been launching strikes deep into Russia, often targeting critical infrastructure and residential buildings, with Moscow retaliating by attacking Ukrainian defense-related sites. Russia maintains it never targets civilians.
https://www.rt.com/russia/644097-russia-pounds-key-ukrainian-sites/
extra RT
https://www.rt.com/russia/644117-russia-frees-ex-us-marine/
https://www.rt.com/russia/644116-ukraine-rebury-nazi-collaborator/
https://www.rt.com/russia/644094-bulgaria-ukraine-envoy-expulsion/
https://www.rt.com/russia/644101-israel-silent-missing-historian/
Russia's largest petrochemical complex has halted operations following a drone attack
11 August 2026 19:13
Sibur’s “Zapsibnaftochem” plant in Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast, completely halted production on August 10 following a drone strike.
The facility is the largest petrochemical complex in the Russian Federation, producing 2.5 million metric tons of polymers annually and accounting for 40% of Russia’s total output of liquefied hydrocarbon gases (LHG).
The plant’s operations have been suspended indefinitely to assess the extent of the damage and address the consequences.
As of August 11, the company has suspended sales of propane-butane on the St. Petersburg Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange, where it previously sold 4,000 metric tons daily.
OSINT analysts determined that the strike damaged the central gas fractionation unit, which has a processing capacity of 3.8 million metric tons of feedstock per year.
This was reported by The Moscow Times.
In the Tyumen region, a petrochemical plant was damaged following a drone attack.
We previously reported that Sibur, the largest petrochemical company, is reducing its exports of liquefied petroleum gas from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga due to a shortage of gas carriers amid sanctions.
https://ua.news/en/war-vs-rf/naibilshii-naftokhimichnii-kompleks-rosiyi-pripiniv-robotu-pislia-ataki-droniv
other Russia and Ukraine
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16043657/Ukraine-moves-closer-destroying-Putins-1billion-palace-drone-strike-obliterates-air-defences-leaving-unprotected.html
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4153062-massive-fire-breaks-out-at-oil-refinery-in-orsk-russia-following-drone-attack.html
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/82109
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/08/11/8048299/
https://en.belsat.eu/94802588/mayday-border-checkpoint-between-belarus-and-russia-closed-following-drone-strike
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-08-11/live-updates-905132
other Israel
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-905115
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syiznpdlzx
https://www.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/4214229.html
https://www.jfeed.com/latest-news/idf-eliminates-hamas-sniper-posing-threat-near-yellow-line-in-northern-gaza-49188
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/431552
Live Updates: Pakistan says US, Iran nearing a peace deal while US forces defend naval blockade in Gulf
August 11, 2026
Hormuz must open, German FM tells Araghchi • IAEA to remove nuclear material from Syria after deal with US, Israel reached • Kurds demonstrate in Syrian cities
August 11, 9:04 PM
Yemen's Houthis say they attacked Saudi ship in Bab el-Mandeb
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they attacked a Saudi ship carrying military equipment in Bab el-Mandeb, Houthi-run news agency Saba reported.
August 11, 6:11 PM
Syria says IAEA will announce 'significant progress' on nuclear file
A Syrian official told Reuters that Syria was consulting with the IAEA to fulfill its own obligations and that "there is no Israeli role in this process."
Syria will host a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the coming days to announce "significant progress" on the issue of nuclear materials, Syria's Atomic Energy Commission said early on Tuesday, without providing further details.
Since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Syria's new authorities have committed to working with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog to address the legacy of nuclear activities during decades of Assad family rule.
Syria is not known to hold operational stockpiles of nuclear material for a weapons program, but Israel bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 in the country's eastern province of Deir al-Zor.
The IAEA said last year that it had found traces of uranium in its investigation into that site. The traces were found at one of three unnamed locations "that were allegedly functionally related" to the site of interest in Deir al-Zor.
August 11, 4:38 PM
US, Iran nearing 'some sort of an arrangement', Pakistan's defense minister says - report
Khawaja Asif added that he believed that a long-term peace agreement would benefit the Middle East.
The United States and Iran are nearing an agreement, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Bloomberg News in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“Things are shaping up again in favor of a peace arrangement or a deal,” Asif said. “The signals in the last two or three days are that we are close to some sort of an arrangement.”
Asif added that he believed that a long-term peace agreement would benefit the Middle East, according to Bloomberg.
August 11, 4:36 PM
US forces strike Panamanian vessel in Gulf of Oman over alleged breach of blockade on Iran - report
The US official told the WSJ that the ship's crew was transferred to another vessel after the attack, and all members were accounted for.
American forces fired at a Panama-flagged ship in the Gulf of Oman that was reportedly attempting to bypass the US embargo on Iranian ports, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing a US official with knowledge of the matter.
US Central Command troops fired a missile from a helicopter at the rudder of the Vela Nova, a Panamanian-flagged container ship, earlier on Tuesday morning.
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August 11, 4:28 PM
IDF says troops opened fire on Hamas sniper near Gaza’s Yellow Line
IDF troops opened fire on a suspected Hamas sniper who posed an immediate threat near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza, the military said on Tuesday.
The troops identified a hit after firing at the man, according to the IDF, which did not provide further details on his condition.
The military said Southern Command troops remained deployed in the area under the ceasefire agreement and would continue to act against immediate threats.
The Yellow Line was established under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement as the boundary to which Israeli forces withdrew, leaving the IDF in control of roughly 53% of Gaza. It separates the Israeli-held area, largely in the east and south of the Strip, from the densely populated coastal area under Hamas control.
Israeli forces have since pushed beyond the original boundary, with senior military officials telling the Security Cabinet in July that the IDF controlled between 67% and 70% of the Strip.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
August 11, 2:42 PM
Rocket attack hits Iranian-Kurdish opposition camp near Erbil, security sources say
The sources reported that there were no casualties, blaming Iran for the attack.
A rocket attack hit a training camp for the Iranian Kurdish opposition northeast of the Iraqi city of Erbil on Tuesday, said security sources who blamed Iran for the assault.
No casualties were reported, the sources said.
August 11, 2:42 PM
Mossad 'toured' Iran's Fordow nuclear site 'many times,' former head Yossi Cohen claims
The Mossad toured the Fordow nuclear site "many times" in order to understand it, former spy chief Yossi Cohen revealed at the Galilee Conference on Tuesday.
It remains unclear whether Cohen was referring to agents physically present within the facility or to remote monitoring.
"Its bombing by the Americans is the fulfillment of all my dreams," Cohen added.
August 11, 12:14 PM
Six arrested over attack on Border Police officers in West Bank operation
Six young men were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of attacking Border Police officers during an arrest operation in the West Bank nearly two months ago, Israel Police said.
According to police, several people gathered and attacked the officers on June 14 as they attempted to arrest suspects allegedly involved in extremist violence. The assailants then fled the scene.
Investigators identified six suspects, aged 17 to 23 and from the West Bank, specifically the Samaria and Jordan Valley regions. They were arrested on Tuesday morning and taken for questioning.
August 11, 12:14 PM
UKMTO received report of incident involving tanker and military forces in Gulf of Oman
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday it received a report of an incident involving a tanker and military forces in the Gulf of Oman.
August 11, 11:31 AM
Houthi missile strike on ship in Bab el-Mandeb kills two Pakistanis, one Indonesian - report
Two Pakistanis and an Indonesian national were killed in a Houthi missile strike on a commercial ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Saudi state-owned Al Hadath reported on Tuesday morning.
Bab el-Mandeb is located between Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
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Libya Weighs Force Majeure After Drone Attacks on Zawiya Oil Hub
Aug 11, 2026, 1:30 AM CDT
Libya’s National Oil Corporation may declare force majeure on exports from the Zawya oil terminal as a result of drone attacks on the facility.
The Zawya terminal has a daily capacity of 120,000 barrels, sourced from the country’s largest oil field, Sharara, which can produce up to 300,000 barrels daily, Reuters noted in a report on the possibility of a force majeure declaration.
According to reports, a drone strike had destroyed a storage tank and another drone had targeted an oil blending facility at the Zawya terminal. The tank, according to the company operating the facility, had 4.5 million liters of gasoline inside.
The destruction of the tank and the fuel could make a local fuel shortage more severe.
This is the third drone attack on the oil terminal over the past few days. Over the weekend, a drone crashed into a naphtha tank at the Zawya refinery, Reuters reported, causing a leak that was contained.
Reports have not mentioned the attacking party. Libya’s oil infrastructure is the frequent target for various forms of pressure by groups fighting for political control.
Despite continued attacks, the National Oil Corporation seems confident it could boost Libya’s oil production from the current 1.4 million barrels daily to 2 million barrels daily by the early 2030s.
The target comes after the state company received a much-needed lifeline worth some $2 billion from the latest Libyan budget.
The money will be utilized as an operating budget, NOC’s chief executive Masoud Suleman told Bloomberg earlier this month, adding that “The era of delayed funding, which used to cause problems and concerns, both for us and our partners, is now behind us.”
Just last month, NOC and Austrian energy firm OMV declared the Essar oil discovery commercially viable as OPEC's second-largest African producer pushes to revive its industry in partnerships with the oil majors.
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Libya-Weighs-Force-Majeure-After-Drone-Attacks-on-Zawiya-Oil-Hub.html
https://libyaherald.com/2026/08/zawia-depots-45-million-litre-petrol-tank-collapses-after-drone-attack-fire-as-another-drone-strikes-the-oil-blending-and-packaging-plant
Ethiopian rebels condemn army drone strikes
11 Aug 2026 at 16:45
Each side accusing the other of trying to foment new war over Tigray
ADDIS ABABA - Rebel authorities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia on Tuesday accused the federal government of carrying out deadly drone strikes in the northern region, denouncing “a serious escalation” amid fears of a new war.
Tensions have been growing for months, with federal and Tigrayan forces gathering on either side of the border of Ethiopia’s northernmost regional state.
Each side has accused the other of seeking to trigger a new conflict, less than four years after the end of a bloody war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.
“There was a drone strike carried out by the Ethiopian government yesterday (Monday) in Merewa” in southern Tigray, near the border with the Amhara region, Amanuel Assefa, vice chairman of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) told AFP.
A medical source at a hospital in Alimata told AFP that four Tigrayan fighters — a woman and three men — had been wounded in the strikes.
“Two of them have already undergone surgery,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday, the TPLF said the strikes targeted Tigrayan troops “causing human casualties”, without providing further details.
A spokesperson for the federal army has not yet responded to AFP’s request for comment regarding the accusation.
Amanuel also said that the strikes hit a high school, which AFP was unable to independently verify.
On August 1, fighting broke out between federal forces and TPLF troops in northwestern Tigray, near the border with Sudan, according to the TPLF. The federal government has not commented on the incident.
Tigray, home to around six million people, emerged in 2022 from a two-year war between TPLF forces and the federal army, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army.
The conflict claimed at least 600,000 lives, according to an African Union (AU) estimate.
A peace agreement signed in November 2022 put an end to the fighting, but several key points, such as the return of displaced people or the disarmament of the TPLF, have never been implemented.
Direct clashes between Tigrayan forces and the federal army broke out again in late 2025, for the first time since the signing of the peace deal.
Contacted by AFP about the TPLF drone strike claim, the AU, which mediated the peace deal and is based in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, had yet to comment.
Rapprochement
For months, the federal authorities have accused the TPLF of growing closer to neighbouring Eritrea.
Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have long been fraught, and the two Horn of Africa countries fought a 1998-2000 border war in which tens of thousands died.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed initially sought rapprochement with Eritrea when he came to power, and the two governments cooperated against the Tigrayan rebels in the 2020-2022 conflict.
However, they fell out over the peace accord, from which Eritrea was excluded, and which stipulated the withdrawal of foreign soldiers.
Eritrea accuses landlocked Ethiopia of coveting its Red Sea port of Assab after years of Abiy insisting his country must have access to the sea through peaceful means.
Amanuel told AFP that he wants to form alliances with anyone fighting the Ethiopian federal government, but gave no further details.
According to statements gathered by Human Rights Watch and by AFP, rebel authorities in Tigray have for several months been carrying out a forced recruitment campaign.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who comes from the Tigray region, on Sunday on X urged “the federal government and all regional leaders to choose dialogue over guns, and to pursue real political solutions”.
The TPLF effectively ruled the whole of Ethiopia for nearly 30 years until Abiy rose to power in 2018.
His government barred the TPLF from political activity last year, but it remains all-powerful in Tigray, with its own military.
At the end of April, the group said it had reinstated a regional parliament, which had been deemed illegitimate.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/3300025/ethiopian-rebels-condemn-army-drone-strikes
https://www.eurasiareview.com/11082026-from-drones-to-chlorine-the-sudanese-armys-escalating-war-on-civilians-oped/
From Drones To Chlorine: The Sudanese Army’s Escalating War On Civilians – OpEd
August 11, 2026
When a drone strike tore through a customary court in North Darfur this month, killing at least 35 people, rights advocates framed it not as an isolated atrocity but as the latest episode in a widening campaign of violence by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
The strike, which reportedly hit civilians attending local hearings, encapsulates a troubling reality of Sudan’s third year of civil war: the SAF are increasingly fighting with methods that treat civilian spaces as fair game.
The SAF’s drone campaign is now one of the most visible indicators of that shift. What began as sporadic use of armed drones has evolved into a systematic bombardment of markets, residential quarters and public gatherings across Darfur and Kordofan.
Reports from rights monitors and UN investigators describe drones and fixedwing aircraft hitting funerals, court sessions and crowded neighbourhoods, with little evidence that adequate distinction is being made between combatant and noncombatant.
In legal terms, such patterns fall squarely within the definition of indiscriminate attacks; in human terms, they erode any remaining trust that the SAF sees Sudanese citizens as worth protecting.
Most of the SAF’s drone fleet appears to be sourced from foreign backers, with Iran and Turkey playing the central role. Investigations by inter alia Human Rights Watch and specialist security think tanks have identified Iranianmade Mohajer6 combat drones operating from SAF bases, supplied via cargo flights to Port Sudan from late 2023 onwards, while Turkish Bayraktar TB2s have reportedly reached the army through Egyptian transfers. Analysts explain that Tehran has used drone deliveries to the SAF to leverage access to a potential Red Sea naval foothold.
Yet the allegations now confronting the SAF extend well beyond the choice of weapons platform. Perhaps the most alarming are mounting claims that the army has resorted to chemical weapons—specifically chlorine gas—during some of its most hardfought battles.
Investigative work by journalists and conflictmonitoring organisations around the alJaili refinery north of Khartoum has pieced together testimony from survivors, footage of oddcoloured clouds, geolocation data and medical symptoms, allpointing to chlorine exposure.
The picture they present is grim: barrellike devices dropped from aircraft, followed by the rapid onset of choking, burning in the lungs and, in some cases, death by asphyxiation.
The use of chlorine as a weapon is prohibited under international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Sudan is formally a party.
A determination by the United States that Sudan’s authorities has indeed used chemical agents—including chlorine—against their opponents has added diplomatic weight to the allegations.
For foreignpolicy observers, the significance lies not only in the specific weapon used, but in what it signals: an army willing to cross a bright red line in the laws of war in order to claw back strategic assets.
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On the ground, the SAF’s conduct is also reshaping the geography of fear. In ElObeid, a city in North Kordofan that has become a key front line, civilians have found themselves trapped between the army’s defensive perimeter and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) assaults.
Accounts from local lawyers, activists and humanitarian insiders describe checkpoints and armyheld roads where residents seeking to flee are turned back, interrogated or detained.
The effect is to convert ElObeid into a de facto openair prison, exposed to bombardment and cut off from safe corridors out of the city.
Such siege dynamics are part of a broader pattern in Sudan’s war.
Both the SAF and the RSF have blocked humanitarian convoys, interfered with aid distribution and used hunger as a weapon, but the SAF’s control of formal state infrastructure, including main highways and administrative centres, gives its obstruction a particular weight.
When an official army denies civilians passage out of a besieged urban area, it is not simply failing to protect them; it is actively contributing to the conditions—starvation, lack of medical care, exposure to shelling—that international humanitarian law was drafted to prevent.
Overlaying these practices is a political and ideological evolution that should concern anyone watching Sudan’s trajectory.
As the war has dragged on, the SAF has increasingly leaned on a network of allied militias and Islamist cadres, many of them veterans of the former regime’s security apparatus and steeped in Muslim Brotherhoodinfluenced political currents. T
hese “joint forces” and auxiliary units give the army additional manpower and local reach, but at a steep cost: diluted command and control, blurred accountability and the entry of ideologically driven actors into frontline operations.
In practice, civilians in contested areas often cannot distinguish between official SAF units and their Islamistaligned allies.
Victims’ testimonies describe arrest, looting and violence at the hands of fighters who identify themselves as part of formations backing the army, but who operate with a freedom and impunity more typical of paramilitaries than regular troops.
For analysts, this hybridisation of the state’s coercive power—mixing formal army structures with Brotherhoodlinked militias—risks turning Sudan’s conflict into something more entrenched and harder to demobilise even if a formal ceasefire is reached.
International attention has focused on the Rapid Support Forces, but this must not obscure the SAF’s own mounting record of grave violations.
Drone strikes on civilian gatherings, alleged chlorine attacks, siege tactics that prevent civilians from leaving cities like ElObeid, and reliance on ideologically charged militias together suggest an army that has abandoned even the pretence of neutral guardianship of the nation.
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German Police Suspect State Interference After Drone Disrupts Hanover Airport
Aug 11, 2026 20:40
An unidentified drone intrusion triggered repeated runway and airspace closures at Hanover-Langenhagen Airport, Der Spiegel reported on August 11.
This prompted German authorities to investigate a potential foreign state-sponsored attack.
The airspace breach follows a security incident on August 4 at Leipzig Airport, where an FPV drone carrying a Semtex explosive charge struck the wing of a Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft near its fuel tanks.
The drone failed to detonate upon impact and lay unnoticed on the tarmac for four hours before being discovered by a tour bus driver.
US and German officials have linked the failed strike to Russian intelligence services.
The incident, occurring at a key European logistics hub frequently used for NATO military transport, has heightened concerns that foreign state actors are conducting hybrid attacks against critical aviation infrastructure.
The incident at Hanover-Langenhagen Airport caused significant disruptions over two hours, forcing the diversion of a cargo aircraft and the postponement of multiple scheduled departures and landings.
The intrusion comes as investigators are already working frantically to uncover the origins of a suspected drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport just days prior.
An internal police report obtained by Der Spiegel noted that given the targeting of critical infrastructure, “the presence of hybrid activity cannot be ruled out.”
The term “hybrid activity” refers to incidents where foreign state actors deliberately interfere with public or critical infrastructure.
While the report stated it is currently unclear if there is a direct connection to the Leipzig drone attack, the similarities are raising major security concerns.
Crucially, the Hanover incident exposed vulnerabilities in the airport’s defenses. The report revealed that the Federal Police (Bundespolizei) were unable to protect the airport using their existing anti-drone technology, Der Spiegel noted.
Although airport employees repeatedly spotted the drone visually, the Federal Police’s warning systems registered nothing. Despite having a drone detection device actively in operation, no alerts were triggered.
German Air Traffic Control (Deutsche Flugsicherung) was also unable to track the device on its radar. Because the drone bypassed all technical detection measures and remained airborne for approximately two hours, the Federal Police strongly suspect the device was not a standard commercial drone, Der Spiegel wrote.
The disruption began when an employee at the freight company DB Schenker first spotted the drone hovering about 25 meters above the firm’s premises, inside the airport’s strict no-fly zone.
Authorities immediately closed the southern runway and rerouted air traffic. Shortly after, several police patrols visually confirmed the drone near the airport perimeter, prompting authorities to place the entire facility under lockdown at around 4:00 a.m.
Although officials briefly reopened the northern runway after the drone appeared to drift away, the threat quickly returned.
At 4:21 a.m., the drone reappeared directly over the TUI Fly building before hovering above the active apron, forcing another immediate halt to all flight operations.
Der Spiegel reported that the drone was last spotted around 4:40 a.m. over several freight forwarding sites, with the airport finally resuming normal operations at 5:20 a.m.
In the wake of the previous Leipzig incident, Germany’s main aviation industry association (BDL) praised the rollout of anti-drone defenses across the country’s eight designated critical airports.
BDL Managing Director Joachim Lang noted that political decisions to centralize drone detection under the Federal Police and install specialized modular equipment were enacted at “light speed,” leaving Germany “exceptionally well-positioned by international standards.”
https://united24media.com/world/german-police-suspect-state-interference-after-drone-disrupts-hanover-airport-21588
BREAKING: Tan Son Nhat Airport suspends take-offs, landings twice after drones spotted
Tuesday, August 11, 2026, 20:57 GMT+7
Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City suspended take-offs and landings twice on Tuesday evening after pilots reported spotting drones flying near aircraft operating areas.
A leader of Tan Son Nhat International Airport confirmed the incident to Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Tuesday night, saying the airport had activated its UAV response plan to ensure the safety of all flights.
According to a preliminary report, at 6:16 pm, the airport duty manager received information from the airport control tower that the crew of flight 3S621 from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi had spotted a drone.
The B777 aircraft, registered as DAALQ, took off from runway 25L at 6:14 pm. When the aircraft was at an altitude of around 1,800 feet, the crew detected a drone to its right, approximately 500 meters away.
Earlier, the crew of flight VJ601 from Cam Ranh to Ho Chi Minh City had also reported sighting a drone at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The flight landed on runway 25L at 5:38 pm.
At 6:28 pm, the control tower announced the suspension of all departing and arriving flights at Tan Son Nhat under the airport's response plan for an airspace violation.
At that time, seven flights were waiting to take off, including VJ805, VJ262, VN1186, VN609, VN218, and VN1374. However, the flight list provided by the airport currently contains only six flight numbers.
The affected arriving flights included SQ186, VJ853, VN1423, VN525, VJ489, VN7393, MH766, and BL6441.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport immediately activated its UAV response plan. At 7:16 pm, the control tower and the Southern Airports Authority gave permission for take-offs and landings to resume normally.
However, at 7:40 pm, the control tower received another report from Center 3 about a UAV detected to the west-southwest of the airport. Take-offs and landings were suspended once again, and the UAV response plan was reactivated.
Representatives of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet said the airlines were closely monitoring the situation, underlining that flight safety remained their top priority.
ttps://news.tuoitre.vn/tan-son-nhat-airport-suspends-take-offs-landings-twice-after-drones-spotted-103260811205719039.htm