>>24947951

TYB

>>24947861 LB

Always fun to think of the super controversial as the press sec, like Dan Pena, Valentina Gomez, Tina Forte, or Melanie Mac calling them all faggits.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

August 18, 2026

Perseids from Perseus

This was a good year for the Perseids meteor shower. A key reason was the Moon was absent from lighting up Earth's night sky so that more meteors were visible than usual. Where was the Moon? It was busy visiting the Sun. Near the Perseids peak, the Moon moved directly in front of the Sun and created a total solar eclipse visible from Greenland and Spain. The Perseids occur when the Earth collides with a stream of Sun-orbiting debris cast off by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Perseid meteors, although typically only the size of a sand grain, tend to be fast and bright because Swift-Tuttle's debris orbits the Sun in a direction partly opposite Earth's orbital motion. In the featured image compilation, accumulated over several nights from Jizerka in the Czech Republic, the Perseids meteor streaks can be traced back to a single location on the sky – its radiant in Perseus.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zK7-F0L9MQ

Honestly, The Situation is Not Looking Great Right Now… Stefan Burns and frens

Aug 17, 2026

in the middle of a global seismic burst defined by powerful earthquakes striking Colombia and Indonesia, a new space weather impact has arrived which could drive further energetic chaos across the planet and continue the high-magnitude earthquake activity.

Additionally, Category 1 hurricane Lala has caused widespread flooding and destruction across the Big Island of Hawaii.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ86luBNXQE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKMDtplGtvU (S0 News: The Return of S0 & The Main Battle)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVMm8rt73NM (Ryan Hall Y'all: A BIG Severe Weather Threat Is Coming…)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lChUqwi5qzM (MrMBB333: Witnesses say "Good Thing We Got This On Video!")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taORMYKF7zQ (EarthMaster: 5.7 Earthquake off the Coast of Mexico.. Latest update on Continued Aftershocks Flores Indonesia)

• solar

https://today.az/news/entertainment/269624.html

https://starlust.org/aurora-alert-noaa-issues-fresh-warning-about-incoming-geomagnetic-storm-on-august-19/

• wildfires

https://dailydispatch.com/fire-news/wildland/nasas-dragon-lady-is-uncovering-how-wildfires-create-storms/

https://www.kolotv.com/2026/08/18/nevada-law-could-let-insurers-exclude-wildfires-coverage/

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/572111/tricare-authorizes-temporary-prescription-refill-waivers-north-dakota-due-wildfires

https://nypost.com/2026/08/17/real-estate/california-dominates-cities-most-exposed-to-wildfire-risks-ranking/

https://www.audacy.com/krld/news/local/wildfire-season-in-texas

https://talkbusiness.net/2026/08/wildfire-risk-increases-across-arkansas/

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/wildfire-shuts-down-part-georgia-island-wildlife-refuge/NZCRCQHYGFBFZABWNV2JY3P7SI/

https://www.iqair.com/ae/newsroom/wildfire-map-spotlight-sand-creek-and-bobcat-lakes-fires-montana

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2026/08/17/evacuations-ordered-after-rapidly-growing-wildfire-starts-near-alaska-highway-west-of-tok/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/bcs-provincial-health-officer-to-hold-news-conference-amid-wildfire-smoke-warnings/

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2026/08/firefighters-battling-europes-wildfires-need-spiritual-care-netherlands-first-fire-chaplain-tells-crux-now

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/08/18/france-wildfires-migrant-with-deportation-order-charged-with-robbing-evacuated-homes/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/spain-france-battle-wildfires-17-081829862.html

• storms and floods

https://www.weatherbug.com/news/Gusty-Storms-Target-North-Central-U.S.,-North-Carolina

https://readthereporter.com/flood-of-the-century/

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/midwest/flooding-erosion-sewage-line-collapse-indiana/

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/572369/tricare-authorizes-temporary-prescription-refill-waivers-indiana-due-severe-weather

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/gary-residents-remain-without-power-nearly-week-after-severe-storms

https://wchstv.com/news/local/severe-weather-left-down-trees-and-power-lines-across-eastern-kentucky

https://discover.swns.com/2026/08/severe-storm-triggers-flash-flooding-across-colorado-county/

https://newsarenaindia.com/states/floods-hit-6-odisha-districts-over-2-lakh-evacuated/84825

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/08/18/floods-landslides-threaten-17000-barangays/

https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-admin-conducts-intensified-flood-control-efforts-amid-record-rains-dpwh/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/18/south-korea-rain-deadly-landslide-philippines-major-flooding

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>>24948337

• hurricane Lala and frens

https://www.waterworld.com/water-utility-management/news/55398763/hawaii-county-urges-essential-water-use-following-hurricane-lala

https://www.yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/hurricane-forecasters-fear-more-threats-151213400.html

https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2026/08/18/hawaii-news/green-flooded-with-emotion-governor-surveys-lalas-aftermath-in-kau/

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/china-forecasts-strongest-el-nino-event-sea-temperatures-rise-2026-08-18/

• tornadoes

https://kutv.com/news/local/how-meteorologists-survey-if-a-tornado-touched-down-after-rare-warning

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/du-page-county-torando-siren-employee-accidentally-activates-siren/3976875/

https://beavercountyradio.com/news/tornado-touches-down-in-beaver-county-from-recent-storms-and-heavy-rain/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/tornado-microburst-confirmed-near-manitoba-ontario-border/

https://news.laodong.vn/moi-truong/mua-lon-kem-loc-xoay-lam-toc-mai-9-nha-dan-o-lam-dong-1752375.ldo

https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/279248949/tornado-tears-through-western-russian-city

• earthquakes

https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-two-earthquakes-august-2026/73462179

https://latination.com/shakira-howard-buffett-choco-earthquake/

https://colombiaone.com/2026/08/18/colombia-releases-first-estimate-of-earthquake-damage-costs/

https://co.usembassy.gov/trump-administration-announces-additional-support-following-colombia-earthquake/

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/21-august/news/world/little-vatican-in-indonesia-hit-by-earthquake

https://bigislandnow.com/2026/08/17/magnitude-4-1-earthquake-shakes-big-island-near-honaunau-napo%CA%BBopo%CA%BBo/

https://dailytimes.com.pk/1540250/three-more-earthquakes-strike-southern-spain/

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/57-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-off-mexicos-chiapas-coast/4030275

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2026/08/18/magnitude-61-earthquake-strikes-off-indonesia039s-sumatra-island

• volcanoes

https://pia.gov.ph/disaster-information-service/mayon-volcano-could-erupt-anew-in-coming-days-phivolcs/

• dailys

https://schumannresonance.today/

https://www.weather.gov/

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

https://www.tornadohq.com/

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

https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/de/earthquakes-volcanoes/news/326904/Volcano-earthquake-report-for-Tuesday-18-Aug-2026.html

https://www.spaceweather.gov/

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=18&month=08&year=2026

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Lesser-known meteor shower starts in days and you just need to look up

11:15, 18 Aug 2026 Updated 11:26, 18 Aug 2026

Stargazers across the UK are being encouraged to look up towards the end of August as a lesser-known meteor shower begins appearing in the night sky and builds towards its September peak.

According to Alan Jones, astronomy expert at 365 Astronomy, the Alpha Aurigid meteor shower becomes active from around 25 August, giving UK stargazers another opportunity to spot shooting stars after the Perseids begin to fade.

The shower is expected to reach its peak around 1 September, making the final days of August a good time for anyone wanting to get outside and look up.

“The Alpha Aurigids are a relatively minor meteor shower, but that doesn't make them any less interesting for stargazers,” said Alan.

“They are created when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by a comet. As these tiny particles enter our atmosphere at extremely high speeds, they heat up and burn, creating the bright streaks of light we see as meteors.”

“The shower gets its name from Auriga, the Charioteer, a constellation in the northern sky,” Alan said.

“This doesn't mean that the meteors are actually coming from Auriga. They can appear anywhere across the sky, but if you trace their paths backwards, they appear to originate from this particular region.”

The Alpha Aurigids become active from around 25 August, with activity increasing towards their peak around 1 September. “For UK observers, the final few nights of August are a good opportunity to look for the Alpha Aurigids before their peak,” said Alan.

“The best time to watch is generally during the early morning hours, when the radiant is higher in the sky and there is less interference from the horizon.”

However, stargazers don't need to stare directly at Auriga. Alan said: "Don't worry too much about finding the exact constellation.

Meteors can streak across a huge area of the sky, so the best approach is to find a dark location and give yourself as wide a view of the sky as possible.

“Sometimes the best way to get into astronomy is simply to go outside and look up. You don't need a telescope, and you don't need to know every constellation.

Find somewhere dark, give your eyes time to adjust and be patient. You may be surprised by what you see.”

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/lesser-known-meteor-shower-starts-34476355

moar space objects

https://www.visiontimes.com/2026/08/17/mysterious-comet-220p-mcnaught-suddenly-brightens-twice-in-2026.html

https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nuking-asteroid-short.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxwraWIOSYs (Angry Astronaut: A storm is coming. It's worse than we thought. We need to take action NOW!)

NASA, ESA Astronauts Begin Spacewalk to Swap High-Speed Antenna

August 18, 2026 8:34AM

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot began a spacewalk at 8:29 a.m. EDT outside the International Space Station to replace a Space-to-Ground antenna on the International Space Station.

The spacewalk is streaming through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online: https://www.nasa.gov/live

Menon is spacewalk crew member 1, wearing the suit with red stripes. Adenot is crew member 2, wearing the unmarked suit.

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/08/18/nasa-esa-astronauts-begin-spacewalk-to-swap-high-speed-antenna/

https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/08/18/nasa-esa-astronauts-suit-up-for-spacewalk-to-replace-high-speed-antenna/

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Watch_Sophie_Adenot_s_spacewalk_live

https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/nasa-conducts-97th-us-spacewalk-at-the-international-space-station/446147

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgx9mTZnjG4

https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-16059049/mars-cydonia-city-shoreline-structures.html

moar

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/maia/nasa-mission-studies-air-pollution-over-ethiopia/

https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/curious-universe/roman-exoplanets/

https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-glenn-inflight-research/

https://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4975-4981-happy-14th-landing-anniversary/

Mysterious structures spotted in NASA Mars images fuel claims of ancient city on the Red Planet

15:01 EDT, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 08:20 EDT, 18 August 2026

Mysterious formations on Mars have fueled extraordinary claims that an ancient city was built beside a long-lost shoreline.

The wild theory centers on the Cydonia region, where unusual hills and mesas have been compared to a human face, a pyramid and the remains of buildings.

Supporters claim NASA's Mars orbiter has captured a distinct boundary between rugged highlands and a smooth basin where an ancient body of water may once have stood.

Several of the region’s best-known formations, including the so-called Face, D&M pyramid and City, appear to be clustered along that boundary.

UFO researcher Jason Martell, a regular guest on the History Channel's show Ancient Aliens, argued that their arrangement resembled the waterfront cities built throughout human history.

Martell suggested that the Face may even have been positioned as a monument overlooking the water and nearby settlement.

But the argument is based largely on visual interpretations of the landscape rather than geological analysis or physical evidence.

There is no proof that the formations were constructed, that the proposed boundary was genuinely a shoreline or that an intelligent civilization ever inhabited Mars.

The claim began with an apparent change in the terrain visible in orbital imagery of Cydonia.

On one side of the proposed dividing line, the ground appeared elevated, rugged and filled with prominent formations.

On the other was a flatter, smoother expanse that the writer suggested could once have been covered by water.

A hand-drawn line was then added to the image to illustrate where the supposed ancient shoreline may have run.

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>>24948546

The writer argued that the unusual formations appeared to follow this boundary in a pattern that was too striking to be accidental.

If they were artificially constructed, their location beside a possible basin would mirror the way civilizations on Earth developed around water, according to the claim.

Waterfront settlements gained access to food, transportation, trade and other resources that allowed them to grow.

In a blog post, Martell compared the proposed Cydonia settlement with cities including Venice, Alexandria, Amsterdam, Singapore, Dubai and Manhattan.

Ancient settlements such as Memphis on the Nile and Ur beside the Euphrates were also offered as examples of humanity’s tendency to build near water.

The theory further claimed that major monuments are frequently positioned where they can be seen from surrounding settlements or waterways.

From that perspective, the Face may have overlooked both the proposed basin and the elevated formations identified as a city.

However, that comparison depends on first assuming the Martian formations were monuments and buildings, the very assertion the theory is supposed to demonstrate.

The smooth basin does not, by itself, establish that an ocean or lake existed there, while a visible change in terrain can result from numerous natural geological processes.

The proposed shoreline was also traced by hand, meaning its position depends heavily on the observer’s interpretation of the image.

No measurements, sediment analysis or geological examination were presented to confirm that the boundary was shaped by water.

Likewise, the apparent alignment of several formations does not demonstrate that they were intentionally positioned.

Humans naturally recognize familiar shapes and organized patterns in random landscapes, a phenomenon known as pareidolia.

The Face, pyramid and supposed buildings may therefore be natural landforms that appear artificial when photographed under particular lighting conditions or viewed from certain angles.

The writer acknowledged not being a geologist and said specialists would need to determine whether the differences in the surface were actually caused by water.

Despite that admission, they described the visual evidence as compelling and suggested Cydonia could have represented the Martian equivalent of waterfront property.

For now, the idea remains an imaginative interpretation of orbital images, not evidence of a lost city, constructed monuments or an ancient civilization on Mars.

2/2

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/how-the-mars-spiders-form-experiments-nasa-rep/

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad67c8

moar

https://science.nasa.gov/learning-resources/science-activation/next-generation-of-planetary-scientists-learn-public-engagement-skills/

https://www.nag.co.za/2026/08/18/minecraft-educations-mission-control-artemis-turns-space-exploration-into-a-hands-on-stem-classroom/

https://fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-onboarded-to-nasa-spacecraft-processing-operations-contract/

https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsletter?id=48DBD2AB-1F7F-4715-989E-192033E8F173

https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/video?id=5E679371-8A5A-4D0F-AE64-C52C3F3898F7

NASA finally figured out what’s up with those “Mars spiders”

August 17, 2026

They're not actual spiders, of course, but rather strange geological features. For years, satellites around Mars kept finding mysterious, spider-like geological structures.

Mars spiders, scientifically known as araneiform terrain, are unique geological formations predominantly found in the southern hemisphere of Mars.

They appear as branching, spider-like channels etched into the Martian surface, sometimes spanning over a kilometer in length.

In 2024, NASA-led lab experiments pinned down the likeliest way these “spiders” form: seasonal CO₂ ice.

Now, a 2026 follow-up showed that the soil beneath the ice can make or break the process, and that these structures could hold clues to Mars’ wet past.

Spiders on Mars

From the get-go, scientists had a strong suspicion that these “spiders” are linked to carbon ice.

Mars may be a frozen, barren world, but its surface is far from static. When temperatures drop during the Martian winter, a significant portion of the planet’s carbon dioxide atmosphere freezes, coating the surface with frost.

As spring arrives, this ice sublimates (turns from solid to gas), giving rise to a variety of unusual and mysterious features that have no equivalents on Earth.

These include dark spots, spider-like structures, and oriented fans, collectively known as the “Kieffer zoo.”

These features have made scientists curious for decades, especially as there has been no direct, in-situ observation on Mars to investigate them up close.

“The spiders are strange, beautiful geologic features in their own right,” said Lauren McKeown of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, when the results were first announced in 2024.

“These experiments will help tune our models for how they form.”

In the 2024 study, researchers set out to reproduce all three main stages of the proposed process in a single laboratory experiment: CO₂ condensation, sublimation and plume formation, and the resulting changes to the simulated Martian surface.

The first model, proposed roughly two decades ago, holds that seasonal CO₂ ice and its springtime sublimation drive much of this strange polar activity.

Sunlight penetrates the translucent ice, heating the underlying regolith (a layer of loose material on the surface), which leads to sublimation beneath the ice slab.

The trapped gas eventually builds up pressure, causing the ice to crack, releasing high-velocity jets of gas and dust. These jets carve out unique formations such as “spiders” and create the spots and fans visible on Mars’ surface.

1/2

>>24948579

Recreating Mars on Earth

The hardest part about these experiments was recreating the conditions on Mars. First, you need extremely low temperatures of minus 301 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 185 degrees Celsius).

Then, you need low pressures, as Mars has a very thin atmosphere. McKeown and colleagues managed this by using a liquid-nitrogen-cooled test chamber at JPL, the Dirty Under-vacuum Simulation Testbed for Icy Environments, or DUSTIE.

The team used a substance that simulated Martian soil and submerged it in freezing liquid nitrogen. They then placed it inside DUSTIE and pumped carbon dioxide gas into the chamber, which condensed over the course of 3-5 hours.

The spider-like patterns didn’t appear every time. The researchers had to find a narrow range of conditions in which a sufficiently thick, translucent CO₂ layer could develop.

Their results supported the broad model in the laboratory, while also exposing processes that the simple version of the model did not predict.

These features form when sunlight penetrates transparent layers of carbon dioxide ice that accumulate during the Martian winter. As the underlying dark soil absorbs the sunlight, it warms up and causes the bottom layer of the ice to sublimate.

The trapped gas builds up pressure beneath the ice until it cracks the surface, releasing plumes of gas and dust. This process can carve or disturb the substrate beneath the ice and is thought to be responsible for the family of seasonal features associated with araneiform terrain.

But the laboratory spiders came with a surprise.

Rather than all of their branching forms being excavated by fast-moving gas scouring the surface, some crack networks arose as CO₂ that had condensed inside pores in the simulated soil sublimated and generated thermal stresses.

The authors therefore proposed cracking as an additional mechanism for some “cracked” spider morphologies, not a replacement for gas-driven erosion in every araneiform.

Also, these features don’t always look like spider legs. Each feature depended on subtle variations in gas release and ice thickness.

Dark spots form where CO₂ gas breaks through the ice layer and ejects dust. Bright halos can also appear around such spots.

The 2026 follow-up makes the recipe even more specific. When the researchers repeated CO₂ condensation and sublimation experiments over different substrates, finer simulated Martian soil allowed CO₂ to penetrate more deeply and over a wider area.

Those fine-grained samples produced more vigorous, longer-lasting plumes and were more likely than coarser material to develop the cracked spider morphologies.

Adding water ice to the pore spaces, meanwhile, encouraged a thicker surface layer of CO₂ ice but substantially hampered its sublimation.

There are still some questions we don’t have an answer to yet. Most importantly, despite years of high-resolution monitoring, researchers have not directly detected growth in well-developed araneiforms.

Smaller related dendritic troughs have been observed appearing and evolving under today’s Martian climate, showing that CO₂-driven processes can alter the substrate, but mature spiders may grow too slowly to detect, may currently be dormant, or may partly record conditions from an earlier climate.

If the latter is the case, the Mars spiders could provide a window into the planet’s geological and climatic past.

2/2

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman

@NASAAdmin

Space nuclear power and propulsion systems are critical to America’s future in space.

The new National Security Science and Technology Strategy recognizes them as a critical and emerging technology. NASA is moving with urgency to advance these capabilities and maintain American leadership in space.

Quote

White House OSTP 47

@WHOSTP47

Aug 17

As called for in the 2025 National Security Strategy, the new National Security Science and Technology Strategy provides direction for the S&T enterprise to support and enable America's national security objectives⬇️

https://whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NSSTS-082026.pdf

1:35 PM · Aug 17, 2026

https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2089451051480907804

moar

https://x.com/NASA/status/2089425053599289546

https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2089721856677105849

https://x.com/NASAAdmin/status/2089722905651212596

https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2089042295047721152

Pituffik Space Base holds change of command

Aug. 17, 2026

Col. Shawn Lee relinquished command of the 821st Space Base Group to Col. Keith Morris in a change of command ceremony at Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, Aug. 13.

Morris arrived after serving as the deputy commander for Space Delta 5 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The ceremony was presided over by Col. Charles Cooper, Space Base Delta 1 commander.

Pituffik SB is one of four installations supported by SBD 1 located in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 821st SBG enables space superiority, force projection and scientific research in the Arctic region through integrated base support and defense operations.

It is the Department of War’s northernmost installation, operating more than 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle.

https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/News/Display/Article/4575410/pituffik-space-base-holds-change-of-command/

Watch SpaceX launch its 100th mission of the year tonight

August 18, 2026

SpaceX is about to hit the century mark for the third year in a row.

A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight (Aug. 18), during a four-hour window that opens at 10 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. local time; 0200 GMT on Aug. 19).

It will be the 97th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 100th mission of 2026 overall for SpaceX. You can watch live via the company's website, beginning about 10 minutes before liftoff.

Tonight's mission will carry 24 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit. If all goes according to plan, the Falcon 9's upper stage will deploy them there 61.5 minutes after liftoff.

The rocket's first stage, meanwhile, will come back to Earth about 8.5 minutes into flight, landing in the Pacific Ocean on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." It will be the 12th mission for this particular booster, which is designated B1097.

B1097 is no stranger to milestone flights. During a Starlink launch this past April, for example, the booster performed the 600th landing of an orbital rocket in SpaceX's illustrious history.

The vast majority of SpaceX's launches this year — at the moment, 73 of them — have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 11,000 operational satellites.

One of SpaceX's three non-Falcon 9 launches of 2026 was performed by its Falcon Heavy rocket. The other two were suborbital test flights of Starship, the giant, fully reusable vehicle that SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle the moon and Mars, among other tasks.

SpaceX first topped 100 launches in 2024, when it conducted a total of 138 missions (132 by Falcon 9, two by Falcon Heavy and four by Starship). In 2025, the company flew a total of 170 times (165 by Falcon 9 and five by Starship).

Such numbers will jump dramatically in the coming years, if all goes to plan. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has said the company wants to launch Starship multiple times per day, boosting annual tallies to 1,000 or so.

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy aren't part of this longer-term picture; SpaceX wants to phase them out and have Starship shoulder the load.

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-100-launches-2026-starlink-group-17-50-launch

https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl-17-50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLnziohHvA4

China bounces back from Long March rocket explosion with back-to-back launches

August 17, 2026

China just completed not one but two space missions, less than a week after a Long March 7A rocket explosion briefly grounded its fleet.

The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) returned to flight with the launch of a Long March 12 rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site in Wenchang.

The rocket lifted off on Aug. 16 at 12:10 a.m. EDT (0410 GMT; 12:10 p.m. local time in China) and delivered a stack of 24 internet-beaming satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).

It was the first launch since China's Long March 7A exploded mid-flight on Aug. 10.

Footage of that mission showed the Long March 7A's fairing section and the upper portion of the launch vehicle bending backward about 85 seconds after liftoff, resulting in the total loss of the rocket and its payload, the Zhongxing-4B communications satellite.

Less than 24 hours after the successful Long March 12 mission, and about 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) north of the Wenchang launch site, a Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in Shanxi province.

The launch occurred on Aug. 16 at 11:02 p.m. EDT (0302 GMT and 11:02 a.m. local time in China on Aug. 17), and delivered the "SEO" satellite for the United Arab Emirates to its planned orbit, according to the China National Space Administration.

Of the pair launched over the weekend, the Long March 12 is much more similar to the Long March 7A; the two stand 203 feet (62 meters) and 197 feet (60 m) tall, respectively. But the two rockets are designed with different purposes.

The slightly wider Long March 12 is a two-stage rocket optimized for delivering relatively heavy payloads to LEO and sun-synchronous orbits, while the three-stage Long March 7A is designed for higher-altitude missions to geostationary transfer orbit and beyond.

In contrast, the Long March 2C stands only about 141 feet (43 m) tall. The two-stage rocket is used primarily for smaller payloads to LEO, with a lifting capacity of only about 3.9 tons, and has a long list of launches dating back to 1982.

The newest of the three, the Long March 12, was introduced in 2024 and has now launched seven missions — all successful. Last week was the Long March 7A's second failure in a total of 18 launches since the rocket's debut in 2020.

CASC hasn't provided an update on the Long March 7A incident, other than a statement indicating that the cause is under investigation. As that continues, China has more launches on the horizon.

The second flight of the Zhuque-3 rocket, a launch vehicle designed for reusability from Chinese company Landspace, is scheduled to launch Tuesday evening (Aug. 18), and a Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang'e 7 robotic mission to the moon's South Pole is expected to lift off on Sunday (Aug. 23).

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/china-bounces-back-from-long-march-rocket-explosion-with-back-to-back-launches-video

https://www.spacechina.com/n25/n2014789/n2414549/c4689457/content.html

extra China

https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0818/c90000-20489762.html

https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Hera_s_Mars_flyby_guided_impact_study_of_Deimos_moon

extra ESA and UK

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3/Sentinel-3_provides_faster_data_for_Europe_fires

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2026/08/Carbon_monoxide_from_fires_in_North_America

https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Phoenix_3_concept_study_for_a_reusable_European_spacecraft

https://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/business/space-forge-2026-08/

Hera's Mars flyby guided impact study of Deimos moon

18/08/2026

A new study – guided by flyby images from ESA’s Hera asteroid mission – suggests that Mars’s small outer moon Deimos has been dramatically reshaped by a single violent asteroid impact.

This would account for its mysteriously smooth and youthful face: a thick layer of dust from the impact may have served as the planetary equivalent of cosmetic fillers.

The potato-shaped Deimos – 12 km in diameter, about the size of Luxembourg city – orbits about 24 000 km from the surface of Mars.

When first visited by NASA’s 1970s Viking orbiters it was found to have a much smoother and dustier appearance than heavily cratered and creviced Phobos, the other Martian moon. Its other main feature is a dramatic 10-km-wide basin around its southern pole, like a saddle between mountains.

Simulating Deimos impacts

Deimos’s distance from Mars makes it comparatively hard for spacecraft to visit – the most recent images came from the European Space Agency's Hera mission as it performed a flyby of Mars in March 2025.

However a leading theory is that its south polar depression and dusty nature are both due to a single asteroid impact.

A new study published in Nature Astronomy this week employed high-resolution impact simulation software to try and recreate this catastrophic but non-destructive event in a way that matches the state of Deimos as seen today.

The study was led by Sabina Raducan of the University of Bern, International Space Science Institute (ISSI) and VUB Brussels University: “Run on a High Performance Computing Cluster at the University of Bern, our Bern Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, SPH, impact code works by recreating bodies of interest into millions of adhering particles whose interplay is governed by various programmable variables, including gravity levels, material strength and cohesion.

“In this case we created a detailed shape model of Deimos out of SPH particles, having filled in the southern depression to leave it ready for the impactor to strike.

Then we ran about a hundred simulations – each one taking about a week at a time to complete – to experiment with various impactor masses and angles of approach.”

Their best fit proved to be a slanting, approximately 45-degree, impact from a relatively small 320-m-wide asteroid, striking the moon at high speed.

Rather than shattering Deimos, the collision excavated a broad depression at its south pole while throwing large amounts of material across the surface.

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Aftermath of collision

Much of this debris later fell back, forming a global blanket of loose regolith that covered many of its existing surface features – to a depth of more than two hundred metres in some places.

Sabina Raducan, who is also one of the chairs of the Impact Physics Working Group for the Hera science team, explains: “Our simulation is consistent with patterns of brightness observed across the moon’s surface, linked to the gradual migration of regolith that behaves more like loosely packed dust than anything more cohesive. The same is true of the way the southern depression subsequently smoothed out, rather than retaining a sharp crater.”

Beneath this dust layer, the outlines of ancient craters remain identifiable, a finding which offers valuable insight into the underlying structure of the Martian moon.

She adds: “We began this simulation campaign before Hera’s Mars flyby, but with the hope that Hera’s observations would help constrain the results even more.

This indeed turned out to be the case, as the side of the moon imaged by Hera turned out to show additional buried craters.

“These were really the last pieces of the puzzle I needed – although they weren’t immediately obvious to the naked eye.

Instead I first made them out via spectroscopic depictions of the Hera images made immediately afterwards by Sir Brian May, who is part of the Hera science team.”

Insight into the moon’s interior

The continued presence of these pre-impact craters suggests that Deimos is relatively fragile in nature.

Impact shockwaves would have echoed through a more solid body like the ringing of a bell, disrupting or erasing older features.

Their survival is indicative of a highly porous, fractured interior that dampened down impact forces efficiently to sub-catastrophic scale.

Michael Kueppers, ESA’s Hera project scientist comments: “This simulation therefore implies that Deimos is a rubble-pile body, akin to many asteroids.

This does not necessarily mean the moon is in fact a captured asteroid – it might well have formed out of material kicked up from Mars by surface impacts – but more that it may have formed in a similar way and therefore shares comparable properties.

This is the first of a series of results demonstrating how tuning Hera’s Mars flyby to get close to Deimos has paid off well in terms of science.”

Space missions on the way

While alternative explanations for Deimos’s smooth surface and southern depression remain feasible, this study offers a unified explanation for both features and makes practical predictions that can be tested by future space missions, starting with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission to both moons, due to launch this autumn.

The University of Bern’s SPH code was previously employed to simulate the impact of NASA’s DART spacecraft with the Dimorphos asteroid in 2022, its output suggesting that a full reshaping of the body took place.

This forecast will be checked for real this autumn by ESA’s Hera, once it reaches Dimorphos to perform a close-up crash site investigation, helping to boost humankind’s planetary defence capability.

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Hundreds of Ukrainian drones target Moscow overnight – mayor

18 Aug, 2026 07:48 | Updated 18 Aug, 2026 12:27

At least three people were injured, including a child, and dozens of homes damaged after 620 UAVs were launched toward the Russian capital

At least three people, including a child, have been injured, dozens of homes damaged, and 5,000 left without power after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow Region.

Governor Andrey Vorobyev said drones targeted multiple districts outside the Russian capital. In Ramensky, a drone crashed into a private home while people were sleeping, causing shrapnel injuries to a ten-year-old girl, Vorobyev said.

A woman was injured by falling UAV debris in Bogorodsky District, while a 27-year-old man was wounded by shrapnel in Kolomna. All three have been hospitalized.

The most serious damage was reported in Pavlovsky Posad, where a UAV caused a fire which destroyed a private house in Kuznetsy and another blaze hit the roof of an apartment building, forcing dozens of families to evacuate.

No injuries were reported. Elsewhere, falling drone debris sparked a fire and damaged several buildings in Kolomna, set construction materials ablaze in Kotelniki, and damaged a car and electrical substation in Elektrostal.

In Bogorodsky, a drone also struck a Wildberries warehouse. The major e-commerce platform, widely described as the “Russian Amazon,” said debris caused minor damage to an exterior wall. The facility had been evacuated in advance, and no goods were damaged.

More than 5,000 consumers and 46 socially important facilities in Likino-Dulyovo and Orekhovo-Zuyevo were left without electricity, regional power company Mosoblenergo said. The outage followed equipment damage in the network supplying its Pavlovsky Posad branch.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said 180 UAVs were downed over the region, adding that a total of 620 UAVs had targeted Moscow and the surrounding area between Monday evening and 5 AM Tuesday.

The attack also disrupted air traffic around the Russian capital. Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports suspended flights, while Sheremetyevo switched to operating flights subject to coordination with the authorities.

The restrictions remained in effect as of Tuesday morning.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted and destroyed 791 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs overnight across the country.

Apart from Moscow, drones were downed over 15 Russian regions and the Azov and Black seas, according to the ministry. Nine UAVs were shot down over Ryazan Region, injuring three people, Governor Pavel Malkov said.

The August 18 attack was one of the largest Ukrainian drone raids since the beginning of the year, according to Defense Ministry data.

It came just two days after an even larger attack on August 16, when the ministry reported intercepting and destroying 822 Ukrainian drones.

Kiev has stepped up long-range attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russia in recent weeks amid battlefield setbacks, striking warehouses, energy hubs, residential buildings, civilian vehicles, infrastructure, and resort areas.

Earlier this month, a Ukrainian drone struck a crowded beach in the southern Russian resort of Gelendzhik, killing at least seven people, including three children, and injuring dozens more.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644351-ukrainian-drone-swarm-moscow/

extra RT

https://www.rt.com/russia/644380-greek-tanker-attacked-black-sea/

https://www.rt.com/russia/644345-conscription-ukraine-organized-crime-bribes/

https://www.rt.com/russia/644340-russia-uk-drone-warning/

https://www.rt.com/russia/644317-belgorod-strike-six-killed/

Greek-Owned Grain Ship Catches Fire After Drone Attack Near Novorossiysk

August 18, 2026

A Greek-owned bulk carrier caught fire in the Black Sea after being struck by five drones near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, Greek newspaper Proto Thema reported.

The Liberia-flagged Anna S was attacked on Monday about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Novorossiysk while sailing to the port to load grain, the newspaper said.

All 21 crew members — 20 Filipino sailors and a Romanian captain — were unharmed. The vessel, owned by Neptune Tradebulk Inc., was almost completely burned out, Proto Thema reported. It was unclear whether it remained afloat.

The attack was the second involving a Greek-owned vessel near Novorossiysk within 24 hours.

The tanker Skiros was attacked in the Black Sea on Sunday after loading Russian oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s terminal. Greek television channel Skai reported that a Ukrainian drone struck the vessel.

The Financial Times reported last month that the United States had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late July to halt attacks on tankers near Novorossiysk to avoid disrupting shipments of Kazakh oil through the CPC.

Zelensky agreed not to target vessels provided they were not under Ukrainian sanctions and were not carrying Russian cargo, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Drone attacks repeatedly disrupted CPC operations in July and forced Kazakhstan to reduce oil production. The consortium considered suspending operations in late July because of safety and environmental concerns after at least eight tankers were struck.

CPC exports averaged about 1.3 million barrels per day in July, down 300,000 barrels per day from June and 600,000 from May, according to data provider Kpler. Russian crude accounts for about 5% to 10% of CPC exports, with most of the oil coming from Kazakhstan.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/18/greek-owned-grain-ship-catches-fire-after-drone-attack-near-novorossiysk-a93525

other Russia and Ukraine

https://english.nv.ua/nation/iaea-drone-explodes-near-occupied-znpp-kills-one-50633805.html

https://report.az/en/other-countries/wp-russians-pulling-billions-from-banks-at-record-pace-amid-ukrainian-drone-attacks

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4155374-zelensky-and-belgian-fm-discuss-potential-dates-for-signing-drone-deal.html

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/putin-andy-burnham-drones-ukraine-37563024

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4155149-drone-attack-hits-chernihiv-region-wounding-one-man-and-destroying-store-warehouse-and-22-metric-tons-of-animal-feed-in-fires.html

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-unleashes-largest-drone-siege-on-moscow-in-years-russia-war-12335045

https://mezha.net/eng/bukvy/c368aca8_germany_opens_drone/

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-08-18/live-updates-905838

other Israel

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/strike-near-gaza-city-port-targeted-meeting-of-hamas-elite-nukhba-force-commanders-idf/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/remains-of-soldier-who-went-missing-in-first-lebanon-war-are-returned-to-israel-idf/

https://www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/idf-reports-increased-terror-group-activity

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/outrage-israeli-soldiers-mark-palestinian-detainees-1814880

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/acri-vows-to-fight-katz-plan-to-transfer-west-bank-civilian-enforcement-from-idf-to-police/

https://www.jfeed.com/latest-news/idf-blows-up-water-tower-in-southern-lebanon-village-49692

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-905902

Live Updates: Trump says 'no talks schedule' with Iran, Kushner says US will be 'very patient' with the regime

August 18, 2026

Israel strikes Syrian military airport, local media reports • Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory' • UAE air defense systems activated due to missile threats

August 18, 8:56 PM

At least six killed in IDF strike on Gaza City cafe targeting Hamas commanders

The IDF released a statement, saying that they targeted Hamas commanders in the Shati area who were planning to carry out attacks against the IDF in the Gaza Strip.

Several Hamas terrorists were targeted in an airstrike in northern Gaza City on Tuesday, the IDF announced.

In the statement, the IDF said that it targeted Hamas commanders in the Shati area and that the terrorists were planning to carry out attacks against Israeli troops.

"We targeted four terrorists in Gaza - Hamas commanders who gathered at the cafe. One of them is a company commander, and three others are platoon commanders," a security official told Army Radio.

Notably, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry told Reuters that six people were killed in the airstrike near the fishing seaport in western Gaza City.

Army Radio reported that six people were killed, with an additional 10 wounded in the strike, which they say occurred at a cafe on the Gaza City coast.

August 18, 8:31 PM

Iran's Ghalibaf warns US should 'clean the mess' and stop thinking it can 'squeeze concessions' out

Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that thinks "squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement," but that it should instead "clean up the mess."

Americans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement.

Bessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made.

August 18, 6:05 PM

UAE air defense systems activated due to missile threats, Emirates' authorities say

The UAE's defense ministry said its air defense systems detected a missile threat on Tuesday, according to a post by the ministry on X.

"UAE Air Defense Systems have detected a missile threat directed towards the country. Kindly follow warnings and updates issued through official channels," read the statement.

August 18, 5:49 PM

Lebanon's Aoun seeks extension of UNIFIL mandate, despite failure to prevent Hezbollah activity

Despite Aoun’s support for the UN peacekeeping forces, UNIFIL has long been criticized for failing to take action against Hezbollah’s military buildup in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s “first option” is to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is due to expire at the end of the year, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a delegation of 20 lawmakers, Lebanese media reported on Monday.

“If the mandate is not extended, the second option would be to adopt a formula ensuring the continued presence of international forces in the south, within an appropriate legal framework, alongside and in coordination with the Lebanese Army,” Aoun said, stressing that UNIFIL’s presence was essential for stability in the country’s south.

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>>24948854

August 18, 5:48 PM

Vessel struck by unknown projectile in Strait of Hormuz, crew casualty reported, UKMTO says

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty.

The Omani Coast Guard was assisting the remaining crew, according to the report. No environmental impact was reported, and authorities were investigating, UKMTO said.

Maritime security sources identified the vessel to Reuters as Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Dignity, saying it was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the strategic waterway.

The sources said the casualty was the vessel's chief engineer.

August 18, 4:43 PM

Trump says 'no talks scheduled with Iran,' claims blockade in Strait of Hormuz 'in full force'

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that there are "no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran," a day after the 60-day limit established by the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries expired.

"The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

August 18, 3:38 PM

Trump declares Strait of Hormuz as 'new US territory' day after MoU deadline expires

When asked whether he was working to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Trump declined to answer and shook his head no.

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday in a Truth Social post that he was declaring the Strait of Hormuz a new US territory.

The announcement came after reporters asked Trump in the Oval Office on Monday whether he intended to make such a declaration. "I think it's an excellent idea. We control it through the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it our territory," he replied.

Trump also pointed to what he described as the effectiveness of the US military's naval blockade. "We're taking out millions of barrels of oil a week. If you look at the numbers we're getting, the strait is open, oil prices are going down, and they'll continue to go down, unless we decide to do something much more drastic than what we're doing now."

August 18, 3:38 PM

Tehran readies to crush renewed unrest, risking war to maintain control in Strait of Hormuz

A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday that Iran would shift to a “fully offensive” posture after Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.

Tehran has already begun positioning itself to suppress potential domestic unrest and weather the prolonged economic hardship that could result from an extended US blockade or a return to more active conflict with the US, according to international experts. At the same time, reports indicate that Tehran remains open to negotiations, provided any agreement meets all of its demands, including leaving the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control.

The Institute for the Study of War assessed that hardliners within Iran’s Supreme National Security Council could support a deal with the US, provided it meets Tehran’s terms, notably including continued Iranian control over the vital waterway. The assessment was based on an Axios report, later confirmed by a spokesperson for the Iraqi Kurdistan presidency to Iran International, that IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi had maintained indirect contact with the US and preferred to resolve the conflict through negotiations.

August 18, 1:59 PM

Iran's drone strike on KRG may be warning over Trump administration's backchannel, analyst says

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the drone attack on the office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party leader, posting on X/Twitter on Monday that “Kurdish friends” should be aware of “false-flag ploys” aimed at “sowing discord between neighbors.”

Two drones targeted the office of Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government's prime minister, and the home of the region's intelligence chief in northern Iraq on Monday, the KRG security agency announced.

The attack was launched from Iranian territory, it said in a statement

“Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM Barzani's office. Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbors,” Araghchi wrote. “We protected our Kurdish friends against Saddam and DAESH, and we're thankful for security they've provided on our border.”

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