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Mystery Drones: A 'dry run' to a false UFO event to trigger COG emergency powers
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover sees its tracks receding into the distance at a site nicknamed “Ubajara” on April 30, 2023. This site is where Curiosity made the discovery of siderite, a mineral that may help explain the fate of the planet’s thicker ancient atmosphere.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS New findings from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover could provide an answer to the mystery of what happened to the planet’s ancient atmosphere and how Mars has evolved over time.
Researchers have long believed that Mars once had a thick, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere and liquid water on the planet’s surface. That carbon dioxide and water should have reacted with Martian rocks to create carbonate minerals. Until now, though, rover missions and near-infrared spectroscopy analysis from Mars-orbiting satellites haven’t found the amounts of carbonate on the planet’s surface predicted by this theory.
Reported in an April paper in Science, data from three of Curiosity’s drill sites revealed the presence of siderite, an iron carbonate mineral, within the sulfate-rich rocky layers of Mount Sharp in Mars’ Gale Crater.
“The discovery of abundant siderite in Gale Crater represents both a surprising and important breakthrough in our understanding of the geologic and atmospheric evolution of Mars,” said Benjamin Tutolo, associate professor at the University of Calgary, Canada, and lead author of the paper.
To study the Red Planet’s chemical and mineral makeup, Curiosity drills three to four centimeters down into the subsurface, then drops the powdered rock samples into its CheMin instrument. The instrument, led by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, uses X-ray diffraction to analyze rocks and soil. CheMin’s data was processed and analyzed by scientists at the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“Drilling through the layered Martian surface is like going through a history book,” said Thomas Bristow, research scientist at NASA Ames and coauthor of the paper. “Just a few centimeters down gives us a good idea of the minerals that formed at or close to the surface around 3.5 billion years ago.”
The discovery of this carbonate mineral in rocks beneath the surface suggests that carbonate may be masked by other minerals in near-infrared satellite analysis. If other sulfate-rich layers across Mars also contain carbonates, the amount of stored carbon dioxide would be a fraction of that needed in the ancient atmosphere to create conditions warm enough to support liquid water. The rest could be hidden in other deposits or have been lost to space over time.
In the future, missions or analyses of other sulfate-rich areas on Mars could confirm these findings and help us better understand the planet’s early history and how it transformed as its atmosphere was lost.
Curiosity, part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program (MEP) portfolio, was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information on Curiosity, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
News Media Contacts
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
Andrew Good
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-2433
andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
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Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 Related Terms
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Curiosity Rover (MSL)
Ames Research Center
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
Curiosity Science Instruments
Curiosity’s scientific instruments are the tools that bring us stunning images of Mars and ground-breaking discoveries.
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By USH
On the night of February 23, 2025, residents of Tucumán, Argentina witnessed an astonishing sight during a violent thunderstorm. As a powerful lightning bolt tore through the sky, it briefly illuminated a massive, cigar-shaped object hovering in the storm’s center.
Eyewitnesses described the object as dark, elongated, and solid, standing in stark contrast to the swirling storm clouds around it. Unlike a natural weather phenomenon, the shape appeared structured and deliberate, leading many to speculate that it was a UFO of intelligent design, possibly of extraterrestrial origin.
It is not clear whether the object was struck by the lightning but there have been reports of UFOs being hit by lightning yet remaining unaffected, suggesting they may either harness or withstand immense energy levels.
Some researchers believe that certain UFOs absorb energy from lightning as a means of propulsion or power generation. In past cases, similar sightings have been reported in the presence of electrical storms, further fueling theories that such crafts may recharge their systems using natural energy sources.
It is known that theoretical physics explores the concept of extracting energy from electrical phenomena, such as Tesla’s ideas about wireless energy transmission. If an advanced civilization mastered this, lightning could be a viable energy source.
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By NASA
5 Min Read NASA Tests Drones to Provide Micrometeorology, Aid in Fire Response
Pilot in command Brayden Chamberlain performs pre-flight checks on the NASA Alta X quadcopter during the FireSense uncrewed aerial system (UAS) technology demonstration in Missoula.<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;font-size: 12pt;font-family: Aptos, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 10pt;font-family: Arial, sans-serif"><span class="msoIns" style="color: teal"><ins cite="mailto:Tabor,%20Abby%20(ARC-DO)" datetime="2025-02-11T16:38"></ins></span></span></p> Credits: NASA/Milan Loiacono In Aug. 2024, a team of NASA researchers and partners gathered in Missoula, to test new drone-based technology for localized forecasting, or micrometeorology. Researchers attached wind sensors to a drone, NASA’s Alta X quadcopter, aiming to provide precise and sustainable meteorological data to help predict fire behavior.
Wildfires are increasing in number and severity around the world, including the United States, and wind is a major factor. It leads to unexpected and unpredictable fire growth, public threats, and fire fatalities, making micrometeorology a very effective tool to combat fire.
This composite image shows the NASA Alta X quadcopter taking off during one of eight flights it performed for the 2024 FireSense UAS technology demonstration in Missoula. Mounted on top of the drone is a unique infrastructure designed at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton,Virginia, to carry sensors that measure wind speed and direction into the sky. On the ground, UAS pilot in command Brayden Chamberlain performs final pre-flight checks. NASA/Milan Loiacono The campaign was run by NASA’s FireSense project, focused on addressing challenges in wildland fire management by putting NASA science and technology in the hands of operational agencies.
“Ensuring that the new technology will be easily adoptable by operational agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Weather Service was another primary goal of the campaign,” said Jacqueline Shuman, FireSense project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
The FireSense team chose the Alta X drone because the U.S. Forest Service already has a fleet of the quadcopters and trained drone pilots, which could make integrating the needed sensors – and the accompanying infrastructure – much easier and more cost-effective for the agency.
The UAS pilot in command, Brayden Chamberlain, flashes a “good to go” signal to the command tent, indicating that the NASA Alta X quadcopter is prepped for takeoff. Behind Chamberlain, the custom structure attached to the quadcopter holds a radiosonde (small white box) and an anemometer (hidden from view), which will collect data on wind speed and direction, humidity, temperature, and pressure.NASA/Milan Loiacono The choice of the two sensors for the drone’s payload was also driven by their adoptability.
The first, called a radiosonde, measures wind direction and speed, humidity, temperature, and pressure, and is used daily by the National Weather Service. The other sensor, an anemometer, measures wind speed and direction, and is used at weather stations and airports around the world.
The two sensors mounted on the NASA Alta X quadcopter are a radiosonde (left) and an anemometer (right), which measure wind speed and direction. The FireSense teams hopes that by giving them wings, researchers can enable micrometeorology to better predict fire and smoke behavior. NASA/Milan Loiacono
“Anemometers are everywhere, but are usually stationary,” said Robert McSwain, the FireSense uncrewed aerial system (UAS) lead, based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “We are taking a sensor type that is already used all over the world, and giving it wings.”
Anemometers are everywhere, but are usually stationary. We are taking a sensor type that is already used all over the world, and giving it wings.
Robert Mcswain
FireSense Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Lead
Both sensors create datasets that are already familiar to meteorologists worldwide, which opens up the potential applications of the platform.
Current Forecasting Methods: Weather Balloons
Traditionally, global weather forecasting data is gathered by attaching a radiosonde to a weather balloon and releasing it into the air. This system works well for regional weather forecasts. But the rapidly changing environment of wildland fire requires more recurrent, pinpointed forecasts to accurately predict fire behavior. It’s the perfect niche for a drone.
Left: Steven Stratham (right) attaches a radiosonde to the string of a weather balloon as teammates Travis Christopher (left) and Danny Johnson (center) prepare the balloon for launch. This team of three from Salish Kootenai College is one of many college teams across the nation trained to prepare and launch weather balloons.
Right: One of these weather balloons lifts into the sky, with the radiosonde visible at the end of the string. NASA/Milan Loiacono “These drones are not meant to replace the weather balloons,” said Jennifer Fowler, FireSense’s project manager at Langley. “The goal is to create a drop-in solution to get more frequent, localized data for wildfires – not to replace all weather forecasting.”
The goal is to create a drop-in solution to get more frequent, localized data for wildfires – not to replace all weather forecasting.
Jennifer Fowler
FireSense Project Manager
Drones Provide Control, Repeat Testing, Sustainability
Drones can be piloted to keep making measurements over a precise location – an on-site forecaster could fly one every couple of hours as conditions change – and gather timely data to help determine how weather will impact the direction and speed of a fire.
Fire crews on the ground may need this information to make quick decisions about where to deploy firefighters and resources, draw fire lines, and protect nearby communities.
A reusable platform, like a drone, also reduces the financial and environmental impact of forecasting flights.
“A weather balloon is going to be a one-off, and the attached sensor won’t be recovered,” Fowler said. “The instrumented drone, on the other hand, can be flown repeatedly.”
The NASA Alta X quadcopter sits in a field in Missoula, outfitted with a special structure to carry a radiosonde (sensor on the left) and an anemometer (sensor on the right) into the air. This structure was engineered at NASA’s Langley Research Center to ensure the sensors are far enough from the rotors to avoid interfering with the data collected, but without compromising the stability of the drone.NASA/Milan Loiacono
The Missoula Campaign
Before such technology can be sent out to a fire, it needs to be tested. That’s what the FireSense team did this summer.
Smoke from the nearby Miller Peak Fire drifts by the air control tower at Missoula Airport on August 29, 2024. Miller Peak was one of several fires burning in and around Missoula that month, creating a smokey environment which, combined with the mountainous terrain, made the area an ideal location to test FireSense’s new micrometeorology technology.NASA/Milan Loiacono McSwain described the conditions in Missoula as an “alignment of stars” for the research: the complex mountain terrain produces erratic, historically unpredictable winds, and the sparsity of monitoring instruments on the ground makes weather forecasting very difficult. During the three-day campaign, several fires burned nearby, which allowed researchers to test how the drones performed in smokey conditions.
A drone team out of NASA Langley conducted eight data-collection flights in Missoula. Before each drone flight, student teams from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Montana, launched a weather balloon carrying the same type of radiometer.
Left: Weather balloon teams from University of Idaho and Salish Kootenai College prepare a weather balloon for launch on the second day of the FireSense campaign in Missoula.
Right: NASA Langley drone crew members Todd Ferrante (left) and Brayden Chamberlain (right) calibrate the internal sensors of the NASA Alta X quadcopter before its first test flight on Aug. 27, 2024. Once those data sets were created, they needed to be transformed into a usable format. Meteorologists are used to the numbers, but incident commanders on an active fire need to see the data in a form that allows them to quickly understand which conditions are changing, and how. That’s where data visualization partners come in. For the Missoula campaign, teams from MITRE, NVIDIA, and Esri joined NASA in the field.
An early data visualization from the Esri team shows the flight paths of weather balloons launched on the first day of the FireSense UAS technology demonstration in Missoula. The paths are color-coded by wind speed, from purple (low wind) to bright yellow (high wind).NASA/Milan Loiacono Measurements from both the balloon and the drone platforms were immediately sent to the on-site data teams. The MITRE team, together with NVIDIA, tested high-resolution artificial intelligence meteorological models, while the Esri team created comprehensive visualizations of flight paths, temperatures, and wind speed and direction. These visual representations of the data make conclusions more immediately apparent to non-meteorologists.
What’s Next?
Development of drone capabilities for fire monitoring didn’t begin in Missoula, and it won’t end there.
“This campaign leveraged almost a decade of research, development, engineering, and testing,” said McSwain. “We have built up a UAS flight capability that can now be used across NASA.”
This campaign leveraged almost a decade of research, development, engineering, and testing. We have built up a UAS flight capability that can now be used across NASA.
Robert Mcswain
FireSense Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) Lead
The NASA Alta X and its sensor payload will head to Alabama and Florida in spring 2025, incorporating improvements identified in Montana. There, the team will perform another technology demonstration with wildland fire managers from a different region.
To view more photos from the FireSense campaign visit: https://nasa.gov/firesense
The FireSense project is led by NASA Headquarters in Washington and sits within the Wildland Fires program, with the project office based at NASA Ames. The goal of FireSense is to transition Earth science and technological capabilities to operational wildland fire management agencies, to address challenges in U.S. wildland fire management before, during, and after a fire.
About the Author
Milan Loiacono
Science Communication SpecialistMilan Loiacono is a science communication specialist for the Earth Science Division at NASA Ames Research Center.
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Last Updated Feb 13, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Artist’s concept of an emergency response flyer from a team at Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University, one of 14 university teams that received NASA-supported GoAERO awards in 2025.Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University With support from NASA, the international GoAERO Prize competition recently announced funding for 14 U.S. university teams to build innovative new compact emergency response aircraft.
The teams will develop prototype versions of Emergency Response Flyers, aircraft intended to perform rescue and response missions after disasters and in crisis situations. The flyers must be designed to deliver a first responder, evacuate victims, provide emergency medical supplies, and aid in humanitarian efforts. Teams will bring their test aircraft to a fly-off expected in 2027.
These awards will provide students with an opportunity that might have otherwise been difficult – a chance to design and build potentially lifesaving aircraft.
koushik datta
NASA Project Manager
“These awards will provide students with an opportunity that might have otherwise been difficult – a chance to design and build potentially lifesaving aircraft,” said Koushik Datta, University Innovation Project manager in NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “At NASA, we’re looking forward to seeing how these young innovators can contribute to our mission to advance futuristic aviation technologies that can benefit first responders and the public.”
With support from NASA’s University Innovation Project, GoAERO named 14 awardee teams at the following universities:
Auburn University, in Leeds, Alabama California Polytechnic University, in Pomona Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Daytona Beach, Florida Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, in Greensboro North Carolina State University, in Raleigh The Ohio State University, in Columbus Penn State University, in State College Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana Saint Louis University Texas A&M University, in College Station, and Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater University of Texas, Austin Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg Student teams can utilize the funds to purchase parts, materials, batteries, and other components for building their aircrafts.
When naming the university awardees, GoAERO – in partnership with Boeing, RTX, and Honeywell – also announced 11 winners of Stage 1 of its competition. These include teams from the private sector and universities. These awardees were selected to build full- or smaller-scale flyers for evaluation. Eight entries will be selected for the next round of Stage 2 awards. The GoAERO Prize is still accepting new teams. While prizes are awarded at Stage 1 and Stage 2, teams do not need to win prizes to continue on to the next stage or compete in the final fly-off.
In addition to the University Innovation Project support for the university teams, NASA has partnered with GoAERO through a non-funded Space Act Agreement to provide U.S. teams with mentorship, educational opportunities, and access to specialized software tools.
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Last Updated Feb 11, 2025 EditorLillian GipsonContactJim Bankejim.banke@nasa.gov Related Terms
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By USH
White House Press Secretary Leavitt revealed that the large number of drones spotted over New Jersey, military bases and other parts of the U.S. had been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for research and various other reasons.
She clarified that many of the drones were operated by hobbyists, recreational pilots, and private individuals. However, as public curiosity grew, so did concerns about their true purpose.
Leavitt sought to reassure Americans, stating, "This was not the enemy." However, she stopped short of identifying the organizations conducting the research or disclosing the exact nature of the studies.
Her vague response has done little to ease speculation, with many questioning why the government failed to disclose this information during the peak of public concern.
It seems the U.S. government recently launched a drone replacement program for the 2024–2025 fiscal year, allocating funds to replace noncompliant drones with new, regulation-approved models.
Independent reports have linked the mysterious drone sightings to the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to secure additional funding for drone programs. According to the media outlet Redacted, the widespread concern over these sightings may have been intentionally orchestrated to justify increased budget allocations, a so-called false flag operation.
But was this truly a ploy to manipulate public fear in order to push for more drone funding? Would the DOD really need to stage such an event to secure the resources they want?
If we talking about these drones, eyewitness reports describe these drones exhibiting flight capabilities far beyond conventional technology. Some accounts suggest that unidentified orbs often accompany them, raising the possibility that the explanation goes beyond mere funding, perhaps something more secretive, or even otherworldly, is at play.
BUT, if these government or contractor operated drones are indeed conducting a search, it likely signifies a serious threat. Maybe an impending attack on the power grid? Such an event could lead to a complete blackout, triggering widespread panic and chaos with severe consequences.
Moreover, the continuous flickering of streetlights, advertising boards, facade lamps across the U.S. suggests that something is already interfering with the power grid. This phenomenon raises even more concerns, certainly now recent reports indicate that drones have once again appeared over New Jersey, that the underlying issue may be more significant than what has been publicly disclosed by White House Press Secretary Leavitt so far.
The above updated map showcasing all reported and recorded locations across the U.S. where flickering streetlights, advertising boards, and facade lamps have been observed. View the full article
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