Secret Cold War missile base unearthed in Greenland by NASA radar
NASA scientists have rediscovered Camp Century, a Cold War-era U.S. military base buried under Greenland’s ice. Initially designed for Arctic research, the base served as a secret launch site for nuclear weapons and now poses a contamination risk as melting ice threatens to expose toxic waste.
Camp Century, constructed in 1959, was a state-of-the-art facility powered by a nuclear reactor and hidden within two miles of tunnels carved deep into the ice sheet.
While its official purpose was to study Arctic construction techniques, it also housed “Project Iceworm,” a covert U.S. plan to station and potentially launch nuclear missiles toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Getty Images
The base was abandoned in 1967 after shifting ice rendered it unusable, leaving behind diesel fuel, radioactive materials and biological waste. At the time, it was believed these materials would remain entombed forever, but climate change is rapidly melting Greenland’s ice sheet, threatening to release the waste into the environment.
NASA’s April 2024 radar survey revealed the base in unprecedented detail, including remnants of the tunnels and waste deposits. Scientists warn that contamination from Camp Century could seep into aquatic ecosystems and potentially reach the sea, raising environmental and health concerns.
Further research is being planned to monitor the site and predict how rapidly its hazardous materials may be exposed. For now, Camp Century serves as both a reminder of Cold War ambitions and a warning about the long-term impact of climate change.
Congress holds hearing to ‘pull back the curtain’ on UFOs, experts testify
Members of congress say they’re continuing to “pull back the curtain” on UFOs. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., delivered the opening statement at a House Oversight Committee hearing on the subject on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
“I’m not going to name names, but there are certain individuals who didn’t want this hearing to happen because they feared what might be disclosed. But we stood firm,” Mace said. “No amount of outside pressure would ever keep me from pursuing a subject to ground come hell or high water.”
The title refers to UPAs, which is the acronym that replaced UFOs to describe mysterious airborne objects.
The last hearing happened in the summer of 2023 following career intelligence official David Grusch‘s allegations that the Pentagon is operating a secret UFO retrieval program.
The Pentagon denied the accusations. However, its office created a new website where the public can access declassified information about reported sightings.
On Wednesday, lawmakers heard from multiple witnesses, including former Pentagon official Luis Elizondo, about what they have seen and heard about UPAs.
Elizondo, the former head of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, said that the government hid information.
“Excessive secrecy has led to grave misdeeds against loyal civil servants, military personnel and the public, all to hide the fact that we are not alone in the cosmos,” Elizondo said. “A small cadre within our own government involving the UAP topic has created a culture of suppression and intimidation that I have personally been victim to, along with many of my former colleagues.”
Elizondo asked congress to enact legislation protecting whistleblowers who are too afraid to come forward about government operations.
Before the hearing, a large line formed with people who wanted to get inside because the topic is generating a lot of interest.
NASA released a report declaring no evidence exists to confirm that aliens are behind reported UAP sightings.
The original design of the Long March 9 featured a three-stage configuration with solid rocket boosters. However, the new model transitions to a two-stage, fully reusable rocket.
The first stage is equipped with 30 YF-215 engines fueled by methane and liquid oxygen. Each engine provides 200 tons of thrust to the rocket. This design mirrors SpaceX’s Starship, which uses 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines, delivering 280 tons of thrust each.
The second stage also includes aerodynamic flaps similar to those on Starship, emphasizing reusability as a core feature.
China’s space agency plans to launch the redesigned Long March 9 by 2033. The rocket is expected to support long-term lunar exploration and settlement.
Earlier missions to the moon will use the more conventional Long March 10 rocket. The new reusable design is expected to enable sustained operations, particularly near the lunar south pole. Experts believe that region harbors valuable water ice.
The development of the Long March 9 reflects a strategic pivot by China’s space program, influenced by the success of SpaceX’s reusable technology.
Both nations are racing to secure leadership in lunar exploration. NASA currently maintains a lead through its partnership with SpaceX and its advancements in heavy-lift reusable technology.
As China advances its Long March 9 project, the ongoing space race between the U.S. and China intensifies. Both countries are eyeing the moon as a key step in shaping the future of human space exploration.
Astronauts celebrate Election Day in space, cast early votes from ISS
Did you know it’s possible to cast a ballot from space? Astronauts including Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams and Don Pettit voted early in the 2024 presidential election from the International Space Station.
The astronauts posted an Election Day photo of themselves on Instagram wearing patriotic socks. The caption read, “It doesn’t matter if you are sitting, standing or floating – what matters is that you vote!”
They managed to be a part of the more than 1 million people who voted in early in Harris County, Texas, thanks to NASA’s Near Space Network. The network is a constellation of satellites in space that communicate with antennas and Earth.
An encrypted word document gets sent up to their email addresses and they can open the document with their password.
Once the astronauts vote, the ballot is returned, printed and processed with other ballots.
NASA said astronauts have voted in U.S. elections since 1997 when Texas passed a law allowing astronauts to vote from space.
It’s not just from space but Americans overseas are also voting. According to Vote from Abroad, the number is actually higher than it was in 2020.
This group includes military personnel, dual citizens and people born outside the U.S. to American parents.
As elections have gotten tighter, both parties are counting on those abroad votes that could be the margin of victory.
The Democratic National Committee gave Democrats Abroad $300,000 to fund its get-out-the-vote effort.
Former President Donald Trump pledged to end the requirement that Americans living overseas file a U.S. tax return.
However, some have questioned the validity of overseas voting, filing lawsuits in swing states.
US winning in one category when it comes to space race with China
The United States and China have ambitious plans for space exploration in the future. In order to achieve these goals, both nations will need to lean heavily on international support, and as reported on Wednesday, Oct. 30, the U.S. has taken the lead over Beijing.
The two adversaries are getting as many nations on board with their plans to explore space as they can. The American-led effort known as NASA’s Artemis program aims to send astronauts back to the moon by 2026. However the ultimate goal is building a lunar space station and launching missions to Mars and beyond.
However, the United States is currently notching more wins with Chile, the Dominican Republic, Estonia and Cyprus recently joining its coalition. The U.S. now has 47 nations working together on the mission.
Beijing is behind the U.S. in that respect, touting 13 nations as members of its international agreement with Senegal the latest to join in September. However, experts note, there are still many countries up for grabs to join each country’s respective partnerships.
NASA’s Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said despite setbacks with the Artemis program, like being overbudget, the diplomatic efforts will continue. The agency sees diplomacy and international cooperation as the key to the future of space exploration.
Astronauts returning home after extended stay on space station
Three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut have departed the International Space Station after an extended 235-day mission. The Crew 8 team arrived on the ISS in March and was originally scheduled to return to Earth in September.
The crew consists of cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, pilot Mike Barratt, commander Matt Dominick and astronaut Jeanette Epps. Their return was delayed due to the issues concerning the Boeing Starliner capsule and making sure those astronauts had a way back home.
Once a new vehicle arrived on the space station, the Crew 8 members then had to wait out hurricanes impacting Florida before getting the go ahead to leave.
After around 34 hours, the four-person team is expected to splash down Friday afternoon off Florida’s coast in the Gulf of Mexico.
Axiom Space and Prada reveal spacesuit for Artemis III
Axiom Space and luxury brand Prada have revealed the spacesuit design that NASA astronauts will wear during the Artemis III mission to the moon. The suit debuted the week of Oct. 13 at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy.
Axiom and Prada collaborated to create the next-generation suit, blending high-performance materials and cutting-edge technology with Prada’s expertise in design and textiles.
The mostly white suit, designed to reflect heat, offers improved mobility and durability to protect astronauts from extreme temperatures and lunar dust.
Prada’s involvement extended beyond aesthetics, as the fashion house played a critical role in developing the materials and sewing techniques used in the suit, bridging the gap between functionality and style.
Axiom Space President Michal Suffredini said the collaboration has “broken the mold” for spacesuit design, setting a new standard for cross-industry partnerships. The suit is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the lunar surface, allowing astronauts to space walk for up to eight hours at a time.
In addition to its advanced design, the suit includes state-of-the-art safety systems and enhanced tools for lunar exploration. The suit has been in development for more than two years, undergoing extensive testing with NASA and SpaceX.
NASA’s Artemis project is not yet in the final stages of development, with more crewed tests scheduled before NASA’s Artemis II mission in 2026. The mission aims to land astronauts on the moon, including the first woman to set foot on the lunar surface.
Prada’s Chief Marketing Officer Lorenzo Bertelli said the collaboration marks the beginning of a new era, suggesting that space travel could soon become affordable for more people.
NASA launches mission to find signs of life on Jupiter moon
NASA’s search for life on other planets continues with the launch Monday, Oct. 14 of its mission to one of Jupiter’s moons. Europa has long been thought to have a vast underground ocean and a potentially habitable environment. Now, NASA intends to find out if that’s true.
The mission, dubbed Europa Clipper, has started its long journey to Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon. The spacecraft launched at 12:06 p.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
NASA said it’s the largest spacecraft the agency has ever built for a mission headed to another planet. The Europa Clipper also is the first NASA mission dedicated to studying an ocean world beyond Earth.
“Congratulations to our Europa Clipper team for beginning the first journey to an ocean world beyond Earth,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “NASA leads the world in exploration and discovery, and the Europa Clipper mission is no different. By exploring the unknown, Europa Clipper will help us better understand whether there is the potential for life not just within our solar system, but among the billions of moons and planets beyond our Sun.”
According to NASA, information from its Galileo mission in the 1990s showed strong evidence that under Europa’s ice lies an enormous, salty ocean with more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. Scientists also have found evidence that Europa may host organic compounds and energy sources under its surface.
The spacecraft is expected to enter the planet’s orbit in 2030 after a flight of 1.8 billion miles. It will then fly past Europa 49 times.
NASA said if the mission determines Europa is habitable, it may mean there are more habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond than imagined.
Related Stories
Does Jupiter’s moon Europa support life? NASA mission aims to find out
Harris, Trump turn to PA with 3 weeks to go until Election Day
With exactly three weeks until Election Day, both candidates have their sights set on Pennsylvania. And NASA has launched its ambitious plan to visit the largest planet in our solar system in hopes of making a new discovery. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.
Harris, Trump turn to PA with 3 weeks to go until Election Day
With just three weeks until Election Day, the 2024 presidential candidates are focusing on the key battleground states — and none may be as important as Pennsylvania and its 19 electoral votes. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took their message once again to the Keystone State on Monday, Oct. 14, each believing that if they win Pennsylvania, they will win the election.
Harris held a rally in the northwestern city of Erie, where Trump visited a few weeks ago. The vice president painted her opponent as a threat to American democracy, warning her supporters of what she calls the dangers of another Trump presidency.
“I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America and dangerous,” she said. “Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is out for unchecked power. That’s what he’s looking for.”
Harris also urged Pennsylvanians to get out to vote early as mail-in voting is now underway in the state.
Also Monday, former President Trump spoke during a town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He touched on claims he’s a threat to democracy.
“When they talk about a threat to democracy, how about where they take a candidate who won fair and square, they throw them out and they put up a woman who failed, was the first one to drop out of a field of 22 and got no votes?” he said. “And this is the person we’re running against. And she is not a smart woman. That’s true. And we cannot — we’ve had that for four years. We’re not going to have it for another four years.”
Trump cut his town hall short after two attendees required medical attention, with both the former president and moderator South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem commenting on the heat in the venue. Trump then requested music be played for the remainder of the event.
Trump will be back in Georgia on Tuesday as the focus on the battleground states intensifies.
Along with rallies, the candidates are continuing their media tour to reach voters. The vice president will take part in a town hall Tuesday, Oct. 15, hosted by the radio program “The Breakfast Club” and then she will appear on Fox News on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
The group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a sit-in demanding an end to U.S. support for Israel’s war against Hamas. While none of the protesters got into the stock exchange, dozens did cross the security fence put in place by police.
A New York Police Department spokesperson said officers arrested 206 people.
Since the war in Gaza started just over a year ago, more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed and almost the entire population has been displaced, according to Gaza health officials.
North Carolina man arrested for allegedly threatening FEMA workers
Investigators in North Carolina arrested and charged a man with threatening to harm FEMA workers who were helping parts of the state devastated by Hurricane Helene.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, William Parsons, 44, is charged with “going armed to the terror of the public” — a misdemeanor.
In a statement, the sheriff said while initial reports indicated there was a group of armed militia members threatening FEMA workers, they found Parsons acted alone. Officials said he did have a handgun and a rifle in his possession when arrested.
The arrest followed misinformation and disinformation being spread about FEMA in the wake of the natural disaster and caused FEMA to change the way it was working to help people impacted by Helene because of concerns over workers’ safety.
NASA launches mission to find signs of life on Jupiter moon
The mission, dubbed Europa Clipper, started its long journey to Jupiter’s fourth largest moon on Monday. It’s expected to enter the planet’s orbit in 2030 after a flight of 1.8 billion miles.
Pair of giant pandas set to arrive at the National Zoo
Eleven months after the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Said goodbye to its giant pandas, two new ones are on their way. The pair of giant pandas have officially left a research facility in China and are set to be flown to D.C., according to Chinese officials.
It’s not yet clear when they’ll arrive. The zoo’s website still says new pandas will be coming by the end of the year, however, on Monday, the Zoo did announce it will be closed Tuesday for the safety of the pandas and staff.
The return of panda diplomacy between China and the U.S. has already seen a pair delivered to the San Diego Zoo with another promised to San Francisco.
2,471-pound pumpkin wins world championship
A 2,471-pound pumpkin won the 51st World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-off Monday in Half Moon Bay, California, south of San Francisco, defeating its closest competitor by six pounds.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
The United States is sending troops and an anti-missile system to Israel. And an incredible landing has SpaceX cheering and thinking about future missions. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
Iran has now warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X.
This comes as Israel said at least four of its soldiers were killed in a drone attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah Sunday, Oct. 13. At least 60 other people were injured in the attack on an army base in central Israel, including seven soldiers.
http://twitter.com/IDF/status/1845719319449145830
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut last week that left 22 people dead.
An attack this deadly in Israel is unusual. Its advanced air defense systems usually spot a threat well beforehand. Israel has said it’s investigating how the drone entered the country without triggering an alert.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes left at least 40 people dead in Gaza Sunday, including 13 children, according to local officials. One of those strikes was at a hospital in central Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
The Israeli military said it was a precise strike on a Hamas command center “embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Shuhadah Al-Aqsa’ hospital.” Israel’s military also said it took steps to limit harm to civilians in the attack.
Authorities said the Nevada man had a shotgun, a loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports with him when he was stopped near where the rally was being held in Coachella.
Deputies assigned to the rally said they stopped the 49-year-old suspect as he was driving an unregistered vehicle with a “homemade” license plate. They said the man claimed to be a journalist.
The man passed an outer security boundary before being stopped at an inner perimeter, patrolled by local deputies. Authorities said former President Trump was not yet at the rally when the arrest happened, and he was “not in any danger.”
The suspect has since been released on $5,000 bail. Court records show his next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2.
Biden approves $612 million to support Florida’s hurricane-ravaged communities
As hundreds of thousands remain without power and flooding continues to be an issue, President Biden visited Florida on Sunday for the second time in less than a week. This time it was to get a firsthand look at communities ravaged by Hurricane Milton.
On Saturday, Biden approved a disaster declaration to give federal funding to people affected by Milton, including grants for temporary housing, home repairs and loans. Biden said more than 250,000 Floridians have already registered for help, which he said was “the most in a single day ever in the history of this country.”
Trial begins in mysterious murders of 2 Indiana teenagers
Investigators arrested Allen in 2022 in connection to the deaths of 14-year-old Libby German and 13-year-old Abby Williams, five years after the girls disappeared while walking on a trail in the town of Delphi near an abandoned bridge. Searchers found their bodies a day later.
SpaceX pulled off an incredible feat on Sunday, successfully launching its fifth test flight of its unmanned Starship spacecraft. However, it was the return of the Super Heavy rocket booster that wowed the crowd, as well as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
For the first time, after breaking off from the Starship, the 232-foot-tall booster returned to Earth but didn’t land in the ocean like the spacecraft would. Instead, it returned to the Texas launch pad, caught by two mechanical arms which SpaceX calls “chopsticks.”
Elon Musk called the moment a “big step towards making life multiplanetary.”
SpaceX is hoping its Starship system will one day take people to the moon and Mars — with plans to use the capsule to transport NASA astronauts to the moon as soon as 2026.
‘Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne sells for $1.49 million
One “Game of Thrones” fan is sitting pretty, or at least powerfully, after taking the iconic “Iron Throne.” Unlike the characters in the HBO drama, the winner didn’t have to go through eight seasons of fighting, just a six-minute bidding war and $1.5 million.
This 310-pound plastic version of the throne was used during promotional and touring events for the series.
In total, Heritage auctions said its three-day auction in Dallas raked in more than $21 million dollars, making it the company’s second biggest entertainment event ever — behind the $22.8 million record set in 2011 by the Debbie Reynolds sale.
