Is UAP Storytelling Akin to Religious Myths?

 Avi Loeb

(Image Credit: AI/Gemini)

A system of statements based on conviction rather than evidence is closer to religion than it is to science. Of course, I know of many scientists who are also religious but they fully recognize the difference between scientific knowledge and religious belief.

The space of possible realities is far greater than the specific physical reality that we live in. As a result, human history is full of imagined stories. In the same vein, the practice of science is full of conjectures or unproven theoretical ideas. But what makes science different from politics or religion is the surrender to empirical evidence as an arbitrator.

The quest for evidence is commonly adopted by detectives who aim to resolve mysteries, including fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes who was quoted by Arthur Conan Doyle as saying: “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” This assertion is certainly true about quantum mechanics as the counterintuitive nature of physical reality. The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger for their groundbreaking experiments with entangled photons. Their work confirmed the reality of quantum entanglement and proved that Albert Einstein’s objections to this phenomenon, which he famously derided as “spooky action at a distance,” were incorrect.

Other scientific mysteries over the past century remain unresolved. Chief among them is the challenge of unifying quantum mechanics and gravity. The latest conjectures about doing so in the presence of extra dimensions or supersymmetry lack empirical support. This does not make these scientific ideas resemble religious myths because the physicists who explore them recognize that they can only gain traction by experimental support.

Avi Loeb

(Image Credit: Lotem Loeb, May 22, 2026)

What makes the situation confusing for the general public is that most often, the scientific data necessary for drawing definitive conclusions is absent or not good enough. In politics or religion, conviction is sufficient for attracting many likes on social media because confidence is regarded as an admirable trait in our otherwise fragile life. However, in science, the most accomplished mathematicians engaged in String Theory or even the most advanced version of superintelligence, will not be able to figure out the truth about the physical reality without high-quality data from instruments that probe it.

The approach of physics is an extension of the way our body works. We rely on data from our biological sensors, known as receptors, to monitor the internal state of the body and interpret the external world. These native sensors detect physical, chemical, or mechanical changes and translate them into electrical signals that our brain can process. But the data is often insufficient for drawing definitive conclusions.

When we see a cat walking towards a building and appearing on the other side, our mind comes up with the plausible conjecture that a single cat existed throughout the entire period even though our view of the cat was blocked by the building during some of the time. Alternatively, we can imagine that there are numerous identical cats hiding behind the building with only one coming out after some time. The only way to figure whether this hypothesis is true or false is to gain a direct view of the other side of the building. This does not require that we access the other side, which might be unfeasible if obstacles block our way. Instead, we can use a drone camera or a fortuitously-positioned window that reflects the image of the hidden region.

Social-media influencers might prefer not to collect any data, because the lack of conflicting evidence gives them the license to spread the “many cats interpretation” and attract followers. The temptation to spread myths is attractive because it offers a shortcut to societal notoriety. On the other hand, the use of scientific instruments to vet the “many cats interpretation” offers us a better path forward than the number of likes a story gets.

Consider Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), formerly known as UFOs. The fact that UFO reports persisted for 80 years does not lend credence to their alien technology interpretation. The Vatican insisted on the popular story that the Earth is at the center of the Universe for many centuries, but eventually admitted on October 31, 1992 that this story was false. Unlike blockbuster script writers in Hollywood, nature is under no obligation to follow our wishes.

Most of the time, scientists must remain agnostic because the data is not good enough to deliver a verdict about the validity of a hypothesis or an interpretation. Patience is key. The rush to a premature conclusion can have disastrous public relations consequences, as in the case of the old cosmological model of the Catholic Church.

Jay Stratton’s new book about UAP, Out of the Shadows, employs a “self-sealing” logical framework that preemptively labels skepticism as part of a government conspiracy. This rhetorical strategy creates an unfalsifiable loop where any demand for hard evidence is automatically twisted into proof of a cover-up. This type of closed epistemic system operates through several distinct layers. Testimony alone is treated as absolute truth, while the standard scientific requirement for verifiable data is reclassified as a hostile act of disinformation. Skeptics are told that if they feel genuinely unconvinced, they are simply victims of brainwashing, stripping away their critical thinking agency. By framing the debate as an ongoing war against “gatekeepers,” this narrative guarantees an endless demand for future books, documentaries, and media appearances to counter the alleged cover-up. This framing does not mean that Stratton is wrong about everything he says. He has admirable credentials as the leader of the UAP Task Force within the U.S. government. Testimony from a credible insider is a legitimate reason to investigate. But it’s a reason to start, not a reason to stop, and a book that treats its own testimony as the terminus of inquiry is overreaching. The honest reading of “we now know with certainty” is “I am certain,” which is a statement about Stratton’s mind, not about what’s in a hangar of a supposedly alien spacecraft.

On September 10, 2026, I humbly invited Jay Stratton to meet with the UAP Science Advisory Council or disclose evidence that will guide us to support his public statements. My invitation was repeated by Council member, Dr. Tim Gallaudet, but I received no response from Stratton. Instead, I was attacked personally by believers who argued: “How dare you question what Jay Stratton said? He knows what he is talking about.” I respect their conviction but this is not how science works. We must have access to evidence or else such claims do not hold water.

Paraphrasing Sherlock Holmes: “When you have eliminated all which is impossible to explain UAP, such as birds, meteors, balloons, drones, missiles, aircraft or satellites, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” For now, the UAP Science Advisory Council provided evidence in a paper posted here that more than 8% of the UAP videos declassified by the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters involve birds. Regarding the identity of the remaining 92%, we have to remain agnostic and collect better data or check the hangars that whistleblowers guide us to.

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'Black triangles' have been seen hovering over the UK

(Getty Images)

New UFO map shows 164 'black triangle' sightings above UK after Pentagon files released

By Tim Hanlon, Richard Ault

Dozens of "black triangles" have been spotted in the sky by Brits with an interactive map showing all the reports of UFOs in your area.

Nearly 2,000 Unidentified Flying Objects have been documented and logged in the UK over the last five years by research group UFO Identified

Strange black triangles speeding above military sites have triggered security concerns in the United States and the data shows that there are equally strange sightings in the UK.

Now, a searchable interactive map allows you to explore every unexplained encounter logged in your area between 2021 and 2026, and many of these British accounts closely mirror sightings reported across the Atlantic.

The Pentagon recently published its latest release of declassified files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP – the American term for UFO), following an executive order signed by Donald Trump.

Among the documents is an account from two federal agents stationed at a US “sensitive national security site” in June 2026.

According to the report, a matte-black triangular object with an estimated 15-foot wingspan hovered silently roughly 300 feet in the air for 20 seconds before descending into a canyon at high speed without leaving an exhaust trail.

While orbs, spheres and “star-like” sightings make up the bulk of British sightings, researchers have logged 164 reports of similar wedge-shaped objects – meaning roughly one in every 12 sightings involves a distinctive triangle.

Witnesses across the UK have reported seeing dark, matte triangles gliding soundlessly at low altitude over housing estates, farmland, and coastal areas before darting away at incredible speeds, just like the sighting made by federal agents in the USA.

The most recent was on July 22 of this year, when a “large black triangle” featuring a red light on each point was witnessed hovering over Stretford in Greater Manchester for over 30 minutes.

Earlier this year, a “perfect triangle” was seen speeding across the sky above Chesterfield in Derbyshire, a “black V-shaped boomerang” was spotted over the Fylde coast in Lancashire, and a soundless black wedge above Exmouth in Devon.

You can check what UFOs have been seen where you live using out interactive gadget.

Our map reveals hotspot areas across the UK where clusters of UFOs have been spotted above Greater Manchester, London, Essex, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside, Kent and West Yorkshire.

The accounts have been gathered by UFO Identified to create a central, searchable public archive, called the UK UFO Database, to help researchers identify patterns.

Ash Ellis, founder of UFO Identified, said: “There are thousands of people across the UK who have seen something they could not readily explain, but the reports are often difficult to find once the initial interest has passed. We wanted to build a serious, easy-to-use public archive that keeps those accounts accessible and allows people to look for patterns for themselves.”

• To examine the UK UFO Database, or report sightings, visit: https://ukufodatabase.co.uk/.

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FBI agents reported witnessing a mysterious black triangular object hovering silently above a mountain ridge before suddenly accelerating at speeds comparable to a fighter jet, newly released Department of War documents reveal.

The 2026 sighting is among several incidents detailed in the newly released records examining unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), alongside decades-old military encounters and reports of mysterious creatures, unexplained lights and supposed portals at a Utah ranch.

One report from the FBI describes an encounter with a dark, nonreflective triangular object resembling a drone, with an estimated wingspan of 9 to 15 feet and no visible exhaust or conventional propulsion system.

NEW TRUMP UFO FILE DUMP INCLUDES MILITARY FOOTAGE OF MYSTERIOUS STAR-SHAPED OBJECT

The agents reported seeing the object rise vertically above a ridgeline before accelerating into a canyon without making a sound.

An image released with a 2026 FBI report depicts a black triangular object above mountainous terrain. Federal agents reported seeing a silent, triangular object hover above a ridgeline before accelerating into a canyon. Authorities have not confirmed whether the image is an actual photograph or a reconstruction.

(Department of War)

A separate report from the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, provides a more detailed account of the encounter.

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The report describes a matte-black triangular object that climbed about 200 to 300 feet above a ridgeline, hovered for roughly 20 seconds and then appeared to accelerate almost instantly, disappearing into a canyon within two to three seconds.

The witnesses described an object with no visible engines, rotors, exhaust or other conventional aircraft features.

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•  Read the report here:

The agents also reported observing a uniform heat signature across the object's surface through handheld thermal equipment, without the concentrated hot spots typically associated with propulsion systems.

The Pentagon report notes that the object's speed was estimated by witnesses rather than measured by instruments.

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The two reports differ on the length of the encounter. The FBI described a sighting lasting approximately three seconds, while AARO detailed about 10 seconds of vertical ascent, 20 seconds of hovering and another two to three seconds of rapid flight before the object disappeared.

Neither report identifies the object or establishes its origin.

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Fox News Digital has contacted AARO for comment on the sighting, including whether the object has since been identified and whether images released with the FBI report show the actual encounter or are illustrations.

A declassified U.S. Air Force intelligence report dated Jan. 19, 1957, details an unidentified radar contact involving a B-52 bomber flying near Saudi Arabia during a Strategic Air Command mission.

(Department of War)

The newly released records also include an Air Force intelligence report dated Jan. 19, 1957, detailing an unidentified radar contact involving a U.S. B-52 bomber during a Strategic Air Command mission near Saudi Arabia.

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The bomber was flying at about 39,000 feet when its radar detected an unidentified target roughly 6,000 yards away on Jan. 18, 1957.

The contact remained on the aircraft's radar screen for five to seven minutes before disappearing as the bomber turned left.

Air Force investigators noted that no other aircraft were expected in the area but acknowledged that the radar contact may have disappeared because of the bomber's change in direction.

Other historical records describe reported sightings near California's Santa Catalina Island.

An Air Force intelligence report dated Aug. 28, 1952, documents claims by three Boy Scouts who reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet near California's Santa Catalina Island. (Department of War)

In one case, three Boy Scouts attending summer camp reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet while hiking on the island June 25, 1952.

The scouts claimed the object made a climbing turn before appearing to disintegrate, an Air Force intelligence report states.

Investigators noted that the scouts had no instruments to measure its speed or altitude and that their limited experience made it difficult to assess the reliability of their account.

• Read the Catalina Island report here:

A separate March 15, 1955, report describes a witness near Avalon on Catalina Island who spotted a bright, round object that changed from orange to red before falling straight down.

The Air Force ultimately classified the sighting as a "probable meteor."

The files also include a 60-page investigation conducted in 2010 by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) at a Utah ranch associated with reports of unexplained phenomena.

Investigators interviewed residents who described towering dog-like creatures walking on two legs, mysterious balls of light and other unusual sightings.

Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long. One witness also described a transparent, rippling structure she believed was a portal to another world.

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Eyewitness sketches included in a 2010 investigation by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies depict mysterious creatures reportedly spotted at a Utah ranch associated with alleged paranormal activity. The sightings were not independently verified. (Department of War)

The investigation included eyewitness sketches, surveillance cameras, environmental monitoring and hair samples collected from areas associated with reported creature sightings.

{ https://www.foxnews.com/category/science/  }

{  https://usubjects.com/  }

Mysterious Humanoid Predator Lurking Near US Border Could Be From Another Dimension, UFO Investigator Claims

Jaime Maussan linked images from the Valley of Juárez to unverified reports of farm animals disappearing

Jaime Maussan claims camera images near the US-Mexico border show a mysterious predator

PHOTO Beth Teutschmann/Unsplash

Controversial Mexican television presenter and self-styled UFO investigator Jaime Maussan has ignited renewed border hysteria after claiming that automated camera traps in the Valley of Juárez have captured photographs of an elusive six-foot predator originating from another dimension.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, 17 October 2026, the 73-year-old commentator alleged that the agile, white-coloured creature has humanoid traits, walks upright on two legs, and snatches chickens, roosters, and rabbits from rural farmsteads across Chihuahua.

Maussan claimed that forensic measurements against brick masonry indicate the entity measures about 1.8 metres [nearly six feet] long, with elongated limbs and a 90-centimetre tail.

However, civic authorities and law enforcement agencies on both sides of the frontier quickly dismissed the sensational narrative.

Juárez Civil Protection confirmed it received no reports of livestock abduction or unidentified beasts, while police departments across the border in Texas told the El Paso Times that no predatory incidents have occurred, and scientific sceptics point to Maussan's extensive record of promoting taxidermied animal hoaxes and fabricated bone figurines.

Humanoid Predator Images Under Scrutiny

Researchers working with Maussan described photographs of a large white animal with a long tail and large limbs. They argued it did not resemble a rodent, raccoon, rat, rabbit or another common animal known to live in Chihuahua.

At the press conference, four of Maussan's research assistants said they estimated its size after seeing it climb a brick wall. By comparing it to the bricks, they claimed the animal measured nearly six feet from head to tail, with a tail about three feet long.

A demogorgon in real life? Eerie creature spotted near US-Mexico border

The footage did not show the creature walking upright on its back legs, despite Maussan's suggestion that it could do so. Animal specialists were reportedly consulted and allegedly concluded it was not a common mammal found on Earth, though they also reportedly raised the possibility that it was an animal that was 'mutating'.

Humanoid Predator Claim Extends to Another Dimension

Maussan described the alleged creature as agile, intelligent and somewhat human-like, saying it walked on two legs. He suggested that it might not have arrived from another world, but could be an intelligence from another dimension sharing space with Earth.

'Why did it appear there? It's a mystery. Are they interdimensional beings? Did they come with other beings? Did they come in ships?' Maussan said to news outlets in Mexico.

He told NetNoticias.Mx: 'It's a predator. I'm not saying it's extraterrestrial, but it is something scary.' He added: 'Its intelligence and agility are truly frightening. I don't believe it attacks people, but it is affecting the interests of those who live in the so-called Juárez Valley.'

Maussan claimed his inquiry began after an unnamed boy saw the animal seize a chicken by the head and run up a tree. He also alleged that some residents had left their homes because they feared the entity, a claim authorities have not confirmed.

Humanoid Predator Reports and Maussan's Record

The investigator compared the case to El Ser de Metepec, a 2007 case in which a farmer found a hairless, alien-like creature near Mexico City. Maussan called the Juárez animal an adult version of that creature.

The report said that the Metepec animal was later identified as a modified squirrel monkey created by a local taxidermist. It also notes that Maussan presented two purported 'non-human' mummies to the Mexican Congress in 2023, which forensic experts concluded were dolls assembled from animal and human bones using glue and paper.

The report further states that the US government has never recovered physical evidence proving the existence of UFOs or alien life. It says some lawmakers, former military personnel, and religious leaders believe strange sightings could involve beings from other planes of reality, including entities compared with ghosts, demonic spirits, and biblical angels.

{ https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/world }

US Government Reportedly Plotted to Harness Dark Energy for Star Trek-Style Warp Drives to Hunt Aliens

Theoretical research based on Alcubierre's model did not demonstrate that faster-than-light travel is technologically feasible or that a warp spacecraft was developed

A 2010 US defence study explored dark energy and warp drives, while physicist Katy Clough highlighted practical obstacles to faster-than-light travel By MjolnirPants - Own work,

CC  PHOTO BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons

The US government reportedly examined dark energy as a possible means of enabling Star Trek-style warp drives in a 2010 defence study later released alongside records concerning UFOs and possible extraterrestrial life.

The study was produced under the Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications programme, commonly known as AAWSAP. It considered whether faster-than-light travel could be possible, drawing on a mathematical framework proposed by physicist Miguel Alcubierre in 1994.

The quoted passages concern theoretical propulsion. They do not establish that the government approved an alien-search mission or developed technology capable of carrying astronauts faster than light.

The Energy Barrier to Warp Drives

The proposed system would alter space around a spacecraft. The study states, 'The basic idea is to create an asymmetric bubble of space that is contracting in front of the spacecraft while expanding behind it.

'Using this form of locomotion, the spacecraft remains stationary inside this 'warp bubble' and the movement of space itself facilitates the relative motion of the spacecraft.'

Energy was a central obstacle to translating those calculations into useful travel. Creating the bubble appeared to require far more energy than humanity could supply, leaving a substantial gap between the mathematical proposal and a functioning spacecraft.

Under one set of assumptions, the study calculated a warp-bubble speed of just 5.16 micrometres per second. 'Garden snails can crawl faster than this,' the authors wrote.

The paper explored whether harnessing dark energy could overcome that constraint and make the proposed drive suitable for space travel. Dark energy is associated with the Universe's expansion, but its nature remains poorly understood.

Warp Drives Raise Questions About Cause and Effect

Katy Clough, of Queen Mary University of London, told The Times that the paper made theoretical sense but remained highly speculative. She described using dark energy to build warp drives as a 'common crackpot notion'.

Clough said discussions about warp drives quickly enter the 'realm of bonkers', with numerous practical obstacles standing between the calculations and actual space travel.

Although faster-than-light travel could shorten journeys, she warned that it might also 'break causality and change the past', raising questions beyond whether enough energy could ever be supplied.

Her concern extended beyond propulsion technology to the possibility that such travel could challenge the established relationship between cause and effect.

NASA-Backed Nuclear Rocket Would Not Deliver Warp Drives

A separate propulsion concept, the Pulsed Plasma Rocket, or PPR, was described as a way to shorten journeys to Mars without reaching warp speed. US company Howe Industries was developing the system.

The rocket would obtain energy through fission, the controlled splitting of atoms, to generate thrust. That is a different proposal from the expanding and contracting space described in the warp-drive study.

NASA stated in its May 2024 project description that 'The PPR enables a whole new era in space exploration.' It also projected that the proposed system's efficiency could allow crewed missions to reach Mars within two months.

The two-month journey remained a projection for the proposed technology. NASA said the system could alternatively transport heavier spacecraft equipped with additional shielding against galactic cosmic rays, potentially reducing crew exposure.

{ https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/science }

A potential new dwarf planet has been discovered beyond Pluto, offering astronomers a glimpse of a distant world that may be among the largest objects identified in the outer solar system in decades.

Using observations from the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, researchers identified the object, provisionally designated 2026 ED138, and estimated that it measures between 600 and 1,500 kilometers (370 and 930 miles) across.

On October 13, astrophysicist Matthew Holman of the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, identified the object while analyzing data collected by Rubin earlier this year. Its unusual brightness and distance suggested that it could be large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet.

If confirmed, ED138 could join Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake as one of the five dwarf planets officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

“If confirmed as a dwarf planet, ED138 would join a very small family of worlds,” Holman said in a statement. “Rubin will image the whole southern sky again and again for 10 years, so any others hiding in the places earlier surveys skipped are now within reach.”

Holman and Mario Jurić, a University of Washington professor of astronomy and Rubin’s solar system lead scientist, presented the findings at a press conference during the 58th Annual Division for Planetary Sciences meeting in Spokane, Washington.

A hidden new world 

“Finding an object this big, roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) across, is something that happens maybe once in a generation,” Jurić said. “It’s the largest trans-Neptunian object found in about 20 years, and Rubin turned it up while we were still commissioning the telescope.”

ED138 is 46 times farther away from the Sun than Earth, and currently sits  46 astronomical units (AU) from our star than Earth. By contrast, Pluto’s orbital distance is 40 AU.

The newfound object belongs to a population of distant bodies known as trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), which orbit the Sun beyond Neptune. These objects offer important clues about the solar system’s early history, including how giant planets moved and how gravitational interactions scattered objects to the farthest reaches of our cosmic neighborhood. 

Qualifications for being a dwarf planet 

Under the International Astronomical Union’s definition, a dwarf planet must orbit the Sun, possess enough mass for its gravity to pull it into a nearly round shape, and not have cleared its orbital neighborhood of other objects. It also cannot be a satellite.

Reviewing the newly obtained data, astronomers found that, based on the object’s brightness, distance, and estimated surface reflectivity, the object could be between 600 and 1,500 kilometers across. However, more observations are needed to understand its dimensions. 

“My first reaction was one of excited disbelief,” Holman said. “Objects like this are very rare, so I immediately started checking whether I or the code had done something wrong.”

How the object was found 

Holman identified ED138 using a computer algorithm developed with fellow astrophysicist Kevin Napier. The software searches through billions of detections, comparing observations of moving objects to determine which measurements correspond to the same celestial body.

After the initial discovery on October 13, researchers began searching existing observations to confirm the object’s identity and better understand its orbit. Jurić searched Rubin’s archival data and image catalogs to help verify the discovery, uncovering 20 more images dating back to March 2026 that helped correlate their findings. 

In total, Rubin’s Simonyi Survey Telescope had observed ED138 30 times across 20 nights between March 4 and July 11.

“Rubin is giving us an unprecedented capacity to explore the sky through a combination of speed, depth and precision,” Jurić said. “And the discovery is just the beginning: Once we identify a new object, we can search back months, and sometimes even decades, finding it in images where nobody knew to look.

“This ability to both discover and ‘precover’ objects is transforming how quickly and accurately we can determine their orbits and understand the distant solar system,” Jurić added.

• Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com. To contact Chrissy with a story, please email chrissy @ thedebrief.org.

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{ https://thedebrief.org/category/space/ }

EXCLUSIVE - The chilling threat to Americans floating over their heads... as insiders reveal how the next world war will actually take shape

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR and JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT

After a string of mysterious rocket launches by SpaceX this month, the US military has finally confirmed what many suspected: space-based weapons have been placed into Earth's orbit.

The unprecedented announcement came after SpaceX would only say that they were carrying top-secret payloads for the US Space Force, launching a pair of rockets from their California base in less than a week.

Now, the top uniformed officer in America's newest military branch, USSF Chief of Space Operations General Douglas Schiess, has told the Daily Mail that space has quietly become a secret battlefield - and the US is in a struggle with other superpowers to control it.

Schiess said: 'Space is both a battlefield and the backbone of our Joint Force. 

'We face determined and credible adversaries who are building and fielding counterspace systems at incredible speeds to directly target the United States' space advantage.'

'Let me be clear: Today, Guardians [Space Force personnel] operate on-orbit weapons that can defend the Joint Force against space-enabled attacks.'

On September 16, SpaceX launched a classified payload into orbit for the US Space Force, which is charged with defending the country's satellites and communications systems

A Space Force spokesperson specifically singled out Russia and China, claiming that both nations had been testing weapons for use in space for the last two decades.

While the Pentagon has not revealed what the September 2026 rocket launches were carrying for the Space Force, the White House has already made it clear that one of the military's goals is building President Donald Trump's 'Golden Dome' - a giant net of sensors and missile-interceptor satellites around the globe.

On September 14, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made the shock announcement that those interceptors had already gone from the development phase to 'flight-ready hardware' in less than a year.

Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Meink said the US was prepared to deal with 'evolving threats' but did not elaborate on the weapon's offensive capabilities or when it was put into orbit.

Space Force was created in 2019 with the main mission of protecting satellites used for communications, navigation and surveillance.

However, a military spokesperson told the Daily Mail the US is facing increased threats that could originate from hostile satellites in Earth orbit - comparing the vast vacuum just miles above Earth's surface to an actual battle zone.

'The US has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain,' they said.

'Acknowledging our readiness to protect and defend against adversary use of space weapons deters aggression. The space domain is contested, and we must be able to secure our nation's interests in space - that is why the Space Force was established as the sixth military service.'

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink confirmed the US military placed weapons in orbit above Earth

President Trump has wants a 'Golden Dome' missile defense system by the end of the decade

Pictured: A hypothetical scenario showing how the US 'Golden Dome' system would activate and prevent a nuclear attack on America

The source did not reveal what the new weapons placed in orbit were capable of, when they were launched into space or how these systems operate. 

Five years ago, the Russian military showed how lethal its space-based satellites could be, successfully testing a hit-to-kill anti-satellite missile in 2021.

The device obliterated a defunct, Soviet-era spy satellite launched in 1982, sparking condemnation from around the world.

It is believed that the Golden Dome, which the White House wants completed by the end of the decade, will consist of sensors and tracking satellites, ground and sea-based missile platforms and a planned 'constellation' of space-based interceptors.

Similar to the defense missile used by Israel, the 'dome' would act like a layered shield meant to detect and shoot down missiles and other airborne attacks on the American homeland.

The interceptors in space would sit in orbit and, if used, try to ram an enemy missile early in flight before it can drop warheads or decoys.

Besides the interceptors, Golden Dome is also expected to feature sensor and enemy tracking platforms sitting in orbit.

Those satellites would watch for missile launches from foreign nations or other adversaries, follow the threat across the sky and feed targeting data to the interceptors on land, at sea or in space.

Officials want them there because a missile can appear with only minutes of warning, and space is the only place that can see almost the entire surface of the Earth at one time.

While the Pentagon has not revealed the specifics of these new systems moving into the 'flight-ready' status, lawmakers in Washington have already done the math on how many interceptors will need to be launched to complete Trump's plan.

A so-called 'golden dome' would help protect the United States from outer space

The US has deployed a space weapon in the Earth's orbit for the first time, its air force said

According to a May 2026 report from the Congressional Budget Office, the US would need approximately 7,800 interceptor satellites in low Earth orbit to effectively defend the country.

That estimate came from an assessment of what it would take to stop ten long-range missiles, possibly nuclear-capable ICBMs, which were fired at America at the same time.

The CBO report also laid out a jaw-dropping $1.2 trillion price tag for the Golden Dome. This would cover the development, deployment and operation of these satellites for the next 20 years.

There is one type of weapon that the US has agreed to not launch into space - nuclear missiles or other weapons of mass destruction. These typically include chemical and biological weapons.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which the US signed and ratified, states that countries may not place nuclear devices or other similar weapons into Earth orbit, on the Moon or elsewhere in outer space.

However, that does not ban conventional weapons, signal jammers, missile interceptors or military satellites. 

There are more than 110 'states parties' - meaning countries which are legally bound to obey it - that have signed the agreement over the years.

US lawmakers have raised concerns Russia wants a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space

All major countries which have ventured into space are parties, including Russia and China.

Despite that, US lawmakers, including Republican Mike Turner, the former head of the House intelligence committee, have claimed that Russia is prepared to violate that agreement and take the space arms race nuclear.

In 2024, Turner demanded that the Biden Administration declassify all intelligence on a 'serious national security threat' that was believed to involve Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in space.

Moscow denied the claim. Putin said Russia opposed nuclear weapons in space, and then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said there were 'no such projects.'

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NASA astronaut reveals reason he is convinced aliens exist as he warns of possible war in space

• MORE: The chilling threat to Americans floating over their heads... as insiders reveal how the next world war will actually take shape

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

A NASA astronaut has publicly said that extraterrestrial life exists during an interview where he warned of a possible military showdown in space. 

Winston Scott, who flew on two space shuttle missions in the 1990s, told Jesse Watters Primetime he was confident humans were not the only intelligent life in the cosmos.

'I do believe there is life someplace else out there in the universe. Now, whether or not it’s visiting us here on Earth or not is a topic of discussion. I think E.T. is out there some place,' Scott said.

Scott explained that the math surrounding the search for extraterrestrials overwhelmingly favored their existence, simply because there are billions of planets in the universe – some must have evolved similar to Earth.

'We can’t be the only one that has intelligent life,' he added.

Scott's comments came days after the Pentagon released a new batch of declassified UFO files, including reports from witnesses who claimed they saw beings known as ‘skinwalkers’ and government agents who tracked a mysterious craft over the US.

The astronaut also gave a grim warning about the current state of America's space race with China and Russia, noting that weapons have already been placed in orbit above Earth and may be needed in a war between the world powers.

'We live in a world where we have to be prepared to defend ourselves militarily. We hope we don’t see conflict and combat in space but I would not rule it out,' Scott admitted.

NASA astronaut Winston Scott during his space shuttle missions in the 1990s

Photos released by the Pentagon show an alleged UFO flying over the western US in 2026

Scott said he hoped the exploration of space could be a unifying place. However, he also pointed out the real-world tensions between the countries – who actually still work together on certain space-related projects.

'Russia is our partner in terms of the International Space Station, but they are not our ally,' he told Fox News on Wednesday.

The astronaut then described the situation between the US and China as more 'military-oriented,' adding that the US Space Force already confirmed they placed weapons in orbit this year specifically to counter actions by their long-time rival.

A military spokesperson told the Daily Mail the US was facing increased threats that could originate from hostile satellites in Earth orbit and compared the vast vacuum just miles above the planet's surface to an actual battlefield.

'The US has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain,' the spokesperson said.

In September, the same month Space Force launched multiple top-secret payloads into space, the Pentagon released a chilling new plan to prepare all military bases to survive on their own for at least 90 days in the event of a major attack on the US.

Veteran FBI agents have said the plan, called FORTRESS America, is a clear response to the threat of a major nuclear attack on US soil.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which the US signed and ratified, states that countries may not place nuclear devices or other similar weapons in Earth orbit, on the moon or elsewhere in space. However, it does not ban deploying conventional weapons, signal jammers, missile interceptors or military satellites.

The US has deployed a space weapon in the Earth's orbit for the first time, the Air Force said

Although Scott warned of the potential for space to become the next battle ground, featuring America's missile interceptors raining down from orbit to take out enemy rockets, he added he was still optimistic about the race to the moon and beyond.

Compared to 50 years ago when NASA was the only US organization building spacecraft, the astronaut said private space companies have made space exploration cheaper, more efficient and more productive.

Despite his reasoning for why aliens must exist, the US gover

Scott strongly endorsed the competition between Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin to build the vehicles which will reach the lunar surface by 2028.

'Competition is the American way,' Scott declared.

Compared to 50 years ago when NASA was the only US organization building spacecraft, the astronaut said private space companies have made space exploration cheaper, more efficient and more productive.

Despite his reasoning for why aliens must exist, the US government has maintained that no physical proof of UFOs or extraterrestrials has ever been discovered on Earth.

Former military personnel, NASA astronauts and scientists have claimed this is not true, alleging they had first-hand encounters with alien life which had crashed on Earth over the last 80 years.

This included a report in the October 23 Pentagon release, detailing the eyewitness testimony of US Army Officer Walter G Haut, who claimed in a sworn statement that he saw the debris and dead bodies from the infamous 1947 Roswell UFO crash.

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Written account of Jesus rising from the dead identified in 2,000-year-old manuscript, study suggests

• READ MORE: True tomb of Jesus discovered after 2,000 years as hidden location that aligns with Bible account is found  

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

The Bible says Jesus was crucified, rose from the dead on the third day and appeared to his followers nearly 2,000 years ago.

Now, a researcher has identified wording in an ancient text that he argues may preserve a first-century written account of Jesus' resurrection. The disputed passage is attributed to a historian who was not Christian.

Known as the Testimonium Flavianum, the passage appears in Jewish Antiquities, a history of the Jewish people that Flavius Josephus wrote around AD 93 to 94 and that was translated into several languages.

Independent researcher Jesús Fernández-Pedrera Correa from Spain compared Greek, Latin, Arabic and Syriac versions to investigate which elements may have survived from the original account.

The Latin, Arabic and Syriac versions all describe Jesus appearing alive to his followers after his crucifixion.

The surviving Greek account states that Jesus appeared alive on the third day and links the event to biblical prophecy, while the Latin states that ‘he appeared to them the third day alive.’

The Arabic account specifically presents the appearance as something the disciples reported. 

Fernández-Pedrera Correa suggests that wording could preserve an earlier passage in which Josephus recorded what Jesus’s followers said they had seen.

The Testimonium Flavianum is a passage about Jesus in Jewish Antiquities, a history of the Jewish people that Josephus wrote around AD 93 to 94 

The preprint study compares four versions of the passage, preserved in Greek, Latin, Arabic and Syriac through centuries of copying, quotation and retelling. 

The Latin account dates to the late fourth century, while the Arabic and Syriac accounts come from the tenth and twelfth centuries. 

The study examines later copies and retellings of Josephus’s work, rather than a surviving manuscript from his lifetime. 

Comparing them gives researchers clues to how the passage changed as it was copied and retold. 

Fernández-Pedrera Correa's new analysis revisited the translated versions and argued that their differences offer clues to the passage's earlier form.

One clue, the researcher argued, is wording that sounds more like Christian preaching than a non-Christian historian’s account.

The surviving Greek version states: ‘He appeared to them alive again on the third day, the divine prophets having foretold these and countless other wonders about him.’

Fernández-Pedrera Correa singles out the reference to fulfilled prophecy as particularly Christian language, raising questions about whether Josephus would have written the sentence in that form.

Now, a researcher has identified wording in an ancient text that he argues may preserve a first-century written account of Jesus rising from the dead

Elsewhere, Josephus recorded the beliefs and reports of Jewish religious groups without necessarily accepting them himself.

Fernández-Pedrera Correa argued that he could have treated the experiences similarly described by Jesus’s followers, recording their reports of seeing him alive after his crucifixion.

Later Christian copying may have expanded that report into a direct statement that Jesus rose from the dead and fulfilled biblical prophecy.

However, the researcher considered this reconstruction plausible rather than established. The surviving versions cannot determine exactly how much of the resurrection reference Josephus originally wrote.

Scholars have long questioned other statements in the passage that appear to express Christian beliefs, raising suspicions that they were added after Josephus wrote.

The clearest case concerns the declaration that Jesus 'was the Christ.' 

The Latin describes Jesus as having been believed to be the Messiah, the Syriac says he was thought to be the Messiah and the Arabic cautiously suggests he was ‘perhaps’ the Messiah. 

The researcher also pointed to Origen, an early Christian writer who said Josephus did not accept Jesus as the Messiah. 

Together, he argued, those clues provide the strongest evidence that the direct declaration was not the passage's original wording.

Another disputed phrase questions whether Jesus should even be called a man, implying he was more than human. It is absent from the Arabic account but survives in the Latin and Syriac versions.

The researcher argued that its absence could reflect Agapius shortening the passage, leaving less direct evidence that the phrase was a later addition.

Fernández-Pedrera Correa is more confident about the closing statement that Jesus's followers continued to exist in the historian's own day.

Its wording and subject fit Josephus's writing habits, he argued, and the versions show no comparable disagreement at that point.

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