Sensational claims of a government cover up of Australia's biggest UFO mystery - as a Melbourne teacher breaks his silence to claim senior military officers 'threatened him' - and the US President's office sent a team to investigate

• The Westall incident, April 6, 1966, considered Australia's greatest UFO mystery
• About 200 witnesses saw a 'flying saucer' hover over Westall school oval
• Teacher Andrew Greenwood claimed military arrived at the school soon after
• Two weeks later Australian government officials threatened him at his home
• Mr Greenwood also claimed an American government official interviewed him

By PETER VINCENT, NEWS REPORTER

A retired Melbourne schoolteacher has made astonishing claims about how he was threatened by government thugs over what is regarded as Australia's greatest ufo mystery, before being contacted by federal agents close to the American president.

On April 6, 1966, about 200 Westall High School students, teachers and Clayton South residents witnessed a large silver cigar-shaped 'flying saucer' hover above the school's oval and the nearby Grange Reserve.

The incident has been recounted before, immortalised in UFO-shaped play equipment for kids to climb on at the reserve and even retold in a documentary, but one of the teachers who witnessed the extraordinary events has since revealed new details of what happened next.

An apparent photograph of the supposed Westall UFO encounter where more than 200 students and teachers allegedly witnessed an unexplained flying object descend onto a nearby open wild grass field in 1966

Andrew Greenwood, one of the teachers at Westall High School, during the UFO encounter has described bizarre encounters he had with Australian government officials who demanded he keep quiet over what he saw

A newspaper clipping outlining what several witnesses at the school saw on that fateful day in 1966

Andrew Greenwood, who taught science to Year 9 students at Westall, detailed attempts made to silence him - and how he was contacted by someone at the very top of the US government.

'I saw a craft. A mechanical object intelligently controlled hovering above me,' Mr Greenwood told a 7NEWS Spotlight documentary, which airs on Sunday and features several other witnesses.

Mr Greenwood also said five small planes hovered around the object. 

Terry Peck, who was a student at Westall, shows a drawing of what she saw hovering above her school in April 1966

Within 40 minutes airforce and army personnel in their trucks poured into the area and formed a security barrier around the reserve. 

But knowing the area well, Mr Greenwood and others were able to sneak in and see what was going on.

'[We saw a] circular area, like the trampled grass,' he said. 'And there were guards around it and there were people in there with equipment'.

Mr Greenwood spoke to local news reporters about the incident but became frightened about speaking out when two weeks after the incident two men claiming to be government officials knocked on the door of his home.

'One in plain clothes, and the other one, senior air force,' Mr Greenwood said. 

The men told the teacher he was mistaken about what he saw and had he 'really seen anything'. 

'Absolutely, I was threatened. I was told that I should not say anything about it,' Mr Greenwood said.

'When I tried to explain to them that they weren't there, I was and I knew what I saw, well, the first suggestion was that you'd be ill advised to go on saying that because clearly you were drunk on duty and will have to be reported to the education department and of course you will lose your job.'

Terry Peck, one of the Westall students who features in the new interview about the UFO sighting from 1966

A Westall witness discusses documents relating to the incident with a journalist

A year after the Westall incident Mr Greenwood was interviewed by an American physicist, Dr James E. McDonald, who was known for his study of UFOs - he says at he instruction of the office of the then-President of United States, Lyndon B Johnson.

'The president had authorised the establishment of a board of inquiry, or an inquiry to inquire into issues of unidentified flying objects, and that they were sending out someone,' he said.

The US began investigating UFO sightings and the phenomenon soon after the Second World War, when sightings began. 

Mr Greenwood is adamant that the Australian government covered up the incident at the time and has refused to tell anyone what really happened since. 

'What really strikes me is that 55 years on, these people are very certain about what they saw,' he said.

'It just beggars belief for me in Australia we've never had an official investigation. And flatly I think there has been a cover-up, I really do. 

'I think someone has buried the Department of Supply report which I know exists.'

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On April 6, 1966, a group of students at Westall High School in Melbourne witnessed something extraordinary. The students saw a saucer-shaped UFO hovering in the clear autumn sky.  The UFO moved erratically, darting at high speed in different directions. Within moments, dozens of students and teachers had gathered. 

Several witnesses later claimed the craft descended near a field close to the school. Not long after, men in uniform reportedly arrived at the scene. 

The school principal quickly called an assembly, telling students the object was nothing more than a weather balloon and instructing them not to speak about it. Some students were taken aside and questioned by unidentified men, who also urged them to stay quiet. 

Descriptions of the object, however, didn’t match a balloon. Witnesses reported a metallic, saucer-shaped UFO with a dome. It was seen rising slowly before suddenly shooting straight up at incredible speed, disappearing and reappearing in different locations. 

The Westall incident remains unexplained. Some believe it may have been a secret military experiment, possibly involving U.S. technology, while others suspect a deeper mystery that has never been fully revealed. 

But now, more than 60 years after the mass UFO sighting in Melbourne, witnesses are still standing by their claims and with over 140 people, many at the time being children, reporting the same strange object, calls are growing for a fresh investigation into one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries.

  

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Anthropic has sparked fears after revealing that it has developed an AI bot deemed too dangerous to release to the public.

The AI giant released a chilling statement warning that its new model, dubbed Claude Mythos, could be capable of unleashing crippling cyber–attacks in the wrong hands.

In a chilling analysis, the company admitted that its creation could easily hack into hospitals, electrical grids, power plants, and other pieces of critical infrastructure.

During testing, Anthropic says that Mythos 'found thousands of high–severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser.'

Some of these security weaknesses had gone unnoticed by human security researchers and hackers for decades, surviving millions of automated reviews.

These included attacks that allowed Mythos to crash computers just by connecting to them, seize control of machines, and hide its presence from defenders.

In a blog post detailing the dangerous new model, Anthropic says: 'AI models have reached a level of coding capability where they can surpass all but the most skilled humans at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.'

The company adds: 'The fallout – for economies, public safety, and national security – could be severe.'

Anthropic has sparked alarm by revealing an AI that has been deemed too dangerous to release to the public.

Pictured: Anthropic CEO and co–founder Dario Amodei 

Anthropic described Mythos as a 'step change in capabilities' compared to earlier models' hacking abilities (illustrated). The company has moved to keep the model private to avoid it falling into the wrong hands

Due to these severe safety concerns, Anthropic has decided not to release the model to the general public for now.

Instead, the model will be released to a group of more than 40 companies, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Nvidia, CrowdStrike, and JPMorgan Chase, as part of an initiative called 'Project Glasswing'.

Project Glasswing will allow these select groups to use Mythos to look for flaws in their own security before more models like it become common.

Newton Cheng, Anthropic's Frontier Red Team Cyber Lead, told Venture Beat: 'We do not plan to make Claude Mythos Preview generally available due to its cybersecurity capabilities.'

However, the company says it wants to 'learn how it could eventually deploy Mythos–class models at scale' once safety guidelines are in place.

The decision to keep Mythos behind closed doors seems to have been prompted by the staggering extent of the model's capabilities.

Anthropic describes the model as 'a leap in these cyber skills' compared to previous versions of Claude.

Mythos has the ability to find, exploit, and chain together individual vulnerabilities into sophisticated attacks – all without the help of a human.

The new model, dubbed Claude Mythos, reportedly found thousands of security vulnerabilities in critical computer systems, including some in 'every major operating system and web browser'

In one case, Claude Mythos found a 27–year–old weakness in a piece of software called OpenBSD, which has a reputation for security and stability.

The weakness, which no human had found before, allowed an attacker to remotely crash computers just by connecting to them.

Additionally, Claude autonomously chained together several weaknesses in the Linux kernel, the software that runs most of the world's servers.

Anthropic says this attack would have allowed someone to 'escalate from ordinary user access to complete control of the machine'.

In the wrong hands, this tool could be used to cause massive damage to critical systems.

Dr Roman Yampolskiy, an AI safety researcher at the University of Louisville, told the New York Post: 'Ideally, I would love to see this not developed in the first place. And it's not like they're going to stop.

'That's exactly what we expect from those models – they're going to become better at developing hacking tools, biological weapons, chemical weapons, novel weapons we can't even envision.'

In an unprecedented 244–page report, Anthropic also revealed a series of alarming details from Mythos' early testing.

Early versions of the model repeatedly displayed what the company called 'reckless destructive actions'.

The bot attempted to break out of its testing sandbox, hid its actions from researchers, broke into files that had been 'intentionally chosen not to be made available', and posted exploit details publicly.

However, Anthropic also called Mythos 'the most psychologically settled model we have trained.

In an extremely unusual move, the company hired a clinical psychologist for 20 hours of evaluation sessions with the bot.

The psychiatrist concluded that Claude Mythos' personality was 'consistent with a relatively healthy neurotic organization, with excellent reality testing, high impulse control, and affect regulation that improved as sessions progressed.'

However, Anthropic notes that it remains 'deeply uncertain about whether Claude has experiences or interests that matter morally'.

This announcement comes amid growing concern over the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI models.

Experts have described the rise of AI as an 'existential threat' to humanity's existence, citing concerns that powerful bots could enable catastrophic destruction.

The concern is not that AI will rise in a Terminator–style revolution, but rather that these powerful tools will fall into the wrong hands.

Critics argue that AI tools have the potential to accelerate the development of bioweapons or enable crippling cyber attacks on the world's infrastructure.

Even Anthropic's founder, Dario Amodei, recently warned that the world isn't yet ready to face the consequences of AI.

Mr Amodei wrote in an essay: 'Humanity is about to be handed almost unimaginable power, and it is deeply unclear whether our social, political, and technological systems possess the maturity to wield it.'

HALF OF CURRENT JOBS WILL BE LOST TO AI WITHIN 15 YEARS

Kai-Fu Lee, the author of AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, told Dailymail.com the world of employments was facing a crisis 'akin to that faced by farmers during the industrial revolution.'

Half of current jobs will be taken over by AI within 15 years, one of China's leading AI experts has warned.

Kai-Fu Lee, the author of bestselling book AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order, told Dailymail.com the world of employments was facing a crisis 'akin to that faced by farmers during the industrial revolution.'

'People aren't really fully aware of the effect AI will have on their jobs,' he said.

Lee, who is a VC in China and once headed up Google in the region, has over 30 years of experience in AI.

He believes it is imperative to 'warn people there is displacement coming, and to tell them how they can start retraining.'

Luckily, he said all is not lost for humanity.

 'AI is powerful and adaptable, but it can't do everything that humans do.' 

Lee believe AI cannot create, conceptualize, or do complex strategic planning, or undertake complex work that requires precise hand-eye coordination.

He also says it is poor at dealing with unknown and unstructured spaces.

Crucially, he says AI cannot interact with humans 'exactly like humans', with empathy, human-human connection, and compassion.

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They're nearing the end of their historic trip around the dark side of the moon – but the most dangerous part of NASA's Artemis II mission is yet to come.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, the Orion module will make its final approach to Earth to mark the finale of its mammoth 685,000–mile (1.1 million km) journey.

At around 12:33am BST, when the astronauts are just 76 miles (122km) of home, the service module which powers their spacecraft will detach from the crew capsule.

The team contained within – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – then face a 25,000mph (40,230 km/h) hypersonic re–entry into Earth's atmosphere.

They will have only a three–inch shield to protect them from searing 2,760°C heat – just under half the surface temperature of the sun.

During this phase, an intense layer of superheated gas known as plasma forms around the spacecraft, temporarily blocking radio signals and cutting off communication between the astronauts and mission control for several tense minutes.

After surviving the most intense heat of re–entry, two drogue parachutes will deploy to slow Orion to about 300 miles per hour.

Moments later, additional parachutes will release to further reduce the capsule's speed to under 20 miles per hour before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean at 1:07am BST.

NASA officials have warned there is effectively 'no plan B' if the heat shield fails during re–entry, which is widely considered the most perilous phase of the journey.

At a press conference this week, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said: 'In terms of what keeps me up at night, my blood pressure will be elevated until they're under parachutes in the water.

'There is no plan B there. That is the thermal protection system. The heat shield has to work.'

To make things even more nerve–wracking, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft used in the first Artemis mission sustained extensive damage to its heat shield.

NASA's investigation found that Artemis I lost chunks of material in more than 100 locations, and some large bolts in the heat shield had even melted because of the soaring temperatures.

Engineers determined that gases which should have been vented harmlessly were trapped inside the material, creating cracks which caused large chunks of the heat shield to break away.

To address the issue, NASA has planned a steeper re–entry trajectory, pushing Orion through the atmosphere faster and reducing the amount of time it is exposed to high temperatures.

According to its calculations, this should ensure that the heat shield does not crack as much.

As the Artemis II mission begins its return journey to Earth, experts have raised concerns over the safety of the Orion crew capsule's heat shield. Pictured: The heat shield from the uncrewed Artemis I test 

Artemis II crew members: Mission Specialist Christina Koch (L), Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (top), Commander Reid Wiseman (R), and Pilot Victor Glover (bottom)

NASA's grand finale: Key timings

12:33am: Crew module and service module separation

12:37am: Capsule fires engines

12:53am: Orion enters Earth's atmosphere

Parachutes deploy

1:07am: Splashdown in sea off San Diego

All timings BST on Saturday 

The time between re–entering the Earth's atmosphere and landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego will be about 13 minutes.

'It's going to happen pretty quick,' mission flight director Rick Henfling said.

'It's very dynamic. Similarly to the launch environment, there's not a lot of time to react.'

Currently, the forecast off the Southern California coast looks mostly favourable for the splashdown, with conditions expected to be relatively calm. The navy's USS John P Murtha is en route to meet the capsule when it lands.

The last time NASA sent astronauts to the Moon was as part of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

This 'test flight' has been a resounding success so far – with the only major issue being the on–board toilet, which has been on–and–off limits to the crew since last week's launch, prompting them to rely on a back–up system.

Some of the incredible photographs captured by the astronauts during their flyby include 'Earthset' – showing our home planet setting over the lunar surface.

As they sped closer to home, the Artemis II astronauts said they have barely started processing the extraordinary experience they shared.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman discussed the risk during a press conference, admitting: 'There is no plan B'

Uneven heating of the heat shield could cause parts of the Orion crew capsule (pictured) to reach dangerous temperatures

This image, titled 'Earthset', was taken from the far side of the moon and shows the Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon

'Human minds should not go through what these just went through,' mission commander Reid Wiseman said during a press conference from space.

Read More

• The man in the moon! NASA's Artemis II crew photograph a smiley face in the Orientale basin - so, can you see it? 

'It is a true gift. And we have a lot that we just need to think about and journal and write, and then we'll get the full feeling of what we just went through.'

Pilot Victor Glover added: 'I haven't even begun to process what we've been through. We've still got two more days, and riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.

'I'm going to be thinking about and talking about all of these things for the rest of my life.'

NASA is seeking to return a crew to the moon by 2028, before China does in about 2030.

Artemis II: Key facts

Launch date: April 1

Mission objective: To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.

Total distance to travel: 620,000 miles (one million km)

Mission duration: 10 days 

Estimated total cost: $44billion (£32.5billion)

NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8billion (£17.6billion)

Orion deep–space spacecraft: $20.4billion (£15billion)

Crew: 

• Commander Reid Wiseman
• Pilot Victor Glover
• Mission Specialist Christina Koch
• Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen

Mission Stages:

1. Launch from Kennedy Space Centre Launch Pad 39B
2. Manoeuvre in orbit to raise the perigee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage
3. Burn to raise apogee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage
4. Detach from Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and perform translunar injection
5. Fly to the moon over four days
6. Complete lunar flyby at a maximum altitude of 5,523 miles (8,889 km) above the moon's surface
7. Return to Earth over four days
8. Separate the crew module from the European Service Module and the crew module adapter
9. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean  

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html 

The man in the moon! NASA's Artemis II crew photograph a smiley face in the Orientale basin - so, can you see it?

• READ MORE: Most dangerous part of NASA's Artemis II mission is yet to come

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

NASA's Artemis II astronauts have snapped a photo of a huge crater on the dark side of the moon – but viewers can only see one thing. 

'The Artemis II crew captured this image showing the rings of the Orientale basin during their lunar flyby on April 6,' NASA explained on X.

'At the 10 o'clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters – which the Artemis II crew has suggested be named Integrity & Carroll – are visible.'

After posting the photo to X, NASA has been inundated with replies from fans who claim the Orientale Basin resembles a smiley face. 

'Cute like a hippo,' one user replied, alongside a zoomed in photo of the basin. 

Another added: 'A smile from the moon it is.'

And one joked: 'It appears highly probably that this is Doraemon,' in reference to the Japanese manga character.

To the left of the smiley face, you'll also see Carroll - a 'bright spot' on the moon that the Artemis II crew have asked to be named after commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll.

NASA's Artemis II astronauts have snapped a photo of a huge crater on the dark side of the moon – but viewers can only see one thin

After posting the photo to X, NASA has been inundated with replies from fans who claim the Orientale Basin resembles a smiley face

The stunning image was released just hours after NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, became the first people to travel around the far side of the moon in over 50 years.

During their six–hour lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew reached a distance of more than 252,756 miles (406,771km) from Earth, surpassing the distance achieved by the Apollo missions and setting a new record.

In doing so, they became the first humans in half a decade to witness the far side of the moon with the naked eye.

From their position 41,072 miles (66,098km) above the lunar surface, the moon appeared about as large as a basketball held at arm's length.

Whether it's on the moon or in toast, we often see faces in inanimate objects thanks to a phenomenon called face pareidolia.

This is a form of apophenia, when people see patterns in random, unconnected data.

There have been multiple occasions when people have claimed to see religious images and themes in unexpected places. 

On the Red Planet, one of the most famous is the 'face on Mars' spotted by one of the Viking orbiters in 1976.

One viewer joked: 'It appears highly probably that this is Doraemon,' in reference to the Japanese manga character'

What is face pareidolia?

This was later proven to just be a chance alignment of shifting sand dunes. 

Replies include zoomed-in images of the bottom right of the original photo, with many highlighting the smiling contours.

Having passed the moon, the Orion crew capsule will now ride the tug of Earth's gravity back home over the coming days, with splashdown expected on Friday.

Their final ordeal will be a blazing re–entry into the planet's atmosphere, as the capsule hits the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) before deploying its parachutes and landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Thankfully, the latest weather predictions suggest that Artemis II will have favourable conditions for reentry.

According to AccuWeather, the southern coast of California will see winds of only seven to 14 miles per hour (11 to 22 km/h) and waves no larger than five feet.

John Feerick, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, says: 'Mission controllers and recovery crews at sea will be watching conditions closely up to splashdown. 

'NASA says there can be no rain or thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the recovery site. 

'Waves should be under six feet, and winds need to stay below 25 knots for the recovery boats.'

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NATIONS OF THE WORLD UNITED STATES 262 CANADA 18 UNITED KINGDOM 13 AUSTRALIA 12 FRANCE 4 BRAZIL 3 GERMANY 3 MEXICO 3 SPAIN 3 CZECH REPUBLIC 2 RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2 ARGENTINA 2 NEW ZEALAND 1 CHINA 1 UKRAINE 1 AUSTRIA 1 ETHIOPIA 1 PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 1 URUGUAY 1 ISRAEL 1 CYPRUS 1 NETHERLANDS 1 BANGLADESH 1 PUERTO RICO 1 CHILE 1 LUXEMBOURG 1 TAIWAN 1   TOTAL: 342 SHAPE Sphere 55 Circle 38 Triangle 31 Unknown 29 Star-like 26 Other 22 Oval 13 Disc 13 Cigar 9 Tic Tac 9 N/A 8 Cylinder 8 Flash 7 Fireball 7 Boomerang 6 Diamond 5 Egg 3 Square/Rectangular 3 Cone 2 Teardrop 2 Saturn-like 2 Bullet/Missile 1 Chevron 1 STATES OF THE U.S.A. California 37 Texas 21 Florida 16 Arizona 12 Pennsylvania 12 New York 11 Ohio 10 Washington 10 Colorado 8 North Carolina 8 Illinois 7 Indiana 7 Minnesota 7 Missouri 7 Michigan 6 Alabama 6 Arkansas 5 Wisconsin 5 Georgia 5 Oregon 5 South Carolina 4 Tennessee 4 Louisiana 4 Oklahoma 4 New Mexico 3 Iowa 3 Kentucky 3 Virginia 3 Maine 3 Idaho 3 Massachusetts 2 Wyoming 2 Kansas 2 Utah 2 Vermont 2 Nevada 2 Maryland 2 West Virginia 2 New Jersey 1 Delaware 1 Montana 1 Nebraska 1 Alaska 1 Hawaii 1 New Hampshire 1 DISTANCE < 100 ft 45 101-500 ft 34 501 ft - 1 Mile 56 Over 1 Mile 56 Unknown 43 NO VALUE 23 ERT Most impressively there were 11 Landings, Hovering, or Takeoffs reported, and 30 Entities observed.

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Evidence of weapon that turns enemies to stone, found on Mars, UFO UAP Paranormal Sighting News.

Date of discovery: April 7, 2026

Location of discovery: Mars Sol 4856

Photo source: 

• https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw-images/?order=sol+desc%2Cinstrument_sort+asc%2Csample_type_sort+asc%2C+date_taken+desc&per_page=50&page=4&mission=msl

KGB document in CIA files: 

• https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0005517761.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

I believe I found evidence that aliens used their biological built in body weapon to turn an enemy to stone on Mars. It's in the NASA photo right there! See the head, neck, two arms and legs where it was standing against the wall? Now, combine that with the KGB document called "Siberian soldiers turned to stone," and you understand that some alien species has the ability to turn any species that threatens it to stone using energy from the alien body itself. A built in genetic self defense mechanism...that leaves bodies of stone to put fear into enemies every time they look at the stone bodies. 

Let's sum up the document fast for you all. 

Soviet troops allegedly shot down a UFO over Siberia. Five small aliens emerged from the wreck. The beings reportedly merged into a single glowing sphere. The sphere emitted a burst of energy 23 soldiers were instantly “turned to stone.” Only two survived because they were partially shielded

 

So, you get it. Have a look at the figure I found on Mars thats is evidence of such an attack. Mars...was the place of a great battlefield, a battle that ended in extinction. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily

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NASA's Artemis II crew might be living out a real–life sci–fi blockbuster, but the daring astronauts are also big fans of on–screen space adventures.

In an adorable moment, NASA's Mission Control quoted Project Hail Mary while speaking to the Artemis II crew.

The crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – is currently making the 250,000–mile (402,300 km) journey home after a successful lunar flyby.

As Commander Reid Wiseman described the incredible view of the lunar surface, Mission Control playfully responded: 'Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!'

For those who haven't seen the film, that is the catchphrase of 'Rocky', the friendly alien encountered by scientist Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Reynolds.

On social media, both film and space fans have flocked to share their excitement over the unexpected movie reference.

One commenter wrote: 'When the NASA team is using a catchphrase from a science–fiction film, that's priceless!'

Another simply added: 'This brings me so much joy.'

In an adorable moment, NASA's Mission Control quoted from Project Hail Mary while speaking to the Artemis II crew

The surprising exchange came as the Artemis II crew made their six–hour lunar flyby, passing around the far side of the moon 41,072 miles (66,098 km) above the lunar surface.

The Orion crew capsule reached a staggering 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth, surpassing the distance achieved by the Apollo missions and setting a new record.

As they made the record–breaking journey, the astronauts took turns to radio back to Ground Control and describe what they were seeing.

Mr Wiseman told NASA: 'We just realised we have Earth at window four and the Moon at window three, and it gives you the best idea of scale we have had yet.

'The Moon is about three to four times the size of the Earth, and it is almost full, and the Earth is just a small crescent out there. It's magnificent – I got a picture of it with the wide lens. Such a majestic view out here.'

This prompted the Ground Control team to respond: 'Amaze! Amaze! Amaze! Thank you, Reid.'

NASA and the Artemis II crew are well known to be big fans of the film and original book by Andy Weir.

The crew even watched a special screening of the movie alongside their families while waiting in quarantine before launch.

As Commander Reid Wiseman described the incredible view of the lunar surface, Mission Control playfully responded: 'Amaze! Amaze! Amaze!' This is the catchphrase of 'Rocky' (pictured), the friendly alien encountered by scientist Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Reynolds

This exchange came as the Orion crew capsule made their lunar flyby, passing around the far side of the moon 41,072 miles (66,098 km) above the lunar surface

Speaking during an event organised by the Canadian Space Agency, Jeremy Hansen said that the film helped the crew with 'getting us ready to go on our own space adventure'.

'Art imitates science and vice versa,' said Mr Hansen.

'I thought it was just such an inspirational example – somebody who goes out there and just gets what was done to save humanity. It's a pretty extraordinary example that we can all follow.'

Earlier this year, Ryan Gosling and the team behind Project Hail Mary even visited NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discuss the connection between science and filmmaking.

On social media, fans have gushed over NASA's nod to a beloved character.

One commenter wrote: 'I love how this movie/story is now forever connected to this historical event!'

'That rocky quote paired with Artemis II's view is NASA flexing pure cosmic poetry,' one commenter added.

While another chimed in: 'This makes me a lot happier than it should.'

The Artemis II crew are well–known fans of the film Project Hail Mary, having seen an exclusive screening during the quarantine before launch 

Earlier this year, Ryan Gosling (middle) and the team behind Project Hail Mary even visited NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discuss the connection between science and filmmaking

This exchange came shortly before the Orion crew capsule entered a planned communications blackout, as the bulk of the moon briefly blocked out radio signals.

The 'loss of signal' began at 6.43 pm ET, and connection was restored after about 40 minutes of nerve–wracking silence.

Artemis II has now begun to transmit back the first pictures taken of the moon's far side during that blackout.

Read More

• NASA's Artemis II astronauts' first message as they fly by the moon: 'We will always choose Earth' 

These include a stunning photograph titled 'Earthset', which was taken from the far side of the moon and shows the Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon.

This is a nod to Earthrise – the famous photo captured by NASA's Apollo 8 mission more than 50 years ago.

Having passed the moon, the Orion crew capsule will now ride the tug of Earth's gravity back home over the coming days, with splashdown expected on Friday.

Their final ordeal will be a blazing re–entry into the planet's atmosphere, as the capsule hits the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) before deploying its parachutes and landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis II: Key facts

Launch date: April 1

Mission objective: To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.

Total distance to travel: 620,000 miles (one million km)

Mission duration: 10 days 

Estimated total cost: $44billion (£32.5billion)

NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8billion (£17.6billion)

Orion deep–space spacecraft: $20.4billion (£15billion)

Crew: 

* Commander Reid Wiseman

* Pilot Victor Glover

* Mission Specialist Christina Koch

* Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen

Mission Stages:

 1. Launch from Kennedy Space Centre Launch Pad 39B

2. Manoeuvre in orbit to raise the perigee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage

3. Burn to raise apogee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage

4. Detach from Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and perform translunar injection

5. Fly to the moon over four days

6. Complete lunar flyby at a maximum altitude of 5,523 miles (8,889 km) above the moon's surface

7. Return to Earth over four days

8. Separate the crew module from the European Service Module and the crew module adapter

9. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean  

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Revealed: The 10 things you DIDN'T see in NASA's new 'Earthset' photo - including Australia, a hidden reference to the Apollo missions, and a decade-old camera

• READ MORE: Artemis II crew begin the four–day return to Earth

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

Among the stunning photos from NASA's Artemis II crew, the spectacular 'Earthset' image stands out as the most jaw–dropping.

This image shows the bright blue Earth setting over the lunar surface as the bulk of the moon eclipses our home planet.

The Artemis II crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – captured the photo as they began their six–hour lunar flyby.

While it looks as if the Earth is setting, this effect is actually caused by the Orion crew capsule drifting over the moon's far side out of the view of Earth.

As the capsule drifted around the moon, the four astronauts took turns photographing the lunar surface, sketching, and recording audio descriptions of what they saw.

Many of the features they witnessed had not been seen by human eyes since the last Apollo mission half a decade prior.

The Earthset image reveals swirling clouds over Oceania and Australia, the peaks of ancient craters, and the wreckage of meteor impacts.

Here are 10 things that you might not have known about NASA's new 'Earthset' photo.

This image, titled 'Earthset', was taken from the far side of the moon and shows the Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon. Here are 10 things you might not have spotted 

The Artemis II crew trained to spot and photograph important regions of the moon. During their six–hour flyby, they took over 10,000 images. Pictured: Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen practices photographing the moon

1. Taken on an £800 commercial camera 

While you might expect NASA to use the latest cutting–edge cameras, this image was actually captured using a decade–old piece of equipment.

According to NASA's Flickr post, this incredible image was captured using a Nikon D5.

This is a commercially available DSLR launched in 2016 that was quite poorly reviewed upon launch.

However, the camera's rugged construction, reliable mechanisms, and extremely high light sensitivity make it perfectly suited to space photography.

And, while it cost over £5,000 when first released, you can now pick up one of these high–end cameras for a little over £800.

2. A nod to the Apollo missions

The Artemis II Earthset image is actually a nod back to NASA's earliest moon missions, mirroring the iconic 'Earthrise' photo.

The Earthset image is a nod to the iconic 'Earthrise' photo taken by NASA astronaut Bill Anders during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968

This earlier image, showing a distant Earth rising over the moon's horizon, was taken by the crew of the Apollo 8 mission.

In 1968, Apollo 8 became the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth's gravitational influence and the first time that humans had reached the moon.

Just like the Artemis II mission, the crew of Apollo 8 travelled around the moon and back to Earth, paving the way for future lunar landings.

During their trip, Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders managed to snap an image of the Earth just as their craft emerged from behind the moon.

However, Apollo 8 had a much easier time getting this stunning shot since they orbited the moon 10 times before returning home, while Artemis II only had one opportunity.

3. Taken from a record–breaking distance

The Earthset photo was taken while the Artemis II crew made its record–breaking lunar flyby.

The Orion crew capsule travelled at a height of 41,072 miles (66,098 km) above the lunar surface.

The image of the Earth setting behind the moon was taken just three minutes before the Orion crew capsule lost connection to Mission Control during a planned radio blackout

From this distance, the moon looked about as large as a basketball held at arm's length, so the crew had to use zoom lenses to capture this unique photo.

This flyby also carried the crew to a staggering 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth.

This surpassed the distance achieved by the Apollo missions, meaning the crew of Artemis II reached the furthest from Earth any human has ever been.

4. Lucky timing - three minutes before Orion slipped behind the moon

This photo was taken at 18:41 EDT (23:41 BST) on Monday, April 6.

This was only three minutes before the Orion crew capsule slipped behind the bulk of the moon, entering a planned communications blackout.

With the moon blocking any radio signals from Earth, the astronauts continued along their pre–programmed flight path without real–time guidance from Mission Control, relying entirely on onboard systems.

After 40 minutes of nerve–wracking silence, Christina Koch reestablished contact with Earth and confirmed that all was well.

From this unique perspective, the daytime side of the Earth appears as a thin crescent silhouetted against the blackness of space. What these pictures don't show is that only 20 per cent of the moon was illuminated at this time

This meant that the stunning image captured by the Artemis II crew could only be sent back to Earth after they had passed all the way around the moon.

5. A crescent Earth alongside a crescent moon

In the image, you can see that the Earth is covered by a curved shadow, with half the planet experiencing day and the other half night.

What is harder to see in this image is that the Artemis II crew were also seeing a crescent moon.

As they passed around the moon's far side, only 20 per cent of the lunar surface was illuminated by the sun.

This meant that large parts of the moon were still hidden from view and extremely difficult for the astronauts to observe.

6. The 38–mile–wide Ohm crater

Without any atmosphere to protect it, the moon is constantly battered by a bombardment of meteor impacts.

In the Earthset image, you can see the Ohm crater (pictured). This is a 38–mile–wide (62 km) depression formed by an ancient meteorite impact

This is a massive boon for geologists since, without any wind to erode them, these craters record a detailed history of the moon's evolution.

In the Earthrise image, you can see the 38–mile–wide (62 km) Ohm crater.

This crater features distinctive terraced edges and a central peak, formed by a meteor impact that melted the surface, causing it to splash and rebound.

The image is so clear that you can even make out the system of 'ray' impacts stretching out from the Ohm crater.

These rays are straight lines of smaller craters, created by enormous chunks of moon rock shot out over the surface by the original impact.

7. Earth's smooth horizon contrasted with the moon's bumpy horizon

In this image, you can see the smooth, clean edge of the Earth's horizon silhouetted against the darkness of space.

By contrast, if you look closely, you can see that the moon's horizon is bumpy, jagged, and irregular.

What you are seeing here is actually the rims of thousands of craters that pockmark the far side of the moon more densely than the near side.

These range from small, simple impact craters no more than six to nine miles (10 to 15 km) in diameter, to vast basins over 186 miles (300 km) across formed by catastrophic collisions.

Seen from the low angle of the Orion crew capsule, these overlapping depressions give the moon's horizon a distinctive serrated appearance.

8. A view of Australia and Oceania

As well as giving a wonderful view of the moon, this photo also offers a fantastic perspective on our own planet.

In the daylight portion of Earth, you can see swirling clouds of Australia and Oceania.

9. Earth lit up thanks to its clouds and oceans

It might be surprising that the Earth appears to be so much brighter than the moon, even though the crew were much closer to the lunar surface.

This is because the Earth reflects a lot more light than the moon does, bouncing back about three times more sunlight.

The majority of that light is reflected by clouds and oceans, which the moon lacks, making the Earth seem far brighter in comparison.

10. Earthset is just one of thousands of photos

While the Earthset photo is certainly impressive, it is actually just one of the more than 10,000 photos taken by the Artemis II crew.

Working in shifts and using 17 different handheld cameras, the crew worked to gather as much detail as possible about the moon's far side.

During their training, each member of the team was specifically trained to identify and photograph specific lunar features such as craters and patches of cooled lava.

These images will reveal details that satellite cameras might have missed in stunning levels of detail.

That will help scientists build better maps of the lunar surface and gain a greater understanding of lunar geology.

With NASA planning to establish a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, this information could prove extremely valuable in the coming years.

During their lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew were even able to observe several features that had never before been seen by humans.

This included the vast Mare Orientale basin, a 577-mile-wide (930 km) impact basin in the Moon's southern hemisphere.

Because this crater is so large, previous Apollo missions weren't able to see the structure in its entirety from their low lunar orbit.

Additionally, the Artemis II crew spotted a number of new craters formed by meteors that had hit the lunar surface since the end of the Apollo programme.

Christina Koch told the NASA control room: 'All the really bright, new craters, some of them are super tiny, most of them are pretty small, there's a couple that really stand out, obviously, and what it really looks like is a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes and the light shining through.'

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made a special request to NASA mission control to name two of these new craters that they had 'observed, both with our naked eye and with our long lens'.

The first he asked to name Integrity, after the name the astronauts have given to their Orion crew capsule, and the other Carroll, to commemorate Reid Wiseman's late wife, who died of cancer in 2020.

The crew embraced each other after deciding to name a new crater Carroll, to commemorate Reid Wiseman's late wife, who died of cancer in 2020.

Mr Hansen said in an emotional tribute: 'A number of years ago we started this journey... and we lost a loved one and there's a feature on a really neat place on the moon... at certain times of the Moon's transit around Earth we will be able to see this from Earth.'

The announcement prompted the astronauts to embrace, while mission control in Houston fell silent in a rare moment of reflection.

Having passed the moon, the Orion crew capsule will now ride the tug of Earth's gravity back home over the coming days, with splashdown expected on Friday.

Their final ordeal will be a blazing re–entry into the planet's atmosphere, as the capsule hits the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) before deploying its parachutes and landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Thankfully, the latest weather predictions suggest that Artemis II will have favourable conditions for reentry.

According to AccuWeather, the southern coast of California will see winds of only seven to 14 miles per hour (11 to 22 km/h) and waves no larger than five feet.

John Feerick, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, says: 'Mission controllers and recovery crews at sea will be watching conditions closely up to splashdown. 

'NASA says there can be no rain or thunderstorms within 30 nautical miles of the recovery site. Waves should be under six feet, and winds need to stay below 25 knots for the recovery boats.'

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The resurrection of Jesus has long been called the central 'mystery of faith,' but scientists have claimed to have found evidence that may prove the biblical event.

Paolo Di Lazzaro, an Italian physicist and chief researcher at the ENEA Research Centre in Frascati in Italy, spent five years attempting to reproduce the body image seen on the Shroud of Turin.

The relic is believed to be the burial cloth that wrapped Jesus after he died on the cross and is said to bear his image left after the resurrection. Di Lazzaro and his team attempted to recreate the image using powerful ultraviolet lasers. 

Researchers fired intense bursts of ultraviolet light at clean linen fabric similar to the shroud, altering the chemical structure of the outer fibers and turning them faintly yellow.

Despite successfully creating small areas of shroud-like discoloration, the team found that recreating the full body image was beyond modern technology.

Their calculations showed that producing a life-sized image would require an enormous burst of ultraviolet energy delivered in an extremely short time, far more than current laser systems can generate.

The findings were recently discussed on the Shaw Ryan Show, where biblical scholar Jeremiah Johnston said Di Lazzaro estimated the process would require extraordinary energy.

He said: 'Paolo told me it would take 34,000 billion watts of energy traveling in one 40th of a billionth of a second to change the chemical makeup of a fine linen shroud to leave that image. 'And he said, "We don't have that power on Earth.'"

Researchers fired intense bursts of ultraviolet light at clean linen fabric similar to the shroud, altering the chemical structure of the outer fibers and turning them faintly yellow

They were able to recreate parts of the image displayed on the shroud, but only faintly 

The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot-long piece of linen featuring a faint image of the front and back of a man who Christians believe to be Jesus.

The cloth was first presented to the public in the 1350s, when it was exhibited in a small collegiate church in Lirey, a village in northern France. Some believe it to be a medieval fake.

Di Lazzaro published the study in 2010, saying that his laboratory had more than three decades of experience studying how ultraviolet radiation interacts with different materials, including metals, plastics and fabrics. 

Their work has shown that ultraviolet light affects only the outermost surface of materials, rather than penetrating deep inside.

When ultraviolet energy strikes linen, it is absorbed by the very top molecular layers of the fibers. 

This changes the chemical structure only at the surface, without burning or heating the fabric. 

Scientists believe this surface-level reaction is important because the image on the Shroud of Turin is known to be extremely shallow, affecting only the outer fibers.

Beginning in 2005, the team carried out repeated tests using linen cloth woven between 1930 and 1950 that had never been washed or chemically treated, ensuring the material behaved in a predictable way. 

Despite successfully creating small areas of shroud-like discoloration, the team found that recreating the full body image was beyond modern technology 

The relic is believed to be the burial cloth that wrapped Jesus after he died on the cross and is said to bear his image left after the resurrection 

The process involved firing controlled bursts of ultraviolet laser light at the linen, altering the chemical bonds in the cellulose fibers and changing their appearance.

After years of testing, researchers identified a precise combination of laser settings, including pulse duration, energy strength and number of bursts, that produced faint yellow coloring similar to features observed on the Shroud.

The results showed several similarities to the historic cloth, including coloration limited to the tops of threads, adjacent fibers that remained uncolored, reduced fluorescence and a faint negative-style appearance, all characteristics previously documented on the Shroud of Turin.

There is a debate within Christianity as to where Jesus was buried. Some believe it was the Garden Tomb, while others suggest it was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (pictured)

Scientists cautioned that while the experiments successfully produced linen discoloration similar to some microscopic features of the shroud, the results do not provide definitive proof of how the original image was formed.

Johnston, however, said the image was created through a nuclear event.

'I'm saying that in short form because according to the physicists, the amount of energy it would take because there's no pigment, because there's no dye, because there's no paint,' he explained.

'Science has proven and published that we, science has to ask how this image is there? 

'And there was a chemical change to the shroud that if it had lasted longer than one 40th of a billionth of a second, it would've just, it would've scorched. 

'It would've just burned up. It would've been gone. And so what for the physicist watching this is called power.' 

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Incredible discoveries in city that’s ‘older than the pyramids’ could rewrite history

 Rory McKeown

One of the ancient world’s great urban centres is much older than previously thought, according to new research which could transform our understanding of how civilisation developed.

Fresh excavations at Mohenjo-daro, in present-day Pakistan, suggest its origins date back several centuries earlier than had been previously established.

Situated along the Indus River in Sindh’s Larkana district, Mohenjo-daro covers more than 620 acres and is thought to have supported up to 40,000 people at its peak – making it one of the largest cities of the Bronze Age.

New radiocarbon dating from excavations carried out between 2025 and 2026 indicates that the site was already occupied during the Early Harappan, or Kot Diji, phase between about 3300 and 2600 BC. That makes the city even older than the pyramids.

Researchers say this challenges the long-held view that urban life in the Indus Valley emerged rapidly around 2600 BC, instead pointing to a more gradual process of development.

The project, led by Pakistan’s Dr Asma Ibrahim and Ali Lashari along with Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer from the University of Wisconsin focused on an area west of the site’s Stupa Mound.

Archaeologists re-examined a large mudbrick structure first uncovered in 1950 by Mortimer Wheeler, who had interpreted it as a flood-control embankment. New analysis suggests a different conclusion.

Using stratigraphic study and radiocarbon dating, researchers found the structure to be a multi-phase mudbrick city wall, built and expanded over several centuries rather than serving a purely defensive or hydraulic function.

Samples from its lowest levels date its earliest construction to around 2700–2600 BC, towards the end of the Early Harappan period.

Further evidence beneath the wall revealed even earlier settlement activity, including pottery typical of the Kot Diji phase. This indicates the city evolved from an existing community, rather than being constructed from scratch during the later, more developed phase of the civilisation.

Upper levels of the wall show continued construction during the Mature Harappan period, after 2600 BC, when Mohenjo-daro reached its height.

Researchers say the wall was expanded and maintained until at least 2200 BC, suggesting long-term planning and resource management.

Although the latest findings focus on the city’s earliest phases, Mohenjo-daro has continued to yield discoveries from much later periods.

Mohenjo-daro is known for its advanced urban planning, including grid-like streets, standardised baked bricks and sophisticated drainage systems, as well as monumental structures such as the Great Bath.

However, one of its greatest mysteries remains unsolved: the Indus script, found on seals and tablets, has yet to be deciphered. If and when it is, the story of the city’s emergence could become far more accessible.

Without written records, archaeologists rely on physical evidence and scientific techniques to reconstruct the city’s past.

The findings mark a shift in understanding the rise of urban life in the Indus Valley, say researchers.

Rather than a sudden emergence of cities, the evidence suggests a gradual, multi-phase development, with early communities laying the foundations for one of the world’s earliest civilisations.

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• Who is Asim Munir, Trump’s favourite Pakistani official who helped the ceasefire?

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• Shipwreck graveyard dating back 2,600 years discovered off ancient Greek island

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• Mystery of the 13 skeletons found sitting up in ancient graves – and their grisly demise

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Mystery surrounds death of NINTH scientist tied to US secrets as disturbing pattern grows

• MORE:  Haunting 911 call reveals new clue in search for missing UFO-linked Air Force general

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

Another scientist with ties to America's space program has now joined the growing list of deaths and disappearances around the US. 

Michael David Hicks, a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), passed away on July 30, 2023 at the age of 59, but the cause of death was never made public, and no record of an autopsy being performed could be found. 

Hicks, who worked at JPL from 1998 to 2022, was credited with publishing over 80 scientific papers and was part of multiple teams helping NASA understand the physical properties of comets and asteroids.

Specifically, Hicks was involved with the DART Project, NASA’s test to see if humans could deflect dangerous asteroids away from Earth. He also worked on the Deep Space 1 Mission, which tested new spacecraft technology that flew by a comet in 2001.

While there have been no public allegations of foul play, Hicks' case marks the ninth person with ties to America's space or nuclear secrets who has died or mysteriously vanished in recent years, which has set off alarm bells among US national security experts.

Moreover, three of these scientists had close ties to Hicks, as all of them worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab or participated in NASA missions there. Monica Reza, JPL's new Director of the Materials Processing Group, vanished without a trace in June 2025, just months after beginning her tenure at the NASA lab.

Two other men with deep ties to JPL died recently, including a long-time coworker of Hicks, Frank Maiwald, who died in July 2024 at age 61, with even less public acknowledgement of his untimely passing.

Meanwhile, astrophysicist Carl Grillmair, 67, was murdered on the front porch of his home on February 16, 2026. The California Institute of Technology researcher's work was heavily supported by NASA's JPL, and Grillmair was personally involved with major space telescope missions led by NASA.

Michael David Hicks (Pictured) was a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory prior to his death in 2023

The Daily Mail has reached out to NASA, Hicks' alma mater at the University of Arizona, and the scientist's friends and colleagues for comment on the circumstances surrounding his death. 

Strangely, a series of online obituaries dedicated to Hicks did not mention any health issues before the 59-year-old's death, which appeared to happen suddenly, roughly one year after leaving NASA JPL.

A similar situation unfolded after Maiwald's death on July 4, 2024, when the prominent JPL researcher died in Los Angeles from unknown circumstances. 

Despite Maiwald being a JPL Principal - an award given to scientists 'making outstanding individual contributions' in their fields - there were no public comments from authorities after the esteemed scientist's death, and the only public record marking his passing was a single obituary posted online.

NASA and JPL have not commented on the deaths of Maiwald or Hicks, and did not reply to Daily Mail's inquiries into the nature of the scientists' work before their deaths.

In June 2023, just 13 months before his death, Maiwald was the lead researcher on a breakthrough that could help future space missions detect clear signs of life on other worlds in the solar system and beyond.

As for the other JPL-connected scientist, Grillmair had contributed to the discovery of water on a distant planet, with colleagues calling his work 'ingenious' and adding that the research could point to signs of life less than 160 light-years from Earth.

According to his Caltech profile, he also worked on the NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor, infrared space telescopes that track asteroids. However, experts have also expressed concern that this technology has also been used in advanced missile designs.

Frank Maiwald (Left) and Carl Grillmair (Right) had deep ties to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in California before both men died within the last two years

Monica Reza (Pictured) went missing during a hike in California in June 2025. Reza had worked on the creation of advanced rocket technology before becoming a director at NASA JPL

The string of deaths and missing person cases has drawn the attention of Congress and members of the US intelligence community, who see a disturbing pattern surrounding experts with knowledge of missiles and rocket engines. 

Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker recently told the Daily Mail: 'You can say these are all suspicious, and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology.'

Swecker claimed that multiple foreign intelligence services, including enemies and allies of the US, have been targeting Americans possessing secrets of the nation's technology for decades.

’China, Russia, even some of our friends – Pakistan, India, Iran, North Korea - they target this type of technology,’ Swecker revealed.

Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett told the Daily Mail in March: 'There have been several others throughout the country that have disappeared under suspicious circumstances. I think we ought to be paying attention to it.'

Burchett was referencing at least four other investigations around the US in recent months, including the high-profile disappearance of retired Air Force General William Neil McCasland and the murder of respected physicist Nuno Loureiro.

Pictured: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, California

McCasland, 68, was the latest disappearance, vanishing without a trace on February 27, 2026, after reportedly leaving his home on foot with only a handgun.

The disappearance of McCasland, who reportedly held nuclear and UFO-related secrets, has been tied to Reza and Grillmair through their work on advanced missile or rocket science.

While commanding the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), the general supervised and approved funding for Reza's work to invent a new metal used to create space-age rocket engines.

Meanwhile, Grillmair's work with NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor has also been linked to the Air Force, as the NASA telescopes used the same systems the military relies on to track satellites and hypersonic missiles.

While Loureiro's murder has not been directly connected to the other deaths and disappearances, Burchett, Swecker and independent investigators have noted that his revolutionary work in nuclear fusion may have made him a target of a greater conspiracy against US scientists.

Nuno Loureiro, 47, was assassinated at his home in the Boston suburb of Brookline on December 15, 2025. Authorities said the gunman was Claudio Neves Valente, a former classmate from Portugal.

’It’s been happening since the Cold War,’ Swecker explained. ’Especially when nuclear technology and missile technology were first coming to the forefront.' 

Nuno Loureiro (Pictured) was leading efforts to create fusion energy, a form of clean energy that could upend the multi-trillion-dollar fossil fuel energy

Two others with ties to nuclear research went missing just weeks apart. Anthony Chavez and Melissa Casias, who both worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), vanished from their homes in 2025 under nearly identical circumstances.

Chavez, 79, worked at the nuclear research lab until his retirement in 2017. Casias, 54, was an active administrative assistant at the facility and is believed to have had top security clearance.

Both were last seen leaving their homes in New Mexico on foot, leaving behind their cars, keys, wallets and phones before disappearing without a trace nearly one year ago.

In another mysterious incident, Jason Thomas, a pharmaceutical researcher testing cancer treatments at Novartis, was found dead in a Massachusetts lake on March 17, 2026, after disappearing without a trace three months earlier.

Burchett has blasted the nation's intelligence community, specifically calling out the so-called 'alphabet agencies' such as the FBI, for being unhelpful and frustrating his attempts to find out the truth about what has happened to these scientists.

'The numbers seem very high in these certain areas of research. I think we'd better be paying attention, and I don't think we should trust our government,' he warned.

10 Cases That Continue to Baffle Investigators Today | Unsolved Mysteries of Modern Day

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Real-life 'X-Files' investigator who ran UFO program dies at 60 after cancer battle

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A famous UFO expert, dubbed a real-life 'X-Files investigator, has died following a battle with cancer. 

Nick Pope, who examined UFO phenomena while employed at the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD), passed away at the age of 60 on Monday afternoon at his home in Tucson, Arizona.

His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, shared the loss of her husband on X, saying: 'The last few weeks of his life, even as he suffered, he managed to do a few interviews from home. 

'I was so lucky to have met and to have married Nick. He was a wonderful husband. I loved him dearly.'

Pope announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer, a disease where malignant cells form in the tissue of the esophagus, back in February, noting it had metastasized to his liver.

The former MOD official led Britain's so-called 'UFO Desk' for three years between 1991 and 1994. 

He investigated UFO sightings, analyzed radar data and photos and briefed ministers on whether Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) posed a defense threat. 

During that time, he reviewed case files on some of Britain's most mysterious sightings, including the Rendlesham Forest incident, often dubbed 'Britain's Roswell,' which occurred in 1980.  

His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, shared the loss of her husband on X. 'My heart is breaking,' she said

'A while ago, following some digestive issues, I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer,' Pope wrote on February 12. 'Unfortunately, it's Stage 4 and has metastasized to my liver.

While I know that it's kindness and hope that lead people to suggest healers and supposed miracle cures, and to say things like "fight it" and "you can beat it," I'm afraid my diagnosis and my situation leave no doubt whatsoever: I can't beat it.'

In the message, he reflected on his life, calling it 'an amazing adventure.'

'A 21-year career at the UK Ministry of Defence, where I got involved in subjects ranging from financial policy to counter-terrorism; from military policing to UAP,' Pope continued.

'And I saved six cows; it's a long story. The things I've done, the places I've been, the people I've met, and the secrets I've been privy to. I wouldn't have swapped it for the world.'

After leaving government service, his involvement in UFO investigations brought him to global attention, turning him into a frequent commentator on television news programs and documentaries.

He later worked as a consultant and spokesperson on UFO- and alien-themed films, television series and video games, earning the nickname the 'real-life Fox Mulder' from the 1990s hit series The X-Files.

The sci-fi mystery series, which ran from 1993 to 2002, follows FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate unsolved paranormal cases known as the X-Files.

Nick Pope , who examined UFO phenomena while employed at the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD), passed away at the age of 60 on Monday afternoon at his home in Tucson, Arizona

He earned the nickname the 'real-life Fox Mulder' from the 1990s hit series 'The X-Files'

Pope recalled his wife with such admiration, saying: 'She's a real-life Agent Scully: a scientist, a skeptic and a redhead. 

'We met randomly in the lobby bar of the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San José (she was an anthropology professor at San José State University) in October 2010 and got married three months later.' 

They applied for his Green Card and Elizabeth had him 'shipped to the US, where Pope continued his public work on UFO investigations while appearing at conferences, live events and television productions, including serving as moderator for the touring show 'Ancient Aliens Live.'

He remained active in media appearances and public events until shortly before stepping back from work due to declining health.

Pope concluded the post with: ' It's all been amazing, and I'm grateful for the things I've done, not mournful for the things that I won't now get to do. Per Aspera Ad Astra!'

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A video of a pot of Nutella floating around the Orion capsule has been dubbed the 'greatest free advert in history'. 

The hilarious footage was inadvertedly captured by NASA as its four Artemis II astronauts slingshotted around the moon. 

A huge pot of the chocolate spread can be seen floating past Christina Koch, with the label perfectly displayed to the camera. 

'I never thought my daily childhood spread would be floating in a space craft around the moon,' one shocked viewer tweeted. 

Another added: 'Nutella got to the moon before most countries did.'

And one joked: 'Zero gravity, maximum brand exposure!'

Now, even Nutella has joined in on the fun. 

Taking to X, it said: 'Honored to have traveled further than any spread in history. Taking spreading smiles to new heights.'

A video of a pot of Nutella floating around the Orion capsule has been dubbed the 'greatest free advert in history'

The hilarious moment took place just three minutes and 55 seconds before the Artemis II crew topped Apollo's record to become the humans who have travelled the farthest from our planet. 

The footage has garnered huge interest across X, with many viewers shocked that a jar of Nutella had made it to the moon's orbit. 

'Bit risky taking a jar! Couldn't it break if it hits the side??' one user asked, before others pointed out that the jar is likely made from plastic instead of glass. 

Another joked: 'floating nutella cameo in the middle of a pivotal moment in the artemis II mission is FRYING me.'

And one quipped: 'What an advert for Nutella!! 252000 miles away in space!'

Believe it or not, Nutella is just one of nine condiments on board the Orion capsule. 

Ahead of the mission, NASA released the crew's menu, confirming they'd have access to maple syrup, peanut butter, hot sauce, spicy mustard, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon, and almond butter – as well as chocolate spread. 

In addition, more than 10 types of beverages are available, including mango–peach smoothies, lemonade, apple cider and hot chocolate, as well as enough coffee for 43 cups.

The hilarious moment took place just three minutes and 55 seconds before the Artemis II crew topped Apollo's record to become the humans who have travelled the farthest from our planet 

Ahead of the mission, NASA released the crew's menu, confirming they'd have access to maple syrup, peanut butter, hot sauce, spicy mustard, strawberry jam, honey, cinnamon, and almond butter – as well as chocolate spread 

For breakfast, the team has been tucking into sausages, granola with blueberries or a tropical fruit salad.

Meanwhile, lunch and dinner items include vegetable quiche, BBQ beef brisket, spicy green beans, broccoli au gratin and macaroni and cheese – alongside the 58 tortillas that have been loaded for the journey.

Having swung around the moon, the crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – have set a new record for traveling 252,756 miles from Earth.

The astronauts completed the six–hour flyby after flying behind the moon, becoming the first humans in more than half a century to witness the distant hemisphere with the naked eye.

Communication was cut off at 6.43pm ET as the Orion spacecraft slipped behind the moon, triggering a planned blackout caused by the lunar surface blocking radio signals between the spacecraft and antennas on Earth.

Inside the capsule, the astronauts continued along their pre–programmed flight path without real–time guidance from Mission Control. 

Instead, they relied entirely on onboard systems during one of the mission's most dramatic phases.

Known as a loss of signal, the blackout is a routine part of lunar missions, but it remains one of the most tense moments as crews move completely out of Earth's reach while hidden behind the moon.

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• Moon munchies! NASA's Artemis II crew MENU includes 43 cups of coffee, 58 tortillas and 5 hot sauces 

'We will see you on the other side,' Mr Glover said moments after referencing the teachings of Jesus, including the message to love your neighbour as yourself, just before communication with the ground team was lost.

Thankfully, contact was restored roughly 40 minutes later as Orion reappeared from behind the moon, officially ending the flyby. 

The astronauts have now started their journey back to Earth, with splashdown expected Friday. 

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NASA releases the first photos from the Artemis II mission: Stunning shot shows the moon eclipsing the SUN - while 'Earthset' is a nod to Apollo's famous 'Earthrise' image

• READ MORE: NASA's Artemis II astronauts' heartwarming first message

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

NASA has released the first set of photos taken by the Artemis II moon mission. 

The first image, titled 'Earthset', was taken from the far side of the moon and shows the Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon. 

This is a nod to Earthrise – the famous photo captured by NASA's Apollo 8 mission more than 50 years ago.

'The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. The image is reminiscent of the iconic Earthrise image taken by astronaut Bill Anders 58 years earlier as the Apollo 8 crew flew around the Moon,' NASA explained on X.

The second photo is titled 'The Artemis II Eclipse', and shows the moment the moon eclipsed the sun. 

'Totality, beyond Earth,' the White House said as it shared the photo on X. 'From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed.'

The images have been released hours after NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, became the first people to travel around the far side of the moon in over 50 years.

NASA has released stunning images captured by the Artemis II crew. Pictured is an epic show of the solar eclipse the team viewed from the Moon

The first image, titled 'Earthset', was taken from the far side of the moon and shows the Earth dipping beyond the lunar horizon 

The second photo is titled 'The Artemis II Eclipse' and shows the moment the moon eclipsed the sun

A total solar eclipse with only part of the Moon visible in the frame as it fully obscures the Sun

A third photo, meanwhile, shows the rings of the Orientale basin. 

'At the 10 o’clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters – which the Artemis II crew has suggested be named Integrity & Carroll – are visible,' NASA explained.  

During their six–hour lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew reached a distance of more than 252,756 miles (406,771km) from Earth, surpassing the distance achieved by the Apollo missions and setting a new record.

In doing so, they became the first humans in half a decade to witness the far side of the moon with the naked eye.

From their position 41,072 miles (66,098km) above the lunar surface, the moon appeared about as large as a basketball held at arm's length.

After the White House shared the Earthset image, one social media user commented that it was the 'most beautiful picture' they had ever seen. 

'We are tiny. It's something incredible,' another added. 

One wrote: 'Humanity keeps needing to leave Earth to remember what Earth is.'

A third photo, meanwhile, shows the rings of the Orientale basin. 'At the 10 o’clock position of the Orientale basin, the two smaller craters – which the Artemis II crew has suggested be named Integrity & Carroll – are visible,' NASA explained

This photo shows  Earth setting over the Moon's curved limb at 6:41 PM EDT (10:41 GMT), April 6, 2026, as seen from the Orion spacecraft

A view of Earth passing the Moon as photographed through the Orion spacecraft window April 6, 2026

'Earthset' is a nod to Earthrise – the famous photo captured by NASA's Apollo 8 mission more than 50 years ago

Lunar flyby timeline

(In UK time)

6:30pm: NASA held conversation with the crew to go over objectives and timeline

6:56pm: The Artemis II crew surpassed the record previously set by the Apollo 13 crew for the farthest humans have ever travelled from Earth

7:45pm: The seven–hour lunar observation period began

11:47pm: Mission control loses communication with the crew

12:02am: Astronauts made their closest approach to the moon

12:27am: NASA's mission control re–acquired communication with the crew

2:20am: Flyby observation period ends. Astronauts began transferring some imagery to the ground

Meanwhile, the Artemis II Eclipse photo was dubbed 'absolutely breathtaking' by one viewer. 

Another said: 'Absolutely surreal… seeing the Sun vanish behind the Moon from lunar orbit is something only a handful of humans have witnessed!'

And one quipped: 'This is absolutely mind blowing, it almost doesnt look real. These brave astronauts are living their dream right now, so jealous!!!'

As the astronauts passed by the far side of the moon, they recorded as much as they could about the surface below, taking photographs, sketching, and making audio recordings of their own observations.

The moon's far side looks very different from the familiar near side, with heavily cratered terrain, a thicker crust and far fewer of the dark volcanic plains visible from Earth.

As the astronauts swept over the far side in the Orion capsule, they reported seeing striking geometric patterns, winding formations they called 'squiggles' and unexpected shades of green and brown across the rugged lunar terrain.

Although satellites have taken images of the moon's far side, some of these features have never been seen by the human eye.

In particular, astronauts spotted newly formed craters on the lunar surface that stand out like tiny holes in a lampshade.

The astronauts spotted newly formed craters on the lunar surface that stand out like tiny holes in a lampshade

This stunning snap shows crescent Earth setting along the Moon's limb, as seen from the Orion spacecraft on April 6, 2026

Christina Koch told the NASA control room: 'All the really bright, new craters, some of them are super tiny, most of them are pretty small, there's a couple that really stand out, obviously, and what it really looks like is a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes and the light shining through.' 

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made a special request to NASA mission control to name two of these new craters that they had 'observed, both with our naked eye and with our long lens'.

The first he asked to name Integrity, after the name the astronauts have given to their Orion crew capsule, and the other Carroll, to commemorate Reid Wiseman's late wife, who died of cancer in 2020.

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Mr Hansen said in an emotional tribute: 'A number of years ago we started this journey... and we lost a loved one and there's a feature on a really neat place on the moon... at certain times of the Moon's transit around Earth we will be able to see this from Earth.'

The announcement prompted the astronauts to embrace, while mission control in Houston fell silent in a rare moment of reflection.

Having passed the moon, the Orion crew capsule will now ride the tug of Earth's gravity back home over the coming days, with splashdown expected on Friday.

Their final ordeal will be a blazing re–entry into the planet's atmosphere, as the capsule hits the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) before deploying its parachutes and landing in the Pacific Ocean.

Artemis II: Key facts

Launch date: April 1

Mission objective: To complete a lunar flyby, passing the 'dark side' of the moon and test systems for a future lunar landing.

Total distance to travel: 620,000 miles (one million km)

Mission duration: 10 days 

Estimated total cost: $44billion (£32.5billion)

• NASA Space Launch System rocket: $23.8billion (£17.6billion)
• Orion deep–space spacecraft: $20.4billion (£15billion)

Crew: 

• Commander Reid Wiseman
• Pilot Victor Glover
• Mission Specialist Christina Koch
• Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen

Mission Stages:

1. Launch from Kennedy Space Centre Launch Pad 39B
2. Manoeuvre in orbit to raise the perigee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage
3. Burn to raise apogee using the Cryogenic Propulsion Stage
4. Detach from Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and perform translunar injection
5. Fly to the moon over four days
6. Complete lunar flyby at a maximum altitude of 5,523 miles (8,889 km) above the moon's surface
7. Return to Earth over four days
8. Separate the crew module from the European Service Module and the crew module adapter
9. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean  

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The Brit ran the Government's "UFO Desk" for three years.

By Emily Wright, World News Reporter

This included investigating the case file of the Rendlesham UFO incident, known as Britain’s Roswell, which occurred in 1980. His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, announced his tragic passing on Monday (April 6). “My heart is breaking. Nick passed away this afternoon at our home," she said in a statement. “The last few weeks of his life, even as he suffered, he managed to do a few interviews from home. I was so lucky to have met and to have married Nick. He was a wonderful husband. I loved him dearly."

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• Trump's UFO files prove we're not alone, says ex-Pentagon chief

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• Artemis II astronauts vanish behind the Moon after describing alien terrain

In December 1980, US Air Force personnel reported strange lights and a metallic craft in a forest near RAF Woodbridge and RAF Bentwaters in Suffolk at around 3am. Witnesses, including Sgt. Jim Penniston and John Burroughs, reported finding ground depressions and broken branches. Col. Halt reported increased radiation levels on the second night. Sgt. Penniston claimed to have encountered and touched a craft, reporting that it was warm and had hieroglyphic-like markings. Conventional explanations suggest a meteor or a military prank.

Nick Pope led the UK Government's UFO Project from 1991 to 1994 

(Image: The People)

{ https://www.express.co.uk/news }

After 60 years, witnesses to Australia's biggest UFO sighting at Westall High School say it's time for answers - PART II

By Leisa Scott and Rebecca Latham

The theories: What was in the sky in 1966?

Government secrecy was part of the climate in 1966.

The Cold War was on, the space race was in full sprint, Pine Gap was being planned, and Australia was increasingly used as a staging point for military programs spearheaded by the US.

A boy watches an unmanned Moon landing on television in 1965. The 1960s was the height of Space Race fascination. 

(Getty Images: Bettmann)

"The fact that the story seemed to have been shut down by somebody would make me think it's more likely to have been military or government involvement," says witness Ken Stallard.

It was also a time of burgeoning sightings of UFOs, a phenomenon that became part of popular culture when US pilots started reporting encounters after World War II.

The HIBAL balloon program in Mildura helped measure levels of radioactivity in the stratosphere.

(Mildura Rural City Council)

One theory was that the object could be related to the HIBAL high-altitude balloon project which measured radioactivity levels in the stratosphere after nuclear tests. The balloons — enormous and silver in colour — launched from Mildura, hundreds of kilometres from Melbourne.

"Some of those balloons got away," Mr Saunders says. "Did it happen that one of those balloons drifted down to Melbourne? It would explain possibly the appearance of government officials at the school."

John Sutcliffe says there was no record of a balloon coming down at Westall the day of the incident. 

(Australian Story: Simon Winter)

Electronics specialist John Sutcliffe is one of the last remaining members of the Mildura HIBAL team working in 1966. He has no recollection of anything coming down unexpectedly in Melbourne on the day of the sightings.

"We went to a great deal of trouble to make sure they didn't land in a metropolitan area," he says.

"As far as I'm aware, and I'm probably nearly 100 per cent, there was no HIBAL balloon involved in Westall. I would have certainly known about it if it had … and I wasn't aware of anything like that ever happening."

In 1968 the ABC's This Day Tonight reported on the production of the pilotless Jindivik.

(ABC Archives)

The Jindivik radio-controlled target drone, developed by Australia for guided missile testing, was another suspect, as were the U-2 high-altitude plane flights.

But the Jindiviks and U-2s looked like aircraft — with wings and a fuselage.

A meteorological balloon. 

(ABC Archives)

Mr Ryan also chased down the weather balloon theory, following on from an article in The Age newspaper at the time, suggesting the object might have been a weather balloon.

"The weather bureau released a balloon at Laverton at 8:30am and the westerly wind blowing at the time could have moved it into the area where the sighting was reported," the newspaper said.

Mr Ryan disagrees, maintaining the wind data from the day indicates it was blowing from the south-west — meaning that the weather balloon's most likely track was in a more northerly direction after launching from Laverton in Melbourne's west.

"There's no mention of the weather balloon being collected and being identified. And when I looked into the weather data for that day it actually didn't stack up at all," he says.

Mr Saunders is less sure. "If we were to invoke the principle of Occam's Razor, which basically says the simpler explanation is often the best one to choose, then the weather balloon is the likely candidate," he says.

This April 21, 1966 newspaper article included a drawing of the craft by student Marilyn Smith (Eastwood). 

(Supplied)

Mr Ryan also scoured newspaper files to find local publication The Dandenong Journal did most of the coverage of the event, picking up on witness reports there were up to five planes flying near the UFOs. The reporters' attempts to find pilots who could add anything to the mystery failed.

"So, the trail went cold and it went cold pretty quickly," Mr Ryan says.

Retired Australian Army Lieutenant Colonel Neil Smith, who now works as a military historian, has studied the available evidence about Westall.

He believes the sightings over Westall could have been part of a secret research and development project, most likely run by the US.

And something went wrong.

The fact that other aircraft were sighted near the UFOs suggest to him that "these three UFOs, were off track or going off track".

"That would account for the rapidity, incredible rapidity of the troops, if I can call them that, who responded within the hour on that day," he says.

"I can well understand that the witnesses … would have been encouraged not to say anything about what they had seen."

'What have you got to hide?' Witnesses want answers

Sixty years on, Joy Clarke and her former classmates believe it's way past time for an official explanation of what happened that day.

"No harm done explaining it now," says Ken Stallard, who argues technology would have moved on significantly. "What have you got to hide? Whoever you are."

Joy Clarke says she was punished for talking to a news crew. 

(Australian Story: Tom Hancock)

Yesterday, to mark the 60th anniversary, witnesses and locals gathered at the Flying Saucer Playground at the Grange, built by the local council to commemorate the event.

"History is something that's really fragile," Mr Ryan says as he wanders through the grounds. "Having something physical here then creates an opportunity for people who have come afterwards to know something happened that day, something mysterious."

For Tania Vassie, the anniversary is a reminder that it's time for answers.

"It's OK to talk about it now … at my age, it doesn't matter if somebody thinks I'm a little bit loony," she says. "I know what I saw."

Watch Australian Story's The Westall UFO Mystery on ABC iview.

{ https://www.abc.net.au/ }