Astronauts Who Claim to Have Seen UFOs in Space

Overview

Throughout history, astronauts who have spent extended periods in space, whether on lunar missions or spacewalks, have occasionally reported observing objects that defy immediate explanation. These sightings have become a focal point amid renewed government interest in Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). While it’s crucial to clarify that such reports do not constitute definitive proof of extraterrestrial technology, they contribute valuable insights because the observers are highly trained professionals who document anomalous visual events with a rigorous scientific approach. The recent sharing of these testimonies within communities like #UFOTwitter has reignited discussions among analysts, scientists, and policymakers alike, prompting them to revisit the historical record, analyze the credibility of such observations, and consider what future disclosures might mean for humanity's understanding of space phenomena.

Eyewitness Accounts: Notable Astronaut Testimonies

Among the most notable accounts is that of Charles Duke, Apollo 16's lunar module pilot, who described experiencing a “mysterious light” during his lunar EVA. He noted that this light “didn’t behave like any known spacecraft or natural phenomenon" and hovered beyond his view for several seconds before vanishing. In a recent interview from 2023, Duke elaborated that, “It was a bright, steady glow that seemed to hover just beyond the horizon—nothing I could explain at the time,” emphasizing the inexplicability of this sighting. Similarly, Bruce McCandless, the first astronaut to perform an untethered spacewalk on the Space Shuttle STS-41B, recounted observing “something” outside his helmet visor during maneuvering aboard the Manned Maneuvering Unit. He described seeing “a faint, disc-shaped outline moving at a speed that didn’t match any known debris or satellite.” Their unusual descriptions—erratic movements, anomalously high speeds, and lack of identifiable propulsion systems—are shared by other credible witnesses and suggest encounters with phenomena outside standard aerospace phenomena and debris.

Another significant testimony comes from Gordon Cooper, a veteran of Mercury-Atlas 9, who during his 1963 orbital flight reported observing a “flying saucer” over a ground tracking station. Cooper’s report, along with the others, shares commonalities: unexpected movements, unusual shapes, and optical phenomena that challenged conventional explanation. These accounts are noteworthy because they come from trained observers, whose backgrounds in aerospace and scientific training strengthen their credibility. Altogether, these eyewitness accounts highlight unusual phenomena that simply do not match the known behavior of common objects or natural events observed during space missions.

Historical Context: The Evolution of UFO Sightings in Space

The phenomenon of UFO sightings is not new and predates human spaceflight. However, the height of the Cold War and the space race of the 1960s significantly heightened public and scientific attention to unidentified objects in the sky. During these decades, reports of strange lights and mysterious craft increased both from civilians and astronauts. For example, a 1965 NASA internal memo documented “unidentified luminous objects” observed near the Gemini 7 orbit, noting that these sightings warranted further study. The Cold War also intensified radar activity and atmospheric re-entry events, which often could be confused with extraterrestrial craft—adding complexity to the interpretation of such phenomena.

As space missions became more frequent and sophisticated, so too did the observations by trained astronauts, whose proficiency in differentiating natural phenomena or debris from potential anomalies contributed to the growing body of reports. These accounts fostered a bridge between anecdotal UFO sightings and the more systematic documentation of UAP encounters, leading to modern attempts to understand and classify these phenomena within a scientific framework—although conclusive explanations remain elusive. The historical record thus plays an important role today, providing context and credibility to current discussions about unidentified phenomena in space.

Credibility and Scientific Scrutiny: Evaluating the Evidence

Given that astronauts are highly trained professionals, their observations carry significant weight. Their training emphasizes precise documentation, cross-referencing instrument data, and differentiating natural events from man-made objects. John Young, a former NASA astronaut and chief of the astronaut office, publicly expressed cautious interest in unexplained aerial phenomena, noting that, “if a trained pilot sees something that doesn’t fit known parameters, it deserves a serious look.” This highlights a key principle: trained observers’ accounts, especially when detailed and consistent, warrant scientific investigation.

Independent researchers and analysts have examined mission transcripts, video footage, telemetry data, and sensor recordings to verify these sightings. In some cases, apparent anomalies might be explained by reflections, optical artifacts, or known satellite or debris movements. Nonetheless, many reports remain inconclusive because of the lack of corroborating sensor data—such as radar signatures or spectroscopic measurements—which could definitively identify the objects seen. The absence of such data leaves the sightings categorized as “unidentified,” but their consistency across multiple missions and different observers supports the view that a subset of these phenomena warrants further scientific inquiry.

While the scientific community remains cautious about jumping to extraterrestrial conclusions, there’s increased recognition that these phenomena deserve serious scrutiny. The sightings from astronauts—despite lacking definitive sensor confirmation—add to the accumulating body of evidence that some space-based phenomena remain unexplained within conventional physics and aerospace knowledge. This ongoing investigation aims to differentiate between optical illusions, natural phenomena, and potentially other, as yet unknown, phenomena in space.

Implications for Humanity: Broader Impact of UAP Encounters

The potential confirmation that some space-based UFO sightings are of non-human origin would be groundbreaking, with wide-ranging implications extending beyond aerospace technology. Such disclosures could influence international security policies, leading to new protocols for handling unexplained encounters and fostering global cooperation for transparency. Furthermore, credible evidence of non-terrestrial intelligence would stimulate a paradigm shift in scientific research, prompting new inquiries into the origins, objectives, and technologies of these phenomena.

Even in the absence of conclusive proof, the acknowledgment that highly trained, credible professionals have encountered unexplained phenomena in space encourages a more open and transparent approach to data collection, analysis, and sharing. This transparency can enhance public trust and foster scientific collaboration across nations. The expanding efforts of the Pentagon’s UAP Office and NASA’s dedicated sensor suites for deep-space exploration highlight an institutional shift toward systematically studying and understanding these phenomena. Such frameworks aim to ensure encounters are documented rigorously and, if appropriate, communicated responsibly to the public.

The implications extend into philosophical and cultural realms as well, compelling humanity to reevaluate its place in the universe. If future investigations validate the presence of extraterrestrial or non-human intelligences, it could profoundly impact our worldviews, religious beliefs, and cultural narratives—ushering in a new era of cosmic consciousness. The legacy of astronaut reports, therefore, may serve as a catalyst for transformative scientific and societal change, emphasizing the importance of open-minded, rigorous investigation into mysteries beyond our planet.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Space UFO Research and Exploration

The renewed focus on astronaut UFO reports signifies a broader shift toward systematic, evidence-based research of space anomalies. As upcoming missions, such as NASA’s Artemis program, prepare to return humans to the Moon’s surface, they will be equipped with advanced optical, infrared, and radar systems capable of capturing high-resolution data. These tools aim to document anomalies in real time, providing objective, verifiable evidence to supplement eyewitness accounts.

Additionally, the International Space Station (ISS)—with its continuous crew presence—serves as a unique platform for ongoing observation of the space environment. The crew can perform real-time reports, capture video footage, and conduct experimental procedures aimed at identifying unexplained phenomena. These efforts are critical to moving the conversation beyond anecdotal reports, integrating data into a scientific framework that prioritizes reproducibility and verification.

Looking forward, collaboration among governmental agencies, scientific institutions, and private space enterprises will be essential to develop standardized protocols for recording, analyzing, and sharing data related to UAPs. Public interest and curiosity, fueled by credible testimonials from astronauts and astronauts-in-training, drive momentum for open engagement and transparency. The integration of cutting-edge technology, rigorous scientific methodology, and international cooperation aims to ensure that any future discoveries are rooted in fact rather than sensationalism, ultimately enhancing our understanding of space phenomena and humanity’s place in the cosmos.

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{ https://usubjects.com/  }

Overview

A recent YouTube video titled "Declassified: Proof of Extraterrestrial Contact in Official U.S. Files" has reignited public debate over the existence of extraterrestrial life, asserting that declassified U.S. government documents provide compelling evidence of contact with non-human intelligences. The video, which is being widely shared within disclosure communities, examines government records, whistleblower testimonies, and historic UFO encounters, urging viewers to engage directly with the primary sources rather than relying solely on mainstream media interpretations.

Government Documentation and Official Acknowledgement

The video argues that thousands of pages of government-generated documents are now publicly accessible, many of which were released following lawsuits, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, or through internal leaks. These documents reportedly originate from a wide range of U.S. agencies, including the Navy, Department of Defense, CIA, NSA, FBI, Congress, and NASA. According to the video, “These aren’t fringe sources… They come from the US Navy, the Department of Defense, the CIA, the NSA, the FBI, Congress, NASA Archives, and sworn testimony from military and intelligence officials.”

Among the most well-known official releases are the three Pentagon-authenticated infrared videos—known as Gimbal, Go Fast, and FLIR1 (or Tic Tac)—which depict unidentified aerial vehicles performing maneuvers that defy explanation by conventional technology. The video notes that these objects “have no wings, no exhaust, no heat signature, rotating midair, accelerating instantly, and outperforming every known aircraft on Earth.” Testimony from military pilots and radar operators has been presented to Congress, further corroborating these encounters.

Whistleblower Testimonies and Internal Reports

The video highlights the role of whistleblowers in advancing public understanding of UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). One prominent example is David Grusch, an intelligence officer whose inspector general-verified complaint alleged the existence of multiple crash retrieval programs involving “nonhuman craft and materials.” Congressional hearings confirmed Grusch’s credibility, and his allegations were deemed “urgent and credible” by the inspector general.

Another significant reference is to the Wilson Davis documents, which describe a high-ranking Navy admiral’s failed attempt to access a reverse engineering program run by private aerospace contractors. These documents, according to the video, reference “craft of unknown origin stored in private facilities beyond congressional oversight.”

Broader Historical Context and Media Critique

The video asserts that mainstream media has traditionally dismissed or ridiculed claims of extraterrestrial contact, contributing to a culture of skepticism and ignorance. It suggests that information has been deliberately controlled and that individuals are conditioned “not to look.” The presenter encourages viewers to develop discernment by directly consulting declassified files, comparing sources, and listening to a range of testimonies, while remaining aware of potential misinformation.

The historic Project Blue Book is cited as a prime example of official investigation, with over 12,000 documented UFO cases—hundreds of which remain unexplained. NASA, the NSA, and other agencies have also released records describing objects entering and leaving Earth’s atmosphere in ways inconsistent with known natural or man-made phenomena.

The Path Forward and Ongoing Debate

While the video is critical of media gatekeeping and government secrecy, it acknowledges the complexity of the issue and the need for public discernment. It references well-known disclosure advocates such as Dan Willis, Alex Collier, and Elena Denan, whose testimonies, the video claims, align with details in official documents and challenge sanitized disclosure narratives.

As the debate over UAPs and extraterrestrial contact continues, the video calls for greater transparency, personal engagement with primary sources, and a willingness to question established narratives. Whether or not the released documents constitute definitive “proof” remains a matter of public and scholarly debate, but the growing availability of official records and whistleblower accounts suggests that the conversation around extraterrestrial contact is far from over.

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{ https://usubjects.com/  }

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For billions of years since the formation of Earth and the Moon, solar radiation and our planet’s magnetic field have been driving a complex and invisible process. Parts of Earth’s atmosphere are transported to our moon and remain in its soil.

Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. Source: phys.org

Transfer of Earth particles to the Moon

The surface of the Moon may not be just a barren, inhospitable place. Over billions of years, tiny particles from Earth’s atmosphere have settled on the lunar soil, creating a potential source of substances necessary for the survival of future astronauts. But it is only recently that scientists have begun to understand how these particles make their long journey from Earth to the Moon and how long this process takes.

New research from the University of Rochester, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, shows that Earth’s magnetic field may actually help guide atmospheric particles carried by the solar wind into space, rather than blocking them. Since Earth’s magnetic field has existed for billions of years, this process could have gradually moved particles from Earth to the Moon over a long period of time.

“By combining data on particles preserved in lunar soil with computer simulations of the interaction of solar wind with Earth’s atmosphere, we can trace the history of Earth’s atmosphere and its magnetic field,” says Eric Blackman, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester.

Research findings indicate that lunar soil may not only contain long-term data about Earth’s atmosphere, but may also be even more valuable than scientists had thought for future space explorers who will live and work on the Moon.

Hints on the lunar soil

Soil brought back to Earth by the Apollo missions in the 1970s provided scientists with important clues. Studies of these samples show that the dusty surface of the Moon, called regolith, contains volatile substances such as water, carbon dioxide, helium, argon, and nitrogen. Some of these volatiles came from the constant stream of charged particles from the Sun, known as the solar wind. But their abundance, especially nitrogen, is too great to be explained by the solar wind alone.

In 2005, a group of scientists led by researchers from the University of Tokyo hypothesized that some of the volatile substances could have come from Earth’s atmosphere. They argued that this could only have happened at a time when the Earth did not yet have a magnetic field, since, in their opinion, the magnetic field would have prevented atmospheric particles from escaping into space.

But researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered that this process may work differently.

Role of the magnetic field in particle transport to the Moon

The URochester team includes Shubhonkar Paramanick, a graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a Horton Fellow at LLE; John Tarduno, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences; and Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback, a computational scientist at the Center for Integrated Research and Computational Technologies and an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, used advanced computer simulations to model how and when regolith could have acquired the elements found in the Apollo samples.

The researchers tested two scenarios. One modeled the “early Earth” without a magnetic field and under the influence of a stronger solar wind. The other modeled the “modern Earth” with its strong magnetic field and weaker solar wind. The simulation showed that particle transport works best in the modern Earth scenario.

In this case, charged particles from Earth’s atmosphere are knocked out by solar wind and directed along Earth’s magnetic field lines. Some of these lines extend so far into space that they reach the Moon. Over billions of years, this funnel effect has caused small amounts of Earth’s atmosphere to settle on the Moon.

Preserving the past and supporting the future

The long-term exchange of particles means that the Moon can store chemical data about Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, studying lunar soil can give scientists a rare opportunity to learn how the climate, oceans, and even life on Earth have evolved over billions of years.

The long-term, continuous transport of particles also indicates that lunar soil contains more volatile substances than previously thought. Elements such as water and nitrogen could enable humans to stay on the Moon for longer periods, reducing the need to transport supplies from Earth and making lunar exploration more feasible.

• According to phys.org

• Posted in News, Science

{ https://universemagazine.com/en/articles-en/ }

Many recurring themes emerged throughout the nearly five-hour session, so here are The Debrief’s top 5 takeaways from this conference.

1. UAPs are real, and a legitimate safety issue

Few aspects of the session stood out more than the six speakers and nearly 100 member engineers watching the session live treating the subject with a serious, scientific tone. The host set that tone early with his statements on professional conduct, but that warning proved more or less unnecessary, with almost no talk of little green men or extraterrestrial visitors making its way into the lengthy session. 

At one point, a particularly “seasoned” member, who had a highly distracting slide show of blimps and chemical formulas (among other random images) racing across the virtual wall behind him, jumped in to exclaim with glee that the whole subject is indeed a mystery and that the only thing we know for sure is, “it isn’t little green men who traveled here on faster than light spaceships!” His comment was met with complete silence and more than a few frowns.

Instead, a dry, shockingly mundane series of talks on the subject of aviation safety took place, with no scheduled speaker or attendee (minus the one, cause there’s always one) going out of their way to ridicule or minimize the reality of the safety issue facing commercial and military pilots worldwide, regardless of its origin.

“I think the biggest takeaway here,” said former US Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who repeatedly noted the real-life issue of potential mid-air collisions his former pilot colleagues still face every day, “we’re gonna just read right off the DNI report, is that some UAP appear to be real objects.”

( Image Credit: The Debrief)

2. The Stigma around this subject still exists, but that is starting to change

At one point or another, every speaker mentioned the stigma preventing respected scientists from studying this topic. Many noted how over half a century of study opportunities had been lost due to this issue alone.

“There was an open discussion among scientists about the nature (of UAPs) even if they are misidentified or not,” said NASA’s Ravi Kopparapu, pointing in particular to the UAP analysis conducted by the University of Arizona’s atmospheric scientist James McDonald back in the 1950s. “And it was not stigmatized.” 

At least one attendee wrote in the side chat that the simple existence of this session was undeniable proof of a shrinking stigma. 

Similarly, numerous other panelists and attendees pointed to the work of NASA and ESA employed astrobiologists and astronomers who are planning to use the space observation platforms of the future, including NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled for launch in November of this year, to look for biosignatures and technosignatures, both signs of extraterrestrial life.

While this type of discussion mainly occurred during the informal Q & A portions of the session, such frank and open comments about the shifting attitudes of mainstream scientists toward the possibility of extraterrestrial life seemed to at least hint that the bulk of those in attendance was generally open to all possible origins of UAP, while also remaining more concerned about the fundamental issue of human safety in our skies.

3. Without more (and better) data, there can be no progress

Since the release of the DoDs UAPTF report, the call for better data has never been more vital. Or, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth Sherlock Holmes once declared, “Data! Data! Data! I can’t make bricks without clay!”

“What is lacking [is an] examination of negatives or direct-prints (and cameras and lenses) by technically competent persons with the appropriate backgrounds and equipment, who are truly independent of Ray Stanford, and persons with expertise in such fields as artifacts produced by shooting pictures through birefringent airplane windows,” Johnson explained via email.

Knuth himself noted the photo’s provenance issue, telling session attendees, “I want to be clear that that imagery here has not been independently vetted. So we’ve not taken that to be authenticated. And so, I want to be clear and honest about that.”

“The presentation contained much of value,” Johnson wrote in a follow-up email. “However, in my view, it was a serious error in judgment for Professor Knuth to include the images from a Super 8 movie from Ray Stanford. The disclaimers (“Imagery Not Independently Vetted,” etc.) didn’t really mitigate this, since Professor Knuth proceeded to discuss the Stanford images as examples of exotic [UAP] effects.”

“In my presentation for AIAA, despite the fact that some in the UFO community find Stanford to be controversial, I decided to include Stanford’s image of a UFO that he and his friends and family (4 adults and 2 children) observed at Emerald Cove Pier, Corpus Corpus Christi TX on October 5, 1985,” Knuth told The Debrief in an email when asked to comment. “I was very clear in my presentation that the imagery had not been independently vetted and authenticated. We have been unable to do this over the last year due to the pandemic, but that will soon be rectified.”

Knuth expressed disappointment that the UFO community was focusing on his inclusion of this image in his presentation, and that he worked with other researchers in the field to confirm the image was an original. He plans on writing a scientific paper on UAP characteristics using the Stanford image in the near future where the film and images will be put through proper and rigorous study.

You can’t talk about UFOs without a bit of drama!

Still, even with this particular, seemingly egregious Ufological faux-pas, which has haunted serious discussion and analysis of the subject since its origins, Knuth’s overriding heed and call for more and better data was as large as any component of his detailed presentation.

4. Scientists are the ones who need to rise to this challenge

Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of the entire session were the parts that were the hardest to understand. That’s because, more often than not, when you get a group of intelligent and highly educated people together and ask them to take a serious look at an issue as crucial as air safety, they tend to do just that.

For instance, some lengthy and complex calculations performed by the Scientific Coalition of UAP Studies (SCU) and presented by electrical engineer Peter Reali showed the incredible amounts of energy needed to propel an object like the alleged ‘Tic Tac’ UFO (as well as numerous other geometric form factors) from 28,000 feet to just 50 feet in elevation in less than a second. This analysis also highlighted the devastating effects such a rapid acceleration and deceleration should have on the surrounding environment when said object sheds all of that energy to make its complete stop.

The SCU’s conclusion?

“The point seven eight-second [calculation] of all projectiles was equivalent to 1.05 kilotons of TNT, or a tactical nuclear weapon,” said Reali. Oddly, he noted, such effects were not witnessed in 2004.

This point, which came up more than once during the other presentations, often led to deep mathematical discussions, typically ending with each and every one of the scientists and engineers on the panel (or the side chat) admitting that they were unable to account for the movements of the Tic Tac, much less its seeming lack of effects on its surroundings when shedding the massive amounts of energy required to descend and stop with such incredible speed. 

Once again, to be fair, none of the panelists seemed to question the object’s existence, nor the accounts of the pilots and radar operators on record, which may indicate a bias. Regardless, assuming the testimony and video footage are sound, they debated a range of possible explanations grounded in present-day science. In the end, all seemed to concede that an apt explanation has thus far proven elusive.

“It’s a shame that 60 years ago we knew this much and still did not proceed as the scientific community to study these things,” lamented Knuth during one such discussion of past cases where scientists from the 1950s reported many of the same alleged performance and form factor hallmarks of current UAP events. “That’s 60 years of research lost.”

U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilot Ryan Graves. (Image Credit: Ryan Graves)

5. One voice rose above them all

For most who have had the opportunity to see Ryan Graves interviewed, there is seemingly little doubt that he is a trained, level-headed individual, whether seated behind the controls of a fighter jet or in a [virtual] room full of scientists and engineers. As such, it was no surprise that the group chose Graves to speak for them after the individual presentations, as his testimony was undoubtedly the most riveting.

“I’m hesitant to ask people [to speak out] or to state that this shouldn’t be stigmatized,” Graves noted during that discussion. “For me, this is a silly conversation because I know for a fact that this is still happening.”

Later during that same segment, Graves continued his near plea, telling the panel and online attendees, “you’re still aviators, and this is a safety consideration. [Our pilots see this] every single flight they go on. And this is all very pragmatic, you know? It’s an everyday air to air, or excuse me, air safety consideration.”

Graves’ measured tone once again came to the forefront during a particularly heated exchange between scientists regarding the inability to get their hands on classified signal data. “The fact that we’re talking about [access to] signals,” said Graves, “still, in a time when people are having near misses, is disturbing.”

• _Follow and connect with author Christopher Plain on Twitter: @plain_fictionF

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

“With this paper, we wanted to clearly define a technology and associate it with the Roman period in the year 79 C.E.,” explained MIT Associate Professor Admir Masic.

How ‘Hot Mixing’ Gave Roman Concrete its Self-Healing Properties

According to a press release announcing the research, the first person to document the process of making Roman concrete was Vitruvius in his 1st-century BCE text “De architectura.” Although the ancient text is considered the first known book to discuss architectural theory, the process it describes for mixing Roman concrete has created a modern-day controversy.

According to Vitruvius, the Romans added water to lime to create a concrete predecessor. After this step was completed, other ingredients, such as volcanic ash, were added to make the final concrete product. Unfortunately for the ancient scholar, a 2023 study of Roman concrete by Professor Masic and his collaborators showed that this mixture would not have resulted in the robust, long-lasting material we see today.

“Having a lot of respect for Vitruvius, it was difficult to suggest that his description may be inaccurate,” Professor Masic said.

Instead, the original study found that lime fragments, volcanic ash, and other dry ingredients were mixed separately before water was added. Once the mixed dry materials and water were stirred, they would produce heat.

Described by Masic’s team as “hot mixing,” the process traps and preserves the lime as small, gravel-like features. Because lime is highly reactive, these preserved ‘clasts’ can fill in cracks and re-dissolve. Scientists believe this self-healing property is among the key reasons Roman concrete has persevered for over 2,000 years.

New Analysis Finds Vitruvius Was Wrong

To confirm or refute Viruvius’ account, Masic’s team gained access to an ancient concrete wall that was in the process of being built. The site also contained fully completed buttresses and a structural wall, the latter including examples of mortar repairs still visible after two millennia.

“We were blessed to be able to open this time capsule of a construction site and find piles of material ready to be used for the wall,” Masic said of the ancient Pompeian site.

After performing several tests, the researchers determined that the ancient walls and buttresses offered “the clearest evidence yet” that jot mixing was responsible for the strength and durability of Roman concrete. For example, the samples collected at the site contained the lime clasts Masic’s team had described in 2023.

The team also discovered a dry raw-material pile containing intact fragments of quicklime that had been pre-mixed with other dry materials. The researchers note that premixing the dry ingredients before adding the water to generate a heat reaction is a “critical first step” in hot-mixed concrete production.

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

Geoscientists Find Explanation for Mysterious Structures within Earth’s Mantle

For decades, scientists have been baffled by two enormous structures buried deep inside Earth. These anomalies may retain geochemical signatures distinct from the surrounding mantle. Yet, their origin remains enigmatic. Rutgers University geodynamicist Yoshinori Miyazaki and colleagues offer a striking explanation for these anomalies and their role in shaping Earth’s ability to support life.

The illustration shows a cutaway revealing the interior of early Earth with a hot, melted layer above the boundary between the core and mantle.

Image credit: Yoshinori Miyazaki / Rutgers University.

The two enigmatic structures, known as large low-shear-velocity provinces and ultra-low-velocity zones, sit at the boundary between Earth’s mantle and its core, nearly 2,900 km (1,800 miles) beneath the surface.

Large low-shear-velocity provinces are continent-sized blobs of dense, hot rock.

One sits beneath Africa; the other is perched under the Pacific Ocean.

Ultra-low velocity zones are thin, molten patches clinging to the core like lava puddles.

Both types of structures slow seismic waves dramatically, signaling unusual composition.

“These are not random oddities,” said Dr. Miyazaki, co-author of a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

“They are fingerprints of Earth’s earliest history.”

“If we can understand why they exist, we can understand how our planet formed and why it became habitable.”

“Billions of years ago, Earth was covered by a global ocean of magma.”

“As it cooled, scientists expected the mantle to form distinct chemical layers, similar to frozen juice separating into sugary concentrate and watery ice.”

“But seismic studies show no such strong layering. Instead, large-low shear velocity provinces and ultra-low velocity zones form irregular piles at the planet’s base.”

“That contradiction was the starting point. If we start from the magma ocean and do the calculations, we don’t get what we see in Earth’s mantle today. Something was missing.”

The team’s model suggests that over billions of years, elements such as silicon and magnesium leaked from the core into the mantle, mixing with it and preventing strong chemical layering.

This infusion could explain the strange composition of large low-shear-velocity provinces and ultra-low-velocity zones, which can be seen as solidified remnants of what the scientists termed a basal magma ocean contaminated by core material.

“What we proposed was that it might be coming from material leaking out from the core,” Dr. Miyazaki said.

“If you add the core component, it could explain what we see right now.”

“The discovery is about more than deep-Earth chemistry.”

“Core-mantle interactions may have influenced how Earth cooled, how volcanic activity unfolded and even how the atmosphere evolved.”

“That could help explain why Earth has oceans and life, while Venus is a scorching greenhouse and Mars is a frozen desert.”

“Earth has water, life and a relatively stable atmosphere.”

“Venus’ atmosphere is 100 times thicker than Earth’s and is mostly carbon dioxide, and Mars has a very thin atmosphere.”

“We don’t fully understand why that is. But what happens inside a planet, that is, how it cools, how its layers evolve, could be a big part of the answer.”

By integrating seismic data, mineral physics and geodynamic modeling, the authors reconceived large low-shear velocity provinces and ultra-low-velocity zones as vital clues to Earth’s formative processes.

The structures may even feed volcanic hotspots such as Hawaii and Iceland, linking the deep Earth to its surface.

“This work is a great example of how combining planetary science, geodynamics and mineral physics can help us solve some of Earth’s oldest mysteries,” said study co-author Dr. Jie Deng, a researcher at Princeton University.

“The idea that the deep mantle could still carry the chemical memory of early core–mantle interactions opens up new ways to understand Earth’s unique evolution.”

“Each new piece of evidence helps fill in gaps in Earth’s early history, turning scattered clues into a clearer picture of its evolution.”

“Even with very few clues, we’re starting to build a story that makes sense,” Dr. Miyazaki said.

• “This study gives us a little more certainty about how Earth evolved, and why it’s so special.”
• J. Deng et al. 2025. Deep mantle heterogeneities formed through a basal magma ocean contaminated by core exsolution. Nat. Geosci 18, 1056-1062; doi: 10.1038/s41561-025-01797-y

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Archaeologists Discover Earliest Evidence of Fire-Making

rchaeologists have unearthed 400,000-year-old heated sediments and fire-cracked flint handaxes alongside two fragments of pyrite — a mineral used in later periods to strike sparks with flint — at Barnham, Suffolk, the United Kingdom. The discovery shows humans were making fire around 350,000 years earlier than previously known.

An artist’s impression of fire at Barnham around 400,000 years ago.

Image credit: Craig Williams / The Trustees of the British Museum.

The ability of humans to make and maintain fires marks an important moment in human development: fires provided warmth, offered protection from predators and enabled cooking, which expanded the range of foods that could be consumed.

Indications of fires in sites inhabited by humans date to more than one million years ago.

However, determining when humans learned how to create fire is challenging.

Fire use probably began with opportunistic harvesting of natural wildfires before our ancestors mastered the art of deliberately starting fires.

Previous evidence for early fire-making has been found at Neanderthal sites in France dating to 50,000 years ago, where handaxes that seem to have been used to strike pyrite to create sparks have been found.

The new evidence discovered by Professor Nick Ashton, an archaeologist with the British Museum and the Institute of Archaeology at University College London, and his colleagues suggests that fire-making may have been happening 400,000 years ago in Barnham, the United Kingdom.

The archaeologists discovered heated sediments in ancient soils along with fire-cracked flint handaxes.

These features indicate that fire was being controlled in a human settlement, but it is the third finding that suggests that the fire-making was deliberate.

Two fragments of pyrite were discovered on the site; however, this mineral is rare in this region, leading the researchers to propose that pyrite was purposefully brought to the site to be used for fire-making.

Together, the findings indicate complex behavior in ancient humans at the Barnham site.

For example, these humans may have understood the properties of pyrite to use it as part of a fire-making kit.

Developing this skill would have provided many benefits, including the ability to cook food and potentially driving the advancement of technologies such as glue-making for hafted tools, which may have contributed to notable developments in human behavior.

“The people who made fire at Barnham at 400,000 years ago were probably early Neanderthals, based on the morphology of fossils around the same age from Swanscombe, Kent, and Atapuerca in Spain, who even preserve early Neanderthal DNA,” said Professor Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at Natural History Museum, London.

“This is the most remarkable discovery of my career, and I’m very proud of the teamwork that it has taken to reach this groundbreaking conclusion,” Professor Ashton said.

“It’s incredible that some of the oldest groups of Neanderthals had the knowledge of the properties of flint, pyrite and tinder at such an early date.”

“The implications are enormous,” said Dr. Rob Davis, a project curator at the British Museum.

“The ability to create and control fire is one of the most important turning points in human history with practical and social benefits that changed human evolution.”

“This extraordinary discovery pushes this turning point back by some 350,000 years.”

• The discovery is reported in a paper published today in the journal Nature.
• R. Davis et al. Earliest evidence of making fire. Nature, published online December 10, 2025; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09855-6

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Mystery US military jet makes three-minute flight in Japan as tensions escalate with China and Russia

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A US military transport aircraft was spotted in Japan on Thursday as tensions with China and Russia continue to escalate.

Flight tracking data shows a US Boeing C-40 Clipper stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, the largest US Navy base in the Pacific, briefly departed the base at 5.21am ET before returning after just over three minutes. 

Aviation observers noted the unusually short flight, sparking questions about its purpose.

The Clipper is a VIP-configured aircraft, specially designed for the secure, reliable, and comfortable transport of high-ranking military and government officials. 

While it is unclear who was aboard, such flights are typically associated with urgent missions or strategic coordination.

The flight comes just a day after US strategic bombers joined a fleet of Japanese fighter jets in a joint exercise meant to showcase military cooperation around Japan's airspace. 

This show of force followed Chinese and Russian bombers flying together near western Japan on Tuesday, prompting Tokyo to scramble fighter jets, though no airspace violations were reported.

Tensions between Japan, China and Russia stem from historical disputes and overlapping military interests, including Taiwan, Japan's growing defense ties with the US and territorial disputes.

A US Boeing C-40 Clipper made a short flight, just over three minutes, while in Japan

The Clipper is a VIP-configured aircraft, specially designed for the secure, reliable, and comfortable transport of high-ranking military and government officials

These issues create a complex security dynamic in which China and Russia view Japan's military resurgence as a threat.

The Tuesday incident also followed a separate threat in which Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets over international waters last Saturday, further straining Tokyo-Beijing relations.

According to the Japanese Joint Staff, the exercise on Wednesday was conducted 'as the security environment surrounding our country is becoming even more severe,' underscoring growing concerns about regional stability.

The Clipper is a military variant of the commercial Boeing 737-700, serving as a medium-lift transport aircraft for the US Navy. 

It supports can be configured to carry up to 121 passengers, eight cargo pallets up to 40,000 pounds or a combination of both. The aircraft has a range of approximately 3,682 miles unrefueled, a top speed of about 530 mph, and is typically crewed by three flight crew members plus five to ten mission crew. 

As of 2025, the US Navy operates 17 active C-40As, with squadrons like VR-57 'Conquistadors' handling Pacific operations. 

Production ran from 2001 to 2019, delivering 17 units at an average cost of around $70 million each. 

Flight tracking data shows a US Boeing C-40 Clipper stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, the largest US Navy base in the Pacific, briefly departed the base at 5:21 a.m. ET before returning after just over three minutes

The Clipper was previously used to escort Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington in 2022.

The Ukrainian president was stashed in a US Air Force Boeing C-40 Clipper as part of the delicately planned cloak-and-dagger operation to avoid any Russian sabotage on his first foreign visit since Vladimir Putin sent troops over the border.

But now the US has deployed the jet to assist another ally.

The Japanese Joint Staff said the allies 'reaffirmed the strong resolve to prevent unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force and the readiness between the SDF and the U.S. forces.'

Two U.S. B-52 strategic bombers and three Japanese F-35 stealth fighter jets and three F-15 jets conducted their joint flight drills near Japan´s western airspace, above the waters between the country and South Korea, officials said.

The Joint Staff denied that the exercise was conducted in response to a specific incident, but acknowledged Chinese military aircraft´s recent radar-locking on Japanese jets and the China-Russia joint bomber exercises on Tuesday as examples of a worsening security environment around Japan.

Relations between Japan and China have deteriorated after Japan´s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in early November that Japan's military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own.

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Maven, we have a problem: NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that has been orbiting Mars for more than a DECADE

• READ MORE: NASA finds sugars essential for life on ancient asteroid Bennu

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

NASA has lost contact with a spacecraft that has been orbiting Mars for more than a decade.

The space agency last heard from the Maven (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft as it orbited behind the Red Planet on December 6.

But when Maven emerged, it had ceased all communications with NASA's ground stations.

All of the orbiter's systems were functioning as usual before it disappeared behind Mars as part of its normal orbit, according to NASA's telemetry.

NASA's scientists don't know what caused the disappearance, and it is currently not clear whether the spacecraft can be brought back online.

If Maven is unable to establish communications with Earth, it could put an end to over 10 years of critical scientific work from orbit around the Red Planet.

In a statement, the space agency said: 'The spacecraft and operations teams are investigating the anomaly to address the situation.

'More information will be shared once it becomes available.'

NASA has abruptly lost connection to the Maven spacecraft, which has been orbiting Mars for more than a decade 

Maven was launched from Earth in 2013 and arrived in Martian orbit on September 21, 2014.

The 800-kilogram (1,784 lbs) craft is equipped with eight pieces of sensitive equipment designed to collect images in the ultraviolet part of the light spectrum.

The mission's goal was to gather data about the planet's upper atmosphere, its interactions with the sun, and to explain how Mars lost its atmosphere to space.

Scientists believe that Mars was once a warm, wet world with lakes and oceans much like those found on Earth.

However, the planet's atmosphere was stripped away over millions of years, gradually transforming Mars into a barren desert.

Maven has been critical in showing that atmospheric loss was an escape route for Mars' water, revealing how it was lifted high into the atmosphere by dust storms, where it can be blown away by solar wind.

The spacecraft has also helped to map Mars' winds, categorise clouds on the red planet, and even discovered an invisible magnetic 'tail'.

More recently, NASA put Maven's equipment to an unexpected new use as the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS made its close pass of Mars.

Maven's ultraviolet images of Mars (pictured) have been critical in showing how the Red Planet lost its water and atmosphere over time 

In September, Maven captured the ultraviolet spectrum of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS (pictured), which could help scientists learn more about its origins and evolution 

Over the course of 10 days, starting on September 27, Maven used its Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph camera to create unique images of the passing comet.

Although these images didn't look like the high-resolution visible light shots from Earth-based telescopes, they were far more scientifically important.

By looking at the wavelengths of light emerging from the 'coma' of gases around the comet, scientists have been able to analyse its chemical composition.

Further study could reveal more about the comet's origins and evolution in another solar system billions of years away.

However, Maven's sudden disappearance following its encounter with the mysterious interstellar object has sparked a wave of online conspiracy theories.

On X, one paranoid commenter wrote: 'There could be a number of reasons for that, including intercession by an Extraterrestrial Alien Spacecraft to prevent NASA gaining any further information. Just my opinion.'

'3I/ATLAS took it,' another chimed in. 

While another conspiracy theorist added: 'Aliens got another one.'

With the disappearance coming so soon after the spacecraft's encounter with 3I/ATLAS, the news has sparked a wave of outlandish conspiracy theories 

On X, some commenters suggested that the craft could have been 'taken' by the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, reflecting a scientifically debunked theory that the interstellar object is an alien object 

Another conspiracy theorist on X suggested that Maven had been taken by aliens 

Read More

• A celestial oasis? NASA's Perseverance Rover discovers evidence of tropical rainfall on Mars 

In addition to its scientific work, Maven also played an important role in the data relay network between NASA's surface rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, and Earth.

The spacecraft going offline could cause some disruptions for the space agencies' ongoing investigations on the Martian surface.

It will, therefore, be very critical for NASA to find out what went wrong with Maven and ensure it does not happen to any other Mars orbiters.

With Maven not responding to communications from Earth, NASA has only two active spacecraft in orbit: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2005, and Mars Odyssey, launched in 2001.

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) Orbiter 

Launch: November 18, 2013

Launch Location: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

Mars Orbit Insertion: September 21, 2014

Length: 11.4 metres

Width: 2.29 metres

Height: 3.47 metres

Weight (on Earth): 809 kilograms

Scientific Payload: Eight instruments for gathering data in the ultraviolet spectrum

Mission Objective:  To determine how much of the Martian atmosphere has been lost over time by measuring the current rate of escape to space and gathering enough information about the relevant processes to allow extrapolation backward in time.

Current Mission Status: Unresponsive  

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