NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Fired a Laser at a Spacecraft on the Moon. Here’s the Reason Why.
NASA recently revealed that a laser beam was fired from its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) at a spacecraft on the Moon’s surface.
Micah Hanks
Micah Hanks is creator, co-founder, and Editor-in-Chief of The Debrief. He covers science, defense, and technology in his writing and podcasts, and you can find him at micahhanks.com and on X @MicahHanks.
Miracle Filtration System Marks Quantum-Leap in Global Access to Clean Drinking Water Using This Revolutionary Biomaterial
A new 'miracle' portable water filtration system could make clean drinking water available to people around the world.
At Just 54 Atoms, Scientists Made History by Tying the World’s Smallest Knot, and They Have No Idea How They Did It
An international team of chemists has set a new world record for tying the world’s smallest knot, which they say consists of only 54 atoms.
200-Million-Years Ago, These Winged ‘Dragons’ Glided Through England’s Ancient Skies
On an ancient subtropical island that once existed near modern-day South West England, a species of winged creatures that closely resembled tiny dragons once thrived, new research has revealed.
“Hazards Remain High” as Volcanic Danger Zone is Revealed in NASA Satellite Imagery Captured Over Iceland
NASA satellite imagery has revealed the thermal signature of volcanic activity that reawakened on Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula this month, following an eruption late last year that prompted evacuations.
James Webb Space Telescope Has Helped Solve a Mystery That Left Astronomers Baffled For Years
One of astronomy’s most perplexing mysteries has been resolved, according to scientists involved with new findings made possible by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Unknown Object Punched “Softball Sized Hole” in Aircraft, Prompting Emergency Landing and FAA Investigation
The FAA is investigating an incident that prompted the emergency landing of an Atlas Air flight at Miami International Airport late Thursday evening, leaving a hole above one of its engines.
Scientists Have Revealed a Crucial Step in How Early Life May Have Originated on Our Planet, and Earth Isn’t the Only Place it Could be Happening.
New research is offering potentially crucial insights into how living organisms came to exist on our planet billions of years ago.
Groundbreaking New Study Reveals Origins of Intense Unexplained Phenomena Caused by Supermassive Black Holes
New simulations have replicated a phenomenon associated with supermassive black holes, revealing something as yet unknown to astronomers.
Will Scientists Soon Confirm the Existence of Alien Life?
This week, tantalizing hints that a major scientific discovery involving alien life may be on the way are afoot... but is there more here than hype?
Classified: The Intelligence Community UAP Briefing
Recently, members of Congress received a classified briefing from the Intelligence Community Inspector General regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
3000-Year-Old Carvings on Enigmatic Disk Unearthed in Italy Could Be Ancient Star Map, Controversial Study Claims
A stone disk bearing peculiar markings could be an ancient star map, according to new claims that prompted debate among archaeologists.
Moon Rock Mystery is Finally Solved, Shedding Light on Curious Phenomena Deep Within the Lunar Interior
A longstanding Moon rock mystery has finally been solved, according to new research that is revealing the process behind their formation, one that has long eluded lunar scientists.
DARPA’s Mysterious X-Plane Will Revolutionize Flight by Breaking This Century-Old Aviation Design Paradigm
DARPA is set to revolutionize flight with its experimental X-plane, upending a century of flight with an aircraft featuring no moving control surfaces.
NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft is Unveiled During Historic Ceremony at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
On Friday, the X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft was unveiled to the public at Lockheed Martin’s iconic Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.
Landmark Dark Energy Study Is Complicating Our View of the Universe, but Offers New Insights on Cosmic Expansion
A landmark new study based on the results of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) is complicating our understanding of the cosmos, but offers promising new insights into the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Unexplained Gamma-Ray Signal from Beyond Our Galaxy Baffles Astronomers, Points to Deeper Cosmic Mystery
Astronomers report the unexpected discovery of a gamma-ray signal emanating from outside our galaxy that they can’t yet explain.
Cryptoterrestrials: A Hypothesis of Earthly NHI Origins
Philospher Bernardo Kastrup shares his perspectives on why UAP and NHI could represent a phenomenon much closer to home in this wide-reaching discussion on The Micah Hanks Program.
The Saga of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s Recent ‘Medical Mystery’
This week, we explore details about Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s recent “medical mystery,” and what it means in terms of U.S. government transparency.
New Bipartisan Bill Aims to Strengthen UAP Reporting from Civilian Pilots and Aviation Personnel
A new bill, the 'Safe Airspace for Americans Act' aims to encourage reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) from pilots.
Hubble Space Telescope Reveals ‘Oddball’ Origins of Farthest and Weirdest Mysterious Radio Signal of Its Kind
A team of astronomers says they have found the unusual location of a rare cosmic event, which appears to be the farthest of its kind yet detected, with help from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
Pilot’s Bizarre Encounter With 30-Foot-Tall Triangular UFO Prompts Aviation Safety Concerns
A bizarre incident unfolded in the skies above Frederick County, Maryland, last month as a private pilot reported a mid-air encounter with a 30-foot-tall triangular UFO.
James Webb Space Telescope Detects Anomalous Emissions Coming from Mysterious Isolated Space Object
In an unexpected discovery, the James Webb Space Telescope has detected a distant brown dwarf that appears to be producing infrared emissions from methane.
What We Know About the ‘Anomaly’ That Prematurely Ended the Peregrine Moon Lander Mission Carrying Human Remains
An anomaly brought the first attempted soft landing of a spacecraft on the Moon in more than 50 years to a premature end yesterday.
Vulcan Centaur Rocket Launch Positions ULA as Newest Challenge to Space X Amid Payload Controversy
The inaugural launch of ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket on Monday marked a new milestone in the growing commercial space industry.
NASA Satellite Images Have Revealed Something Curious in the Skies Above Russia’s Eastern Coast
NASA satellite images obtained late last year captured an unusual occurrence in the skies off the coast of eastern Russia.
NASA Will Debut Its Mysterious X-59 ‘Quiet’ Supersonic Aircraft at Famous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Facility Next Week
NASA has announced its plans to unveil its ultra-quiet X-59 supersonic aircraft next week, the American space agency said in a statement on Friday.
The Epstein File: What We Know About This Week’s Document Release
In this first installment of 2024, we look at the first batch in a series of U.S. court records detailing people associated with Jeffrey Epstein that were released on Wednesday
Half Billion-Year-Old ‘Giant’ Predator is Unearthed During Expedition to Greenland High-Arctic Zone
Scientists have discovered a new variety of animal predators, whose ancient remains were recently unearthed during expeditions to a remote North Greenland high-Arctic zone.
Scientists Have Detected Something Migrating Under Arctic Ice. Now They’re Worried About What May Happen If It Escapes.
Beneath permafrost on a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, scientists in Svalbard have detected something they say could potentially impact the environment if it escapes.
Japan Airlines Plane Erupts into Flame After Collision with Coast Guard Aircraft at Tokyo Airport
A fiery scene unfolded at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday as a Japan Airlines jet erupted into flames after a ground collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft.
Revolutionary Electrospray Propulsion System Powered by Nanotech May Be Ready to Power Small Spacecraft by the End of 2024
The ESA is producing a new electrospray propulsion system for small spacecraft that is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand.
2023: A Year of Energy Breakthroughs, Space Discoveries, and Whistleblower Allegations
In this 2023 year-end roundup edition of The Intelligence Brief, we'll be looking at several of the biggest stories of the year brought to you by The Debrief.
UAP Secrecy: Law, Democracy, and the Phenomenon
This week, we are joined by J.P. Hague, a dual national and qualified lawyer who provides an extensive overview of the US political and legislative developments related to UAP we have seen in recent months.
These Mysterious Sounds Have Baffled Scientists for Decades. Whatever is Causing Them Remains Unknown.
Mysterious sounds of unknown origin have persisted for decades, arousing the attention of scientists due to their perplexing—and often explosive—nature.
The James Webb Space Telescope Has Changed Our View of the Cosmos in 2023. Here Are Some of This Year’s Best Images and Greatest Discoveries.
Here are some of the key discoveries made in 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope that are expanding our view of the cosmos.
Scientists Locate Hidden ‘Alien’ World Previously Unknown to Science in One of Earth’s Most Extreme Regions
An ecosystem scientists are calling an “alien” environment has been revealed in one of the most remote and arid regions of the world, a discovery that could shed light on the origins of life on Earth and how exotic life forms on other planets may come to exist.
Christmas in the Cosmos: The Most Festive Phenomena in Space
In this special holiday installment, we'll be spending Christmas in the cosmos as we search for the most festive phenomena in space.
Catastrophic Disclosure: A Mitigation Plan
This week, we explore the concept of "catastrophic disclosure," and whether mitigation strategies could help reduce the chances of harm resulting from uncontrolled or unplanned disclosure of the existence of non-human intelligence.
Scientists Analyzing Ancient Scythian Artifacts Have Made a Gruesome Discovery
Anthropologists studying a collection of ancient Scythian artifacts retrieved during excavations at sites in Ukraine have made a gruesome discovery.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Has Captured Images of Something Odd Carved into the Martian Landscape
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently captured images of an odd-looking series of ridged lines carved into the landscape of the Red Planet, the U.S. space agency recently announced.
Record-Setting NASA Laser Experiment Beams Ultra-High-Definition Video to Earth from 19 Million Miles Away
A NASA laser experiment has successfully beamed ultra-high-definition streaming video to Earth from a distance of 19 million miles away.
James Webb Space Telescope Spots ‘Unusual’ and ‘Enigmatic’ Features on Ice Giant Uranus
NASA has released stunning new imagery of the ice giant Uranus captured by its premiere space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope.
Volcano Turns the Sky Red Over Southwest Iceland, Prompting Evacuations and Placing Officials on High Alert
The eruption of a volcano on southwest Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula sent plumes of ash into the sky on Monday, following several weeks of earthquakes that rocked the region.
More Than 23,000 Years Ago, Earliest Americans May Have Traveled “Ice Highways” Across Oceans to Reach North America
Researchers investigating how and when the first people arrived in North America are proposing that ancient travelers may have followed “ice highways” across the Pacific.
Dream Chaser Spaceplane is Gearing Up to Help NASA Deliver Cargo to the International Space Station
An innovative new spaceplane cargo system is advancing toward its first delivery to the International Space Station (ISS), as one of NASA’s commercial partners providing resupply services.
NASA is Investigating a Strange Series of Coded Messages from Space. They’re Coming from a Familiar Source.
NASA engineers were reportedly left baffled recently after receiving a perplexing series of coded messages from a point in space nearly 15 billion miles from Earth, according to a recent update shared by the U.S. space agency.
UAP Disclosure: The Empire Strikes Back
This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we look at all the latest developments with the UAP Disclosure Act, as well as what one famous UAP whistleblower has had to say on the matter of UAP transparency in Washington.
World’s First Supercomputer That Will Rival the Human Brain to be Unleashed in 2024
Researchers in Australia are developing the world’s first supercomputer capable of simulating networks at a scale comparable to the human brain, which they say will be complete by next year.
The Senate Just Passed Its Massive Defense Bill: Here’s What That Means for UAP Disclosure
In this week's newsletter, we’ll be looking at the Senate's recent passage of the NDAA, and what that means for the UAP Disclosure Act of 2023.