Cyberattack Concerns Mount in the West as Russia Invades Ukraine
As the U.S. and other nations announce sanctions against Russia amidst the crisis in Ukraine, this week we examine concerns over retaliatory cyberattacks.
The Intelligence Brief
Into the Cosmic “Webb”: The Search for Interstellar Interlopers
The James Webb Space Telescope could do more than just give us glimpses of distant alien worlds; it may even help us spot a few interstellar visitors.
NASA Just Revealed Who Will be Helping It Retrieve Samples from Mars
This week, NASA has made a big announcement about its future plans to retrieve samples from the surface of Mars.
A Surprise Discovery on Mars Offers Clues in the Search for Life
This week we look at what recent findings suggest about the possible existence of life on ancient Mars, and why the question of biology shouldn’t be ruled out.
A Rocket is About to Collide With the Moon… And That Might Be a Good Thing
A rocket is expected to crash into the Moon in early March... so why aren't many experts concerned? This week, we examine the surprising reasons why.
Report: NASA’s Human Space Exploration Efforts Need an Upgrade
This week, we look at what a newly released report says about NASA and how it can optimize its efforts toward human space exploration in the years ahead.
Welcome to the Future, as Seen From the Past
This week, The Intelligence Brief takes a trip back in time, as we take a look at how people in decades envisioned the future world of 2022.
The Pentagon’s Secret War Against COVID 19
With Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testing positive for COVID 19, we look at how the coronavirus has remained a challenge to U.S. national security.
The James Webb Space Telescope: NASA’s Most Advanced Space Science Observatory Pursues the Unknown
This week, we look at the historic launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the critical days ahead, and the discoveries it is expected to make.
The SETI Institute Looks Back on 2021, and Forward to the Future
As The Debrief looks back on its first year in business, one of the big areas we have covered involves the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI.
The Senate Just Passed a Defense Bill the DoD is Calling “Historic”
This week, as the Senate passes a defense bill that significantly increases the Pentagon's budget, we analyze some of its key provisions, and historic implications.
NASA Lasers in Space, Mysterious Solar Particles, and a “Hut” on the Moon
This week, we look at a joint NASA and U.S. Naval Research Laboratory experiment that got a bit of help from the U.S. Space Force in recent days.
NASA’s Retirement Plans for the International Space Station
This week, we look at the retirement plans NASA has outlined for the International Space Station, and future space stations it will build with commercial partners.
Preliminary Assessment: The Pentagon’s New UAP Investigative Group
This week, we examine the DoD's all new UAP investigation effort, the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group.
Russia’s Anti-Satellite Missile Test: A Danger to Future Space Operations
This week, we analyze a concerning incident involving a test by Russia and its burgeoning anti-satellite missile technology.
Aerial Threats: Foreign, Domestic, and Exotic
This week, we examine Russia's aspirations for the country’s new state armament program, and how this relates to unidentifed aerial threats.
NASA’s DART Program and the Future of Planetary Defense
This week, news of a surprise visit from an asteroid in late October has NASA talking about the prospects of its DART program.
A Massive Solar Flare is Headed for Earth this Halloween
This week, we turn our attention toward the Sun and the solar flare that has been brewing there in recent days that has researchers at NASA talking.
The CIA’s Secret War Against WikiLeaks
This week, we analyze a bombshell report appearing this week that disclosed how far the CIA had considered going to halt the efforts of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
William Shatner Reaches the Final Frontier
This week, we look at actor William Shatner and his successful trip into space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft.
Spy Games: The CIA Shifts its Focus to Threats from China and Foreign Technology
This week we look at the CIA's new China and Foreign Technology Mission Centers, and new information about losses sustained by the agency.
Spiritual Machines: Silicon Valley’s Quest for Immortality
This week, we turn our attention to the question of longevity studies, and Silicon Valley's quest for Immortality.
The Future of NASA: Innovation, Exploration, and the Unknown
This week, NASA makes some big announcements outlining its mission in the decades ahead, and talks about part of its core mission: seeking the unknown.
A Permanent U.S. Government Office of UAP Investigations?
Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… in this edition we’ll be looking at 1) The Debrief team’s recent appearance at the 30th annual International UFO Congress, 2) why Congress is looking at establishing a permanent office of...
Smoke on the International Space Station: It’s Time for an Upgrade
Another concerning incident earlier this week on the International Space Station points to deeper problems for future operations in orbit.
Virgin Galactic “Red Light” Incident Gets Attention From the FAA
This week, new details emerge about how Richard Branson's successful Virgin Galactic spaceflight in July almost wasn't... prompting an FAA investigation.
China’s Quest to Build a Mile-Wide Spacecraft
This week, we examine China's ambitions to build a mile-wide spacecraft, and what leaked emails are telling us about friction within the commercial space industry.
Afghanistan in the Aftermath
This week, we examine whether there was intelligence on the developing situation in Afghanistan that might have foreshadowed events that have transpired in recent days.
UFOs: The Cycle Continues
This week we examine the cycles of UFO interest throughout time, the pattern that emerges, and why current events involving the subject may represent something new for the future of UAP studies.
Incident on the ISS: The “Anomaly” that Led to a Spacecraft Emergency
An incident aboard the ISS in recent days involving Russia’s Nauka module led to an unexpected spacecraft emergency.
Enter the Metaverse
With Facebook announcing it will build its own online universe, in this edition we’ll be analyzing the race to build a “metaverse."
Bezos Blasts Off
Jeff Bezos has made his trip to space and back, and as the "Billionaire Space Race" continues, more controversy ensues.
Branson and the Billionaire Space Race
This week's newsletter focuses on Richard Branson and the "Billionaire Space Race," as the English business mogul makes his way to space.
The JEDI Contract Gets Canceled
With the DoD’s recent cancelation of its JEDI contract with Microsoft, we look at the controversies that impeded the program’s progress.
The UAP Report: Knowns and Unknowns
Welcome to this week’s Intelligence Brief… on the heels of last week’s big release of the UAP Task Force report providing its preliminary assessment of unidentified aerial phenomena, this week we will turn a critical eye toward the report, and...
SETI and UAP: An Uneasy Alliance?
This week we look at SETI and UAP, and why some scientists think common ground exists between these very different areas of study.
The Pentagon’s New Plans for Military Operations in the Pacific
The Pentagon is planning for extended military operations in the Pacific, in response to growing concerns about military threats from China.
From Allegation to Legislation: The HAVANA Act of 2021
This week we examine the recent passage of a bipartisan bill, the HAVANA Act of 2021, to aid victims of purported directed energy attacks.
Amazon Wants to Welcome You to Its Massive New Data Sharing Program
This week's Intelligence Brief looks at Amazon Sidewalk, the retail giant's new data sharing program, and issues it has raised with relation to data privacy and transparency.
Intelligence Community Will Probe Possible Lab Origins of COVID-19
The U.S. Intelligence Community has been tasked with probing deeper into whether COVID-19 might have origins in a laboratory.
UFOs: Officials On Record, and Media Responses
This week, The Intelligence Brief examines media coverage of recent statements by former government officials, and even a former US President, on Unidentified Flying Objects.
Setting the Rules For Future Space Operations
This week, we look at how the Department of Defense hopes to set the tone for future rules for operation in space, which will be shared by nations around the globe.
The DoD and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: A New Evaluation
This week, The Intelligence Brief returns to the ever-timely analysis of the U.S. government’s investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.
An NRO Spy Satellite Sets Off on its Classified Mission
This week we look at the launch of a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite on Monday, and what it means as the United Launch Alliance kicks off its 2021 launch season.
DARPA’s DRACO Program: The Future of Nuclear Propulsion in Space
DARPA has awarded contracts for Phase One of its DRACO program; this week we analyze the heavy-hitting space companies it has chosen to create its future nuclear thermal propulsion systems.
Technosignatures, Telescopes, and Life on Mars
This week we look at the latest with NASA's ongoing studies of Mars, the search for alien life, and technosignatures on nearby planets.
SpaceX History Repeats Itself… Sooner Than Expected
Recent history repeats itself for SpaceX, whose issues with the FAA and other agencies endure following the latest crash of its Starship prototype.
Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: What the Government Knows
What does the government know about unidentified aerial phenomena? This week, we look at what the latest statements from government officials suggests about this.
Hypersonics and Unidentified Aviation Hazards
This week, we examine hypersonics in Russia, the Pentagon's own renewed hypersonic efforts, and what NASA reports tell us about UFOs.