The Artificial Intelligence Arms Race: Where Are We Now?
This week, we look at how current efforts at the Pentagon figure into concerns about an “artificial intelligence arms race”.
The Intelligence Brief
The Great Dimming of Betelgeuse: Answers Finally Emerge
A stellar mystery that has baffled astronomers may have been solved: what has been causing the "great dimming" of the star Betelgeuse?
Boeing’s Starliner Touches Down After Successful Mission to the ISS
Following the successful touchdown of NASA and Boeing’s new CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, we’ll be looking at what vehicles like Starliner may be able to provide to future orbital operations even beyond the ISS.
Congressional Hearings on UAP: Four Surprises That Came Up During Tuesday’s House Panel
In this installment of The Intelligence Brief, we’ll be looking at key points - and several surprises - that were touched on during Tuesday's Congressional hearings on UAP.
Intelligence Chief Warns of “Prolonged Conflict” in Ukraine
In recent days, DNI Avril Haines provided concerning new details on intelligence assessments about Russia’s long game in Ukraine.
Washington’s Ongoing UAP Problem
Here's what the Pentagon’s track record with UAP says about its level of transparency, and what must change going forward.
Ukraine: The Greatest Challenge
This week's newsletter focuses on recent statements by U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, and why he believes the war in Ukraine represents a threat to the global international security order.
“Probable Threat” over the U.S. Capitol was a Close Call, but Points to Problems for the FAA
This week, an aviation incident in Washington that occurred Wednesday night has many concerned about oversight by aviation officials in the Nation's Capitol.
How The Pentagon Helped Confirm an Interstellar Object Made Its Way to Earth
This week we'll be looking at how a meteor that might have gone unnoticed was revealed to have interstellar origins, with help from the Pentagon.
War Crimes in Ukraine: The Latest Evidence
In recent days, the world was shocked by images coming out of Ukraine depicting the apparent killings of civilians in Bucha.
NASA to Get a $26 Billion Boost in Biden’s 2023 Budget
With the recent release of the U.S. government’s proposed 2023 budget, this week we look at what President Biden’s proposal will help NASA accomplish in the coming year.
Meanwhile in Russia: War Crimes, Vanishing Officials, and Defiant Soldiers
As the battle in Ukraine rages on, hopes that the conflict will soon end are now being voiced by an increasing number of Russians.
NASA’s Moon Rocket Rollout to Bring Artemis-I Mission Closer to Launch
This week, we'll be looking at what NASA engineers and technicians had to say recently about the forthcoming rollout of the Artemis I mission's space launch system.
Cislunar Patrol: Enhancing the U.S. Military’s Detection of Objects in Space
This week, we look at the Air Force Research Laboratory's plans for its new Cislunar Highway Patrol System.
Politics in Orbit: Russia and the Future of the International Space Station
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Intelligence Brief… with the battle ensuing on the ground in Ukraine, international tensions are boiling over into interesting spaces, including outer space. This week, we’ll be looking at 1) Russia’s partnership with NASA, and...
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.
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...