LSUDVM1999

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US Navy ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the start of the war — as Iran threatened to attack any US vessels that entered the strait. 

“Several” American military vessels crossed the channel Saturday in a move that “was not coordinated with Iran,” Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing intelligence officials.

At least two were US Navy guided-missile destroyers, according to reports.

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves,” Trump wrote.

“Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Tehran justified its threat to target the ships, saying the US was moving a destroyer toward Iran in a “possible cease-fire violation,” according to a report.

The fast-moving developments unfolded as US and Iranian officials met for negotiations Saturday in Pakistan.

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During their flyby of the far side of the moon, the Artemis II astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft saw as many as six flashes emerging from the lunar surface. Surprisingly, they were witnessing small meteorites impacting the ground and producing brief flashes of light.

NASA's control room recorded the team's surprise during the mission livestream, although the cameras did not pick up the flashes. According to the astronauts, the flashes were white or blue-white and lasted less than a second. The cameras they were using to document the moon weren't fast enough to record them.

The crew was flying between 6,000 and 7,000 kilometers away. Under normal conditions, these impacts would have gone unnoticed. However, at the time they were studying the solar eclipse, which left the far side of the moon completely dark. That extreme contrast allowed them to distinguish the brief flashes that emerged from the surface.

Since the idea of building permanent lunar bases first arose, different teams have assessed the risks to future inhabitants. Today, the two major challenges are “moonquakes” and meteorite impacts. For the former, there are plans to install seismographs to help understand the phenomenon. For the meteorites, astronomers already know the approximate frequency, and observations such as the six recent flashes help to refine existing models.

In space exploration, even small objects can pose a risk. For example, a micrometeorite traveling at tens of kilometers per second can puncture thin materials or damage essential equipment. Fragments whose surface area exceed centimeters act as high-energy projectiles, similar to bullets, and could compromise a habitat. Objects larger than 1 meter across generate craters; while they're extremely rare, they pose a real risk.

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