A United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket successfully launched a classified Space Force mission on Thursday, despite a reported booster problem during ascent, according to CBS News. The two-stage rocket, powered by twin methane-burning Blue Origin BE-4 engines and four Northrop Grumman solid-fuel boosters, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:22 a.m. EST.
The launch carried a suite of classified payloads, including a space surveillance satellite destined for high Earth orbit, as reported by CBS News. While the ascent was described as "nominal" overall, the company reported a burn-through issue near the nozzle of a strap-on solid-fuel booster.
In other news, European allies at NATO are navigating a shift in leadership as the United States appears to be stepping back from its traditional role, according to ABC News. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend Thursday's gathering of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, following a similar absence by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the December meeting of NATO foreign ministers. This has led to concerns among allies who are now expected to take on a larger share of defending Europe, as reported by ABC News.
Meanwhile, in El Paso, Texas, the Federal Aviation Administration briefly shut down airspace, disrupting travelers, according to the NY Times. Conflicting accounts surround the cause of the closure. The Trump administration claimed the closure was due to a sudden incursion of drones from Mexican drug cartels necessitating a military response, as reported by the NY Times. However, other sources suggest the closure was prompted by the use of a new military counter-drone technology and concerns about its safety in civilian airspace, according to the NY Times. The NY Times reported that border officials are said to have caused the closure by firing an anti-drone laser.
In a separate development, video analysis suggests that the Department of Homeland Security may have exaggerated claims about the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago last October, according to ABC News. The DHS had claimed that federal agents were "forced to deploy their weapons and fire defensive shots" after their SUV was "rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars." However, analysis of body-camera footage and videos verified by nearby businesses and bystanders suggests that those claims were exaggerated, according to ABC News.
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