June 27, 2021

All-Virtual NewSpace Business Plan Competition II is Officially Open for Applications (CSCF)
The Center for Space Commerce and Finance, in association with Foundation for the Future, is proud to announce the second in a series of NewSpace Business Plan Competition events, to be held as part of the “Conversations for the Future” series of virtual conferences, on August 10 and 11, 2021.  There will be a $5000 Grand Prize awarded, thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Foundation for the Future, who also host the “Conversations…” series of online events. Click here. (6/26)

Space Force Adds University of Colorado to Upcoming Partnership Program (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The Space Force’s No. 2 officer inspected the aerospace research facilities of its newest university partner June 24 under a program designed to help it recruit personnel with more technical expertise. Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson and Mark Kennedy, president of the University of Colorado system, agreed in principle that the university system will become part of the Space Force’s University Partnership Program. The system includes, in part, its flagship campus in the aerospace research and industry hub of Boulder, plus a campus in the national security space hub of Colorado Springs. (6/25)

UFO Report: No Sign Of Aliens, But 143 Mystery Objects Defy Explanation (Source: NPR)
This could have been the day that finally answered the burning question: Are there aliens out there? Sadly, we'll still have to wait. A U.S. government report on UFOs said Friday it found no evidence of aliens, but acknowledged 143 reports of "unidentified aerial phenomena" since 2004 that could not be explained.

The report was released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence with substantial input from the military. The study is part of the most significant public effort so far to deal with decades of speculation, rumor and unhinged conspiracy theories about UFOs. Some of the most intriguing cases come from Navy pilots who reported seeing UFOs — and filming some of them — off the East Coast of the U.S. over a period of months in 2014 and 2015. (6/25)