Free Republic

No, really. It has signed a contract to make this happen in 2025The European Space Agency has formalised its plan to dispose of space junk by using an orbiting claw to grab an old bit of rocket before dragging both the claw and the junk to a fiery doom.The agency announced the plan in late 2019 when it revealed it had asked Swiss startup ClearSpace to fully scope the mission.The paperwork was due in March and found favour with ESA's Ministerial Council, which has approved funding for an €86 million contract to fund the mission.The goal remains the same: fly...

The Internal Revenue Service under the Obama administration – described by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., as the “most feared government agency” – admitted Friday it targeted conservative and tea-party groups during last year’s election because of their politics. Bachmann, a former tax attorney, told WND in an interview the IRS admission means the credibility of the 2012 election is in doubt. Americans, she said, should be wondering whether Obamacare, which is to be enforced by the IRS, will target conservative voices opposed to President Obama with delays or denials of medical care. But why would an administration ever confess to...

Our ambassador to Libya was killed in our own consulate in Benghazi on the night of September 11. For the next six weeks, President Obama repeated the same talking point: The morning after the attack, he ordered increased security in our embassies in the region. Suddenly, on the campaign trail in Denver on October 26, he changed his story. “The minute I found out what was happening . . . I gave the directive,” he said, “to make sure we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do. I guarantee you everybody in the CIA and military...

The Obama regime official story about the events that transpired on 9/11/12 continues to unravel, and despite Jay Carney's insistence that it was "a long time ago" facts keep crawling out from under the rubble of the consulate. Testimony of those involved directly with the Benghazi disaster conflicts sharply with the position of the Obama regime. A stand down orderThe Obama regime has repeatedly denied that a stand down order was issued but the No. 2 Libya embassy official disputes it. The deputy of slain U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens has told congressional investigators that a team of Special Forces prepared...

The deputy of slain U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens has told congressional investigators that a team of Special Forces prepared to fly from Tripoli to Benghazi during the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks was forbidden from doing so by U.S. Special Operations Command South Africa. The account from Gregory Hicks is in stark contrast to assertions from the Obama administration, which insisted that nobody was ever told to stand down and that all available resources were utilized. Hicks gave private testimony to congressional investigators last month in advance of his upcoming appearance at a congressional hearing Wednesday. According to excerpts released Monday,...

As the weakly protected U.S. diplomatic compound in eastern Libya came under attack the night of Sept. 11, 2012, the deputy head of the embassy in Tripoli 600 miles away sought in vain to get the Pentagon to scramble fighter jets over Benghazi in a show of force that might have averted a second attack on a nearby CIA complex. Hours later, according to excerpts of the account by the U.S. diplomat, Gregory Hicks, American officials in the Libyan capital sought permission to deploy four U.S. special operations troops to Benghazi aboard a Libyan military aircraft early the next morning....

CBS released information on the Benghazi 9-11 massacre today that could potentially bring down the Obama Administration. Buried in their report (down in paragraph eight) CBS reported, “Throughout the night, sources say Americans on the ground in Libya at times felt helpless and abandoned… But they were told immediate help wasn’t available.” But, counterterrorism sources and internal emails reviewed by CBS News express frustration that key responders were ready to deploy, but were not called upon to help. CBS reported: Throughout the night, sources say Americans on the ground in Libya at times felt helpless and abandoned. “We relied on...

The U.S. government had the ability to “react and respond” to the Benghazi terrorist attack and could have had forces on the ground before the second wave of the assault began, a special operator with knowledge of the response told Fox News in an exclusive interview. Due to the explosive nature of his allegations, the special ops member asked to remain anonymous. “I know for a fact that C 110 the UComm CIF was doing a training exercise, not in the region of northern Africa, but in Europe. And they had the ability to react and respond,” he told Fox...

LILLE, France (Reuters) - Police in France said on Friday they were trying to identify the skeleton of a man believed to have lain undiscovered in bed for more than 15 years. The body, found in an abandoned house in the northern city of Lille, is thought to be that of the elderly owner of the property, who lived alone and appeared to have no relatives. Police said they had found piles of unopened mail at the house dating back to 1996.

San Francisco (AP) -- A daylong work stoppage during which employees were encouraged to "call in gay" to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation nationwide Wednesday, with some gay rights activists praising the concept but questioning its effect. In San Francisco's gay Castro district, residents and merchants said they endorsed the message behind "Day Without a Gay" but didn't think a work stoppage was practical given the poor economy and the strike's organization. "If we are going to make a huge impact and not be laughed at, then we have to take the time and make the time...

Impaired illegal-immigrant driver triggered a crash Saturday at 6:30 am. He killed a 16-year-old girl and injured her 17-year-old brother. The students were on their way to a school band event. The illegal immigrant driving a truck turned left in front of the students sedan. Perps name is Manuel Contreras-Galdean age 32. He is in Maricopa Count Jail on a charge of manslaughter and aggravated assault. He has an immigrantion (ICE) hold on him. The girl ha massive head injuries and damage to her legs from the crash and died in the operating room.

I did not actually count the number of automatic weapons pointed at me, but there were at least five, and I was certain they were all locked and loaded, or whatever that military phrase is signifying that a gun is ready to blow a hole in somebody. "Step out!" commanded the black-helmeted man in the middle of what appeared to be a tactical formation. He was pointing a laser-like flashlight attached to his machine gun at me. I must have been quite a sight alone out there on the darkened New Orleans street wearing a headlamp and holding a cell...

On leaving a theater, have you ever been tempted to yell at the other moviegoers, "Hey, guys: Do ya get it? Do you know what this is about?" That's what I wanted to do when the lights came up and the credits started to roll for Michael Bay's just-released sci-fi block-buster "The Island." "Cloning! Embryonic stem cell research! Abortion! Euthanasia!" I wanted to shout. Still, "The Island's" pro-life message is unmistakable. Liberal critics are grumbling about it. Writing in the Hollywood Reporter, Kirk Honeycutt complains that "These filmmakers have, perhaps unwittingly, delivered a film certain to give succor to the...

ON Hardball tonight Matthew's interviewing embedded reporter at Falluja ask her.."are the insurgents manning their posts like at Stalingard?" The impression he wants is that brave Iraq nationalists are fighting US aggressors..he follows up with even more outlandish question.. speaking about the Iraq National Guard and how they may be expected to perform he asks her.."do they think they are being tricked to believe they are fighting terrorists and not Iraqi nationalists? Matthews has a corrupt view of our mission, our people and our marines. I think this is what Zell Miller was talking about.

My first trip to the former Soviet Union was in 1984, in the "bad old days" before perestroika forced the Iron Curtain to part and the gates of freedom to open. I had come to visit refuseniks, to teach Torah, to conduct clandestine weddings, to strengthen the hands and hearts of the heroes who bravely took on the Communist bear. Though I would depart Russia with just my carry-on bag, I shlepped two huge suitcases into the country. They were filled with a multitude of items either unavailable or illegal in the USSR: chocolate, a mezuza, Hebrew primers, tapes of...

<p>A Russian Soyuz rocket launching a scientific satellite exploded half a minute after launch on Tuesday.</p> <p>It carried no crew, but it was of a similar type (though out of a different launch site) to the vehicle that delivers Russian cosmonauts (including paying space tourists, such as Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth) to the International Space Station. Had the finances worked out, teen-heartthrob Lance Bass would have been aboard one this month.</p>

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 September 16 An Atlas V Rocket Prepares to Launch Credit & Copyright: Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation Explanation: The first launch of an Atlas V rocket occurred last month. The Atlas V, built by Lockheed Martin, is the first rocket in the U. S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. Rockets in this program can carry increasingly heavy payloads by just adding more boosters. In fact, the only US...