The U.S. Department of Defense released its fourth batch of declassified unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) files, adding reports from NASA, the CIA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense and the FBI. The documents include scanned eyewitness accounts, illustrations, photos and video clips spanning several decades. The administration says it will continue the rolling release to increase transparency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has formed a panel led by physicist Avi Loeb to assess national‑security implications.

China's CNSA announced that its Tianwen‑2 probe has reached near‑Earth asteroid 2016 HO3, also known as Kamo’oalewa, capturing an image from 12.4 miles (20 km) away. The asteroid is a quasi‑satellite about 100 feet in diameter. Tianwen‑2 will orbit the body for several months before attempting a surface landing to collect a sample, which is scheduled to return to Earth in late 2027. The mission follows recent U.S. and Japanese sample‑return successes and aims to refine measurements of the asteroid’s size and composition before the probe heads to main‑belt comet 311P.

Both stories illustrate growing governmental focus on space data: the U.S. on potential security risks of UAPs, and China on expanding its deep‑space sample‑return capabilities. The releases provide researchers and industry analysts new raw data for atmospheric, security and planetary‑science studies.