Saturday☕️

Earth Intelligence

19 Apr 2025 — 5 min read

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday’s U.S. stock market:

Yesterday’s commodity market:

Yesterday’s crypto market:

Geopolitics & Military Activity:

Today, April 19, 2025, the Houthis announced they downed another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen, though no specific location or evidence was provided in the claim. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree stated the drone was hit with a surface-to-air missile, likely an Iranian-supplied 358, marking their sixth reported Reaper shootdown since March 3, 2025. The MQ-9 Reaper, built by General Atomics, is a critical U.S. asset for surveillance and precision strikes, costing about $30 million per unit. It features a 66-foot wingspan, 24-hour endurance, and a 50,000-foot altitude ceiling, equipped with advanced sensors like the Multi-Spectral Targeting System for pinpoint accuracy. The Houthis’ repeated success in targeting these drones highlights their growing anti-air capabilities, with 17 Reapers lost since 2023, totaling over $527 million in damages, often used to bolster their propaganda against U.S. operations.
This claimed shoot-down follows a U.S. airstrike on April 17, 2025, targeting the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port in Hodeidah province, which killed over 40 people, and caused significant damage to the facility. The strike, part of a broader U.S. campaign with 47 attacks since April 4, aimed to disrupt Houthi oil revenue supporting their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping. The Houthis, undeterred, vowed to continue targeting U.S. and Israeli assets, framing their actions as solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Ras Isa attack, one of the deadliest U.S. strikes since March, underscores the escalating cycle of retaliation, with no immediate resolution to the conflict disrupting this critical maritime region.

Environment & Weather:

Today, April 19th, 2025, eastern Nebraska experienced another round of hailstorms, with scattered reports of hail and thunderstorms moving through the region. While not as damaging as the recent storm in Fremont earlier this week, today’s weather still prompted warnings from the National Weather Service due to the risk of large hail and severe wind gusts. This type of storm activity is common in the central United States during the spring season, particularly in an area often referred to as “Hail Alley,” where atmospheric conditions frequently support the formation of strong thunderstorms capable of producing hail. Nebraska, along with parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, consistently sees high numbers of hail events during this time of year.

In Spain, the village of La Figuera in Priorat, Catalonia, experienced a localized hailstorm today, April 19th, 2025. The storm brought a short burst of hail to the mountainous region, known for its vineyards and rugged terrain. While the event appeared isolated, it reflects a broader pattern of springtime instability in Catalonia, where coastal and inland elevation differences contribute to fast-forming convective storms. Historically, the region has experienced sudden hail events that can affect agriculture and infrastructure, particularly in areas with limited natural barriers. Priorat’s topography and climate make it susceptible to these types of localized weather patterns, especially in the transitional seasons.

Space:

Yesterday, April 18, 2025, China launched six Shiyan-27 satellites (labeled 01-06) into orbit using a Long March 6A rocket from Launch Complex-9A at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province at 6:51 p.m. EDT (22:51 UTC). The launch, managed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and executed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was the 570th mission of the Long March rocket series. The Long March 6A, designed for low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits, successfully placed the satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit at roughly 1000 x 1010 km with a 99.7-degree inclination, optimal for Earth observation tasks. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, located in northern China, is a key facility for such polar-orbit missions.
The Shiyan-27 satellites belong to China’s "Shiyan" (experiment) series, which typically test new space technologies and conduct environmental monitoring. While exact details are not publicly disclosed, these satellites likely focus on Earth observation, remote sensing, or experimental tech, potentially aiding urban planning, agriculture, disaster response, or military purposes. The Long March 6A can carry up to 4,500 kg to a 700 km orbit, making it suitable for deploying these small to medium-sized satellites. Limited information from CASC and posts on X confirm the mission’s success but offer no specifics on the satellites’ functions, consistent with China’s secretive approach to Shiyan missions.

Statistic: