‘Something sinister could be happening’: FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX

Almost a dozen scientists related to nuclear and space defense programs tied to NASA, SpaceX and Blue Origin are dead or missing in cases that span as far back as 2022, and they’ve gone largely unnoticed by authorities and the public—until now. The House Oversight Committee formally demanded answers from four federal agencies Monday on the deaths and disappearances of at least 11 American scientists and researchers with ties to NASA, nuclear research, and classified defense programs—several of them directly connected to the space defense technologies now being commercialized by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), the chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, sent letters to FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, requesting staff-level briefings no later than April 27. “If the reports are accurate, these deaths and disappearances may represent a grave threat to U.S. national security and to U.S. personnel with access to scientific secrets,” the letters read. Later on Monday, Comer said the string of deaths was unlikely to be a coincidence.”Once you see the facts, it would suggest that something sinister could be happening and it would be a national security concern,” Comer said, adding he and Burlinson were looking to “see if we can put it together and find any missing links to try to solve what’s going on here. Because it’s very unlikely that this is a coincidence. Congress is very concerned about this. Our committee is making this one of our priorities now because we view this as a national security threat.” White House responds The White House formally acknowledged the pattern on April 15, when Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked directly about it at a briefing. “If true, of course, that’s definitely something I think this government and administration would deem wo…