Does Phobos look as if it is a pile of rubble, or does it look like a battered and rusted 500 million year old metallic hulk? Photograph NASA

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Consider John Brandenburg and his hypothesis.

by Phil Hall

John E. Brandenburg is a plasma physicist with a background in nuclear propulsion, fusion research, and space plasma physics. He has worked at institutions including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and NASA-related projects. He is best known in alternative circles for his controversial hypothesis that Mars experienced two massive, anomalous thermonuclear explosions in its relatively recent geological past—events he interprets as deliberate nuclear attacks that destroyed an ancient civilization 500 million years ago.

Brandenburg’s core evidence revolves around isotopic anomalies in Mars’ atmosphere and surface: a xenon-129 excess, where the ratio of ¹²⁹Xe to ¹³²Xe in the Martian atmosphere is unusually high and matches the signature of fast neutron fission from nuclear weapons (similar to open-air nuclear tests on Earth), rather than natural processes or moderated reactors; krypton and argon anomalies, including elevated levels of certain krypton isotopes (e.g., ⁸⁰Kr) suggesting intense neutron bombardment, and high ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios pointing to neutron capture on potassium in surface rocks; and uranium and thorium distribution, where orbital gamma-ray data (from missions like Mars Odyssey) show enhanced levels of U and Th on the surface in chondritic ratios, contrasting with depleted levels in Martian meteorites, suggesting a planet-wide debris layer from exploded devices with U-Th casings.

Brandenburg models two large air-burst events (no large craters at the sites) cantered over Acidalia Planitia (near Cydonia Mensa) and Utopia Planum (near Galaxias Chaos)—regions with surface features some interpret as possible archaeological ruins. Yields are estimated in the range of billions of megatons, sufficient to alter the planet’s climate, strip atmosphere, and create global effects. Brandenburg links this to the Cydonian Hypothesis (the idea of artificial structures at Cydonia, such as the Face on Mars and nearby pyramids). He argues the explosions targeted or occurred near these sites, implying a “planetary nuclear massacre.” This ties into Fermi’s Paradox: the apparent silence of the cosmos may be explained by the danger of intelligent civilisations being wiped out, with Mars as a nearby warning.

Metal Phobos

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Phobos, the largest and innermost moon of Mars, measures roughly 27 by 22 by 18 kilometres. Its most dramatic feature is a crater: 9 kilometres wide, gouged into the moon. Across its surface are shiny, linear grooves 30 metres deep, 100 to 200 metres wide, and up to 20 kilometres long. Phobos has a low density, suggesting it might actually be hollow. Hence the idea that it is an artificial moon with a battered metal skin.

This, of course, is an idea that has been frantically debunked. Phobos is indeed an anomaly. It circles only 6,000 kilometres above the Martian surface – far closer than Earth’s Moon or any other moon of any other planet in the solar system. Phobos completes one orbit every 7 hours and 39 minutes, reinforcing the idea that it could actually be an artificial satellite. It moves faster than Mars rotates!

In the 1950s and ’60s, Soviet astrophysicist Iosif Shklovsky suggested that Phobos might be hollow and artificial, based on calculations of its orbital decay. In the 1970s, scientists at the Space Research Institute (IKI) in the USSR proposed a shift in focus: study Mars’s moons rather than the planet. This was partly because of the anomalous nature of Phobos. The mission was officially approved in early 1985. The missions were called Phobos 1 and Phobos 2.

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The spacecraft Phobos 2 featured a torus-shaped instrument compartment sitting on top of an Autonomous Propulsion System (ADU). The Soviet-made engine could fire three times more often than previous probes and had a guaranteed lifespan of 460 days. The probes had onboard flight computers and used modern microprocessors for better control. The platform was designed for high-precision manoeuvring near low-gravity targets. Two specialised landers were planned: PROP F, a 50-kilogram ‘jumping’ lander with spring-loaded legs, and DAS, a long-duration probe intended to deploy a 20-metre radar antenna and anchor itself with a harpoon. Neither would ever operate. Phobos 2 launched on 12 July 1988 from Baikonur Cosmodrome and arrived at Mars on 30 January 1989. It carried 25 scientific instruments, including gamma-ray and X-ray spectrometers, a high-energy burst detector, and instruments to search for cosmic gamma-ray bursts.

On 27 March 1989, while manoeuvring in Martian orbit to meet Phobos, the probe disappeared. Official accounts said the failure was either because of an onboard computer malfunction or a problem with the radio transmitter. BUT other accounts say it was attacked by a very large spaceship that appeared in the last photograph the Phobos 2 mission took.

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Marina Popovich, a celebrated Soviet test pilot and the third woman to break the sound barrier, in 1991 in public lectures regarding Phobos 2 claimed that an infrared image taken by Phobos 2 on 25 March 1989, two days before loss of contact, showed a needle-shaped object against the blackness of space. This object measured approximately 25 kilometres in length and 1.5 kilometres in diameter. The same craft cast an elliptical shadow on the surface of Mars. Soviet analysts calculated the shadow to be 26 to 30 kilometres long – dimensions that match the length of the needle-shaped craft. Suggestions that it was not a craft but a lens artifact (a defect in the lens) were debunked by pictures taken of the same craft observed by Phobos 1 disappearing behind the horizon. According to Popovich and others, the 25-kilometre-long needle-shaped craft took the Phobos 2 probe out of commission on 27 March 1989 after Phobos 2 fired a laser at Phobos. The probe failed during its final approach manoeuvres to study that very moon – a timing that proponents considered significant. The Soviet probe carried a powerful laser for experiments on Phobos. The use of this laser, it was thought, triggered a defensive response from the needle craft, resulting in the destruction of the probe. The Phobos 2 last image is not explained by lens flare (because the Soviets themselves said it wasn’t). The official report cited “computer malfunction” or “radio transmitter failure.”

This is implausible for three reasons:

The final telemetry showed abnormal yaw manoeuvres, as if the probe was attempting to avoid something.

The probe had redundant systems. A single malfunction would not cause total loss.

The probe was transmitting correctly seconds before loss, then went silent permanently—characteristic of catastrophic physical destruction, not a gradual failure.

The response to these claims and assertions has been to debunk the idea of Phobos as an ancient hollow metallic relic. Discarding this idea, the claim is that Phobos is a pile of rubble. Look at the picture of Phobos and decide for yourself. Do you believe your own eyes? Does Phobos look as if it is a pile of rubble, or does it look like a battered and rusted metallic hulk? Notably, Buzz Aldrin deepened the mystery of the origins of Phobos when he pointed out that there was a huge oblong-shaped structure observed on the surface, suggesting that the USA send a craft to investigate. It is this, exactly, that the Soviets were trying to do.

It must be noted that theories about John Brandenburg, based on the discovery of xenon traces (which could only have resulted from two enormous nuclear explosions), suggest that Mars was attacked, perhaps from space. Notably, recently, the anomalous object 3I Atlas (with 22 anomalies making it extraordinarily unlikely to be a natural object) did a close fly-past of Mars, suggesting a follow-up observation mission by the people who destroyed the civilisation and life on the planet. It is possible that the drive-by killing of Mars suggested by Brandenburg happened many millions of years ago; however, it might have been at this precise time that the artificial satellite Phobos was also attacked.

Megalithic Artificial Objects on Mars

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Increasingly, more and more megalithic artificial objects are being discovered on Mars, including one perfect cylindrical object, poles, flat surfaces, pyramidical structures, and what look like saucer-shaped buildings on the edges of cliffs and caves. All this suggests a huge catastrophe that happened a long time ago. Brandenburg, an expert in space propulsion, put this date at around 180 million years ago, based on Martian geological strata and the estimated age of the anomalies.

1. The Anomalous Cylinder: Location – Gale Crater, specifically in the Paraitepuy Pass (a narrow gap) on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons). Context – This is the shiny, perfectly smooth cylindrical object (roughly 20 cm long with a flat end) photographed by NASA’s Curiosity rover in August 2022. It appears partially buried in the Martian regolith. At the time the image was taken, the rover was operating several kilometres away on the slopes of Mount Sharp. Why anomalous? It stands out due to its geometric precision, smooth surface, and lack of similar rocks nearby. Mainstream explanations suggest it is likely human-made debris (e.g., from the rover’s landing system or a shed part), while figures like Avi Loeb have called for the rover to investigate it as a potential non-natural object. Gale Crater is near the Martian equator, a major exploration site due to its layered sedimentary history and evidence of ancient lakes.
2. The “Pole” / Doorway / Pillar-like Feature: This most likely refers to the viral “Doorway” (sometimes described with pole-like or rectangular pillar elements in related anomalies). Location – Also on Mount Sharp in Gale Crater, near the “East Cliffs” area. Photographed by Curiosity on Sol 3466 (May 7, 2022). Description – A small rectangular opening/fracture in a rocky mound, roughly 30 cm (12 inches) tall and 40 cm (16 inches) wide — about dog-door sized. It has straight edges, a flat top, and a dark interior, giving the appearance of a carved entrance, doorway, or cave mouth with possible vertical “pole” or pillar-like rock formations nearby in the same outcrop. Scientific explanation – NASA and geologists describe it as a natural open fracture in sedimentary bedrock, formed by erosion, cracking, and wind shaping — common on both Earth and Mars. It is an example of pareidolia (seeing familiar shapes in random geology).
3. Caves and Cliff/Saucer-shaped Features: Mars has thousands of candidate cave entrances, mostly natural lava tube skylights, pit craters, and collapse features. Anomalous ones discussed in fringe contexts (including possible artificial-looking entrances, saucer-shaped structures on cliffs, or sheltered “buildings”) are often reported in these regions: Primary areas – Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons, and other Tharsis volcanoes (classic lava tube “skylights” and pit chains, e.g., the “Seven Sisters”); Hebrus Valles (northern hemisphere) where recent studies identified potential water-carved (karst-like) caves and sinkholes; the Elysium Mons region, which includes large pit candidates and possible cave entrances; Gale Crater / Mount Sharp cliffs, where near the doorway various small cave-like openings and sheltered overhangs appear in rover images, sometimes with saucer or dome-like eroded features on cliff edges; and Cydonia Mensae and other regions with “megalithic” claims — pyramidal hills, but fewer confirmed cave entrances. In the fringe/anomaly context, some researchers highlight dark, rectangular or arched openings in cliffs that look like engineered entrances, along with what appear to be saucer-shaped or cylindrical structures perched on cliff edges or inside cave mouths. These are often attributed to pareidolia, wind erosion, or lava tube collapses, but are cited as possible artificial shelters from a past civilization (tying into Brandenburg’s ideas). Summary of locations: Cylinder and Doorway — both in Gale Crater / Mount Sharp (Curiosity’s playground). Caves — widespread, with notable clusters in volcanic regions (Tharsis, Elysium) and outflow channels like Hebrus Valles.

The Implications of Orbit and 3I Atlas

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To place an object 20 kilometres in diameter in orbit only 6,000 kilometres above Mars (another argument for Phobos as an artificial object) would have taken a civilisation more advanced than our own. It was noted recently that 3I Atlas, with three symmetrical jets and a jet anomalously facing the Sun on entry and exit from the inner Solar System, has high levels of deuterium in its composition, suggesting that, had Earth been more threatening, the interstellar visitor could have done to us what a previous (the same?) visitor did to Mars.

The ‘Angry Astronaut’s’ Nanomachine Swarm Hypothesis

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The Angry Astronaut proposes that this “anti-tail” is not ordinary dust or gas but a massive swarm/cloud of self-replicating nuclear powered nanomachines (or microscopic robots/probes) deployed by or associated with 3I/ATLAS. Key elements of the argument: These nanomachines could be advancing ahead of the main body to harvest resources — collecting space dust, micrometeoroids, and other materials abundant in the inner Solar System (far more than in interstellar space). They would be self-replicating (von Neumann-style probes), mining raw materials to build more of themselves, create duplicates of the probe, or manufacture smaller probes/sentinels to explore or interact with the system. The swarm provides a vastly larger surface area for light reflection (explaining the bright coma/glow, with ~99% of reflected light potentially coming from the swarm rather than the nucleus itself), while having minimal total mass. This ties into observed anomalies: the non-gravitational acceleration (possibly from the core interacting differently), unusual outgassing patterns, and the anti-tail’s geometry (swarm particles lag or lead due to differing responses to forces). He has linked this to broader ideas, such as the swarm harvesting solar energy (potentially via a mini Dyson-like structure around the nucleus, beaming power back), triggering solar activity in extreme versions, or acting as part of a Dark Forest reconnaissance/sterilisation probe — consistent with the Mars nuclear destruction hypothesis from John Brandenburg.

Future Fly-bys and the Dark Forest

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The possibility also exists that 3I Atlas arrived under acceleration from the Oort Cloud, where it is based. If this is so, then it could be going back there. There may be another fly-by in the future, this time a far more destructive one in the spirit of the Dark Forest hypothesis, with 3I Atlas as a kind of Von Neumann sentinel for another, more powerful space-faring civilisation, with 3I Atlas trailing in its wake a million-kilometre-long tail of nanomachines.

Conclusion: Sentinel Technology

The loss of Phobos 2 near the moon, and the observation of a massive needle-shaped object (reported via Marina Popovich), could represent lingering sentinel technology or a follow-up by the attackers. Visually, Phobos does present a stark, angular, grooved appearance in high-resolution images that some find more consistent with a damaged engineered object. Look at the picture of Phobos and decide for yourself. Do you believe your own eyes? Does Phobos look as if it is a pile of rubble, or does it look like a battered and rusted metallic hulk?

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Bibliography

Aldrin, B. (2016). No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon. National Geographic Books. [Discusses Phobos and proposed missions]

Angry Astronaut, The. (2021). *The Anti-Tail of 3I/ATLAS and the Nanomachine Swarm Hypothesis*. YouTube video series. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAngryAstronaut

Brandenburg, J. E. (2011). Evidence of Massive Thermonuclear Explosions on Mars in the Past: The Cydonian Hypothesis and Fermi’s Paradox. Journal of Cosmology, 19, 8275-8295.

Brandenburg, J. E. (2015). Mars: A Cosmic War? A New Look at the Evidence of Nuclear Explosions on Mars in the Ancient Past. Self-published / Proceedings of the Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF).

Brandenburg, J. E., & DiPuccio, D. (2015). The Mars Cydonian Hypothesis: A New Analysis of the Face on Mars and Associated Pyramids. Proceedings of the American Physical Society.

Loeb, A. (2022). The Curious Cylinder on Mars: A Call for Investigation. Medium / Scientific American blog. Available at: https://avi-loeb.medium.com

Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer Team. (2002–2010). Elemental Composition of the Martian Surface: Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium Distributions. NASA / Arizona State University. Data available via NASA PDS.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS. (2022). Curiosity Rover Mastcam Images: Gale Crater, Paraitepuy Pass (Cylindrical Object) and East Cliffs Doorway (Sol 3466). Mars Science Laboratory Mission Archive. Available at: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl

Popovich, M. (1991). Public Lectures on the Phobos 2 Mission and the Needle-Shaped Object. Transcripts cited in: Hoagland, R. (1992). The Monuments of Mars: A City on the Edge of Forever. North Atlantic Books.

Scarmato, T., & Loeb, A. (2026). Periodic Wobble of the Post-Perihelion Jet Structure Around 31/ATLAS. arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.10860.

Shklovsky, I. S. (1959). The Artificial Satellite of Mars. Publication of the Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Moscow. [Original calculations on Phobos orbital decay]

Soviet Space Research Institute (IKI). (1985–1989). Phobos 1 and Phobos 2 Mission Documentation. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Mission summaries available via RussianSpaceWeb.com and NASA NSSDCA.

Space Research Institute (IKI). (1989). Phobos 2 Loss of Signal: Official Technical Report. IKI Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

University of Houston / Lunar and Planetary Institute. (1998–2023). Martian Meteorite Database: Krypton, Argon, and Xenon Isotopic Ratios. Available at: https://www.hou.usra.edu

Various Authors (NASA / USGS). (Multiple years). Cave Candidate Catalogue for Mars: Lava Tube Skylights, Pit Craters, and Collapse Features in Tharsis, Elysium, and Hebrus Valles. Astrogeology Science Center. Available at: https://astrogeology.usgs.gov