Air Force leaders enthused as Space Force legislation heads to House floor
LOS ANGELES — A bipartisan deal struck between congressional leaders and the White House would allow the Defense Department to establish a U.S. Space Force as a separate military branch. The compromise language in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 will be introduced Dec. 9 and a House vote is scheduled for Dec. 11, Rep. Mike Rogers [...]
Navy Identifies Three Sailors Killed in NAS Pensacola Shooting
Three Sailors died during an active shooter incident at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Dec. 6.
Ship’s Sponsor Christens PCU John F. Kennedy
With more than 20,000 attendees, President John F. Kennedy's daughter, the Honorable Caroline Bouvier Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, officially christened Pre—Commissioning Unit (PCU) John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).
Astroscale pursuing military customers for in-orbit services, debris removal
LOS ANGELES — Astroscale, a Japanese company that recently stood up an American subsidiary, sees the U.S. military as a potential customer for the company’s debris removal and other in-orbit services. Astroscale is preparing to demonstrate satellite de-orbiting technology in low Earth orbit next year and is talking to potential commercial and government customers, Ron Lopez, president and managing director [...]
Falcon 9 cargo mission for NASA demonstrated long-duration coast required by U.S. Air Force
LOS ANGELES — The upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 mission to the International Space Station Dec. 5 successfully performed a six-hour coast and a deorbit burn, a test that had been requested by the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate the vehicle can deliver national security payloads directly to geosynchronous Earth orbit. “I got a thumbs up this morning,” [...]
New dates set for commercial crew test flights
WASHINGTON — SpaceX will conduct an in-flight abort test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft in early January as the launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on an uncrewed test flight slips another day, NASA announced Dec. 6. In one statement, NASA said the in-flight abort test for Crew Dragon is currently scheduled for no earlier than Jan. 4. On that test, [...]
SpaceX working on fix for Starlink satellites so they don’t disrupt astronomy
LOS ANGELES — One of the Starlink satellites in the next batch of 60 that SpaceX plans to launch in late December will be treated with a special coating designed to make the spacecraft less reflective and less likely to interfere with space observations, SpaceX president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell said Dec. 6. “We are going to get [...]
L3Harris, Northrop Grumman win contracts to connect Air Force hardware with commercial space broadband
LOS ANGELES — The Air Force announced Dec. 6 it awarded L3Harris and Northrop Grumman $17.9 million and $9.9 million contracts, respectively, to integrate commercial space internet services on military aircraft. The contracts are the latest awarded under a project called Defense Experimentation Using the Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) led by the Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation office [...]
NAS Pensacola Active Shooter Incident Support Services
The installation is now open to Mission Essential Personnel only through the weekend.
Statement from Chief of Naval Operations on Recent Attacks on Naval Installations
This has been a devastating week for our Navy family. Our hearts break for those who lost their lives in Pensacola and the wrenching pain it causes their loved ones. When tragedy hits, as it did today, and Wednesday in Pearl Harbor, it is felt by all.
Navy Announces Three Deaths in Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Shooting
Two Department of Defense civilians died following a shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on Dec. 4. The shooter, a Navy Sailor assigned to USS Columbia (SSN 771), died from self—inflicted gunshot wound.
AF Week in Photos
This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.
Statement from Acting Secretary of the Navy on Recent Attacks on Naval Installations
Our entire Navy and Marine Corps team is struck and deeply saddened by the attacks within our own naval family over the past several days.
Kacific, with SpaceX launch imminent, borrows $160 million for satellite refinancing
WASHINGTON — Kacific Broadband Satellites, a startup that ordered a geostationary satellite from Boeing despite reservations about the absence of U.S. export-credit financing, on Dec. 5 said it tapped European and Asian lenders to refinance loans used to buy the satellite. Kacific’s first satellite, Kacific-1 launches Dec. 15 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Kacific-1 shares a Boeing 702-MP spacecraft [...]
PMO, USACE partner to rebuild Tyndall AFB
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has become an important ally as the Tyndall AFB Program Management Office rebuilds the base.