New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said Monday that DOD has formed a team to explore the likelihood of bringing a new mission to Cannon Air Force Base to replace the F-16s it lost in the 2005 BRAC decisions. Richardson told the Clovis News-Journal that the team, which includes Michael Wynne, the Administration’s nominee for Air Force Secretary, will report its findings to the Pentagon within 180 days. (Wynne’s nomination hearing is Thursday.)
A new White House policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for additional space launch facilities to support a projected increase in launch demand that could see the U.S. supporting as many as 1,000 launches by 2030, more than a fivefold increase from 2025.