Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., achieved a space milestone when a 220-pound microsatellite came as close as 500 meters of the upper stage of a Minotaur I launch vehicle. The event bodes well for servicing, repairing, and resupplying space vehicles in the future. The Air Force launched Experimental Satellite System-11 microsat in April 2005 on a 12-to 18-month mission to test its ability to rendezvous and perform proximity maneuvers with several dead or inactive US spacecraft. According to program manager Harold Baker, XSS-11 has been “performing better than expected.” He said it shows good fuel efficiency and there have been no “significant technical glitches.”
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.