Wing Box Problem Spreads Among Old C-130s:
About one year ago, Air Mobility Command grounded 30 C-130E transport aircraft that evinced numerous, severe cracks to the center wing box structure. It placed another 60 C-130s—a mix of models—in restricted flying status. Today, the number grounded is 38, reports the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, as more of the elderly airlifters reached a critical 45,000 flying-hour mark. The recovery plan calls for a mix of replacing the boxes on some aircraft, repairing cracks on others, and retiring some in favor of new C-130Js coming on line. A new wing box, installation kit, and the actual installation—done by the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia—cost about $9 million per aircraft, officials told the Telegraph.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.


