The Air Force plans to launch in Fiscal 2008 an unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle—building on work from NASA’s defunct X-37 technology demonstrator. Service officials announced the effort Nov. 17, saying USAF would proceed with “full-scale development and on-orbit testing of an unmanned long-duration, reusable space vehicle.” The Air Force is working with NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and prime contractor Boeing on the OTV program. Running the effort is the Washington, D.C.-based Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
The Pentagon is readying a slew of reforms to its acquisition practices designed to speed up the military’s process for buying weapons and systems and structure its program offices to prioritize competition and commercial capabilities, according to a draft memo.
