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 Space Development Agency added 21 satellites to its nascent data transport network in an Oct. 15 launch, the second mission in a 10-month campaign to field 154 operational spacecraft.
