Raytheon has delivered to the Air Force Research Lab the “first rapid-development space optical payload,” states a company release. Brian Arnold, VP of strategic Systems, calls delivery of the $14 million Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer, which the company built in a “matter of months” a “milestone toward demonstrating the feasibility of the United States’ operational responsive space concept.” What will it do? ARTEMIS is designed to spot terrestrial targets. Arnold notes that it was built on cost and schedule, too. ARTEMIS is one of the payloads designed to fly on TacSat-3 on tap for launch in summer 2007.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.