The joint NOAA and DOD National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite system has raised the ire of Congress, as one of many space programs that appear to have gone off the rails. It has Congressional auditors worrying about a possible weather gap. NPOESS has breached the Nunn-McCurdy rule, making its continued existence questionable. Yet, defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, says the problems with NPOESS “aren’t so serious” as some folks believe. In fact, he says, one reason NPOESS wound up on the breach roll is because of an “accounting change, not a technology problem.” What troubles the program has “reside in a handful of sensors rather than overall design,” says Thompson. Will it get a second chance
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…