Falcon 1 To Launch?: The troubled Falcon 1 rocket is set to make a third try at a launch in early February, carrying a satellite designed by US Air Force Academy cadets. Internet mogul turned aerospace entrepreneur Elon Musk tells Florida Today that the rocket, built by his SpaceX rocket firm, will have a new first stage installed after a faulty valve caused a fuel tank on the first stage to buckle when engineers decided to drain it before a December launch attempt. Falcon 1 now is scheduled to launch Feb. 8 from the Marshall Islands.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.