Boeing officials say the company’s Orbital Express system transferred propellant and a battery from one spacecraft to another, “marking industry firsts for the revolutionary system.” The Orbital Express was one of the six spacecraft launched March 8 aboard an Atlas V evolved expendable launch vehicle. The Boeing Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) servicing spacecraft transferred the propellant and a battery to a prototype receiving NextSat spacecraft developed by Ball Aerospace.
The crash of a T-38 trainer jet this May—which caused a weekslong pause in flights across the fleet—was caused by an improperly installed pin for one of the jet’s horizontal stabilizers, according to a new accident report released Oct. 30. When the pin disengaged midflight, it created the slightest amount…