It seems we missed a relatively important feature of the last test of the Missile Defense Agency’s ground-based ballistic missile interceptor system in that it provided the first occasion for airmen at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to actually launch an interceptor missile from a Vandy MDA silo. “This was a huge launch for us,” said Col. Jack Weinstein, commander of 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg. The Pentagon plans ultimately to deploy two interceptors in silos at Vandenberg, in addition to up to 16 in Alaska.
Boeing and its subsidiary Millennium Space Systems are rolling out a new mid-class satellite bus they say will provide commercial and defense customers flexibility at a time when the Pentagon is pushing for more production and speed.