Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) has announced that the Senate dropped funding for work on the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) project. He says the earth-penetrating focus now will shift to the Pentagon’s approach using conventional warheads. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld won’t be happy about that, having specifically asked for the funding in a recent letter to the Senate.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.

