NASA got its Pluto spacecraft off—after weather and technical delays—from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., with the help of Air Force Space Command’s 45th Space Wing. The wing assisted Lockheed Martin with launch of the company’s Atlas V on Jan. 19. It was the first launch in which the new rocket used five strap-on boosters, making it the fastest vehicle to leave the Earth’s atmosphere, said wing officials.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
