A half century later, an Air Force Minuteman II motor functioned like new. In October, Air Force crews conducted a static fire live test of a 50-year-old Minuteman II motor. The test set a new record for oldest motor successfully tested, besting the previous record by about four years, according to an Air Force news release. While the motor is no longer operational, it can be used for space launches and as targets for Missile Defense Agency tests. The successful test proved the old motors are ready to fly for another year.
The U.S. military struck key Iranian nuclear sites June 21 in an operation that was intended to shut down Iran’s nuclear program but which was not aimed at the country’s leadership. U.S. Air Force bombers and submarine-launched cruise missiles struck three sites in the early hours of June 22: Fordow, Natanaz,…