Air Force Space Command personnel launched an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., at 6 a.m. on April 7 as part of a development test to demonstrate the missile’s effectiveness. The missile’s unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled about 5,000 miles, hitting a predetermined water target near the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
U.S. Space Command is still passionate about the idea of being able to maneuver satellites in orbits without worrying about conserving fuel. But how exactly to achieve that remains unsettled as the combatant command works with the Pentagon’s acquisition enterprise, SPACECOM’s deputy commander said.