An Air Force-industry team has succeeded in producing a stronger, lighter, low-cost payload fairing—the protective cover that shelters satellites at the top of an expendable launch vehicle and that gives the ELV an aerodynamic shape. Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., teamed with Boeing Phantom Works in Seattle to create the Advanced Grid-Stiffened composite payload fairing, comprising carbon fibers, epoxy forming beams, and an outer skin that maintains a “strength that is, pound per pound, stronger than steel,” reports Air Force journalist Michael Kleiman. The AGS fairing was used for the December 2006 launch of the TacSat-2.
New Air Force PT Uniforms to Hit Shelves in July
May 1, 2024
The Air Force’s new physical training uniforms have been a long time coming. The clothing set was first unveiled in 2021, with a promised 2022 debut. But supply chain issues delayed its arrival multiple times, according to the Air Force. But finally, Airmen are expected to be able to buy…