Airmen and cohorts in industry and NASA combined at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to launch a Delta II expendable launch vehicle carrying the OSTM/Jason 2 satellite into orbit June 20. OSTM stands for Ocean Surface Topography Mission and describes the spacecraft’s primary mission, that is, to measure and gather data about ocean topography. The OSTM payload, aboard the low-Earth orbiting host Jason 2 satellite, is a cooperative venture among NOAA, NASA, and French and European research agencies. (Vandenberg report)
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.
