Daily Report

Aug. 26, 2010

X-37B on the Move

The Air Force’s X-37B experimental spaceplane recently changed orbits for the first time since its launch into space in April, according to world-wide satellite trackers closely following its activities. MSNBC reports that one amateur space watcher from Cape Town, South...

New GPS Satellite Handed Over to Operators

Members of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., on Wednesday took command and control of GPS IIF-1, the Air Force’s first Global Positioning System Block IIF satellite. “We are excited to have the privilege of being the...

Minot Airmen Pass Nuclear Inspection

Members of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., performed extremely well in their latest nuclear surety inspection, receiving the highest rating of “satisfactory” from Air Force Global Strike Command inspectors. “We were proud to show the assessment team...

Ramstein Airmen Train with Polish Unit

About 50 airmen from Ramstein AB, Germany, have completed a week of off-site C-130 training with Polish military personnel at Powidz AB, Poland. Members of Ramstein’s 86th Airlift Wing and 435th Contingency Response Group conducted parachute jump training drills and...

Golden Anniversary of Corona Imagery

Lockheed Martin on Wednesday issued a release marking the 50th anniversary of the first image from Corona, the nation’s first spy satellite. It was back on Aug. 18, 1960, when an Air Force C-119 aircraft recovered in midair a capsule...

Pushing the Intel Limits

Airmen with the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB, Va., participated in Empire Challenge 10, a distributed, joint and coalition demonstration designed to improve ISR interoperability and showcase new technology that could meet warfighters’ near-term needs. More...

DARPA Tweaks Fractionated Satellite Program

DARPA is re-focusing its System F6 fractionated satellite demonstrator program to emphasize the development of an open space architecture and associated set of standards. The goal of this change is to attract academia and small businesses to participate in the...

Putting Viper to the Test

Weapons testers at Eglin AFB, Fla., are working to ensure that the QF-16, the Air Force’s next-generation full-scale aerial target, will meet the safety requirements for operating on USAF’s test ranges. Boeing is converting up to 126 early-model F-16s to...

Snapshot of India

Space exploration will remain a priority for India and the country will launch its own satellite-based navigation system into orbit in the next couple of years, according to a senior Indian military official. Further, he said, the Indian air force...

Air Sorties from SWA 081410

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Aug. 14-17, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 107 278 385 16,236 CAS/Armed Recon 84 372 456 21,928 Airlift 700 700 39,822 Air refueling 234 234 10,680 Rescue 116 116 4,945 Total...