Lawmakers have introduced companion bills in the Senate and House that would provide a Congressional Gold Medal for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the group of women who served as instructors, transport, and ferrying pilots during World War II. Despite their invaluable service, the women were not granted military veteran status until 1977. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) are leading the action on S. 614 and H.R. 2014. The Senate passed its version May 20. (For background, read Air Force Magazine’s The WASPs and the Daily Report’s WASPs Gather One Last Time.)
The Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $398 million contract to design and build a communications satellite prototype with advanced anti-jam and data processing capabilities. The service announced the contract for the Enhanced Protected Tactical SATCOM-Prototype program, or Enhanced PTS-P, May 15, and said the satellite will launch no sooner than…