A team of Air Force Research Lab-led engineers at Kirtland AFB, N.M., continues to prepare for the anticipated October launch of the Tactical Satelite-3. The on-orbit experiment will host the advance responsive tactically effective military imaging spectrometer, or ARTEMIS, a hyperspectral imager capable of identifying camouflaged or concealed objects otherwise difficult to discern with traditional cameras. TacSat-3 will also demonstrate technology to provide these images to troops on the ground within a matter of minutes instead of hours. (Includes Kirtland report by SSgt. Jeremy Larlee)
In a pair of major contracts announced July 31, the Pentagon awarded a combined $7.8 billion for new missiles, including JASSM and AMRAAM.
