The 
Air Force and its industry partners launched a National Reconnaissance Office satellite into space on Sept. 13 from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carried the satellite into orbit. “It’s an honor to work alongside the men and women of Team Vandenberg, United Launch Alliance, the National Reconnaissance Office, and our mission partners,” said Col. Nina Armagno, Vandy’s 30th Space Wing commander, in a base release. She added, “These synergistic relationships are what guide Vandenberg to continual mission success and lead us into the next generation of spaceport excellence.” NRO officials have said this mission, NROL-36, marked the first time that an NRO Atlas V launch included ancillary payloads, called CubeSats, to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies, conduct scientific experiments, and validate operational concepts. Range instrumentation issues delayed this launch by some six weeks.
Active-duty transgender troops have until June 6 to self-identify and begin the voluntary separation process or wait and risk possible involuntary separation later—even as questions linger over how that decision might affect their security clearances for future employment.