Weather conditions (see below Launch Delays) are favorable for Thursday’s launch of the X-37B reusable unmanned orbital test vehicle into space aboard an Atlas V booster from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., Air Force officials said Tuesday. “It is great to see the X-37 finally get to the launch pad and get into space,” said Gary Payton, USAF’s civilian space czar, during a media teleconference. The X-37B has the capacity to remain on orbit for up to 270 days, but Payton said the Air Force isn’t sure exactly how long it will be up there for the inaugural mission. While it will carry some experimental, classified payloads in its internal bay, this mission’s “top priority” is to assess the on-orbit performance of the autonomous vehicle itself and then gauge the turnaround time needed after it lands in California to get it ready for its next space jaunt, he said.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
