SpaceX’s Feb. 19 launch of a Falcon 9 rocket marked the “first launch where we’ve used an autonomous flight termination system,” Space Command chief Gen. Jay Raymond told reporters Friday at AWS17. All rockets are equipped with a flight termination system at launch, Raymond explained, that enables a human operator to monitor the rocket’s path and trigger a “destruct package” if the rocket strays from its flight path and endangers public safety. The most recent Falcon 9 launch is the first time this capability has been fully automated with a “self-sensing destruct package.” Raymond said the advance will save money and time by requiring “less radars” and “less telemetry” for rocket launches in the future.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.