August 07, 1959

Aug. 7, 1959

First intercontinental relay of a voice message by satellite takes place. The voice is that of Maj. Robert G. Mathis, later USAF Vice Chief of Staff.

Grynkewich Takes Over EUCOM and Warns: ‘Our Adversaries Are Aligning’

July 1, 2025

Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.

First Missile Warning Satellite Launch to MEO Slips, But More to Come

July 1, 2025

The Space Force's first planned satellite launch to begin a new missile warning constellation in medium-Earth orbit has slipped from late 2026 to spring 2027 as a key component remains unproven. But the service is making progress and moving forward with plans for new batches of satellites, the Guardian in charge…

Senate Passes Reconciliation Bill with Billions for Air Force and Space Force

July 1, 2025

The Senate passed Republicans’ sweeping tax-and-spending package July 1 in a 51-50 vote, the culmination of a 27-hour marathon legislative session. The package—often called the reconciliation bill—includes a $150 billion package of defense funds that accounts for a significant portion of the money the Air Force and Space Force want…

Space Force Boosting an Ecosystem of GPS Alternatives in Low-Earth Orbit

July 1, 2025

The Space Force is playing midwife to a new ecosystem of commercial satellite constellations providing alternatives to the service’s own Global Positioning Service from much closer to the Earth, making their signals more accurate and harder to jam.

Air Force Cuts Alternate PT Drills for Trainees amid ‘Complete Rewrite’ of BMT

June 30, 2025

Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…

Senate Confirms New Commanders for Europe, Middle East, ACC

June 30, 2025

The Senate confirmed new leaders of U.S. forces in Europe and the Middle East over the weekend. Lawmakers on June 29 also approved a reshuffling of Air Force officials that will put new faces in the service’s Pentagon headquarters as well as at its largest command.

SDA’s Next Phase of Data Transport Satellites on Hold

June 30, 2025

The long-term future of one of the Space Development Agency’s two satellite constellations is on hold as officials study the options for replacing a planned “data transport layer” with one or more commercial solutions. President Trump’s proposed 2026 defense budget...

Air Force and Space Force Hit 2025 Recruiting Goals 3 Months Early

June 30, 2025

The Space Force and Air Force have both hit their fiscal 2025 recruiting goals with months to spare, extending a promising trend that has boosted the services’ ranks, officials announced June 30.

Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation

June 28, 2025

Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.

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