Robert Gates becomes the new Secretary of Defense, replacing Donald H. Rumsfeld, who had served since January 2001. (It was Rumsfeld’s second tour in the post; he first served under President Gerald Ford from November 1975 to January 1977.)
The Space Development Agency is set to launch 21 Tranche 1 data transport satellites on Oct. 5—its fourth Tranche 1 mission since last fall and the first to carry Northrop Grumman-built satellites.