The Air Force will be the source-selection authority in the KC-X tanker contest, which is set to restart shortly, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday in his remarks at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. His announcement, which returns to the Air Force the final say in deciding upon the new tanker design that will replace its Eisenhower-era KC-135s, was greeted with a round of applause. “I have confidence that the KC-X selection authority is in good hands with the service’s leadership team,” Gates said. Although the Air Force will now be the lead again, Gates said OSD “will continue to have a robust oversight.” Continue
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?