News Archive / Tagged: United States Air Force

• DMSP F-12 breaks up on orbit

  Jason RhianOctober 27th, 2016

  A retired USAF weather satellite has broken up on orbit. Fortunately, the spacecraft is some 22 years old and was already out of service when the U.S. Air Force detected another object orbiting alongside it. This is the latest problem with a constellation of satellites that has seen more than its fair share of problems.

• Lockheed Martin receives order for additional GPS satellites

  Scott JohnsonOctober 3rd, 2016

  Lockheed Martin announced last week that the U.S. Air Force has exercised $395 million in contract options and ordered the construction of two additional GPS III satellites – bringing the total on order from the Maryland-based company to 10.

• Next USAF’s SBIRS missile warning satellite shipped to Cape for October launch

  Jason RhianAugust 7th, 2016

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. Air Force's next SBIRS satellite was delivered to Cape Canaveral on Aug. 2, 2016, in preparation for its trip to orbit next year. The spacecraft will now be prepared to fly atop a ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from the Cape's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida.

• SpaceX awarded $82.7 million USAF GPS III launch contract

  Scott JohnsonMay 2nd, 2016

  This past week, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) announced that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) has been awarded the launch services contract for the GPS-III-2 satellite – scheduled for launch in May 2018.

• The race to replace the RD-180 goes full throttle

  Joe LatrellMarch 3rd, 2016

  The USAF awarded two public-private partnerships to develop a replacement for the Russian RD-180 engine. The first team is a joint effort of ULA/Blue Origin. The second is Aerojet Rocketdyne, a company that endeavored for years to persuade the Air Force to back development of the AR1.

• Upgraded SpaceX Falcon 9 certified for National Security Space launches

  Jason RhianJanuary 26th, 2016

  The United States Air Force's Program Executive Officer for Space and Space and Missile Systems Center, Lt. Gen Samuel Greaves, has approved the newly-upgraded SpaceX "Full Thrust" Falcon 9 rocket for use on National Security Space (NSS) missions.

• Orbital ATK, SpaceX awarded contracts by U.S. Air Force

  Jason RhianJanuary 17th, 2016

  The U.S. Air Force announced on Wednesday, Jan. 13, that its Space and Missile Systems Center had awarded OTAs to two aerospace firms ‒ SpaceX and Orbital ATK. These agreements are for a shared public-private partnership to develop rocket propulsion systems prototypes. It is hoped these agreements will help to end U.S. dependence on foreign-made rocket engines.

• Launch Viewing Guide: ULA Atlas V 401 with GPS IIF 10

  SpaceFlight InsiderJuly 13th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — United Launch Alliance (ULA ) is getting ready to send the U.S. Air Force’s tenth GPS IIF satellite atop one of the company’s Atlas V 401 rockets. The navigational satellite will have some 19 minutes to get off of the launch pad and into the skies, with weather conditions providing an estimated 70 percent […]

• AFSPC-5: Setting sail on wings of light

  Jason RhianMay 20th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With dire weather predictions as well as terror threats looming over Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), the United States Air Force and United Launch Alliance unleashed the 501 version of the venerable Atlas V booster at 11:05 a.m. EDT (15:05 GMT) – the very opening of the first of two 10-minute long launch […]

• 31st Annual Space Symposium – Review of ‘Day 4’

  Scott JohnsonApril 20th, 2015

  COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The fourth and final day of the 31st Annual Space Symposium wrapped up on Thursday, April 16, and SpaceFlight Insider was on hand to take in more of the action. There were two major stories on the day – the weather and “military space.”

• ULA successfully delivers ninth GPS IIF satellite to orbit

  SpaceFlight InsiderMarch 25th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — A United Launch Alliance (ULA ) Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket launched today, Wednesday, March 25, from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37). It carried with it the ninth GPS IIF satellite for the U.S. Air Force. Liftoff occurred right on time and at the beginning of an 18-minute window at 2:36 p.m. […]

• GPS IIF-9 set to launch atop ULA Delta IV Medium

  SpaceFlight InsiderMarch 24th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — Colorado-based United Launch Alliance (ULA ) is prepping a Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) launch vehicle to ferry the ninth GPS Block IIF satellite to orbit. Liftoff is currently scheduled to take place on Mar. 25 and will have a launch window which will last a total of 18-minute window, which opens at 2:36 p.m. EDT (18:36 GMT). […]

• 45th Space Wing unveils Multi Vehicle Launch Support Center

  SpaceFlight InsiderMarch 5th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, — The U.S. Air Force’s 45th Space Wing officially opened the Multi Vehicle Launch Support Center (MVLSC) during a countdown ceremony today at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Headquarters Building. The center provides room for up to 60 people to monitor a launch from and the subsequent first stage landing […]

• Details emerge about SpaceX’s plans to land Falcon 9 first stage at SLC-13

  Jason RhianFebruary 11th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla — Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX ) has been working to have the first stage of its Falcon 9 v1.1 and upcoming Falcon Heavy boosters land for possible reuse. However, initial reports that the F9’s first stage would land back at the launch site, Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 – it […]

• DSCOVR launch date now set for Feb. 10

  SpaceFlight InsiderFebruary 9th, 2015

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The next launch attempt for the DSCOVR mission will now be no earlier than Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 6:05 p.m. EST (2305 GMT) with a backup launch opportunity on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 6:03 p.m. EST (2303 GMT). Weather for an attempt on Monday, Feb. 9 was deemed to be unfavorable. If an attempt was made and […]