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Space

DARPA Taps Boeing To Build Experimental Spaceplane

By Marc Selinger

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017

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DARPA Taps Boeing To Build Experimental Spaceplane

An artist's rendering of Boeing's Phantom Express. (Courtesy of Boeing)

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has picked Boeing [BA] over two other companies to design, build and test an unmanned, reusable spaceplane that could deploy small satellites, DARPA and Boeing announced May 24.Boeing edged out competitors Masten Space Systems and Northrop Grumman [NOC] to become the prime contractor for the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program.Boeing’s Phantom Express will be powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne [AJRD] AR-22 engine, a version of the legacy Space Shuttle main engine. Boeing was…

Congress

Six F-35Bs Delivered Without Radars Thus Far, Program Director Says

The U.S. Marine Corps thus far has received six F-35B fighters without radars, as the service waits on Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] delivery of the AN/APG-85 radar, which is to replace […]

Congress

Baldwin Concerned With Army’s JLTV ‘Mismanagement,’ Seeks Support For Marines’ Procurement Plans

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) has raised concerns with the “Army’s mismanagement” of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, and is seeking assurance that the Marine Corps can be supported […]

Congress

SASC Cites Concern With Army’s sUAS Approach, Seeks Info On Plans To Scale Fielding

Senate defense authorizers are seeking more info from the Army on its plans for scaling and deploying small drone capabilities citing concern with the service’s current “fragmented and insufficient” approach. […]

SASC Bill Would Raise Amphib Requirement To 33 Ships

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) fiscal year 2027 defense policy bill adds new provisions that would raise the Navy and Marine Corps’ minimum requirement for amphibious warships and extend […]