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Space

First GPS III Satellite Packed Up in Payload Fairing for Scheduled Dec. 18 Launch

By Vivienne Machi

Tuesday, December 11th, 2018

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First GPS III Satellite Packed Up in Payload Fairing for Scheduled Dec. 18 Launch

The U.S. Air Force's first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite prepares for encapsulation before launch

The Air Force’s first GPS III space vehicle (SV01) last week has been enclosed within its payload fairing in anticipation of a mid-December launch date.“Vespucci,” as the satellite is known, was encapsulated within a SpaceX-made payload fairing Dec. 7 at Astrotech Space Operations in California, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center said in a Dec. 10 release. The Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built space vehicle is scheduled to launch Dec. 18 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral…

Budget

Hegseth Pushes For Reconciliation With At Least $350 Billion For Defense ‘Regardless’ Of Midterms Outcome

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the Trump administration plans to continue its push for at least $350 billion in defense funds via the reconciliation process “regardless of what happens […]

Congress

Bipartisan Push in Senate to Hasten Export of 155 mm, GMLRS, HIMARS for Ukraine

A small, bipartisan group of senators is backing the Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine’s Defense Act, S. 5175, to hasten the export of allied buys of U.S. munitions for […]

Congress

Rep. Himes Signals Increased Contractor Oversight, if Democrats Win House

Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, plans to increase the committee’s contractor oversight if the Democrats win control of the House […]

Congress

CBO Estimates Loss of One-Half to Two-Thirds of U.S. Missile Interceptors Since June Last Year

A new Congressional Budget Office report estimates the cost of the Iran war through Aug. 1 as $38 billion and says that the U.S. has likely depleted between one-half and […]