Boeing officials say the company has picked up work on a new Air Force space effort and additional work under its long-standing contract to build Global Positioning System satellites. The new work involves defining the next-generation communications payload for a polar-orbiting satellite under a $1.5 million Air Force contract. For the GPS program, Boeing will build three more Block IIF satellites under a $138 million option.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
