KC-135 tankers of the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, set a single-day, fuel-offload record for the base on May 24 by passing 804,800 pounds of fuel to 32 receivers during 12 missions. The figure bested the previous offload mark of 722,000 pounds that was set Aug. 13, 2007. “This impressive offload accounted for 55 percent of all the air refueling support in Afghanistan that day,” said Lt. Col. Wayne Cooper, the unit’s commander. (Manas report by Lt. Col. Adriane Craig)
SDA’s Next Phase of Data Transport Satellites on Hold
June 30, 2025
The long-term future of one of the Space Development Agency’s two satellite constellations is on hold as officials study the options for replacing a planned “data transport layer” with one or more commercial solutions. President Trump’s proposed 2026 defense budget...