Lockheed Martin says it has submitted its proposal for the next set of space based infrared system (SBIRS) early warning spacecraft to the Air Force and has completed the preliminary design review for them. According to an April 9 release, the company turned in the proposal on March 22. It covers the third and fourth highly elliptical orbit-3 (HEO-3) and HEO-4 payloads, which reside on classified host satellites, and a third SBIRS geosynchronous orbit-3 (GEO-3) satellite, and the option for GEO-4. “With the submission of the full production proposal for the SBIRS follow-on program, the joint government-industry team is another step closer to making the planned constellation of this critical system a reality,” said Col. Roger Teague, commander of the Air Force’s SBIRS Wing. Lockheed, which works with payload integrator Northrop Grumman on SBIRS, said it expects the awards for the contract award for the additional HEO and GEO spacecraft in late 2009. In addition to this next set of SBIRS hardware, the Air Force has already expressed its interest in acquiring a fifth and sixth GEO satellite.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.