The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the 12th and final GPS IIF satellite has been pushed back to at least Feb. 4, according to a press release. It was originally scheduled to launch Feb. 3. The delay is to “evaluate concerns over the integrity of electrical connectors on the Atlas V booster,” states the release. The Air Force launched the 11th GPS IIF satellite from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., in late October, after a leak in ground support equipment shifted the launch window by one day. The Air Force took control of GPS-IIF 12 in late November. The GPS constellation, which includes about 40 satellites, provides global positioning, navigation, and timing for users around the world.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.