The Defense Department announced April 30 that SrA. Jonathan A.V. Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, Calif., died April 29 near Bagram AB, Afghanistan, from wounds he received when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Yelner had deployed to Afghanistan from the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Ellsworth AFB, S.D.
The Space Force awarded three contracts for rocket launches worth up to a combined $13.68 billion on April 4—and the usual players SpaceX and United Launch Alliance have got some competition in the form of newcomer Blue Origin.