Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee has awarded a $26.1 million contract to Alliant Techsystems to develop and manufacture the Space Threat Assessment Testbed System, according to a Dec. 1 company release. AEDC began hunting in 2006 for a contractor to develop a new test capability that will provide a realistic space environment for national security space hardware. “STAT capabilities will provide a new integrated, real-time simulation of complex space environments to enable technology maturation and performance verification necessary to advance technologies without incurring the cost and schedule of a space flight,” said Bill Kasting, VP and GM of ATK’s Integrated Systems. Among capabilities expected of the STAT system is the ability to replicate low Earth orbit and geosynchronous orbit environments and key man-made threats, according to the ATK release.
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.