The Air Force announced Tuesday that it has pushed back Thursday’s scheduled launch of the Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite due to a potential problem associated with its Minotaur IV launch vehicle. USAF space officials at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., said in a release that testing of a Minotaur IV in the factory identified a software problem; they want to be sure there are no dangers to the SBSS mission before attempting the launch, slated for Vandenberg AFB. Calif. “The integrated government and contractor team is assessing the cause of the software anomaly and potential corrective actions and expects to establish a new launch date as early as next week,” states the release. A Boeing-led industry team built SBSS. The satellite will be the Air Force’s only space-based asset for detecting and monitoring objects in orbit.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.