Press reports in January that retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration would be tapped to become the new NASA administrator have turned out to be … false. But Gration will be a part of the new Administration since President Obama appointed him last week to be the USA special enjoy to Sudan, a country still stricken by internal turmoil, especially in the Darfur region. “General Gration’s personal and professional background, and his service to the country as both a military leader and a humanitarian, give him the insights and experience necessary for this assignment,” Obama said in the White House statement announcing the appointment. Obama said Gration is a valued personal friend. The two travelled to Chad together in 2006 when Obama was a US Senator. With Gration’s appointment, the question remains open as to who the White House will nominated as the next NASA administrator.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.