Air Frame: Year in Review, July 2011: The Space Shuttle Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on July, 21, 2011, shown here, ending three decades of US shuttle flights. The next day, President Obama certified the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law that banned homosexuals from openly serving in the US military. Also in July, Leon Panetta was sworn in as the 23rd Defense Secretary, replacing Robert Gates. The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board began reviewing the F-22’s onboard oxygen-generation systems following the fleet-wide grounding in May 2011. And, on July 14, 2011, the Pentagon unveiled its first cyberspace strategy. The Air Force also approved a plan in July to beddown 36 F-35 strike fighters at Nellis AFB, Nev., to support test activities and weapons school training there. Eglin AFB, Fla., also received its first two F-35As. NASA photo
As it develops new weapons to attack satellites, the U.S. Space Force is focused more on ground-based efforts where the technology is more mature, the service’s top general said April 3.