Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Pentagon’s operationally response space activities are setting the stage for future interoperability between satellite buses and payloads as well as space launch vehicles and appropriate command and control capabilities. Defense Department officials are designing each of these components with common technical and procedural standards that will lead to maximum versatility and enhanced affordability, said Schwartz Nov. 19 at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles. “This is vital, ladies and gentlemen. As we move forward, fiscal constraints will affect our ability to meet our challenges in space,” he said. Success, he added, will be based on greater innovation in the design, testing, evaluation, and fielding of payloads and spacecraft. “Innovation is, and certainly must be, a lynchpin,” said Schwartz.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.