The Air Force continues to grapple with how to protect its on-orbit space assets in the wake of China's successful test of an anti-satellite weapon in January, according to senior service officials. "First [we have to] make sure we have the situational awareness," Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne told reporters at the Air…

The U.S. Air Force announced has tasked General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop potential alternatives over the next 18 months to the Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) High missile launch warning satellite. Under contracts valued at $23.3 million and $24.8 million, respectively, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman will work until May 2008 under…

The first of the U.S. Air Force's new missile-warning sensor payloads is performing well after completing an initial round of performance checkouts, the Air Force's space czar said Nov. 29. The Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) High sensor payload is "meeting or exceeding our expectations," Ronald Sega, under secretary of the Air Force, told reporters…

The "back-to-basics" reforms adopted by the U.S. Air Force within the past year to overhaul how it develops satellite systems are starting to show positive results, the service's program executive officer (PEO) for space said. However, just as the issues that have plagued the space acquisition community took years to manifest, so too will the…