Reuters reported late last week the U.S. Air Force may lift a near two-year ban that kept Boeing from obtaining launch contracts, according comments from an Air Force official. The report stated the official word on the lifting of the ban could come as early as March 4 after the close of the financial markets, after this edition of Satellite Today closed. Boeing has been banned from competing for government launch contracts since July 2003 following the illegal acquisition of documents from Lockheed Martin.