Airmen of the 21st Space Wing’s 721st Mission Support Group at Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo., recently practiced “button-up” procedures—closing the mountain’s monstrous blast doors. “The blast doors are three-and-a-half feet thick, weigh 25 tons, and are normally closed by a hydraulic pump in 30 to 45 seconds,” says 1st Lt. Jeff Crepeau, 721st MSG executive officer. With muscle power alone, they can be closed in 4.5 minutes.
B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023
May 20, 2022
The Air Force says the B-21 Raider won't make its first flight until 2023; about a six-month delay from the last official estimates. No reason was given for the delay. While other programs have recently chalked up schedule slips to supply chain and labor shortages, the Air Force has said…