Classified Satellite Launched

Sept. 10, 2009

Airmen with the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., on Tuesday successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket into space that was carrying a classified US government communications satellite known as “PAN.” “This launch helps to ensure that vital communications will continue to bolster our nation’s capabilities and showcases why the 45th Space Wing is the world’s premiere gateway to space,” said Brig. Gen. Edward Bolton Jr., 45th SW boss. This mission was the 16th Atlas V launch from Cape Canaveral. It was also the 13th launch overall this year from the Cape. (Includes Patrick release) (For more, read NASA Spaceflight.com’s Sept. 8 report.)

Related Content

ARRW Flies at Hypersonic Speeds in First Successful Test

May 16, 2022
The Air Force conducted its first successful test of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW, on May 14, snapping a streak of three consecutive failed tests and giving the beleaguered hypersonics program a much needed boost. Off the coast of Southern California, the AGM-183A ARRW separated from the wing…

Air Force’s Biggest MILCON Contract Ever on Record Goes to Tyndall Rebuild

May 16, 2022
It’s been more than three-and-a-half years since Hurricane Michael pummeled Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., severely damaging or destroying 95 percent of the base’s 1,300 structures. On May 10, the base took a major step in its long build back to become the “Base of the Future” with the awarding…

US Troops Return to Somalia as Al-Shabab Threat Increases

May 16, 2022
President Joe Biden approved a Defense Department request to return "under 500" American troops to Somalia, where the al-Shabab terrorist group has grown in wealth and influence and increased the tempo of its attacks since U.S. troops withdrew in January 2021. A senior administration official told members of the press…

Mitchell Institute’s New UAV Study Center Looks at Drones in a China Fight

May 15, 2022
Unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous aircraft may provide a solution to operating in heavily contested domains such as the Taiwan Straits, according to a panel of expert who suggested operationalizing artificial intelligence for such purposes sooner rather than later. The group gathered virtually to help launch the Mitchell Institute for…

On NATO’s Eastern Flank, Navy Growlers Highlight Air Force’s Electronic Warfare Gap

May 13, 2022
Navy E/A-18 Growlers are conducting NATO enhanced air policing in Eastern Europe near Ukraine to show Russia that the U.S. stands ready with electronic warfare capabilities. But what the Navy is doing also highlights what the Air Force can't. Pilots from Navy Electronic Attack Squadron 134, or VAQ-134—nicknamed "Garudas"—who spoke…

Kendall Sees Room to Change Space Force FYDP—But Not F-35 Plan

May 13, 2022
The Space Force’s budget got a big bump in the Pentagon’s 2023 budget request, with a topline of $24.5 billion—36 percent more than fiscal 2022’s enacted level. And even more money in the years ahead is likely, according to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. If Kendall’s prediction is accurate, it…

Three Vanguards to Become Programs of Record in 2023, Air Force S&T Boss Says

May 13, 2022
Three of the Air Force’s four Vanguard programs—high-profile ventures chosen for extra investment and accelerated development—are slated to become programs of record by the end of 2023, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology, and engineering told Congress. The statement seemingly affirmed the department’s approach to…