Virginia has the most romantic restaurants in America

Proving Virginia really is for lovers, the state boasts 13 winning restaurants, followed by Florida with 10 and Ohio with eight, according to a list of most romantic restaurants.

In celebration of the romantic dining experiences we have on and around Valentine's Day, OpenTable unveiled their 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2017.

2017 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America

1. Alexander's – Roanoke, Virginia 
2. Antebellum – Flowery Branch, Georgia 
3. Arabellas Italian Ristorante – Winter Haven, Florida 
4. Arielle's Country Inn – Sellersville, Pennsylvania 
5. BakerStreet – Fort Wayne, Indiana 
6. Bertrand at Mister A's – San Diego, California 
7. The Bistro at Gervasi Vineyard – Canton, Ohio 
8. Bistro L'Hermitage – Woodbridge, Virginia 
9. Bistro San Martin – Arlington, Washington 
10. Boulevard Bistro – Elk Grove, California 
11. Byrd and Baldwin Bros. Steakhouse – Norfolk, Virginia 
12. Café Central – El Paso, Texas 
13. Café Matisse – Rutherford, New Jersey 
14. Cafe Renaissance – Vienna, Virginia 
15. Carlos' Bistro – Colorado Springs, Colorado 
16. Chef's Table at the Edgewater – Winter Garden, Florida 
17. Chez François – Vermilion, Ohio 
18. Chez Nous French Restaurant – Humble, Texas 
19. Chimney Park – Windsor, Colorado 
20. Christopher's World Grille – Bryan, Texas 
21. The Chop House – Multiple Locations 
22. Circa 1886 – Charleston, South Carolina 
23. Coldwater Cafe & Catering – Tipp City, Ohio 
24. Collage Restaurant – St. Augustine, Florida 
25. Cygnus 27 – Grand Rapids, Michigan 
26. Daniel's Restaurant – Hamburg, New York 
27. Del Alma – Corvallis, Oregon 
28. The Dining Room-Biltmore Estate – Asheville, North Carolina 
29. Don's Pomeroy House – Strongsville, Ohio 
30. Edgewood Restaurant – Stateline, Nevada 
31. El Gaucho – Tacoma, Washington 
32. The English Grill at Brown Hotel – Louisville, Kentucky 
33. Fearrington House Restaurant – Pittsboro, North Carolina 
34. Firefly – Panama City Beach, Florida 
35. Flagstaff House – Boulder, Colorado 
36. The Flatiron Cafe – Omaha, Nebraska 
37. Fleurie – Charlottesville, Virginia 
38. Four Winds Steakhouse – Wills Point, Texas 
39. Franklinville Inn – Franklinville, New Jersey 
40. Gabriel's Restaurant – Sedalia, Colorado 
41. Gardner's – Olympia, Washington 
42. Geja's Café – Chicago, Illinois 
43. The Goodstone Inn & Estate Restaurant – Middleburg, Virginia 
44. Gracie's – Providence, Rhode Island 
45. Harry's Restaurant – Manhattan, Kansas 
46. The Hobbit – Orange, California 
47. Hugo's Cellar-Four Queens – Las Vegas, Nevada 
48. Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm – Holicong, Pennsylvania 
49. The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, Virginia 
50. Jackson's Steakhouse – Pensacola, Florida 
51. Jillian's – Palm Desert, California 
52. Joshua Wilton House – Harrisonburg, Virginia 
53. Katherine's Steakhouse – Mesquite, Nevada 
54. L'Auberge Chez François – Great Falls, Virginia 
55. La Cocina International Restaurant – St. Augustine Beach, Florida 
56. La Cremaillere Restaurant – Bedford, New York 
57. Latitudes – Key West, Florida 
58. Le Cep – Fort Worth, Texas 
59. Le Vallauris – Palm Springs, California 
60. The Little Dipper – Wilmington, North Carolina 
61. Mahogany Prime Steakhouse – Tulsa, Oklahoma 
62. The Melting Pot – Multiple locations 
63. Michel's at the Colony Surf – Honolulu, Hawaii 
64. Monarch – Scottsdale, Arizona 
65. Montalcino Ristorante Italiano – Issaquah, Washington 
66. Mr. Lester's Steakhouse – Charenton, Louisiana 
67. Nick and Nino's Penthouse Steakhouse – Springfield, Illinois 
68. The Old Inn On The Green – New Marlborough, Massachusetts 
69. Orchids at Palm Court – Cincinnati, Ohio 
70. Over the Moon Cafe – Tacoma, Washington 
71. Penrose Room-The Broadmoor – Colorado Springs, Colorado 
72. Pepper Tree Restaurant – Colorado Springs, Colorado 
73. Perry Street Brasserie – Galena, Illinois 
74. Pier W – Cleveland, Ohio 
75. Primavista – Cincinnati, Ohio 
76. Quiessence at The Farm at South Mountain – Phoenix, Arizona 
77. The Refectory Restaurant & Bistro – Columbus, Ohio 
78. The Restaurant at Convict Lake – Mammoth Lakes, California 
79. The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn – Blowing Rock, North Carolina 
80. Restaurant Iris – Memphis, Tennessee 
81. Rey's – Raleigh, North Carolina 
82. Ristorante Massimo – Portsmouth, New Hampshire 
83. Russell's Steaks, Chops, and More – Williamsville, New York 
84. Saint Jacques French Cuisine – Raleigh, North Carolina 
85. Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern – Raleigh, North Carolina 
86. Sedgley Place – Greene, Maine 
87. Ski Tip Lodge – Keystone, Colorado 
88. Sky's Restaurant – Grand Forks, North Dakota 
89. Sonoma – Princeton, Massachusetts 
90. St. Martin's Wine Bistro – Dallas, Texas 
91. Stables Steakhouse – Terre Haute, Indiana 
92. The Steakhouse at Harrah's-Harrah's Reno – Reno, Nevada 
93. The Studio, An Artistic Dining Experience – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 
94. Tempo Dulu – Portland, Maine 
95. TS Steakhouse at Turning Stone – Verona, New York 
96. V.Mertz – Omaha, Nebraska 
97. Vernon's Speakeasy – Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico 
98. Vintage Tavern – Suffolk, Virginia 
99. Wally's Desert Turtle – Rancho Mirage, California 
100. Yono's Restaurant – Albany, New York

Video: NASA's Airborne Tropical Tropopause Experiment

Our atmosphere consists of several layers and each plays a different role in our climate. The bottom two layers are the troposphere and the stratosphere, and in between these two is a region of colder air known as the Tropopause. It is critical to understand the Tropopause, its composition and interaction with gases, aerosols, and humidity that affect the stratosphere’s climate, which ultimately affects the climate in the troposphere. NASA launched a mission called Airborne Tropical TRopopause Experiment (ATTREX) to find answers to these questions.

Demand for UAS pilots remains a challenge for US military

The demand for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has grown dramatically in the last decade to support combat operations. In response to the increased demand for UAS, over the last eight years the Air Force has more than quadrupled the number of UAS pilots that it requires, from about 400 in 2008 to close to 1,650 in 2016. However, the Air Force has faced challenges meeting its UAS pilot requirements. The Commanding General of the Air Force’s Air Combat Command testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Airland in March 2016 that the Air Force had a shortage of about 200 UAS pilots. Meanwhile, the Army has faced a different challenge in managing its UAS pilot workforce—keeping the UAS pilots trained. A March 2015 Army review found that UAS mishaps were occurring at a rate higher than for other types of Army aircraft and Army officials stated that training shortfalls had contributed to these mishaps.

In April 2014, an Air Force investigation board found by clear and convincing evidence that the cause of a MQ-1B Predator drone accident was low-level wind shear during a critical phase of landing, and the pilot's lack of training in landing operations. The MQ-1B impacted a runway at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada.

The Air Force and the Army primarily rely on military servicemembers to serve as UAS pilots, although both services augment their UAS pilot workforce with contractors. In the last two decades, Air Force and Army UAS platform capabilities and missions have evolved.

For example, the Air Force initially used the MQ-1 Predator to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions before adding weapons to the Predator and acquiring the MQ-9 Reaper, which can perform strikes, combat search and rescue, and close air support, among other missions and tasks.

Source: Government Accountability Office

Video: High-flying highlights of the T-50A

The T-50A delivers the fighter-like performance and capabilities needed to eliminate 5th Generation training gaps and inefficiencies. The F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II have advanced capabilities that have never been available before. Advanced pilot training is the key to taking advantage of them. There is no more effective or affordable way than the T-50A to train the next generation of pilots to fly, fight and win. The T-50A builds on the proven heritage of the T-50. There are more than 150 T-50s flying today—100,000+ flight hours and counting—and the airframe has already trained more than 1,800 pilots.

Bye Aerospace and SolAero Technologies collaborate on unmanned aerial vehicle

SolAero Technologies Corp. recently announced a product development and manufacturing collaboration with Bye Aerospace to power Bye's StratoAirNet solar-electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with SolAero's solar cells and flexible solar modules.

The StratoAirNet UAVs will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to support commercial and government security requirements. The initial medium-altitude StratoAirNet 15 proof of concept prototype is undergoing final assembly. Following the successful preliminary design review process, flight tests were conducted on a small-scale wing powered by SolAero solar cells. Following further measurements and fit checks, additional test flights will soon commence on the 15-meter wing span prototype.

Since 2001, SolAero products have reliably powered nearly 200 successful satellite missions in space. The solar cells on StratoAirNet will allow the airplane to fly at higher altitudes with almost unlimited flight endurance, said George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace.

Bye said potential commercial mission applications for StratoAirNet include communications relay, internet service, mapping, search and rescue, firefighting command and control, anti-poaching monitoring, damage assessment, severe weather tracking, agriculture monitoring, mineral source surveying, spill detection and infrastructure quality assessment.

Small satellite market will exceed $1.42 billion in 2017

The small satellite market will exceed $1.42 billion in 2017 and is expected to flourish over the next few years due to continued market interest and also because of the sheer potential, according to a report published this month by Visiongain, a research firm based in London.

Key players developing small satellite technologies 
- Aerospace Corp.
- GeoOptics LLC
- Oneweb LLC
- ORBCOMM Inc.
- Planet Labs Inc.
- Spire Global Inc.
- Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
- The Boeing Company

Small satellite applications
- Meteorology
- Security/Surveillance
- Earthquake/Seismic Monitoring
- Scientific Research
- Other Applications

US looks to buy more seats aboard Russian spacecraft

NASA is considering contracting with The Boeing Company for crew transportation services to and from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, according to contract documents released Tuesday.

Boeing recently entered into an agreement with Russia's RSC Energia, manufacturer of the Soyuz spacecraft. As a part of the agreement, Energia agreed to provide to Boeing two specifically identified seats on the Soyuz spacecraft for long-duration travel to and from the ISS, one on a flight to occur in the fall 2017 timeframe and another on a flight to occur in the spring 2018 timeframe. Additionally, Energia provided Boeing three additional specifically identified seats in the spring 2019 timeframe on two Soyuz spacecraft. Boeing and RSC Energia have agreed that Boeing has full rights to these seats and can sell them to any third party.

NASA is interested in launching one crewmember in the fall of 2017 and one crewmember in the spring of 2018, the agency said in a Presolicitation contract document. The agency is considering purchasing these services from Boeing, without competition, because no other vehicles are currently capable of providing these services. The purchase of these services will increase U.S. crew size on the ISS from three to four crewmembers to maximize science utilization.

NASA has contracts with two U.S. commercial companies for crew transportation to the ISS. However, these vehicles are still in the developmental stage, and not expected to begin fully operational flights to the ISS until 2019. In the event the U.S. commercial crew providers are delayed in demonstrating a fully operational capability to transport humans to space, the risk of de-crewing ISS greatly increases. “The absence of U.S. crewmembers at any point would diminish vehicle operations to an inoperable state,” NASA said in the Presolicitation.

NASA also is considering an option to acquire crew transportation from Boeing for three crewmembers on the Soyuz in 2019, to ensure the availability of back-up transportation capability in the event the U.S. commercial contractor vehicles are delayed or to augment future ISS operations and research.

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft is currently the only vehicle with the operational capability to provide crew services to and from the ISS in 2017 and 2018. There are eight Soyuz launches planned between 2017 and 2018 (four per year). The crew capacity of the Soyuz is limited to a maximum of three crewmembers per vehicle.

Russia recently announced its plans to reduce the Russian crew count onboard ISS from three to two, beginning in 2017. As a result of Russia reducing its crew count by one crewmember, there is now an available Soyuz seat in the 2017-2018 timeframe on each of the two planned spacecraft that would have otherwise had two Russian crew aboard. Of the 24 total Soyuz seats available in 2017-2018, the three seats resulting from the Russian crew decrement are the only available means of transporting additional U.S. crewmembers to ISS during this period.