SpaceX rocket now eligible to launch national security satellites

Air Force Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space, has announced the certification of Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket for national security space missions.

“SpaceX is now eligible for award of qualified national security space launch missions as one of two currently certified launch providers,” Air Force officials said in a press statement. “The first upcoming opportunity for SpaceX to compete to provide launch services is projected to be in June when the Air Force releases a Request for Proposal for Global Positioning System III launch services.

"SpaceX's emergence as a viable commercial launch provider provides the opportunity to compete launch services for the first time in almost a decade,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “Ultimately, leveraging of the commercial space market drives down cost to the American taxpayer and improves our military's resiliency."

The Air Force invested more than $60 million and 150 people in the certification effort which encompassed 125 certification criteria, including more than 2,800 discreet tasks, three certification flight demonstrations, verifying 160 payload interface requirements, 21 major subsystem reviews and 700 audits in order to establish the technical baseline from which the Air Force will make future flight worthiness determinations for launch.

Low budget astrophotography, cell phone camera and telescope

Low budget astrophotography. Simply holding your cell phone up to a telescope lense and taking a picture of the Moon. Not easy to do, but possible.

Image Date: May 25, 2015, 10:26 p.m. EDT / Equipment: Samsung Galaxy Stellar smartphone and Tasco Luminova telescope. Photo Credit: Keith Stein

Video: Sikorsky S-97 Raider helicopter performs first flight

The S-97 Raider helicopter successfully achieved its first flight at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday. Congratulations to Chief Pilot Bill Fell, Co-pilot Kevin Bredenbeck and the entire Raider team.

Video: US Navy aircraft told to 'go away quickly' by Chinese navy

A recorded audio file of communications received while flying over the South China Sea. Sailors assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 conducted flight operations aboard a P-8A Poseidon aircraft on Wednesday. VP-45 is on deployment supporting U.S. 7th Fleet operations in the Pacific.

Beech twin-engine plane crashes in Saltville, Va.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of a Beech BE55 aircraft in Saltville, Va.

The plane, a 1965 Beechcraft Baron 55 twin engine (tail number N5816S), is registered to LWF Inc. of Wilmington, Del., according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

Additional information: Missing plane located in Smyth County; no survivors

Video: Air Force mini space shuttle ready for fourth flight

The fourth flight of the Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is scheduled for launch atop an Atlas V rocket on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The Atlas V rocket, provided by United Launch Alliance, will liftoff from Space Launch Complex-41.

USGS Alaska using unmanned aircraft to survey walrus herds

The U.S. Geological Survey located in Anchorage, Alaska, intends to make a non-competitive contract award to the University of Alaska (Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration) located in Fairbanks for flight services to acquire data using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

The objectives of the services are related to investigating the potential of using a UAS for photographic surveys of walrus herds on sea ice in the Chukchi Sea and coastal haulouts in northwest Alaska.

"The University of Alaska is the only known source that has the experience with marine mammal surveys in conjunction with the appropriate UAS type (hexacopter or other rotary platform) and imaging technology (real-time video in conjunction with high resolution photography) for the study," USGS officials said in contract documents released Friday.