Osprey Flying Again, Yet Its Safety Still in Question
After being grounded for months following a crash last year that killed eight US service members in Japan, the V-22 Osprey is back in the air. Many question whether it should be. The military says it mitigated the problem with the aircraft, but the families of those killed are not convinced.
Chebi: Osprey Restrictions Will Remain Until 2025
House lawmakers questioned Pentagon officials last week about the V-22 Osprey’s safety record. During the hearing Wednesday, VADM Carl Chebi, head of US Naval Air Systems Command, said the aircraft will remain under safety restrictions until 2025.
Vets Can Prepare Own Online Memorials
VA planners expect to expand the Veterans Legacy Memorial platform by the end of the year. The project allows living veterans to prepare their own tribute pages with personal information about their time in the service and allows family members to update online memorials of deceased vets.
Lawmakers: Make NASA/Wallops Funding a Priority
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D) joined Maryland and Virginia lawmakers urging congressional leaders to prioritize NASA Goddard and Wallops Flight Facility funding.
Another Historic Moon Launch for NASA
NASA’s biggest test flight of the year is set to launch this morning. At 8:30 am EDT today, Monday, the Artemis 1 mission, an ambitious flight to the moon by NASA’s most powerful rocket ever — the Space Launch System — will head into space.
New Kennel Keeps Military Dogs Close to Home
NAS Patuxent River Security has a new Military Working Dog kennel. Before the kennel opened, the dogs assigned to Pax River were housed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling more than 60 miles away. With a kennel at Pax, base security has improved its overall readiness and also cut logistical costs associated with housing and transporting the dogs off site.
DynCorp Out; Workers Likely Remain
For almost 50 years DynCorp (now part of Amentum) worked with the Naval Test Wing Atlantic at Patuxent River Naval Air Station providing aircraft mechanics and more, becoming St. Mary’s County’s 3rd-largest employer. While Amentum leaves town, officials expect the Pax employees to remain with the new contract winner, Vertex Aerospace LLC,
DoD Will Terminate Unvaxxed Civilians
The DoD’s civilian employees who refuse to be vaccinated will face an escalating series of punishments, beginning with five days of education and counseling, 14 days of unpaid suspension, and finally termination “for failing to follow a direct order.”
NASA Seeks Student Tech Ideas
NASA is calling on all sixth- through 12th-grade educators and students to submit experiments for possible suborbital flights as a way of gaining firsthand experience with the design and testing process used by NASA researchers. The Patuxent Partnership is helping to publicize the program.
Defense Revenues Up 5% Over Last Year
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the defense industry saw a gain in revenues in 2020. Defense revenues recorded in this year’s Defense News Top 100 list totaled $551 billion, up about 5% from $524 billion for fiscal 2019.
