Mars Needs Women Like Princess Leia

Motivational space poster of the day: Princess Leia in her prime.

Drat. NROL-32 Delayed, So Look To Alaska

An anomaly during cryogenic fueling for NROL-32. During the launch countdown, anomalous temperature data signatures were detected on the port and starboard strap-on common core boosters during cryogenic fueling. Scrub. Perhaps just sensor faults.  Next attempt is unknown, but turnaround for a next attempt likely depends on how far into the count they got.  Loading [...]

Stopped START Means More Spy Sats For The IC?

From the Washington Times: In the absence of a U.S.-Russian arms control treaty, the U.S. intelligence community is telling Congress it will need to focus more spy satellites over Russia that could be used to peer on other sites, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, to support the military. The demand for these satellites – one component of the “national technical [...]

Obama Faces Off Against GOP Over Nuclear Treaty

From Slate: After Republicans abruptly put the New START treaty on hold on Tuesday, Obama took the battle public on Thursday, hoping to force a vote. “It is a national security imperative that the United States ratify the New START treaty this year,” said Mr. Obama, standing alongside Henry Kissinger and other former advisers to [...]