NASA investigates problems with Mars Spirit rover

NASA investigates problems with Mars Spirit rover: "

They've manged to make it to the five-year mark despite a few considerable bumps in the road, but it looks like one of the Mars rovers has once again hit a snag, and NASA is now furiously trying to sort out the problem. Apparently, the issue first arose earlier this week when Spirit reported that it had received its driving commands but didn't move. Things were then further complicated later in the day when Spirit failed to record its daily activities, and it seems to have been all downhill since, with the rover unable to even locate the sun in order to reorient itself. What's more, while they're still trying to run some diagnostics to pinpoint the problem, NASA engineers say that the troubles could possibly be caused by cosmic rays hitting the rover, which we all know can only lead to one thing.... zombie rovers.

Filed under: Robots

NASA investigates problems with Mars Spirit rover originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Via Engadget.)

Extra Red Flag week allows for more missions

Extra Red Flag week allows for more missions: "In the most significant change in its more than 30-year history, the Red Flag aerial combat exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will expand from two to three weeks for the exercise that begins in late February and will include a greater emphasis on close-air support missions."

(Via Air Force Times - News.)

MDA Fires Rocket Motor for New Target

MDA Fires Rocket Motor for New Target: "

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) test fired the rocket motor of a new Flexible Target Family (FTF) target vehicle.

The LV-2 target vehicle will be a two-stage launch vehicle that employs C4 rocket motors from retired U.S. Navy Trident missiles in both stages. MDA officials hope to use the FTF later this year for the first time as a target for a missile defense test.

The FTF program is designed to use as much commonality as possible in crafting targets for missile defense tests, eliminating maintenance hungry and out-of-date legacy systems.

The test took place Jan. 22 at China Lake Naval Warfare Center, Calif.

Below is a pic of the test (pardon the writing, please)

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credit: MDA

Also, a graphic of the configuration LV-2

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credit: MDA

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(Via Ares.)

24 F-22s Deployed To Guam and Okinawa

24 F-22s Deployed To Guam and Okinawa: "U.S. officials say the ongoing rotation of forces is to ensure security and stability throughout the Asia-Pacific region"

(Via Aerospace Daily & Defense Report on AviationWeek.com.)

Nearby range to help new Cannon AFB wing

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.—The 66,000-acre Melrose Air Force Range just 25 miles from Cannon Air Force Base will become the key air-to-ground combat training area for the Air Force Special Operations Command.
"It's not just a bombing range," said Lt. Col. Paul Caltagirone, deputy group commander for the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon. "Melrose is the crown jewel of the western home of the air commandos."

The range was cited by state and local leaders who argued against closing Cannon during a round of nationwide base closures in 2005. Eventually, the base near Clovis was saved with a new Special Operations Command mission.
Several additions are planned for the range, Caltagirone said. Those include two impact zones for certain types of weapons firings; drop zones for troops and cargo for the CV-22s and C-130s that will be flying at Cannon; and at least one landing zone for C-130s, CV-22s and small aircraft. The zones would recreate true blacked-out conditions and possibly unpaved surface landings.

Cannon is to get eight AC-130Hs this summer and 15 to 20 Attack Cargo aircraft over the next five years. CV-22 tilt-rotor Ospreys also will come to Cannon later this year.
Caltagirone said the Air Force's only gunships—AC-130Hs and AC-130Us—are valuable to ground troops because of their "persistent overhead accurate lethal firepower."
"We're trying to grow our capability here at Cannon ... so we provide more assets to not only special operations, but conventional forces on the ground," he said.

The range also will be used for ground training. A military operations and urban terrain site is being built.
"It's basically a city you build out in the middle of nowhere," Caltagirone said. "You bring in teams and they're allowed to train

in a close-quarters urban environment with overhead gunship support. ... They can go block-by-block in this city that's built out there. We're going to attract a lot of small tactical teams out in that regard."
Other ground training planned includes a sniper range and small arms range, he said.
Having so much training at the Melrose range saves fuel costs. But Caltagirone said the biggest benefit is operational tempo—crews won't lose training time in travel.
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