Sharon Weinberger
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Refueling Satellite Reaches End of the Line

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Orbital Express, a satellite refueling demonstration, is set for deorbiting this week in spite of a last ditch attempt by the agency to extend its mission, Space News reports. Sources familiar with the situation said NASA and DARPA had been quietly appealing to the Air Force to keep Orbital […]

*Oe*The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Orbital Express, a satellite refueling demonstration, is set for deorbiting this week in spite of a last ditch attempt by the agency to extend its mission, Space News reports.

  • Sources familiar with the situation said NASA and DARPA had been quietly appealing to the Air Force to keep Orbital Express on orbit a while longer, but were turned down. *

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But NASA spokesman Dwayne Brown said June 29 that there was no disagreement between NASA and the Air Force about ending the Orbital Express mission.

No dispute? For those of you (like me) who enjoy reading about Pentagon bureaucratic infighting, check out the e-mails quoted in the article between DARPA's director and the Air Force secretary.