The Boeing Company rolled out the first F-15SG jet fighter to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) November 3.

The F-15SG is a variant of the highly capable, combat-proven F-15E. It features a combination of speed, power and agility, making it the ultimate multirole fighter, versatile in all missions. The aircraft’s integrated sensor suite will provide the RSAF with long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.

“The rollout of F-15SG1, on schedule, demonstrates that we’re off to a great start as the RSAF builds to a procurement of 24 F-15SG aircraft,” said Boeing F-15 Program vice president Mark Bass. “The F-15SG has significant capabilities that will allow the RSAF to expand into new missions with new capabilities and to operate in the sophisticated Singapore defense environment for decades to come.”

Boeing vice president and general manager for Global Strike Systems Dan Korte stated, “The F-15SG for Singapore moves the RSAF into the next generation of fighter aircraft capability. We are proud that the F-15 Eagle’s proven legacy and Boeing’s expertise in multirole fighter aircraft continue in the capable hands of the RSAF.”

F-15SG1 will now undergo a one-year flight test program to confirm aircraft performance. Flight testing will take place at Boeing facilities in St. Louis and Palmdale, California. F-15SG production deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2009, and the final aircraft in this procurement will be delivered to the RSAF in 2012.

F-15SG1 successfully completed its first flight from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis on Sept. 16. The aircraft now will undergo a one-year flight test program to confirm aircraft performance. Flight testing will take place at Boeing facilities in St. Louis and in Palmdale, Calif. F-15SG production deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2009. The final aircraft in this procurement will be delivered to the RSAF in 2012.

WASHINGTON – NASA said Friday it awarded Lockheed Martin Corporation a $677.3 million contract to provide support for systems used in its new generation designed for human spaceflight.

NASA said the contract runs from January 1 through September 30, 2012 with one-year options that would extent the deal to 2014 and raise its total value to $977 million.

Under terms of agreement, Lockheed Martin will help NASA transition its operations from the Space Shuttle to the Constellation program.

That program includes the Ares rocket, which NASA intends to use for sending astronauts back to the moon.

NASA said most of the work, which includes support and development of avionics software, space station planning systems, and stimulator for crews and flight controllers, will be done at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

On November 4, the official voting day in America, 186 service members deployed across Iraq became U.S. citizens at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory.

The ceremony was headed by Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq. He expressed his appreciation for each new citizen and expounded on the significance of the step they had taken.

“Diverse as your backgrounds may be, you all now have one thing in common: you are all Americans. You represent the very best of all that our nation stands for: freedom, opportunity, equality and service.” Odierno said.

The ceremony was the 12th of its kind to be held in Iraq, but for many troops, it took on special meaning, as it occurred on Election Day for U.S. citizens. The newly naturalized servicemembers – from 60 different countries – had earned the right to vote for their new leaders.

“Honestly, I can’t even think of how blessed I am to have this privilege,” Hennessy said. “It’s a great thing.”

Spc. Rasha Hennessy, a linguist with 1st Higher Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was born in Baghdad, just miles from where she took her oath of U.S. citizenship.

She said she is ecstatic to attain her citizenship on such an important day for the United States, and she compared the freedoms she will have as a U. S. citizen to those under Saddam Hussein’s regime years ago in Iraq.

“It’s a really good opportunity to be able to vote freely and not live in fear,” Hennessy said.

Though the 186 servicemembers are new U.S. citizens, many said they’ve always felt the unity all Americans feel when serving in the military, and realize every servicemember is fighting for a common goal.

NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson, an Expedition 15 flight engineer, tosses a hefty unneeded ammonia tank (the size of a refrigerator) overboard from the space station during a July 23, 2007 spacewalk. A piece of space station trash is poised to plunge through the Earth’s atmosphere late Sunday, November 2, 2008.

NASA and the US Space Surveillance Network are tracking the object – a 1,400-pound tank of toxic ammonia coolant thrown from the international space station – to make sure it does not endanger people on Earth.

NASA expects up to 15 pieces of the tank to survive the searing hot temperatures of re-entry, ranging in size from about 1.4 ounces to nearly 40 pounds. If they reach all the way to land, the largest pieces could slam into the Earth’s surface at about 100 mph, but a splashdown at sea is also possible.

It’s taken more than year for the ammonia tank to slowly slip down toward Earth due to atmospheric drag. During its time aboard the station, the tank served as a coolant reservoir to boost the outpost’s cooling system in the event of leaks. Upgrades to the station last year made the tank obsolete, and engineers were concerned that its structural integrity would not withstand a ride back to Earth aboard a NASA space shuttle.

In the event the tank re-enters over land, NASA advised members of the public to contact their local authorities, or the U.S. Department of State via diplomatic channels if outside the U.S., if they believe they’ve found its remains.