Courtney Albon

Courtney Albon was senior editor for aviation and space at Inside Defense until December 2021. She covered the Air Force since 2012, reporting largely on space programs and fighter aircraft acquisition, development and budget from inside Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and from military installations around the United States. Courtney previously worked as a general assignment reporter at The Ashland Times-Gazette in Ashland, OH, covering education and local government. She graduated from American University in 2008, where she studied journalism and sociology.

Connections
Archived Articles
Daily News | December 29, 2021

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected optical communications company Mynaric to compete to develop laser communication terminals that will connect satellites in low-Earth orbit.

Space Briefing | December 23, 2021

Welcome to today’s space briefing -- a biweekly roundup of national security space news.

Daily News | December 22, 2021

With a recent testing milestone behind them, Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace are nearly finished with development of their Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared geosynchronous Earth orbit payload, setting them up to enter what they view as a "low-risk" production phase in the new year.

The Insider | December 21, 2021

The Space Force on Friday wrapped up a two-week Space Flag training exercise, the service's first to include a simulated combat environment available to the partner nations who participated in the event.

The Insider | December 21, 2021

The Space Force on Monday awarded Boeing a $329 million, 10-year contract for GPS IIF sustainment.

Daily News | December 20, 2021

The Air Force Research Laboratory on Friday announced the first two winners of a new Space University Research Initiative that aims to help transition new concepts developed in academia to technology that can be used by the Space Force.

The Insider | December 16, 2021

The Space Development Agency plans to launch a competition in the next year or two for an application factory to support its on-orbit and ground-based battle management assets, but has yet to answer a key question: Should it develop its own environment or leverage existing Defense Department and industry capabilities?

Daily News | December 16, 2021

A new program from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will consider the feasibility and economic viability for space-based biomanufacturing.

The Insider | December 15, 2021

The White House today announced its intent to nominate Booz Allen Hamilton executive Frank Calvelli to serve as assistant Air Force secretary for space acquisition -- a key post for the Space Force as it seeks to reform the way it develops and buys space capabilities.

The Insider | December 15, 2021

As the Space Force approaches the beginning of its third year as an independent military service, Staff Director Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno said today she hopes the service begins to deliver results from the new processes and structure it’s been designing the past two years.

The Insider | December 15, 2021

General Electric announced today it has finished the first phase of testing on its second XA100 adaptive cycle engine and is eyeing the start of Phase Two tests in early 2022 at the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Complex.

Daily News | December 13, 2021

More than a year after demonstrating its offering for the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar competition, Northrop Grumman has revealed details about its proposal, a software-defined, hardware-enabled radar system the company has dubbed 3D Advantage.

The Insider | December 10, 2021

Air Mobility Command has approved the KC-46 Pegasus for an additional mission set, a move that makes the new tanker available to refuel the AC-130J, HC-130J, MC-130J, C-5M and E-3G for U.S. Transportation Command missions.

Space Briefing | December 9, 2021

Welcome to today's space briefing -- a biweekly roundup of national security space news.

Daily News | December 8, 2021

The Space Force's new force design center cleared a legislative hurdle Tuesday in the compromise fiscal year 2022 defense policy bill, with House and Senate lawmakers expressing symbolic support for the office -- however, the fate of the office ultimately lies with congressional appropriators.

Daily News | December 8, 2021

The Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office has withdrawn a request for information for a proliferated low-Earth-orbit communications architecture, but a spokesman confirmed the office plans to reissue the notice "sometime next year."

Daily News | December 7, 2021

Lawmakers want the Pentagon to draft a plan to fully transition F-35 program management from the joint program office to the Air Force and Navy by 2029.

The Insider | December 6, 2021

A continuing resolution that extends beyond the current Feb. 18 deadline would likely impact the Space Development Agency's plans to launch the first two tranches of its National Defense Space Architecture, according to the agency's leader.

Daily News | December 6, 2021

The head of the F-35 joint program office said today he expects an updated acquisition program baseline to be ready for release in January, setting a new schedule for completing a series of Joint Simulation Environment "runs for score." (UPDATED)

Daily News | December 3, 2021

A Space Force mission set to launch early Tuesday morning will include a new Long-Duration Propulsive ESPA ring the service is using to carry prototype payloads that, in some cases, could augment operational capabilities.

Not a subscriber? Sign up for 30 days free access to exclusive, behind-the-scenes reporting on defense policy and procurement.