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Rocket with classified payloads launches from Eastern Shore

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — A rocket carrying classified payloads for the U.S. government has launched from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland, reports that Wednesday morning’s launch was the first-ever mission by the U.S. Space Force from Wallops.

The rocket was carrying payloads for the National Reconnaissance Office. The federal agency is in charge of designing and building America’s intelligence satellites.

The Minotaur IV rock is 78 feet tall and is built and operated by Northrop Grumman. It’s made from commercial parts as well as those of a decommissioned Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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