When Boeing first approached the U.S. Air Force with plans to produce the seventh, eighth and ninth satellites in the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) communications constellation, the company’s proposal was soundly rejected.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...