pathfinder

COMSATCOM Pathfinder funds withheld in Senate draft defense bill
A defense authorization bill that cleared a U.S. Senate panel last week would prohibit the Air Force from spending $30 million this year to experiment with new ways of buying commercial satellite communications bandwidth unless the Pentagon can show the program will yield significant advantages over relying on the current generation of military-owned satellites.

2017 Budget Request Expected to Fund Commercial Bandwidth Pathfinder
The U.S. Air Force is expected to request funding next year for the third in its series of "pathfinder" experimental satellite bandwidth procurements.