FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Seaplane Working Group held a soft-launch event at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 to generate attendee and member interest in seaplane and water-flying related aircraft engineering, operations, regulatory, finance, and community engagement. Renewed enthusiasm for seaplanes can be seen in Norway with NOEMI, Canada with De Havilland, and the United States with TIDAL, REGENT, The Flying Ship Company, and Anatra, to name a few, making this an ideal time to convene the group.
Author: Ben McRae
Hampton Roads Young Professionals Welcome Robotics Expert and Survivor Contestant Christian Hubicki
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Hampton Roads Section Young Professionals Committee hosted FSU/FAMU robotics professor Christian Hubicki for an invited lecture at NASA Langley Research Center. Hubicki, who also was a popular contestant on the television show Survivor in 2018 and 2026, presented “Thriving in the Wild: Adventures in Mobility and Adaptation from Robotics to Survivor.”
SpaceX Reaches 100-Mission Mark with Latest Starlink Launch
Spaceflight Now reports the Starlink 15-20 mission represented the 99th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4 East “happened at 12:25 a.m. PDT (3:25 a.m. EDT / 0725 UTC). The rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX’s Starlink 15-20 mission launches from California (Launch occurs at the 29:58 mark).
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
French start-up to develop new firefighting aircraft
Unrelenting wildfires across Europe have focused the minds of policymakers on the imperative to strengthen air power options to combat the deadly blazes now spreading faster and farther. French start-up Hynaero, with backing from several leading legacy aerospace groups, is stepping up its plans to offer an alternative to the ubiquitous but aging Canadair water bomber for the 2030s.
China to launch Chang’e 7 moon probe
China aims to launch its Chang’e 7 moon mission on Aug. 24 to send a lander, a rover, a hopper and a wide range of science experiments to the lunar south.
From Simulation to Surrogate: AI Transforms Aerospace Workflows
The era of artificial intelligence in aerospace is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively reshaping production engineering workflows today. During a panel discussion at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, Neil Ashton, NVIDIA; Thanos Margaritis, Neural Concept; and Nicolò Vallana, Leonardo Helicopters, demonstrated how machine learning surrogates are delivering tangible speedups in critical design and manufacturing processes.
Former President of CASI and AIAA Fellow, Who Helped Shaped Canadian Conversations about Aviation, Died in August 2026
Gerald “Gerry” F. Marsters who served as president of CASI and helped shape the conversations Canadians were having about the future of aviation at the time, as well as working on project such as UAVs, wind tunnels, artificial vision systems and flight simulation, died on 11 August.
Poland to remain in Starlink roaming region
SpaceX has agreed to keep Poland within Starlink’s European roaming region after the country’s foreign minister threatened to reconsider roughly $50 million in annual payments to the company.
RFP issued by Indian government for transport aircraft
The Indian government has issued a long-awaited request for proposals for a new fleet of transport aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force’s fleet of Antonov An-32s.
U.S. Army Chooses New Basic Training Helicoptor
Aerospace Global News reports the US Army will use Robinson R66 helicopters to train up to 1,500 pilots annually under a new contractor-operated model.
Full Story (Aerospace Global News)