The Downlink Podcast reports, “Citing China’s possible mission to send Taikonauts around the moon, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told AIAA’s ASCEND conference attendees that the launch cadence to the moon must increase. Laura Winter speaks with Clay Mowry, CEO of AIAA and immediate past president of IAF.”
Full Story (The Downlink Podcast)
Author: Lawrence Garrett
Military’s Drone Wingman Vision Hinges on Production and Training Capacity
Breaking Defense reports, “In our final video looking at manned-unmanned teaming, we consider likely changes ahead for defense manufacturers as the US increasingly partners with drones in combat.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
NASA Retires MAVEN After More Than a Decade Studying Mars’ Atmosphere
The New York Times reports, “On Wednesday, NASA announced the end of a more than 11-year mission aimed at solving a key mystery about Mars: What happened to the air that once made the planet habitable? The NASA spacecraft MAVEN, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, had been orbiting around the Red Planet since 2014. NASA last received a signal from MAVEN on Dec. 6, shortly before the spacecraft passed behind Mars.”
Full Story (New York Times – subscription publication)
Experts Debate the Why, What, and How of Preserving the ISS for Future Generations
FROM THE INSTITUTE
On the final day of ASCEND 2026, NASA leaders, historians, and science stakeholders came together for three back-to-back International Space Station (ISS) Heritage sessions to explore the “why, what, and how” of preservation — why the legacy of the ISS matters, what artifacts should be saved, and how the story of continuous human presence in low Earth orbit can be told through real hardware and lived experience.
Whisper Aero Details JetFoil Near-VTOL Concept as CEO Earns AIAA Honor
Aerotime reports, “Whisper Aero has unveiled new details of its JetFoil propulsion concept, a distributed electric ducted fan system designed to give aircraft short or near-vertical takeoff capability without exposed rotors or tilting propulsors. The company presented the update during SAE International’s AeroTech 2026 event in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Whisper Aero co-founder and CEO Mark Moore received the 2026 AIAA F.E. Newbold V/STOL Award.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
After Launch Pad Setback, Blue Origin Eyes New Glenn Return in 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, in an overnight post on the social media platform X, said propellant tanks at launch pad 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station made it through the blast in good shape, as did a nearby processing hangar. The main support gantry, while damaged, can be repaired in place.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Recognize an Emerging Aerospace Leader
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA’s new 30/30 Program honors 30 exceptional early-career aerospace professionals in their 30s who are redefining what’s possible. Honorees will represent the best and brightest from across the aerospace sector. Nominations are open through 15 June 2026.
AIAA Attending EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA is exhibiting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 — The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. Let us know if you’ll be in attendance.
NASA’s X-59 Prepares for First Supersonic Flight This Month
SPACE reports, “NASA’s X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft’s first supersonic flight this month.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Isaacman Says Blue Origin Launch Complex May Not Return to Service Until 2028
CNBC reports, “NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Monday told CNBC that it will ‘take some serious time’ to restore the launchpad damaged last week by a Blue Origin rocket explosion. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin was conducting a hot-fire test of its massive New Glenn rocket on Thursday at a Space Force launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, when the rocket erupted into a fireball. Bezos confirmed that all Blue Origin personnel were safe following the incident, and pledged to rebuild, while calling it a ‘very rough day.'”
Full Story (CNBC)