Reuters reports that JAXA’s Hayabusa2 space probe is heading back to Earth “after collecting sub-surface samples that could help scientists seeking the origins of life, Japan’s space agency said on Monday.” The spacecraft will travel “home from an asteroid 250 million km (155 million miles)” away which is called Ryugu. A spokeswoman for JAXA said

Florida Today reported that SpaceX and The Boeing Company “are slated to bring 2019 to a close with a mission-packed December.” On December 4, “a Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon spacecraft…will take supplies to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:48 p.m.” ET. SpaceX is scheduled to send the JCSAT-18 / KACIFIC-1 communications

The AP reports that NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano “have begun an extraordinarily complicated series of spacewalks to fix a cosmic ray detector at the” ISS. On Friday, the pair “ventured out…with dozens of tools and four new pumps for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.” The cooling system on the spectrometer “is almost

Aviation Week reports that General Atomics is set to “perform a series of demonstration flights for European countries to prove the maritime surveillance capabilities of the company’s MQ-9 Reaper UAV.” The company said Monday that the flights, “equipped with a Raytheon SeaVue surveillance radar,” will take place at Larissa Air Base in Greece next month.

Aviation International News reports that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) “met with FAA safety inspectors and law enforcement officials in 11 of the aviation agency’s districts to determine how they investigate potentially unsafe small (under 55 pounds) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).” A report by the GAO incorporated this issue in its recommendations that the FAA improve

Aerospace America details a report by the NASA Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG) that “casts doubt on whether the agency is on a path to achieve” the goal of creating “a bustling economy in low Earth orbit through a slate of ambitious exploration programs.” NASA Inspector General Paul Martin said in a letter Wednesday,

The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano “on Friday will exit the confines of the International Space Station for the first of four spacewalks to fix a vital piece of hardware that was not designed to be repaired in space.” The astronauts will repair part of a failed

Reuters reports that some domestic airlines have expressed interest in taking deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX jets before the FAA finalizes its requirements for training pilots on the aircraft. The Boeing Company has produced hundreds of the 737 MAX jets since the aircraft was grounded in March. The production surplus has forced Boeing to “park un-flown

CNET News reports that NASA is considering “a new spacecraft design proposed by a team at the University at Buffalo” (UB) to explore the far side of Venus. In a release Monday, UB said, “The design could make efficient use of high winds in the planet’s upper atmosphere while providing scientists unparalleled control of the

The Wall Street Journal reported that The Boeing Company wants to start delivering 737 MAX jets to airlines by the end of 2019, even if regulators have not recertified the jet for commercial service. Boeing has talked with regulators about potentially delivering the aircraft before airline pilots have done the training required to operate the aircraft.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Talbot 703.980.4132 [email protected] Recent Graduates, Student from Georgia Tech and Purdue University September 18, 2020 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the winners of the Zarem Graduate Student Awards for Distinguished Achievement. Nathan Crane, who graduated in 2020 with his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute

CBS News reports that on Tuesday, NASA unsealed a “pristine sample of rock and regolith…at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part of NASA’s Apollo Next-Generation Sample Analysis initiative (ANGSA).” In a press release, NASA ANGSA program scientist Sarah Noble said, “We are able to make measurements today that were just not possible during

Space News reports that in remarks Thursday at the CyberSat 2019 conference, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley Jr. “said it’s not a matter of if, but when anti-satellite weapons developed by China and Russia take aim at U.S. spacecraft.” He added, “These capabilities exist now.” Ashley detailed Sino-Russian “capabilities…including surface-to-air missiles,

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that the US Army is testing a “deadly laser weapon” that is “so powerful it can melt through drones, helicopters, aircraft and incoming enemy missiles.” The 50-kilowatt laser device “will be installed on four Stryker vehicles and tested…as part of the Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) mission.” Office of the Assistant Secretary

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company is planning to invest $1 billion into “industry-wide pilot development” as part of its “Global Aviation Safety” initiative, according to sources. A person familiar with the project said, “It will involve significant funds to raise standards around the world and requires Boeing putting its own money in.” Boeing will

Space News reports that “the commercial space and aviation industries are working closer together to address issues about access to airspace.” At a workshop October 31, “representatives of both industries called for efforts to modernize the national airspace system to better integrate commercial launches into it.” Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Capt. Joe DePete

Reuters reports that United Parcel Service Flight Forward UAVs “have flown prescription medications to the front lawn of a private home and to a retirement center, the UPS unit’s first revenue-generating deliveries for drugstore chain CVS Health Corp.” Flight Forward’s “maiden delivery flight on Friday in Cary, North Carolina, beat rivals in one phase of

Reuters reports that the Boeing 737 MAX “is likely to return to service in Europe during the first quarter of 2020, the head of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said…Monday.” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky indicated that “preparations by national authorities and airlines may delay the resumption of commercial flights by up to

Aviation Week reports that “Virgin Galactic is building its second and third operational SpaceShipTwos, SS2 and SS2-3, and expects them to join the space tourism company’s fleet in 2020 and 2021, respectively.” Virgin Galactic seeks to fly 1,500 paying space tourists per year by the end of 2023. The company “provided an update to its business

Aerospace America detailed the proliferation of reports by “U.S. Navy fighter pilots and weapons officers” of “strange objects maneuvering quickly with unheard of agility around their aircraft.” Former U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Ryan Graves “is one of three F/A-18 pilots who have publicly described encounters with small, featureless objects that, depending on the account, descended and

Aerospace America reported that The Boeing Company on Monday will test the CST-100 Starliner crew capsule at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Boeing “will fire the four launch abort engines, or LAEs, and 12 smaller orbital maneuvering and altitude control, or OMAC, thrusters in the base of the service module to propel the

Reuters reports that “Chinese drone maker DJI said…Thursday that it is aware of reports that the U.S. Department of the Interior has grounded all non-emergency Chinese-made or partly-made drones in a review of its entire drone program.” DJI told Reuters it was “disappointed to learn of this development.” Full Story (Reuters)

The Houston Chronicle reports that Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin “announced that he would fund the construction of two additional [crewed] spaceships in order to deliver NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, according to a Russian news outlet.” Rogozin told a Russian news source, “I gave a command to Roscosmos…to allocate extra funds to make

SPACE reports that “an Antares rocket is set to launch a bevy of crew supplies and scientific cargo to the International Space Station this upcoming weekend (Nov. 2) from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.” The spacecraft will transport “approximately 8,200 lbs. (3,700 kilograms) of supplies and hardware,” including a 3D printing experiment, a prototype anti-radiation

The Office of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine reports that on Wednesday, U.S. Sens. “Tom Udall (D-NM) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution to maintain U.S. leadership in protecting satellites and spacecraft in Earth’s orbit from space debris and ensuring that all nations cooperate to promote the peaceful use

AIAA—the world’s largest aerospace technical society—endorses Senators Tom Udall and Tim Kaine’s resolution in support of the United Nations’ 21 guidelines…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Michele McDonald 703.264.7542 [email protected] October 31, 2019 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the passing of AIAA Honorary Fellow and past AIAA President Donald W. Richardson on 24 October 2019. Born on 17 March 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, Richardson fell in love with flying

Aviation Week reports that “the search for and processing of resources such as water ice and oxygen as well as scientific discovery are quickly emerging as key drivers in NASA’s accelerated human return to the Moon’s surface in 2024 and preparation for Mars, according to agency officials involved in the planning.” NASA officials “involved in

CNET News reports that NASA is seeking to improve the maturation of UAV technology. In remarks Tuesday at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine “touted an urban future with thousands of drone deliveries a day.” Bridenstine said, “We want to see by 2028 at least one city – maybe more

The Seattle Times reports that the growth of UAV delivery services in the United States has led to unresolved legal issues concerning trespass, personal injury, and privacy. Bard College Center for the Study of the Drone Co-Director Arthur Holland Michel said, “Legal precedent is very thin here.” Holland Michel added, “Little of the existing law is

The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA’s website will broadcast the departure of “a Japanese cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station.” The HTV-8 transport vehicle “will depart the space station at 1:20 p.m. Friday.” NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch “will take the control of the space station’s robotic arm to release the spacecraft.” The Japanese

Reuters reports that the Department of Defense’s “secretive X-37B spaceplane landed in Florida on Sunday after a record-long orbital flight lasting more than two years, the U.S. Air Force said.” The spacecraft “touched down on an air strip at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 3:51 a.m. ET after spending 780 days orbiting Earth as the Air

Aerospace America reported that female astronauts on the ISS will test a prototype radiation-shielding vest manufactured “by the Israeli startup StemRad with management help from Lockheed Martin.” The fully-functioning AstroRad product “is headed to the space station on the uncrewed cargo resupply mission scheduled to launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Nov. 2.”

The University of Kansas reports that “University of Kansas aerospace engineering students won three awards at the most recent aerospace design competition held by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), extending a long run of KU excellence at AIAA events.” University of Kansas Department of Aerospace Engineering Chair Rick Hale said, “The effort our

The Boston Globe reports that former AIAA President (2001) Dennis J. Picard, “who led Raytheon through a series of acquisitions in the 1990s and helped turn it into the nation’s third-largest defense contractor, died in his Concord home Monday.” Picard “was 87 and had stepped down as Raytheon’s chairman in 1999.” Full Story (Boston Globe)

The Hill reports that “the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday unanimously voted to advance two bills related to drones, blocking purchases of them from certain countries and creating a position at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to counter associated threats.” If approved, the “Drone Origin Security Enhancement Act” would bar DHS “purchases from

SPACE reports that ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano will practice controlling a rover remotely in November. The ANALOG-1 experiment is “designed to test how well a crew on the International Space Station might be able to control a rover on the moon in collaboration with a ground team on Earth.” Parmitano will “use a specialized computer

ABC News reports that CVS Health and UPS “are teaming up to test a program that delivers prescription medications by drone in as little as 10 minutes after placing an order.” UPS Flight Forward, “which already delivers medical samples by drone at WakeMed Hospital in North Carolina, made the announcement on Monday, just weeks after it

Benzinga reports that the ASCEND (Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery) event officially launched Tuesday. Scheduled for 16-18 November 2020 in Las Vegas, ASCEND “is designed to be the world’s first outcomes-focused, transdisciplinary conference designed to accelerate the building of our off-world future.” AIAA “is working with the space industry leaders on ASCEND’s Guiding Coalition,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Melissa Power, Interprose Public Relations 401.454.1314 [email protected] IAC, Washington, D.C., 22 October 2019—ASCEND (“Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery”) officially launched today. Powered by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the 16–18 November 2020 event in Las Vegas is designed to be the world’s first outcomes-focused, transdisciplinary conference designed

The AP reports that NASA astronaut Jessica Meir on Monday “said it was extra special being accompanied by Christina Koch, a close friend,” during last week’s historic spacewalk. NASA astronaut Christina Koch “said knowing so many were so excited about two women spacewalking together ‘just added to the moment.’” Full Story (Associated Press)

The Miami Herald reports that “space mice, radiation vests, robotic avatars and recycling polymers for 3D printers are among the science experiments bound for the International Space Station on the next commercial resupply mission from Virginia.” The uncrewed spacecraft cargo mission “is set to launch no earlier than 9:59 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, from the state-owned

The Washington Post reported that UAV company Wing on October 18 made successful UAV deliveries to three different locations in Christiansburg, Virginia. One destination, a residential home, received “a FedEx box containing a new puffy vest” from Dick’s Sporting Goods. FedEx Express Regional President Richard Smith was present for one of the deliveries Friday, which marked the

Space News reports that the 70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) will officially begin Monday in Washington, D.C., “with more than 6,300 people registered to attend, representatives of the IAF and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the host organization for the event, said during a press conference…Oct. 20.” The IAC will host “a

Stanford University reports that Stanford University Professor Emeritus Walter Vincenti “died in Palo Alto on Oct. 11 of complications from pneumonia.” Vincenti, who “laid the engineering groundwork for flight at the speed of sound,” was 102 years old. He was honored “as an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Fellow in 1951.” (Image: Walter Vincenti,

Politico interviews former NASA astronaut “Sandra Magnus, co-chair of the [local] organizing committee for the International Astronautical Congress, which begins Monday in Washington.” Magnus “was AIAA’s executive director from 2012 to 2018.” AIAA is hosting the International Astronautical Congress, which “will bring representatives from space agencies and companies to Washington, where Magnus see a unique opportunity

The University of California at Davis reports that “former astronaut Stephen K. Robinson, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been elected an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, recognizing him for outstanding work in the field.” (Image: Former NASA Astronaut Stephen K. Robinson | NASA/Wikipedia) Full Story

Reuters reports that NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch “will make history on Friday when they conduct the first ever all-female spacewalk to replace the power source on the” ISS. The duo “will exit the ISS at 7:50 a.m. EDT (11:50 GMT) to fix the station’s faulty battery charge/discharge unit.” NASA will broadcast the

Vice reports that “in August, undergraduate researcher Joseph Agnew spoke to a full house at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Propulsion and Energy Forum in Indianapolis about the current theories of how a warp drive could work.” Said Agnew, “Based on the progress made in recent years, I think this field is up

Aerospace America reports that last weekend, Lockheed Martin delivered a “molded and cured one-piece composite shell” to “the manufacturing technicians and engineers at Sierra Nevada Corp. in Colorado.” The arrival of the “primary structure…sets the stage for assembly of the first Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft.” International Space Station Program Manager Kirk Shireman said during a