In This Section

  • Southwest, United Cut Thousands of Spring Flights Southwest, United Cut Thousands of Spring Flights

    16 March 2022

    The Dallas Morning News  reports that Southwest Airlines “and other airlines are cutting thousands of spring flights from schedules because of serious headwinds from high fuel prices, staffing challenges and other ongoing supply chain constraints.” The airline has already “axed 14,500 flights from its March through May schedule,” and “on Tuesday cited ‘continuing challenges with available

  • Challenger Center and AIAA Announce Inaugural Winners of Trailblazing STEM Educator Award Challenger Center and AIAA Announce Inaugural Winners of Trailblazing STEM Educator Award

    15 March 2022

    Challenger Center and the AIAA today announced Jackie Blumer, Jennifer Cheesman, Kellie Taylor, Cedric Turner, and Katrina Harden Williams as the winners…

  • Another Blue Origin Launch Scheduled for Next Week Another Blue Origin Launch Scheduled for Next Week

    15 March 2022

    CNN reports that Pete Davidson “will become the latest celebrity to fly to space with Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, in a brief, suborbital flight slated for later this month.” Davidson and five other customers will launch into space on a New Shepard rocket. The launch “is slated for March 23 at 8:30 am CT.”

  • US Air Force Pilots Test Fly Alia eVTOL US Air Force Pilots Test Fly Alia eVTOL

    15 March 2022

    Aviation Week reports that two US Air Force pilots “have become the first to conduct crewed test flights of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft under the service’s Agility Prime program.” The two pilots flew “Beta Technologies’ Alia prototype on March 9 from Plattsburgh International Airport, New York.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • China to Open Tiangong to Commercial Missions, Activities China to Open Tiangong to Commercial Missions, Activities

    14 March 2022

    Space News reported that China “is planning to open its space station to commercial missions and activities, according to a senior human spaceflight program official.” Chinese human spaceflight program Chief Designer Zhou Jianping said, “When our space station is completed and running, we will actively encourage the private sector to engage in space through various ways.”

  • Russian Air Industry No Longer Able to Source Parts, Maintenance for Foreign-Made Aircraft Russian Air Industry No Longer Able to Source Parts, Maintenance for Foreign-Made Aircraft

    14 March 2022

    CNN reported, “Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union mean that the world’s two major aircraft makers, Boeing (BA) and Airbus (EADSF), are no longer able to supply spare parts or provide maintenance support for Russian airlines,” which is also “true of jet engine makers.” One expert said the result will be

  • AIAA Statement on FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act AIAA Statement on FY22 Consolidated Appropriations Act

    14 March 2022

    AIAA issued the following statement from AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher: “AIAA applauds the final passage of the FY22…

  • Soyuz Embargo Grounds More than a Dozen Satellite Missions Soyuz Embargo Grounds More than a Dozen Satellite Missions

    11 March 2022

    Space News reports that the Soyuz rocket’s “sudden exit from the global stage has left more than a dozen non-Russian satellite missions without clear paths to orbit.” Phil Smith, a BryceTech analyst, “said the sudden, indefinite removal of Soyuz from the market ‘puts some customers in a lurch.’ And while ‘options exist’ thanks to ‘new

  • Gulfstream Upgrades G280 Gulfstream Upgrades G280

    11 March 2022

    Aviation International News reports that Gulfstream “has launched an upgrade to the G280 and pledged its commitment to the 10-year-old super-midsize business jet program.” Full Story (Aviation International News)

  • Ingenuity Logs 20 Mars Flights Ingenuity Logs 20 Mars Flights

    10 March 2022

    Aviation Week reports that NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter “has logged 20 flights as it has graduated to become a reconnaissance asset for the Perseverance rover.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • Airbus Increases H160 Production Airbus Increases H160 Production

    10 March 2022

    Aviation International News reports that the Airbus Helicopters H160 is to enter serial-production seven years “after its unveiling.” Airbus Helicopters saw “firm orders for 52 H160s last year and handed over the first one to Japan’s All Nippon Helicopter in December.” The H160 “was headed to the U.S. ahead of its long-awaited certification by the FAA

  • Perseverance Collects Seventh Mars Rock Sample Perseverance Collects Seventh Mars Rock Sample

    9 March 2022

    SPACE reports that NASA’s Perseverance rover “drilled into another Martian rock and socked away the resulting core, mission team members announced via Twitter” Tuesday. The sample is the seventh collected by Perseverance on Mars thus far. Perseverance is to collect another rock sample from the Jezero Crater before heading on to the Jezero river delta. Full

  • Boeing Aircraft Delivers 22 Jets in February Boeing Aircraft Delivers 22 Jets in February

    9 March 2022

    Reuters reports that The Boeing Company said it delivered 20 of its 737 MAX aircraft and two freighters to customers in February, indicating rebounding travel and pandemic-era cargo demand, but its 787 Dreamliner freeze continued. The Boeing 737 MAX and the 787 Dreamliner are crucial to the company’s ability to recover from the pandemic and catch

  • AIAA Seeks Editor-in-Chief for the AIAA Education Series AIAA Seeks Editor-in-Chief for the AIAA Education Series

    8 March 2022

    AIAA is seeking an outstanding candidate to assume the responsibilities of editor-in-chief for the AIAA Education Series.

  • NASA to Roll Out Artemis 1 Next Week NASA to Roll Out Artemis 1 Next Week

    8 March 2022

    SPACE reports that teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are preparing for the March 17 rollout of the SLS-Orion rocket and spacecraft for the Artemis 1 mission. Artemis 1 “will send an Orion spacecraft around the moon, to make sure both SLS and Orion are ready for crewed missions.” Full Story (SPACE)

  • Sikorsky Innovations Director Sees Matrix as a Game-Changer for High-Risk Civil Missions Sikorsky Innovations Director Sees Matrix as a Game-Changer for High-Risk Civil Missions

    8 March 2022

    Aviation International News reports that Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky “sees Matrix as a game-changer for high-risk civil missions, including night-time aerial firefighting and over-water search and rescue (SAR).” Sikorsky is currently “working with the FAA to certify the system, which uses a plethora of onboard sensors, lidar, and cameras mated to proprietary hardware and software.

  • AIAA Announces 2022 Election Results AIAA Announces 2022 Election Results

    7 March 2022

    AIAA announced today the results of its recent 2022 elections. The newly elected AIAA officials will take office on 28 April.

  • SpaceX Prioritizes Cybersecurity to Counteract Starlink Jamming SpaceX Prioritizes Cybersecurity to Counteract Starlink Jamming

    7 March 2022

    Space News reported that, citing Starlink jamming “near conflict areas,” Elon Musk said that SpaceX will be “reprioritzed to cyber defence & overcoming signal jamming” at the expense of “slight delays” in Starship and Starlink V2. Musk said that the company was shifting its resources in response to jamming of terminals, presumably in Ukraine. A recent

  • International Sanctions Threaten MC-21 Jetliner Program International Sanctions Threaten MC-21 Jetliner Program

    7 March 2022

    Fortune reports that international sanctions threaten the rollout of Irkut Corp.’s MC-21 jetliner, “due to commence deliveries to Russian airlines this year.” The MC-21 “is the first full-size aircraft designed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago” and features composite wings and a passenger capacity of 211 people. The

  • First B-21 Aircraft Starts Ground Testing, Assembly Begins on Sixth Bomber First B-21 Aircraft Starts Ground Testing, Assembly Begins on Sixth Bomber

    4 March 2022

    Aviation Week reports that the first B-21 Raider “test aircraft has started ground evaluations, and the sixth example of the next-generation bomber has started production.” The announcement was made by the US Air Force at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium on Thursday. Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • SpaceX Launches New Round of Starlink Satellites from Florida SpaceX Launches New Round of Starlink Satellites from Florida

    4 March 2022

    Florida Today reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket “launched from Florida Thursday morning, sending the company’s newest batch of Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit and completing the company’s first launch of March.” SpaceX’s ninth Falcon 9 launch “in as many weeks blasted off at 9:25 a.m. EST from pad 39A at Kennedy Space

  • Space Command: Chinese Rocket Stage Still in Orbit Space Command: Chinese Rocket Stage Still in Orbit

    3 March 2022

    Space News reports that a spent rocket upper stage “from China’s 2014 Chang’e-5 T1 mission thought set to impact the moon did not reenter the atmosphere as previously stated, according to U.S. Space Command.” The rocket stage has been “identified by astronomers and academics tracking deep space objects as most likely to be the object

  • Russian Business Aviation Near Collapse Russian Business Aviation Near Collapse

    3 March 2022

    Aviation International News reports that Russia’s business aviation industry “is on the verge of collapse due to the EU and U.S. closing their airspace to all aircraft owned by Russians in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” Industry analysts predict this will “lead to the decline of business aviation traffic in Russia by almost 85 percent

  • Cirrus Aircraft President: Personal Aviation Demand at All-Time High Cirrus Aircraft President: Personal Aviation Demand at All-Time High

    2 March 2022

    Aviation International News reports that Cirrus Aircraft president Zean Nielsen said demand for personal aviation aircraft is at an all-time high. At the Cirrus Aircraft CX 2022 event in Knoxville, Tennessee, on January 11, Nielsen “cited a company backlog of about 700 SR series single-engine piston aircraft and ‘several hundred’ SF50 Vision Jets even as

  • GOES-T Satellite Launched Tuesday GOES-T Satellite Launched Tuesday

    2 March 2022

    The Washington Post reports on Tuesday, the United States launched “its latest and greatest weather satellite, which will provide constant monitoring over the Western Hemisphere and help track fires, hurricanes, lightning, smoke plumes, coastal fog, landslides, atmospheric rivers, dust storms and more.” Some instruments will also “stare at the sun, providing data on incoming space weather

  • SpaceX Offers to Keep ISS Operational If Russia Withdraws SpaceX Offers to Keep ISS Operational If Russia Withdraws

    1 March 2022

    CNET News reports Elon Musk replied to Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin’s threat to withdraw Russian support for the International Space Station (ISS) by sharing the SpaceX logo on Twitter. Russian spacecraft “attached to the Russian segment of the ISS are used to adjust the flying laboratory’s path and literally help keep it high enough in

  • US Air Force Special Operations Command to Demonstrate Amphibious Landing Capability for C-130J US Air Force Special Operations Command to Demonstrate Amphibious Landing Capability for C-130J

    1 March 2022

    Aviation Week reports that the US Air Force Special Operations Command is preparing “to demonstrate a new amphibious capability for the Lockheed Martin C-130J later this year.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • AIAA Condemns Russian Invasion of Ukraine AIAA Condemns Russian Invasion of Ukraine

    28 February 2022

    AIAA issued the following statement from AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher: “As the world’s largest professional society…

  • Engine Aftermarket Activity Continues to Increase Engine Aftermarket Activity Continues to Increase

    28 February 2022

    Aviation Week reported that engine maintenance activity “continues to increase as airlines ramp up flying and return more aircraft to service in response to rising passenger demand, with both fourth-quarter (Q4) 2021 and early 2022 figures from some key stakeholders highlighting continued recovery.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • Starlink Service Now Active in Ukraine Starlink Service Now Active in Ukraine

    28 February 2022

    SPACE reports that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk “said his space company’s Starlink satellite internet service is available in Ukraine and more terminals to use it are on the way.” Musk “made the statement on Twitter Saturday (Feb. 26) after being asked by a Ukrainian government official if SpaceX could provide more Starlink services to the country

  • NASA: Artemis 1 Will Not Launch Until May NASA: Artemis 1 Will Not Launch Until May

    28 February 2022

    SPACE reports an April launch is “no longer possible for Artemis 1, which will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the moon using a huge Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, agency officials said today (Feb. 24). And May could be difficult to hit as well.” Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development at

  • KC-46 Refueled F-35s on Way to Singapore KC-46 Refueled F-35s on Way to Singapore

    25 February 2022

    Aviation Week reports that a US Air Force Boeing KC-46A from North Carolina “linked up with two F-35As to fuel the fighters on the long flight from the F-35As’ base in Guam to Singapore, where the new U.S. Air Force aircraft would be on public display at one of the world’s major air shows.” Full Story

  • Rocket Stage Headed for Moon Impact Likely from 2014 Chang’e Mission Rocket Stage Headed for Moon Impact Likely from 2014 Chang’e Mission

    24 February 2022

    Space News reports that a rocket stage “expected to impact the moon is still most likely to belong to China’s 2014 moon mission, despite a denial from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Independent spectral analysis “by students at the University of Arizona also adds to the evidence that the object’s identity most likely belongs

  • US Air Force Retires First E-8C J-STARS Aircraft US Air Force Retires First E-8C J-STARS Aircraft

    24 February 2022

    Aviation Week reports that the US Air Force “has retired the first of 16 Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (J-Stars) surveillance aircraft.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

  • AIAA Charters Two New Student Branches AIAA Charters Two New Student Branches

    24 February 2022

    AIAA is excited to announce the addition of two new AIAA student branches at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio, and the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

  • Virgin Galactic on Schedule to Begin Commercial Suborbital Flights This Year Virgin Galactic on Schedule to Begin Commercial Suborbital Flights This Year

    23 February 2022

    Space News reports that Virgin Galactic executives “said Feb. 22 that they remain on schedule to begin commercial human suborbital missions before the end of the year but acknowledged it will take several years for the company to become profitable.” Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Michael Colglazier said, “We remain on track and on schedule to

  • Business Jet Prices Increase Business Jet Prices Increase

    23 February 2022

    Aviation International News reports that the estimated valuation of preowned business jets “is up 4 percent from February 2021.” The aircraft valuation “is based on average selling price adjusted for typical premiums and/or discounts, age of aircraft, upgrades, engine plans, and usage, providing an estimate for what the sales price of an aircraft should be.” Asking

  • SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites

    22 February 2022

    CBS News reports SpaceX launched “another 46 Starlink satellites Monday as the company continues building out its growing constellation of internet relay stations.” Monday’s flight was “SpaceX’s 141st Falcon 9 launch and the seventh so far this year, boosting the total number of Starlinks launched to date to 2,137.” Full Story (CBS News)

  • American Airlines Cuts More International Flights Over Boeing Dreamliner Delays American Airlines Cuts More International Flights Over Boeing Dreamliner Delays

    22 February 2022

    The Wall Street Journal reported that due to delivery delays of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, American Airlines in a securities filing on Friday announced plans to temporarily suspend some international routes this summer. Full Story (Wall Street Journal)

  • NASA Celebrates One Year of Perseverance, Ingenuity on Mars NASA Celebrates One Year of Perseverance, Ingenuity on Mars

    18 February 2022

    Florida Today reports that on Friday, NASA “celebrates one year of successful operation of its most technically advanced Martian explorer, the Perseverance rover – and its Ingenuity helicopter companion.” Full Story (Florida Today)

  • Airbus CEO: Hydrogen Aircraft “Ultimate Solution” to Environmental Issues Airbus CEO: Hydrogen Aircraft “Ultimate Solution” to Environmental Issues

    18 February 2022

    CNBC reports Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said aviation could “potentially face significant hurdles if we don’t manage to decarbonize at the right pace.” Airbus is focusing on “ensuring planes burned less fuel” and emitted less carbon dioxide. Faury said, “We need to see the SAF industry moving forwards, being developed, being grown to serve airlines

  • Progress Freighter Delivers Nearly 3 Tons of Supplies to ISS Progress Freighter Delivers Nearly 3 Tons of Supplies to ISS

    17 February 2022

    SPACE reports that the Progress 80 cargo spacecraft “arrived at the International Space Station early Thursday morning (Feb. 17), delivering nearly 3 tons of supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab.”  The cargo freighter docked with the Poisk module at 2:03 a.m. EST. Progress delivered “948 pounds (430 kg) of propellant, 89 pounds (40 kg)

  • ST Engineering to Convert Boeing 757s into Aerial Water Bombers ST Engineering to Convert Boeing 757s into Aerial Water Bombers

    17 February 2022

    Aviation Week reports that ST Engineering “will start a passenger-to-tanker (P2T) program with U.S.-based firefighting service provider Galactic Holdings, to convert Boeing 757s into aerial water bombers.” The first Boeing 757 firefighting aircraft “will have a capacity of up to 7,000 gal. of fire retardant” and is expected “to enter service by 2024.” Full Story (Aviation

  • AIAA Announces Recipients of 2022 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship AIAA Announces Recipients of 2022 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship

    17 February 2022

    AIAA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Roger W. Kahn Scholarship. The four $10,000 scholarships have been awarded to the…

  • Virgin Galactic to Sell Suborbital Flight Tickets to General Public Virgin Galactic to Sell Suborbital Flight Tickets to General Public

    16 February 2022

    The Hill reports that Virgin Galactic “will begin selling suborbital flight tickets to the general public starting on Wednesday.” Full Story (The Hill)

  • ANA, Joby to Establish eVTOL Air Taxi Services ANA, Joby to Establish eVTOL Air Taxi Services

    16 February 2022

    Aviation International News reports that All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Joby Aviation have announced an agreement Monday to “establish ridesharing flights in the U.S. company’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.” Toyota is “also joining the partnership and will provide expertise for plans to integrate the air taxi services with ground transportation.” Full Story (Aviation International News)

  • Space Force Receives Near-Daily Launch Requests Space Force Receives Near-Daily Launch Requests

    15 February 2022

    Florida Today reports that the US Space Force “is seeing near-daily requests from launch providers so far in 2022, a dramatic increase over recent years as the military branch works with other federal organizations to find more efficiencies in how to support launches.” Requests to launch are expected “to top 300 this year, or nearly

  • Rolls-Royce Expects Electric Air Taxis in Three to Five Years Rolls-Royce Expects Electric Air Taxis in Three to Five Years

    15 February 2022

    Fortune reports that Rolls-Royce “expects a fully-electric small aircraft in three to five years.” Rolls-Royce Electrical Division President Rob Watson said, “We are confident in the technology. Now we need to scale it so it can have a meaningful economic influence. I think that’s where you see urban air mobility and regional air mobility, aircraft with

  • SpaceX to Shift Starship Testing to Florida if Environmental Delays Continue SpaceX to Shift Starship Testing to Florida if Environmental Delays Continue

    14 February 2022

    Space News reported that SpaceX “is prepared to shift testing of its Starship next-generation launch vehicle from Texas to Florida if there are extended delays in an ongoing environmental review.” SpaceX founder Elon Musk said, “We don’t have a ton of insight into where things stand with the FAA. We have gotten sort of a rough

  • Bombardier Plans to Deliver More than 120 Jets in 2022 Bombardier Plans to Deliver More than 120 Jets in 2022

    14 February 2022

    FlightGlobal reports that Bombardier “plans to deliver in excess of 120 business jets in 2022 as it ramps up production year on year, and could increase output further as early as 2023 if the market remains strong.” Bombardier Chief Executive Eric Martel said Bombardier is positioning itself “to accelerate deliveries by another 15% to 20%