CNBC reported that, according to documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, Virgin Galactic plans to conduct its next crewed spaceflight test on October 22 from the company’s operating base at Spaceport America in New Mexico. A spokesperson with the company confirmed this, but said that the launch may happen in the days following

Space Policy Online reported that AIAA “will hold a webinar on September 15, 2020 from 1:00-2:30 pm ET on ‘To the Moon With Dynetics: The Importance of Lunar Exploration and Utilization.’” Participants will include AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher, Dynetics Deputy Group President Steve Cook, and Dynetics HLS Kathy Laurini, among others. Full Story (Space Policy

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that ISS crewmembers “still haven’t found the source of an air leak that was first detected” in September 2019. The “recent surge in air loss, which suggests the hole is getting bigger, means NASA can’t put off finding the source any longer.” Most “of the station’s modules have already been ruled out

SPACE reports that on Thursday morning, SpaceX successfully launched its latest batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff occurred at 8:46 a.m. EDT from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.  The additional satellites will join those already on orbit to add to the constellation, which will form the backbone of SpaceX’s broadband

Aerospace America reports that on Wednesday, Honeywell Aerospace “announced the creation of an avionics laboratory in Phoenix for simulating flights” of air taxis in emergency situations. Honeywell Aerospace’s UAS/UAM unit CTO Hector Garcia “likened the lab to the desktop simulators on which airline pilots practice scenarios considered too dangerous to attempt during real-world flight tests.”

Space News reports that NASA and the Department of Energy “will seek proposals [from the] industry later this year for the development of a compact nuclear power system that can support the agency’s long-term lunar and Martian exploration plans.” During a Tuesday “presentation to the Technology, Innovation, and Engineering Committee of the NASA Advisory Council,

SPACE reports that at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday, “a full-scale flight support booster (FSB) test” of NASA’s Space Launch System was conducted from Promontory, Utah. The results of the two-minute test “will be analyzed to see how well it went, officials said during” a live broadcast of the test. The booster “was supposed to fire 3.6

Space News reports that the US Space Force “in the coming weeks will add more than 2,400 new members who agreed to leave the Air Force and volunteered to join the space service.” The Space Force “will hold a virtual swearing-in ceremony Sept. 15 during the Air Force Association’s Virtual Air, Space and Cyber Conference.” The

Aviation International News reports that “a resurgence in Covid-19 cases in various regions and a failure by governments to coordinate on travel restrictions and quarantines have frustrated the airline industry’s recovery efforts, leading to ‘disappointing’ traffic gains in July, according to officials from” the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In July, international travel was down 91.9%

SPACE reports that SpaceX has delayed the launch of 60 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket to Thursday. SpaceX announced Monday that the Falcon 9 rocket will launch Thursday at 8:46 a.m. instead of Tuesday. SpaceX said on Twitter, “Now targeting Thursday, September 3 at 8:46 a.m. EDT for launch of Starlink from Launch Complex

Reuters reports that after seeing a decline in simulator sales when the COVID-19 outbreak nearly halted air travel, “aviation training specialists” are now seeing an increase “in demand from cargo carriers and airlines gearing up for the Boeing…737 MAX’s return to service.” Simulator producers CAE and Textron had wagered on a sales windfall “with The Boeing

September 1, 2020 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation has announced the 22 winners of its 2020 undergraduate scholarships and graduate awards. Through its Foundation and supported by nearly 30,000 members, AIAA awards academic scholarships and STEM educational grants to support the next generation of aerospace professionals. “Preparing the

Army Technology reports that Airbus “will deliver 17 UH-72B helicopters to the US Army next year.” The delivery of Airbus’ “latest variant of the light utility helicopter” will come after the delivery of the “463rd and…final UH-72A model” next month. Full Story (CNN)

CNN reported that the early morning launch of a “Delta IV Heavy rocket was scrubbed on Saturday, just seconds before its planned liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida.” The rocket’s engines “briefly ignited as the countdown neared zero, but a computer aborted the launch at T-minus 3 seconds, according to United Launch Alliance (ULA), which is conducting

FlightGlobal reports that Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) “is inviting foreign suppliers to help develop the country’s next-generation fighter aircraft, known as the Future Fighter programme, or F-X.” The solicitation “was made via a public notice and a press briefing by Japanese defence minister Taro Kono on 25 August, according to reports.” The MoD is looking

Florida Today reports that the launch of a National Reconnaissance Office satellite by the ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket, which was scheduled to launch on Thursday morning, was postponed to Saturday at 2:04 a.m. If “extra time is needed, teams have until 6:25 a.m. to launch” the Delta IV Heavy rocket. Thursday’s launch “was scrubbed during

ExecutiveGov reports that Masten Space Systems “has chosen SpaceX to launch Masten Mission One (MM1), which will deliver nine NASA science and technology demonstration experiments and several commercial payloads to the lunar south pole, Masten Space Systems reported on Wednesday.” MM1 “was developed under collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Project Office.” The

Airforce Technology reports that Dynetics “has carried out the flight test of the second X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle (GAV).” The flight took place at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and included tests of “the Gremlins airborne recovery system.” The tests “concentrated on lowering risk and verification of system and subsystem performance,” and “covered all of Gremlins

Accelerating Innovation Through Diversity August 26, 2020 – Reston, Va. – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced that AIAA SciTech Forum, held 11–15 January 2021, will be fully online. The world’s largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology, AIAA SciTech Forum brings together more than 5,000 participants from around the

Air Force Times reports that on August 17, the US Air Force opened the Virtual Test and Training Center (VTTC), “a new, $38 million building where pilots will practice advanced tactics in a simulated environment that replicates war against a near-peer nation.” The center, located at Nellis Air Force Base, “could be key for the

Space News reports that this week, three launches are scheduled in three consecutive days from Cape Canaveral. On Thursday, ULA is scheduled to launch a Delta 4 Heavy rocket as part of a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. On Friday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch a SAOCOM 1B satellite for

SPACE reports that on Sunday, SpaceX “fired up the latest prototype of its Starship Mars-colonizing spacecraft, keeping the vehicle on track for a possible test flight this weekend.” The SN6 Starship “prototype’s single Raptor engine briefly roared to life during a ‘static fire’” at SpaceX’s “facilities in South Texas, near the village of Boca Chica.” SpaceX

Aviation International News reports that The Boeing Company “flew the latest ecoDemonstrator – an Etihad Airways 787-10 – from Seattle to Glasgow, Montana, on Monday in preparation for two and a half weeks of environmental testing before flying to its customer’s base in Abu Dhabi.” The aircraft – “a new-build airplane assembled at Boeing’s Dreamliner plant

Bloomberg  reports that The Boeing Company “is preparing to bolster the long-term safety of its troubled 737 Max with technology borrowed from space vehicles and urban drones that can provide data to help back up its sensors.” The system – “known as synthetic air data – takes existing information on the aircraft, runs it through

Florida Today reports that “the weather forecast around Cape Canaveral looks favorable for the upcoming launch of United Launch Alliance’s three-core Delta IV Heavy rocket, the Space Force said Sunday.” Teams “at Launch Complex 37 will likely see 70% ‘go’ conditions for the planned 2:16 a.m. Wednesday liftoff, forecasters said, noting that cumulus clouds were the

Space News reports that “the Blue Origin-led team that is one of three working on lunar lander concepts for NASA’s Artemis program has delivered a full-sized mockup of that lander to the agency for testing by engineers and astronauts.” Blue Origin “announced Aug. 20 that its ‘National Team’ has installed an engineering model of the

Reuters reports that on Thursday, DoD “said five U.S.-manufactured drones have been approved for purchase by the federal government starting in September, offering agencies a secure option after the use of China-made drones was banned.” DoD said in a statement that the UAVs come from the following five companies: Altavian, Parrot SA, Skydio, Teal, and

The Drive reports that The Boeing Company “has been flying an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet off a ground-based ski jump at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. This is part of a demonstration effort for the Indian Navy to show that the aircraft can operate from short take-off but arrested recovery configured (STOBAR) aircraft carriers.” Boeing spokesperson

SPACE reports that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been officially granted permission to land its Hayabusa2 spacecraft’s sample capsule in the Australian desert this December. Hayabusa2 “is trekking back to Earth with a sample capsule full of material snagged from a near-Earth asteroid called Ryugu.” JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa said in a statement, “The

Bloomberg reports that “a phase of rigorous combat testing meant to evaluate how well the next-generation F-35 jet will fare against sophisticated Russian, Chinese and Iranian air defense threats has slipped five more months due to Covid-19-related delays.” A “one-month, 64-sortie simulator exercise will be the capstone of a testing regime required by law before

SPACE reports that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) “ninth H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV-9, was released from its temporary perch at the end of the space station’s robotic arm on Tuesday (Aug. 18) at 1:36 p.m. EDT.” The “uncrewed cargo vehicle…will spend two more days in orbit before flight controllers in Tsukuba, Japan, command an

SlashGear reports that “a mysterious ‘dent’ in Earth’s magnetic field could pose a new threat to satellites and even future space missions, NASA has warned, as the anomaly expands and shifts. Although known to scientists for years now, the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA, has more recently been displaying unexpected changes.” NASA said, “As the [Earth’s]

Aviation International News reports that Gulfstream Aerospace “is making its cabin air even cleaner with a new plasma ionization system. An enhancement to its cabin product offerings, the plasma ionization system operates when the aircraft environmental control system is active.” The system “emits positive and negative oxygen ions that Gulfstream said inactivate harmful molecules on surfaces

Florida Today reported that SpaceX is scheduled to launch 58 “Starlink communication satellites and three PlanetLab SkySat Earth-imaging satellites” at 10:31 a.m. Tuesday from Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40. The forecast for the launch “is a 70% ‘go’ as calculated by the U.S. Air Force. The primary concern[s] for launch are rain showers and

USA Today reports that Rolls-Royce North America announced that it intends to shutter its aircraft-component manufacturing facility in Prince George County, Virginia, by mid-2021. In a statement Saturday, company spokesperson Donald Campbell indicated that the closure is attributable to a decline in business during the COVID-19 crisis. Campbell said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a historic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Brian Talbot 703.264.7532 [email protected] Awards Honor Outstanding Section Programming in a Variety of Categories August 14, 2020 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced its 2019–2020 section awards winners. The section awards honor particularly notable achievements made by member sections in a range of activities

Phys (UK) reports that NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter “received a checkout and recharge of its power system on Friday, Aug. 7, one week into its near seven-month journey to Mars with the Perseverance rover.” The recharge “marks the first time the helicopter has been powered up and its batteries have been charged in the space environment.”

FlightGlobal reports that the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) posted a request for information notice Wednesday regarding the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Air-Breathing Demonstrator program, also known as Mayhem. Mayhem “would be a competition to design, fabricate and integrate a large cruise missile, says AFRL.” The AFRL said, “The Mayhem System Demonstrator will need to be

Spaceflight Now reports that the United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket is set to launch from Cape Canaveral on August 26, in a launch window that opens and closes sometime between 1:50 a.m. and 6:25 a.m. EDT. The rocket “will carry a classified payload into orbit” for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Twelve Delta 4-Heavy missions

Aviation International News reports that “worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales plunged 37.3 percent, to $490.7 million, in the second quarter as the market hit its expected pandemic-induced low point, according to the Aircraft Electronics Association’s latest Avionics Market Report. In the first six months of 2020, avionics sales amounted to $1.15 billion, down 23.6

SPACE reports that NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) space telescope finished its primary mission on July 4, “having discovered 66 confirmed alien planets and nearly 2,100 ‘candidates’ that scientists still need to vet, NASA officials said.” Despite its primary mission being completed, NASA is still using TESS to find exoplanets in “an extended mission that

Air Force Magazine reports that on August 5, the HH-60W Jolly Green II completed its first aerial refueling at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. Air Force and Sikorsky pilots flew the aircraft “at 110 knots to connect with an HC-130J tanker during the initial test, which lasted just under two hours.” According to a USAF release,

Aerospace America reports that on Tuesday, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft “will attempt a very close encounter with the near-Earth asteroid Bennu 300,000 kilometers away.” The rehearsal “is the last of two leading up to” the attempt to collect a sample from the asteroid, which is scheduled for October 20. During the four-hour rehearsal, the spacecraft will

ExecutiveGov reports that Northrop Grumman announced Monday “that the company will expand its local…aerospace and defense workforce in Utah and has projected that it will fill more than 600 positions.” Northrop Grumman Director of Air Force Programs Katie Qian said, “We are building facilities to support these new projects that are coming on. … For example,

First ASCENDxSummit To Be Held 19 August August 10, 2020 – Reston, Va. – Space science and technology will be the topic of the first in a series of summits hosted by ASCEND, a space ecosystem event from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The ASCENDxSummits are multitrack, interdisciplinary half-day events focused on a broad theme.

SPACE reported that NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is scheduled to practice its touchdown sequence on asteroid Bennu for the second time on Tuesday. The spacecraft “will rehearse the touch-and-go sample-collection event, similar to the mission’s April 14 checkpoint rehearsal, which practiced the first two maneuvers of the descent.” The spacecraft also “will add a third maneuver, called

Air Force Times reported that the US Air Force “has concluded a two-day, $1.4 million exercise that evaluated the F-35 fighter jet’s ability to provide its electronic warfare capabilities to other stealthy reconnaissance and bombing platforms.” The exercise, held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, from August 4-6, “tested the ability for the F-35 to provide

SpaceNews reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched Friday at 1:12 a.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with “the latest set of the company’s Starlink satellites, along with two BlackSky imaging satellites.” Following liftoff from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, and “a pair of burns, the upper stage deployed BlackSky’s Global-7 satellite nearly 62

GovCon Wire reports that the US Air Force “has indicated its intent to solicit design proposals from The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies for a hypersonic cruise missile technology that can be launched from a fighter or a bomber aircraft.” The Air Force “is asking all three contractors to submit statements that will describe

UPI reports that NASA and The Boeing Company “said Thursday they completed a crucial test of propulsion systems on the Space Launch System moon rocket in Mississippi, advancing toward a full hot-fire or ‘green run’ of the massive vehicle’s engines in October.” Boeing Green Run Director Mark Nappi said in an interview, “We’ve learned that