The Wall Street Journal reported that the decrease in international air travel related to the pandemic has put The Boeing Company’s 777X program in doubt, as the jetliner was designed for long-haul routes with hundreds of passengers. Boeing plans for the first 777X to be delivered in 2023, which is about three years behind schedule and

Breaking Defense reports that Air Force Research Lab Director Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle said that the “high-priority Skyborg program to develop low-cost, autonomous drones able to team with piloted aircraft could reach initial operating capability by 2023.” Pringle told the Mitchell Institute Thursday, “We’re really excited about that December demo because it was a first-ever kind

India EducationDiary reports that AIAA and NASA “will host a moderated webinar to discuss technology innovations with NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover during a virtual event at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 10.” The event “will livestream on NASA’s website and on YouTube through AIAA’s event landing page.” During the event, NASA “science, technology, and engineering experts

The Houston Chronicle reports that on Tuesday, Nanoracks’ Bishop Airlock, which was attached to the ISS on December 19, powered on for the first time since its attachment to the station. The airlock is the ISS’ “first commercial airlock,” and “is the station’s first permanent, complex element to be owned and operated by a commercial company.”

FlightGlobal reports that last October, the US Army conducted crewed-uncrewed teaming between the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter, a Textron Shadow RQ-7BV2 Block 3 tactical UAV, and a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range UAV. The teaming test “is meant to demonstrate part of the US Army’s version of Joint All-Domain Command & Control.”

CNET News reports that SpaceX has scheduled the launch of a Starlink mission for Thursday at 1:19 a.m. EST. Another Starlink mission, whose Monday launch date was delayed, is now scheduled to launch Thursday at 5:36 a.m. EST. The two missions, scheduled within five hours of each other, would “represent the 18th and 19th Starlink launches

FlightGlobal reports that Bell “recently demonstrated its Autonomous Pod Transport 70 (APT 70) cargo drone autonomously delivering a package over a 4mi (6.44km) preprogrammed route in north Texas.” The demonstration “took place on an undisclosed date at the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, a region that’s agreed to allow testing of and experimentation with novel ground

Aviation International News reports that Rolls-Royce “has successfully conducted its first tests on a business jet engine using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), it announced” Monday. The “latest experiment used a Pearl 700 engine that’s under development for the new Gulfstream G700 and confirmed that the company’s current commercial and business jet powerplants ‘can

SPACE reports that tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman “has chartered a trip to Earth orbit with” SpaceX on a mission that he will command. The Inspiration4 mission will see a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule “spend an estimated two to four days circling Earth and then come back down for an ocean splashdown.” The mission will have four

The Daily Mail (UK)  reported that Dr. Fatima Ebrahimi, a physicist at the Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, “has invented a new fusion rocket [concept] that could one day take humans to Mars.” The spacecraft would use “magnetic fields to shoot plasma particles from the back of the rocket and propel the craft through

Popular Mechanics reported that the US Air Force recently “wrapped up an overhaul of its fleet of F-22 Raptor fighters.” According to the Air Force, the work involved “taking all of the jets through ‘six unique maintenance machines for structural repair, modification, coatings restoration, and aircraft damage repair’…as well as performing ‘structural modifications to increase total

The Washington Post reports that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticized the FAA after the agency canceled the launch of SpaceX’s Starship test flight Thursday. Musk wrote in a tweet, “Unlike its aircraft division, which is fine, the FAA space division has a fundamentally broken regulatory structure. … Their rules are meant for a handful of expendable launches

Aviation International News reports that Bell delivered 57 helicopters in the fourth quarter of 2020, down from 76 deliveries in the same period a year prior. Bell reported “revenue of $871 million,” which “was down from $961 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, while profit declined by $8 million to $110 million.” Backlog “was $5.3

Florida Today reports that forecasters from the US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron said Wednesday that they expect 90% “go” weather conditions for SpaceX’s Saturday launch of 60 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to launch “during a 10-minute window that opens at” 7:24 a.m. EST. Conditions “in the Atlantic

Reuters reports that General Dynamics’s Gulfstream Aerospace reported 40 business jet deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2020, which was down from 44 in 2019. The aerospace unit “posted a 16.9% fall to $2.44 billion. Total revenue fell 2.7% to $10.48 billion.” However, “the broader business jet market saw an order boost late in 2020 as

Award recognizes the prioritization of sustainability at the airport to protect the environment January 27, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates the Jackson Hole Airport Board as the 2021 winner of the Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award. The Jackson Hole Airport (JAC) is located in Jackson, Wyoming. The Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award honors an

The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA announced Tuesday that the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will leave asteroid Bennu on May 10. OSIRIS-REx Deputy Project Manager Michael Moreau said, “Leaving Bennu’s vicinity in May puts us in the ‘sweet spot,’ when the departure maneuver will consume the least amount of the spacecraft’s onboard fuel.” The departure date “could also

The AP reports that the Boeing 737 MAX “has been approved to resume flights in Europe, following nearly two years of reviews after the aircraft was involved in two deadly crashes that saw the planes grounded worldwide, the European aviation safety agency said Wednesday.” Changes made to the aircraft mandated by the EASA “include a package of

CNBC reports that “private investment in space companies last year set a new annual record,” according to a new Space Capital report. Space Capital managing partner Chad Anderson wrote in the report, “With another $2.9 billion invested in Q4, 2020 was a record year for [space infrastructure companies] with $8.9 billion invested. … Despite expectations that

Aviation Today reports that Rolls-Royce Germany will leverage “artificial intelligence (AI) in a new partnership with Altair for its engineering, testing, and design of aerospace engines to reduce and accelerate certification and design iterations, reduce extensive physical testing, and improve product quality.” Sam Mahalingam, Chief Technical Officer at Altair, told Aviation Today, “Successful proof of

Aviation International News reported that Airbus Helicopters “started in-flight tests onboard the European aerospace group’s rotary-wing Flightlab facility.” The Flightlab facility is “exclusively dedicated to maturing new technologies for the company’s current helicopters and future fixed-wing and eVTOL aircraft designs,” and “will be used to test hybrid and electric propulsion, autonomy, noise reduction, and improved maintenance

SPACE reported that data from NASA’s Cassini mission revealed that lake Kraken Mare on Saturn’s moon Titan “is more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) deep.” The data showed that Kraken Mare “contains a mix of methane and ethane, which differed from previous models suggesting ethane would prevail due to the lake’s size and geographical position

Florida Today reports that SpaceX is targeting no earlier than 9:40 a.m. EST Saturday for the launch of a rideshare mission. The weather conditions for the mission are expected to be 60% “go.” The rocket will carry “dozens of payloads owned by organizations ranging from SpaceX itself to the Department of Defense to NASA.” The Falcon

ExecutiveGov  reports that The Boeing Company has won a $2.1 billion contract from the US Air Force to deliver 15 KC-46A tankers. The KC-46 “will connect air forces to data needed to maintain the decision advantage and increase success rate on the battlefield.” Boeing “is now on contract for 94 KC-46A tankers.” Full Story (ExecutiveGov)

Space News reports that at 8:02 a.m. Wednesday, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The rocket launched from KSC’s Launch Complex 39A, and deployed the satellites 65 minutes after liftoff. The rocket’s “first stage, making its eighth flight, landed on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.” The launch “was the first time

Air Force Times reports that the F-35 joint strike fighter’s mission capable rate figures are well below the military’s target, according to DoD’s former acquisition chief Ellen Lord. The F-35’s mission capable rate is currently 69%, short of the “military’s longstanding 80 percent goal, said Ellen Lord.” She added that, when looking at fully mission capable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2021 – Reston, Va. – AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement after the Inaugural Ceremonies for President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris: “Today we witnessed the peaceful transition of power to the newly elected leaders of the democracy of the United States of America.

SPACE reports that the NASA Parker Solar Probe spacecraft made another close approach to the sun on Sunday. The spacecraft will “conduct a total of four close approaches to the sun, plus two Venus flybys” this year. On Sunday, the Parker Solar Probe “made its closest approach to the sun at 12:39 p.m. EST,” at which

Aviation International News reports that The Boeing Company has received a firm order for six 737-800 converted freighters from BBAM Limited Partnership. The order also comes with the option for six additionalaircraft. The order “brings BBAM’s 737-800BCF orders and commitment total to 15 and reflects the relative strength of the e-commerce and express cargo market during

Reuters reports that Transport Canada announced that it would end the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX on January 20. The regulator “also said in a release that it had issued an airworthiness directive to aircraft owners, aircraft maintenance engineers and foreign civil aviation authorities, along with an interim order that outlines requirements for airlines on

Spaceflight Now reports that The Boeing Company said Monday that it re-qualified the software for its Starliner crew capsule. Kennedy Space Center technicians “connected the crew and service modules for the next unpiloted Starliner test flight to the International Space Station in March.” This comes “after programming errors cut short the spacecraft’s first orbital test flight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 16, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) praises the recent science and technology announcement by President-elect Joe Biden. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement: “As the world’s largest aerospace technical society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) welcomes the Biden

CNN reports that Qatar Airways “has confirmed it will be retiring half of its fleet of 10 Airbus A380s, which have already been grounded since March last year.” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Bakar said Wednesday, “The A380, I think, is one of the worst aircraft when it comes to emissions that is flying around

CNET News reports that on Wednesday, SpaceX conducted a series of static test fires on its Starship SN9 prototype. The tests “are part of a series of checks leading up to a launch that could come as soon as Friday[,] but appears more likely to take place next week,” based on airspace restrictions and road

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 14, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Aerospace Special Interest Group of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE Aerospace SIG) are hosting: “A Tribute to Service: Community, Country, and Humanity,” Monday, January 18, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET. This virtual program

Space News reports that Blue Origin is preparing for the next test flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, which could be launched as soon as Thursday. The FAA published temporary flight restrictions Tuesday, which will “close airspace above Blue Origin’s West Texas test site from Jan. 14 through Jan. 17, from 9:45 a.m. to 4

IHS Jane’s 360 reports that the US Air Force has awarded The Boeing Company $1.7 billion “for Lot 6 production of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker-transport aircraft.” According to DOD, “the contract covers 12 aircraft and will be complete by 30 April 2023.” Boeing is “now under contract for 79 of the 179 tankers included in the

SPACE reports that at 9:05 a.m EST Tuesday, a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule conducted “its first-ever autonomous undocking from” the ISS. It “will take about 36 hours for the SpaceX Dragon to return to Earth. The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday (Jan. 13), though NASA and SpaceX will

Air Force Times reports that Northrop Grumman “announced an Air Force award to complete a project for the electronic warfare suite for the F-16 fighter jet.” The “goal of the prototyping is to protect pilots from increasing radio frequency-guided weapons by detecting, identifying and defeating them, a Jan. 11 announcement from Northrop said.” The company’s “system

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 12, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has published a white paper on cybersecurity, “Aerospace Cybersecurity: Enduring Challenges, Enduring Solutions; Bringing Cyber Protection to the Heart of the Aerospace Industry.” The white paper, available to download, includes extended findings from the AIAA Aerospace Cybersecurity Market

Aviation Today reports that the final rules for uncrewed aircraft system Remote Identification have been released, but “include a major change from the proposed rules: the exclusion of network Remote ID.” The FAA “cited security issues, privacy concerns, connectivity issues, and regulatory challenges as reasons for not adopting network Remote ID[,] while companies and organizations who

Space News reports that NOAA’s National Satellite, Data and Information Service “is recommending flying three satellites over the United States in the satellite constellation that will follow the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R Series (GOES-R).” NOAA recommends operating two of the satellites “in orbits similar to those of the current GOES East and GOES West satellites.”

CNET News reported that NASA said Friday that it has extended the missions of the Juno spacecraft and the Mars InSight lander. Juno, “which launched in 2011, was scheduled to end its mission by deorbiting into Jupiter in July 2021.” The spacecraft will “now continue its work studying the gas giant until September 2025 or the

Reuters reported that Airbus posted deliveries of 566 jets in 2020, making it the world’s largest planemaker. Deliveries “fell by 34% from a record posted a year earlier, when travel demand was riding high on the increasing mobility of consumers in fast-growing markets across Asia.” However, the total exceeds “estimates earlier in the year when the coronavirus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is encouraged by the FAA’s new rule streamlining and clarifying procedures to obtain agency approval for supersonic aircraft testing in the United States. AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement after the rule was issued: “This

The AP reports that Virgin Galactic “said Thursday it has completed analysis of why its spacecraft’s rocket failed to ignite during a test flight over New Mexico last month and work to fix the problem has begun.” The company said in a statement, “Once the corrective work has been implemented and verified, we will confirm our pre-flight

Reuters reports that Ryanair “plans to begin deploying its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the United Kingdom following its first deliveries in the coming months, CEO Eddie Wilson said on Thursday.” The airline “has said it expects to receive around 30 of the MAX aircraft, which were ungrounded in the United States late last year after

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lecture will be Delivered During 2021 AIAA SciTech Forum January 7, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2021 AIAA Durand Lectureship for Public Service is awarded to David W. Thompson,  President and Chief Executive Officer (retired) of Orbital ATK, Inc. Thompson

SPACE reports that SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype’s “three engines lit up for about one second today (Jan. 6) at 5:07 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) during a static-fire test at SpaceX’s South Texas facilities.” SpaceX “is prepping the vehicle for a test flight that’s expected to be similar” to that of its predecessor – the SN8. On

Bloomberg reports that on Wednesday, the FAA announced that it will ease the requirements for companies to receive permission to conduct supersonic test flights, which are currently prohibited over land. Several companies, such as Aerion Corp. and Boom Technologies, plan to develop jets capable of supersonic flight, “but concerns remain over sonic booms and other environmental