Space News reports that Virgin Orbit is planning the second flight of its LauncherOne rocket on January 10 between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. EST. The rocket “will be carried aloft by a modified Boeing 747 aircraft taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port, which will release [the rocket] off the coast of Southern California.”

The Seattle Times reports that Boeing managers told employees “that in the next four to six months the facility, known as the Advanced Developmental Composites (ADC) center, will be shuttered.” Even though “relatively few people work at the facility right at this point, its symbolism will add to worry about the future of the jetmaker in this

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 6, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of awards to be presented during the 2021 AIAA SciTech Forum, to be held virtually 11–15 and 19–21 January. The Awards Ceremony to fully recognize these award winners is set for Wednesday, 20

NASA Space Flight reports that SpaceX’s Starship SN9 prototype “is set to complete an accelerated pad flow with a Static Fire test and launch this coming week. A triple Raptor Static Fire test is tracking early this week.” Additionally, the Starship SN10 “is now an integrated stack inside the High Bay, ready to roll to the

Aviation International News reports that NASA now expects the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) demonstrator to make its first flight in 2022, and the agency said that construction of the demonstrator was halfway complete as of the end of 2020. NASA “said assembly of the Mach 1.4 aircraft ‘made great strides’ in 2020 as work progressed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “A Tribute to Service: Community, Country, and Humanity” Scheduled for Monday, January 18, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET January 5, 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 pleased to

BBC News reported that the Solar Orbiter, a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency, made its closest approach to Venus on December 27, coming within 4,700 miles of Venus’ atmosphere. The Solar Orbiter “will use some of its tools to record the magnetic and particle environment around the planet.” The “next close approach

Bloomberg reported that Airbus “was close to delivering 560 planes to customers as of Dec. 31, approaching the top end of its internal target in a year marred by the pandemic-induced collapse of air travel, according to people familiar with the matter.” The total is “short of the record 863 aircraft that Airbus handed over

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AIAA Executive Director Applauds Commitment to Department of Defense January 1, 2021 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) applauds the passage of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Among other things, the $732 billion policy bill creates a Senate-confirmed director for cybersecurity, accelerates the acquisition of space

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 28, 2020 – Reston, Va. –  The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) applauds the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The $1.4 trillion funding package includes approximately $627.3 billion for the DOD, $14.6 billion for the FAA, $23.3 billion for NASA, $1 billion for NIST, $5.4 billion

Space News reports that The Boeing Company announced Monday that the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System completed a critical design review with NASA that “confirmed the design of the EUS, allowing Boeing to proceed with development of the stage, including hardware fabrication.” The EUS, which has larger tanks and uses four Aerojet

Reuters reports that Airbus “is set to beat The Boeing Company to be the world’s largest jetmaker for the second year in a row, ending 2020 by resuming deliveries of its A380 superjumbo to Emirates, though its final deliveries are likely to have dropped 35% from 2019 due to the pandemic.” Barring “widespread new travel upheaval,

Space News reports that at 11:37 p.m. EST Monday, China carried out the first launch of its Long March 8 rocket. The “50.3-meter-long, 356-ton Long March 8 lifted off at 11:37 p.m. Eastern Dec. 21 from the coastal Wenchang launch site carrying five satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits.” The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), “a

ExecutiveGov reports that Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Will Roper “said the service branch’s future sixth-generation aircraft will feature an artificial intelligence co-pilot, Breaking Defense reported Friday.” The Next-Generation Air Dominance program “will apply AI as a support platform for human pilots aboard the future aircraft.” Roper “said the service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 21, 2020 – Reston, Va. – Registration is open for journalists around the world to gain access to the 2021 AIAA SciTech Forum, the world’s largest event for aerospace research, development and technology. Every year, THIS is the place industry gathers; the event sets the industry tone for the year. Request press

SPACE reported that on Saturday, SpaceX launched a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite, dubbed NROL-108, launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 9 a.m EST. The Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the ground near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately nine minutes after liftoff. The landing

Live and Let’s Fly reported that United Airlines will make its first passenger flight with a Boeing 737 MAX since the global grounding in February of 2021. After “months of preparation,” United “will base its restarted 737 MAX service out of two hubs, Denver (DEN) and Houston (IAH).” In a message to employees, the airline

Spaceflight Now reports that on Thursday, SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket “to evaluate a ‘slightly high’ pressure reading in the rocket’s upper stage liquid oxygen tank.” A “sensor reading on the Falcon 9’s upper stage triggered an ‘auto-abort’ at T-minus 1 minute, 53 seconds, as SpaceX counted down to a planned liftoff

Aviation International News reports that the Kansas DOT and the FAA signed an agreement to establish the Kansas Supersonic Transportation Corridor (SSTC), which will allow for testing of aircraft at Mach 3 speeds. The agreement “comes as the FAA has taken a multi-faceted approach to facilitate the emergence of supersonic transport while still meeting environmental

The Wall Street Journal reports that NASA said Wednesday that the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will be eligible to launch uncrewed scientific missions for the agency later this decade. There was no contract award given to Blue Origin, but the announcement marks the first time the company has become eligible to launch science missions for

The Washington Post reports that the US Air Force allowed an AI algorithm “to control sensor and navigation systems on a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane in a training flight Tuesday, officials said.” The event marks “what is believed to be the first known use of AI onboard a U.S. military aircraft.” Defense officials “touted the test

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AIAA Executive Director Applauds Commitment to Department of Defense December 16, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center (A-ISAC) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) enabling the two organizations to collaborate on aerospace and aviation cybersecurity endeavors.

Reuters reports that Russia “flew a new passenger airliner with domestically-built engines for the first time since the Soviet era on Tuesday.” The “medium-range MC-21 plane took off from a Siberian airfield powered by Russian-built PD-14 turbo-fan engines. The plane first flew in May, 2017, but with U.S.-made engines.” The MC-21 “is built by Irkut

The Military Embedded Systems reports that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency “announced that in recent tests, a number of X-61A Gremlins unmanned aerial systems (UASs) failed to link up in flight with a recovery system installed on a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft, but that they were actually close to success on multiple occasions.” The project will

The AP/CBS News reports that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) “said Monday it has confirmed the presence of black soil samples inside a capsule that the spacecraft Hayabusa2 brought back from” asteroid Ryugu last week. JAXA “said its scientists opened the capsule and found an unspecified amount of sandy black particles.” Scientists “are hoping

Aviation International News reports that in separate appeals, Helicopter Association International President James Viola and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson “called on helicopter operators to retrofit their legacy aircraft with crash-resistant fuel systems, seats, and structures.” Viola called on operators to voluntarily upgrade helicopters because “retrofitting aircraft to include these features will increase the likelihood of

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 15, 2020 – Reston, Va. – We as physics societies exist to ensure that physics delivers on its exceptional potential to benefit society. We recognise the important role of universal access to knowledge in achieving this goal and are therefore committed to making open access (OA) to physics research a reality. We

Aviation Today reported that Airbus will install “line-fit emergency locator technology (ELT)” into all of its in-production commercial aircraft by 2023. The “technology will be installed on Airbus aircraft as part of a single source, multi-year program contract awarded to Orolia,” which manufactures the Ultima-DT ELT. Airbus’ announcement comes in response to a European Union

Reuters reported that Virgin Galactic “cut short a test flight of its suborbital SpaceShipTwo Unity plane on Saturday, safely returning its pilot to Spaceport American in New Mexico after the rocket motor’s ignition sequence failed to complete.” The test aimed to launch the Unity spacecraft “to an altitude as high as 50 miles to test its

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Air Force has given a safety endorsement to Joby Aviation’s electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle – the first safety endorsement the service has given to an eVTOL. The endorsement allows Joby Aviation to use its vehicle to transport military equipment. Industry and military officials said that the endorsement could

SPACE reports that The Boeing Company and NASA announced Wednesday that the first ISS mission for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner capsule is scheduled for March 29, 2021. This is the second time Boeing and NASA are attempting to send the Starliner to the ISS after the first attempt, in December 2019, “suffered a glitch with its

Space News reports that on Wednesday, SpaceX conducted a test flight of its Starship SN8 prototype, which lifted off at 5:45 p.m. EST from Boca Chica, Texas, with the intention of achieving an altitude of 12.5 km. SpaceX “did not immediately provide information on the actual altitude that the vehicle reached.” One “of the three

Aviation International News reports that Volocopter announced Wednesday that it will work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Economic Development Board of Singapore as it prepares to begin air taxi services with its Volocity eVTOL in the country by the end of 2023. The company said that it is speaking with other cities to

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 10, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected Tom Shih, an AIAA Fellow and Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, as its new editor-in-chief for the AIAA Journal. He succeeds Professor Alexander Smits of Princeton University, who has served as editor-in-chief of the

Florida Today reports that the Space Force said Tuesday that weather conditions for ULA’s launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket, and SpaceX’s launch of a Falcon 9 rocket – both scheduled for this week – look highly favorable. The weather conditions for the launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance

Airforce Technology reported that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems completed full-scale static testing on the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft wing, which “includes the GA-ASI produced SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian RPA.” Testing featured load cases to 150% of expected maximum flight loads and “the wing was loaded to apply a distributed load across the wingspan even under simulating gust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 9, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the passing of AIAA Honorary Fellow Peter B. Teets. He served as undersecretary and Acting Secretary of the Air Force, head of the National Reconnaissance Office, and president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin. He died

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the passing of Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, a military test pilot who was the first person to break the sound barrier, on Monday, December 7. Yeager was a decorated U.S. Air Force pilot, having flown in World

Reuters reports that Brazil’s Gol will start passenger flights on the Boeing 737 MAX on Wednesday. Bloomberg reports that the airline has “trained 140 of its pilots in the U.S., using simulator sessions and a new curriculum approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and ANAC, Brazil’s regulator, in the wake of two fatal Max crashes.” American Airlines

The Washington Post reports that “Charles E. ‘Chuck’ Yeager, a military test pilot who was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound and live to tell about it, died” December 7 at the age of 97. Yeager, a “self-described West Virginia hillbilly with a high school education,” became “one of the greatest aviators

SPACE reports that on Sunday at 11:17 a.m. EST, SpaceX launched a Dragon supply capsule to the ISS. The Dragon cargo craft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the “100th successful launch of a Falcon 9 over 101 missions for SpaceX.” Nine minutes after liftoff, “the booster’s first stage returned to Earth, landing on

SPACE reports that the Chang’e 5 ascent vehicle lifted off from the moon Thursday at 10:10 a.m. EST, “carrying with it the first fresh lunar samples since 1976.” The spacecraft reached lunar orbit six minutes after liftoff. The ascent vehicle’s “job now is to meet up with the Chang’e 5 orbiter while still circling the

GovCon Wire reports that the US Army is seeking “market information on payloads for aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance that would support the MQ-1C Gray Eagle’s joint all-domain operations.” The Army “said Wednesday in a SAM notice it needs to identify market sources of synthetic aperture radar, moving target indicator, electronic intelligence and other AISR payloads

Spaceflight Now reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was moved to pad 39A Wednesday “for the first launch of an upgraded version of the company’s Dragon cargo capsule for the International Space Station.” SpaceX will test-fire the main engines Thursday to prepare for the launch scheduled for Saturday at 11:39 EST. The Dragon cargo capsule

Military.com reports that the US Marine Corps’ “first F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighter squadron has officially been declared ready for combat.” According to a USMC release, “Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, said its F-35Cs have achieved initial operational capability, or IOC, authorizing the aircraft for worldwide carrier deployment

Reuters reports that on Tuesday, Virgin Galactic announced that “it had set a new” window for the test flight of its LauncherOne rocket, with the window now opening on December 11. The company paused preparations in November because of COVID-19 restrictions put in place by New Mexico. The flight “will test elements of the spacecraft’s

Reuters reports that the Federal Aviation Administration “has issued its first airworthiness certificate for a Boeing 737 MAX built since March 2019, the agency said on Tuesday.” The FAA “is requiring a series of software changes and new pilot training requirements before planes can return to service.” Full Story (Reuters)

Defense News reports that Australia and the US “are partnering to develop and test an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile under the bilateral Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment program, or SCIFiRE, the two countries announced Monday.” The program “falls under the Allied Prototyping Initiative, which is managed by the Directorate of Advanced Capabilities within the

Aviation International News reports Airbus’ “new five-bladed H145 helicopter has received FAA type certification (TC)[,] with the first U.S. delivery slated to occur early next year.” The TC “covers single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) and single-engine operations (Cat.A/VTOL), and night vision goggle capability.” EASA “certified the helicopter in June, and launch customer Norwegian Air Ambulance

Space News reported that Virgin Orbit “is preparing to perform a second flight of its LauncherOne small launch vehicle in the second half of December, carrying a set of NASA-sponsored cubesats.” A November 24 “‘Local Notice to Mariners’ by the U.S. Coast Guard stated that Virgin Orbit ‘will conduct hazardous operations’ offshore from San Nicolas