Space News reports that the Mars 2020 mission is scheduled to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket on July 20 from Cape Canaveral. Processing of the rover “is on schedule, project officials said during a June 17 online briefing about the mission. The spacecraft will soon be encapsulated inside the rocket’s payload fairing,

FlightGlobal reports that Gulfstream “is halting production of the G550, ending a 17-year run for the long-range business jet.” In a statement made on Wednesday, the US airframer “says it has sold the final commercially available unit, which will be delivered to its owner in 2021.” Cirium “fleets data records 50 shipments in 2011 at [the

Space News reports that NASA modified the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract it has with SpaceX to allow the company “to reuse [the] Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Falcon 9 first stages” for launches as early as next year. SpaceX will be able to reuse the spacecraft and first stages for “the second operational mission of

FlightGlobal reports that in a June 9 flight test, the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant co-axial helicopter “passed 200kt for the first time while flying at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach Development Flight Test Center in Florida, The Boeing Company and Sikorsky announced on 16 June.” The helicopter topped out at 205kt (380 km/hr), but the Sikorsky-Boeing team “is

FlightGlobal reports that HAPSMobile “plans to flight test its high-altitude, pseudo satellite, the HAWK30, at New Mexico’s Spaceport of America.” The UAV “is solar-powered and designed to stay aloft for six months” while transmitting “cellular data over an area of about 3.1 million ha (7.8 million acres).” The UAV “is being pitched as an alternative

Aviation International News reports that Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA “is now offering UV light systems that it claims provide an effective way to disinfect aircraft cabins or buildings.” The system “delivers a broad spectrum of UV-C, UV-B, UV-A and violet-blue light that it says will quickly kill germs.” In “tests conducted on a Boeing 757 airliner,

CNN reports that NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, using “its unique vantage point 4.3 billion miles from Earth,” has “captured images of nearby stars – and the stars appear to be in different positions than where we see them from Earth.” The images represent the first time the “‘parallax effect’ has been captured using a spacecraft.”

FlightGlobal reports that airlines are increasing the amount of flights and destinations it is offering as the industry begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting slowdown in travel. Analysts “still suspect the industry will not fully recover for several years – possibly not until 2023 – and a second wave of Covid-19 infections

CNET News reports that on Saturday, SpaceX is scheduled to “perform its first Starlink ride-share, carrying 58 of its own broadband satellites along with three Earth observing spacecraft for Planet Labs.” According to a SpaceX tweet, the company is aiming to launch the mission at 5:21 a.m. EDT on Saturday. The company will utilize a Falcon

The Associated Press reports that travelers are starting to fly again after the airline industry had “essentially been grounded for months” due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Airlines were “among the hardest hit companies” by the pandemic, and analysts “don’t expect passenger traffic to get back to 2019 levels anytime soon.” Citi analyst Stephen Trent wrote in a

Reuters reports that according to two unnamed sources, The Boeing Company told airlines that it is targeting late June for a certification test flight of its 737 MAX. Boeing “said late Wednesday it had won approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for a service bulletin that details the modifications required for 737 MAX wiring.” The company

3DPrint reports that Aerojet Rocketdyne “will be building a total of 24 RS-25 rocket engines” for NASA “to support as many as six” Space Launch Systems (SLS) “flights for a total contract value of almost $3.5 billion.” Six “new expendable RS-25 engines are already being assembled using advanced manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing,” that reduce “both

June 10, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced today that all scheduled 2020 events and forums will be held virtually. “After talking with speakers, sponsors, presenters, exhibitors, and attendees, it is clear that transforming all scheduled AIAA events to fully virtual ones through the end of 2020

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft “will likely return to Earth in August to wrap up a test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, a senior space agency official said Tuesday.” The “exact schedule for Hurley and Behnken’s return to Earth will hinge on several

Bloomberg reports that the US Air Force “has delayed by four years a decision on whether the $44 billion KC-46 tanker program should be approved for full-rate production while contractor The Boeing Company tries to show it has fixed the flawed camera system used for the plane’s midair refueling mission.” An Air Force “statement issued late

The New York Times reports that major US airlines “are preparing for a limited rebound next month as more Americans book vacations in places like Florida and the mountains and national parks in the West.” The increase in bookings “would offer some hope to the travel industry, which racked up billions of dollars in losses” amid

FlightGlobal reports that NASA and Lockheed Martin’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) demonstrator is scheduled to be tested in the fall of 2021. The tests will be conducted to see if the demonstrator “retains its unique boom-softening shape while in flight.” The test flights will also be used to see “how sound from the jet will

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company Airpower Teaming System Program Director Shane Arnott said that the firm “sees mass production of its unmanned, fighter-like jet developed in Australia likely happening by the middle of the decade.” Arnott “said up to 16 of the Loyal Wingman drones could be teamed with a manned aircraft for missions and

SPACE reports that NASA’s Parker Solar Probe “made its fifth daring flyby of the sun this weekend.” The spacecraft “has been conducting a marathon of solar observations since May 9 as scientists affiliated with the mission look to crack more secrets about how the sun works.” The “closest approach of this orbit, called a perihelion, occurred

The Miami Herald reports that on Saturday, asteroid 2002 NN4 – with a diameter of approximately 1,000 feet – is expected to pass by Earth, from about 3 million miles away, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s list of near-Earth objects. The Herald reports that 2002 NN4 is “said to be bigger than about 90% of asteroids,

Reuters reports that New Zealand “said on Friday that it will purchase five C-130J-30 Super Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin to replace its existing fleet.” New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark said in a statement, “Along with the new fleet, the $1.521 billion project will deliver a full mission flight simulator and other supporting

GovCon Wire reports that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate “has launched a three-phase Entrepreneurs Challenge focused on leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics to advance mission goals.” NASA “said Thursday it plans to pick 15 to 20 participants for the first challenge event on July 29 ahead of downselecting the final 10

FlightGlobal reports that the US Air Force “has formally launched its search for an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to replace the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper beginning in 2030.” The service “is conducting market research to find its next medium-altitude UAV for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as air-to-ground strike, missions, Air Force

CNBC reports that on Tuesday, Delta Air Lines planned to make the last flight of its McDonnell Douglas aircraft. Delta “expected to retire the twin-engine MD-88s at the end of this year and the MD-90s by the end of 2022, but a sharp drop in travel demand has prompted it to idle more than 600 planes

CNN reports that NASA’s Commercial Crew program “can expand the amount of astronauts on” the International Space Station – “which means that more science, and even new types of experiments, can happen in the unique microgravity environment.” Two “decades of research on the space station has allowed scientists to realize the potential of eliminating gravity as

NASA’s Bridenstine Among Notable Speakers at AIAA’s First Fully Virtual Forum June 3, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is holding its first fully virtual forum, the 2020 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 15–19 June. “This year, more than most, the AIAA AVIATION Forum has a crucial role to play in advancing

Spaceflight Now reports that “days after launching astronauts for the first time, SpaceX is set to resume a speedy cadence of satellite launches Wednesday night with liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s next batch of Starlink broadband relay stations.” The launch is scheduled for Wednesday at approximately 9:25 p.m. EDT, from Cape Canaveral’s

Aviation Week reports that the US Marine Corps “is gauging industry interest in manufacturing technology to detect or intercept unmanned aircraft, with plans to purchase six to 10 systems.” The “counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) or similar product must provide air surveillance capable of detecting, recognizing, classifying, and identifying an unmanned aircraft, according to a May 26

June 1, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the loss of AIAA Honorary Fellow Arnold D. Aldrich, whose 35-year NASA career encompassed the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle missions. Aldrich passed away on 28 May 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 83. Aldrich served

USA Today reported that DOT “is on the cusp of giving final approval to a lengthy list of cities that could lose some of their airline service” due to the fall in demand for air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is DOT’s “latest attempt…to help airlines cope with a dearth of passengers and conserve

CBS News reported that a “prototype using next-generation propulsion technology being developed by SpaceX for its planned heavy lift Starship rocket exploded in a towering fireball two minutes after a brief engine test firing on the Texas Gulf Coast Friday, destroying the test vehicle and its firing stand.” A “static firing earlier this week appeared to

Updated May 30, 2023* | Originally Published June 1, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2020 Regional Student Conference winners. “AIAA gives students real-world experience to help start their aerospace careers,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “I’m impressed by the student research topics.

May 30, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) celebrates the success of today’s history-making launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft from U.S. soil to the International Space Station. “Today’s success heralds a new era of space exploration, one that will redefine U.S. leadership in space,” said Dan Dumbacher,

Space News reports that China “is preparing to carry out 11 missions in two years to construct a space station and will soon select a new batch of astronauts for the project.” The “first module for the Chinese space station will launch next year, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China’s human spaceflight program, on the

The Seattle Times reports that a “modified Cessna Caravan turboprop that typically seats nine passengers flew Thursday for the first time powered not by a gas-powered engine, but by electricity.” Two Seattle-area aviation companies were “behind the airplane’s 30-minute-long, all-electric first flight at Moses Lake,” Washington. Redmond-based MagniX “designed the light electric motor,” while Seattle-based AeroTEC

In continuing coverage, Space News reports that on May 20, the US Army “signed a three-year agreement with SpaceX to experiment using Starlink broadband to move data across military networks.” The “upcoming evaluation of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband by the U.S. Army will look primarily at the reliability of the service and potential vulnerabilities of the satellites

Reuters reports that on Wednesday, The Boeing Company “said it has resumed production of its 737 MAX passenger jet at the company’s Renton, Washington, plant at a ‘low rate.’” Boeing “said last month it expected to resume 737 MAX deliveries in the third quarter following regulatory approvals, with production restarting at low rates in the second

SPACE reports that SpaceX, with the goal of landing humans on Mars, is “testing early versions of the spacecraft it envisions using on such journeys, evaluating potential landing sites and thinking through what a long-term base on the Red Planet might look like many years from now.” SpaceX Principal Mars Development Engineer Paul Wooster said

The Wall Street Journal reports that The Boeing Company and Airbus are collaborating with academics, engineers, and medical experts to study how the novel coronavirus behaves on airliners and how manufacturers can minimize the spread of the virus. Boeing said that it is working on computer models to examine how the virus spreads, while Airbus is working

Update, 4:45 p.m. EDT:  Wednesday’s launch of the NASA/SpaceX Demo-2 mission was scrubbed due to weather. Next attempt is Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT. USA Today reports NASA and SpaceX are set to launch a new era of spaceflight Wednesday afternoon when two American astronauts lift off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

Spaceflight Now reports that “making its first flight, a privately-funded air-launched rocket developed and built by Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit failed to reach space Monday after release from the company’s modified 747 carrier airplane over the Pacific Ocean.” Virgin Orbit’s “two-stage LauncherOne suffered an ‘anomaly’ soon after ignition of its kerosene-fed first stage engine, the company

Military reported that the US Air Force has “launched the bidding process for its next-generation ‘Skyborg’ program, aimed at pairing artificial intelligence with a human piloting a fighter jet.” The USAF “posted a solicitation notice last week on the government’s acquisition and awards website,” and, according to the posting, “multiple companies could potentially win contract awards

Former Astronaut Sandy Magnus on 29 May; NASA’s Steve Jurczyk on 1 June May 26, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is hosting two free webinars—one moderated by former astronaut and AIAA’s own Sandy Magnus on Friday, 29 May, and another with NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk on Monday, 1

May 22, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced the election of four new trustees to its Board of Trustees and new leadership for the AIAA Foundation. “AIAA is grateful for the active volunteer leaders who help guide the Institute,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “AIAA board members

Aerospace America reported that on Monday, the FAA approved Garmin’s Autoland technology – “a set of software plus a radar altimeter and control servos that can land a small plane when a pilot is incapacitated.” Fully “automated general aviation flight would still require breakthroughs such as in sensing and avoiding other aircraft, but analysts see Autoland

Aviation International News reports that “on Tuesday, the NTSB found that a helicopter air ambulance operator’s ‘inadequate management of safety’ was the probable cause of the fatal crash of a Bell 407 in Zaleski, Ohio, on Jan. 29, 2019.” The NTSB “found that Survival Flight’s routine failure to use preflight risk assessment had become ‘normalized’ and

CNET News reports that NASA announced Wednesday that it has targeted the Osiris-Rex spacecraft to touch down on the Bennu asteroid on October 20. The “Touch-and-Go (TAG) sample collection will involve Osiris-Rex contacting Bennu for about five seconds. It will fire off a charge to shake up the surface and then collect a sample and

Aviation International News reports that Air France-KLM “will retire its fleet of Airbus A380s, ending any uncertainty over the superjumbo’s return to service following the Covid-19 crisis, the group said Wednesday. Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the airline’s accelerated retirement of the A380 fleet marks the latest blow for the Airbus superjumbo’s prospects

Spaceflight Now reports that a Japanese HTV “cargo freighter is ready for launch Wednesday with the last set of six lithium-ion batteries to upgrade the International Space Station’s solar power truss.” The launch is scheduled for 1731 GMT (1:31 p.m. EDT) from Tanegashima Space Center. The HTV will launch aboard a H-2B rocket, and “mark the

Aerospace America reports that the idea for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab to begin designing ventilators amid the COVID-19 pandemic came from flights project engineer David Van Buren. Within 35 days of Van Buren explaining “the concept to co-workers at the Left Field design bay,” the “team finished building the first of two prototypes and two days