Spaceflight Now reports that NASA has approved a SpaceX proposal to “strap in astronauts atop Falcon 9 rockets, then fuel the launchers in the final hour of the countdown as the company does for its uncrewed missions.” The company’s “load-and-go” procedure, “in which an automatic countdown sequencer commands chilled kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen to flow

Spaceflight Now reports that NASA has approved a SpaceX proposal to “strap in astronauts atop Falcon 9 rockets, then fuel the launchers in the final hour of the countdown as the company does for its uncrewed missions.” The company’s “load-and-go” procedure, “in which an automatic countdown sequencer commands chilled kerosene and cryogenic liquid oxygen to flow

ExecutiveGov reports that a DARPA official recently suggested that small launch vehicles such as the Northrop Grumman Pegasus or Rocket Lab Electron “could contribute to the survivability of U.S. military assets in space, Space News reported Tuesday.” DARPA Tactical Technology Office Program Adviser Todd Master, speaking at last month’s Small Payload Rideshare Symposium, cited the growing

ExecutiveGov reports that a DARPA official recently suggested that small launch vehicles such as the Northrop Grumman Pegasus or Rocket Lab Electron “could contribute to the survivability of U.S. military assets in space, Space News reported Tuesday.” DARPA Tactical Technology Office Program Adviser Todd Master, speaking at last month’s Small Payload Rideshare Symposium, cited the growing

SPACE reports that NASA astronauts recently tested a “superfast” emergency evacuation system for The Boeing Company’s new CST-100 Starliner crew capsule. Photographers captured the test in “captivating imagery for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.” More Info (SPACE)

The Roanoke Times reports that Wing, an Alphabet subsidiary, conducted its first UAV package delivery Tuesday. Jackson Smith, a 2-year-old from Montgomery County, Virginia “became the recipient of the most advanced drone package delivery to ever occur in the United States, according to those who conducted the Tuesday’s operation.” Until now, “Wing…hasn’t been allowed to fly long

Florida Today reports that SpaceX crews are preparing for the first launch early Tuesday of a re-used Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket. The US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron expects 80 percent “go conditions” for the two-hour launch window opening at 3:18 a.m. EDT. SpaceX is expected to carry out “considerably more flights for the vehicle

SPACE reported that NASA’s Kepler space telescope “woke up from a four-week hibernation yesterday (Aug. 2) and has begun beaming data home, just as planned, NASA officials announced today.” Kepler has been in a state of hibernation “in an attempt to save thruster fuel” and to “make sure the spacecraft had enough propellant left to orient

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AIAA John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Awards Recognize Outstanding Engineering, Math, Science and Technology Students August 6, 2015 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced its 2014–2015 Section Award winners. The Section Awards honor particularly notable achievements made by member sections in a range of activities that

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] August 6, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation announced the nine winners of its 2018 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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] August 6, 2018 – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation announced the 12 winners of its 2018 undergraduate scholarships. 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.

AIAA Profiles AIAA Educator Associate Douglas Ferguson By Lawrence Garrett, AIAA web editor AIAA Educator Associate Douglas Ferguson Influenced by his father’s passion for aerospace and his mother’s dedication to education, it is not surprising that Douglas Ferguson became a K-12 educator, a strong proponent of STEM K-12 programs, and an inspirational force to future generations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] August 1, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected Christopher J. Scolese to give its 2018 von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics. Scolese will deliver his lecture on “Strategies for Technology Infusion and Risk Mitigation at NASA” at 6:30 p.m. (EDT),

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] July 31, 2018 – Reston, Va. – Giving aerospace leaders insight into how to anticipate emerging markets and guide transformative technology to widespread acceptance is at the heart of the new David W. Thompson Lecture in Space Commerce Award. GPS pioneer Charles Trimble will be the first speaker

Aviation Today reported that Boeing’s KC-46A Pegasus “has completed more than 3,300 flight testing hours,” and Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, said they “recently completed all flight tests required to deliver the first aircraft, which is expected to be in October of this year, as now agreed upon with the U.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] July 30, 2018 – Reston, Va. – Princeton University Professor Emeritus Irvin Glassman will be awarded the 2018 Daniel Guggenheim Medal on August 18 for his education and inspiration of today’s aerospace engineers and scientists and for his influential contributions to the fields of combustion and propulsion. “Professor

GovCon Wire reports that AIAA [Immediate Past President] Jim Maser has been named senior vice president of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s space business unit effective August 13. Maser “will report directly to President and CEO Eileen Drake and oversee the unit’s work with NASA, defense and commercial launch systems; space and launch strategy and in-space propulsion systems.” Maser

SPACE reports that NASA’s New Horizons team is “gearing up for one last shadow-chasing adventure.” This Saturday, the 2014 MU69 space object will pass in front of a distant star, “casting a dim shadow on two slivers of Earth in Senegal and Colombia.” There, New Horizons team members will study the occulation to “give us hints

In a multi-media feature titled “All the Things Satellites Can Now See From Space,”  Bloomberg News  (7/26) reports that increasing numbers of satellites and the data that they generate are being put to a variety of uses, including in-flight weather forecasting, detection of airborne particulate matter, and more. More Info (Bloomberg News)

Houston Chronicle   reports that Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a new bill Thursday that would extend US operation of the ISS to 2030, and called the White House’s plan to end federal funding for the station by 2025 “foolish.” The Space Frontier Act, Cruz wrote in a

Aviation Week reports that United Launch Alliance (ULA) has completed work on its “first dual-engine Centaur upper stage for an Atlas V rocket, a vehicle configuration purchased by Boeing for upcoming CST-100 Starliner flight tests and crew rotation missions to the International Space Station.” More Info (Aviation Week)

CNET News reports that Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson believes that the company is “on the verge” of reaching its goals to reach space. During an interview, Branson admitted, “Before the end of the year I hope to be sitting in a Virgin Galactic spaceship, going to space.” More Info (CNET News)

CNET News  reports that three days after its last launch from Florida, SpaceX is preparing to launch its second Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenburg AFB in California early Wednesday. The rocket will carry a set of 10 satellites for Iridium, the “seventh of eight planned SpaceX launches to upgrade Iridium’s satellite constellation.” In addition

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission is “facing yet another delay, this time until Aug. 11 because of a small strip of foam found inside the spacecraft’s nose cone.” The mission had previously been delayed for two days to August 6 due to a “technical problem during encapsulation.” According to a NASA

The Los Angeles Times  reports on an “anomaly” suffered by The Boeing Company’s astronaut test capsule “during an engine test fire last month, which analysts said is likely to delay the Chicago aerospace giant’s first flight of astronauts from US soil even further.” The issue happened when a test version of the integrated service module underwent a

The Dallas Morning News  reports that on Monday, Lockheed Martin announced plans to hire 400 additional “technicians, mechanics and assemblers” to help support the company’s F-35 program in Fort Worth, Texas. The company will begin interviewing candidates in a July 30 hiring event. In particular, Lockheed hopes to hire “in several roles: avionics technician; milling machinist; low

Reuters  reports that the Lockheed Martin F-35 is arriving in “growing numbers in Europe,” and is “poised to play a much broader role in missile defense and other warfare plans than conventional fighters, according to US and European officials.” According to US Air Force and NATO air forces Commander Gen. Tod Wolters, the fighter’s advanced sensors

Reuters  reported that NASA is preparing to send its Parker Solar probe “closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft has ventured, enduring wicked heat while zooming through the solar corona to study this outermost part of the stellar atmosphere that gives rise to the solar wind.” The probe is scheduled for an August 6 launch

Florida Today reports that meteorologists with the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron believe that early-morning clouds above Cape Canaveral may threaten the planned launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Telstar 19 VANTAGE communications satellite early Sunday morning. Due to the likely presence of cumulus and thick clouds during the launch window, forecasters

The Washington Post reports that Blue Origin successfully completed the ninth flight of its “New Shepard rocket Wednesday, wrapping up another test of the vehicle’s escape system as the company works toward its first human space flight as soon as this year.” The booster and spacecraft launched from the company’s test site in West Texas around 11

Aviation Week reports that NASA has “laid out a three-phase program to collect data on public acceptance of reduced sonic booms” from the X-59A QueSST low-boom demonstrator aircraft designed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works. Community data “gathered by the Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) program will be provided to the FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization

The Wall Street Journal reports that Airbus anticipates long-term benefits and potential Pentagon contracts as the result of implementing a new high-volume automated production system for small satellites. According to Airbus Defence and Space CEO Dirk Hoke, production and quality control changes made as part of the company’s joint venture with OneWeb will position the company to

Cryptovest reports that The Boeing Company has announced a partnership with artificial intelligence company SparkCognition to “develop AI and blockchain-based solutions for tracking of unmanned air crafts and air traffic control.” The two companies plan to use artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to develop solutions to track unmanned aircraft and manage traffic, and “also plan to

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] July 18, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation announced the winners of its 2017–2018 AIAA Foundation Engine Design Competition on July 11 at the AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 2017–2018 Engine Design Competition’s goal was

Space News reports that space industry executives at the Farnborough Airshow “reacted enthusiastically to the news on Monday that the United Kingdom will invest in domestic spaceports.” The news is “especially good news for the burgeoning” small satellite industry, as more launch sites and vehicle choices will make it “possible to set up new constellations in

In an article titled “Military Spending Is Up, But Aerospace And Defense Workers Are Scarce,” the New York Times reports that the “aviation and defense industries in Europe, Asia and the Americas” are “struggling to fill new positions created by increased military budgets.” The topic is cited as a likely source of discussion at this week’s Farnborough

Florida Today reported that according to the newest US Air Force launch schedules, SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 22. The rocket will carry the “Telstar 19 VANTAGE satellite for Canada-based Telesat from Launch Complex 40, though a precise

The Wichita Business Journal reported that a team of Boeing Company and US Air Force personnel have “cleared the final flight tests required for first delivery of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker.” The first delivery of the tanker is planned for “late October, and will go to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.” According to Air Force Service

Aviation International News reports that Airbus Defence and Space has “demonstrated automatic air-to-air refueling” of its A310 tanker prototype with a Royal Australian Air Force Airbus A330 transport. Airbus has previously demonstrated “automatic refueling of a fighter aircraft.” According to Airbus, the system requires no additional receiver equipment, and is intended to improve safety, reduce the

Aviation International News reports that Airbus Defence and Space has “demonstrated automatic air-to-air refueling” of its A310 tanker prototype with a Royal Australian Air Force Airbus A330 transport. Airbus has previously demonstrated “automatic refueling of a fighter aircraft.” According to Airbus, the system requires no additional receiver equipment, and is intended to improve safety, reduce the

Exponential digital technologies are delivering increased value at less cost and rapidly revolutionizing the aviation industry, said Colin Parris, vice president for software research at GE Global Research, July 11 during the “Digital Transformation in Aviation Services” session at the 2018 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati. Parris said exponential characteristics exhibited by digital technology are helping

The U.S. aerospace sector can encourage research to benefit the emerging and competitive field of military and even commercial hypersonic flight, a panel of executives and government  officials said July 10 at the  2018 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati. Hypersonic weapons and military aircraft have been around for 60 years, but advancing the science requires new ways

The aerospace industry is dealing with the tough problem of needing to reach out to elementary students to build the workforce pipeline while simultaneously hiring people right now, panelists said July 11 at the 2018 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati. The panelists discussed ways to tackle the issue during the “Workforce Challenges and Policy Initiatives to Support

Additive manufacturing — a hot topic for the past several years — is transforming processes and business models for aerospace manufacturers, a panel of experts said July 11 during the “Additive Manufacturing” session at the 2018 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum in Cincinnati. Christine Furstoss, vice president of engineering and technology at GE Additive, shared one example. “Additive can disrupt

Aviation Today reports that AeroVironment announced it will collaborate with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to “build the agency’s Mars Helicopter planned to fly on Mars.” The helicopter will be part of NASA’s next Mars rover mission, planned for July 2020 to “demonstrate the viability and potential of heavier-than-air vehicles on the red planet.” AeroVironment displayed

Space News reports that NASA has called for proposals to construct a “second mobile launch platform that will be used by an upgraded version of the Space Launch System [SLS] rocket starting in the early 2020s.” The NASA solicitation was issued June 29 for Mobile Launcher 2 (ML2), which will go through a “two-step process, starting

The AP reported that Aerojet Rocketdyne test-fired its experimental AR-22 rocket engine Monday at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine is designed to be part of a “reusable spacecraft that can launch into space repeatedly with a quick turnaround time.” The Phantom Express spacecraft is a “collaboration between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Boeing

Aviation Week reported that the US Army plans to acquire “multiple off-the-shelf air vehicles for operational demonstrations to inform requirements for the planned Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FTUAS) program.” A request for proposals (RFP) released July 2 details the Army’s intent to award multiple contracts with an estimated ceiling value of $78 million “following a

Aerospace America interviews Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems head Mark Sirangelo at the company’s Colorado production facility about the development of the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft. The Dream Chaser Cargo System is “about to be built on a brand-new manufacturing floor side by side with SNC’s pitch for the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.” Full Story (Aerospace America, by

FlightGlobal reports on the announcement that a Bell-Boeing joint venture has been awarded a $4.2 billion US Navy contract to produce 78 V-22 Osprey helicopters, the “third multiyear purchase of the VTOL aircraft.” The contract pays for 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the Navy, “34 MV-22B aircraft for the Marine Corps; 1 CV-22B for the Air Force;