SPACE hosts a two-and-a-half-minute video of the successful test flight of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane. The video “chronicles” the test flight “over California’s Mojave Desert from takeoff to landing.” The video features “gorgeous shots of Unity rocketing upward atop a tail of bright-orange flame,” as well as footage “inside the cockpit.” More Info (SPACE)

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that this week’s SpaceX Falcon 9 launch attempt “could happen just after midnight in the wee hours of Friday morning, from 12:29 a.m. to 2:57 a.m.” SpaceX has not officially announced its launch window, but the preliminary times were drawn from the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron. Weather conditions “could be

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that a British police UAV operator had to steer his unmanned aircraft “away from the path of an F-15 fighter jet travelling at nearly 520mph.” The Devon and Cornwall officer “was convinced there would be a collision” when the fighter “came into view and then banked right above Throwleigh, Devon” on January

The Press Association (UK) reports that according to Lockheed Martin F-35 International Business Development Director Steve Over, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter is likely one of the “most cyber tested weapons systems that exists in US Department of Defence inventory.” According to Over, the aircraft has “passed every cyber test that has been applied against

Aviation Today reported that as part of a “new spirit of outreach to industry,” the US Army “wants to know what the private sector can do to better team drones with manned aircraft.” Manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) has been a recent “focus” for the Army, which is working to determine what “products, research, operational concepts and mission

Reuters reports that a “shrinking supply” of cobalt as well as “robust demand from traditional sectors such as jet engine makers are helping fuel a price rally that shows no signs of fading.” Cobalt is used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries as well as “superalloys, valued for their resistance to high temperatures and corrosion” in

Space News reports that according to a panel at the Space Tech Expo, small satellites have spurred technological advances that have “opened up a wide range of propulsion options for satellites.” Executives for several propulsion startups believe that the “demands for propulsion that can meet mass, volume and power constraints of small satellites were helping drive

FlightGlobal reports that as The Boeing Company launches production of the new Block III variant, F/A-18E/F fighters have demonstrated a “sensor fusion capability that combines the data from multiple sensors on both aircraft in near real-time.” While sensor fusion capability is “most often associated” with the F-35, the “F/A-18E/F fleet has been steadily catching up to

Space News reports that both SpaceX and its competitors are “seeing a growing acceptance of reusable vehicles in the overall market.” SpaceX Senior Director for Government Business Development Josh Brost, speaking at the Space Tech Expo conference, stated that SpaceX is working with “other government entities” about using previously flown boosters, which likely includes the US

Bloomberg News reports that the US Air Force has delayed the launch of its “first Global Positioning System III satellite from this month to October at the earliest as it reviews” the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket. In a statement, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center explained that the planned launch “has slipped due to

Bloomberg News reports that the FAA is crafting new regulations “to accommodate noise certification of new supersonic aircraft,” according to an FAA post on the White House website. The only US noise standards in effect apply to the Concorde. The FAA also is developing a “second new rule that will allow easier approvals for supersonic-flight testing,

Aerospace America reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California deployed a pair of “NASA climate-change satellites into polar orbit on its way to deploying the next tranche of Iridium NEXT satellites” for the company’s “airline tracking service through a joint venture among Aireon, Nav Canada and other navigation

SPACE reports that NASA “has asked scientists to submit their ideas for instruments” on the agency’s Europa Lander. According to a tweet by NASA Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA is accepting submissions through August 24. In contrast to the agency’s Europa Clipper mission, the Europa lander “is on less solid ground; it’s a

Bloomberg News reports that Boeing-backed startup Zunum Aero will deliver its first hybrid-electric plane in 2022 to JetSuite, a small charter airline. JetBlue Airways has also invested in Zunum and JetSuite. The new aircraft will be powered by “twin propulsors attached to the rear of its frame” using electric motors, while a conventional fuel-powered motor will

Aviation Today reports that the US Air Force is exploring “how it will oversee its share of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program” in light of the US military’s recently announced decision to shift more control of the fighter to the individual military branches. According to Air Force Materiel Command Commander Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski,

NASA reports that a Cygnus spacecraft successfully launched early Monday aboard an Antares 230 rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Orbital ATK’s ninth cargo mission as part as NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. Launch occurred at 4:43 a.m. EDT Monday. Astronauts Scott Tingle and Ricky Arnold will capture Cygnus with the space station’s

Reuters reported that on Friday the FAA approved a foldable wingtip design for The Boeing Company’s 777 jets. The design, which “will be incorporated in the world’s largest commercial planemaker’s Model 777-8 and 777-9s models, would allow the bigger wings to fit into the standard-sized airport parking space.” The wingtips will reduce the wingspan from 235

Popular Mechanics reports Boeing is “looking for ways to keep” its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter operational “well into the mid-21st century.” Boeing will soon be building more than 100 Apaches annually for global customers and is “mapping out upgrades to keep the helicopter a key weapons system for decades to come.” Likely planned upgrades include “the

Aerospace America reports that NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine addressed attendees at the Human to Mars Summit at George Washington University, stating the agency’s intent to explore “both the moon and Mars in tandem,” rather than focusing exclusively on lunar missions as the Trump administration has suggested. Bridenstine explained that landing humans on the moon’s surface will

Wired reported that FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell spoke at Uber’s annual Elevate Summit in Los Angeles, where the ride-sharing company presented its vision of future intra-urban drone transportation networks, or “flying taxis.” Among the “nearly 1,000 attendees” from various organizations and institutions, the FAA was “unlike the other participants, who were all gung-ho about the

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX has delayed the launch of five Iridium “message relay satellites and a pair of U.S.-German orbiting geophysics probes” on a Falcon 9 rocket from California by three days to May 22, while a “week-long schedule slip to May 31 is expected for the next SpaceX flight from Cape Canaveral with an

USA Today reports that the FAA ordered faster inspections of Boeing 737 aircraft engines Wednesday in order to “ensure that the oldest fan blades in about 5,400 engines are inspected by June 30.” In a statement, the FAA said that it is “acting to ensure an extra measure of safety for fan blade performance in CFM56

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] May 18, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical excellence awards to be presented during the 2018 AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition (AIAA AVIATION Forum). The awards will be presented during the Excellence in

Space News reports that a NASA advisory committee, concerned about “delays in the development of commercial crew systems,” wants the agency to consider operating the ISS with a reduced crew. At the ISS Advisory Committee’s May 14 meeting, Chairman Thomas Stafford argued that NASA should consider training Russian cosmonauts on key systems for the US Operating

The Wall Street Journal reports that airlines are increasingly using smaller jets such as the Boeing 737 Max for transatlantic flights, providing the airlines with additional scheduling flexibility. JetBlue is considering adding European flights with its Airbus A321neo. This will also provide smaller airlines the opportunity to break into the long-haul market, 75 percent of which is

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] May 17, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce four new at-large members of its Board of Trustees, a new treasurer, and four new members of its Council of Directors. They began their terms on 4 May 2018.

AIAA Profiles AIAA Associate Fellow Dr. Martiqua Post Professor, U.S. Air Force Academy Advanced Full Range Engine (AFRE) Program Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative, DARPA By Michele McDonald, AIAA Communications Manager When Martiqua Post earned her private pilot’s license, the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) professor also learned more about what her students experience. “I passed my FAA check

Bloomberg News reports that with plummeting prices of commercial “airborne data” and the availability of low-cost UAVs, there is growing competition among companies to maximize their profits while still offering affordable services to customers. Companies including General Electric, Intel, Verizon, and new startups like PrecisionHawk and Airware are trying to gain an edge by using new

Reuters reports that a “new look at old data” has made Jupiter’s moon Europa a “leading candidate in the search for life beyond Earth, with evidence of water plumes shooting into space.” A “bend in Europa’s magnetic field” observed by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft in 1997 appears to have been “caused by a geyser gushing through its

Aerospace America reported on discussions at last week’s Humans to Mars Summit in Washington, DC centered on space entrepreneurship. During the event, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said, “I believe the first trillionaire will be made in space.” While attendees and presenters “seemed optimistic about growth” of the space industry, some were “less sure about Cruz’s trillionaire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] May 14, 2018 – Reston, Va. – From honoring the top innovators in aerospace to passing the gavel to a new president, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala on May 2 covered a lot of ground. The gala celebrated 22 newly elected

The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA leadership plans to “reassign all 90 employees” working on the agency’s canceled lunar rover to “other opportunities within the agency” when work on the project ends this month. The $250 million Resource Prospector was canceled April 23, the “same day Jim Bridenstine was sworn in as NASA’s new administrator.” The cancellation

FlightGlobal reports that the US Coast Guard issued a request for proposals for “long-range, ultra-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions” in US coastal regions “highly trafficked by illegal drug and migrant smugglers.” The areas include the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific Ocean. The aircraft must be land-based and

The AP reports that Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced Wednesday that 10 sites have been selected for a “test program aimed at increasing the use of unmanned aircraft for projects that range from monitoring crops and oil pipelines in North Dakota to applying mosquito-killing treatments in Florida and package deliveries in Tennessee.” In a statement, Chao

Bloomberg News reports that Uber announced plans Tuesday to partner with NASA to develop vertical takeoff and landing vehicles that will serve as taxis within cities. Uber made the announcement at its Uber Elevate conference in Los Angeles, and set a goal to begin testing in 2020, with commercial service beginning in 2023. More Info (Bloomberg News)

Bloomberg News reports that Uber announced plans Tuesday to partner with NASA to develop vertical takeoff and landing vehicles that will serve as taxis within cities. Uber made the announcement at its Uber Elevate conference in Los Angeles, and set a goal to begin testing in 2020, with commercial service beginning in 2023. More Info (Bloomberg News)

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX confirmed a Thursday launch date for its upgraded “Block 5” Falcon 9 rocket in a tweet Monday. Launch crews successfully completed a test fire of the rocket Friday at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A. Florida Today reports that SpaceX will have more than two hours to launch the rocket “with Bangladesh’s first geostationary

USA Today reports that 2017 was the second-most profitable year ever for US airlines, which brought in “nearly $15.5 billion, the Transportation Department announced Monday.” Combined after-tax net profit at 23 airlines “improved from the $14 billion in 2016, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).” Fees for checked bags and changed flights contributed 4.6

Aerospace America reported that on Thursday, the NTSB said investigators examining the Southwest Airlines Boing 737-700 which experienced a broken engine blade last month have found “six crack lines from metal fatigue in pieces of the blade discovered inside the CFM56-7B engine built by CFM International, the joint venture of Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aviation.”

Spaceflight Now reported that on Saturday, “an automated SpaceX supply ship parachuted into the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, bringing more than 3,800 pounds of cargo – including a NASA robot requiring repair – back to Earth after a month-long mission at the International Space Station.” The Dragon cargo capsule splashed into the Pacific about 400 miles

FlightGlobal reports that Boeing subsidiary Insitu debuted its ScanEagle3 UAV at the “annual AUVSI gathering.” Boeing is promoting the UAV as a “primarily commercial product that is free of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations that govern its other aircraft, such as the ScanEagle2 and Integrator.” According to Insitu Commercial Vice President Mark Bauman, this “enables

The Washington Post reports that NASA’s InSight spacecraft is “slated to launch early Saturday morning, carrying instruments to take the temperature and pulse of the Red Planet’s deep interior.” The probe will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in “NASA’s first interplanetary launch from the West Coast.” The mission aims to help scientists understand how

SPACE reports that NASA and SpaceX have postponed the “return to Earth of the CRS-14 Dragon cargo ship” from the ISS until Saturday due to “rough seas at its splashdown zone.” According to NASA spokesperson Gary Jordan, mission managers wanted to avoid unnecessary risk to scientific experiments and equipment aboard the Dragon. Jordan stated, “It’s really

Reuters reports that aerospace suppliers are beginning to explore the use of blockchain technology as a way to “keep tabs on their supply chain, potentially tracking parts such as those identified as the cause of a Southwest Airlines accident last month.” Blockchain technology is best-known as the “digital transactions technology that underpins cryptocurrency,” but can also

Bloomberg News reports that although Intel UAVs played “starring roles at the 2018 Winter Olympics, the music and arts festival Coachella and danced above the Bellagio Hotel’s fountains in Las Vega,” the company anticipates that new software for “more utilitarian unmanned aerial vehicles may play a more lasting role in its attempts to spread the reach

Space News reports that the National Space Council (NSC) is studying better coordination of the radiofrequency spectrum to “protect satellite communications from terrestrial interference, the council’s executive secretary said April 30.” Speaking at the Hudson Institute, NSC Executive Director Scott Pace called for setting aside parts of the spectrum for satellite services in order to protect

SPACE reports that the heat shield for NASA’s Mars rover suffered a “fracture during testing recently, but the incident won’t change the mission’s launch date, agency officials said.” The rover is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission to search for signs of microbial life and “characterize potentially habitable environments.” Structural damage to the shield’s outer edge

Aviation Today reports that Gulfstream Aerospace plans to build a $55 million, 202,000-square-foot service center at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. The new service center is expected to create 200 jobs when it opens in the second quarter of 2019, and will “complement the main Gulfstream Savannah Service Center, the world’s largest purpose-built business jet

Florida Today reported that Orbital ATK is targeting “late May for the next launch of its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft on a mission to resupply the International Space Station.” Orbital ATK launch teams will have a five-minute window on May 20 to launch the rocket and a Cygnus spacecraft from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company’s profits “surged past Wall Street estimates in the first quarter” amid “booming demand” for commercial jets, causing the company to raise its “forecasts for cash flow and earnings in what promises to be another record year.” Referencing concerns expressed by Caterpillar about rising steel and aluminum costs, Boeing CEO Dennis