Space News reports that according to a report released Thursday by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the agency is paying more money for less cargo delivered to the ISS as part of commercial cargo contracts issued in 2016. The OIG report also “flagged a number of issues with all three companies that received Commercial Resupply

Florida Today reports that SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell estimated at a recent TED Talk that the company’s Starlink satellite internet constellation will cost at least $10 billion to deploy and will “change the world.” SpaceX plans to launch thousands of small satellites to low-Earth orbit which will “beam internet connectivity back down, bypassing the

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] April 26, 2018 – Reston, Va. – Paul M. Bevilaqua will be awarded the Daniel Guggenheim Medal next month for his influential aeronautics work, which has led to such advancements as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Daniel Guggenheim Medal was established in 1929 to honor innovators who

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX technicians at Cape Canaveral are readying for the first launch of an upgraded Falcon 9 rocket next week, a mission that will “debut changes to make the launcher” safer for astronauts as well as make it easier and safer for SpaceX to reuse first-stage boosters. The launch of the “European-built Bangabandhu

Reuters reports that Airbus subsidiary Voom, which operates a helicopter booking app, “expects its new Mexico City operations to capitalize on some of the worst traffic in the world to eclipse the growth it has seen in Brazil, the company’s chief executive said.” Voom began operations in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and Mexico City is the company’s

The Apache Junction Independent reports that the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is adding eight UAVs to “help its engineering staff safely and more efficiently inspect hard-to-reach areas on some bridges and perform surveying work along state highways.” ADOT purchased the UAVs through an Arizona Council for Transportation Innovation program grant. This spring, the Arizona Council for

FlightGlobal reports that United Airlines has taken delivery of its “first Boeing 737 Max 9, marking the stretched Max variant’s debut at a US carrier.” The aircraft was handed over at Boeing’s Seattle delivery center Monday, and the jet was given a “special swoosh livery” due to the aircraft’s fuel efficiency. The 737 Max 8, which

Aerospace America reported that a team from Clarkson University won the 2018 Design/Build/Fly competition in Wichita, Kansas, on Sunday, “besting fellow students from around the United States and world.” The team’s aircraft was one of the lightest radio-controlled planes in the competition, and was made in part from the “takeout container box from a Chinese restaurant.”

Aviation International News reported that Lockheed Martin Vice President and F-35 Program General Manager Greg Ulmer declared that its F-35 program has completed the “most comprehensive flight-test program in aviation history.” The final flight of the fighter’s System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase was take from Naval Air Station Patuxent River “on April 11, when F-35C

Reuters reported that Honeywell posted “higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday and lifted its full-year earnings forecast for the second time this year, citing higher sales in its aerospace business.” The aerospace division benefited from a “rise in global travel as it sold more aircraft parts and services to the commercial airline sector, while also seeing robust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] April 23, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) today announces that President-Elect John Langford has made a generous donation of $250,000 to fund an annual $10,000 AIAA Foundation Daedalus 88 Undergraduate Scholarship. “John has set a high standard for others to

Aerospace America reports that following a fatality aboard a Southwest Airlines flight caused by the failure of one of the aircraft’s CFM56-7B engines, Southwest will work toward inspecting all similar engines in its fleet within a month. When the FAA sought public comment last year on a proposed rule requiring inspections of the engines’ fan blades,

Aerospace America reports that DARPA has selected a team led by Dynetics to develop and test elements of its “proposed concept for dispatching drones from C-130 transport planes” and recovering them using a “tethered capture device that resembles an aerial refueling boom.” The company announced Wednesday that it had won the “next phase of DARPA’s $64

Aerospace America interviewed attendees of the Space Symposium about their thoughts on Jim Bridenstine, “whose nomination was mired in controversy in the months since he was named.” Attendees reported that “they were ready to move forward” from the past controversies, chiefly “because of what they see as his strong support for the US industry and space

Aerospace America reports that US Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced a reorganization of the Space And Missile Systems Center (SMC) on Tuesday, “with the aim of getting missile warning satellites to orbit years sooner than she said today’s acquisition processes and bureaucratic structure would permit.” The service is developing the Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] AIAA President Congratulates Rep. Bridenstine April 19, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine on being confirmed as the 13th NASA Administrator. AIAA President Jim Maser made the following statement upon Bridenstine’s confirmation. “There is much for

Bloomberg News reported that India announced Friday it would accept proposals from industry to provide 110 single- and twin-seat fighters that would “be mostly manufactured locally” in the world’s “biggest such order currently.” The order could be worth as much as $15 billion, and will require manufacturers to produce at least 85 percent of the jets

Reuters reports that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is backing the development of a “United Nations-led” global UAV registry. According to IATA Director of Air Traffic Management Infrastructure Rob Eagles, the database also could be used to track incidents involving UAVs and jets. IATA also would consider “collaborating with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

The AP reports that NASA is planning to conduct “sonic boom tests” over the Gulf of Mexico off Galveston, Texas, as part of a new study to “produce a quieter boom.” NASA Commercial Supersonic Technology Project Manager Peter Cohen explained that the study will help in the design of supersonic commercial aircraft that can break the sound

CNET News reports that Lockheed Martin, Stratasys, and Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies (PADT) announced Tuesday that they will manufacture and deploy 3D-printed parts for NASA’s Orion spacecraft, the agency’s first spacecraft to include such parts. Orion’s unmanned test flight, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), is planned for December 2019, to be followed by the manned EM-2 mission

Bloomberg News reported that a joint US, French, and British “missile barrage on Syria” late Friday night also included the “battlefield debut of a stealthy new Lockheed Martin Corp. air-launched cruise missile produced as part of a $4.6 billion defense program.” Nineteen Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs) were fired from two B-1B bombers outside

Inside Defense reported that the US Air Force plans to invite up to four companies to demonstrate that their directed-energy weapons systems can defend military bases against small UAVs in an experiment this fall. The service plans to hold the trials for two to three weeks at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico beginning October

Aerospace America reported that the US Navy plans to deploy its first two Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAVs by the end of 2018 “without sense-and avoid radars that would give the planes limited autonomy to avoid other aircraft, says a rear admiral who hopes that upgrade will be ready by 2021.” US Navy Unmanned Aviation and

Air Force Times reports that in recent Congressional testimony, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “warned Congress that the deep cuts to pilot hours and lack of ready aircraft that are partly to blame will not find a quick fix.” Mattis told members of the House Armed Services Committee Thursday, “We cannot repair our way out of the

Aviation Today reports that the US Coast Guard has issued a draft solicitation “related to a forthcoming technology demonstration of long-range, ultra-endurance unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for potential use finding and tracking illegal drug and migrant activities in the transit zone.” The demonstration will help the Coast Guard “determine the operational utility of long-range, ultra-endurance UAS

ExecutiveGov reports that according to US Navy Fire Scout Program Manager Capt. Jeff Dodge, the service’s Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8C helicopter is on track to reach initial operating capability (IOC) status by the end of this year. The helicopter is scheduled to undergo an initial operational test and evaluation this month. More Info (ExecutiveGov)

Aerospace America reports on the upcoming Space Symposium that will be held “in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 16 through 19,” highlighting some of the event’s featured exhibits and speakers. Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser test vehicle will be displayed “front and center outside the event center’s Broadmoor Hall with history factoids and a selfie station,” while Deloitte

AIAA Profiles AIAA Associate Fellow Dr. Hanspeter Schaub By Lawrence Garrett, AIAA Web Editor For April 2018, the Institute turns its spotlight toward the Rocky Mountains, home of the Glenn L. Murphy Endowed Chair of Aerospace Engineering Sciences (AES) at the University of Colorado, and Editor-in-Chief of the AIAA Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (JSR), Dr. Hanspeter

Reuters reports that Scandinavian airline SAS “said on Tuesday it will add 50 Airbus A320neo aircraft to bolster its short and medium-haul fleet with deliveries to begin in the first half of next year.” The deal concludes “lengthy talks” between Airbus and the airline. The carrier “said it was buying 35 aircraft and leasing an additional

Space News reports that SpaceX is seeking permission from the FAA to “perform splashdowns of its Dragon spacecraft in the Gulf of Mexico, part of a shift in spacecraft recovery operations from the Pacific Ocean.” In a draft environmental assessment drawn up by the agency, SpaceX proposed up to six Dragon landings annually in the Gulf

CNET News hosts a NASA video released Monday that “takes Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery and turns it into a 4K tour of the moon that will make you want to go for a visit.” The footage includes standard images of the moon as well as “colorful digitally enhanced footage that shows off some the moon’s fascinating

Politico reported that Steve Isakowitz, the CEO of government-funded think tank The Aerospace Corp., is warning that “war is coming to outer space, and the Pentagon…is not yet ready, following years of underinvesting while the military focused on a host of threats on Earth.” In an interview, Isakowitz said that the US is “approaching a point

The New York Times reports that the Hubble Space Telescope, “NASA’s jewel of the skies, is temporarily out of service.” The telescope “stood down from observing” and entered into a “safe mode” Friday after one of its gyroscopes failed. NASA has “appointed a review board to investigate the gyroscope problem.” Hubble carries six gyroscopes in total, “but

FlightGlobal reports Boeing Phantom Works’ MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle prototype “is powered by a single, 9,000lb-thrust Rolls-Royce AE3007N turbofan, Boeing disclosed on 5 April.” Boeing “said the engine has powered its prototype on tarmac manoeuvres meant to simulate the sort of taxiing the drone would be expected to perform on an aircraft carrier deck, such as

SPACE reports Virgin Galactic successfully tested its SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity suborbital vehicle Thursday. It “was the company’s first powered flight in nearly 3.5 years, following the tragic loss of SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise on Oct 31, 2014.” More Info (SPACE)

ExecutiveGov reports that the US Air Force will deploy five CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to Yokota Air Base in Japan “earlier than previously anticipated” as part of the service’s “efforts to help address regional security concerns within the Pacific Command’s area of responsibility and comply with the 2018 National Defense Strategy.” The Air Force originally planned

The AP reports that a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying 6,000 pounds of “food, experiments and other goods for NASA has arrived at the International Space Station after a two-day journey.” The refurbished Dragon spacecraft visited the ISS two years ago, and remained attached to the space station “for about a month, returning to Earth in May.” More

Bloomberg News reported that due to the design of their communication systems, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighters “have a difficult time communicating with each other” – despite the fact that they “both function as airborne shepherds of America’s flock of older combat aircraft.” The F-22’s Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) is “much

SPACE reports that a “flying, amphibious robot” called Shapeshifter designed to “cruise through Titan’s atmosphere, go spelunking in caves or dive into the moon’s many seas” is among the 25 “early-stage technology proposals selected in the 2018 round of NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 concepts.” Other concepts proposed include “space telescope swarms and meteoroid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Carmela Brittingham 703.264.7535 [email protected] April 4, 2018 – Reston, Va. –The International Committee on Technical Interchange for Space Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems (SpaceOps Organization) is pleased to announce that the following awards will be presented during the 15th International Conference on Space Operations (SpaceOps), taking place 28 May–1 June

Bloomberg Government reports that NASA is seeking flight directors to “lead manned spaceflight missions to the International Space Station, including the return of American-made commercial crew spacecraft,” as well as the unmanned Orion lunar missions. Interested persons can apply through April 17, and final selections are expected by mid-year. More Info (Bloomberg Government)

TIME reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Monday carrying supplies for the ISS as well as “an experimental system known as RemoveDEBRIS, which scientists hope will help clean up Earth’s space junk-littered upper atmosphere, CBS reports.” The spacecraft was co-funded by the European Commission and developed by Britain’s University of Surrey Space Center (SSC),

Aerospace America reported that automated industrial devices “can damage assembly lines if infected by malware, say US cybersecurity analysts.” Some experts are worried about what they see as a “lax cybersecurity culture in the manufacturing sector that includes insufficient sharing of information about malware.” Because, according to former National Security Agency (NSA) cybersecurity analyst Jake Williams,

USA Today reports that launch teams are “ready to kick off a busy month for the Space Coast with the Monday afternoon liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with supplies destined for the International Space Station.” According to the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron, conditions should be 80 percent “go” during

FlightGlobal reported that the US Navy “demonstrated for the first time the ability to remotely take control of an aircraft and land it on an aircraft carrier’s deck.” Officers aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln landed an F/A-18 Super Hornet using the aircraft terminal approach remote inceptor system “developed at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland by Naval Air

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Black-Tie Event Honors Aerospace’s Best and Brightest April 2, 2018 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced the 2018 recipients of its most prestigious awards. Presentation of these awards and recognition of the Institute’s newly elected Fellows and Honorary Fellows will

The Financial Times reports that the risk posed by space debris is increasing as companies plan to launch record numbers of satellites in coming years. More Info (Financial Times)

Airforce Technology reported that AeroVironment has upgraded its Puma 3 “all-environment” UAV to be “operational in more challenging radio frequency (RF) environments.” The upgraded version supports the effective operation of the UAV’s “i45 electro-optical / infrared (EO / IR) sensor suite with signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads in harsh and demanding environments.” The UAV also received “security

Aviation Today reports that the first F-35 Lightning II fighter produced for South Korea’s order of 40 fighters “was unveiled Wednesday morning at a joint ceremony between manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the Korean Air Force and the US government.” South Korea is the ninth country to take possession of the F-35. The jet will be delivered to