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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] July 6, 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 Propulsion and Energy Forum and Exposition. The awards will be presented during the Excellence in Aerospace Awards

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;

Aerospace America reported that in August, Airbus’ A3 plans to transition a “full-scale prototype” of its unmanned Vahana aircraft from vertical to horizontal flight “for the first time.” The Alpha One prototype will accomplish this by “tilting its wings, which have electrically driven propellers distributed across them.” According to A3 CEO Rodin Lyasoff, A3 envisions Vahana

Aerospace America reported that NASA officials are preparing to submit funding and schedule commitments for its X-59 supersonic demonstrator aircraft to Congress in October. Agency officials expect to need “around $500 million to pay for construction and test flights” for the aircraft, and the spending commitment will “apply to future budgets needed to complete the project.”

Panelists: Moderator Rich Wahls, strategic technical adviser, Advanced Air Vehicles Program, NASA’s Langley Research Center; Robert Pearce, deputy associate administrator for strategy and acting director for Airspace Operations and Safety Program, NASA Headquarters; Peter Coen, project manager, Commercial Supersonic Technology Project, NASA; Jay Dryer, director, Advanced Air Vehicles Program; Davis Hackenberg, strategy adviser for urban

Panelists: Moderator Robbie Cowart, director, supersonic technology development, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.; Mike Hinderberger, senior vice president of aircraft development, Aerion Corp.; David Richardson, director for air vehicle design and technology, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin; Blake Scholl, founder and CEO, Boom Supersonic; Kevin Welsh, executive director, Office of Environment and Energy, FAA by Tom Risen, Aerospace America Staff

Speaker: Anil Nanduri, vice president and general manager, Drone Group, Intel Corp. by Ben Iannotta, Aerospace America editor-in-chief Intel, the computer chipmaker and drone pioneer, plans to one day program its drones to automatically spot trouble, such as a rusted pipe in an oil refinery, and text an alert to a manager on the ground. Anil Nanduri, head

Speaker: Michael Thacker, executive vice president of technology and innovation, Bell by Ben Iannotta, Aerospace America editor-in-chief Empowering everyday commuters and other passengers to fly over urban areas will require groundbreaking research but also achieving consumer acceptance and finding the most efficient way possible to certify these aircraft for safety, said Bell’s innovation chief, Michael Thacker, June 28

Panelists: Moderator John Tylko, chief innovation officer, Aurora Flight Sciences Corp; Andrew Gibson, president, Empirical Systems Aerospace Inc.; Bruce Holmes, vice president of digital aviation, SmartSky Networks LLC; Daniel Morris; director, REaKTOR Business Technology Innovation Center, National Institute of Aerospace; Kevin Noertker, CEO, Ampaire by Tom Risen, Aerospace America staff reporter (2017-2018) A group of executives described their strategies for

Space News reports that the US Army may contribute personnel to the White House’s newly announced Space Force. Although it is expected that the new branch’s “ranks would be dominated by airmen,” Army soldiers “also would have a role” in the Space Force “by virtue of much they rely on military satellites in peacetime or in

Aviation Today reports that Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs – also known as “Skunk Works” – head Jeff Babione spoke at the AIAA AVIATION Forum Tuesday on the F-35’s “controversial two-decade history and its path going forward.” Babione led the F-35 program until recently. One of the “most immediate upgrades coming to the F-35 is an

Panelists: Moderator David Hills, senior partnership manager, Airbus Americas Inc.; Matej Andrejašič, head of aerodynamics, Pipistrel Vertical Solutions; Pier-Davide Ciampa, team lead, Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization, German Aerospace Center; Sebastiano Fumero, head of unit-aeronautics, Research and Innovation Directorate General, European Commission; Pablo Perez-Illana, program officer, Research and Innovation Directorate General, European Commission; Joeri De Ruytter,

Panelists: Moderator David Hills, vice president of research and technology, Airbus; Michael Huerta, senior adviser, Macquarie Holdings by Tom Risen, Aerospace America staff reporter (2017-2018) Michael Huerta, a former FAA administrator, emphasized the need for data sharing, international collaboration and public education to achieve the aviation industry’s common goal of safety June 27 during his “Aviation Transformation —

Panelists: Moderator Donald W. Richardson, chief operating officer, Donrich Research Inc.; Gregory Bowles, vice president for global innovation and policy, General Aviation Manufacturers Association; Ravi Chaudhary, director for advanced programs and innovation, FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Parimal H. Kopardekar, senior technologist, Air Transportation Systems, NASA’s Ames Research Center; Robert Pearce, acting director, Airspace

Panelists: Moderator Nicolas Borer, advanced air vehicle configurator technical lead, Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch, NASA’s Langley Research Center; Ella Atkins, professor of aerospace engineering, University of Michigan; Anna Dietrich, co-founder, Terrafugia; Stephane Fymat, vice president of product management and marketing, BendixKing, Honeywell Aerospace; Zohaib Mian, senior autonomous systems architect, Mercedes-Bosch Autonomous Driving Project, Robert Bosch

Homeland Preparedness News reports that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is looking to equip UAVs “with different sensors other than cameras that may be useful in search-and-rescue, surveillance, active shooter response, hostage situations, and other scenarios.” The directorate has “launched a program” to acquire commercially available sensors, which will be

Panelists: Moderator Graham Warwick, managing editor, Aviation Week and Space Technology; Eric Branyan, vice president, F-35 Supply Chain Management, Lockheed Martin; Declan Holland, vice president of U.S. business, BAE Systems Inc.; Frank Carus, vice president and F-35 program manager, Northrop Grumman Corp.; Thomas Johns, director, F135 Weapon System Integration, Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney; John

Panelists: Moderator Juan J. Alonso, professor, Stanford University; Jeff Babione, vice president and general manager, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin by Ben Iannotta, Aerospace America editor-in-chief Lockheed Martin’s Jeff Babione challenged the audience of the “Evolution of the F-35” session June 26 at the 2018 AIAA AVIATION Forum in Atlanta to utter the first words that came to mind when

Panelists: Moderator Starr Ginn, deputy aeronautics research director, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center; Charles “Chase” Ashton, senior engineer, AeroVironment Inc.; Scott Drennan, director of innovation, Bell; Steve Ericson, director of advanced design, The Spaceship Co.; Bob Morgan, director of research and development, Scaled Composites; Michael Swanson, chief engineer, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin by  Michele McDonald,

Panelists: Moderator Juan Alonso, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Stanford University; Rodin Lyasoff, CEO, A^3 by Airbus; Jack O’Banion, vice president of strategy and customer requirements, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin; Pradeep Fernandes, managing director of disruptive horizons, Boeing HorizonX; Ilan Kroo, Thomas V. Jones professor of engineering, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University

Panelists: Moderator Van Espahbodi, co-founder, managing partner, Starburst Aerospace Accelerator; Maryanna Saenko, principal, Khosla Ventures; Brian Schettler, managing director, Boeing HorizonX Ventures; Peter Truwit, associate, Seraph Group by Ben Iannotta, Aerospace America editor-in-chief Four venture capitalists at the 2018 AIAA AVIATION Forum in Atlanta gave a glimpse into their world — from the fiercely competitive pace of their business to

Aviation Week reports that NASA has moved to a new phase of small UAV “detect-and-avoid testing” in which the agency’s Ikhana UAV will fly within the National Airspace System (NAS) without a chase aircraft following. A two-and-a-half-hour flight on June 12 “validated initial FAA standards for detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems developed by NASA and industry and extensively

Florida Today reported that SpaceX and NASA are “still proceeding toward an early morning Friday launch from Cape Canaveral” of a Falcon 9 rocket to “deliver supplies, cargo and science to the ISS.” Launch teams are targeting a 5:42 a.m. EDT liftoff from Launch Complex 40, “which should arrive at the ISS around 5:30 a.m. on