The Washington Post reports that over “two years after receiving warnings about a regulatory loophole that could put law enforcement at risk from booby-trapped drones, the Federal Aviation Administration said it will use a truncated public process to fix the problem within two weeks.” The action was a component “of a dizzying array of proposed rules and

Space News reported that “an appropriation bill signed into law Feb. 15 gives NASA $21.5 billion for fiscal year 2019, $1.6 billion above the administration’s original request.” The final bill “rejects the proposal to reorganize the accounts used to fund the agency that NASA included in its budget request a year ago,” and retains NASA provisions

FlightGlobal reports that February 13, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office of the DOD announced its intent to “solicit and negotiate multiple contracts to buy 485 stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin.” The contracts, which have an anticipated award date in Q3 of 2021, “would provide for long lead time materials, parts, components, initial spares, and

The Washington Post reports that after the Space Age of the 1960s and ‘70s, the moon “was virtually abandoned.” Now, however, the moon “is again the center of a reinvigorated space race that…features a new cast of characters,” including China and India. On Thursday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the agency “intends to partner with the private

Bloomberg News reports that Airbus SE has announced that the company “decided to stop making the A380 double-decker after a dozen years in service.” The project shutdown “marks a watershed moment for civil aviation” as the A380 “was the manifestation of Europe’s collaborative drive and the continent’s industrial ambitions.” Airbus is ending production by 2021 “after

SPACE reports that “in a statement published Feb. 7, NASA laid out how it will work with U.S. companies to develop reusable systems through which astronauts could return to the moon by 2028.” Agency officials reported that NASA will use current and anticipated technologies to complete the Trump Administration’s Space Policy Directive 1 mandate “as quickly

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] February 14, 2019 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the passing of Lt. Gen. George Muellner, U.S. Air Force (retired), AIAA Honorary Fellow and past AIAA president. A highly decorated veteran, Muellner spent most of his career as a fighter pilot and fighter

Reuters reports that the FAA on Tuesday expressed that “it is requiring small drones to display registration numbers on the exterior to address concerns raised by U.S. security officials and to make it easier to identify owners.” In a notice in the Federal Register that was published on Tuesday, the FAA said that it is mandating

CNET News reports that Virgin Galactic announced Monday that the SpaceShipTwo rocket motor was donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, and will be exhibited in its Future of Spaceflight gallery. Since that gallery doesn’t open until 2024, the motor will be displayed at the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The AP reports that Oklahoma lawmakers are considering legislation to ban UAVs over private property in rural areas. Oklahoma state Sen. Casey Murdock (R) said that the proposed bill “would govern drones flying at 400 feet (120 meters) or lower” and have an exemption for rural Oklahoma residents. Said Murdock, “For me right now, this is a

CNET News reports that “in preparation for the launch of its next Mars rover, NASA is undertaking some quick, interplanetary KonMari.” NASA wants to have the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft operate “as a communications relay for the Mars 2020 rover mission.” The spacecraft “has been orbiting Mars since September 2014, occasionally dipping into

The  Houston Chronicle reported that government space programs in Huntsville, Alabama, such as Blue Origin and Aeroject Rocketdyne are expanding with new jobs and new facilities due to national defense and telecommunications funding in the billions of dollars. Projects would include “an array of initiatives such as communications satellites, possibly armed satellites, and even satellite clusters that

CNBC reports that the first flights of Delta’s first Airbus A220 jet “took off Tuesday morning from New York’s LaGuardia Airport with one flight to Boston and another to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.” Equipped with new “Pratt and Whitney geared turbofan engines, the A220s have higher fuel efficiency compared with other models, a key selling point

FlightGlobal reports that Safran Aircraft Engines opened a new turbine blade research center “at its Gennevilliers site near Paris.” According to the manufacturer, the facility is capable of performing “all development work necessary for next-generation very-high-performance turbine blades” for military and commercial engines used in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Around 30 engineers and experts will focus

The Houston Chronicle reports that the recent government shutdown “continues to claim victims at NASA,” which is delaying a planned “emergency system test for the Orion spacecraft being built to take humans back to the moon.” NASA officials “confirmed this week that the launch of the Orion test module, previously scheduled for April from Cape Canaveral, Fla.,

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company announced Tuesday that it has made a sizable investment in “supersonic business jet developer Aerion, as the world’s biggest planemaker looks to tap into rising demand for high-end aircraft that can reduce travel time.” Boeing plans to provide engineering, manufacturing, “and flight testing services for Aerion’s $120 million supersonic business

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Black-Tie Event Honors Aerospace’s Best and Brightest February 6, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced the 2019 recipients of its most prestigious awards. Presentation of these premier awards and recognition of the Institute’s newly elected Fellows and Honorary Fellows

Space News reports that investment in space startups is continuing “at an accelerating rate, according to two firms that track activity in the sector.” Seraphim Capital data shows that venture capital “poured $3.25 billion into space technology companies in 2018, an increase of 29 percent.” In an annual report, Space Angels, “which unlike Seraphim does not

FlightGlobal reports that Gulfstream has “pushed back certification and service entry of the G600, blaming the 35-day partial shutdown of the US government for the delay.” The long-range business jet had been scheduled for validation in early 2019, but during a fourth quarter earnings call on January 30, Phebe Novakovic, CEO of Gulfstream parent company General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Three Honorary Fellows and 29 Fellows Selected February 4, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected its Class of 2019 AIAA Fellows and Honorary Fellows. The induction ceremony for the new Fellows and Honorary Fellows will take place on 15

GovCon Wire reported that NASA selected United Launch Alliance (ULA) to provide launch services for the agency’s “first mission to study the Trojan asteroids orbiting with Jupiter.” ULA “said Thursday it will deploy an Atlas V 401 rocket to send the Lucy spacecraft in October 2021 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.” According to

SPACE reported that The Boeing Company is on track to “launch its new astronaut taxi to the International Space Station (ISS)” in a test flight in March 2019. In remarks to Space.com during a Boeing space travel presentation, Boeing spokesperson Maribeth Davis indicated that “if this test flight goes according to plan, Boeing will be ready

SPACE reports that China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Chinese space program’s main contractor, plans more than “30 launches in 2019, with major missions including the crucial return-to-flight of the heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket in July.” CASC announced Tuesday “that it would aim to loft more than 50 spacecraft on 30-plus launches this

Aviation Week reports that Bell has begun flight tests of the “largest version yet of its tail-sitting electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Autonomous Pod Transport (APT).” The vehicle will form a “key element of a NASA program” aimed at “paving the way for routine flights of unmanned air systems” in the US national airspace. More

Space News reports that despite recent layoffs and a partial government shutdown, many companies “remain optimistic about the overall prospects for the space industry in the coming year.” In a panel discussion Wednesday at the Space Foundation, executives “from companies ranging from a launch startup to an established satellite operator talked up the state of the

Air Force Times reports that the US Air Force’s light-attack experiment is “set to get a lot bigger, with the service considering adding drones, helicopters and more sophisticated aircraft to the mix in the future.” According to Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force is seeking to understand the answers to questions such as: “What is the

The Orlando Sentinel reports that according to two new filings with the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX “revealed it is targeting no earlier than March 7 for a second launch of its three booster, 27 engine Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.” According to Monday’s filings, “SpaceX is targeting the six-month window between March 7 and Sept.

MRO Network reports that Colombian airline Avianca is planning to employ UAVs and cameras to perform some of its aircraft maintenance inspections. To date, the use of UAVs for such inspections “has not been approved for by any airframe OEM or regulatory authority for inspections.” As such, Avianca Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance Miguel Angel

CNBC reported that the US Air Force’s first two Boeing KC-46 tankers “touched down at McConnell Air Force base in Kansas on Friday after departing the company’s Everett, Washington, facility.” The delivery marks a “major milestone for the program, which is two years behind schedule and more than $3 billion over budget.” Boeing is expected to

SPACE reported that India launched its first rocket of 2019 on Thursday, “lifting two payloads into orbit: a military imaging satellite and a student-built orbital laboratory.” The ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The launch was the “first time this rocket was used in conjunction with two strap-on boosters.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] January 28, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The world’s largest aerospace professional society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates the Nashville International Airport as the 2019 winner of the Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award for its Geothermal Lake Plate Cooling System. The Nashville International Airport (BNA) won

Aviation Week reports that Rolls-Royce is planning to “make its mark on the electric-aircraft speed record with a vision of breaking the 300- mph barrier in 2020.” The company is “championing electric flight” through innovations such as the company’s “E-fan demonstrator, working with Airbus and Siemens on a hybrid-electric propulsion system on an Avro RJ100 regional

Space News reports that Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson “now expects to fly on the company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle around the middle of this year after a series of test flights starting in the next several weeks.” In an interview Thursday on “CBS This Morning,” Branson reiterated his plans to fly “into space later this year

The AP reports that Blue Origin plans to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new rocket engine production facility Friday in Huntsville, Alabama. The plant will produce Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine, “which will power the next generation of rockets produced by United Launch Alliance in Decatur.” The engine will be powered “by liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas,”

GovCon Wire reports that a joint venture of The Boeing Company and Bell Helicopter won a potential $143.8 million Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract to “engineer and provide logistics support for the U.S. military’s V-22 Osprey tiltrotor planes.” The Bell Boeing Joint Program Office will “deploy field personnel and support equipment as well as perform maintenance

CNN reports that the “distinctive” Boeing 727 made its last passenger flight on a domestic Iranian route operated by Iran Aseman Airlines. More Info (CNN)

UPI reported that a metallic 3D-printed component has been installed on an “operational F-22 Raptor for the first time, which the Air Force hopes will lower costs and reduce maintenance time.” The titanium cockpit part was “installed by the 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Wednesday,” and replaced a conventional

Space News reported that Blue Origin rescheduled a test flight of the company’s “New Shepard suborbital vehicle for Jan. 22 as the company edges closer to flying people into space.” The company announced the new launch date for the NS-10 flight on Sunday. Blue Origin will launch the mission from a test site in West Texas.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Blue Origin has “shared a new video rendering of what launches would be like beginning in the company’s target date of 2021 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.” New Glenn launches will “take place at Launch Complex 36 for commercial, civil and national security customers, the company said.” The company is slated

Aviation Week reports that Collins Aerospace has been selected to supply the avionics for NASA’s “X-59A QueSST low-boom supersonic flight demonstrator, now under development by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.” Collins will provide “flight-deck avionics and an enhanced vision system,” as well as assist Lockheed with “developmental engineering support to tailor its Pro Line Fusion avionics system

The Hill reports that the Iridium satellite network officially launched last week is “meant to make it impossible for commercial airplanes to go missing, according to a new CBS report.” The new Iridium Communications satellites “will have improved airplane-tracking abilities, which could reduce the number of flights that vanish per year.” Aireon CEO Don Thoma said

Bloomberg News reports that the Defense Intelligence Agency “released a report Wednesday saying China is likely developing a long-range bomber capable of delivering nuclear weapons and a space-based early warning system it could use to more quickly respond to an attack.” More Info (Bloomberg News)

Aviation Today reports that on Monday, the FAA released a “draft rulemaking proposal seeking feedback from the public on ways to limit the public safety and national security risks of operating small drones in the national airspace.” The advance notice is a step by the agency to “improve the integration of small unmanned aircraft systems…into the

Aviation Week reports that Airbus’ A3 subsidiary has completed a second “Vahana electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) technology demonstrator.” The Alpha 2 aircraft is “based at Pendleton, Oregon as a backup for the first Vahana, which is undergoing flight testing.” The first Vahana is undergoing transition testing, and “has not yet flown with the wings tilted fully down,

The AP reports that China exchanged data with NASA regarding its “recent mission to land a Chinese spacecraft on the far side of the moon, the Chinese space agency said Monday, in what was reportedly the first such collaboration since an American law banned joint space projects with China that do not have prior congressional approval.” Chinese

Aviation Week reports that the US Army plans to demonstrate a “small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that can be launched from its manned helicopters and unmanned aircraft and controlled from the cockpit.” The Air Launched Effects (ALE) program “aims to develop a family of small UAS that would team with other manned and unmanned platforms to

SPACE reported that the assembly of the “test-flight version of SpaceX’s Mars-colonizing Starship vehicle is now complete, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday night.” Musk posted a photo of the vehicle to Twitter, and “said earlier [last] week that SpaceX aims to start such trial runs, which will take place at the Texas site

The New York Times reports that farming is “increasingly a high-tech endeavor,” as large industrial farms increasingly adopt technology such as GPS-guided combines, soil sensors, UAVs, satellite imagery, and supercomputers to aid food production. While most such technology is used in large-scale production, there is also a growing use of affordable robots and other machines on small,

The Houston Chronicle reports that SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that the first test flight of the commercial crew program is “about a month away,” which suggests another delay on the project. Musk did not elaborate on the cause of the apparent delay, but “the Twitter update comes as the federal government shutdown stretches well into the

Reuters reports that Boeing on Tuesday debuted a “speedier and higher-flying version of a concept plan…aimed at sharply reducing fuel use thanks to its elongated ultra-light wings.” Boeing’s Transonic Truss-Braced Wing aircraft “boasts a 170-foot (52 meter) wingspan that sits atop the fuselage and is braced from underneath by a truss in a design reminiscent of