Industry News
In This Section
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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Low Earth Orbit Emerges as a New Frontier for Pharmaceutical Innovation
9 June 2026
CNBC reports, “The highly anticipated SpaceX mega-IPO is part of a space frenzy that is moving beyond satellite connectivity, launch…
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NASA Advances Quiet Supersonic Travel as X-59 Exceeds Mach 1
9 June 2026
Aviation News reports, “NASA’s X-59 QueSST experimental aircraft has successfully completed its first supersonic flight, marking…
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SpaceX Sets New Reusability Record with Falcon 9 Booster’s 35th Flight
8 June 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX continued to push its Falcon 9 rocket fleet to the next level by flying its flight leader, tail number B1067…
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Airbus Introduces U145 Uncrewed Helicopter with AI-Powered Autonomy
8 June 2026
Aerotime reports, “Airbus Helicopters has introduced the U145, an uncrewed variant of its H145 light twin, presenting a full-scale…
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China’s Qianfan Constellation Reaches 200 Satellites in Orbit
5 June 2026
Space News reports, “Construction of the Shanghai-led Qianfan constellation continued to accelerate this week with a pair of Long March…
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USAF Eyes Low-Cost, Modular Successor to MQ-9 Reaper
5 June 2026
The War Zone reports, “Modularity is a key area of interest as the U.S. Air Force formulates its latest set of requirements for…
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Podcast: Space Competition: AIAA’s Clay Mowry on What The Commercial Sector Wants
4 June 2026
The Downlink Podcast reports, “Citing China’s possible mission to send Taikonauts around the moon, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told AIAA’s ASCEND conference…
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Military’s Drone Wingman Vision Hinges on Production and Training Capacity
4 June 2026
Breaking Defense reports, “In our final video looking at manned-unmanned teaming, we consider likely changes ahead for defense manufacturers as the US increasingly…
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NASA Retires MAVEN After More Than a Decade Studying Mars’ Atmosphere
4 June 2026
The New York Times reports, “On Wednesday, NASA announced the end of a more than 11-year mission aimed at solving a key mystery about Mars: What happened…
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Whisper Aero Details JetFoil Near-VTOL Concept as CEO Earns AIAA Honor
3 June 2026
Aerotime reports, “Whisper Aero has unveiled new details of its JetFoil propulsion concept, a distributed electric ducted fan system designed…
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After Launch Pad Setback, Blue Origin Eyes New Glenn Return in 2026
3 June 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, in an overnight post on the social media platform X, said propellant tanks at launch…
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NASA’s X-59 Prepares for First Supersonic Flight This Month
2 June 2026
SPACE reports, “NASA’s X-59 jet is on the verge of finally breaking the sound barrier as the agency looks forward to the aircraft’s first…
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Isaacman Says Blue Origin Launch Complex May Not Return to Service Until 2028
2 June 2026
CNBC reports, “NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Monday told CNBC that it will ‘take some serious time’ to restore the launchpad…
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Electra Completes First Urban Flight of EL2 Ultra-Short Demonstrator
2 June 2026
Aviation International News reports, “Electra Aero has completed the first urban flight of its hybrid-electric EL2 ‘ultra-short’ technology…
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Volatus Aerospace Clears Key Milestone in U.S. Drone Dominance Initiative
1 June 2026
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Volatus Aerospace Inc. has been selected to advance to the next phase of evaluation…
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Blue Origin Investigates New Glenn Explosion as Mission Delays Loom
1 June 2026
Via Satellite reports, “Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket faces a major setback after an explosion on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral…
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FAA Administrator Outlines Path to 777X Certification in 2027
29 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford believes the Boeing 737 MAX will be certified by year’s end and…
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New Glenn Rocket Destroyed in Fiery Prelaunch Test at Cape Canaveral
29 May 2026
The New York Times reports a Blue Origin rocket exploded during a ground test at a Florida launch facility Thursday evening. The incident…
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Electra Sees Demand for 16,000 Hybrid-Electric Aircraft in USA
28 May 2026
Aerospace Global News reports, “Hybrid-electric aircraft developer Electra says the United States could support a fleet of up to 16,000…
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Russian Cosmonauts Install Solar Telescope During ISS Spacewalk
28 May 2026
SPACE reports Russian cosmonauts “worked to install and retrieve science experiments while on a spacewalk outside the International…
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Hermeus Reaches Supersonic Speed in Historic Quarterhorse Test Flight
27 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “High-speed aircraft maker Hermeus flew the Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 demonstrator aircraft above supersonic…
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NASA Unveils New Lunar Base Developments as Artemis Efforts Expand
27 May 2026
Ars Technica reports, “NASA officials announced contract awards for the initial elements of a lunar base on Tuesday, including…
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YFQ-42A Returns to Flight After Safety and Software Upgrades
26 May 2026
Breaking Defense reports, “A drone wingman built by General Atomics has resumed flying roughly one month after crashing in the California…
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SpaceX’s Starship V3 Reaches Key Milestones Despite Booster Loss
26 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “SpaceX completed a full suborbital flight of the latest version of its Starship-Super Heavy launch…
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GA-ASI and Saab Complete First Flight of MQ-9B With Early Warning Radar
25 May 2026
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has conducted the first validation flight…
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SpaceX Launches Improved Starship Rocket in Latest Development Milestone
25 May 2026
CBS News reports, “SpaceX on Friday pulled off a test launch of its latest Starship megarocket. CBS News space consultant…
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Rocket Lab Completes Ninth Launch Mission for Synspective
22 May 2026
Aviation News reports, “Rocket Lab has successfully launched its ninth dedicated mission for the Japanese Earth observation company…
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Eve Advances eVTOL Program After 59 Successful Test Flights
22 May 2026
Aviation International News reports, “Eve Air Mobility has closed out a key phase of its eVTOL flight test campaign, accumulating…
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SpaceX Targets 10,000 Launches a Year within Five Years
21 May 2026
Reuters reports, “SpaceX aims to reach 10,000 launches annually within five years, but government officials will need to see improved…
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New Silicon Battery Partnership Targets Longer-Range Drone Delivery
21 May 2026
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Amprius Technologies and Matternet have entered a strategic collaboration…
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Isaacman Predicts Chinese Crewed Lunar Flyby by 2027
20 May 2026
Space News reports, “The head of NASA says he expects China to perform a crewed flight around the moon in 2027, ratcheting…
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Navy Clears MQ-25 Stingray for Initial Production Phase
20 May 2026
Defense One reports, “The Navy’s drone tanker, the MQ-25A Stingray, is cleared for low-rate initial production—just weeks after…
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SpaceX Conducts 45th Starlink Mission of 2026
20 May 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday night to send a batch of…
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SpaceX Targets May 21 Launch for Most Powerful Starship Yet
19 May 2026
SPACE reports, “SpaceX will attempt to launch its biggest and most powerful Starship megarocket ever on Thursday (May 21). Liftoff is…
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DoD Selects Five Companies in Small Drone ‘Lethality Prize Challenge’
19 May 2026
Breaking Defense reports, “As part of its Drone Dominance initiative, the Pentagon has named five winners of a ‘lethality’ challenge…
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Astrolab’s Debut Lunar Rover to Deliver Four NASA Payloads to the Moon
19 May 2026
Space News reports, “Astrolab’s first lunar rover will carry four NASA payloads on a mission planned to launch later this year. Astrolab…
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FAA Lowers Air Traffic Controller Staffing Goal Amid Modernization Push
18 May 2026
CNBC reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it was sharply reducing its target for air traffic control staffing as it vowed to…
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SpaceX Sends 6,500 Pounds of Cargo and Science Equipment to Space Station
18 May 2026
CBS News reports, “SpaceX launched an unpiloted Dragon cargo ship Friday loaded with 6,500 pounds of supplies and equipment…
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NASA Accelerates X-59 Flight Campaign Ahead of First Supersonic Test
15 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “NASA is continuing to speed up the rate of X-59 flight tests as the Quesst low-boom supersonic demonstrator…
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Virgin Galactic Nears Operational Return With Upgraded Spaceplane Fleet
15 May 2026
Space News reports, “Virgin Galactic said May 14 it remains on track, technically and financially, to start commercial flights of its…
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Digital Engineering Helps Restore B-1B Bomber in Record Time
14 May 2026
Air Force Times reports that the US Air Force “finished retiring 17 B-1B Lancer bombers this week, its first step toward divesting…
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NASA Alters Artemis 3 Launch Vehicle Configuration
14 May 2026
Space News reports, “NASA plans to fly the Space Launch System on Artemis 3 without an upper stage as the agency begins to define revised…
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Boeing Reports Strong April With 57 Widebody Orders
13 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “Boeing booked 109 unidentified orders in April, including commitments for 57 widebodies…
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Starship V3 and Launch Pad 2 Set for Debut Mission May 19
13 May 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 19, for the long awaited debut of the third major…
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MQ-9 Reaper Demonstrates Precision Rocket Strike Capability
12 May 2026
Aviation Week reports, “MQ-9 Reapers fired BAE Systems precision-guided rockets during a recent demonstration…
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SpaceX Launches New Wave of NRO Reconnaissance Satellites
12 May 2026
Spaceflight Now reports, “The National Reconnaissance Office flew its 13th mission supporting an intelligence-gathering…
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NFL Veteran Joshua Dobbs Pursues Aviation Dreams in a Cirrus SR22
11 May 2026
Flying Magazine reports, “Most professional athletes talk about life after football in vague, distant terms, something…
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Starship V3 Booster Roars to Life in Major SpaceX Test
11 May 2026
SPACE reports that SpaceX just took a big step toward its next Starship test flight, firing up all 33 engines of the vehicle’s Super…
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Solar Impulse 2, Famous for Around-the-World Flight, Crashes Into Gulf Waters
11 May 2026
Aerotime reports, “Solar Impulse 2, the experimental solar-powered aircraft which became famous in 2016 after completing…
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Embraer Reaches All-Time First-Quarter Revenue High in 2026
8 May 2026
Aviation News Daily reports, “Embraer reported first-quarter revenues of US$1.4 billion in 2026, marking the highest first-quarter revenue…
