Industry News
In This Section
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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                                    Astronauts Remain at ISS as Engineers Examine Issues with Starliner’s Propulsion System
                                    26 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “Before Boeing’s first flight with humans on its Starliner spacecraft earlier this month, the company and NASA said repeatedly…
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                                    Joby May Perform Air Tours and Market Survey Flights before Starting Commercial Operations
                                    25 June 2024
Aviation Week Network reports, “Joby Aviation may fly passengers on air tours and market survey flights before starting commercial air taxi operations, the company says.
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                                    China Becomes First Country to Retrieve Rocks from Far Side of the Moon
                                    25 June 2024
The New York Times reports, “China brought a capsule full of lunar soil from the far side of the moon down to Earth on Tuesday, achieving the latest success in an ambitious schedule to explore the moon and other parts…
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                                    China’s Chang’e-6 Heads Home Carrying First-Ever Lunar Far Side Samples
                                    24 June 2024
Space News reports, “China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft is on its way to Earth to deliver samples collected from the far side of the moon. The Chang’e-6 service module likely fired its engines…
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                                    Upgraded Bell CH-146C Mk II Griffon Performs First Flight for RCAF
                                    24 June 2024
Vertical Magazine reports that the first Royal Canadian Air Force Bell CH-146 Griffon to have completed the CH-146C Mk II upgrade “has performed its maiden flight, the manufacturer has announced…
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                                    Rocket Lab Marks Milestone with 50th Electron Rocket Launch
                                    21 June 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “Rocket Lab successfully reached a milestone that few commercial rockets achieved and at a pace that outperformed its competition.
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                                    AeroVironment Successfully Flight Tests Heavy Fuel VTOL UAS
                                    21 June 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “AeroVironment (AV) has successfully demonstrated its JUMP® 20 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with a heavy fuel engine. The higher horsepower and lower fuel burn rate…
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                                    FAA Approves Joby Aviation’s Use of In-House Software for Air-Taxi Operations
                                    20 June 2024
Reuters reports, “Joby Aviation said on Thursday the FAA has authorized the use of the air-taxi maker’s in-house software to perform tasks such as managing pilot workload and matching passengers…
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                                    ESA’s Ariane 6 Moved to Launch Pad for First Flight
                                    20 June 2024
SpaceWatch.Global reports, “The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force has announced that Ariane 6’s first launch attempt…
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                                    Starliner Return Delayed a Few More Days as NASA and Boeing Study Data
                                    19 June 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA and Boeing will take an additional four days to review all available data about the performance of the Starliner spacecraft before clearing the vehicle to return to Earth, officials said Tuesday.
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                                    Will the Air Force Proceed with a Next-Gen Fighter Jet?
                                    19 June 2024
Defense One reports, “Delays in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program and Boeing’s lackluster performance on its own defense efforts could be driving recent—and unexpected…
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                                    Airborne Lasers Offer New Hope for Missile Defense Agency
                                    18 June 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “Airborne lasers are back in the sights of the Missile Defense Agency — a decade after the first attempt to build a system collapsed, having swallowed 16 years and $5 billion…
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                                    Perseverance Rover Finds Mysterious Boulder “Never Observed Before” on Mars
                                    18 June 2024
CBS News reports, “While exploring a crater on Mars that may give scientists insights into life that potentially once existed there, NASA said its Perseverance rover…
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                                    Blue Origin Permitted to Bid on National-Security Launches
                                    17 June 2024
Defense One reports, “The Pentagon has picked three companies—Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance—for its new satellite launch competition that was built to usher new entrants…
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                                    Cessna Citation Ascend Completes First Test Flight
                                    17 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The second Cessna Citation Ascend test article has completed its first test flight, advancing development of the business jet program, according to Textron…
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                                    Powerful Solar Storm Shows Radiation Will be a Real Challenge for Mars Colonists
                                    14 June 2024
SPACE reports that a powerful solar storm in May 2024 created auroras on Mars that have provided scientists with crucial information that could aid future crewed…
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                                    Aurora’s Centaur Aircraft Completes In-Air Data Collection
                                    14 June 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences has carried out flight testing with its Centaur optionally piloted aircraft (OPA), based on a certified twin-engine general aviation aircraft. Centaur is equipped…
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                                    U.S. Special Ops Command Partners with Merlin to Automate C-130s
                                    13 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded a $105 million contract to Merlin to build virtually autonomously operated C-130J Super Hercules…
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                                    Voyager 1 Reactivated in Interstellar Space
                                    13 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “NASA engineers have succeeded in breathing new life into Voyager 1 after the spacecraft, launched in 1977, went silent seven months ago.
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                                    Virgin Galactic Retires Its Space Tourism Vehicle ‘Unity’ – Plans for Larger Replacement
                                    12 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space tourism vehicle has been retired after its seventh flight on Saturday, and it will be at least two years…
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                                    DARPA Announces 6 New Designs for Uncrewed VTOL Military Aircraft
                                    12 June 2024
SPACE reports, “The U.S. military could soon have new uncrewed aircraft that carry weapons and take off and land…
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                                    FAA Unveils Air Taxi Airworthiness Guidance to Help Streamline Certification Process
                                    11 June 2024
Flight Global reports “The Federal Aviation Administration has released proposed guidance intended to help developers of electric air taxis better navigate the type-certification process…
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                                    Starliner Astronaut Mission Extended Through June 18
                                    11 June 2024
SPACE reports “’@NASA and @BoeingSpace teams set a return date of no earlier than Tuesday, June 18, for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The additional time in orbit…
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                                    FAA Requiring G500 and G600 Inspections Due to Engine-Mount ‘Quality Escape’
                                    10 June 2024
FlightGlobal reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered inspections of the Gulfstream G500 and G600 fleet in response to a “quality escape” involving improperly installed…
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                                    Virgin Galactic Chalks Up 7th Commercial Sub-Orbital Space Flight
                                    10 June 2024
CBS News reports, “Two pilots, a Turkish research astronaut and three private citizens rocketed to space and back Saturday aboard Virgin Galactic’s Unity spaceplane, enjoying spectacular views of Earth and about three minutes of…
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                                    US Air Force Close to Having Rapid Electronic Warfare Update Capability
                                    7 June 2024
Defense News reports, “The Air Force is ‘very close’ to being able to rapidly update electronic warfare systems with fresh battlefield data…
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                                    Boeing Starliner Docks with Space Station
                                    7 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “Boeing’s Starliner capsule, carrying a pair of NASA astronauts, docked with the International Space Station on Thursday…
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                                    First Launch of Ariane 6 Set for July 9
                                    6 June 2024
Aviation Week reports, “After last year’s announcement of the June 15-30 window for the first flight of the Ariane 6 rocket, the European Space Agency…
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                                    Archer Aviation Receives FAA Approval to Start Commercial Services
                                    6 June 2024
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation said on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the company a certificate to begin commercial operations…
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                                    Joby Aviation Attains Autonomous Flight Developer Xwing
                                    5 June 2024
Flying Magazaine reports, “Joby on Tuesday announced it acquired the autonomy division of Xwing, the developer of autonomous gate-to-gate flight software Superpilot, as it looks ahead…
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                                    SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Receives FAA Go-Ahead for Launch
                                    5 June 2024
Reuters reports the FAA “on Tuesday said it issued a license for SpaceX’s fourth flight of its Starship rocket system, another test mission along the company’s path to building a reusable satellite launcher and moon lander.
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                                    China’s Chang’e-6 Collects Moon Samples and Launches Them into Lunar Orbit
                                    4 June 2024
Space News reports, “Material from the far side of the moon has begun its journey for Earth after Chinese spacecraft collected…
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                                    Opinion: US Army Would Benefit from Drone Operator Branch
                                    4 June 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “In this op-ed, John Ferrari explains why, despite the Army’s reservations, a new drone corps could be good for innovation.”
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                                    Global Airlines Upgrade 2024 Profit Outlook as Travel Skyrockets
                                    3 June 2024
Retuers reports, “Global airlines on Monday raised their profit forecast for 2024 and projected industry wide revenues just shy of $1 trillion…
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                                    Boeing Starliner Launch Rescheduled for June 5
                                    3 June 2024
Space News reports, “NASA and Boeing have reset the launch of the company’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for June 5 after United Launch Alliance fixed a computer problem…
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                                    USAF Working with Merlin Labs to Explore Autonomous Options for KC-135
                                    31 May 2024
Defense Daily reports, “Boston-based Merlin Labs, Inc. said on May 30 that it is using data from flights of a KC-135 at MacDill AFB, Fla., ‘to better understand crew…
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                                    Space Debris from SpaceX Dragon Capsule Comes Down in North Carolina Mountains
                                    31 May 2024
SPACE reports that a large piece of debris was found on a mountainside in North Carolina last week, suspected to be left over from the reentry of SpaceX’s…
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                                    Sikorsky Performing Flight Trials for VTOL Tail-Sitter UAS
                                    30 May 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, is carrying out flight tests to mature the control laws and aerodynamics of a novel vertical takeoff and landing…
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                                    Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test Cleared for June 1 Launch
                                    30 May 2024
SPACE reports, “The first-ever astronaut launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, known as Crew Flight Test, is ‘go’ for its planned June 1 launch, NASA announced…
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                                    SpaceX Launches ESA’s EarthCARE Mission on Falcon 9
                                    29 May 2024
Space News reports, “A Falcon 9 successfully launched an Earth science mission for Europe and Japan May 28…
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                                    SNC to Develop Air Force’s ‘Doomsday Plane’ Replacement Using Digital Twin
                                    29 May 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “Sierra Nevada Corporation’s behemoth task of converting Boeing 747 jumbo jets into militarized aircraft that can survive nuclear war will be no easy feat…
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                                    Transitioning AAM Into Reality at AIAA AVIATION Forum
                                    28 May 2024
The 2024 AIAA AVIATION Forum will be held 29 July–2 August in Las Vegas, and this year’s event aims to bridge the gap between visionary concepts and tangible technological reality.
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                                    Helium Leak Presents No Safety Threat to Boeing’s Starliner Capsule According to NASA
                                    28 May 2024
CBS News reports that engineers are confident the leak will not worsen in flight, and even if it does, the Starliner can safely launch June 1.
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                                    KC-46 Deliveries Suspended Due to Boom Issue
                                    28 May 2024
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Air Force has not taken delivery of KC-46 tankers from Boeing in more than two months as a new…
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                                    SpaceX Launches 23 Starlink Satellites Marking 5th Anniversary of First Dedicated Starlink Flight
                                    24 May 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its third Falcon 9 launch in less than 48 hours with a mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. As with its launch…
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                                    Air Force Says B-21 Flight Testing and Production ‘Continues to Make Progress’
                                    24 May 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The B-21 Raider ‘continues to make progress’ in flight testing and production, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday. The stealth strike bomber…
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                                    June 1 Set as New Target Date for Starliner’s Crew Flight Test
                                    23 May 2024
SPACE reports, “Starliner and its rocket ride, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V, rolled off the pad at Florida’s Cape Canaveral…
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                                    Joby Aviation Eyes Saudi Arabia for Electric Air Taxi Network
                                    23 May 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation is setting its sights on Saudi Arabia…
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                                    Ariane 6 Inaugural Flight Attempt Scheduled for July 2024
                                    22 May 2024
SpaceWatch.Global reports, “The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force has announced that Ariane 6’s first launch attempt…
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                                    SkyCourier’s Passenger-Cargo Combi Variant Approved by FAA
                                    22 May 2024
Flight Global reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration has certificated a variant of Textron Aviation’s SkyCourier turboprop that can carry a mix…
 
