Industry News

Aviation International News reports that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has “lowered its projection for industry losses for 2022 by $1.9 billion,” and upgraded its forecast for 2023 noting that “industry-wide profitability next year ‘appears within reach,’ with North America already expected to deliver an $8.8 billion profit in 2022.”   IATA Director General Willie

Florida Today reports SpaceX successfully launched three separate Falcon 9 missions in less than 48 hours, starting Friday and wrapping up early Sunday morning.  The “launch-packed weekend got started with a Friday liftoff of Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center,” with 53 additional satellites placed into orbit.  A Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg Space Force

Bloomberg reports that The Boeing Company “is laying plans to restart 787 Dreamliner handovers that have been largely halted since late 2020, notifying customers of their place in the delivery queue as it works with US regulators to complete the final paperwork.” Boeing “has reviewed the carbon-composite frames for tiny structural imperfections with regulators and

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX “teams in Florida and California are preparing for three missions from three launch pads in three days, beginning Friday with a launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a reusable Falcon 9 booster flying for a record 13th time.” Friday’s flight will “deploy 53 more Starlink internet satellites,

Spaceflight Now reported that NASA engineers “have made progress in attempts to fully unfurl a solar array wing that snagged on NASA’s Lucy asteroid explorer shortly after launch last October, adding to optimism that the spacecraft can complete its 12-year mission as planned.” Lucy “will fly by eight Trojan asteroids between 2027 and 2033, plus one

Aviation International News reports that the Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum prepares to “launch airship services with plans to acquire 10 of the 100-seat Airlander 10 aircraft being developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles in a deal that could be worth $600 million.” In the last six months, “Air Nostrum and HAV have conducted studies and modeling

CNET News reports that NASA JPL confirmed the Ingenuity helicopter’s 29th flight in a tweet Tuesday, “saying the chopper completed the 66.6-second journey over the weekend, traveling 587 feet (179 meters) across Mars. Ingenuity’s previous flight, No. 28, took place at the end of April.” Aviation Today (CNET News)

Aviation Today reports that Joby Aviation “announced that it has received its Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate from the FAA.” The award of the Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate permits Joby “to begin commercial operations of its electric air taxi.” Joby “originally expected to receive the certificate for its vehicle – an electric vertical take-off

Reuters reported that Astra Space’s mission to send “tiny storm-monitoring NASA satellites to orbit” failed after a second-stage booster engine shut down 10 minutes after liftoff. The rocket was carrying two satellites designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory to “measure moisture and precipitation in tropical storm systems,” which were set to be

Aviation Week reports that DARPA “has launched a new project that sees a fresh role for the U.S. Air Force fleet of aerial tankers as airborne recharging points for networks of electric-powered UAS by adding a wing-mounted laser pod.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

Spaceflight Now reported that NASA “says it plans to buy five more crew rotation missions on SpaceX’s fleet of Dragon spaceships, bringing SpaceX’s contract with the space agency to 14 operational astronaut launches, likely enough to keep the International Space Station staffed through 2030.” SpaceX and The Boeing Company are to alternate NASA astronaut missions “every

The Washington Post reports the US Naval Air Forces “has ordered a one-day ‘safety pause’ for its aircraft after a string of crashes in California this month led to the deaths of a Navy pilot and five Marines.” The pause, which will take effect Monday, will “affect all Navy aviation units that are not deployed, the Naval

CNET News reports that a few companies are considering bringing back supersonic passenger flights. In 2021, United Airlines “agreed to buy 15 aircraft from Boom Supersonic, a startup working to build supersonic commercial jets. United is aiming to get those planes in the air by 2029.” Virgin Galactic and Rolls-Royce announced a partnership in 2020 to

BBC News reports that one of the main mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been damaged by impact of a small meteoroid. NASA reports the meteoroid struck the space observatory “sometime between 23 and 25 May,” but is unlikely to affect mission performance. Full Story (BBC News)

Aviation International News reports that Tier 1 Engineering “conducted the first flight of an all-electric Robinson R44 using the MagniX electric propulsion unit (EPU)” on Saturday. Tier 1 President Glen Dromgoole said, “This historic flight, of an all-electric helicopter with a certifiable electric engine, was an important step towards obtaining aircraft certification. We are excited to

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that Astra Space “announced it could launch as early as Sunday on the first of three missions to send six tropical weather satellites into orbit for NASA.” The Rocket 3.3 “named LV0010 had a successful test fire at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 46 this week, and the company

Bloomberg reports that NASA “will launch three sounding rockets from a facility in Australia’s Northern Territory from June 26, the first time the space agency has used a commercial launchpad outside of the US in its more than 50-year history.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “announced the historic event in a statement on Tuesday night, saying

Aviation Today reports that Volocopter “just announced that the four-seater VoloConnect aircraft completed its first flight in May.” The VoloConnect “could enter into service as early as 2026.” Full Story (Aviation Today)

CNN reports that for the first time, “the Ingenuity team on Earth lost contact with Ingenuity on sols 427 and 428, or Martian days that correspond with May 3 and May 4.” The team “discovered that loss of contact occurred because Ingenuity experienced insufficient battery charge as night fell. This reduced voltage reset the mission clock,

FedScoop reported that the US Air Force “plans to create a ‘family of systems’ for its Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which aims to develop a stealthy sixth-generation fighter as well as drones – also referred to as autonomous ‘collaborative combat aircraft’ (CCA) – and various mission systems that could accompany them into battle. The

SPACE reports that China’s “three-person Shenzhou 14 mission arrived at Tianhe, the core module of the under-construction Tiangong, early Sunday morning (June 5), about six hours after lifting off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.” The three Shenzhou 14 crewmembers “are expected to spend about six months aboard the 54-foot-long (16.6 meters) Tianhe

The Wall Street Journal reported that The Boeing Company has paused 737 MAX production for about 10 days following supply-chain issues. Full Story (Wall Street Journal – Subscription Publication)

Parabolic Arc reported that Blue Origin successfully launched its New Shepard rocket Saturday, completing “its fifth human spaceflight and the 21st flight for the New Shepard program.”  Launch occurred from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:25 a.m. Eastern. The crew capsule landed 10 minutes after liftoff after reaching an altitude of

SPACE reports that Russia launched the Progress 81 freighter “atop a Russian-built Soyuz rocket at 5:32 a.m. EDT (0932 GMT) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where the local time was 2:32 p.m. in the afternoon.” Progress 81 “is carrying about three tons of food, propellant and equipment up to the International Space Station (ISS)” where it

Aviation International News reports that Gulfstream Aerospace “plans to hire for more than 200 positions and invest $55 million in expanding its Appleton, Wisconsin site because of increased customer demand and its growing fleet of super-midsize and large-cabin jets.” The Appleton expansion “involves the construction of a 73,000-sq-ft (6,782-sq-m) paint facility using a paint booth design

Defense News reports that Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said during an event at the Heritage Foundation that the service’s “secretive and highly classified Next Generation Air Dominance fighter program has started its crucial engineering and manufacturing development phase.” Kendall said that the service “began early experimental prototyping on NGAD in 2015, when he was the

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Los Angeles “home of the retired space shuttle Endeavour broke ground Wednesday on a permanent museum, which ultimately envisions the spacecraft displayed as if ready for launch.” The complete exhibit “will be what’s believed to be the tallest vertical authentic spacecraft display in the world. Building construction of the

Space News reports that Sierra Space announced Tuesday “a strategic partnership with aerospace manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems for production of cargo modules for its Dream Chaser vehicles.” Spirit “will assist in the development and production of Shooting Star, the cargo module attached to the aft end of the Dream Chaser lifting body vehicle.” The Shooting Star module

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL) reports that a team “of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students recently made school history by placing second in this year’s Design/Build/Fly aircraft competition hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).” The team’s aircraft “is named MULLET, which stands for Medical Unmanned Low-Level Electric Transport.” Full Story (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) More

The Washington Post highlighted the industry’s current push towards sustainable, efficient, supersonic flight. Full Story (Washington Post – Subscription publication)

SPACE reported that NASA “has just unveiled incredible new footage of its helicopter Ingenuity on a record-breaking flight on the Red Planet last month.” The video “shows the tiny Red Planet chopper as it flew across a distance of 2,310 feet (704 meters) at a speed of 12 mph (19 kph), with a view of Red

Space News reports that SpaceX “will replace the heat shield on the next Crew Dragon spacecraft flying to the International Space Station after it failed inspections, but NASA says there is no risk of a similar problem for the spacecraft currently at the station.” Full Story (Space News)

Reuters reports that Joby Aviation “said on Thursday it had received a certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would allow it to begin its air-taxi operations commercially with a conventional airplane.” Full Story (Reuters)

The Washington Post reports that the Boeing Company’s Starliner capsule undocked from the International Space Station Wednesday and successfully returned to Earth, completing a six-day mission.  The uncrewed capsule “touched down as scheduled at 6:49 p.m. Eastern time at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico under a trio of parachutes.”  Starliner’s return marked

Florida Today reports that SpaceX launched its Transporter-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40 at 2:35 p.m. EDT Wednesday. The Transporter-5 mission was carried out by a Falcon 9 rocket carrying around 59 satellite payloads. SpaceX’s launch “came just one minute before Boeing undocked its high-profile Starliner capsule mission from the International

Air Force Times reports that the first flight of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is expected to take place in 2023. The public unveiling of the bomber is expected later in 2022. The first B-21 “finished its first in a series of ground tests at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, earlier this month.” More

ExecutiveGov reports that the US Navy “has deployed a Northrop Grumman-built Fire Scout autonomous helicopter aboard an Independence-class littoral combat ship to support maritime intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting missions in the Indo-Pacific area.” The MQ-8C Fire Scout “on USS Jackson marks the unmanned aircraft system’s first operational deployment to the region.” Full Story (ExecutiveGov)

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that The Boeing Company’s Starliner successfully docked with the ISS on Friday, and its hatch opened on Saturday. “Since then the crew has removed 500 pounds of cargo sent up, and then loaded it up again with 600 more pounds for the return to Earth. That includes three Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System

CNN reports that The Boeing Company’s Starliner spacecraft docked with the ISS “Friday night at 8:28 p.m. ET.” Starliner’s docking “occurred about an hour later than expected as ground crews worked through a few issues, including a software issue that skewed graphics, sort of like a misaligned GPS map.” The Starliner’s pop-out docking ring malfunctioned on

Aviation International News reports that Embraer “is riding the tide of new business jet buyers entering the market.” Embraer Executive Jet President Michael Amalfitano said, “New users are coming into the marketplace, and we are very well positioned with our products because those first-time buyers are coming to buy entry-level light jets and medium-category aircraft; whether

CNBC reported that the space industry “should reach $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2040, with launch costs dropping 95%, Citigroup analysts said in an extensive report published this month.” Citi said, “Revenue from manufacturing, launch services and ground equipment will make up the majority of the revenue growth in the satellite sector. However, the

FlightGlobal reports that during the Sustainable Skies World Summit, The Boeing Company Sustainability and Future Mobility Vice President and Chief Engineer Brian Yutko said aviation engineers faced “a once in a generation renaissance” regarding hydrogen-powered aviation. Full Story (FlightGlobal)

Space.com reports Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft successfully launched Thursday at 6:54 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station “kicking off the crucial Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2).”  Fifteen minutes after launch, Starliner separated from the ULA Atlas V’s upper stage, and “16 minutes later, the capsule aced its 45-second-long orbital insertion burn.”  OFT-2, an uncrewed mission

Aviation International News reports that according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, “the first quarter brought good news for the general aviation industry in terms of deliveries,” as “overall airplane deliveries rose nearly 15 percent year-over-year, while helicopters handovers climbed 7 percent” and airplane deliveries “were led by smaller aircraft, causing a $300 million decline in

SPACE reports, “NASA is suspending all but the most urgent spacewalks after water was found in an astronaut’s helmet following a March excursion, agency officials said on Tuesday (May 17).” The agency will “perform an assessment of its extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) spacesuits after water was found in the helmet worn by European Space Agency

Space.com reports a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites into orbit and then returned “to Earth for a stunning landing at sea early Wednesday (May 18).” Liftoff was at 6:59 a.m. EDT marking “SpaceX’s third Starlink mission in five days following missions on

The Seattle Times reports, “Washington’s job market is rebounding faster than it is across much of America, and is barely a thousand jobs short of its all-time high,” according to the state jobs report, and The Boeing Company “now seems to be on a hiring tear” as it is “hiring from 50 to 80 machinists and an

Reuters reports, “NASA astronauts and officials on Wednesday said” The Boeing Company’s “Starliner space capsule is ready for its uncrewed launch this week to the International Space Station.” The launch is scheduled for “6:54 p.m. EDT (2254 GMT) on Thursday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” The mission is to “attempt to dock to

SPACE reports, “Blue Origin’s next set of spaceflyers includes a prior customer and the first Mexican-born woman to visit the final frontier.” The flight will depart from “Blue Origin’s Launch Site One near Van Horn, Texas, on Friday morning (May 20),” and its “New Shepard vehicle will carry six people on a brief trip to

Aviation Week reports, “As of 2022, only three countries continue to operate dedicated long-range bombers – China, Russia and the U.S. – with 518 aircraft in service around the world.” Aviation Week Network “projects the number will increase over the next decade to 574 aircraft as the same three operators modernize and expand their fleets.” The