Industry News

Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX “is set to close out the year with three Falcon 9 rocket flights in a span of about 72 hours from launch pads in Florida and California, carrying another batch of Starlink internet satellites, a Turkish data relay spacecraft, and a resupply mission to the International Space Station.” If SpaceX

CNET News reports airline industry executives “say that if US wireless carriers push forward with plans to begin deploying a specific type of 5G service early next year in spite of interference concerns brought to light by the Federal Aviation Administration, travelers could see delays and other disruptions in air travel starting Jan. 5.” Full

CNN reports that the James Webb Space Telescope is “now expected to launch on December 24 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.” Teams are working on “a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system.” Full Story (CNN)

Aviation Week reports that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “has accredited the Drone Racing League (DRL) as the first uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) event organizer in the U.S.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

CNBC reports that The Boeing Company “said Tuesday it delivered 34 new planes to customers last month, putting it on track to more than double 2020’s tally this year.” Boeing “delivered 302 aircraft this year through November, already close to twice as many as the 157 it handed over in all of 2020 during the depths

Florida Today reports that the Space Florida board of directors “approved a staff request to complete negotiations with a company that is expected to invest more than $300 million in a new facility at the Melbourne Orlando International Airport.” The facility will bring 2,100 spacecraft manufacturing jobs “expected to have an average wage of $84,000

Spaceflight Now reported that SpaceX “launched a refrigerator-sized NASA X-ray observatory from Kennedy Space Center into an unusual orbit hugging the equator Thursday, beginning a $214 million mission to study black holes and super-compact neutron stars.” NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) “mission is modest in size but promises to open a new window into

Aviation International News reports that business aviation activity “globally is still topping 2019 numbers, with flights up 6 percent from two years ago in the first week of December, according to WingX’s latest Business Aviation Bulletin.” Full Story (Aviation International News)

FlightGlobal reports that the US Air Force “is ready to move beyond experimentation with unmanned combat aircraft and toward acquiring and fielding the next-generation unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said, “We are going to take a period of time to sort all that out and then we are going to get

SPACE reports that NASA “has announced three commercial space station proposals for development, joining an earlier proposal by Axiom Space.” SPACE interviewed Axiom Chief Technology Officer Matt Ondler on “the company’s space station plans, the outlook for private industry in LEO and the importance of commercial missions such as SpaceX’s recent Inspiration4 crewed orbital flight.” Full Story

Reuters reports that American Airlines “plans to scrap, reduce or delay the introduction of flights to several international routes next summer because of a lack of widebody aircraft.” American Airlines “said Boeing Co’s (BA.N) delay in delivering 787 jets, including 13 aircraft that were expected to arrive by this winter, has crimped its ability to ramp

CNET News reports that on Tuesday, NASA’s Curiosity rover photographed “a scenic cliff that resembles a human face in profile with a heavy brow, a long nose, lips and a chin.” Full Story (CNET News)

SPACE reports that Blue Origin’s third crewed launch has been delayed due to weather. Windy conditions at Launch Site One in Van Horn, Texas, have “push[ed] off liftoff of ‘Good Morning America’ (GMA) anchor Michael Strahan and five other individuals” to Saturday. Full Story (SPACE)

Aviation Week reports that Canada’s Department of National Defense (DND) said that a “cracking issue has required repairs to at least 19 of the 23 Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopters in the Royal Canadian Air Force fleet.” Vertical Magazine reports that on November 26, “cracks were found on the tail of one of the helicopters undergoing a routine

SPACE reports that mission team members “have finished fueling the James Webb Space Telescope at ahead of its planned Dec. 22 launch from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, the European Space Agency announced Monday.” The fueling for the Webb telescope “took 10 days and was completed on Dec. 3.” Full Story (SPACE)

Bloomberg reports that Airbus “delivered 58 jets in November, setting up a busy final month of 2021 as the company aims to ship 600 aircraft this year.” Full Story (Bloomberg)

Spaceflight Now reports that after a delay due to high winds, ULA successfully launched an Atlas 5 rocket carrying the STP-3 mission Tuesday morning. WESH-TV Orlando, FL reports that the main spacecraft “houses an experiment designed to more accurately detect nuclear detonations on Earth,” and will also deploy “two satellites with new technology that have never been deployed

Aviation Week reports that the US Air Force “has cleared the KC-46 to refuel five more aircraft types as part of a rollout of interim capabilities before the tanker is fully operational. U.S. Transportation Command can now task the KC-46 to refuel AC-130Js, HC-130Js, MC-130Js, C-5Ms and E-3Gs.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

CNBC reported that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Friday that SpaceX has started construction on a Starship launchpad on Florida’s Space Coast. Full Story (CNBC)

CNBC reported that Amazon’s leasing of long-haul cargo airplanes is “helping it avoid the long wait times for available dock space and workers at the country’s busiest ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.” Amazon is “avoiding ports altogether by reportedly leasing at least ten long-haul planes that can get smaller amounts of cargo directly from

CBS News reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket “boosted 48 more Starlink internet relay satellites into orbit Thursday, along with two BlackSky commercial Earth-imaging satellites.” Thursday’s flight, the 27th Falcon 9 launch this year, marked a new record for SpaceX. Full Story (CBS News)

Aviation Today reports that Volocopter “announced a new joint venture company this week with NEOM, an enterprise that is developing a ‘smart city’ on the coast of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea.” The joint venture company “was formed to design and operate what could be the world’s first customized public vertical mobility system.” Full Story (Aviation Today)

SPACE reports that NASA astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron “will conduct a spacewalk previously scheduled for Tuesday (Nov. 30) on Thursday (Dec. 2) after the agency evaluated the risks posed by space debris.” NASA officials wrote, “NASA determined the orbit of the debris does not pose a risk to a scheduled spacewalk by Thomas Marshburn

The AP reports that the Civil Aviation Administration of China “cleared the Boeing 737 Max on Thursday to return to flying with technical upgrades more than two years after the plane was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes.” China was the final large market to approve the return of the Boeing 737 Max. Full Story (Associated

Bloomberg reports that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk “on Tuesday said that a potential bankruptcy at the company in the event of a severe global recession would be ‘unlikely,’ but not impossible.” Full Story (Bloomberg)

FlightGlobal reports that Airbus Helicopters “will offer H145 light-twins in future with manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability following a successful trial of the technology.” Aviation Week reports Airbus Helicopters “is offering its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) kit for international sale as live testing enters its second phase.” Full Story (FlightGlobal); More Info (Aviation Week)

The Hill reports that France “is set to begin testing electric air taxis in the coming months, with the goal of launching them in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics.” The flying taxis “will be tested at a hub outside Paris at Pontoise” in the hopes of establishing two flight paths to the 2024 Olympics from

The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that NASA and the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory “put out a request for proposals for a fission surface power system” on November 19. NASA and the Idaho National Laboratory are planning “to establish a sun-independent power source for missions to the moon by the end of the decade.” Full

Aviation International News reported that the Gripen E “has now entered the delivery phase.” Six serial production aircraft “have left the factory and are now being prepared and tested prior to delivery to the aircraft’s two customers.” Four of the Gripen E aircraft are to be sent to the Força Aérea Brasileira, and the remaining two

The Miami Herald reported that the Solar Orbiter space probe “had a brief encounter with its home planet on Saturday morning when it circled the Earth for the first and last time while executing a gravity assist to slow itself down before setting off for the Sun.” Full Story (Miami Herald)

On its website, Good Morning America reports that “Good Morning America” co-host and former NFL defensive lineman Michael Strahan “will fly to space on Blue Origin’s next space flight.” The AP reports that Strahan “will join Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of astronaut Alan Shepard, on the Dec. 9 mission aboard the New Shepard, a spacecraft

Aviation International News reports that Textron Aviation’s Beechcraft Denali turboprop aircraft “lifted off on its first flight this morning from Wichita Eisenhower National Airport on a flight over central and southern Kansas that lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes.” The Denali “reached an altitude of 15,600 feet and a top speed of 180 knots.” Full Story

SPACE reports that NASA officials announced Monday that the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) was reactivated on Sunday. The WFC3 “is scheduled to resume science observations on Tuesday.” Full Story (SPACE)

FlightGlobal reports that the US Air Force “awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to upgrade the RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) with ‘dynamic’ in-flight rerouting software.” Northrop Grumman said Monday that the software upgrade for the Global Hawk would be ready for service by 2023. Full Story (FlightGlobal)

The AP reported that NASA and the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory “put out a request for proposals for a fission surface power system” to be deployed on the moon. Fission Surface Power Project lead Sebastian Corbisiero said, “Providing a reliable, high-power system on the moon is a vital next step in human space

CNN reported that Rolls-Royce has said it has developed the “world’s fastest all-electric aircraft.” The “Spirit of Innovation” aircraft reportedly “attained a maximum speed of 387.4 mph (623km/h) in flight.” The aircraft “flew 300 mph over 9.32 miles in Wiltshire at the UK Ministry of Defence’s military aircraft testing site, which is 182 mph quicker

Aviation Week reports that Lockheed Martin “has completed final assembly of the X-59 Low Boom Supersonic Demonstrator in Palmdale, California, and is preparing to ship the experimental aircraft to Fort Worth for structural testing.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

Spaceflight Now reports that Rocket Lab “launched two small BlackSky optical Earth-imaging satellites Wednesday from New Zealand, the first of three straight Electron rocket flights for the U.S. remote sensing company.” For the third time, Rocket Lab was able to retrieve “the launch vehicle’s first stage booster.” Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

Aerospace America reports that the answer to whether “enough research and space tourism dollars will flow through the market to keep more than one” private space station has not yet been reached. While Axiom Space believes it has a strong case for a profitable private space station, Axiom Space Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Mary

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that the Royal Air Force “has set a new Guinness World Record after completing the first ever flight using a fully synthetic aircraft fuel.” The flight “took place on November 2, with Group Captain Peter Hackett taking an Ikarus C42 aircraft on a short flight around Cotswold Airport near Cirencester, Gloucestershire.” The

Aviation Week reports that three African carriers “announced orders for new aircraft at Dubai Airshow on Tuesday, demonstrating confidence in the region’s potential for air-traffic growth.” Air Tanzania “announced an order for one Boeing 787-7, one 767-300F and two 737 MAXs”; Ibom Air ordered 10 A220s; and AfriJet ordered three ATR 72-600s. Full Story (Aviation Week)

The Washington Post reports that the International Space Station “faced a menacing threat” Monday from “thousands of pieces of debris, scattered when Russia fired a missile that destroyed a dead satellite.” Mission control in Houston “had to wake the astronauts to inform them that they needed to evacuate the Space Station and take shelter inside their spacecraft.”

Aviation Week  reported that Airbus forecasted that some “39,000 new airliners will be needed worldwide over the next 20 years.” Airbus “believes there will be demand by 2040 for around 29,700 small aircraft like the Airbus A220, A320 family or Boeing 737 MAX, and for about 5,300 medium-sized aircraft like the Airbus A321XLR, A330neo or

KTNV-TV Las Vegas reports that 2021 ASCEND is focusing on making space flight available to all. Emcee Kari Byron “hosted a panel on citizen astronauts and believes they are pioneers in what’s possible in space.” AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher said, “Where we are today with space is similar to where the commercial airline industry was

Aviation International News reports that The Boeing Company displayed its new 777X at the Dubai Airshow Sunday. The 777-9, “the larger of the two planned 777X variants, landed on November 9 at Dubai World Central following a 15-hour nonstop journey from Seattle’s Boeing Field.” The trip was the 777X’s first international flight “and the longest to

The AP reported that Space X “expanded its constellation of low Earth orbit satellites on Saturday with the launch of 53 Starlink satellites from Florida.” The satellites were deployed via a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:19 a.m. EST. Full Story (Associated Press)

Space News reports that Astroscale “signed an agreement with the government of New Zealand Nov. 10 to study advanced concepts for orbital debris removal.” The agreement “broadly covers cooperation on space safety and sustainability, with an initial project examining approaches for a single servicing spacecraft to remove up to three debris objects on a single

CNBC reports, “Cutting-edge technologies and geopolitics are set to feature in military deals at this year’s Dubai Air Show. And some weapons sales – or lack thereof – are major sticking points for both the U.S. and its Gulf allies, in particular the United Arab Emirates. Fighter jet fleet upgrades and new counter-UAS (unmanned aerial

The New York Times reports that the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday “was forced to maneuver itself to avoid a piece of debris spawned by a Chinese antisatellite weapon test in 2007.” NASA and Roscosmos worked together to fire the ISS’ thrusters, raising its altitude by nearly a mile. Full Story (New York Times)

The National Interest reports on the continued development of Lockheed Martin’s SR-72 uncrewed hypersonic aircraft. Referring to a digital rendering that had been presented at 2018 AIAA SciTech Forum, Lockheed Martin Vice President Jack O’Banion said, “Without the digital transformation[,] the aircraft you see there could not have been made. In fact, five years ago, it could