Industry News

CNET News reports that a new study published this month offers suggestions on how to avoid hazardous radiation on a trip to Mars. UCLA said Wednesday that “The scientists’ calculations demonstrate that it would be possible to shield a Mars-bound spacecraft from energetic particles from the sun because, during solar maximum, the most dangerous and energetic

FlightGlobal reports that aircraft interiors suppliers “are seeing growing demand for multi-class cabins in single-aisle jets during the recovery from Covid-19.” During FlightGlobal’s Rethinking The Post-COVID Cabin webinar Wednesday, “three executives from the sector noted the increased use of narrowbodies on longer-haul routes – epitomised by JetBlue’s recent launch of transatlantic services using Airbus A321LRs.”

Space News reports that SpaceX President and CEO Gwynne Shotwell said at the 36th Space Symposium on Tuesday that the company is “going to be impacted this year with the lack of liquid oxygen for launch” and will “certainly…make sure the hospitals are going to have the oxygen that they need,” but that the company

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that Qantas announced Thursday “its plans to gradually bring back overseas flights once 80 per cent of the Australian population was fully vaccinated against Covid-19.” The first available travel routes “will be to first-world destinations with high vaccination rates including the United States, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand.”

Space News reports that on August 24, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall “met with the chief executives of United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin and was briefed on the Vulcan Centaur, a new launch vehicle developed by ULA that is powered by Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines.” According to Space News, the “main topic of

Aviation Today reports that the “Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has awarded PteroDynamics a contract to supply three of its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones for its Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS program, the company announced in an Aug. 23 press release.” The VTOL UAVs are to be used for long-range cargo transport

Space News reports that the overall space economy “expanded 4.4 percent to $447 billion in 2020 with more nations participating than ever before, according to the Space Foundation’s updated Space Report.” Global government spending on space programs declined slightly in 2020 by 1.2 percent. The report also shows an increase in space launch activity. During

Aviation International News reports that Russia’s aerospace industry “is delaying a full-scale launch of a second-generation supersonic transport aircraft (SST2) while intensifying efforts to work out key technologies needed to deliver on that ambition.” The change was confirmed last month when “President Vladimir Putin himself approved a proposal by state-backed companies to develop the new Strizh

ExecutiveGov reported that NASA “plans to partner with commercial companies for the development of future space-based facilities as the International Space Station nears the end of service life.” NASA Director of Commercial Spaceflight Phil McAlister said the collaboration with commercial companies would allow NASA to focus more on deep space exploration. Full Story (ExecutiveGov)

The Daily Mail (UK) reported that The Drive acquired air traffic control audio from the Federal Aviation Administration this week revealing details about a sophisticated mystery UAV that evaded Tucson Police and US Customs and Border Protection helicopters in February. The recordings “show that pilots and air traffic controllers were baffled by the drone, which they described

Space News reports that Blue Origin will conduct “its next New Shepard suborbital mission Aug. 25 with a set of research payloads, but not people, on board on the vehicle’s first flight under a revised launch license.” The NS-17 mission will launch from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One the morning of August 25, and will carry

The Washington Post reports that the UAV strike on the Israeli tanker Mercer Street on July 29 fits in with a recent string of attacks using uncrewed aircraft. The technologies used in these attacks as well as their targets indicate Iranian involvement. Iran has followed a policy of distributing Iranian-produced weaponry including UAVs to various armed groups

Reuters reports that 19-year-old Zara Rutherford took off from Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport Wednesday “at the start of a three-month bid to become the youngest woman to fly solo round the world.” Rutherford “hopes her voyage will encourage more girls and women to study and work in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and spark girls’ interest

SPACE reports that University of Southampton Astronautics Research Group head Hugh Lewis said SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are involved in about 1,600 near collisions between two spacecraft every week. Lewis said, “I have looked at the data going back to May 2019 when Starlink was first launched to understand the burden of these megaconstellations. Since then, the

Aviation Week reports that The Boeing Company’s “struggles handing over 787s during much of the COVID-19-induced long-haul traffic collapse may have an unintended upside – a forced pause in deliveries during a temporary stretch of low demand when many customers do not want the aircraft.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

CNET News reports that NASA released on Tuesday a 360-degree panorama of Gale Crater taken by the Curiosity rover in July to mark nine years on Mars. Full Story (CNET News)

Federal News Network anchor Eric White interviewed AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher for an episode of the network’s “The Space Hour” podcast. Topics included the impact of civilian space launches by Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos and the future of space tourism. Full Story (Federal News Network)

Inside Defense reports that on Monday, the US Air Force announced that it has awarded “contracts to Kratos and General Atomics to continue development and experimentation on the Skyborg program.” Kratos’ contract is worth up to $13.2 million for its XQ-58A, and General Atomics’ contract is worth as much as $7 million for its MQ-20. In

Aviation International News reported that Embraer President and CEO Francisco Neto said that Embraer’s executive jets division saw record second-quarter sales. Embraer saw a “20 percent reduction in production cycle time for its aircraft this year, indicating improved efficiency,” and “delivered 12 light jets and eight larger jets in the second quarter, for a 54 percent

Space News reported that satellite communications are key to allowing UAVs to fly autonomously beyond visual line of sight. QuadSAT CEO Joakim Espeland said, “This has to come from space because you need something that has coverage everywhere, no matter what.” US startup Rammaxx “recently tested a proof of concept where a small group of

Breaking Defense reports that the US Air Force is “backing off on its 2023 goal to transition the AI-driven Skyborg drone experiments to a formal procurement program, with one of Skyborg’s lead officers today citing the need for considerable budgetary tradeoffs.” Brig. Gen. Dale White, program executive officer (PEO) for fighters and advanced aircraft at the

Aviation Week reports that Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo capsule “rendezvoused with the International Space Station early Aug. 12, where it was grappled using Canada’s 58-ft.-long robot arm and berthed to the seven-person orbital lab’s U.S. segment Unity module.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

The New York Times  reports that NASA scientists announced at a news conference Wednesday that “there was a 1-in-1,750 chance that an asteroid named Bennu, which is a bit wider than the Empire State Building is tall, could collide with Earth between now and 2300.” The most likely day for an impact “would be Sept. 24,

Aviation Week reports that The Boeing Company has flown two KC-46A tanker aircraft “to demonstrate tracking technology for future autonomous air-to-air refueling (A3R) capability.” Full Story (Aviation Week)

ExecutiveGov reports that NASA has installed “software designed to facilitate the flight and guidance of the Space Launch System rocket, which will lift the Orion spacecraft for future exploration missions.” NASA said Tuesday that engineers are running tests to certify the software, installed upon assembly of the SLS at the Kennedy Space Center. SLS Systems Engineering

Aviation Today reports that Volansi’s Voly 10 UAV “completed the first-ever completely autonomous maritime drone delivery demonstration with the Navy and Coast Guard on July 18 near Key West, Florida.” The VOLY 10 had a “5-pound payload and completed a 15 nautical mile trip from a Navy ship to the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump

SPACE reports that the Parker Solar Probe made its ninth pass by the sun Monday at 3:10 p.m. EDT. The Parker Solar Probe is “focusing on understanding the mechanism by which the sun’s atmosphere gets so hot – thousands of degrees hotter than the sun’s surface – and the origins of the solar wind, a constant

ExecutiveGov reports that the US Navy received its first TH-73A Thrasher training helicopter Friday. The TH-73A Thrasher “is developed to deliver better power, speed, payload and endurance than the Sea Ranger, with the enhancements being intended to address capability and capacity challenges and improve preparations for naval pilots.” Rear Admiral Robert Westendorff said, “Using current cockpit

Aviation Today reported that DHL Express announced August 3 that it purchased 12 Alice eCargo electric aircraft from Eviation. DHL Express CEO John Pearson said, “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics. Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification

USA Today reports that NASA is looking for four volunteers to live in the Mars Dune Alpha, “a 3D-printed 1,700-square-foot module inside the Johnson Space Center in Houston” for a year. NASA plans to conduct three experiments in fall 2022, 2024, and 2025, respectively. NASA Advanced Food Technology Research Lead Scientist Grace Douglas said, “The analog

The Washington Post reported that The Boeing Company had Starliner inspected for water or electrical damage after the cancellation of Tuesday’s launch. NASA declined to give a date for the next launch. A NASA spokesperson said, “NASA and Boeing will look for the next available opportunity after resolution of the issue.” Boeing said that the mission was

Reuters reports that Qatar Airways announced Thursday it grounded 13 Airbus A350 aircraft under instruction of its regulator due to deterioration of fuselage surfaces. Qatar Airways has been in a dispute with Airbus for months over the dispute and insisted that it would not take further A350 deliveries until the issue was resolved. Qatar Airways Chief

CNN Business reports that The Boeing Company’s Starliner test flight was delayed once again on Tuesday to an unspecified date. Officials have so far only been able to rule out software issues, indicating the issue is unrelated to the 2019 Starliner misfire. Full Story (CNN Business)

FlightGlobal reports that the US Marine Corps is to receive two MQ-9A Reapers in August to increase its ISR capabilities over the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The MQ-9A Reapers are also being used to “inform future requirements for the service’s revamped MUX (Marine Air-Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary)” program. The MUX program, an effort

The Hill reports that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared photos this week “of Raptor engines being fitted onto the Super Heavy booster that makes up the bottom half of the two-stage Starship rocket.” SpaceX plans to launch the Starship from its Boca Chica, Texas, facility. The reusable Super Heavy booster will separate three minutes into the

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that NASA shared a time-lapse video showing construction of the X-59 QueSST aircraft at the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. The 43-second clip shows development of the fuselage and the 29.5-foot-wide wing. Full Story (Daily Mail)

SPACE reports that NASA’s Flight Director at mission control in Houston during the Nauka docking, Zebulon Scoville, said that the ISS tilted more severely than the reported 45 degrees. Scoville said that Nauka caused the station to spin “one-and-a-half revolutions – about 540 degrees – before coming to a stop upside down. The space station

Aviation Week reports that widebody aircraft manufacturers are focusing on freighters as demand for airliners has stagnated. Airbus already has promoted a freighter version of its A350 airliner, and The Boeing Company is considering producing the 777X freighter, an upgraded version of its popular 777F freighter. Full Story (Aviation Week)

Space News reports that NASA and The Boeing Company are to make a second attempt to launch the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on a test flight August 3. On Friday, NASA announced “they were proceeding with [the August 3] … launch, in an instantaneous launch window at 1:20 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Aviation International News reported that Volocopter made the first FAA-approved flight of an eVTOL aircraft Tuesday at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The crewed Volocopter 2X prototype flew a four-minute sortie at around 164 feet. Volocopter confirmed that it is working on the four-seat VoloConnect aircraft, expected to have a 60-mile range and top

Space News reports that GeoOptics plans to deploy a constellation of smallsats over the next five years to collect Earth science and weather data. GeoOptics announced Thursday that it would be launching its new CICERO-2 satellites to collect GNSS radio occultation data and GNSS signals reflected off the Earth Full Story (Space News)

Aviation Today reports that AFWERX Director Col. Nathan Diller said that the US Air Force’s Agility Prime program has been investing in electric air taxis and could have them in use by 2023. The vertical takeoff and landing capable air taxis potentially could be used to evacuate downed aircrew. Full Story (Aviation Today)

The Drive reports that the first XQ-58A Valkyrie stealthy, affordable UAV is being retired after having completed four public test flights. The test platform will be used as a museum exhibit. The XQ-58A in question “suffered a mishap in late 2019 while completing its third flight, but was subsequently repaired and flew again.” Full Story (The

Space News reports that US Space Force Vice Chief Gen. David Thompson said Wednesday that space vehicles powered by small nuclear reactors could be used for military missions in deep space. Thompson said at the Mitchell Institute virtual forum that nuclear propulsion “holds the potential for significant advantages in terms of efficiency compared to standard chemical

Space News reports that NASA and The Boeing Company “say a second test flight of the company’s CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle remains on track for launch July 30, with weather the biggest concern.” A launch readiness review “for the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) 2 mission July 27 confirmed that both the Starliner spacecraft

TechCrunch reports that Joby Aviation has carried out the lengthiest “test flight of an eVTOL to date: Its unnamed full-sized prototype aircraft concluded a trip of over 150 miles on a single charge, the company said Monday.” The test was carried out this month at the company’s Electric Flight Base in Big Sur, California. The

TechCrunch reports that iRocket “has entered into a new partnership with NASA in its quest to reach commercialization in just two years.” The partnership “will give iRocket access to testing facilities and engineering support, chiefly at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.” The company “is hoping that it will conduct its first rocket

ExecutiveGov reports that NASA “has completed the high-voltage testing of its all-electric X-57 Maxwell aircraft at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.” The test “plugged an auxiliary power to the” Empirical Systems Aerospace-developed aircraft “to ensure that all integrated systems could function as designed at full power, NASA said Friday.” The test was

Reuters reported that former Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides “will fly to space on the aerospace company’s next test spaceflight, CNBC reported on Friday.” Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson “announced the news about Whitesides during a party in New Mexico on July 11, following his own spaceflight, the report said.” Full Story (Reuters)

National Defense Magazine reported that Mike White, principal director for hypersonics in the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, recently indicated that the “Air Force’s AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon is poised to be the first hypersonic offensive system to move from development to procurement. … There will be a number of