Industry News

Reuters reports that Brazil’s Gol will start passenger flights on the Boeing 737 MAX on Wednesday. Bloomberg reports that the airline has “trained 140 of its pilots in the U.S., using simulator sessions and a new curriculum approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and ANAC, Brazil’s regulator, in the wake of two fatal Max crashes.” American Airlines

The Washington Post reports that “Charles E. ‘Chuck’ Yeager, a military test pilot who was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound and live to tell about it, died” December 7 at the age of 97. Yeager, a “self-described West Virginia hillbilly with a high school education,” became “one of the greatest aviators

SPACE reports that on Sunday at 11:17 a.m. EST, SpaceX launched a Dragon supply capsule to the ISS. The Dragon cargo craft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket, marking the “100th successful launch of a Falcon 9 over 101 missions for SpaceX.” Nine minutes after liftoff, “the booster’s first stage returned to Earth, landing on

SPACE reports that the Chang’e 5 ascent vehicle lifted off from the moon Thursday at 10:10 a.m. EST, “carrying with it the first fresh lunar samples since 1976.” The spacecraft reached lunar orbit six minutes after liftoff. The ascent vehicle’s “job now is to meet up with the Chang’e 5 orbiter while still circling the

GovCon Wire reports that the US Army is seeking “market information on payloads for aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance that would support the MQ-1C Gray Eagle’s joint all-domain operations.” The Army “said Wednesday in a SAM notice it needs to identify market sources of synthetic aperture radar, moving target indicator, electronic intelligence and other AISR payloads

Spaceflight Now reports that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was moved to pad 39A Wednesday “for the first launch of an upgraded version of the company’s Dragon cargo capsule for the International Space Station.” SpaceX will test-fire the main engines Thursday to prepare for the launch scheduled for Saturday at 11:39 EST. The Dragon cargo capsule

Military.com reports that the US Marine Corps’ “first F-35C carrier-variant Joint Strike Fighter squadron has officially been declared ready for combat.” According to a USMC release, “Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314 of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, said its F-35Cs have achieved initial operational capability, or IOC, authorizing the aircraft for worldwide carrier deployment

Reuters reports that on Tuesday, Virgin Galactic announced that “it had set a new” window for the test flight of its LauncherOne rocket, with the window now opening on December 11. The company paused preparations in November because of COVID-19 restrictions put in place by New Mexico. The flight “will test elements of the spacecraft’s

Reuters reports that the Federal Aviation Administration “has issued its first airworthiness certificate for a Boeing 737 MAX built since March 2019, the agency said on Tuesday.” The FAA “is requiring a series of software changes and new pilot training requirements before planes can return to service.” Full Story (Reuters)

Defense News reports that Australia and the US “are partnering to develop and test an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile under the bilateral Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment program, or SCIFiRE, the two countries announced Monday.” The program “falls under the Allied Prototyping Initiative, which is managed by the Directorate of Advanced Capabilities within the

Aviation International News reports Airbus’ “new five-bladed H145 helicopter has received FAA type certification (TC)[,] with the first U.S. delivery slated to occur early next year.” The TC “covers single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) and single-engine operations (Cat.A/VTOL), and night vision goggle capability.” EASA “certified the helicopter in June, and launch customer Norwegian Air Ambulance

Space News reported that Virgin Orbit “is preparing to perform a second flight of its LauncherOne small launch vehicle in the second half of December, carrying a set of NASA-sponsored cubesats.” A November 24 “‘Local Notice to Mariners’ by the U.S. Coast Guard stated that Virgin Orbit ‘will conduct hazardous operations’ offshore from San Nicolas

CNN reported that NASA “engineers have begun assembling the massive rocket designed to take the first woman to the moon later this decade as part of the Artemis program.” NASA said November 24 that the Space Launch System’s first booster segment has been stacked on the mobile launcher at the Kennedy Space Center. Full Story

SPACE reports that Boom Supersonic recently announced that it plans to fly a supersonic jet demonstrator in 2021. The demonstrator, XB-1, “will be 71 feet (22 meters) long and made of carbon composite, allowing it to remain resilient to flying faster than the speed of sound, the company said in an October statement.” Boom Supersonic Founder

SPACE reports that on Tuesday at 9:13 p.m. EST, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 Starlink satellites. Approximately nine minutes after launch, the Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Tuesday’s launch marked the seventh launch for this Falcon 9 first stage, a

Florida Today reports that on Monday, for the second consecutive day, SpaceX pushed the launch of 60 Starlink satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket by 24 hours. The delay is due to unfavorable weather conditions near the recovery zone for the Falcon 9’s first stage. The mission is now scheduled to launch at 9:13 p.m.

Aviation International News reports that Gulfstream Aerospace has completed many of the tests required for the certification of its G700 ultra-long-range jet. Gulfstream President Mark Burns said, “The G700 development program continues to go very well. … Now we’ll be inducting the first airplane into completion very soon.” Gulfstream is aiming to enter the “$75

Florida Today reports that on Sunday, SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket set to carry 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX cited “mission assurance” as the reason for the delay and said that it would aim to launch the rocket at 9:34 p.m. EST Monday. Although “weather around the pad appears to be

Reuters reported that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency “is set to lift its flight ban on the Boeing 737 MAX passenger jetliner in January after U.S. regulators last week ended a 20-month grounding triggered by two fatal crashes.” On Saturday, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said, “We wanted to carry out a totally independent

Reuters reports that Boeing 737 MAX US and European customers, including Southwest Airlines, “signaled caution on their order books as they monitor demand in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.” Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said, “If demand is going to be persistently depressed, we can retire and not need to take airplanes as replacements.”

The AP reports in a press conference with the four astronauts that traveled to the International Space Station via the SpaceX Dragon craft, that Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi “said Thursday that riding a Dragon capsule to orbit is…a lot more fun than NASA’s shuttles or Russian flights.” First-time astronaut Victor Glover said the experience was “truly

IHS Jane’s 360 reports that DARPA “has issued contracts to three industry teams to develop experimental aircraft (X-plane) based on active flow control” under the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. The three are Aurora Flight Sciences, Lockheed Martin, and Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Full Story (IHS Jane’s 360)

ExecutiveGov reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA have completed virtual tests of multiple unmanned traffic management (UTM) platforms intended to support drone operations beyond visual line of sight.” The tests “featured systems designed to support international UAS standards validation, multisector information sharing, in-flight separation from other aircraft and the development of a flight

The Washington Post reports that on Wednesday, the FAA lifted its ban on Boeing’s 737 Max, “20 months after the aircraft was grounded following two crashes within five months that killed 346 people.” The ruling confirms the FAA’s satisfaction with “software and other fixes, and new pilot training,” and that the aircraft is safe to

Aviation International News reports that The Boeing Company’s “newly released 2020 World Air Cargo Forecast anticipates more than 60 percent fleet growth over 20 years, driven largely by market requirements for medical supply transport and continuing e-commerce growth.” Specifically, it “projects a demand for 2,430 freighters over the next 20 years, including 930 new production

Aerospace America reports from AIAA’s Ascend that moderator Mary Lynne Dittmar of the Coalition for Deep Space Exploration led a panel discussion in which “a handful of space industry officials” argued for the incoming administration to help “increase commercial activity in low-Earth orbit,” and “each panelist agreed that NASA should not build or operate another space

IHS Jane’s 360 reports, “The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) put its Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft into service on 6 November, making it the first international partner to operate the US-made platform,” according to US Naval Air Systems Command, which also called it “a major milestone for both the Japanese and V-22 Joint

Reuters reports, “Virgin Galactic has rescheduled a test flight planned from its New Mexico spaceport later this week after the U.S. state imposed fresh COVID-19 restrictions.” The flight was scheduled for November 19-23. Full Story (Reuters)

Space News reported, “A National Reconnaissance Office satellite flew to orbit Nov. 13 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.” The launch took place “at 5:32 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.” Full Story (Space News)

IGN reported that “the U.S. Air Force is working with aerospace defense firm Lockheed Martin to deploy lasers on fighter jets by 2025” under the program name “SHiELD” for “Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator.” The program envisages “a pod-mounted laser on the fuselage or wing of a fighter jet designed to shoot down incoming air-to-air and

Spaceflight Now reports that the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket “made its third trip to a Cape Canaveral launch pad Thursday, rolling into position for liftoff Friday afternoon with a classified payload for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency.” The US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron issued a forecast Thursday morning that indicates a 90

FlightGlobal reports, “American Airlines expects to defer up to 18 Boeing 737 Max deliveries in the coming years but still anticipates acquiring 18 new Max from Boeing this year.” American also is “deferring delivery of some Airbus A321s.” Full Story (FlightGlobal)

SPACE reports that NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stitch said Tuesday that the test flight for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner commercial crew capsule has been delayed until early 2021 due to ongoing software checks. The uncrewed NASA mission, Orbital Flight Test 2, “was targeted to launch by the end of this year after The Boeing

The AP reports that the Tavistock Development Corp. said Wednesday that it is developing the nation’s first eVTOL regional hub in Orlando’s Lake Nona area. The company plans to complete construction of the hub in five years. Once completed, “the vehicles will be able to take passengers from Orlando to Tampa in a half hour, officials said

Bloomberg reports SpaceX “won formal NASA approval to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, reaching a milestone for a commercial space vehicle three months after completing a crewed test mission.” The certification “enables SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket to begin regular crew rotations to the orbiting lab, with the next flight planned for

Reuters reports Canada-based CAE Inc. on Tuesday “reported positive cash flow and earned a surprise adjusted quarterly profit, as client usage of its civil aviation training centers rebounded since the start of COVID-19, lifting shares as much as 7.4%.” CAE “expects a stronger second half of the fiscal year, compared with the first, and to generate

ExecutiveGov reports that the US Space Command, Space Force, and Southern Command held a virtual event with South American partners from Chile, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia to discuss common space-focused national security interests. Canada was included in the event “to gather input on Latin America’s space interests.” According to USSPACECOM Chief of International Engagements Lt.

Reuters reports that three sources said the FAA will lift its grounding order on the Boeing 737 Max 7 as early as November 18. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said he expects “this process will be finished in the coming days, once the agency is satisfied that Boeing has addressed” the safety issued involved in the two

The AP reports four astronauts “arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday for SpaceX’s second crew launch, coming up next weekend.” For NASA, “it marks the long-awaited start of regular crew rotations at the International Space Station, with private companies providing the lifts.” This will also “be double the number of astronauts [of] the test flight earlier

CNBC reported Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier “outlined his long-term goals for the space tourism on Thursday, saying he sees the company bringing in up to $1 billion in annual revenue per spaceport in the years ahead.” While a “daily launch tempo is years away still for Virgin Galactic,” the company “is working to complete development

The AP reports that Virgin Galactic “said Thursday that it expects to launch its first manned test flight into space from New Mexico this month.” The test flight of the company’s VSS Unity from Spaceport America is scheduled to take place between November 19 and 23. Full Story (Associated Press)

Bloomberg reports that Amazon is starting its own air cargo operations in Europe. Amazon Air will run an air hub based from Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany and employ 200 workers at the hub. Operating “its own aircraft will let the world’s largest e-commerce company offer ‘more flexible delivery options,’ Amazon said. Full Story (Bloomberg)

USA Today reports that “for the first time, astronomers have discovered a ‘fast radio burst’ that came from within our own Milky Way galaxy, according to new research published Wednesday.” The radio bursts, which were first discovered in April, “are the closest ones detected to date, and their proximity has allowed the team to pinpoint their

Inside Defense reports that DoD “is asking for help rethinking how to protect the United States from long-range missiles, particularly how to redesign the $202 billion system of sensors, command and control networks and interceptors optimized for ballistic missile threats to also account for cruise missile and maneuvering hypersonic weapons.” On November 4, the “Missile Defense

Air Force Times reports that on Wednesday, the US Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct the final flight of its F/A-18 Hornet fighter. The flight “marks the end of the F/A-18 A/B/C/D platform’s 34 years as the Blue Angels’ aircraft as the team transitions to F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets.” Full Story (Air Force Times)

Aviation International News reports that business aviation flight hours increased more than 87% between the second and third quarters, according to Jet Support Services’ (JSSI) quarterly Business Aviation Index. Business aviation activity recovered to more than 78% of its 2019 levels, “after average flight hours reached all-time lows in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” JSSI

Florida Today reports that ULA has postponed the launch of an Atlas V rocket carrying a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The mission was scheduled to lift off Tuesday evening, but ULA now plans to launch the rocket at 5:54 p.m. EDT Wednesday. ULA said in a statement, “Upon arriving at the launch pad we

Florida Today reported that on Tuesday, ULA is scheduled to launch its Atlas V rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office intelligence satellite. On Saturday, the US Space Force “said it expects 90% ‘go’ conditions for the rocket’s 5:58 p.m. liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The window at Launch Complex 41 will remain open

Reuters reported that Japan Airlines said Friday that it will retire 24 Boeing 777s by March 2023. The announcement comes after Japan-based ANA “said it would reduce its fleet by more than a tenth by retiring 35 planes, including 777s jets this year.” Full Story (Reuters)

CNET News reports that on Thursday, NASA issued requests for ideas “that address how to unload payloads from lunar landers.” The Lunar Delivery Challenge reads, “These landers will range in size depending on the program requirements, so ideally the solution should be flexible enough to handle a variety of payloads being off-loaded from a range of