Industry News

The Seattle Times reports that Boeing managers told employees “that in the next four to six months the facility, known as the Advanced Developmental Composites (ADC) center, will be shuttered.” Even though “relatively few people work at the facility right at this point, its symbolism will add to worry about the future of the jetmaker in this

NASA Space Flight reports that SpaceX’s Starship SN9 prototype “is set to complete an accelerated pad flow with a Static Fire test and launch this coming week. A triple Raptor Static Fire test is tracking early this week.” Additionally, the Starship SN10 “is now an integrated stack inside the High Bay, ready to roll to the

Aviation International News reports that NASA now expects the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) demonstrator to make its first flight in 2022, and the agency said that construction of the demonstrator was halfway complete as of the end of 2020. NASA “said assembly of the Mach 1.4 aircraft ‘made great strides’ in 2020 as work progressed

BBC News reported that the Solar Orbiter, a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency, made its closest approach to Venus on December 27, coming within 4,700 miles of Venus’ atmosphere. The Solar Orbiter “will use some of its tools to record the magnetic and particle environment around the planet.” The “next close approach

Bloomberg reported that Airbus “was close to delivering 560 planes to customers as of Dec. 31, approaching the top end of its internal target in a year marred by the pandemic-induced collapse of air travel, according to people familiar with the matter.” The total is “short of the record 863 aircraft that Airbus handed over

Space News reports that The Boeing Company announced Monday that the Exploration Upper Stage of the Space Launch System completed a critical design review with NASA that “confirmed the design of the EUS, allowing Boeing to proceed with development of the stage, including hardware fabrication.” The EUS, which has larger tanks and uses four Aerojet

Reuters reports that Airbus “is set to beat The Boeing Company to be the world’s largest jetmaker for the second year in a row, ending 2020 by resuming deliveries of its A380 superjumbo to Emirates, though its final deliveries are likely to have dropped 35% from 2019 due to the pandemic.” Barring “widespread new travel upheaval,

Space News reports that at 11:37 p.m. EST Monday, China carried out the first launch of its Long March 8 rocket. The “50.3-meter-long, 356-ton Long March 8 lifted off at 11:37 p.m. Eastern Dec. 21 from the coastal Wenchang launch site carrying five satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits.” The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), “a

ExecutiveGov reports that Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Will Roper “said the service branch’s future sixth-generation aircraft will feature an artificial intelligence co-pilot, Breaking Defense reported Friday.” The Next-Generation Air Dominance program “will apply AI as a support platform for human pilots aboard the future aircraft.” Roper “said the service

SPACE reported that on Saturday, SpaceX launched a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite, dubbed NROL-108, launched from the Kennedy Space Center at 9 a.m EST. The Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the ground near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately nine minutes after liftoff. The landing

Live and Let’s Fly reported that United Airlines will make its first passenger flight with a Boeing 737 MAX since the global grounding in February of 2021. After “months of preparation,” United “will base its restarted 737 MAX service out of two hubs, Denver (DEN) and Houston (IAH).” In a message to employees, the airline

Spaceflight Now reports that on Thursday, SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket “to evaluate a ‘slightly high’ pressure reading in the rocket’s upper stage liquid oxygen tank.” A “sensor reading on the Falcon 9’s upper stage triggered an ‘auto-abort’ at T-minus 1 minute, 53 seconds, as SpaceX counted down to a planned liftoff

Aviation International News reports that the Kansas DOT and the FAA signed an agreement to establish the Kansas Supersonic Transportation Corridor (SSTC), which will allow for testing of aircraft at Mach 3 speeds. The agreement “comes as the FAA has taken a multi-faceted approach to facilitate the emergence of supersonic transport while still meeting environmental

The Wall Street Journal reports that NASA said Wednesday that the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will be eligible to launch uncrewed scientific missions for the agency later this decade. There was no contract award given to Blue Origin, but the announcement marks the first time the company has become eligible to launch science missions for

The Washington Post reports that the US Air Force allowed an AI algorithm “to control sensor and navigation systems on a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane in a training flight Tuesday, officials said.” The event marks “what is believed to be the first known use of AI onboard a U.S. military aircraft.” Defense officials “touted the test

Reuters reports that Russia “flew a new passenger airliner with domestically-built engines for the first time since the Soviet era on Tuesday.” The “medium-range MC-21 plane took off from a Siberian airfield powered by Russian-built PD-14 turbo-fan engines. The plane first flew in May, 2017, but with U.S.-made engines.” The MC-21 “is built by Irkut

The Military Embedded Systems reports that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency “announced that in recent tests, a number of X-61A Gremlins unmanned aerial systems (UASs) failed to link up in flight with a recovery system installed on a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft, but that they were actually close to success on multiple occasions.” The project will

The AP/CBS News reports that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) “said Monday it has confirmed the presence of black soil samples inside a capsule that the spacecraft Hayabusa2 brought back from” asteroid Ryugu last week. JAXA “said its scientists opened the capsule and found an unspecified amount of sandy black particles.” Scientists “are hoping

Aviation International News reports that in separate appeals, Helicopter Association International President James Viola and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson “called on helicopter operators to retrofit their legacy aircraft with crash-resistant fuel systems, seats, and structures.” Viola called on operators to voluntarily upgrade helicopters because “retrofitting aircraft to include these features will increase the likelihood of

Aviation Today reported that Airbus will install “line-fit emergency locator technology (ELT)” into all of its in-production commercial aircraft by 2023. The “technology will be installed on Airbus aircraft as part of a single source, multi-year program contract awarded to Orolia,” which manufactures the Ultima-DT ELT. Airbus’ announcement comes in response to a European Union

Reuters reported that Virgin Galactic “cut short a test flight of its suborbital SpaceShipTwo Unity plane on Saturday, safely returning its pilot to Spaceport American in New Mexico after the rocket motor’s ignition sequence failed to complete.” The test aimed to launch the Unity spacecraft “to an altitude as high as 50 miles to test its

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Air Force has given a safety endorsement to Joby Aviation’s electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle – the first safety endorsement the service has given to an eVTOL. The endorsement allows Joby Aviation to use its vehicle to transport military equipment. Industry and military officials said that the endorsement could

SPACE reports that The Boeing Company and NASA announced Wednesday that the first ISS mission for the Boeing CST-100 Starliner capsule is scheduled for March 29, 2021. This is the second time Boeing and NASA are attempting to send the Starliner to the ISS after the first attempt, in December 2019, “suffered a glitch with its

Space News reports that on Wednesday, SpaceX conducted a test flight of its Starship SN8 prototype, which lifted off at 5:45 p.m. EST from Boca Chica, Texas, with the intention of achieving an altitude of 12.5 km. SpaceX “did not immediately provide information on the actual altitude that the vehicle reached.” One “of the three

Aviation International News reports that Volocopter announced Wednesday that it will work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Economic Development Board of Singapore as it prepares to begin air taxi services with its Volocity eVTOL in the country by the end of 2023. The company said that it is speaking with other cities to

Florida Today reports that the Space Force said Tuesday that weather conditions for ULA’s launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket, and SpaceX’s launch of a Falcon 9 rocket – both scheduled for this week – look highly favorable. The weather conditions for the launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance

Airforce Technology reported that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems completed full-scale static testing on the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft wing, which “includes the GA-ASI produced SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian RPA.” Testing featured load cases to 150% of expected maximum flight loads and “the wing was loaded to apply a distributed load across the wingspan even under simulating gust

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