Industry News

12 September 2019 CNBC  reports that Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told an industry conference, “I think the phased ungrounding of the airplane amongst regulators around the world is a possibility.” He said that he still believes that the 737 MAX will return to service in the fourth quarter of 2019. Muilenburg said, “We’re going to

11 September 2019 Space News reports that “SpaceX hopes to launch 24 Starlink missions in 2020 as the company builds out a broadband megaconstellation that could ultimately number close to 12,000 satellites, a company executive said Sept. 10.” In remarks at the World Satellite Business Week conference, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell said, “Next year, I

11 September 2019 The Los Angeles Times reports that UAVs “became a permanent part of the Los Angeles Police Department’s crime-fighting arsenal Tuesday, despite opposition from privacy advocates who fear the remote-controlled aircraft will be used to spy on people.” Regulations approved by “the five-member civilian Police Commission…enshrine the drones’ use in specific situations, including active shooters,

10 September 2019 The AP reports that “the U.S. has reached a new ‘Sputnik moment’ in which the military must act to keep the nation’s competitive advantage in space against adversaries such as Russia, China, and to a lesser extent, Iran and North Korea, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday.” In remarks at

10 September 2019 Aviation Week reports that UAV “delivery service provider Flirtey on Sept. 9 unveiled the Flirtey Eagle, a boxy quadcopter that it expects will begin delivering food and packages to households by the end of the year.” Flirtey CEO Matthew Sweeny “said the launch site for the delivery operation will be Reno, Nevada, which

10 September 2019 Florida Today reported that on Friday, “the 45th Space Wing, which oversees Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base, was reverted to an ‘all clear’ status” following Hurricane Dorian’s “last-minute shift.” A Patrick AFB spokesperson said, “Initial reports show no damage that will affect mission operations, but we have

10 September 2019 Aviation Week reported that the FAA “has postponed the release of a draft rulemaking for remote identification of drones by two months until December, delaying definition of a means of identifying small unmanned aircraft systems…from the ground that is considered essential to expanding their use.” The FAA plans to publish its Remote ID

6 September 2019 DroneDJ reports that Prairie Village, Kansas, has passed an ordinance “to limit how and where people can fly drones in the city.” The new ordinance “makes it illegal to fly a drone near people without their consent, or over large events without permission, or over private property without authorization.” Pilots who “violate

6 September 2019 Building Indiana Magazine reports that “Trine University has received a $3,000 grant from the Indiana Space Grant Consortium to support a student team” at AIAA’s Design/Build/Fly competition. The annual contest “provides a real-world aircraft design experience for engineering students by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies.” Trine’s Research and Outreach

5 September 2019 An article in Aerospace America details an August 30 interview with veteran NASA engineer Lisa Watson-Morgan regarding the agency’s 2024 lunar mission plans “and the strategy underlying them.” Watson-Morgan expressed optimism despite the challenges of meeting the planned 2024 launch date, and she emphasized the role of collaboration between NASA and commercial partners.

5 September 2019 Florida Today reports that Hurricane Dorian “barely brushed by Brevard County overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, sparing the Space Coast from major damage.” On Wednesday afternoon, teams at Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station “started assessing facility conditions.” Starting Thursday, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) teams “will be evaluating possible damages…ahead of

3 September 2019 Politico reports in its Morning Transportation rundown that the FAA has warned UAV pilots to avoid flying in areas affected by Hurricane Dorian “unless conducting an active disaster response or recovery mission.” (Image: DJI Phantom 4. Credit: Associated Press-©) Full Story (Politico)

4 September 2019 CNET News reports that ISS astronauts “have been tracking” Hurricane Dorian “from orbit.” On Monday, NASA astronaut Nick Hague “shared a close-up of Dorian’s deep eye” in a message on Twitter. Said Hague, “You can feel the power of the storm when you stare into its eye from above. Stay safe everyone!”

3 September 2019 An article in Aerospace America details a recent visit to ULA’s Vulcan rocket factory in Decatur, Alabama. According to Hofacker, “Vulcan is on track for its 2021 debut, ULA CEO Tory Bruno told me last week at AIAA’s Propulsion and Energy Forum in Indianapolis, and the company is ‘confident to go directly to

3 September 2019 The Washington Post reported that NOAA scientist Frank Marks “and his team have been experimenting with…specialized drones that can fly around a hurricane’s eye and sophisticated plane-mounted radar units that can measure wind motion, all to better understand what happens inside the storm during intensification.” The aircraft-launched UAVs “can fly…for up to an hour

30 August 2019 ExecutiveGov reports that NASA “has docked its Mars Helicopter to the Mars 2020 rover for the upcoming exploration mission on the red planet.” NASA said Wednesday that JPL engineers installed the twin-rotor helicopter to the rover’s underside. JPL Project Manager for Mars Helicopter MiMi Aung said, “Our job is to prove that

30 August 2019 CBS News  reports that “NASA civil servants and contractors at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are bracing for high winds and rain from Hurricane Dorian.” Staff at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) have made preparations to store “a 6.7-million-pound mobile launch tower” at the VAB, which “was designed to withstand winds

29 August 2019 CNET News reports that “NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites are tracking” Hurricane Dorian as the weather formation “takes shape.” NASA’s Terra satellite has captured images of the storm, which “is making its way across the Atlantic and looks set to impact the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and

29 August 2019 Aviation Week reports that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) “is looking at leveraging NASA’s work on hybrid- and turbo-electric propulsion to increase the performance and capability of large unmanned aircraft, including ‘loyal wingman’ vehicles that would support manned fighters.” Power & Control Division Chief Engineer John Nairus said, “Near term, we

28 August 2019 ExecutiveGov reports that “a transport helicopter built by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky subsidiary to replace the aging Marine One presidential aircraft is on track to achieve [initial] operational capability next year, National Defense Magazine reported Monday.” The Sikorsky VH-92A helicopter, a twin-engine “based on the company’s S-92A commercial aircraft,” is meant “to succeed

28 August 2019 SPACE reports that NASA’s Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) mission team confirmed August 23 that the clock has been activated successfully. The mercury-ion atomic clock, launched in June, “is now in orbit around Earth and ready to begin a year-long tech demo.” The DSAC, “developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” is meant to

27 August 2019 Aviation Week reports that UAS manufacturer AeroVironment “said it has donated 87 Quantix hybrid drones and supporting data analytics systems to agricultural departments at 35 U.S. universities.” The Quantix, introduced in 2016, is “designed for automated ‘crop-scouting’ of agricultural tracts.” The UAS “lifts off and lands vertically using four small rotors, then transitions

27 August 2019 SPACE reports that at 6:43 a.m. ET Monday, the U.S. Air Force’s X-37B space plane surpassed its spaceflight-duration record “of 717 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes, which was set by the previous mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle 4 (OTV-4).” The current campaign, which is classified, “began on Sept. 7, 2017,

26 August 2019 Fleet Owner reported that UPS, which “flew the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-sanctioned commercial drone delivery earlier this year,” is now “seeking exemption from FAA regulations to allow its UPS Flight Forward (UPS FF) division to expand, according to its application, published Aug. 22 in the Federal Register.” UPS has been working

26 August 2019 CNET News reported that when NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine “addressed engineering students at the University of Colorado Boulder on Friday,” a student asked via livestream “near the end of the Q&A if NASA had considered sending an all-female crew for the Artemis mission.” Bridenstine answered, “Have we considered it? Yes, and it wouldn’t

22 August 2019 Florida Today reports that on Thursday, “teams are looking to launch” a ULA Delta IV rocket “no earlier than 9 a.m. from Launch Complex 37,” in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The weather forecast for the 27-minute launch window opening is favorable, with 80 percent “go” conditions, but “in the event of a delay,

22 August 2019 Aviation Week reports that on August 21, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Drew Morgan equipped the ISS “with a second set of hardware to accommodate two simultaneous U.S. segment dockings during a…spacewalk.” (Image: Nick Hague (top) and Andrew Morgan conduct a spacewalk Wednesday to install the International Docking Adapter (IDA-3) to the

21 August 2019 Aviation Week reported that “NASA has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from U.S. companies capable of carrying out up to $7 billion in re-supply missions to its planned lunar-orbiting, human-tended Gateway.” The RFP “asks for a service similar to how multiple commercial providers deliver pressurized and unpressurized cargo to and from”

21 August 2019 Reuters reports that The Boeing Company “said on Tuesday it plans to add extra staff and hire ‘a few hundred’ temporary employees at” Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. Boeing also “said the workers will assist with aircraft maintenance and customer delivery preparations.” The hiring plans are “a key step” in

20 August 2019 Spaceflight Now reports that “weather forecasters expect a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions at Cape Canaveral for liftoff of a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket Thursday with a GPS navigation satellite.” A weather outlook issued Monday by the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts “a typical summertime weather pattern over

20 August 2019 The Puget Sound (WA) Business Journal reports that The Boeing Company “has paused development of the ultra-long-range version of its 777X passenger jet, though the company said Friday the decision was not related to ongoing work to return its 737 [MAX] to service.” Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said, “We reviewed our development program schedule

19 August 2019 SPACE  reported that last week, SpaceX had “hop[ed] to launch Starhopper, an early test prototype of the company’s Mars-colonizing Starship vehicle, to an altitude of about 650 feet…from its facility in Boca Chica, Texas.” However, officials in Cameron County, Texas, “announced Friday (Aug. 16) that Boca Chica Beach and part of State

16 August 2019 Aviation Week reported that DARPA has formally begun “a program to build and fly an X-plane designed around active flow control (AFC), potentially eliminating the need for moving control surfaces.” On August 12, “a broad agency announcement (BAA) was released…for the first two of four planned phases of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft

16 August 2019 Florida Today reports that next week’s launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket will be the last ever featuring the “single stick” medium-lift variant. Space Florida Chief of Strategic Alliances Dale Ketcham said, “Delta IV was an awesome beast that put a lot of heavy, extremely important payloads into space.”

15 August 2019 The AP reports that on Thursday, Virgin Galactic “officials will offer the first glimpse” of “the once-empty hangar that anchors the taxpayer-financed launch and landing facility…where Virgin Galactic will run its commercial flight operations.” The company “posted on social media earlier this week that its carrier plane had landed in New Mexico and

15 August 2019 Aviation International News reports that “the first-ever beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operation using only onboard detect-and-avoid systems in the U.S. will be conducted in Kansas following just-received FAA approval, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced” Wednesday. The operation, “a collaboration between Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus, electric utility Westar Energy, Iris Automation, and

14 August 2019 Aviation Week reports that “using experiments and digital simulations, Siemens’ eAircraft said it has proved the feasibility of a high power-density superconducting generator that could be used in a hybrid-electric propulsion system for future short-haul commercial aircraft.” Siemens is performing “laboratory tests of the 2-megawatt SP2000 conventional, non-superconducting electric motor that will

13 August 2019 SPACE reports that SpaceX “aims to get Starhopper, an early test prototype of the company’s Mars-colonizing Starship vehicle, about 650 feet (200 meters) off the ground this weekend, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter on Friday.” In response to the question “Starhopper 200m on Aug 16-18?” by another Twitter

13 August 2019 Air Force Times reports that the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) “has returned 74 C-130s to service as of Aug. 9, AMC spokeswoman Alexandra Soika said…Monday.” The Air Force temporarily grounded the C-130s “after finding cracks in the lower center wing joint, or ‘rainbow fitting,’ of a C-130 during scheduled depot

12 August 2019 WFMY-TV Greensboro, NC reports that the city of Greensboro is hosting “the 2019 North Carolina Drone Summit and Flight Expo through Tuesday.” The event is being coordinated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation in collaboration with “partners including Crown Consulting, Inc.” Among the keynote speakers are “leadership from the Federal Aviation Administration,

12 August 2019 Xinhua News Agency (CHN) reports that “NASA’s Mars Cube One (MarCO), the first briefcase-sized satellites to journey to another planet, has been honored ‘Small Satellite Mission of the Year’ by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, according to a latest release of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.” (Image: Cubesat – MarCO | JPL-NASA)

8 August 2019 Aviation Week reports that “the U.S. Army and Air Force successfully demonstrated using Lockheed Martin F-35 track data with the Army Integrated Air and Missile Defense (AIAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) during the Orange Flag exercise in Palmdale, California, and Ft. Bliss, Texas.” (Image: F-35. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Master

6 August 2019 Spaceflight Now reports that “U.S. Air Force officials signed off Monday on a plan for SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, rivals in the launch services market, to fire off Falcon 9 and Atlas 5 rockets from neighboring launch pads at Cape Canaveral on Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.” SpaceX has a launch window

6 August 2019 CNBC reports that The Boeing Company CEO Dennis Muilenburg said Monday that Boeing has conducted nearly 500 test flights of the 737 MAX with the new software update installed. In remarks during an interview at the Global Business Travel Association conference, he added, “We know that trust has been damaged over the

5 August 2019 The Guardian (UK) reported that FCC documents indicate that the US military “is conducting wide-area surveillance tests across six midwest states using experimental high-altitude balloons.” As many as “25 unmanned solar-powered balloons are being launched from rural South Dakota and drifting 250 miles through an area spanning portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin

2 August 2019 CNET News reports that the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch planned for August 3 “appears to be in jeopardy, after Elon Musk’s spaceflight company announced it would perform a second static fire test after replacing a ‘suspect valve.’” SpaceX did not provide an updated date for the launch. (Image: SpaceX Falcon 9 on

2 August 2019 FlightGlobal reports that “Airbus has determined that the A320neo is potentially vulnerable to an angle-of-attack protection weakness which could result in excessive pitch attitude under certain circumstances.” The EASA said that the condition differs from the excessive-pitch anomaly found in an evaluation of the A321neo, despite a superficial similarity to “the discovery

1 August 2019 The AP reports that the Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing Wednesday with FAA officials on the approvals process for the Boeing 737 MAX. FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Ali Bahrami “said an FAA flight standardization board, which included pilots, compared the [MAX] to older 737s and determined that the computer-based training

1 August 2019 NBC News reports that on Friday, Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden “led a tour group along roads that offered views not only of alligators and eagles’ nests but also of the past, present and future of America’s space program” at Kennedy Space Center. Worden “recalled the hard work and isolation but also the

31 July 2019 The AP reports that on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued “a security alert…for small planes, warning that modern flight systems are vulnerable to hacking if someone manages to gain physical access to the aircraft.” The alert “recommends that plane owners ensure they restrict unauthorized physical access to their aircraft until