Industry News

Space News reports that “a day after announcing that NASA was studying the possibility of shifting an Orion mission from the Space Launch System rocket to commercial vehicles, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he and the agency still support development of the SLS.” Bridenstine said in remarks at a Space Transportation Association luncheon held March 14,

Spaceflight Now reports that “United Launch Alliance ground crews are putting the final touches” on a 218-foot-tall Delta 4 rocket scheduled for liftoff at 6:56 EDT Friday evening from Cape Canaveral with a USAF 10th Wideband Global SATCOM communications satellite payload. The satellite “will relay high-data-rate communications in X-band and Ka-band frequencies during a mission expected

Reuters reports that FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell said in “a conference call with reporters that the ‘black boxes’ from Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines plane crash are headed to France later on Wednesday.” Elwell “expects it will take months before a software fix for Boeing 737 Max planes is complete.” Elwell also indicated “that he does not

Reuters reports that the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger jet by many nations “sent shockwaves through global aviation after a crash in Ethiopia, but many airlines are managing to keep to schedule with other jets while economic woes mean some may be grateful for a pause.” More Info (Reuters)

Reuters reports that Japan’s space agency announced Tuesday that they have agreed to cooperate with Toyota to develop a crewed lunar rover that runs on fuel cell technologies. The rover “is still in the conceptual stage, but an illustration in the news release showed a six-wheel vehicle that somewhat resembled an armored personnel carrier.” According to

Reuters reports that the USAF announced that a Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tanker jet is scheduled for delivery on Monday to Altus AFB in Oklahoma. An Air Mobility Command representative “said that under the corrective action plan, subsequent deliveries would occur as The Boeing Company successfully completes each aircraft’s inspection.” The USAF had stopped accepting the tankers

USA Today reports that NASA awarded a nearly $19 million contract for the development of nuclear rockets, and “this year’s NASA budget contains $100 million for nuclear thermal research.” More Info (USA Today)

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company announced Sunday that it has postponed the planned ceremonial debut of its 777X widebody aircraft after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane on Saturday. Boeing “said after the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 is focused on ‘supporting’ the airline and would not proceed with Wednesday’s

Bloomberg reported that the Crew Dragon “splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean around 8:45 am Eastern time Friday about 250 miles east of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, roughly six hours after undocking.” More Info (Bloomberg)

Airforce Technology reported that the USAF “has completed the first flight test of the long-range, high subsonic unmanned air vehicle, XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator” at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. The 76-minute test flight is the first of five planned flights that will be carried out in two phases, testing the aircraft on factors that include “system

FlightGlobal reports that USAF’s X-60A hypersonic research vehicle has completed its critical design review and has moved into its fabrication phase. AFRL “is developing the X-60A to increase the frequency of flight testing at hypersonic speeds, which it hopes will lower the cost of maturing hypersonic technologies.” According to USAF, the X-60A’s initial flight is scheduled

CNET News reports that NASA captured the “first air-to-air images of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft flying in formation.” These images “show for the first time how shockwaves interact in flight,” giving “a gorgeous visualization of the shockwaves that are heard on the ground as loud sonic booms.” NASA’s advanced air-to-air imaging system

SPACE reports that “NASA’s recently deceased Kepler space telescope launched atop a Delta II rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on March 6, 2009,” a milestone that occurred exactly 10 years ago as of Wednesday. More Info (SPACE)  

CNN reports that recent incidents involving UAVs at worldwide airports show how UAVs “have become an increasing nuisance for airports worldwide in recent months, and good solutions to keep them from interfering with flights aren’t yet available.” Airports Council International-North America Senior Vice President Chris Oswalds said, “One major underlying concern across industry sectors is the

SPACE reports that the ESA is “asking the public which questions the agency should tackle with ‘Voyage 2050,’ its space science program for the 2035-2050 timeframe.” In a statement Monday, ESA Director of Science Günther Hasinger said, “We wish to encourage a sense of ownership and involvement in the space science program with our public, and

Aviation Week reports that Bombardier’s Global 7500 “has set a record for the longest mission ever flown by a purpose-built business jet in a nonstop flight spanning 8,152 nm,” beating the advertised range of 7,700 nm. The flight “also set a long-range speed record for the Singapore to Tuscon, Arizona, city pair,” and “landed with 4,300

Florida Today reports that “the first all-female spacewalk is scheduled to take place March 29.” NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will have CSA Flight Controller Kristen Facciol “serving as console at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.” More Info (Florida Today)

Reuters reported that the US Air Force announced Friday that it had stopped accepting The Boeing Company’s KC-46 tankers since February 20, and it is “working with the company to resolve the issue of foreign object debris (FOD) that were found in the aircraft.” A USAF official “told Reuters that the issue was not with the

CNET News reported that NASA announced in a mission update issued Thursday that the Curiosity rover is back in working condition after a unknown glitch temporarily took it out of commission two weeks ago. NASA previously announced that the rover experienced a “hiccup during boot-up” and went into a protective safe mode. Curiosity is transmitting fresh

FlightGlobal reports that the US Navy announced February 28 that the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II has achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The Navy’s first F-35C squadron “completed aircraft carrier qualifications aboard USS Carl Vinson and received a Safe-For-Flight Operations Certification.” The Israeli Air Force, the Italian Air Force, and the UK’s Royal Air Force have

SPACE reports that “SpaceX’s first Crew Dragon spacecraft is poised for a historic test flight Saturday.” In remarks during a prelaunch conference February 28, NASA Deputy Manager Joel Montalbano said, “We’re looking forward to the launch this weekend.” SpaceX Vice President Hans Koenigsmann said, “The task ahead of us is really historic.” Added Koenigsmann, “I’m pretty

ExecutiveGov reports that the USAF’s Kessel Run software development team has developed the Kronos application with the purpose of accelerating the process of planning the weekly maintenance and flight schedule for F-35 fighter jets. The Kessel Run team “partnered with developers from Lockheed Martin, Pivotal Software and the Blended Operational Lightning Technician team at Nellis Air

The Houston Chronicle reports that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) filed a bill Wednesday to continue US operations on the ISS until 2030. In a statement, Cornyn said that the bill “sets the stage for a new era of space exploration and to reassert American leadership in space discovery.” Cornyn “hopes this measure, when passed, will provide some

Florida Today reports that Air Force 45th Weather Squadron Forecasters currently anticipate 80 percent “go” conditions for the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule on Saturday from the Kennedy Space Center on DM-1. After a flight readiness review “last Friday,” NASA officials “confirmed the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will

Aviation Today reports that the FAA “is proposing a final rule requiring that small” UAVs display a “unique identifier.” The move bypasses “the normal notice and comment period of up to 180 days,” and the interim final rule “will take effect Feb. 25.” According to a February 13 Federal Register notice, “Small unmanned aircraft owners are

AP reports that the US Air Force released a plan Friday detailing a potential roadmap for creating the Space Force as a separate service, estimating that doing so would cost the Trump Administration $3.3 billion in the first year and $12.9 billion in the new branch’s first five years. The Air Force’s number is the “first

Orlando Sentinel reports that Lockheed Martin “pulled up the curtain on a new innovation lab Tuesday,” demonstrating technologies including “3D printers, virtual and augmented reality headsets and a robotics lab meant to encourage its employees to experiment.” The 6,500-square-foot lab is located at the company’s Missiles and Fire Control campus in Orlando, Florida, and “will also

CNN reports that Virgin Galactic has scheduled the rocket-powered spaceplane VSS Unity to “attempt one of its highest and fastest test flights ever on Wednesday, potentially bringing the company closer to its goal of launching paying customers to space this year.” VSS Unity is set to lift off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California,

Business Facilities reports that it has named Virginia as its “2018 State of the Year.” While announcing Virginia as the recipient of the award, BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers said, “Virginia snared more than $5.5 billion in capital investment for its top two projects, and its top five job-creation efforts netted nearly 28,000 new jobs

The Washington Post reports that over “two years after receiving warnings about a regulatory loophole that could put law enforcement at risk from booby-trapped drones, the Federal Aviation Administration said it will use a truncated public process to fix the problem within two weeks.” The action was a component “of a dizzying array of proposed rules and

Space News reported that “an appropriation bill signed into law Feb. 15 gives NASA $21.5 billion for fiscal year 2019, $1.6 billion above the administration’s original request.” The final bill “rejects the proposal to reorganize the accounts used to fund the agency that NASA included in its budget request a year ago,” and retains NASA provisions

FlightGlobal reports that February 13, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office of the DOD announced its intent to “solicit and negotiate multiple contracts to buy 485 stealth fighters from Lockheed Martin.” The contracts, which have an anticipated award date in Q3 of 2021, “would provide for long lead time materials, parts, components, initial spares, and

The Washington Post reports that after the Space Age of the 1960s and ‘70s, the moon “was virtually abandoned.” Now, however, the moon “is again the center of a reinvigorated space race that…features a new cast of characters,” including China and India. On Thursday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the agency “intends to partner with the private

Bloomberg News reports that Airbus SE has announced that the company “decided to stop making the A380 double-decker after a dozen years in service.” The project shutdown “marks a watershed moment for civil aviation” as the A380 “was the manifestation of Europe’s collaborative drive and the continent’s industrial ambitions.” Airbus is ending production by 2021 “after

SPACE reports that “in a statement published Feb. 7, NASA laid out how it will work with U.S. companies to develop reusable systems through which astronauts could return to the moon by 2028.” Agency officials reported that NASA will use current and anticipated technologies to complete the Trump Administration’s Space Policy Directive 1 mandate “as quickly

Reuters reports that the FAA on Tuesday expressed that “it is requiring small drones to display registration numbers on the exterior to address concerns raised by U.S. security officials and to make it easier to identify owners.” In a notice in the Federal Register that was published on Tuesday, the FAA said that it is mandating

CNET News reports that Virgin Galactic announced Monday that the SpaceShipTwo rocket motor was donated to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, and will be exhibited in its Future of Spaceflight gallery. Since that gallery doesn’t open until 2024, the motor will be displayed at the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The AP reports that Oklahoma lawmakers are considering legislation to ban UAVs over private property in rural areas. Oklahoma state Sen. Casey Murdock (R) said that the proposed bill “would govern drones flying at 400 feet (120 meters) or lower” and have an exemption for rural Oklahoma residents. Said Murdock, “For me right now, this is a

CNET News reports that “in preparation for the launch of its next Mars rover, NASA is undertaking some quick, interplanetary KonMari.” NASA wants to have the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft operate “as a communications relay for the Mars 2020 rover mission.” The spacecraft “has been orbiting Mars since September 2014, occasionally dipping into

The  Houston Chronicle reported that government space programs in Huntsville, Alabama, such as Blue Origin and Aeroject Rocketdyne are expanding with new jobs and new facilities due to national defense and telecommunications funding in the billions of dollars. Projects would include “an array of initiatives such as communications satellites, possibly armed satellites, and even satellite clusters that

CNBC reports that the first flights of Delta’s first Airbus A220 jet “took off Tuesday morning from New York’s LaGuardia Airport with one flight to Boston and another to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.” Equipped with new “Pratt and Whitney geared turbofan engines, the A220s have higher fuel efficiency compared with other models, a key selling point

FlightGlobal reports that Safran Aircraft Engines opened a new turbine blade research center “at its Gennevilliers site near Paris.” According to the manufacturer, the facility is capable of performing “all development work necessary for next-generation very-high-performance turbine blades” for military and commercial engines used in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Around 30 engineers and experts will focus

The Houston Chronicle reports that the recent government shutdown “continues to claim victims at NASA,” which is delaying a planned “emergency system test for the Orion spacecraft being built to take humans back to the moon.” NASA officials “confirmed this week that the launch of the Orion test module, previously scheduled for April from Cape Canaveral, Fla.,

Reuters reports that The Boeing Company announced Tuesday that it has made a sizable investment in “supersonic business jet developer Aerion, as the world’s biggest planemaker looks to tap into rising demand for high-end aircraft that can reduce travel time.” Boeing plans to provide engineering, manufacturing, “and flight testing services for Aerion’s $120 million supersonic business

Space News reports that investment in space startups is continuing “at an accelerating rate, according to two firms that track activity in the sector.” Seraphim Capital data shows that venture capital “poured $3.25 billion into space technology companies in 2018, an increase of 29 percent.” In an annual report, Space Angels, “which unlike Seraphim does not

FlightGlobal reports that Gulfstream has “pushed back certification and service entry of the G600, blaming the 35-day partial shutdown of the US government for the delay.” The long-range business jet had been scheduled for validation in early 2019, but during a fourth quarter earnings call on January 30, Phebe Novakovic, CEO of Gulfstream parent company General

GovCon Wire reported that NASA selected United Launch Alliance (ULA) to provide launch services for the agency’s “first mission to study the Trojan asteroids orbiting with Jupiter.” ULA “said Thursday it will deploy an Atlas V 401 rocket to send the Lucy spacecraft in October 2021 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.” According to

SPACE reported that The Boeing Company is on track to “launch its new astronaut taxi to the International Space Station (ISS)” in a test flight in March 2019. In remarks to Space.com during a Boeing space travel presentation, Boeing spokesperson Maribeth Davis indicated that “if this test flight goes according to plan, Boeing will be ready

SPACE reports that China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Chinese space program’s main contractor, plans more than “30 launches in 2019, with major missions including the crucial return-to-flight of the heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket in July.” CASC announced Tuesday “that it would aim to loft more than 50 spacecraft on 30-plus launches this

Aviation Week reports that Bell has begun flight tests of the “largest version yet of its tail-sitting electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Autonomous Pod Transport (APT).” The vehicle will form a “key element of a NASA program” aimed at “paving the way for routine flights of unmanned air systems” in the US national airspace. More