Industry News
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News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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Weather Favorable For Launch of NASA’s ICON
6 November 2018
Florida Today reports that the US Air Force’s weather forecasters estimate 80 percent “go” conditions for the planned launch of NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft early Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Skid Strip. A L-1011 Stargazer aircraft will carry a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket to launch ICON into low-Earth orbit. Teams are
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Crashed Lion Air Flight Had Damaged Airspeed Indicator On Four Previous Flights
6 November 2018
Reuters reports that Indonesian accident investigators “said an airspeed indicator of a Boeing Co (BA.N) 737 MAX plane that crashed in the Java Sea last week was damaged for its last four flights, but US authorities responded cautiously to suggestions of fleet-wide checks.” The error was revealed after data was “downloaded from the plane’s flight data
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NASA Plans Urban Air Mobility “Grand Challenge”
5 November 2018
Aviation Week reported that NASA has rolled out its “Grand Challenge plan to help guide, foster and enable the coming generation of urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles,” and is asking for industry feedback to “fine tune and guide the initiative.” Although electric and hybrid-electric aircraft “hold the potential to revolutionize society, NASA Aeronautics Associate Administrator Jaiwon
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Airbus Delivers Orion “Powerhouse” To NASA
5 November 2018
Reuters reported that Airbus delivered the “powerhouse” Friday for NASA’s new Orion spacecraft “that will take astronauts to the Moon and beyond in coming years, hitting a key milestone that should lead to hundreds of millions of euros in future orders.” Airbus engineers in Bremen, Germany, on Thursday “carefully packed the spacecraft into a special container
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AFRL Plans 2020 Test Of Laser, Microwave Weapon Systems
2 November 2018
Aerospace America reports that the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) issued a request for information asking for ideas for “Directed Energy on an Airborne Platform,” specifically laser and microwave weapons with the ability to “precisely attack ground targets” while defending against “surface-to-air missiles and air-to-air missiles.” The request adds that “responses could also determine the
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NASA: “No Decision” On Next Astronaut Launch
2 November 2018
Aerospace America reports that on Thursday, Russia announced “plans to launch an American astronaut, a Canadian astronaut and a cosmonaut to the space station on Dec. 3, about two months after an aborted launch sent a Soyuz capsule plunging to the Kazakhstan desert in an accident that miraculously left neither occupant seriously injured.” Roscosmos officials made
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NASA Scientists Developing Carbon Nanoscale Composite Materials For Deep Space Missions
1 November 2018
ExecutiveGov reports that a group of NASA researchers is working on a “technology that will leverage carbon nanotube composite materials to conduct rocket and spacecraft launches for use in deep space exploration missions.” The scientists are led by NASA’s Langley Research Center and have “partnered with Nanocomp Technologies to increase the production of high-strength carbon nanotube
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Ottawa Issues Draft RFP For Hornet Fleet Replacement
1 November 2018
FlightGlobal reports that the Royal Canadian Air Force issued a draft request for proposal (RFP) “to five potential suppliers to replace its Boeing CF-18A/B Hornet fleet,” including The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Dassault Aviation, Airbus Defense, and Saab. The suppliers will have around eight weeks to provide feedback to “help refine and finalize the formal RFP.”
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Scientists Seeking To Develop Battery That Could Power Aircraft
31 October 2018
MIT Technology Review reports that a group of scientists is seeking to markedly increase the rate at which batteries discharge electricity. If the scientists are successful, according to MIT Technology Review, “it would enable regional commuter flights that don’t burn fuel or produce direct climate emissions.” The scientists’ first plan is to make a battery that
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Billionaires Fund Fusion Energy Projects In “SpaceX Moment”
31 October 2018
Bloomberg News reports that Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Peter Thiel are among investors funding efforts to create the “first commercially viable fusion reactor.” The technology has long been known to have the “potential to revolutionize the energy industry, but development costs have been too high for all but a handful of governments and investors.” However,
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Airbus Plans A330-800’s First Flight Next Week
30 October 2018
FlightGlobal reports that Airbus has “tentatively narrowed the A330-800 first flight window to the week beginning 5 November.” The company has been conducting ground and engine tests on the aircraft, and hopes to “carry out the maiden flight next week,” subject to weather conditions. The aircraft recently had its Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines installed, and once
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Sets Record For “Closest Approach To Sun”
30 October 2018
The AP reports that NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is “now closer to the sun than any spacecraft has ever gotten.” The spacecraft passed the previous record “of 26.6 million miles (43 million kilometers) set by Helios-2 back in 1976,” and will keep approaching “until it flies through the corona, or outer atmosphere, for the first time next
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NASA Seeks To Expand Use Of Additive Manufacturing In Space Operations
29 October 2018
ExecutiveGov reported that NASA aims to “build habitats on other planets and landing pods through the use of additive manufacturing processes.” NASA Director of Advanced Exploration Systems Jason Crusan “said manufacturing advancements on Earth have made 3D printers capable of developing necessary tools for the agency’s space-based operations.” Crusan anticipates that additive manufacturing could help NASA
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NTSB Calls For Cockpit Voice Recorder Upgrades
29 October 2018
Aerospace America reported that the NTSB “has asked the FAA to require cockpit voice recorders to be able to carry 25 hours of audio” in order to aid investigators of airline accidents. The relative rarity of fatal airline accidents means that “investigators now have more time to investigate close calls.” According to NTSB Director of Aviation
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ULA Plans First Vulcan Launch For 2021
26 October 2018
Space News reports that United Launch Alliance (ULA) now expects to “perform the first launch of its next-generation Vulcan rocket in the spring of 2021, a slip of nearly a year that the company says is due to requirements of a recent Air Force award.” During a panel at the American Astronautical Society’s Wernher von Braun
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Belgium Confirms Selection Of F-35A To Replace F-16 Fleet
26 October 2018
Space News reports that United Launch Alliance (ULA) now expects to “perform the first launch of its next-generation Vulcan rocket in the spring of 2021, a slip of nearly a year that the company says is due to requirements of a recent Air Force award.” During a panel at the American Astronautical Society’s Wernher von Braun
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NASA Spacewalks Remain On Hold
25 October 2018
The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA has not rescheduled spacewalks “canceled after American astronaut Nick Hague’s launch to the International Space Station was aborted earlier this month.” The spacewalks were originally scheduled for October 13 and Thursday to upgrade the ISS’s power systems. However, NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) Director Mark Geyer “said he is confident everything
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NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope Offline Again
25 October 2018
SPACE reports that NASA’s “long-suffering” Kepler Space Telescope returned to sleep mode “just a few days after its most recent observing campaign began, the agency said in a statement released” Tuesday. According to the agency, “Following a successful return of data from the last observation campaign, the Kepler team commanded the spacecraft into position to begin
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NASA Expects Soyuz Flights To ISS To Resume In December
24 October 2018
CBS News reports NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Tuesday that he expects Russia to resume piloted Soyuz flights in December. Bridenstine said that Russian engineers have a “really, really good idea” what forced Soyuz MS-10 commander Alexey Ovchinin and NASA flight engineer Nick Hague to abort their launch to the ISS on Oct. 11. More Info (CBS
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Personal Helicopters Could Replace Vehicular Commutes
24 October 2018
USA Today reports on the future possibility of “putting down a $1,000-reservation to buy a ‘personal helicopter’ – a small, relatively inexpensive, partially electric powered craft designed for two people taking short hops.” Workhorse Group, based in Cincinnati-based Workhorse, “believes it’s on the forefront of electric vertical take off and landing technology, or eVTOL.” The company
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NASA Makes Progress In Hubble Gyro Repair
23 October 2018
Space News reports that engineers have made progress “correcting a faulty gyro on the Hubble Space Telescope, making NASA optimistic the space telescope can resume normal operations in the near future.” Hubble has been kept in safe mode “since the failure of the third of its six gyroscopes Oct. 5.” During a Monday meeting of NASA’s
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US Navy Commissions First UAV Test Squadron
23 October 2018
Aviation International News reports that the US Navy commissioned its first test squadron dedicated to UAVs in a ceremony on October 18. The creation of the squadron was “approved by Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, in April.” Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 continues the “work of the UAS Test Directorate of the
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NASA Considers Moon As Observational Platform For Gathering Data
22 October 2018
ExecutiveGov reported that NASA is considering the possibility of using the moon as an “observational platform from which scientists can gather data on the sun or other celestial bodies.” NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Steve Clarke “said such efforts can serve as a step toward developing capabilities to embark on future Mars missions.” Clarke added
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Deadline Nears For US Army UAV Competition
22 October 2018
Aerospace America reported that the deadline is approaching for companies to submit bids for a US Army-led “Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems” competition for “runway independent” UAVs slated to begin test flights in 2020. The deadline for responses to the request for proposals is October 29. The Army and Special Operations Command currently operate “hundreds of
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US Air Force’s X-37B Space Plane Passes 400 Days In Orbit
19 October 2018
SPACE reports that the US Air Force’s X-37B space plane “has now passed the 400-day mark” for its classified mission in orbit. The Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-5) mission began October 7, 2017 when it launched mounted “atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.” The only OTV-5
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Boeing CTO: Quantum Computing, Neuromorphic Technologies “Form The Core” Of Aerospace Innovation
18 October 2018
Bloomberg News reports that The Boeing Company is creating a new unit to focus on new technologies including neuromorphic processing, which “mimics the synapses of the human brain and hack-proof communications links based on applied quantum physics.” Such technologies “increasingly form the core of aerospace innovation, like the networks that may one day manage millions of
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UTAS “Well-Positioned” To Target Supersonic Aircraft Market
17 October 2018
Aviation Week reports that with “advanced aerostructures technology already in flight test on an unidentified high-speed military aircraft and ground tests of new low-noise, compact nacelle concepts underway,” UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) believes that it is “well-positioned to penetrate the nascent civil supersonic market.” The nacelle development comes amid a “broader UTAS focus on the business
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Honda Aircraft Expects Increase In Light Jet Deliveries In 2019
17 October 2018
Reuters reports that Honda Aircraft CEO Michimasa Fujino “said on Tuesday he expects deliveries of the HondaJet to rise in 2019 above the estimated 50 aircraft customers will take this year, as the light business plane maker targets Asia for growth.” The company recently introduced a longer-range version of the HondaJet Elite and “announced a new
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NASA Cancels ISS Spacewalk
16 October 2018
The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA canceled a spacewalk planned for Friday following the failure of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft last week. No decision has been made on a second spacewalk planned for October 25. According to NASA Johnson Space Center spokesman Kelly Humphries, it will take “a few days at least to sort out the near-term
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ULA Prepares Atlas V For Launch Late-Night Tuesday
16 October 2018
The Houston Chronicle reports that NASA canceled a spacewalk planned for Friday following the failure of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft last week. No decision has been made on a second spacewalk planned for October 25. According to NASA Johnson Space Center spokesman Kelly Humphries, it will take “a few days at least to sort out the near-term
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Second NASA Space Telescope Enters Safe Mode
15 October 2018
The AP reported that a second NASA space telescope “has shut down and halted science observations.” Less than a week after the Hubble Space Telescope “went offline, the Chandra X-ray Observatory” experienced a similar issue. In its statement, NASA “said Friday that [Chandra] automatically went into so-called safe mode Wednesday, possibly because of a gyroscope problem.” Hubble
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US Navy Begins Formal F-35C Testing
15 October 2018
ExecutiveGov reported that the US Navy has begun to “formally test the operation of an F-35C stealth fighter intended to demonstrate fulfillment of the service’s requirements.” F-35C integration office head Rear Adm. Dale Horan “said Wednesday that Strike Fighter Squadron 147 arrived on USS Carl Vinson to assess the aircraft’s capacity to address the Navy’s needs.”
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NTSB Report Calls For Faster Reporting Of Aviation Incidents
12 October 2018
The Seattle Times reports that the NTSB “issued a final report Thursday on the incident in which an Air Canada jet nearly crashed into planes lined up on the ground at San Francisco International Airport.” According to the agency, the incident underscores the need to report dangerous aviation incidents more quickly in order to preserve crucial evidence.
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Pentagon Temporarily Grounds F-35
12 October 2018
The AP (subscription publication) reports that the Pentagon “on Thursday ordered a temporary pause in all F-35 fighter jet flights in order to inspect the fleet in the wake of a crash last month in South Carolina.” The issue revolves around a potentially bad fuel tube, and “affects more than 250 U.S.-owned jets, as well as nearly
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After Soyuz Accident, NASA Weighs January as Deadline for Bringing Station Crew Home
12 October 2018
Aerospace America reports that “NASA and its space station partners face a conundrum of timing after Thursday’s Soyuz rocket accident, which miraculously left the crew of a cosmonaut and an astronaut in shape to walk away and hug loved ones.” The capsule, which was due to deliver new crew members to the ISS and serve as
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FAA, EASA Require Airbus Engine Software Upgrades Following Aborted Takeoffs
11 October 2018
AP reports that regulators are “ordering that engine software be replaced on some Airbus passenger jets because of a problem that has caused pilots to abort several takeoffs in cold weather.” The FAA and EASA order covers 82 CFM International engines on US-registered Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets. The regulators “said this week operators will have
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NASA IG: Boeing’s SLS Rocket Over Budget, Behind Schedule
11 October 2018
Reuters reports that The Boeing Company’s “poor performance” in building a rocket for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) has “resulted in an $8.9 billion price tag that is double the initial budget and could further delay the launch, the U.S. space agency’s watchdog office said on Wednesday.” NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said in
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Insitu Debuts UAV With “ID-Capable” Camera
10 October 2018
Aviation Today reports that Insitu unveiled a new UAV, the Alticam-14, which has “video imaging capability high enough in quality to positively identify people from the air.” According to Insitu Director of Defense Programs Keith Hirschman, speaking Tuesday at the Association of the US Army’s annual convention, the enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities will be
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Branson: Virgin Galactic “Should Be In Space Within Weeks”
10 October 2018
The Washington Post reports that Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday, “We should be in space within weeks, not months.” Branson added that “then we will be in space with myself in months and not years.” Although Branson has previously estimated that Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin would launch persons into
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Trump Signs FAA Reauthorization Bill
9 October 2018
CBS News reported that President Donald Trump signed the “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018” Friday, extending FAA funding through 2023 just ahead of an October 7 deadline. ExecutiveGov reported that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen “said in a statement that the recently passed FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 would increase the government’s capacity to protect U.S. citizens
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ESA Prepares To Ship Orion Service Module To KSC
5 October 2018
Aviation Week reports that seven years after “signing a contract to supply the service module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft,” the ESA is preparing to ship its first module to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. According to ESA Exploration Development Group head Nico Dettmann, the timeframe is significantly shorter than the 12 years the agency
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NASA’s Dawn, Kepler Spacecraft Expected To Exhaust Remaining Fuel In Coming Weeks
5 October 2018
Space News reports that NASA expects the missions of its Dawn and Kepler spacecraft “to come to an end in the coming weeks when each exhausts their remaining hydrazine fuel.” During a talk Thursday at the 69th International Astronautical Congress, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Dawn Chief Engineer and Mission Director Marc Rayman “said current estimates had
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Successfully Passes Venus
4 October 2018
SPACE reports that NASA’s Parker Solar Probe passed within 1,500 miles of Venus “as planned this morning (Oct. 3), getting an orbit-sculpting gravity assist, NASA officials said.” The spacecraft “remains on course” for its first “close encounter with the sun, which is scheduled to take place from Oct. 31 through Nov. 11.” More Info (SPACE)
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Boeing CEO Anticipates Air Taxi Prototype To Fly In 2019
4 October 2018
Bloomberg News reports that The Boeing Company CEO Dennis Muilenburg anticipates the company’s prototype air taxi will take flight next year. Boeing is also “working with regulators to develop a traffic-management system for the aircraft in five years.” In an interview Wednesday, Muilenburg said that Boeing is “working on both the ecosystem – the regulatory framework
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ISS Partners Support Continued Operation Beyond 2024
3 October 2018
Space News reports that during a press conference Monday at the 69th International Astronautical Congress, representatives of the ESA, JAXA, and Roscosmos “said they were open to extending the station’s operations to 2028 or 2030 in order to maximize the investment they’ve made in the facility as a platform for research and preparation for exploration activities
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NASA Commemorates 60th Anniversary As Bridenstine Appears Before Senate
2 October 2018
The Space Review reports that NASA celebrated its 60th anniversary “with a variety of largely virtual events, including a recorded statement from NASA’s current administrator, Jim Bridenstine.” A recent panel at AIAA’s SPACE Forum featured six of the agency’s administrators, and “offered an opportunity to reflect how NASA has changed or sometimes hasn’t changed” over the
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FAA Announces Serious Civil Penalties For UAV Interference With First Responders
2 October 2018
Flying Magazine reports that the FAA announced last week that UAVs interfering with wildfire containment crews, law enforcement efforts, or other first responders “are now more likely to face serious civil penalties, even for first-time offenses.” The action is “separate from new provisions included within the FAA Reauthorization legislation that would allow authorities to track, intercept
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Japanese Re-Entry Capsule Prepares for Test Flight from ISS
1 October 2018
SPACE reports that a small, Japanese re-entry capsule, “designed to bring back experiments from space, is gearing up for its first test flight” after arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday aboard a robotic cargo ship. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s HTV Small Re-Entry Capsule (HSRC) is designed to transport experiment samples back to
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Rolls-Royce Showcases Swarming Technology At Farnborough
28 September 2018
Bloomberg News reports that during the Farnborough Airshow, Rolls-Royce demonstrated an “array of miniature robots designed to speed up engine overhauls by removing the need for powerplants to be detached from the aircraft during shop visits.” The swarming robots, less than half an inch across, are designed to “roam the turbine in gangs beaming pictures back
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Boeing’s Hypersonic Jet To Be Smaller Than 737
27 September 2018
The Waitsburg Times reports that at last week’s AIAA SPACE Forum, The Boeing Company “revealed its proposed hypersonic passenger airliner, which would fly much higher and faster than the Concorde.” Boeing envisions the aircraft traveling at Mach 5, “enabling them to cross the Atlantic Ocean in just two hours and the Pacific in three while cruising at