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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] February 14, 2019 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) mourns the passing of Lt. Gen. George Muellner, U.S. Air Force (retired), AIAA Honorary Fellow and past AIAA president. A highly decorated veteran, Muellner spent most of his career as a fighter pilot and fighter

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Black-Tie Event Honors Aerospace’s Best and Brightest February 6, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has announced the 2019 recipients of its most prestigious awards. Presentation of these premier awards and recognition of the Institute’s newly elected Fellows and Honorary Fellows

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] Three Honorary Fellows and 29 Fellows Selected February 4, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected its Class of 2019 AIAA Fellows and Honorary Fellows. The induction ceremony for the new Fellows and Honorary Fellows will take place on 15

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

Space News reports that despite recent layoffs and a partial government shutdown, many companies “remain optimistic about the overall prospects for the space industry in the coming year.” In a panel discussion Wednesday at the Space Foundation, executives “from companies ranging from a launch startup to an established satellite operator talked up the state of the

Air Force Times reports that the US Air Force’s light-attack experiment is “set to get a lot bigger, with the service considering adding drones, helicopters and more sophisticated aircraft to the mix in the future.” According to Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force is seeking to understand the answers to questions such as: “What is the

The Orlando Sentinel reports that according to two new filings with the Federal Communications Commission, SpaceX “revealed it is targeting no earlier than March 7 for a second launch of its three booster, 27 engine Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.” According to Monday’s filings, “SpaceX is targeting the six-month window between March 7 and Sept.

MRO Network reports that Colombian airline Avianca is planning to employ UAVs and cameras to perform some of its aircraft maintenance inspections. To date, the use of UAVs for such inspections “has not been approved for by any airframe OEM or regulatory authority for inspections.” As such, Avianca Vice President of Engineering and Maintenance Miguel Angel

CNBC reported that the US Air Force’s first two Boeing KC-46 tankers “touched down at McConnell Air Force base in Kansas on Friday after departing the company’s Everett, Washington, facility.” The delivery marks a “major milestone for the program, which is two years behind schedule and more than $3 billion over budget.” Boeing is expected to

SPACE reported that India launched its first rocket of 2019 on Thursday, “lifting two payloads into orbit: a military imaging satellite and a student-built orbital laboratory.” The ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The launch was the “first time this rocket was used in conjunction with two strap-on boosters.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Blacksten 703.264.7532 [email protected] January 28, 2019 – Reston, Va. –The world’s largest aerospace professional society, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates the Nashville International Airport as the 2019 winner of the Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award for its Geothermal Lake Plate Cooling System. The Nashville International Airport (BNA) won

Aviation Week reports that Rolls-Royce is planning to “make its mark on the electric-aircraft speed record with a vision of breaking the 300- mph barrier in 2020.” The company is “championing electric flight” through innovations such as the company’s “E-fan demonstrator, working with Airbus and Siemens on a hybrid-electric propulsion system on an Avro RJ100 regional

Space News reports that Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson “now expects to fly on the company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle around the middle of this year after a series of test flights starting in the next several weeks.” In an interview Thursday on “CBS This Morning,” Branson reiterated his plans to fly “into space later this year

The AP reports that Blue Origin plans to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new rocket engine production facility Friday in Huntsville, Alabama. The plant will produce Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine, “which will power the next generation of rockets produced by United Launch Alliance in Decatur.” The engine will be powered “by liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas,”

GovCon Wire reports that a joint venture of The Boeing Company and Bell Helicopter won a potential $143.8 million Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract to “engineer and provide logistics support for the U.S. military’s V-22 Osprey tiltrotor planes.” The Bell Boeing Joint Program Office will “deploy field personnel and support equipment as well as perform maintenance

CNN reports that the “distinctive” Boeing 727 made its last passenger flight on a domestic Iranian route operated by Iran Aseman Airlines. More Info (CNN)

UPI reported that a metallic 3D-printed component has been installed on an “operational F-22 Raptor for the first time, which the Air Force hopes will lower costs and reduce maintenance time.” The titanium cockpit part was “installed by the 574th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hill Air Force Base in Utah on Wednesday,” and replaced a conventional

Space News reported that Blue Origin rescheduled a test flight of the company’s “New Shepard suborbital vehicle for Jan. 22 as the company edges closer to flying people into space.” The company announced the new launch date for the NS-10 flight on Sunday. Blue Origin will launch the mission from a test site in West Texas.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Blue Origin has “shared a new video rendering of what launches would be like beginning in the company’s target date of 2021 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.” New Glenn launches will “take place at Launch Complex 36 for commercial, civil and national security customers, the company said.” The company is slated

Aviation Week reports that Collins Aerospace has been selected to supply the avionics for NASA’s “X-59A QueSST low-boom supersonic flight demonstrator, now under development by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works.” Collins will provide “flight-deck avionics and an enhanced vision system,” as well as assist Lockheed with “developmental engineering support to tailor its Pro Line Fusion avionics system

The Hill reports that the Iridium satellite network officially launched last week is “meant to make it impossible for commercial airplanes to go missing, according to a new CBS report.” The new Iridium Communications satellites “will have improved airplane-tracking abilities, which could reduce the number of flights that vanish per year.” Aireon CEO Don Thoma said