CBS News reports, “A little over a month after a civilian jet broke the sound barrier, Boom Supersonic and NASA have released a photo of one of the aircraft’s historic test flights over the Mojave Desert. The image released Monday shows the XB-1 aircraft, which Boom Supersonic said is the “first civil supersonic jet made in America,” during its second supersonic flight on Feb. 10. The company said it partnered with NASA using a technique known as Schlieren photography to visualize what can’t be seen with the naked eye.”
Full Story (CBS News)
Tag: 2025
Firefly Becomes First Commercial Company to Make a Successful Lunar Landing
Ars Technica reports, “Firefly Aerospace became the first commercial company to make a picture-perfect landing on the Moon early Sunday, touching down on an ancient basaltic plain, named Mare Crisium, to fulfill a $101 million contract with NASA. The lunar lander, called Blue Ghost, settled onto the Moon’s surface at 2:34 am CST (3:34 am EST; 08:34 UTC). A few dozen engineers in Firefly’s mission control room monitored real-time data streaming down from a quarter-million miles away.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
AIAA DEFENSE Forum to Feature an Extensive Program
The 2025 AIAA DEFENSE Forum will feature hundreds of technical briefings on 16 of the most important topics shaping the present and future of defense and national security, including digital engineering, hypersonics, test and evaluation, and guidance, navigation, and control.
AIAA Releases Report Advocating for Certification of Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2025 – Reston, Va. – With novel aircraft poised to usher in a global revolution in aerial operations and travel, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has released recommendations addressing regulatory and other hurdles that could hinder the certification and integration of novel aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS).
The report, “Challenges to the Commercialization of Advanced Air Mobility,” is written by the AIAA Certification Task Force composed of technical aviation experts with public and private sector experience. The report is available for download here.
“The aerospace industry is on the cusp of an exciting new era of flight,” says AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “New aerial vehicle technologies coming online today will enable capabilities we are only just imagining. We urge our lawmakers to work together to prioritize regulations and investments that ensure U.S. leadership in aviation innovation.”
The report notes that despite successes in meeting many technological challenges, regulatory and legal hurdles remain. Navigation, type and production certification, and urban traffic management present significant barriers in advanced air mobility becoming a commercial reality. Recommendations include:
- Establishing a standing working group of government and stakeholder organizations to create a unified national plan for employing advanced air mobility vehicles, driving new standards to ensure safety and support innovation.
- Revisiting current laws and regulations with an eye toward “future proofing,” or ensuring all laws are applicable to both legacy and emerging aircraft systems.
- Creating a workforce development plan that sets a foundation of awareness about infrastructure, certification requirements, and NAS management for AAM vehicle startups as well as other professionals and decision makers involved in the development of regulations and operations involving novel aircraft in the National Airspace.
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Japan’s Resilience Lander Set for Lunar Flyby
SPACE reports, “The second lunar lander from Japanese space exploration company ispace is ready for a flyby of the moon as part of its elongated moon landing journey. ispace’s Resilience lander launched on Jan. 15 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, along with Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander. It is taking an energy-efficient, circuitous route to the moon, and only last week performed a crucial maneuver to raise its orbit and set up the lunar flyby.”
Full Story (SPACE)
My Daily Launch Holiday Message
In observance of the U.S. federal Presidents’ Day holiday, My Daily Launch will not publish on Monday, 17 February. Service will resume on Tuesday, 18 January.
Learn More
U.S. Air Force Begins Initial Operational Testing and Evaluation of MH-139 Grey Wolf
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Air Force recently launched initial operational testing and evaluation (IOT&E) of the MH-139 Grey Wolf, the helicopter set to replace the service’s aging fleet of Bell UH-1N Hueys that perform nuclear security missions. During the week of January 27, three MH-139 flights operated by the 550th Helicopter Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, demonstrated its capabilities, the Air Force said.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
NASA Successfully Tests Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy, Enabling Spacecraft Swarms
AZOROBOTICS reports, “Through the Starling mission and a virtual lunar orbit scalability study, researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of fully autonomous spacecraft operations. These advancements set the stage for more intelligent, adaptive, and scalable multi-spacecraft missions, revolutionizing space exploration and scientific research.”
Full Story (AZOROBOTICS)
AIAA Public Review
AIAA S-155, Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and On Orbit Servicing (OOS) – Spacecraft Fiducial Markers, has been issued for public review. This document outlines functional, physical, and operational requirements for fiducial markers used in proximity operations, capture and servicing, including manipulation of in-space assets. It is intended to apply to a broad array of RPO/OOS industry participants from spacecraft equipment manufacturers, spacecraft operators, service providers, developers of RPO/OOS simulation, planning and safety tools, and insurers.
AIAA S-158, Prepared Free-Flyer Capture and Release, has also been issued for public review. This document describes best practices, functional requirements, operational requirements, and norms for the design, testing, and operations of prepared Free-Flyer Capture between Servicing Spacecraft and a Client Space Object. The intent is to ensure safe and reliable operations for prepared in-space capture, and to lay the foundation for future standards for prepared capture interfaces.
Public review deadline for both drafts is 14 April 2025. For a copy of the drafts, submission of public review comments, or questions, please contact Nick Tongson .
How Boom’s XB-1 Went Supersonic Without the Noise
Aerotime reports, “During the demonstration flight on January 28, 2025, the XB-1 broke the sound barrier three times, but not one of those occasions caused an audible sonic boom. ‘This confirms what we’ve long believed,’ says Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom. ‘Supersonic travel can be affordable, sustainable, and friendly to those onboard and on the ground.’ Now, Boom Supersonic has shared more details on the technology behind its quiet supersonic achievement, which it calls ‘Boomless Cruise.’”
Full Story (Aerotime)