SPACE reported that Astrolab has secured an agreement with SpaceX to launch its Flexible Logistics and Exploration (FLEX) rover on one of SpaceX’s Starship moon missions. The mission could occur as early as 2026. FLEX would be the largest rover ever to operate on the moon’s surface. The rover would be able to carry two astronauts and could alternately be remote-controlled. Astrolab built FLEX “within NASA’s requirements for the agency’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) specifications, and hopes to have an entire FLEX fleet roving the moon’s surface as part of the Artemis program.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Tag: 2026
KC-46 Key Fixes Will Not be Completed Before 2026
Bloomberg reports that the US Air Force’s “latest schedule for fixing, verifying and installing improved versions of key equipment on its refueling tankers built by Boeing Co. shows the work won’t be complete before early 2026, or 15 years after the company won the contract.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)
Air Nostrum Plans Airship Services from 2026
Aviation International News reports that the Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum prepares to “launch airship services with plans to acquire 10 of the 100-seat Airlander 10 aircraft being developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles in a deal that could be worth $600 million.” In the last six months, “Air Nostrum and HAV have conducted studies and modeling exercises to assess how best to operate the airship on domestic routes.” Air Nostrum President Carlos Bertomeu said, “We are exploring each and every possible way to reduce our carbon footprint. The Airlander 10 will drastically reduce emissions and for that reason, we have made this agreement with HAV. Sustainability, which is good news for everyone, is already a non-negotiable fact in the daily operations of commercial aviation.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Charbel Farhat to Receive the 2026 Daniel Guggenheim Medal for Pioneering Advances in Aerospace Computational Mechanics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2026 – Reston, Va. – Charbel Farhat has been awarded the 2026 Daniel Guggenheim Medal for pioneering advances in the computational mechanics of fluid-structure interaction, transforming simulation methodologies and enabling major breakthroughs in aircraft design and optimization. He will receive the prestigious award during AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, 8–12 June, San Diego, Calif.
The Daniel Guggenheim Medal was established in 1929 to honor innovators who make notable achievements in the advancement of aeronautics. Its first recipient was Orville Wright. The medal is jointly sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International (SAE), and the Vertical Flight Society (VFS).
“During his 36-year academic career, Farhat has made outstanding contributions to fixed wing aeroelasticity and supersonic parachute inflation dynamics that have advanced the safety and practicality of aviation; and that of related driving forces of global technology development and innovations with significant economic and social benefits. He has pioneered computational methods that have enabled the solution of safety-critical aero-elastic and aero-servo-elastic problems. He has introduced physics-based machine learning into the development of high-fidelity multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization (MDAO) frameworks to allow them to be computationally tractable and thus attractive to designers” said George Springer, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, and nominator.
“On behalf of the Guggenheim Medal Board, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. Prof. Farhat’s outstanding contributions to computational mechanics, aero-elasticity and aircraft design/optimization have had a significant impact on both the aerospace industry and the broader community,” added George Kardomateas, Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, and chair, Guggenheim Medal Board.
Charbel Farhat is the Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures at Stanford University and a professor in the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. He chaired Stanford’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics from 2008 to 2023 and held its inaugural Spilker Chair. He has directed major research centers, including the KACST-Stanford Center of Excellence for Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Army High Performance Computing Research Center, and served on national advisory bodies such as the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board and the Space Technology Industry-Government-University Roundtable. Recognized by the U.S. Navy as a Primary Key-Influencer, he flew with the Blue Angels in 2014.
Farhat earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and is an AIAA Fellow. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Lebanese Academy of Sciences. His honors include the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship, three honorary doctorates, the Kuwait Prize, and major distinctions in computational mechanics and high-performance computing, including the IEEE Gordon Bell and Sidney Fernbach Awards. A Fellow of multiple professional societies, he has also received French national honors. Farhat has authored over 650 publications, served as Editor-in-Chief of two leading journals, and contributes broadly to research in fluid–structure interaction, CFD, structural mechanics, high-performance computing, and physics-based machine learning.
Past recipients of the Guggenheim Medal are some of the greatest names in aerospace, including Holt Ashley, Lawrence Bell, William Boeing, James Doolittle, Donald Douglas, Charles Stark Draper, Hugh Dryden, Robert Goddard, Jerome Hunsaker, Theodore von Kármán, Charles Lindbergh, Glenn Martin, Frank Robinson, Burt Rutan, Igor Sikorsky, and Walter Vincenti, among many others.
For more information about the AIAA/ASME/SAE/VFS Daniel Guggenheim Medal, contact Patricia A. Carr, Guggenheim Secretary, at [email protected].
AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
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 www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.
About SAE International
SAE is the leader in connecting and educating mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. Our core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series. For more information visit www.sae.org.
About The Vertical Flight Society
Founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943, the Vertical Flight Society today advocates, promotes and supports global vertical flight technology and professional development. For 80 years, the Society has provided leadership for the advancement of vertical flight. For more information, visit www.vtol.org or follow us on Twitter at @VTOLsociety.
AIAA Announces 2026 Premier Award Winners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades. The winners will be recognized at AIAA events throughout the year.
“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Daniel Hastings. “In honoring these remarkable pioneers, we celebrate their transformative contributions that will echo through generations of aerospace innovation. Their groundbreaking work exemplifies the relentless pursuit of excellence that defines our community as they set new horizons for what humanity can achieve in the vast frontiers of air and space.”
“I’m simply in awe of this outstanding group of award winners. These are the aerospace professionals who push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “These leaders are making sure we stay at the forefront of innovation and maintain our national leadership in aerospace. They are truly shaping the future of aerospace.”
The winners are:
AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team
AIAA Distinguished Service Award – Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute
AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center
AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin
AIAA Public Service Award – Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich
Daniel Guggenheim Medal – Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University
Award Citations
AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievement in the field of astronautics. It was endowed by Mrs. Goddard in the 1940s as the ARS Goddard Memorial Award to commemorate her husband, Robert H. Goddard—rocket visionary, pioneer, bold experimentalist, and superb engineer whose early liquid rocket engine launches set the stage for the development of astronautics.
Indian Space Research Organisation, honored “For the groundbreaking landing of the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 near the lunar south pole region, to deepen our understanding of the moon and beyond.”
AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievements in the field of aeronautics. The award is named after Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.
Boom Supersonic XB-1 Team, honored “In recognition of the historic design and development of Boom Supersonic’s demonstrator, XB-1, the first independently developed supersonic jet, which demonstrated Boomless Cruise on two supersonic flights in 2025.”
AIAA Distinguished Service Award
AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.
Mark J. Lewis, President & CEO, Purdue Applied Research Institute, honored “For outstanding and notable contributions to AIAA at the sectional, regional, and national level over the past four decades.”
AIAA Engineer of the Year Award
The award is presented to a member of the Institute who has made a recent individual technical contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant technical accomplishment.
Jenna L. Eppink, Research Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center, honored “For exceptional engineering and technical innovation developing Lensless Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a simple static-pressure-tap boundary-layer transition detection technique, expanding near-body flow-physics measurement capabilities.”
AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award
The award is presented for a notable contribution made by a young person, age 35 or under, to the advancement of aeronautics or astronautics. This award honors Lawrence B. Sperry, pioneer aviator and inventor, who died in 1923 in a forced landing while attempting a flight across the English Channel.
Thomas C. Underwood, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Austin, honored “For pioneering contributions to air-breathing electric propulsion and plasma-enabled pathways for sustainable and in situ fuel production.”
AIAA Public Service Award
The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.
Thomas Zurbuchen, Professor of Space Science and Technology, ETH Zurich, honored “For bold and impactful leadership through energetic public service in space science, entrepreneurship, education, and NASA space program management.”
Daniel Guggenheim Medal
The Medal was established as an international award honoring an individual who makes notable achievements in advancing the safety and practicality of aviation. Jointly sponsored by AIAA, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and Vertical Flight Society (VFS), the Medal recognizes contributions to aeronautical research and education, the development of commercial aircraft and equipment, and the application of aircraft to the economic and social activities of the nation.
Charbel Farhat, Vivian Church Hoff Professor of Aircraft Structures School of Engineering, Stanford University, honored “For pioneering advances in the computational mechanics of fluid–structure interaction, transforming simulation methodologies and enabling major breakthroughs in aircraft design and optimization.”
Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
AIAA Announces Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) proudly congratulates its newly elected Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows. The class will be inducted during a ceremony on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Washington, DC.
“Congratulations to each member of the Class of 2026 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows for their remarkable accomplishments. They are among the most respected names in the aerospace profession,” said Dan Hastings, AIAA President. “These distinguished individuals have earned the respect and admiration of the global science and engineering community. We are in awe of their creativity and exceptional contributions that have advanced aerospace.”
Honorary Fellow is AIAA’s highest distinction, recognizing preeminent individuals who have made significant contributions to the aerospace industry and who embody the highest possible standards in aeronautics and astronautics. In 1933, Orville Wright became the first AIAA Honorary Fellow. Today, 245 people have been named AIAA Honorary Fellow.
AIAA confers Fellow upon individuals in recognition of their notable and valuable contributions to the arts, sciences or technology of aeronautics and astronautics. Nominees are AIAA Associate Fellows. Since the inception of this honor 2,120 persons have been elected as an AIAA Fellow.
“The Class of 2026 Honorary Fellows and Fellows are impressive aerospace professionals. They are dreamers who have transformed our understanding of flight and exploration, pushing the boundaries of human potential. I am privileged to call them friends and colleagues. Their groundbreaking work reminds me that innovation is born from passion, persistence, and the audacious belief that we can always reach a little further than we thought possible,” added AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.
2026 AIAA Honorary Fellows
Laura J. McGill, Sandia National Laboratories
Daniel J. Scheeres, University of Colorado Boulder
Steven H. Walker, Lockheed Martin Corporation (retired)
2026 AIAA Fellows
William H. Ailor, III, The Aerospace Corporation (retired)
The Honorable Robert Behler, RFBehler Engineering and Consulting, LLC
Gillian Bussey, US Space Force
Simone D’Amico, Stanford University
Paul Danehy, NASA Langley Research Center
Juan M. de Bedout, RTX
Daniel Dumbacher, Purdue University
Miroslav Krstic, University of California San Diego
Sanjiva Lele, Stanford University
Arthur A. Mabbett, North Wind
Dan E. Marren, Marren Associates LLC
David M. McGowan, NASA Langley Research Center
Karl Wieland Naumann, kwnaumann Dynamic Technologies Expertise and Consulting
David Oh, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Paul H. Park, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bell Helicopter, Northrop Grumman (retired)
Khanh D. Pham, Air Force Research Laboratory/Space Vehicles Directorate
Dawn R. Phillips, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Ugo Piomelli, Queen’s University
Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Rusty Powell, Astrion
Sukesh Roy, Spectral Energies, LLC
Hoyt Lee Sampson, Jr., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Puneet Singla, Pennsylvania State University
Sonya T. Smith, Howard University
Kon-Well Wang, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Christopher Watkins, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
James W. Weber, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering
David Williams, Illinois Institute of Technology
Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
AIAA Announces 2026 Sustained Service Awards Winners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Sustained Service Awards. The award recognizes sustained, significant service and contributions to AIAA by members of the Institute.
“Our volunteers are the Institute’s driving force. Their ingenuity and dedicated service make AIAA great,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This year’s honorees exemplify servant leadership. We are grateful for their enduring contributions to our community.”
The Sustained Service Award winners are AIAA members in good standing who have shown continuing dedication to the interests of the Institute by making significant and sustained contributions over a period of time, typically 10 years or more. Active participation and service at the local section/regional level, and/or the national level is a potential discriminator in the evaluation of candidates.
The 2026 Sustained Service Awards winners are:
Melissa Carter, NASA Langley Research Center
For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA National
Carter became an AIAA student member at Penn State in 1997. She held many positions in the Hampton Roads Section, including Young Professional Committee Chair and Section Chair. She is a member of the Inlets, Nozzles, and Propulsion System Integration (INPSI) Technical Committee and served two years as Chair. Carter started working at NASA Langley Research Center as a co-op student in 1998, converted to a full-time employee in 2000, and is retiring in January 2026.
David Casbeer, Air Force Research Laboratory
For leadership advancing AIAA’s focus on autonomy and intelligent systems in aerospace.
Casbeer, a 20-year member of AIAA, heads the UAV Cooperative and Intelligent Control Team at the Air Force Research Laboratory. His team works to develop enabling technology for autonomous UAVs, supporting future Air Force missions.
Wayne Hurwitz, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems
For sustained leadership and dedicated service to AIAA at the national level through significant contributions to Corporate Membership advocacy, the Air Breathing Propulsion TC, Propulsion & Energy Group, TAD leadership, and the Ethics Committee.
Hurwitz is the Northrop Grumman Fellow for Propulsion. He has served as a manager or IPT leader on a range of military aircraft programs, including F-5/T-38, F-20, TSSAM, legacy F/A-18 and E/F, B-2, B-21, X-47A, JAST, F-22, F-35, UCLASS, NGAD, and other advanced programs. Hurwitz is an AIAA Associate Fellow and Deputy Director for the AIAA Propulsion and Energy (P&E) Group. He is a past chair of the AIAA Ethics Committee, served as Director of the P&E Group, and chair for the Air Breathing Propulsion Technical Committee. Hurwitz is the 2023 recipient of the Engineer’s Council Jack Northrop Spirit of Innovation Award.
Elizabeth Lee-Rausch, NASA Langley Research Center
For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Hampton Roads Section, Region I, and AIAA national.
Lee-Rausch is the Chief Engineer for the AeroSciences Division at NASA Langley Research Center. She received her B.S. in aerospace engineering from Auburn University in 1987 and her M.S. in aeronautics and astronautics from Purdue University in 1992. Lee-Rausch joined the staff of Langley in 1987 and has spent most of her career as a Research Engineer at the center working on the application and validation of CFD tools for large-scale aerospace systems.
Michael Oppenheimer, Air Force Research Laboratory
For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Dayton/Cincinnati Section, Region III, and AIAA national.
Oppenheimer is a Senior Electronics Engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory and an Associate Fellow of AIAA. He has performed flight control research on reusable launch vehicles and flapping wing micro air vehicles, as well as development of control allocation techniques for multiple applications. Oppenheimer holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Akron and a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Kerri Phillips, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
For sustained leadership and service through Technical, Ethics, and Public Policy Committees; the AIAA DEFENSE Forum Executive Steering Committee; and outreach at the section, regional, and national levels of AIAA.
Phillips serves as Program Area Manager for Threats and Intelligence in the National Security Space Mission Area at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Formerly APL’s Chief Scientist for Air and Missile Defense, she is an AIAA Associate Fellow and recognized expert in missile guidance and control. She was recently inducted into West Virginia University Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni for her technical and leadership achievements.
Joshua Rovey, University of Illinois
For sustained leadership, service, and contributions to the Illinois Section, Region III, and AIAA national.
Rovey is Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois and Director of the Illinois Space Grant Consortium. He is an Associate Fellow and a member of the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee and the Publications Committee. He spent several years as an associate editor of the Journal of Propulsion and Power.
Todd Treichel, Sierra Space
For exemplary leadership, dedicated service, and significant contributions to the Wisconsin Section, Region III, and the AIAA national organization.
Treichel is an Operations Manager at Sierra Space with over two decades of experience spanning quality, reliability, environmental testing, manufacturing, and design engineering. Notable spaceflight contributions include ISS payloads, Cygnus & HTV-X spacecraft, and Mars landers. Since founding the AIAA Rocket Science STEM short courses in 2010, Treichel has continued to lead this Wisconsin-based educational initiative. He is an AIAA Associate Fellow, Section Chair, and recipient of the NASA Silver Achievement Medal.
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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
NASA Readies Artemis 2 Rocket for Rollout Ahead of Historic Crewed Lunar Mission
SPACE reports, “NASA said Friday that it plans to return the Crew 11 to Earth next week, just one day after announcing that a crew member had suffered a medical issue that would require the crew to shorten its trip to the International Space Station. According to NASA, Crew 11 is targeting a departure from the space station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule ‘no earlier’ than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 14, with a splash down off the coast of California at about 3:40 a.m. Eastern Time on Jan. 15.”
Full Story (CBS News)
Peggy Whitson Opens AIAA SciTech Forum, Celebrating ISS Era and the Transition to Commercial Space Stations
Astronaut and Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson opened AIAA SciTech Forum 2026 in Orlando with an inspirational message about the future of space as the International Space Station (ISS), in orbit for 25 years, transitions to commercially run stations by 2030.