Ars Technica reports, “In recent weeks, copies of an intriguing policy document have started to spread among space lobbyists on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The document bears the title ‘Athena,’ and it purports to summarize the actions that private astronaut Jared Isaacman would have taken, were his nomination to become NASA administrator confirmed. The 62-page plan is notable both for the ideas to remake NASA that it espouses as well as the manner in which it has been leaked to the space community.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Tag: Aeronautics
Anduril’s YFQ-44A Drone Wingman Prototype Makes First Flight
Breaking Defense reports, “Defense tech startup Anduril’s prototype bid for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program achieved its first flight, the service announced [Friday]. The YFQ-44A drone flew ‘at a California test location’ at an undisclosed time today, the Air Force said in a press release. The drone is the second to reach the flight testing stage for the Air Force’s drone wingman program, following General Atomics’s YFQ-42A that took off for the first time in August.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
USAF Considering Expanding CCA Pairing Capabilities Beyond F-22
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Air Force is only set, for now, to pair Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) with the Lockheed Martin F-22, though consideration is still ongoing for the rest of its fighter types. The service in a new report to Congress says the Raptor is the ‘threshold platform’ for CCA, though integration with F-16s, F-35As, F-15Es and F-15EXs is an emerging consideration. Uncrewed aircraft will eventually be paired with the upcoming Boeing F-47.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Full Story (Aviation Week)
NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Research Aircraft Performs First Flight
Aviation Week reports, “NASA began flight tests of its needle-nosed X-59 Quesst quiet supersonic research aircraft with a 1 hr. 7 min. initial sortie from Palmdale, California, to the nearby Edwards AFB on Oct. 28. Flown by NASA X-59 lead pilot Nils Larson, the much-anticipated first flight of the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft began at 8:14 a.m. Pacific time with an unrestricted climb from Palmdale’s 12,000 ft.-long runway 07/25.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Drones Could Supplant Large US Army Units in Europe According to Expert
Defense News reports, “What do you with an Army designed for Europe when Europe isn’t the focus anymore? The answer is drones, says one U.S. expert. An expeditionary force of drone units — stationed in Europe or dispatched as needed — would be an economical alternative to maintaining large garrisons overseas.”
Full Story (Defense News)
AIAA and Cassyni Expand Seminar Programme Across Journals and Books
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The partnership will build on the success of the AIAA Journal Seminars, to engage the global aerospace community with AI-enhanced video
RESTON, VA & LONDON — 27 October 2025 — AIAA and Cassyni are expanding their collaboration to scale AI-enhanced seminars across AIAA journals and the AIAA book series. The programme brings researchers and practitioners together around trusted AIAA content, with on-demand, citable video that is integrated into the scholarly ecosystem.
The expansion builds on the AIAA Journal (AIAAJ) Seminars—editorially curated talks featuring leaders from academia and industry. The series presents high-quality seminars spanning aeronautics and astronautics, with two tracks: one linked to published journal articles and another on emerging, potentially disruptive topics that inspire the next generation and surface research still to be done.
AIAAJ has already seen the “Cassyni Effect”: seminar engagement converting into new submissions and published articles from attendees—outcomes echoed across Cassyni partners where seminars lift downloads, citations, and submission intent.
As part of the expansion, additional AIAA journals and the AIAAJ book series will introduce author and community seminars. Every recording will be published on Cassyni with a DOI and AI-enhanced discovery features, boosting visibility and promoting year-round community engagement between AIAA conferences.
As part of the expansion, seminars will be integrated into AIAA’s editorial workflows to automate author invitations and publishing, enabling efficient roll-out across titles.
Ben Kaube, Co-founder, Cassyni, said: “By pairing AIAA’s trusted content with Cassyni’s AI-enhanced seminars—and integrating the process into editorial systems—we turn passive discovery into active participation and measurable impact.”
Michele Dominiak, Senior Vice President, Publishing and Education, AIAA, said: “This expansion gives our global community more ways to connect with AIAA content and each other—accelerating discovery, elevating author voices, and strengthening the pipeline of new, high-quality submissions.”
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cel
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 LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.
Japan’s New HTV-X Cargo Spacecraft Launches to ISS for 1st Time
SPACE reports, “Japan’s new HTV-X cargo spacecraft launched on its first-ever mission to the International Space Station on Saturday (Oct. 25). The robotic HTV-X lifted off atop an H3 rocket from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT and 9 a.m local Japan time on Oct. 26).”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
JAXA HTV-X1 Cargo Launch (Launch occurs at the 15:50 mark)
NASA; YouTube
U.S. Army Selects AeroVironment’s Freedom Eagle-1 as New Counter-Drone Interceptor
The War Zone reports, “The U.S. Army has picked AeroVironment to supply a new anti-air interceptor, primarily to provide an additional layer of defense against longer-range one-way attack drones and other similarly-sized uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Designed to be relatively low-cost and easy to produce, the Freedom Eagle-1(FE-1) missile could also be employed against other aerial threats, including subsonic cruise missiles, in certain circumstances.”
Full Story (The War Zone)
Video
Freedom Eagle (FE-1).
BlueHalo; YouTube
Brazil’s Embraer Closes Third Quarter with Record $31.3 Billion Backlog
Reuters reports, “Brazilian planemaker Embraer’s firm order backlog stood at a record $31.3 billion at the end of the third quarter, up 38% from a year earlier, according to a securities filing. The company delivered 62 aircraft in the period, a 5% increase from the 59 deliveries in the same quarter of 2024, it said.”
Full Story (Reuters)
GE Aerospace Raises 2025 Profit Forecast on Robust Aftermarket Demand
Reuters reports GE Aerospace raised its 2025 profit forecast on Tuesday, projecting a strong finish to the year on robust demand for aftermarket maintenance services due to a shortage of new jets. The jet-engine maker also lifted its growth forecast for LEAP engine deliveries to more than 20% in 2025. Shares of the company were up nearly 3% in premarket trading.
Full Story (Reuters)