Aerotime reports, “Vertical Aerospace has achieved what its CEO Stuart Simpson described as the ‘most significant technical milestone’ in its history after the air taxi developer became the first outside the US to execute a piloted two-way transition flight. On 14 April 2026, at its spiritual home at Cotswold Airport (GBA), Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies successfully switched Vertical Aerospace’s electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft from helicopter mode to plane mode and back again.”
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Tag: aerospace engineering
SpaceX Launches Two Starlink Missions 19 Hours Apart
SPACE reports, “SpaceX began and ended the day with Starlink launches. The company sent two Falcon 9 rockets soaring, first from Florida before sunrise on Tuesday (April 14), and then from California after sunset the same day (by local time zone). Both launches were successful, according to SpaceX”
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Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on April 14. (Launch occurs at the 0:13 mark)
VideoFromSpace; YouTube
Boeing Delivers 143 Aircraft in Q1 2026, Led by 737 Output
Aerotime reports, “Boeing delivered 143 commercial aircraft in the first quarter of 2026, a figure that demonstrates the company’s output is holding steady after last year’s recovery took hold. Though deliveries fell short of Boeing’s brisk late-2025 pace, the most recent quarter was led by 114 deliveries of the 737, along with six 767s, eight 777s, and 15 787s.”
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Defense Firms Target Next Phase of Space Warfare With Agile Satellite Designs
Space News reports, “U.S. defense contractors BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin are accelerating internal investments in maneuverable satellite designs, betting that military advocacy for “dynamic space operations” will translate into sustained demand for spacecraft that can move, coordinate and respond in orbit. At the Space Symposium this week, both firms outlined separate efforts to fund and fly demonstration spacecraft designed to maneuver on orbit, shadow other satellites and operate as part of more networked architectures.”
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AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 to Showcase Next Generation Flight Technologies
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The future of aviation takes flight in San Diego this June. AIAA unveiled the program for AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, 8-12 June, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and it’s built to match the rapid pace of change in aerospace. This year’s theme, “From Velocity to Altitude – Accelerating Toward Tomorrow,” captures the acceleration of aviation technology. Registration for the forum is open, with early-bird rates ending 11 May.
Design/Build/Fly Competition Celebrating 30 Years, Adding Livestream
FROM THE INSTITUTE
In a few days, the skies above Wichita, Kansas, will come alive as student teams from all over the world set out to compete in the annual AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) Competition fly-off. Their mission: design, build, and test a banner-towing bush plane, conducting charter flights for passengers and cargo to pay for the airplane and start a banner towing business.
FAA Clears Hermeus Quarterhorse for Supersonic Flight Testing
Aerotime reports, “Hermeus announced on March 12, 2026, that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC) for its unmanned Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft. The certification clears the way for Hermeus to proceed with flight testing as it works toward achieving supersonic flight. According to the company, the process involved a rigorous inspection by FAA agents, who assessed the aircraft ahead of its planned flight-test campaign.”
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AIAA CEO Mowry to Speak at Space Workforce Forum
The Space Workforce Forum, held 7 May 2026, is a structured, facilitated listening event organized by the Office of Space Commerce, Policy, Advocacy & International Division, as part of the Commercial Space Policy & Industry Strategy programming. This phase is intentionally accessible and inclusive, enabling broad situational understanding of workforce considerations shaping the space sector. Remote participants may observe proceedings and submit questions through a moderated Q&A channel.
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Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL Reaches ISS Carrying Tons of Supplies
SPACE reports, “The second of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft to deliver supplies to the orbiting outpost, the vehicle was captured by the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at 1:20 p.m. EDT (1720 GMT) on Monday (April 13).”
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Airbus Delivers 500th A220 as March Output Signals Production Ramp-Up
Aerotime reports, “Airbus is celebrating delivery of the 500th Airbus A220 aircraft, a day after publishing March results that show a decisive ramp up in operations. On April 10, 2026, Airbus confirmed that 60 commercial aircraft had been delivered during March 2026, after delivering only 54 across January and February this year.”
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