Defense News reports, “Two MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters completed their first operational mission Jan. 8, escorting a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile convoy, the U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Tag: aerospace engineering
Advanced Autonomy Critical for Future Air Superiority
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Chuck Yeager predicted that autonomous aircraft would someday dominate the future of air combat. Last October, Yeager’s vision was realized when Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Fury became the first next-gen autonomous fighter jet to fly its full mission profile without direct human intervention.
No Fans Needed: Sophia Space’s Orbital Data Centers Will Cool, Compute, and Conquer Space-Based Computing
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Keeping cloud servers cool is a major headache. Vast amounts of chillers are needed to keep data centers humming. On Earth. But in space, that’s another story. Entrepreneur Rob DeMillo, CEO of Sophia Space, formerly of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, with a portfolio of seven acquisitions and IPOs out of nine companies, said cooling servers in orbit is not a concern.
NASA’s Giant Moon Rocket Rolls Out for Artemis II
The New York Times reports, “On Saturday morning, a mammoth crawler began transporting the Space Launch System vehicle, the Orion capsule and the launch tower — 14 million pounds altogether — from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launchpad 4.2 miles away. It reached the launchpad at 6:42 p.m. Eastern. Now, final preparations will begin — hooking up connections for electrical power and propellants and performing checks of key systems. That will lead up to a dress rehearsal of the countdown in early February.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
Textron Aviation Delivers First Citation M2 Gen2 as Jet Enters Service
Aviation Week reports, “Textron Aviation announced delivery and entry-into-service of its Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 light jet equipped with Garmin autothrottles. The Citation M2 Gen2 received FAA certification in October 2025. First delivery and ferry flight took place on Nov. 24 to a customer in Wausau, Wisconsin, according to Aviation Week Network data.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
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Isaacman Meets With SpaceX, Blue Origin to Explore Faster Artemis Timeline
Aviation Week reports, “NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman this week met with SpaceX and Blue Origin officials to get a better sense of how to speed up the timelines around efforts to return to the Moon and look beyond. The meeting took place Jan. 13, ‘to understand the latest plans to accelerate NASA’s Artemis timeline,’ Isaacman said via social media.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
In the Race Against China, U.S. AI Leadership Depends on High-Quality Data, the Right Use Cases, and People Owning Validation of AI Output
FROM THE INSTITUTE
In today’s race with China for AI superiority, the United States must use quality data, lean into the right use cases, and keep humans front and center when validating results, urged Craig Martell, vice president and chief technology officer at Lockheed Martin, at AIAA SciTech Forum on Wednesday. “The Department [of Defense] is right in pushing hard for AI,” said Martell, referring to the latest memos calling for Pentagon-wide adoption of AI.
The ISS National Laboratory Seeking Research Submissions for Technical Sessions at ASCEND 2026
The ISS National Lab invites abstracts for technical sessions at ASCEND 2026 (19–21 May 2026, Washington, D.C.), covering biology and medicine, physical and materials science, and commercial innovation. Submissions close 23 January 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET). In-person technical sessions take place 20–21 May 2026.
AIAA SciTech Goes Inside the High-Tech World of Formula 1
“You’re driving a car on adrenaline and playing a chess game at the same time. That’s what wins most of these races.” That’s how Arbi Karapetian, Formula 1’s new director of Innovation & Technology, described the highly competitive, tech-driven world of F1 racing on the second day of AIAA SciTech Forum.
AIAA Welcomes RTX as an AIAA Corporate Partner
AIAA announced today that RTX has elevated its engagement with the world’s largest aerospace technical institute to the Corporate Partner level. RTX joins Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman in an elite group of Corporate Partners – the highest level of support and engagement in AIAA.