FROM THE INSTITUTE
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a proposed rule titled “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance.” The proposal would revise government-wide requirements for federal grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal financial assistance under 2 CFR Part 200, commonly known as the Uniform Guidance. Comments on the proposed rule are due 13 July 2026, unless OMB extends the deadline. Members may review the proposed rule and submit comments through the Federal Register or Regulations.gov docket associated with the rule.
Tag: aerospace engineering
Space Force Demonstrates First Tactical Orbital Intercept on Victus Haze Mission
SPACE reports, “A U.S. Space Force mission pitting two satellites against each other has completed the organization’s first tactical intercept of an orbital target.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
Rocket Lab’s ‘VICTUS HAZE’ Launch (launch occurs at the 23:24 mark)
Rocket Lab; YouTube
Certifying the Future: Why America Needs a More Predictable Path for Emerging Aviation Technologies
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The United States has never lacked aviation innovators. From the Wright brothers to modern commercial aviation, American aerospace leadership has been built on a remarkable combination of engineering excellence, entrepreneurial risk-taking, and public confidence in safety. Today, a new generation of technologies are poised to transform aviation once again. AAM aircraft, eVTOL and landing systems, increasingly autonomous flight technologies, and novel propulsion concepts promise new capabilities for transportation, emergency response, cargo movement, and regional connectivity.
Student Research Takes the Spotlight at the AIAA Region III Student Conference
FROM THE INSTITUTE
In April, the AIAA University of Michigan Student Branch welcomed over 150 attendees for the AIAA Region III Student Conference. Students representing 13 universities and three high schools presented 43 papers. The conference was a great opportunity for our members to come together and learn from each other, to support each another, and to bring their passion to our field.
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites from California on Falcon 9
Spaceflight Now reports the Starlink 17-46 mission flew on the 77th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. “Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East happened 7:57 p.m. PDT (10:57 p.m. EDT / 0257 UTC). The rocket flew on a south-southwesterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base (Launch occurs at the 29:58 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
Weather Forces Delay of High-Stakes NASA Telescope Rescue Mission
SatNews reports, “The high-stakes orbital servicing flight intended to rescue NASA’s decaying Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was postponed on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, due to unfavorable weather conditions over the Pacific launch range.”
Full Story (SatNews)
FAA Proposes Rule to Pave the Way for Supersonic Flights Over the U.S.
Aerotime reports the FAA has taken a step toward allowing supersonic flights over land with a new noise certification standard “that would set the stage for civil supersonic flights over the continental United States, a step toward lifting restrictions that have been in place since the 1970s.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
NASA Launches Mission to Boost Swift Space Telescope Into Higher Orbit
The New York Times reports a rescue attempt for the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory telescope was to commence on Tuesday, with the launch of a refrigerator-sized spacecraft from Kwajalein…
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
NASA’s X-59 Moves Closer to Boom-Free Supersonic Travel
Ars Technica reports, “More than two decades since the Concorde supersonic airliner last took to the skies, NASA has been flying an experimental aircraft designed to replace loud sonic booms with a quieter thump equivalent to a car door slamming shut 20 feet away.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Falcon 9 Delivers 15,000-Pound SiriusXM Satellite to Orbit
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched a big SiriusXM radio satellite to orbit from Florida’s Space Coast on Sunday night (June 28). A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the 15,400-pound (7,000 kilograms) SXM-11 spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Sunday at 10:25 p.m. EDT (0225 GMT on June 29).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral with 15,000-pound satellite for SiriusXM (Launch occurs at the 1:00:19 mark)
VideoFromSpace; YouTube