BBC News reports, “India’s aviation regulator has ordered the country’s airlines to inspect fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes, after their reported involvement in a fatal Air India crash that killed 260 people in June. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the order follows Indian and international airlines already starting to carry out their own checks.”
Full Story (BBC News)
Tag: aerospace engineering
Joby Tested a New Large Hydrogen-powered Drone
Aerotime reports, “Advanced air mobility developer Joby Aviation appears to have tested a large long-endurance hydrogen-powered drone, according to investigative news outlet Hunterbrook, which first reported on this development. Hunterbrook has also published some pictures that were taken from a distance, which seems to confirm this hypothesis.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
SpaceX Launches Unspecified Satellite on a Falcon 9 Rocket from Cape Canaveral
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket early Sunday carrying the Israeli Dror 1 satellite. The mission was initially shrouded in secrecy as the satellite’s manufacturer, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), shunned any pre-launch publicity. The mission, referred to by SpaceX as ‘Commercial GTO-1,’ lifted off at 1:04 a.m. EDT (0504 UTC) on Sunday, July 13.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Electra to Develop Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Propulsion for US Army
Avionics International reports, “Electra has received a small research contract from the Army to mature hybrid-electric propulsion systems the company is developing for its ultra-short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft to advance the technology, and reduce risks, for Army aviation.”
Full Story (Avionics International)
NASA, SpaceX Aim for July 31 for Launch of Crew-11 Astronaut Mission
SPACE reports NASA and SpaceX are targeting July 31 for the launch of the four-astronaut Crew-11 mission, which will fly a mix of rookies and spaceflight veterans to the ISS. “The flight, called Crew-11, will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A), at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the Crew Dragon Endeavour to low Earth orbit (LEO).”
Full Story (SPACE)
Hegseth Orders Military to Increase Use of Small Drones in New Memo
Breaking Defense reports, “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is directing every US Army squad to be armed with small, one-way attack drones by the end of fiscal 2026, while also enabling troops to modify small drones as necessary in the field.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Axiom-4 Mission Astronauts Aboard ISS Conducting Research Experiments and Outreach Events
SPACE reports, “As the Axiom-4 mission approaches its two-week mark before returning to Earth, the private space mission crew discusses science and pierogis. The crew of Axiom-4 (Ax-4) have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked there on June 26.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Military Drones Aid Central Texas Search and Rescue Operations
Flying Magazine reports, “The Texas Military Department has deployed unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) to assist in search and rescue efforts following severe flooding in Kerr County and surrounding regions. The floods have caused significant damage and prompted widespread evacuations as emergency teams continue operations across affected areas. In a statement delivered during a press briefing on Sunday, Major General Thomas Suelzer, who serves as the adjutant general of Texas, detailed the deployment of an MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
AIAA Draft Standard S-110A Undergoing 2nd Public Review
The draft standard AIAA S-110A (revision of AIAA S-110-2005), Space Systems—Structures, Structural Items, and Pressurized Structures is undergoing a second public review. The AIAA Structures Committee on Standards is responsible for developing this revised draft standard. The document establishes baseline structural requirements for the design, test, qualification, and acceptance of spaceflight structures and pressurized structures. To obtain a copy for review, please contact Michele Dominiak . Public review deadline: 29 August 2025.
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Early Tests Indicate ChatGPT Could Pilot a Spacecraft Unexpectedly Well
SPACE reports, “In a recent contest, teams of researchers competed to see who could train an AI model to best pilot a spaceship. The results suggest that an era of autonomous space exploration may be closer than we think.”
Full Story (SPACE)