Tag: Aerospace Industry News

CST-100 Starliner Arrives at Pad for Crewed Test Flight

Space News reports, “Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is now installed on the Atlas 5 rocket that will launch the spacecraft on a crewed test flight to the International Space Station next month. The spacecraft rolled out from Boeing’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center to Space Launch Complex 41 in the early morning hours April 16.”
Full Story (Space News)

Boom Receives FAA Clearance for XB-1 Supersonic Tests

Aviation Week reports, “In what the FAA has termed ‘a major federal action,’ the U.S. aviation regulator has granted Boom permission to conduct supersonic overland tests of the company’s XB-1 demonstrator. The special flight authorization (SFA) is the first ever issued by the FAA for tests of a civil supersonic aircraft, as all non-military aircraft are currently prohibited from operating above Mach 1 over land in the U.S.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

CFM International CEO Anticipates Leap Engine Hitting CFM56 Benchmark Soon

Aviation Week reports, “With some 75% of the new single-aisle engine market and the worst post-pandemic supply chain issues in the rearview mirror, CFM International’s focus is now on increasing the time on wing of its Leap engines … CFM CEO Gaël Méheust told Aviation Daily that the durability of the Leap is set to meet the standard set by the previous generation CFM56.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Space Economy Generates $6.5 Billion in First Quarter

Aviation Week reports, “Companies in the space sector raised $6.5 billion from January to March, an increase of 33% over the fourth quarter of 2023, according to a new report by early-stage venture capital firm Space Capital. The bulk of the investment went to more mature companies, especially late-stage startups. They received $4.3 billion, about 66% of the total. In contrast, growth-stage investments fell 51%.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

 

 

 

 

Videos

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

Weigel Becomes First Female to Serve as ISS Program Manager

SPACE reports, “Dana Weigel, the first woman to helm the International Space Station [as] program manager, says she’s excited to oversee so much commercial space activity on the orbiting complex. Weigel officially took helm of the International Space Station (ISS) program manager position on Sunday (April 7), succeeding Joel Montalbano. She was previously deputy ISS program manager
Full Story (SPACE)

Wilbur Air to Partner with Electra for 100 Aircraft

FlightGlobal reports, “Newly launched Australian start-up Wilbur Air has ambitious plans for electric aviation operations on the continent using an envisioned system of “mini-airports.” The fledgling operator is a subsidiary of Australian air taxi infrastructure developer Skyportz. Wilbur Air’s first publicly disclosed partner is Virginia-based Electra.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)

U.S. Navy Selects K1000ULE Solar-Electric VTOL UAS

Unmanned Systems Technology reports that the U.S. Navy PMA 263 has chosen Kraus Hamdani Aerospace to equip the U.S. Marine Corps with its K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL UAS. “Once in the hands of the U.S. Marine Corps. the K1000ULE will enhance the Navy’s capacity to perform Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operations faster and with the ultimate objective of saving lives.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)

 

Videos

K1000ULE VTOL Landing
(Stefan Kraus; YouTube)

China Moving at ‘Breathtaking Speed” In Final Frontier According to Space Force

SPACE reports that China is ratcheting up its space capabilities at an impressive clip, with an eye toward potentially ending the United States’ long-held space supremacy, U.S. officials say. “Since 2018, China has more than tripled their on-orbit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, on Tuesday at the 39th Space Symposium.
Full Story (SPACE)