Defense One reports the MQ-28 didn’t win the first U.S. CCA competition, but it’s flying in U.S.-led training exercises.
Full Story (Defense One)
Tag: Aerospace News
China’s Gravity-1 Rocket Launches Nine Satellites in Record Sea-Based Mission
SPACE reports Orienspace’s Gravity-1, the world’s most powerful solid rocket, aced its third-ever mission on Tuesday (July 21), launching nine satellites to orbit, “from the deck of a ship stationed off the coast of Shanghai.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
China launches its Gravity-1 rocket from sea (Launch at the 00:08 mark).
New China TV; YouTube
Pentagon Invites Industry to Build Reusable Bomber Drones
Defense Daily reports, “The Pentagon’s $1.1 billion Drone Dominance Program (DDP) plans to award $32 million for ‘reusable bomber/dropper’ prototypes–with ‘additional orders planned’–in the latest instance of DoD’s affordable drone push.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)
SpaceX Launches 85th Falcon 9 Mission of 2026 After One-Day Delay
The Starlink 17-39 mission is SpaceX’s 85th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 7:49 a.m….
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg (Launch at the 29:52 mark).
Spaceflight Now; YouTube
FAA Moves to Accelerate Air Taxis, Supersonic Aircraft and Commercial Spaceflight
Reuters reports, “The U.S. FAA said it was working to help industry deploy air taxis, supersonic airplanes, boost space launches and expand drone operations as it embraces next-generation aviation. Deputy FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau told Reuters in an interview at the Farnborough Airshow the agency is moving to address issues with certification and regulations.”
Full Story (Reuters)
SpaceX Halts New Commercial Rideshare Reservations Beyond 2028 as Launch Schedule Fills
SatNews reports, “SpaceX has stopped accepting new commercial launch bookings for both its Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) Transporter series and mid-inclination Bandwagon missions beyond late 2028.”
Full Story (SatNews)
Full Story (SatNews)
Anduril Debuts Thunder Autonomous VTOL at Farnborough
Aviation Week reports, “Anduril unveiled the hybrid-electric, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) Thunder uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) on the opening day of the Farnborough Airshow on July 20, revealing a concept that proposes to revive the armed scout mission with autonomous flying robots.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Video
Anduril unveils its Thunder tiltrotor CCA at Farnborough Airshow 2026.
Royal Aeronautical Society; YouTube
Space Force Triples Launch Contract Limit as Demand Accelerates
Space News reports, “The maximum value of the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract was raised from $5.6 billion to $17 billion.”
Full Story (Space News)
FAA Chief Highlights Modernization Efforts and Industry Challenges
Flying Magazine reports on FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford discussing ATC modernization, MOSAIC, and hot-button issues facing general aviation.
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
SpaceX Aborts Starship Test flight Moments Before Liftoff
The New York Times reports, “A last-second scrub aborted Thursday’s test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket. The countdown reached all the way to zero, and the engines started to ignite, but then everything was shut down. Elon Musk shared on X that some of the engines didn’t start, which triggered an automatic launch abort. “Next launch attempt hopefully in a few days,” he shared.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)