Tag: Aerospace News

Honda Positions Hybrid eVTOL as New Path for Urban Air Mobility

AirInsight reports, “After four years in ‘stealth mode,’ Honda revealed at the Dubai Airshow 2025 that its hybrid eVTOL program is far more advanced than anyone outside the company knew, with over 400 flight tests already completed.”
Full Story (AirInsight)

Video

Honda’s first full-scale hybrid eVTOL prototype
AIN; YouTube; Framegrab

DARPA’s Sprint Program Advances as Bell’s Stop-Fold Tiltrotor Becomes X-76

Aviation Week reports, “The stop-fold tiltrotor uncrewed aircraft under development by Bell for a DARPA project to fly a high-speed vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) demonstrator has been designated the X-76. Under Phase 2 of DARPA’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (Sprint) project, Bell has completed the critical design review (CDR) and moved into manufacturing of the demonstrator.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

NASA Taps ULA’s Centaur V to Power Future SLS Upper Stage

Spaceflight Now reports, “NASA officially selected United Launch Alliance’s Centaur 5 as the upper stage for its Space Launch System rocket starting with the Artemis 4 mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than early 2028. The Centaur 5 was developed as the upper stage of ULA’s Vulcan rocket. The launch vehicle flew four times since its debut in January 2024 and the upper stage performed well across all flights.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

Autonomous C-130J Program Reaches Design Review Milestone

Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is one step closer to flying the C-130J Super Hercules—one of its workhorse tactical airlift and transport aircraft—with zero human input. Boston-based Merlin Labs on Thursday announced the completion of preliminary design review (PDR) for its C-130J Super Hercules autonomy program with USSOCOM, under which it is working toward demonstration flights with a modified Hercules.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Japan’s Next-Generation HTV-X Cargo Vehicle Leaves ISS After Four Months

SPACE reports, “Japan’s new HTV-X cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station today (March 6) after a four-month stay. The vehicle — known as HTV-X1, because it’s the first of its kind — was released by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm today at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT), right on schedule.”
Full Story (SPACE)

Video

JAXA’s uncrewed HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft departs from the ISS, after arriving Oct. 29, 2025.
NASA; YouTube

Embraer Projects Strong 2026 Output with Up to 255 Aircraft Deliveries

Aerotime reports, “Embraer is targeting up to 255 aircraft deliveries in 2026, comprised of 80 to 85 commercial aircraft and between 160 and 170 executive jets. On March 6, 2026, Embraer published details of its outlook for the rest of the year, as well as its financial performance in 2025, which included securing $7.5 billion in revenue.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

Senate Committee Approves Legislation Supporting NASA’s Artemis Lunar Campaign

Ars Technica reports, “During a brief hearing on Wednesday morning, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation spent only a few minutes ‘marking up’ new legislation that provides guidance to NASA for its various initiatives, including the Artemis program to land humans on the Moon. ‘Our bill authorizes critical funding for, and gives strategic direction to, the agency in line with the priorities of administrator Isaacman and the Trump administration,’ said the committee’s chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-Texas).”
Full Story (Ars Technica)