Tag: Aerospace News

FCC Clears Amazon to Launch 4,500 Additional LEO Satellites

CNBC reports, “The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it approved Amazon’s request to deploy 4,500 satellites, expanding the company’s planned constellation as it vies to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The FCC’s approval brings the size of Amazon’s planned constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to roughly 7,700 satellites.”
Full Story (CNBC)

Prime Air Drone Falls in Residential Area During Texas Test Operations

Aerotime reports, “An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone made contact with an apartment building in Richardson, Texas, before breaking apart and crashing to the ground, according to local authorities and shown in video recorded by a nearby resident. The incident occurred on February 4, 2026, in a residential area where Amazon has been conducting limited drone delivery operations.”
Full Story (Aerotime)

NASA Weighs Next Crew Vehicle as Starliner Return Plans Advance

Space News reports, “As NASA prepares to launch a new crew to the space station, the agency has yet to decide which spacecraft it will use for the next crew rotation mission … NASA has said Starliner-1 could launch as soon as April 2026. At a Feb. 9 briefing on the upcoming Crew-12 launch, however, the agency said it had not set a more specific launch date.”
Full Story (Space News)

Marine Corps Unveils First NDAA-Approved 3D-Printed UAS

Defense News reports, “The U.S. Marine Corps has pioneered a 3D-printed first-person view drone that is easy to assemble, ready for field use and conforms to national security standards. Sgt. Henry David Volpe, an automotive technician with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, used his interest in engineering and robotics to help develop HANX, the Marine Corps’ first unmanned aircraft system built from 3D-printed parts to be approved by the National Defense Authorization Act, service officials announced last month.”
Full Story (Defense News)

SpaceX Puts Mars Plans on Hold to Prioritize NASA Moon Effort

The Wall Street Journal reports, “SpaceX has put off a mission to Mars planned for this year, shifting its focus to a long-promised lunar voyage for NASA. The rocket company told investors it will prioritize going to the moon first and attempt a trip to Mars at a later time, according to people familiar with the matter. The company will target March 2027 for a lunar landing without humans on board, another person said.”
Full Story (Wall Street Journal – Subscription Publication)

Pratt & Whitney Sees Aftermarket Momentum Building in 2026

Aviation Week reports, “Pratt & Whitney is projecting high-single-digit commercial aftermarket growth in 2026, bolstered by strength in several areas. Upticks in volume within Pratt’s biggest large-engine programs, the PW1000G geared turbofan (GTF) and the IAE V2500, will drive the engine-maker’s MRO business this year.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Slow Launch Tempo Clouds Long-Term Role of Space Launch System

Ars Technica reports, “The Space Launch System rocket program is now a decade and a half old, and it continues to be dominated by two unfortunate traits: It is expensive, and it is slow. The massive rocket and its convoluted ground systems, so necessary to baby and cajole the booster’s prickly hydrogen propellant on board, have cost US taxpayers in excess of $30 billion to date. And even as it reaches maturity, the rocket is going nowhere fast.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)

Boeing Targets South Carolina for 787 Engineering Expansion

Economic Times reports, “Boeing plans to move approximately 300 787 engineering jobs from Washington state to South Carolina as production ramps up, according to the union representing its engineers. This move comes as Boeing’s contracts with 16,000 engineering union members in Washington are set to expire in October.”
Full Story (Economic Times)