Aviation International News reports, “Wisk Aero has rolled out the second flight-test example of its sixth-generation autonomous eVTOL aircraft. The full-scale prototype, registered as N607WA, is expected to make its first flight in the coming weeks. The Boeing subsidiary said it remains on track to bring the pilotless, four-passenger electric air taxi into commercial service by 2030.”
Full Story (Aviation International)
Tag: Aerospace News
Firefly’s Alpha Rocket Resumes Flights, Successfully Reaches Orbit
Aviation Week reports, “Firefly Aerospace has returned to flight after nearly one year, ready to resume its mission to bring additional launch capacity to hungry U.S. government and commercial space customers. The Alpha launch vehicle took off March 11 from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg SFB in California at 5:50 p.m. PDT, following several attempts scrubbed due to high winds and atypical sensor readings. But with the weather and sensors finally cooperating, the small-lift rocket carried its cargo to orbit at last.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Video
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket returns to flight. (Launch takes place at the 00:29 mark)
VideoFromSpace; YouTube
MQ-20 Avenger Demonstrates Advanced Autonomy in U.S. Air Force Exercise
Aviation News Daily reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and the U.S. Air Force have successfully completed a groundbreaking autonomy flight exercise, demonstrating critical new capabilities for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The test proves that uncrewed jets can now coordinate complex combat behaviors autonomously, marking a major leap in the integration of AI-driven wingmen for future air warfare.”
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)
Air Force Invests $2.4B in E-7A Wedgetail to Replace Aging AWACS Fleet
Aviation Daily reports, “The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a massive $2.4 billion contract for the continued development and production of the E-7A Wedgetail. This investment marks a critical milestone in replacing the aging AWACS fleet with a modern airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform to maintain air superiority.”
Full Story (Aviation Daily)
Goddard’s Legacy at 100: Liquid Propulsion Still Driving NASA’s Artemis Ambitions
SPACE reports, “100 years ago, a liquid-fueled rocket flew into the sky for the very first time. The unlikely contraption was designed by Clark University physics professor Robbert Goddard, and launched from a cabbage field in Auburn, Massachusetts on March 16, 1926.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Joby Aviation Demonstrates Electric Air Taxi Flights Over San Francisco Bay
AVWEB reports, “Joby Aviation has completed a series of demonstration flights across the San Francisco Bay Area, showcasing its electric air taxi in one of the nation’s most congested cities.” The “aircraft (N545JX) departed from Oakland International Airport, flew across the Bay toward the Golden Gate Bridge, and turned above the Marin Headlands.”
Full Story (AVWEB)
NASA Begins Assembly of Nuclear-Powered Dragonfly Drone for 2028 Titan Mission
SPACE reports, “NASA is one step closer to sending a drone mission to another world. Technicians at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland have begun building and testing the nuclear-powered Dragonfly rotorcraft, which will launch toward the huge Saturn moon Titan in 2028.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Joby Advances Toward Certification with First FAA-Conforming Flight Tests
Aviation News Daily reports, “Joby Aviation has officially commenced flight testing of its first FAA-conforming aircraft, marking a critical advancement toward Type Inspection Authorization (TIA)and commercial passenger service. This development coincides with a major White House-backed initiative that allows mature eVTOL designs to begin early operations across the United States this year.”
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)
Podcast: Axiom CEO Discusses the Next Wave of Commercial Activity in LEO
Space News reports, “In this episode of the Space News Space Minds podcast, host David Ariosto talks with Jonathan Cirtain, CEO and President of Axiom Space. They discuss the challenges — and wonders — of launching a career in an evolving space industry; a key financial sign that the space economy is maturing; and how a commercial presence in low Earth orbit can prepare humanity to explore farther into space.”
Full Story (Space News)
B-21 Raider Reaches Key Milestone With Tanker Refueling Trials
Defense One reports, “Key refueling-related tests for the B-21 Raider are now underway, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Defense One, the latest milestone towards delivering the next-generation bomber by 2027. On Tuesday, several open-source intelligence accounts and plane spotters posted images of a B-21 approaching a KC-135 tanker over California”
Full Story (Defense One)