Flying Magazine reports, “Self-flying aircraft may be closer to takeoff than you think. On Thursday, Boston-based Merlin Labs announced it began what it claims is the first test campaign of a certification-ready, takeoff-to-touchdown autonomous flight system. The company’s Merlin Pilot is designed to one day allow small aircraft to fly with no humans on board.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Tag: Aerospace
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches On National Security Mission for NRO
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with an undisclosed number of satellites on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The spacecraft, which are believed to be Starshield satellites, make up the third batch of what the NRO calls its ‘proliferated architecture.’” Liftoff of the NROL-113 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base took place at 8:20 p.m. PDT.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from California on U.S. spy satellite agency mission (Launch at 00:30:29 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Uncrewed Boeing Starliner Set to Depart Space Station Friday Night
The New York Times reports, “Leaving behind the two NASA astronauts it took to the International Space Station three months ago, Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to begin its return to Earth on Friday evening. Six hours after it undocks from the station, it is to parachute to a landing at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. If bad weather or technical issues cause a delay, Starliner’s return could happen on Sept. 10, Sept. 14 or Sept. 18.”
Full Story (New York Times)
U.S. Air Force to Boost its MH-139 Fleet by Adding Over a Dozen Helos
Breaking Defense reports, “After moving to halve the fleet in fiscal year 2025, a new Pentagon review says the Air Force now plans to add over a dozen MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters back into the aircraft’s program of record — averting a “critical” cost breach in the process. The planned procurement boost is likely a boon to prime contractor Boeing as well as Italian firm Leonardo, whose commercial AW139 serves as the Grey Wolf’s baseline.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
ESA Targeting Wednesday Night for Final Launch of its First-Generation Vega Rocket
Spaceflight Now reports, “Update 7:05 a.m. EDT: Arianespace announced that the mission is scrubbed for a Tuesday night launch attempt due to “electrical issues” and is working towards an opportunity on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to complete its transition to its Vega-C rocket with the final launch of its first-generation Vega rocket. The mission, dubbed VV24, will carry an Earth-imaging satellite to a sun-synchronous orbit.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Aurora Flight Sciences’ sUAS Completes Long-Endurance Flight Test
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, recently completed a successful seven-hour flight test of its fuel-cell-powered small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS), SKIRON-XLE. The test flight, conducted at an airfield in Virginia, represents a significant advancement in flight endurance for the Group 2 platform.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Wilmore Reports Strange Noise Coming from Starliner Spacecraft
Ars Technica reports, “On Saturday NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore noticed some strange noises emanating from a speaker inside the Starliner spacecraft. ‘I’ve got a question about Starliner,’ Wilmore radioed down to Mission Control at Johnson Space Center in Houston. ‘There’s a strange noise coming through the speaker… I don’t know what’s making it.’ Wilmore said he was not sure if there was some oddity in the connection between the station and the spacecraft causing the noise, or something else. He asked the flight controllers in Houston to see if they could listen to the audio inside the spacecraft. A few minutes later, Mission Control radioed back that they were linked via ‘hardline’ to listen to audio inside Starliner, which has now been docked to the International Space Station for nearly three months.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
AIAA Names Clay Mowry as Chief Executive Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced today that its Board of Trustees has selected Clay Mowry as the Institute’s new chief executive officer (CEO). Mowry is a globally recognized space industry executive with experience across the international aerospace community. He will join the Institute effective 1 October 2024. Mowry succeeds Dan Dumbacher, who will leave the Institute on 30 September 2024.
Mowry is an executive with a proven track record leading space companies and industry associations. He is tasked with delivering membership growth and transforming services for AIAA’s 30,000 members. Mowry will focus on engaging students and young professionals, expanding AIAA’s international reach, and reimagining Institute services delivered across the career arc for aerospace engineers, scientists, educators, civil servants, and executives.
Mowry’s career has spanned the commercial launch and satellite sectors as a senior executive for leading space companies. Mowry also currently serves as president of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the world’s largest space nonprofit comprising 513 member organizations from 77 countries. He will continue in this volunteer role through October 2025. Mowry recently served as an advisor to space habitation technology company Vast, as chief revenue officer at Voyager Space, and as head of global sales at Blue Origin. For 15 years, Mowry served as president and chairman of Arianespace, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of a leading global launch services company. In the 1990s, Mowry helped establish the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) and served as its founding executive director.
Mowry is the founder and chairman emeritus of the Future Space Leaders Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the career development of young space and satellite industry professionals. He received his master’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in politics and government from Ohio Wesleyan University. Mowry is a lifetime AIAA member and was elected as an AIAA Fellow in February 2024.
“On behalf of the AIAA Board of Trustees, we are thrilled to welcome Clay into this pivotal role as CEO at the Institute. As a proven, dynamic, and innovative leader, he brings a depth of operational experience as well as a global perspective that will propel the aerospace community’s premier Institute into the future,” said AIAA President Dan Hastings.
“Clay is an aerospace visionary, with a distinguished track record of driving organizations to achieve incredible goals,” Hastings continued. “We are confident he will advance the Institute’s influence and impact on the issues and challenges confronting our community. We welcome his unparalleled passion for building the next generation of international aerospace explorers and leaders.”
Mowry stated, “I am thrilled to join AIAA at this exciting time for the aerospace community as we push the boundaries of air and space. AIAA has tremendous potential energy. Today’s Institute is propelled by decades of remarkable advances in aeronautics and astronautics produced by our members. Modern aviation capabilities and space exploration missions are possible due to AIAA members’ purpose-driven pursuits. My task is to harness and unleash our members’ collective energy, to engage the current and next generations of aerospace professionals, and to better serve them throughout their careers.”
Mowry continued, “It’s a privilege to help shape the future of aerospace, leading the Institute and empowering members to achieve the next breakthroughs that will enable us to fly farther, faster, smarter, and safer in the Earth’s atmosphere and beyond the Kármán Line. I look forward to all we’ll do together.”
AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Boeing’s 777-9 Certification Program Paused to Address Engine Component Cracks
Aviation Week reports, “Cracks in engine attachment components that have stalled Boeing’s 777-9 certification program were found in a fourth test aircraft that has not flown in nearly three years, Aviation Week has learned. The latest discovery, on WH004, is expected to help narrow down Boeing’s investigation into the failures in the thrust links—assemblies that connect the airframe with the aircraft’s GE Aerospace GE9X engines.
Full Story (Aviation Week)
NASA Targeting Sept. 6 for Bringing Uncrewed Starliner Back to Earth
Aviation Week reports, “Following its decision to continue the Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) without its crew for safety reasons, NASA on Aug. 29 set the spacecraft’s departure from the International Space Station (ISS) for no earlier than Sept. 6. Starliner’s undocking from the ISS is targeted for 6:04 p…”
Full Story (Aviation Week)