SPACE reports a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Sept. 23 will send three spacecraft a million miles from Earth to map the heliosphere and expand our understanding of space weather and atmospheric science. “A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex-39A, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Sept. 23 at 7:32 a.m. EDT.”
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Tag: Aims
Executive Order Aims to Advance Space Industry by Reducing Environmental Regulation
Defense One reports, “The U.S. government must reduce environmental and other regulations to make it easier for commercial space companies to launch rockets, expand launch facilities, and perform “novel” space activities, according to a new executive order. “It is the policy of the United States to enhance American greatness in space by enabling a competitive launch marketplace and substantially increasing commercial space launch cadence and novel space activities by 2030,” says the order, signed Wednesday by President Donald Trump.”
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Joby Aims to Double Air Taxi Production Rate
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation this week took a key step toward its envisioned electric aerial ridesharing service. After expanding its pilot production facility in Marina, California, to about 435,000 square feet, Joby on Tuesday said it expects to double its air taxi production rate to 24 per year. Ramping up in Marina—the epicenter of its manufacturing efforts and a critical test site for the air taxi—will allow Joby to expand its test fleet, which comprises five eVTOL air taxis plus one liquid hydrogen-powered demonstrator.”
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US DOT’s New ATC Plan Aims to Modernize Thousands of Sites
Aerotime reports, “US Department of Transport (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy has announced a plan to modernize the old US air traffic control system, which includes replacing outdated telecommunications with new technology at more than 4,600 locations across the country.”
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Marines Plan to Buy More Carrier-based F-35Cs While Scaling Back VTOL Variant
Defense One reports, “The Marine Corps plans to double its buy of the carrier-borne F-35C variant and scale back its buy of the short-takeoff-vertical-landing F-35B, according to a new aviation plan from the service. The service’s total F-35 buy of 420 aircraft remains unchanged, but the service will now buy 280 F-35Bs instead of the planned 353 jets, and 140 F-35Cs instead of the planned 67 jets, according to the 2025 Marine Aviation Plan released Monday. This means the Marines will field 12 F-35B squadrons and eight F-35C squadrons. Notably, the plan also expands the size of F-35 squadrons from 10 to 12 fighters.”
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This Company Aims to be the First to Mine the Moon
The Washington Post reports, “Nearly a decade ago, Congress passed a law that allows private American space companies the rights to resources they mine on celestial bodies, including the moon. Now Interlune, founded by former Blue Origin executives and an Apollo astronaut, has said it wants to take advantage of that law.”
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NASA Aims to Work with Private Sector for Lunar Landings
Aviation Week reports, “NASA soon intends to lift the curtain on a whole new strategy of turning to America’s private sector for the launch of a lunar lander with science and technology payloads in an effort to break new ground in the space domain.”
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