Defense News reports, “Lockheed Martin plans to fold technologies it developed in its unsuccessful bid for the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance platform into the F-35 and F-22 Raptor to create a “supercharged” fifth-generation fighter, company executives said. Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet told investors in a Tuesday earnings call the company is not going to challenge the Air Force’s March 21 decision to award the F-47 contract to Boeing. Instead, he said, the company will focus on upgrading the F-35 and F-22 Raptor fighters with sixth-generation technology.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Tag: April 2025
SpaceX Marks 300th Orbital Flight from Cape Canaveral’s Pad 40 with Launch of Bandwagon-3 Mission
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its third Falcon 9 rocket launch in less than 48 hours with a rideshare mission carrying payloads to a mid-inclination orbit. Liftoff of the Bandwagon-3 mission happened at 8:48 p.m. EDT (0048 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was the 245th orbital launch for SpaceX from SLC-40 and the 300th total orbital flight from this pad … Update 9:38 p.m. EDT: The Falcon 9 first stage booster successfully landed at Landing Zone 2.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
Launch of SpaceX Bandwagon-3 ride-share mission (Launch occurs at 59:55)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Venus Aerospace in Pursuit of Detonation-Powered Hypersonic Flight
Aviation Week reports, “Rotating detonation engines have huge potential for realizing efficient high-speed flight, but they are proving fiendishly difficult to get right. In the five short years since focusing on the concept, Andrew Duggleby, chief technology officer and co-founder of the pioneering hypersonic propulsion systems developer Venus Aerospace, says he has learned that five key steps are required to make a detonation engine work.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Gecko Robotics and L3Harris to Partner on Inspector Drones to Reduce Aircraft Maintenance Times
Defense One reports, “A robotics company and a defense contractor have teamed up for a high-tech fix to the military’s aircraft maintenance problem. Gecko Robotics and L3Harris announced Wednesday they will use drones to take thousands of images of aircraft and build digital twins, leading to much faster turnaround times for maintenance.“
Full Story (Defense One)
SpaceX Launches 32nd Space Station Resupply Mission for NASA
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched an uncrewed Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station early Monday on a resupply mission with increased importance after a transportation mishap derailed a flight by another U.S. cargo ship. Liftoff from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center happened on Monday, April 21, at 4:15 a.m. EDT (0815 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Space Station Cargo Launch (Launch occurs at 59:44)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Archer Announces Partnership with United Airlines for NYC Air-Taxi Network
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation on Thursday unveiled plans for a proposed air-taxi network in New York City, in partnership with United Airlines, as it seeks to tap into the airport commute market in Manhattan. Shares of the air-taxi maker were up 7% in morning trading.”
Full Story (Reuters)
NASA Safety Panel Concerned Over Growing Risks to ISS Operations
Space News reports, “Members of a NASA safety panel said they were “deeply concerned” about the safety of the aging International Space Station, citing long-running issues and funding shortfalls. During a public meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) April 17, members expressed concerns about growing risks as the station nears its projected end in 2030.”
Full Story (Space News)
British Army Uses Radio-Wave Weapon for First Time to Disable Drone Swarm
Defense News reports, “The British Army successfully tested a radio-wave weapon to knock out drone swarms, as militaries look for new ways to neutralize what has become one of the biggest threats on the modern battlefield. The Army was able to defeat drone swarms for the first time in the latest trial of the weapon-system demonstrator, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Thursday.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Webb Telescope Spots Possible Signature of Life on Distant Planet
The Washington Post reports, “A distant planet’s atmosphere shows signs of molecules that on Earth are associated only with biological activity, a possible signal of life on what is suspected to be a watery world, according to a report published Wednesday that analyzed observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The peer-reviewed report in the Astrophysical Journal Letters presents more questions than answers, acknowledges numerous uncertainties and does not declare the discovery of life beyond Earth, something never conclusively detected. But the authors do claim to have found the best evidence to date of a possible “biosignature” on a planet far from our solar system.”
Full Story (Washington Post)
General Dynamics Announces G800 Receives FAA, EASA Certifications
Reuters reports, “General Dynamics said on Wednesday its Gulfstream G800 jet has received certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The company had said in January it expected FAA certification for the jet in the first half of 2025.
Full Story (Reuters)