FROM THE INSTITUTE
Jenna Eppink was recognized as the 2026 Engineer of the Year at AIAA SciTech Forum in January in Orlando. She received the award for her significant contributions to flow measurement and near-body flow physics. As part of NASA Langley’s Flow Physics and Control Branch, Eppink’s technical innovation is expanding NASA’s research capabilities and setting new standards in experimental aerodynamics.
Tag: Astronautics
Rocket Lab Launches South Korean Disaster-Monitoring Satellite After Delay
SPACE reports, “Rocket Lab launched a South Korean disaster-monitoring satellite from New Zealand on Thursday (Jan. 29), about six weeks later than originally planned. A 59-foot-tall (18-meter-tall) Electron rocket launched the ‘Bridging the Swarm’ mission from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand site on Thursday at 8:21 p.m. EST (0121 GMT and 2:21 p.m. local New Zealand time on Jan. 30).”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
Rocket Lab launches the “Bridging the Swarm” mission from New Zealand. (Launch occurs at the 52:02 mark)
Space Affairs; YouTube
Northrop Sees Return to Growth in Space Business Following 2025 Decline
Via Satellite reports, “Northrop Grumman’s Space segment saw an 8% decline in sales in 2025, but the company is projecting a return to growth in 2026. Northrop Grumman reported full-year sales on Tuesday. Space Systems sales in 2025 were $10.8 billion, a decline of $960 million compared to 2024. The company attributed the decline to work winding down on a canceled classified space program and the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program, which was awarded to Lockheed Martin.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
Forty Years After Challenger, Spaceflight Remains a High-Stakes Endeavor
Seven astronauts lost their lives during the Challenger space shuttle disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. SPACE reports that four decades later, human spaceflight remains difficult, “despite progress in ‘lessons learned.’”
Full Story (SPACE)
AIAA Strengthens International Engagement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Event in Turin, Italy, Launches Local Representation for EMEA
27 January 2026 – Turin, Italy – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) convened an international gathering on Monday at the Palace Asinari di San Marzano, the headquarters of Italian satellite manufacturer Space Industries, to launch AIAA’s new representation for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. AIAA’s efforts in the EMEA region will be led by Davide Petrillo and Martina Bruno based in Turin.
“As the world’s largest aerospace professional institute, AIAA is building deeper connections across the global aerospace community. This event highlights the value of transatlantic dialogue and shared technical expertise. Local engagement matters. Our presence in EMEA allows us to serve regional priorities and strengthen relationships that support aerospace supply chains and innovation across borders,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.
The gathering, attended by representatives from government institutions and industry, included remarks from Giuseppe Santangelo, Chief Executive Officer of Space Industries. “We are proud to host AIAA at our headquarters, as this partnership aligns with the long-term vision of Space Industries. The space market is changing fast, with new commercial players and visionary companies relying on space data for business. We are pleased to collaborate with AIAA because our ambition goes beyond serial satellite manufacturing to support a connected, collaborative, and industrially mature commercial space ecosystem,” Santangelo said.
The program included a panel titled “Cross-Atlantic Synergies for Space Innovation in a Changing World.” The discussion examined how the space sector is rapidly evolving beyond its traditional boundaries and increasingly interacting with diverse non-space industries. Panelists included Luisella Giulicchi (European Space Agency), Clay Mowry (AIAA), Maria Antonietta Perino (Thales Alenia Space Italy), and Alessandra Vernile (Italian Space Agency). They highlighted the opportunities for cross-sector integration, as well as the challenges created by geopolitical shifts. The panel emphasized strong transatlantic collaboration as a foundation for building a resilient marketplace capable of accelerating innovation and ensuring long-term sustainable development in space.
AIAA welcomed new Corporate Members from the region. “We are proud to welcome Space Industries, GENERGO, and Kurs Orbital to the AIAA family. Their participation reflects the growing interest of European and international organizations in engaging with AIAA’s global network of researchers, engineers, innovators, and industry leaders,” Mowry added.
In addition, AIAA formalized two strategic collaborations by signing Memoranda of Understanding with WIA-Europe (Women in Aerospace Europe) and AIDAA (Associazione Italiana di Aeronautica e Astronautica). The agreements reinforce AIAA’s commitment to promoting international cooperation, supporting diversity in aerospace, and strengthening scientific and professional exchange between global communities.
Media Contacts:
Davide Petrillo, [email protected], + 39 348 5405622 Cell
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 33,000 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 www.aiaa.org or follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.
NASA Seeks External Partners to Help Extend Earth Science Missions
Space News reports, “NASA’s Earth Science Division is exploring partnerships with external organizations to support instruments mounted on the International Space Station and free-flyer missions. ‘For some of these missions that are well into or well beyond their planned lifetime, we decided to explore whether or not there might be partners who would be interested in taking on some of the burden with us of keeping these missions going,’ Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director, said Jan. 26 at the American Meteorological Society annual meeting.”
Full Story (Space News)
Virgin Galactic Taps All-Female Team for Upcoming Suborbital Research Mission
CBS News reports, “Virgin Galactic is sending an all-female research team to space. Kellie Gerardi, who is leading the crew, joins ‘CBS News 24/7 Mornings’ to discuss the goals of the mission.”
Full Story (CBS News)
Blue Origin Sends Six Space Tourists to Edge of Space
Blue Origin launched six people to suborbital space Thursday (Jan. 22). SPACE reports it “was the 17th human spaceflight” for the company, “and the 38th mission overall for New Shepard, the company’s autonomous, reusable rocket-capsule combo.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Rocket Lab Sends First Open Cosmos Satellites Into Polar Orbit
Space News reports, “A Rocket Lab Electron launched the first satellites for a new constellation being developed by Open Cosmos that will use spectrum previously assigned to Rivada Space Networks. The Electron lifted off from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 5:52 a.m. Eastern Jan. 22. It deployed two satellites into a circular polar orbit at an altitude of about 1,050 kilometers one hour and nine minutes after liftoff.”
Full Story (Space News)
Video
RocketLab Electron Launch from New Zealand (Launch takes place at the 23:07 mark)
The Launch Pad | YouTube
Falcon 9 Lifts Off from Vandenberg with First West Coast Starlink Mission of 2026
Spaceflight Now reports the Starlink 17-30 mission sent the batch of satellites into a polar low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from pad 4E “at Vandenberg Space Force Base happened at 9:47:29 p.m. PST.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg. (Launch takes place at the 29:15 mark)
Spaceflight Now; YouTube