Reuters reports, “The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday the agency must ensure the planemaker’s safety processes are adequate before it will lift its 737 MAX production cap. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said he raised the issue with Boeing’s new chief executive Kelly Ortberg and wants to ensure the planemaker follows through on its quality turnaround plan.”
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Tag: Before
FAA Updates Policy to Require Reentry Licensing
Aviation Week reports, “After Varda Space’s reentry capsule got stuck in orbit for eight months without permission to return to Earth, the FAA has updated its policy and will no longer allow return capsules to launch into space without reentry authorization.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Germany’s OroraTech Partners with Rocket Lab for “Responsive Launch”
Spaceflight Now reports, “A new batch of eight fire detection satellites are getting ready to launch into low Earth orbit in what Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB) described as a ‘responsive launch.’ The dedicated flight is expected to launch from New Zealand in ‘just a few weeks’ and will be the first OTC-P1 satellites deployed on behalf of German company, Orora Technologies (OroraTech).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
NASA to Continue to Study Orion Heat Shield Issue Before Stacking Artemis II Rocket
Ars Technica reports, “NASA would like to start stacking the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis II mission—the first human flight around the Moon since 1972—sometime next month, but the agency’s exploration chief says the milestone could be delayed as engineers continue studying the readiness of the Orion spacecraft’s heat shield.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)