SPACE reports, “Space Rider, a novel spacecraft concept from the European Space Agency (ESA), is advancing toward its first flight, with new milestones tackling two of the vehicle’s biggest challenges: surviving the heat of reentry and executing a precise landing back on Earth.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Tag: Clears
Next-Gen T-7A Red Hawk Cleared for Production, IOC Set for 2027
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Air Force approved low-rate initial production of Boeing’s T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer, setting the stage for the long-awaited replacement of the service’s 60-year-old T-38 Talon. The April 23 decision authorizes a $219 million contract for the first 14 aircraft, along with spares, support equipment and training, the Air Force announced Monday. The service is targeting initial operational capability in 2027.”
Full Story (Defense News)
FAA Clears Hermeus Quarterhorse for Supersonic Flight Testing
Aerotime reports, “Hermeus announced on March 12, 2026, that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category (SAC-EC) for its unmanned Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft. The certification clears the way for Hermeus to proceed with flight testing as it works toward achieving supersonic flight. According to the company, the process involved a rigorous inspection by FAA agents, who assessed the aircraft ahead of its planned flight-test campaign.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Japan Clears V-22 Osprey Fleet to Resume Flights
Flying Magazine reports, “The Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) has cleared its V-22 Osprey fleet to return to flight after determining pilot error was the cause of an October accident on Yonaguni Island. The incident occurred during a joint exercise with U.S. military where the V-22 Osprey tilted and hit the ground as it was taking off, though no injuries were reported among the 16 on board.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
FAA Clears Falcon 9 to Resume Launches
Space News reports SpaceX is ready to resume Falcon 9 rocket launches as soon as July 27 after completing an investigation into an upper stage anomaly two weeks earlier. “SpaceX said it is targeting as soon as July 27 at 12:21 a.m. Eastern for the rocket’s return to flight, carrying a set of Starlink satellites on the Group 10-9 mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Two other Falcon 9 launches, also of Starlink satellites, are tentatively scheduled for July 28 from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base.”
Full Story (Space News)
F-35 Achieves Long-Delayed Full-Rate Production Milestone
Aviation Week reports, “The Lockheed Martin F-35 has been approved for full-rate production by the U.S. Defense Department in a long-delayed decision that comes after the program has delivered more than 990 aircraft globally.” The aircraft is now cleared “to advance toward peak production levels.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)