SPACE reports, “On Feb. 27, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, NASA plans to launch the sun-studying PUNCH mission to low Earth orbit. It will ride alongside the agency’s SPHEREx observatory, which is sort of like a wide-angle version of the James Webb Space Telescope, as part of the agency’s Launch Services Program that works to make space missions more cost efficient.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Tag: engineering
Blue Origin Successfully Launches New Shepard on NS-29 Mission
AP News reports that yesterday “Blue Origin launched the 29 lunar technology experiments to the edge of space from West Texas. The company later confirmed that roughly two minutes of artificial lunar gravity were achieved by spinning the capsule 11 times a minute. It was Blue Origin’s first attempt at mimicking lunar gravity, which is one-sixth that of Earth.”
Full Story (AP News)
More Info (AIAA Statement)
Video
New Shepard Mission NS-29 Webcast
(Blue Origin; YouTube)
AIAA Expands International Reach with New Section, Student Branches
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce it has chartered a new section in the United Kingdom (UK) and new student branches in seven countries. The AIAA Council of Directors approved the moves at its meeting during the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando, Florida.
The UK Section is located in AIAA Region VII and includes AIAA members living in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The addition of the UK Section brings the global total of AIAA sections to 58, in seven regions. Sections are led by AIAA members who volunteer to organize and offer technical programs, networking, educational opportunities, and other activities tailored to local aerospace professionals, students, and educators.
The seven new student branches have been granted three-year provisional charters to ensure they are sustainable before being officially chartered as a student branch. The universities include:
- Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
- King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
- M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, India
- Military Institute of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, United States
- TED University, Turkey
- University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
“We are thrilled to welcome the UK Section and new student branches to AIAA. We are building bridges across the globe to strengthen our connections everywhere, growing international contributions to the AIAA community. We look forward to seeing how they shape the future of aerospace,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry.
Media Contact: 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 30,000 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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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.”
Full Story (Defense One)
India to Launch European Proba-3 Satellites on Dec. 5 to Create Artificial Eclipses in Space
SPACE reports, “A European mission that will use two satellites to create artificial eclipses in Earth orbit will launch early Thursday morning (Dec. 5) … The ESA’s Proba-3 formation-flying mission is scheduled to lift off atop an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Thursday at 5:42 a.m. EST (1042 GMT; 4:42 p.m. local time in India).”
Full Story (SPACE)
FAA is Getting Closer to Certifying ZeroAvia’s Electric Propulsion System
Aerospace Global News reports, “ZeroAvia has moved one step closer to certification of its first commercial product, having received Certification Basis for its 600kW electric propulsion system (EPS) from the FAA – a key document outlining the applicable airworthiness regulations with which the manufacturer must comply. The G-1 Issue Paper (Stage 2) contains a formally confined agreement, designating the standards to which ZeroAvia will validate the design requirements of its EPS.”
Full Story (Aerospace Global News)
Blue Origin Set to Launch New Shepard Moon-Gravity Mission
SPACE reports, “Blue Origin is targeting Feb. 4 for the 29th launch of its New Shepard suborbital rocket, which was postponed from Jan. 28 due to weather and a technical “issue with the rocket’s avionics. But everything appears to be in order now … Liftoff of the NS-29 mission is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET.”
Full Story (SPACE)
AIAA Statement on Blue Origin’s Successful NS-29 Mission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2025 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) issued the following statement from AIAA CEO Clay Mowry:
“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we congratulate Blue Origin on its successful NS-29 mission. The rocket included 30 payloads that experienced two minutes of lunar gravity forces. We look forward to learning the results of these experiments to help us prepare for more activities on the lunar surface in the future.”
Media Contact: 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 30,000 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 aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Video
New Shepard Mission NS-29 Webcast
(Blue Origin; YouTube)
Composites World Article: Expanding Your Horizons at New Industry Events
Composites World Editor-in-Chief Scott Frances reports, “Manufacturing in general offers a multitude of trade shows — and the composites sector in particular has its fair share. For many of us, there are always those few events that we know well having attended them often.”
Full Story (Composites World – Subscription Publication)
Japan’s H3 Rocket Launches Michibiki 6 Navigation Satellite
Space News reports, “Japan’s flagship H3 rocket successfully launched the Michibiki 6 navigation satellite early Sunday, enhancing the country’s regional GPS capabilities. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H3 rocket lifted off at 3:30 a.m. Eastern (0830 UTC) Feb. 2 from Tanegashima Space Center. Aboard was the 1,900-kilogram Michibiki 6 satellite, also known as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZS-6), for Japan’s navigation satellite system.”
Full Story (Space News)
Video
Japan’s flagship H3 rocket launches Michibiki 6 aboard H3-22S (Launch at 0:45:57 mark)
(The Launch Pad; YouTube)