Aviation Week reports, “Blue Origin on Sept. 23 conducted a 15-sec. hot fire of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen-fueled upper stage for its first New Glenn rocket, in what the company called a critical milestone on the road to flight. The static test fire at Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral SFS marked Blue Origin’s first fueling of a New Glenn rocket stage with flight propellants, and the first engine burn of an integrated flight stage.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Tag: engineering
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 20 Starlink Satellites from California
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched its latest Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink mission as Tropical Storm Helene pushed back the launch of the next mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of the Starlink 9-8 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California happened at 9:01 p.m. PDT (12:01 a.m. EDT, 0401 UTC). This was SpaceX’s 64th Starlink launch of the year.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg (Launch at 30:30 mark)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Makes 4th Successful Test Flight
Simple Flying reports, “Boom Supersonic conducted a fourth and successful Boom XB-1test flight, this time reaching an altitude of 16,150 feet and a speed of Mach 0.617 (about 313 knots equivalent airspeed) during tests for flutter, g-forces, handling, and landing gear. The proof-of-concept XB-1 is helping educate Boom Supersonic on how to build and test supersonic aircraft in the lead-up to building Boom Overture.”
Full Story (Simple Flying)
Challenger Center and AIAA Open Nominations for 2025 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Three winners will be honored for enthusiasm and dedication to STEM education
Washington and Reston, Va. (September 24, 2024) – Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced they are accepting nominations for the 2025 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award. The annual award celebrates K-12 teachers going above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Nominations can be submitted online through December 1, 2024.
Three winners will be selected from the nominations. Each winner and their respective school or organization will be awarded $5,000. They will receive free access to Challenger Center’s STEM education programs. In addition, they will receive a trip to Washington, DC, to be honored at the 2025 AIAA Awards Gala, as well as a special presentation ceremony at their school. The winners also will have the opportunity to attend a space launch experience and/or a VIP tour of an aerospace facility.
“Teachers are essential in unlocking the potential of today’s students and fostering their interest in STEM,” said Valerie Fitton-Kane, vice president, Challenger Center. “We are excited to partner once again with the AIAA Foundation to celebrate outstanding STEM educators nationwide who go above and beyond to bring STEM to life for their students, inspiring them to explore the many opportunities available in STEM careers.”
“Educators are invaluable to our communities. We share a commitment with Challenger Center to invest in trailblazing educators because they are the clear force multiplier to inspiring our future workforce. They can spark students’ interest in STEM subjects, especially the science and engineering behind aerospace, that can drive a student’s future career choices,” said Laura McGill, chair, AIAA Foundation.
The award recognizes teachers who connect classroom lessons to the country’s current and future plans of STEM exploration and innovation, introduce students to STEM careers, and activate students’ imagination about space exploration.
The U.S. aerospace and defense industry leads the world in innovation, while still facing challenges of staffing a properly skilled and qualified workforce. Crucial gaps in diversity, equity, and inclusion must be addressed – more STEM-literate graduates are needed, greater participation is needed by women and ethnic minorities, and early retirements are creating a growing knowledge gap.
About Challenger Center
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit https://www.challenger.org/ or connect on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
About AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation inspires and supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. From classroom to career, the AIAA Foundation enables innovative K-12 and university programming, including STEM classroom grants, scholarships, conferences, and hands-on competitions. Founded in 1996, the AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization connected to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
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 or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, andInstagram.
Contacts
Challenger Center
Lisa Vernal
[email protected]
202-827-1573
AIAA
Rebecca Gray
[email protected]
804-397-5270
SpaceX Preps for Upcoming Test Flight by Firing Up Engines on 6th Starship
SPACE reports, “SpaceX fired up the engines of its sixth Starship vehicle on Wednesday (Sept. 18) to gear up for a test flight that’s probably still several months away. The company performed a “static fire” on Wednesday (Sept. 18) at its Starbase site in South Texas, briefly igniting the six Raptor engines of Ship 31, the upper stage of the vehicle that will conduct the sixth Starship test flight.”
Full Story (SPACE)
NASA Seeks Input on LEO Microgravity Strategy
NASA published draft high-level goals and objectives outlining 42 key points in six main areas: science, exploration-enabling research and technology development, commercial low Earth orbit infrastructure, operations, international cooperation, and workforce and engagement. The agency invites stakeholders to submit comments on these goals and objectives by close of business Friday, 27 September.
Full Story (NASA)
U.S. Air Force Shares Video of B-21 Raider Taking Off and Landing
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Air Force released footage of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Wednesday’s video marks the service’s first reveal of the aircraft’s flight operations. ‘A B-21 Raider conducts flight testing, which includes ground testing, taxiing, and flying operations in California,’ the Air Force said in a statement accompanying the video.”
Ful Story (Flying Magazine)
AIAA and HYSKY Society Announce New Advanced Hydrogen Aviation Short Course
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce a new continuing education course on hydrogen aviation developed in collaboration with HYSKY Society, an association committed to decarbonizing aviation with hydrogen. The course, “Advanced Hydrogen Aerospace Technologies and Design,” debuts Tuesday, 8 October, with instruction online twice weekly through 7 November. Participants also can access recorded sessions.
Hydrogen aviation uses hydrogen fuel cells or combustion, and represents a groundbreaking shift in aerospace engineering, with the potential to reduce the global warming effect of flying by 50 to 90%, according to Clean Aviation. With global emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable energy solutions, hydrogen-powered aviation is at the forefront of transforming air travel and could feasibly power short-haul aircraft as early as 2035.
“AIAA is pleased to partner with HYSKY Society on this timely new course. Hydrogen-powered flight is an important part of our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions in aviation. Leveraging technical expertise from both organizations, this new continuing education offering accelerates our community’s leadership toward a sustainable aviation future,” said AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher.
Taught by leading experts in hydrogen aviation, the course targets aerospace engineers, electrical/ mechanical engineers, and professionals interested in zero-carbon electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, and launch vehicles. Students will learn hydrogen fundamentals before deep diving into fixed wing and VTOL H2 design. The course concludes with sessions on the future of hydrogen-enabled airports, regulatory policies, and economic implications of this aerospace transformation.
Attendees will earn 20 classroom hours or 2.0 CEU/PDH. The AIAA member price is $945; student member enrollment is $495; non-member pricing is $1,145. Group discounts are available.
For more information or to register, visit the AIAA course webpage.
Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
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 or follow AIAA on X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Europe’s Galileo Satellites from Cape Canaveral
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX launched the latest pair of Galileo spacecraft for the European Union’s navigation satellite constellation. The mission marked the second time that Galileo satellites will launch from U.S. soil, following the so-called L-12 mission, which flew on another Falcon 9 rocket back in April 2024. Liftoff of the L-13 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 6:50 p.m. EDT (2250 UTC).”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)
Video
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches from Florida with Europe’s Galileo Satellites (Launch at 1:00:49)
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Launch Companies Increasing Flight Rates of New Vehicles to Meet Demand
Space News reports, “Companies that are fielding new launch vehicles are now facing the challenge of scaling up operations to meet the continued high demand for them. During a panel discussion at World Space Business Week here Sept. 16, executives with several launch companies that have or are about to introduce new launch vehicles say they are turning their attention to increasing their launch cadence. Among the most aggressive is Blue Origin, whose New Glenn rocket is scheduled to make its inaugural launch as soon as November.”
Full Story (Space News)