Janes reports, “Leonardo has teamed with Textron Aviation Defense to offer its M-346 jet trainer for the US Navy’s (USN’s) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. The service’s current jet trainer, the T-45 Goshawk, entered service in 1991 and has experienced numerous technical issues in recent years.”
Full Story (Janes – Subscription Publication)
Tag: engineering
Boeing to Launch First Crewed Test Flight Tonight
The Washington Post reports, “A decade after NASA awarded Boeing a contract to fly astronauts to the ISS, Boeing will finally attempt to fly its Starliner spacecraft with people onboard. If all goes to plan, at 10:34 p.m. on Monday, the company is set to fly a pair of veteran astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, on a mission that will be one of the most significant tests for Boeing’s space division — and for NASA — in years.”
Full Story (Washington Post)
China Embarks on World-First Mission to Collect Samples from Far Side of Moon
The Washington Post reports, “China on Friday embarked on one of its most ambitious space missions yet: the launch of a probe to retrieve samples from the far side of the moon and bring them back to Earth within two months. If successful, it would be a first, for any country.”
Full Story (Washington Post)
Joby Concludes Flight Testing with Pre-Production eVTOL
FlightGlobal reports, “US air taxi start-up Joby Aviation has concluded the pre-production flight test programme that it launched four years ago, now transitioning into a production-focused phase of development.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Boeing Starliner’s First Crewed Test Flight Scheduled for Next Week
Flying Magazine reports, “A historic NASA launch planned for early next week could have major implications for the space agency’s Commercial Crew Program, which ferries astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and low-Earth orbit in partnership with private companies. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner will finally make its first crewed flight test on Monday. Boeing on Friday confirmed that NASA gave Starliner the ‘go to proceed.’”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
V-22 Program Office Eyes Technology Refresh to Extend Osprey’s Life
Defense News reports, “The V-22 program office is studying the future of the tiltrotor aircraft, weighing both a technology refresh as well as whether it could rip off the wings and nacelles to add decades of additional life to the airframes.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Portal Space Systems Reveals Plans for New Propulsion Technology
Space News reports, “Startup Portal Space Systems, founded by a former SpaceX and Amazon executive, has unveiled plans for spacecraft that use a novel propulsion technology designed to enable rapid movement between orbits.”
Full Story (Space News)
MIT and Merlin to Collaborate on Integration of Collision Avoidance Technology
Aviation International News reports that MIT Lincoln Laboratory “is working with flight automation system developer Merlin on plans to implement new collision avoidance technology.” The organizations “will explore the commercialization of the Airborne Collision Avoidance System Xu on uncrewed aircraft. Initially, the collaboration will focus on implementing the ACAS Xu’s RTCA DO-368 software standard with the Merlin Pilot automation system Merlin is developing for use on existing aircraft.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Embraer Prepares for More Growth in 2024
Aviation International News reports, “Embraer on Friday announced plans to invest $390 million and hire 900 additional employees this year to increase aircraft production and prepare for future growth. The investment includes stepping up research and development activities for electric aircraft, expanding aeronautical services, and boosting industrial activities.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
NASA’s Viper Moon Rover Undergoing Preparations for Mission Later this Year
SPACE reports that with its “mighty mast,” NASA’s Polar Exploration Rover dubbed VIPER continues to be prepped for its mission to the moon slated for late 2024. It has “earned its ‘neck’ and ‘head,’ aka its ‘mast,’ meaning it now stands proudly at 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall.”
Full Story (SPACE)