Tag: engineering

SpaceX Launches Another 26 Starlink Satellites to Orbit

SPACE reports, “SpaceX launched 26 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California Monday night (May 12), on the first leg of a spaceflight doubleheader. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 26 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on California’s central coast Monday at 9:15 p.m. EDT (6:15 p.m. local California time; 0115 GMT on May 13).”
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Video

SpaceX launches 26 Starlink satellites from California. (Launch occurs at 00:11)
(VideoFromSpace; YouTube)

Aurora Flight Sciences Extends sUAS Range with New Upgrades

Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences has begun production of the latest version of its SKIRON-XGroup 2 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), incorporating upgrades aimed at improving flight performance and operational usability. Now in its third generation, SKIRON-X sUAS received avionics and ground control station (GCS) upgrades, an improved nose cone design, and an optional long-range radio.”
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Soviet Venus Lander Kosmos 482 Crashes Into Sea After 53 Years in Orbit

SPACE reports, “A failed Soviet Venus lander’s long space odyssey has come to an end. The Kosmos 482 probe crashed to Earth today (May 10) after circling our planet for more than five decades. Reentry occurred at 2:24 a.m. ET (0624 GMT or 9:24 a.m. Moscow time) over the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia, according to Russia’s space agency Roscosmos. Kosmos 482 appears to have fallen harmlessly into the sea.”
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Sierra Space Marks Third Testing Milestone on Resilient GPS (R-GPS) Technology for USSF

Inside GNSS reports, “Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and defense tech prime  announced today another successful demonstration of the company’s Resilient GPS (R-GPS) technology for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). In this third milestone, Sierra Space demonstrated an early integration of the R-GPS satellite technology through FlatSat flight software and hardware subsystem testing, in addition to successful communication with ground software.”
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KC-46 Deliveries on Track to Resume Next Week

Breaking Defense reports, “Following a suspension of deliveries in late February, the US Air Force is ready to accept new KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers from manufacturing Boeing as soon as next week, according to the service’s top acquisition official. During a hearing held by the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee today, Darlene Costello, who is performing the duties of the Air Force’s acquisition chief, said the service and Boeing “have identified the root cause” of a cracking issue that has held up deliveries, and that officials have “begun the process to resume deliveries.” The first delivery is expected next week, she added.”
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Whisper Aero Unveils ‘Collaborative Logistics Aircraft’ Family

Aviation International News reports, “Whisper Aero, a U.S. start-up developing quiet electric propulsion systems, revealed a family of autonomous aircraft concepts for contested logistics missions on May 6 during the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week event held in Tampa, Florida. With funding from the U.S. Air Force, Whisper said it will spend the next four years building and flying multiple full-scale prototypes as it strives to bring the technology into service on a program of record.”
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USMC Receives Extended Range MQ-9A RPAS from General Atomics

Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has delivered an MQ-9A Reaper® Block 5 Extended Range (ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). The aircraft was officially handed over on April 22, 2025, and is now assigned to Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1), located at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona.”
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Stratolaunch Reusable Hypersonic Vehicle Exceeds Mach 5 in Two Test Flights

Space News reports, “The U.S. is re-entering the era of reusable hypersonic flight testing for the first time in more than half a century, using an autonomous drone developed by Stratolaunch. The hypersonic vehicle named Talon A2 exceeded Mach 5—the threshold for hypersonic speed—in two Pentagon-backed test flights conducted in December 2024 and March 2025, the Defense Department confirmed May 5.”
Full Story (Space News)