CNN reports Astrobotic Technology “said it is abandoning an attempt to put its Peregrine spacecraft on the moon less than 24 hours after the vehicle took flight” because the spacecraft “suffered ‘critical’ propellant loss.” As reported, “Just hours after launching from Florida toward the moon early Monday morning, the company announced the spacecraft was in jeopardy. The lunar lander, dubbed Peregrine, was unable to place itself in a position facing the sun, likely because of a propulsion issue, according to the company. The wayward orientation prevented the spacecraft from charging its batteries. The battery issue was later resolved, but Astrobotic was not able to correct the apparent issue with the Peregrine lander’s propulsion system.”
Full Story (CNN)
Tag: engineering
Business Jet Deliveries Forecasted to Rise 17% This Year
Aviation International News reports, “Deliveries from the top-five business jet OEMs are forecast to jump by 17 percent from an estimated 575 in 2023 to 670 deliveries in 2024, according to investment research firm Jefferies.” This would top “the 652 delivered in 2019, according to the analyst.” Driving “this growth are new programs – including Gulfstream’s flagship G700, which is anticipated to soon enter service, and Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 6X – along with an easing of the supply-chain headwinds, Jefferies added.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
SpaceX Launches 23 Starlink Satellites
SPACE reported, “SpaceX launched 23 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit on Sunday (Jan. 7).” As planned, “the Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff,” touching down on a drone ship off the coast of Florida. “The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit… .”
Full Story (SPACE)
FAA Orders Airlines to Ground Some Boeing 737 Max 9 Jets After Midair Emergency
The New York Times reported that on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered Alaska Airlines and United Airlines “to stop using some Boeing 737 Max 9 planes until they were inspected, less than a day after one of those planes lost a chunk of its body in midair, terrifying passengers until the plane landed safely.”
Full Story (New York Times)
AIAA Statement on ULA Vulcan Centaur Launch
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) issued the following statement from AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher:
“Congratulations to the ULA team on today’s Vulcan Centaur Launch! It is exciting to witness this new space launch capability complete its first certification mission. We are pleased to see the positive results of ULA’s partnership with Blue Origin to develop and utilize two BE-4 engines on the vehicle.
We are thrilled to follow Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander’s journey to the moon. This mission is an important part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative to deliver science and technology to the lunar service. We are encouraged to see commercial space companies advancing technology in the cislunar ecosystem. Expanding the boundaries leads to success.
AIAA recognizes the countless industry professionals making this mission a success. We applaud AIAA Corporate Member ULA for making important contributions to shaping the future of aerospace.”
Media contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270
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.
Video
ULA’s Vulcan rocket, carrying lunar lander, launches for the first time
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)
Orbital Launch Activity Hit Record in 2023
Aviation Week reports that the number “of orbital launch attempts last year rose by 20% over 2022, with 223 flights attempted and 212 reaching orbit, according to statistics compiled by Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard-Smithsonian Center astrophysicist who maintains a database of worldwide astronautical activity.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Air Corsica Finds Pratt & Whitney Canada Engine Reduces MRO Costs by a Third
Aviation Week reports that maintenance costs “are reduced by almost one-third on the ATR 72-600 regional turboprop thanks to the latest iteration of its Pratt & Whitney Canada engine, the PW127XT, a senior executive at Air Corsica says.” The carrier is “the launch customer for the PW127XT-powered version of the ATR 72-600.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
AIAA Statement on the Passing of Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2024 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) CEO Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:
“AIAA mourns the passing of former Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) who led the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee from 2019 until 2023, when she retired from Congress.
Chairwoman Johnson was a champion for STEM education and the advancement of science. We applaud her efforts to pass the Broadening Participation in STEM Education Act that authorized the director of the National Science Foundation to award grants to minorities in underrepresented minority groups receiving STEM degrees. Her leadership has led to advancing the aerospace workforce, not only for her constituents but for the entire country. We appreciated her strong support for NASA, as well as her leading role in crafting and moving the CHIPS Act and Science bill.
On behalf of the Institute’s nearly 30,000 professional, student, and educator members, our prayers go out to her family and loved ones.”
AIAA 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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
AIAA Statement on Norms of Behavior for Commercial Space Operations by The Hague Institute for Global Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) CEO Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:
“On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we are pleased to sign The Washington Compact on Norms of Behavior for Commercial Space Operations by The Hague Institute for Global Justice. Through this important step, AIAA joins scores of illustrious organizations and individuals who also share the common vision that civil space exploration and development should be conducted in a manner that prevents conflict and supports cooperation, peace, and prosperity.
AIAA sees space as an essential part of everyday life on Earth, with further exploration and innovation leading to an off-world future. We believe global collaboration, including the growing influence of space commerce, will help us expand the human neighborhood beyond low Earth orbit to the moon and on to Mars.”
Media Contact: Rebecca B. 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 Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
ULA’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket Set to Launch on January 8
Gizmodo reports United Launch Alliance’s “202-foot-tall (61.6-meter) Vulcan Centaur rocket is set to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral” on Monday, January 8. According to Gizmodo, this is a “huge deal, as it marks the debut of ULA’s first new rocket design in 18 years. While the (mostly) expendable Vulcan Centaur may not be revolutionary from a technological perspective, it represents a significant evolutionary step for ULA.”
Full Story (Gizmodo)