The New York Times reports “the New Shepard rocket from Blue Origin, which brought 92 people on trips to the edge of space, will cease flying for at least two years as the company as the company prioritizes NASA contracts.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
Tag: February 2026
Boeing Showcases MQ-28 Milestones Amid Growing CCA Demand
Aviation Week reports, “Boeing Australia expects to have the operational version of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat flying for that nation’s air force by 2028 as it uses momentum there to garner international interest for a later block of the collaborative combat aircraft. The MQ-28 program closed out 2025 with an AIM-120 shot from a Ghost Bat flying with Boeing’s F/A-18s and E-7—a significant milestone that the company says showcases how mature the trailblazing CCA has become.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Lockheed’s AI Factory: Turning a “Digital Thread” Into a Battle-Ready Advantage
FROM THE INSTITUTE
A new AI platform that provides defense-grade security across environments is now available from Lockheed Martin, which has created a subsidiary to manage it. Astris AI provides the company’s AI Factory, offering an all-in-one operating model for all users. Companies or agencies that use it get access to the full arsenal of AI components available at the nation’s largest defense contractor.
Persistent Hydrogen Leaks Push Artemis II Launch to March
Ars Technica reports, “The launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission will have to wait another month after a fueling test Monday uncovered hydrogen leaks in the connection between the rocket and its launch platform at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. ‘Engineers pushed through several challenges during the two-day test and met many of the planned objectives,’ NASA said in a statement following the conclusion of the mock countdown.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Boeing Eyes Global Growth for T-7A, Prioritizes U.S. Air Force Commitments
Aviation Week reports, “Boeing sees opportunities growing for its T-7A Red Hawk trainer internationally, but first things first: meeting the USAF’s timeline that has continued to slip. The company has delivered two T-7s to the U.S. Air Force’s first training base as part of a restructured program to get the aircraft in test.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
SpaceX Grounds Falcon 9 After Upper Stage Deorbit Issue
SpaceX has temporarily grounded its Falcon 9 rocket after an upper stage failed to deorbit as planned during a Feb. 2 launch. As SPACE reports, “‘Teams are reviewing data to determine root cause and corrective actions before returning to flight,’ SpaceX said via X on Monday evening, in a post that announced the rocket’s grounding.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Boeing Unveils 787 Upgrades Aimed at Range and Capacity Gains
Simple Flying reports, “American plane-maker Boeing will improve the already hugely successful 787 Dreamliner, with increased cargo capacity and/or longer range for the 787-9 and 787-10 variants. This announcement, as reported by Reuters, was shared by a senior executive at Boeing on Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow.”
Full Story (Simple Flying)
House Committee Endorses Commercial Path for Future Deep Space Program
Ars Technica reports, “A US House committee with oversight of NASA unanimously passed a “reauthorization” act for the space agency on Wednesday. The legislation must still be approved by the full House before being sent to the Senate, which may take up consideration later this month.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Boeing Targets South Carolina for 787 Engineering Expansion
Economic Times reports, “Boeing plans to move approximately 300 787 engineering jobs from Washington state to South Carolina as production ramps up, according to the union representing its engineers. This move comes as Boeing’s contracts with 16,000 engineering union members in Washington are set to expire in October.”
Full Story (Economic Times)
Resilient Student Scholarship Empowers Future Aerospace Researcher
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA and Club for the Future’s Resilient Student Scholarship supports students interested in pursuing a degree in aerospace. The recipient of the 2025 $10,000 AIAA and Club for the Future Resilient Student Scholarship, Robert Morris, is a bright star in his first year at Howard University.
Slow Launch Tempo Clouds Long-Term Role of Space Launch System
Ars Technica reports, “The Space Launch System rocket program is now a decade and a half old, and it continues to be dominated by two unfortunate traits: It is expensive, and it is slow. The massive rocket and its convoluted ground systems, so necessary to baby and cajole the booster’s prickly hydrogen propellant on board, have cost US taxpayers in excess of $30 billion to date. And even as it reaches maturity, the rocket is going nowhere fast.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
Pratt & Whitney Sees Aftermarket Momentum Building in 2026
Aviation Week reports, “Pratt & Whitney is projecting high-single-digit commercial aftermarket growth in 2026, bolstered by strength in several areas. Upticks in volume within Pratt’s biggest large-engine programs, the PW1000G geared turbofan (GTF) and the IAE V2500, will drive the engine-maker’s MRO business this year.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
How a Tiny Plasma Device Could Reduce Drag and Make Future Aircraft Faster and Cleaner
FROM THE INSTITUTE
A tiny plasma device may hold the key to a long‑standing problem in aviation: skin‑friction drag. A thin strip of electrodes that ionizes the air (plasma) on an aircraft’s skin could make the aircraft more efficient, while using a minimum amount of energy. Thomas Corke, Clark Chair Professor of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and the founding director of the university’s Flow Physics and Control Institute, explained that such a device can help a plane glide through the sky with less effort – without spending any more energy – by reducing drag, a long-standing challenge in aviation.
Marine Corps Unveils First NDAA-Approved 3D-Printed UAS
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Marine Corps has pioneered a 3D-printed first-person view drone that is easy to assemble, ready for field use and conforms to national security standards. Sgt. Henry David Volpe, an automotive technician with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, used his interest in engineering and robotics to help develop HANX, the Marine Corps’ first unmanned aircraft system built from 3D-printed parts to be approved by the National Defense Authorization Act, service officials announced last month.”
Full Story (Defense News)
SpaceX Puts Mars Plans on Hold to Prioritize NASA Moon Effort
The Wall Street Journal reports, “SpaceX has put off a mission to Mars planned for this year, shifting its focus to a long-promised lunar voyage for NASA. The rocket company told investors it will prioritize going to the moon first and attempt a trip to Mars at a later time, according to people familiar with the matter. The company will target March 2027 for a lunar landing without humans on board, another person said.”
Full Story (Wall Street Journal – Subscription Publication)
Career Accelerator Ignites Student Momentum at AIAA SciTech Forum
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At AIAA SciTech Forum, a new student-focused career development program made a powerful debut—drawing packed rooms, buzzing conversations, and a palpable sense of momentum for the next generation of aerospace leaders. Designed as a full-day immersive experience, the Career Accelerator Program put university students front and center, equipping them with practical tools, inspiration, and direct access to industry leaders.
NASA Weighs Next Crew Vehicle as Starliner Return Plans Advance
Space News reports, “As NASA prepares to launch a new crew to the space station, the agency has yet to decide which spacecraft it will use for the next crew rotation mission … NASA has said Starliner-1 could launch as soon as April 2026. At a Feb. 9 briefing on the upcoming Crew-12 launch, however, the agency said it had not set a more specific launch date.”
Full Story (Space News)
Prime Air Drone Falls in Residential Area During Texas Test Operations
Aerotime reports, “An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone made contact with an apartment building in Richardson, Texas, before breaking apart and crashing to the ground, according to local authorities and shown in video recorded by a nearby resident. The incident occurred on February 4, 2026, in a residential area where Amazon has been conducting limited drone delivery operations.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
FCC Clears Amazon to Launch 4,500 Additional LEO Satellites
CNBC reports, “The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday it approved Amazon’s request to deploy 4,500 satellites, expanding the company’s planned constellation as it vies to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The FCC’s approval brings the size of Amazon’s planned constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to roughly 7,700 satellites.”
Full Story (CNBC)
Lockheed Martin C-130J Deliveries Suspended Pending Tech Fix
Breaking Defense reports, “Deliveries of Lockheed Martin-built C-130J aircraft to the US Air Force have been halted due to a problem with integrating a new communications upgrade, according to the service.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)