SPACE reports, “The Japanese company ispace is poised to make a historic moon landing this week. The company’s Resilience lunar lander will attempt to touch down in Mare Frigoris (“Sea of Cold”), a basalt plain in the moon’s northern hemisphere, on Thursday (June 5) at 3:24 p.m. EDT (1924 GMT). You’ll be able to watch the landing attempt online via a live webcast on ispace’s YouTube page, beginning about one hour before landing.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Tag: June 2025
Archer Aviation Performing Piloted Flights of its Midnight Electric Aircraft
Electrek reports, “All-electric aircraft developer Archer has entered a key development phase ahead of full-fledged flight certification and commercial operations. Last week, Archer completed a piloted flight in its flagship Midnight aircraft, demonstrating a conventional takeoff and landing instead of vertical (it can do both). Check out the entire flight video.”
Full Story (Electrek)
Beta’s Alia CX300 Makes First Electric Flight into New York City Airport
Aviation International News reports, “Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 on Tuesday [became] the first all-electric aircraft to land at a New York City airport … One of Beta’s prototypes landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) after a passenger-carrying demonstration flight with a pilot and four passengers, including Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal and Republic Airways president Matt Koscal. According to Beta, the energy cost for the 45-minute flight was just $7 compared with what it estimated as $160 in fuel costs for a helicopter making the same trip. The Alia flew at 135 knots, operating under a market survey ticket that the FAA issued.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Commercial Space Companies to Perform Launch Range Upgrades
Space News reports, “The U.S. Space Force awarded Jacobs Technology a contract worth up to $4 billion over 10 years to provide engineering and technical services at the nation’s primary space launch ranges, as the military seeks to modernize aging infrastructure and boost capacity amid a surge in commercial space activity. The Space Systems Command selected the Tullahoma, Tennessee-based contractor on May 31 for the so-called ‘Space Force Range Contract,’ which covers maintenance, sustainment, systems engineering and integration services for the Eastern and Western ranges until 2035.”
Full Story (Space News)
New High-Density Battery Provides Up to 63% More Flight Time for UAVs
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Tulip Tech, a high-tech battery innovator based in the Neatherlands, has revealed a major leap forward in UAV endurance with the integration of its new high-density 39Ah battery pack into the Acecore Technologies Noa drone. Delivering an energy density of 360 Wh/kg, the advanced lithium battery has achieved flight time increases of up to 63%, unlocking significantly greater range and productivity for demanding drone missions.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)
Blue Origin Unveils Plans for Enabling Long-Term Human Presence on the Moon
SPACE reports, “Blue Origin has begun revealing how it plans to establish itself as a provider of hardware to enable long-term human stays on the moon. One newly unveiled key element is the “Transporter,” a vehicle that can be launched on a single Blue Origin New Glenn rocket into low Earth orbit. It will harvest leftover propellant from the booster’s second stage and then haul the hydrogen and oxygen to lunar orbit.”
Full Story (SPACE)
U.S. Army Launches ‘Major Overhaul’ of its Flight School Following Deadly Crashes
Defense News reports, “In the wake of a string of deadly military aviation accidents over the past several years, the U.S. Army is launching a major overhaul of how it trains new pilots that focuses on getting back to the basics. The overhaul includes rethinking the type of aircraft used for training, along with a likely shift to a contractor-owned-and-operated schoolhouse.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Japan’s ispace Fails in its Second Attempt to Place Resilience Lander on Moon
Reuters reports, “Japanese company ispace said its uncrewed moon lander likely crashed onto the lunar surface during its touchdown attempt on Friday, marking another failure two years after an unsuccessful inaugural mission. Tokyo-based ispace had hoped to join U.S. firms Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace in making successful commercial moon landings amid a global race that includes state-run lunar missions from China and India.”
Full Story (Reuters)
AURA AERO Unveils French Alternative to Reaper Drone
Aerotime reports, “Toulouse-based aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO has unveiled ENBATA, a new “low-cost high-performance” MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone, marking its formal entry into the defense sector. The news was first reported by OpexNews in an exclusive interview with AURA AERO CEO and co-founder Jérémy Caussade.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
2025 AIAA Awards Gala Held in April
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA presented its premier awards at the AIAA Awards Gala, 30 April, at Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC. The Class of 2025 AIAA Fellows and AIAA Honorary Fellows and AIAA Foundation award and scholarship recipients also were recognized.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Amazon’s Second Batch of Kuiper Internet Satellites Targeted for June 13 Launch on Atlas V
SPACE reports, “Amazon’s second fleet of internet satellites now has a target launch date. The stack of 27 satellites, part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation, is scheduled to launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket next Friday (June 13). Liftoff of the mission, known as Kuiper 2, is set for 2:29 p.m. EDT (1829 GMT), from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, ULA announced.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Trump Orders FAA to Repeal Ban on Overland Supersonic Flight
Flying Magazine reports, “President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order instructing the FAA to repeal its ban on supersonic flight over U.S. land. The order said that, with advances in noise-reduction technology, supersonic flight is ‘not just possible, but safe, sustainable, and commercially viable.’ New noise standards will be developed that weigh ‘community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility,’ the White House added.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
New Executive Order Aims to Usher in New Generation of U.S. Aircraft
Flying Magazine reports, “President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that aims to usher in a new generation of drones, self-flying planes, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis while shutting out “unfair foreign competition” from countries like China. The order, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” contains a package of measures designed to bolster the U.S. drone industry by lifting restrictions and streamlining manufacturing, testing, and access for American-built uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
U.S. Navy’s T-54A Trainer Achieves IOC
Aviation Week reports, “The U.S. Navy’s new multi-engine trainer reached initial operational capability (IOC) in May, the service announced June 9. The Textron T-54A Merlin II is replacing the aging T-44C Pegasus to provide Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and allied training for multi-engine platforms such as the P-8A, E-2D and C-130. The service has received 15 of the aircraft so far, with plans to buy up to 64 with deliveries running through 2026. The T-54A is a modified King Air 260.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
SpaceX Launches 70th Falcon 9 Mission of the Year
SPACE reports SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites to orbit from California on Sunday (June 8), on the 70th mission of 2025 for the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. “Fifty-two of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the biggest satellite network ever assembled.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Video
SpaceX launches 70th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 from California, June 8, 2025 (Launch at 10:15 mark)
(Space Affairs; YouTube)
Saab Gripen E Jet Completes First AI-controlled Flight Tests
Aerotime reports, “Saab has completed a series of flight tests integrating artificial intelligence into its Gripen E fighter jet, the company announced on June 11, 2025. Conducted in partnership with the German-based defense AI firm Helsing, the flights over the Baltic Sea saw the AI agent, named Centaur, take autonomous control of the aircraft during simulated Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat scenarios.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Air India Boeing 787-8 Crashes Shortly After Takeoff in First 787 Fatal Accident
Aviation Week reports, “An Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed into a residential area shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, India, on June 12. The crash is the first fatal accident of any 787 since the type entered service in 2011 with All Nippon Airways.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
The Space Economy Offers a New Frontier for Business Growth
Via Satellite reports, “The space economy, which for millennia was only a distant dream, is now a present reality. A rapidly expanding sector that uses satellites and space-based technologies, the space economy is poised to transform industries across the board. By 2035, predictions indicate that the space economy is expected to exceed $1.8 trillion, with more than 60,000 satellites in orbit by 2030. This isn’t just about rockets and telescopes; it’s about using the unique capabilities of space to enhance processes, efficiency and resilience on Earth.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)
NASA Delays Commercial Crew Launch to Inspect Space Station Leaks
The Washington Post reports, “NASA said Thursday it was postponing a launch of private astronauts to the International Space Station while it works with its Russian counterparts to investigate persistent leaks on the orbiting laboratory. In a statement, NASA said that Russian cosmonauts recently sealed ‘some areas of interest’ in a module on the Russia side of the space station. As a result, ‘the segment is holding pressure,’ NASA said. It added that crews also noticed a ‘new pressure signature,’ and need additional time ‘to evaluate the situation and determine whether any additional troubleshooting is necessary.’”
Full Story (Washington Post – Subscription Publication)
More Info (CBS News)
Bristow Doubles Pre-Orders of Vertical Aerospace’s VX-4
Flight Global reports, “Vertical Aerospace is to join forces with Bristow Group to establish what is effectively a wet-leasing operation focused on the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer’s VX4. An expansion of an existing ‘strategic partnership’ dating from 2021, the agreement also sees helicopter operator Bristow double its pre-orders and options for the VX-4, increasing both to as many as 50 units.”
Full Story (Flight Global)