Tag: Mojave

Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Completes First Autonomous Flight

AeroTime reports that Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue has completed its first fully autonomous flight in Mojave, California, “including taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers, and landing.” Northrop Grumman says Talon Blue is designed to support a range of missions for U.S. and allied forces as the company expands its autonomous aircraft capabilities.
Full Story (Aerotime)

Virgin Galactic Aircraft Makes First Flight in Over a Year

Space News reports that Virgin Galactic’s carrier aircraft made its first flight in more than a year on Wednesday as the company looks to start commercial service. The VMS Eve left the Mojave Air and Space Port in California for a flight lasting more than two and a half hours before returning to the airport. This was the first flight for VMS Eve “since it flew to Mojave from Spaceport America in New Mexico in October 2021.” The company “performed an extensive overhaul of the plane while in Mojave, including replacing the center pylon where the SpaceShipTwo spaceplane is attached.”
Full Story (Space News)