Defense News reports, “Two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters have flown from Australia to New Zealand on a two-day, record-breaking journey for the aircraft, which each carried two 1,100lb external fuel tanks, according to the service. The aircraft flew from Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, near Brisbane, via Norfolk Island, to RNZAF Base Auckland, a distance of 1,765 miles over water. The longest leg of the trip, 660 miles, took around four and a half hours.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Tag: October 2025
Space Force Announces ATLAS Space Domain Awareness Software Now Operational
Breaking Defense reports, “The Space Force announced today that its software-centric program for managing, processing and disseminating space monitoring data, the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS), has been accepted as ‘operational.’ The move paves the way for the service to finally rid itself of its dysfunctional 1980s-era computer system called the Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC), which as been used to keep tabs on satellites, spacecraft and dangerous space junk even after nearly two decades of failed replacement efforts.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Beta Technologies Files for U.S. IPO
Reuters reports, “Electric aircraft maker Beta Technologies filed for an initial public offering in the United States on Monday, the latest company to join the rush to tap a record-breaking bull run in the equity market. Easing trade tensions, robust stock markets and pent-up investor demand have combined to create one of the busiest windows for listings in years, with technology, aerospace and green energy firms leading the charge.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Firefly Alpha Rocket Destroyed During Preflight Testing
Aviation Week reports, “The first stage of a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket being prepared for launch on a commercial mission for Lockheed Martin was destroyed Sept. 29 during preflight testing at the company’s Briggs, Texas, facility. ‘During testing at Firefly’s facility in Briggs Texas, the first stage of Firefly’s Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage,’ the company said in a statement.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
ESA Sets Record with Deep-space Laser Link to NASA’s Psyche Probe Using Altechna Optics
Military Aerospace reports, “The European Space Agency (ESA) has completed a deep-space optical communications campaign by sending a laser signal to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Psyche spacecraft more than 186 million miles from Earth, using optical components provided by Altechna. Altechna, a global custom optics manufacturer based in Vilnius, Lithuania, supplied 3-inch mirrors and windows for the Ground Laser Transmitter system, which shaped and stabilized the laser beam. The components maintained beam quality under heavy power use and atmospheric interference.”
Full Story (Military Aerospace)
AIAA Establishes Steve L. Karman Jr. Aerospace Engineering Scholarship to Honor Aerospace Legacy
From the Institute
AIAA is proud to honor the legacy of a remarkable family man who made significant contributions to aerospace over his 40+ year career through the new Steve L. Karman Jr. Aerospace Engineering Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship aims to support undergraduate students who embody the same dedication to aerospace excellence that Steve demonstrated throughout his career. It was made possible through the generous funding provided by AIAA Fellow John Chawner, a colleague and dear friend of Steve.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Skyryse Introduces its AI-powered Cockpit Flight Assistant Skylar
Aerotime reports, “Skyryse, a California-based aviation technology startup company, has introduced Skylar, an AI flight assistant that integrates with the maker’s SkyOS operating system. The technology is designed to reduce pilot workload, simplify communications, and improve safety across a wide range of aircraft, the company said. Skylar is designed to function as an always-on copilot, supporting the pilot through all phases of flight.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Physics Can Revolutionize AI Simulations for Better Design
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Incorporating physics into artificial intelligence (AI) models for simulation will help rewrite how to design aerospace systems, noted Juan Alonso, Chief Technology Officer and Cofounder of Luminary Cloud and Chair of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. In a far-reaching and intriguing presentation, Alonso described the Physics AI revolution in an AIAA Aerospace Perspective Series webinar in August, as well as on the Hub stage at AIAA AVIATION Forum and ASCEND in July.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Amelia Earhart’s Long-lost Plane Likely Located, Research Team Claims
CBS News reports, “Researchers from Purdue University are set to travel to the South Pacific to determine if a ‘visual anomaly’ on a remote island is the wreck of Amelia Earhart’s lost plane, saying there is ‘very strong’ evidence the object is the iconic aviator’s aircraft. Earhart was attempting to become the first female pilot to circle the world when she and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. Earhart, Noonan and their plane, an Electra 10E, were never found.”
Full Story (CBS News)
Starlab Space Partners with Saber Astronautics for Payload Services Aboard Starlab’s Commercial Space Station
Military Aerospace reports, “Starlab Space LLC in Houston announced a strategic partnership with Saber Astronautics in Adelaide, Australia, establishing the company as both a channel and implementation partner for payload services aboard the Starlab commercial space station. Under the agreement, Saber Astronautics will play a dual role: driving business development by engaging new customers for Starlab’s microgravity platform and providing technical execution services, including feasibility assessments, hardware integration, and in-orbit operational support.”
Full Story (Military Aerospace)
Pilots Demand Air India Ground Boeing 787s After Emergency System Used
The New York Times reports, “India’s largest association of pilots has asked regulators to ground all Boeing 787s in use in India and inspect them for electrical issues after one of the planes unexpectedly deployed an emergency power system over the weekend. The device, known as the ram air turbine, drops from the fuselage when a plane loses power or hydraulic pressure, and helps power critical systems like flight controls and navigation instruments.”
Full Story (New York Times – Subscription Publication)
Ascendant Alumni – Their Journey & Where They Are Today
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Since the inception of ASCEND in 2020, a global community of emerging space trailblazers has taken the stage to pitch their vision for “Space for All.” In five years, the community has grown to 60 thought leaders. Program creator Moriba Jah, in an interview before this year’s final cohort, said, “What they share is a fire and a passion to be agents of change,” and to advocate for “regenerative, restorative, and just human space activity.” The Ascendants profiled [in this article] share how the program inspired their journey as space stewardship advocates.
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Space Force Announces SpaceX, ULA Assigned to First Set of Key Launches Beyond FY27
Breaking Defense reports, “The Space Force announced today that it has assigned the first seven future launches under its National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL) program for critical missions: five to SpaceX and two to United Launch Alliance (ULA). NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 launches carry high-value, must-go payloads and/or those headed to orbits that are more difficult to achieve. The Space Force is using firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery contracts for these types of launches.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Airbus A320 Surpasses Boeing 737 as Most Delivered Jet Ever
Aerotime reports, “The Airbus A320 has surpassed the Boeing 737 as the most delivered commercial aircraft in history upon Saudi airline Flynas receiving the European manufacturer’s 12,260th jet. According to a Reuters report on October 7, 2025, data from industry analysts Cirium shows that the A320 in question was delivered overnight, giving Airbus a slight lead over Boeing’s 737.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
FCC Declares October as ‘Space Month’ in Effort to Accelerate Satellite Regulatory Reforms
Space News reports, “FCC Chairman Brendan Carr vowed Oct. 6 to accelerate satellite regulatory reforms, declaring October as ‘Space Month’ at the U.S. regulator to overhaul licensing and spectrum rules amid mounting competition from China.”
Full Story (Space News)
Exploring AAM Multimodal Integration at 2025 AIAA AVIATION Forum
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At the cutting edge of aerospace innovation, novel advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft and technologies are poised to redefine how passengers and cargo move through complex, multi-use transportation networks. What early use cases could reap the benefits of this opportunity to enhance door-to-door mobility? The AIAA AAM Multimodal Working Group, in partnership with ITS America formally began this conversation with a webinar in June 2025, and expanded their programming with an in-person workshop at 2025 AIAA AVIATION Forum, “Early Use Cases for AAM Integration in Multimodal Transportation.”
Full Story (Aerospace America)
Blue Origin to Build Payload Processing Facility at Cape Canaveral SFS
Aviation Week reports, “Blue Origin will build a new payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, under a U.S. Space Force contract announced Oct. 7. The service’s Space Systems Command (SSC) recently awarded the space technology company a $78.25 million contract under its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Space Vehicle Processing Commercial Solutions Opening contract, to help expand the Eastern Range’s rocket processing capacity by 2028, the command said in a release.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
AIAA Announces Winners of Prestigious Zarem Graduate Student Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Aeronautics and Astronautics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2025 – Reston, Va. – AIAA is pleased to announce the winners of the Zarem Graduate Student Award for Distinguished Achievement:
- Patrick Eid, Auburn University, won the astronautics award for his paper, “Evolution of the Bidirectional Vortex in a Capped Ellipsoidal Cyclonic Rocket Engine.” Eid presented his paper at the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, Australia, 29 September–3 October 2025.
- Luke Busse, University of Cincinnati, won the aeronautics award for his paper, “Multi-Sensor Based Adaptive Fusion Scheme for Position Estimation of Multirotor UAV Systems in GPS-Denied Environments.” Busse will present his paper at the 35th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) in Sydney, Australia, 13–18 September 2026.
The winners will receive their awards at AIAA SciTech Forum 2026, Orlando, Florida, 12–16 January 2026. This award was established by AIAA Honorary Fellow Abe Zarem, founder and managing director of Frontier Associates, to annually recognize graduate students in aeronautics and astronautics who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in their field.
Patrick Eid, Auburn University, Astronautics Award
Patrick Eid is a Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University. He is a member of the Advanced Propulsion Research Lab directed by Professor Joseph Majdalani. Eid holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Notre Dame University (NDU). He has distinguished himself through leadership roles as Secretary of the ASME Student Chapter, Treasurer of the Astronomy Club, and Deputy Secretary General of the Model United Nations Program. His prior accolades include global honors at NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge and top distinctions in the ASME EFx Oral Presentation Competition at NDU and the 2025 AIAA Region II Student Conference.
Eid’s faculty advisor, Joseph Majdalani, is the Francis Chair of Excellence in Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University. An AIAA Fellow, he is recognized for pioneering work in acoustic instability and cyclonic-engine technology. With over 350 publications and 21,000 citations, he ranks in the top 0.8% of aerospace researchers globally. His breakthroughs include new cyclonic, vorticoacoustic, asymptotic, computational, similarity, stability, boundary-layer, and high-speed flow formulations. He is known for coauthoring Viscous Fluid Flow with Frank White while cracking the Pohlhausen paradox on its centennial anniversary. Besides 27 Best Papers, his main accolades include the Walker Teaching, Spencer Mentorship, Wyld Propulsion, Von Kármán Lectureship, Research Excellence, Abe Zarem Educator (4 times), Book Author, Outstanding Graduate Mentor, Leland Atwood Educator, Sustained Service, Foundation Faculty Advisor, Dannenberg Educator, Hap Arnold, Ralph Teetor Educator, Marquette Outstanding Teacher (twice), and CAREER Awards.
Luke Busse, University of Cincinnati, Aeronautics Award
Luke Busse received Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering Technology and Engineering Management from Bluefield State University, WV, in 2022, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 2025. He is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati under the supervision of Dr. Manish Kumar. Busse’s research interests include autonomous navigation and control of uncrewed aerial vehicles, machine learning, and multi-sensor fusion. His research is focused on hardware and software development of UAV systems capable of navigating in previously unknown environments where GPS is unreliable or unavailable while processing real-time data for mission-critical applications to achieve autonomous operation.
His faculty advisor, Manish Kumar, received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University. After serving as a postdoctoral researcher at Duke University, the U.S. Army Research Office, and University of Pennsylvania, he started his career as a faculty member at University of Cincinnati (UC) in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering where he currently serves as a Professor and the Graduate Program Director. At UC, he directs Cooperative Distributed Systems (CDS) Laboratory, co-directs Industry 4.0/5.0 Institute, and co-directs Applied Autonomy Lab. His research interests include unmanned aerial vehicles, robotics, decision making and control in complex systems, AI, multi-sensor data fusion, swarm systems, and multiple robot control.
For more information on the Abe M. Zarem Graduate Awards for Distinguished Achievement, contact Merridith Kauten, at [email protected] or 703-264-7503.
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 www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.