Tag: October 2025

Magnetic Levitation Rises to the Occasion

FROM THE INSTITUTE
A new family of hyperdrive motors may rewrite the aerospace playbook with technology that can redefine vertical lift aircraft, said Rod Randall, co-founder and chairman of MagLev Aero. It may sound like magic, but the propulsion breakthrough uses artificial intelligence (AI) and magnetic levitation (maglev) to advance technology that will allow vertical-lift aircraft to fly quieter, more efficiently, farther, and faster – and at less cost – than anything before.
Full Story (Aerospace America)

SpaceX Launches 10,000th Starlink Satellite to Orbit

SPACE reports, “SpaceX notched two big milestones on a single Falcon 9 liftoff today (Oct. 19). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink internet satellites lifted off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 3:24 p.m. EDT (1924 GMT; 12:24 p.m. local California time). Those 28 included the 10,000th Starlink spacecraft ever to reach orbit.”
Full Story (SPACE)

AIAA Associate Fellow Deininger Died in June 2025

FROM THE INSTITUTE
William (Bill) D. Deininger, Ph.D., died on 21 June. He was 68 years old.  Deininger graduated with a B.S. in Physics from the State University of New York Cortland (1979). He then received an M.S. in Physics and Plasma Physics from Colorado State University (1982) and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from University of Pisa (1995).
Full Story (Aerospace America)

GE Aerospace Raises 2025 Profit Forecast on Robust Aftermarket Demand

Reuters reports GE Aerospace raised its 2025 profit forecast on Tuesday, projecting a strong finish to the year on robust demand for aftermarket maintenance services due to a shortage of new jets. The jet-engine maker also lifted its growth forecast for LEAP engine deliveries to more than 20% in 2025. Shares of the company were up nearly 3% in premarket trading.
Full Story (Reuters)

Challenger Center and AIAA Open Nominations for 2026 Trailblazing STEM Educator Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three winners will be honored for enthusiasm and dedication to STEM education

Washington and Reston, Va. (October 20, 2025) –  Challenger Center and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced they are accepting nominations for the 2026 Trailblazing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Educator Award. The annual award celebrates K-12 teachers going above and beyond to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Nominations can be submitted online through December 15, 2025.

Three winners will be selected from the nominations and announced in early 2026. Each winner and their respective school or organization will be awarded $5,000. They will also receive free access to Challenger Center’s STEM education programs and have the opportunity to attend a space launch experience and/or a VIP tour of an aerospace facility.

“Educators play a vital role in sparking curiosity and helping students see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and explorers,” said Mike Kincaid, President and Executive Director, Challenger Center. “We are proud to again partner with AIAA to recognize the teachers who tend to that spark every day.”

“We share a commitment with Challenger Center to support educators who inspire and empower today’s students. They are developing the next generation STEM workforce that will make the next breakthroughs in aerospace,” said Clay Mowry, CEO, AIAA. “Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom – it reaches the stars.”

The award recognizes teachers who connect classroom lessons to the country’s current and future plans of STEM exploration and innovation, introduce students to STEM careers, and activate students’ imagination about space exploration. Past awardees have represented schools from across the United States and have gone on to achieve remarkable milestones—including participating in a Zero-G flight, being selected to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group, and even traveling to space as a commercial astronaut.

About Challenger Center
As a leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, Challenger Center provides hundreds of thousands of students annually with experiential education programs that engage students in hands-on learning opportunities. These programs, delivered in Challenger Learning Centers and classrooms, strengthen knowledge in STEM subjects and inspire students to pursue careers in these important fields. Challenger Center was created by the Challenger families to honor the crew of shuttle flight STS-51-L. For more information about Challenger Center, please visit https://www.challenger.org/ or connect on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

About AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation inspires and supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. From classroom to career, the AIAA Foundation enables innovative K-12 and university programming, including STEM classroom grants, scholarships, conferences, and hands-on competitions. Founded in 1996, the AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization connected to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

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 or follow AIAA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook.

Students Tasked with Studying One of Electric Aviation’s Biggest Challenges

Flying Magazine reports, “Over the next three years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will send cohorts of students to Brazil to study one of the most pressing challenges facing electric aircraft: thermal management. The university on Friday announced a collaboration with Brazil’s Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) that will send students on 8- to 10-week trips in pursuit of strategies to keep electric aircraft batteries cool.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Netherlands Joins US Air Force’s CCA Program

Aviation Week reports, “The Netherlands has joined the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program as part of an effort to grow the effectiveness of its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet. Dutch State Secretary Gijs Tuinman signed a letter of intent to join the initiative in Washington on Oct. 16. But it is unclear whether the Netherlands will simply become an observer of the program or make an investment in CCA development.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Russian Cosmonauts Perform Spacewalk Outside ISS to Install Semiconductor Experiment, Remove Old HDTV Camera

SPACE reports Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky worked outside the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday (Oct. 16), “conducting a spacewalk to install a semiconductor materials experiment, as well as retrieve and jettison a no-longer-needed camera from the exterior of the orbiting complex.”
Full Story (SPACE)



Video

Russian cosmonauts perform spacewalk outside ISS, October 16, 2025
Pop Lens; YouTube

AeroVironment to Install Counter-Drone Tech at Grand Forks Air Force Base

Defense News reports, “AeroVironment announced Tuesday it will deploy a counter-drone capability at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, as part of its effort to lay the groundwork for Golden Dome. The firm, a defense technology company that makes loitering munitions, drones and counter-drone technology, will collaborate with commercial unmanned aerial system, or UAS, business and aviation park Grand Sky on the project.”
Full Story (Defense News)