Aviation International News reports that Bombardier plans to hire 800 additional employees and invest $270 million in U.S. infrastructure, including projects in Texas and Connecticut. The expansion comes as President Donald Trump reversed his previously announced intention to ban sales of the Canadian manufacturer’s business jets in the United States. The publication describes the policy shift as Trump having “walked back his announced intention” to impose the ban.
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: October 2026
NASA Concludes Swift Observatory Mission After More Than Two Decades
SpaceNews reports that NASA has ended science operations aboard the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory after more than two decades studying gamma-ray bursts and other cosmic phenomena. The spacecraft made its final observations on October 20. NASA announced the shutdown on October 23, following a failed commercial reboost attempt, with SpaceNews describing Swift as “an astronomy spacecraft in a decaying orbit.” The observatory had descended to an altitude of 275 kilometers.
Full Story (SpaceNews – Subscription Publication)
Allegiant Expands Boeing 737 MAX Order with Six Additional Jets
AeroTime reports that Allegiant Air has ordered six additional Boeing 737-8 aircraft for delivery in 2028, bringing its firm purchases under a 2021 agreement to 56 jets. Of those, 22 have been delivered, with options remaining for another 74 aircraft. The six new jets carry a combined list price of more than $720 million, although AeroTime notes the figure is “before discounts and price adjustments through delivery.” The airline has not disclosed the negotiated purchase price.
Full Story (Aerotime)
Archer Announces eVTOL Air Taxi Services For Texas Triangle
Aviation International News reports that Archer Aviation plans to launch electric air taxi services across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin metropolitan areas. The proposed network would use Archer’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft for flights lasting 10 to 20 minutes. The aircraft has yet to receive FAA type certification, and as the article notes, “Archer’s announcement did not say when the Texas air taxi services will start.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Former AIAA CEO Helps Chart the Future of Lunar Exploration
WBIW reports that former AIAA CEO Dan Dumbacher, now a professor at Purdue University, co-chaired a National Academies committee identifying promising locations for future human exploration of the Moon. The 18-month study, titled Human Exploration Across the Moon, highlights four potential destinations: Bhabha Crater, Mons Hadley, Orientale Basin, and Aristarchus. The research identifies opportunities to advance lunar science, investigate space weather, and support NASA’s Artemis program. According to the report, “Each location offers opportunities to study questions regarding moon geology, space weather and radiation hazards.”
Full Story (WBIW)
AIAA Visits St. Louis to Strengthen Relationships
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA and The Boeing Company came together in St. Louis, Missouri, on 20 October for a day focused on strengthening membership and exploring new opportunities to engage the aerospace community together.
U.S. Air Force Outlines Fighter Fleet Requirements for 2035
Breaking Defense reports that the U.S. Air Force estimates it will need 1,509 combat-ready fighter jets by 2035 to maintain a “moderate risk” operational profile, according to a new report submitted to Congress. The figure represents a likely increase of dozens of aircraft over last year’s estimates, reflecting evolving operational requirements. The congressionally mandated August 2026 report also makes “a renewed case for changing how combat-ready fighters are counted,” drawing on lessons from the war against Iran.
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
FAA Clears Boeing 737 MAX 10 Following Years of Certification Delays
CNBC reports that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 after years of delays, marking a major milestone for the aircraft manufacturer. The approval clears the way for the largest variant of Boeing’s popular 737 MAX family to enter commercial service. CNBC describes the decision as “a major win for the manufacturer,” while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called for a faster aircraft certification process.
Full Story (CNBC)
Planet Labs Deploys Pelican-12 to Advance AI and Satellite Communications in Orbit
SatNews reports that Planet Labs successfully launched its Pelican-12 Earth observation satellite aboard SpaceX’s Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission on 20 October 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft will test advanced artificial intelligence and satellite relay technologies designed to improve how Earth observation data is processed and transmitted. According to SatNews, the satellite features an NVIDIA Jetson module “enabling autonomous on-orbit artificial intelligence inferencing” to identify objects and process data before transmission to Earth. The mission marks another step in Planet Labs’ development of its next-generation satellite constellation.
Full Story (SatNews)
Video
SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 with Bandwagon-5 (Launch occurs at the 57:45 mark).
NASASpaceflight; YouTube
Up Next: The Quantum Horizon with Lockheed Martin’s Sarah Hiza
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Join us to explore how quantum technology could reshape aerospace and national Security. Lockheed Martin’s SVP of Technology and Strategic Innovation Sarah Hiza sits down with AIAA CEO Clay Mowry to separate opportunity from hype, translate quantum into real-world systems, and discuss how we must prepare the workforce for a quantum-enabled future.