Aviation International News reports, “Electric aircraft developer Vaeridion inked letters of intent (LOI) for more than 100 of its nine-passenger Microliners with six prospective European operators. Reporting the deals at the ILA air show in Berlin on June 10, the German start-up also announced a partnership with drone manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which will use Vaeridion’s battery technology.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: Partnership
Archer Announces Partnership with United Airlines for NYC Air-Taxi Network
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation on Thursday unveiled plans for a proposed air-taxi network in New York City, in partnership with United Airlines, as it seeks to tap into the airport commute market in Manhattan. Shares of the air-taxi maker were up 7% in morning trading.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Airbus and Astroscale Expand Collaboration On In-Orbit Servicing
Space News reports, “Airbus is expanding its partnership with in-orbit servicing venture Astroscale to explore ways to collaborate beyond potentially removing space junk and refueling satellites. The companies announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Aug. 12 — between Airbus Defense and Space and the Japanese venture’s British subsidiary — to focus on U.K.-based in-orbit servicing and manufacturing opportunities in particular.”
Full Story (Space News)
UrbanLink Partners with Skyway Technologies to Launch Caribbean Jet Service
Flying Magazine reports that Lilium partner UrbanLink Air Mobility “on Tuesday announced a partnership with California-based vertiport developer and operator Skyway Technologies to install eVTOL hubs in South Florida and Puerto Rico. The partners plan to release more information on locations and routes in those markets in the coming months, with plans to launch service in 2026.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Japan Gets Seats on Artemis Moon-landing Missions in Exchange for Lunar Rover
Ars Technica reports, “US and Japanese officials have signed an agreement to cement a partnership that will pave the way for a Japanese astronaut to walk on the Moon. The Japanese astronaut, still unnamed, will become the first international astronaut to walk on the Moon under the auspices of the NASA-led Artemis program.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)
DoD Not Interested in Partnership With NASA on SLS
Reuters reports that NASA is “pushing ahead with plans to hand ownership of the Space Launch System (SLS) to a Boeing-Northrop joint venture in the next few years, with a goal of cutting in half the rocket’s price tag – estimated at $2 billion. But finding a market for a giant and costly rocket promises to be difficult, with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) – seen as a potential customer – signaling little interest.” In an interview, Col. Douglas Pentecost, a senior rocket acquisition official with the Space Force, said, “It’s a capability right now that we, the DoD, don’t need. … We have the capability that we need at the affordability price that we have, so we’re not that interested in some partnership with NASA on the SLS system.”
Full Story (Reuters)