Tag: September 2025

Mississippi State University Testing Aurora’s Tactical eVTOL Drone to Aid First Responders

Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Researchers at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory are flying Aurora Flight Sciences drone, SKIRON-X, as part of a project designed to assist first responders. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is leading a groundbreaking initiative to advance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for emergency response operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, provided its Group 2 UAS, SKIRON-X, as the project’s test platform.”
Full Story (Unmanned Systems Technology)

Blue Origin to Grow New Shepard Fleet

Aviation Week reports, “Blue Origin is developing three new suborbital New Shepard launch systems and mulling expanding flight services beyond West Texas, the company said Sept. 28. The current two-ship fleet will be retired by the end of 2027, with the first of three new spacecraft expected to debut next year, Senior Vice President Phil Joyce said during the Global Spaceport Alliance forum ahead of the International Astronautical Congress being held in Sydney this week.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

B-21 Flight Test Pace Speeds Up as USAF, Northrop Plan to Increase Production

Aviation Week reports, “The second B-21 flight test aircraft has already flown a second time since its delivery sortie from Northrop Grumman to the U.S. Air Force, as the company says the bombers are increasing their pace of tests that have validated their predictions. The company and the service are finalizing plans on how to use congressionally added funds to increase production capacity for the bomber, says Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Amazon’s Project Kuiper Constellation Reaches 129 Satellites with ULA Launch

Via Satellite reports, “Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation reaches 129 satellites after United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched another batch on Thursday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was Kuiper’s fifth launch overall, and the third mission with ULA on an Atlas V rocket. Amazon confirmed post-launch the mission was successful. The launch deployed 27 Kuiper satellites to an altitude of 465 kilometers, and they will orbit-raise to their final altitude.”
Full Story (Via Satellite)

 Video

ULA Atlas V Launches Project Kuiper (Launch takes place at the 54:45 mark)
NASASpaceflight; YouTube

Belgian Air Force’s First MQ-9B Performs Debut Flight

Defense Daily reports, “The first of four General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones ordered by the Belgian Air Force arrived at Florennes Air Base last month and had its debut flight on Tuesday, according to General Atomics. Linden Blue, the CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. said that the initial flight ‘ushers in a new era of information dominance for Belgium.’ The MQ-9B is a successor to the U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)

US Air Force Chief Says F-47 is Being Built and Will Make First Flight in 2028

Defense News reports, “The Air Force’s first F-47 fighter is now being built by Boeing, and the advanced jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday. Allvin, speaking at the Air and Space Forces’ Air, Space and Cyber Conference, said that Boeing’s team worked quickly to start manufacturing the sixth-generation fighter after their selection was announced in March.”
Full Story (Defense News)