Aviation International News reported NASA confirmed that the X-59 supersonic aircraft “will fly this year and be tested over about a nine-month period with initial trials proving performance and safety. Once concluded, Lockheed Martin will formally hand over the aircraft to NASA, a milestone anticipated in 2024.” NASA said that the “program will then enter ‘Phase 2’ under which NASA flies the aircraft within the supersonic test range over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and Edwards Air Force Base in California to prove that the supersonic technology works as designed and that the aircraft is safe for operations in the National Airspace System. The third phase of the program is set to kick off in 2025 and run through 2026, involving flight trials over several U.S. cities. This is when the data collection will occur.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: to Fly
NASA’s X-57 to Fly as Soon as December
Aviation Week reports, “NASA plans to attempt first flight of its X-57 Maxwell electric aircraft ‘no earlier than’ this December. The initial flight will be ‘very short’ and will set the stage for a series of follow-on flight tests of the fixed-wing demonstrator.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Blue Origin Announces Passengers for 12th Space Tourism Launch
SPACE reports that Blue Origin has revealed the identities of the six passengers who will fly on the company’s 12th human spaceflight mission. A target date has “yet to be announced.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha Rocket Cleared to Fly Again
SPACE reports, “The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared Firefly Aerospace to resume launches of its Alpha rocket. The approval follows a months-long review of the mission in April, during which the rocket’s first stage broke apart moments after separation and compromised the vehicle’s second stage.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Honda Plans First Flight of its Full-Scale Hybrid eVTOL Prototype in Early 2026
Aviation International News reports “At the Dubai Airshow, the aviation division of Japanese automotive group Honda finally talked openly about its plans to bring a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft to market. Until now, the company—which already makes the HondaJet—has been working in stealth mode.”
Full Story (Aviation International News – Subscription Publication)
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Honda’s first full-scale hybrid eVTOL prototype to make first flight in Early 2026
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