
Moon and Beyond
Launched Nov. 16 on the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, an uncrewed Orion capsule orbited the Moon at a distance of 43,700 mi. during the Artemis I mission.

Electric Flight
Eviation’s Alice became the largest all-electric aircraft yet to fly with an 8-min. first flight from Moses Lake on Sept. 27, Washington; but certification is delayed to 2027.

Drone Certified
Matternet’s M2 drone in September became the first nonmilitary uncrewed aircraft to receive FAA type certification, allowing medical and e-commerce deliveries to be scaled up.

Indigenous Fighter
South Korea’s prototype KF-21 Boramae “4.5-generation” fighter, which was locally developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, made its first flight on July 19 and is on track for service entry in 2026.

Hypersonic Success
The U.S. Air Force conducted the first hypersonic flight tests of the Lockheed Martin AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon boost-glide strike missile in May and June.

Distant Vision
The deepest infrared image of the distant universe was captured by the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope in July after it arrived at the L2 Lagrange point in January.

Uncrewed Combat
The demonstrator for India’s Ghatak uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) flew on July 1, while Turkey’s Baykar began autonomous taxi trials of the Kizilelma UCAV prototype on Nov. 20.

Orbital Record
A U.S. Space Force Boeing X-37B reusable spaceplane landed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Nov. 12 after a record 908 days in orbit on a mostly classified mission.

China Milestone
China’s Comac C919 airliner received type certification on Sept. 29, five years after its first flight, but the need
to replace Western equipment has pushed certification of Russia’s Irkut MC-21 back to 2024.

Moon and Beyond
Launched Nov. 16 on the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, an uncrewed Orion capsule orbited the Moon at a distance of 43,700 mi. during the Artemis I mission.

Electric Flight
Eviation’s Alice became the largest all-electric aircraft yet to fly with an 8-min. first flight from Moses Lake on Sept. 27, Washington; but certification is delayed to 2027.

Drone Certified
Matternet’s M2 drone in September became the first nonmilitary uncrewed aircraft to receive FAA type certification, allowing medical and e-commerce deliveries to be scaled up.

Indigenous Fighter
South Korea’s prototype KF-21 Boramae “4.5-generation” fighter, which was locally developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, made its first flight on July 19 and is on track for service entry in 2026.

Hypersonic Success
The U.S. Air Force conducted the first hypersonic flight tests of the Lockheed Martin AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon boost-glide strike missile in May and June.

Distant Vision
The deepest infrared image of the distant universe was captured by the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope in July after it arrived at the L2 Lagrange point in January.

Uncrewed Combat
The demonstrator for India’s Ghatak uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) flew on July 1, while Turkey’s Baykar began autonomous taxi trials of the Kizilelma UCAV prototype on Nov. 20.

Orbital Record
A U.S. Space Force Boeing X-37B reusable spaceplane landed at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Nov. 12 after a record 908 days in orbit on a mostly classified mission.

China Milestone
China’s Comac C919 airliner received type certification on Sept. 29, five years after its first flight, but the need
to replace Western equipment has pushed certification of Russia’s Irkut MC-21 back to 2024.

Moon and Beyond
Launched Nov. 16 on the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, an uncrewed Orion capsule orbited the Moon at a distance of 43,700 mi. during the Artemis I mission.
From drone delivery to space transportation, 2022 proved to be a significant year for firsts in aerospace and defense technology.