In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jun. 09, 2022

NASA Study Team To Assess Unexplained Aerial Phenomena

NASA is commissioning a study team to learn more about unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP), with the goal being to assess available nonclassified data and determine what steps the agency could take to collect additional scientific information. Astrophysicist David Spergel, who is president of the Simons Foundation in New York, will lead the group, NASA announced on June 9. Spergel joined Simons after a 30-year career at Princeton University, where he chaired the Astrophysics Department. Credit: NASA

AFRL Awards Contract To Build Airborne Laser Warfare Simulator

The Air Force Research Laboratory has granted a 10-year, $80 million contract to BlueHalo to build a system that models and simulates the use of directed-energy weapons in wargames. The contract calls for the company to create, conduct and support simulated wargames for the Defense Department, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) said on June 9. BlueHalo will also create a “virtual range dedicated to directed-energy weapons,” the lab says. Credit: Air Force Research Laboratory

Deep Space Exploration Looks For More Global, Industry Cooperation

Based on what is coming together for humanity’s return to the Moon, those involved at NASA and key commercial partners believe a global public/private collaboration must continue to grow if humans are to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon and then press on to Mars. That was the consensus among participants from Lockheed Martin, Airbus and NASA at a Global Collaborations to Return to the Moon session as part of the June 9 Moon2Mars Festival’s opening day. The business conference was hosted by Space Center Houston, a part of NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center

Aeronautics’ Trojan UAS Combines Hover, Long Range

Israel’s Aeronautics Group plans to debut its latest uncrewed aircraft, the Trojan, at the Eurosatory show in Paris June 13-17. The company describes the tactical platform as a new category of aircraft that bridges the gap between the need to hover and the requirement for long range. Credit: Aeronautics

House Committee Calls For Reports On Military Rotorcraft, ISR Programs

The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee, in a markup to the 2023 defense policy bill approved June 9, is raising concerns over multiple Pentagon helicopter programs and urging the Defense Department to move forward on other efforts it is trying to slow. The measure, which now heads to the full committee for a vote later this month, includes several requirements for the Pentagon to outline its plans for multiple programs. Specifically, the lawmakers requests include: Credit: National Park Police

Lilium Refines eVTOL Design To Maximize Operating Range

Lilium has completed the preliminary design review for its seven-seat electric air taxi, finalizing changes intended to extend the range that can be extracted from the Lilium Jet’s battery system. The refinements are intended to help reduce weight and improve cruise efficiency as well as add the option of a short running landing to maximize the operational range of the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The Lilium Jet uses ducted-fan vectored-thrust electric propulsion. Credit: Lilium

Airspeeder Eyes High-Performance eVTOL Market With Multicopter

As it prepares to launch its Airspeeder racing series, Australia’s Alauda Aeronautics says it plans to develop a supercar-style high-performance electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) for private owners. Alauda is developing the Airspeeder racing multicopter, beginning with the uncrewed Mk3 for the initial EXA Series races using remotely piloted vehicles. This is to be followed by the single-pilot Mk4 for the Airspeeder crewed racing series planned to begin this year. Credit: Airspeeder

Zipline Develops Detect-And-Avoid System For Delivery Drones

Delivery drone operator Zipline has developed an acoustic detect-and-avoid system to enable autonomous long-range flights in complex as well as uncontrolled airspace. Using an array of small microphones plus onboard processors to provide 360-deg. awareness with a range of up to 2,000 m (6,500 ft.), the aircraft can autonomously monitor for other traffic and adapt to changes in their flightpath, Zipline said. Credit: Zipline

Mangata Eyes Network Trials In 2023, Satellite Service By 2024

Mangata Networks, a satellite-based connectivity startup co-founded by former OneWeb Satellites and O3B chief Brian Holz, plans to showcase its initial network in early 2023, potentially launch eight highly elliptical-orbit (HEO) satellites that year and then inaugurate service in 2024 for the entire Northern Hemisphere. Subsequent launches of 24 medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites will provide complete global coverage and overall system capacity, the two-year-old Phoenix-based company says. Credit: Mangata Networks

Shield AI Lands $165 Million For Drone-Swarm Technology

Shield AI, an artificial intelligence startup targeting the aerospace and defense market, announced on June 9 that it had garnered $90 million in private-equity issuance and $75 million in new debt as part of a Series E fundraising round. Company representatives did not detail what the new funds will finance, but the company has been expanding marketing of its Hivemind offering, its AI-based pilot software to enable drone swarms and aircraft to operate autonomously without GPS, communications or a pilot. Credit: Shield AI

KC-46 Software Enhancement Stalls As USAF Plans New Camera System

An interim update that Boeing designed to improve the KC-46 Pegasus’ remote-vision system has been stalled due to an ongoing software problem in the initial two aircraft to receive the installation. The snag has put the program behind the U.S. Air Force’s timeline. Credit: U.S. Air Force

USMC MV-22 Crash Kills Five In California

Five U.S. Marines were killed June 8 when a Bell Boeing MV-22B crashed in California, the second fatal accident involving the tiltrotor within three months. The service members from Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), were flying in a training mission near Glamis, California, when the Osprey crashed. An investigation has begun, but no more details were available. Credit: U.S. Marine Corps

Northrop, L3Harris Join Lockheed In SiAW Competition

Northrop Grumman and L3Harris have been selected to form a three-way competition with previously announced Lockheed Martin for a contract to develop the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) for the U.S. Air Force. The announcements add a perennial contender and a unique competitor to the tender for the U.S. Air Force’s next anti-radiation missile. Credit: U.S. Navy via Northrop Grumman

From NASA Study Team to assess unexplained aerial phenomena to AFRL Awards contract to build Airborne Laser Warfare Simulator. Take a look at these and more in our daily roundup of aerospace & defense news.

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