In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jun. 28, 2022

Lockheed, Northrop Reducing Risk On Bids For New Missile Interceptor

Credit: U.S. government

U.S. Capitol

S. Korea’s KF-21 Finishes Ground Tests, Moves Toward July First Flight

Credit: KAI

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has completed a range of ground tests for its KF-21 Boramae fighter aircraft, paving the way for its first flight in July.

ULA Plans To Fly Last Atlas V In Late 2025

Credit: ULA

With its new Vulcan rocket on track to debut late this year or in early 2023, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is aiming to end Atlas V launch services in late 2025, ULA clarified following a June 28 press conference where the company erroneously said Atlas V would be retired in late 2024.

USAF Wants Tanker Upgrades As It Looks To Stealth, Autonomy For KC-Z

Credit: USAF

The U.S. Air Force wants to modify its Boeing KC-135s and KC-46s in a new effort that the service says is independent of the KC-Y “bridge tanker” program it started last year, but now says is looking less likely to become a competition.

U.S. Army Awards TITAN Prototype Contracts To Palantir, Raytheon

Credit: U.S. Army

The U.S. Army on June 28 awarded contracts to Raytheon Technologies and Palantir to create a prototype for its Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN).

New Acquisitions Chief Calls Space Force Role In Tac ISR 'Silly'

Credit: Maxar Technologies

The U.S. Space Force should avoid duplicating the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) resources of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for tactical needs, the newly confirmed head of space acquisitions says.

Virgin Orbit Targeting September For First UK Launch

Credit: Virgin Orbit

Virgin Orbit is targeting September for the first of two launches this year from the UK’s new spaceport in Cornwall, a mission that will mark the first rocket launch from British soil and the first commercial launch from Western Europe.

Capstone Launches To Assess Lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit

Credit: NASA

NASA’s lunar Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (Capstone) small satellite successfully launched from Mahia, New Zealand, early June 28 U.S. time.

Turkey Drops Opposition To Finland, Sweden Joining NATO

Credit: NATO

Turkish President Recep Erdogan on June 28 reversed his opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, allowing the Scandinavian countries a clear path to joining the transatlantic alliance at a moment of heightened security concerns over Russia’s four-month-old war with Ukraine.

AFRL Modifies THOR High Power Microwave System

Credit: Brian Everstine

When the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) sent its Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR) system downrange for an overseas assessment, the lab’s engineers back home did not want to sit still and wait for the system to come home, so they got to work on upgrades.

Four-Month Space Station Cargo Mission Ends

Credit: NASA

Northrop Grumman’s 17th NASA-contracted Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) departed early June 28, ending a four-month stay that included a successful demonstration of the commercial freighter’s ability to reboost the outpost.

Lockheed, Northrop Reducing Risk On Bids For New Missile Interceptor

Credit: U.S. government

U.S. Capitol

S. Korea’s KF-21 Finishes Ground Tests, Moves Toward July First Flight

Credit: KAI

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has completed a range of ground tests for its KF-21 Boramae fighter aircraft, paving the way for its first flight in July.

ULA Plans To Fly Last Atlas V In Late 2025

Credit: ULA

With its new Vulcan rocket on track to debut late this year or in early 2023, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is aiming to end Atlas V launch services in late 2025, ULA clarified following a June 28 press conference where the company erroneously said Atlas V would be retired in late 2024.

USAF Wants Tanker Upgrades As It Looks To Stealth, Autonomy For KC-Z

Credit: USAF

The U.S. Air Force wants to modify its Boeing KC-135s and KC-46s in a new effort that the service says is independent of the KC-Y “bridge tanker” program it started last year, but now says is looking less likely to become a competition.

U.S. Army Awards TITAN Prototype Contracts To Palantir, Raytheon

Credit: U.S. Army

The U.S. Army on June 28 awarded contracts to Raytheon Technologies and Palantir to create a prototype for its Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN).

New Acquisitions Chief Calls Space Force Role In Tac ISR 'Silly'

Credit: Maxar Technologies

The U.S. Space Force should avoid duplicating the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) resources of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for tactical needs, the newly confirmed head of space acquisitions says.

Virgin Orbit Targeting September For First UK Launch

Credit: Virgin Orbit

Virgin Orbit is targeting September for the first of two launches this year from the UK’s new spaceport in Cornwall, a mission that will mark the first rocket launch from British soil and the first commercial launch from Western Europe.

Capstone Launches To Assess Lunar Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit

Credit: NASA

NASA’s lunar Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (Capstone) small satellite successfully launched from Mahia, New Zealand, early June 28 U.S. time.

Turkey Drops Opposition To Finland, Sweden Joining NATO

Credit: NATO

Turkish President Recep Erdogan on June 28 reversed his opposition to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden, allowing the Scandinavian countries a clear path to joining the transatlantic alliance at a moment of heightened security concerns over Russia’s four-month-old war with Ukraine.

AFRL Modifies THOR High Power Microwave System

Credit: Brian Everstine

When the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) sent its Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR) system downrange for an overseas assessment, the lab’s engineers back home did not want to sit still and wait for the system to come home, so they got to work on upgrades.

Four-Month Space Station Cargo Mission Ends

Credit: NASA

Northrop Grumman’s 17th NASA-contracted Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) departed early June 28, ending a four-month stay that included a successful demonstration of the commercial freighter’s ability to reboost the outpost.

Lockheed, Northrop Reducing Risk On Bids For New Missile Interceptor

Credit: U.S. government

U.S. Capitol

Market Sector

Share

In Pictures: Top Aerospace & Defense Stories, Jun. 28, 2022

S. Korea’s KF-21 Finishes Ground Tests, Moves Toward July First Flight