A340 MSN001, modified to be the Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator for Europe (BLADE), will soon begin a flight-test campaign to show that laminar flow can reduce fuel burn.

“The [spacecraft's] heat shield did not separate, as a result of which the satellite didn’t complete the fourth stage,” says A.S. Kiran Kumar, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization.

Major acquisitions can take an enormous amount of time to achieve. A UTC/Rockwell deal would be in the very early stages of discussion.

Computers in spacecraft trade performance for reliability in a harsh environment, but BAE Systems has narrowed the gap between terrestrial and spaceborne processing with its latest generation of radiation-hardened processor.

The U.S. Air Force is eyeing more powerful, fuel-efficient engines for extended range and increased stealth as key requirements for its next air superiority fighter.

Avionics used to be closed systems, but the coming of broadband connectivity on board has prompted a rebirth of new architectures to reap the benefits of an open system.

Analysts say that aerospace manufacturing investments in low-cost countries peaked in the 2008-13 and declined significantly in the past three years.

Low-cost satellite constellations provide alternative systems for gathering key weather and other data.