Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Vivienne Machi
United Launch Alliance is exploring ways to turn its Centaur upper stage into a rocket that can dynamically move around space.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
The joint NASA, French, Canadian and U.K. Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) orbital mission is providing an unprecedented perspective of the seafloor.
Satellites

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has activated the unit that will train helicopter pilots for its future fleet of Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolfs starting in the next 18 months.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Bill Carey, Sean Broderick
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker has informed the agency’s workforce that he will step down from his position four years early on Jan. 20, 2025.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Garrett Reim
Archer Aviation and Anduril Industries have signed a “strategic partnership” to develop “next-generation aircraft” for defense applications.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The first spacecraft from a U.S. Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office program to conduct space situational awareness are close to entering operation.
Satellites

By Tony Osborne
Poland is joining Belgium and the UK as European operators of the General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian uncrewed aircraft system (UAS).
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The Japanese Defense Ministry has selected Textron Aviation's T-6 Texan II for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) basic trainer program.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office plans to deliver the first unit of a new phased-array antenna by year-end 2025, to support the Satellite Control Network.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The increasing number of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) being spotted near U.S. military installations rep[ortedly pose no threat.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Electric aircraft developer Beta Technologies and Bristow Group’s Norwegian subsidiary have signed a letter of intent to conduct trial cargo flights in 2025.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
California startup Traverse Aero has launched a fundraising round to build and fly a full-scale demonstrator of its hybrid-electric VTOL Orca.
Advanced Air Mobility Departments

By Vivienne Machi
If Gen. Stephen Whiting could knock only one capability need off of his wish list, it would be integrated space fires, the U.S. Space Command commander says.
Emerging Technologies

By Brian Everstine
Kratos Defense and Security recently completed the first flight of its stealthy uncrewed combat air vehicle Thanatos, proving out the aircraft’s basic design.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Marine Corps has selected Sikorsky to demonstrate its flight-autonomy system onboard an optionally piloted UH-60 Black Hawk.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Anti-corrosion coatings, sustainable supply chains and aeroacoustic modeling are applications shown by winners of Airbus and BMW’s quantum computing challenge.
Emerging Technologies

By Tony Osborne
France’s Aarok uncrewed air system has moved a step closer to flight now that developer Turgis Gaillard has received a French Defense Ministry study contract.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have joined to further develop, integrate and procure BAE Systems’ Striker II helmet-mounted display for the Eurofighter.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Raytheon UK’s high-energy laser has been successfully tested against moving aerial targets during trials in the UK.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Chen Chuanren
Malaysia is drafting a long-term national space defense system plan, with the ambition of deploying its own military satellites.
Satellites

By Irene Klotz
A decade ago, SpaceX launched six Falcon 9 rockets in a year—now, it could be on track for an orbital launch rate of 136 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy flights.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
The Slovak Defense Ministry signed a letter of intent with its Brazilian counterpart to deepen industrial ties, Embraer says.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
As the U.S. Space Force nears its fifth birthday, its senior military leader is laser-focused on increasing space domain awareness to keep ahead of adversaries.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Vivienne Machi
As the U.S. Space Force hones its next-gen multi-orbit missile-warning architecture, two elements reached milestones toward building out the GEO and LEO layers.
Space Exploration

By Garrett Reim
Sierra Space says it can predict—with higher accuracy than conventional methods—the locations of space debris, using “physics-informed neural networks.”
Commercial Space