Blue Origin has completed acceptance flight tests of its cryogenic BE-3 deep-throttle engine, and plans to begin autonomous flight tests with the reusable New Shepard suborbital human spacecraft it will power later this year.
NASA’s long-running Messenger spacecraft orbiting Mercury used the last of its hydrazine propellant this week in a bid to carry out a low-altitude, monthlong final mission extension to study polar ice deposits and other surface features that distinguish the planet closest to the Sun.
The Defense Safety Authority (DSA) officially formed on April 1 will act as the overarching body for all of the U.K. defense ministry’s safety agencies.
Subject-matter expert exchanges during NEA between the U.S. and the Vietnam People’s Navy focused on maritime-domain awareness, shipboard-damage control, submarine rescue, legal symposia, band concerts, community-service events, and team sports.
Using a prototype of Darpa’s Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) system, the inert missile was fired from 4.5 mi. away to support a simulated downed friendly pilot during the Marine Corps infantry/aviation exercise Talon Reach.
CSCS developed the Advanced Warfare Training curriculum, delivered in three phases and designed to be repeated on an 18-24-month cycle to help fleet sailors prepare for thwarting a range of modern anti-ship and ballistic missiles, Navy officials say.
“The Coast Guard has delayed the feasibility test for using the crew rotation concept (CRC) to achieve increased operational days at sea with its National Security Cutters (NSC) until 2019,” GAO notes in the report, “Timely Actions Needed to Address Risks in Using Rotational Crews,” released earlier this month.
The nations agreed to develop the MALE UAV during a meeting of government ministers in Berlin on March 31, following joint proposals for the MALE 2020 system submitted by Airbus, Alenia Aermacchi and Dassault Aviation to national governments of the three countries in spring 2014.
The U.S., its allies and partners have invested heavily in Asia-Pacific region defense and the Pentagon plans to continue to do so, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter says.
LOCKHEED MARTIN has a $81.7m U.S. Navy contract to provide multiyear procurement funds for Aegis Weapon System (AWS) Mk. 7 shipsets, associated special tooling and special test equipment. Work to be complete by September 2021. HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has a $499.8m U.S. Coast Guard contract for 8th National Security Cutter.
This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter kicks off the first of two planned trips to Asia “to affirm defense relationships with allies and build upon key initiatives of the rebalance to the region,” the Pentagon says. His first stops are Japan on April 7, and South Korea on April 9. Next month, on the second leg of the tour, he will address the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and visit India. Meanwhile, in Washington on Tuesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on next steps in U.S.
U.S Army aviation leadership is prioritizing efforts that will enable the force “to fly and fight in any environment,” including reengining its helicopters and accelerating the fielding of systems to enable crews to operate in reduced visibility.
Pratt & Whitney is ramping up retrofits to operational F135 engines with a fix to the problem that led to a catastrophic engine fire last year in the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and aims to modify the entire fleet by the first quarter of 2016.
To help make its submarines even stealthier, the U.S. Navy recently awarded L-3 KEO of Northampton, Mass., a $111.8 million contract for the development, first article, production and support of the Low-Profile Photonics Mast (LPPM).
Additive manufacturing—or 3D printing—is expected to help at least one competitor seeking to build the next $1 billion U.S. Air Force rocket engine to accelerate the design and production time, but one industry executive warns that a hasty rush to 3D printing can be dangerous.
NASA will work in partnership with five organizations to push the development of composite materials for improved aircraft performance under a new consortium established under the leadership of the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Hampton, Virginia.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory plans to demonstrate reconfigurable RF components and front-end architectures that would enable future systems to switch between radar, communication, navigation and electronic-warfare capabilities.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) Apr. 7 — SpeedNews Aerospace Additive Manufacturing Briefings, Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes, California. For more information go to http://speednews.com/aerospace-additive-manufacturing-briefings
ROCKWELL COLLINS was picked by U.S. Army to upgrade CF-47Fs with new Required Navigation Performance-Area Navigation (RNP-RNAV) systems. RAYTHEON has $700m USAF contract to support threat warnings and assessments for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Work will be performed at Peterson AFB, CO; Cheyenne Mountain AFS, CO; Vandenberg AFB, CA; and Offutt AFB, NE, and is expected to be complete by March 30, 2020.
Orbital Sciences Corp.’s response to the loss of an Antares launch vehicle with a load of cargo for the International Space Station (ISS) demonstrates the validity of NASA’s decision to begin buying access to low Earth orbit from the private sector, says Administrator Charles Bolden, who praises Orbital CEO David Thompson for taking his lumps and moving on to fulfill his Commercial Resupply Services contract obligations.
French defense procurement agency DGA said April 3 it is continuing to work with A400M prime contractor Airbus Defense and Space to find a solution to the helo-refueling capability gap, and it has no plans to purchase Lockheed Martin C-130Js from the U.S.
