Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

SpaceX prepares Starship’s first orbital attempt, advancing reusable launch technology and lunar ambitions.

NASA and SpaceX are looking to early October to launch the delayed Crew-13 Dragon mission to the seven-person International Space Station.

SDA expects Northrop Grumman Transport Layer satellites to launch soon, advancing deployment of its delayed proliferated LEO network.

Boeing’s 737 MAX will have a new operator: the U.S. Air Force.

The United Arab Emirates’s Edge Group is deepening its ties with South Korea's Hanwha to meet local needs for air defense and strike.

The Pentagon has established a new leadership position called the space technology portfolio executive, which the Air Force's new assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration is recruiting for,

L3Harris Technologies has begun to build the first Earth-observation satellites for partner Xoople, which aims to turn on its new system in 2028.

MBDA says it has validated the firing of the Teseo MK2/E anti-ship missile, setting the program up for first delivery to the Italian Navy in 2028.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has confirmed that its Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk crashed at sea.

Space42 and Viasat have committed $1 billion to shared space infrastructure to formalize their Equatys joint venture plan for a direct-to-device communications constellation.

HawkEye 360 has been working with Middle East governments to support their signals intelligence needs without formal contracts, hoping to secure future revenue.

British startup Alloyed has begun building a 1,100N-class turbojet engine for uncrewed air vehicle use.

Germany has formally submitted a letter of request for the Typhon surface-to-surface system and associated Tomahawk cruise missiles, during a visit to Washington.

Rafael says it is pursuing the integration of its Spice 1000 air-to-ground munition on the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Jill Albertelli will become president of RTX’s Pratt & Whitney on Jan. 1, 2027, as current head Shane Eddy will retire after four years of running the aeroengine maker.

The FAA’s reticence to commit to an expanded Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) mandate despite public statements to the contrary is drawing fire from the NTSB.

VULCANFORMS, SPECTER AEROSPACE partner on hypersonic weapons... SES O3b mPOWER constellation complete... New CFO for DRONESHIELD...

SpaceX is targeting Sept 22 for launch of its first orbital Starship-Super Heavy flight test, with a targeted mission duration of nearly 10 hr.

Leonardo Space Guardian Constellation Passes System Design

The U.S. Air Force will take two B-52s from real-world missions and dedicate them for engine and radar testing as the service boasts the delayed programs recently passed key milestones.

European startup Space Cargo Unlimited said it has signed a contract with SpaceX for a Starfall space manufacturing mission that would launch aboard a Starship flight in 2028.

The space supply chain is ramping up spacecraft and launcher production while ensuring resilience as industry demand grows, panelists at World Space Business Week said.

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing are finalizing the F-47 sixth-generation fighter design, with first flight on track to take place within two years as expected.

The Defense Innovation Unit is soliciting an AI-based “Space Threat Intelligence Synthesis Engine” to help it track missiles and other threats in space.

BAE Systems launched a family of passive radio frequency devices on Sept. 15 in a move that could spread sensing and targeting capabilities to thousands of munitions and drones.