Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Iron Beam prime contractor Rafael, along with the Israeli Air Force and the Directorate of Defense Research & Development, have completed weeks of testing in southern Israel.

MaiaSpace is on track for a first flight of its mini-launcher late in 2026, a first step toward creating a family of reusable rockets, its CEO says.

Astranis has contracted Impulse Space to directly inject its MicroGEO communications satellite into geostationary orbit in 2027 using the Helios kick stage.

Northrop Grumman’s new testbed with its company-developed autonomy software is set to fly imminently.

Axiom Space has launched the Axiom Space University Alliance.

Bluetooth satellite network creator Hubble has raised $70 million from investors in a Series B funding round, the Seattle-based startup said on Sept. 17.

U.S. investors led a $15 million Series A round in a Ukrainian software developer for swarming drones.

British-made alternative to the StormBreaker small diameter glide bomb.

The UK defense ministry has formally launched the hunt for a new light aerobatic training aircraft to replace the Grob G115 Tutor.

Colorado-based rocket engine developer Ursa Major is entering a new growth phase.

The Portuguese government has signed an amendment in its contract with Embraer to purchase a sixth KC-390 airlifter and has added 10 purchase options.

China’s Space Pioneer completed the first-stage engine test of its Tianlong-3 rocket on Sept. 15.

HawkEye 360 is gearing up to start deploying a new generation of its electronic intelligence spacecraft that should slash production costs.

Denmark is to acquire long-range precision weapons in a bid to strengthen the country’s security in the face of the new regional threat, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen says.

Aarok, the medium-altitude, long-endurance turboprop uncrewed aircraft system developed by French company Turgis Gaillard, has made its first flight.

Latitude’s Zephyr microlauncher will fly at the end of next year, a one-year delay from its earlier schedule, commercial director Adeline Pitrois said Sept. 17.

The ESA is poised to ask member states to back the European sovereign satellite communications IRIS² program with €600 million in the next funding cycle.

Atmos Space Cargo is expanding its focus on the defense market, floating the idea of using its capsule to allow military users to rapidly deploy missiles from space.

SpaceX is in talks with countries to give them sovereign satellite communications capabilities, says Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president.

NASA and Northrop Grumman are revising the flight plan for the Cygnus XL cargo ship to rendezvous with International Space Station.

Brazil and Sweden have formally launched discussions on purchasing an increased number of Saab Gripen combat for the Brazilian Air Force.

A new House proposal to avert a government shutdown includes a provision to force the Pentagon to keep the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail program moving at pace.

The United Arab Emirates’ Space42 and Viasat are hoping to attract partners in their new direct-to-device global low Earth orbit satellite service venture, Equatys.

The Trump administration on Sept. 15 announced it would significantly loosen restrictions on international sales of uncrewed aerial systems.

Communications satellite operator SES has partnered with startup K2 Space to explore designing next-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites.