Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
The transition occurred Aug. 11 during a ceremony at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Space

By Chen Chuanren
Thailand’s cabinet has approved THB369 million ($10.4 million) for the Royal Thai Air Force to make infrastructure preparations in anticipation of a potential F-35A acquisition.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
NASA has resolved an issue with the U.S. Space Force’s Eastern Range that will expand launch opportunities for the first Space Launch System rocket, currently targeted to lift off at 8:33 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29 on the Artemis I flight test.
Space

By Garrett Reim
Blue Canyon Technologies has won a contract to build 18 small passive microwave sounder satellites for weather data company The Tomorrow Companies.
Commercial Space

By Graham Warwick
The U.S. Vertical Lift Consortium has named 19 finalists in its Urban Air Mobility Challenge, paving the way for a pitch competition in Washington on Sept. 28 and a chance to win $50,000 in funding.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Garrett Reim
DARPA has selected 11 teams for phase one of the Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node program.
Space

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force’s plan to dramatically cut its buy of Sikorsky HH-60W combat rescue helicopters would be a Nunn-McCurdy Breach as the cost per unit of the choppers would spike, raising more questions about the future of the program.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force’s short-lived “Digital Century Series” plan appears to be dead for future manned fighters, but the service says the plan’s focus on rapidly iterating designs could be relevant for its future drones.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
If Congress blocks the U.S. Air Force’s plan to retire 33 of its oldest F-22s, the service would then see impacts on its plan to field new drones to complement the Next Generation Air Dominance as it faces the bill to upgrade the Raptors.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Irene Klotz
The Federal Communications Commission is revoking plans to award SpaceX up to $886 million over 10 years to subsidize broadband internet service to rural households in the U.S. via the Starlink satellite network.
Commercial Space

By Guy Norris
South Korean automaker Hyundai has revealed new details of its broad-based advanced air mobility development strategy after unveiling a full-scale cabin mockup of its electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi concept and signing a propulsion collaboration deal with Rolls-Royce.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Steve Trimble
DARPA plans a proposer’s day event on Aug. 16 for a 42-month effort to design and demonstrate the new long-range missile concept.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force now plans to sell off the six aircraft it bought about two years ago following the end of a light attack experiment, the service’s predecessor to the new U.S. Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) Armed Overwatch program.
Light Attack and Advanced Training

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is looking to reprogram funding to give it flexibility to award a prototype contract for Boeing E-7A Wedgetails in the event that a continuing resolution blocks starting the program on time.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The Royal Canadian Air Force has grounded its CT-114 Tutor fleet as an investigation continues into an Aug. 2 mishap that damaged one of the Snowbird display team’s aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bill Carey
Transportation research center DriveOhio has released an Advanced Air Mobility Framework document aimed at positioning Ohio for the expected growth of the AAM industry in the state.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
United Airlines has made a $10 million predelivery payment on 100 of the 200 electric air taxis it agreed to purchase from Archer Aviation in February 2021.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is planning one more major test of the hypersonic AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon this year after multiple recent successes.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
The scheduled deliveries of the first live Dark Eagle missiles are set to occur nearly a year before the final qualification test, underscoring the urgency of the effort to loosely match China's DF-17.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Mark Carreau
At the close of NASA’s upcoming Artemis I test flight, an uncrewed Orion capsule will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere faster and hotter than any previous human spacecraft, validating the heat shield’s ability to protect astronauts returning from the Moon and eventually Mars.
Space

By Graham Warwick
Joby Aviation has signed a potential $45 million expansion of its contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Chen Chuanren
AVIC says it has completed the first flight of the AR-500CJ uncrewed air system.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
Benchmark Space Systems has signed an agreement to buy Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation’s electric propulsion technologies.
Commercial Space

A French startup has unveiled plans to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered four-seat aircraft to provide flight schools and other general aviation customers with a zero-emission alternative to today’s gasoline-fueled light aircraft.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Bill Carey
Satellite connectivity provider Satcom Direct announced the first planned installation of its Plane Simple Ku-band antenna system on a first special mission aircraft, an Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante operated by airborne data capture company Fototerra of Brazil.
Connectivity