Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Tony Osborne
The U.S. ambassador to Greece has said the country is likely to be approved by the U.S. government to purchase the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but it will be a minimum of five years before Athens will receive aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The first Boeing P-8A Poseidon destined for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) has emerged from the paint shop, sporting the emblem of the 61 Patrol Air Group.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
Boeing says successful tests of an all-composite cryogenic fuel tank at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center clear the way for large-scale application of the lightweight technology in future spacecraft and aircraft.
Emerging Technologies

By Irene Klotz
A day after delivering a classified National Reconnaissance Office satellite into orbit from California, SpaceX returned its attention to building its Starlink broadband communications network with a midafternoon Feb. 3 launch of another Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
Jordan has been cleared to buy up to 16 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters in a deal worth up to $4.21 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Feb. 3. The proposed deal, if signed by Jordan, would make the Arab kingdom the sixth customer for the latest version of the F-16.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Irene Klotz
Engineers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore have begun a three-month process to align the 18 segments of the James Webb Space Telescope primary mirror, fine-turning its shape so that it operates as a unified, 21-ft.-dia. mirror, NASA said on Feb. 3.
Space

By Michael Bruno
An entrepreneur with a background in space companies and an aerospace-focused investment group are partnering to launch a new company, O-G, that aims to provide microgravity and low Earth orbit (LEO) insertion services.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Navy is open to forming a joint program with the U.S. Air Force for the Tactical Surrogate Aircraft, and basing the platform on a common derivative of a future training jet to replace the Boeing/BAE Systems T-45 Goshawk.
Light Attack and Advanced Training

By Irene Klotz
For the second mission in a row, one of four main parachutes used by SpaceX Dragon capsules inflated late, NASA confirmed on Feb. 3.
Commercial Space

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force finally has an acquisition boss, as the Senate is moving to approve more of the pending Defense Department nominations that have been waiting for months.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
A long-range U.S. special operations raid in northwestern Syria resulted in the death of the leader of the Islamic State group and the destruction of a specialized Sikorsky MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter after a significant mechanical issue rendered it unsafe to complete the mission, officials announced Feb. 3.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover and its companion Ingenuity drone helicopter are turning their focus to the remnants of a stream delta that was perhaps the site of a wet, habitable environment more than 3.5 billion years ago.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Croatia has taken delivery of the first two of four planned Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, as the country’s armed forces push to reduce their reliance on Russian defense equipment.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Airbus and Kongsberg of Norway have teamed up in a bid to improve the availability of the country’s troubled NH90 fleet.
Supply Chain

By Tony Osborne
The startup, which is planning to perform its first launch from Space Hub Sutherland on the Scottish mainland later this year, is the first UK-based launch provider to disclose that it has applied for such a license.
Commercial Space

By Tony Osborne
Italy appears to be moving toward the creation of a joint Air Force and Navy unit to fly the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Germany has marked the completion of the first of six new Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules that will operate as part of a joint squadron with France.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Michael Bruno
Iceye, a Finnish Earth observation services provider with a blossoming constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites, has landed a Series D round of venture capital worth at least $136 million, the company said Feb. 3.
Commercial Space

By Guy Norris
GE Aviation has teamed with Boeing and its subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to modify a Saab 340B into a flying hybrid electric testbed for the recently awarded NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
The U.S. Justice Department has decided not to bring charges against a key figure in the trade secrets lawsuit launched by Boeing-backed Wisk against rival electric air taxi developer Archer Aviation.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Michael Bruno
An internal dispute at the highest ranks of Aerojet Rocketdyne has broken into the public eye in the wake of Biden administration opposition to its takeover by Lockheed Martin.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon is planning a new National Defense Science and Technology strategy, informed by the department’s upcoming National Defense Strategy, to guide how it will more quickly and effectively develop new systems for the military.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon on Feb. 2 confirmed the U.S. and NATO are offering Russia access to missile defense sites in Europe, along with more transparency about exercises and bomber flights to the region, in an effort to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
Istanbul’s Bogazici University has inaugurated what is claimed to be Turkey’s, and Europe’s, first carbon-negative biorefinery, designed to produce a range of algae-based biotech products including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Irene Klotz
The International Space Station (ISS) partnership gave its formal blessing for the four-member Axiom-1 (Ax-1) crew to visit the orbital outpost, with launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule now slated for March 30, a day earlier than previously planned.
Space