Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
Landsat 9, the latest satellite in a long-running Earth observation collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Department of Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, was successfully launched on Sept. 27 from a foggy Vandenberg Space Force Station, California.
Space

By Steve Trimble
The so-called “production smoothing” agreement establishes the likely ceiling for annual F-35 deliveries at 156 aircraft after 2023.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Michael Bruno
Isotropic Systems, a British flat-panel satellite antenna systems maker backed by Boeing and venture capitalists, says it has landed $37 million in fresh funding, enough to fully fund development of its multibeam ground antenna through expected product launch in 2022.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
The test by DARPA’s Hypersonic Air-breathings Weapon Concept is a key step on path to fielding a follow-on hypersonic cruise missile by the U.S. and Australian air forces later in this decade.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Tony Osborne
The first Embraer KC-390 Millennium airlifter destined for the Portuguese Air Force has been powered on for the first time. Portuguese Air Force officials from the service’s Monitoring and Inspection Mission to the KC-390 program watched the aircraft being powered up on Sept. 21, the Portuguese Air Force said.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Defense Department has received the first operational Sikorsky CH-53K and F/A-18F Block III fighter over the past four days.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Astraius wants to use a Boeing C-17 airlifter to conduct horizontal launch of its Hera II two-stage launch vehicle, which is an adaptation of the Hera target missile used by the U.S. Defense Department to test missile defense systems.
Commercial Space

By Tony Osborne
The sell-off of ITP has been at the top of a list of potential asset disposals as Rolls-Royce looks to rebuild its balance sheet following the pandemic, which has heavily impacted the company’s commercial engine business.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aerial System Office and the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office recently completed a second demonstration of systems that can help counter small drones as the military faces a sense of urgency to stop this threat.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
Rolls-Royce has won a competition to re-engine the Boeing B-52H fleet with 608 F130 turbofan engines, the U.S. Defense Department said on Sept. 24
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Astroscale Japan has selected Rocket Lab to launch the first step in a two-part mission to demonstrate the removal of a large piece of space debris from low Earth orbit.
Commercial Space

Landsat 9, the latest in a half-century of overlapping NASA/U.S. Geological Survey satellites focused on monitoring changes to the planet’s surface and natural resources, is planned for a Sept. 27 launch.
Space

By Michael Bruno
Los Angeles-area Karman Missile & Space Systems, a budding mid-tier supplier to defense primes, has bought Systima Technologies, which is claimed to be one of the few companies worldwide that can integrate energetic and mechanical systems into the structural design of space or hypersonic systems.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Guy Norris
As part of preparations to develop a full-scale, ultra-efficient X-plane technology demonstrator later this decade, NASA has issued a request for information to industry ahead of a formal solicitation for proposals planned for early 2022.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Honeywell UOP and hydrogen production specialist Wood have joined forces to further reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of sustainable aviation fuel to produce a carbon-neutral jet fuel.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Founded in 2018 in Jamaica, Paragon VTOL Aerospace announced in June that it will move its operations to Brownsville, Texas.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Tony Osborne
India has signed a contract for the long-awaited purchase of 56 Airbus C295 twin-turboprop airlifters for the country’s air force.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Rolls-Royce’s Spirit of Innovation electric aircraft came close to exceeding the speed record for electric aircraft on its first flight, company officials say.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Systems is targeting the power needs of advanced military unmanned aircraft with a new generation of electric generators using efficient, lightweight Halbach array technology.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Air Force Global Strike Command on Sept. 23 completed its planned retirement of 17 B-1Bs as the last Lancer flew to the boneyard.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Sikorsky has approved the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel on its S-92 twin-engine heavy helicopter, as the greater aviation industry looks to more widely adopt the fuels to reduce carbon emissions.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Backed by China’s electric carmaker XPeng, HT Aero has unveiled details of its X2 autonomous two-seat electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicle.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Jen DiMascio
Under the wing of Boeing, Millennium Space Systems is hitting its stride making smart end-to-end satellite constellations to be deployed in multiple orbital regimes.
Space

By Michael Bruno
CPI Aero acknowledged late Sept. 23 that it has been notified by the premiere stock exchange that it does not meet the NYSE’s continued listing standards.
Supply Chain

By Graham Warwick
The companies say they will work together to accelerate the entry of Pyka’s autonomous aircraft into the precision agriculture sector and “pursue opportunities to scale commercial services as autonomous aircraft operations in Brazil evolve in the coming years.”
Advanced Air Mobility