Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have selected the initial trio of astronauts for the third of SpaceX’s commercial crew launches to the International Space Station, Crew-3, which is expected to launch in fall 2021.
Space

By Tony Osborne
Saab will establish two aerospace centers in Quebec if the company’s Gripen is selected as Canada’s future fighter aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Europe is to pump €8 billion ($9.6 billion) into the new European Defense Fund following political agreements with member states.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Maxim Pyadushkin
The Russian Space Forces conducted a successful test launch of the Angara A5 heavy launch vehicle Dec. 14, according to the defense ministry.
Space

By Mark Carreau
NASA and its Commercial Crew Program partner Boeing are targeting March 29, 2021, for Orbital Flight Test-2, a weeklong second attempt at an uncrewed test flight of the company’s CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station.
Space

By Tony Osborne
The UK is looking to use alternative, sustainable fuels for its combat aircraft and helicopters in a bid to lower carbon emissions.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says the UK armed forces will no longer face a “hand-to-mouth” existence following a record budget settlement announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in November.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
The launch marked the seventh for the mission's reusable Falcon 9 core stage.
Commercial Space

By Guy Norris
Virgin Galactic’s attempt to make the first sub-orbital space flight from its Spaceport America base in New Mexico was thwarted on Dec 12. by an issue
Commercial Space

By Lee Hudson
The Senate has passed the compromise fiscal 2021 defense policy conference report by an 84-13 vote, a veto-proof majority.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
South Korean automaker Hyundai has restated its ambition to dominate the global urban air mobility market and outlined plans to develop a family of passenger and cargo vehicles to be fielded beginning in 2026.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
A European team has flown a hydrogen-powered test aircraft as part of a program to develop a modular approach to hybrid-electric propulsion.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Airbus is continuing to target a 2021 certification for an automated aerial refueling capability on its A330-based Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
Turkey’s Navy has finally begun taking delivery of its Meltem-III maritime patrol aircraft based on the ATR 72 turboprop airliner.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Lee Hudson
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 8:09 p.m. EST on a mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), dubbed NROL-44.
Space

By Mark Carreau
An updated U.S. space policy emphasizes six broad principles, with roots in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the Artemis Accords, with which NASA is forging an international partnership to lead humans back to the Moon and on to Mars.
Space

By Graham Warwick
France’s EcoPulse distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator has passed its preliminary design review, freezing the configuration and paving the way for a first flight in 2022.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Joby Aviation has become the first manufacturer to receive airworthiness approval for its electric air taxi under the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime initiative.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Lee Hudson
Fiscal 2022 may be a turning point for the future of the U.S. aircraft carrier.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
NASA has rescheduled one in a series of Green Run tests of the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage at Stennis Space Center.
Space

By Steve Trimble
The decision clears BAE Systems to begin production of the electronic warfare upgrade as developmental and operational testing by the 53rd Wing continues.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Steve Trimble
The contract award scheduled later this month to ether L3Harris or Northrop Grumman will be managed under the more traditional process of an Acquisition Category (ACAT)-1B program of record.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Thierry Dubois
The European Space Agency has awarded two contracts for the delivery of the Space Rider flight model, a small reusable spacecraft aimed at robotic missions in low Earth orbit, and the associated ground segment.
Space

By Steve Trimble
The external release of a subsonic, Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile from the right forward fuselage station of the B-1B helps to prove the feasibility of launching hypersonic weapons.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Linda Blachly
British satellite operator Inmarsat has puts its very-high-throughput GX5 satellite into commercial service, boosting inflight broadband capacity for its commercial and business aircraft customers in Europe and the Middle East.
Interiors & Connectivity