Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Axiom Space, selected by NASA to berth the first element of an eventual commercial low Earth orbit-crewed free flyer at the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, has significantly upgraded the architecture of its planned Axiom Station, providing an initial four-person crew capability.

The Russian defense ministry launched a Soyuz-2.1b medium-class vehicle with a Fregat third-stage booster from its spaceport Plesetsk in northern Russia on Dec. 3, orbiting three Gonetz-M communication satellites and the ERA-1 military nanosatellite, Roscosmos State Corp. said.

Swiss startup H55 has secured CHF20 million ($22.5 million) of investor funding to complete certification of its electric propulsion system.

France has taken delivery of the second of eight Beechcraft King Air 350-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.

Although President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the fiscal 2021 defense authorization bill because he disagrees with a social media provision, the House and Senate are pursing passage of the bicameral agreement.

FLIR Systems, which has re-engineered its business since last year to focus on UAVs and automotive sensors, has acquired Altavian, a privately-held manufacturer of small UAS for defense and public safety customers that used FLIR sensors.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s Defense Department transition team has just begun meetings at the Pentagon, a spokeswoman says.

The declaration means the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA)-314 at the Miramar air station in California is on track to deploy with the F-35C on a U.S. Navy carrier in early fiscal 2022.

Italy is planning to grow its Gulfstream G550 business jet-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

NATO needs to devote more time and resources to the challenge posed by China, an independent report says.

Made In Space’s Turbine Ceramic Manufacturing Module has manufactured a ceramic component in space.

High altitude balloons, also known as stratollites, and unattended ocean sensors are among the candidates to augment a handful of intelligence-gathering aircraft.

Air logistics startup Airflow is working with VerdeGo Aero to study the distributed hybrid-electric propulsion system for its planned short-takeoff-and-landing cargo aircraft.

The two companies say they have developed a compact system that can be retrofitted into light single-engine aircraft, and the first target for their efforts is Airbus’ H125/AS350 Ecureuil/AStar light helicopter.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed an €86 million ($100 million) contract with an industrial team led by Swiss start-up company ClearSpace for the provision of a debris removal service.

David Coleal, most recently president of Bombardier Aviation, has been named group CEO of Incora, a provider of supply chain management services to aerospace, defense and other industries, effective Nov. 30.

The White House Office of Management and Budget outlined its “additional views” in a letter to Senate appropriators regarding the chamber’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense appropriations bill.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force already operates F-35As in-country, but the USAF presence is limited to two squadrons of aging Boeing F-15C/Ds and Lockheed F-16C/Js.

Spain is planning to purchase a trio of former Iberia Airbus A330-200s to convert them into Multi-Role Tanker Transports for the country’s air force.

Days after unveiling plans to decommission and dismantle the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the National Science Foundation announced a third wave of damage, the Dec. 1 collapse of the suspended 900-ton instrument platform.

After years of discussions, Canada’s Telesat and Loral Space & Communications will combine to form a new publicly traded Canadian company called Telesat Corp., the companies announced.

Defense unmanned systems provider Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has acquired 5-D Systems.

U.S. officials have confirmed Greek interest in acquiring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but insist that any purchase of the fifth-generation combat aircraft will be a “multiyear process.”

China’s Chang’e 5 lunar sample return mission successfully touched down on the Moon’s surface on Dec. 1, the China National Space Administration said.

Hungarian officials say the country’s purchase of Embraer’s KC-390 airlifter “represents a gap-filling development” for NATO in Eastern Europe.