Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

CAPE CANAVERAL—After decades of development and false starts, NASA on April 1 launched the first crew in more than 50 years on a mission to leave Earth orbit and travel to the vicinity of the Moon.

As Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman prepares for the end of his time leading the U.S. Space Force, he is looking 15 years into the future and 232 years into the past.

The UK and France are to launch studies on the development of a successor to the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has awarded Vantor—formerly Maxar Intelligence—a new contract to surveil high-interest objects in space.

Switzerland says it will continue to withhold foreign military sales (FMS) payments related to the Patriot missile systems ordered by Bern.

With no technical issues and a favorable weather outlook, NASA on April 1 fueled the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for liftoff between 6:24-8:24 p.m. EDT on the Artemis II flight test.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pushed back against President Trump's calls for defense spending increases and canceled a contract with Israel, choosing a different path for the Iberian nation.

BAE Systems is the recipient of a major UK defense contract to provide air defense radars capable of mitigating against interference from offshore wind farms.

The U.S. Army has begun auctioning off Boeing CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters, potentially to make way for the arrival of Blk. II models.

Polish defense manufacturer PGZ says it is scaling up production of components for CAMM-ER missile components.

Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters’ CEO for eight years, on April 1 hands over the reins of the world’s biggest rotorcraft manufacturer.

Northrop Grumman plans to test a new nozzle for the Graphite Epoxy Motors (GEM) used on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan and Atlas rockets.

The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX two additional missions on behalf of the Space Development Agency (SDA) to launch no earlier than late fiscal 2027.

The BGM-109 Tomahawk still has a long future in the U.S. Navy’s procurement budget, but it could have company.

Honeywell is mounting a counter-uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) on a long-range hybrid-electric uncrewed aircraft.

Intuitive Machines is working to repurpose the solar electric power and propulsion element (PPE) spacecraft bus of NASA’s paused lunar-orbiting Gateway space station for the agency’s Mars mission.

Commanders at U.S. and allied installations are calling for rapidly fielding more bunkers and increasing air defenses in Iran.

An ambitious project to turn the ATR-72 into an amphibious waterbomber is beginning to take shape in France.

Anti-drone missile developer Frankenburg Technologies has signed an agreement with PGZ on potential production of Frankenburg’s weapons in Poland.

Australian counter-drone specialist DroneShield says it is looking to work with Latvian interceptor-maker Origin Robotics to pursue opportunities to defeat UAS.

The Swedish government will use a traditional spring government budget update to boost its space spending plan, allocating additional funds to SSC Space.

Chinese arms developer Norinco has conducted the first flight of its Chang Ying-8 large uncrewed cargo aircraft, also known as Luca.

Japan has designated its upgraded Type 12 surface-to-surface missile (SSM) as the Type 25 surface-to-surface guided missile.

Virgin Galactic is set to begin ground tests of its first new-build Delta-class spaceship, paving the way for follow-on flight tests at Spaceport America in Q3.

Countdown clocks at the Kennedy Space Center began ticking down toward launch of NASA’s Artemis II flight test.