Despite test incidents and delays to both NASA commercial crew systems, Boeing expects to conduct the first uncrewed orbital flight of its CST-100 Starliner in October, while SpaceX still hopes to fly astronauts in the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station by the end of the year.
On Wednesday Russia will launch the Soyuz MS-14 uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station to demonstrate the compatibility of the capsule with the new Soyuz-2 rocket variant prior to missions with astronauts.
Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) will field a new training system for the Eurofighter Typhoon that will allow the service to achieve its aim of a 50:50 live-synthetic blend of operational training.
NASA has issued a request for proposals from U.S. companies capable of carrying out up to $7 billion in re-supply missions to its planned lunar-orbiting, human-tended Gateway.
On Aug. 18, the Pentagon conducted a successful flight test of a ground-launched conventional cruise missile with a range of more than 500 km (300 mi.)—a weapon previously banned under the now-defunct Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Japan has formally selected the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning for an acquisition program for 42 short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing fighters, going through the motions of acquisition procedures even though it had no alternative.
“After successfully performing the crucial maneuver, Chandrayaan-2 has left for the Moon. If all goes well, it will reach the Moon’s orbit by Aug. 20,” says a senior scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization.
Announced on Aug. 19, the agreement calls for Collins to provide local field service engineers and test capabilities at locations in Soesterberg and at Woensdrecht Air Base, including establishment of an F-35 pilot readiness center.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $107,353,729 for firm-fixed-price advance acquisition contract modification P00029 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0048).
Senior U.S. lawmakers are praising the Trump administration for green lighting the proposed sale of new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan after the White House informally notified Congress of the $8 billion deal.
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will lead efforts to develop a three-component human Moon lander system under assignments announced Aug. 16 by agency Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps warn that reductions to the Lockheed Martin F-35C would delay establishing a second Marine squadron by up to one year and cuts to the Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye would prevent using the aircraft in high-threat environments.
Lockheed Martin displayed a rarely-seen F-35 model loaded with four Cuda air-to-air missiles at a large missile defense conference in Alabama last week, but there is no link between Cuda and a missile defense application, the company says.
Russia is reporting progress with two aircraft programs that are key to its efforts to reduce its dependence on imported products: the Ilyushin-designed Il-112V light military transport and Il-114-300 regional turboprop.
The U.S. Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carrier Advanced Arresting Gear system has been approved to recover all “props and jets,” an aircraft recovery bulletin says.
Taiwan’s defense technology agency has raised performance in a second version of its Teng Yun surveillance drone, bringing the developmental aircraft close to a likely service standard, a program official said.
The FAA is seeking information from third parties that are interested in administering a new aeronautical knowledge test that recreational drone flyers will be required to pass.
Virgin Galactic has declared its new base at Spaceport America operationally ready as the company sets its sights on the long-anticipated start of commercial suborbital spaceflights from the New Mexico facility in 2020.
Bell has secured its single-engine Instrument Flight Rules spurs for its Model 407GXi helicopter, paving the way for the aircraft to compete in the U.S. Navy’s rotary-wing trainer competition.
