Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Aug. 26
August 27, 2020
Cape Canaveral Plans Three Launches In One Week
For the first time in 19 years, Cape Canaveral plans to launch three rockets in one week. The first launch is a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta 4 Heavy National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) mission scheduled for Aug. 27. The following day a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SAOCOM 1B satellite for Argentina, and a Falcon 9 Starlink launch is scheduled for Aug. 30. Credit: NASA

Reliable Robotics Reveals Autonomous Caravan For Unmanned Cargo
Credit: Reliable Robotics
A startup founded by former SpaceX and Tesla engineers is developing an autonomy platform to convert the Cessna 208 Caravan for unmanned cargo operations. Reliable Robotics performed the first automated landing with a Caravan on June 30 having already flown a Cessna 172 Skyhawk fully unmanned in U.S. airspace.

NASA Names Third Astronaut To Boeing Starliner ISS Mission
Looking ahead to a 2021 certification of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner as a second means of commercially transporting crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS), NASA has assigned a third astronaut to the company’s first planned operational mission. That astronaut is Jeanette Epps, an aerospace engineer selected by NASA for astronaut training in 2009, after seven years as a technical intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. Credit: NASA

Japanese defense ministry
F-X

Dynetics Flies Second X-61, Moves Closer To Aerial Recovery Test
DARPA

Russian Helicopters To Develop New Naval Helicopter
Russian Helicopters has been contracted by Moscow to develop a new-generation naval helicopter. The new shipboard rotorcraft will be developed by engineers from the company’s National Helicopter Center, which was formed in 2019 through a merger of the design offices of both Mil Moscow and Kamov, the OEM announced on Aug. 25 at the Army 2020 annual military technical forum. Credit: U.S. Navy

Vertical Aerospace To Fly Winged EVTOL In 2021
British electric aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace has revealed its design for a tiltrotor electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Bristol, England-based Vertical hopes to fly a prototype of the VA-1X—a fixed-wing tiltrotor powered by eight distributed electric motors—in the third quarter of 2021, with the aim of bringing it to market in 2024. Credit: Vertical Aerospace

FlightSafety Wins USN TH-73A Helo Aircrew Training Services Deal
The U.S. Navy has awarded a $220 million, five-year base contract to FlightSafety Services for aircrew training services (ATS) to support the TH-73A helicopter program. FlightSafety will provide 18 flight simulation training devices (FSTD) beginning in 2021-2026. The total contract value is about $363 million. The Navy revealed that two companies vied for the contract, but did not disclose the other vendor. Credit: Naval Air Systems Command

UK Calls For Consensus On Responsible Use Of Space
The UK has launched a draft United Nations (U.N.) resolution on the responsible use of space, as concern grows about the potential impacts to national economies if space-based infrastructure is damaged through accidents or misunderstandings between nations. Credit: India defense ministry

Rolls-Royce Targets Disposals As COVID-19 Ravages Revenues
Aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is looking to sell off assets as the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the travel industry bites deep into the company’s finances. The British engine-maker said it has identified “a number of potential disposals” that would allow the company to generate proceeds of £2 billion ($3 billion), including Spanish aero-engine firm ITP Aero. Credit: Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce targets disposals as COVID-19 ravages revenue, Russian Helicopters to develop new naval helicopter, Vertical Aerospace to fly winged eVTOL in 2021, UK calls for consensus on responsible use of space and more. A roundup of aerospace, space and defense news.