Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Jul. 14

The U.S. Air Force’s new T-7A jet trainer has cleared about 80% of the overall test points in Phase 1 of its five-year flight test program, Boeing announced on July 14.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return mission will drop off materials from the asteroid Ryugu as it passes by Earth on Dec. 6 Japan time.

Spanish electronics company Indra has completed initial flight tests of its Targus optionally piloted vehicle, a modified Tecnam P2006T light twin.

Textron Aviation told employees July 14 that it plans to lay off about 800 employees in Kansas, mostly at its facilities here. The job cuts come as the company adjusts to evolving global economic uncertainty and market conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, a Textron Aviation statement said.

NASA’s $22.63 billion fiscal 2021 budget proposal advanced through a House Appropriations Committee markup by a 30-22 vote July 14, without supporting the Trump administration’s full $25.2 billion request that included $3.4 billion for a commercial lunar Human Landing System (HLS).

Poor weather at Japan’s Tenegashima Space Center is prompting a delay of the United Arab Emirates’ Mars Mission to no earlier than July 17. Liftoff of the Emirates Mars Mission, also known as Hope, aboard a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ H-IIA rocket is now targeted for 4:43 p.m. EDT (5:43 a.m. July 18 local time). Launch had been planned for July 14, the opening of a three-week window when Earth and Mars are favorably aligned for interplanetary flight.

MQ-9

Pentagon

Drone logistics system developer Matternet on July 14 announced the start of a second hospital delivery operation with UPS Flight Forward in North Carolina.

Self-piloted air taxis have taken off with the first passenger-carrying public flights by the EHang 216 autonomous air vehicle on aerial sightseeing trips in the coastal city of Yantai, China.