Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Jun. 25

June 26, 2020

Former FAA Executives Lead New Drone Best Practices Organization

Credit: Acceleratum / Twitter
Former senior FAA executives are among the principals of a new company focused on advancing standards and best practices in the drone industry. Announced in early June, Acceleratum counts as co-founders former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and the former manager of FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Office, Jim Williams.

Next-Gen OPIR Mission Payload Clears Design Review

OPIR Credit: Raytheon
Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace have finished a preliminary design review of the mission payload for the initial set of geosynchronous satellites in the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared system.

U.S. Special Forces Seek New Long Endurance UAS

Pipistrel Surveyor Credit: Pipistrel USA
Only a month after revealing the existence and operational deployment of the Long Endurance Aircraft Program (LEAP), U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has started shopping for a new aircraft for the role.

NASA Seeks Crowdsource Help For Moon Toilet

Lunar Loo Challenge. Credit: HeroX
NASA has joined with crowdsourcing network HeroX to seek a strategy for the elimination of lunar astronauts’ bodily wastes under its “Lunar Loo Challenge.”

Maxar Buys Full Control Of Sat-Based 3D Mapping

3D visualization of Damascus, Syria. Credit: Vricon
Maxar Technologies will buy out joint venture (JV) partner Saab’s interest in its satellite-based three-dimensional (3D) data and analytics boutique Vricon, as revamped Maxar looks to double down on Earth observation services.
USAF
F-35A

Space Agencies Launch Dashboard To Reveal COVID-19 Impacts On Earth

Night lights over San Francisco Bay as seen by the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. Credit: NASA
The European, Japanese and U.S. space agencies have pooled Earth observation data collected from satellites during the global coronavirus pandemic to create an interactive website with analytical tools for scientific, economic and general public use.

U.S. Army To Buy 16 FLRAA Units For Development, Early Production

Bell V-280 Credit: Danazar
A sources-sought notice released by the U.S. Army June 23 keeps the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition on track for the release of the request for proposals next year and lays out new details of aircraft deliveries needed during the development phase and the first lot of low-rate initial production (LRIP).
Virgin Galactic
SpaceShipTwo

House proposal would set up clash with U.S. senate over the number of F-35s, U.S. special forces seek new long-endurance UAS, space agencies launch dashboard to reveal COVID-19's impacts on Earth, U.S. Army to buy 16 FLRAA units for development, NASA seeks to crowdsource help for moon toilet and more. A roundup of aerospace, space and defense news powered by Aerospace Daily & Defense Report. 

 

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