Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Mar. 25

Bell, Sikorsky Secure FARA Agreements

Bell and Sikorsky have been chosen to enter the second phase of design and testing potential replacements for AH-64 Apaches used for armed reconnaissance.

ATR Resumes Production After Brief Pause

Regional turboprop manufacturer ATR, following a pause in its activities for four days last week, is resuming production at its Toulouse final assembly line.

European Experiment Platform Moves Closer To ISS Install

Using the International Space Station’s robot arm, ground controllers removed Bartolomeo, the recently launched European commercial external experiment platform, from the SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule late March 24.

Dragon Test Article Lost During Parachute Test Mishap

A SpaceX Dragon 2 test article was destroyed on March 24 during what was to be one of the final tests of the craft’s parachute system ahead of a planned crewed flight test to the International Space Station (ISS) this spring.

Space Force Soon Will Deliver ‘Voice Recognizable’ Comms

The U.S. Space Force is looking forward to “voice recognizable” communications with the expected completion of the six-satellite Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation.

ESA Astronauts To Address Confinement In Public Webcast

The European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a public webcast on March 26 for astronauts to share their experience and techniques for living in confined spaces.

DOD Official: F-35 Full-Rate Production Not Delayed So Far

Although F-35 Joint Strike Fighter test operations had to cease March 25 because of the novel coronavirus, the U.S. military has not seen “anything major” that would delay full-rate production, the Navy acquisition executive says.

NASA Lays Out Plans To Enable Advanced Air Mobility

NASA has renamed its urban air mobility (UAM) Grand Challenge the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign, a seemingly simple name change that signals recognition that industry’s interest is in more than just downtown air transportation.

Pentagon

Rocket Lab Launch Postponed By COVID-19 Concerns

Preparations for Rocket Lab’s next launch, a rideshare mission of small research satellites, have been suspended because of newly announced New Zealand government restrictions designed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Orion Arrives As More NASA Centers Shut Down

The Orion spacecraft slated to fly aboard NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) flight test next year arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 25, as six more NASA facilities were shut down to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

UPS Teams With Wingcopter To Expand Drone Delivery Options

Drone delivery service UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) is to collaborate with Germany’s Wingcopter on development of a longer-range unmanned aircraft to enable expanded delivery services in the U.S. and elsewhere.