Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Oct. 27

NASA’s Lunar Landing System Partners Embracing Challenges

NASA’s commercial lunar Human Landing System (HLS) partners drew praise from the agency’s program manager as they outlined the biggest challenges they face in returning human explorers to the Moon’s surface in 2024 before a virtual SpaceCom conference audience. Commercial teams led by Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX were selected by NASA on April 30 to receive 10-month base period, firm fixed-price agreements totaling $967 million to refine landing system concepts capable of shuttling astronauts between lunar orbit and a wide range of landing sites on the Moon’s surface, starting with the south pole. Credit: NASA

DOD Office Forms University Consortium For Hypersonic Skills

A new organization in the U.S. Defense Department has formed a consortium with academia to help plug a gap in applied hypersonic engineering skills by setting up challenge projects that could lead to flight testing an experimental hypersonic missile designed by students. Credit: DARPA

Ecuador Receives First H145 Helicopters

Ecuador’s Air Force has begun receiving new H145 twin-engine light helicopters from Airbus. Delivery of the first two aircraft from an order for six, announced by Airbus on Oct. 27, comes 11 months after the Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense announced the order through social media channels. Credit: Airbus

ESA, NASA Sign Agreement For Lunar Gateway

The European Space Agency (ESA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NASA on Oct. 27 to participate in the planned lunar-orbiting Gateway, a platform in lunar orbit intended to serve as a staging base for human and robotic sorties to the Moon’s surface and as a testbed for technologies needed for future human exploration of Mars. Credit: NASA

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SpaceX Crew-1 Launch Reset For Nov. 14

CAPE CANAVERAL—NASA and SpaceX are targeting Nov. 14 for the launch of Crew-1, the first operational crew ferry flight to the International Space Station (ISS) from U.S. soil in more than 11 years. Credit: NASA

Virgin Galactic Bolsters Pilot Corps

As Virgin Galactic enters final preparations for the first rocket-powered flight of SpaceShipTwo from its Spaceport America operational facility in New Mexico, the company has added two additional pilots to its ranks Credit: Virgin Galactic

Raytheon Busy Positioning For Post-Pandemic Growth

Raytheon Technologies expects to end 2020 with $10 billion in cash on hand, in part thanks to a new deal to sell its Forcepoint cybersecurity business, but also due to 20% fewer commercial aerospace employees, executives said Oct. 27.Credit: Raytheon