Aerospace & Defense Roundup: Oct. 7
October 08, 2020
Aerojet Opens Arkansas Plant For Large Solid Rocket Motors
Aerojet Rocketdyne announced on Oct. 6 that a new large solid rocket motor manufacturing facility is officially operational to support propulsion demand for future intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), hypersonic missiles and missile defense systems. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne

Australia Lifts Defense Spending 9.1%, Plans More Big Rises
Undeterred by the budgetary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia will increase defense spending by a nominal 9.1% in the fiscal year that began in July 2020, with further strong rises planned for the following three years. Credit: Sgt. David Gibbs/Commonwealth of Australia

Boeing’s Ferguson Gives Up Seat On Starliner Flight Test
Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson is stepping aside as commander of the planned June 2021 CST-100 Starliner crewed flight demonstration mission to the International Space Station (ISS), citing family obligations. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Credit: Airbus
A400M

Growler Block 2 An Option For Australia
Australia will consider the Block 2 upgrade of the Boeing EA-18G Growler as part of a regular program of keeping aircraft common with those of the U.S. Navy, the defense department in Canberra said. Although a project to replace the Growler in Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) service will begin this decade, a spokesperson for the department suggests introduction of a new type will not quickly follow. The Growler is used for electronic attack. Credit: Sgt. Guy Young/Commonwealth of Australia

RAF Drone Swarm Trials Include BriteCloud Technology
Leonardo’s BriteCloud active decoy technology has been adapted to fit onboard small unmanned aircraft to support the UK Royal Air Force’s drone swarm trials. Credit: Airbus

Satellite Shuttle Startup Momentus To Go Public Under SPAC Acquisition
Momentus will become the next publicly traded new-space venture in early 2021, and the first self-described space infrastructure provider, upon closure of a deal announced Oct. 7 for blank-check company Stable Road Acquisition to buy the satellite orbit-mover startup. Credit: Momentus

Airbus Gears Up For Next-Gen Earth Observation
Airbus is preparing for the launch of the first of four Pleiades Neo satellites, designed for improved resolution and more frequent revisits in Earth observation, and simultaneously working on a lower-cost generation. Due to delays in Arianespace’s Vega C launcher program, the first Pleiades Neo spacecraft is now due to be placed into orbit in early 2021 instead of mid-2020. Credit: Tiraden

Credit: Dassault
Rafale

STC Adds Enhanced Vision System To Firefighting DC-10
Astronics Corp. has announced FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval of its Max-Viz 1400 enhanced vision system installation on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 aerial firefighting tanker. Credit: Astronics Corp.

U.S. Military Proposes Resupply Demo Using SpaceX Starship
U.S. Transportation Command could stage a joint proof of principle test with SpaceX with the Starship Earth-to-Earth transportation system for a military resupply mission, Gen. Stephen Lyons said on Oct. 7. Credit: SpaceX

Boom Firms Up Overture Plans As XB-1 Rolls Out
Boom Supersonic is readying the XB-1 demonstrator for ground tests at its Centennial Airport, Colorado, headquarters following a virtual rollout event on Oct 7. The 71-ft.-long, delta wing XB-1 trijet is designed to pave the way for Boom’s follow-on Mach 2.2 Overture airliner. Credit: Boom Supersonic

Russian Hypersonic Missile Hits Sea Target In Test, MOD Says
Credit: Russian MOD via YouTube
Zircon
Airbus gears up for next-gen Earth observation, Russian hypersonic missile hits sea target in test, Australia lifts defense spending by 9.1%, Boom firms up overture plans as XB-1 rolls out. A roundup of aerospace space and defense news powered by Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.
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Comments
STC's Max-Vis "enhanced vision system for the DC-10 aerial tanker snapped me back to my first ride in the Navy TBM's back seat. It had a periscope under the aircraft behind the torpedo bay for use in aiming the aircraft & its torpedo at a target!