Aviation Week & Space Technology

A340 MSN001, modified to be the Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator for Europe (BLADE), will soon begin a flight-test campaign to show that laminar flow can reduce fuel burn.

United Technologies Corp.’s proposed $30 billion acquisition of Rockwell Collins will create an unparalleled aerospace supplier, marrying the latter’s avionics and cabin interiors business with UTC Aerospace Systems, and with engine maker Pratt & Whitney not far apart.

Drone for Saturn’s moon; solar wing for atmospheric satellite; China develops alumics; robot applies riblets, and new alloy for metal printing.

Guy Norris, Aviation Week Senior editor, talks to us from El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina where Airbus hopes to witness the Perlan Mission II achieve a new world altitude record.

The first F-35 squadrons are set to receive aircraft equipped with a version of the final software load, but the program still has significant hurdles to overcome in its final stretch.

Air Berlin may be sold off in bits or as a whole, with several carriers positioning themselves for advantage in the German market.

Travel agencies’ interest in copying the Spring Airlines model should promote budget aviation in China, but there are barriers to the model.

On Capitol Hill, many deadlines and obstacles must be overcome to keep government functioning; A&D leaders remain focused on potential tax cuts; Sen. McCain gears up to return.

James R. Asker has flown in—and sometimes actually flown—a wide array of civil and military aircraft, and he can’t wait to see what amazing vehicles and creative businesses you will come up with next.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

A roundup of recent aviation and aerospace and defense industry staff changes.

Upcoming aviation and aerospace industry events and Aviation Week Network events

Readers weigh in on the F-35/F-22 debate; the viability of air taxis; prospects for SpaceX; and the U.S. Air Force's drive for fully networked combat systems

The long-haul, low-cost airline model remains strongest in Asia, but most have struggled to extend routes to other regions.

The major Asia-Pacific LCC players have placed more than 1,700 orders for narrowbody aircraft, but other constraints could slow growth.

New multirotor unmanned aircraft are coming onto the market. They combine vertical-takeoff-and-landing ease of use with longer flight times to increase productivity on commercial missions.

NASA spacecraft wraps up 13 years of pioneering fieldwork that shifted ideas of where to look for life beyond Earth. Cover credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Lockheed concedes defeat in next-gen ICBM competition as Boeing reviews options after LRSO loss.

The smallest of the three big Gulf carriers is reassessing its plans after the failure of its European investments.

Tax reform, including cuts to U.S. tax rates and a potential to bring back cash from overseas, dominates conversations when it comes to Washington affairs.

NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston remained closed to all but essential personnel Aug. 29, four days after major hurricane-turned-tropical storm Harvey barged ashore on the Texas coast.

U.S. Air Force is exploring ways to use automation and artificial intelligence to ease the workload on Distributed Common Ground System intelligence gatherers.

NASA’s most ambitious space science projects are an essential part of maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration, an assessment says.

SpaceX successfully deployed the long-delayed FormoSat-5 remote sensing satellite into low Earth orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Patriots, F-16s and attack helicopters are high on Romania’s defense list as Bucharest increases defense spendin