SEAKR Demos Optical Links Between DARPA Mandrake II Sats

By Garrett Reim Jun 08, 2022
SEAKR Engineering recently demonstrated optical communications between a pair of two DARPA Mandrake II satellites.
Space

GAO Assessment Sees Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability At Risk

By Brian Everstine Jun 08, 2022
The U.S. Space Force is at risk of fielding a new Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability that does not meet requirements and could necessitate costly and time-intensive rework because it is moving ahead without a formal risk assessment and baseline for the design, according to a new assessment.
Space

Russia Threatens To Restart German Telescope Without Permission

Aviation Week Staff Jun 08, 2022
Russian State Space Corp. Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin threatened to restart a German telescope aboard the joint Russian-German Spektr-RG space observatory which Germany shut down in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Space

MH-139 Production Decision Slips As USAF Withholds Payments: GAO

By Brian Everstine Jun 08, 2022
The U.S. Air Force now expects to make a production decision on the MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter in January 2023, a total slip of about 16 months.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Chinese Startup AutoFlight Flies Revised Prosperity 1 eVTOL

By Graham Warwick Jun 08, 2022
Chinese startup AutoFlight has continued its rapid progress toward developing the Prosperity 1 electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi, flying a second full-scale proof-of-concept aircraft that incorporates design refinements.
Advanced Air Mobility

French Future Combat Air System Partners Hint At Plan B

By Thierry Dubois Jun 08, 2022
While the Future Combat Air System program is still stalled because of a disagreement between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, the French procurement agency and Dassault are hinting they have ideas for a Plan B.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Lawmakers Call For More Patriot Batteries, Analysis Of Upgrades

By Brian Everstine Jun 08, 2022
The invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need for missile defense in a conflict, and a House panel is calling on the U.S. Army to assess if it needs more batteries for the mission and how its Patriot systems should be upgraded.
Missile Defense & Weapons
Dubai Operator Signs Up For Eve eVTOLs
When Dubai hosted demonstrations of both EHang and Volocopter prototypes in 2017, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates looked to be a front-runner for the introduction of urban air mobility using electric air taxis.
andy.savoie@av… Wed, 06/08/2022 - 08:21
Primary Category

Lawmakers Call For Space Force To Hike Common Launch Integration

By Brian Everstine Jun 08, 2022
With the U.S. Space Force expected to increase the number of launches—especially with the Space Development Agency gearing up to launch its Tranche 1 and 2 programs—a House panel is calling for the service to increase the use of a common launch integrator to drive down costs.
Space

MDA, Redwire Win LEO Military Satellite Antenna Work

By Garrett Reim Jun 08, 2022
MDA and Redwire have received contracts to each develop 42 antennas for low Earth orbit military satellites.
Space

NASA Project Gathers Data On Climate-Influencing Thunderstorms

By Mark Carreau Jun 07, 2022
If the threat of severe thunderstorms materializes over Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle on June 8, the staff of a NASA project and its heavily instrumented high-altitude ER-2 jet aircraft plan to be there.
Multi-Mission Aircraft

Energy Department Launches $2.6M ‘Hydrogen Shot’ Incubator Prize

By Garrett Reim Jun 07, 2022
The U.S. Energy Department has launched its $2.6 million Hydrogen Shot Incubator Prize, a program which is aimed at finding technologies to reduce the cost of producing clean hydrogen.
Emerging Technologies

Safran Announcement Hints At Secret Lockheed Aircraft

By Steve Trimble Jun 07, 2022
A cryptic news release by Safran Landing Systems Canada Inc. hints at the existence of a secret Lockheed Martin aircraft project.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Lockheed Martin Announces First SiAW Bidding Race Award

By Steve Trimble Jun 07, 2022
Lockheed Martin has become the first competitor to receive a Phase 1 award in a bidding process for a contract to develop a new U.S. Air Force air-launched strike missile. 
Missile Defense & Weapons

HASC Strategic Forces Markup Scrutinizes Hypersonic Defense

By Brian Everstine Jun 07, 2022
Lawmakers want the Pentagon to broaden its use of advanced technologies for hypersonic and ballistic missile defense by increasing research in directed energy.
Missile Defense & Weapons

House Panel Approves Some C-130, Tanker Retirements

By Brian Everstine Jun 07, 2022
The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee will allow the U.S. Air Force to continue to chip away at its C-130 and legacy tanker fleets under its markup of the fiscal 2023 defense policy bill.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Raytheon Technologies' Headquarters Moving To Washington, D.C., Suburb

By Michael Bruno Jun 07, 2022
Raytheon Technologies, the Super Tier 1 aerospace supplier and large defense prime contractor, will move its corporate headquarters this year to Arlington, Virginia, home of the Pentagon and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Budget, Policy & Operations

MACH-TB Seeks Answer For 'Hypersonic Valley Of Death'

By Steve Trimble Jun 07, 2022
In a bid to overcome a “hypersonic valley of death” for high-speed technologies, the U.S. Navy is soliciting ideas for an experimental hypersonic glide body that can be used for testing several payloads at speeds of more than Mach 5 on each flight.
Missile Defense & Weapons

NASA Selects Artemis Priority Science Missions

By Mark Carreau Jun 07, 2022
NASA has selected two new science investigation missions for launch to the Moon under its Commercial Lunar Payload Services public/private exploration initiative.
Space

Volocopter Flies Longer-Range VoloConnect eVTOL

By Graham Warwick Jun 07, 2022
Volocopter has flown its larger, longer-range VoloConnect winged electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.
Advanced Air Mobility

Northrop Proposes Jackal High-Speed Loitering Munition

By Steve Trimble Jun 07, 2022
Northrop Grumman has been developing a turbojet-powered loitering munition called Jackal with 300-mph speed and a 15-min. loiter capability at a range of 100 km (62 mi.), the company says. 
Missile Defense & Weapons

The Weekly Debrief: Boeing Reveals Concepts For High-Speed SPEAR, HyFly 2

By Steve Trimble Jun 06, 2022
Boeing has released concepts of two different, carrier-compatible missiles—one powered by a dual-combustion scramjet and the other by a high-supersonic ramjet—for the first time.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Repaired SLS Returns To Launchpad For Tanking Test

By Irene Klotz Jun 06, 2022
NASA’s first Space Launch System Moon rocket is back at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B for a fourth attempt to test fueling operations ahead of launch on the Artemis I uncrewed flight test around the Moon.
Space

UK Transferring M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems To Ukraine

By Tony Osborne Jun 06, 2022
The UK is giving some of its M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems to Ukraine as the country seeks longer range systems to target Russia’s heavy artillery.
Missile Defense & Weapons

Germany Plans New Helos, More P-8s From Special Defense Fund

By Tony Osborne Jun 06, 2022
Germany is planning to purchase utility helicopters and enlarge its Boeing P-8 Poseidon fleet with €100 billion ($107 billion) from its special defense modernization fund.
Aircraft & Propulsion