U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

By Garrett Reim
Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics subsidiary has integrated twin robotic arms on its Mission Robotic Vehicle.
Satellites

By Vivienne Machi
NASA’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget would cancel technology development related to nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Garrett Reim
DARPA has announced a power-beaming distance record of 8.6 km (5.3 mi) for the laser-based system that could support many military applications.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Garrett Reim
Portal Space Systems promises the rapid maneuverability of nuclear propulsion, but using thermal energy collected from the Sun.
Space Exploration

By Garrett Reim
DARPA is claiming a power-beaming distance record after transmitting energy using a laser over 8.6 km (5.3 mi).
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
Sikorsky plans to fly a Group 3 design of its Rotor Blown Wing next month as the company targets international interest in the concept.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
DARPA has kicked off its Exponentiating Mathematics (expMath) program aimed at developing AI systems that can act as co-authors to mathematicians.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Aurora Flight Sciences has completed low-speed wind tunnel tests of the blended wing body X-plane that the Boeing company is developing for a DARPA program.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
DARPA is soliciting a lunar orbiter capable of flying in the Moon’s unstable low orbit.
Space Exploration

By Steve Trimble
DARPA launched a program on April 17 to develop a new solid rocket motor with a burn surface area that can be altered after manufacturing.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
Northrop Grumman will advance to Phase 2 of DARPA’s Modular Efficient Laser Technology (MELT) program.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Air Force’s next fighter is finally in development, with Boeing in the driver’s seat for a program with aggressive schedule and cost targets.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
Optical cross-link technology is maturing at a critical juncture, with government and commercial customers pouring billions into proliferated constellations.
Satellites

By Steve Trimble
The Boeing-owned company received a nearly $25 million award from DARPA on Feb. 27.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Matthew Fulco
Leading the seed funding round was MetaVC Partners with participation from Entrada Ventures and Blue Collective.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
A secretive DARPA office has a new project: a large hypersonic bomber prototype. The Aerospace Projects Office keeps a low profile, even by DARPA standards.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
The robot would be hosted as a payload aboard Momentus’ Vigoride orbital services vehicle.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
Automotive software startup Applied Intuition acquired EpiSys Science (EpiSci), forming a new powerhouse in the defense market for autonomy programs.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
“It’s time to be able to move through space at will and to be able to defend ourselves when we are attacked,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno says.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris, Vivienne Machi
The fuel was subjected to a rigorous series of cyclic thermal evaluations.
Space Exploration

By Vivienne Machi
DARPA and NASA’s nuclear thermal propulsion project will miss its scheduled 2027 testing time frame, as its development has proven trickier than anticipated.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Milestones loom in the coming months for future refueler and airlifter programs amid funding uncertainty.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Marine Corps has selected Sikorsky to demonstrate its flight-autonomy system onboard an optionally piloted UH-60 Black Hawk.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Stop-fold tiltrotor tests; EcoPulse lessons learned; Black Hawk advanced controls; China’s AAM avionics supplier.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
Bell has completed wind-tunnel testing of its proposed X-plane for a DARPA project to demonstrate a high-speed vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.
Emerging Technologies