Defense

Lockheed Martin engineering managers in charge of developing the Orion crew capsule for NASA say the vehicle planned for an unmanned three-week mission in lunar orbit next year could be ready for an eight-day lunar flyaround with two astronauts on board before the end of 2019.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is calling for continued competition between propulsion subsystem suppliers for the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent.

The dual-launch of the Thales Alenia Space-built SGDC and Koreasat-7 satellites on an Ariane 5 has been postponed from its March 21 target due to a strike in French Guiana, where Europe’s Kourou spaceport is located.

The past four months have been a challenge for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO).

The planned launching of Orbital ATK’s seventh NASA-contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station has moved from March 24 to no earlier than March 27.

The restored B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc” will make four national stops during the first half of a tour plan.

The French government is making a last-ditch effort to get Malaysia to order Dassault Rafales ahead of a planned visit by its president to the Southeast Asian nation.

A defense law directs the Indonesian air force to prefer Airbus H225Ms, fitted out in the country, even though it wants AW101s. An A400M order is awaiting a report on a 2015 crash.

The U.S. Air Force is looking for light-attack aircraft for its OA-X program, and two turboprops seem to be in the lead, though many more are in the running.

The move is part of wider reshuffle of senior managers in Italy’s various state-controlled companies and institutions.

Planetary scientists gathered March 19 for a "town hall” to discuss the proposed science objectives of a NASA-led robotic lander mission to search for life on the Jupiter moon Europa.

Saab says it is still on target for achieving a first flight of its new JAS 39E Gripen in this year’s second quarter.

Belgium has decided to purchase new fighters to replace its aging fleet of F-16s.

Britain’s plan to reinstitute a carrier-based strike capability faces potential delays and capability limitations, the independent National Audit Office has warned.

Singapore is likely to field at least five maritime patrollers in the early 2020s.

Australia’s planned force of armed drones are probably intended for expeditionary operations; Canberra does not seem to think propeller-driven UAVs would have a large role for the defense of the country.

Lockheed Martin laser power record; biofuels and contrails; DARPA Gremlins make progress; UTM for Japan; Mesmer seduces drones.

Trump’s budget stands little chance of becoming law unchanged, but still sets the stage for a significant military buildup.

The ninth Boeing-built Wideband Global Satcom jam-resistant military communications satellite has successfully launched aboard a Delta IV rocket on March 18.

SpaceX's 10th NASA-contracted International Space Station Dragon resupply capsule re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on March 19, descending by parachute to a Pacific Ocean splashdown and recovery.

If the U.S. Air Force chooses to move forward with the buy, the service could use fiscal 2016 and 2017 dollars to field the notional fleet very quickly.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) says recent delays in releasing the request for proposals for the U.S. Air Force's Huey Replacement program are “such a disappointment” and further delay would be “irresponsible” considering the importance of the mission.

Vancouver-based space startup UrtheCast is to receive C$17.6 million ($13.2 million) in Canadian government support for development of the planned OptiSAR constellation.

U.S. defense services providers look set to prosper under President Donald Trump’s new budget priorities, several financial analysts say.

The contract provides $3.3 billion to Boeing in exchange for 244 remanufactured Echo-model aircraft and another 24 new-build AH-64Es for Saudi Arabia.