Defense and Space

Cybersecurity startup Arqit Quantum said May 17 it will sell its satellite business once touted as a new-space partnership with now-bankrupt Virgin Orbit.

The U.S. Space Force wants two additional deep-space tracking radars deployed.

Airbus is advancing the development of its Sirtap tactical uncrewed aircraft system, targeting a first flight in 2025 and service entry as soon as 2026.

The European Future Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile program is moving forward as MBDA completes trials of new air-to-ground missile Akeron LP.

A defense industry-sponsored report reveals that U.S. manufacturers cannot meet planned production and cost targets for a new class of hypersonic weapons.

A second Great Observatory catches the eye of the fledgling in-space services industry.

A new DARPA aircraft designed by Aurora Flight Sciences to experiment with active flow control technology has been designated the X-65.

Airbus Helicopters has completed the first autonomous takeoffs and landings from a ship with its VSR700 uncrewed rotorcraft in a full operational configuration.

Ukraine on May 16 again claimed it had downed a round of Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.

NASA plans to announce a second industry partner to provide astronaut ferry flights between lunar orbit and the Moon’s surface on Friday, May 19.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson joined members of a U.S. Senate committee on May 16 in supporting a multiyear authorization measure for the agency.

Viasat’s KA-SAT satellite in Europe is still under attack more than a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

The decision allows KAI to step up preparations for mass production ahead of 2026 when the aircraft is planned to enter service.

Boeing says it is moving as fast as possible on the service’s E-7, amid Pentagon and congressional pressure.

Axiom Space’s abbreviated second four-person private astronaut mission to the International Space Station cleared its May 15 flight readiness review.

The spacecraft will be designed to perform a wide range of robotic operations on existing satellites.

Space Forge has unveiled additional details about its unfolding, “origami” heat shield for its ForgeStar re-entry vehicle.

The U.S. Air Force has stood up a fourth aggressor squadron, comprising older, fourth-generation aircraft.

The U.S. Space Force has granted Rhea Space Activity a contract to study resurrecting the NASA Spitzer space telescope 186 million mi. away from Earth.

The Pentagon hopes to save $3.5 billion through its planned divestments of aircraft and ships across all services.

A solution still remains beyond the grasp of most operational forces.

Germany’s army is to begin phasing out its Airbus Tiger attack helos beginning in 2031 after concluding that a planned upgrade program would be “highly risky."

NASA has terminated efforts to place its small, propulsively challenged Lunar Flashlight mission spacecraft into a backup orbit around the Earth.

Greece is to refurbish its MBDA Scalp air-launched cruise missiles, which equip the Hellenic Air Force’s fleet of Dassault Mirage 2000-5 and Rafale aircraft.

Romania will end operations with its Mikoyan MiG-21 LanceR fleet on May 15, transitioning its fighter fleet to secondhand Lockheed Martin F-16s.